Tag: accessibility | ArchDaily

Expanding the Meaning of Accessibility: Designing for Assisted Care in Public

Agustina Iñiguez — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 06:45:00 +0000

As a fundamental human right, inclusion requires that all people—regardless of their backgrounds, abilities, or circumstances—are recognized and respected, with equal access to the same resources and opportunities. For many people with disabilities and their caregivers, accessible washrooms still fail to provide what is most essential: a safe, private, and dignified place for assisted changing. While many facilities comply with ADA and ICC accessibility standards, conventional washroom layouts often do not accommodate users who require additional space, time, and support from caregivers. This gap has contributed to the growing adoption of adult changing facilities, which extend accessibility beyond conventional washroom requirements and respond to needs that standard fixtures cannot address.

Getty Center to Close Temporarily for Its Largest Modernization Since 1997 Opening

Reyyan Dogan — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 06:30:00 +0000

The Getty Center has announced a comprehensive modernization program marking its most significant transformation since its opening in 1997. Located within the Santa Monica Mountains and overlooking Los Angeles, the campus will temporarily close to the public from March 15, 2027, through spring 2028 to accommodate the planned works. The initiative focuses on enhancing visitor experience, improving accessibility, and advancing energy resilience, while supporting the long-term stewardship of the institution. Before the closure begins, the Getty Center will continue its program of exhibitions and events through early 2027.

On World Hearing Day 2026: From Communities to Classrooms, Designing for Inclusion

Reyyan Dogan — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 07:30:00 +0000

Every year on March 3, World Hearing Day highlights the importance of preventing hearing loss and ensuring equitable access to ear and hearing care worldwide. Led by the World Health Organization, the 2026 theme, "From communities to classrooms: hearing care for all children," emphasizes early identification, inclusive education, and supportive environments as fundamental components of children's development. As global estimates continue to indicate a rising number of children experiencing preventable or untreated hearing conditions, the conversation increasingly expands beyond healthcare systems and into the spaces where daily life unfolds.

Coming Together and the Making of Place: ArchDaily’s January Editorial Focus

Romullo Baratto — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Long before architecture took the form of walls, roofs, or cities, it gathered people around fire. The simple fire pit was one of humanity's earliest spatial devices: a place for warmth, food, storytelling, and ritual. Around it, space took shape through proximity rather than enclosure, through shared presence rather than prescribed use. The fire organized bodies in a circle, fostered alliances, and turned survival into collective life. Today, this ancestral logic persists: architecture has the potential of bringing people together not by commanding how they gather, but by creating the conditions that make togetherness possible.

Pedestrianisation Initiatives and UNStudio’s Central Yards Theatre in Hong Kong: This Week’s Review

Reyyan Dogan — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 07:30:00 +0000

Across different geographies and scales, this week's architecture news reflects a sustained focus on how cities and buildings are being recalibrated in response to evolving patterns of movement, work, and collective life. Across multiple contexts, public space and mobility remain central concerns, with streets, downtowns, and large-scale developments serving as testing grounds for new approaches to accessibility, resilience, and everyday use. Pedestrianisation initiatives and community-led visions point to evolving governance models and long-term urban strategies, while cultural and research-driven platforms continue to frame these changes within broader public discourse. In parallel, progress on major mixed-use and corporate projects underscores the growing integration of digital infrastructure, environmental performance, and flexible spatial frameworks within contemporary architecture.

Beyond the Walls: 21 Contemporary Interventions in Castles and Fortresses

Camilla Ghisleni — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Castles and fortresses often rise from strategic, commanding positions when standing alone or integrated into urban and rural landscapes. From above, they overlook the city, bearing in their imposing structures the weight of history. With their original functions now limited to contemplation, these spaces have been undergoing revaluation and reintegration into everyday urban life. Once symbols of military or political power, they are now taking on new roles through contemporary interventions that engage with their heritage without erasing their past.

Six Sites Host the Olympic Villages of Milano Cortina 2026 With a Focus on Existing Infrastructure

Reyyan Dogan — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 06:30:00 +0000

As preparations advance for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, set to take place from February 6 to 22, 2026, this edition introduces one of the most geographically wide-ranging configurations ever implemented for the Winter Olympics. Extending across two cities, two regions, and two autonomous provinces, the competitions will be staged over more than 22,000 square kilometres of Northern Italy. Metropolitan venues in Milan are paired with longstanding Alpine centres in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livigno, Bormio, Anterselva, and Val di Fiemme, creating a framework that bridges urban and mountain contexts. More than 90 per cent of the venues are existing or temporary facilities, reflecting a strategy centred on adaptive reuse, selective upgrades, and long-term integration into regional sport and cultural infrastructures. Nearly 2,900 athletes will compete in 116 events, including the debut of ski mountaineering and several new mixed-gender formats that signal evolving approaches to winter sports programming.

Architecture for Everyone: Reflecting on Accessibility on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Reyyan Dogan — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 04:30:00 +0000

Every year on 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities brings renewed attention to the need for inclusive, equitable environments, both socially and spatially. The 2025 theme, "Fostering disability inclusive societies for advancing social progress," highlights how persistent barriers in employment, social protection, and access to services continue to affect more than one billion people worldwide. Within this broader context, the built environment plays a decisive role: architecture can either reinforce exclusion or open pathways toward autonomy, dignity, and participation in daily life.

From Tirana to Monterrey: 8 Unbuilt Housing Projects Reimagining Collective Living

Nour Fakharany — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Collective housing remains one of the most active areas for unbuilt architectural exploration, revealing how architects are rethinking domestic life, density, and shared living across different cultural and environmental contexts. In this curated Unbuilt edition, submitted by the ArchDaily community, the selected proposals investigate new forms of dwelling that span mobile units, vertical developments, adaptive reuse, and landscape-driven residential clusters. Rather than treating housing as a purely functional container, these projects position it as a social and spatial framework that shapes everyday life, community ties, and long-term urban resilience.

From Bangkok to Florence: 6 Unbuilt Public Space Projects Rethinking Community, Ecology, and Urban Identity

Nour Fakharany — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Public spaces remain some of the most dynamic sites for unbuilt architectural experimentation, revealing how cities and architects can imagine accessibility, gathering, and civic identity. In this curated Unbuilt edition, submitted by the ArchDaily community, the selected proposals examine parks, pedestrian corridors, cultural landscapes, and open-access urban environments that invite people to meet, move, rest, and participate in collective life. Rather than treating public space as leftover terrain, these projects position it as essential infrastructure—shaping urban health, memory, and social interaction.

A Bauhaus Bathroom: Design Competition For a Public Restroom at Gropius House

Rene Submissions — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 08:45:00 +0000

Utilitarian and mass-produced, the portable toilet at the Gropius House unexpectedly echoes Bauhaus values. But it was always meant to be a stop-gap solution that is clearly inelegant and does not meet contemporary accessibility standards. It fails to adequately welcome visitors to this iconic property.

Through this competition, Historic New England is soliciting thoughtful, inventive ideas to solve this problem for future generations of visitors.

The competition invites designers to channel the Bauhaus spirit – experiment with materials, push boundaries, and collaborate across disciplines from architecture to landscape to graphics to industrial design – to create a permanent restroom solution and to

Refurbishing Theater Spaces: Adapting Cultural Landmarks for Modern Audiences

Nour Fakharany — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Theaters serve as cultural and social institutions, shaping society by providing spaces where stories of identity, race, and justice are brought to life. These venues foster community through shared, live experiences, sparking conversations that resonate beyond the stage. Architecturally, theaters are more than performance spaces—they are landmarks that embody both the history and future of the arts. Their design often reflects the cultural importance of storytelling, while their refurbishments ensure they remain relevant in a modern context.

OUALALOU+CHOI Wins Competition for the New Casa Sud Train Station in Casablanca

Reyyan Dogan — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 06:30:00 +0000

OUALALOU+CHOI has won the international competition for the design of the new Casa Sud Train Station in Casablanca, Morocco. Based in Paris and Casablanca, the architecture and urban design practice led by Tarik Oualalou and Linna Choi is recognized for its work exploring the relationship between architecture, infrastructure, and public life. The winning proposal envisions the new station as both an infrastructural hub and a civic landmark, addressing the needs of a rapidly expanding metropolis while contributing to the urban and social fabric of Morocco's economic capital.

“It Takes a Lifetime to Build a City”: In Conversation With Mads Birgens From Cobe Architects

Reyyan Dogan — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 06:30:00 +0000

Founded in 2006 in Copenhagen, Cobe Architects has become known for its focus on public life, urban transformation, and strategic master planning. From cultural buildings and public spaces to large-scale urban developments, the office has played a central role in shaping Copenhagen's contemporary identity, particularly through its work on harbor regeneration. Among these, the Nordhavn master plan stands out as one of Europe's most ambitious waterfront redevelopments. During the Copenhagen Architecture Biennial, ArchDaily's Editor-in-Chief, Christele Harrouk, met with Mads Birgens, Head of Urbanism at Cobe, at the firm's office in Nordhavn. In the conversation, Birgens reflected on the evolution of the project since the office first won the open international competition in 2008, and on the broader lessons of designing cities for proximity, diversity, and long-term adaptability.

Form, Function, and a Splash of Pink: Inside the Barbie x HEWI Collection

Eirini Ilia — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 01:30:00 +0000

Barbie™ and HEWI have joined forces to launch a bold sanitary collection that marries timeless Bauhaus design with Barbie's unmistakable pink-hued world. Presented in 2025, the Barbie x HEWI line spans nearly 40 bathroom products, from towel holders to folding support rails, and is designed to be both functional and inclusive. With a focus on individuality and accessibility, the collaboration reimagines the bathroom as a space where design meets diversity, whether installed in boutique hotels, private homes, or healthcare facilities. Rooted in HEWI's German design legacy and Barbie's global cultural influence, the series invites users to experience 'Design with Unlimited Possibilities.'

How Can Public Space Be Designed for the Neurodiverse Community?

Enrique Tovar — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 07:30:00 +0000

The noise of overlapping conversations, the flashing lights of a billboard, hurried footsteps on the sidewalk, and the constant hammering of a nearby construction site: public spaces are sometimes experienced as environments where stimuli accumulate and often overwhelm us. Each person perceives and responds to these sensory inputs differently, and recognizing neurodiversity means understanding that some individuals require more time to adapt, slower-paced journeys, or more gradual interactions with their surroundings. These encounters raise fundamental questions about contemporary public space: how can it accommodate the diversity of ways people perceive and inhabit it? How can we envision it as a space that embraces all ways of experiencing it?

Inclusive Playgrounds: Every Body Can Play Through Architecture

Enrique Tovar — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Play extends beyond its recreational dimension, unfolding as a social act that encourages children to learn, interact, be creative, and engage with their spatial context. As Johan Huizinga notes in Homo Ludens, it is a fundamental element of culture, where kids form bonds and explore ways of coexisting. When the architecture of play spaces excludes certain bodies or modes of participation, the collective experience becomes fragmented and loses part of its meaning. Designing with inclusion in mind, therefore, means recognizing that the actual value of play lies in its potential to be shared by everyone.

Studio Gang Unveils Design for Colorado 150 Pedestrian Walkway in Downtown Denver

Reyyan Dogan — Mon, 26 May 2025 06:30:00 +0000

Studio Gang, led by Jeanne Gang, has revealed its design for the Colorado 150 Pedestrian Walkway, a new civic infrastructure project commissioned by Governor Polis and the America 150-250 Commission. Spanning 11,000 square feet, the walkway is conceived as both a connective urban thread and a commemorative landscape, marking the 150th anniversary of Colorado's statehood. Strategically sited in downtown Denver, the intervention links key public spaces and monuments, enhancing pedestrian accessibility while fostering a layered experience of art, culture, and history. Set to be completed by July 2026, various features, such as viewing platforms, monuments, new public artworks by Colorado-based artists, play areas, and interpretive elements, aim to invite users to explore, gather, and reflect along the route.