As Kharkiv embarks on the long road to recovery following the devastating conflict in Ukraine, a global design competition has been initiated by the Norman Foster Foundation and Buildner to reimagine one of the city's most significant landmarks—Freedom Square. A symbol of Soviet-era urban planning, the square, along with the Regional Administration Building, was heavily damaged by a missile strike on March 1, 2022. The attack left the building in ruins and the square scarred by conflict.

The mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, along with the Future of Fifth Partnership, announced plans to transform Fifth Avenue, between Bryant Park and Central Park, into a pedestrian-centered boulevard. The project includes expanding sidewalks by 46%, reducing traffic lanes, improving pedestrian safety with shorter crosswalks, and adding greenery and lighting. The initiative begun with the Future of Fifth public-private partnership, which selected Arcadis, Sam Schwartz Engineering, and Field Operations to lead the design and study, and schematic design, scheduled to be completed by summer 2025.

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Selected as one of ArchDaily's Best New Practices for 2024, Wiki World is pioneering a fresh approach to children's architectural education and community building. This Wuhan-based studio simplifies the concept of architecture, moving beyond grandiose connotations and focusing on 'building a house'—exploring the wisdom and methods of 'ordinary people.' Building, according to Wiki World, is not only a human instinct but also a way to connect with and understand nature. They see an opportunity in the open-source spirit, empowering communities in rural China to design and construct their own creations. By providing the right frameworks, Wiki World is able to scale and make architecture accessible to an increasing number of people. The studio organizes workshops across China, guiding parents and children through one community-building experience after another.

In an interview with ArchDaily, Wiki World shared their approach to workshop design and organizational processes, drawing from both their expertise and the fresh perspectives gained from their young participants. They discussed how their views on nature and community design have shaped their work, their strategies for effective communication, and their current challenges and successes. They also explained how they bridge the gap between different teams to inspire creativity and foster hands-on engagement with users.

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In the Czech river valley of the Berounka near Prague, Stempel & Tesař Architekti have created an extraordinary private residence. The elongated structure is primarily made of steel and glass, featuring oversized air-lux sliding windows. The entire volume juts out into the landscape like a pier.

Villa Sidonius embodies the purest form of view and overview. For good reason—the landscape along the Berounka River is characterized by the flora and fauna of various nature reserves. The town of Černošice, located on the southwestern outskirts of Prague, is also nestled in greenery. This environment inspired Stempel & Tesař to design this single-family home, resembling a pier stretching out into the landscape from a hillside.

Over the past twenty years, the Holcim Foundation Awards has committed USD 20M to spotlighting projects from an industry-changing cast of architects, designers, and engineers who champion innovative practices in sustainable design and construction.

To better tell these success stories, the Foundation launched a short film series called 'Words with Winners.' The series includes a conversation with Loreta Castro Reguera, co-founder of Taller Capital in Mexico City, about the design of the highly innovative La Quebradora Waterpark, which received a Holcim Foundation Award in 2018.

In response to the conflict in Ukraine, in 2022, Ihor Terekhov, the Mayor of Kharkiv, asked Norman Foster to lead the masterplan for the city's reconstruction. The Norman Foster Foundation convened the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and Arup to form a core group, led by the Foundation, to spearhead the development of the master plan.

As part of this initiative, the Kharkiv Housing Challenge was launched as an international architectural competition in May 2024, aiming to enhance housing and residential neighborhoods in the city. The competition drew 259 entries from 53 countries, including 27 submissions from Ukraine. The Norman Foster Foundation, in collaboration with the Kharkiv City Council, UNECE, Arup, and the Kharkivproject Institute, has just announced the winners.

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Muraba and RCR Arquitectes, recipients of the 2017 Pritzker Prize, have collaborated on Muraba Veil, a modern architectural project in Dubai that aims to incorporate traditional elements alongside contemporary innovation. This 380-meter-high tower is the latest result of a decade-long partnership between Muraba, a Dubai-based developer, and RCR Arquitectes, a Spanish architectural firm. The project introduces a skyscraper designed to engage with the local environment and culture, seeking to combine modern architectural techniques with regional heritage.

Exhibition spaces convey carefully curated content with the goal of educating, inspiring, and engaging visitors, using objects and displays to tell stories. In addition to promoting education, cultural preservation, and aesthetic appreciation, these environments encourage creativity and interaction. With immersive and interactive experiences, they allow visitors to form meaningful connections with new knowledge, different perspectives, and important cultural heritages, creating both intellectual and emotional engagement.

Ceramic tiles are a decorative form almost as old as time—originating in ancient Mesopotamia, where they were first used around 4,000 years ago. Today, they serve as a global motif, both ascetic and pictorial, available in a panoply of colors and textures. Formed from the elemental process of firing clay, minerals and water at high heats, tiles become a robust, hard-wearing material with a myriad of applications. 

In what is now Italy, tile use and production proliferated in the Roman era – not least in the form of intricate, technicolor mosaics – and the styles embraced in antiquity were an early precedent for those used today. The use of tiles skyrocketed further in the later Renaissance period, with Italian artisans perfecting the medium as an artistic medium, and the country remains perhaps the consummate producer of ceramic and porcelain tiling. 

New York-based office Field Operations, renowned for their work on Seattle's waterfront and New York's High Line, along with Toronto's Brook McIlroy, have been tasked with transforming underutilized lands beneath the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto. The project was launched by The Bentway Conservancy, in partnership with the City of Toronto, and represents the second phase of the development aiming to revitalize underutilized spaces along the expressway. The initiative set out to transform three large traffic islands between Dan Leckie Way and Spadina Avenue into an 11,500-square-meter public space for recreation and community activities.

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The National Pavilion UAE has announced that Azza Aboualam, an Emirati architect and Assistant Professor at Zayed University, has been appointed as the curator for the UAE's participation in the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, which will take place from May 10 to November 23, 2025. Aboualam's research, which explores the intersection of architecture and societal memory, will be featured in the pavilion's exhibition in Venice, accompanied by a publication. This appointment follows Aboualam's involvement with the UAE Pavilion, where she served as a Venice Intern during the 14th International Architecture Exhibition in 2014.

The American Institute of Architects, Middle East Chapter, opens entries for its 11th Year-End Conference and Design Awards, set to take place in the vibrant city of Doha, Qatar, between the 22nd and 23^rd of November, 2024. This prestigious event will gather thought leaders, professionals, and enthusiasts to explore the latest trends, innovations, and challenges in the design field with a focus on Qatar's remarkable development.

Contemporary architecture evolves in tandem with the materials and construction techniques available in each region. In addition to the architectural trends of the moment or historical ideas that may inspire creativity, understanding how materials are used, cared for, and maintained, as well as their technical and aesthetic properties, is crucial to the concepts envisioned by many architects. Each material carries its own inherent logic. In fact, architect Louis Kahn suggested that the way materials interact can lead to unavoidable combinations of structure, walls, and assembly in buildings. Rieder products exemplify this by offering modular, flexible solutions that help buildings seamlessly adapt to urban environments, enhancing both interior and exterior spaces while maintaining cost-effectiveness.