Crazy Good Sandcastles Designed by World Class Architects — See the Most Elaborate Creations

Travis Scott's AstroWorld and Game of Thrones Both Immortalized

By Shelby Hodge // Aug 29, 2019

1/0

Stantec created 'AstroWorld: Past and Present,' a riff on Travis Scott's pop-up theme park festival which won the Best Houston Centric Award at the AIA Houston Sandcastle Competition. (Photo by David Holland)

Ziegler Cooper/Paradigm won the Gold Bucket Award (read that best of show) for 'The Little Mermaid.' (Photo by David Holland)

Best Costume honors went to the 'Sea on the Rocks' team from PGAL/Rogers O'Brien. (Photo by Rhonda Lowe)

In the back, Kirksey + Metzger Construction won three honors for its 'Game of Toys.' The team took home the Silver Shovel, Greatest Feat of Structural Ingenuity, and Tallest Standing Structure awards. (Photo by David Holland)

'Deep Blue G' by Gensler/Harvey received the Bronze Shovel award. (Photo by David Holland)

Prairie View A&M architecture students won the annual AIA College Challenge for 'I.M. Pyramid.' (Photo by Rhonda Lowe)

cre8/Durotech/Matrix won Most Epic Fail and Best Team Signage for 'Whale Hello There.' (Photo by Rhonda Lowe)

Best Team T-shirt honors went to the 'Game of the Decades' by Walter P Moore. (Photo by Rhonda Lowe)

PGAL/Rogers O'Brien took honors for Best Costume coordinated with their 'Sea on the Rocks' sandcastle. (Photo by Rhonda Lowe)

The 'Underwater Disco Party' won Page/ Most Sustainable Team award. (Photo by Rhonda Lowe)

'Winter Isn't Coming' by Jacobs/Bartlett Cox received the Sydney LeNoir Public Favorite Award and the Best Pop Culture-Decades Award. (Photo by Rhonda Lowe)

Best Geometric honors went to Kendall/Heaton Associates for 'Lost Our Marbles.' (Photo by Rhonda Lowe)

HarrisonKornberg won Best Marine Life for 'Kraken a Cold One.' (Photo by Rhonda Lowe)

The Kidtastic! Fables & Folklore Award went to 'Genie’s Beach Vacay' by Kimley-Horn/Method/Alston (Photo by Rhonda Lowe)

Best Traditional Castle goes to ASCE Houston for 'Lego.' (Photo by Rhonda Lowe)

Entry in the AIA 33rd annual Sandcastle Competition on Galveston Island. (Photo by David Holland)

Entry in the AIA 33rd annual Sandcastle Competition on Galveston Island. (Photo by Doavid Holland)

Entry in the AIA 33rd annual Sandcastle Competition on Galveston Island. (Photo by David Holland)

Another look at award-winning 'Game of Toys.' (Photo by David Holland)

The 'Underwater Disco Party' won Page/ Most Sustainable Team award. (Photo by David Holland)

Entry in the AIA 33rd annual Sandcastle Competition on Galveston Island. (Photo by David Holland)

While you’re packing your beach gear for this upcoming Labor Day weekend, don’t forget your shovels and pails for the time-honored tradition of building sandcastles. But it’s time to move on from unidentifiable piles of sand and “castles” that look more like boxes than Cinderella’s new home.

The American Institute of Architects Houston has a few fabulous suggestions for you, courtesy of this past weekend’s Sandcastle Competition.

Close to 50 teams displayed their skills constructing amazing creations carved from the cement-hued sand of Galveston’s East Beach. Chaired by Jeffrey Briggs and Vanessa Poe, the 33rd annual event attracted more than 25,000 spectators. For those who couldn’t make it, we have photos and a roster of the winners to inspire epic sandcastles of your own.

Will your challenge be to recreate the Gold Award winning over-the-top elaborate “The Litter Mermaid” by the Ziegler-Cooper team, or Kirksey + Metzger Construction’s epic “Game of Toys,” which won loads of honors, or “Winter Isn’t Coming” by Jacobs/Bartlett Cocke, winner of the Sydney LeNoir Public Favorite award?

Our personal fave was Travis Scott pop-up theme park riff by Stantec — ‘AstroWorld: Past and Present.’ It took honors as the Best Houston Centric entry.

Judging of the sandcastle sculptures was rated on originality of concept, artistic execution, technical difficulty, carving technique, and utilization of the site.

Even if you don’t have architects and builders on your Labor Day Weekend beach team, the 14 sandcastles included here offer fun inspiration.

Scroll through the best sandcastle winners in the photo gallery below or above this story.