The World Architecture Festival has announced its shortlist for the 2018 Awards

Now in its 11th edition, the World Architecture Festival, which will celebrate the 2018 awards program in Amsterdam later this year, has released their shortlist. Receiving more entries than ever before with a total of 1,000 submissions, the selected projects represent a vast international collection of outstanding work across 81 countries. Among this year's highlights are a research centre in Riyadh, a village lounge in rural China and a mosque without a minaret in Iran. Judges also noted the particular strength of the ‘Old and New’ category this year, with plenty of innovative ideas and creative re-use of old structures, including Thomas Heatherwick’s outstanding conversion of a disused grain silo in South Africa for use as a contemporary art gallery.

Below, a selection of some of our favorites. 

↑ Chapel Our Lady of Fátima by Plano Humano Arquitectos. Location: Castelo Branco, Portugal. 

↑ Royal Academy of Music Theatre and Recital Hall by Ian Ritchie Architects.  Location: London, UK .

↑ Vali-e-asr Mosque by Fluid Motion Architects.  Location: Tehran, Iran.

↑ Cottage in the Vineyard by Ramón Esteve Estudio.  Location: Fontanars dels Alforins, Spain.

↑ Village Lounge of Shangcun by SUP Atelier. Location: Jixi, China.

↑ Peninsula House by Bernardes Arquitetura. Location: Guarujá, Brazil.

↑ Cabin Kvitfjell by Lund Hagem Architects. Location: Kvitfjell, Norway.

↑ Ullevål tårn by Code Arkitektur. Location: Oslo, Norway. 

↑ Pálás cinema by dePaor.  Location: Galway, Ireland.

↑ Exeter College Cohen Quadrangle by Alison Brooks Architects.  Location: Oxford, United Kingdom.

↑ HOUSEMOTION by TABANLIOGLU ARCHITECTS. Location: Milano, Italy.

↑ King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre (KAPSARC) by Zaha Hadid Architects.  Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

↑ Patio House by OOAK architects.  Location: Karpathos, Greece. 

↑ Zeitz MOCAA by Heatherwick Studio.  Location: Cape Town, South Africa.

↑ Bamboo stalactite by Vo Trong Nghia Architects. Location: Venice, Italy.