Tag: al-a | ArchDaily

Archiving the Technosphere: How Museum Architecture Mediates Human-Made Systems

Susanna Moreira — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Far from the perception of the exhibition space as a sterile and untouchable, almost sacred place, the contemporary technology museum has emerged as a performative participant in the systems it seeks to document. The architecture of these institutions has become increasingly fluid and bold, often mirroring the velocity and complexity of the systems it houses. They operate as mediators between the human, the ecological, and the technological realms, transforming from encyclopedic warehouses into active educational engines. By spatializing complex scientific data through immersive rooms, these structures make the technological networks of our world accessible, engaging, and tangible.

Dallas City Hall Debate and ZHA’s Symphony Tower in Dubai: This Week’s Review

Reyyan Dogan — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 06:30:00 +0000

Across cultural districts and civic centers, this week's architectural developments highlight how institutions and city governments are reshaping their futures amid shifting environmental, social, and economic pressures. New museum and opera projects signal ongoing commitments to expanding public cultural infrastructure, while the debate surrounding Dallas' modernist City Hall illustrates the tensions that arise when questions of heritage meet rising maintenance demands and redevelopment pressures. At the same time, municipalities are advancing new regulatory tools to confront climate challenges, from electrification standards in Sydney and Boston to mobility restrictions and emerging forms of urban diplomacy. These developments reflect an increasingly complex landscape in which architectural environments evolve through a combination of cultural ambition, environmental targets, and shifting models of public decision-making.

A Look at the First 10 Editions of the MPavilion in Melbourne, Australia

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 06:30:00 +0000

The MPavilion represents one of the most important architectural events happening annually in Melbourne, Australia. Initiated and founded by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation, the event was first launched in 2014 and has since brought internationally recognized architects to design a temporary structure in Melbourne's Queen Victoria Gardens in a system similar to London’s Serpentine Gallery Pavilion. From Sean Godsell's solar-actioned panels to Studio Mumbai‘s experimental bamboo structure, each pavilion explores craftsmanship and contemporary design while fostering a rich cultural program for several months before being disassembled and donated to one of the city’s parks. As the latest pavilion was recently inaugurated by Tadao Ando, we look back at the previous editions of Australia’s most famous annual structure.

London Architecture City Guide: 20 Modern and Contemporary Attractions to Explore in UK’s Cultural and Financial Powerhouse

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 07:30:00 +0000

London’s architectural history is a rich tapestry that weaves together styles of various periods and influences. In the post-war era, the city experienced a surge in modern architecture, becoming a canvas for experimentation. New stylistic movements saw their expression crystalized through buildings such as Richard Rogers’ Lloyd’s Building, one of the most representative examples of High-Tech architecture, or the Barbican Estate, a large-scale housing estate that became the iconic structure for Brutalist architecture.

26 Projects Selected for the European Award for Architectural Heritage Intervention 2023

Agustina Iñiguez — Thu, 18 May 2023 04:30:00 +0000

On the occasion of the sixth edition of the AHI European Heritage Intervention Award, the 26 selected projects within the categories of Built Heritage and Outdoor Spaces have been announced, among a total of 241 projects submitted from 28 different European countries.

AL_A Reveals Design of the New Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall in Serbia

Maria-Cristina Florian — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 06:30:00 +0000

Following an international competition, London-based architecture studio AL_A has been selected to design the new Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall. The project will become a landmark for the Serbian capital, as it represents the biggest cultural investment in the region in the last decades. Located near the historic Palace of Serbia in New Belgrade, the Concert Hall features multiple performance, rehearsal, and creative spaces, including a 1,600 seats symphonic concert hall. The design team led by AL_A also includes landscape designers VDLA, engineers AFA Consult, and local architects Zabriskie. They are joined by Arup, who coordinates the acoustic and theatrical design.

The Architecture of Business: Curating an Inclusive Practice Workplace

Sara Kolata — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 13:30:00 +0000

After my recent interview with Gensler’s Director Harry Ibbs on Leveraging Technological Advancements to Bring Workers Back to Office I decided to cover the topic of a post-covid practice workplace culture from a completely different angle. In search of a more intimate approach, I looked into AL_A, a RIBA 2009 Stirling Prize-winning studio founded by Amanda Levete with directors Ho-Yin Ng, Alice Dietsch and Maximiliano Arrocet. The diversity of the leadership team and their 30+ person workforce brings a richness of thinking and possibility that’s played out in their culture, practice and through their designs.

AL_A Reveals Design of World's First Magnetized Fusion Power Station

Dima Stouhi — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 06:30:00 +0000

UK-based architecture firm AL_A has collaborated with Canadian energy firm General Fusion to develop the world's first magnetized target fusion facility on the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) campus in Culham, United Kingdom. The energy firm wanted to "transform how the world is energized by replicating the process that powers the sun and stars". AL_A's design proposes a first-of-its-kind facility with open spaces and see-through partitions that provides innovative carbon-free energy solutions.

AL_A Unveils New Paisley Museum Transformation in Scotland

Eric Baldwin — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 13:00:00 +0000

Architecture practice AL_A has released its proposal to transform the Paisley Museum in Scotland. The museum is undergoing the transformation to accommodate visitors from Scotland, the UK and abroad. Led by Stirling Prize winn, the team plans to restore and reinvigorate the existing museum. The new design is made to showcase the stories of a Scottish town whose influence has reached around the globe.

12 Award-Winning Women in Architecture From the Past 12 Months

Niall Patrick Walsh — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 09:00:00 +0000

In the 12 months since 2018 International Women’s Day, we have seen many female architects come to fore of the design discourse. From Shelley McNamara and Yvonne Farrell’s curation of the 2018 Venice Biennale to Frida Escobedo's celebrated design for the Serpentine Pavilion, the architectural newsfeeds from the past twelve months have played host to many signs of change in a traditionally male-dominated profession.

RIBA Announces 2018 National Award Winners

Tom Dobbins — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 18:00:00 +0000

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the 49 winners of the 2018 RIBA National Awards. From skyline-altering buildings to sensitive small-scale sculptures, this year’s top projects showcase a wide-ranging selection of scales, featuring designs from Foster + Partners, Hawkins\Brown, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, and Niall McLaughlin Architects.

Porcelain Tiles Add a Sleek Modern Accent to AL_A's Courtyard Expansion at London's V&A Museum

Kaley Overstreet — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 08:00:00 +0000

Completed last year, AL_A's porcelain public courtyard at London's V&A Museum is the largest architectural intervention and restoration of the site in more than 100 years. AL_A also designed a new colonnade and a column-free exhibition gallery. The design connects the space with the neighboring buildings on site, giving the museum a more streamlined sequence between gallery spaces.

AL_A Selected for $55Million Renovation and Extension of Scotland's Paisley Museum

Niall Patrick Walsh — Mon, 21 May 2018 14:00:00 +0000

London-based AL_A has been appointed for their first Scottish commission: the $55million (£42million) transformation of the Paisley Museum. The brief calls for the revitalization of the home of Paisley’s textile heritage, natural history and art and science collections.

Shortlist Announced for Competition to Redesign the Eiffel Tower Visitor Experience

Niall Patrick Walsh — Fri, 04 May 2018 12:00:00 +0000

Amanda Levete is among one of four teams to be shortlisted for a competition to reimagine the visitor experience for the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris. The four teams, chosen from 42 entries, will be tasked with rethinking the ways in which people discover and interact with the tower, working in collaboration with the City of Paris government.

Amanda Levete Architects Unveil Oxford University Addition

Evan Pavka — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 06:00:00 +0000

London-based AL_A, spearheaded by Amanda Levete, have revealed their design for two new buildings at the Wadham College site of the historic Oxford University in England. The Dr. Lee Shau Kee Building and William Doo Undergraduate Centre will provide much-needed space for undergraduate services to support the University's access programs as well as new gathering places for the student body. The firm has been developing the expansion since securing the project after an invited design competition in the summer of 2016.

Amanda Levete Wins 2018 Jane Drew Prize for Women in Architecture

Patrick Lynch — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 14:00:00 +0000

British architect Amanda Levete has been selected as the recipient of the 2018 Jane Drew Prize, recognizing “an architectural designer who, through their work and commitment to design excellence, has raised the profile of women in architecture.”

20 Amazing Images of Architecture as Seen from the Sky: The Best Photos of the Week

María Francisca González — Sun, 24 Sep 2017 12:00:00 +0000

This week we have prepared a special selection of 20 images of architecture as seen from the sky. This style of image, made possible by the emergence of drones, is increasingly used in architectural photography. It makes it possible to understand, in a single image, the totality of a project, and to see how the project interacts with the context in which it is immersed. Read on to see a selection of renowned photographers such as Hufton + Crow, Fernando Guerra, NAARO, and Jesús Granada.

Amanda Levete: Crossing Thresholds is the Essence of Architecture

Patrick Lynch — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 14:15:00 +0000

For me architecture touches on so much of what it means to be human – it touches on society, on politics, on culture. And we need to negotiate all of those thresholds in order to design.