Izmir University of Economics' Güzelbahçe Campus project achieved a significant success by reaching the finals in two separate categories at the World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2026, one of the most respected international organizations in the world of architecture.
While Güzelbahçe campus was the only project from Türkiye that made it to the finals in the 'Educational Buildings' category, it was among the two projects from Türkiye that made it to the finals in the 'Urban Scale Planning' category. The other Turkish finalist in this category was the İGA Istanbul project, planned as an airport city.
Finalist projects will present live to the international jury at the festival to be held in Fort Lauderdale Florida (USA) on 18-20 November 2026. Category winners and the most successful projects of the year will be announced following live jury evaluations.
Güzelbahçe Campus, designed by MAS MIMLAB as the new campus of Izmir University of Economics with the aim of bringing a state-of-the-art campus to Izmir, was selected as a finalist in the Educational Buildings (Education) and Urban Scale Planning (Masterplanning) categories in the Future Projects main category within the scope of World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2026.
Özgener: "It is an important indicator that we are appreciated at the international level"
Mahmut Özgener, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Izmir Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Izmir University of Economics, stated that the success achieved shows that the university's vision for the future has been recognized at the international level and said: "It is a source of great pride for us that Izmir University of Economics Güzelbahçe Campus has become a finalist in two separate categories at the World Architecture Festival, one of the most prestigious architecture award programs in the world. This success shows that not only a strong architectural design, but also our vision, which centers on the education concept of the future, sustainability and innovative approaches, is internationally appreciated." "We are designing our new campus as a modern and inspiring living space that supports the academic and social development of our students. The fact that this project, which will add value to Izmir and our country, has achieved such a significant success in international platforms shows that we are on the right track. I wholeheartedly congratulate all our stakeholders who contributed to this success, especially the MAS MIMLAB team, and I wholeheartedly believe that our university will represent our country in the best way during the final process."
Abacıoğlu: "It will support the development of young people"
Rector of Izmir University of Economics Prof. Dr. Yusuf Hakan Abacıoğlu pointed out that Güzelbahçe campus is one of the biggest projects in the field of education in Türkiye and said, "Our most important priority when designing our Güzelbahçe campus was to create a living space that will support the academic, social and personal development of our young people in a holistic manner. For this, we thought of every detail down to the smallest detail and advanced the project in line with the demands and needs of our young people. Education in our new campus will not be a process that takes place only in classrooms. From laboratories to common activity areas, from social and cultural spaces to open areas, every section will be open to the public." "I wholeheartedly believe that our Güzelbahçe campus will enrich the learning experience of our students, expand the dreams of our young people, develop their talents, and prepare them strongly for the developing and transforming world. The success of our Güzelbahçe campus in the international arena clearly shows that we are on the right track and the importance of our project," he said.
World Architecture Festival (WAF), considered one of the most prestigious organizations in the field of architecture, evaluates completed buildings, future projects, interior designs and landscape projects in front of an international jury every year.
This year, 636 projects from all over the world applied to WAF 2026, and only 414 projects qualified for the finals. While 115 projects made it to the finals in the Future Projects category, where a total of 229 projects were evaluated, 15 of the 24 projects competing in the Urban Scale Planning category and only 10 of the 15 projects competing in the Educational Buildings category made it to the finals.
WAF 2026 finalists include the world's leading architectural offices from many countries, especially the United States, China, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Italy, India, Singapore, Australia, United Arab Emirates and Canada. - IZMIR