UK sports and cultural schemes have missed out at the World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards 2011, following the announcement of the first 12 winners from this year's event.

The Pods (Andrew Wright with S&P Architects) and the Silverstone Wing (Populous) had been shortlisted in the sport category, but were held off by Germany's Max Aicher Arena.

Built for this year's World Single Distant Speed Skating Championships and designed by Behnisch Architekten of Stuttgart, the speed-skating stadium is located in the town of Inzell.

Holburne Museum of Art (Eric Parry Architects) and the Museum of Liverpool (3xN) were in the running for World Culture Building of the Year, but were also unsuccessful.

The culture building accolade was handed to Shima Kitchen arts centre and restaurant, which is located in Tonosyotyo, Japan, and was designed by Atelier Ryo Abe.

Jestico + Whiles' W London-Leicester Square was shortlisted in the holiday section but lost to the Raas boutique hotel in Jodphur, India (The Lotus Praxis Initiative).

A total of 12 buildings across the world have been confirmed as winners on the first day of the WAF Awards 2011, which is being held in Barcelona, Spain, until 4 November.

WAF programme director Paul Finch said: "This year we've attracted more entries than ever before, with more than 700 submissions from 66 different countries."

Image: Max Aicher Arena, the winner of World Sport Building of the Year

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