Videos

Habitat X is part of an ongoing research initiative developed over more than 12 years, led by Argentine architect Alejandro Borrachia, involving over 100 professors, students, and graduates from the University of Morón – School of Architecture and Design (UM-ESAD) alongside multidisciplinary actors and strategic partners from both the private and public sectors. Focusing on theoretical inquiry and the physical realization of a series of prototypes, the project engages with a specific program based on contemporary societal concerns and needs, connecting with processes, hypotheses, and case studies that spark unprecedented disciplinary shifts.

César Portela, an architect born in Pontevedra in 1937, has been awarded the Gold Medal of Architecture, one of the most prestigious distinctions in Spain's architectural profession. Established by the Superior Council of Colleges of Architects of Spain (CSCAE) in 1981, this award recognizes individuals and institutions whose work enriches architectural practice.

Minimaforms Presents The Order of Time at the Architectural Association School of Architecture Gallery. It is an immersive installation aimed to connect the preoccupations of physics, art, and architecture by revealing the ordering of spaces and constructed relationships through direct experience.

Three Sculptural installations are the highlight of the exhibition. Spherical organizations deployed through mathematical logic and designed to extend space within reflective light boxes, gifting its viewer a new immersive moment at every turn. ArchDaily had the chance to engage in a conversation with Theodore Spyropoulos; Artist & Architect at Minimaforms and Director of the Architectural Association’s Design Research Lab, on issues that tackled the interdisciplinary nature of architecture, the creative process of the installation, and how it influences the creation of spaces, buildings & cities.

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Every two years, starting in 1998, the Saint-Gobain International Gypsum Trophy has awarded the most recent developments for quality craftsmanship in drywall systems and plastering. This year, the 13th edition of the Gypsum Trophy took place in Athens on April 28th, 2023. From the Americas to Asia, from Europe to Africa, 73 projects from 27 countries competed in six categories to win one of the 15 prizes of the competition.

Participating contractors combine their know-how and creativity with Saint-Gobain plaster and dry lining systems to carry out high-performance projects. Whereas some are built on existing historical structures, others create something completely new. Similarly, some projects were completed with the help of over a thousand employees/teammates, while others by just a few.

See this year's winners below, as well as the details of the Awards.

Architect Tadao Ando has been commissioned to design this year’s Costume Institute exhibition highlighting the work of Karl Lagerfeld. The opening of the exhibition titled “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” was marked by the world-renown Met Gala, a fundraising event attended by celebrities and personalities perceived to be culturally relevant in the fashion scene. Perceived as a thematic and conceptual essay on Lagerfeld’s work, rather than a traditional retrospective, the exhibition aims to illustrate the designer’s method of creative expression and its significance in the industry.

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Identity is a complex, constantly evolving concept—a social construct built from historical elements, cultural factors, circumstances, and phenomena manifested in a specific place. In Mexican architecture, this identity is reflected in works conceived through the vision of artists and architects like Diego Rivera and Agustín Hernández. In projects such as the Anahuacalli Museum and Casa en el Aire, they captured the colossal proportions, symmetry, and simple forms of Mexico's pre-Hispanic past. Similarly, distinctive attributes, such as the folklore of traditions, are reflected in the sensitive use of color in the work of Luis Barragán and Javier Senosiain, creating a rich amalgam of artistic expressions that embody Mexican architectural identity in its diversity and ongoing evolution.

Organized and hosted by the European Cultural Centre (ECC), a non-profit organization committed to promoting culture through international exchanges, the sixth edition of the Time Space Existence exhibition "will draw attention to the emerging expressions of sustainability in its numerous forms, ranging from a focus on the environment and urban landscape to the unfolding conversations on innovation, reuse, community, and inclusion.".

Architects, designers, artists, academics, and photographers, from 52 different countries will come together to explore and contemplate the philosophical concepts of Time, Space, and Existence, through different mediums and from diverse perspectives. Highlighting a total of 217 projects, the exhibition will run from the 20th of May until the 26th of November, 2023, at Palazzo Bembo, Palazzo Mora, and the Marinaressa Gardens, in Venice, during the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale. Throughout the six months of opening, the show will be complemented by a program of talks, conferences, and workshops.

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The skin absorbs matter, and the world is contemplated, touched, heard, and measured through our bodily existence. Juhani Pallasmaa, a Finnish architect known for propagating sensory architecture, defends the notion that, unlike vision, touch is the sense of proximity, becoming a main axis by covering the entire body. It is a fact that, when speaking of touch, the first image that comes to mind is usually contact with hands. However, there are other ways to feel architecture that can be developed in projects, such as the touch of bare feet on a particular surface.

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The legacy of the Modernist movement is a complicated one. Spanning a diverse assortment of fiercely debated sub-categories and styles, the Modernist style has established its presence in virtually every continent. Although the movement's origins may be rooted in Europe and the U.S., outside of the Eurocentric canon architects have redefined and re-established the definition of a "Modernist" building. In Sri Lanka, for example, architect Geoffrey Bawa's sensitive, nature-inspired architectural responses gave rise to the "Tropical Modernism" label. Over in the African continent, it is in the East-African country of Tanzania that some highly unique examples of Modernist architecture are found – headed by architects Anthony Almeida and Beda Amuli.

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This article was originally published on Common Edge.

This year marks the centennial of the first edition of Vers Une Architecture, Le Corbusier’s epoch-making book. Though a new English translation appeared in 2007 to much acclaim, most other practicing architects read the first English edition that appeared in 1928, entitled Towards a New Architecture. Comparing the three editions is instructive, particularly in one crucial respect: the insertion of the word “new” in the title. The book wasn’t really about new architecture, because very little of it showed buildings in the International Style. Instead, it was in many respects a clever diatribe intended to convince Europeans that they had no choice but to renounce every kind of architecture that had been built before the Great War and begin anew. It was remarkably successful in fulfilling that aim.

Housing is not just the place where we live. It is a reflection of our society, our culture, and our aspirations. It is a space that influences our quality of life, our health, and our well-being. And in a world changing at an unprecedented pace—where technology advances by leaps and bounds, population grows, and resources become scarce—it is crucial to reflect on how we inhabit our homes and how we can make them better.

Throughout the month of April, ArchDaily opened up the debate on the topic of contemporary housing. We extended an invitation to our readers to join the discussion on its current state and future. After reviewing an immense number of comments and opinions from construction professionals, students, and architecture enthusiasts alike, we were surprised to find a strong consensus: above all, contemporary housing speaks as much to adaptability, innovation, and diversity as it does to real estate speculation, a lack of adequate public policies, and economic inequality. Read the main viewpoints in detail below.

On April 26, 27, and 28 of this year, the "FESTA Visiones" architecture festival took place in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, marking the return of in-person activities and the revitalization of events. To this end, the Architecture Committee of the Tecnológico Nacional de México Campus Los Mochis and the Colegio de Arquitectos del Norte de Sinaloa joined forces to resume the region's most important educational event, once again inviting students to learn from national leaders in the profession.

Yasmeen Lari, recognized as the first female architect in Pakistan, has had a significant impact both in her home country and internationally due to her innovative and socially conscious approach to architecture. Through a systemic approach, Lari’s work takes into consideration local culture, site-specific opportunities, and challenges. Born in Pakistan in 1941, Yasmeen Lari moved to London with her family at the age of 15. After graduating from Oxford Brooks School of Architecture, she returned to Pakistan at the age of 23 to establish Lari Associates with her husband, Suhail Zaheer Lari. The couple settled in Karachi. Here, she began to study Pakistan’s ancient towns and the vernacular architecture of earth buildings, igniting her interest in the architectural heritage and traditional techniques of her country. In 1980, she co-founded the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan with her husband, becoming instrumental in the preservation of her country’s rich cultural heritage.

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By operating in closed cycles, circular design goes beyond the traditional linear concept of "extracting, producing, consuming and discarding", and seeks to create more sustainable and efficient systems throughout the life cycle of a product. Through the principles of reduction, reuse, recycling and regeneration, it can minimize the environmental impact of a product from the very first stages of its life: with the choice of more sustainable, durable materials; by minimizing waste during production; by promoting reuse and repair during its use; and at the disposal phase, with the efficient recycling of materials that can be reintroduced to the production chain. The adoption of circular design has gained strength in the industry, but despite the many advances and initiatives, it is still rare to see concrete examples of its implementation.

The Architectural League of New York has announced the winners of its 42^nd cycle of the Architectural League Prize for Young Architects + Designers. The theme for this edition of the competition was “Uncomfortable,” asking young designers to contemplate their position while wrestling with many uncomfortable responsibilities, like challenging traditional paradigms, dismantling architectural legacies, grappling with the costs of comfort, or responding to rising ecological concerns.

Established in 1981, the competition is open to young architects and designers in an effort to recognize the visionary work of young practitioners. This year’s theme was developed by the 2023 Young Architects + Designers Committee, which included recent League Prize winners Jose Amozurrutia, Germane Barnes, and Jennifer Bonner. The jury included the committee in addition to Barbara Bestor, Wonne Ickx, Kyle Miller, and Tya Winn.

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From April 20 to 30, the second edition of the Model: Festival d'Arquitectures de Barcelona took place, debuting a new theme, Radical Empathy, and a new location, the surroundings of the new Parque de las Glorias. This year, managed by the Fundació Mies van der Rohe, the event turned the city into a laboratory of experimentation and dissemination of architectural and urban thought, providing an opportunity to rethink new models and new imaginations of the city.

During the 10 days of the festival, 5 temporary installations were presented as a tool to build a more sustainable, fraternal, and fair city. Among the proposals, we could find a breastfeeding area designed by Equal Saree, the roof of a parking lot transformed into a mushroom structure by Harrison Atelier, and a surface that provides information about the benefits and disadvantages of the city's air created by Daryan Knoblauch, among others. At the same time, a series of 4 digital architectures and augmented realities were added, incorporating new experiences and technologies.

The city of Panama has been experiencing an architectural rebirth. Buildings that have become outdated and deteriorated over time are now being renovated, restored, and modernized - and one of the main offices carrying out this task is Sketch, an architecture studio that defines itself as "energetic, multidisciplinary, and a firm believer that design should be both smart and fun."

Their renovation and remodeling projects, such as the STEPS Dance Academy, the DiabloRosso Gallery, and the mixed-use building La Moderna, are clear indications of this transformative spirit that revolves around efficiency and relevance. Learn about these projects in detail below.

The UIA World Congress of Architects 2023 is an invitation for architects from around the world to meet in Copenhagen July 2 – 6 to explore and communicate how architecture influences all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For more than two years, the Science Track and its international Scientific Committee have been analyzing the various ways in which architecture responds to the SDGs. The work has resulted in the formulation of six science panels: design for Climate Adaptation, design for Rethinking Resources, design for Resilient Communities, design for Health, design for Inclusivity, and design for Partnerships for Change. An international call for papers was sent out in 2022 and 296 of more than 750 submissions have been invited to present at the UIA World Congress of Architects 2023 in Copenhagen. ArchDaily is collaborating with the UIA to share articles pertaining to the six themes to prepare for the opening of the Congress.

In this first feature, we met with the Head of the Scientific Committee Mette Ramsgaard Thomsen, Professor and Head of the CITA (Centre for IT and Architecture), Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture, Design and Conservation who is also co-chairing the panel design for Rethinking Resources with Carlo Ratti, Professor and Director of the Senseable Lab, MIT, Founding Partner of CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati.

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Adequate housing, and everything it encompasses in a broader sense, is one of the essential principles of humanity, established by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, according to statistics from the United Nations (UN), 150 million people experience homelessness worldwide, and 1.6 billion live in inadequate housing conditions. The housing crisis is a multifaceted issue faced in different ways and on different scales by many cities across various countries and continents. One of its most difficult and complex aspects is precisely the deprivation of this basic right, affecting people in diverse ways and for different reasons.

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Ahead of the ninth edition of Open House Madrid, the dates for this international architecture and city festival have recently been announced. Year after year, the event renews itself, inviting visitors to discover a city in constant change through its architecture. From September 21 to 24, 2023, Open House Madrid will take place throughout the capital, as well as in nearby urban areas, with the goal of promoting and showcasing the city's architectural heritage.

Contemporary Indian design culture can aptly be described with one word - fusion. A close look at the trends in fashion, cinema, music, and art soon reveals the country’s aspirations as a globalized nation. Reveling in a new era, India’s art and design appear as a combination of influences from traditional life and the Western world. A “neo-Indian” image informs multiple forms of cultural expression, including architecture and interior design. As Indians and Indian architecture carve the country's place in the world, a new design trend flourishes - one that is driven by modern lifestyles, international influences, a colonial past, and a desire to stay connected to its roots.

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While most architectural critics and theorists agree that architecture can only really be learned on site –by experiencing its volumes, textures, sounds and smells– hardly anyone would have the time and resources to see all the projects they would like to in person. Ways of documenting a building or a city have aroused the curiosity of painters, photographers and artists throughout history. From the traditional classical portrait with perfectly adjusted proportions to disruptive forms such as Michael Wesely's long exposure images, Heinz Emigholz's experimental film set, or Tuca Vieira's Photographic Atlas of the city of São Paulo, there are myriad ways to portray the built environment. 360° cameras bring yet another set of possibilities to documenting architecture and urban scenes. We spoke to Romullo Fontenelle, architect and architectural photographer, who tested the new RICOH THETA X 360° camera and provided an account of how this technology can improve the efficiency and precision of his design processes.

Designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, a new building for Istanbul Modern, Türkiye’s first museum of modern and contemporary art, will open to the public on May 4th, 2023. The official opening ceremony of the museum is set to take place at a later date. The museum, measuring over 10,500 square meters, is located on the Karaköy waterfront, a historic district at the intersection of the Bosphorus and Golden Horn. The new building offers spaces for temporary exhibitions, interdisciplinary educational programs, film screenings, and an extensive art collection.

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Videos

Today, it is essential to integrate strategies that help limit the emissions generated by buildings over their lifespan into design and functionality concepts to mitigate climate change. Consequently, reducing embodied carbon in construction has become an urgent priority, and industry professionals are increasingly taking this into account to build with a smaller carbon footprint, alongside the principles of circularity, sustainable development, and energy efficiency.