We love a good list, and today’s is no exception. The not-so-short list of nominees for World Building of the Year includes three entries from Foster + Partners, a KieranTimberlake residence that appeared in MoMA’s pre-fab exhibition last summer, and a bevy of unbuilt projects. After the jump we round up some of the cultural picks in all their architectural goodness.
Past category winners have included a Norway train station by Zaha Hadid, a sculpture park by landscape friendly Weiss/Manfredi, a 3LHD-designed sports hall in Croatia, a Jenga-like private home in Japan, and Foster + Partner’s courtyard in the Smithsonian (we’re sensing a trend here, Norman). We can’t really imagine something as Flinstones-derivative as the planned Bombay Arts Society taking the trophy in a serious architecture competition; then again, Star Wars seems to have been a successful point of reference last year.
We’re placing bets on the new performing arts center at RPI in upstate New York for the culture category in 2009; what say ye? A selection of eye candy below.
eMPAC Performing Arts Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, by Grimshaw
Planned Bombay Arts Society in Mumbai by Sanjay Puri Architects.
Bishan Public Library in Singapore, designed by PTE LTD
Sperone Westwater gallery design for the Bowery by Foster + Partners
Zénith in Saint-Etienne, France, also by Foster + Partners
Ars Electronica Center in Linz, Austria, by Treusch Architecture
Melbourne Recital Centre by Ashton Raggatt McDougal
Music Theatre for Graz, Austria, by UNstudio
For the truly curious, see the entire list of nominees here.