The US Faith and Form architecture prizes recognise religious expression in the built form around the world.
This year's winners of US Faith & Form magazine's top religious architecture, design and art prize for 2016 have been announced.
This year, 28 projects were selected as winners from a larger pool of entrants than during the previous year. A total of 135 projects were submitted.
The prize is intended to raise the profile of religious art and architecture, and is gaining in profile around the world.
Prizes were awarded in 13 categories.
The Faith and Form web site reported that the five-member jury was impressed with the "range of work and the variety of responses to the continuously evolving ideas about how to create sacred environments, for every family of belief in the world."
The jury also noted that many of the submissions "used natural light in creative ways, making it part of the sacred environment both in architecture and art works. While natural light has long been a way to convey a sense of immanence in religious art and architecture, the jury noted that it also contributes to sustainability and helps to reduce energy costs."
Jurors were impressed also with designers' use of simple, elegant materials, with an emphasis on natural materials in particular.
The 2016 Religious Art and Architecture Awards jury, left to right: David Roccosalva (artist); Vernon Mays (architect); Albert Lindeke, FAIA (architect and jury chair); Rev. Kristen Richardson-Frick (clergy); Julio Bermudez (architect). Image: Faith and Form.
For more information see the Faith and Form web site.
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