World Architecture Festival: a community space in Ho Chi Minh City designed by local firm a21studio and built using recycled materials and colourful fabric has been named World Building of the Year 2014 at the World Architecture Festival in Singapore (+ slideshow).

Working to the model of a traditional Vietnamese neighbourhood building, a21studio created this multi-purpose community space and youth centre in Ho Chi Minh City.

The steel frame and metal sheets used to build the structure were leftovers from the owner's previous projects, allowing the building to be constructed on a tight budget.

Three layers of printed fabric cover the windows, creating a rainbow of light around the interior, while a tree shaped steel column supports the roof.

The building accommodates a cafe, and is furnished with recycled furniture. The kitchen and utility areas occupy a triangular space along one edge

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The project beat 16 other category winners announced on day one and day two of the festival, including a church in Spain built from raw materials and an apostrophe-shaped bridge in a British industrial city.

Last year the World Building of the Year award went to the Auckland Art Gallery, an extension and refurbishment by Australian studio Frances-Jones Morehen Thorp. In an interview with Dezeen, architect Richard Francis-Jones said he "wanted to make a building that is embedded in New Zealand culture".

Dezeen is media partner for the World Architecture Festival and the Inside World Festival of Interiors, which both conclude today at the Marina Bay Sands hotel and conference centre in Singapore.

From the architect:

The Chapel is a community space in a new urban ward on the outskirt of Hochiminh city, Vietnam. As the result of estate crisis, the surrounding area is lacking of communal centres; therefore, the Chapel is designed to be the place for people, especially the youth, to participate in activities such as conferences, weddings, exhibitions or enjoying a light coffee and snack.