Renowned for its advanced approach to architectural education, SCI-Arc's Master of Architecture 2 (M.Arch 2) program stands out as a transformative experience for aspiring architects. Tailored for students with a background in architecture, the M.Arch 2 curriculum is a two-year intensive program designed to foster creativity, technical expertise, and critical thinking, preparing graduates for a dynamic and evolving professional landscape. Students in SCI-Arc’s M.Arch 2 program build a worldwide professional network of peers, faculty, and professionals, opening doors to collaboration, mentorship, career opportunities, and meaningful contributions on a global scale. SCI-Arc’s M.Arch 2 alumni have achieved some of the highest honors and recognition possible for architecture and design.
The Museum of Architectural Drawing presents “Lina Bo Bardi - The Poetry of Concrete,” an exhibition featuring 40 drawings by the esteemed architect Lina Bo Bardi, highlighting her architectural legacy. Showing together for the first time in Europe, these works include sketches and designs, photographs of the architect’s buildings, and illustrations. Taking place in Berlin, Germany, the exhibition opened on 31 May 2024 and will continue until 22 September 2024.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has revealed the six shortlisted projects for the 2024 RIBA Stirling Prize. Awarded annually since 1996, this represents one the most important architecture prizes in the United Kingdom, striving to reward and highlight projects that envision a more inclusive future and engage actively with current challenges of the built environment. The selected works range in scale and program, from a national art gallery to an inclusive rural retreat, major urban regeneration projects, and even a London underground line. While some of the selected architects have received previous awards, including Mikhail Riches for the Goldsmith Street in 2019 and Jamie Fobert for New Tate St Ives in 2018, other architects such as Clementine Blakemore Architects and Al-Jawad Pike are at their first nomination.
CityMakers, The Global Community of Architects Who Learn from Exemplary Cities and Their Makers, is working with ArchDaily to publish a series of articles about Barcelona, Medellin, and Rotterdam. The authors are the architects, urban planners, and/or strategists of the projects that have transformed these three cities, which are visited in the "Schools of Cities" and studied in the "Documentary-Courses" made by CityMakers. On this occasion, Alejandro Restrepo Montoya, Director of Urban Planning and Architecture of Medellín, presents his article "Environmental Urbanism and Urban Geographies, Medellín 2024-2027"
Medellín's urban plan focuses on answering how urban planning can improve people's quality of life. By developing its proposal, the city is promoting the social benefits that these urban planning practices can generate. Medellín emphasizes the use of natural and environmental conditions, such as valleys, streams, rivers, mountains, and hills, to develop urban planning criteria that address social needs.
Musicians, advertisers, and renowned chefs are just some of the professionals who initially found inspiration and training in architecture before changing course. Beyond designing buildings, architecture promotes a comprehensive view of space, aesthetics, and functionality—all valuable skills in various fields. Architects are trained to think creatively and solve complex problems, applying this expertise to the development of all kinds of projects. With the help of technology and artificial intelligence tools, this field can expand even further. Contemporary urban development, in particular, faces complex challenges that require innovative solutions. An example of architects venturing into different areas beyond design or construction sites is the OSPA Group, based in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Although it began as an architecture firm, over the years it evolved to include three main vertical activities, each playing a crucial role in urban development: the Responsive Cities Institute, Urbe.me, and Place.
The Massachusetts administration, under Governor Maura Healey, has unveiled a new housing-centric proposal for the controversial Boston Government Service Center designed by Paul Rudolph and opened in 1971. Previously proposed to be redeveloped by the architecture office NBBJ with offices and commercial spaces, the updated vision aims to transform the Erich Lindemann and Charles F. Hurley buildings into housing facilities as part of the state’s goal to address the housing crisis while allowing for the historic preservation of the Brutalist structure.
Following an international competition, Caruso St John Architects has been appointed to renovate the iconic Kunsthalle Bielefeld in Northwest Germany. Designed by Philip Johnson and completed in 1968, the structure is Johnson’s only museum in Europe. Despite past maintenance efforts, the building remains largely unchanged from its original state. The renovation aims to modernize the museum’s services, exterior, and interior spaces.
Beyond the wide variety of landscape, environmental, economic, social, and cultural particularities that distinguish each region of Latin America, the renovation of interior spaces that make up domestic life generally focuses on achieving the greatest possible integration of environments along with providing flexibility, spaciousness, and better conditions for ventilation and natural lighting. Seeking to revalue unused spaces and/or give them a second life, renovations aim to transform the ways of living through strategies capable of involving the restoration of materials, the preservation of structures, the maintenance of installations, and more.
Italian football club A.S. Roma has released images showcasing its project for a new home stadium, designed by sports-focused architecture office Populous. In addition to improving the experience of fans, the design also aims to appeal to the broader community by providing a varied and multifunctional space. The stadium is set to become the permanent home of A.S. Roma, after having shared the Stadio Olimpico with a rival club since 1953.
On Friday, July 26th, Paris began the long-awaited Olympic and Paralympic Games. Located in the city’s Seine-Saint-Denis district, Dominque Perrault Architecture designed the master plan for the Athletes Village. Featuring 2,400 housing units and 119,000 square meters of various activities, offices, and services, this master plan has become a significant portion of the legacy of the Paris Games.
In the whirlwind of daily life, a large majority of urban centers transform to accommodate new functions and/or needs demanded by their populations, seeking to improve, renovate, or update the infrastructures, equipment, networks, and spaces that enable community life. Although times change, and with them, many buildings that once served important protective or sheltering functions start to become obsolete. However, the heritage they leave behind reflects the passage of time and provides a living testimony of their history, contributing to the consolidation of identity and the recognition of a sense of belonging.
The Second Studio (formerly The Midnight Charette) is an explicit podcast about design, architecture, and the everyday. Hosted by Architects David Lee and Marina Bourderonnet, it features different creative professionals in unscripted conversations that allow for thoughtful takes and personal discussions.
A variety of subjects are covered with honesty and humor: some episodes are interviews, while others are tips for fellow designers, reviews of buildings and other projects, or casual explorations of everyday life and design. The Second Studio is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube.
This week David and Marina of FAME Architecture & Design are joined by James Corner, Founding Partner of Field Operations to discuss his background; early interests; education in landscape architecture and urban design; the value of urban design; the difference between architecture and landscape architecture; design competitions; Field Operations' practice structure; the Highline Project; and more.
https://www.archdaily.com/1019416/the-second-studio-podcast-james-corner-founding-partner-of-field-operationsThe Second Studio Podcast
Listed buildings are important architectural testaments to a society's rich and diverse history. Formally recognizing these buildings protects their significant architectural elements from alterations and demolitions while creating socio-economic avenues to aid their conservation. However, these buildings also run at risk of being alienated from new materials and modern building systems that allow them to function optimally today.
Integrating new materials and building services without interfering with the building’s original character is a unique design challenge. Whether adding new materials during structural renovations or integrating modern fire protection systems, there is a need for sensitivity and balance. This applies to various elements of listed buildings, including walls, floors, roofing, and façades, ensuring they are future-proofed for an extended lifespan.
Courtesy of SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN PLANNING, NANJING UNIVERSITY
Reading a book is commonly seen as an individual activity, yet libraries have evolved to offer more than just book-lending services in the digital age. Public libraries have transformed into contemporary community centers, offering various social engagement opportunities while utilizing minimal urban space. Emphasizing the importance of building a sense of community, these institutions prioritize connecting individuals with common interests.
Kazuki Masaki: Culture and Landscape. Image Courtesy of SCI-Arc
SCI-Arc’s Master of Science in Synthetic Landscapes (M.S. Synthetic Landscapes) program offers an innovative and interdisciplinary approach to landscape architecture, blending ecological thinking with advanced design technologies. This one-year postgraduate program prepares students to address complex environmental challenges through creative and sustainable design solutions, helping students to develop the curiosity critical for creativity. It offers a culture of advanced design scholarship that questions traditional models of research and practice. Here's a detailed look at the program's curriculum:
Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) has announced an expansive project to redevelop and refurbish the Foster + Partners designed 8 Canada Square building, also known as HSBC Tower, in Canary Wharf, London. Following an international competition, the remodeling plans include removing large parts of the 42-story building to introduce terraces and additional functions. According to Canary Wharf Group and the Qatar Investment Authority, this represents the largest transformation of an office tower into a sustainable mixed-use building. The project is set to begin in 2027, after the expiry of the HSBC lease.
M+ Museum in Hong Kong has unveiled the first full-scale retrospective of the renowned Chinese-American architect leoh Ming Pei (1917-2019), widely known as I. M. Pei. Located in the West Kowloon Cultural District at Asia’s first global museum of contemporary visual culture, the exhibition will be open to the public from June 29, 2024 - January 5, 2025. “I. M. Pei: Life is Architecture” showcases Pei’s career, spanning seven decades across the globe.
In 1900, Paris hosted its first Olympic games. It had been the second city to host them after the first Olympics in Athens. It was also the year of the Exposition Universelle, where the city would again showcase how it remade itself anew in less than 30 years. To this day, Paris remains a hub for all sorts of architectural innovation and development through bold designs that affect how people live and new materials and techniques. It fascinatingly juxtaposes grandeur and monumentalism with its predominately baroque, “second empire,” and art nouveau works; while also pushing for designs that strive for social living reforms such as in Le Corbusier’s experimental works or Lacaton & Vassal’s considerate interventions.
It’s this openness to the world that attracts not only millions of visitors a year but also innovators and architects who have set up shop in Paris and made it their second home. Once again, the city reworks itself as mass construction, renovation, and restoration sites culminate all over the city to host international athletes at the 2024 Olympics.
The relentless drumbeat of climate disasters in the headlines—scorching heat waves, raging wildfires, historic floods, crippling droughts—are no longer a series of anomalies. As a grim new reality across much of the globe, these extreme weather events, driven by human-induced climate change, are becoming more frequent and severe. In short, they are clearly symptomatic of a broader and more pervasive environmental crisis.
Tourist facilities such as resorts and hotels are often an engaging case study for architects and architecture enthusiasts, as they strive to combine functional and accessible design with locally-influenced cultural expressions. These structures often require unique solutions to meet the diverse needs of guests, including comfort, aesthetics, and functionality. Their design and construction also impact local economies and environments, providing opportunities for architects to contribute to sustainable tourism and community development.
This week's curated selection of Best Unbuilt Architecture highlights projects submitted by the ArchDaily community that offer tourist accommodation in unique settings, including the beaches of the Caribean, the Caucasus mountain range in Georgia, the urban setting of Oslo, or the wine-making region of Puglia in Italy. Featuring projects from emerging and established architectural offices such as WilkinsonEyre, Oppenheim Architecture, Powerhouse Company, or 3GATTI, the selection showcases architectural designs that reimagine tourist facilities and reflect the diversity of their environmental and cultural contexts.
Third prize, Main category: Agata Gała of blank studio, Poland
Awards and prizes are vital to professional ecosystems in supporting talent and new ideas; for the design industry, competitions encourage creative minds to leap beyond the bounds of practicality to imagine the future, solve problems and build new communities. Expanding impact with international breadth and egalitarian opportunities, competitions often provide space for emerging talents and students, providing support, mentorship and experience to develop their careers and process.
For Polish ceramics manufacturer Ceramika Paradyż, hosting the Paradyż Designers Competition brings together all of these values, alongside an innovative way to challenge how its products can function. This year, the third edition challenged architects and designers to craft imaginative digital designs using a new series of sintered stones, TRI-D. The natural product, a baked composite of quartz, feldspars, clays or kaolins, performs as an alternative to natural stone; extraordinarily durable, tiles retain their aesthetic from the surface to the cross section, making them ideal for worktops, windowsills and fireplaces, yet in fact, the possibilities are endless.
Tencent Shenzhen Headquarter Lot 04 East designed by Ma Yansong/MAD Architects. Image Courtesy of MAD Architects
Tencent is developing its new headquarters campus on five parcels spanning over 80 hectares east of Da Chan Bay Island in Qianhai, Bao'an District, Shenzhen. MAD Architects, led by Ma Yansong, has designed LOT 04 East of Tencent's new headquarters, envisioning two biomorphic office towers, three interconnected buildings, and a raindrop-shaped building. This project covers approximately 72,000 square meters with a Gross Floor Area of 412,000 square meters. Currently under construction, Lot 04 East of the headquarters is expected to be completed and open for users in 2025. Other projects announced for the campus include Büro Ole Scheeren’s swirling design for the Tencent Helix, and MVRDV’s residential complex named Tencent P5.
