--- title: "Architectural Art, Art for Festivals: a Spotlight on Merit Award Winning Projects" description: Explore the merit-winning architectural and festival art projects that showcase creativity and innovation, highlighting their unique designs and cultural significance. image: https://knowledge.codaworx.com/hubfs/Loom%20Uploaded%20by%20ESNAL.%20LLC.png --- [![Logo-CODAworx](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logo-CODAworx.png?width=82&height=45&name=Logo-CODAworx.png "Logo-CODAworx")](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine) [CODAworx Home](https://codaworx.com) # Architectural Art, Art for Festivals: a Spotlight on Merit Award Winning Projects [By Matthew Bowden](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/author/matthew-bowden) 3 min read Oct 28, 2026 ##### Share - - - - [mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/codaaward-winners-category-spotlight-architectural-art-festivals&body=Check%20out%20https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/codaaward-winners-category-spotlight-architectural-art-festivals&media=https://5964602.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/5964602/Loom%20Uploaded%20by%20ESNAL.%20LLC.png](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/codaaward-winners-category-spotlight-architectural-art-festivals&body=Check%20out%20https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/codaaward-winners-category-spotlight-architectural-art-festivals&media=https://5964602.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/5964602/Loom%20Uploaded%20by%20ESNAL.%20LLC.png) Every year, the CODAawards jury sees work that deserves more than a line in a winners list. This year’s merit winners show just how close of a race this year's Awards season was, so we’re taking a deeper look at these projects and giving them the attention they deserve. Read on to find out what went into them and what they might spark for your next project: #### Architectural Art Winner: *Aperture* by Jill Anholt Studio Spokane, Washington ![Aperture Uploaded by Jill Anholt Studio-1](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Aperture%20Uploaded%20by%20Jill%20Anholt%20Studio-1.webp?width=3333&height=2500&name=Aperture%20Uploaded%20by%20Jill%20Anholt%20Studio-1.webp) Located at Spokane Falls Community College within the Fine Arts and Photography Building in Spokane, Washington, [Aperture](https://www.codaworx.com/projects/aperture-21379) translates the hidden dynamics of the nearby Spokane River into a permanent visual experience. The project captures the unseen movement of the Spokane River—its vortexes, eddies, cascades, and currents—which flows just out of sight below the facility. The studio recorded video footage of the moving river water, then through a mix of digital and analog methods, they converted the footage into painterly, pixelated impressions.The final artwork is composed of reflective chrome squares embedded within the interlayer of the glass using a chrome reflected frit, giving the facade a dynamic, transformative quality that changes with the daylight ### Architectural Art Merit Winners --- #### *Watertown Exploratory Labs (WELL)* by Elkus Manfredi Architects Watertown, Massachusetts ![Watertown Exploratory Labs (WELL) Uploaded by Elkus Manfredi Architects](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Watertown%20Exploratory%20Labs%20(WELL)%20Uploaded%20by%20Elkus%20Manfredi%20Architects.webp?width=6000&height=4500&name=Watertown%20Exploratory%20Labs%20(WELL)%20Uploaded%20by%20Elkus%20Manfredi%20Architects.webp) [Watertown Exploratory Labs (WELL)](https://www.codaworx.com/projects/watertown-exploratory-labs-well-15308) is a 491,000-square-foot, LEED Gold–certified life sciences campus in Watertown, Massachusetts, designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects. Developed in partnership with Spear Street Capital, the project is a massive adaptive reuse transformation of a seven-story Art Deco industrial building originally constructed in 1931 as the Western Electric Company headquarters. Positioned just outside Cambridge's Kendall Square, WELL serves as a flexible, state-of-the-art ecosystem bringing startups and established biotech entities together. --- #### *Let me kindly introduce myself. They call me MC Prince Brighton.* Submitted by Mayer of Munich Princeton, New Jersey ![Let me kindly introduce myself. They call me MC Prince Brighton. Uploaded by Mayer of Munich](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Let%20me%20kindly%20introduce%20myself.%20They%20call%20me%20MC%20Prince%20Brighton.%20Uploaded%20by%20Mayer%20of%20Munich.jpeg?width=1200&height=1799&name=Let%20me%20kindly%20introduce%20myself.%20They%20call%20me%20MC%20Prince%20Brighton.%20Uploaded%20by%20Mayer%20of%20Munich.jpeg) ***"***[***Let me kindly introduce myself. They call me MC Prince Brighton***](https://www.codaworx.com/projects/let-me-kindly-introduce-myself-they-call-me-mc-prince-brighton-26617)***"*** is a monumental, 2,250-square-foot mixed-media wall relief and glass mosaic created by world-renowned artist Nick Cave**.** Completed in 2025, the permanent installation serves as the signature welcoming artwork inside the entrance court of the newly designed Princeton University Art Museum. The piece was brought to life through a multi-year fabrication partnership with the historic German studio **Mayer of Munich**, who meticulously hand-crafted and installed its massive mosaic component. --- #### *Cross Currents* by Adam Kuby Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ![Cross Currents Uploaded by Adam Kuby](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Cross%20Currents%20Uploaded%20by%20Adam%20Kuby.jpg?width=2500&height=1656&name=Cross%20Currents%20Uploaded%20by%20Adam%20Kuby.jpg) [***Cross Currents***](https://www.codaworx.com/projects/cross-currents-25422) is a massive, 57,000-square-foot site-specific public art installation by artist and landscape architect **Adam Kuby.** Integrated directly into the structural concrete infrastructure of the **Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)**, the $1 million permanent commission was completed in late 2025 as a core feature of the airport’s multi-billion-dollar Terminal Modernization Program. The artwork accompanies travelers as they navigate the airport campus, turning functional roadway retaining walls and parking garage surfaces into a dynamic canvas. --- #### Art for Festivals + Events Winner: *Loom* by Ines Esnal Gjirokaster, Albania ![Loom Uploaded by ESNAL. LLC 5](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Loom%20Uploaded%20by%20ESNAL.%20LLC%205.webp?width=4096&height=3941&name=Loom%20Uploaded%20by%20ESNAL.%20LLC%205.webp) [***Loom***](https://www.codaworx.com/projects/loom-24782) is a monumental, award-winning site-specific scenography and string installation created by New York-based artist and architect Ines Esnal**.** Commissioned by the Albanian Ministry of Culture, the temporary 20-meter-wide textile canopy served as the central stage architecture for the 2023 Albanian National Folk Festival. Perched atop a rocky spur within the historic Gjirokastra Castle fortress, the installation overlooks the city and the Drin River valley. The artwork draws inspiration from Albania’s rich heritage of rug and carpet making. Like warps in a colossal loom, thousands of individual colored elastic strings run symmetrically between structural pillars. They intersect to weave a vibrant, lightweight geometric "textile vault" directly over the stage. The installation prominently features rich red hues as a direct homage to the bold traditional colors found in regional folk costumes and Albanian carpets, creating a sharp, intentional contrast with the stone fortress and surrounding mountain landscape. ### Festivals + Events Merit Winners: --- #### *The Whimsical Toy Chest* by Ottomata Montreal, QC, Canada ![The Whimsical Toy Chest Uploaded by Hugo Laliberte](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Whimsical%20Toy%20Chest%20Uploaded%20by%20Hugo%20Laliberte.webp?width=2000&height=1500&name=The%20Whimsical%20Toy%20Chest%20Uploaded%20by%20Hugo%20Laliberte.webp) [***The Whimsical Toy Chest***](https://codaworx.com/projects/the-whimsical-toy-chest-28427) is an award-winning, large-scale immersive digital art installation co-created by Montreal experiential studio **Ottomata and multimedia motion design house Doki.** Completed in 2026, the temporary activation utilizes advanced projection mapping, architectural setups, and tactile interactivity to transform public plazas into playful, surreal wonderland landscapes. --- #### *Long Wave* by Scottsdale Public Art Scottsdale, Arizona ![Long Wave Uploaded by Scottsdale Public Art](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Long%20Wave%20Uploaded%20by%20Scottsdale%20Public%20Art.webp?width=9000&height=6750&name=Long%20Wave%20Uploaded%20by%20Scottsdale%20Public%20Art.webp) [***Long Wave***](https://codaworx.com/projects/long-wave-28977) is a massive, 330-foot-long immersive helical light sculpture created by the Providence, Rhode Island-based design collective Pneuhaus**.** Commissioned by Scottsdale Public Art, the temporary installation serves as a marquee feature for **Canal Convergence**, a free, annual, light-based public art festival hosted along the Arizona Canal at the Scottsdale Waterfront. --- #### *COQUÍ* by NiNo Alicea Pomona, California ![COQUIbyNiNo\_\_JamenPercy1](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/hs-fs/hubfs/COQUIbyNiNo__JamenPercy1.png?width=1800&height=1286&name=COQUIbyNiNo__JamenPercy1.png) [***COQUÍ***](https://codaworx.com/projects/coqu%C3%AD-15725) is a monumental, interactive public art installation created by Puerto Rican production designer and sculptor NiNo Alicea (also known as El NiNo)**.** Unveiled at Burning Man in 2024, the $350,000 sculpture is a massive, immersive love letter to Puerto Rico. It holds a Guinness World Record as the largest Coquí art installation in the world. 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All Rights Reserved. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Matthew Bowden", "url" : "https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/author/matthew-bowden" }, "dateModified" : "2026-10-28T16:44:17.055Z", "datePublished" : "2026-10-28T14:50:28.000Z", "headline" : "Architectural Art, Art for Festivals: a Spotlight on Merit Award Winning Projects", "image" : [ "https://knowledge.codaworx.com/hubfs/Loom%20Uploaded%20by%20ESNAL.%20LLC.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/codaaward-winners-category-spotlight-architectural-art-festivals", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://knowledge.codaworx.com/hubfs/codaworx-background-transparency.png" }, "name" : "CODAworx" } } ```