Author: Antonia Piñeiro | ArchDaily

RCR Arquitectes Designs New Paris Cultural Institution "Large" on Île Seguin

Antonia Piñeiro — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 05:30:00 +0000

A new space dedicated to contemporary art on the Île Seguin, in the Greater Paris area, is opening in October 2026. The new cultural institution, named "Large," will be housed in a building designed by Catalan architects and Pritzker Prize recipients RCR Arquitectes, the studio's first project in Paris. It is situated on La Pointe des Arts, a large-scale redevelopment of the Île Seguin's former industrial area into a mixed-use complex spanning more than 53,000 m² and focused on arts and culture. The project's architectural massing follows the stratification concept set out in the masterplan by Ateliers Jean Nouvel. The institution will open with the exhibition "Imaginary Engine: From Masterpieces of the Collection Renault to Artists of Today," bringing together 55 artists from 23 countries to explore the relationship between humanity and machines, in tribute to the site's industrial history and Renault's decades-long collaboration with artists.

Snøhetta's Shanghai Grand Opera House Nears Completion Ahead of October Opening

Antonia Piñeiro — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 10:45:00 +0000

Snøhetta's Shanghai Grand Opera House has entered its final construction phase. Preparations are underway for the building's official opening on October 17, 2026, kicking off a performance season featuring 82 performances across 47 acclaimed productions. Snøhetta's spiralling design for the new cultural venue was selected via an international competition in 2016. In 2019, the architecture firm, along with East China Architectural Design & Research Institute (ECADI), Theatre Projects, and Nagata Acoustics, was formally commissioned to deliver the building from concept to completion. The project was originally set to be completed in 2025, as part of a broader cultural master plan aimed at reinforcing Shanghai's role as an international centre of culture and innovation.

Construction Begins on Frank Gehry's Dar al Funoon Abu Dhabi Performing Arts Center

Antonia Piñeiro — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Dar al Funoon Abu Dhabi, the new performing arts institution designed by the late architect Frank Gehry, is among his final works. Translating to "House of the Arts," the landmark building, commissioned by Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism, was designed as a global hub for the performing arts and is expected to open in 2030. The project adds to Gehry's work in the emirate, which also includes the upcoming Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, and follows the city's designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Music in 2021.

CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati and Park Associati Led Team Selected to Redesign Brescia's Spedali Civili Hospital Campus in Italy

Antonia Piñeiro — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 05:30:00 +0000

The project developed by CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, Park Associati, Politecnica Building for Humans, Openfabric, DOTDOTDOT, Studio Mattioli, and Eckersley O'Callaghan has been selected to design the new Main Hospital and Children's Hospital in Brescia, Italy. The international competition mandate was to redevelop an existing hospital, preserving and extending a radial plan conceived by engineer Angelo Bordoni in the early twentieth century. The existing healthcare complex, Spedali Civili di Brescia, follows a hexagonal masterplan and radial layout that informs the new design for the premises. The geometry is reinterpreted to update the campus for future models of care, drawing a new CareRing around it that connects people, nature, and healthcare through the principles of One Health, the idea that human health, environmental health, and social wellbeing are inseparable.

15th São Paulo Architecture Biennial Names Gabriela de Matos and Pedro Rossi as Chief Curators for 2027

Antonia Piñeiro — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 05:30:00 +0000

The 15th São Paulo International Architecture Biennial (BIAsp), scheduled to take place in September and October 2027, announced architects Gabriela de Matos and Pedro Rossi as the event's chief curators. Following the previous edition on the theme Extremes: Architectures for a Hot World, the duo is expected to bring critical perspectives on architecture, culture, and the city to bear on the theme Architecture, Culture, and Sovereignty. Their role is to direct the conceptual development of the Biennial, assemble a curatorial team, and run a public call for co-curators.

World Monuments Fund Names 10 "Irreplaceable America" Sites for the 250th Anniversary of the United States Independence

Antonia Piñeiro — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 05:30:00 +0000

On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the United States' Declaration of Independence, the World Monuments Fund has announced a new list of ten heritage places representing the country's history. The special initiative, titled "Irreplaceable America," recognizes historic places across the country whose preservation is considered "essential to the richness and complexity of American history," spotlighting urgent preservation needs. From the oldest botanical garden in the country to I.M. Pei's modernist Dallas City Hall, the selected sites bear witness to Indigenous heritage, artistic experimentation, and public health, colonial, and Black history.

Studio Gang and Henning Larsen Complete One Milestone Life Science Campus in Boston

Antonia Piñeiro — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 05:30:00 +0000

International firms Studio Gang and Henning Larsen have completed Breakthrough Properties' One Milestone. The life science development is part of the first phase of Tishman Speyer and the Harvard Allston Land Company's Enterprise Research Campus (ERC), a 14-acre mixed-use district in Boston's Allston neighborhood. Located on the southwest end of the ERC, One Milestone is intended to serve as a hub for creativity, science, and entrepreneurship. Its recently inaugurated two-building complex, spanning 47,380 sqm, was designed to serve Greater Boston's scientific community. The two firms began collaborating on the project in 2019 with the co-design of a strategic framework plan, breaking ground on One Milestone in 2023.

UIA World Congress of Architecture 2026 Opens in Barcelona Under the Theme "Architectures for a Planet in Transition"

Antonia Piñeiro — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 05:30:00 +0000

The UIA 2026, the 29th edition of the triennial international event for architectural dialogue organised by the International Union of Architects, has opened its doors on Sunday, June 28th, with an inaugural event held at Three Chimneys, a former power plant in Sant Adrià de Besòs. Each Congress focuses on a pressing topic relevant to the profession, articulated through a central theme. The topic for 2026 is "Becoming. Architectures for a Planet in Transition," calling for a broad and critical overview of the possible futures of architecture. The event runs through July 2, 2026, as a distributed event across multiple venues and urban contexts. With a multidisciplinary approach, Barcelona, the UNESCO World Capital of Architecture 2026, is set to become a global laboratory and hub for debating forthcoming ecological, social, material, and cultural transitions.

Rewilding the City: 6 Unbuilt Projects from the ArchDaily Community

Antonia Piñeiro — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 07:30:00 +0000

In the current context of rapid urban environmental changes, such as heatwaves and droughts, new priorities are emerging in the design of public spaces. "Rewilding" refers to the practice of restoring self-sustaining ecosystems through the reintroduction of biodiversity, implementing strategies to reverse the effects of habitat loss, species decline, and ecosystem degradation. These strategies can be identified in this selection of conceptual projects submitted by ArchDaily readers, where architecture is used as a tool to restore ecological balance among species, inverting its modern role as an agent of ecological disruption.

Snøhetta Reimagines Aino and Alvar Aalto's Paimio Sanatorium as a Wellness and Cultural Destination

Antonia Piñeiro — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Aino and Alvar Aalto's Paimio Sanatorium is a recognized example of modern architecture for healing, representing a patient-centered approach to hygienism that treated the building itself as a medical instrument. Built between 1929 and 1933, it was designed as a nature-oriented tuberculosis sanatorium, later used as a hospital, and today operates as a tourist attraction. The property comprises the main building together with fourteen additional structures, granted protection in Finland in 1993 under the Finnish Building Protection Act. The complex was included on UNESCO's tentative list in 2004 and is part of the "Aalto Works" nomination, with a decision expected in July 2026. Snøhetta has developed a masterplan representing a new vision for the modernist complex, reimagining it as a destination combining hospitality, wellness, cultural spaces, and arenas for international dialogue.

James Turrell's Skyspace and the Opening of the Obama Presidential Center: This Week’s Review

Antonia Piñeiro — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 05:30:00 +0000

From projects and institutions that reinforce the relationship between art and architecture to initiatives seeking new approaches to persistent urban and ecological challenges, this week's developments reflect a broader effort to reconsider established frameworks and expand the role of design in contemporary society. Whether through adaptive reuse, policy innovation, artistic experimentation, or critical research, architects and cultural organizations are exploring how existing systems can be transformed to address emerging realities. These questions resonate across new architectural projects that translate environmental conditions and civic aspirations into built form. In Chicago, the completion of the Obama Presidential Center positions architecture as a vehicle for public memory, while in Albania, OODA's Lighthouse reinterprets local landscapes and traditions through a tower overlooking the Adriatic coast. Meanwhile, Heatherwick Studio's proposed AlUla Manara visitor centre responds to the conditions of Saudi Arabia's desert landscape, combining scientific research and tourism within a destination dedicated to observing the night sky.

Park Reimagines the Interiors of Milano Centrale, Mussolini's Fascist-Era Rail Monument

Antonia Piñeiro — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Milano Centrale is the main train station in northern Italy and the second-largest station in Italy behind Roma Termini. The building was officially opened on July 1, 1931, replacing the city's first central station, which opened in 1864. The construction was intended to showcase the power of then-Prime Minister Mussolini's fascist regime, with a notorious scale, massive arches, and an imposing facade. Following a private competition promoted by Grandi Stazioni Retail, Park, an Italian interdisciplinary collective, was selected to redesign the station's ground floor and mezzanine levels, transforming the historic city landmark into a contemporary urban platform.

Building, Taxing, and Financing: New York City's Recent Measures to Tackle the Housing Crisis

Antonia Piñeiro — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 05:30:00 +0000

The New York City local government is one of the largest of its kind, with hundreds of city agencies and elected offices. The Mayor, city agencies, the city council, the comptroller, the public advocate, the borough presidents, and community boards organize to provide services and improve the quality of life in the biggest city in the United States and a primary tourist destination. Like other metropolises in the world, urban developers and authorities in New York are facing common challenges: the atmospheric effects and permanent consequences of the climate crisis, the saturation of transport systems, the lack of housing units, and barriers to accessing adequate housing. During June, the New York City mayor's office announcements addressed traffic and mobility, sports events, immigration, and extreme heat. In recent months, a series of policies have been announced to address a larger problem: ensuring access to housing for a greater number of people through government action.

The London Museum Moves to Smithfield's Restored General Market Ahead of Long-Awaited Opening

Antonia Piñeiro — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 05:30:00 +0000

The original Museum of London building at London Wall permanently closed to the public in December 2022 to prepare for its relocation. Despite community claims to preserve the modernist building, demolition plans for the brutalist landmark were approved in 2024 to make way for the London Wall West redevelopment project. The Museum of London was then officially rebranded as the London Museum and relocated to the historic General Market in Smithfield. The decade-long restoration project of the new location was carried out by Stanton Williams and Asif Khan, alongside conservation architect Julian Harrap. The official opening of the Museum's new permanent galleries is scheduled for November 28, 2026.

The Tallinn Architecture Biennale 2026 Unveils Full Program, Venues, and Participants for 'How Much?'

Antonia Piñeiro — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Following its 7th edition in 2024, an event centered around the theme "Resources For a Future," the Tallinn Architecture Biennale is coming back in 2026 with the question of "How Much?" Organised by the Estonian Centre for Architecture and curated by Stuudio TÄNA, Mark Aleksander Fischer, and Mira Samonig. From September 9 to November 30, 2026, the biennale will explore the relationship between constraint, cost, and architecture, often in the margins of the architectural discourse but inevitably shaping the built environment, to ultimately unlock new ways of understanding the meaning of value, affordability, and responsibility in architecture. The organization recently released the full program of exhibitions, workshops, concerts, family events, and films for TAB 2026, addressed to both architects and the general public.

Concéntrico 2026 Opens in Logroño with Six Days of Installations, Workshops, and Urban Experimentation

Antonia Piñeiro — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Concéntrico, the large-scale laboratory for architecture, design, and urban experimentation, has officially inaugurated its six-day calendar of activities. The festival is transforming the Spanish city of Logroño from June 18 to 23, 2026, with a series of collective, festive, and performative practices in public space. The program includes 24 installations by international practices and creators, distributed across squares, vacant plots, streets, bridges, and emblematic spaces throughout the city. The urban interventions range from a circus designed by Smiljan Radić to street sound recordings for a vinyl album of the festival by Sounds of Architecture Records, also featuring three winning proposals from its international call for entries.

ZHA's Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Center Opens in Dongguanm, China

Antonia Piñeiro — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 05:30:00 +0000

The Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Center, designed by ZHA in collaboration with the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design, is a new cultural and sports facility in Dongguan City, China. It's located in the city's High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, a technological innovation and science city established in 2001 as a hub for research, development, and high-tech manufacturing. Covering a total floor area of 45,000 square metres, the new cultural centre was designed to be a civic and cultural anchor for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The construction of the riverside building started in 2021, and the complex was officially opened on March 30, 2026.

Architecture Awards Must Evolve: A Debate on Their Role and Responsibility at the UIA World Congress 2026

Antonia Piñeiro — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 05:30:00 +0000

A collective discussion titled "Beyond Recognition: Exploring the Role of Architectural Awards" is taking place on June 29 in Barcelona, on the occasion of the UIA World Congress of Architects 2026. The debate starts from the conviction that, in today's context of accelerating global challenges, the role of architectural awards must evolve. The event follows the conversation initiated during the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, where the relevance of awards was questioned, paving the way for a new conversation on how architectural awards can contribute to shaping practice, institutions, and public discourse. The discussion sessions are convened by representatives of major international awards: the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Ammodo Architecture Award, EUmies Awards, Holcim Foundation Awards, Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize, and the OBEL Award, and are joined by prominent figures in the field of architecture and design.