US: The Latest Architecture and News

New York architects Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi founded their studio, Weiss/Manfredi, in 1989 after winning a couple of important competitions—for the Military Women's Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery and Olympia Fields and Community Center near Chicago—both were built in the 1990s. Their most representative built works include the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Visitor Center, Hunter's Point South Waterfront Park, and the Barnard College Diana Center, all in New York City. The architects' Seattle Museum of Art's Olympic Sculpture Park, which won an international competition and was built in 2007, was praised by critics as one of the world's greatest sculpture parks and among the best examples of landscape urbanism.

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New York City has implemented the first congestion pricing scheme in the US, charging drivers up to $9 per day to enter a designated zone south of Central Park, encompassing areas like Times Square and Wall Street. The initiative aims to alleviate chronic traffic congestion, improve air quality, and generate revenue for public transportation improvements, addressing New York City's ranking as the world's most congested urban area for two consecutive years. The plan went into effect Sunday, January 5th, 2025.

Recent architectural announcements showcase a global range of projects. This month, some of the most recognized architectural offices in the world have announced ambitious projects, some engaging with local communities, rediscovering and revitalizing existing structures, or contributing to complex architectural landscapes. Among them, BIG revealed their proposal for Saadiyat Island, a cultural district that gathers some of the world's most famous designers. Additionally, Populous revealed a new performance center, KCAP is developing a framework for an eco-industrial park, and Henley Halebrown is working to revitalize an overlooked structure in Belgium, reopening it to the local community. Read on to discover a collection of recent announcements from the architectural world, peeking into established architects' processes and recent announcements.

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Ahead of the official reopening of Notre Dame de Paris, scheduled for December 8, a series of exhibitions are happening worldwide, aiming to use immersive technologies and augmented reality to bring to a wider audience both the restoration efforts and the wider story of the beloved monument. The event aims to present significant chapters of the history of the iconic structure, from its medieval origins to its witnessing of historical events such as the coronation of Napoleon or the marriage of Henri IV, the 19th-century restoration which added the spire designed by French architect Viollet-le-Duc, and the devastating 2019 fire.

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Landscape architecture firm SCAPE together with Bjarke Ingels Group have announced plans to transform Connecticut's Manresa Island into a public-oriented development as a hub for learning, exploration, and community engagement. Originally slanted for private waterfront housing, the new scheme aims to open up the area as a public park with ample waterfront access, a project led by SCAPE. Additionally, the decommissioned coal-fired power plant is set to be converted by BIG into a community hub for multiple activities including swimming, small and large-scale events, research, and educational rooms. Supported by a private philanthropic investment from Austin McChord, the project is set to open in 2030 through a phased development.

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Architecture Research Office (ARO) and Heery International have designed the West Pavilion, a 115,000 square-foot extension to the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium. Set at one of America’s most historic college football venues, the new expansion will stretch 450 feet in length —about half of the stadium—and “will introduce the program’s first true premium seating, club spaces, and high-end press facilities.”

In addition to being a part of university-wide expansions, the project is the centerpiece of the $86 million renovation of Nippert Stadium itself, which includes adding more restrooms and concessions, and better pedestrian circulation.

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After an open competition and recommendations from the Federal Advisory Committee on International Exhibitions, the U.S. Department of State has selected Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan to organize the U.S. Pavilion at the 2016 Venice Biennale. Their exhibition, “The Architectural Imagination,” will be curated by Cynthia Davidson, executive director of Anyone Corporation and editor of international architecture journal, Log; and Monica Ponce de Leon, dean of the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning and Principal of MPdL studio.