The Obama Foundation has released details about the design of a new athletic, program and event facility to take shape at the Obama Presidential Center located on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. Designed by Moody Nolan, the facility titled Home Court will offer the largest gathering space on the campus, serving as a place for community engagement as well as health and wellness activities. The venue is scheduled to become the first space within the Obama Presidential Center campus to open in late 2025.
Historically, architecture has served as a canvas for artistic expression. Building elements have been adorned with relief-carved garlands, inscriptions, fresco murals, portrait busts, and classicizing figurative sculptures, all of which emphasize the unique and intentional nature of each component. However, the industrialization of the 19th century brought about a shift in ideals, that stripped architectural components of their decorative elements. Instead, it preferenced the search for beauty in standardization and the economic accessibility provided by mass-produced building elements.
But is there room for artistry within mass production? Can artists be involved in the industrial-making processes of building elements? And how can new technology facilitate artistic mass customization of building components? These questions prompt us to consider the potential for expression, communication, and reflection in the craft of building elements in both interior and exterior spaces.
Exploring unbuilt architectural projects by established firms offers a glimpse into the forefront of design innovation and future-thinking concepts. In fact, studying up-and-coming projects provides an opportunity to get ahead of emerging trends and envision the future of the built environment, fostering dialogue around new ideas. With the looming climate crisis in a post-COVID world, this week’s selection of unbuilt projects submitted to the ArchDaily community showcases the scale of problem-solving through city-making and contextual spatial activations.
Whether it’s a vertical neighborhood in Kunming, a life science facility in Manhattan, or a cultural center in Veneria Reale, these unbuilt projects capture the diverse spectrum of architectural visionaries’ progression. Each of these proposals represents a unique narrative, whether seeking to redefine residential living or revitalize urban space. Through these projects, architects can offer the environment a glimpse into the transformative potential of design when used in a problem-solving capacity.
Bjarke Ingels Group and A+Architecture have revealed the design for the 12,000-square-meter Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub in Toulouse, France. The project will expand the functionality of the city’s central station, Gare Matabiau, strengthening the area’s public transport networks by creating a hub for bus, railway, and metro, all connected under one roof. The design of the new hub takes cues from the city’s distinctive roofscape and the traditional use of the rose-colored “foraine” brick, employing a mass timber structure and low-carbon concrete to ensure a sustainable intervention adapted to its environment. The Hub is set to begin construction in 2026.
3XN/GXN has just opened its exhibition “Aware: Architecture and Senses,” hosted at the Danish Architecture Center until September 15th, 2024. The display invites visitors to explore, comprehend, and interrogate their relationships with architecture. In collaboration with the Danish Architecture Center, 3XN/GXN delves into the conversation between individuals and spaces, showcasing six life-sized installations.
India's urbanscapes are characterized by a negotiation between the formal and the informal; permanence and impermanence. Structured amidst the concrete high-rises and planned neighborhoods, makeshift markets and bazaars form the core of city life. Often composed of sustainable structures, these transient commercial hubs exhibit a form of rudimentary architecture that spreads its roots deep in India's cultural and economic traditions.
The heart of India's informal urbanism lies in its public marketplaces and roadside bazaars that have existed for centuries. These urban zones have a history, believed to have originated from the era of traveling merchants and imperial trade relations. Today, these environments have evolved into dense labyrinths of impermanent shelters made from recycled tin sheets, tarpaulin canopies, and wooden poles. These bazaars organically transform neighborhoods into a choreographed chaos of vendors, goods, and the common public. Weekly markets are usually massive in scale and are set up every few days only to disappear again.
Make the most of Milano with our curated fair and city guides – put together by our expert team of architects and designers to make sure you know exactly what to see and where to go. As Designboom, Architonic, and ArchDaily, our core vision is to inspire, connect and empower. And while we can’t physically steer you in the right direction on the city streets or Salone del Mobile’s redesigned 2024 floor plans, we can make sure you have the optimal tools to locate the biggest discoveries, best new contacts, and most exciting stories: our two curated Milan guides, one to the fair and one to the city.
Pallet Parliament / Alejandro Haiek, Rebecca Rudolph, and Raffaele Errichiello. Umeå, Sweden 2022 Photo: Kent Brodin. Image Courtesy of Alejandro Haiek Coll
Architecture practices usually start their design process with a client, who provides a program and a site. Alejandro Haiek, founder of The Public Machinery, approaches things differently. The Public Machinery describes itself as a network of architects and designers working collectively, actively observing, imagining, and proposing public urban interventions themselves. Their proposals are at the intersection of art, architecture, and engineering and weave community engagement, ecology, and new technologies into innovative forms of social infrastructure. They secure funding through research and public grants, enabling them to create public spaces that defy expectations in both their design process and in the form their projects take.
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.
https://www.archdaily.com/1014883/the-second-studio-podcast-designing-a-home-as-narrativeThe Second Studio Podcast
What is symmetry in architecture? Why is it used to design spaces? What advantages and disadvantages does it present compared to other projection tools such as rotation, translation, and/or repetition? Contemporary architecture evolves day by day by implementing different strategies to create habitable spaces where people can carry out their daily activities, meet their needs, and more. Considering symmetry as a possible means of organization, distribution, and movement in the plane, architecture expresses and communicates largely through graphic means (floor plans, volumes, photographs, etc.) in a relationship that seeks coexistence, in most cases, of spaces, proportions, and scales in harmony.
We are thrilled to announce our upcoming April workshops in collaboration with our ArchDaily Supporters partner, Parametric Architecture. These workshops have been thoughtfully curated to empower architects, designers, and enthusiasts by providing them with the latest insights and skills in the dynamic realm of parametric design. Guided by industry experts and visionaries, these immersive sessions will explore cutting-edge techniques, innovative tools, and practical applications, creating an inspiring and dynamic learning environment where participants can take their design expertise to unprecedented levels.
As a token of our appreciation, ArchDaily Supporters will be entitled to exclusive benefits, including special discounts on any of the workshops offered by Parametric Architecture and one complimentary monthly workshop. Your commitment to advancing architectural innovation seamlessly aligns with the enriching experiences that these workshops promise to deliver. Stay tuned for more information on how you can fully unlock your creative potential and embark on an exciting journey of design exploration in April.
https://www.archdaily.com/1014843/parametric-architecture-april-workshopsArchDaily Team
MVRDV has revealed a large-scale residential complex to take shape as part of a new smart city campus built by technology company Tencent in Qianhai Bay, Shenzhen, China. MVRDV’s intervention, named Tencent P5, is comprised of 11 apartment towers arranged around four courtyards. The project also includes amenities such as an adjacent kindergarten, to offer all the necessary facilities for the company’s employees. Construction began in early 2022 and is scheduled for completion in 2024.
Heatherwick Studio has just been selected to design a new educational facility for a university in Bogotá, Colombia. Marking Heatherwick’s Studio’s debut in South America, the construction is set to begin in 2025. Located on the existing campus in central Bogotá, the new design school and makers’ space for Universidad EAN will become a home for the university’s school of sustainable design. The seven-story structure features a striking façade adorned with colorful artistic columns and open terraces.
The rise of generative AI has given every design educator sufficient reason to reconsider both what to teach and how to teach it. Training an architect is a long process, and mapping it onto an uncertain future is a daunting task. Researchers at OpenAI, DeepMind, Meta, and similar companies seem constantly surprised by the rapid development and sometimes unforeseen capabilities of their AI creations. If even the creators don’t know how fast the future will arrive, it would be hubristic for any of us to claim that AI will do X or AI won’t be able to do Y in the next decade, which is about how long it takes to really train an architect.
https://www.archdaily.com/1014830/how-ai-can-help-us-end-design-education-anachronismsEric J. Cesal
The Feynan Ecolodge project. Image Courtesy of Dongola DAS 01 | Notes on Formation and Ammar Khammash
Ammar Khammash is a Jordanian architect, designer, and artist best known for his approach that focuses on the preservation of cultural and natural heritage while crafting an architecture that engages with its surroundings. With deep admiration for nature and its ecosystems, Khammash trusts that "the site is the architect”, a statement for which he is renowned that underscores the profound influence of context on his architectural design. With over three decades of experience spanning various disciplines and across several Middle Eastern countries such as Jordan, Oman, Palestine, Egypt, Syria, and the UAE, Ammar Khammash has consistently attempted to preserve and enhance the symbiosis between human constructions and the natural environment. His contributions include the Royal Academy for Nature Conservation, the Wild Jordan Center, and the restoration of the Church of Apostles.
In 2022, he was featured in the first edition of the Dongola Architecture Series, a biannual publication that offers unique perspectives into Arab culture by highlighting prominent contemporary architects. The issue, titled “Notes on Formation: Ammar Khammash,” written by Raafat Majzoub, explores "architecture as a transdisciplinary tool of expression, and as a method of imagining and reimagining the future," encapsulating the ethos of the publication. ArchDaily had the opportunity to talk to Ammar Khammash and Sarah Chalabi, founder of Dongola Limited Editions, to delve into the architect’s perspectives on site, materiality, and culture, along with his philosophy, notions on academia, and insights into the future of the profession.
The main role of architecture is to create structures that protect us from the environment and create spaces that are safe and comfortable for all types of needs and activities. By providing shelter, architecture also shapes the way people interact with their surroundings. Building technologies of the past rarely managed, however, to create a complete separation between us and the outside world.
While impermeability was a desired outcome, the porous building materials available always allowed some water, wind, or outside particles to leak into the interior spaces. In contrast, modern technologies now allow for almost completely impermeable building envelopes, allowing for complete separation between indoors and outdoors, thus relying on engineered systems to regulate temperature, airflow, or humidity. This article explores the differences between these two contrasting approaches, exploring how building facades are equipped to regulate indoor comfort and its environmental impact.
Foster + Partners, led by Norman Foster, has revealed designs for a new “vertical creative office” campus on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, overlooking Hollywood. Developed by real estate firm The Star LLC, the tower is wrapped in spiraling gardens, giving the project its distinctive image and introducing generous outdoor areas throughout. Dubbed “The Star,” the project strives to use active and passive design strategies to bring a welcoming and comfortable space for all future users.
Pelli Clarke & Partners has just completed the Mori JP Tower, now standing as Japan’s tallest building. Situated in the recently revitalized Azabudai Hills district, the tower emerges at the center of this development. Establishing a new focal point for Tokyo’s skyline, the building soars 330 meters at the heart of this dynamic new mixed-use district in the city center.
