Leisure buildings dominate the shortlist of the first ever RIBA International Prize, which is seeking the best building in the world.

The Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku, Azerbaijan by Zaha Hadid Architects; the Stormen Concert Hall in Bodø, Norway by DRDH Architects; the Arcquipelago Contemporary Arts Centre in The Azores by Menos é Mais Aquitectos; and the Museo Jumex in Mexico City by David Chipperfield all feature on the six-strong list.

The two other shortlisted buildings are the Ring of Remembrance war memorial in Northern France by AAPP – which is engraved with names of the thousands who died in WWI – and the UTEC university of engineering in Lima, Peru by Grafton Architects. The latter also has a leisure component, with the inclusion of a theatre and cinema space.

“The finalists selected by our jury represent an exceptional selection of buildings across the world, and notably include a number of buildings dedicated to culture and the arts, reflecting the visionary clients who have commissioned architecture of the highest calibre,” said RIBA president Jane Duncan.

“It demonstrates the understanding of how a building can powerfully communicate the shared history of our cultural past and present, and become a focus of civic pride for the people that use these spaces whether for meeting and enjoyment or cultural appreciation.

“Our panel of jurors have been particularly impressed by the way in which each building reacts to, resolves and assimilates into the varying geographies and contexts – from dense urban cities to a small town in the Arctic Circle. Each project resolves the complex demands of its context with ingenuity, exceptional detail and finishing and a sensitivity to the needs of the users and communities which will inhabit these spaces.”

The RIBA awards committee visited 30 buildings in over 20 countries and five continents over the summer. The Grand Jury of the prize, led by Richard Rogers, will now visit the final six buildings again before the winner is announced on Thursday, 24 November 2016.

Billie Tsien, founding partner of Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects; Kunlé Adeyemi, founder and principal of NLÉ; Marilyn Jordan Taylor, the Dean of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Fine Arts; and Philip Gumuchdjian, founder of Gumuchdjian Architects and Chair of RIBA Awards also sit on the jury.

The RIBA International Prize was set up to consider any building in any country, irrespective of its function or budget, that “demonstrates a range of innovative responses to the role of public architecture, providing major new additions to their contexts and communities.”

The award was introduced to replace RIBA’s global Lubetkin Prize, which it cancelled in 2013 for being too narrow in its remit. It’s open to any qualified architect in the world, rather than being exclusive to RIBA members.