As part of International Habitat and Architect Week in Mozambique, the exhibition opened and the winners of the First Architecture Photography Competition - Perspectivas were announced on October 1 in Maputo, during the event A Cidade Desejada, organized by the Association of Architects of Mozambique - ARCHIMOZ.

The Instituto Tomie Ohtake AkzoNobel Architecture Prize, aimed at professionals up to 45 years old, shows that Brazilian architectural production is not currently experiencing a good moment. The responsibility, certainly, does not lie with our architects and urban planners, but with the lack of importance that public administrators, in general, have given to urban interventions and high-quality design.

One could argue, given the few outstanding proposals, that this is the result of the current economic crisis and the standstill in the real estate sector and public policies linked to the built environment, such as urban design, housing, mobility, social infrastructure, and the environment.

Videos

A bridge approximately 1.5 kilometers long collapsed this morning in Genoa, Italy. The Morandi Bridge, built in the 1960s, crosses the Polcevera River in the western part of the Port of Genoa, connecting the city center with the regional airport. Authorities attribute the disaster to structural failure combined with a severe storm occurring at the time of the collapse.

New residential developments in the country must incorporate accessibility features in all common areas, while individual housing units must be adapted according to buyer demand. Developments will have an 18-month deadline to adapt to the new rules established by Decree 9,451, whose guidelines regulate the Brazilian Inclusion Law.

Around 19,000 architects and urban planners from Rio de Janeiro state now have access to a shared office space in downtown Rio de Janeiro. Featuring 20 workstations and two meeting rooms, the space allows professionals to work and host client meetings.

The Council's goal is to bring greater vitality to the use of its headquarters—located at Av. República do Chile, 230, 23rd floor—while strengthening ties with professionals and providing access to an infrastructure that architects and urban planners help maintain. By the end of this year, CAU/RJ expects to increase the number of available workstations and meeting rooms.

Videos

As one of Modernism's key global legacies, how do the architecture and urban planning of Brasília shape the lives of those living in Brazil's capital? This is the subject of the documentary The Body and the Modernist City (O Corpo e a Cidade Modernista), which premieres with two screenings in Europe: on May 8 at the Copenhagen Architecture Festival (CAFx) in Denmark, and on June 10 at the Arquiteturas Film Festival in Portugal.

Architecture enthusiasts now have another reason to visit the Azores, in Portugal, as the Pink House, designed by Mezzo Atelier, is now available for short-term rental on the Boutique Homes website. Formerly a stable converted into two residences, the project has attracted international media attention for presenting a rehabilitation solution where, according to the architects, "history and contemporaneity coexist in balance."

A commemorative coin honoring architect Eduardo Souto de Moura will be put into circulation this week in Portugal. As part of the "Portuguese Architecture" series of thematic coins issued by the Banco de Portugal, the coin, which has a face value of 7.50 Euros, will be available to the public starting this Wednesday, December 12, at Banco de Portugal treasuries and credit institutions.

The Professional Practice Commission (CEP) of CAU/BR will review the four main regulations governing the professional practice of architects and urban planners throughout Brazil. These are CAU/BR Resolutions No. 10 (Occupational Safety Engineering), No. 18 (Professional Registration with CAU); No. 22 (Inspection of Architecture and Urbanism); and No. 28 (Corporate Registration with CAU). “These four resolutions define the daily routine of architects and urban planners,” says coordinator Lana Jubé (GO). “The goal is to approve new resolutions on these matters by the end of 2018.”

The Maison d'Architecture of Geneva is celebrating ten years of activity, and to mark the occasion, it has organized a lecture series titled "10 Years/10 Perspectives" running from 2017 to the present. Renowned architects such as Steven Holl, Kengo Kuma, and Elizabeth Diller were part of the select panel of speakers.

To conclude the celebrations, a previously unseen and exclusive exhibition of the work of Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha will be held with the support of the Brazilian Consulate in Geneva.

Having previously been the subject of a 2015 art installation by Isaac Julien titled Stones Against Diamonds, Italian-Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi will now have her life portrayed on screen in the film Ghost of Lina Bo Bardi, directed by Julien.

The Habitação e Cidade (Housing and City) graduate program at Escola da Cidade invited architect Luis Kehl to speak about the growth of favelas. Characterizing the favela as an “urban fossil”—a centuries-old form of spatial occupation through irregular housing clusters—the lecture offers a chronological overview of informal occupations across different geographical and historical contexts.

At the center of a dispute since the early 2000s, the land adjacent to Teatro Oficina, in São Paulo's Bixiga neighborhood, drew media attention again late last year when CONEPHAAT approved the construction of high-rise residential towers on the plot owned by Grupo Silvio Santos, located on the floodplain of the Bexiga Creek.

In response, and coinciding with the 464th anniversary of the city of São Paulo, the offices Brasil Arquitetura and Urbeflux Engenharia Consultiva released an open letter to the city of São Paulo. The letter outlines guidelines for a "necessary change of direction in the management of urban waters," aiming to resolve the impasse over the land's future "for the greater benefit of its citizens and Brazilian culture."

“The Place of Sharing” is already taking shape on site. On the third day of work, foundations are being prepared and steel structures installed to support the Casa de Brincar e Não Só – Not Only a Playhouse, which is being built through August 10 at the Guarda Housing Complex (CHG) in Perafita, Matosinhos, Portugal. The initiative is part of the Self-Construction Laboratory organized by Casa da Arquitectura – Portuguese Center for Architecture.

Once again, anyone passing by the bustling Araújo Porto Alegre Street, on the corner of Graça Aranha Avenue in downtown Rio de Janeiro, will be able to marvel at the grandeur of the Gustavo Capanema Palace and understand why it is a Modernist icon, both for Brazil and the world. More than 70 years after the building’s inauguration in 1946, all the innovative design of its facades—introduced by the masters of architecture and art of the 1930s—has been fully restored and will be unveiled by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan) on September 20.

Having recently turned 90, Paulo Mendes da Rocha remains active in the practice of architecture, and his ideas are as sharp as ever.

In an interview with El País, conducted by journalist Tom C. Avedaño, the architect revisits some of his works, reflects on the purpose of architecture, and speaks about "the day everything made sense."

Destroyed in September of this year by a major fire, the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro is one of the country's most important cultural institutions and an international research reference. A precious part of its collection was unfortunately destroyed by the flames; however, despite this immeasurable loss, the public can now visit some of the galleries through a 360-degree virtual tour released today by Google.

The National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan) is taking a major step to strengthen the preservation of the country's tangible cultural heritage, relying on the participation of society as a whole. Opening a direct channel with the public, the Public Consultation on the Tangible Heritage Policy has been available on the institution's website since March 1. The document consolidates principles, premises, objectives, procedures, and concepts for preserving Brazil's tangible cultural heritage, which have been shaped and modified over the decades.