Miami to Host World Architecture Festival 2025 - the grandest meeting of ambitious design minds.
The World Architecture Festival (WAF) is set to make its U.S. debut in Miami from November 12-14, 2025. This global event, previously held in cities like Singapore, Lisbon, and Amsterdam, promises a unique experience that goes beyond traditional award ceremonies.
At the heart of WAF 2025 is a live presentation format, where architects present their projects directly to an international jury panel at the Miami Beach Convention Center. This approach allows designers to explain their material choices and design decisions in real time, fostering transparency and immediate dialogue between designers and judges.
Over 460 projects will be live-judged, including work from major firms like Foster + Partners and BIG. North American firms are heavily represented on this year's shortlist, increasing the presence of American projects and participants.
The festival showcases over 460 shortlisted projects across categories like Completed Buildings, Future Projects, Interiors, and Landscape. The event also features 17 parallel crit rooms for presentations by designers from around the world.
The Architecture Drawing Prize, curated by WAF, Make Architects, and Sir John Soane's Museum, explores the evolving role of hand-drawing in architecture. Meanwhile, the World Architecture Festival is more than just award ceremonies; it provides a platform for dialogue, criticism, and peer exposure.
The Miami Beach Convention Center will serve as the venue for the three-day event. Beyond the presentation rooms, attendees can engage in curated architecture tours across Miami, meet publishers through the Architecture Book of the Year platform, and explore the Architecture Drawing Prize.
The festival includes a full slate of keynote talks, main stage debates, and festival hall sessions on themes like resilience, human-centered design, climate urgency, and material storytelling. The final evening of the event culminates in the Gala Dinner, where the World Building of the Year, World Interior of the Year, and WAFX overall winner will be announced.
Attendees are encouraged to share their travel tips with the WAF community by commenting below. The event also invites the audience to participate in the process with opportunities for photos, films, live sketches, and presentations.
For those interested in attending, tickets can be booked on the WAF website. The festival includes WAF Interiors, keynote talks, design tours, and cultural events, making it an unmissable event for architecture enthusiasts. The Darlington Public School, the 2024 World Building of the Year, will be frequently referenced as a touchstone for innovation.
Join us in Miami this November for a festival that combines education, networking, and celebration of design, differing from usual awards that lack live juried presentations and broader festival elements.
- The World Architecture Festival (WAF) in Miami will not only offer live juried presentations but also serve as a platform for architecture enthusiasts to engage in discussions, attend keynote talks, and participate in cultural events.
- Alongside announcing prestigious awards like the World Building of the Year, WAF in Miami will encourage participation from the audience through opportunities for photos, films, live sketches, and presentations, making it a unique travel destination for architecture aficionados.
