Tag: public-facilities | ArchDaily

Building at the Edge: New York and Hong Kong’s Competing Waterfront Logics

Jonathan Yeung — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Coastal development in major cities has long been a terrain of opportunity and contention—shaped at once by the pursuit of capital (premium views, scarce land, and the promise of reclamation), by civic demands for public access and collective waterfront life, and by contemporary aspirations for sustainability and place-defining urban identity. Precisely because these agendas rarely align, extracting the full potential of waterfront sites is never straightforward.

The Story of Miyashita Park: Resistance, Partnership, and Publicness

Jonathan Yeung — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Urban renewal is inherently fraught—financially complex, politically exposed, stakeholder-dense, and almost guaranteed to leave someone dissatisfied. Precisely for these reasons, many cities default to inertia rather than risk the upheaval that comes with reworking entrenched urban fabrics, their residences, and their dynamics; once the "sleeping bear" is prodded, unexpected complications tend to multiply.

Hilversum Town Hall: Willem Dudok’s Monument to Civic Architecture

Diogo Borges Ferreira — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 07:30:00 +0000

In the Dutch city of Hilversum, a municipal building completed in 1931 redefined the very idea of what a town hall could be. More than a house for local administration, the Hilversum Town Hall became the architectural expression of a community in transformation. With its tower rising above reflective ponds, its brick masses composed around courtyards, and its carefully detailed interiors, the building asserted that civic architecture could unite function with symbolism, efficiency with ceremony.

NYC’s First River-Based, Water-Filtering Pool Takes Shape at Pier 35

Reyyan Dogan — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 06:30:00 +0000

Friends of + POOL has announced the next steps in the realization of New York City's first water-filtering floating swimming pool, to be installed at Pier 35, north of the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges. The project seeks to provide safe public access to swimming in the city's rivers by integrating a custom-designed filtration system into a floating pool structure. Installation at Pier 35 is scheduled for May 2026, when the pool will enter its final phase of evaluation. Public access will be contingent on the successful completion of large-scale filtration testing and the full build-out of the facility for safe public use.

From the Hills of Ghana to the Coast of Italy, Discover 8 Unbuilt Educational Spaces from the ArchDaily Community

Nour Fakharany — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 07:30:00 +0000

As educational institutions around the world adapt to shifting societal needs, the architecture of learning is also evolving. This curated selection brings together projects submitted by the global ArchDaily community, highlighting how architects are rethinking the future of schools and universities through design. These proposals reflect pressing global concerns: the importance of community-centered education, the revitalization of historical buildings and neighborhoods, the integration of natural systems, and the search for spatial expressions that accommodate both formal instruction and informal exchange. Whether situated in dense urban centers, rural villages, or coastal landscapes, these projects respond to specific cultural and environmental contexts while engaging with broader architectural questions about sustainability, access, and identity.

Not Just a Train Stop: The Evolution of Transit-Oriented Developments in East Asia

Jonathan Yeung — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is a comprehensive urban planning strategy aimed at creating dense, walkable, and vibrant neighborhoods centered around public transportation hubs. By seamlessly integrating residential, commercial, and recreational facilities within close proximity to transit nodes, TODs seek to reduce automobile dependency, increase public transit ridership, and stimulate local economic development. Government agencies play a pivotal role in supporting these developments through zoning reforms, easing floor area ratios (FARs), selling air rights, and facilitating public-private partnerships to secure capital for public infrastructure. While TODs have gained global traction, East Asia boasts some of the most successful examples. Conversely, efforts to replicate these models in different contexts—such as New York City—highlight the importance of adapting TOD principles to local conditions, geographical characteristics, and community needs.

An Urban Living Machine for the Common Good: Municipal Services Buildings in Hong Kong

Jonathan Yeung — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 07:30:00 +0000

In Delirious New York, Rem Koolhaas vividly discusses the Downtown Athletic Club, a striking example of how an unassuming building exterior can conceal a vibrant mix of distinct, self-contained programs. Inside the uniform facade of this skyscraper, a private athletic club hosts an eclectic range of facilities—boxing gyms next to oyster bars and interior golf ranges below swimming pools—all segregated yet highly accessible. The Downtown Athletic Club epitomized the dynamism of New York's skyscrapers at the time, showcasing the thrill of capitalism through a selective, inward-focused world of leisure and privilege for the selected. This "machine of programs" operated independently of the external city as an isolated ecosystem within its walls. Yet, one might ask: could a similar model, designed for public use, create a more inclusive, lively community and neighborhood experience? This will activate the building within, instead of only serving the selected elites, and influence and transform the urban fabric and shapes around the building. In Hong Kong, a distant parallel can be drawn with the Municipal Services Buildings (MSBs)—publicly-funded structures that serve the community by integrating diverse functions within a singular vast building mass, much like the Downtown Athletic Club.

Spatial Equity in Urban Infrastructures: Public Restrooms Addressing Women’s Needs

Jonathan Yeung — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 07:30:00 +0000

The design of public bathrooms and changing facilities has historically catered to a generalized notion of user needs, often oversimplifying the complexities of gender-specific requirements and falling short of supporting the unique needs of women. These needs extend beyond biological differences—such as the necessity for more stall privacy and differences in height and body posture—to include cultural factors that influence restroom use and expectations over time.

The European Prize for Public Urban Space Announces Warsaw Park and Porto do Son Beach Design as 2024 Winners

Maria-Cristina Florian — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 06:30:00 +0000

The 2024 European Prize for Urban Public Space has announced the overall winners for the 12th edition: For the General Category, the "Park at the Warsaw Uprising Mound" in Poland by studios topoScape and Archigrest received recognition its ability to honor the site's historical significance; while the Seafront Category prize was given to the "Beach Improvement and Redevelopment of the Harbour Edge" in Porto do Son, Spain, designed by CREUSeCARRASCO and RVR Arquitectos for its careful integration of natural and manmade elements. Selected from a list of 10 finalists, the projects were appreciated for their sensible response to local memory and an understanding of the interplay between various elements that interact with urban life.

Grupo Finca in Cuba: "We Found in the Informality of Our City a Legal Void Where We Can Operate"

Paula Pintos — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Resisting an adverse context and navigating its restrictions, Grupo Finca emerges, a collective that explores the practice of architecture from an artistic and pedagogical dimension in Havana, Cuba. Given the complexity of the country's political and social situation, informal architecture is common: low resources, difficulty in obtaining materials, high costs, and a lack of skilled labor, among other challenges, are some of the obstacles faced by independent architecture professionals. Coupled with the absence of a regulatory legal framework that would allow them to work formally in the labor market or acquire materials and supplies, the construction of contemporary architecture in Cuba is relegated to independent processes that can somehow overcome these barriers.

Building Stronger Communities: The Role of Regional Identity in 7 Multi-Purpose Projects

Hadir Al Koshta — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 05:00:00 +0000

A region's identity is deeply tied to its community spaces. These spaces—whether parks, public squares, or community centers—reflect their users' culture, history, and values. They don't just preserve regional identity; they actively shape how communities engage with their environment, fostering a dynamic relationship between place and people. Community spaces are more than just physical locations; they are vital social hubs that foster engagement, cultural expression, and a sense of belonging. These spaces symbolize a shared identity and purpose.

SOM's 30th Street Station Redevelopment in Philadelphia Breaks Ground

Nour Fakharany — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 05:30:00 +0000

This month, Skidmore, Owings, and Merril's (SOM) $550 million William H. Gray III 30^th Street Station broke ground in Philidelphia. Initially proposed in 2016, the scheme involves a new mixed-use urban district with an emphasis on transit for the 30^th Street Station Precinct. Boasting a vibrant public realm, the initial phase of the plan focuses extensively on renovating the historic station. Designed in collaboration with Gilbane, Amtrak, Plenary, Vantage, and Johnson Controls, the overarching goal is to position the station for sustained growth over the next five decades and enhance the travel experience for millions of annual visitors.

BIG's "Kaktus Towers" Near Completion in Copenhagen

Nour Fakharany — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 05:30:00 +0000

In 2017, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) unveiled its designs for a project in central Copenhagen. The project features an urban IKEA store, a budget-friendly hotel, and residential apartments connected by green spaces. As a significant part of the development, BIG designed two high-rise residential towers known as “KaKtus Towers,” which are linked by a raised public park connecting them. Both towers, with the tallest at 80 meters high, are scheduled to be completed in 2024. A recently released new set of images showcases BIG’s development nearing completion.

First-Ever +POOL to Open in New York City This Summer, with Plans to Expand Swimming Access across the State

Maria-Cristina Florian — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 06:30:00 +0000

New York Governor Hochul has announced a partnership with the nonprofit Friends of + POOL to open the first urban river-sourced swimming facility in the United States. Utilizing + POOL’s design and technology, the 2,000-square-foot plus-shaped swimming pool is set to open in New York City’s East River in the summer of 2024. In 2010, four young designers, Archie Lee Coates IV, Dong-Ping Wong, Jeffrey Franklin, and Oana Stanescu, established + POOL with the goal of providing New Yorkers with access to free and safe river swimming. Now the state promised to invest $16 million to pilot and scale the system, hoping to expand it across the state of New York.

A Waterfront Park as Public Amenity and Climate Mitigator

Martin Pedersen — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 03:30:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Common Edge.

Aedas and GDAD Unveil Design for New Twin Towers and Mixed-Use Complex in Guangzhou, China

Maria-Cristina Florian — Fri, 30 Dec 2022 06:30:00 +0000

Aedas Global, in collaboration with GDAD, revealed the design of a 230 meters tall mixed-use complex comprising of two twin towers and a plaza. The development, located at the base of the Baiyun Mountain range in Guangzhou, China, contains industrial, commercial, and publicly available areas while also including large urban green spaces and panoramic views of the mountains. The massing of the project is inspired and informed by the local topography, with sight-seeing corridors opening up toward the surrounding scenery.

Designing around Debate: The Gender-Neutral Bathroom

Ankitha Gattupalli — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 04:00:00 +0000

“Creating an equitable city implies that every citizen has their needs met”, states architect Wanda Dalla Costa at a time when metropolises were noticing change. Architects and the public have started to acknowledge the gender-driven design of public spaces. Across the world, urban areas have been a site of discrimination and danger to the LGBTQ+ community. Gender is demonstrated in public zones that promote visibility and interaction between people. An arduous challenge lays upon architects and planners to design fair environments and equitable spaces.

From Aristocratic Displays to Eco-parks: The Current Questions and Future Design of Zoos

Kaley Overstreet — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 07:30:00 +0000

Around the world, zoos draw in hundreds of millions of visitors each year. For some cities, they’re major tourist attractions and economic hubs that generate taxpayer dollars and create long-term employment for thousands of people. But beyond these statistics, people have been criticizing the role that zoos play in our society and the way in which we design them that holds the potential a more positive and natural environment for animals.