Two Trees Management announced the official reopening of The Refinery at Domino Sugar, one of Brooklyn’s most iconic buildings transformed into a modern workspace. The design of the adaptive reuse project, led by Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) began in 2017 with the purpose of reimagining the monument to become a point of connection between the existing neighborhood and the recaptured waterfront. The building now features 15 stories of office space, approximately 460,000 square feet, complete with retail spaces, communal workspaces, a private club, and event spaces.
A new edition of the Latin American Architecture Biennial was inaugurated today, on September 26, in the city of Pamplona, Spain. The main program of the Biennial, featuring Ecuador as the guest country, will run until September 29 at The Condestable's House and the School of Architecture of the University of Navarra. Additionally, it will be complemented by extensions in Seville, Granada, Barcelona, and Madrid from October 2 to 5.
Eduardo Souto de Moura. Image via CAU/BR, divulgação
The Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura will receive yet another international recognition for his career. On October 20th, the Circle of Fine Arts of Madrid or Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid (CBA) will award the architect the Gold Medal, its highest distinction. This tribute not only adds to Souto de Moura's extensive list of accolades, which includes the 2011 Pritzker Prize and the 2013 Wolf Prize, among others but also represents an expression of appreciation from the world of culture and the arts for a career and body of work that transcend architecture and "reach the dimension of poetry through the acceptance of the technical demands of buildings
Following an international competition, the team led by Dominique Perrault Architecture has been commissioned to reimagine and rehabilitate the Esplanade-Coupole area in École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)’s Campus in Switzerland. The winning project includes the addition of a new building and the renovation of the Coupole to increase its capacity, as well as improvements to the public spaces. The intervention reuses the former Esplanade underground car park, taking advantage of its central location within the campus and creating a new topography to seamlessly integrate the new additions into the dense fabric of the complex. The project, including the new additions and the renovation of existing structures, is set to be built between 2025 and 2028.
From September 14th to October 8th, 2023, "Psicoarquitectura" will be showcased at the German Pavilion, designed by Mies Van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, located in the city of Barcelona. The Mies van der Rohe Foundation, in collaboration with LAB 36 and Senda Gallery, is hosting this temporary artistic intervention by the artist and architect Oscar Abraham Pabón. This intervention explores the materiality of this iconic work of the Modern Movement, delving into its interpretative and psychological dimensions.
Polish-Israeli architect Zvi Hecker, internationally recognized as an influential figure of Modernism in Israel, as well as a painter, illustration artist, and furniture designer, has passed away at the age of 92, as reported by Moderne Regional. Throughout his career, Hecker combined geometry and modularity with asymmetry and spiraling complex compositions inspired by the pattern of sunflower seeds, a recurring inspiration for his work. His complex geometric explorations are exemplified in a variety of projects on various scales and programs, including the Spiral Apartment House in Ramat Gan, Israel (1981–1989), the Heinz-Galinski-Schule in Berlin, Germany (1992–1995), and the crystal-like Synagogue in the Negev Desert, Military Academy, Israel, (1969).
For the fourth consecutive year ArchDaily is running a global survey to detect and showcase those who are taking architecture in a new direction: the ArchDaily New Practices 2024 ranking. Our team is already surveying and curating through hundreds of practices from around the world, of all types and sizes: architects, architecture offices, designers, build-tech startups, curators, exhibition designers, collectives, interior designers, software developers, material scientists, new media platforms, think tanks, entrepreneurs, critical writers, activists, performers, media designers, landscape architects, and anyone whose work is in an early or developed stage, on a clear decisive path to reshape architecture. For this call, new doesn’t necessarily mean just young, but innovative, fresh and forward-thinking.
We invite you to help us widen our global perspective by nominating practices that have the potential to be part of the ArchDaily New Practices 2024 ranking, using the form below. To have a better idea on what we are looking for, you can see the winners of 2020, 2021, 2023.
Copenhagen was founded in the 12th century and has undergone numerous transformations to establish itself as an urban benchmark of the 21st century. Its dynamic urban environment stands as an exemplar of architecture's importance and crucial role in shaping a sustainable future for cities. Confronting global challenges like mobility, urban development, and eco-friendly construction, the city is an inspiring model. This is why in 2023, the Danish city was named the World Architecture Capital by UNESCO-IUA, positioning Copenhagen as a platform for discussions on climate, sustainable solutions, and livability.
In this context, Danish architects such as Anders Lendager have been asked about their perception and interaction with their favorite places in the city, providing valuable insight into what makes Copenhagen unique. Lendager, the CEO and founder of Lendager Group, has been the designer behind eco-village projects, the Danish Pavilion in Milan, and a skyscraper built from recycled materials. Collectively, these projects showcase the capacity to translate the core principles of sustainable cities into tangible components, prioritizing human well-being and fostering circular economy models.
https://www.archdaily.com/1006184/an-architects-guide-to-copenhagen-anders-lendager-and-the-essence-of-the-sustainable-cityEnrique Tovar
Don Davis (American, born 1952). Stanford torus interior view. 1975. Acrylic on board, 17 × 22″ (43.1 × 55.9 cm). Commissioned by NASA for Richard D. Johnson and Charles Holbrow, eds., Space Settlements: A Design Study (Washington, DC: NASA Scientific and Technical Information Office, 1977). Illustration never used. Collection Don Davis. Image Courtesy of The Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art New York has announced the opening of an exhibition focused on the first realized and unrealized projects that address ecological and environmental concerns. Featuring works by architects who practiced mainly in the United States from the 1930s through the 1990s, the exhibition titled “Emerging Ecologies: Architecture and the Rise of Environmentalism” is on view from September 17, 2023, through January 20, 2024. The over 150 works showcased reveal the rise of the environmental movement through the lens of architectural practice and thought.
Mario Cucinella Architects has just revealed the design of the Italian Pavilion for Expo Osaka 2025. Envisioned as a dynamic entity, the pavilion aims to foster knowledge and innovation through the interplay of different generations and cultures. It will serve as a collaborative repository of Italian expertise, encompassing artistic, scientific, entrepreneurial, and social experiments. The display is designed around Italy's cultural treasures and aims to highlight, deconstruct, and then reinterpret them in a contemporary manner.
Spanning over 3 millennia with one of the highest concentrations of architecture in the world, Rome is a transcendental influence on the world's culture. Often called “The Eternal City,” it developed as the capital and seat of power of the Roman Empire, regarded by many as the first Imperial city and among the first ancient metropolises. As a city continuously occupied for over 28 centuries, Rome has maintained its countless layers of history to become a perfect depiction of old meets new. Rich in history, academia, and art, the Italian capital is now one of the most visited cities in the world.
Rome's historic center, which stretches from Piazza del Popolo to Piazza Venezia and from the east bank of the Tiber up to Piazza di Spagna, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along with its historical significance, the presence of renowned contemporary architects and designers in the city has made Rome an influential design destination. In 2019, it was the 14th most visited city in the world, welcoming over 8.6 million tourists seeking to discover the ways in which the history of the Ancient Romans blends with contemporary life, making it the third most visited city in Europe and the most popular tourist destination in Italy.
In 2020, Ahmadreza Schricker (ASA North) completed the Argo Contemporary Art Museum & Cultural Center design. Previously a 1920s beer distillery in the heart of Tehran, it has now been converted into a contemporary art center and is now the new home of the Pejman Foundation.ASA North is a studio based in Tehran that was chosen by ArchDaily as part of the 2023 New Practices. ArchDaily selects those practicing within the broadest definition of architecture and its exercise to share their innovative, fresh, and forward-thinking mission with the community. In the summer of 2023, the foundation hosted an exhibition featuring selected works from ASA North while documenting the transformation of the Argo Factory. The exhibition explored the studio’s practice, developing a commentary on their projects and their self-awareness.
On Wednesday, October 4, the fifteenth edition of the Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam (AFFR) will start. The program involves an extensive list with almost 100 films about architecture and the city, with prominent figures like Rem Koolhaas, Inez Weski, and Martin Koolhoven joining as guests. The festival includes film premiers, classic screenings, masterclasses, excursions, and short programs. Combining the film and built environment worlds, the event will be taking place from 4 to 8 October 2023.
Photo by Marlene González y Edgar Macías. Image via Tecnológico de Monterrey
Through a statement from Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico, it has been announced that the Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena will construct a new facility on the Monterrey campus, named "Aulas 10." This facility will house the School of Architecture, Art, and Design (EAAD) with the goal of becoming a space that fosters creativity and knowledge.
After over two decades in the making, the Perelman Performing Arts Center opened to the public on September 19, 2023. The luminous cube-shaped building was designed by the architecture firm REX, led by Joshua Ramus, to become one of New York City’s cultural keystones and the final piece in the 2023 Master Plan for the rebuilding of the 16-acre World Trade Center site. The inaugural season will feature commissions, world premieres, co-productions, and collaborative work across theater, dance, music, opera, film, and more. While only eight stories high, the venue stands out due to its monolithic façade composed of translucent veined Portuguese marble.
Once a year, in the vast and unforgiving Black Rock Desert of Nevada, a city arises. Thousands of people unite to form a temporary metropolis with a collective spirit. Burning Man 2023 removes all restrictions on expressing oneself, allowing forms to be unexpected. This year, Burning Man Festival’s theme was Anamilia, transforming The Black Rock Desert into a blank canvas for creation, a playground for self-discovery, and a haven for radical self-expression.
The topic "ANIMALIA," encouraged participants to set off on a voyage that blurred the line between reality and fantasy. ANIMALIA pays tribute to the animal kingdom's diversity, from the animals that live in the transitional areas of the desert to the mythical and fictitious animals that appear in our dreams. Inspired by the sea, the sand, the sky, and the imaginative, this year’s installations and pavilions range from a fish installation representing fresh waters to a living knit work pavilion that takes form with textiles, to a geometric structure showcasing a cube’s potential.
Anji Culture and Art Center . Image Courtesy of MAD Architects
Led by Ma Yansong, MAD Architects has revealed the design of the Anji Culture and Art Center in the Zhejiang Province in southeast China. The new center, covering a site area of about 149,000 square meters, features six event venues: a Grand Theater, a Conference Center, a Leisure Center, a Sports Center, a Youth Activity Center, and an Art Education Center. All functions are spread out beneath bamboo-leaves-inspired roofs, referencing the Anji area, known as the ‘bamboo and white tea’ town of China. Construction of the center has begun and is expected to be completed and in use by 2025.
In 2018, Archi-Tectonics NYC and !Melk were announced as the winners of a competition to develop a masterplan transformation for the Hangzhou Asian Games Park 2022. Spanning 116 Acres, the now-completed project includes an expansive Eco Park and seven buildings. Although its initial purpose was to serve as a venue for the Hangzhou Asian Games 2022, the team extended its vision far beyond this event, charting a new path for the city’s environmental future.
Copenhagen is a living testament to its architectural legacy, innovative urban development, and commitment to sustainability and liveability. The city inspires the whole world with its quality of urban life, made up of efficient and intelligent mobility systems, along with vibrant and interesting public and private spaces. It is in this context that the city has been awarded the title of World Capital of Architecture by UNESCO for 2023, and hosted the World Congress of the International Union of Architects. These milestones represent unique opportunities to highlight the crucial role of architecture and urban planning in building a sustainable future, establishing the city as a prominent international forum for discussing crucial issues related to the urban environment and the ongoing search for innovative solutions.
Visit Copenhagen has developed a series of four videos to explore the city's architectural wonders, guided by local architects. In the first one, which you can watch below, Danish architect Dan Stubbergaard –founder of Cobe– takes us on a captivating tour of Copenhagen, sharing his insights into what makes the city truly exceptional for its inhabitants.
Within the span of a week, two natural disasters hit North African nations. On Monday, 11 September, just days after a major earthquake hit Morocco's High Atlas Mountains, Storm Daniel made landfall in Northwest Libya, leading to the collapse of two dams, which released torrents of mud and water into the country’s coastline, killing thousands and destroying large parts of the port city of Derna, as well as other cities and villages such as Benghazi, Bayda, and al-Marj. The scale of the disaster is still being assessed, with more than 10,000 residents still missing and thousands more displaced. Entire neighborhoods of Derna, a city traversed by the flooded Wadi Derna River, have been swept away.
