OMA / Shohei Shigematsu has completed its Audrey Irmas Pavilion at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, the firm’s first commission from a religious institution and first cultural building in California. Expected to open in January 2022, “the new 55,000 square foot Pavilion is a response to the Wilshire Boulevard Temple’s vision for its campus to create a much-needed space to convene”.

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As architects face up to the need for ethical, sustainable design in the age of climate change awareness, timber architecture is making a comeback in a new, technologically impressive way. Largely overlooked in the age of Modernism, recent years have seen a plethora of advancements related to mass timber across the world. This year alone, Japan announced plans for a supertall wooden skyscraper in Tokyo by 2041, while the European continent has seen plans for the world’s largest timber building in the Netherlands, and the world’s tallest timber tower in Norway.

The potential for mass timber to become the dominant material of future sustainable cities has also gained traction in the United States throughout 2018. Evolving codes and the increasing availability of mass timber is inspiring firms, universities, and state legislators to research and invest in ambitious projects across the country.

After a year of absence in light of the pandemic, Milan Design Week, one of the most anticipated design events to take place in Italy, will finally open its doors to visitors. From the 5th to the 10th of September, more than 350,000 architects, designers, artists, and craftsmen from all around the world will have the chance to explore new design innovations and exchange ideas about the interior design, furniture, and lighting. During the week-long event, Salone del Mobile, the awaited furniture and interior design event of the year, will be hosting local and international exhibitors at the Fiera Milano, Rho, along with interventions by world-renowned architects across the city.

ArchDaily will be attending the Salone del Mobile so stay tuned for exclusive interviews and collaborations, and read on to discover what to expect during the week-long exhibition and how architects are taking part of the event. 

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Developer 3Strands and construction company ICON have completed new 3D-printed houses for sale in the United States, showcasing the possibilities of additive manufacturing for mass-market housing. Located in Austin, Texas, within a fast-growing neighbourhood, the East 17th St Residences development is designed by Logan Architecture and comprises four units with 3D-printed ground floors whose tectonics reflect the construction technology.

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The second round of voting has decided three winners of the ArchDaily & Strelka Award. The grand prize winner will be announced on September 7th at the Future Architect Conference

CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati has merged architecture with urban agriculture in the firm's newly-unveiled Jian Mu Tower in Shenzhen, China. The 218-meter high building incorporates a large-scale vertical hydroponic farm across its entire facade, producing vegetation that can feed up to 40,000 people per year. The 51-storey tower will also include housing offices, a supermarket, and a food court with inner gardens for recreation and social gatherings.

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UNStudio has recently published a report exploring the broader scope of community building and placemaking in the post-pandemic urban environment. Through examples from their practice, UNStudio highlights various design strategies currently incorporated in architecture and urban planning that cater to the universal and crucial need to connect socially. In addition, the practice stresses the importance of “ third spaces” and human-scale connectivity, as well as the blending of digital and physical spaces of interaction.

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Design consultancy office AUTHOS and Swiss multidisciplinary Interactive Designer Stella Speziali have collaborated to create a unique spatial intervention at the Zurich Design Biennale 2021. Titled NEBULOSUS, the installation uses mist and augmented reality as an immersive and intangible 'structure' that changes the spatial boundary of Zurich's botanical garden and creates and explorative experience for visitors.

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Prolonged heatwaves have been increasingly common in recent years, and cities are devising various strategies for combating the urban heat island effect. As Sydney experienced blistering summer temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius, the authorities have recently banned dark roofs on new homes and mandated lighter-coloured alternatives to reflect solar radiation. In Europe, Athens has taken the example of Miami and hired a Chief Heat Officer, tasked with finding coping strategies as the city confronts with heatwaves and wildfires that prompted a large number of residents to vacate the capital.

Atelier Jean Nouvel's monumental granite-clad museum in Shanghai's Pudong district is now complete and open to visitors. Labeled as a "domain" by the architecture firm, the Museum of Art Pudong covers an expansive plot of almost 40,000 sqm on the outer banks of the Huangpu River, and offers visitors a culture-driven space surrounded by the river and an undulating landscape of tall trees.

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The International Architecture and Design Festival Concéntrico, now at its 7th edition, prompts an exploration of the urban environment through temporary installations inhabiting the public spaces of the city of Logroño, Spain. From September 2nd to 5th, the festival brings together an array of emerging architects and artists from all over the world to share their perspectives on urban spaces and communities.

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The Museum of Art of São Paulo - MASP will soon expand its facilities to include an annex next to the iconic project by Lina Bo Bardi. The 14-story Dumont-Adams building, which has been inactive for decades, has 7800 square meters and will be renovated to house exhibition wings, a café, a restaurant, and a restoration laboratory.

Readers of ArchDaily and Strelka Mag have selected a shortlist of 15 architectural projects nominated for the joint ArchDaily & Strelka Award, which celebrates emerging architects and new ideas that transform the contemporary city. The second stage of voting, which will last until August 31st, will decide the three winners.

Titled "The Available City", the fourth edition of the Chicago Architecture Bienniale will be open to the public on September 17th, 2021. This year, the event presents an unprecedented biennale model that experiments with an array of site-specific projects and programs displayed across the Chicago, "reframing what a biennial can do, be, and explore for a city". Over 80 projects from 18 different countries will respond to an urban design framework and bring ideas for community-centered, collective spaces through architectural elements, engaging programming, and enhanced community experiences.

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We are about to start living in a completely wireless world, but in the meantime, many people are looking for alternatives to hide wires creating a more organized and clean space. Therefore, we have provided some tips for those who want to disguise TV cables and cords from other devices to make the environment more comfortable.

The Chicago Architecture Center and Chicago Architecture Club have announced the seven finalists of the Thompson Center Design Competition, which called for new and innovative visions for the Illinois Thompson Center designed by Helmut Jahn in 1984. The winning design proposal will be announced during the opening of the September 14 pop-up exhibition of finalists work at the Chicago Architecture Center, and will run through October.

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Spanish architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava has unveiled the design of the Qatar Pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai, UAE. The design is inspired by the four elements represented on the Coat of Arms of Qatar and will include two main galleries and exhibition spaces, providing visitors with engaging, inclusive, and interactive environments.

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OMA / David Gianotten has revealed the design for a five-story office building in Amsterdam, replacing a 1980s bank headquarters. Located on one of the city’s main avenues among high-end offices, housing and luxury hotels, the architecture of the new project is shaped by the characteristics of its surroundings. Featuring interlocking glass volumes towards the boulevard and brick-clad facades towards the residential area, Apollolaan 171 creates a dialogue with both the green avenue of Amsterdam’s south district and the neighbouring 20th-century Berlage architecture.

When David Chipperfield was asked about what visitors should expect to see when he concludes the renovation of Mies van der Rohe’s Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, he said: “Imagine a 1965 Mercedes. It looks fine, but it’s falling apart on the inside. We want to put it in the shop, take it apart and put it back together again, so when someone turns on the switch - the engine will work.” Due to the ongoing pandemic health regulations, the 2021 re-opening saw a limited number of journalists and visitors to tour alongside Chipperfield and explore the newly-renovated architecture. Editor and photographer Gili Merin had the opportunity to photograph the project during the pre-opening event and interview the world-renowned architect.

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Celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Fuggerei social housing in Augsburg, Germany, MVRDV has collaborated with Fugger Foundation to initiate a conversation about the future architectural and urban plans of Fuggereien, the world’s oldest social housing complex. Throughout the upcoming months, the Fugger Foundations are hosting interdisciplinary debates that highlight Fuggerei’s guiding urban principles and discuss challenges about the field of architecture, politics, culture, and sciences, by notable individuals in each respective field.