Tag: monuments | ArchDaily

Lebanon's World Heritage Sites Endangered Amid Ongoing War

Antonia Piñeiro — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0000

Following over two years of systematic destruction of life, habitat, and essential facilities in the Gaza Strip, a new front of war in Southwest Asia was announced on February 28th, 2026. Since then, US-Israeli military attacks have had a human and infrastructural impact on Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Jordan. In the months since, the attacks have only intensified, reaching the deepest ground advance into Lebanese territory in 26 years and leading to mass displacement in the southern part of the country. This latest stage of the conflict marks the sixth Israeli invasion of Lebanon since 1978, resuming a nearly 50-year history of Israeli military interventions in the country. While a ceasefire agreement was supposed to take effect on 27 November 2024 and expire on 2 March 2026, evidence of the destruction of towns and World Heritage Sites shows that it was never truly respected. UNESCO has consistently issued condemnations of "unlawful attacks against cultural property," the latest one responding to the "ongoing escalation of hostilities" on May 29th, 2026.

Stefano Boeri Interiors Restores Southern Ambulatory Areas of the Colosseum in Rome

Reyyan Dogan — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 06:30:00 +0000

The southern ambulatory of the Colosseum in Rome has been restored through an intervention led by Stefano Boeri Interiors, a multidisciplinary studio founded by architects Stefano Boeri and Giorgio Donà, for the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo, focusing on the reconstruction of the crepidine and the repaving of missing sections to reinstate the monument's original ground levels and improve the legibility of its southern perimeter. The project builds on an archaeological investigation campaign that informed both the geometric definition of the intervention and its material articulation.

Cultural Heritage Sites in the Middle East Damaged as War Strikes Historic Urban Areas

Antonia Piñeiro — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 05:30:00 +0000

On February 28th, 2026, the news of the loss of human lives, the operational pattern of military strikes, damage to infrastructure, communication disruptions, and international responses following US-Israeli military attacks on Iran confirmed to the world that there was a new focus of war in Southwest Asian territory. This military conflict has also had a human and infrastructural impact on Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Jordan, with active combat zones in their territories, and the Gulf States, where damage particularly affected US military bases and energy infrastructure. This adds a new site of armed conflict in the area, following over two years of systematic destruction of life, habitat, and essential facilities in the Gaza Strip, reaching a near total of 81% destroyed structures by the end of 2025. These territories are currently involved in the deliberate destruction of their normality, including essential, everyday, and cultural infrastructure of global value. Although information is currently scattered and partial, it is possible to assess some of the damage to cultural heritage caused by this new outbreak of armed conflict.

UNESCO Culminates the Restoration Program of the City of Mosul, Iraq

Antonia Piñeiro — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 05:30:00 +0000

From 2014 to 2019, Daesh (ISIS) occupied and controlled territory in Iraq and Syria, including the northern city of Mosul. UNESCO estimates that 80% of Mosul's historic town was destroyed during this period, which led to one of the most ambitious reconstruction campaigns in recent decades: "Revive the Spirit of Mosul." Since 2019, UNESCO has carried out large-scale efforts to rebuild the city's landscapes and monuments, reconstructing three religious and cultural landmarks and 124 heritage houses, along with other buildings located in the Old City. The program was structured around three pillars: restoring significant heritage, promoting the return of cultural life, and strengthening spaces for education. On September 1, 2025, Iraq's Prime Minister inaugurated three major landmarks: the Al-Nouri Mosque complex, Al-Saa'a Convent, and Al-Tahera Church, marking the completion of the restoration project.

Kengo Kuma Named New Lead Designer for Global War on Terrorism Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Nour Fakharany — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 05:30:00 +0000

In a surprising development, internationally renowned architect Kengo Kuma has been named the new lead designer for the highly anticipated Global War on Terrorism Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The announcement follows the departure of previous designer Marlon Blackwell, who was originally selected in July 2023.

AD Classics: Republic Square / Edvard Ravnikar

Agustina Iñiguez — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 05:30:00 +0000

Republic Square in Ljubljana holds immense historical and symbolic significance for Slovenia. It is located in the historic center of the city and features a blend of buildings with different designs, scales, and dimensions, together with interconnected open spaces, passages, and underpasses. These elements form a multifunctional complex whose construction lasted more than 20 years and underwent several volumetric and programmatic reconfigurations. Visible from a distance and standing out above the Ursuline Church’s bell tower, two prominent office towers rise as part of this work designed by Edvard Ravnikar, the most prominent Slovenian architect of the second half of the 20th century.

Giza Pyramids Renovation Sparks Controversial Heritage Debate

Nour Fakharany — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 05:30:00 +0000

Renovation work on Egypt’s infamous Menkaura Pyramid at Giza has sparked criticism on online platforms over the past two days. Dubbed by the head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities as “the project of the century,” the ongoing renovation aims to restore the pyramid’s original style by reconstructing the granite layer. Initially, the pyramid was encased in granite and lost part of its covering over time.

A Central Square in Greece and a Giant Clock in Germany: 8 Unbuilt Public Spaces Submitted by the ArchDaily Community

Nour Fakharany — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Public spaces are the beating heart of our cities. They act as the hubs of social and cultural activity where people congregate, interact, and escape the clamor of the city. These areas are crucial in determining a city's identity, character, and citizens' well-being and standard of living. Public spaces can define our communities and significantly impact how we live, work, and interact with one another through their architectural designs, facilities, and activities. Furthermore, they provide leisure, exercise, and recreation opportunities, allowing individuals to escape the confines of their daily routines and connect with nature.

Global Monument Design Competition "Goddess of Love"

Rene Submissions — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 09:27:00 +0000

The Global Monument Design Competition for the "Goddess of Love" has been officially launched to create a new symbol for the Valley of Love (Vallée d'Amour) in particular and the city of Da Lat in general. The most outstanding design ideas that express the beauty and significance of love will be honored and realized within the tourist area.

The competition is organized by Thanh Thanh Cong Tourist JSC (TTC Hospitality; HOSE: VNG), a member of TTC Group, in collaboration with the Vietnam Design Association HCMC (VDAS) and the Vietnam Design Award (VMARK). With a global scale, the organizers

Los Angeles Selects Finalists to Design a Memorial to the Victims of the 1871 Chinese Massacre

Maria-Cristina Florian — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 06:30:00 +0000

The city of Los Angeles has selected six finalists for the competition to design a new memorial dedicated to the victims of the 1871 Chinese Massacre. In one of the darkest chapters in the city’s history, on 21 October 24, roughly ten percent of the city’s Chinese population at the time, at least 18 residents, were murdered by a mob of rioters. The memorial seeks to raise public awareness of the 1871 racially motivated mass killing while simultaneously addressing contemporary concerns regarding race, intolerance, and violence. The memorial was first announced in April 2021, and it is set to be built near the site of the massacre and the Chinese American Museum.

Monumental Question: How Are the Places of Memory in the Future of Cities?

Victor Delaqua — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 05:00:00 +0000

What is the story that your city's public space tells? Who are the people honored in monuments scattered throughout it? Issues like these have led to a series of insurgencies in recent years in several cities. The notions of memory and representation have expanded the reflection on which narrative we build in our spaces, a fact that has triggered an urban question for the future: after all, what do we want to remember (or forget) through the symbols that we rise (or destroy) in cities?

Homomonument: The Importance of a Representative Space in the City

Victor Delaqua — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 07:30:00 +0000

While walking through the city, have you ever felt afraid to be yourself? As strange as the question may sound to some, it is a reality for most LGBTQIA+ people, who at some point have been victims of hostility when they were noticed performing outside the "heteronormative standards" of public spaces. If violence comes from social layers that go beyond the designed space, this does not exempt the importance of thinking about projects that can integrate the physical sphere and insert a symbolic or representational factor to include and educate its citizens. This is the case of Homomonument, which for more than three decades, has become a platform for queer celebration and protest in the heart of Amsterdam.

SOM' Finalist Proposal for Canada’s LGBTQ2+ National Monument Features Empty Flagpoles as a Symbol of Collective Trauma

Andreea Cutieru — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 05:30:00 +0000

Canada's Department of National Heritage has announced the five finalists for the LGBTQ2+ National Monument competition, a project meant to honour the community and recall its oppression during the LGBT Purge period. Among the shortlisted designs is SOM's proposal, consisting of an array of flagpoles stripped of their flags, symbolising the trauma, deprivation of culture and concealment of identity that the LGBTQ2+ community was experienced. Designed in collaboration with Rebecca Belmore, Noam Gonick, and HTFC Planning & Design, the design titled Bapiiwin, meaning survival /overcoming in native Ojibwe, seeks to provide a space of remembrance while serving as a symbol of resilience.

MVRDV, Fathom Studio and Two Row Architect Reveal Finalist Proposal for Canada’s LGBTQ2+ National Monument

Andreea Cutieru — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 05:30:00 +0000

Canada’s Department of National Heritage has announced the five finalists for the LGBTQ2+ National Monument competition, a project meant to tell the story of generations of people who have been persecuted, specifically during the LGBT Purge period. Among the shortlisted designs is The Lens, a proposal that turns a symbol of oppression into an identity element and uses the landscape to express the community’s reverberation into society. Designed by a team comprising Canadian office Fathom studio, MVRDV and Two Row Architect, the proposal seeks to express resiliency, creating a space for memorialization and education while providing an inclusive space for the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community.

The Psycho-Geography of the Cretto di Burri

Lilly Cao — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 07:30:00 +0000

In 1968, the small town of Gibellina in Sicily was flattened by the colossal Belice earthquake, a magnitude 5.5 quake that killed hundreds and left 100,000 homeless. Planners were unable to rebuild Gibellina at its original site, so the new city—Gibellina Nuova—was constructed 11 kilometers (7 miles) away instead. In anticipation of the design and construction of Gibellina Nuova, and in the wake of the Belice earthquake tragedy, the mayor of Gibellina called on several artists to submit proposals for projects to decorate the new city. One of the artists was the prolific “polymaterialist” Italian painter and sculptor Alberto Burri (1915-1995).

Built Nature: When Architecture Challenges Human Scale

Hana Abdel — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Going beyond human scale is not a novelty. For centuries, builders, engineers, and architects have been creating monumental edifices to mark spirituality or political power. Larger than life palaces, governmental buildings, or temples have always attracted people’s admiration and reverence, nourishing the still not fully comprehensible obsession with large scale builds.

Materializing the Intangible: 8 Memorials Around the World

Matheus Pereira — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Architecture is often associated with the idea of sheltering, ever since primitive constructions. However, memorials are among the few types of architecture that are not primarily intended to shelter, but to remember. A space that respectfully aims to keep alive the memory of those who have fallen in heroic acts or have been unfortunate victims of cruel historical events, which can, therefore, be perceived as a monument or a building with the purpose of materializing intangible emotions, creating collective memories that can be remembered through time.

World’s First Large-Scale COVID Memorial Designed for Victims of the Pandemic

Eric Baldwin — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Architecture firm Gómez Platero has designed a new memorial to honor those affected by COVID-19. Sited in Uruguay, the monument is made to be an expression of hope in an uncertain time. As the first large-scale monument to the worldwide victims of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project is called the "World Memorial to the Pandemic." It aims to be a space for mourning and reflection that's environmentally conscious and emotionally impactful.