Amer Ismail, architect-turned-artist based in London, has developed a spectacular set of intricate “Globe Drawings” of cities around the world. Beginning in 2016, Ismail developed these 5-point-perspective drawings with heavy inspiration from artist Stephen Wiltshire. Having spent many years drawings architecture, including time at Foster+Partners, Ismail tasked himself with developing a series that encompassed his “interest for architecture, city planning, travel, drawings, and Star Wars.”

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It is often claimed that “there is nothing more outdated than science fiction.” Indeed, history is awash with speculation on future ways of living, as futurists imagine how advancements in technology, trends, and social norms could alter how we live, and what we live in. The period between 1958 and 1963 could be described as “The Golden Age of American Futurism” where technological milestones such as the founding of NASA coincided with cultural icons such as The Jetsons. Some of this era’s wildest ideas centered on how the houses of the future would look.

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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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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.

Perkins+Will has released details of their design for the Ransom Everglades School in Miami, Florida. The school’s new STEM building will feature flexible classrooms with mobile walls and furniture, and an emphasis on indoor/outdoor connectivity. The school’s role as a nationally-renowned center for science and technology will also be aided by tech-enabled educational tools, fabrication and maker labs, a rooftop outdoor lab, and an entire roof of solar PVs.

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Jeanne Gang, Founding Principal at Studio Gang, has been listed in TIME Magazine’s 2019 TIME 100. Gang is the only architect be included in this year’s list, which recognizes the activism, innovation, and achievements of the world’s most influential people.

The recognition represents another milestone in what is a historic year for Jeanne Gang and her firm. In January, she announced her first project in France, with the Center for the University of Chicago in Paris, while the firm was also selected last month to lead the Global Terminal and Concourse Expansion at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.

For almost a millennium, Notre-Dame Cathedral has stood proudly on Paris’ central Île de la Cité, a symbol of the city’s history, culture, and romanticism. On Monday, April 15th, 2019, thousands who lined the banks of the Seine and millions more across the world watched on in a mixture of disbelief, heartbreak, and helplessness as the Gothic masterpiece burned before their eyes.

The fire has fortunately not claimed any lives but has robbed the landmark of its 19th-century spire, roof, and potentially priceless stained glass windows and interior ornamentation and artwork. At the time of writing, it appears that the main structure of Notre-Dame Cathedral has been saved and preserved, owed to the efforts of 500 firefighters deployed to the disaster.

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One day after the fire that partially destroyed the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, we are left to look back at the night of unfolding devastation, and forward at plans to renovate and restore the structure back to its former glory. The 856-year-old structure, which has survived riots, wars, and revolutions, sustained major damage as fire destroyed its central spire, 66% of its roof, and parts of its vaulted interior. Despite the alarming images and videos of the Gothic masterpiece ablaze, it appears that the main structure, and much of the interior, has escaped destruction.

While a full investigation into the cause of the fire will likely take some time, new details continue to emerge on the course of the blaze, and initiatives from the public and private sector to fund the cathedral’s restoration. Below, we recap the timeline that unfolded on the evening of April 15th, before detailing the plans to recover a building emblematic of the history of its city and country.

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Adjaye Associates, Buzzo Spinelli Architecture, Hardel le Bihan and Youssef Tohme Architects have collaborated on a winning design for a new urban district along the River Seine in south-east Paris. The soaring scheme, developed by the “Nouvel R” team, features a 100-meter-tall residential block named “Tour Seine” and seven other buildings across a 100,000-square-meter site.

David Chipperfield Architects Milan has won an international competition for the design of a new campus for the University of Padua. Developed in collaboration with engineering company Steam, the competition challenged firms to design a new “PiaveFutura” campus of Social and Economic Sciences. Among the practices selected for the restricted procedure competition were Bak Gordon, Barozzi Veiga, Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos, Foster + Partners, and Sauerbruch Hutton.

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OMA has won a masterplanning competition for the redevelopment of the Scalo Farini and San Cristoforo sites, two disused railway yards north and south of the periphery of Milan. Led by OMA’s Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli and Reinier de Graaf, and co-designed with Laboratorio Permanente, the “Agenti Climatici” scheme revolves around concepts of ecological filters and adaptable development. The OMA scheme triumphed over finalists including Baukuh, Arup, Grimshaw, and Kengo Kuma.

Steven Holl Architects has been commissioned to design a new 26,000-square-meter mixed-use building for CIFI Group in Beijing. The retail/office scheme will be Holl’s second building in Beijing, located in the Fengtai area of the city. The design for the hybrid building is centered on five principles: light, structure, urban porosity, open offices, and ecology.

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LEGO has revealed the newest addition to its Architecture set. The "Trafalgar Square" set will feature London landmarks such as the National Gallery, Nelson’s Column, and accessories such as micro-lion statues, fountains, and the city’s famous red double-decker buses.

The Council on Tall Building and Urban Habitat have announced the winners of the 17th edition of the CTBUH Tall Building Awards. From 65 finalists, winners were chosen from several height ranges including Best Tall Building under 100 meters, Best Tall Building 100-199 meters, Best Tall Building 200-299 meters, and Best Tall Building over 400 meters. From these finalists, the CTBUH has also awarded the Best Tall Building award to Salesforce Tower (San Francisco) by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects.

Skidmore Owings and Merrill have unveiled their vision for the "Moon Village", the first permanent human settlement on the Lunar surface. Developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the multidisciplinary project will be masterplanned, designed, and engineered by SOM.

Transformation of 530 Homes – Grand Parc Bordeaux by Lacaton & Vassal architectes, Frédéric Druot Architecture and Christophe Hutin Architecture has been awarded the 2019 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award. The innovate renovation of three large blocks of social housing in Bordeaux was praised for “radically improving the space and quality of life of its occupants” and for optimizing their economic and environmental cost of living.

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Carlo Ratti Associati, working in collaboration with energy company Eni, has developed an architectural structure made of mushrooms, unveiled at Milan Design Week. “The Circular Garden” was grown from soil made over the past six weeks, and will be returned to the soil at the end of the month. The structure is composed of a series of arches adding up to a 1-kilometer-long mycelium, experimenting with sustainable structures that can grow organically.

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