The ten best architectural books of the year 2026

The Frankfurt Book Fair and Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM) are presenting the jointly initiated international DAM Architectural Book Award for the eighteenth time.

The ten winners of 2026 are:

• Magic Architecture – The Story of Human Housing, The MIT Press
• Kho Liang Ie – designer + interior architect + networker, Jap Sam Books
• Wir bauen Bildung! – 10 Jahre Bildungsbauoffensive München, JOVIS
• Junior Architects – New Paradigms in Design Education, Park Books
• Black Architect, Park Books
• KUNST AM BAU – Zustände, Erhalt und Vermittlung, arnoldsche Art Publishers
• Take On Add Away – A transformation of the Palais des Expositions Charleroi, Ruby Press
• DEVADE – Architektura Prahy mezi přísností a diskotékou, The Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR Prague)
• Kompendium 2009–2017 – Entwurf 1. Jahreskurs Professur Christian Kerez, Quart Verlag
• Gabriele Basilico fotografa Aldo Rossi, Humboldt Books

The prize, unique in its kind and now highly regarded, honors the best architectural books of a year.

99 architectural and art book publishers from all over the world accepted the joint invitation to participate. A jury made up of external experts and representatives of DAM met to select the year’s ten best architectural books from 248 entries. They based their decision on criteria such as design, content, quality of material and finishing, innovation, and topicality.

The jury meeting took place on August 20, 2026 at the Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM). The winners were honored during the award ceremony on October 07, 2026 at the DAM. This year the external jury comprised: Vladka Kupska (Frankfurt Book Fair), Birte Kreft (Stiftung Buchkunst), Johanna Siebein (HfG Offenbach), Danny Lettkemann (Architect and member of the Friends of the DAM) and Moritz Bernoully (Photographer). The internal juror was: Teresa Fankhänel

The wide range of topics and the high standard of the entries presented the jury with an enormous challenge. For this reason, the jurors once again decided not only to pick ten prize winners, but also to select a further ten entries for the Shortlist as part of the DAM Architectural Book Awards 2026.

The DAM would like to thank the Friends of the DAM for its generous support of the prize.