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OPEN Unveils Two Seafront Cultural Buildings in Yantai, China

OPEN Architects has just revealed the architectural designs for two separate cultural projects situated along the coastline of Yantai, China. One of them is “The Space Crystals,” a futuristic digital museum and experiential hub resembling an otherworldly entity that has mysteriously descended upon a seaside mark. Meanwhile, “Sea Square” is square-shaped, providing a library and community service facility, levitating above a restored sea dock. The two structures engage in a spatial and temporal conversation, one reaching towards the sky and the other facing the sea, bridging the present, the past, and the future.

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A Living Capsule on The Moon and a Garden Home in Colombia: 10 Unbuilt Visionary Houses Submitted to ArchDaily

This week's curated selection of Best Unbuilt Architecture highlights visionary homes by the ArchDaily community. From a prefabricated house to supporting Ukraine war victims, a modular multi-story house highlighted during the Dutch Design Week, and a villa "shaped" by the Dubai coastline wind flow, this round-up of unbuilt projects showcases how architects move forward from the conventional residence concept to project alternative habitational standards in responding to harsh environments, nature, and technology.

Featuring firms like architecten van Mourik, Archigardener, DKTV, Exint, Kalbod Design Studio, Lana Alk habbaz studio, Mitchell Designs Architecture, Mossawi Studios LLC, Void, and Team Group, the following list explores homes at different scales and varying stages of their development. Whether competition-winning projects or ongoing planned execution, each project develop a vision of living generated by unique site conditions and technical possibilities.

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If Space Settlements Explained How to Live in Space, Space Forces Explains the Why

If Space Settlements Explained How to Live in Space, Space Forces Explains the Why - Featured Image
A painting of a prospective future lunar colony by artist Rick Guidice for NASA. Image Courtesy of NASA

As the world spins deeper into the third year of a global pandemic with no sign of abating, a new space race is forming over our heads. Entry is open to all, and the tickets are literal. The Architect's Newspaper's Jonathan Hilburg explores how the world's richest men are charting new paths for the human species, and how the public are reacting to the future of private space tourism. 

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"The Same Technology that Will Allow Us to Address Housing Challenges on Earth, Will Allow Us to Venture Off to Space": Interview with Jason Ballard of ICON

Founded in late 2017, named one of the "Most Innovative Companies in the World" in 2020, and selected as ArchDaily's Best New Practices of 2021, ICON is a construction company that pushed the boundaries of technology, developing tools to advance humanity including robotics, software, and building materials. Relatively young, the Texas-based start-up has been delivering 3D-printed homes across the US and Mexico, trying to address global housing challenges while also developing construction systems to support future exploration of the Moon, with partners BIG and NASA.

Featured on Times’ Next 100, as one of the 100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future, Jason Ballard, CEO and Co-Founder of ICON spoke to ArchDaily about the inception of the company, worldwide housing challenges, his ever-evolving 3D printing technology, and process, his partnership with BIG, and the future of the construction field on earth and in space.

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Fundraiser Design Competition: Post Pandemic Performances-Gatherings in the times of Social Distancing

INTRODUCTION:
Humankind has witnessed several historic, life-changing episodes such as industrialisation, colonisation and wars, and society has always adapted to such significant milestones fruitfully. Over the years architecture too, has been a witness the very same happenings, and has shaped itself accordingly to suit the times.

While most such events are read and studied about, the ongoing pandemic is a rather unprecedented one.

The future of architecture and the notion of a city too are standing at crossroads. The notion of the city and ‘city-life’ revolves closely around the act of gathering, and the possibilities that come with meeting, living and sharing lives

The New Space Race: 6 Challenges for Extraterrestrial Architecture

The New Space Race: 6 Challenges for Extraterrestrial Architecture - Sustainability
© AI SpaceFactory

Up until now, space architecture has been mainly focused on engineering, centered on projects like orbital space stations or Martian exploration convoys, commissioned by world space agencies such as ESA (Europe) or NASA (USA). But in recent years, an increasingly broader spectrum of professionals (e.g. architects, sociologists) as well as entrepreneurs and investors (not all well intentioned) have joined the challenge of designing extraterrestrial built environments, the new space race of the 21st century.

The fast development of technology, the increase of world population and the climate change crisis create the perfect setting to think about life outside of our planet, and as these trends continue to evolve and converge, new opportunities to explore options beyond our traditional limits appear (NEOM), as well as new organizations which support this research (like SATC, SICSA). Even though no one is currently on Mars, many ongoing projects and simulations (MARS-ONE, Mars City Science) are already exploring how we will design, build and inhabit the new realms of humanity in outer space.

The People's Station / People's Architecture Office

The People's Station / People's Architecture Office - Arts & Architecture
Bird-eye view. © Rui Zhu

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