Open More Doors is a section by ArchDaily and the MINI Clubman that takes you behind the scenes of the world’s most innovative offices through exciting video interviews and an exclusive photo gallery featuring each studio’s workspace.
Open More Doors: Groupwork + Amin Taha
MÉCA Cultural Center / BIG
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Architects: Bjarke Ingels Group
- Area: 18000 m²
- Year: 2019
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Manufacturers: Reynaers Aluminium
What's Pushing Refurbishment Fever in China?
China seems to be at the peak of a refurbishment fever. Not only hutongs in historic downtowns, but abandoned industrial factories are becoming new tech or cultural hubs, and even buildings in the risk of collapse are refurbished to extend their lifespan. Why is this happening? Who is investing? How could this happen in a country where you cannot buy properties?
In this edition of Editor's Talk, our editors from ArchDaily China share their thoughts on how in a fast-paced development process, such as the one China is going through, there is a refurbishment fever in its biggest cities.
Spotlight: Alejandro Aravena
As founder of the “Do Tank” firm ELEMENTAL, Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena (born on June 22, 1967) is perhaps the most socially-engaged architect to receive the Pritzker Prize. Far from the usual aesthetically driven approach, Aravena explains that “We don’t think of ourselves as artists. Architects like to build things that are unique. But if something is unique it can’t be repeated, so in terms of it serving many people in many places, the value is close to zero.” [1] For Aravena, the architect’s primary goal is to improve people's way of life by assessing both social needs and human desires, as well as political, economic and environmental issues.
Spotlight: Smiljan Radić
Mainly known outside of his home country for his design of the 2014 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, architect Smiljan Radić (born June 21, 1965) is one of the most prominent figures in current Chilean architecture. With a distinctive approach to form, materials, and natural settings, Radić mostly builds small- to medium-sized projects that flirt with the notion of fragility.
Open More Doors: TOPOTEK 1
We are delighted to introduce Open More Doors, a new section by ArchDaily and the MINI Clubman that will take you behind the scenes of the world’s most innovative offices through exciting video interviews and an exclusive photo gallery featuring each studio’s workspace.
First Look at the 2019 Serpentine Pavilion
Japanese architect Junya Ishigami's 2019 Serpentine Pavilion is taking shape in London. A series of photographs by Laurian Ghinitoiu showcase the project and its flowing, free-form roof. Ishigami is the second-youngest designer of the pavilion, and his work is known for a light and ephemeral approach. The design for the 2019 pavilion takes the form of a slate sheet rising from the landscape of the park, held up by pilotis that form an interior field.
19th Street Residence / Sidell Pakravan Architects
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Architects: Sidell Pakravan Architects
- Area: 3000 ft²
- Year: 2018
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Manufacturers: Bonelli, Henrybuilt, La Cantina
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Professionals: Lemma Construction
Spotlight: Norman Foster
Arguably the leading name of a generation of internationally high-profile British architects, Norman Foster (born 1 June 1935)—or to give him his full title Norman Robert Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank of Reddish, OM, HonFREng—gained recognition as early as the 1970s as a key architect in the high-tech movement, which continues to have a profound impact on architecture as we know it today.
121 East 22nd Street Residential Complex / OMA
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Architects: OMA
- Area: 275387 ft²
- Year: 2019
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Manufacturers: Bradford Products
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Professionals: WSP, AKRF, By-Encore, Incorporated Architecture & Design, LDGN Landscape Architects, +2
16 Ephemeral Installations Designed by Mexican Architects
As we have seen throughout the history of architecture, ephemeral installations and pavilions are important tools for talking about specific moments in architecture in an almost immediate way. While it is true some pavilions have been so relevant that they broke with their ephemeral quality to become permanent, such as the German Pavilion in Barcelona, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, most are documented in photographs, plans and experiences to be rewritten in future projects.
A Complementary Architectural Dialogue of Past and Present in the Refurbishment of Hotel Fouquet Barrière
Although ancient buildings carry compelling architectural presence, demolition or radical change is often their fate. While some architects prefer to introduce thoroughly new structures, others choose to honor the works of historic architects, who built the basis and foundations of structures that helped shape up cities today.
For the refurbishment of Paris’ Hotel Fouquet Barrière, located one block facing Avenue des Champs Elysées, Edouard François was selected to renovate the entire property, including offices, spa services, façade, and courtyards. François’ design strategy was rather unambiguous, using only two keywords as reference: “COPY-EDIT”; a reinterpretation of the “old” through contemporary technologies and modified material.
Isenberg School Of Management Business Innovation Hub / BIG
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Architects: Bjarke Ingels Group
- Area: 6500 m²
- Year: 2019
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Manufacturers: Alucoil, National Enclosure Company, Viracon
Top 5 Courtyard Installations at Milan Design Week Through the Lens of Laurian Ghinitoiu
Over the past few days, exceptional products have been exhibited at the Salone del Mobile, ranging from furniture pieces and light fixtures, to textiles and finishes. As part of Milan Design Week, the Salone saw impressive collaborations with architects and the use of never-seen-before materials, all displayed at the Milan Fairgrounds, while some projects — too grand and imposing for a constraint exhibition — took place at the second part of the event, the Fuorisalone.
Take a look at some of the most remarkable outdoor installations at the Milan Design Week 2019 captured by the lens of architectural photographer Laurian Ghinitoiu.
Preserving the Sense of Community: From Church to Rec Center
Under heavy bombing, buildings seem to have only one fate: destruction. Severely damaged during the Spanish Civil War, the 13th-century Gothic Church of Vilanova de la Barca (Lleida, Spain) remained abandoned since 1936.
It was only almost 80 years later that the remnants of the structure – parts of the naves, the west façade and the apse towards the east– went through a restoration and refurbishment process. This time, however, the building was not meant to be used as a church but as a multi-purpose hall.