World Architecture Festival 2016 begins in Berlin
The 2016 World Architecture Festival (WAF) has started today with architects and designers from around the world descending on Berlin to debate issues facing the industry and to celebrate the world’s best recently completed and future architectural projects.
Held in the Arena Berlin, the three-day event (16-18 November) is the only global festival that combines conferences, networking and awards - with the WAF Building of the Year to be announced at the end of the week.
The event is being held alongside the INSIDE World Festival celebrating global interiors.
The theme for the main festival is ‘Housing for Everyone’, with speakers debating how to overcome social, political and economic challenges to deliver decent housing and living spaces.
Zaha Hadid director Patrik Schumacher, interior designer Joyce Wang and UNStudio founder Ben van Berkel, who delivered the first keynote speech this morning, are among the speakers presenting at the two festivals throughout the week.
Leisure architecture is being represented at WAF, particularly in the WAF Awards, which celebrate projects across 30 categories including sport, culture and mixed-use. Leisure architects in contention can be found here.
A panel of industry professionals – including David Chipperfield and Christoph Ingenhoven – will judge the category winners to select the World Building of the Year, Landscape of the Year and the Future Project of the Year.
CLADmag managing editor Magali Robathan and news editor Kim Megson will be reporting from the festival throughout the week.
World Architecture Festival INSIDE festival architecture design BerlinLeisure projects in contention for Building of the Year prize at World Architecture Festival Awards
World Architecture Festival invites entries for 2016 awards
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Aman sister brand Janu launching in Tokyo in 2024 with design by Denniston's Jean-Michel Gathy
Three years after Pegasus Capital bought Six Senses, how close is the private equity firm to realising its goals for its first spa and hospitality investment? Pegasus’ founder Craig Cogut tells us what’s been achieved and what comes next