5 October 15  |  The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design

Phoenix Architects Select 60 New Buildings and Urban Planning Projects as the Best 2015 Architectural Design in the United States

Awarded Projects to be Exhibited at the 3rd Chicago Architecture Biennial and Travel to Ismir, Turkey, Athens, Greece, and to other Museums in Europe

 Sixty shortlisted buildings have won the prestigious 2015 American Architecture Awards for the best new buildings designed and constructed by American architects in the U.S. and abroad and by international architects for buildings designed and built in the United States.


The American Architecture Awards, now in its 21st year, were announced today (Monday September 28) by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies—organizers of this annual prestigious prize for Design Excellence and the best and latest contributions to innovative contemporary American architecture.


This year’s American Architecture Awards feature exceptional buildings designed for every stage of our lives: skyscrapers, corporate headquarters, governmental buildings, science and technology centers, transportation centers, hotels, memorials, pavilions, energy infrastructure, retail facilities, housing projects, private homes, schools, universities, art, cultural and health buildings, urban planning and landscape architecture, interiors, and humanitarian initiatives.


“America’s most prominent architecture firms have all made the grade and show why the United States architectural talent and ambition is famed around the world.”The American Architecture Awards are awarded to U.S. architects who have made the biggest contribution to the evolution of American architecture in a given year,” states Christian Narkiewicz-Laine, President, The Chicago Athenaeum.

“Every one of the sixty winning buildings illustrate why great architecture is so valuable. It has the power to delight, inspire and comfort us at all stages of our lives; to improve humanity’s potential, to provide our cities with decent homes and affordable alternatives, and to create a sensitive and uplifting urban and rural environment that immeasurably improves the lives and well-being of all those who encounter them.”
“The winning projects are each surprising new additions to their urban and rural locations—but their stand-out common quality is their exceptionally—executed crafted detail. From the projects selected this year, every detail on every building, both internally and externally, is exquisitely refined.”
“Not only are these the best new buildings in the country today, they are game-changers that other architects, clients, and local authorities should aspire to. This year’s jury of Phoenix architects had an unenviable task,” Narkiewicz-Laine continues.

The American Architecture Awards, founded 21 years ago, is a centerpiece of The Chicago Athenaeum and the European Centre’s efforts to identify and promote best practices in all types of architectural development and to bring a global focus to light of the best new designs from the United States. It is the only national and global program of its kind.

The 2015 American Architecture Award Jury was held at the prestigious Black Rock Studio in downtown Scottsdale and the jury members that selected the 60 projects from the shortlist. AS+GG's Waldorf Astoria in Beijing, China was among the list of winners. PROJECT DETAILS FOR WALDORF ASTORIA BEIJING

The elite group of buildings and urban planning projects selected by the jury will be premiered at the the 3rd Chicago Architecture Biennial this November.

The exhibition is entitled The City and the World and combines the The International Architecture Awards 2015 with The American Architecture Awards 2015.

After Chicago, the exhibition is scheduled to travel to Izmir, Turkey at the the Chamber of Turkish Architects-Izmur Branch and The European Centre’s Contemporary Space Athens in Athens, Greece in 2016.