Architecture News

Brazil's recent political and social crisis—exemplified by the results of the latest election—is concerning and has been undermining citizens' trust in the decision-making processes that affect our lives and cities. One of the reasons for this is the absence of public spaces where people of different social classes, races, ethnicities, perspectives, and worldviews can meet, exchange, and represent who they are.

Public spaces are fundamental to democracy and citizenship. Modern planning and unequal urban development have led Brasília to become a segregated, fragmented, and deeply unequal city. The deteriorated public sphere and the resulting individualization of lifestyles worsen the situation, leaving us increasingly disconnected, intolerant, and civically disengaged.

The School of Architecture and Urbanism of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF) has announced the results of the national competition for its new headquarters building. The winning team consists of architects Bruno Eduardo Nakaguma Gondo, Carlos Eduardo Murgel Miller, Eduardo Saguas Miller, and Felipe Fuchs, from São Paulo.

Brazil's most famous architect, Oscar Niemeyer, kept his office active until his death in 2012 at the age of 104. One of the last projects he designed is nearing completion in Leipzig, Germany. The project is a 12-meter-diameter sphere embedded in the corner of a 19th-century brick building, which will house a cafe and bar for employees of the HeiterBlick and Kirow Ardelt AG railway companies.

In October, the Casa da Arquitectura – Portuguese Centre for Architecture will open the exhibition “Souto de Moura – Memory, Projects, Works,” which will remain on display until September 2020. Curated by Francesco Dal Co and Nuno Graça Moura, the exhibition offers a unique and rare monographic reading of the work of one of Portugal's most prestigious architects.

The proposal to build South America's largest Ferris wheel in Balneário Camboriú (SC) underwent another public hearing this Monday (11)—this time to present the project's Neighborhood Impact Assessment (EIV), which plans for a 57,200-square-meter complex in the Praia do Coco area.

The XI Ibero-American Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism, which will take place in Paraguay, has just released the list of projects selected to participate in the exhibition. The selection was made by committees appointed by each country. In Brazil, those responsible are: UNA Arquitetos (curators), Carlos Eduardo Comas, Fernando Luiz Lara, Guilah Naslavsky, Guilherme Wisnik, Luciano Margotto, Naia Alban, Otávio Leonídio, and Paulo Henrique Paranhos. In Portugal, the selection was overseen by: Paulo David (curator), Ana Pedro Ferreira, and Pedro Maria Ribeiro. See the complete list of selected projects below.

We are pleased to present today the finalist projects for the 2019 Building of the Year Award (ODA19). After two weeks of nominations and more than 10,000 votes, the favorite projects have been selected from hundreds of works built in Portuguese-speaking countries. Our jury of experts—our own readers—has once again done an outstanding job selecting the 15 finalists. The projects span a remarkable diversity of programs, including cultural, commercial, and educational facilities, public squares, high-end residences, and renovations. This selection offers an engaging overview of contemporary architectural production in Brazil and Portugal, deeply shaped by material exploration, the richness of our geographic contexts, and the diverse challenges faced by our societies.

Margarida Quintã and Luís Ribeiro da Silva are the winners of the 15th edition of the Fernando Távora Award, the Northern Regional Section of the Order of Architects (OA) announced this week. With the proposal As Fronteiras do México [The Borders of Mexico], the duo explores "the impact of architecture and urbanism on mediating issues related to territorial borders, migration, and the cross-border dimension of human well-being."

The Urban and Environmental Policy Commission (CPUA) of CAU/BR will produce supplemental educational materials on architecture and urbanism for elementary and middle school classrooms. Developed in partnership with Pistache Editorial, the project aims to bring urban planning discussions into schools to help build better cities in the future. The goal is to foster students' critical perspective on the urban environment, helping them understand the city as a space with multiple historical layers. 

Partially destroyed by a fire in 2015, the Museum of the Portuguese Language has undergone a lengthy restoration process and now has a date to reopen its doors: June 27, 2020. The announcement was made by state and municipal officials this Monday, December 16, during a visit to the site.

At the end of each year, we launch a call for submissions for graduation thesis projects from our readers in Portuguese-speaking countries. Through this, we aim to select the projects we find most interesting in order to share inspiring perspectives and discussions with our entire audience.

In this edition, we received 333 proposals from all over Brazil and several Portuguese cities. The selection of these projects is based on those we consider best presented, visually compelling, and whose theme we find thought-provoking and timely for a graduation thesis. More than simply delivering a satisfactory design, we believe that a final graduation project—by condensing the student's efforts during a transition period from academia to professional life (while, it is important to note, still being part of the academic journey)—must raise questions and spark discussion about the proposed theme.

It is worth noting that several submissions did not follow the guidelines and were either disqualified or provided insufficient material for evaluation.

Below is our selection* of the 32 best final graduation projects from Portuguese-speaking countries, accompanied by descriptions provided by their authors.

The benefits of urban vegetation are numerous and well known. In addition to shading public spaces and producing oxygen, trees and shrubs contribute to thermal comfort, by humidifying the air, and acoustic comfort, as they can be used as barriers to minimize noise. 

On one side, an underground market; on the other, a restaurant and a cocktail bar. Terminus, as Paris's newest gastronomic center will be named, will repurpose a decommissioned subway station in the French capital's 6th arrondissement, with operations spanning both sides of the tracks.

On Wednesday evening, October 9, the late Briane Panitz Bicca—an architect and urban planner from Rio Grande do Sul widely recognized as a leading figure in the preservation of Brazilian historical and cultural heritage—was honored during the opening ceremony of the 21st Brazilian Congress of Architects (CBA).

The author of more than 30 books and a champion of cities for people, Danish architect Jan Gehl and his team of around 50 professionals have worked to free the centers of cities as diverse as Moscow, Melbourne, Shanghai, and New York from cars.

Romano Guerra Editora has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Catarse to reissue the celebrated book RINO LEVI – arquitetura e cidade. Based on Renato Anelli's doctoral dissertation, the book features iconographic research by a team led by Abilio Guerra and is filled with photography by Nelson Kon.

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Energy-efficient projects are becoming increasingly relevant in the fight against climate change, especially considering that the building sector accounts for more than 40% of all electricity consumed in Brazil. While designing with bioclimatic strategies can be a challenge, LabEEE/UFSC, in partnership with the federal government, addressed the question of "how to achieve lower energy consumption and greater indoor comfort for users" by creating a free platform that offers various passive strategies tailored to the characteristics of each Brazilian city.

The Academia Paulista de Letras has elected architect Ruy Ohtake as its newest member, who will occupy seat number 39. The seat was previously held by fellow architect Benedito Lima de Toledo, who passed away in July of this year.