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Public Facilities: The Latest Architecture and News

SOM's 30th Street Station Redevelopment in Philadelphia Breaks Ground

This month, Skidmore, Owings, and Merril's (SOM) $550 million William H. Gray III 30th Street Station broke ground in Philidelphia. Initially proposed in 2016, the scheme involves a new mixed-use urban district with an emphasis on transit for the 30th Street Station Precinct. Boasting a vibrant public realm, the initial phase of the plan focuses extensively on renovating the historic station. Designed in collaboration with Gilbane, Amtrak, Plenary, Vantage, and Johnson Controls, the overarching goal is to position the station for sustained growth over the next five decades and enhance the travel experience for millions of annual visitors.

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BIG's "Kaktus Towers" Near Completion in Copenhagen

In 2017, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) unveiled its designs for a project in central Copenhagen. The project features an urban IKEA store, a budget-friendly hotel, and residential apartments connected by green spaces. As a significant part of the development, BIG designed two high-rise residential towers known as “KaKtus Towers,” which are linked by a raised public park connecting them. Both towers, with the tallest at 80 meters high, are scheduled to be completed in 2024. A recently released new set of images showcases BIG’s development nearing completion.

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First-Ever +POOL to Open in New York City This Summer, with Plans to Expand Swimming Access across the State

New York Governor Hochul has announced a partnership with the nonprofit Friends of + POOL to open the first urban river-sourced swimming facility in the United States. Utilizing + POOL’s design and technology, the 2,000-square-foot plus-shaped swimming pool is set to open in New York City’s East River in the summer of 2024. In 2010, four young designers, Archie Lee Coates IV, Dong-Ping Wong, Jeffrey Franklin, and Oana Stanescu, established + POOL with the goal of providing New Yorkers with access to free and safe river swimming. Now the state promised to invest $16 million to pilot and scale the system, hoping to expand it across the state of New York.

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A Waterfront Park as Public Amenity and Climate Mitigator

This article was originally published on Common Edge.

This week, the Museum of Modern Art officially launches a new series of exhibitions entitled Architecture Now. According to MoMA, “The first iteration of the series, New York, New Publics, will explore the ways in which New York City–based practices have been actively expanding the relationship of metropolitan architecture to different publics through 12 recently completed projects.”

The exhibition will showcase public-facing work, such as parks, community gardens, and pools, by Adjaye Associates, Agency—Agency and Chris Woebken, CO Adaptive, James Corner Field Operations, Kinfolk Foundation, nArchitects, New Affiliates and Samuel Stewart-Halevy, Olalekan Jeyifous, Only If, PetersonRich Office, SO – IL, and SWA/Balsley and Weiss/Manfredi.

Aedas and GDAD Unveil Design for New Twin Towers and Mixed-Use Complex in Guangzhou, China

Aedas Global, in collaboration with GDAD, revealed the design of a 230 meters tall mixed-use complex comprising of two twin towers and a plaza. The development, located at the base of the Baiyun Mountain range in Guangzhou, China, contains industrial, commercial, and publicly available areas while also including large urban green spaces and panoramic views of the mountains. The massing of the project is inspired and informed by the local topography, with sight-seeing corridors opening up toward the surrounding scenery.

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From Aristocratic Displays to Eco-parks: The Current Questions and Future Design of Zoos

Around the world, zoos draw in hundreds of millions of visitors each year. For some cities, they’re major tourist attractions and economic hubs that generate taxpayer dollars and create long-term employment for thousands of people. But beyond these statistics, people have been criticizing the role that zoos play in our society and the way in which we design them that holds the potential a more positive and natural environment for animals.

Richmond Firehall No.2 / HCMA

Richmond Firehall No.2 / HCMA - Fire Station, FacadeRichmond Firehall No.2 / HCMA - Fire Station, Beam, Facade, ColumnRichmond Firehall No.2 / HCMA - Fire Station, Facade, Fence, Stairs, HandrailRichmond Firehall No.2 / HCMA - Fire Station, Facade, BeamRichmond Firehall No.2 / HCMA - More Images+ 9

Richmond, Canada

The Transformation of Silo City Signals a New Future for Buffalo

This week's reprint from Metropolis explores the ongoing renovation and transformation of an iconic site in Buffalo, Silo City, in order to create ambitious residential and public projects.

How Are Public Washrooms Shaping Places in China?

How Are Public Washrooms Shaping Places in China? - Image 13 of 4
Public Toilets in Zuzhai Village / cnS. Image © Siming Wu

In recent years, with the accelerated urban development of public spaces in China, public washrooms have been assigned numerous new roles. Designers have come up with a variety of proposals which suggest turning public washrooms into a place where social gathering can be redefined, and temporary stay can be more engaging. Although the scale of public washrooms is significantly smaller than that of any other type of architecture, Chinese architects have been working innovatively on fitting the public washrooms into the changing social contexts. Below are a few examples that demonstrate some current architectural experiments with public washroom design in China.

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Diamond Schmitt Reveals Design for Ottawa Public Library and Archives Joint Facility

Diamond Schmitt Architects and KWC Architects have designed the Ottawa Public Library and Archives Canada Joint Facility. In partnership with municipal and federal institutions, the facility will create an “inspiring place for gathering, learning and discovery”.

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EVOA - Environmental Interpretation Center / Maisr Arquitetos

EVOA - Environmental Interpretation Center / Maisr Arquitetos - Museum, Facade, Fence, Column, Coast
© Filipa Miguel Ferreira
Lezíria, Portugal
  • Architects: Maisr Arquitetos
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  470
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2009

EVOA - Environmental Interpretation Center / Maisr Arquitetos - Museum, Beam, Facade, DoorEVOA - Environmental Interpretation Center / Maisr Arquitetos - Museum, Beam, Facade, HandrailEVOA - Environmental Interpretation Center / Maisr Arquitetos - Museum, Beam, Handrail, FenceEVOA - Environmental Interpretation Center / Maisr Arquitetos - Museum, FacadeEVOA - Environmental Interpretation Center / Maisr Arquitetos - More Images+ 13

The Pinch Library And Community Center / John Lin + Olivier Ottevaere

The Pinch Library And Community Center / John Lin + Olivier Ottevaere - Community Center, Beam, BenchThe Pinch Library And Community Center / John Lin + Olivier Ottevaere - Community Center, FacadeThe Pinch Library And Community Center / John Lin + Olivier Ottevaere - Community Center, BeamThe Pinch Library And Community Center / John Lin + Olivier Ottevaere - Community Center, FacadeThe Pinch Library And Community Center / John Lin + Olivier Ottevaere - More Images+ 32

The Elastic Perspective / NEXT architects

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Mecanoo & Ayesa’s Palace of Justice Nears Completion in Córdoba

CBack in 2006, the team of Mecanoo and Ayesa placed first in an international competition with its winning proposal for a perforated courthouse in Córdoba, combining the area’s historical character with a modern twist. Now, after almost a decade, the Palace of Justice is set for completion later this year, having broken ground in 2015.

Inspired by Córdoba’s Moorish origins, the design balances a contemporary concrete mass with traditional exterior courtyard spaces; a reflection of the plan of the old city. These are faced by colored ceramic tiles, which break the façade’s uniformity.

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5 Ways to Improve Senior Wellness through Centres for Healthy Living

Today we live in a rapidly aging society. The shift in the population pyramid means that traditional healthcare systems need to be reimagined in order to efficiently support an increasing senior population. This added pressure on healthcare is significant--the number of older adults in the US alone requiring long-term healthcare support is set to increase from 15 million to 27 million by 2050. By partnering with designers, healthcare providers can create valuable responses to address these growing needs.

One building typology that expresses this designer-provider partnership are centers for healthy living (CHL). CHLs help to bridge the gap between the senior living and healthcare sectors, and go beyond simple clinic or exercise spaces. Taking a more holistic approach, they seek to become accessible destinations for programs that nurture wellness while providing a sense of place and community.

In a new downloadable report, Perkins Eastman have explored this typology in great depth by investigating existing CHLs. Through spatial and market research, case studies and user surveys, their findings identify strategies for improving upon the CHL model in the future. Read on for our summary of their discoveries.

Lebourgneuf Community Center / CCM2 Architectes

Lebourgneuf Community Center / CCM2 Architectes - Community Center, Stairs, HandrailLebourgneuf Community Center / CCM2 Architectes - Community Center, HandrailLebourgneuf Community Center / CCM2 Architectes - Community Center, Garden, FacadeLebourgneuf Community Center / CCM2 Architectes - Community Center, FacadeLebourgneuf Community Center / CCM2 Architectes - More Images+ 12

Quebec City, Canada

San Telmo Palace Restoration / Vázquez Consuegra

San Telmo Palace Restoration  / Vázquez Consuegra - Restoration, Courtyard, Facade, Column, Arcade, Arch, LightingSan Telmo Palace Restoration  / Vázquez Consuegra - Restoration, Facade, Handrail, StairsSan Telmo Palace Restoration  / Vázquez Consuegra - Restoration, Door, Facade, Arch, Column, ArcadeSan Telmo Palace Restoration  / Vázquez Consuegra - Restoration, Garden, Facade, BenchSan Telmo Palace Restoration  / Vázquez Consuegra - More Images+ 26