Studio Gang is celebrating a significant milestone with the topping out of their twisting high-rise MIRA tower in San Francisco. Construction of the 400-foot-tall tower began in mid-2017, with steady progression leading to projected occupancy in late 2019. The scheme's design is centered on the evolution of the bay window element, a feature common to San Francisco’s early houses. The bay window is reimagined in a high-rise context, twisting across the full height of the tower to offer views across the city.

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Architecture and design firm LPA has designed California's largest ice skating facility in Irvine. Dubbed the Great Park Ice and Five Point Arena, the project combines the largest community ice complex in the region with a training facility for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). The $110 million project was designed around the vision of Ducks owners, Henry and Susan Samueli, to create a public resource that promotes ice sports, health and wellness.

In the aftermath of the blaze that destroyed the roof of Paris’ iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral, Studio NAB has envisioned a replacement “greenhouse roof.” Described as a cathedral “in green for all,” the project would see the creation of rooftop greenhouse that embraces the reintroduction of biodiversity, education, and solidarity.

Gehry Partners has unveiled renderings for a new 800,000-square-foot Warner Bros. Headquarters in Burbank, California. The project will include two new buildings designed to be "like icebergs floating along the freeway." Gehry Partners is working with Worthe Real Estate Group and Stockbridge Real Estate Fund to finish the new office buildings in time for Warner Bros.’ centennial celebrations in 2023.

Foster + Partners has released their design for a library and cultural center alongside The Scroll, a new piece of public art by British sculptor Gerry Judah. Called the House of Wisdom, the project coincides with Sharjah being named this year’s UNESCO World Book Capital. Aiming to be a new cultural quarter in the city, the House of Wisdom was made to establish and retain connections with the outside.

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The SHoP Architects-designed 111 West 57th Street has witnessed a major milestone with the topping out of its reinforced concrete superstructure, as reported by New York YIMBY. The supertall scheme, measuring 1428-feet-tall, will be the second-tallest building in New York City by roof height, and the most slender tall building in the world.

The Design that Educates Awards program has announced the 2019 winners in architecture, universal design and product design. The awards investigate the educational potential of architecture and design. Each year, a panel of judges selects the most outstanding projects that inspire learning. The objective of the awards is to recognize, showcase, and promote globally the best ideas and implementations of architecture and design that educate.

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Foster + Partners have joined a series of design offices that will enter the international competition to design a replacement spire for Notre Dame Cathedral. As reported by The Times, Foster has said that the new addition can be focused around "light" for the cathedral’s ruined roof. After the fire partially destroyed the iconic cathedral, France now aims to move forward with plans to renovate the iconic structure.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced plans to introduce a bill banning the construction of glass skyscrapers, forming part of efforts to reduce citywide greenhouse emissions by 30 percent. Unveiling the plans, he described all-glass façade skyscrapers as “incredibly inefficient” because of heat loss, according to NBC New York.

Steven Holl Architects has won a competition for the design of the headquarters for iCarbonX, a genome machine intelligence company in Shenzhen. The scheme comprises of two towers, with the first tower “Body A” forming a residential component, and the second tower, “Body B” containing offices, labs, and public reception spaces. The form of the towers is inspired by the study of genes and DNA.

Dutch design practice NL Architects and Cologne-based STUDYO have designed a terraced affordable housing complex in Frankfurt. The project is part of the new Hilgenfeld development district in the Nidda valley area of Germany. Called Terrace House, the project was made to encourage shared responsibility while celebrating social gatherings and recreational space. The heart of the project is a communal garden and a terrace of jigsaw balconies.

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Calling all student designers and recent graduates: Vectorworks, Inc. invites you to submit your best work to the 2019 Vectorworks Design Scholarship for a chance to win up to $10,000 USD, gain professional recognition, and propel yourself into a bright design career. Brush off and repurpose those old designs or create something entirely new.

Bjarke Ingels Group.'s vortex-shaped education center has opened in the Faroe Islands. The Glasir Tórshavn College combines three schools under one roof in an area of over 19,000 square meters. Made to celebrates the Faroese landscape, the project includes the Faroe Islands Gymnasium, Tórshavn Technical College and the Business College. The design features glass façades that are mounted in a sawtooth shingle to form the building's circular shape.

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The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has used Earth Day, April 22nd, 2019, to launch a new initiative focused on educating the public about how sustainable practices are used in the conservation of National Historic Landmark sites, including the renowned architect’s Taliesin (Wisconsin) and Taliesin West (Arizona) residences. Taking place throughout the year, the Foundation’s efforts will aim to show how these practices can serve as examples for other facets of society.

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Renzo Piano Building Workshop has designed a series of ‘floating’ seaside residences for a new eco-district in Monaco. Dubbed Portier Cove, the eco-district will be a new extension of the Principality’s existing coastline from the Grimaldi Forum to the Formula One tunnel. RPBW is working on the construction of the Grand Immeuble and the Port d’Animation, which will occupy the west side of the offshore extension of Monaco. The floating residences will rise above a seaside promenade on caissons along the coast.

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Melbourne-based John Wardle Architects has been selected to design Curtin University's new School of Design and the Built Environment in Bentley, Australia. The $110 million building will include five floors of open-plan work spaces for learning and teaching. The new School of Design will be the first piece of Curtain’s Exchange innovation precinct with 2,500 square meters of integrated spaces available for lease by commercial tenants.

French architect Dominique Perrault has shared his thoughts after this week's devastating fire of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Best known for his design of the French National Library, Perrault has had a hand in many projects across France, including work in 2015 studying the means of ensuring the continued urban centrality of the Île de la Cité, in collaboration with Philippe Belaval, President of the Center for National Monuments. ArchDaily has published Perrault's statement in full, outlining the architect's response to the Notre Dame fire.

The Harvard Graduate School of Design has announced that Sarah Whiting, dean of the Rice University School of Architecture since 2010, will serve as the next dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design, beginning on July 1st. Described by the university as “an outstanding scholar, educator, and architect with broad interests that range across the design principles and beyond,” Whiting served on the GSD faculty for six years before moving to Princeton and later becoming the dean at Rice, where she also served as the William Ward Watkin Professor of Architecture.

Liljewall arkitekter has released details of their competition entry for a new hotel and housing complex in Varberg, on the west coast of Sweden. The site, an old industrial harbor area, is currently being transformed into a new district in a city renowned for its Moorish influences, a home of old timber architecture, and a history of shipping, sailing, surfing, and spas.

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Henning Larsen has begun construction of a new multi-purpose auditorium for Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Dubbed the Shaw Auditorium, the project is the newest addition to the Clear Water Bay campus. The auditorium features an elliptical design with a series of concentric white rings that aims to become a dynamic new cultural venue. The building’s rounded form was made to shape campus flows as a gateway to the university and a cultural incubator for student life.

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In Ancient Greece, a Polis referred to both the city and its body of citizens, where one cannot exist without the other. It is in this intersection, where Public Architecture, has the opportunity to construct the ideals of society: a space where individuals gather, relate to one another, and become citizens.

The prime minister of France has announced an international architectural competition to redesign the roofline of Notre Dame Cathedral after this week's devastating fire. Prime minister Édouard Philippe made the announcement following a special Cabinet held by French President Emmanuel Macron on the reconstruction of cathedral. Philippe said the competition would give the cathedral “a spire suited to the techniques and challenges of our time”. So far, close to one billion dollars have been pledged to rebuild Notre Dame.

Brooklyn Point, the tallest building in Brooklyn, has topped out at 720 feet. Designed by KPF, the 68-story scheme will feature a mixed-use program of apartments, food, shopping, and entertainment functions. After undergoing a three-year design process, construction at Brooklyn Point began in the summer of 2017.