Below are the world’s top religious architecture, design and art spaces for 2016, according to US Faith & Form magazine and the Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture (IFRAA).

Each year the organisation recognises the work of design professionals creating meaningful religious art and architecture across the globe and in 2016, 28 projects have awarded across 13 categories.

Reflecting on the entries as a whole, the five-member jury says they were impressed with range of work and the variety of responses to the continuously evolving ideas about how to create sacred environments, for every family of belief in the world.

They also observed that many of the submissions used natural light in creative ways, making it part of the sacred environment both in architecture and art works.

“While natural light has long been a way to convey a sense of immanence in religious art and architecture, the jury noted that it also contributes to sustainability and helps to reduce energy costs,” Faith & Form says.

Jurors were also impressed with how designers used an economy of means with simple, elegant materials to meet the needs of congregations. A reverence for natural materials was seen in many submissions, and in winning projects.

Faith & Form's 2016 Religious Architecture Awards

NEW FACILITIES 

Jumaa Mosque, Doha by John McAslan + Partners
10_Internal-view-of-prayer-hall-copyright-Hufton-and-Crow.jpg
Image: McAslan + Partners

Chapel of St. Ignatius, Chicago by John Ronan Architects 
Chapel-of-St-Ignatius-by-John-Ronan-Architects.jpgPhotography by Nathan Kirkman

Chapel of the Good Shepherd, Alojzij Sustar Primary School, Ljubljana by Robert Dolinar
Chapel-of-the-Good-Shepherd-Alojzij-Sustar-Primary-School.jpgPhotography by Luca Markez

Totihue Chapel, Totihue by Gonzalo Mardonrs Arquitectos
Totihue-Chapel-by-Gonzalo-Mardones-Arquitectos.jpgPhotography by Nico Saieh

Al Warqa'a Mosque, Dubai by Iba Design
Al-Warqa-a-Mosque.jpgPhotography by Sadao Hotta

Chinmaya Mission Austin, Austin by Miro Rivera Architects
Chinmaya-Mission-Austin.jpgPhotography by Paul Finkel 

The Joyful Church, Pohang by The Beck Group
The-Joyful-Church.jpgPhotography by Seunghoon Yum

St. Francis Chapel, Breckenridge by Stocker Hoesterey Architects
St-Francis-Chapel.jpgPhotography by Nicholas McWhirter

ADAPTIVE REUSE/REPURPOSE

Temple Israel of Hollywood, Los Angeles by Koning Eizenberg Architecture
Temple-Israel-of-Hollywood.jpgPhotography by Eric Staudenmaier

RESTORATION 

St Patrick's Cathedral, New York by Murphy Burnham & Buttrick Architects
St-Patrick-s-Cathedral.jpgPhotography by Whitney Cox

Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun Synagogue, New York by FXFOWLE
Congregation-Kehilath-Jeshurun-Synagogue.jpgPhotography by Chris Cooper

RENOVATION

St. Cecilia Church, Boston by Donham & Sweeney Architects
St-Cecilia-Church.jpgPhotography by Bruce Martin

LITURGICAL/INTERIOR DESIGN

Palm Beach Synagogue, Florida by Arthur Chabon Architect
Palm-Beach-Synagogue.jpgPhotography by Kim Sargent

Knock Basilica Interior Design, Knock by Wejchert Architects
Knock-Basilica-Interior-Design.jpgPhotography by Peter Moloney

Temple Adath Israel, Merion Station by Atkin Olshin Schade Architects
Temple-Adath-Israel.jpgPhotography by Tom Crane 

Sacred Heart Cathedral of Kericho, Kericho by John McAslan + Partners 
Sacred-Heart-Cathedral-of-Kericho.jpgPhotography by Edmund Sumner

SACRED LANDSCAPE

8-Shaped Passage, Tokyo by Shoji Oshio + UA Architects
8-Shaped-Passage.jpgPhotography by Masaru Niimi

LITURGICAL FURNISHINGS

Baptismal Font; St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Oceanside by Dekker, Perich and Sabatini
Baptismal-Font;-St-Thomas-More-Catholic-Church.jpgImage: RMA Photography

Pipe Organ; St. Dustan's Episcopal Church, Carmel Valley by Dobson Pipe Organ Builders
Pipe-Organ;-St-Dunstan-s-Episcopal-Church.jpgPhotography by Sherman Chu

Torah Ark, Bema and Screen; Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School, California by Studio Bondy Architecture
Torah-Ark-Bema-and-Screen;-Gideon-Hausner-Jewish-Day-School.jpgPhotography by Ken Gutmaker

UNBUILT WORK

Basilica de N.Senora de la Merced Facade Rehab, Madrid by Eleftherios Piskitzis
Basilica-de-N-Senora-de-la-Merced-Facade-Rehab.jpgImage: Eleftherrios Piskitzis

VISUAL ARTS

"Mary As Prophet"; Virginia Theological Seminary, Virginia by Margaret Adams Parker
Mary-As-Prophet-;-Virginia-Theological-Seminary.jpgPhotography by B. Cayce Ramey

"Mysteries of the Rosary"; Our Lady of Loreto, Colorado by Scott Parsons
Mysteries-of-the-Rosary-;-Our-Lady-of-Loreto.jpgPhotography by Steve Maylone

STUDENT WORK

Cathedral of St. Thomas, Cochin by Ranjit John Korah
Cathedral-of-St-Thomas.jpg

"City of Spirits", Recife by Rafael Paes 
City-of-Spirits.jpg

"Pop-Up Places of Worship", various locations by Lucas Boyd and Chad Greenlee 
Pop-Up-Places-of-Worship.jpg

"The Chapel of St. Adalbert", Fisewo by Filip Strezelecki
The-Chapel-of-St-Adalbert.jpg

"The Procession of the Souls", Swinford by Travis Architects with the Catholic University of America
The-Procession-of-the-Souls.jpgPhotography by Travis Price