The National Building Museum announced that Theaster Gates will be the 25th recipient of the Vincent Scully Prize. Initiated in 1999, the award serves as a recognition of excellence in the fields of design, architecture, historic preservation, urban design, encompassing practice, and criticism. Theaster Gates is an artist internationally renowned for his interdisciplinary blend of social performance, urban regeneration, and cultural activations.
In this Louisiana Channel interview with Yasmeen Lari, the renowned Pakistani architect speaks about the role of architects and the needed perspective shifts of the industry in contemporary times. Awarded the RIBA Royal Gold Medal in 2023 for her humanitarian efforts, Lari emphasizes the need to rethink the architecture industry to address social disparities and resource deficiencies. In the interview, the architect and designer reflects on her upbringing, architectural education, and her practice today.
For the ninth time, the MEXTRÓPOLI Architecture and City Festival held the Arquine Competition No. 25 | MEXTRÓPOLI 2023 Pavilion, a platform where architecture, urbanism, and art converge to contemplate and celebrate Mexico City. The event also aims to engage the public by occupying public spaces with architectural pieces that can be activated by visitors. Celebrating public spaces or offering a different perspective on the places routinely traversed is the reason MEXTRÓPOLI showcases these ephemeral architectural pieces.
In 2023, the TAC! Urban Architecture Festival opens its pavilion in Donostia-San Sebastián, drawing attention to the forest fires of recent years. In this edition, the festival aims to investigate the role of architecture in responding to the impacts of the climate crisis in urban environments, offering solutions to help mitigate their consequences.
"Lost Forest," the winning pavilion of the competition for the festival's second edition, designed by architects Julia Ruiz-Cabello Subiela and Santiago del Águila, was presented in Sagüés by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (MITMA) in collaboration with the Arquia Foundation and the Mugak/ Basque Country International Architecture Biennial. The pavilion will remain in place until November 13.
As the world grapples with the effects of climate change, natural disasters like flooding, and the spread of incontrollable wildfires are increasingly threatening cities and inhabitants. While architecture and urban planning cannot prevent these occurrences, they still possess strategies to minimize the damage associated with these events and help protect the citizens. Unfortunate events over the course of last year, like the earthquake that hit central Turkey and north-west Syria this February or the more recent earthquake in western Afghanistan, the flooding and dam failures in Libya, and the wildfires that devastated the city of Lahaina, Hawaii, demonstrate the urgency of implementing preventative and mitigation measures in addition to creating procedures for emergency intervention. This article explores the strategies and resources available to architects and urban planners to address these challenges in three types of natural disasters: flooding, wildfires, and earthquakes.
Architectural studio Parabase has been chosen for the development of several plots of Areal Walkeweg in Basel for the purpose of creating affordable apartments and an integrated migration center. The design solution, titled “Elementa,” reuses components from deconstructed cantonal properties, transforming the former columns and floor plates into walls and façade elements. The project was chosen following an open competition, where the international jury favored Parabase’s solution for its strong aesthetics combined with the creative reuse of prefabricated concrete elements.
Zaha Hadid Architects has been shortlisted for their proposal for the 2nd Sejong Cultural Center. The proposal draws inspiration from the surrounding city’s lengthy history as well as future vision. Connecting Yeouido Park to the Han River, the 2nd Sejong Cultural Center is embedded within the park's natural landscapes, aiming to become an integral part of the public function in the city within a natural setting, seamlessly connecting indoor and outdoor spaces.
Chiloé, in southern Chile, is a place where architecture is a tangible expression of history, culture, and the natural environment in which it sits. Its urban identity is unique, as are its inhabitants, featuring everything from the iconic colorful stilt houses suspended over the water to the wooden churches designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Inspired by this rich architectural heritage, Castro Abierto was created—a festival that brings together architecture, landscape, and local communities to connect and promote the diverse expressions of Chiloé's archipelagic culture.
In terms of activism, disruption is a necessary element of effective protest. When acts of disruption spill into the public domain, they carve out spaces through blockades, defenses, and territorial claims, giving rise to ‘protest architecture.’ This concept is the focus of the exhibition organized by DAM – Deutsches Architekturmuseum and the MAK – Museum für Angewandte Kunst in Vienna. Titled “Protest/Architecture. Barricades, Camps, Superglue,” the event showcases a collection of models, photographs, and films depicting the evolution of protest architecture around the world. The exhibition, curated by Oliver Elser with curatorial assistance and research by Anna-Maria Mayerhofer, is open from September 16, 2023, until January 14, 2024, at the DAM OSTEND in Frankfurt.
For the 18th year, the International Architecture Awards has returned to celebrate outstanding architectural achievements globally. Based in Chicago, these awards feature exceptional new buildings, urban planning projects, and landscape architecture of 2023. Additionally, this month, the Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB 5) is currently taking place in the city. Both the awards and the Biennial attempt to shed light on each country’s architectural, design, cultural, and social trends.
Since the inception of the International Architecture Awards in 2005, this annual program has served as a platform for celebrating contemporary architecture. Moreover, the awards institution believes in architecture’s potential to enhance the quality of life for individuals globally. This year, the selected winners span 48 countries, from Ethiopia to Tokyo and New York to Nova Scotia.
Until October 16, 2023, the second edition of TAC! Urban Architecture Festival will take place in the city of Valencia under the temporary Mediterranean pavilion designed by Manuel Bouzas. Located in the Plaza Músico López Chavarri in the Carmen neighborhood, the pavilion pays homage to vernacular architecture in response to the Mediterranean climate and the role of the Mediterranean shutter, a mechanism that for centuries provided an effective, simple, and lightweight solution for sun protection, allowing habitable spaces to adapt to climatic conditions.
We are excited to introduce a series of upcoming workshops in collaboration with our ArchDaily Supporters partner, Parametric Architecture. These workshops are designed to empower architects, designers, and enthusiasts with the latest insights and skills in the realm of parametric design. Led by industry experts and thought leaders, these immersive sessions will delve into cutting-edge techniques, innovative tools, and real-world applications, fostering a dynamic learning environment where participants can elevate their design capabilities to new heights.
ArchDaily Supporters can enjoy a special discount on any of the workshops offered by Parametric Architecture and one free monthly workshop. Your commitment to advancing architectural innovation aligns perfectly with the enriching experiences these workshops offer. Stay tuned for more details on how you can unlock the full potential of your creative journey.
Italian Designer and architect Andrea Branzi passed away on October 9, 2023. Born in Florence in 1938, Branzi co-founded the world-renowned architecture studio Archizoon Associati. The studio also consisted of Gilberto Corretti, Paolo Deganello, and Massimo Morozzi, and then were joined by Dario and Lucia Bartolini. Andrea Branzi also played a significant role in establishing the iconic Domus Academy and served as a professor and chairman at the Politecnico di Milano’s School of Interior Design.
Architecture Without Borders Quebec (AWBQ) has made public the catalog of practices “Architecture + Homelessness: Inclusive Practices for a Supportive City.” The publication, publicly available in both English and French, is created to encourage architecture and design practices that have the potential to contribute to the well-being of people experiencing homelessness. The catalog is part of an ongoing research project initiated by AWBQ and supported by the Government of Quebec and the City of Montreal.
CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, has started a new initiative known as the Science Gateway. The building was designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, architects in collaboration with Brodbeck Roulet Architectes Associés (Geneva). Reflecting the institution's broader mission, it encompasses the values of sharing knowledge, technology, and scientific inspiration with society. The Science Gateway is envisioned as an innovative facility dedicated to scientific education and outreach, aiming to catalyze curiosity and passion for science among younger generations. In his latest photo series, Paul Clemence photographed the CERN Science Gateway Building in Geneva, Switzerland.
Under the motto "Me-dio Pla-zo," the XVI Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism (BEAU) inaugurated its exhibition at the Royal Artillery Factory in Seville, highlighting the future vision of architecture and urban planning. At the same time, all the awarded projects in the different categories of this edition involving Architectural Works, Research and Dissemination Works, and End of Career Projects were announced. Until November 20, 2023, the exhibition inspired by the concept of "boxes of time" will be available for visiting, aiming to explore the present as well as the medium-term ambitions of each work.
This year, the torch of the World Capital of Architecture passed from Rio de Janeiro to Copenhagen. For Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, “Copenhagen will build upon Rio’s achievements, by continuing to show the way in which architecture and culture can respond to the challenges of our time, especially in the environmental field.”
Through the perspectives of various Danish architects, such as Marie-Louise Høstbo, Head of Design at Fritz Hansen, we venture into the unique character of North Copenhagen. Exploring some of her favorite locations –all of which exemplify the city’s culture and sustainable approach– we analyze how Copenhagen upholds a strong legacy and how architecture and urban development play an essential role in shaping its urban identity, while promoting sustainability and liveability. From the serene coastal escape at Bellevue to the reimagined dry dock echoing the city’s maritime history, Høstbo showcases how the World Capital of Architecture seamlessly integrates “design, art, and architecture from the past, present, and future.”
Zaha Hadid Architects has unveiled plans for a striking 330-meter-tall skyscraper within the Trojena ski resort, situated in the Neom development in Saudi Arabia. The design was first presented at the Cityscape Conference in Riyadh as part of an exhibition focused on the Neom project. The new crystal-like skyscraper will be located on a mountain overlooking a central artificial lake, as it is planned to become an integral element of the Trojena, a region allegedly master-planned by LAVA architects. Zaha Hadid Architects have also revealed the design of a second structure within Trojena, a lookout pavilion located next to the skyscraper.
