The Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)-designed Maison de l’Économie Créative et de la Culture en Nouvelle-Aquitaine (MÉCA) in the French city Bordeaux opened to the public on 28 June. Located on the city's historic riverfront, the 12,000sq m cultural centre will become the new home for three cultural institutions – visual arts organisation FRAC, performing arts centre OARA and literature organisation ECLA. BIG's design for the institution divides the center in

A new cultural centre that incorporates an art museum, science centre, a book mall, and a youth centre has finished construction in Shenzhen, China. Designed by architects Mecanoo, the Longgang Cultural Centre is located along a long, narrow strip in the city and is comprised of four angular red buildings, each housing one of its four main elements. The art museum showcases a number of public artworks on its upper

The government of Flevoland has approved a master plan devised by Dutch architects Mecanoo to transform Nationaal park Nieuw Land into the largest man-made natural park in the world. Mecanoo's intervention will see the 29,000-hectare polder – which comprises four loosely connected areas of wetlands near greater Amsterdam – combined into one contiguous attraction with bike and walking trails, a parkway, sightseeing towers, and bird reserves. The architects will also

The Mecanoo-designed National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts, hailed as the "largest performing arts centre in the world" has opened in Taiwan. Impressively, the massive steel structure – which takes visual cues from Banyan trees and the sinuous hulls of ships – is home to a 1,981-seat concert hall, a 2,236-seat opera house, 1,210-seat playhouse, and a 434-seat recital hall. The arts hub, which is located in the vicinity of

Dutch architecture studio Mecanoo have been named the winners of an urban design competition to totally transform a business district in Shenzhen, China. Twelve staggered skyscrapers, an elevated pedestrian network and a vast green urban park form the key elements of the 1.36 million sq m (14 million sq ft) development Mecanoo will now design for the area around Shenzhen North railway and metro station. Mecanoo’s proposal – featuring retail

A heritage listed city hall Scotland is about to undergo major works, after local authorities in Perth selected Dutch architects Mecanoo to transform the space into a new cultural venue for the city. Perth & Kinross Council have selected Mecanoo to renovate the listed Perth City Hall, which will feature exhibition galleries, learning suites, a café and shops. According to the council, the reinvigorated city hall will create "a new

Dutch architects Mecanoo have completed an elegant pavilion for a hotel, restaurant and spa complex near Maastricht, the Netherlands. Château St. Gerlach is a historic estate situated close to the hills of the scenic Limburg countryside. It is formed of a number of old buildings and monuments, including the Château (1661), the St. Gerlachus Church (1727), the Farmstead (1759) and the Manor Farm (1668). Mecanoo were tasked with creating a

Ground has broken on the new Tainan Public Library in Taiwan, designed by Dutch architects Mecanoo. The 37,000sq m (398,200sq ft) building – which will feature a transparent stepped facade and below-grade courtyards – will have a 290-seat auditorium, a large conference hall, reading rooms, study spaces, a children’s play area, a café, a conference hall and public meeting spaces. The entrance hall will rise three levels up to show

Tulips, timber and triangles are at the heart of an elegant timber gateway created by architecture studio Mecanoo for Keukenhof – one of the world's largest flower gardens. The 79 acre park, located in the Dutch town Lisse, is popular among domestic and international tourists who travel to see Keukenhof’s impressive selection of flora and fauna. Approximately seven million flower bulbs are planted there annually and it is nicknamed ‘the

Dutch architects Mecanoo have taken inspiration from the UK’s Eden Project to propose an expansive experimental garden in the grounds of the Netherlands' Soestdijk Palace. The Dutch government recently launched a competition to redevelop the royal residence and estate, located in the town of Baarn. In response, Mecanoo have partnered with exhibition designers Kossmann.dejong and engineering consultancy Royal HaskoningDHV to develop their vision for an eco-attraction, called Eden Soestdijk. An

Mecanoo co-founder Francine Houben has told CLAD about the studio’s plans for their US$300m (€264m, £208m) renovation of New York’s iconic public library. In an exclusive interview featured in the latest issue of CLADmag, Houben revealed how the Dutch multidisciplinary practice are approaching the project – the latest in a string of high-profile libraries they have worked on. “We will approach the New York Public Library project the same way

Diners in Holland will soon be able to enjoy a four-course meal in a panoramic domed rail carriage as they are whisked around the country by train. The Panorama Rail restaurant is located across three 1960s carriages, one of which features the glass domed roof. Twice a week, guests will be transported across the country by a 65-year old locomotive in a three-hour round trip that passes through Rotterdam, The

Dutch design studio Mecanoo have won the architecture competition to design the new Tainan Public Library in Taiwan. The firm – known for their innovative library designs, including the Stirling Prize-nominated Library of Birmingham and the forthcoming New York Public Library renovation – have proposed a 35,000sq m (376,700sq ft) building featuring a transparent stepped facade and below-grade courtyards. The library will feature a 200-seat auditorium, reading rooms, study spaces,

Hilton Worldwide has opened it latest addition – the Mecanoo-designed Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol – which features a dramatic facade comprising a cubic, moulded structure with a distinctive pattern and a vast glass-roofed atrium. The hotel, designed by the Dutch architects, will certainly have a visual impact on passengers arriving and departing from the airport, with the 3,150sq m (33,900sq ft) complex having three main elements: a plinth, a rotated

A 17.6km (10.9mile) long cycleway will be built in Jiaozhou, China, designed by architecture and design firm Mecanoo. The Golden Ribbon cycling route will be funded by the World Bank and is the result of research on ‘innovation in mobility’ by the University of Shandong. The cycleway has been designed for “connectivity, comfort and experience”, while encouraging the use of bikes to improve public health, air quality and the environment.