SA's top buildings

Presenting this year's winners of the South Africa Institute of Architecture's awards celebrating architectural excellence in the country.

From the Series

Every two years, the Corobrik-SAIA Award for Excellence recognises exceptional contributions to the field of architecture.

The institute this year bestowed eight awards of excellence, 14 merit awards and two special commendations on projects ranging from residential units and public buildings to the restoration of heritage sites and even an academic research project.

“This year’s winners talked not only to materiality, programmatic requirements, the employment of resources and the application of socio-cultural debates," says SAIA president Sindile Ngonyama. “They also engaged and articulated the day-to-day intellectual and topical discourse of our ever-changing biophysical environment.”

The awards were presented at a gala dinner on 1 August, in Durban in the lead up to the International Union of Architects World Congress that takes place in the city from 3 to 7 August. 

Look through our gallery above to see the eight winners of Awards of Excellence. 

Watch the Talk with Heinrich Wolff