Dezeen has unveiled its highly anticipated longlist of 262 exceptional buildings competing for recognition in the 2025 Dezeen Awards architecture categories. The prestigious selection features groundbreaking projects from renowned firms including Foster + Partners, Snøhetta, David Chipperfield, Open Architecture, Schemata Architects, and White Arkitekter.
The longlisted projects, competing across 17 distinct architecture categories, represent the work of studios from 56 different countries spanning six continents. This diverse collection includes projects from Ethiopia, Vietnam, Japan, Iceland, the United States, and Argentina, showcasing the global reach of contemporary architectural excellence. London leads the way with 17 longlisted entries, followed by Melbourne, Sydney, Rotterdam, New York, and Tulum as the top six project locations.
Among the remarkable projects vying for awards are a stunning glass tower distillery in Scotland, an innovative performing arts center constructed from earth bricks for refugee communities in Uganda, and a sophisticated larch timber structure designed to protect an archaeological site in Iceland. These projects demonstrate the incredible diversity and innovation characterizing today's architectural landscape.
The Dezeen Awards 2025, presented in partnership with Bentley, will reveal all longlisted projects throughout this week. Following today's architecture announcement, the interiors longlist will be unveiled tomorrow, the design longlist on Wednesday, and the sustainability longlist on Thursday. This comprehensive approach ensures recognition across all major design disciplines.
"I'm thrilled to be joining as a judge for Dezeen Awards, and to support Bentley's commitment to inspire, support and champion design excellence," said Ben Saltmer, Dezeen Awards judge and head of lifestyle design at Bentley. "This year's architecture projects showcase a sensitivity and return to natural surroundings to enhance the impact architecture has on improving daily life and communities around the world."
The selection process was exceptionally competitive, with these 262 projects chosen from over 4,300 entries submitted from 89 countries across six continents for the eighth edition of the awards program. This represents a significant increase in global participation, highlighting the program's growing influence in recognizing outstanding architecture, interiors, and design projects worldwide.
The next phase will see all longlisted projects evaluated by Dezeen's prestigious panel of international judges, including acclaimed architects Lina Ghotmeh, Carlo Ratti, and Pablo Pérez Palacios. The comprehensive judging panel of 60 experts will determine which projects advance to the shortlists, scheduled for announcement in October.
A final round of judging by the master jury will determine the winners of individual architecture project categories, the coveted Bentley Lighthouse Award, and the overall architecture project of the year winner sponsored by Programa. This multi-tiered judging process ensures thorough evaluation of each project's merit and innovation.
The longlisted projects span an impressive range of categories, from urban and rural houses to major infrastructure and cultural projects. Notable entries include the Xi'an CCBD by Heatherwick Studio and the Hengqin Culture and Art Complex by Atelier Apeiron, both representing cutting-edge approaches to mixed-use development.
In the housing category, projects range from the innovative AGE360 in Curitiba, Brazil by Architects Office, to the sustainable UN17 Village in Copenhagen, Denmark by Lendager and Sweco. The workplace categories feature everything from the distinctive Glenmorangie Distillery in Scotland by Barthélémy Griño to the expansive NBCUniversal Campus in California by Field Operations and Lever Architecture.
Cultural projects include the remarkable Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre in Uganda by Hassell, which serves refugee communities, and the innovative Sun Tower in Yantai, China by Open Architecture. These projects demonstrate architecture's power to serve diverse communities and create meaningful cultural spaces.
The winners will be announced at the annual Dezeen Awards party in London on November 25. Tickets for this exclusive celebration will be available for purchase next week, providing an opportunity for the global design community to gather and celebrate architectural excellence.
This year's awards program continues to reinforce Dezeen's position as a leading voice in contemporary architecture and design, celebrating projects that push boundaries, serve communities, and demonstrate exceptional creativity and technical achievement.
