Architect, Urban Designer, and Editor-in-Chief of ArchDaily.com. Based in Beirut, Lebanon, Covering the World.
As the world is moving into a post-pandemic time, museums are finally resuming their work under strict social distancing and health measures. Arc en rêve d’Architecture in Bordeaux, France has reopened its main gallery with an exhibition by Ila Bêka & Louise Lemoine, entitled Homo Urbanus. Shown for the first time in its complete version, the exposition offers a vibrant tribute to public spaces.
The ninth edition of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards’ (NCARB) annual report has been released, in the midst of new challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting major information about the architecture profession in 2019. Focusing on different parameters, such as licensing, education, experience, and demographics, the study explores the evolution and transformation of the field, encompassing also findings on equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Bratislava’s existing Istropolis culture and congress center will be replaced by a new cultural destination designed by KCAP and Cityförster. Creating a multifunctional cultural and social center, with a state-of-the-art concert and congress venue, the intervention will also transform the surrounding area into a modern open neighborhood comprising green and public areas.
KCAP in collaboration with Orange Architects, and A.Len Architectural Bureau as co-Architect, have imagined a proposal to transform the former Tovarno-Vitebskaya railway yard on Ligovsky Prospekt into a new residential district with communal facilities, retail, and extensive greenery, in the south-eastern part of the grey belt of St. Petersburg, Russia.
PILA, an architecture studio based in Athens and New York lead by Ilias Papageorgiou and Christina Papalexandri, was selected as the winner of an invited international competition, to regenerate the abandoned Piraeus Tower and redesign the famous building’s façade. In fact, this structure, the tallest on the port of Piraeus and the second-tallest in Greece, has never been entirely occupied.
Ronald Lu & Partners, the leading TOD expert with over 60 TOD projects across China, is currently developing flagship Shunde ICC Country Garden Sanlonghui. Showcasing an upgraded TOD4.0 design concept, the mixed-use project generates “a harmonious relationship between people and the environment”.
When reflecting on recycling, sustainability, measures to take, and innovative technological solutions, one cannot help but think that there are also familiar approaches that should be taken into consideration. In fact, when examining the impact of the built environment on the climate, one notes that in many countries, 80% of the buildings that will exist in 2050 have already been built. The most effective form of sustainability may, therefore, be saving energy by eliminating or minimizing new constructions, and by avoiding the demolition of existing structures.
That is what adaptive reuse stands for: instilling a new purpose on an existing “leftover building.” Nowadays, the refashioning process is becoming essential because of numerous issues related to the climate emergency, plot and construction costs, a saturation of land, and a change in living trends.
The spire of the Notre Dame cathedral, destroyed during the fires of 2019, will be restored according to the original 19th-century Gothic design, as reported by French President Emmanuel Macron. Built in 1860, to replace the original structure removed in 1792, the spire, not exactly a medieval structure, was designed by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc who found inspiration in the original architectural epoch of the Cathedral.
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Van Alen and the New York City Council have announced the 6 finalists for the “Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge” international competition, in both the professionals and young adults categories. Inspiring participants to rethink the iconic Brooklyn Bridge walkway, the contest gathered short-term interventions and longer-term proposals for a complete reconfiguration of the bridge. The 3 final teams in the Professional category include BIG + ARUP; ScenesLab + Minzi Long + Andrew Nash; and Pilot Projects Design Collective, Cities4Forests, Wildlife Conservation Society, Grimshaw, and Silman.
La Biennale di Venezia is presenting for the first time an exhibition curated by all the Directors of the six Artistic Sectors from Art, Architecture, Cinema, Dance, Music, Theater. It will also be live-streamed on July 15th, 2020, at 2:30 pm (Italian time).
PAU or Practice for Architecture and Urbanism revealed images for a proposal that imagines New York City without cars. The visionary N.Y.C. (“Not Your Car”) project unlocks the potential of the city’s streets, reopens the public space to people and bans private vehicles.
The Henning Larsen-designed Belfast Waterside development was officially granted planning approval by the Belfast City Council, after a year in the planning approval process. Located on the site of the former Sirocco Works, the project is set to “transform the 2.6-hectare area on the east bank of the River Lagan that has been disused for nearly two decades”.
UNStudio in collaboration with Johan Cruijff ArenA designed a winning plan for the Korean National Football Centre in Seoul. Focusing on health, wellness, science, technology, education, and promoting a healthy lifestyle, the project was selected as the winning design in an international closed competition that took place in March this year.
The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) has selected Herzog & de Meuron and HDR to design the new hospital of UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center at Parnassus Heights. Part of the university’s academic medical center, the hospital providing a home to both inpatient and outpatient services will include a research enterprise and graduate schools in the health sciences.
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.
The URBAN Photo Awards has made a selection of best photographers, for the 11th edition of the international competition. The list of URBAN 2020 Selected Photographers, is divided by section/thematic area and put in alphabetical order.
Christensen & Co. Architects has designed a brand new culture house and library for the small town of Viby, in Denmark. Conceived as a sort of living room for the city, the project will be a “place for lingering and staying”, introducing social zones and an open architecture to the urban space.
Luís Pedro Pinto has won the tender to expand The Order of Architects Headquarters in Lisbon, Portugal. Selected out of 66 works presented, part of a public design competition, the project, according to the jury, was praised for “its cohesion, coherence and unitary image”.
