As part of the 1st Lima International Architecture Biennial (BIALIMA), the intervention on the San Luis Building, named the Zepita Building - Bicentennial Project, received the highest honor at the 2021 Architectural Quality Competition. This competition sought to recognize exemplary cases of excellence and creativity in buildings across the Lima and Callao regions, selecting 13 winning projects across 8 different categories.
On March 8, 2021, various demonstrations were held in Mexico City to mark International Women's Day (#8M), drawing attention to and demanding justice for the rising wave of daily femicides across the country. Over recent years, this crisis has triggered major protests, such as those on August 16, 2019, and March 8, 2020, where thousands of women gathered to protest through both peaceful and disruptive actions. These demonstrations transformed public spaces, resulting in damage to streets, public transit, and—most notably during the August 16, 2019 march—the Angel of Independence monument, which is still undergoing restoration. This damage sparked a massive backlash that discredited the feminist movement, prioritizing property damage over the core demands of the protests.
The Government of the City of Buenos Aires, through the Secretariat of Urban Development and the Secretariat of Innovation and Digital Transformation, has launched a new digital platform that allows users to visualize the city's Urban Code in 3D. The tool translates and clearly displays existing regulations, providing citizens with easy access to information on the layout of each district and approved construction parameters. What can be built in each neighborhood? What are the maximum heights for each plot? What are the permitted land uses? are some of the questions that can be answered using the platform.
With the launch of the 2021 Obra del Año Award, this year we celebrate the thirteenth anniversary of the most important recognition in the Spanish-speaking architectural world, where the winners are chosen by popular vote. Starting today, Tuesday, March 9, and for the next three weeks, our readers will be responsible for determining which projects inspired us during 2020, representing the identity of our local contexts while shaping the practice of architecture worldwide.
Over the next three weeks, the entire ArchDaily en Español network (Plataforma Arquitectura, ArchDaily México, ArchDaily Colombia, and ArchDaily Perú) will serve as the platform to celebrate the best built architecture in Spain and Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America.
Among nearly one thousand projects published in 2020, you can easily find your favorites by browsing through the categories and using the search engine to filter projects by country and architecture firm.
The 2021 Obra del Año award is brought to you by Dornbracht, renowned for its leading architectural designs, which can be found internationally in bathrooms and kitchens.
Smart campuses represent a unique architectural typology of our time. They not only showcase a brand's core technology and identity, but their vast footprint and significant investment also capture public interest, raising expectations for an innovative, interactive destination. In January of this year, construction began on the Midea Shanghai Global Innovation Park. Designed by the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD), the campus spans a gross floor area of nearly 400,000 square meters with a total investment of over 6 billion RMB. It is scheduled for completion in 2024.
Located in the Hongqiao Business District of Shanghai, near the National Exhibition and Convention Center, the campus spans two urban plots. It is bordered by a natural waterway to the east and an urban green belt and the Shenhai Expressway to the west. BIAD conceived a "floating square ring" architectural form that hovers above the site. Both the building's roof and the landscape below are covered in "forests," seamlessly integrating the built volume with the environment. Equipped with Midea Group's proprietary smart building management systems and intelligent products, the campus aims to become a world-class green technology park.
The Colombian plains city of Villavicencio ended the year with promising news. The new metropolitan park planned for its urban landscape is based on a proposal by Estudio Territorios, the winning entry in a competition commissioned by the Mayor's Office of Villavicencio and organized by the Colombian Society of Architects to create a metropolitan-scale green space for the region.
The upcoming edition of Open House Madrid, taking place from September 24 to 26, will pay tribute to Spanish architect Luis Gutiérrez Soto, a key figure and promoter of the Modern Movement in España.
Luis Antonio Moreno Aguayo—architect and co-founder of Taller Matatipac in Tepic, Nayarit—presents his project: the Bípeda chair, which uses experimentation to simplify concepts to their elemental roots, employing critique as a tool to fuel creativity.
Today, the winners of the Regional Undergraduate Research and Thesis Projects Award were announced during the Lima International Architecture Biennial, BIALIMA 2021.
The purpose of this award is to promote, encourage, and highlight the best practices and talent of the more than 17,000 architecture students currently training in over 20 educational institutions across the Lima and Callao regions, who represent the future of architecture in the region.
In 2020, the amount of time we spent inside our own homes increased significantly, and these changes undoubtedly impacted how we experience residential space. Reevaluating the quality of these places became essential, adding an extra layer of complexity to apartment design. Ensuring comfort in every room, expanding the sense of space in small areas, or making the home more versatile are some of the challenges imposed and solved in various ways.
As part of the Manchester International Festival (MIF), Argentine artist Marta Minujín set out to recreate London's iconic clock tower at half its original size. Relocated from London to Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester—the city that drove the Industrial Revolution during the 18th century—the replica is a 42-square-meter structure covered in 20,000 books related to British history. This cultural icon, representing the center of power in the United Kingdom, is symbolically laid on its side as a work of relational art where the public can enter, explore the installation, and, toward the end of the festival, take home the books that comprise it.
Under the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,” Expo Dubai 2020 —held from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022— is the first world expo hosted by an Arab nation and the Middle East region. The Spain Pavilion, under the slogan “Intelligence for Life,” synthesizes the idea of preserving a high quality of life on our planet for ourselves and future generations.
Designed by the firm amann cánovas maruri, the building is located in the expo's Sustainability District and stands out for its series of prominent truncated cones that rise above the landscape, evoking the feel of a traditional public square. Inside, the Pavilion houses two complementary thematic exhibition areas designed by the joint venture between External Reference and Onionlab. Here, the Barcelona-based firms have applied a striking blend of design, art, and technology to create a uniquely immersive experience.
“Moving Masses” is the slogan of this year's World Bicycle Forum, which will take place for the first time in Argentina. This annual international event, held in different cities around the world, is aimed at all citizens with a central objective: to promote sustainable mobility. Through its theme, the proposal aims to represent the movement of masses, people, the river, bicycles, ideas, and energy. But how can we make our cities more inclusive and equitable? What infrastructure can be implemented to foster sustainable mobility?
“Shared Streets” (Calles Compartidas), a project by the Chilean Urban Innovation Lab Ciudad Emergente, was recognized at the Scroll of Honour Awards for the urban impact of transforming certain streets in Santiago, Chile, into gathering spaces capable of significantly reducing the city’s carbon footprint. The UN-Habitat initiative seeks to encourage the work of those dedicated to innovation in sustainable urban development. In this edition, the 80 nominations were evaluated based on their response to the crisis caused by the pandemic and the theme of World Habitat Day 2021, “Accelerating urban action for a carbon-free world,” as well as their potential for replicability in different cities around the world. Below, discover the five winners that stood out for the resilience, sustainability, and inclusivity of their proposals.
The days of gasoline-powered cars are numbered in Japan. Indeed, within 15 years, the country will phase out vehicles that run on gasoline. Announced by the Japanese government in late 2020, the measure is part of its goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The green growth strategy also aims to generate $2 trillion a year through the adoption of new energy sources, such as hydrogen, and the expansion of sustainable industries.
Through IMPSOL (Metropolitan Institute of Land Development and Property Management), the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) has begun construction on a new series of **social housing** units (VPO) on **plot 18J**, located in the Les Bateries sector of **Turó del Sastre in Montgat**, Spain. The design's primary focuses are environmental sustainability, inclusivity, and flexible uses for the various spaces.
On Friday, December 10, it was announced that Carme Pinós has won Spain's highest architectural honor: the National Architecture Prize, awarded by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda.
The Government of São Paulo has announced the start of construction on Pinacoteca Contemporânea, the new building of the Pinacoteca de São Paulo. Combined with the Pinacoteca Luz—a building that earned several awards for Paulo Mendes da Rocha—and Pinacoteca Estação, the Pinacoteca de São Paulo complex will become, in terms of area and visitor capacity, one of the largest art museums in Latin America.
