Winners of the 2026 Faith & Form International Awards for Religious Architecture & Art Announced

Global winners highlight how religious buildings and sacred places are being reimagined to meet evolving community needs while advancing excellence in liturgical architecture, design and art

Mar. 31, 2026 at 11:29am

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A high-contrast, silkscreen-style grid of colorful, abstracted religious architecture elements like church steeples and stained glass, conceptually representing the creative reimagining of sacred spaces.Vibrant, modernist interpretations of religious architecture and art elements highlight the innovative spirit of the 2026 Faith & Form International Awards.Glencoe Today

Partners for Sacred Places announced the winners of the 2026 Faith & Form International Awards for Religious Architecture & Art, a program founded in 1978 to honor excellence and innovation in architecture, design and art for religious places. This year's 12 winners reflect the depth and breadth of complex societal needs religious places must fulfill today, with projects that include the creation, restoration and re-use of religious buildings, landscapes and artworks.

Why it matters

Religious buildings and spaces have long served as guardians of local stories, migration histories and communal milestones. They are inclusive and intergenerational places that cut across class, ethnicity and faith communities and to serve the public good. Yet communities often recognize their full value only when these places are lost. The Faith & Form International Awards play a defining role in elevating sacred architecture, design and art by showcasing what is possible at the highest levels of creativity and purpose.

The details

The 2026 awardees represent leading examples of innovation in religious architecture, restoration, landscape design and liturgical art across diverse geographies, traditions and project scales. Winners will be recognized by Partners for Sacred Places and Interfaith Design, a knowledge community of the American Institute of Architects, at the AIA Conference on Architecture 2026 in San Diego, CA. The projects address critical issues of our time through adaptive reuse, historic restoration and thoughtful insertions that create new and transcendent spaces.

  • The 2026 Faith & Form International Awards for Religious Architecture & Art winners will be recognized at the AIA Conference on Architecture 2026 in San Diego, CA.

The players

Partners for Sacred Places

The only nonsectarian nonprofit organization dedicated to the sound stewardship and active community use of older sacred places across America.

Joshua Zinder, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB

Principal of Joshua Zinder Architecture + Design, Landau|Zinder Architecture and chair of the award's five-person jury.

Interfaith Design

A knowledge community of the American Institute of Architects that will recognize the 2026 award winners.

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What they’re saying

“These projects stand at the forefront of religious art and architecture. They were shaped by professionals who understand design as an act of service--both to faith communities and also the wider social fabric these communities help to sustain. As shining examples, these exciting, award-winning projects light a path for other congregations and religious property owners to follow.”

— Kevin Block, Director of special initiatives

“The entries this year were remarkable, a cross section of place and spiritual connection. From the smallest entryway to wholescale reinvention of city-scaled interventions, the projects illustrated critical issues of our time, adaptive reuse, historic restoration, thoughtful insertions, creating new and transcendent spaces and places. The entries spanned the globe and showed that despite our different backgrounds and cultures, architecture and art can elevate us all. It was a pleasure to see such talent and skill from so many different faith traditions and creative minds.”

— Joshua Zinder, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, Jury Chair

What’s next

Submissions for the 2027 Faith & Form International Awards for Religious Architecture & Art will be accepted from August 3 to October 9, 2026, at https://faithandformawards.untap.us/.

The takeaway

The Faith & Form International Awards are critical in elevating sacred architecture, design and art by showcasing innovative projects that respond to evolving community needs and changing times. These awards establish standards, spark new ideas and provide a roadmap for congregations and institutions considering their own sacred space projects.