When San Francisco’s MUNI spent big money on a “central subway” to Chinatown, I was doubtful. One recent Saturday, though, I revived the gallery-hopping I did before the pandemic, taking the train from Berkeley into the city, walking to one gallery near Embarcadero Station, then taking a tram past the ballpark to the CalTrain Station, where I switched to another tram to head south to Minnesota Street’s Dogpatch cluster of galleries and artists’ studios.
https://www.archdaily.com/1001256/consider-the-15-mph-cityJohn J. Parman
One of the primary functions of architecture is to provide shelter, fulfilling the physiological and safety needs at the base of Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of human motivation. Throughout history, the need for shelter has been evident in our ancestors’ behavior, who sought refuge in caves to protect themselves from weather conditions and predators. As societies shifted from a nomadic to a sedentary lifestyle and basic needs were easily met, shelters became more advanced, evolving into purpose-built spaces. These early shelters withstood the elements of their time and laid the foundation for modern architecture as we know it today.
Today, extreme weather conditions due to climate change are testing cities, buildings and materials. Venice is flooding, and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault is experiencing melting ice. Without action, conditions will continue to worsen, increasing the need for efficient strategies that allow us to coexist with the environment and to develop more resistant materials for our buildings. An example of these materials of the future is NATURCLAD-B, a high-quality, maintenance-free wood panel system designed for architecture, interior design and construction.
https://www.archdaily.com/1000043/climate-proof-architecture-supertextured-cladding-for-extreme-conditionsEnrique Tovar
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.
Though lesser known, the Hungarian city of Veszprém is one of the oldest and most important cities in the country. Designated as the European Union Capital of Culture for 2023, Veszprém boasts a longstanding history, visible through its evolving, yet well-preserved architectural monuments. In fact, one of the first notable observations as one walks through the city streets is its eclecticism and layers of historically diverse buildings, that sporadically arise. Despite the difference in styles and architectural languages, they collectively tell the story of the county and its spiritual and political relevance. Its pedestrian-friendly streets, many parks and public spaces, connect the Veszprém monuments, as one delves into a historic promenade.
As one of the most important and visited contemporary architecture exhibitions worldwide, the Venice Architecture Biennale extends beyond the grounds of the Giardini and the Arsenale, and at Forte Marghera to engage the whole city in discussing relevant issues, challenges, and opportunities of the architectural profession. To explore more diverse perspectives of the overarching theme, “Africa: The Laboratory of the Future,” 9 collateral events have been officially announced as part of the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.
The events, which are admitted by curator Lesley Lokko and promoted by non-profit national and international bodies and institutions, take place in several locations scattered around the city. They offer a wide range of contributions and participations that contribute to the diversity of voices represented at the exhibition in Venice.
The infamous Unite d' Habitation, the first in Le Corbusier's new line of housing projects that emphasized community living for all the residents, was completed in 1952. For its 70th anniversary, world-renowned photo artist Paul Clemence reveals a unique photo series of the building as it stands today. The photographs honor the construction that initiated the brutalist movement and showcase the infamous project's current condition.
Making a space more practical, facilitating daily tasks, creating unity in interior design, providing different possibilities for an area without modifying it, and adding beauty are not easy tasks. Still, some elements are essential for achieving them: cabinets and shelves.
On the occasion of the sixth edition of the AHI European Heritage Intervention Award, the 26 selected projects within the categories of Built Heritage and Outdoor Spaces have been announced, among a total of 241 projects submitted from 28 different European countries.
Solid wood, which has been used since prehistoric times and is still highly valued today, is extracted directly from trees without undergoing any lamination, pressing, or gluing processes. While it remains a universally used material in architecture, its widespread use has led to an increased demand and less efficient resource management. Therefore, solutions are being sought to optimize its use in production processes and reduce its consumption without losing its capabilities and characteristic beauty. To address issues such as warping, aging, and high environmental costs associated with solid wood, materials like Technowood have been developed. Combining technology and super-strength composites with natural wood veneers, Technowood maintains the beauty and characteristics of solid wood, but with greater durability and a sustainable approach, making it a suitable alternative.
https://www.archdaily.com/1000184/creating-decorative-long-lasting-facades-with-natural-wood-and-technologyEnrique Tovar
The weather across the northern hemisphere is getting warmer, and with rising temperatures comes the urgent need for many of us to spend as much time outside as possible. While a variety of outdoor activities bring with them their own sense of accomplishment and relaxation, one in particular combines feelings of leisure, indulgence and community: outdoor cooking. But how did this tradition start? And what has it evolved into?
Total view of the AXOR bathroom concept by Barber Osgerby. Image Courtesy of AXOR
When designing bathrooms, maximizing space is key for creating functional layouts that meet user needs and enhance their well-being, while also being aesthetically pleasing. In addition providing guidance on where to best place each element, AXOR’s bathroom collection elevates these spaces through an array of features, including mixers, showers, wash basins, bath tubs and accessories. These elements seamlessly blend with carefully chosen color schemes, materials and finishes to build the space.
Being one of the most intimate spaces in our homes, the creation of personalized bathrooms has a direct impact on our daily lives. With Make it yours!, AXOR dives into customized luxury and how to apply it in bathroom design. Exploring diverse styles, powerful colors, and individualized detailing, their collections are able to reflect multiple personalities by designing unique spaces through the inspiration of unique bathroom concepts from leading designers. In collaboration with London-based Barber Osgerby, AXOR developed the ‘Skyline’ concept, a customizable project designed with individual distinction.
The National Pavilion of the Czech Republic presents the exhibition “The Office for a Non-Precarious Future” at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. The exhibition investigates current pressing issues faced by the architectural profession and especially by young practitioners by asking the initial question: ”How can architects design a better world if they themselves work in a toxic working system?.” The pavilion is commissioned by Helena Huber-Doudová and will present the works of exhibitors Eliška Havla Pomyjová, David Neuhäusl, and Jan Netušil. As the Czech ad Slovak Pavilion at the Giardini della Biennale is under reconstruction, the Czech Republic will exceptionally use the Arsenale in the Artiglierie section as its exhibition space. The Czech and Slovak Pavilion in Giardini will serve only as a digital hub to complement the main presentation.
The Copacabanacalçada (Copacabana sidewalk) is one of the greatest symbols in the stunning landscape of Rio de Janeiro. What not everyone knows is that its history (and design) precedes the intervention of Roberto Burle Marx in the 1970s. The origin of the design, as well as its stones, is Portuguese.
Courtesy of the South African Pavilion at Biennale Architettura 2023
For the 18th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, the South African Pavilion explores the architectural representation of social structures through an exhibition titled “The Structure of a People.” Prior to the exhibition, the pavilion curators, Mr. Stephen Steyn, Dr. Emmanuel Nkambule, and Dr. Sechaba Maape, conducted a national architecture competition titled “Political Animals,” aimed at gathering artifacts crafted by lecturers and architecture students to represent the structures of their schools or universities. The resulting models and miniature architectures, produced by ModelArt, will be exhibited within Zone III, Political Animals, as part of the South African Pavilion.
Titled The Laboratory of the Future and curated by Lesley Lokko, the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale will be holding the 18° International Architecture Exhibition from May 20 to November 26, 2023.
The 2023 edition of the Biennale will include 63 national participants allocated in the Giardini, at the Arsenale, and in the historic city center of Venice, Italy. Additionally, the exhibition will welcome Niger for the first time, along with Panama, which will have its own pavilion. The Holy See will also return to the Biennale Architettura with a pavilion on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore.
Please find below the full list of national participants at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale.
Some pieces of furniture are so versatile that they are equally at home in a home, in an office or in a cafeteria. The Liceo armchair by Piergiorgio Cazzaniga and the Triada table by Layer Design for Andreu World with height adjustement are perfect example of this. Image Cortesia de Andreu World
How can a space that is no longer essential become valued again? The traditional office as we know it is disappearing with the changes brought about by technological advances and globalization, all of which was accelerated by the impositions of the pandemic. As living and working become inseparable activities and hybrid, flexible work arrangements are now the norm in many fields, offices will need to become increasingly sustainable, healthier, and also more comfortable. But how can architects and designers design workspaces so that people will continue to want to inhabit them? What solutions and furnishings can meet the needs of occupants, with flexible solutions that can adapt to a variety of activities and purposes?
When it comes to seismic resistance, there are a number of myths that question the ability of wood to adequately perform in the event of an earthquake. However, its ductility allows it to deform plastically without breaking, absorbing and dissipating the energy generated by movement and vibration. Furthermore, unlike steel or concrete, wood is a lightweight material with a good strength-to-weight ratio, enabling it to withstand seismic forces without adding excessive load to the construction. This has been extensively verified in smaller-scale structures around the world, but how does a high-rise mass timber building behave in the face of an earthquake?
To dispel doubts, the Tallwood Project recently erected a 10-story building made of cross-laminated timber (CLT) at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). The structure was tested on a shake table that simulated the 1994 Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles, magnitude 6.7, and the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake in Taiwan, magnitude 7.7.
Collaboration serves as a cornerstone of Building Information Modeling (BIM). By uniting clients and design teams on a unified platform, we can foster more efficient communication, ultimately enhancing design outcomes and guaranteeing fast project completion. Consequently, real-time multi-user collaboration (akin to Figma) represents a crucial advancement for the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry.
Snaptrude facilitates this seamless collaboration between design teams and clients in a wide range of formats, including AutoCAD drawings, SketchUp models, PDFs, and images. Moreover, users can easily exchange design models between Revit and Snaptrude through a bi-directional linking feature, streamlining the entire design process.
Following an international competition, MVRDV has been selected to lead the design of the Hangzhou Oil Refinery Factory Park, an extensive project aiming to transform the former industrial district into a cultural center set in a green environment. Complete with a new art and science museum, offices, retail, and a wide variety of cultural offerings, the redevelopment demonstrates a way forward from an oil-based infrastructure to more sustainable alternatives, while retaining the memory of the past technologies. The park sits alongside the southern end of China’s Grand Canal, the world’s longest and one of the oldest man-made waterways created to strengthen economic connections between the south and the north of the country.
The Natural History Museums of Los Angeles (NHMLAC) announced the selection of Kossmanndejong (KDJ) as the firm that will lead the design of exhibition spaces and develop visitor experiences to reimagine the La Brea Tar Pits. As the world’s only active paleontological research site in an urban setting, KDJ will work through many design verticals, such as architecture, landscaping, and programming. KDJ, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, was chosen through an international search and competitive process to provide creative and interpretive strategies for the site-wide redesign in Hancock Park. KDJ will collaborate with the architectural and landscape design team led by WEISS/MANFREDI and Los Angeles-based Gruen Associates, who NHMLAC recently named Executive Architect of the Year.
The concept of sustainability emerged at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (UNCHE) in Stockholm in 1972 and was coined by Norwegian Gro Brundtland in the report "Our Common Future" (1987). According to this definition, the sustainable use of natural resources should "meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." However, despite the urgency of the concept and the constant evolution it has undergone over time, its application is often restricted to the controlled use of natural resources and the preservation of wildlife. In other words, it treats the situation from the perspective of "man versus nature," as a dichotomous view, with the loss of a holistic perspective.
The main purpose of public houses and eateries is to provide customers – both individuals and groups – with an environment and an atmosphere in which to release the stresses of their day or week so far, either with a quiet drink in a quiet corner, or in larger, more social groups.
Even before COVID brought with it more permanent closing times, the rise of on-demand TV and food delivery services meant that staying ‘in-in’ –with the comforting embrace of their pillow just a short hike up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire– was becoming a more popular choice. Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, to see the growing emergence of establishments that offer more active entertainment than a quiz night and karaoke box.
Here are five examples of bars and restaurants designed for life’s players.
Las Palmas, Canary Islands. Drone photo by @sebastien.nagy
Fascinating and photogenic, colorful cities often catch the eye not only of the thousands of tourists visiting every year but also of many architects around the world. From an aerial viewpoint - which happens to be how many visitors get their first glimpse of these cities from the window of an airplane - one can see the colorful picture created by the many different shades of roofs and rooftops.
There are many different reasons for this diversity of colors. Some cities use specific colors on roofing as a climate strategy, while others simply have a tradition of painting houses in a certain way. In any case, these colorful cities are unquestionably very visually appealing.
I first went to China in 2002, a year after the International Olympic Committee awarded the 2008 Summer Games to Beijing. That initial trip was about exploring nature, cuisine, ancient temples, archeological sites, and, in general, experiencing lifestyles in China, mainly outside of its major cities. I was motivated by the pure curiosity of a Western tourist driven to an Eastern country in search of the old world, the exotic, hoping to catch a glimpse of a rich traditional culture on the cusp of its inevitable radical transformation. At the time, there was no modern, or rather contemporary, architecture in China to speak of. There were only the promising first hints of the development of a potentially new architectural language being undertaken by just a handful of independent architects almost entirely under the radar.
