WAF 2020 Architecture Drawing Prize

Langlands & Bell join judging panel for 4th Year

The World Architecture Festival (WAF) is accepting entries for its fourth annual drawing prize [Deadline: 2 October 2020]

Open to architects, designers and students, the anonymous competition seeks high-quality submissions in three separate categories: hand-drawings, digital images, and hybrids of the two. A special ‘lockdown prize’ – open to participants of all categories – will also recognise a drawing completed during lockdown or relating to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The winners and shortlist will feature in an exhibition at the Sir John Soane’s Museum in London from October to February 2021. The overall winners of the 2020 Architecture Drawing Prize will each receive a delegate pass to the World Architecture Festival in Lisbon from 2 to 4 December. Supporters include Make Architects and Sir John Soane’s Museum.

Louise Stewart, curator at Sir John Soane’s Museum, said: ‘Sir John Soane’s Museum is delighted to host the fourth annual exhibition of works from the Architecture Drawing Prize. The prize highlights the ways in which drawing remains central to architectural practice and is a key driver in the creative process. With its range of digital, hand-drawn and hybrid works, the exhibition will offer a powerful insight to the discipline of architectural drawing today.’

Ken Shuttleworth, founder of Make, said: ‘The Architecture Drawing Prize celebrates the art of drawing and offers a special outlet during this period of social distancing, because it reminds us that drawing is a universal medium that connects us in a meaningful way.’

Paul Finch, WAF programme director, said: ‘The universal language of drawing has a special significance in current circumstances and we look forward to celebrating excellence once again.’

The Architecture Drawing Prize was founded in 2016 and is now in its fourth year. Entries are judged on technical skill, success in communicating a design idea, originality, quality of drawing, and architectural proposition.

Last year’s overall winner was Anton Markus Pasing, whose submission City in a box: paradox memories (detail pictured) was praised by judges for its ‘level of depth, confidence in composition, pure symmetry and strong perspective.’

This year’s judges include Stewart; Shuttleworth; Finch; the artists Ben Langlands and Nikki Bell of Langlands and Bell; Lily Jencks, founder of LilyJencksStudio and JencksSquared; Narinder Sagoo, senior partner at Foster + Partners; and the artist Pablo Bronstein.

The deadline for applications is 2 October and the winners and shortlist will be announced in October.