A building on the cliff edge near Winton in western Queensland has reportedly stunned locals in the remote Outback town by being shortlisted in the World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards.

 The recently completed Australian Age of Dinosaurs (AAOD) Museum Reception Centre was entered in the ‘Culture’ category of the Awards by Cox Rayner Architects, Brisbane.

Principal Michael Rayner says: “We are absolutely thrilled that this building has made it through to the final judging. It is only a small building but it has held its own with cathedrals and museums from around the world that have cost hundreds of millions of dollars to build.”

 The AADO building is up against projects including the Soweto Theatre (South Africa), the Open Air Cinema in Gorky Park (Russia), brOnks Youth Theatre Brussels (Belgium) and Australia’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA).

 AADO Executive Chairman David Elliott said he could not believe it when he heard that the not-for profit organisation’s latest acquisition had made it through to the world finals.

“It is just the most special outcome for us,” he said from the AAOD Museum where he has recently returned from the museum’s annual dinosaur dig.

“So much effort and goodwill has gone into the construction of this building it really deserves to make it through.”

 Elliott said the building was the culmination of nearly two years of hard work and barrel scraping for AAOD and congratulated Cox Rayner on their success.

“We could never have done this without them,” he said. “Without their contributions and the huge commitment to the project by Woollam Constructions who built the centre at cost it simply would not have happened”.

Although valued at more than $2.5 million, the AAOD Reception building was constructed on $1 million Federal Government funding with much of the shortfall met by contributions from Corporate Australia.

 Cox Rayner Architects provided the architecture and detailed drawings for the building at no charge.

 “Our team at Cox Rayner was blown away by the effort and self sacrifices that went into this project,” Rayner said.

“It is just one of those projects that get you in and virtually everyone who worked on it contributed in some way. We are immensely proud of it.”

 Now in its fifth year, the WAF is the world’s largest festival and live awards competition dedicated to celebrating and sharing architectural excellence from across the globe.

This year’s awards are being held in Singapore from October 3 to 5.

Australian design teams have more than 50 projects shortlisted in the 2012 World Architecture Festival Awards (WAF).

Opened in April, the AAOD Reception building houses some of the country’s most significant dinosaur fossils, including the holotype fossils of Australovenator and Diamantinasaurus.

The museum is open daily for guided tours. www.aaod.com.au