The World Architecture Festival (WAF) will return for its fifth year, this time in a new destination, taking place in Singapore from 3-5 October 2012.

Entries to the Festival awards open on 1 May; this year, judges will include Australia’s Kerry Hill of Kerry Hill Architects

WAF organisers say that featuring an eclectic mix of architectural styles, from British colonial civic buildings to Art Deco office blocks, Singapore has a rich architectural heritage which it is recognising to an ever greater extent.

This year’s Festival will be held at the Marina Bay Sands resort (below), designed by Moshe Safdie, itself a WAF Award winner in 2010.

Photo : Timothy Hursley http://www.e-architect.co.uk/awards/waf_awards_2012.htm

The Festival will include a comprehensive programme of presentations, seminars, exhibitions, and keynote addresses from international participants.

The WAF Awards, said to be the largest architectural awards programme in the world, will again be a focal point of the Festival.

Previous entrants have ranged from renowned global architectural firms to small local practices. All entrants go head-to-head as equals in presenting their designs on a global stage. The interactive format involves shortlisted entrants presenting their projects live to international judging panels and Festival delegates.

The Festival’s organisers, i2i Events Group, recently unveiled a jury comprising of a selection of the world’s leading architects and designers, who will decide which projects will be rewarded with a WAF yellow W trophy live at the Festival.

This year’s jury also includes Ben van Berkel, UNStudio; Juergen Mayer H., J. Mayer H Architecture Design Research; Mok Wei Wei, W Architects; Kongjian Yu, Turenscape; Marcio Kogan, Studio MK27; Tang Guan Bee, Tangguanbee Architects; Edouard Francois, Maison d'Architecture Edouard Francois; Ivan Harbour, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners; Ole Scheeren, Buro Ole Scheeren; Richard Hassell and Wong Mun Summ, WOHA and Sanjay Puri, Sanjay Puri Architects.

Paul Finch, WAF Programme Director said: “Since our inaugural Festival in 2008, WAF has evolved into a truly global event, annually attracting thousands of architects and designers from across the world. Following four fantastic years in Barcelona we feel the time is right to move the Festival to a new location, and where better to celebrate our fifth birthday than at Moshe Safdie's award winning Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

“The Festival represents an exclusive forum for the architectural community to showcase projects, debate and discuss current trends and learn from some of the world’s most inspirational designers.

“This year’s jury features some of the industry’s leading minds and most-respected thinkers, who are each individually at the very forefront of their respective fields. We’re looking forward to seeing the quality of this panel matched by the creativity and ingenuity of the projects that they will be judging.”

For more information visit: www.worldarchitecturefestival.com