French architect Anne Lacaton, recipient of the 2021 Pritzker Architecture Prize,has been awarded the 2025 Jane Drew Prize for Architecture, an annual accolade recognizing an architect whose work and commitment to design excellence have contributed to raising the profile of women in architecture. Part of the W Awards, the prize honors figures who have advanced architectural practice through innovation, advocacy, and impact. Lacaton, co-founder of the Paris-based practice Lacaton & Vassal, was selected for her pioneering approach to sustainable and socially responsible architecture.

Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW), in collaboration with Holger Meyer Architekten, has won the competition for the new Midstad project in Frankfurt. Led by Joost Moolhuijzen and Erik Volz, the design reimagines the future of European city centers as resourceful and multifunctional. The project involves a 35,000 m² rehabilitation of an existing department store on the Zeil in Frankfurt's city center, integrating a six-story mass timber extension and a mixed-use, community-driven program. The project involves reconstruction during ongoing operation, partial demolition, and the expansion of the existing department store.

A new site-specific pavilion has been unveiled in Bradford city centre as part of the 2025 UK City of Culture celebrations. Designed by artist Zarah Hussain and architectural designer Fatima Mejbil, Infinite Light marks the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan and the launch of Ramadan Festival 2025. The project has been commissioned by the Ramadan Tent Project in collaboration with Bradford 2025 and follows the inaugural Ramadan Pavilion designed by Shahed Saleem in 2023.

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The New Museum is the only museum in New York City dedicated exclusively to contemporary art. From its beginnings as a one-room office on Hudson Street to the inauguration of its first freestanding building on the Bowery, designed by SANAA in 2007, it has evolved into a center for exhibitions, research, and documentation on international living artists. In 2017, Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas of OMA were selected to design the New Museum's expansion. The first design images were released in 2019. This year, the Museum announced that its 60,000-square-foot expansion, designed in collaboration with Cooper Robertson, will open in fall 2025 with an exhibition exploring the very definition of humanity.

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Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has been announced as the winner of the international design competition for the Napoli Porta Est masterplan, a large-scale urban regeneration project in Naples, Italy. The project, which includes the new Campania Region headquarters, aims to reconnect fragmented urban areas and revitalize a district that has long been considered isolated and unsafe due to inadequate public spaces and physical barriers.

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Zaha Hadid Architects have announced the breaking ground for the Centre of Mediterranean Culture in Reggio Calabria, Italy. The 24,000 square-meter structure houses diverse spaces, including a network of exhibition galleries, both permanent and temporary, capable of showcasing a wide range of displays. An integrated aquarium is a key feature, offering visitors a glimpse into the marine life of the Strait. The building also provides conference facilities, including a large auditorium suitable for performances, presentations, and industry events. Dedicated educational spaces are incorporated to support the region's schools, and visitor amenities include a bookshop and a restaurant and bar overlooking the port.

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The United Kingdom Government has announced the shortlisted design teams for the national memorial dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II, following the first stage of a two-stage open competition that attracted creative talent from the UK and beyond. The five teams moving forward in the competition are Foster + Partners with Yinka Shonibare and Michel Desvigne Paysagiste; Heatherwick Studio with Halima Cassell, MRG Studio, Webb Yates, and Arup; J&L Gibbons with Michael Levine RDI, William Matthews Associates, Structure Workshop, and Arup; Tom Stuart-Smith with Jamie Fobert Architects, Adam Lowe (Factum Arte), and Structure Workshop; and WilkinsonEyre with Lisa Vandy, Fiona Clark, Andy Sturgeon Design, Atelier One, and Hilson Moran.

Nieuwe Instituut, the national museum and institute for architecture, design, and digital culture in the Netherlands, has opened the Dutch Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale. This year, the Giardini pavilion, designed by Gerrit Rietveld in 1953, is transformed into a sports bar. Titled "SIDELINED: A Space to Rethink Togetherness", the exhibition is curated by Amanda Pinatih, Design & Contemporary Art Curator at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, in collaboration with social designer Gabriel Fontana. Through a queer lens, the project examines sport as an architectural system that regulates spaces, bodies, and behavior, offering an alternative perspective on societal norms related to gender, identity, and group dynamics.

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Gensler, in collaboration with El Qalaa El Hamraa and Buro Happold, has revealed plans for a new stadium dedicated to Al-Ahly Football Club, a team widely recognized for its prominence in African and Middle Eastern football. The project, more than three decades in the making, envisions a state-of-the-art venue designed not only for football matches but also as a national landmark capable of hosting large-scale events, setting a new standard for sports architecture in the region.

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A year after the Viña del Mar mega-fire in Chile and with reconstruction efforts progressing at just 26%, the architecture firm ELEMENTAL and local authorities have begun construction on a prefabricated housing project in one of the residential neighborhoods most affected by the disaster. The project consists of a mid-density residential building with a modular steel structure, intended as a starting point for similar initiatives in response to what is now considered one of the most catastrophic events in Chile's recent history. As stated by Alejandro Aravena and the city's mayor, Macarena Ripamonti, the goal is for the technology and management model behind this project to set a precedent for delivering rapid and permanent housing solutions in emergency situations.

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The British Museum has announced that Paris-based Lina Ghotmeh Architecture (LGA) has been selected to lead the redesign of its Western Range galleries. This decision follows a rigorous international competition, marking a significant milestone in the Museum's Masterplan, a long-term initiative to modernize its Bloomsbury site while maintaining its historic integrity. The project will be one of the most extensive cultural redevelopments globally, covering approximately 15,650 square meters, including a third of the museum's gallery space.

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Architecture has been at the center of a transformation process in Albania, particularly significant in Tirana, its capital city. In 2017, the winning project for the Tirana 2030 Masterplan was unveiled, designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti, UNLAB, and IND [Inter.National.Design] as part of a competition organized by the Ministry of Urban Development. Aiming to give Tirana a new metropolitan dimension while promoting and preserving green spaces, the strategy integrates a system of open spaces, natural elements, and strategic projects at key points in the city. The multidisciplinary Catalan firm Bofill Taller de Arquitectura has contributed to this transformation with two mixed-use towers in Tirana and a resort project in the coastal town of Dhërmi, reflecting the distinctive aesthetic of Ricardo Bofill's work.

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Uzbekistan's National Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition- La Biennale di Venezia in 2025 presents "A Matter of Radiance." Curated by the architecture studio GRACE, led by Ekaterina Golovatyuk and Giacomo Cantoni, the exhibition explores Uzbekistan's modernist architectural legacy in response to the Biennale's overarching theme, "Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective."

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Foster + Partners has developed a masterplan for a 38-hectare former industrial site in the heart of Constanța, a port city in Romania's Dobrogea region. The design transforms the site into a "city within a city," incorporating cultural and educational buildings, retail, entertainment, sports and leisure facilities, public parks, and botanical gardens. The project aims to reconnect the urban landscape and enhance the city's experience. The proposal is rooted in Constanța's history, from its Greek and Roman origins to its more recent industrial heritage.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA), a professional organization dedicated to supporting architects and advancing the field of architecture, has announced the elevation of 93 architects to its College of Fellows. This recognition is awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to the profession and society. This year's class includes 83 AIA member-architects and 10 international architects granted Honorary Fellowship. The newly elevated Fellows will be recognized at the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design 2025 (AIA25) in Boston.

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Among the Honorary Fellows are Tatiana Bilbao (Mexico), Alison Brooks (United Kingdom), Jun'ya Ishigami (Japan), Kain Bon Albert Chan (China), Hu Li (China), Lyndon Uykim Neri (China), Michel Rojkind (Mexico), Masaharu Rokushika (Japan), Brinda Somaya (India), and Kerstin Thompson (Australia), recognized for their contributions to the global architectural landscape.

MVRDV has recently completed Mega Mat, a temporary installation for public gatherings and performances made from recycled plastic mats. Created for Bangkok Design Week, the joint goal of the architects and the Thai Creative Economic Agency was to design a space that also raises awareness about plastic waste and recycling in Thailand. The result is an infographic public space that, in addition to featuring bright, eye-catching colors, follows a color-coded system to organize information about the country's plastic waste processing. Mega Mat takes recycled plastic to reinterpret an everyday household item: the Sua, or mat, on which Thai families have been sitting for generations. This fresh take on a familiar object showcases the potential of using recycled plastic in daily life, embodied in a versatile public space now installed in the heart of Bangkok.

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The DAM Preis 2025, presented by the Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM), has been awarded to AFF Architekten for their project, Spore Haus, in Berlin. As one of Germany's most recognized architecture awards, the DAM Preis highlights significant contributions to contemporary architectural practice. This year's winner, Spore Haus, was selected for its "thoughtful design and careful integration" into the urban context, as well as its contribution to public life.

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"Franco Raggi. Unstable Thoughts" (Franco Raggi. Pensieri Instabili) offers an in-depth exploration of the work of Italian architect, designer, and intellectual Franco Raggi. Curated by Marco Sammicheli and Francesca Pellicciari, the exhibition provides visitors with an experimental and immersive experience that traces Raggi's creative journey. Designed by the architecture studio Piovenefabi, the installation is hosted in the Design Platform space at the Museo del Design Italiano in Milan, a museum dedicated to key themes and figures in contemporary design. Held from February to April, the event is part of the prelude to the 24th edition of the Milan Triennale International Exhibition, titled Inequalities, which will run from May to November 2025.

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The change of the calendar year marked the culmination of several processes in the world of renowned architecture firms. Between December 2024 and February 2025, Gensler unveiled a rendering of a Manhattan redevelopment project, Foster + Partners released renderings of a new hotel and luxury residences in Brazil, and Herzog & de Meuron announced the completion date for the new Memphis Art Museum. International competitions revealed their results, highlighting the winning project of the young firm Unformed Design, as well as the collaboration between the Portuguese Fala Atelier and the Swiss Continentale on an educational architecture project. These projects showcase the broad scope of architectural design, from the detailing of a high-end project's relationship with nature to the urban renewal potential of a programmatic conversion project.

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International architectural firm Populous has announced the initial phase of the redevelopment of Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, in collaboration with Como 1907 and the Municipality of Como in Italy. The project aims to modernize the historic stadium while maintaining its role as a central hub for the community. The process begins with the submission of the Document of Feasibility of Project Alternatives (DOCFAP), a key step in evaluating potential design approaches. The approval process is expected to conclude by May 2026, marking the completion of the project's first stage.

"Soane and Modernism: Make it New" brings together architectural drawings from Sir John Soane's extensive collection in dialogue with works by renowned modernist figures, including Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, Adolf Loos, and Ernő Goldfinger. Curated by Dr. Erin McKellar, Assistant Curator of Exhibitions at Sir John Soane's Museum, the exhibition highlights the presence of 20th-century modern architectural design ideals in the work of 19th-century architect Sir John Soane. The selection of works is based on the idea that Soane's designs can be considered a precursor to many architectural principles adopted in the twentieth century.

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Diller Scofidio + Renfro has unveiled the design for Therme Dubai – Islands in the Sky, a new urban wellbeing destination set to be developed in Zabeel Park, United Arab Emirates. The project, created in collaboration with Therme Group and Dubai Municipality, has been approved as part of Dubai's Quality of Life Strategy 2033, which aims to enhance the city's landscape through innovative and sustainable infrastructure.