Architecture News

The 13th edition of the Architecture Biennial, organized by IAB-São Paulo, will open on May 27. It emerges from a reality of intense transformations brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic worldwide, which demanded major efforts to reorganize urban, social, and professional dynamics for survival. 

Travessias (Crossings), the theme of this edition, recognizes that the pandemic reinforces socio-spatial inequalities that were already established, not only in Brazil but globally, understanding that these structures undergo physical and symbolic fragmentations rooted in violent processes of colonization and historical erasure. As a result, they trigger numerous manifestations of oppression – such as racism, sexism, ableism, and coloniality – in Brazil and other territories. 

In May, the same month that the 13th São Paulo International Architecture Biennale begins, SescTV will make five selected episodes from two series—Arquiteturas and Coleções - Mestres da Arquitetura—available on-demand on the channel's website. These episodes prompt a reflection on architectural and historical heritage and depict the vision of architects and other professionals in the field, offering different perspectives on several iconic projects. All of this content, along with other programming spanning various artistic expressions, is part of the channel's collection and is available on-demand on the SescTV website.

Concéntrico is the renowned Logroño International Architecture and Design Festival. An event about the city, open to residents and visitors alike, its main goal is to discover and rediscover key sites in the Historic Center, reflecting on the urban environment through temporary architectural and design installations. This year, the 8th edition will be held from September 1 to 6.

The canals of Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, span more than 100 kilometers and are not immune to plastic pollution. However, a clever invention has arrived in the city to address this issue: “The Great Bubble Barrier,” a technology that creates bubbles in the water to make collecting plastic waste easier.

The Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI) released its Global Street Design Guide to help urban planners with the challenging task of including all users of urban spaces in their designs. The publication became a benchmark and has now inspired a dedicated companion guide focused on children. The guide Designing Streets for Kids (translated into Portuguese as Desenhando Ruas para Córiaças) is already available in several languages, including Portuguese.

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The Albert Einstein Education and Research Center, the first project in Brazil by Safdie Architects, is nearing completion. Scheduled to open this August, the building—which features spacious garden courtyards that create an urban oasis in the southern zone of São Paulo—will house a new medical school and research facilities for one of the country's most advanced healthcare institutions.

Brazilian architects Mário Rubem Costa Santana and Rafael Lamary Silva Santos received a special mention in the Children's House competition in Senegal, organized by the Kaira Looro organization. The competition sought proposals for a "space aimed at preventing child malnutrition" in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The 13th International Architecture Biennial enters its final week of activities—ending on Sunday, July 17—and brings very special attractions for those who have already visited or have yet to experience the Biennial.

Between July 8 and 17, the event features debates, conferences, short film screenings, a cycling tour, and much more, in this first in-person edition since the pandemic. The exhibition has been running since May 27 at Sesc Avenida Paulista and Centro Cultural São Paulo. 

Around the world, people continue to adapt to new ways of working, making the search for suitable furniture and equipment for both home and work environments more relevant than ever. At the same time, finding options that balance personal aesthetics and style with functionality is essential.

Herman Miller, a global leader in innovative design and furniture solutions, has announced the launch of an office chair inspired by the iconic Eames Shell chair. Design firm Studio 7.5 and Herman Miller have teamed up once again to reveal their latest collaboration: the Zeph chair.

São Caetano do Sul, in São Paulo's ABC region, tops the ranking of the country's most sustainable cities. The unprecedented survey reveals that the city, already known for leading the HDI (Human Development Index) in Brazil, is now first among the 5,570 Brazilian municipalities regarding the implementation of the UN's SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).

Periodically, we have witnessed how the coasts of Quintana Roo have suffered from severe sargassum algae blooms, representing a major problem for local residents who, year after year, dedicate themselves to exhaustively cleaning the beaches during the April-August season. Various media outlets have reported that the cause of the sargassum is still unknown; however, some theories link it to climate change and variations in the Atlantic Ocean. Currently, the non-governmental organization Red de Monitoreo del Sargazo de Quintana Roo (Quintana Roo Sargassum Monitoring Network) monitors sargassum presence in the region. According to its latest alert level system, there are 22 locations with an excessive presence of this macroalgae, and the same number considered abundant.

An initiative in the Rocinha community in Rio de Janeiro will provide professional training for residents in the solar energy market and install two photovoltaic plants in the community (at Acadêmicos da Rocinha and Igreja Batista), directly benefiting the NGOs Rocinha Recicla and Pedrinho Social through local energy generation.

Videos

"Light and movement allow us to achieve anything that is recognized as beautiful." This quote by Álvaro Siza Vieira, the universally acclaimed Portuguese architect, captures his philosophy. His work guides the relationship between built space and its surroundings, creating true works of art that prioritize nature. In furniture design, the approach can be similar. The intervention can indulge in the status of art, redefining meaning and joining new dialogues as if framed in a museum setting.

Driven by this provocation, Dell Anno presents an approach for its 2022 campaign that further strengthens its DNA of connecting architecture, art, and fashion. Titled Singular Dell Anno, the campaign draws a parallel with the sublime work of the Portuguese architect, paying tribute to his legacy of simplicity and architectural sophistication, which earned him global recognition and made him a major architectural influence today.

In 2016, in the commune of Limache in Chile's Valparaíso region, tunnels connecting to various parts of the city—including the CCU brewery—were discovered beneath a hatch in the gardens of the landmark Eastman Mansion. Prompted by uncertainty over why they were built, an investigation was launched, with the findings behind the project's origins finally revealed in 2021.

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Organized by the Central Society of Architects (SCA) and sponsored by the Argentine Federation of Architectural Entities (FADEA), the Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (GCBA) commissioned a preliminary design for a “Memorial Space for Covid-19 Victims” to be located in the southeastern area of the City of Buenos Aires, specifically in Florentino Ameghino Park in the Parque Patricios neighborhood.

In an effort to improve air quality and the health of Rio's residents, the Rio de Janeiro City Hall is launching the Low Emission District. Measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will be implemented across an area of just over two square kilometers in the city center.

The district's implementation will be carried out in phases through 2030. The first phase, which is currently underway, consists of revitalizing 35,000 square meters of public space in the city center and monitoring air quality and GHG emissions. It is expected to be completed in 2024.

Videos

Residencias Remotas is an initiative created by the Architecture program of the Campus Creativo in conjunction with the Community Engagement department of the Universidad Andrés Bello. This interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary project aims to open up a space for reflection on contemporary and pressing issues. 

The Rifa Housing Competition is an annual call that invites successive generations of architecture students from the Universidad de la República to propose new ways of living. The goal is to build a home based on their own design strategies, optimizing resources and construction times. Reflecting on living, architecture, and the pedagogy of the discipline, the competition offers the opportunity to experience a design process that extends far beyond the classroom.