Alessandria Hub Aerial View. Image Courtesy of Carlo Ratti Associati
CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, in collaboration with The Blossom Avenue Partners, has been announced as the winner of the international competition for the urban and architectural design of X-Change, a major multimodal logistics hub located on the site of a former railway yard in Alessandria, Italy. The project reimagines a traditionally introverted typology, rail distribution infrastructure by integrating logistics with energy production, ecological regeneration, and public life. Conceived as one of Southern Europe's largest intermodal hubs, X-Change is set to support Alessandria's evolving role as a backport to Genoa, leveraging future fast rail freight connections.
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York is hosting an exhibition dedicated to Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa's Nakagin Capsule Tower from July 10, 2025, through July 12, 2026. Titled The Many Lives of the Nakagin Capsule Tower, the exhibition offers a retrospective on the building's 50-year lifespan. Constructed in Tokyo's Ginza district in 1972 and dismantled in 2022, the tower is presented through contextual materials, original drawings, archival recordings, and a fully restored capsule. The exhibition invites reflection on how cities address aging buildings and the rapid transformation of urban areas. The diverse materials documenting the tower's continuous evolution over five decades encourage viewers to consider how architecture might endure by taking on new roles and functions beyond its original purpose.
The House of Culture and Administration in Delfzijl by Benthem Crouwel and Snøhetta. Image Courtesy of Benthem Crouwel Architects and Snøhetta
The House of Culture and Administration, a new civic complex designed by Benthem Crouwel Architects in collaboration with Snøhetta, is gradually taking shape in the Dutch city of Delfzijl. Located at Molenbergplein, the project brings together cultural and administrative functions in a unified architectural gesture that aims to strengthen the urban fabric of Eemsdelta. The current visualization marks a step forward in the structural design phase. Technical and financial refinements will continue over the summer, with final approval from the municipal council expected in October 2025.
Swimmable Cities is an alliance of 153 signatory organizations across 59 cities in 22 countries, supporting the global movement for swimmable urban waterways. In the context of increasing urbanization, climate change, and biodiversity loss, the initiative aims to reclaim rivers and harbors as public spaces for communities to enjoy and benefit from bathing. It advocates for urban waterways to be made safe, healthy, and accessible for both swimmers and wildlife, calling for cross-border collaboration to develop improvement strategies and collect data to evaluate "swimmability." This call becomes especially relevant amid rising global temperatures and growing inequalities in access to public infrastructure in major cities. The movement's 10-point charter begins with the affirmation of "the right to swim," celebrating urban swimming culture and recognizing the historical significance of water.
Every year, World Population Day is observed on July 11th, aiming to increase people's awareness of various population issues, such as the importance of urbanization, genderequality, poverty, health, and human rights. In 2025, under the theme "Empowering Youth to Build the Families They Want," the United Nations draws attention to the largest generation of young people in history, many of whom are coming of age in rapidly urbanizing contexts. Urban centers remain key to understanding these demographic patterns, as cities continue to attract populations seeking opportunity, stability, and access to essential services. Today, more than half of the global population resides in urban areas, a share projected to increase to 66% by 2050.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the 20 winners of the 2025 RIBA National Awards, recognising the most significant contributions to architecture across the UK. Presented annually since 1966, the awards celebrate design excellence and provide a valuable snapshot of evolving architectural, cultural, and social trends. This year's winning projects span the length and breadth of the country, from the Isle of Wight to Scotland and Northern Ireland, and represent a wide range of typologies and scales, from major institutional buildings to small-scale residential and community-focused interventions.
OMA has completed the JOMOO Headquarters in Xiamen, marking the first office campus for China's largest sanitaryware company. Situated at the edge of the city's central business district, the building reflects JOMOO's ongoing transformation into a global brand. The project was led by OMA Partner Chris van Duijn, alongside project architects Lingxiao Zhang and Chen Lu. According to Chris van Duijn, the headquarters is part of a broader trajectory in OMA's work across rapidly developing Chinesecities such as Hangzhou, Xiamen, and Shenzhen, where the office continues to explore new relationships between tower architecture and its urban context.
Studio Gang is an architecture and urban design practice founded in 1997 by Jeanne Gang and based in Chicago, with additional offices in New York, San Francisco, and Paris. Comprised of over 100 professionals, including architects, designers, and planners, the studio is known for its research-driven approach to design. On Friday, July 11, the Aedes Architecture Forum in Berlin will inaugurate an exhibition on Studio Gang's work, organized in collaboration with AW Architektur & Wohnen magazine. Titled Studio Gang: The Art of Architectural Grafting, the exhibition explores the studio's design methodology through six recent projects.
Henning Larsen, in collaboration with Kampala-based Siimi Design Studio, has revealed the design for a new modular campus for El Cambio Academy, a youth football and education institution located in Masaka, Uganda. The project is being developed using rammed earth construction, with bricks produced on site from locally excavated soil. Currently under construction, the first phase includes a boys' dormitory and is expected to be completed by summer 2025. The 1,280-square-meter campus is designed to accommodate 60 children between the ages of 9 and 16, providing facilities for both academic education and athletic training.
The Polish Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale presents Lares and Penates: On Building a Sense of Security in Architecture, an exhibition that explores how architecture continues to function as a form of protection in an age marked by uncertainty. Framed as an anthropological investigation, the project examines the emotional and rational dimensions of building practices. The exhibition is developed by a multidisciplinary team including curator and art historian Aleksandra Kędziorek, architect Maciej Siuda, and artists Krzysztof Maniak and Katarzyna Przezwańska. Rather than focusing on architecture from the designer's perspective, the team investigates how individuals inhabit space and construct a sense of safety, responding to deep-seated fears, desires, and needs.
The World Architecture Festival (WAF) has announced the shortlist for its 2025 edition, highlighting notable examples of completed buildings, future projects, interiors, and urban landscaping from around the world. The announcement comes ahead of WAF's first event in the United States, which will take place at the Miami Beach Convention Center from November 12 to 14, 2025. Finalists will present their projects within their categories during the first two days of the festival. Selected from more than 780 entries, this year's shortlist features over 460 projects that span a broad range of categories, including Creative Re-Use, Housing, Education, Hotel, Sports, and Culture.
CHYBIK + KRISTOF (CH+K) has unveiled new images of its multi-purpose arena in Jihlava, a progressive city in the heart of the Czech Republic. Designed as part of a winning competition proposal in 2019, the project is being developed for the local ice hockey team, HC Dukla, and is scheduled for completion in late 2025. The arena has recently reached a key milestone with the installation of its characteristic facade. Unlike many similar developments that relocate to the outskirts, the venue retains its central position, an intentional decision by the municipality to activate the city core, support local businesses, and ensure accessibility by public transport and on foot. The project aims to enhance public life while contributing to the city's long-term sustainable growth.
The European AHI Award recognizes architectural heritage interventions across Europe, highlighting their role as a forward-looking model for 21st-century architecture with tangible social, environmental, and economic benefits. In its seventh edition, the award honored six projects, four first prizes and two special mentions, during a ceremony held in early June at the Paranimf Ceremonial Hall of the Escola Industrial in Barcelona. A total of 238 projects from architecture studios in 24 European countries were submitted. The selected winners are located in Antwerp, Kortrijk, Olot, Ancient Corinth, and Milan.
The summer of 2025 has brought extreme heat across Europe and beyond, with record-breaking temperatures and widespread climate-related impacts. Red alert warnings have been issued in France, Italy, and Spain as temperatures exceeded 46°C in parts of the Iberian Peninsula. These conditions have led to school closures, restrictions on outdoor work, and pressure on urban infrastructure, including power grids and public transport systems. The heatwave has simultaneously intensified wildfire risk across the Mediterranean. In western Turkey, ferocious wildfires near Izmir forced the evacuation of over 50,000 people as high winds and low humidity fueled rapidly spreading flames. In Spain's Catalonia region, two people died in a wildfire that raced across farmland and old structures in Torrefeta on July 1. Similar disasters have occurred in Greece, France, and Italy, with evacuations throughout southern Europe as widespread heat‑induced drought exacerbates fire season intensity.
BIG, artist Doug Aitken Workshop, NIRAS, Volcano, and RWDI have won a competition to redesign three public spaces surrounding major music venues in Ørestad, Copenhagen. The initiative, titled Byens Scene ("The City's Stage"), aims to revitalize the areas around DR Koncerthuset, Bella Arena, and Royal Arena, transforming them into an interconnected landscape for everyday use and public performances.
The first photographs of the long-anticipated David Geffen Galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) have been unveiled, captured by architectural photographerIwan Baan. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor, in collaboration with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the building marks the culmination of a process spanning more than two decades. The museum recently offered an exclusive preview of the building in its raw architectural state, ahead of the installation of artworks. Major construction was completed at the end of 2024, and portions of the lower levels are already accessible to visitors. The galleries are scheduled to officially open in April 2026, when they will house LACMA's permanent collection.
Studio Libeskind has released new images of the design for the transformation of the Boerentoren tower, one of Europe's earliest skyscrapers, located in the heart of Antwerp, Belgium. Developed in collaboration with Belgian architecture firm ELD, the project reimagines the 1932 Art Deco landmark as a new public cultural hub that will house The Phoebus Foundation's art collection. The design includes the addition of exhibition spaces, a panoramic viewing platform, a rooftop sculpture garden, and new restaurants and bars. According to the architects, the original architectural features will be preserved while introducing a new architectural feature, which they are calling the "Reimagined Crown." Initially announced in 2022, the project has now received preliminary approval from the Flemish Heritage Agency and the City of Antwerp.
The NSW Independent Planning Commission has approved the public domain works for Sydney's Harbourside redevelopment, marking a significant milestone for the project designed by Snøhetta in collaboration with Hassell and Mirvac. First unveiled in December 2021 as the winning entry in an international design excellence competition, the scheme aims to transform Harbourside at Darling Harbour into a new, iconic destination at the heart of the city. The proposal reimagines the waterfront at Tumbalong / Darling Harbour with more than 11,200 square meters of renewed public space, featuring significant trees, planted areas, sculptural sandstone pathways, and integrated public artworks.
The Sharjah Architecture Triennial has announced the theme for its upcoming edition: Architecture Otherwise: Building Civic Infrastructure for Collective Futures. Scheduled for November 2026, the event will unfold across the city and the Emirate of Sharjah, UAE, through site-specific installations, exhibitions, performances, workshops, and public programs. Positioned as a platform for architectural and urban exploration across West Asia, South Asia, and the African continent, the Triennial will combine practical and theoretical approaches to contemporary urban life. Conceived by its curators, Vyjayanthi Rao and Tau Tavengwa, SAT03 aims to explore how architecture can shape collective life in regions undergoing rapid urban transformation. Consequently, selected participants will take part in month-long residencies, embedding their work within the social and cultural fabric of Sharjah.
Bijoy Jain Designs the Louis Vuitton Set Inspired by Snakes and Ladders. Image Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
Paris Fashion Week Men's Spring/Summer 2026 has just concluded, featuring a series of shows that highlight the relationship between architecture and fashion as creative disciplines. Through carefully curated architectural environments, these shows engage viewers on multiple sensory levels, weaving together visual impact with spatial and material stories that echo the themes and philosophies behind each collection. This intersection between fashion and architecture opens up new possibilities for storytelling, inviting audiences to explore how fashion design and spaces can resonate together to create immersive experiences.
Saint Laurent presented its menswear collection at Tadao Ando's Bourse de Commerce, where the building's cylindrical concrete form and filtered natural light provided a minimal and contemplative backdrop. Louis Vuitton, by contrast, staged its show in the plaza of the Centre Pompidou, where Studio Mumbai's intervention introduced a large-scale, hand-painted installation inspired by Snakes and Ladders. These site-specific choices reflected distinct approaches to engage with architectural context, illustrating how contemporary fashion presentations can extend beyond the runway to enter into dialogue with their surroundings.
Miguel Ramón López y Ander Bados Sesma, comisarios de la XVII Bienal Española de Arquitectura y Urbanismo. Image Courtesy of XVII Bienal Española de Arquitectura y Urbanismo
The seventeenth edition of the Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism (BEAU) will take place in December 2025. The event consists of an exhibition hosted in a former thermal power station repurposed as a cultural center in Ponferrada, in northeastern Spain. This edition will be curated by architects Ander Bados Sesma, from Atelier Ander Bados, and Miguel Ramón López, a Ponferrada native and architect at Estudio Lamela, under the curatorial proposal titled flujos comun.es ("common flows"). Their curatorial proposal responds to the theme of the open call: Architecture as a Policy for Change, an invitation to reflect on the role of the discipline in processes of social, economic, and environmental transformation. Within this framework, flujos comun.es presents a critical perspective on the challenges associated with hyperconnectivity. The call for proposals and project submissions is currently open, and will be until the end of July, depending on the category.
Lithuanian Airports has announced Zaha Hadid Architects as the winner of the international competition to design the new arrivals terminal at Vilnius Airport. Conceived as an integral part of the airport's evolving infrastructure, the new terminal will complement the recently completed departure terminal, enabling Vilnius Airport to accommodate up to 10.6 million passengers annually. The project marks a significant step in the airport's long-term development strategy, addressing future growth in passenger demand while enhancing Lithuania's role as a key gateway in the Baltic region.
