UNESCO celebrates best contemporary architecture of 2022 at Prix Versailles

24 projects have been recognized as the “best in contemporary architecture” at the 2022 Prix Versailles. Chosen by UNESCO from a field of 94 finalists, the winning projects span categories including airports, campuses, sports, hotels, and restaurants.

This year’s edition of the annual awards sought to pay a “tribute to innovation, creativity, reflections of local heritage, ecological efficiency, and the values of social interaction and participation which the United Nations holds in high regard.” According to the organizers, winning projects were chosen in line with the principles of “intelligent sustainability,” encompassing each project’s ecological, social, and cultural implications.

This year’s jury was chaired by Gilles Lipovetsky (France), who was joined by Thom Mayne (United States), Lu Wenyu (China), Thomas Vonier (United States), Jasper Morrison (United Kingdom), Charlotte de Witte (Belgium), Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (Chad - France), and Samina Baig (Pakistan).

Below, we have listed out the 24 winning entries of the 2022 edition. 

AIRPORTS

• Prix Versailles: Los Angeles International Airport, West Gates Terminal in Los Angeles, CA
• Special Prize Interior: Helsinki Airport, Terminal 2 in Vantaa, Finland
• Special Prize Exterior: Thessaloniki Airport “Makedonia”, Terminal 2 in Thessaloniki, Greece

CAMPUSES

• Prix Versailles: London School of Economics and Political Science, Marshall Building in London, UK
• Special Prize Interior: University of Birmingham Dubai in Dubai, UAE
• Special Prize Exterior: Paris Institute of Political Studies, 1 Saint-Thomas in Paris, France

PASSENGER STATIONS

• Prix Versailles: Expo 2020 Metro Station in Dubai, UAE
• Special Prize Interior: Duomo Metro Station in Naples, Italy
• Special Prize Exterior: Al Furjan Metro Station in Dubai, UAE

SPORTS

• Prix Versailles: TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, OH
• Special Prize Interior: Tochigi Sports Park, East Area in Utsunomiya, Japan
• Special Prize Exterior: Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar

SHOPS & STORES

• Prix Versailles: Burberry pop-up store in Jeju, South Korea
• Special Prize Interior: Hermès Rive Gauche in Paris, France by RDAI
• Special Prize Exterior: Apple The Grove in Los Angeles, CA by Foster+Partners

SHOPPING MALLS

• Prix Versailles: La Samaritaine in Paris, France by SANAA / SRA Architectes / Lagneau Architectes
• Special Prize Interior: The Hyundai Seoul in Seoul, South Korea by Burdifilek
• Special Prize Exterior: Henderson Cifi Tiandi in Shanghai, China by Ateliers Jean Nouvel

HOTELS

• Prix Versailles: Six Senses Fort Barwara in Chauth Ka Barwara, India by Mitchell & Eades
• Special Prize Interior: Six Senses Botanique in Campos do Jordão, Brazil by Candida Tabet Arquitetura
• Special Prize Exterior: DongFengYun Hotel Mi’Le – MGallery in Mile, China by Luo Xu / Cheng Chung Design

RESTAURANTS

• Prix Versailles: The NoMad restaurant in London, UK by EPR Architects
• Special Prize Interior: Bogen in Bolzano, Italy by noa*
• Special Prize Exterior: Äng in Tvååker, Sweden by Norm Architects

More details on the awards can be found on the Prix Versailles website, while this year’s list can be compared to previous years by exploring our past coverage of the awards here.