The boundaries between different kinds of spaces are not as defined as they used to be. All around us, we are witnessing examples of blurred boundaries between private and public spaces, interiors and exteriors, and formal and informal spaces and so on.
Architecture News
Hybrid Spaces Call for Hybrid Furniture Design: B&T Design
Kengo Kuma Unveils Contemporary Intervention to Preserve Historic Cathedral in France
Kengo Kuma was asked to preserve the western portal of the Cathédrale Saint-Maurice in Angers, France, to protect 12th and 17th century polychromatic sculptures displayed within the historic structure. The proposed design creates a "harmonious dialogue" with a subtle contemporary arched intervention that preserves its medieval architectural heritage and pays tribute to the original builders' regulatory framework and unified proportions. Construction of the new arched portals have begun and are expected to be complete in 2024.
Grimshaw Architects Designs Sustainability Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai
Expo 2020 Dubai's Sustainability Pavilion designed by Grimshaw Architects expresses the ethos of addressing the impact of human activities on the environment, acting as a catalyst for collective action. With sustainability as one of the three core themes of the Expo, the pavilion named Terra will become a platform for highlighting the urgency of the issue, sharing knowledge and exploring ideas while also providing visitors with n immersive experience. As one of the legacy buildings, the project is set to become a Science Centre after the event and aims to operate as an autonomous construction in terms of energy and water supply.
How Artificial Intelligence Will Shape Design by 2050
Artificial intelligence is transforming how we design and build. By 2050, the effects of AI adoption will be widely felt across all aspects of our daily lives. As the world faces a number of urgent and complex challenges, from the climate crisis to housing, AI has the potential to make the difference between a dystopian future and a livable one. By looking ahead, we're taking stock of what's happening, and in turn, imagining how AI can shape our lives for the better.
L'Arc de Triomphe's Wrapped Intervention Through the Lens of Jared Chulski
After almost 60 years of its initial ideation, Artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s temporary installation, the complete wrapping of L’Arc de Triomphe in Paris has opened to the public on September 18th, attracting thousands of tourists and locals. In this new photoseries, photographer Jared Chulski captures the wrapped monument, focusing on the details of the temporary intervention and how it compliments the city's urban fabric.
Aga Khan Award for Architecture Reveals 2022 Master Jury
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture announced the Master Jury that will select the 2020-2022 cycle winners. The jury, among which are Anne Lacaton, Francis Kéré, Nader Tehrani, or Amale Andraos, will look for projects that respond to the cultural aspirations of their social context and show innovative use of local resources and building technologies. Founded in 1988 by Aga Khan IV, the award covering three-year cycles aims to highlight projects of relevance and positive impact for Islamic communities.
The Production Chain of Architecture: Reasons to Choose Local Building Materials
The construction industry is known to be one of the most polluting industries on the planet, but we often find it difficult to associate the role of the architect and urban planner with this industry, thus avoiding the responsibility of being involved in one of the most harmful production chains in the world. Therefore, it is imperative to emphasize the importance of questioning not only the materials used in the projects but also the manufacturing systems involved.
Construction Begins on ODA's ZETA Residential Building in Buenos Aires
ODA, the New York-based architecture office, has recently unveiled its design for Paseo Gigena, a former parking lot that will be transformed into a mixed-use project and a public park in Buenos Aires. Around the same time, ODA has also announced the beginning of the construction phase of its first residential venture in the same city: The ZETA building.
Located in the Belgrano neighborhood, next to the modern structure of the University of Belgrano and facing the historic mansion that houses the Australian Embassy, the 126-unit project seeks to "reimagine the language of residential buildings in Buenos Aires", according to the architects.
The Long-delayed Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Will Open in 2026
Twenty years after the Frank Gehry–designed Guggenheim Abu Dhabi was first announced in 2006, the museum may finally have its grand opening.
OMA / Shohei Shigematsu Reveals Design of Jojutla Pedestrian Bridge in Mexico
OMA New York has designed a new 145-meter pedestrian bridge over the Apatlaco River in Jojutla de Juárez, Mexico, as part of a larger reconstruction effort by Infonavit (National Workers’ Housing Fund Institute) following the 2017 earthquakes.
Virtual Tour of the Unbuilt Slow House by Diller + Scofidio
Welcome to the Slow House, Diller and Scofidio’s (now Diller, Scofidio and Renfro) first building commission for Long Island, in NY. The crescent-shaped slug doppelganger, was a pivotal design for the firm — and architecture at large — when it was first revealed in 1990. However, the building was never built, living only through its extensive catalog of models and drawings. In this video, the Slow House is digitally reconstructed, analyzed and explored to discover unique elements lurking in its design that can only be revealed through a first-person experience. From delayed million-dollar views, to CCTV feeds of the water, to dozens of operable plywood doors and shades, the house is truly a machine for viewing. And now, you can view it for yourself.
Zaha Hadid Architects' ‘Green Connect’ Proposal Selected First in Competition to Transform Vilnius Railway Station
Zaha Hadid Architects has ranked first in a design competition for the redevelopment of the Vilnius railway station complex and surrounding area in Lithuania, with its ‘Green Connect’ proposal. Generating an integrated transportation hub for the 21st century with new civic spaces enveloped by nature, ZHA’s project is aligned to the city’s ongoing sustainability agenda.
Estudio Herreros's Long Awaited Award-Winning Munch Museum Finally Open to the Public
After being awarded with the top prize at the Munch Museum Competition in 2009, Spanish architecture firm Estudio Herreros has finally completed the construction of the museum and will open its doors on October 22, 2021. The long-awaited museum will showcase a rich collection of Norwegian heritage and culture and thousands of artworks by artist Edvard Munch, as well as present a contemporary museum concept that highlights architecture's urban role and historical responsibility of Oslo and the nation as a whole.
Aedas Reveals Design for TransportHub in Singapore
Aedas revealed the design for the Jurong East Integrated Transport Hub, a development merging work environment and recreation located within a vibrant commercial area outside of Singapore’s city centre. Featuring a transport interchange station and an office tower, together with community-oriented amenities, the project is designed as a catalyser for the emergence of a second financial district in the western part of the city.
Chile Discards Design by Smiljan Radic, Cecilia Puga and Paul Velasco for its Expo 2020 Dubai Pavilion
In 2019, Chile launched an open call for the design of its national pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Among 24 submissions, the jury chose the proposal presented by Chilean architects Smiljan Radic, Cecilia Puga, and Paula Velasco.
The proposal consisted of traveling a modular oak lamella shed to Dubai, originally built in Chile back in the mid-twentieth century. At the time of its official presentation in 2019, the architects defined the project as "a primitive mark on the ground, as nomadic tribes have done for centuries in this now globalized desert [Dubai]. This physical and cultural dimension is necessary to adapt the pavilion as a friendly and austere space."
The Allure—and Importance—of Architectural Models
This article was originally published on Common Edge.
In this week's reprint, author Mark Alan Hewitt talks about models and their importance. "For those of us lucky enough to have grown up during the 1950s and ’60s, models were hot stuff—and not just the kind that statement may bring to mind", he states. Going back to the realistic models of the 70s, similar to today's virtual renderings, this essay retraces their history and the artists that produced them.
Design Disruption Episode 11: Architecture for the People with Balkrishna V. Doshi
The COVID-19 Pandemic is a disruptive moment for our world, and it’s poised to spur transformative shifts in design, from how we experience our homes and offices to the plans of our cities. The webcast series Design Disruption explores these shifts—and address issues like climate change, inequality, and the housing crisis— through chats with visionaries like architects, designers, planners and thinkers; putting forward creative solutions and reimagining the future of the built environment.
ODA Transforms Old Parking Lot into Mixed-Use Project and Public Park in Buenos Aires
The old structure called Playa Gigena, in honor of the equestrian of the same name, located between the hippodrome and the Rosedal de Palermo in Buenos Aires, will now be converted by ODA into a Class A office building and a public park including cafes, restaurants, shops, and a covered parking lot. The partial demolition of the old parking lot has begun on June 28th.
Designed by the American architecture office ODA, the next Paseo Gigena will be the firm's first mixed-use project in the city of Buenos Aires city. The team involved in the process also includes the participation of Aisenson studio, Inscape Landscape, Coinsa, and the developer BSD Investments, to which the government has granted the concession of the property known as Ámbito Gigena, for a period of 15 years.
Lord Norman Foster to Chair RIBA Stirling Prize Jury
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced that Pritzker Laureate Lord Norman Foster will chair the 2021 Stirling Prize jury. The jury will also include Simon Allford, RIBA President, architect Annalie Riches, 2019 RIBA Stirling Prize winner, and artist Dame Phyllida Barlow, advised by architect and sustainability expert Mina Hasman.