2016 World Architecture Festival shortlist highlights

The wheels are starting to turn for the upcoming World Architecture Festival 2016 competition. Taking place in November, the yearly Festival will relocate to Berlin following four memorable years in Singapore. WAF is unique in that anyone can apply to the competition and have a chance to win. Event attendees can witness architecture teams presenting their projects and then listen to the jury's responses.

Submissions poured in from across the globe, and 343 projects made the cut for the 2016 shortlist. And like every year, competition is already running high, with plenty of stunning projects by top-tier designers representing 42 countries like Foster + Partners' Crossrail Place, studio mk27's Jungle House, The Book Stop Project by WTA Architecture + Design Studio, and the Messner Mountain Museum by the late Zaha Hadid. Other shortlisted architects include Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners, Robert A.M. Stern, Coop Himmelb(l)au, Nikken Sekkei, and Turenscape.

Check out a few of this year's contenders below.

Find the full shortlist here.