Bookmarks (62)

The Christo and Jeanne-Claude project, wrapping the iconic Parisian monument and realised posthumously, marks the end of an era – in more ways than one Words by Julia Webster Ayuso A year after the death of the artist Christo, the dream he and his partner Jeanne-Claude conceived to wrap the Arc de Triomphe in Paris […] The post Wrapped Arc de Triomphe unveiled in...

Established by the V&A and Art Jameel, the prize awards the best contemporary art and design inspired by Islamic tradition Riyadh-based multidisciplinary artist Ajlan Gharem has been announced as the winner of the sixth edition of the Jameel Prize, an award for contemporary art and design inspired by Islamic tradition. This edition’s thematic focus was specifically contemporary […] The post Ajlan Gharem announced as winner of...

Titled The Available City and curated by David Brown, the event runs from 17 September to 18 December across the city and online Block Party, a play structure in North Lawndale, by Studio Barnes with Shawhin Roudbari and MAS Context Words by Francesca Perry The fourth edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB) has opened […] The post 2021 Chicago Architecture Biennial kicks off...

The annual prize celebrates the best of architecture in the UK – and six buildings are shortlisted 15 Clerkenwell Close, by Groupwork. Photograph: Tim Soar Words by Francesca Perry The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the six buildings shortlisted for this year’s RIBA Stirling Prize, the annual prize awarded to the UK’s best […] The post 2021 RIBA Stirling Prize shortlist announced...

Built as a home for the creative industries, this new commercial district hosts a diverse array of buildings from eight architects David Kohn Architects’ building announcing the Design District, flanked by structures from Barozzi Veiga (left) and Adam Khan Architects (right) Words by Francesca Perry The Design District, a new development on London’s Greenwich Peninsula […] The post London’s Design District opens on Greenwich...

Funding from the RIBA will enable programmes committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in the architecture profession L–R: LSA head of school Neal Shasore, RIBA President Simon Allford, SLDF founder Baroness Doreen Lawrence, architect and RIBA Council member Elsie Owusu. Photograph: Morley von Sternberg The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has donated £30,000 to […] The post London School of Architecture and Stephen Lawrence...

The Ilulissat Icefjord Centre sits lightly in the landscape, inviting visitors to contemplate the consequences of climate change on the Arctic region On the west coast of Greenland, 250km north of the Arctic Circle, Danish architect Dorte Mandrup has designed the Ilulissat Icefjord Centre. The building, which sits on the edge of the UNESCO-protected Greenland wilderness overlooking the Kangia Icefjord, is […] The post Dorte Mandrup completes Greenland visitor centre...

From colourful pedestrian crossings to a relaxation cube, we round up the highlights of what to check out at this year’s LDF Medusa by Tin Drum and Sou Fujimoto Architects at V&A. Image: Tin Drum Words by Francesca Perry The London Design Festival is back, and the 19th edition will take place across the city […] The post What to see at the London...

The project, designed by Powerhouse Company, uses recyclable timber and sources energy from rooftop solar panels Dutch architecture firm Powerhouse Company has completed a floating office project in Rotterdam. Developed by RED Company, the three-storey Floating Office Rotterdam (FOR) is designed to be one of the most sustainable offices in the world, and is also […] The post World’s largest floating office opens in...

The annual awards from the London Design Festival celebrate innovation, emerging talent and lifetime achievement The London Design Festival has announced the winners of the 2021 London Design Medals. Architect Eyal Weizman, director of Forensic Architecture, has won the Design Innovation Medal and furniture designer Mac Collins has won the Emerging Design Medal. The Lifetime Achievement […] The post Winners of 2021 London Design Medals...

With designs from practices including Tatiana Bilbao and Serie Architects, the development embraces the use of CLT, terracotta, hemp and raw earth Words by Sabrina Syed Paris is gearing up to build its first ‘zero-carbon’ neighbourhood. Located at Porte de Montreuil, a district on Paris’ eastern outskirts, the 35ha strip running alongside the Boulevard Périphérique […] The post Paris plans first ‘zero-carbon’ neighbourhood appeared...

German furniture designer Sebastian Herkner has collaborated with Pedrali to release the Blume collection Drawing inspiration from the concepts of elegance and sophistication, the Blume collection stems from the collaboration inaugurated in 2020 between the German designer Sebastian Herkner and Pedrali. Featuring a soft and rounded shape, both chair and lounge chair owe their distinctive […] The post Pedrali’s latest collection focuses on human...

Edited by Cristina Monteiro and David Knight, Public House celebrates how pubs have contributed to the civic life and story of London To coincide with London’s 30th Open House Festival (4–12 September 2021), the charity Open City has published a new book celebrating the social, and cultural history of London’s pubs. Titled, Public House: A […] The post New book explores the cultural and...

Civilian’s two buildings for Bard College Berlin respond to local architecture and include brightly coloured communal study and social spaces New York-based architecture and interiors studio Civilian has designed a student housing complex in Berlin for Bard College. Accommodating 120 students in twin red and grey brick buildings located in the city’s Pankow neighbourhood, the […] The post Berlin student housing designed with co-working...

Through renovation and expansion, Belgian practice B-architecten has eschewed statement architecture to focus on improving the museum experience Words by Anna Winston Once the cultural centre of Europe, Antwerp bears the scars of being invaded and occupied over and over, bombed and battered, its canals and docks concreted over and turned into car parks. Alongside […] The post MoMu, Antwerp’s fashion museum, reopens appeared...

Gallery Merz, at the Henie Onstad Kunstsenter outside Oslo, is carved out from the centre’s original concrete shell in a sensitive design that connects to the past Words by Will Jennings The central Oslo waterside is a hive of culture, with the celebrated Opera House and Astrup Fearnley Museet recently joined by the Deichman Bjørvika […] The post Snøhetta designs new gallery space within...

Following a process of co-design with users, the practice has created a street-facing pavilion entrance in addition to new performance and rehearsal spaces Architecture practice DSDHA has completed a major redevelopment of the north London home of the National Youth Theatre (NYT). The project has improved the building’s visibility and accessibility from the street and […] The post National Youth Theatre in London expanded...

Local practice AndrénFogelström created the striking structures for Vårbergstoppen, a hill constructed in the 1960s that is now a public park Words by Francesca Perry Stockholm-based architecture practice AndrénFogelström has designed a series of sci-fi-like ‘playground spheres’ and brutalist concrete viewing platforms for Vårbergstoppen, a public park in the southern suburbs of Stockholm. Vårbergstoppen started […] The post Play spheres and brutalist platforms added...

The ‘Market of the Future’ for German chain REWE tackles food miles and carbon emissions in a two-tiered structure Words by Nile Bridgeman Over the last century, humans have grown distant from food-growing culture. Farming is mostly invisible to city dwellers, and supermarkets make food’s origins opaque. Consumers increasingly expect the predictability of big-shed supermarkets […] The post ACME designs German supermarket with rooftop...

The El Terreno project centres ecological and social sustainability in a city where access to green space is rare – and is now used as a kindergarten too Words by Natalia Torija Nieto Mexico City and its surrounding metropolitan area is home to over 21 million people, with 9 million living in the city proper […] The post Vertebral creates community garden in Mexico...

The interactive installation by two Czech practices forms part of the Venice Architecture Biennale’s exhibition, How will we play together? Words by Francesca Perry The notion of a ‘playable fence’ – and subverting physical barriers into moments of joy – was embedded in recent consciousness with Teeter-Totter Wall (2019) by Rael San Fratello, in which […] The post Turning a fence into a playground...

The iconic Berlin gallery designed by Mies van der Rohe underwent an extensive refurbishment which balanced conservation with future needs The Neue Nationalgalerie, the modernist art gallery in Berlin originally designed by Mies van der Rohe in 1963-68, is opening to the public again after a five-year process of restoration by David Chipperfield Architects. The […] The post Neue Nationalgalerie reopens after ‘surgical’ restoration by...

The underground extension and sculptural landscaping at the Ordrupgaard museum aim to holistically enhance the entire complex Words by Harriet Thorpe Ordrupgaard, an art museum in eastern Denmark renowned for its collection of 19th- and early 20th-century French and Danish works, has gained a new architectural ‘layer’ designed by Snøhetta. More than just an extension, […] The post Snøhetta designs Impressionism-inspired extension to Danish...

The architect is celebrated for her sustainable, experimental and locally rooted approach to building – as well as major contribution to theory and research Kundoo (left) and her Wall House in Auroville (2000, right). Photographs: Andreas Deffner/Javier Callejas The architect Anupama Kundoo has been announced as the recipient of the 2021 RIBA Charles Jencks Award. Organised […] The post Anupama Kundoo named the recipient of...

The recently unveiled plans for Foster + Partners’ Marina Tower herald the greenwashed privatisation of an Athens suburb Words by George Kafka and George Papam As the last plane departed from Athens’ Elliniko International Airport in 2001, it began decades of uncertainty for the future of the coastal site at the city’s southern edge. Unable […] The post Behind Greece’s new tallest building, a...

In newly published photographs from the 1980s, Ursula Schulz-Dornburg captures the symbolic vernacular architecture of Indonesia’s Bugis farmers German photographer Ursula Schulz-Dornburg has released a new book – Bugis Houses, Celebes – portraying the the distinctive houses of the Bugis or To-Ugiq people in central Indonesia. The photographs originate from a 1983 research trip Schulz-Dornburg […] The post Documenting the Bugis houses of Indonesia...

Prioritising reuse and sustainability, the art gallery has been refreshed and expanded by the local practice The Fruitmarket art gallery in Edinburgh has reopened after a major two-year renovation project. Local practice Reiach and Hall Architects has refreshed its two existing galleries and expanded the arts hub into a large adjacent warehouse. The architectural renovation […] The post Edinburgh’s Fruitmarket reopens after Reiach and...

Design Can, the UK campaign dedicated to a more inclusive design industry, launches a new public initiative to track progress Words by Francesca Perry Design Can launched two years ago this month. The campaign, steered by a range of people across the UK design industry, calls on everyone related to the industry to work towards […] The post Are we any closer to equity...

The ‘Beezantium’ houses two bee colonies and a multi-sensory exhibition In the woodland of The Newt estate in Somerset, Invisible Studio Architects has designed a house for bees – as well as education about bees. Next to a lake and surrounded by a specially planted apiary, the ‘Beezantium’ houses two native bee colonies, alongside a multi-sensory visitor experience designed […] The post Invisible Studio designs house for bees...

In the run up to COP26, three architectural interventions in London show how to creatively reclaim nature in cities facing climate change Words by Francesca Perry Along Exhibition Road, the shared-space street in London’s South Kensington nestled between major museums, three new architectural installations have arrived that each integrate nature in a propositional way. Together […] The post South Kensington installations propose greener London...

Before Tokyo 2020, there was Tokyo 1964 – and a new exhibition in London reveals the design innovation and significance behind the historic event As Tokyo says goodbye to this year’s Olympic Games – and awaits the Paralympic Games – an exhibition in London has opened that looks at the last time the Japanese capital […] The post The influential design of the Tokyo...

Popular with pandemic parenting, the inflatable play-houses are more than just lurid eyesores – their use is bound up with plastic waste and social inequality Words by Tara Okeke It is with age and through experience that we learn nightmares assume many forms. In childhood, terrors tend to trend uniform – spectral figures under the […] The post PVC perils: why bouncy castles are...

Designed by Taillandier Architectes Associés, La Cité transforms three industrial halls into flexible spaces for contemporary innovation Words by Francesca Perry French practice Taillandier Architectes Associés (TAA) has completed La Cité, the renovation and transformation of a historic aeronautical factory in Toulouse into a large-scale hub for startups focused on sustainable innovation. Arranged over 12,698 […] The post In Toulouse, an aeronautical factory becomes...

Designed by Moxon Architects, the red Esperance Bridge improves connections in the rapidly growing London area A striking red pedestrian bridge has arrived in King’s Cross, London, designed by Moxon Architects with engineering firm Arup. Named Esperance Bridge, the project spans Regent’s Canal, improving connectivity between King’s Cross St Pancras station and Pancras Square on […] The post New pedestrian bridge opens in King’s...

A new exhibition at Het Nieuwe Instituut highlights disruptive design ideas in pursuit of an equitable society through immersive installations Het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam has opened a new semi-permanent exhibition, Designing the Social, which explores 100 years of socially driven ideas about living together. The featured design strategies were born from both practicality and […] The post Exploring 100 years of radical Dutch...

The 1960s building is now home to arts organisation Forma and includes a colourful public rooftop garden Words by Francesca Perry Sanchez Benton Architects – in collaboration with artist Gabriel Kuri and horticulturist Nigel Dunnett – has transformed a low-rise modernist building in south London into a new hub for arts organisation Forma, with a […] The post Modernist south London garages transformed into...

Traversing Istanbul’s waters and islands, Büyükada Songlines formed a hub of conversation and debate, as well as a biodiverse garden for birds and humans Words by Francesca Perry Rotterdam-based Studio Ossidiana has designed a floating garden, which during the months of June and July 2021 travelled across the waters of the Bosphorus and Sea of […] The post Studio Ossidiana designs floating garden in...

The pair has teamed up to launch the Terra Carta Design Lab, inviting students from the Royal College of Art to develop solutions to the climate crisis Words by Francesca Perry The country is in the heightened throes of a deadly and mismanaged pandemic, the world is burning (and melting, and flooding), and the minute […] The post Jony Ive and Prince Charles will...

The artist-designer’s Endless Ribbon Connecting Us forms part of a citywide creative regeneration programme and aims to instil joy Words by Francesca Perry London-based artist and designer Morag Myerscough has collaborated with Coventry City Council and Creative Giants to transform a major public hub in the UK city through her signature mix of bold colours […] The post Morag Myerscough transforms Coventry shopping street...

Located in the French city’s historic Place Graslin, the temporary intervention by Titan forms part of the arts festival Le Voyage à Nantes Nantes-based architecture practice Titan has designed Versus/Playground 2021, a roller-skating rink for the Place Graslin in Nantes, France. One of the many creative, site-specific interventions across the city for annual arts festival […] The post Roller-skating rink transforms Nantes public space...

The landmark bridge improves cycling and pedestrian routes in the city London-based Matter Architecture, as part of a multidisciplinary team, has completed a new footbridge in the English city of Hull. Named Murdoch’s Connection – after the city’s first female GP, Dr Mary Murdoch – the bridge improves pedestrian and cycle routes over the busy […] The post Matter Architecture completes new bridge in...

The listed modernist estate in Geneva underwent an 11-year ‘high-tech’ renovation that prioritises longevity and thermal performance Geneva-based Jaccaud Spicher Architectes Associés has completed the 11-year renovation of the listed, modernist housing complex Le Lignon on the city’s outskirts. The project has restored the original identity of the development – built between 1963 and 1971 […] The post Switzerland’s largest housing complex retrofitted appeared...

The Pierre Chevet sports hall is the first public building in the country to be constructed with hempcrete blocks In the small town of Croissy-Beaubourg, east of Paris, architecture and landscaping office Lemoal Lemoal has delivered the Pierre Chevet sports hall, the first new public building constructed with hempcrete blocks in France. The structure of the […] The post Lemoal Lemoal completes hempcrete sports hall in...

The youth-focused space at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People is playful, practical and informed by user engagement London-based architecture and design studio Projects Office has completed a colour-filled space for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in Edinburgh. Located at the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, the […] The post Projects Office designs colourful mental health...

In a new book, Jared Green showcases the innovative architecture and design harnessing sustainable and renewable energy around the world Power of 10, Örebro. Photograph: Mathias Hamrén Words by Francesca Perry In his new book, Good Energy: Renewable Power and the Design of Everyday Life, writer and editor Jared Green spotlights 35 net-zero or energy-positive […] The post The best net-zero and energy-positive developments...

Can we design a better system of agriculture? The madd-bordeaux exhibition, Farmer designers: an art of living, believes so Loess Plateau, Gao Xing Zhuang village, China. Photograph: Kosima Weber Liu, EEMP A new exhibition devoted to farming design – the design of agricultural productivity – has opened at the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, […] The post A new exhibition celebrates ‘farmer designers’...

The Japanese firm developed a kit of parts for honesty-box vegetable stands Japanese design firm Nendo, led by Oki Sato, has developed a modular kit of parts for roadside vegetable stands that can help distribute agricultural produce in rural areas and cut down on food waste. Currently, Japan’s distribution system does not distribute agricultural produce […] The post Nendo designs roadside mini-markets tackling food...

First Nations people in Canada still suffer from unacceptable housing conditions – and that needs to change. How can architecture play a role in reconciliation? View of the exhibition Caroline Monnet: Ninga Mìnèh at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Photo MMFA, Denis Farley Words by Caroline Monnet The abhorrent housing conditions faced by many northern Indigenous […] The post ‘For Indigenous communities, architecture is a...

The Burkina Institute of Technology in Koudougou harnesses local materials in an orthogonal, modular design Kéré Architecture, the Berlin-based studio run by Diébédo Francis Kéré, has completed the Burkina Institute of Technology in Koudougou, a city in central Burkina Faso. The project expands the campus of the Lycée Schorge secondary school, which Kéré also designed […] The post Kéré Architecture completes Burkina Faso technology...

The research arm of OMA has created a three-floor space blending Parisian elegance with industrial aesthetics for the Virgil Abloh fashion label AMO, the Rotterdam-based research and design studio of architecture firm OMA, has completed the new flagship store in Paris for global fashion label Off-White. Occupying three floors of a 19th-century corner building in […] The post AMO designs Off-White flagship store in...