Art and architecture go through a series of interpretive processes before their creation that involve recognizing a capacity for wonder, experimentation, communication, and imagination. Sharing sensitivities and creative quests, they can transform the experience of the world by responding to a collective set of ideas that, at times, design, paint, and write about themes related to the connection with nature, the role of society in the built environment, the sensations conveyed by spaces, and more.
The Louvre Museum in Paris has announced the American-French consortium WHY Architecture -BGC as the winner of an international competition for the exhibition design of the museum's ninth department, dedicated to Byzantine and Eastern Christian Art. The 5,500-square-meter project aims to offer a more balanced and connected narrative of the Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic civilizations, fostering a greater understanding of the influences and relationships between artistic expressions of these historical regions. The spaces are expected to open to the public in 2027.
A new exhibition presenting the works of artist Zeng Fanzhi has opened in the historic Scuola Grande della Misericordia in Venice, Italy. Running from April 17 to September 30, 2024, concurrent with this year’s edition of the Venice Arts Biennale, the “Zeng Fanzhi: Near and Far/Now and Then” exhibition showcases the latest breakthroughs in the artist’s practice in a space adapted by architect Tadao Ando.
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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.
Henning Larsen has just won an international competition to design the New Arts Center in Bergen, Norway. Situated in western Norway, the Grieg Quarter aims to blend urbanity, culture, and natural beauty in Bergen. The winning entry proposes to expand the city’s creative and natural landscapes with the new performing arts and exhibition center.
Salone del Mobile.Milano has announced the opening dates and events program, expanding the trade fair event to encompass more narratives and projects relevant to the design community. The 62nd edition will take place at Rho Fiera Ilano from April 16 to 21, 2024. It is expected to include over 1900 exhibitors from around the world, with contributions from emerging designers and several design schools under the recurring SaloneSatellite, now in its 25th-anniversary edition. The cultural program also includes immersive installations, like David Lynch’s “Thinking Rooms.”
24 Viviendas de protección pública en Platja d’en Bossa / 08014 arquitectura. Adrià Guardiet Llotge, Sandra Torres Molina. Image Cortesía de BEAU
Under the motto "Me-dio Pla-zo," the XVI Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism (BEAU) inaugurated its exhibition at the Royal Artillery Factory in Seville, highlighting the future vision of architecture and urban planning. At the same time, all the awarded projects in the different categories of this edition involving Architectural Works, Research and Dissemination Works, and End of Career Projects were announced. Until November 20, 2023, the exhibition inspired by the concept of "boxes of time" will be available for visiting, aiming to explore the present as well as the medium-term ambitions of each work.
Oulu City Council has approved the AALTOSIILO restoration proposal by Skene Catling de la Peña. The concrete structure will be restored and reimagined as a multi-media performance, exhibition space, and “Tar Bar.” The 525 sqm Silo used to be used for storing woodchips and will now become a digitized communication point to connect the building with its surroundings. Now nearing its 100th anniversary, the proposal aims to at least double its lifespan.
Czech Republic Pavilion at the Universal World EXPO 2025 in Osaka, Japan. Image Courtesy of Apropos Architects - Renders by ZAN Studio
Apropos Architects has won the competition to design the Czech Republic Pavilion at the Universal World EXPO 2025 in Osaka, Japan. The architecture of the intervention prioritizes movement as a crucial component of preserving physical health.
The pavilion's content demands a creative connection with spiritual and cultural ideals while openly urging visitors to engage in physical activity. It focuses on the concept that the movement of the body and the soul can shape a place, with a dynamic ascending spiral designed as a metaphor for the ideal life path. As visitors actively move within the pavilion, the cultural content materializes, culminating in a journey that generates lasting inner energy.
The Salone del Mobile.Milano 2023 entrusted the Milanese architecture and engineering studio Lombardini22 with curating the exhibition space and redefining its layout and circulation flows to ensure an increasingly engaging and contemporary business platform. On a similar note, Formafantasma was appointed to take care of the large Arena and the Cameos, small exhibitions layout in the trade fair site. During this year’s edition, seven exhibitions will be held simultaneously at Fiera Milano fairgrounds in Rho. The events are open to professionals from Tuesday 18th until Sunday 23rd of April, and to the general public on Saturday and Sunday.
Courtesy of Play-Time, Art Gallery of Ontario, Diamond Schmitt, Selldorf Architects and Two Row Architect.
The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) has announced an expansion project designed by Diamond Schmitt, Selldorf Architects and Two Row Architect. The Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery design will increase the museum’s gallery space by 40,000 square feet, with 13 new galleries across five floors.
The exterior façade of the extension will quietly complement the AGO’s existing built environment, respecting the scale of the surrounding neighborhood. Sitting one story above AGO’s existing loading dock, the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery will be nestled between the AGO and OCAD University. It will connect the existing galleries from four locations, substantially improving visitor circulation in and around the museum.
Architect Daniel Libeskind has revealed plans to transform the Boerentoren tower, located in the center of Antwerp, Belgium, into a new public cultural center. The Art Deco tower will be extended to house exhibition spaces, a panoramic viewing platform, a rooftop sculpture garden, and new restaurants and bars. According to the architect, the original features of the historical building will be preserved, while its landmark status will be enhanced through this intervention. If the plans are approved by the Flemish master builder, heritage and urban planning authorities, and the fire service, the building is due to open in 2028.
The Bronx Museum Renovation. Image Courtesy of Marvel Architects
New York-based firm Marvel revealed schematic designs for The Bronx Museum's new multi-story entrance and lobby, as part of the museum's revamp for its 50th anniversary. With a budget of USD $26 million and slated for completion in 2025, the renovation will relocate the access on the Grand Concourse Street, one of the most iconic The Bronx boulevards, and focus on the cohesion of the multiple sections for a fully accessible route through all of the galleries. Coinciding with this announcement, the Museum reinvented its brand identity and website for the first time in over two decades to reflect its ethos as a vital space at the intersection of art and social justice in New York City.
CHYBIK + KRISTOF have unveiled the design for a Public Art Gallery clad in movable copper plates. The conceptual project is located in a new public square, near a riverbank with access to the water. The cultural function marks the heart of the new development. The cylindrical volumes are inspired by past functions of the area: mining, smelting, and minting. Toward the public square, the cylinders are elevated with the purpose of connecting the interior of the building with the surrounding public space.
3XN has recently completed the Grognon exhibition space dedicated to the history of digital technologies. Located in Namur, Belgium, at the confluence of two rivers and neighbouring the Roman citadel, as well as the Wallonian Parliament, the project inserts itself within the protected historical setting as a new topography, a landscape that flows along the site weaving together the context and the new programme.
MVRDV has revealed the design of an exhibition and visitor centre for the Port of Rotterdam, which would tell the story of Europe’s largest port. Scheduled to open in 2024, The Harbour Experience Centre features a stack of five rotated exhibition spaces framing views of the surroundings, and outdoor staircases wrapped around the structure provide visitors with a route up the various terraces and to the rooftop. The project is the successor of FutureLand, a temporary information centre from 2009, whose success prompted the creation of a permanent exhibition.
Lighting design for exhibition spaces in museums can be quite challenging because light must simultaneously enhance the space, preserve the integrity of the artworks and highlight them in a way that ensures the best conditions for the visitor's enjoyment.
In addition to having the highest CRI (Color Rendering Index), daylight contributes to a feeling of comfort and well-being in the built environment. In exhibition spaces, natural lighting is important to accurately reveal the colors of the objects on display, which is very significant for works of art and provides more visual comfort for visitors to clearly perceive the exhibits.
