Centralbadet public swimming and sports center project in Sweden. Entrance render. Image Courtesy of Plankton Group
Henning Larsen has been selected to design Gothenburg's new Centralbadet, a public swimming and sports facility intended to strengthen the city's network of community and health-oriented spaces. The winning team includes Winell & Jern Architects, Ramboll, and John Dohlsten, Sports Science Lecturer at the University of Gothenburg. Organized by the City of Gothenburg, the competition included teams such as BIG and Wingårdh Arkitektkontor. The new center is planned as a multifunctional public facility that supports both everyday recreation and organized sport for residents of all ages.
When approaching the design of cultural spaces such as museums, performance venues, or places of research and study, architecture and design professionals often have to assemble pieces of a uniquely challenging puzzle in order to make the structure resonate with a variety of visitors and occupants. Hitting the right chord can be difficult, especially when trying to combine forms into a whole that pays respect to a building's intended use while being timeless in its universality.
One way of making sure a sense of culture is omnipresent: adaptive reuse. The practice of breathing life into historic structures has been on the rise in recent years and is particularly well-suited to creating spaces that address and embody contemporary issues while connecting their inhabitants to the past. But it's not just a sense of updated heritage that makes them stand out; adaptive reuse buildings can fight urban sprawl and unsustainable building practices simply by way of existing.
The shortlist for the prestigious BRICK AWARD 26 has been announced, revealing 50 exceptional brick buildings from across the globe. Organized by wienerberger, the biennial award celebrates architectural innovation and craftsmanship in brick and ceramic design, recognizing projects that push the boundaries of material, form and context. This year's selection spans five continents and 21 countries, highlighting the enduring relevance of brick in contemporary architecture; from intimate homes and cultural institutions to industrial facilities and public spaces. Winners will be announced in Vienna in June 2026, with all shortlisted entries featured in the BRICK 26 Book.
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.
The architect behind this vision, Willem Marinus Dudok, was not only responsible for individual buildings but for the broader shaping of Hilversum itself. As a city architect and planner, he designed schools, housing districts, and parks, developing a language that fused Dutch craftsmanship with Modernist clarity. The town hall represented the culmination of this trajectory: a civic centerpiece where urban ambition, material refinement, and human scale converged in a single, coherent form.
We Design Beirut returns for its second edition from October 22–26, 2025, reaffirming the city's role as a vital node in the global design conversation. Set against a backdrop of some of Lebanon's most historically significant sites the five-day design event weaves together architecture, craft, and culture to reflect on themes of legacy, revival, and continuity.
Anchored in empowerment, preservation, and sustainability, We Design Beirut fosters collaboration among designers, artisans, students, and architects — creating a vibrant platform for exchange, connection, and creative expression. It's a space for healing, innovation, and showcasing the region's growing design talent on an international stage.
French-Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmehhas been recognized on the TIME100 Next 2025 list, an annual ranking of emerging leaders and innovators across disciplines. Known for her sensitive approach to context and materiality, Ghotmeh has built an international portfolio that bridges tradition and modernity. In her TIME profile, written by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, Ghotmeh is praised for combining historical awareness with forward-looking experimentation. The acknowledgment positions her as the only architect on this year's list, highlighting the continued presence of design voices in a ranking that typically spans entertainment, politics, science, and business.
September marks a shift in seasonality worldwide, bringing with it a renewed focus on cultural and architectural events that encourage reflection on contemporary global challenges. This week's major news highlighted international exhibitions and design initiatives addressing questions of resilience, urban transformation, and collective futures, alongside new projects dedicated to preserving both cultural and natural heritage. Across continents, biennales, urban developments, and restoration efforts are shaping a broader conversation on how architecture and design can foster adaptation, memory, and coexistence in rapidly changing environments.
Across China, a legacy of vast industrial structures stands decommissioned, as a direct result of the nation's economic shift to different forms of industry. These buildings are defined by their colossal height and deep structural capacity. Today, they present an architectural challenge for contemporary urban renewal and a new topic for heritage preservation. As they become absorbed by growing urban developments, architects are tasked with translating them into functional, public-facing assets. Thus, recent interventions are capitalizing on defining elements such as furnaces and chimneys to help reposition these massive complexes as critical urban landmarks.
For centuries, architecture has been shaped by the aspiration to create a smooth transition between the indoors and the outdoors. Today, technologically sophisticated window and facade systems allow architects to design open, light-flooded room concepts without losing heat. The Solarlux cero maximum sliding window can eliminate the boundaries between spaces, demonstrated most impressively when large-format elements replace building corners. This is a technical achievement accomplished entirely without supports that disrupt the view. cero creates a direct, immediate connection to nature that goes far beyond what standard solutions can offer.
The first images have been released of the completed Athletes' Village for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, following its official handover to the Milano Cortina Foundation ahead of the Games in February. Developed by COIMA and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the project has been envisioned as both a temporaryresidence for athletes and a long-term urban asset for the city. Delivered in 30 months and ahead of schedule, the Village is located within the Porta Romana railway yard, and comprises six new residential buildings and the restoration of two historic structures: the former Squadra Rialzo locomotive workshop and the Basilico building. Together, they provide housing for athletes during the Games, along with 40,000 square meters of community spaces, landscaped courtyards, and three sports courts.
A blast destroyed 40% of the city of Beirut on August 4, 2020. Five years after the port explosions, the UNESCO Director-General visited Lebanon to assess the institution's work in the capital city. UNESCO's efforts have been based on the recognition that the explosion destroyed numerous buildings and historic neighborhoods that were home to a community of cultural professionals, leaving a void in the city's cultural landscape and economy. The organization mobilized international efforts to restore, reactivate, and safeguard Beirut's heritage buildings, schools, museums, and cultural institutions, seeking to provide a comprehensive response to protect the city's cultural fabric. During the visit in September, new restoration and reconstruction programs were announced, including the rehabilitation of the Mar Mikhael train station and Beirut's Grand Theatre, as well as support for cultural industries in Tyre and Baalbek.
Culture is the set of knowledge and practices people use to express themselves and make sense of the world collectively. As Brazilian philosopher Marilena Chauí reminds us, the word derives from the Latin colere, which means "to take care of." In that sense, agriculture means taking care of the soil, while religious cults are the care of the gods. At its core, culture is the creation of symbolic universes, expressed through different languages, including architecture, that weave connections across time. It safeguards the memories of the past while opening new possibilities for the future.
This month, ArchDaily explores The Architecture of Culture Today, asking a central question: How does architecture shape the way culture is produced, consumed, and experienced? This theme examines how architecture both shapes and responds to cultural life — from the permanence of museums, theaters, and libraries to the ephemerality of pavilions, installations, and virtual platforms. It considers the architect's role in curation, scenography, and exhibition design, as well as the portrayal of cultural spaces in film and digital representations.
The Nile Delta, in blue the rise of mean sea level with a 2°C increase above pre-industrial levels, Sentinel data. Territorial Agency: Oceans in Transformation, 2020
How heavy is a city, and what does that weight mean for our collective future? This provocative question guides the 7th edition of the Lisbon Architecture Triennale, which proposes an inquiry into the transformations of urban life and the material, social, and environmental consequences of inhabiting the planet today. From October 2 to December 8, Lisbon will once again host one of Europe's most significant architectural events.
Curated by Ann-Sofi Rönnskog and John Palmesino, founders of the practice Territorial Agency, the Triennale investigates the magnitude of contemporary cities and their planetary impact. Composed of nearly 30 trillion tons of materials, global cities form a dense and intricate web of continuously evolving structures. To unpack these complexities, the Triennale opens itself as a space of learning, curiosity, imagination, and debate — a meeting ground for architects, researchers, artists, and the wider public.
https://www.archdaily.com/1034626/how-heavy-is-a-city-exploring-the-lisbon-architecture-triennale-2025ArchDaily Team
The famous actress Mae West once described a curve as "the loveliest distance between two points." While she may have been discussing the human form, this observation goes beyond physical appearance and gets to the heart of that which comforts and soothes the human psyche in the design of nature.
Rolling hills, the arc of an ocean wave, the fiery glow of dawn on the horizon—these natural forms evoke peace and serenity when observed. As work environments and common spaces are created, it is important that those in design remember that there are very few straight lines found in nature. When soft edges, arched ceilings and radius walls are applied to the interior of a building, the design of nature is brought indoors.
When exposed to heat, the body activates several physiological mechanisms to maintain thermal homeostasis. However, these natural defenses are often overwhelmed in our modern cities.In an urban environment defined by heat-absorbing asphalt, concrete, and a lack of green spaces, these mechanisms become inefficient. If the surroundings are excessively hot, humid, or poorly ventilated—conditions amplified by the Urban Heat Island effect—the core body temperature begins to rise, and the risk of serious complications increases, ranging from cramps and exhaustion to potentially fatal heat strokes.
Since its inauguration this spring, Expo 2025 Osaka has captured global attention from multiple perspectives, demonstrating how architecture can function as a laboratory for exploring solutions to pressing challenges. After 55 years, Osaka is once again hosting the World Expo, with each installation organized around the sub-themes Saving Lives, Empowering Lives, and Connecting Lives. These pavilions take forms that express the identity and values of their region through distinctive architectural languages, forming the central axis of their design. Building on this foundation, some installations serve as laboratories for the future society, utilizing technology to enhance experiences both inside and outside the spaces, transforming the visit through light, sound, visuals, and movement as part of the technological innovation showcased at the event.
Farrells, the London-based architecture and urban design practice, announced earlier today the death of its founder, architect Sir Terry Farrell. The firm highlighted Farrell's commitment to questioning architectural convention and his advocacy for more responsible, contextual, and community-driven approaches to urban development, seeking creative alternatives to wholesale demolition and rebuild. His death follows that of his early collaborator Nicholas Grimshaw, with whom he founded the Farrell/Grimshaw Partnership in 1965. Together they produced functionalist, modern buildings defined by their structural clarity, before Farrell established his independent voice as one of the leading figures of British Post-Modernism, designing some of the movement's most recognisable works, including London's MI6 Building and the TV-am studios in Camden.
What is the link between architecture and pastry? What design strategies are applied in the contemporary interiors of bakeries and pastry shops? While architecture can serve as inspiration for the design of forms and configurations of edible elements, it also contributes the techniques of descriptive drawing, architectural composition, and staged planning to the culinary language. Focusing their thinking on people and their needs, both disciplines strive for precision, with interior design being a broad field where the use of figures, colors, materials, and various equipment can be explored to enhance user experiences.
"The public square and civic infrastructure are the front lines against this kind of attack", proclaimed then-President of the American Institute of Architects, Thomas Vonier. The decades since 9/11 and mass violence have pressured cities, in the United States and globally, to reconsider what "safety" means. Is it about barriers, bollards, surveillance? Or is it about trust, visibility, evidence, resilience? Several projects confront these questions at various scales to demonstrate how architecture and forensic thinking can collectively protect communities and civic life.
With “The Rock”, fittings manufacturer Dornbracht presents its first Atelier Edition. The clear lines of the classic MEM meet expressive rock–shaped handles made of solid metal, and finished in Brushed Dark Platinum. Image Courtesy of Dornbracht
In an era of digital precision, AI automation, and mass reproducibility, the value of the human craftmanship is being reimagined rather than lost. It's in this intersection between machine logic and material intuition that Dornbracht, the German manufacturer renowned for sculptural fittings, launches The Rock, the debut piece of its new Atelier Editions.
Inspired by the primal force of natural stone, The Rock is a faucet handle that is a tactile, expressive object that restores individuality and sensuality to the contemporary bathroom and kitchen landscape. Revisiting the iconic MEM series, the design introduces a bold, organically shaped handle, milled from solid metal with artisanal hand-finishing. Each piece becomes a singular creation, where industrial precision meets the intimacy of craft.
The first phase of the Barbados National Performing Arts Centre, designed by Adjaye Associates, has officially opened in Bridgetown, marking the commencement of a significant cultural initiative. Originally conceived as a temporarypavilion for Carifesta XV, the timber structure serves as both a functional venue for performances and the foundation for the forthcoming 85,000-square-foot permanent complex, slated for completion in 2026. Developed in collaboration with structural engineer StructureCraft, the project features mass timber construction, low-carbon design strategies, and adaptive reuse of components. This approach provides Barbadians with a "meanwhile use" venue while laying the groundwork for a future national hub within the Barbados Heritage District.
The Brazilian Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, open since May 10, 2025, is curated by Plano Coletivo, a group formed by architects Luciana Saboia, Eder Alencar, and Matheus Seco. Titled "(RE)INVENTION," the exhibition represents Brazil through a multidisciplinary approach that connects architecture, nature, and social infrastructure. Presented at the Giardini pavilion, the project is organized by the Fundação Bienal de São Paulo in collaboration with Brazil's Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The exhibition reflects on the recent archaeological discovery of ancestral infrastructure in the Amazon to examine the socio-environmental contradictions of contemporary cities. It invites visitors to learn from ancestral knowledge and explore the interdependence between humans, land, and nature as a foundation for more sustainable futures.
Sound, when emitted by a source — whether a person or a piece of equipment — propagates in all directions through space, being reflected, absorbed, transmitted, or diffracted as it encounters surfaces and objects. As a result, every environment has its own acoustic quality, often difficult to perceive without a trained ear or eyes. But sound shapes architecture in subtle yet profound ways, directly influencing how we concentrate in an office, how students engage in a classroom, how patients recover in a hospital, or how an audience connects in a performance hall. Despite its decisive role, acoustics often remain in the background of design discussions, overshadowed by visual and structural considerations.
