Kéré Architecture has revealed the design of a masterplan and series of buildings dedicated to the cultural and spiritual heritage of the Ewé people in the town of Notsé, in Togo. Commissioned by the Kothor Foundation, the center incorporates a sanctuary, several temples, a large-scale open-air amphitheater, as well as cultural functions such as exhibition halls, an auditorium, restaurants, and a reconstruction of the ancient royal palace of the Ewé Kingdom. The project, Francis Kéré's first in Togo, started construction in October 2024 and is scheduled for completion in February 2026.
Located north of Dakar, near the city's airport, is an architectural composition of triangular volumes known as the International Trade Fair Centre, Dakar, Senegal. Also known as the Foire Internationale de Dakar or FIDAK, this structure is an iconic example of 60s modernism in West Africa. It synthesizes the complexity of simple forms within vernacular spatial patterns. Completed in 1974, it reflects the post-colonial ambition of the country and has grown as an adaptive spatial framework for major cultural events and exhibitions.
RSHP, in collaboration with TJAD, has been selected in the international competition for the design of the Zhongyuan International Convention and Conference Centre complex. The project, located within the Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone and adjacent to the international airport, aims to introduce a flexible and recognizable location for all visitors. The architectural design takes cues from the cultural heritage of the area and its natural surroundings.
Following an international competition, Steven Holl Architects has been selected as the winner of the commission for the Expo Albania convention center and hotel in Tirana, Albania. The winning team, comprised of Steven Holl Architects, artist Agnieszka Kurant, Atelier 4, Atelier Markgraph, Stoss, and Arup, proposes an iterative process, collecting signatures from local Tirana communities and fusing them into a single wandering line, a continuation of artist Agnieszka Kurant’s project “End of Signature”.
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Concept redesign routes Salone del Mobile.Milano - Ph. Cristian Catania, Lombardini22. Image Courtesy of Salone del Mobile.Milano
The 62nd edition of the Salone del Mobile at Rho Fiera brought together designers, architects, producers, and prominent figures from the design realm. With more than 1950 exhibitors, the six-day event, running from April 16 to 21, 2024, emphasized conviviality, well-being, and sustainability. Designed with a human-centric approach, incorporating neuroscience principles to enrich visitor interaction, Salone del Mobile is revolutionizing the future of fairs.
On-site during the event, ArchDaily had the opportunity to speak with Cristian Catania, Senior Architect and Project Director for Reinventing Fairs at Lombardini22, responsible for revamping Salone, about the primary changes in the fair’s layout and the implementation of neuroscience approaches in conceptualizing the exhibition spaces.
Foster + Partners has just unveiled the designs for the Xicen Science & Technology Center at the heart of the Yangtze River Delta Region in Shanghai,China. The project is strategically located along the Shanghai – Huzhou development axis, ensuring connectivity to the city center through high-speed rail links. Drawing inspiration from the timeless allure of the surrounding water towns, the center blends new and existing waterways to create a community featuring residential, commercial, and recreational spaces.
As repositories of knowledge and catalysts for innovation, museums represent an architectural typology filled with opportunities. They act as an intermediary between the general public and artists, historians, and researchers, creating the medium for the display of cultures and creativity while also striving to make knowledge accessible to all. Through careful curation and exhibition design, they provide a platform for education and research, fostering an understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures, histories, and ideas. For architects, they also present an opportunity to conceive spaces aligned with the exhibits on display to create an immersive experience for the visitors.
This week's curated selection of Best Unbuilt Architecture highlights projects submitted by the ArchDaily community that showcase art, technology, and innovation through the program of museums and cultural centers. Featuring projects from emerging and established architectural offices such as Hariri Pontarini Architects, Beyer Blinder Belle, Studio Saheb, RAMSA, and Ho Khue Architects, the selection includes a variety of scales and programs, from a museum dedicated to the commemoration of the Holocaust to a private sportscar museum in Austria or an intricately-shaped art gallery in Vietnam.
Büro Ole Scheeren has designed a new campus and experience center located in the historical city of Yibin, a region known for its rich cultural heritage and the geographical source of the Yangtze River. The campus was commissioned by Wuliangye, one of China’s leading winemakers. The project represents a large development inspired by the shape of a natural canyon, with two dynamic parallel structures defining a central space. On either side of this structure, called the Wuliang Interstice, are the Wuliangye World and the Wine Culture Exhibition Center respectively. Wuliangye World is an experience center where visitors can engage with the tradition of winemaking, while the exhibition center tells the story of wine culture through a series of themed exhibition halls.
Aedas reveals plans to transform the Pragati Maidan, an important civic space in New Delhi, into an exhibition and convention centre intended as a new city icon. Transformed into a national exhibition space in 1972, the site located on the bank of Yamuna River and neighbouring a series of cultural and historical venues was the subject of a 2016 international design competition that sought a contemporary upgrade to the programme. Aedas’ and Arcop’s winning project proposes a circular convention centre framed by an extensive landscaped public space, capitalizing on accessibility.
The winning proposal for redesigning Thessaloniki’s ConfEx fairground features a series of pavilions with large overhanging roofs that float within a park, creating the infrastructure for international events while providing locals with a robust public space. Designed by Sauerbruch Hutton, together with Gustafson Porter + Bowman as landscape architects and Elena Stavropoulou, the project builds on the existing network of landmarks creating a new hybrid landscape that caters to the Northern Greek city’s goal of becoming the region’s primary business and tourist attraction.
Herzog & de Meuron’s first realized project in Korea is completed and is set to open to the public in September 2021. Situated in the heart of Cheongdam Dong, one of the most commercial areas of Seoul, the ST International HQ and SongEun Art Space will offer non-commercial art spaces, a variety of new exhibition spaces, and offices for ST International both above and below ground, creating an inviting space for the public to engage with contemporary art. The first inaugural exhibition is expected to be on the 28th of September, and will be curated by the Swiss architecture firm in collaboration with SongEun Art and Cultural Foundation.
Courtesy of Sou Fujimoto Architects & Donghua Chen Studio
Japanese studio Sou Fujimoto Architects alongside Chinese office Donghua Chen Studio have designed a large scale exhibition complex in the heart of Futian District. The Shenzhen Reform and Opening-up Exhibition Hall adopts the city's characteristics as a contemporary entrepreneurial hub, welcoming innovative international businesses in a garden-inspired structure wrapped with white perforated facades. The design proposal was the winning entry of an international competition in Futian, and will be a part of the Shenzhen Ten Cultural Facilities of New Era promoted by the Municipal Government, once completed.
In their newly released architectural film, photographer Laurian Ghinitoiu and filmmaker Arata Mori take viewers on a visually compelling tour of OMA’s MEETT Exhibition and Convention Centre, Toulouse’s new mega-scale parc des expositions. Exploring the design’s multiple facets, from the monumental to the mundane, the film constructs a detailed vision of the project sitting at the intersection of architecture, infrastructure, masterplan and public space.
Focusing on competition entries, this week’s curated selection of the best-unbuilt architecture from our readers' submissions, highlights projects from across the globe, presented part of international contests. Some are winners, some are not but all of the featured schemes have an intriguing conceptual approach, and a different story to tell.
Tackling diverse programming, the entries include an urban public housing proposal in South Korea, the Dianju Village Library in China and a new Future-Oriented Neighborhood in Finland combining urban and sustainable living. Moreover, the article showcases rare and unconventional functions like a hospital for psychiatry & neurological diseases in Turkey and an intervention on a famed Oscar Niemeyer site.
Architectural firm Tham & Videgård won the international competition to elaborate a new addition for the Swedish Exhibition and Congress Centre in Gothenburg. The selected proposal puts in place a new hotel tower and a main entrance for the venue.
New images have been released of the $925million (£700million) redevelopment of west London’s Olympia Exhibition Centre, designed by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC Architecture. The project will see an extensive renovation of the existing exhibition halls, and the addition of creative offices, studios, and co-working space.
The 130-year-old center will be transformed into a creative hub with 2.5 acres of public space, intended to “support ambitious enhancement to focus on creative industries, entrepreneurship, and new green space for community and visitors.”
https://www.archdaily.com/897589/heatherwick-studio-and-spparc-transform-19th-century-london-exhibition-hall-into-creative-hubNiall Patrick Walsh