With over 300 architectural designs to his name, Tadao Ando is treated as a national treasure in his home country of Japan. Renowned for his work with concrete and light, his œuvre has received international recognition, including the UIA Gold Medal in 2005 and the Pritzker Prize in 1995. In an interview with the UIA / International Union of Architects, Ando explores design philosophy and creative process.
One of the most highly regarded architects of the 20th century, Walter Gropius (18 May 1883 – 5 July 1969) was one of the founding fathers of Modernism, and the founder of the Bauhaus, the German "School of Building" that embraced elements of art, architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design, and typography in its design, development and production.
On April 16, a ground-breaking ceremony was held in the city of Guangzhou, China, for what is to be the world’s largest soccer stadium. The most controversial aspect of the project was not its $1.7 billion price tag, but its bold lotus shape causing a backlash from the local architectural community but praise from the general public.
For more than a century, architects have been addressing the world as a project through speculative designs in an attempt to imagine the future and reframe global issues. Globalisation, the ever-increasing interconnectedness demands action on a worldwide scale and invites a reflection on the profession's responsibilities. The latter is precisely what the book The World as an Architectural Project achieves, through a compilation of world-scale speculative projects of the past century, making a compelling case for the agency of architecture.
On the UNESCO International Day of Light, The Daylight Award announces its 2020 Laureates: Juhai Leiviskä for his architecture, Russell Foster for his research, and this year, exceptionally, The Daylight Award is also given to Henry Plummer for his lifetime achievement.
'While laureate Russell Foster studies the science behind the effect of light on human behaviour and physical and mental wellbeing, laureates Juha Leiviskä and Henry Plummer approach the effects and implications of daylight intuitively through architectural design, photographic expression and verbal mediation of these human responses. Whether elucidating the neural effects of light or invoking the poetic essence of light, the laureates of the 2020 Daylight Award demonstrate to us the power of natural light,' states the jury.
The Young Talent Architecture Award (YTAA) has unveiled the list of nominees for its 2020 award. Available on their website, the graduation projects nominated will also be exhibited amongst the Collateral Events at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition by La Biennale di Venezia.
10 DESIGN has created a new mixed-use development, the Sungang MixC Market Hall, in China. Currently under construction and scheduled for completion by 2022, the project, a retail, gastronomy and offices destination is located on a former industrial zone.
Mecanoo has designed a new masterplan for the Marktkwartier neighborhood in Amsterdam. The plan aims to rethink the city's Food Center as the project makes room for the new residential neighborhood. The Marktkwartier is designed to be "a neighborhood for all Amsterdammers; families, singles, students and seniors will be accommodated in a varied residential program of around 1700 units."
The Construction Industry Coronavirus Forum (CICV) has launched posters to urge people to stop their abuse against key workers carrying out essential construction tasks, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The protective signage reading “Key Worker: Carrying out Essential Work”, has been distributed to be posted on construction sites and vans.
The MARABAR stone project by American sculptor Elyn Zimmerman is slated to be demolished at the National Geographic headquarters. Located in Washington D.C., it includes more than a million pounds of placed granite. Sited within buildings by Edward Durell Stone and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the publicly accessible plaza would be demolished to accommodate a new pavilion.
MASS Design Group has released a guideline for restaurants in response to the coronavirus pandemic, to help these business reopen safely, viably, and vibrantly. Based on world health recommendations, the drafted protocols aim to keep both staff and customers safe, as well as facilitate operations.
As architects around the world reimagine public spaces in the midst of the coronavirus, Italian architecture firm Caret Studio has envisioned the “StoDistante” installation. Searching to reconcile people with the outdoors, and allowing theses spaces to reopen safely while respecting the social distancing measures, Caret Studio created a temporary installation that reflects our current situation.
The Hungarian Government has decided to continue the design process for Diller Scofidio + Renfro's new Museum of Transport in Budapest. During the past few months, the COVID-19 pandemic cast doubt on the continuation of the project, and this latest news is a sign of support for the team's planning, design and preparatory work necessary for starting construction.
Architects, not Architecture decided to open their archive to help us cope with the current situation of not being able to go out as usual and create a source of inspiration and entertainment through sharing one of the unique talks from their previous 35 events, which have never been published before – including those of architects like Daniel Libeskind, Peter Cook, Richard Rogers, Massimiliano Fuksas, Kim Herforth Nielsen, Ben van Berkel, Benedetta Tagliabue, Mario Botta, Anupama Kundoo, and Sadie Morgan.
Every week, Archdaily will be sharing one of the Architects, not Architecture. talks which they are currently publishing online in the form of daily full-length video uploads as part of their “new event”: Home Edition 2020
Aedas has released images of the new Xiangyang Overseas Chinese Town Cultural & Tourism Development Area Joy Town. Expected to be completed in 2022, the project, located in the Ecological and Cultural Tourism Department in western Hubei, “will provide citizens and visitors with a unique and culturally immersive Xiangyang experience”.
Originally, set to be completed by 2020, the Herzog & de Meuron £500million stadium for Chelsea Football Club, will not move forward as planning permissions expired. The redevelopment plans, subject to numerous legal challenges throughout the years, are interrupted for now.
Architect and urban designer Jaquelin “Jaque" Taylor Robertson, FAIA, has passed away at the age of 87. Known for his large-scale planning projects and private residences, his projects included the iconic town of Celebration, Florida. Often linked to New Urbanism and New Classical Architecture, Jaque also designed many award-winning houses in the Hamptons on the East End of Long Island.
The Architectural League of New York has announced the winners of the 2020 Architectural League Prize for Young Architects + Designers. Focusing on fresh talent, North America’s most prestigious award encourages the development of distinctive individuals and underlines their work.
The OMA-Designed CMG Qianhai Global Trade Center has broken ground in Shenzhen. Unveiled during the inauguration ceremony for Qianhai Significant Projects in China, the mixed-used 360,000 square-meter development will create a Micro-City environment, blurring traditional boundaries between building and city.
Vitra Design Museum has debuted Chair Times, a 90-minute film that describes the history of seating furniture. Focusing on 125 objects from the collection of the Museum, the film explores the development of chairs over centuries, examining them as “portraits of their users.” Arranged according to their year of production, they are organized to form a timeline of modern seating design.
The recently opened Opus building by Zaha Hadid Architects brings an interplay of solid and void, fluidity and orthogonality to the Dubai cityscape. New images by award-winning photographer Laurian Ghinitoiu capture the project’s sculptural silhouette, the studio’s distinct architectural signature.
Archstorming, the platform dedicated to humanitarian architecture competitions, has announced the winners of HOPE Dental Center contest. The brief called for the design of a dental clinic and training institute for the NGO His Hands On Africa, a non-profit organization that wants to address the lack of dental services in countries such as Rwanda, the chosen location for this competition.
As cultural venues and museums remain closed, one initiative launched in early April brings Frank Lloyd Wright’s most prominent projects to the public via virtual tours. Shared under the hashtag #WrightVirtualVisits, the series now features twenty-four sites, and more are expected to join as the project unfolds. With new videos published every Thursday until July 15, the project compiles an insightful glimpse into Wright’s extensive body of work.
The Fundació Mies van der Rohe is proposing more than a hundred activities to enjoy at home part of this year’s Barcelona Architecture Week 2020. Designed with and for everyone, the fourth edition of this event starts on Thursday 7 May and offers over a hundred activities adapted into a virtual format. Events include including streamed talks and meetings, debates, and virtual tours of various spaces in the city, to name a few.
