Annabelle Tan (Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL) for Past, Present and Post-Tropicality: Viewing Singapore through an ‘Infra(-)structural’ Field. . Image Courtesy of RIBA 2022 President’s Medals
The Royal Institute of British Architects has just announced the winners of the 2022 President’s Medals, highlighting the world’s best student architecture projects. In its 186th edition, RIBA’s oldest awards have gathered the highest-ever number of entries, receiving 347 entries nominated by 100 schools of architecture located in 27 countries.
For the 2022 cycle, the RIBA Silver Medal for the best design project produced at RIBA Part 2 or equivalent, was awarded to Annabelle Tan at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, for A Journey through Past, Present, and Post-Tropicality, who was also granted the RIBA Dissertation Medal. The RIBA Bronze Medal (for the best design project produced at RIBA Part 1 or equivalent) went to Mary Holmes at the University of Cambridge for Out of the Closet, Into the Garden.
Largely driven by rural migration to cities and overall population growth, 68% of people worldwide will live in urban areas by 2050. By doing so, many will benefit from greater access to basic services, proximity to public transportation, and better education and employment opportunities. But the pursuit of living urbanized lives also leads to isolation from the outdoors –be it a forest, a meadow or the mountains– that can negatively impact our physical and mental health. Exposure to nature has long been proven to reduce stress levels, boost mood, foster productivity and, above all, enhance well-being. So, considering we typically spend around 93% of our time indoors (and that the pandemic has magnified that statistic), now more than ever we find ourselves seeking a connection with the outdoors and all its inherent benefits. Architects thus face the important challenge of bringing nature in, which is precisely where biophilic design comes into play.
As expressed by 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale curator and architect Leslie Lokko, "after two of the most difficult and divisive years in living memory, architects have a unique opportunity to show the world what we do best: put forward ambitious and creative ideas that help us imagine a more equitable and optimistic future in common."
From Venice's approach to Africa as the lab for the future to Seoul's road to its next 100 years as a megapolis; from Chicago's art-meets-architecture-meets-civic-participation to Sharjah's "beauty of impermanence" in the Global South motto, 2023 will witness a series of architectural events trying to embody those forward ambitious and creative ideas, as explained by Lokko.
Austria – Designed by Büro Wagner – Made by Bau- und Möbelschreinerei Leutenbauer / Photography by Florian Holzherr . Image
This year saw another round of amazing submissions for the FritsJurgens Best Pivot Doors 2022, with an astonishing amount of high-end pivot doors collected – both for interior and exterior doors, movable walls, hidden passages, and more. After a period of deliberation, the jury has made their decision: take a look below at the winners of FritsJurgens Best Pivot Doors of 2022.
CRA - Carlo Ratti Associati and architect Italo Rota have developed a project to transform an 18th-century hospital complex in Modena, Italy, into a multidisciplinary cultural and innovation hub. The master plan for the new hub, called AGO Modena Fabbriche Culturali, includes an origami-inspired kinetic roof designed in collaboration with artist-engineer Chuck Hoberman. The feature will cover a triangular-shaped plaza in the center of the complex. The restoration plan also aims to create flexibility so that the structure can easily adapt to changing future configurations.
Rock | Roll by Germane Barnes. Image Courtesy of Miami Design District
Distinguished for its quality, depth, and diversity, Design Miami 2022 has concluded, giving worldwide collectors and locals the best in contemporary and emerging art and design. Kicking off at the end of November and running through the first week of December, this event ran alongside the annual Art Basel Miami Beach. The ultimate international art fair ranged from interactive installations to art exhibitions by promising up-and-comers to 20th-century masterworks, including Daniel Arsham and Andrés Reisinger, and Stefano Boeri. Also during this event, MetaMundo has presented their Top 50 Creators of the Metaverse - a hand-picked collection of some of the world’s best 3D artists.
For this edition, The Miami Design District has awarded Miami-based architect and designer Germane Barnes and commissioned a multifaceted installation that honors the city's polyethnic culture. Along with other relevant architectural installations during the Miami Art Week, the following selection includes work by Leandro Erlich at Perez Art Museum Miami and Pilar Zeta.
