Seeking to reflect on the contemporary city invariably runs up against the limitations imposed by the methods of the Modern Movement. Classical sciences and their deterministic methods, which guided—and still guide—the urban planning of this era, describe world phenomena through strict causal relationships and, consequently, define them by reductive universal laws that exclude contradictions and uncertainties. The frequent result of these perspectives is an idealized, mechanistic world that denies the complex, actual nature of phenomena such as cities.

Since 1980, with the first exhibition dedicated exclusively to architecture, titled The Presence of the Past and directed by Paolo Portoghesi, the Venice Biennale has positioned itself as a turning point in the history of contemporary architecture. Since then, 16 editions have occupied the spaces of the Giardini and the Arsenale, addressing themes ranging from the fundamental elements of architecture to the future of the discipline.

Anyone who has ever taken an interest in mobility knows that the advent of the car brought about several major changes to the built environment of cities and to people's lives. These transformations have been, and continue to be, widely discussed across various fields of study. In history, for instance, the car serves as a lens for the period of industrialization; in engineering, it is key to engine technology; and in urban planning, it is studied for its role in the process of urbanization. From its invention to the present day, the car has continuously gained ground and become increasingly ubiquitous in streets and buildings, embedding itself into daily life and the popular imagination.

Sometimes, residential projects are structured around specific elements of the brief, exploring their sculptural potential as a defining feature of the design. Swimming pools are a compelling case in point: they often become the focal point of a project, allowing for a high degree of creativity and inventiveness while seamlessly bridging landscape and architectural design.

Architectural modernism emerged in the wake of the early 20th-century European avant-gardes. The movement was fueled by industrial capitalism and the thrilling technological progress unfolding before everyone's eyes. The break with the past had been deliberately ushered in by intellectual, artistic, and technical movements since the mid-19th century. The Crystal Palace, for instance, designed by Sir Joseph Paxton, was built in London to host the Great Exhibition of 1851 and represented a structural revolution in the use of lightweight materials such as iron and glass.

Tekôa is a space within Ekôa Park that explores solutions by bridging theory and practice. It is a hub for integrative permaculture practices based on two principles: developing a practical ecology and experimenting with low-environmental-impact solutions that yield positive social impacts, thereby inventing new ways of living, building shelter, and producing food. Sem Muros believes that to achieve an ecologically sound and socially just life, people must develop autonomy. To this end, the techniques used are simple, easily replicable, and tailored to the environmental context of the project's territory.

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The Casa da Arquitectura - Portuguese Centre for Architecture has reached an agreement with Pritzker laureate Eduardo Souto de Moura to deposit his archive at the Portuguese institution. Signed on May 6, the agreement adds approximately 8,500 drawings and all textual and photographic documentation detailing the projects from the architect's 40-year career to the 604 models already housed at the institution since 2009.

One of Belo Horizonte's main landmarks, the Pampulha Church, designed by Oscar Niemeyer, has undergone a meticulous restoration and will reopen to the public today, October 4. The building had been closed since June of last year, when work began to address water infiltration. This included a complex project to replace the wooden ceiling of the central nave, as well as general maintenance such as cleaning and restoring the external ceramic tile cladding, repainting the chapel, and repairing the Portuguese pavement sidewalks.

Much has been said since the then-new minister of economy, Paulo Guedes, stated that it was necessary to “take a knife” to the S System. However, these discussions have focused almost exclusively on the financial aspects of the system. To truly understand the relevance of the S System to Brazilian society—whose flagship organizations include SENAC (National Service for Commercial Apprenticeship), SESC (Social Service of Commerce), SENAI (National Service for Industrial Apprenticeship), SESI (Social Service of Industry), and SEBRAE (Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service)—it is far more instructive to examine the original motivations behind this vocational education system, the pedagogical and political project that drove its creation, the role of architecture in its facilities to achieve its goals, and its ongoing relevance in the fields of education and culture.

The “Glória-Lavapés Historical Path” is composed of Glória and Lavapés streets, which connect the neighborhoods of Liberdade, Glicério, and Cambuci in the central region of São Paulo. Although designated as a heritage site in March 2018 and ratified in July 2019 by the Municipal Council for the Preservation of Historical, Cultural, and Environmental Heritage of the City of São Paulo (CONPRESP), this area still faces issues that reinforce the historical erasure of critical memories along this stretch—such as Black occupation, the morphological layout of the colonial city, and the visual and topographical memory of the rugged terrain.

The firm EArquitetos has developed a design proposal for a bridge over the Vrbas River in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project received an honorable mention in the international competition. See the proposal below, accompanied by the project description.

In the experiment by the collective Mouraria 53, the spatial operation—unlike a typical architectural project—begins before construction is finished and is integral to its ongoing development. Exhibitions, presentations, concerts, workshops, and classes serve as a daily exchange in building the house. The process itself is of paramount value to this initiative, bringing together projects, materials, dialogues, execution, and collective dreams.

On January 23, 2019, during the opening of the exhibition showcasing the 20 selected projects out of 127 entries from 16 Brazilian states and the Federal District, the three winners of the 1st Instituto Tomie Ohtake Leroy Merlin Design Award and one honorable mention were announced.

Bioconstruction refers to a building process utilizing materials and techniques with low environmental impact, alongside adapting architecture to local conditions and managing waste during the building's lifecycle. Consequently, building according to these principles does not necessarily mean using so-called sustainable materials—which often must be transported over long distances or undergo prefabrication before use—but rather utilizing local materials, techniques, and labor, drawing on vernacular strategies that address these very factors.

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Walking is the simplest, most lightweight, economical, and low-impact way to travel in urban areas, especially for trips under two kilometers. More people walking means a better quality of life for residents and their cities, resulting in reduced government spending on public health. These concepts are universally accepted by urban planners and other contemporary thinkers.

With hundreds of projects published every month, it is easy to imagine that some of this archive remains buried deep in our database, out of our readers' sight. Knowing this, we regularly publish articles that serve as lists, compilations, or curated selections from the vast collection of works on our platform, focusing on specific design features. Within this context, one of our most popular series is Brazilian Houses, which brings together residential projects built in Brazil, grouped by various architectural aspects.

This biweekly episode discusses the SESCTV series "A cidade no Brasil" [The City in Brazil], inspired by the publication of the same name by anthropologist, historian, poet, and essayist Antônio Risério. The series is directed by sociologist and filmmaker Isa Grinspum Ferraz, who joins us as one of our guests. Her previous work includes the documentary series "O povo brasileiro" [The Brazilian People], based on the work of Darcy Ribeiro, and the 2012 documentary "Marighella." Rounding out our guest panel, architect and urbanist Álvaro Gianninni shares his perspective as an enthusiastic viewer of the channel's programming.

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Following the massive success of the last edition, which recorded 32,000 visits, the dates for the 5th Open House Porto (OHP) have been set. On June 29 and 30, a wide range of spaces in Matosinhos, Porto, and Vila Nova de Gaia will open their doors for free, showcasing the excellence of the architectural heritage of the three cities. This itinerary features 70 spaces, 60 percent of which are new additions opening to the public for the first time. Since its first edition in 2015, OHP has welcomed nearly 100,000 visits.

Imagine a setting worthy of Mad Max, but filled with high-tech art installations. This is what the landscape of Burning Man looks like, the American art and counterculture festival that every year builds—and immediately afterward destroys—an entire city in the middle of the Nevada desert to host the event. Now, however, Brazil is joining the lineup, hosting its own annual edition of the festival: Tropical Burn.

The latest Global Status Report on Road Safety from the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that over the last 15 years, the traffic mortality rate has remained stable relative to the world's population. While the fact that these numbers have not increased might sound positive, it is important to remember that this still represents the death of 1.35 million people annually, alongside 50 million injuries.

The Instituto Tomie Ohtake Leroy Merlin Design Award has opened registrations for its second edition, launching with a debate on Contemporary Design. The event features Marta Porto, journalist and specialist in communication, art, and culture policies, as well as an exhibition and art project curator; Ricardo Abramovay, professor in the Department of Economics at FEA and author of "Muito Além da Economia Verde"; and Raquel Rolnik, architect, urbanist, and former National Secretary of Urban Programs at the Ministry of Cities. The discussion will be moderated by Priscyla Gomes, curator at the Instituto Tomie Ohtake.

In recent years, we have witnessed a steady increase in the number of registered architects and urban planners across professional regulatory bodies. Within this significant pool, young architects and urban planners—meaning professionals up to 40 years old—represent a substantial share and hold a strong presence in the market. Against this backdrop, we have followed the creation of awards dedicated specifically to this demographic, and, most notably, their active participation in biennials and triennials—events aimed at driving discussions on the future of architecture.

On March 1, 2019, MAM’19 - Maia Architecture Month - Fast Forward will open, curated by Portuguese architect Andreia Garcia. The event aims to envision the territory 100 years from now and will feature eight emerging architecture practices and four architecture critics. As part of a partnership between ArchDaily and MAM'19, we will publish a series of articles by guest critics in the coming days. See below for Andreia Garcia's introduction to the event.

After graduating in 1960, Ruy Ohtake has practiced architecture for over five decades, having worked alongside other major names in Brazilian architecture, such as Vilanova Artigas and Paulo Mendes da Rocha. Until the mid-1980s, his work was characterized by projects closely aligned with what was being produced in São Paulo at the time—a highly Brutalist architecture, defined by a limited material palette and a well-defined vocabulary.