Scale is a very important referential element in built environments. Once manipulated, however, it becomes a key tool that completely changes the way we experience architecture. One of the most prominent projects that put scale at the forefront was the Svizzera 240: House Tour, the Swiss pavilion at the 2018 Venice Biennale, a project that triggered people's behaviors and perception of space, and left them feeling as though they were experiencing an "Alice in Wonderland". The project was awarded with the Golden Lion award for best National Pavilion, described by the Biennale organization as "a compelling architectural installation that is at once enjoyable while tackling the critical issues of domestic space".
In the second part of his interview with Archdaily, Hashim Sarkis reflects on the future of architecture as he tackles the timeless question of the 2021 Venice Biennale. The curator of the Biennale, which proposes the question of “How Will We Live Together?”, discusses the role of the profession in the midst of all these new paradigms, stating that “Architects do change the world […] by creating […] wish images for what the world could be”.
In this feature, the curator of the anticipated biennale and dean of MIT School of Architecture and Planning presents his views on the evolution of Architecture, and the new directions the academic world should take, to reflect “the complexity of the urban problems of today”. Sarkis also brings up Beirut, discussing reconstruction approaches, civil society, and the exasperating notion of resilience.
Grupo BANGA. Em sentido horário: Yolana Lemos, Kátia Mendes, Gilson Mendes, Mamona Duca e Elsimar de Freitas. Image Cortesia de Grupo BANGA
Investing in virtual projects has probably never been more timely, after all, we have been partially deprived of contact with the concrete world. Exploring the singularities of the present moment and the power of online engagement, a group of architects from Angola started an ambitious work: pursuing a new identity for Angolan architecture.
Formed by Yolana Lemos, Kátia Mendes, Mamona Duca, Elsimar de Freitas, and Gilson Menses, Grupo BANGA is responsible for the project Cabana de Arte (Art Hut), which combines the efforts of young architects and artists from Angola in virtual works that seek to bring visibility to emerging professionals and bring architecture closer to people's daily lives.
Isometric study of unitised curtain wall elements from The Shard. Image Cortesia de The Donnies
Facades are the first barrier outside a building. They weather rain, snow, winds, sun, and temperature changes. Their primary function is to keep interiors free of water, thermal bridges intact, and internal atmospheres as comfortable as possible. This reality is why the detailing of facades is usually done by experienced architects or specialized companies, who understand materials and construction methods well and are able to select the best solutions for each circumstance. But some projects have facades with such complex detailing, encompassing thousands and thousands of lines, hatches, and dimensions, that they inspire a particularly awestruck response. Making these drawings didactic, technical, and, above all, beautiful, is a task few can achieve to perfection. We spoke with Troy Donovan, the creator of the 188,000 follower Instagram account @the_donnies, who does this job like few others. Read the interview below.
“I’ve known since I was a child that change would never happen on its own. My dream was to make a positive change as a woman architect and urban planner.” Architect, Activist, and Founder of Warch(ée) NGO, Anastasia Elrouss has been involved in architecture and advocating for women in the field, for nearly 15 years. Through her own practice, she is always seeking to create interventions that are constantly adapting to the users and the environment, “putting the human layer at the center of the architectural experience”. Through her platform, she is encouraging an ongoing conversation about gender equality and the role of women in the workplace and the world.
Archdaily’s Hana Abdel, project curator and Christele Harrouk, senior editor, had the chance to sit with Anastasia to discuss her journey, her creative process, her deeply-rooted involvement with women in the field and the inception of both her NGO and architectural practice.
Tiffany Brown with students. Image Courtesy of Tiffany Brown, 400 Forward
A pioneer for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the profession of architecture, Detroit native Tiffany Brown is the founder of 400 Forward, an initiative that seeks, inspires, and mentors the next generation of women designers. Named in light of the licensing of the 400th African American woman architect in 2017, the program aims to familiarize young girls with architecture, giving them tools to address social injustice issues.
Pushing forward the presence of African American women in the profession of architecture -currently standing at less than 0.3% in the U.S- 400 Forward also provides scholarships and tuitions for study material and licensing exams for African American women in architecture. In order to learn more about the initiative, ArchDaily had the chance to talk with founder Tiffany Brown about the program, diversity in the field, and empowering female architects and students.
During the peak of Postmodernism, and the uprising of notions such as urban renewal and public participation, Aedes Architecture Forum, the first private architecture gallery in the world, opened in 1980 in Berlin. Founded by Journalist Kristin Feireiss and Helga Retzer, both neither architects nor regularly engaged with architecture at that time, Aedes aspired to encourage an international dialogue around the subjects of urban environment, space, and society.
Shortly after its inception, the center became an integral part of the contemporary international architectural scene, carrying out debates, seeking fresh ideas, showcasing the avant-garde, and highlighting young talents. Providing architects with a compelling space to present their architectural and urban ideas, Aedes hosted exhibitions for Zaha Hadid, Venturi Scott Brown, Cedric Price, John Hejduk, OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture), Peter and Alison Smithson, and Bernard Tschumi to name a few.
The new Met under construction in May 1964 (Photo: Metropolitan Opera Archives)
The Metropolitan Opera offers a free stream each night on the Met website for a period of 23 hours, from 7:30 p.m. EDT until 6:30 p.m. EDT the following day.
Beginning on Saturday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m. EDT, the Met will present a free stream of "The Opera House" by award-winning filmmaker Susan Froemke.
The 2017 documentary is about the fascinating creation of the new Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, which opened in 1966. Through rarely seen archival footage and recent interviews, discover the untold stories of the artists, architects, and politicians who shaped the cultural life of New
Realistic images and walk-throughs have become an integral part of project presentations. Designers are using cutting-edge softwares and constructing precise 3D models to showcase their work as authentically as possible. As for the world of video games, it is not just about the quality of the graphics or how accurate these graphics are, but rather the immersive experience of visual designs and how the players are communicating with the virtually-built environment.
In an exclusive interview with ArchDaily, Philip Klevestav, principle artist at Blizzard Entertainment, the gaming development company known for Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diablo, shares his insights on video game designs and the influence of architecture on the designing process.
GXN, a sister company of 3XN, rethinks architecture, spaces, and materials. Researching how architects can and should close the feedback loop with their structures, the multidisciplinary team at GXN harvests and analyzes vital data from buildings in order to help architects build a better future. Concentrating their efforts on Circular Design, Behavior Design, and Digital Design, the people behind GXN are architects, engineers, designers, and social scientists. From Copenhagen, Kåre Poulsgaard, Head of Innovation at GXN, spoke with ArchDaily’s Christele Haarouk, about Artificial Intelligence in Architecture.
Cover photo: Urban Hospice, photographer, Adam Mørk
Co-creating Architecture is a bookseries project that takes a look at the vast potential and use of co-creation within Danish architecture. It portrays a generation of Danish architects who set a new international standard for Danish architecture with their ability to offer sustainable answers to societal and social challenges in the shape of innovative and lasting design solutions. The key to this was and still is co-creation: a collaborative approach that opens up the creative process, inviting users, decision-makers and experts from a wide range of fields to participate in and inform the development of projects. Co-creation stimulates interest, sense of
Cover photo: Street Mekka, Viborg Denmark, photographer, Rasmus Hjortshøj – COAST Studio
Co-creating Architecture is a bookseries project that takes a look at the vast potential and use of co-creation within Danish architecture. It portrays a generation of Danish architects who set a new international standard for Danish architecture with their ability to offer sustainable answers to societal and social challenges in the shape of innovative and lasting design solutions. The key to this was and still is co-creation: a collaborative approach that opens up the creative process, inviting users, decision-makers and experts from a wide range of fields to participate in and inform the development of projects. Co-creation stimulates interest, sense of
In this short video by Louisiana Channel, Junya Ishigami talks about Tokyo and what he sees as the defining traits of the vibrant and diverse metropole. Discussing what he likes about the city, the renowned Japanese architect underlines Tokyo’s polycentrism and explains how being made up of different small town allows the city to preserve its very local characteristics.
“Time is a resource we are not spending properly. People are eager to save other resources, but they don’t mind spending their time carelessly,” says Anupama Kundoo in this Louisiana ChannelInterview, where she talks about time as a general concept, sharing some of her philosophy of life on the matter. Turning to architecture, Kundoo reflects on the sense of urgency governing the current design process, obstructing any long term thinking about the collective body of work left as a legacy to future generations; therefore she urges architects to take time to rethink their work and refine their designs.
The first episode of Practice, a new series of documentaries about the process of architecture, takes an in-depth look into the design thinking of Invisible Studio's founder, Piers Taylor. The short film follows the architect as he builds a small cabin, alternating visually compelling imagery with pieces of conversation about his early years in the profession and the beginning of Invisible Studio. Taylor also shares his thoughts about building with volunteers and working with wood. The rhythm, the sound design (created by Simon James) and the cinematic quality of the film make of the short documentary an immersive experience.
Videos
Mashhad C.E.O Headquarters. Image Courtesy of NEXT Office
In this interview by Parametric Architecture, NEXT Office's founder, Iranian architect Alireza Taghaboni, talks about his approach to design, describing how he reinterprets the principles of traditional Iranian architecture and translates the cultural and climatic context into his work. The interview covers the conceptual thinking behind several projects, as the architect discusses dichotomies such as mass-void, introversion-extroversion as being the recurrent themes of his designs.
via Cities for Play. Designing Child Friendly High Density Neighbourhoods
'Cities for Play' is a project whose main objective is to inspire architects and urban planners to create stimulating, respectful, and accessible cities for children.
Natalia Krysiak, its creator, is an Australian architect who believes that children's needs should be placed at the center of urban design to ensure resilient and sustainable communities. In 2017, she produced 'Cities for Play,' studying examples of cities that are concerned with providing environments that are capable of promoting the health and well-being – physical and emotional – of children through a focus on play and "active mobility” in public spaces.
Sala Beckett: Definición del vestíbulo central. Image Cortesía de Flores & Prats
When we approached the Flores & Prats firm, we wanted to focus on their precise drawing just as much as their detailed mock-ups. We wanted to see a project that not only "values the time invested and accumulated in it but also sees said time as a virtue and not a defect;" an indication of paying attention to the process as well as the unexpected. (In this sense, it reminds me of reading about how to draw a forest, among other things, in "Las tardes de dibujo en el estudio Miralles & Pinós").
We conducted a long-distance interview with the Eva Prats and Ricardo Flores studio for this reason; to get a better idea of their thoughts on the impact of drawing on architectural representation.Their input makes clear the "why" of their decisions, and explains not only how they operate in a contemporary context but also indicates their relationship with construction among other disciplines.
_-_Vista_da_Pra%C3%A7a.jpg?1601059705 "Projeto arquitetônico virtual para a exposição \"Tchitundu-Hulu, a história resgatada\". Image Cortesia de Grupo BANGA")
_-_Planta_de_Cobertura.jpg?1601059767 "Planta do projeto para a exposição \"Mfwanana, Dialetos da Terra\". Image Cortesia de Grupo BANGA")
_Eu_sou_o_sol_-_as_marcas_perpetuadas_em_mim_(2)_-_Sala_de_Exposi%C3%A7%C3%A3o.jpg?1601059792 "Projeto arquitetônico virtual para a exposição \"Eu sou o sol - as marcas perpetuadas em mim\". Image Cortesia de Grupo BANGA")
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