MAD Architects has unveiled that the Wormhole Library, had topped-out in the city of Haikou, China at the end of January 2021. The curved multi-functional structure, cast of white concrete, is scheduled to be completed and operational in the Spring of 2021. Once ready, the project will allow visitors to read, enjoy the sea views and attend open-air performances.
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Studio Gang and Denver-based real estate firm Urban Villages have revealed a new mixed-use, 13-story hotel in Denver, Colorado. The 145,000-sf building is called ‘Populus’ and will be located next to Civic Center Park. Opening to the city and the Rocky Mountains beyond, the hotel aims to become a new social center in downtown. On it's prominent corner site, the building was made to connect Denver’s civic, arts, and commercial districts.
Numerous countries across Africa and Latin America share similar social contexts. One such challenge is the difficulty of accessing remote regions and poorly managed resources, which results in shortages for rural communities. A team from Colombia has won the competition to design innovative, low-cost construction techniques to replace a temporary school with permanent structures in Senegal.
The practice SOMStudio, with a team led by architects Santiago Osorio, Carlos Peña, and Mauricio Suarez, won the Senegal Elementary School competition organized by Archstorming.
Developed by the Brazilian studio Democratic Architects, the O-SI - Immediate Health Bus (Ônibus de Saúde Imediata) was conceived by designers and doctors focused on creating a modular platform to provide public healthcare services in a modern, safe, and efficient way, based on cutting-edge technology and contemporary concepts of mobile healthcare, sustainable reuse, and social inclusion.
The winners of the design competition for the Madrid Metropolitan Forest have been announced. Coordinated by the Vice-Mayor's Office and promoted by the Urban Development Department, the initiative invited architects to develop natural infrastructure to drive green growth and sustainable development in the city. Located in Madrid, Spain, the Forest will span 75 kilometers, contributing to the area's ecological rebalancing, carbon emission reductions, the fight against climate change, and the environmental and landscape restoration of degraded areas.
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American-Brazilian photo-artist Paul Clemence has just released the first images of the completed renovation and expansion works of Martin Luther King’s Memorial Library, originally designed by Mies van der Rohe in Washington D.C. Hoping to create a modern library that focuses on people while celebrating the exchange of knowledge, ideas and culture, Dutch design practice Mecanoo was commissioned the modernization of the structure back in 2014.
Ealing Council has approved HOK's masterplan for redeveloping a half-mile-long, narrow stretch of land along Bollo Lane in West London. The team's proposal includes 852 new homes with 50 per cent affordable housing ranging from 4 to 24 floors in height. Delivered by Transport for London (TfL), the scheme culminates in a mixed-use tower near Chiswick Business Park and the Piccadilly line tracks.
More than five years after the announcement of the competition winners for Colombia's National Museum of Memory, construction on the project has begun.
The firms Pacheco estudio de arquitectura (Colombia) and estudio.entresitio (Spain) designed the proposal and are moving forward with the construction, which was awarded to the Spanish contractor Obrascón Huarte Lain.
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KPF has revealed that its mixed-use project M Lyon has reached the first milestone and was granted city permit approval. Located in Lyon La Part-Dieu, the first business district in Southeastern France, the 30,000 square meter intervention was designed in collaboration with local architect SOHO Atlas in Fine.
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Perkins&Will and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) have released a handbook for best practices to create and implement comprehensive diversity programs for U.S. firms. Entitled “Creating a Culture of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Your Architectural Practice,” authors Gabrielle Bullock, FAIA and Bill Schmalz, FAIA outline how firms must uphold J.E.D.I. principles now and into the future.
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“Public space expresses democracy in its territorial dimension. It is a space for collective use. It is the realm in which citizens can (or should) feel like citizens, free and equal; where society performs, represents itself, and shows itself as a community that coexists, displaying its diversity and contradictions, and expressing its demands and conflicts. It is where collective memory is built and multiple identities are manifested.” [1]
In the longest public hearing in the history of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, 97.23% of participating citizens spoke out against the approval of the bill that seeks to authorize the privatization and subsequent construction on a portion of land along the Río de la Plata waterfront (Buenos Aires, Argentina). The hearings, held between November 27, 2020, and January 28, 2021, featured 2,057 speakers, including members of various foundations, architects, landscape architects, environmentalists, political organizations, the project's authors, and, for the most part, Buenos Aires residents. Of these, only 55 participants spoke in favor.
Seeking to give insights into the architectural creative centers of the world, Rainer Taepper created an architectural book that doesn’t feature buildings and plans. Looking behind the scenes, the architecture photographer highlighted both the working spaces of international design firms and the creative people, who contribute to the conception of a building.
Zaha Hadid Architects has won the design competition to build Phase II of the International Exhibition Centre in Beijing. Drawing from the cultural, academic and civic center of China, the International Exhibition Centre is located next to the city’s Capital International Airport as a site for conferences, trade fairs and industry expos. Now, Phase II will significantly expand exhibition space for knowledge and exchange.
Exponential population growth versus a lack of affordable housing is a challenge affecting urban areas worldwide. To address this issue, the Italian firm Mario Cucinella Architects proposes a new circular housing model: a 3D-printed home made from organic materials.
The prototype uses regionally sourced materials, such as local clay, making it the first printed house of its kind. This reduces emissions from transporting materials and also ensures the building process is zero-waste.
Lighting brand ZERO presents HOOP: a luminaire designed by fellow-Swedish design group Front. An elliptical globe of light sits within a system of wire loops – its technology hidden to give it a magical feel. Watch the video to find out more...
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The city of Bucaramanga is set to undergo an urban renewal project that prioritizes pedestrians in streetscapes, led by the Taller Profesional de Arquitectura Pública de Bucaramanga.
The initiative aims to improve efficient urban solutions at a neighborhood scale, working to counteract the effects of climate heating through urban acupuncture and tactical urbanism as strategies for evaluating urban planning and economic proposals. Additionally, it aims to strengthen direct interactions between the project team and the beneficiary community.
After 4 years of delay, the groundbreaking of the Obama Presidential Center could happen in August 2021, and preliminary work could start as of April, according to the Chicago Tribune. In fact, former President Barack Obama confirmed yesterday on his Facebook account that "the Obama Presidential Center will break ground in 2021" and construction will most likely take about four years.
Amazon has just revealed the proposed design for its second headquarters, in Arlington, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. Designed by NBBJ, the project “creates an environment that prioritizes healthy work, celebrates nature and engages the community across multiple scales.” Encompassing 2.8 million square feet of offices, public gathering areas and street-front retail, the intervention aims to create a healthier workforce and community.
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