MVRDV and SYNRG have received approval to construct Schieblocks, a 47,000-square-metre office building in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Designed for developer LSI, who markets the project as The Bluezone Offices, the building will occupy a narrow site along the railway line, reaching 61 metres in height and extending almost 150 metres in length. The programme includes commercial spaces at ground level, offices throughout, and a restaurant and event venue on the upper floors. Conceived as a "3D neighbourhood," the design breaks the large volume into a series of colourful, distinct blocks that incorporate numerous references to Rotterdam's architectural character.
The Sax residential towers by MVRDV. Render. Image Courtesy of MVRDV
The City of Rotterdam, developers BPD and Synchroon, and architecture firm MVRDV have officially begun construction on The Sax, a major residential project located on Rotterdam's Wilhelminapier. Designed to contribute to the city's ongoing densification efforts, the development will deliver 916 apartments within two interconnected towers. Once completed, The Sax will make Wilhelminapier the most densely populated area in the Netherlands, making the project an example of compact urban growth. The design comprises two towers, combining a wide mix of housing types and shared amenities with strong connections to public transport and sustainable mobility solutions, including parking for 1,800 bicycles and a fully automated car garage. With its silver façade and undulating balconies, the building's form echoes the shape of a saxophone, reflecting the character of Rotterdam.
The museum and gallery visit has long been a highly curated experience. Visitors are guided through a carefully orchestrated sequence of rooms, with hand-picked works arranged to tell a specific narrative, supported by signage, graphics, scenography, and calibrated lighting. Even the rarely changed exhibitions - the permanent collections, also typically rely on a strong curatorial voice— led by noted artists or curators—to set institutional stance and shape interpretation.
At the same time, storage areas for museums and galleries are typically kept separately—often within the same building but under tightly controlled access, and not infrequently off-site in dedicated facilities, such as the Louvre Conservation Centre. These zones have long been understood as highly controlled spaces not only in terms of access, but also in relation to climate, humidity, archival order, handling protocols, maintenance, and repair. For fear of thefts and that the spatial, environmental, and sequencing requirements of the archive could be disturbed, storage has traditionally been somewhat secretive and primarily serves academic researchers and art practitioners by request. Rarely does the general public gain a comprehensive picture of the works safeguarded by any given institution.
Fenix is a new museum in Rotterdam's City Harbour, dedicated to the collection of historic and contemporary objects that explore migration through art. It is located on the Katendrecht peninsula on the south bank of the River Maas, in a 100-year-old former warehouse recently renovated by MAD Architects and Bureau Polderman. This marks MAD Architects' first commission for a public cultural building in Europe. Recently completed, the building is set to open this Friday, May 16, showcasing three exhibitions: All Directions, featuring over 150 artworks and objects from the Fenix collections; The Family of Migrants, a photographic exhibition by Edward Steichen; and The Suitcase Labyrinth, an interactive installation made up of 2,000 donated suitcases.
Located at the edge of Rotterdam's iconic Dakpark, the new Kop Dakpark project, designed by the architectural firms INBO and h3o, stands as an innovative model of sustainable and inclusive housing. Developed by Woonstad Rotterdam, this residential complex includes 153 affordable homes —63 social and 90 middle-income— that not only address the need for housing but also integrate nature and community to enhance both the urban and ecological landscape.
Envisioned as a "daylight factory", the Van Nelle complex introduced revolutionary architectural and social concepts for its time. By integrating glass, steel, and concrete into an open, rational layout, it demonstrated how design could transform industrial processes while improving the lives of the people within. It was not merely a space for production but a symbol of optimism, representing the potential of architecture to reshape industries and communities.
As cities grow and available land becomes more limited, high-rise architecture plays an important role in addressing urban density while shaping new ways of living and working. Tall buildings are evolving beyond their traditional functions to integrate environmental strategies, enhance public engagement, and contribute to the urban fabric. Architects are exploring new materials, energy-efficient technologies, and spatial configurations that make towers more adaptable to their surroundings. Some projects incorporate green spaces and shared amenities to create a stronger connection between the built environment and its users, while others introduce innovative construction techniques to improve sustainability and efficiency.
Among this selection of projects submitted by the ArchDaily community, The Residences at 1428 Brickell by Arquitectonica in Miami, United States introduces a solar-powered facade that contributes to the building's energy needs. In Dubai, UAE, AVA by SOMA creates a transition from the city into a more enclosed, water-defined environment with a focus on luxury living. In Bangkok, Thailand, HAS Design and Research proposes the Bangkok Civic Center Tower as a new type of public space, combining green landscapes with mirrored surfaces to connect the city with nature. These projects reflect different approaches to vertical architecture and highlight how designers are responding to the challenges and opportunities of dense urban environments.
Sheikh Zayed National Museum / Foster + Partners. Image Courtesy of Foster + Partners
As 2024 comes to an end, the architectural world looks ahead to 2025, a year set to unveil transformative projects across the globe. From cultural landmarks in Asia, such as Sou Fujimoto's "Grand Ring" for Expo 2025 Osaka and MAD Architects' Hainan Science Museum in China, to dynamic urban developments like OMA's Harajuku Quest in Tokyo and David Chipperfield's Elbtower in Hamburg, these projects reflect a commitment to innovation, sustainability, and preserving cultural heritage.
In North America, Studio Gang's Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in Brooklyn and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles highlight architecture's role in fostering community connections. Meanwhile, Europe anticipates Shigeru Ban's hybrid residential tower in Antwerp and Kengo Kuma's Visitor Center at Albania's Butrint National Park, showcasing the intersection of contemporary design and local context. As these projects take shape, they offer a glimpse into architecture's power to redefine spaces and inspire communities.
The "Garden Futures" exhibition, currently showing at the Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam until April 13, 2025, explores the multifaceted history and future of the modern garden. Curated by Maria Heinrich and spatially designed by Frank Bruggeman, the exhibition presents the garden not only as a personal refuge, but also as a site reflecting broader political and commercial forces. The show's structure, divided into four thematic chapters, allows for a comprehensive exploration of the garden's evolution and its potential for future development.
Tourism, as an urban and architectural phenomenon, has grown to encompass more than just sightseeing; it engages visitors with the social, cultural, and economic narratives that cities tell through their built environments. In celebration of World Tourism Day 2024, this collection of city guides highlights the role of architecture in shaping the urban tourism experience. Today, cities around the world stand as testaments to human ingenuity, historical preservation, and modern innovation. In fact, each city's versatile architecture offers a window into a city's identity, drawing millions of visitors each year who seek to understand how these spaces shape everyday life and collective memory.
In 2024, many cities have seized the world's collective imagination, each with its unique narrative waiting to be uncovered. Whether one finds themselves meandering through London, admiring Paris, or immersing in the cultural treasures of Sharjah, the story is always there to be unraveled. From Amsterdam's canals to Cairo's rich historical layers, Barcelona's avant-garde architecture, the liveliness of Santiago to the ancient marvels of Rome, and the diverse Istanbul to the bustling Bangkok – each city serves as a testament to the enduring spirit of human civilization.
Designed by MAD Architects, the FENIX Museum of Migration is scheduled to open in Rotterdam's City Harbor in 2025. Currently under construction, the museum is set to explore the global narrative of migration through art, architecture, photography, and history. Situated in a 16,000-square-meter warehouse built in 1923, once part of the world's largest warehouse, the building has historical significance as a key storage and shipping hub for the Holland America Line. New construction photographs showcase the assembly of the metallic helix, named The Tornado, taking shape above the historical warehouse.
As we reach mid-2024, European cities showcase various urban development markers that are shaping the trajectory for the remainder of the year. Under themes of urban mobility in Brussels, sustainability in Valencia, Smart Cities in Rotterdam, and urban cooling in Paris, each city is making noteworthy progress on the road to meet the 2030 targets set by the Paris Agreement. In these diverse urban fabrics, European cities are committed to defining challenges and working towards shaping a climate-conscious future.
Comuna 13 of Medellín_via Shutterstock. Image Courtesy of CityMakers
CityMakers, The Global Community of Architects Learning from Model Cities and Their Makers is working with Archdaily to publish a series of articles about Barcelona, Medellin, and Rotterdam. The authors are the architects, urban planners, and/or strategists behind the projects that have transformed these three cities and are known in the "Schools of Cities" and "Documentary Courses" made by CityMakers.
There is currently a broad consensus on the importance of public space in the city. Although it may seem quite logical, its significance is not as old as human settlements, which have existed for millennia. The Athens Charter, written just 91 years ago, did not speak so much about the city as a place to live but as a functional machine. Almost a century later, the paradigm has shifted: the city is, above all, its public space. But what happens when public space is threatened by car proliferation, insecurity, or even water?
Studio Monnik, 'Alles Komt Goed', 2023. ‘Poreuze Stad’, Illustratie van Jan Cleijne. Een toekomstscenario voor Amsterdam in 2089. Image Courtesy of Het Nieuwe Instituut
Still, the country faces expected and unexpected challenges, from an acute housing shortage to raising concerns regarding climate change and shifting ideas of ecology. In the words of curator Suzanne Mulder, the country is “once again on the drawing board,” as architects, urban planners, and designers are reopening conversations about the future by looking at past lessons. To come to their help, Rotterdam’s Nieuwe Instituut is organizing the exhibition ‘Designing the Netherlands: 100 Years of Past & Present Futures.’
