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Concrete Memory: 12 Postwar Monuments Across Eastern Europe

Diogo Borges Ferreira — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

A monument is usually the most conservative building a state will commission. It is expected to stabilize memory, to make history legible, and to give public form to a shared narrative. Eastern Europe's twentieth century produced an entire body of work from the Baltic to the Balkans that resisted precisely those expectations, challenging the conventional relationship between monument, memory, and representation. Commonly grouped under the name spomeniks, these architectural exercises are perhaps the best-known examples of a much broader landscape of memorial architecture that emerged across the region. These were societies emerging from occupation, civil conflict, or revolution, and none of them possessed a single symbolic language capable of accommodating the complexity of their histories. Rather than searching for new heroes or new icons, many architects and artists turned to space itself as the medium through which remembrance could be constructed.

BIG Designs Dual-Volume EVE Music Hall Amid Agricultural Landscape in Čepin, Croatia

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

BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group is nearing completion of the EVE Music Hall in Čepin, eastern Croatia, designed in collaboration with SIRRAH projekt and Theatre Projects. The 10,000 m² project contains a live music venue, congress facilities, exhibition spaces, a café, and rooftop event spaces. The venue is expected to host concerts, conferences, exhibitions, and cultural activities, accommodating nearly 4,000 guests indoors and up to 25,000 outdoors. The new cultural building marks the office's first project in Croatia and is expected to become its first completed music performance venue in early 2027.

Seven Finalists Announced for the 2026 EU Mies Awards for Contemporary European Architecture

Antonia Piñeiro — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 07:30:00 +0000

The European Commission and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe have announced the seven finalist projects for the 2026 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Awards, supported by the European Union's Creative Europe programme. The selection follows the announcement of 410 nominated works in November and a shortlist of 40 projects revealed in early January. Of the seven finalists, five have been selected in the Architecture category and two in the Emerging category. According to the jury chaired by Smiljan Radić, the finalist projects are exemplary contributions to the future of European architecture, demonstrating how the discipline can respond simultaneously to specific local conditions and broader social, cultural, and environmental challenges. The selected works range from interventions in former industrial sites, small villages, and peripheral urban areas to carefully calibrated projects within larger cities. Across these varied contexts, the projects show how architecture can transform overlooked or ordinary settings into inclusive, high-quality spaces for living, learning, and social exchange.

How Will BIM 2.0, AI Assistance, and Integrated Workflows Shape the Architect’s Design Experience?

Enrique Tovar — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 02:30:00 +0000

When architects are still students, a moment often marks a turning point: their first encounter with software. It's not just about learning a tool but discovering a space where ideas transcend physical models, taking shape in a digital environment and beginning a relationship many will carry throughout their careers. What happens next? Software keeps evolving, and with it, the design experience. In recent years, this evolution has accelerated—machine learning, AI, prompts, and integrated workflows have moved from the periphery to the core of design practice, becoming part of the shared language between software and users. As these tools take hold, a key question emerges: How will this reshape our experience of designing architecture in the future?

Between Fantasy and Reality: Aldo Rossi's Floating Teatro del Mundo for the First Venice Architecture Biennale

Camilla Ghisleni — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 07:30:00 +0000

The first edition of the Venice Architecture Biennale took place in 1980, immediately revealing its role as a platform for images and ideas that would become essential references in contemporary architectural theory and practice. This disruptive character was embodied from the very beginning by the strangely familiar floating structure designed by Aldo Rossi, titled Teatro del Mondo. At once temporary and archetypal, the project introduced central themes that would shape Italian architectural discourse in the years that followed. To this day, it continues to inspire reflections on timelessness, imagination, and the memory embedded in cities.

Croatian Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale Explores the "Intelligence of Errors"

Reyyan Dogan — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 06:30:00 +0000

The Croatian Pavilion presents "Intelligence of Errors" at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, an artistic and research-driven project that repositions spatial and policy-related errors as generative tools for design. Commissioned by the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, the exhibition is curated by Ida Križaj Leko, a practicing architect and head of the interdisciplinary university specialist program Urban Studies at the University of Rijeka. In dialogue with the central Biennale theme, Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective., the pavilion investigates how recognizing and analyzing errors can contribute to the development of collective intelligence under non-ideal conditions.

Coping with Extreme Heat: How Cities are Confronting the Heatwave in Eastern and Southern Europe

Maria-Cristina Florian — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 06:30:00 +0000

Eastern and Southern Europe is enduring a severe heatwave, with temperatures reaching over 40 degrees Celsius in many countries including Greece, Croatia, Macedonia, and Romania. Driven by hot air from North Africa, this prolonged heatwave has raised significant threats for residents and has strained the cities’ mechanisms for protection and climate mitigation. As the heatwaves expose the vulnerabilities of urban infrastructures, cities across Europe are striving to implement measures to address these challenges.

South Korea’s Longest Art Gallery Bridge and a Brutalist Congress Center in Croatia: 8 Competition-Winning Projects Submitted by the ArchDaily Community

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 07:30:00 +0000

Architectural competitions are valuable learning tools, offering architects a unique opportunity to experiment and expand their creative boundaries. By engaging with real-world challenges and receiving critical feedback, participants gain practical experience and a deeper understanding of the profession. Whether conceptual or not, competitions foster innovation, encouraging design professionals to think outside the. This week's curated selection showcases winning competition entries submitted by the ArchDaily community, providing architects and architecture students with new perspectives and inspiration for their own practice, be it diploma projects, professional licensing, or commissions.

A Micro-Home Holiday Resort in Türkiye and a Wine Cellar Visitor Center in Georgia: 8 Unbuilt Tourist Facilities Submitted by the ArchDaily Community

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Tourist facilities are a significant architectural program as they not only provide essential amenities for travelers but also encapsulate the cultural essence of a destination. Resorts and hotels experiment with ideas of comfort and leisure, restaurants bring visitors into the local culinary culture, while wineries merge craftsmanship, tradition, and modernity. Visitor centers are another facility often provided for travelers, serving as gateways to exploring the city. Besides their flexible program, these architectural interventions most often strive to relate and harmonize with the local context to enrich the narrative of the space and create a memorable experience for every visitor.

A Caravan House in Greece and an Ecological Oasis in Mexico: 9 Unbuilt Residences Designed Around Nature Submitted by the ArchDaily Community

Nour Fakharany — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 04:00:00 +0000

As the world becomes increasingly urbanized, the relationship between nature and design has taken on a renewed significance. Residential design projects that intertwine with natural elements are shown to encourage a sense of tranquility in the inhabitants and the surrounding environment. Moreover, the integration of greenery, specifically through gardens, flourishing landscapes, or complete forest and hillside integrations, can be a powerful testament to the coexistence of human habitation and the natural world.