Tag: transformation | ArchDaily

Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC Unveil First Phase of Olympia's Transformation in West London

Reyyan Dogan — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 06:30:00 +0000

Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC have unveiled the first phase of the transformation of Olympia, a historic exhibition complex in West London, into a mixed-use cultural destination. Originally opened in 1886, the Victorian landmark is undergoing a large-scale redevelopment that aims to reconnect the 14-acre site with the surrounding city through new public spaces, cultural venues, hospitality programs, and commercial facilities. The opening is marked by the completion of a new public canopy, which introduces elevated pedestrian circulation and serves as a gateway into the broader master plan while framing new views across Olympia's historic roofscape. The intervention forms part of a broader master plan that will be implemented through 2026 and 2027.

Designs Unveiled for New York City's Penn Station by PAU and HNTB-HOK

Reyyan Dogan — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 06:30:00 +0000

The Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU), in collaboration with HNTB and HOK, has been selected as the design team for the redevelopment of New York City's Penn Station. The project is part of an ongoing effort to reorganize and expand one of the busiest rail transportation hubs in North America, aiming to improve passenger circulation, increase capacity, and upgrade the station's existing infrastructure. Design and development work is currently underway, with construction anticipated to begin in 2027. Located in Midtown Manhattan, Penn Station occupies the site of the original Pennsylvania Station, designed by McKim, Mead & White and completed in 1910.

La Biennale di Venezia Inaugurates New Home for Its Historical Archive at the Arsenale

Reyyan Dogan — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 06:30:00 +0000

La Biennale di Venezia has inaugurated the new home of its Historical Archive – International Centre for Research on Contemporary Arts at the Arsenale, relocating the institution's archival collections and research activities to a restored complex within one of its principal exhibition sites. The opening introduces a new permanent headquarters for the archive, bringing together facilities for conservation, research, public consultation, and cultural programming within the historic Arsenale. To mark the occasion, La Biennale organized a three-day program of performances, lectures, conversations, and public visits, highlighting the archive's role within the institution's broader ecosystem of exhibitions, festivals, and educational initiatives.

UNStudio Reveals River-Oriented Master Plan for Former Industrial Site in Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Reyyan Dogan — Fri, 29 May 2026 06:30:00 +0000

A former industrial site along the Someș River in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, is being transformed into a large-scale mixed-use district that reconnects the city with its waterfront. Designed by UNStudio in collaboration with Felixx Landscape Architects and Planners for developers IULIUS and Atterbury Europe, the RIVUS project combines urban regeneration, adaptive reuse, landscape design, and new public infrastructure within a single framework. Developed through a public participation process involving local residents, the proposal will transform the former Carbochim industrial platform into a river-oriented district organized around public space, mobility, and everyday urban activity.

Herzog & de Meuron's Nearly Completed Triangle Tower and OMA's Urban Vision for Rome: This Week's Review

Antonia Piñeiro — Thu, 28 May 2026 05:30:00 +0000

This week, we revisited the ideas currently shaping the design of 21st-century cities, with a view toward a longer timeframe than that which characterised modern design. These examples of today's urban design point toward the cities of tomorrow, seeking to reflect collective memory and social identity while addressing the climate challenges we face today. From a new museum in Panama drawing on Latin American architectural tradition to an inflatable installation on Paris's oldest bridge over the Seine, built and not-yet-built projects rescue architecture as a repository of collective memory, while others explore its transformative potential through the lens of contemporary well-being. In this weekly news compilation, we present ongoing projects from Panama, numerous African countries, France, Canada, Italy, Australia, and the United States.

Stefano Boeri Architetti Converts Former Rome Transit Depot Into Multifunctional Civic Space

Reyyan Dogan — Tue, 26 May 2026 06:30:00 +0000

The Rome City Council has approved a Memorandum for the urban regeneration of the Depositi delle Vittorie in Piazza Bainsizza, a former ATAC depot in Rome dating back to the early 1900s. Abandoned for nearly two decades and now privately owned, the site is set to be transformed into a multifunctional complex designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti. The project envisions the adaptive reuse of the former transportation infrastructure through the introduction of cultural, educational, commercial, co-working, and leisure functions, alongside new public spaces and extensive landscaped areas.

Cobe to Transform Former IKEA Warehouse into a New Site for the Museum of Furniture Studies in Älmhult, Sweden

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

The Museum of Furniture Studies was founded in 2017 in Stockholm, showcasing a collection of more than 1,300 furniture pieces by over 44 international designers. The museum's physical location closed in 2022, maintaining its visibility through its Digital Archive for Design Furniture until it was acquired by IKEA in 2024. This week, Danish architecture studio Cobe announced the transformation of a former IKEA warehouse in Älmhult, Sweden, into a new home for the museum. The project involves converting a closed storage facility into an open and accessible space for design while preserving its industrial structure. The building is scheduled to open in early February 2027.

Minoru Yamasaki's Northwestern National Life Building in Minneapolis to Be Converted Into Hotel

Reyyan Dogan — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 06:30:00 +0000

A building designed by Minoru Yamasaki in downtown Minneapolis is set to be converted into a hotel, marking a new phase in the life of the former headquarters of the Northwestern National Life Insurance Company, one of the architect's lesser-known yet formally distinctive works. Vacant since 2023, the building at 20 Washington Avenue South is now the subject of an adaptive reuse proposal that aims to introduce hospitality and public-facing functions. Initial plans were presented in April 2026, outlining a transformation of the structure while retaining its defining architectural features. The project is expected to move forward pending approvals, with a projected opening targeted for 2028.

Orms Appointed to Lead Redevelopment of London’s BT Tower into Hotel

Reyyan Dogan — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 06:30:00 +0000

BT Tower, one of London's most recognizable postwar landmarks, is set to be converted into a hotel. London-based architecture practice Orms has been appointed to lead the redevelopment following the acquisition of the Grade II–listed tower by the American hospitality company MCR Hotels in early 2024. The project was initially expected to be led by Heatherwick Studio, though the practice is no longer involved; Orms will now advance the scheme and is expected to present its initial proposals during a first round of public consultations scheduled for May. Construction cannot begin until the decommissioning and removal of telecommunications equipment by BT Group, a process currently expected to conclude around 2030.

RSHP Wins Competition to Redevelop Rives-Défense Site in Paris

Reyyan Dogan — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 06:30:00 +0000

RSHP has won a competition to redevelop the Rives-Défense site in La Défense, the business district of Paris. Announced during MIPIM, the project envisions the transformation of an 8-hectare site at the western edge of the district into a low-carbon mixed-use neighborhood. Commissioned by Paris La Défense, the proposal is developed by a multidisciplinary team led by RSHP and including Atelier SOIL as co-architect and urban planner, Altitude 35 as landscape architect, Arcadis as engineering consultant, as well as Atelier Franck Boutté, Urban Eco, and Mobius.

SCAPE and BIG Unveil Final Plans for Manresa Wilds on Former Power Plant Site in Norwalk, US

Reyyan Dogan — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 07:30:00 +0000

Manresa Island Corp. has unveiled the final vision for Manresa Wilds, a 125-acre waterfront park planned on a former power plant peninsula along Long Island Sound in Norwalk, United States. Developed in collaboration with landscape architecture firm SCAPE and architecture studio BIG, the proposal outlines the transformation of a polluted and long-inaccessible industrial shoreline into a publicly accessible coastal landscape. Following the receipt of a stewardship permit from Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in December 2025, the project will move forward in phases, beginning with the opening of the 28-acre Northern Forest in spring 2027. Subsequent phases, extending into the early 2030s, will deliver the majority of the restored landscape and the adaptive reuse of the 1960s-era power plant as a year-round civic and educational hub, opening nearly two miles of coastline that have been closed to the public for decades.

Lacaton & Vassal and Emmanuelle Delage to Transform Administrative Center into Mixed-Use Housing and Offices in Vannes, France

Antonia Piñeiro — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 06:30:00 +0000

Lacaton & Vassal have announced the transformation of a former administrative center into a mixed-use residential and office building in Vannes, a medieval town in Brittany, northwest France. The project is part of a State policy to mobilize state-owned land for housing. In 2023, the French State launched a call for expressions of interest for a project on the former administrative complex, which housed several State services, in consultation with the City of Vannes. The winning proposal is a partnership between GReeStone Immobilier and Grand Ouest Immobilier, with an architectural team formed by the office of Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal, winners of the 2021 Pritzker Prize, in partnership with Emmanuelle Delage Architecte. According to the city government, the proposal was chosen with the aim of promoting resilience and limiting the carbon footprint by renovating rather than demolishing.

Call for entries: Transformation of the current Odense University Hospital (OUH)

Rene Submissions — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:10:00 +0000

We are pleased to invite you to take part in an international open ideas competition that marks the beginning of one of Denmark’s largest urban transformation projects: the redevelopment of the former Odense University Hospital (OUH) into a vibrant, urban area in the heart of Odense.

From 2027, the 274,000 m² hospital area will gradually be vacated and transformed into a green, mixed-use neighbourhood with housing, culture, business, and urban life. With approx. 200,000 m² of existing building stock representing more than a century of Danish architectural history, the project places strong emphasis on adaptive reuse, resource-conscious development, and regenerative principles.

King Salman Park Advances Toward 2026 Opening on Former Riyadh Airbase

Reyyan Dogan — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 07:30:00 +0000

Construction continues on King Salman Park in Riyadh, a 16.9-square-kilometre public landscape taking shape on the grounds of the city's former airport. Led by Omrania as lead design consultant, in collaboration with Henning Larsen for master planning and urban design, the project reimagines the centrally located site as a large-scale green and cultural district. Conceived as a new civic core for the capital, the park combines ecological restoration, public programming, and mixed-use development. Initial phases are expected to open in late 2026, with substantial completion targeted for 2027, following a phased construction schedule currently underway.

WEISS/MANFREDI Reveals Updated Designs for La Brea Tar Pits Transformation in Los Angeles

Reyyan Dogan — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 07:30:00 +0000

New renderings released by WEISS/MANFREDI reveal updated plans for the ongoing transformation of the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, a comprehensive redesign that integrates the museum, landscape, and active excavation areas into a continuous public and research-oriented campus. Alongside the design update, the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County (NHM) has announced the creation of the Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research, a new initiative supported by the Samuel Oschin Family Foundation, which advances the site's long-term redevelopment. The transformation project is led by WEISS/MANFREDI as design lead for the museum and park, with Gruen Associates serving as executive architect and landscape architect, and Kossmanndejong (KDJ) responsible for exhibition design. Fundraising efforts are ongoing, with the project positioned for completion ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

3XN’s Sydney Fish Market to Open as Blackwattle Bay’s First Completed Project

Reyyan Dogan — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 07:30:00 +0000

Set to open on January 19, 2026, the Sydney Fish Market marks the first completed project within the broader renewal of Blackwattle Bay on Sydney's inner harbour. Designed by 3XN in collaboration with BVN and Aspect Studios, and delivered by Multiplex, the purpose-built facility replaces the former market with a contemporary structure that combines an operating wholesale fish market with retail, dining, and publicly accessible waterfront spaces. Positioned approximately one mile southwest of Sydney's central business district, the project reframes one of the world's largest fish markets by volume as both working infrastructure and a civic destination.

European Prize for Urban Public Space 2026

Rene Submissions — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:05:00 +0000

The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) announces the 13th edition of the European Prize for Urban Public Space. Since 2000, this biennial honorary competition recognizes the best interventions to create, transform and recover public spaces in European cities. For the first time, in this edition the time limit for works submitted is extended to 5 years (completed between the months of January 2021 and December 2025). The call for entries will be open for two and a half months, from 10 December to 26 February.

The European Prize for Urban Public Space is the only one in Europe devoted
exclusively

In the Blink of an Eye: 60 Light Installations Illuminate a Citywide Gallery for Noor Riyadh 2025

Kiana Buchberger — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 06:45:00 +0000

Noor Riyadh 2025 brought large-scale light installations to public sites across the Saudi Arabian capital, temporarily transforming transit hubs, historic districts, and significant landmarks into illuminated urban environments. From November 20 to December 6, 2025, Riyadh became a citywide gallery of light, motion, and shifting perception. The festival's fifth edition featured 60 artworks by 59 artists from 24 countries, including more than 35 new commissions, responding to the theme "In the Blink of an Eye." Through light as both medium and concept, the installations reinterpreted the capital's rapidly evolving architectural landscape and reflected how perception shifts in spaces shaped by heritage and ambitious urban development.