MASterworks Awards

Established in 2001, the MASterworks Awards pay tribute to projects completed in the previous year that exemplify excellence in architecture and urban design. From iconic buildings to neighborhood gems, our list of past winners includes the likes of Weeksville Heritage Center, Manhattan District 1/2/5 Garage & Salt Shed, Adams Street Library, McCarren Pool and Bathhouse, the Tenement Museum, the TKTS Booth, El Barrio Bait Station, the High Bridge, and the Gowanus Canal Sponge Park.

All nominated projects must be located in New York City and have been completed in the previous year. Projects can be nominated in up to two of the following categories:

• Best New Building for outstanding architectural design
• Best Urban Landscape for a new or revitalized open space that contributes to livability and resilience
• Best Restoration for a project that expertly enhances the original qualities of a significant historic building or structure
• Best Adaptive Reuse for a project that demonstrates exceptional creativity in adaptive reuse of an existing building or structure
• Best New Infrastructure for distinctive design in public service projects
• Best New Urban Amenity for an addition to the built environment that contributes to a more livable city

Every year, MAS convenes an esteemed jury of architects, designers, preservationists, scholars, and critics to select the winners of the MASterworks Awards. Past jury members have included Justin Davidson, Architecture and Classical Music Critic, New York Magazine; Bjarke Ingels, Founding Partner, BIG; Justin Garrett Moore, then-Executive Director, NYC Public Design Commission; Debbie Millman, Host, Design Matters; Benjamin Prosky, Executive Director, AIA New York / Center for Architecture; and Rafael Viñoly, Rafael Viñoly Architects.

The 2023 MASterworks Jury included the following acclaimed individuals:

Wellington Chen, Executive Director, Chinatown Partnership
Wendy Evans Joseph, MAS Board of Directors and Studio Joseph
Signe Nielsen, Founding Principal, Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects (MNLA)
Aniket Shahane, Principal, Office of Architecture (OA) and Senior Critic, Yale University School of Architecture