Below are the world’s top religious architecture, design and art spaces for 2016, according to US Faith & Form magazine and the Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture (IFRAA).

Each year the organisation recognises the work of design professionals creating meaningful religious art and architecture across the globe and in 2016, 28 projects have awarded across 13 categories.

Reflecting on the entries as a whole, the five-member jury says they were impressed with 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.

They also observed 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,” Faith & Form says.

Jurors were also impressed with how designers used an economy of means with simple, elegant materials to meet the needs of congregations. A reverence for natural materials was seen in many submissions, and in winning projects.

Faith & Form's 2016 Religious Architecture Awards

NEW FACILITIES

Jumaa Mosque, Doha by John McAslan + Partners
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Image: McAslan + Partners

Chapel of St. Ignatius, Chicago by John Ronan Architects
Photography by Nathan Kirkman

Chapel of the Good Shepherd, Alojzij Sustar Primary School, Ljubljana by Robert Dolinar
Chapel-of-the-Good-Shepherd-Alojzij-Sustar-Primary-School.jpg Photography by Luca Markez

Totihue Chapel, Totihue by Gonzalo Mardonrs Arquitectos
Photography by Nico Saieh

Al Warqa'a Mosque, Dubai by Iba Design
Photography by Sadao Hotta

Chinmaya Mission Austin, Austin by Miro Rivera Architects
Photography by Paul Finkel

The Joyful Church, Pohang by The Beck Group
Photography by Seunghoon Yum

St. Francis Chapel, Breckenridge by Stocker Hoesterey Architects
Photography by Nicholas McWhirter

ADAPTIVE REUSE/REPURPOSE

Temple Israel of Hollywood, Los Angeles by Koning Eizenberg Architecture
Photography by Eric Staudenmaier

RESTORATION

St Patrick's Cathedral, New York by Murphy Burnham & Buttrick Architects
Photography by Whitney Cox

Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun Synagogue, New York by FXFOWLE
Photography by Chris Cooper

RENOVATION

St. Cecilia Church, Boston by Donham & Sweeney Architects
Photography by Bruce Martin

LITURGICAL/INTERIOR DESIGN

Palm Beach Synagogue, Florida by Arthur Chabon Architect
Photography by Kim Sargent

Knock Basilica Interior Design, Knock by Wejchert Architects
Photography by Peter Moloney

Temple Adath Israel, Merion Station by Atkin Olshin Schade Architects
Photography by Tom Crane

Sacred Heart Cathedral of Kericho, Kericho by John McAslan + Partners
Photography by Edmund Sumner

SACRED LANDSCAPE

8-Shaped Passage, Tokyo by Shoji Oshio + UA Architects
Photography by Masaru Niimi

LITURGICAL FURNISHINGS

Baptismal Font; St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Oceanside by Dekker, Perich and Sabatini
Baptismal-Font;-St-Thomas-More-Catholic-Church.jpg Image: RMA Photography

Pipe Organ; St. Dustan's Episcopal Church, Carmel Valley by Dobson Pipe Organ Builders
Pipe-Organ;-St-Dunstan-s-Episcopal-Church.jpg Photography by Sherman Chu

Torah Ark, Bema and Screen; Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School, California by Studio Bondy Architecture
Torah-Ark-Bema-and-Screen;-Gideon-Hausner-Jewish-Day-School.jpg Photography by Ken Gutmaker

UNBUILT WORK

Basilica de N.Senora de la Merced Facade Rehab, Madrid by Eleftherios Piskitzis
Image: Eleftherrios Piskitzis

VISUAL ARTS

"Mary As Prophet"; Virginia Theological Seminary, Virginia by Margaret Adams Parker
Mary-As-Prophet-;-Virginia-Theological-Seminary.jpg Photography by B. Cayce Ramey

"Mysteries of the Rosary"; Our Lady of Loreto, Colorado by Scott Parsons
Mysteries-of-the-Rosary-;-Our-Lady-of-Loreto.jpg Photography by Steve Maylone

STUDENT WORK

Cathedral of St. Thomas, Cochin by Ranjit John Korah

"City of Spirits", Recife by Rafael Paes

"Pop-Up Places of Worship", various locations by Lucas Boyd and Chad Greenlee

"The Chapel of St. Adalbert", Fisewo by Filip Strezelecki

"The Procession of the Souls", Swinford by Travis Architects with the Catholic University of America
Photography by Travis Price

Architecture & Design Team

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