Architect, researcher, assistant lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning UTCN, Master’s Degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca and KU Leuven. Based in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
The Centenary Building at the University of Salford, Greater Manchester, was designed by Hodder Associates in 1994-95 to accommodate the Spatial, Graphic, and Industrial Design courses at the University. One year after its inauguration, in 1995, the building was named the winner of the inaugural RIBA Stirling Prize, one of Britain's most prestigious awards. Now, less than 30 years after its completion, the award-winning building is set to be demolished, sparking criticism and debates regarding the attitudes towards recent works of architecture.
Commissioned by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), the Türkiye Pavilion presents the exhibition titled "Grounded" at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia in 2025. Curated by Ceren Erdem and Bilge Kalfa, the project explores soil as a medium that carries both ecological and cultural memory, presenting it as an active ecosystem with the capacity to store and transmit information. Based on research, the project uncovers new possibilities that integrate diverse artistic and interdisciplinary perspectives. Curators invite visitors to reconsider their relationship with nature and to engage with the complexity and significance of the ground beneath their feet. The exhibition features contributions from 10 individual participants and 10 collaborative teams, alongside a selection of works chosen through an open call.
The 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) takes place between the 11th and 22nd of November in Baku, Azerbaijan. The event proposes a global gathering of business leaders, governments, and civil society with the aim of taking effective measures to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. As the construction industry is responsible for approximately 37% of global emissions, the conference is of particular interest to architects, urban planners, and researchers in this field.
In an era marked by rapid urbanization, climate emergencies, and evolving societal needs, architecture has a complex role to play and a responsibility to engage actively yet sensibly with cultural, political, and economic considerations. In this context, Níall McLaughlin stands out for his balanced approach rooted in historical contexts, yet aware and responsive to contemporary challenges. His studio, Niall McLaughlin Architects, embraces a dialogue-centric approach, fostering a collaborative environment. ArchDaily's senior editor Maria-Cristina Florian had the chance to sit down with Níall McLaughlin and discuss his perspective on the role of architecture in today's society and the emerging challenges of architectural education.
The winners of the "Europe 40under40®" program for 2023-2024 have been announced, celebrating promising talents in architecture and design. This recognition highlights projects from emerging professionals under the age of 40, including architects, landscape architects, urban planners, and industrial designers. The program, initiated by The European Centre, aims to showcase a new generation of designers who are poised to impact the future of living and working environments, cities, and rural areas.
All winning projects will be displayed in the exhibition titled "40 Young European Architects with New Visions," scheduled for December 2024 at The European Centre, located in Athens, Greece. The exhibition will coincide with an awards ceremony. Moreover, a special edition publication by Metropolitan Arts Press will feature this year's cohort of talented architects and designers, aiming to reach an international audience of architecture enthusiasts.
Lord Norman Foster has been announced as the recipient of the 2025 Andrée Putman Lifetime Achievement Award by the Créateurs Design Awards. The award, now it its fifth edition, recognizes Foster's significant contributions to urban design and the environmental movement within architecture. This recognition highlights his longstanding influence and contributions to the field since founding Foster + Partners in 1967. The award ceremony will take place in Paris on January 18th, 2025.
Recognized for completing 36 distinct yet cohesive public projects across Mexico in just 36 months, Colectivo C733 showcases the impact of collaborative design on public spaces and communities. The 36 projects were part of a national effort to revitalize vulnerable urban and rural areas in Mexico, earning them the 2024 Obel Award focused on the theme of "Architectures With". The team behind the designs, Colectivo C733, is a collaborative group formed by the joint offices of architects Gabriela Carrillo (Taller Gabriela Carrillo), Carlos Facio, and José Amozurrutia (TO), along with Eric Valdez (Labg), and Israel Espin. In a recent conversation with ArchDaily's Editor-in-Chief, Christele Harrouk, the collective discussed their approach to public architecture, the process of integrating diverse voices, and remaining flexible to the challenges of local conditions.
The redevelopment of the International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum in Liverpool, UK, has been officially approved. Led by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, the project titled "Two Museums, One Vision" aims to transform the two venues on Liverpool's waterfront into engaging and welcoming spaces that properly address contemporary issues and reveal untold histories. aims to comprehensively narrate Britain's maritime history alongside its involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. Both venues are set to close early in 2025 for the redevelopment works to begin, according to the National Museums Liverpool. The completion date is scheduled for 2028.
The 2024 European Prize for Urban Public Space has announced the overall winners for the 12th edition: For the General Category, the "Park at the Warsaw Uprising Mound" in Poland by studios topoScape and Archigrest received recognition its ability to honor the site's historical significance; while the Seafront Category prize was given to the "Beach Improvement and Redevelopment of the Harbour Edge" in Porto do Son, Spain, designed by CREUSeCARRASCO and RVR Arquitectos for its careful integration of natural and manmade elements. Selected from a list of 10 finalists, the projects were appreciated for their sensible response to local memory and an understanding of the interplay between various elements that interact with urban life.
In recent weeks, a series of significant architectural developments have been announced, showcasing the varied work of renowned firms from around the globe. These projects, revealed between late September and October 2024, emphasize the transformative potential of architectural design in rehabilitating historical structures, revitalizing urban areas, and proposing new facilities to meet the evolving needs of communities. Notable names such as Zaha Hadid Architects, Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), and Studio Egret West are among those leading ambitious projects, from the waterfront residences on Qetaifan Island in Qatar to the reimagining of London's Earls Court. This collection of recent announcements provides a glimpse into the ongoing evolution of urban landscapes and community-centric architecture.
Snøhetta has won an international competition for the design of the new stations for the city cable car in Koblenz, Germany. Given that the location is within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, the project necessitates a sensitive and respectful approach to the historical context. The proposed stations are designed as contemporary architectural statements that harmonize with the existing heritage, blending into their surroundings.
WXCA Architectural Design Studio has unveiled its design for a new museum aiming to honor the 1918-1919 patriotic uprising and victory of the people of Greater Poland. Situated near the historic St. Adalbert's Hill, home to an 800-year-old church, the museum is set to become a significant cultural and historical site. In addition to its preservation of history, the museum aims to offer the people of Poznań a contemporary public space to highlight this collective heritage. WXCA architects won the 2019 competition for the museum design and urban concept. The project began construction in early 2024 and is expected to open to the public in 2026.
Snøhetta has revealed its design for a new building dedicated to a well-loved institution, the OmahaChildren's Museum. Located just a few blocks from the Kiewit Luminarium and overlooking the river, this new facility is designed following best practices in early child development, providing exhibits and programming aimed at fostering joy, curiosity, and connection for young children and their caregivers.
Over 5 years after a devastating fire threatened to destroy Paris' most famous cathedral, Notre Dame is scheduled to reopen to the public on December 8, 2024. The heritage building has been undergoing an extensive and, at times, controversial restoration process aiming to rebuild its timber roof and reconstruct the collapsed spire, a 19th-century addition to the gothic cathedral designed by French architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc's design. In preparation for the grand reopening, France's culture minister, Rachida Dati, has proposed introducing a €5 entrance fee to contribute to a fund aimed at protecting the country's historical churches and monuments.
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) have announced plans to redevelop the 95th and 96th floors of the iconic 875 N. Michigan Avenue, formally named the John Hancock Center. The building, originally designed by SOM in 1967 and completed in 1970, is recognized as the world's first mixed-use skyscraper, having become a recognizable feature of Chicago's skyline. The redesign endeavor aims to reimagine the two floors, measuring 30,000 square feet, into an observation deck and an attractive destination in the city.
Standing out among the array of cultural programs, the opera and theater typology is often understood as encompassing the luxurious and elitist spirit of a bourgeois society focused on entertainment. Across the Soviet Union, this represented the opposite of the principles to be promoted. However, despite the opposition of the political class, the program remained widely popular. As the historical structures, symbols of the previous regime could no longer be promoted, the search began for a new image of the Opera House, one aligned with Socialist ideals and the concept of "art belonging to the masses."
This is the case of Soviet Lithuania, which, in the 1940s, began the process of developing a new Opera and Ballet Theater in Vilnius to replace the theatre in Pohulianka. The process resulted in an unusual commission, as young architect Elena Nijolė Bučiūtė won the 1960s competition for architectural design, turning the initial socialist realist proposals into a welcoming and expressive design, blending elements of early and late modernism. This also represents a surprising accomplishment for a young architect who was a woman and not a member of the Communist Party. Open House Vilnius featured the project in its program for several editions.
