Heatherwick Studio has unveiled the design of a new large-scale glass canopy to become one of the main attractions of Olympia, an ambitious regeneration project aimed at transforming the 138-year-old exhibition halls in London into a global culture and entertainment destination. Originally designed by Sir Henry Edward Coe, Olympia is set to offer visitors a wide range of venues and activities, including two hotels, over 30 restaurants, bars and eateries, a 4,400-capacity live music hall, a theater, and spaces for the Wetherby Performing Arts School, in addition to over 2.5 acres of accessible public spaces. The revival project is co-designed by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC.
via Flickr user jeanbaptisteparis licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 | Fumihiko Maki at MIT Media Lab, 2010.
Esteemed Japanese architect and Pritzker Prize laureateFumihiko Maki passed away at his Tokyo home last Thursday at the age of 95. Celebrated for his modernist approach, Maki was responsible for significant works, including the 4 World Trade Center, a skyscraper at the site of the former World Trade Center in New York. Maki was recognized in the architecture industry various times, including receiving the Pritzker Prize and becoming the 67th AIA Gold Medalist. His influence in inventing a unique modernist style of Japanese origin cannot be underscored.
Beyond serving as mere backdrops for fashion shows, architecture often influences fashion collections, contributing spatially to their storytelling, offering material inspiration, and showcasing the connection between structure and shape. As both disciplines revolve around form, structure, and the human experience, architecture, and fashion share a strong connection, one often explored by creators in both fields. From meticulous tailoring and structural designs that mimic architectural lines, contours, and volumes, to architecture taking cues from how fashion works with the human shape, this interplay can create multidimensional experiences for the enthusiasts of both high fashion and architecture.
British-Nigerian multi-disciplinary artist and designer Yinka Ilori MBE has designed a pavilion as part of Haus der Kulturen der Welt’s (HKW) festival in Berlin. The festival, titled Ballet of the Masses - On Football and Catharsis, initiated an annual pavilion in 2023, and this year’s pavilion dresses intricate questions of coexistence through its materiality and form. Part of the Shaped to the Measure of the People’s Songs architectural series, Yinka Illori’s pavilion crafts a spatial proposition that explores complex themes of racism in sports and personal accountability.
Metropolitan cityscapes come with the appeal of sophistication, luxury, and exclusivity. Their glittering skylines and vibrant energy attract thousands of tourists and residents seeking luxurious experiences every year. Catering to this market, several renowned brands and real estate firms have teamed up to offer "branded residences" – a modern typology that elevates hotel-like living into a daily delight.
The concept of branded residences can be traced back nearly a century to 1927 when New York City's Sherry-Netherland Hotel and Apartments joined forces with the famous Sherry's restaurant. Over the past decade, the trend has witnessed a 230% growth with over 580 developments from 133 brands equating to nearly 100,000 residential units established worldwide. The drive for this demand goes beyond aesthetics and architectural grandeur. World-class services and amenities such as spas, fitness centers, private cinemas, and concierge services offered by luxury housing developments build on a sense of indulgence.
Stefano Boeri Architetti has been declared the winner of the international competition for the redevelopment of a former industrial site in downtown Bratislava. The project includes the transformation of one of the largest abandoned areas in the Slovak capital, with the aim of creating an active new central hub for the city, complete with parks and public spaces, residential units, and a variety of amenities. Stefano Boeri Architetti’s master plan proposal, titled “Urban Oasis,” has been appreciated by the jury for integrating familiar typologies, creating a “European matrix” of medium-density developments organized around accessible public spaces.
Today, the first cornerstone has been laid at Zaha Hadid Architects' new terminal, marking the start of construction works for the Ülemiste Passenger Terminal in Tallinn, Estonia. Zaha Hadid Architects won the competition in 2019 to design this transport hub, serving as a multi-modal transport hub for city commuters, international rail passengers, and air travelers using the adjacent Tallinn Airport. Set to open in 2028, the hub has been designed to unite various districts of the city, currently divided by railway tracks, and will act as a connecting bridge for the city.
Do Lab Stage at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival / Do Lab. Image Courtesy of Do Lab
Music consumption has historically been closely connected to the environments in which it is enjoyed. Before the advent of music recordings, listening to music was a social activity tied to collective rituals in physical spaces, such as concerts or smaller communal gatherings. With the development of music records and now with the current availability of virtually any kind of music at our fingertips, experiencing music has become a more solitary and routine endeavor. However, returning to the roots of communal musical experiences may unlock numerous benefits much needed in our isolating digital age. These collective musical events have the potential to significantly enhance a community's social cohesion and improve their mental health through memorable shared experiences.
The physical aspect of these is not to be underestimated. It's where innovative design and architecture step in, transforming mere spaces into catalysts for curiosity, transcendence, and collective joy. By harnessing emerging technology and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, designers and architects can create environments that elevate concerts and music rituals into transformative and grounding moments.
In the early 2000s, an abandoned rail line in Manhattan sat decaying - a memory from a time when freight trains traveled straight through the city. To most citizens, it was a site destined for demolition. However, a few visionary residents saw an opportunity in this neglected space and advocated to transform it into a public green space for the community. The success of the project seemed to spark a "High Line Effect", inspiring other American cities to pursue civic infrastructure on outdated railways, roadways, and industrial sites.
Founded by architects Felipe Mesa and Federico Mesa, the Plan:b arquitectos studio is located in the city of Medellín, Colombia, bringing together building design, participation in academic activities, and the construction of concepts capable of connecting architecture with the urgent realities of everyday life. Understanding the architectural project as a provisional pact, permeable configuration, and positive expression of eco-social constraints, they have constructed a large number of buildings of various scales and programs since 2000, ranging from public, educational, and sports spaces to housing, offices, hotels, and installations.
A Trombe wall is a passive solar building feature that enhances thermal efficiency. Positioned on the sun-facing side of a structure, it consists of a wall made from materials like brick, stone, or concrete, and a glass panel or polycarbonate sheet placed a few centimeters in front of it. Solar radiation penetrates the glass during daylight hours and heats the masonry wall. This wall then slowly releases the stored heat into the building during the cooler nighttime hours, maintaining a more consistent indoor temperature without the need for active heating systems.
Paul Clemence has released a new series of images showcasing the ongoing construction works in The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Undergoing massive transformations, including a new building by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, the LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States. Approved in 2019, Zumthor’s design, known as the David Geffen Galleries, aims to modernize the museum’s campus.
In her Dhaka, Bangladesh–based practice, Marina Tabassum seeks to create a language of architecture that’s simultaneously contemporary yet rooted to its place. One of the first buildings she undertook after establishing her own practice in 2005—the Bait Ur Rouf Mosque in her own city—won an Aga Khan Award for Architecture, which recognizes design that addresses the needs and aspirations of Muslim societies.
Bangladesh’s Museum of Independence, which she designed with her former partner, Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury of the practice URBANA, has become a national landmark. But Tabassum also works at the intimate scale of housing, pursuing innovative modular space-frame designs constructed of bamboo. She’s taught at architecture schools around the globe. Recently, she was recognized with an award from the Architecture, Culture, and Spirituality Forum and identified by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people for 2024 for her work in sustainable, socially responsible design.
https://www.archdaily.com/1017460/light-empathy-and-silence-the-architecture-of-marina-tabassumMichael J. Crosbie
Gallaudet University was established in 1864, becoming the first American educational institution for the deaf and hard of hearing. The university is officially bilingual, with American Sign Language (ASL) and written English used throughout the educational programs. Over the years, the university has grown, adapting both its teaching methods and its spaces to the needs of its students, in turn learning from them how to counter the challenges they face and create a safer and more comfortable environment. These lessons turned into design guidelines, created to educate the architectural community about the strategies they can employ to create more accessible spaces for all.
QS, Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings, has announced the annual list of the top universities to study Architecture and the Built Environment in the year 2024. The ranking evaluates over 1,500 institutions from over 100 locations. The evaluation system has been updated this year to include new metrics such as sustainability, employment outcomes, and international research networks.
The top three contenders, the Bartlett School of Architecture, MIT, and Delft UT, have maintained their ranking from 2023, with ETH Zurich showing a slight decrease from an equal third position to the fourth. In the sixth position, Harvard University stands out as the top university for employer reputation in this subject. Among the top 10 universities, Politecnico di Milano had the greatest advancement in rankings, moving from the 10th position last year to the 7th.
Stefano Boeri has designed a cultural square at the heart of the Italian pavilion for the 76th edition of the Frankfurt Book Fair. With Italy returning as Guest of Honor after 36 years, the book fair is the largest and most significant event in the publishing world and will be held from October 16-20, 2024. The Italian pavilion, designed by Stefano Boeri, seeks to celebrate Italian cultural heritage and publishing, aligning with the theme “Roots in the Future.”
A recent study suggests that our home galaxy, the Milky Way, cannot be seen by one-third of humanity. Why? Millions of city lamps brighten our cities every night, but only part of their light is used to actually illuminate streets or sidewalks – the rest is lost and emitted above the horizon, brightening the night sky and contributing to what is known as light pollution. However, as the artificial glow from towns and cities increases every year, the consequences of this urban phenomenon go beyond just preventing us from seeing stars. Other harmful effects include: causing a hazardous glare that can reduce safety, excessive energy consumption, waste of money and resources, disruption of ecosystems’ natural day and night cycles, suppression of melatonin production and several negative repercussions on public health. In this sense, choosing the right lamps (with a well thought-out design) is crucial to reduce light pollution.
Thomas Heatheriwck has been appointed as the General Director and curator of the 2025 Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism. In its fifth edition, the Seoul Biennale serves as a platform for addressing urban challenges faced by major global cities. The biennale aims to foster innovative solutions and discussions around urban and architectural issues, underscoring Seoul’s commitment to a human-centered and climate-friendly future. As Asia’s largest architecture biennale, the exhibition is scheduled to take place from September 1 to October 31, 2025.
