Canarian Church Wins World's Best Building Award at WAF

The Church of the Most Holy Redeemer in Las Chumberas, designed by Canarian architect Fernando Menis, has won the award for the World's Best Building at the World Architecture Festival (WAF). The festival took place last week at the Miami Convention Center in the United States. The project also received special awards for Best Small Building and Best Public Building, making it the most celebrated project of the event.

The jury praised the building's "intense architecture" and how it uses light to create a special atmosphere inside, highlighting the texture of the surfaces. They also noted that the project will be a significant addition to Tenerife's architectural history.

Fernando Menis explained that the church was made possible by the support of the Diocese of Tenerife, the parish, local residents, and some business people. He added that the building was intended to help revitalize the neighbourhood and become a local landmark. The project was funded through donations, making it a symbol of community effort.

The church's unique design is inspired by the island's volcanic landscape. It features a play of natural light, concrete with various textures, and local volcanic stone. The result is a simple yet functional and beautiful space, noted for its excellent acoustics and energy efficiency.

The WAF Awards are among the most prestigious in architecture globally. Each year, leading architects and professionals gather for a three-day event featuring presentations, discussions, and conferences. A key feature is that teams present their projects to an international jury in public sessions. This year's event saw over a thousand professionals from more than fifty countries, underscoring its international reach.

The jury for this 17th edition included distinguished figures from architecture and culture, such as professors, museum curators, and critics. Among them were Mohsen Mostafavi, former dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design; Sir Peter Cook, a renowned architect; Beatrice Galilee, a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; and Jonathan Glancey, a critic and journalist.

This latest award adds to the many honours the church has received for its distinctive architecture. These include the International "Frate Sole" Prize for Sacred Architecture 2024, the International Religious Architecture Award 2022 from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the ADF 2025 Design Award from Japan's Aoyama Foundation. The church's design is also part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.

This award further cements the Canary Islands' presence on the international architectural stage, highlighting the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer in Las Chumberas as a prime example of innovation and design excellence.