At the Marina Bay Sands resort overlooking Singapore Bay, one of the most eagerly awaited architectural events of 2024, the World Architecture Festival, has just concluded. Every year, 44 awards are conferred on the protagonists of the contemporary scene in four areas - Completed Projects, Future Projects, Inside and Landscape - and in different specific categories. A prize is then awarded to the best project in each category, with a total of 4 winners.

This year, the winner of the World Building of the Year 2024 is the Darlington Public School in Australia, designed by fjcstudio. Relationship to the land, passive design solutions, respect for children's privacy without sacrificing a sense of community: these were the elements that determined the award for the primary school, which also embraces the rich indigenous culture so important to the community, with artwork displayed throughout the school.

The award in the Inside category goes to the new Pang Mei Noodle Bar in Beijing, a project by Office Aio. In response to the client's need to work at different times (and meals) throughout the day, the firm devised a spatial planning system that changes according to the moment. A rolling shutter is the key to the restaurant's transformation. Closed during off-peak hours for quick counter service, the shutter opens during peak hours to expand the restaurant for full table service.

Another Chinese project won the Landscape category: the Guanlan Riverside Plaza in Shenzen, designed by Lay-Out Planning Consultants, is based on the park-square concept, responding to the city's problem of overdevelopment with 200 evergreen trees and a space for various urban activities.

Finally, the Future Projects category was won by Eaa-Emre Arolat Architecture with a project for civic use that exploits the topographical characteristics of the area and bases its concept on spatial fluidity.

This year's theme, entitled "Tomorrow", stems from a crucial question: "How will architecture, urban design, landscape and interiors be influenced by the trends we see around us in terms of population movement, urban growth, digital technology, artificial intelligence, immersive environments and cultural change?"