The Royal Institute of British Architects has revealed the finalists for the 2018 International Prize—one of the most prestigious honors for contemporary architecture worldwide. The first International Prize, awarded in 2016, was given to Grafton Architects’ Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología in Lima, Peru.
The 62 buildings shortlisted for the 2018 prize will now undergo a year of study, which includes several site visits from the grand jury, chaired by Elizabeth Diller of Diller Scofidio + Renfro. One building from their ranks will be crowned “the global standard for architecture achievement” in December 2018.
Any building completed within two years of the submission deadline is eligible to enter; there are no guidelines regarding size or program of a potential winner. However, the jury considers more than visionary design and excellent construction as they make their selection; buildings must serve their surrounding communities in a meaningful way.
“This significant selection of 62 projects illustrates the meaningful impact and transformative quality that well-designed buildings can have on communities, wherever they are in the world,” said RIBA President Ben Derbyshire in a statement.
The organization highlighted Guangming Village, a post-earthquake reconstruction project in China designed by a collaborative of students, and the Zeitz MoCAA, South Africa’s new contemporary art museum designed by Heatherwick Studio, as two vastly different examples of how architecture may contribute to society.
Click through the slideshow above to see RECORD’s past coverage of some of the finalists, and see the full shortlist here.