Rio is the World Capital of Architecture. The title was awarded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Friday morning, January 18, during a ceremony held at the organization's headquarters in Paris, and stems from the hosting of the World Congress of Architects in Rio in 2020. This is the first time a city has received this designation—established last year through a partnership between UNESCO and the International Union of Architects (UIA).

Conceived by Tatiane Gonzalez from Ateliê Digital Analógico, "Incerteza Invisível" is a large-scale technological urban intervention in the form of projection mapping, created by an all-female group.

The Unidos da Tijuca samba school has announced the theme for its 2020 Carnival parade at Marquês de Sapucaí: "Architecture and Urbanism." The choice was inspired by Rio de Janeiro's designation as the first World Capital of Architecture by UNESCO, as well as the city's selection to host the World Congress of Architects, an event organized by the International Union of Architects (UIA) that is expected to attract around 15,000 professionals and will take place in July next year.

The results of the International Ideas Competition for Thematic Pavilions for Expo 2023 in Argentina have been announced. Organized by the Central Society of Architects (SCA) and the Association of Architects of the Province of Buenos Aires (CAPBA), and sponsored by the Argentine Federation of Architecture Organizations (FADEA), the international competition invited participants to design two pavilions to serve as exhibition spaces for the Expo's themes.

Blind walls, or facades without openings, are rarely the primary design concept in homes, but rather the result of a need for privacy in certain spaces, especially when the setback from neighboring buildings is minimal or nonexistent. However, blind walls can take center stage in a building's overall composition—whether through the contrast between solids and voids, the enhancement of the wall in other ways (such as the application of paint, texture, vertical gardens, etc.), or, finally, by positioning the blind wall on the front facade. This creates a "role reversal" between the side facades, usually resigned to a lack of openings, and the front and/or rear facades, which normally feature them.

“On Growth and Form”, written by biologist and mathematician D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson [1860-1948], is considered the greatest work of prose in twentieth-century science, highlighting the role of physics and mechanics in determining the form and structure of organisms. The book immediately became a classic for exploring natural geometries in the dynamics of growth and physical processes. Thompson reveals himself to be a great scientist, sensitive to the fascination and beauty of the natural world, writing in a style that led the specialized press to call his work “as much good literature as science; a discourse on science as if it were a matter of humanity.”

Following the social crisis in Chile, ArchDaily began a series of conversations with various urban and territorial specialists to understand its impact on our cities and the contribution of our discipline. On this occasion, we spoke with Chilean geographer Juan Correa, research coordinator at Fundación Vivienda and guest academic at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of Chile.

Architecture, as a design discipline, relies heavily on visual communication. The advent of new technologies and the exploration of new digital graphic representation techniques reflect architects' growing interest in expressive fields. The need to convey a message and embody ideas, narrating the values and reflections that structure an architectural project, places graphic communication tools in a position of particular relevance.

If this intrinsic need to convey information exists within the architectural field, could comics, as a narrative medium, serve as a useful tool for design communication?

Álvaro Siza and Carlos Castanheira have unveiled the design for another major structure in Asia, this time for the Haishang Museum, located in the Jiading District of Shanghai, China. The proposal comprises a museum building and three smaller structures—a pavilion, a tea house, and a bridge.

In 1897, the City of Minas Gerais was founded, later renamed Belo Horizonte in 1901. Aarão Reis's urban plan for the capital of Minas Gerais gave rise to the first modern planned city in Brazil. The orthogonal grid defining blocks, major corridors, and distinct urban zones was inspired by other city models, such as Paris and Washington, reflecting modernizing and republican ideals that shaped the territory's spatial hierarchy.

The curatorial team of the XII São Paulo International Biennial of Architecture, comprising architects Vanessa Grossman, Charlotte Malterre-Barthes, and Ciro Miguel, has been named a recipient of the competitive 2019 Grants to Individuals from the prestigious, Chicago-based Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts. The grant was awarded for the publication of the book Todo dia/ Everyday, the result of the work and research that culminated in the theme of the XII São Paulo International Biennial of Architecture. The bilingual volume will be published by Ruby Press, a Berlin-based publisher specializing in books on architecture, art, and other cultural practices engaged in the production of space in contemporary society.

Following a debate held last Monday (04/08/19) at its headquarters regarding models for public metropolitan planning companies, the Instituto de Arquitetos do Brasil - Departamento de São Paulo (IABsp) expresses its concern over Bill (PL) 01/2019. Submitted by the State Government to the Legislative Assembly, the bill proposes, among other mergers and extinctions of public agencies, the shutdown of the Empresa Metropolitana de Planejamento (Emplasa). Established in 1975, Emplasa is responsible for regional planning and plays a key role in the necessary restructuring of inter-federative governance in the São Paulo Metropolitan Area, aligned with the guidelines of the Statute of the Metropolis, enacted in 2015.

On Friday, October 11, we attended the panel discussion featuring MAPA—the practice based in Brazil and Uruguay, represented by partners Silvio Machado and Luciano Andrades—and Andrade Morettin Arquitetos Associados, represented by Vinicius Andrade. The event was part of the 21st Brazilian Congress of Architects (CBA) held in Porto Alegre. During the panel, the architects presented their respective work and discussed the role of prefabricated construction systems in design development. We also had the opportunity to interview Luciano Andrades, who shared details about the Minimod project. Read the interview below:

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) has opened applications for events taking place this October across Brazil, organized by institutions interested in participating in Circuito Urbano 2019, under the theme "Innovative and Inclusive Cities." 

The magazine Solidarity Housing Production: An International Overview was launched on Monday, November 25, at the opening of the National Seminar on Technical Assistance for Social Interest Housing. The publication compiles the main contributions from the event of the same name, held in July 2018. Organized by architects and urban planners Luciana Ximenes and Thais Velasco, the magazine was produced by CAU/RJ and the Observatório das Metrópoles (Ippur/UFRJ).

Felipe Camus, a photographer who has documented ELEMENTAL's project, shares his reflections on Ochoquebradas.

The exhibition Victims: A Work by John Hejduk materializes the unbuilt work of the New York architect, presented here for the first time by the Leopoldo Rother Architecture Museum at the National University of Colombia. Alongside the scale model of the project, the 67 figures are accompanied by narratives, illustrations, and a short film titled Structures of a Wound.

ArchDaily spoke with Spanish architect Flavio Tejada, director of the Master in Real Estate Development at IE University and associate director at Arup, about the ongoing urban transformation of our cities. "The digital economy is transforming our urban environment," he notes.

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Festival Provincia aims to create a space open to dialogue and the exhibition of civic issues, emphasizing responsible participation in the architectural development of the provinces. Tuxtla Gutiérrez lacks high-quality urban space, with a notable absence of planning and vision regarding project impacts. Furthermore, there is a constant drain of local talent, driven by a myriad of reasons that foster the belief that success is only possible in major cities through large-scale projects.

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The design team composed of the architecture office STVX (Aguascalientes, Mexico) in partnership with María Eizayaga (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and Emilio López (Aguascalientes, Mexico) has been announced as a First Place winner (one of five awarded) in an open international architecture competition launched by the Russian Federal Government and organized by DOM.RF and Strelka-KB.

The Open International Competition for Alternative Layout Design in Standard Housing is designed as a testing ground for creating the apartments of the future. The requirements for submissions reflect the principles that define standard housing, including flexibility, usability, and stability. The goal is for the proposed planning solutions to help meet modern citizens' needs for comfort, communication, and personal fulfillment.

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As a tribute to Mexico's rich and diverse chromatic palette, the Museo del Objeto del Objeto (MODO) presents its new temporary exhibition: “Mexico in Color,” curated by Ana Elena Mallet and Mariano Marroquín. The exhibition offers a cultural review of color perception in Mexico and its impact on art and design. One of the first experiences visitors will encounter is the conceptualization of color in folk art to forge identity. Subsequently, this element is adopted as a defining feature in the arts and, ultimately, as a driving force for the country's modernization.

The 12th São Paulo International Architecture Biennial, on view at the Centro Cultural São Paulo until December 8, includes in its program the screening of two documentaries and a performance that reveal the struggle for housing in São Paulo, focusing particularly on the history and tragic fate of the Wilton Paes de Almeida Building, which collapsed after a fire on May 1, 2018.

Starting tomorrow, April 8, the London city government will implement strict emission rules for pollutants and particulate matter in the central area of the city. The goal is to reduce air pollution levels. According to London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the measure could help reduce the incidence of lung disease and premature deaths related to air pollution. Official estimates suggest that around 9,000 people die annually in the city from pollution-related illnesses.

The Museo Casa de la Memoria is located in Medellín's Boston neighborhood and was developed to commemorate the bicentennial of Colombia's independence. Led by Juan David Botero as the design team coordinator, the project was conceived from the outset as a highly recognizable building for both the community and visitors, drawing its sculptural form from traditional gabled houses. "It is a museum for the victims of violence, and as such, we had to ensure it was a space for everything; a home, the house where memory comes to life," Botero says.

The 3,800-square-meter cultural facility unfolds along the creek like a tunnel, housing exhibition rooms, workshops, archives, offices, and an auditorium. Its envelope functions as a folded skin, incorporating an air cavity that absorbs cool air, draws it in through the facade, and expels it as hot air at the top. This chimney effect helps control the typical 30ºC summer temperatures of the area, ensuring a stable and comfortable indoor climate. Below, we take a closer look at its sculptural thermal and acoustic envelope.

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