Renaissance of the Real by Annabelle Schneider and Snøhetta, Milan Design Week 2026. Image Courtesy of USM
Across cultural platforms, heritage sites, and institutional developments, this week's news reflects how the built environment is reshaped through processes of transformation, reinterpretation, and public engagement. From archaeological reactivations and adaptive reuse strategies to museum expansions and large-scale international gatherings, architecture operates across multiple temporalities, balancing preservation with contemporary use and spatial continuity with evolving cultural programs. Within this context, ArchDaily's selection of installations and exhibitions from Milan Design Week 2026 highlights how design weeks increasingly function as curatorial frameworks for experimentation, while global events and institutional projects continue to expand the formats through which architecture is produced, shared, and debated.
This week marked World Health Day, observed annually on April 7 by the World Health Organization. This year's edition issued the call to "Stand with science," inviting renewed engagement with scientific knowledge as a foundation for collective action across disciplines. In architecture and urban design, this imperative resonates through projects that translate research into spatial strategies: from the deployment of digital twins to inform urban planning and decision-making, to rewilding initiatives that integrate biodiversity as a tool to mitigate climate change, and materially informed practices that engage resource-conscious construction. Within this broader framework, recent works also foreground architecture's social agency at multiple scales, including a landscape-driven cancer support center in Kent that aligns wellbeing with environmental sensitivity, an urban installation in Brescia operating as a civic awareness device around life in prison and pathways to reintegration, and the transformation of a street in Mantua into a pedestrian-oriented, biodiversity-rich public space.
UNS's design proposal for Turin's new Metro Line 2, developed in collaboration with Settanta7, Mijksenaar, Frigorosso, 3BA, and WSP, has been selected by an international jury of experts chaired by Dominique Perrault. The proposal is based on the idea of "flow," a concept that has historically shaped the Italian city, from the Po and Dora rivers to the 18 kilometers of arcaded porticoes that structure how residents and visitors move. The project envisions Line 2 as a new "urban river," guided by three design principles to facilitate this flow: branding, transit experience, and scales of identity. With 32 stations planned in total, the initial design phase includes 10 stations, among them Mole Giardini, San Giovanni Bosco, and Carlo Alberto.
Across different geographies and scales, this week's architecture news reflects a sustained focus on how cities and buildings are being recalibrated in response to evolving patterns of movement, work, and collective life. Across multiple contexts, public space and mobility remain central concerns, with streets, downtowns, and large-scale developments serving as testing grounds for new approaches to accessibility, resilience, and everyday use. Pedestrianisation initiatives and community-led visions point to evolving governance models and long-term urban strategies, while cultural and research-driven platforms continue to frame these changes within broader public discourse. In parallel, progress on major mixed-use and corporate projects underscores the growing integration of digitalinfrastructure, environmental performance, and flexible spatial frameworks within contemporary architecture.
Across cultural districts and civic centers, this week's architectural developments highlight how institutions and city governments are reshaping their futures amid shifting environmental, social, and economic pressures. New museum and opera projects signal ongoing commitments to expanding public cultural infrastructure, while the debate surrounding Dallas' modernist City Hall illustrates the tensions that arise when questions of heritage meet rising maintenance demands and redevelopment pressures. At the same time, municipalities are advancing new regulatory tools to confront climate challenges, from electrification standards in Sydney and Boston to mobility restrictions and emerging forms of urban diplomacy. These developments reflect an increasingly complex landscape in which architectural environments evolve through a combination of cultural ambition, environmental targets, and shifting models of public decision-making.
In 1993 a young professional couple with two toddlers and a large suburban lot in Naarden, a town less than half an hour's drive southeast of Amsterdam, approached Ben van Berkel to design an unusual house. They envisioned it as progressive and innovative in every way possible. More than that, they wanted a kind of building that "would be recognized as a reference in terms of renewal of the architectural language." Before settling on the architect, they spoke to several candidates, including Rem Koolhaas. They chose van Berkel who five years earlier, together with his then-wife Caroline Bos co-founded their eponymous practice, because as he told me, "I went to the site and studied it carefully and already had ideas about what I called the four quadrants of the landscape. I knew what kind of house it would be. I could see clearly where different rooms would go, how they would be shaped, and how they would relate to each other." The couple couldn't resist. Yet, there would be no rush on the project which took five years to complete, most time was invested in its design, going through many iterations and refinements, all based on the Möbius loop.
The site of Expo 2020 Dubai is scheduled to undergo a major transformation, developed by UNStudio in collaboration with several other firms. The master plan aims to reimagine the location of the first World Expo held in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia into a new urban center, integrating the structures of the original Expo with new developments to create a cohesive and engaging new district. The development, part of Dubai's 2040 Urban Master Plan, leverages approximately 80% of the existing infrastructure and buildings from Expo 2020, minimizing waste and maximizing the value of previous investments.
Architectural Classics featured on ArchDaily serve as a record of significant works that have influenced the evolution of architecture and design. These projects represent a range of styles, purposes, and contexts, offering insight into how architecture responds to cultural, social, and environmental factors. By revisiting these influential works, one can better understand the principles and ideas that have shaped the built environment globally over time. These classics highlight moments of design innovation while also providing a broader perspective on architecture's role in reflecting and shaping the world around us.
UNStudio, in collaboration with local partner HYP Architects, has won the competition for the design of the Kyklos building in Luxembourg. The project is part of Beval, a large-scale redevelopment initiative aiming to transform a former industrial site into an urban center complete with a university and technological center, in addition to residential, office, and retail spaces. When designing the Kyklos building, which will occupy a central position in the district's main square, the architects set out to find solutions to create the smallest carbon footprint for both operational and embedded metrics.
Doha is the capital of Qatar and the county’s most populated area, accommodating more people than the rest of Qatar combined. Located on the coast of the Persian Gulf, Doha is a relatively young city, founded in the vicinity of another settlement, Al Bidda, sometime during the 1820s. In recent years, the city has seen rapid population growth, an image reflected in the architectural landscape. During the 1960s and 1970s, many of the old districts in Doha were demolished to make space for new developments, while several schemes have been deployed to advocate for the preservation of the city’s cultural and architectural heritage.
UNStudio, in collaboration with Arup and local firm Heerim Architecture, has unveiled the proposal for the “Peace Park Wheel.” Designed as a landmark at Sangam World Cup Park in Seoul, UNStudio successfully won the preliminary competition and is set to partner with Seoul Housing & Community Corp. The ferris wheel proposal is part of the mayor’s vision: “Han River with a Thousand Sunsets,” aiming to establish numerous public spaces along the Han River for the city’s residents.
Housing production has been relying on the same spatial configurations for almost a century, catering to a vision of domestic life that no longer constitutes the norm. The widespread housing shortage, the issue of affordability, the rise of single-person households, and an aging population prompt a re-evaluation of existing housing models to address a broader range of demographics and adapt to the changing needs of city dwellers. The following explores contemporary collective housing models that provide the framework for new dwelling experiences and support current lifestyles.
In 1993 a young professional couple from Amsterdam set out to build a private house unlike any other. They wanted to create something that “would be recognized as a reference in terms of renewal of the architectural language.” They reached out to several architects, including Rem Koolhaas, but finally decided to entrust the commission to Dutch architect Ben van Berkel after he studied the site and came up with a vision for the project, relating it to the couple’s lifestyle.
Located in Het Gooi, its design took over 5 years, going through several iterations, but always coming back to its core inspiration: the Möbius loop. The shape, defined as a single-sided surface with no boundaries, was the key to a new architectural language that aimed to weave together all the individual activities of each family member, allowing the functional program to be integrated within the dynamic structure. By 1998, when the house was completed, it became widely published and internationally recognized. It also became a sort of manifesto for its architect, as it uses an organizational principle to inform the final image.
As 2023 comes to an end, the future of our landscape is filled with visionary imaginations as a result of a year of forward-thinking design competitions. From revitalizing historical gems to designing new buildings, these global contests have pushed innovation further in the architecture industry. In fact, with each new competition, the boundaries of our living were challenged, reimagining what the future may accommodate or encourage.
This past year has been a showcase of architectural innovation, with award competitions surpassing the boundaries of traditional industry. Winning designs feature a deep embodiment of cultural heritage, communal aspirations, and environmental stewardship. In fact, the three categories of competitions that established firms participated in were cultural landmarks, mixed-use towers, and master plans. In each category, the winning design reimagines what these concepts stand for in 2023 and beyond, designing not just new buildings but new ways of living.
On a site that also hosts the Olympic Sports Centre, the 2023 Asian Games complex, UNStudio has unveiled the design of the new Hiwell Amber Centre, a complex of four high-rise towers planned to add a mix of offices, apartments, hotels, art spaces and retail to the city center of Hangzhou, China. Responding to the area’s rapid economic and cultural growth, the new development aims to provide a wide range of services to residents and visitors alike. To open up towards the city, the smooth glass curtain wall of the towers peels apart to reveal a tapestry-like facade that envelops the main plazas and civic spaces, creating an ‘urban living room.’
UNStudio has been selected as the winner of the international competition for the design of a mixed-use development in Düsseldorf, Germany, surpassing other internationally recognized participant offices, including 3XN, BIG, David Chipperfield Architect, and finalists Hadi Teherani Architects, HPP Architekten, and Ingenhoven. UNStudio’s proposal features two mixed-use towers measuring up to 120 meters, surrounded by a low-rise community pavilion. In addition to the office and residential spaces, the scheme also includes multifunctional uses and services such as sports, fitness, medical facilities, gastronomy spaces, a mobility hub, a daycare center, and opportunities for cultural events.
Mixed-Use Development in Nanjing / UNStudio. Image Courtesy of K.Wah
In recent decades, China's residential landscape has undergone a transformation setting primarily informed by social community ties now prioritizes the needs of rapid urbanization and modern lifestyles. Traditional courtyard houses of China once activated the urban realm, harmoniously blending private residential zones with public areas of the neighborhood. Today, the country is speckled with private developments and gated communities that have severed the connection between residential areas and the urban realm. Amidst this transformation, MAD Architects' Baiziwan Social Housing in Beijing emerges as a visionary attempt to reimagine urban living. By embracing a mixed-use program, this residential complex integrates itself with the surrounding neighborhood, fostering a renewed sense of unity with the bustling metropolis. Not limited to China alone, numerous housing endeavors worldwide have embraced this approach, reclaiming their ties to the urban realm.
