Google Arts & Culture offers virtual tours of museums and galleries during closures
by Lauren Heath-Jones | 25 Mar 2020
Google Arts & Culture will offer virtual tours for more than 500 museums at art galleries, including the Musée d'Orsay, that have been forced to close due to the coronavirus / ©Google
Google Arts & Culture has partnered with more than 500 cultural institutions to offer 'virtual museum exploration', following the temporary closure of thousands of art galleries and museums during the COVID-19 pandemic.
An online platform designed to provide public access to gallery and museum collections across the globe, Google Arts & Culture uses the same technology developed for Google Maps Street View to enable users to 'walk' through world-famous galleries and museums and explore collections and exhibits, via clickable artworks offering further information, from the safety and comfort of their own homes.
The move to virtual reality is enabling museums and galleries to continue to reach quarantined audiences, as well as enhance their offering with behind-the-scenes access and creative storytelling. Examples include a 360-degree tour of Chauvet Cave – a prehistoric cave and Unesco World Heritage site in Ardéche, France, which features the earliest discovered examples of prehistoric art.
The tour, called Dawn of Art, was produced by Google Arts & Culture and "digitally preserves" the caves, which are usually reserved for archaeologists and other professionals. Google says that the virtual tour "bridges 36,000 years of human history by joining state of the art technology with some of the oldest cave paintings left behind by our ancestors."
Google Arts & Culture cultural institutions Getty Museum art galleries museums COVID 19 Guggenheim National Folk Museum of Korea Chauvet Cave28 Feb 2020
Smithsonian makes image banks rights free in the largest cultural open access programme in history
29 Jan 2020
Google highlights climate change through 3D heritage collection
14 Jun 2019
Ana Prvački videos bring new slant to de Young museum through Google Lens
11 Mar 2019
Google launches huge online science and human discovery museum platform
05 Dec 2018
Google collaborates with Netherlands’ Mauritshuis to create virtual museum dedicated to artist Johannes Vermeer
More news
Moederscheim Moonen reveal plans for mixed-use towers at Rotterdam stadium
by Tom Walker | 03 Jun 2020
Plans have been revealed to redevelop the Van Donge & De Roo Stadium in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, into a mixed-use complex dominated by four towers rising from the stands. Designed by architects Moederscheim Moonen, the proposals include expanding the capacity at the stadium from 4,300 to 6,500 to seats, while creating a number of other services – from housing and retail to offices and leisure. The Van Donge & De
Plans revealed for luxury spa resort at ‘Heart chakra of the earth’ in Hungary
by Megan Whitby | 01 Jun 2020
Architecture practice Johannes Torpe Studios has unveiled the first glimpses of the Buda Resort; a luxury spa resort located in the Visegrad Hills of Hungary and inspired by the spiritual symbolism of its setting. Situated 50km north of Budapest in a hilly landscape surrounded by forests and the Danube River; the vision for the 210-room resort is to offer a holistic retreat which fosters a greater sense of unity between
Promotion
‘Best Leisure Architecture UK’ award winner, 2019
GT3 Architects: Placing people at the heart of our projects
View full article
Copenhagen's 'parkipelago' project looks to redefine public parks
by Tom Walker | 28 May 2020
A project involving hand-crafted islands on the Danish capital Copenhagen's waterfront is set to create a completely new genre of public parks. Described as a "parkipelago", the Copenhagen Islands project will involve a number of islands being distributed to suitable locations around the city's inner harbour, with the aim of providing people moveable, floating, public spaces which will be free to explore and conquer. During summer, the islands will be
Milan's San Siro has 'no cultural interest' and can be demolished
by Tom Walker | 27 May 2020
The historic San Siro football stadium in Milan could be demolished to make way for a brand new stadium, following a decision by Italian heritage authorities. According to the Superintendency of Cultural Heritage of Lombardy (SCHL), San Siro has "no cultural interest" and there is no heritage-based objection for it to be razed to the ground. The venue is the home for Milan's two Serie A giants – Internazionale and
First Apple hotel planned as part of new Austin campus
by Liz Terry | 25 May 2020
Tech giant, Apple, has received approval from City of Austin planners in Texas, for a six-storey, 192-bed, 76,000sq ft hotel, as part of a new US$1bn campus being built to the north-west of the city. The original outline plans for the development, submitted in December 2018, did not include a hotel and it's thought the facility has been added to COVID-proof Apple exec's travel exposure. The development started on site
Webinar: Cities after COVID-19 – lessons for greenfield megaprojects
by Liz Terry | 25 May 2020
Having seen COVID-19 disrupt the very functioning of cities worldwide, what would we do differently if we built new cities from scratch? This is the topic of a webinar conference in The Big Rethink series from NewCities, happening today (26 May 2020), at 12.00noon EDT. Speakers include Greg Clark, global head of future cities and new industries at HSBC; Satish Kamat, president of Sri City near Chennai, India; and Carlo
Permission granted for £150m four-layer subterranean health and wellbeing hub in London
by Megan Whitby | 18 May 2020
London’s Westminster City Council has approved developer Reef Group’s plans to invest over £150m (US$185.3m, €171.4m) in Cavendish Square, transforming the space into a subterranean mixed-use destination, with a focus on healthcare and wellbeing. Claimed to be London’s first subterranean health and wellbeing destination, the 280,000sq ft (26,000sq m) destination will deliver specialist facilities for London’s private healthcare sector. Currently an underground park, the existing structure will be reused and
World’s first energy-positive hotel to open north of the Arctic Circle in 2022
by Megan Whitby | 11 May 2020
The world’s first energy-positive hotel, called Svart, is due to open early in 2022. Designed by Snøhetta, the circular 99-room hotel will be situated on the Holandsfjorden fjord at the foot of the Svartisen glacier in Norway, raised up above the fjord on a wooden support structure. Developed by Miris, the hotel is located north of the Arctic Circle and is expected to use around 85 per cent less energy
BIG creates spiral museum for Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet
by Tom Walker | 07 May 2020
Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet will open a museum celebrating the company history next month (June 2020). Located next to the company HQ in the village of Le Brassus in the Vallée de Joux in Switzerland, the museum has been designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and will immerse visitors in the manufacturer’s "cultural universe past, present and future". BIG won an architectural competition to design the Musée Atelier Audemars
Hirsch Bedner's David T'Kint reassesses the future of design
by Liz Terry | 07 May 2020
Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) are one of the foremost names in hotel and hospitality design, but as partner David T'Kint told CLAD's Stu Robarts, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced them to reassess what the future of design looks like. T'Kint moved to Dubai with his family in 2014 to develop HBA's small office there into a fully-fledged design office. With 50 designers and five of the 10 HBA brands now
Bensley creating luxury ‘human zoo’ hotel concept for multinational project in Asia, Australia and Africa
by Megan Whitby | 01 May 2020
Architect Bill Bensley has announced plans for a luxury sustainable 'human zoo' hotel and spa project. Bensley’s concept will involve guests staying like caged animals within a luxury hotel and looking out onto an expansive wildlife sanctuary park full of rescued endangered animals. Bensley design studio’s vast 2084-key project named World Wild is comprised of seven hotels spread throughout Asia, Africa and Australia covering a total 654,867sq m. The concept's
Andrew Frontini and Paul Kulig – of Perkins and Will Toronto – tell CLAD the pandemic opens up opportunities to reinvent cities to create a better future
by Stu Robarts | 27 Apr 2020
Andrew Frontini, principal and design director of Perkins and Will in Toronto, and his colleague Paul Kulig, principal for urban design and transit, told CLAD how the Covid-19 pandemic will change how we live and move around cities. There has been a significant trend towards designing health and wellness into the built environment over the last decade, perhaps best illustrated by the launch of the International WELL Building Institute and
Rachel Gutter talks about how COVID-19 will change the places we live and work
by Stu Robarts | 20 Apr 2020
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is one of the foremost bodies when it comes to recognising how effectively the places we live ensure our health and wellbeing. CLAD spoke to president Rachel Gutter about how this priority has taken centre stage. IWBI was set up in 2014 with the aim of doing for people what LEED had done for sustainability, via its WELL Building Standard – the human-centric, wellness
Ekies resort receives overhaul inspired by monastic traditions using earthy tones and natural materials
by Megan Whitby | 20 Apr 2020
Ekies All Senses Resort, Halkidiki, Greece, has undergone a redesign and expansion project inspired by an ascetic vibe and its proximity to Mount Athos – home to 20 monasteries under the direct jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. Resort owner, Alexandra Efstathiadou, worked in collaboration with Athens-based Agarch + Architects and Fytron Landscape Design, to create ten brand new suites and renovate five existing rooms. The team drew on
Wellness blends with 2,300 years of history at The Museum Hotel Antakya
by Megan Whitby | 20 Apr 2020
A luxury spa which overlooks an archaeological excavation spanning 13 civilizations, has recently been unveiled at The Museum Hotel Antakya, Turkey. Turkish design firm Emre Arolat Architecture led the multi-layered project’s design which centres around rare mosaics and is stacked with contemporary steel frames supporting sheltering rooms linked by walkways and glass-panelled bridges. The hotel’s decor has been completed with copper accents, warm wooden floors and views onto the surrounding
Yuji Yamazaki-designed Maldives spa will focus on calm and balance
by Megan Whitby | 06 Apr 2020
Plans have been revealed for a five-star Maldivian spa island designed by Yuji Yamazaki – the architect behind the world’s first underwater villa. The development is scheduled to open in September 2020. Located in the Maldives’ North Male Atoll, Kagi Maldives Spa Island will feature Baani Spa Wellness Centre, a 1,500sq m purpose-built spa designed to provide personalised outcome-focused wellness experiences which help guests ‘release, restore and regain’. The spa
First glimpses of urban spa at world’s first super-boutique hotel
by Megan Whitby | 03 Apr 2020
After seven years and a £300m investment, super-boutique hotel, The Londoner, is taking shape in the heart of the UK’s capital city. Originally scheduled for June 2020, the opening has been shifted to late 2020 due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Located in Leicester Square, the 16-storey hotel will cover 32,000sq m and feature an urban spa, 350 guest rooms including 35 suites and a tower penthouse, each
Cox Architecture creates dramatic, flowing theatre for Sydney
by Stu Robarts | 02 Apr 2020
Cox Architecture 's Sydney Coliseum Theatre combines a flowing form with a restrained palette of materials to create a beautiful and dramatic new cultural hub. Located in the Rooty Hill area of Western Sydney, the design for the facility was based on the concept of transcendence, with the aim of creating a journey from the outside world into the "the magic of performance". The 8000sq m (86,000sq ft) multi-mode venue
Rick Cook on the need for sustainability, wellness and resiliency in design
by Stu Robarts | 01 Apr 2020
Since being established in 2003, COOKFOX Architects have gained a reputation for being proponents of architecture at the intersection of sustainability and wellness, which co-founder Rick Cook says is more pressing now than ever. "Our current studio is LEED Platinum, but it's also the first WELL Gold certified project in New York," he explained to CLAD in an interview by way of example. "Which has much more of a focus
HNNA unveil "bold and playful" design for new Design District
by Stu Robarts | 01 Apr 2020
HNNA have unveiled designs for the London Design District, which was conceived by developer Knight Dragon to be a purpose-built neighbourhood for the creative industries. The vision for the Design District is to provide "a permanent hub for makers and thinkers driving forward the fields of design, art, tech, food, fashion, craft and music." Covering a 1ha (2.5ac) plot on Greenwich Peninsula, the masterplan comprises a cluster of 16 new
Merlin postpones opening of Legoland New York to 2021
by Tom Anstey | 01 Apr 2020
Merlin Entertainments has announced that its upcoming Legoland resort in New York, US, will now open in 2021. The delayed opening of the theme park and hotel, which was originally set for a 4 July opening, is a response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. "Nothing is more important to us than the health, safety and security of our team, the partners we work with, and the communities we serve," said
Expo 2020 Dubai likely to be postponed until 2021
by Lauren Heath-Jones | 31 Mar 2020
Expo 2020 Dubai has announced that it will likely be postponed by a year as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Representatives of the event have been working in consultation with key UAE and international stakeholders, as well as the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the governing body for World Expos, to ascertain the impact of the coronavirus and determine whether or not to go ahead as planned. A proposal
WGNB's South Korean gallery-inspired store displays clothes like artworks
by Stu Robarts | 31 Mar 2020
WGNB recently completed a clothes store interior in South Korea that was modelled on an art gallery, displaying products as artworks in themselves. The renovation of Boon the Shop in Centum City's Shinsegae department store was based on the recognition that fashion is, in itself, an artform of sorts and so asked the question: "Can a clothing store be a gallery?" Baek Jonghwan, chief designer of WGNB, explained: "For some
Chelsea FC keeps stadium plans on hold as planning permission expires
by Tom Walker | 31 Mar 2020
Chelsea Football Club has allowed the planning permission for its new Herzog & de Meuron -designed stadium to lapse, keeping the project on hold until "economic conditions improve". The English Premier League received planning permission in 2017 to build a 60,000-seat venue at the site of its current Stamford Bridge stadium. But the club announced a year later that it had put the project on hold due to the "unfavourable
Cooper Robertson breathe fresh life into historic Farmington Country Club
by Stu Robarts | 31 Mar 2020
Cooper Robertson are transforming the historic Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Virginia, to make it more inclusive for women, children, families and younger generations. The buildings at Farmington date back to the 1760s, with the east wing of its clubhouse building having been designed by Thomas Jefferson and the club itself having been established in 1927. As Cooper Robertson has pointed out, though, "While private-membership clubs [in the US] remain
Fyra create huge but homely hotel in Finland
by Stu Robarts | 30 Mar 2020
Fyra, in collaboration with Werklig, have created a new hotel in Finland that is designed to feel homely and cosy despite covering an area of 24,000sq m (258,000sq ft) in the largest shopping mall in the Nordics. The Original Sokos Hotel Tripla is located in Helsinki’s Mall of Tripla, which houses a shopping centre, an entertainment centre and a train station, homes and workplaces. Fyra's aim for the project, which
Tracy Lee unveils Spa Alkemia at Zadún for Ritz Carlton Los Cabos
by Megan Whitby | 30 Mar 2020
Spa consultancy TLee Spas, in collaboration with EDG Design, have unveiled a new 30,000sq ft (2,800sq m) spa at the Ritz-Carlton Reserve 's Zadún property in Los Cabos, Mexico. Spa Alkemia is inspired by Mexican traditions and culture with a natural aesthetic, with 'Alkemia' – meaning alchemy in Spanish referencing a focus on positive transformation and a heightened state of wellbeing through therapeutic modalities. “Spa Alkemia is the ultimate playground
MOD's all-white house provides a canvas for the future and glimpses of the past
by Stu Robarts | 30 Mar 2020
Ministry of Design (MOD) have completed an all-white co-living house aimed at making the residents its "prominent features" and giving them a blank canvas for the future. Canvas House is set in a heritage shophouse in Singapore and is intended to inspire dreams about what could be while retaining historical elements. Project developer Figment provided a fixed budget and a tight four-month timeline for the reimagining of the building's interiors,
OMA-designed department store looks like a rock with a gemstone seam
by Stu Robarts | 27 Mar 2020
A newly opened department store in South Korea, designed by OMA, has the appearance of a rock with a gemstone seam running through it. Created for luxury retailer Galleria, the store has a gross floor area of 137,000sq m (1,475,000sq ft) and is located in the town of Gwanggyo, just south of Seoul. Textured mosaic of varying grey shades gives the impression of the volume having been shaped organically, while
Michael Sorkin dies after contracting COVID-19
by Stu Robarts | 27 Mar 2020
American architect, critic and educator Michael Sorkin has died as a result of complications associated with COVID-19, it has been announced. Sorkin founded his Michael Sorkin Studio design practice in 1980, growing the firm from its base in New York to open additional offices in the Chinese cities of Shanghai and Xi’an, with projects delivered around the world. The studio's specialities in cities and green architecture stem in part from
Promotion
‘Best Leisure Architecture UK’ award winner, 2019
GT3 Architects: Placing people at the heart of our projects
View full article
company profile
Try cladmag for free!
Sign up with CLAD to receive our regular ezine, instant news alerts, free digital subscriptions to CLADweek, CLADmag and CLADbook and to request a free sample of the next issue of CLADmag.
sign up
"Funding woes and murky timelines are common problems. It can be easier to make a difference one small project at a time"
From parks designed to mitigate the effects of flooding to warming huts for one of the world’s coldest cities, these projects have been designed for increasingly extreme climates
From parks designed to mitigate the effects of flooding to warming huts for one of the world’s coldest cities, these projects have been designed for increasingly extreme climates
Catalogue Gallery
Click on a catalogue to view it online
To advertise in our catalogue gallery: call +44(0)1462 431385
features
cladkit product news
XTU's X Cloud concept is part of the Future and the Arts: AI, Robotic, Cities, Life - How Humanity Will Live Tomorrow exhibition at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo
XTU Architects, a Paris-based architecture firm, has released images and renderings of X Cloud, a new concept that showcase a
...
The Goodies But Oldies collection features three pieces made from repurposed MDF table tops
Daniel Svahn, a Stockholm-based furniture designer, has created a new range of sustainable furnishings, made from recycled MDF tabletops. Svahn,
...
cladkit product news
Rainbow Design worked closely with KSS Architects to ensure the furniture matched the design vision
KSS Architects has partnered with Rainbow Design, a London-based furniture supplier, to create the 1885 Lounge at St Mary's Stadium,
...
Light shines through a striking central chandelier to create a feeling of movement
Smaller footprint. Maximum theatre. Those are the two main features of a new hammam concept being developed by wet spa
...
cladkit product news
The aluminium fins will form the façade of the upcoming Minories Hotel in Aldgate, London
Metalline, an architectural metalwork specialist based in the UK, has created a range of bespoke 3D twisted metal fins for
...
The product has three LED light sources: Dot, Dash and Grid
British designer, Tom Dixon, and Austrian architectural lighting specialists, Prolicht, have collaborated to unveil a new lighting range. Called CODE,
...
