Architecture News

If we could travel back in time one hundred years and organize an ideas competition to visualize what Bogota would look like in 2020, the proposals would be far from the reality of the urban landscape experienced today in the Colombian capital. Back then, little was known about the events that would later shape history, such as the Bogotazo, which led to the rebuilding or remodeling of most of the buildings that served as architectural landmarks of previous centuries.

The uncertainty of a distant future is perpetual. Yet, this does not stop the imagination from creating utopian or dystopian scenarios of that urban dimension for 2120. This was the main goal of the rendering competition organized by the Student Collective of the Colombian Society of Architects (CESCA) of the Bogota and Cundinamarca chapter.

For the first time, the Colombian Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism, organized by the Colombian Society of Architects (SCA), will be held virtually. In its 27th edition, over ten days, more than 60 lectures, 9 panels, and 4 forums will be available. Explore the full schedule of the main room below. Meanwhile, the parallel room will showcase the Biennial's finalist projects.

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As part of an event held for the thirteenth consecutive year, a showroom opened in October featuring spaces designed by various architects and designers to showcase the new ColorLife TRENDS 2021 palettes by the Comex brand. Participants included Adrián Marfil, Alexia Ulibarri, Andrés Gutiérrez, Arlette Salas, Cristina Grappin, Jorge Ballina, Luis H. Muñoz, Mauricio De la Garza, Moisés Hernández, Penélope De la Madrid, and Rodrigo Noriega.

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The Abierto Mexicano de Diseño is an international festival that annually gathers and celebrates the design community in Mexico in all its breadth within a single geographic point: the Historic Center of Mexico City. Its programming aims to connect the public with the creative initiatives of established designers, emerging studios, students, universities, cultural institutions, and other stakeholders. This year, the festival features the theme: “Design and Utopia: From Manifesto to Action.”

After receiving 105 proposals from 32 different countries, the Rural Tourism Accommodation (RuTA) international ideas competition in Vietnam, organized by arquideas, has announced its winning projects.

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Brazilian architecture firm Estúdio Leonardo Zanatta has received an honorable mention in the international competition "Cool Abu Dhabi," which challenged participants to design creative solutions to tackle climate change and mitigate the urban heat island effect in Abu Dhabi. Titled Abu Dhabi Skins - (Bio)Reactive Urbanscape, the proposal is the only selection from the Americas.

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The winners of the "Sustainable Urban Housing" National Ideas and Master Plan Competition have been announced. Promoted by the Municipality of Mendoza (Argentina) and organized by the provincial Association of Architects (CAMZA), the call invited professionals from across the country to reflect on **ways of inhabiting the contemporary city** through the development of ideas for a Master Plan and a preliminary architectural design for housing units. The sites considered in the competition—an urban sector of more than 13,000 square meters—are remnants of railroad lands that, over time, have transformed into urban voids, remaining as vacant areas within the consolidated fabric of the city.

In its 6th edition, Open House Porto (OHP) welcomes the city of Maia, which joins Matosinhos, Porto, and Vila Nova de Gaia for the major annual architecture festival organized by Casa da Arquitectura – Portuguese Centre for Architecture. To inform and guide visitors, applications to recruit 400 volunteers are open until April 20.

For nearly two decades, Wienerberger AG has hosted the biennial international Brick Award, providing a stage for outstanding brick architecture and its designers. Architects from around the world showcase their innovative concepts using ceramic materials: 644 projects from 55 countries were submitted for this year's award. The winners of the Brick Award 20 impressed the jury with bold, creative architectural concepts for sustainable, forward-looking spaces.

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The results of the Ideas Competition for the construction of the Museum of Prehistory and Archaeology of Cantabria (MUPAC) have been announced. The open call invited architecture professionals to develop design proposals for the new museum in Santander, Spain. With over 18,000 m2 of space and a complementary administrative building, it will become one of the most representative venues for Spanish archaeological history. Located in the city center alongside other landmark spaces such as the Palacio de Festivales, the Maritime Museum, the Centro Botín, and the Central Library, the building is set to become a signature civic facility and a major visitor attraction.

As part of the annual CEMEX Awards, the recipient of the Arq. Marcelo Zambrano Scholarship has been announced, reaffirming the commitment to the development of architecture in Mexico. CEMEX awards the Arq. Marcelo Zambrano Scholarship in honor of the exemplary professional dedication and leadership of Architect Marcelo Zambrano, aiming to support young Mexicans in pursuing postgraduate studies at prestigious international universities.

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"Traveling Without Leaving Home" is a project by artist and designer Jorge Cejudo, also known as “Cejas.” Over the course of seven months, he shared a pandemic-born series of over 200 drawings on his Instagram account @soyelcejas, reconnecting with his followers after the emergency lockdown by inviting them to join him in imagining journeys through various cities around the world.

The IABsp has made records of the discussions and reflections from all past editions of the São Paulo International Architecture Biennial, held since 1973, available on its website, including posters, catalogs, exhibition layouts, and photographs.

The São Paulo International Architecture Biennial is the most significant project organized by the IABsp. Since its inaugural edition in 1973, the event has sought to review, discuss, explore, and expand access to issues surrounding territorial occupation and society.

In the context of the global health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Chile's Ministry of Cultures, Arts, and Heritage has launched a public survey for freelancers, workers, and representatives of the cultural and artistic sectors to assess the status of their organizations, centers, and agents across the country.

Architect Severiano Mario Porto passed away today, December 10. At 90 years old, the architect died at 11 a.m. this Thursday from coronavirus. The burial will take place tomorrow, December 11, at the Parque da Colina cemetery in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro. In compliance with social distancing guidelines, the wake will be open only to the family.

On July 23, the prequalification meeting for the international tender of the full-process design of the Guiwan Unit 4 Nine-Year Consistent School Project was successfully held. The jury was composed of renowned domestic architects and educational architecture experts. As Qianhai's first nine-year consistent public school, the project is a crucial pillar for establishing Qianhai as an educational hub and an effective practice in exploring full-process design management models. After carefully reviewing the conceptual proposals and commercial bids of the 76 registered applicants, the jury ultimately selected 5 shortlisted firms to proceed to the next stage.

Isaac Michan Daniel of Michan Architecture, as well as Luis Beltrán del Río García and Andrew Sosa Martínez of the Mexican firm VRTICAL, have been recognized with the 2020 Architectural League Prize. Established in 1981 to recognize exemplary and provocative work by young practitioners, the Architectural League Prize is an annual competition organized by The Architectural League and its Young Architects + Designers Committee. This year's jury was comprised of the Young Architects + Designers Committee—Kutan Ayata, Mira Henry, and Kevin Hirth—alongside Lucia Allais, Paul Lewis, Anna Puigjaner, and Nanako Umemoto.

The main source of spread—and likely the origin—of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), first detected in December 2019, is believed to be the Wuhan seafood market in China. From the facility's workers and vendors, the virus began to spread, initially affecting the local population and subsequently reaching more than 200 territories and countries worldwide. Today, three months after the WHO's declaration characterizing the disease as a pandemic, traditional wholesale and retail markets have come under scrutiny as potential contagion hotspots. How can food access be guaranteed for a population without posing a risk to distributors, vendors, and buyers?