World Architecture Festival in Barcelona

Projects from 67 countries were on show, many reflecting the tough economic times we're currently living in.

From Antoni Gaudi's modernist buildings to skyscrapers designed by world-class architects, Barcelona is a true architectural Mecca.

The renaissance experienced by the Catalan capital in recent years has been recognized with the city becoming the base for the World Architecture Festival for the second year.

The event - which ran from 4th to the 6th of November, brought together some of the world's finest architects, and showcased many innovative buildings.

272 projects were finally short-listed, in 15 categories.

Projects hailed from countries including Iran, Syria, Sierra Leone, India, as well as Canada, Australia, the U.S. and the UK.

Nabil Gholam was both a nominee and a juror in this year's festival.

He says that the financial crisis has put a halt to the sometimes exaggerated eccentricities both demanded from clients and proposed by the architects.

Nabil Gholam, juror and nominee, said, "The tendencies this year - whilst I was a judge last year in the World Architecture Festival - is clear. There is more concern about the environment and buildings are becoming more reasonable to a certain degree. And the market has cut out a lot of the extremes, a lot of the craziness and the excess that was there during the last two or three years."

All 15 category winners were able to compete in the 2009 World Building of the Year Award.