Public and private sector leaders and civil society representatives from around the world gathered at COP26, held in Glasgow from October 31 to November 12, to debate and deliberate on one of the most pressing issues of the 21st century: climate change. The summit centered on four key goals:
The 8th edition of the Arquiteturas Film Festival explored the theme Bodies Out of Space through an exploration of the social construction of space, connected by a thread running through its own narratives of domination. These are also narratives of identity, which is often stripped away or forced to represent our bodies.
The latest episode of Arquicast addresses one of the most defining and tragic events in recent history—an event that triggered radical political, social, and cultural shifts globally, and centered on an American architectural icon whose symbolism transcended the physical buildings themselves, giving rise to one of the world's most renowned design competitions. We are referring to September 11, 2001, the day a terrorist attack killed nearly three thousand people, injured over six thousand, and brought down the World Trade Center commercial complex, which included New York's world-famous Twin Towers.
"Domingos Libro" is hosted by Carmelo from Enorme Studio. Every two weeks, the series delves deep into forgotten architectural publications, books, and magazines from the '60s, '70s, and '80s, uncovering the fascinating stories behind them.
In this eleventh episode, titled "El Huevo" (The Egg), Carmelo discusses the 1978 book *L'Oeuf* by André Bruyère. An obsession with eggs led the French architect to propose an egg-shaped skyscraper for New York and write this book, which champions the ovoid as a fundamental form.
Dear readers, with your companionship, ArchDaily has journeyed through 2020. Throughout this past year, we have continued our daily mission to report on and share global architecture, growing along the way while earning the recognition of architects and the invaluable support of our readers. 2020 has been an extraordinary year. At a time when we cannot gather or meet in person, we rely on the digital realm to send holiday wishes, sharing warmth and connection through online greeting cards. We have compiled the holiday cards we received this year to share with you, our dear readers. Let’s take a look at these creative designs from architects worldwide as we welcome 2021 together.
This September marks the 4th edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial under the title The Available City. It is a perfect opportunity to open up the debate on the role of architecture in urban equity.
This article by Hugo Mondragón and Manola Ogalde (both from the School of Architecture of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile) was originally published in the 29th issue of Dearq journal on 01/01/2021 under the title "Consecration and Exclusion: The Disputed Canon of Colombian Architecture, 1951-1981" (https://doi.org/10.18389/dearq29.2021.08) and is part of a joint dissemination partnership.
Lucía C. Pérez Moreno is the principal investigator of the MuWo - Women in Spanish (Post)Modern Architectural Culture (1965-2000) project. A statistical study broken down by gender, it aims to rigorously document the trajectory of female architects over four decades spanning late Francoism and the consolidation of democracy in Spain. The following interview reveals the relevance of conducting this type of analysis, the arduous work process involved, and its key findings.
Wang Hao (born 1978) is the co-founder of Atelier Anonymous. In 2013, he held the solo exhibition "Free Structure: New Chinese Dwellings" at the Shanghai Design Center, and was awarded the German *Bauwelt* First Work Award in the same year. He participated in the Shanghai Urban Space Art Season in 2015, and exhibited at the 15th Venice Architecture Biennale in 2016. In 2020, he co-organized the "Timber Structure Renaissance" exhibition with the K11 Art Foundation (KCG) in Shanghai, and received the Natural Build Award | Young Architect Discovery Award.
Qiu Zhefeng (born 1979) is the co-founder of Atelier Anonymous. In 2008, he published the book *The Forerunner: China's Future in a Small Town*. In 2012, he curated the "Society" project for the City Pavilions program at the 9th Shanghai Biennale. In 2013, he was invited to participate in the 55th Venice Biennale, curating the exhibition *Shanghai and Venice: City Center, Diankou, Lima, and Palermo*.
In a world that is increasingly polarized and intolerant of differences, Portugal's contribution to the theme of the Venice Architecture Biennale—How will we live together?—sheds light on public space as a stage for opposing forces, the confrontation of ideas, and social coexistence. Entitled In Conflict, Portugal's participation is curated by Carlos Azevedo, João Crisóstomo, and Luís Sobral from the office depA architects, with Miguel Santos serving as associate curator.
We spoke with the curators about some central aspects of the exhibition and the cycle of debates they propose—democracy, conflict, and opposing ideas in urban space.
On March 8, 2021, various demonstrations were held in Mexico City to mark International Women's Day (#8M), drawing attention to and demanding justice for the rising wave of daily femicides across the country. Over recent years, this crisis has triggered major protests, such as those on August 16, 2019, and March 8, 2020, where thousands of women gathered to protest through both peaceful and disruptive actions. These demonstrations transformed public spaces, resulting in damage to streets, public transit, and—most notably during the August 16, 2019 march—the Angel of Independence monument, which is still undergoing restoration. This damage sparked a massive backlash that discredited the feminist movement, prioritizing property damage over the core demands of the protests.
"Domingos Libro" is presented by Carmelo of Enorme Studio. Every two weeks, he delves into forgotten architectural publications, books, and magazines from the '60s, '70s, and '80s that have the most interesting stories behind them.
In this eighth episode, titled "I'm Gonna Be a Rock & Roll Star," he discusses issue 231 (February 1984) of the French magazine L'Architecture d'aujourd'hui, which was dedicated to Jean Nouvel's projects from 1977 to 1983. Among these, an interview with the French architect stands out, where his words are accompanied by staged portraits that fictionalize everything he says in the interview.
The acclaimed architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha, who passed away on May 23, cementing his eternal legacy, granted an interview to Revista América #1, published just over two years ago. In this journal from the Escola da Cidade graduate program, the architect, whose reflections lie at the core of the publication's editorial vision, expands—as he did on many other occasions—the concept of architecture, linking it to geographic and political dimensions.
José Ángel Medina Murua is the curator of the third edition of the Mugak Basque Country International Architecture Biennial — one of the most significant architectural events in northern Spain. Taking place throughout November in Donostia, Bilbao, and Vitoria, the biennial will feature over fifty exhibitions, lectures, screenings, and workshops.
Ahead of the official opening, we present an interview with Medina to discover what lies in store for this latest edition.
As part of the 1st Lima International Architecture Biennial (BIALIMA), the intervention on the San Luis Building, named the Zepita Building - Bicentennial Project, received the highest honor at the 2021 Architectural Quality Competition. This competition sought to recognize exemplary cases of excellence and creativity in buildings across the Lima and Callao regions, selecting 13 winning projects across 8 different categories.
Currently under construction and scheduled for completion in 2022, the Smart 22@ building by GCA Architects is a project that seeks to integrate past and future while reflecting the values of modernity, sustainability, and technology. Located in Barcelona's 22@ district, the building aims to become Spain's first Smart Building, targeted to achieve LEED Platinum V4 certification with the highest score, alongside a WELL Gold certification.
# Red Dot Award: Product Design 2020
# 2019 Archiproducts Longlist
# Selected for the 2020 ADI Design Index Exhibition
When Mies van der Rohe urged us to distill our walls to their bare essentials with his famous adage "less is more," he might not have anticipated that we would eventually grow weary of perfectly uniform boxes. While minimalism remains a dominant design style worldwide, there is a growing desire to inject clever details beyond mere simplicity, breaking its monotony to introduce aesthetic refinement and a warmer atmosphere. This is where Eclisse 40 comes in.
The door frame of the Eclisse 40 series is not only a technical innovation, but it also rethinks the frame as an aesthetic, design, and decorative element. The splayed profile defines the volume, playing with light to create a unique theatrical effect. What was once an invisible, purely structural element—the frame—now takes center stage, turning the door into a prominent feature in interior design with its own expressive power.
"Complete City: La Palomera, Acknowledgment and Celebration" is the installation by Enlace Arquitectura for the 17th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale 2021. The model is a representation of the paths, stairways, and gardens of the La Palomera barrio in Caracas, Venezuela. The message: to recognize the barrio as part of the city.
Smart campuses represent a unique architectural typology of our time. They not only showcase a brand's core technology and identity, but their vast footprint and significant investment also capture public interest, raising expectations for an innovative, interactive destination. In January of this year, construction began on the Midea Shanghai Global Innovation Park. Designed by the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD), the campus spans a gross floor area of nearly 400,000 square meters with a total investment of over 6 billion RMB. It is scheduled for completion in 2024.
Located in the Hongqiao Business District of Shanghai, near the National Exhibition and Convention Center, the campus spans two urban plots. It is bordered by a natural waterway to the east and an urban green belt and the Shenhai Expressway to the west. BIAD conceived a "floating square ring" architectural form that hovers above the site. Both the building's roof and the landscape below are covered in "forests," seamlessly integrating the built volume with the environment. Equipped with Midea Group's proprietary smart building management systems and intelligent products, the campus aims to become a world-class green technology park.
.jpg?1617032224 "Localities with more than 5,000 inhabitants where over 75% of households use bicycles as a means of transportation. Image © Adrián Acevedo")
Throughout history, the bicycle has endured as a means of transportation, evolving in various ways. In recent years (and even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic), however, its popularity has surged, specifically in major cities. In rural areas, by contrast, it has always been one of the primary modes of transportation due to the lack of other infrastructure. In Mexico, there are regions that have historically been highly bicycle-centric. While cycling is often associated with being a trendy mode of transportation, the reality is that its use is concentrated among low-income groups across towns, municipalities, and even entire states. Unfortunately, investment in cycling infrastructure in Mexico remains consistently low.
With the opening of the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale, 60 nations from around the world showcased unique responses to the question "How will we live together?". Neither the pandemic nor its repercussions stood in the way of the curators' creative process. Instead, they treated it as a starting point to explore how the notion of 'living together' has changed over the past year, and how it can help us reimagine better built environments. ArchDaily had the opportunity to meet with Elena Tudela, co-curator of "Desplazamientos", the Mexican Pavilion, to discuss how this innovative material came about and what it means for the future of architecture.
The winners of the Provincial Preliminary Design Competition for the Refunctionalization and Enhancement of Independencia Park in Bahía Blanca (Buenos Aires, Argentina) have been announced. Organized by the Association of Architects of the Province of Buenos Aires (CAPBA D 10) and promoted by the Municipality of Bahía Blanca (MBB), the competition invited architects to develop projects to revitalize the site's facilities and consolidate the park's heritage value.
With a total of 80 entries submitted, the awards and honorable mentions have been announced for the National Preliminary Project Competition for the Technology-Educational Hub and Park, to be built on the ArcelorMittal Acindar site in the city of Villa Constitución, in the southern province of Santa Fe, Argentina. Conceived as an educational space open to the community, the Technology-Educational Hub and Park aims to boost interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and technology in society. The goal is to promote engineering skills and vocations among youth, while showcasing the materials and construction methodologies used by ArcelorMittal Acindar.
The winners of the National Competition for the Master Plan of Ideas and Preliminary Project for the Tenth Section Los Cerros District in Mendoza have been announced. Organized by the Mendoza College of Architects (CAMZA) and sponsored by the Argentine Federation of Architecture Organizations (FADEA), the competition aimed to gather proposals for a Master Plan of Ideas and Preliminary Project to develop a privately owned, publicly accessible urban development.
