MaterialDistrict, the leading platform for material innovation, is feature partner of the World Architecture Festival 2018, taking place on 28 – 30 November in Amsterdam RAI. MaterialDistrict will have a large presence at this world-famous architecture event, bringing an extra dimension to the festival with its own pavilion and the MaterialDistrict exhibition “I AM MATERIAL”.

MaterialDistrict Pop-up Pavilion
Under the new name MaterialDistrict Pop-up (formerly Material Xperience On Tour), MaterialDistrict presents an exceptional exhibition of carefully selected, innovative materials from 100 material brands. Visitors will marvel at the unique materials exhibition and presentations of 12 renowned material brands live on show in the pavilion.

This spectacular line-up of innovative materials, exhibits and material brands will display the latest trends and developments in the field of architecture and visitors will be immersed in everything that is new in architectural material.

MaterialDistrict Expo: I AM MATERIAL
What is the identity of a material? Our own personal, social, cultural and national identity is constantly changing, and architecture – as a reflection of it – changes with it. What does that mean for materials? Globalisation, regulation, techno transfer, sustainability, health and digitalisation all result in the development of new materials.

The exhibition “I AM MATERIAL” shows 100 materials and a few applications that fall under the six most current themes, and are as such important for the expression of a building’s identity. These themes are translucency, biobased, lightweight, smart, urban mined and acoustic. The materials exhibited include self-regulating and solar control glass, vegan ‘leather’, recycled marble, panels made from coffee, bricks made from paper, walls made of recycled glass, acoustic origami wallpaper, lightweight panels made from hemp, acoustic wallpaper and translucent veneer. For both in- and exterior, MaterialDistrict has selected the most current and innovative materials for this exhibition.

World Architecture Festival
The World Architecture Festival (WAF) was previously held in Berlin, Singapore and Barcelona, and after positive industry research, and discussions with RAI and MaterialDistrict, the WAF organization decided that Amsterdam would be the best location for WAF 2018. “MaterialDistrict and Amsterdam RAI have been working closely together for a number of years, and we are proud to confirm our partnership and involvement in bringing WAF to the Netherlands,” announces MaterialDistrict Director Jeroen van Oostveen. “We are excited to be moving WAF to the Netherlands, and working with MaterialDistrict to feature the MaterialDistrict Pop-up at WAF,” announced WAF Event Director, Tracy Collins.

WAF, the ‘Oscars of architecture’, is the only architecture event in the world that combines: keynote lectures from the most prominent names in architecture, jury presentations from 500+ prize finalists, global networking opportunities and an international product and material exhibition.

The awards programme is the largest live event of its type in the world. All shortlisted practices will present their proposals live, in front of festival delegates and the judging panels. Organizers are expecting more than 1,000 entries following a record entry of more than 900 in 2017.

More than 500 architectural practices are expected to compete for category and overall prizes. In addition to more than 30 category winners, international judging panels will choose the best building of the year, the best future project, and the best completed landscape. Past winners are a roll-call of significant architects from across the world including Foster & Partners, Zaha Hadid Architects, Snohetta, BIG, Isay Weinfeld, Perkins & Will, Rogers Stirk Harbour, FJMT and Sou Fujimoto.

Promoting WAF within MaterialDistrict’s network
MaterialDistrict will play an important role for the World Architecture Festival by promoting the event within the global MaterialDistrict network of tens of thousands of (interior) architects, R&D and design professionals. Architects will be activated by the organization to submit work for the awards and will also be invited to visit this unique event at the end of November.

Special WAF ‘Amsterdam Prize’
WAF expects at least 1,000 architectural projects to compete for the 30+ category prizes and the 3 general awards, during this 11^th edition of the Architecture Festival. WAF is also introducing a special ‘Amsterdam Prize‘ especially for this Amsterdam edition. This will be awarded to the best building in the city, delivered between January 2017 and July 2018. Every building in Amsterdam that has been shortlisted in one of the categories qualifies for the shortlist of the ‘Amsterdam Prize‘, and will be visited on 27 November 2018 by a select jury of experts. The winner of the ‘Amsterdam Prize‘ will be announced on November 28, 2018, the first day of the World Architecture Festival 2018.

World Architecture Festival 2018
The World Architecture Festival 2018 will take place on 28 – 30 November in RAI Amsterdam. For more information, and to enter, visit: www.worldarchitecturefestival.com.

Use the discount code ‘MATERIAL10’ for 10 per cent discount.