As part of the Abierto Mexicano de Diseño 2019 (AMD2019), Jumbo, an international company focused on the development of urban spaces and furniture, presented the play sculpture “Infinito,” designed by Ariel Rojo. The project stems from the desire to design a line of urban elements that stimulate a sense of adventure and play through a range of play sculptures. These address not only an aesthetic responsibility to users, the city, its parks, and playgrounds, but also introduce an original approach to how children play and learn.
Through sculpture and drawing, Ivan Kurov (Mexico City, 1982) explores nature and transformation in their broadest definitions. While the former allows him to study the chemical properties of materials and the physics of objects, his paintings frame the confrontation between the organic landscape and the intervention of human architecture. For Kurov, art in its fullest sense is achieved outside of discursive intention, occurring when the hand works the material without the mediation of a concept. Consequently, his pieces emerge from the autonomy of processes and from matter in the freedom of its essence. The result is spontaneous and fluid, much like the artist's own conversation.
Colombia's topography features both plains and mountainous areas. Despite the challenges this poses for urban development, the country's major cities—from its capital, Bogotá, to Medellín and Cali—have been founded upon it. While this topography has posed significant challenges for construction and mobility, it has also paved the way for innovation, inspiring architectural projects that seamlessly integrate with the mountainous terrain, adapt to their specific altitude, and reflect regional culture.
Many pioneers are ill-timed, arriving too early. José Miguel de Prada Poole [1938-present] is no exception, occupying his place in history as one of the most unique, unconventional, and highly individualistic architects of the 20th century in Spain. A pioneer of pneumatic architecture, his approach was undoubtedly shaped by the pop trends of the era, represented by figures like Archigram, Archizoom, or Team 10. He was always peculiarly interested in the avant-garde's “mobile and deployable work,” specifically exemplified by structures capable of providing variable responses to changing uses. Ultimately, he can be considered one of the first architects to introduce concepts like "sustainability" into a purely architectural context: all of his works minimized energy consumption or were capable of generating microclimates on their own.
On December 4, the opening of the Provincial Preliminary Design Competition for Cultural Spaces in Villa Carlos Paz took place.
The format involved intervening in three emblematic urban spaces under a single competition, but with individual prizes awarded for each site. The goal was for participants to achieve aesthetic and architectural proposals that would transform each space into a city landmark.
As part of Semana UTEM 2019—"The Project Within the Project"—21 teams from the Faculty of Architecture at the Metropolitan Technological University of Chile (UTEM) participated in the Domestic Pre-Existences workshop. The students proposed interventions for the historic "C Blocks" in Santiago's pericenter—residential complexes designed by the state Housing and Urban Development Service (SERVIU) between 1986 and 1996.
Cortesía de Arq.Bravo Nieto Ralph Tomas y Godoy Richard Marcelo
In December of last year, the provincial government of San Luis, Argentina, alongside San Luis Agua, launched the Portales de los Lagos Provincial Ideas Competition. The objective was to design an icon to identify and showcase a key local natural resource: water. Read on to discover the first-prize-winning project in the words of its authors:
Amancio Williams con maqueta del proyecto para Tres hospitales en Corrientes. Image Cortesía de Archivo Williams - Director Claudio Williams
Discussions of Amancio Williams's architecture typically focus on his built work—the tangible side of his profession. Yet beyond being a great architect, he was a researcher, creator, avant-gardist, and visionary. Constantly studying the technical possibilities of his era, he approached his theoretical development and architectural thinking as if the field were a laboratory.
This is evident in the projects Williams developed for dwellings in space (1942), the hall for plastic spectacle and sound in space (1942), the Buenos Aires airport (1945) the suspended office building (1946) and the first city in Antarctica (1980), which we explore below.
The Venice Architecture Biennale is an event organized by the Italian State that brings together some of the world's most prestigious international architecture exhibitions. The Giardini and the Arsenale serve as the event's main venues. These spaces have hosted various exhibitions, national pavilions, and collateral events spread throughout Venice.
Colombian firm DARP has won second place in the design competition for the memorial space at the former Mónaco Building in Medellín, Colombia. Organized by the EDU and the Colombian Society of Architects (SCA), the international competition sought to design a space of memory and reflection on the period between 1983 and 1994, located on the site of the demolished building that was once the home of drug trafficker Pablo Escobar.
Vista desde parque. Image Cortesía de Guillermo Canutti
On November 15 of last year, the national ideas and preliminary design competition for the Norpatagónico Hospital in Neuquén was launched. Organized by the provincial government through the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure, the competition was endorsed by the Argentine Federation of Architects (FADEA) and sponsored by the College of Architects of Neuquén Province.
The site—where the objective was to build a facility that provides high-complexity services while connecting with the natural environment—is located on the Neuquén plateau and spans an area of 32,700 square meters. First prize was awarded to La Plata-based architects Guillermo Ariel Canutti, Bernardo Luna, Clara Gallardo, Agustín Ichuribehere, and Fernando Sebastián Fariña. Read on to discover the project in detail below.
BEMA is a new space by dèrive Lab opening its doors in the Historic Center of Querétaro, Mexico. The project restores and reactivates a building that previously functioned as a squash court, an event hall, and a commercial kitchen. This new space aims to become a platform that fosters impactful cultural and artistic projects to rethink the city, providing a sanctuary for gathering, production, and the exchange of ideas and experiences around urban issues.
The core of Castilian modern architecture, and indeed of the 20th century, emerged from the work of Rafael Aburto [1913-2014] and his contemporaries—this forgotten generation. An interwar generation whose trenches were fought not only on the battlefield, but also within architecture. This cohort of architects had to confront both the ravages of the Spanish Civil War and a sterile traditionalism, surrounded by professionals who had read, known, and seen almost nothing. Tradition—specifically, Spanish tradition—was what sustained everything. Unsurprisingly, the Civil War itself dealt a generational setback to the profession, impacting not only Aburto's peers but also those to come.
The generational divide was defined solely by the experience of having fought in the war. Oíza was eighteen when it broke out; Sota, Cabrero, Coderch, and Aburto were called to battle, mostly fighting on the Nationalist side. Once the war ended, Spain was unrecognizable compared to its pre-war self, and architectural thought was no exception. Returning to the profession in the 1940s, architects faced an outdated, practically useless tradition, alongside a precarious modernism devoid of depth or knowledge. This is why figures like Aburto broke through—these postwar architects who took on the role of pioneers, or at least demonstrated their determination to break free from academic constraints and embrace their own modernism.
Tezontle Ludens is the name of the winning project of the Arquine Competition No. 21 | Mextrópoli Pavilion 2019, which opened on Friday, March 8, in Mexico City's Alameda Central alongside a series of pavilions designed to activate public space. The pavilion, built by Factor Eficiencia and designed by Suma Estudio (Roberto Aguilar, Diego García, Fernando Franco, Diego Aguilar, and Jalil Miguel), was described by the jury as "a simple, well-narrated playful experience, materialized in a lightweight space and a commitment to subtlety. The project communicates with that same clarity, without discursive excess or unnecessary justification."
Through a sculptural intervention, nationally award-winning artist Romina Castiñeira reinvents the sculpture courtyard of the Caraffa Museum in Córdoba, Argentina, offering a new sensory experience that addresses the spatial condition of inside and outside.
A few days ago, we asked our Instagram followers, "What does public space mean to you?" These reflections are intrinsic to architectural discourse and come into play across various project types, particularly those involving the planning of shared spaces in cities.
It is already happening: the Internet of Things allows many devices to be digitally integrated into automated systems to be managed directly from our smartphones. If a user speaks to their phone and says, for example, the word "cleaning," home automation could raise the blinds, turn on the lights, and activate a robot vacuum. Amazon, with Alexa, and Google, with Google Home, are some of the virtual assistants that enable this integration; users simply download the application, link the devices, and give the command to their phone, which then activates the functions required to complete a specific task or create a scene.
Offering warmth and a modern yet artisanal aesthetic, wood is always an excellent choice when selecting wall coverings for interior spaces or manufacturing furniture. However, how do you choose the right cladding for a specific project?
We have compiled a selection of coverings with different aesthetics, formats, and installation systems, identifying their characteristics and differences to help you choose the right material. Slats or panels? Melamine, Trupán, or Radiata Pine? A natural look or colored pigments? Compare eight different options below.
Whether seeking distraction, escape, or reflection, metro passengers shorten their commutes by checking their phones, reading books, or listening to music. For Chilean photographer and civil engineer Felipe Lavín, this conceals a contradiction. "Commuting en masse is a highly social act, yet at the same time, it is deeply solitary. As Marc Augé notes, in the metro we constantly brush against the lives of others without ever truly encountering them," Lavín says in conversation with ArchDaily.
"Domestic Workspaces" by Silvia Garcia Camps brings together 46 international architecture offices through collage, revealing the intimate, domestic, and shared qualities of workspaces through the everyday objects within them. Explore a selection of these illustrations, along with her thoughts, below.
Every day, more architects are turning to virtual reality, driven by the rapid emergence of headsets and platforms. Architecture firms are seeking efficient ways to present their new developments, and VR technology is making a powerful impact in the visualization of unbuilt projects.
Courtesy of Gideon D.P.A. Aschwanden. ImagePunggol Wind: Procedural model of Punggol Singapore generated with CityEngine, used to estimate material flow and simulate wind with ANSYS, re-projected onto two planes at heights of 25 and 55 meters
Data is a controversial topic in the twenty-first century. Policy-making regarding data collection and use lags behind, while its value continues to rise—turning any initiative in the sector into big business.
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