Tag: editors-choice | ArchDaily

Best Articles of 2025: Plural Practices, Environmental Responses, and an Architecture of Care

Romullo Baratto — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Across recent years, architectural discourse has been shaped by the emergence of new voices, rediscovered territories, and a growing commitment to shared forms of knowledge. These concerns remain fully present in 2025 as ongoing debates that continue to gain density and nuance. Questions of who produces architecture, from which contexts, and under what conditions remain central, increasingly informed by practices that operate collectively, across disciplines, and beyond singular authorship.

2024 Best Articles: Architecture’s New Voices, Rediscovered Territories, and a Spirit of Shared Knowledge

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 07:30:00 +0000

The year 2024, following a period of global uncertainty, saw a complex interplay of challenges and advancements. While geopolitical tensions and the lingering effects of past crises remained prominent, a focus shifted towards rebuilding, with communities worldwide seeking local solutions and ways to advance despite the turmoil. The architectural landscape of 2024 saw a growing exploration of new building systems and technologies, often inspired by vernacular solutions. At an urban scale, spaces are reconsidered for their potential to shift towards more pedestrian-friendly activities, more natural areas, and opportunities for community gathering and event organizing.

Tower of London Competition 1890

Irina Vinnitskaya — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 07:30:00 +0000

While the Eiffel Tower was negatively received at first for its utilitarian appearance, it soon became a major attraction for Paris, France in the late 19th century. It represented structural ingenuity and innovation and soon became a major feat, rising to 300 meters of7,500 tons of steel and iron. Just three years after its unveiling, London sponsored a competition for its own version of the tower in 1890. The Tower Company, Limited collected 68 designs, all variations of the design of the Eiffel Tower. Proposals were submitted from the United States, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Austria, Turkey and Australia. Many of the designs are bizarre interpretations of utilitarian structures, following the aesthetics of the Eiffel Tower, only bigger and taller.

Infographic: The Bauhaus, Where Form Follows Function

Megan Jett — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 05:30:00 +0000

UPDATE: In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus, we’re re-publishing this popular infographic, which was originally published April 16th, 2012.

The 20 Best Articles of 2013

Vanessa Quirk — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 01:00:00 +0000

Why LEED Doesn’t Work in Rural Africa and What Will

Karissa Rosenfield — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:18:36 +0000

Originally published on Intercon, Ohioan and Africa-based architect Charles Newman, LEED AP discusses the pitfalls of LEED in rural Africa. Newman, who is currently working for the International Rescue Committee in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo, is dedicated to the integration of sustainability in communities worldwide. Learn more about his work and travels on his blog Afritekt.

AD Interviews: Ma Yansong / MAD

David Basulto — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 05:05:24 +0000

While we were in Beijing, we had the opportunity to visit an architect who we have been following for quite some time: Ma Yansong, founder of MAD.

ArchDaily 2012 Building of the Year Awards

David Basulto — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 04:35:26 +0000

For the 4th consecutive year, we are proud to announce the Building of the Year Awards. During the past year we continued to grow, reaching over 280,000 daily visitors and close to 70 million page views per month. We also expanded our ever-growing network of architects on social media: 640,000 fans on Facebook, 105,000 followers on Twitter, 40,000 followers on Instagram and more than 100,000 photos contributed to our Flickr group.

2013 AIA Institute Honor Awards for Architecture

Karissa Rosenfield — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:00:44 +0000

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has selected the 2013 recipients of the Institute Honor Awards, the profession’s highest recognition of works that exemplify excellence in architecture, interior architecture and urban design. Selected from over 700 total submissions, 28 recipients located throughout the world will be honored at the AIA 2013 National Convention and Design Exposition in Denver.

AD Interviews: Richard Hassell / WOHA

David Basulto — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 14:30:53 +0000

During the 2012 World Architecture Festival held in Singapore, we had the opportunity to interview Richard Hassell, one of the founders of the highly acclaimed practice WOHA.

Assemblage Wins Iraqi Parliament Competition

Karissa Rosenfield — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:00:28 +0000

Assemblage has succeeded against a prestigious shortlist – which included Zaha Hadid Architects, Capita Symonds, Fevre Gaucher and ADPI – in an international competition for the new Iraqi parliament complex in Baghdad. The $1Bn USD project challenged contestants to design a new, large scale complex amidst the remnants of a partially built super mosque planned by Saddam Hussein (photos of the existing site here).

Rem Koolhaas To Direct 2014 Venice Biennale

Vanessa Quirk — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 09:53:34 +0000

It seems the rumors were true. The Venice Biennale’s board has just confirmed that Rem Koolhaas will be the Director for the next Venice Architecture Biennale in 2014 (to take place June 7th to November 23rd).

Pioneering architecture critic Ada Louise Huxtable has died at 91

Karissa Rosenfield — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 19:35:53 +0000

Ada Louise Huxtable (1921-2013), known as “the dean of American architectural criticism”, has passed away at the age of 91 at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan. Winner of the first Pulitzer Prize for Criticism, Huxtable began her legendary career when she was appointed as The New York Times’ first architecture critic in 1963. Her sharp mind and straightforward critiques paved the way for contemporary architectural journalism and called for public attention to the significance of architecture.

AD Interviews: WE Architecture

David Basulto — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 11:13:26 +0000

WE Architecture is a young firm based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Started by partners Marc Jay and Julie Schmidt-Nielsen in 2009, the practice is focused on public competitions and consultancy, along with teaching at the Royal Danish Academy. The partners studied in Denmark, but shaped their professional career working abroad in New York and Barcelona.

Biological Concrete for a Living, Breathing Facade

Irina Vinnitskaya — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 17:00:42 +0000

The future of design requires thinking innovatively about the way current construction techniques function so we may expand upon their capabilities. Sustainability has evolved far beyond being a trend and has become an indelible part of this design process. Sustainable solutions have always pushed against the status quo of design and now the Structural Technology Group of Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC) has developed a concrete that sustains and encourages the growth of a multitude of biological organisms on its surface.

The Evolution of Elevators: Accommodating the Supertall

Irina Vinnitskaya — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 15:00:48 +0000

Elevators have been around for quite a long time; maybe not those that soar to hundreds of feet in a matter of seconds, but the primitive ancestors of this technology, often man-powered, were developed as early as the 3rd century BC. These early wheel and belt operated platforms provided the lift that would eventually evolve into the “ascending rooms” that allow supertall skyscrapers (above 300 meters) to dominate skylines in cities across the world. Elevators can be given credit for a lot of progress in architecture and urban planning. Their invention and development allowed for the building and inhabiting of the structures we see today.

AD Interviews: Andrew Grant

David Basulto — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 12:05:58 +0000

During the World Architecture Festival, held this October in Singapore, we had the opportunity to interview one of the UK’s most succesful landscape architects: Andrew Grant. On the occasion, the project, Gardens by the Bay, in collaboration with Wilkinson Eyre Architects, was awarded the World Building of the Year Award.

Best of 2012: Most Popular Projects

Diego Hernandez — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000

As probably you were expecting, here are the 10 most popular projects of 2012! Thanks to all our readers and collaborators for this great year. Happy 2013!