Architecture News

Metha Arquitectos and Be Maarch have won first prize in the design competition for the remodeling of the Plaza de Armas in Juliaca, Peru. Key aspects of the proposal highlighted by the jury include: prioritizing pedestrians over vehicles, strengthening institutional character and environmental value, and creating a space that introduces nature. Additionally, the jury noted that the project understands and accommodates informal commerce dynamics, establishing a hierarchical longitudinal axis between the plaza and the school to create a pedestrian urban space. This is complemented by a secondary transverse transit axis and organized to eliminate architectural barriers, creating more inclusive spaces. See the project below.

To mitigate the consequences of informal urban growth in the Lima and Callao regions, on April 19, the Colegio de Arquitectos de Perú Regional Lima (CAP RL) launched the program “Valora Nuestro Barrio” (Value Our Neighborhood). Through 21 selected projects, the initiative aims to improve residents' quality of life by recognizing and showcasing successful urban improvement practices in the proposed neighborhoods.

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The Mayor's Office of Santiago de Cali, the Special Housing Fund (FEV), and the Colombian Society of Architects – Valle del Cauca (SCA Valle) launched a public competition for the preliminary urban, architectural, and landscape design of a sustainable rural social housing prototype. This project is designed to resettle families with productive vocations.

For the project, located in the city of Cali, within the Valle del Cauca region of Colombia, the jury awarded first place to the architecture firm DARP – De Arquitectura y Paisaje + Ana Elvira Vélez.

At first glance, textile materials and clay do not share many similarities. However, Oficina Penadés brings these two concepts together, showcasing the potential of a new textile-based material combined with clay processing techniques in “Looks like magic!”, an exhibition held during the recent Milan Design Week.

The Central Society of Architects (SCA) and the Association of Architects of the Province of Buenos Aires (CAPBA) organized the National Ideas Competition to develop a Rail Cultural Hub. The project includes a new General Railway Archive (AGF), a branch of the National Railway Training Center (CENACAF), and new facilities to protect records and showcase the historical and cultural heritage of Argentine Railways (Ferrocarriles Argentinos).

In August 2021, the call for entries was launched for the ideas competition for the "Scenic Garden and Pavilion" project. The primary goal was the reorganization and comprehensive recovery of the area known as the "ecological parking lot" to integrate it with the Centro Cultural del Bosque (CCB). The project called for the design of a Scenic Pavilion conceived as "a permanent space with unobtrusive, harmonious architecture that blends into the Forest's environment, establishing a point of connection with both the performing and visual arts ecosystems, looking toward the Zoo and the Museum of Modern Art."

The Municipality of Flores launched a public competition for preliminary architectural proposals for a mixed-use building called Mercado Trinidad, to be located in the city of Trinidad, Uruguay. By integrating existing heritage structures and renovating or replacing the remaining buildings and open spaces, the project aims to redirect truck and heavy machinery traffic from the municipal workshops and warehouses currently operating there. This shift will promote urban regeneration and revitalize the central area with a new urban facility.

As part of an initiative by the Ministry of Urban Development and Mobility of the Government of Michoacán, the Ministry of the Environment, and the Michoacan University of San Nicolás de Hidalgo, the First Ideas Competition to renovate and adapt the Morelia Zoo (one of the largest in Mexico by number of species) to the new environmental, social, and cultural conditions of its context was launched.

The National Ideas Competition for the Todos Hermanos (Fratelli Tutti) Themed Promenade was organized by the Merlo chapter of the Association of Architects of the Province of San Luis. The objective was to create an open public space for reflection on peace and fraternity, addressing themes such as overcoming social, cultural, religious, and environmental conflicts. At the same time, the space will support recreational, cultural, and leisure activities, landscape contemplation, and other programs that engage the public.

Spanish architect Lluís Comerón, who recently passed away at 62, has been recognized for his tireless professional practice with the Gold Medal of Architecture. The High Council of Colleges of Architects of Spain (CSCAE) has posthumously awarded the Gold Medal of Architecture to Catalan architect Lluís Comerón Graupera, who served as president of the institution during the 2018–2022 term.

The CCCB is launching the call for entries for the European Prize for Urban Public Space, a biennial competition organized to recognize and promote projects that create, restore, and improve public spaces in European cities. This honorary award—with registration open from April 20 to May 17, 2022—will recognize works completed between 2018 and 2021. Teresa Galí-Izard, an agricultural engineer, landscape architect, and professor at ETH Zurich, will chair the prize's international jury. The rules and all information regarding participation are available on the website.

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In the latest edition of the FAD Awards for Architecture and Interior Design, the Kindergarten in the Cerro Colorado Community, located in the city of Arequipa, was selected as a 2022 International FAD Finalist. Designed by architects Ander Bados Sesma and Betsaida Curto Reyes, the school was developed as an expansion of the Villa Magisterial school by the NGO All Hands and Hearts following severe flooding in the city.

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The DNA Paris Design Awards have announced the winners of the 2022 edition in the categories of architectural design, interior design, landscape design, product design, and graphic design. The results were announced at the end of June, and the awards ceremony will take place in Paris in September 2022.

On this day 117 years ago, Juan O'Gorman—the first Mexican functionalist architect—was born, whose work marked a turning point in the architectural production of his era. He trained at what was then the National School of Architecture, where he completed and integrated his studies in architecture and engineering. Considered the father of modern architecture in Mexico, O'Gorman trained in the style of Le Corbusier and the stripped purism of Villagrán, eventually evolving toward the "New Mexican Baroque" movement. His works were characterized primarily by the use of reinforced concrete, asymmetric exteriors, and a constant search for air and light.

The Municipality of Avellaneda, in partnership with the Association of Architects of the Province of Buenos Aires (CAPBA), launched a national ideas competition for a new urban public park and the National Football Museum. The project is to be located near the urban center of Avellaneda, in the province of Buenos Aires.

The first “Urban Life Competition: Ideas for Sustainable Urban Transformation” was launched as part of an initiative by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) in collaboration with the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), under the framework of the LAIF City Life initiative and with the support of the European Commission. On June 15, 2022, the appointed jury announced the winning ideas, selected from over 90 proposals from 15 Latin American countries.

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The international architecture festival Open House Madrid returns with a surprise for 2022, offering free access to five “magical” locations to enjoy the city from above, from September 23 to 25.

According to a recent study titled "Digital Transformation in Architecture," conducted by RIBA in partnership with Microsoft, 87% of architecture firms agree that digital technologies are transforming the way they work, and the majority have already embarked on their digital transformation journey. The study shows that architectural professionals have readily embraced digitization through systems like 3D computer-aided design, rapidly advancing toward Building Information Modeling (BIM) and the Internet of Things (IoT).