Wuhan Snow World, a mixed-use winter leisure complex designed by CLOU architects, has been shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2025 in the Best Use of Colour category. The 24-hour lakeside destination features a 500-metre ski slope surrounded by terraced retail villages, where colour is used to define scale, enhance navigation, and reinforce the atmosphere of a snow mountain town.

Creating Identity through Colour

Colour plays a central role in structuring the masterplan and spatial experience of Wuhan Snow World. Inspired by alpine villages, a vibrant colour palette helps to differentiate clusters of small-scale retail pavilions and create a more intimate pedestrian environment. These architectural groupings bring clarity and rhythm to the larger complex, encouraging exploration across the layered urban landscape.

Wuhan Snow World also has been shortlisted in the category Completed Buildings: Shopping.

About the Award Category

The Best Use of Colour Prize at WAF celebrates projects where colour is integral to architectural intent. Recognising design strategies that go beyond surface aesthetics, the prize highlights how colour can support wayfinding, enhance atmosphere, and create a cohesive spatial identity. Shortlisted entries are selected for their ability to integrate colour as a meaningful and functional design tool.