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Mecanoo win architecture competition to design Tainan Public Library and cultural centre
by Kim Megson | 22 Feb 2016
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,
Winnipeg Art Gallery adds 8,000 artefacts to collection as CA$60m Inuit Art Centre plans advance
by Tom Anstey | 22 Feb 2016
More than 8,000 artefacts of Inuit origin will soon go on display at the Winnipeg Art Gallery in Canada as part of a CA$60m (US$43.7m, €39.4m, £30.5m) project to create an Inuit Art Centre. With more than 13,000 pieces, including 7,400 sculptures, 4,000 prints, 1,800 drawings and hundreds of artefacts, The Winnipeg Art Gallery’s Inuit collection is the largest in the world and represents half of its overall collection. The
James Goldstein gifting US$40m Big Lebowski house to Los Angeles County Museum of Art
by Tom Anstey | 19 Feb 2016
The owner of a US$40m (€36m, £28m) luxury house, famous for its role in 1998 comedy The Big Lebowski, is to donate the property to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) with the intention of turning it into a museum and example of creativity within architecture. James Goldstein, who owns the Sheats Goldstein residence in the Hollywood hills, has pledged the building to LACMA, along with its gardens,
Precipitous triangular viewpoint latest addition to Norway’s tourist routes
by Alice Davis | 18 Feb 2016
Norway’s famous network of architecture tourist routes is set to get a new viewpoint attraction in June – a concrete triangle slab balanced on a dramatic mountainside. Designed by Norwegian architects Code, the Utsikten (the View) is being built on the Gaularfjell National Tourist Route (NTR). The NTR project began in 1994, combining the 18 most spectacular roads in Norway with modern architecture attractions designed to complement the scenery, such
Houston Botanic Garden: Landscape architects West 8 masterplan stunning natural attraction for Texas
by Kim Megson | 17 Feb 2016
A masterplan drawn up by Dutch landscape architects West 8 to create a 120 acre botanic garden in Houston, Texas has received approval from the city’s mayor. Plans to create a vast public green space showcasing Houston's native plants, preserving various wildlife habitats and hosting community events have been in development since 2002, but received a major boost last year after US$5m (€4.4m, £3.5m) was successfully fundraised to move the
MVRDV unveil Beijing leisure hub with an ever-changing façade
by Kim Megson | 16 Feb 2016
Work is nearing completion on the Chongwenmen M-Cube; MVRDV’s latest high-profile leisure building. Located in Beijing, the the 44,000sq m (473,600sq ft) M-Cube is due to be completed by Q3 this year. Once open, it will be a cultural hub for the Chinese capital – with leisure, retail, dining and nightclub facilities housed beneath a rooftop garden overlooking many of the city’s landmarks. The building's most striking feature will be
Film City Tower: Architecture competition launched for Bollywood landmark building as Mumbai takes on LA
by Kim Megson | 15 Feb 2016
Designs are being sought for a large-scale cultural landmark celebrating the Indian film industry in Mumbai. Competition organiser Archasm is embarking on a mission to “put Bollywood on the global map” by organising a design contest for a “vertical Film City tower” which will emulate Los Angeles’ film industry neighbourhood and the iconic Hollywood sign. “The film industry in Mumbai is scattered and too low profile to match the cult
Stunning digital installations encourage creativity, play and immersion at Silicon Valley art show
by Kim Megson | 15 Feb 2016
Japanese digital art collective teamLab have partnered with Silicon Valley gallery Pace Art + Technology to create a large-scale interactive art exhibition described as a “digital playground for all ages”. The exhibition, called Living Digital Space and Future Parks, features 20 innovative art pieces spread across several rooms and 20,000sq ft (1,850sq m) in the Californian gallery. The show encourages participants to embrace their curiosity by interacting directly with the
Europa City will play key role in Paris 2024 Olympic bid
by Kim Megson | 15 Feb 2016
The director of Europa City – one of the largest ongoing leisure developments on the continent – has told CLAD how the scheme can bolster the Paris bid to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In an exclusive interview, Christophe Dalstein said the €3.1bn (US$3.5bn, £2.4bn) Europa City – which has been masterplanned by Bjarke Ingels Group – will be perfectly placed near the proposed Olympic venues in northern
Herzog & de Meuron complete €47m renovation of historic Unterlinden Museum in France
by Kim Megson | 12 Feb 2016
After three years of work, the Unterlinden Museum in Colmar, France has re-opened to the public, with a new subterranean gallery space created by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron. The museum – which exhibits historic works of art from the likes of Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso – has almost doubled its interior space by linking the museum with an adjacent complex of historical buildings, including a 13th century
Why not spend a night in Van Gogh's bedroom?
by Kim Megson | 12 Feb 2016
The Art Institute of Chicago is giving visitors to the US city the chance to step directly into the world of Vincent Van Gogh. To celebrate an upcoming exhibition on the Dutch post-impressionist, the institute has recreated a human-scale model of Van Gogh’s bedroom from his famous French ‘Yellow House’, and is renting it to guests via room listing website Airbnb. Van Gogh was so taken by his room –
MAD Architects are building a floating art museum in China
by Kim Megson | 12 Feb 2016
Pingtan Art Museum, a spectacular floating cultural island designed by Beijing-based innovators MAD Architects, has entered the construction phase in China’s Fujian province. Pingtan is the largest island in the region and has been designated by the government as a primary location for cultural and tourism development. The museum has been in development since 2011 and will be the cultural centrepiece of the zone. It will float in waters just
World of Science's CA$40m redevelopment turns facility into its own science lesson
by Tom Anstey | 12 Feb 2016
Edmonton’s Telus World of Science in Canada has unveiled proposals for a CA$40m (US$28.6m, €25.3m, £19.8m) redevelopment to transform the ageing facility. The ice-inspired concepts by Dialog Design will turn the facility itself into a science lesson. Dialog’s design pools precipitation from the roof, using it to feed wildlife around the building, demonstrating how the freeze-thaw cycle works. In the colder months, water will come from the roof to form
Frosts step in to save Miami science museum after funding shortfall
by Kim Megson | 11 Feb 2016
A turbulent bid to build a world-class science museum in Miami is back on track after two principal donors stepped in to provide crucial funding to the cash-stricken project. The US$307m (€283.5m, £214.1m) Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science is entering the final construction phase, but a US$45m (€41.5m, £31.3m) funding shortfall emerged last month due to higher-than-expected construction costs and a failure to finance donor pledges. However, the
Bjarke Ingels will design 2016 Serpentine Gallery pavilion
by Kim Megson | 10 Feb 2016
Danish architect Bjarke Ingels and his studio BIG have been chosen to design the 2016 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion within London’s Kensington Gardens. The studio now have six months to develop and complete their design before it goes on display as the centrepiece of this year's Serpentine Galleries summer pavilion exhibition. For the first time, the galleries have also announced an expansion to the annual four-month event, with four other architects
National Arts Centre in Ottawa begins million-dollar makeover
by Kim Megson | 10 Feb 2016
A groundbreaking ceremony has been held to mark the beginning of “an architectural rejuvenation” for Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) in Ottawa. Toronto studio Diamond Schmitt Architects have designed a CAD$110m (US$79.3m, €40.4m, £54m) extension to the Brutalist 1960s structure, adding a new North Atrium and entrance made from glass and a marquee tower which will display live performances from the main stage on a huge screen. According to the
Ennead Architects complete cantilevered Westmoreland Art Museum expansion
by Kim Megson | 10 Feb 2016
The architects behind the US$20m (€17.7m, £13.8m) renovation of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, have claimed their work has launched “a new era” for the institution. New York studio Ennead Architects have used a simple palette of materials and textures – including precast concrete, zinc, brick and glass – to unify the 13,500sq ft (1,250sq m) expansion with the existing neo-Georgian structure. A new eastern brick
Exhibition designers Mather & Co to dream up visitor attraction for California's iconic Rose Bowl stadium
by Kim Megson | 09 Feb 2016
British exhibition and interior designers Mather & Co will venture into the US market for the first time after winning a competitive tender to develop a new visitor attraction and stadium tour experience at California’s world famous Rose Bowl Stadium. The 92,500-capacity facility, designed by American architect Myron Hubbard Hunt and located in Pasadena, is a National Historic Landmark and the country’s 12th largest stadium. Since its construction in 1922
Re-discovered Shakespeare Theatre to provide cultural heart of £750m London mixed-use scheme
by Kim Megson | 09 Feb 2016
The Elizabethan theatre where William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Henry V were performed for the first time is at the centre of a new £750m (US$1bn, €968.7m) mixed-use destination for London. The historic remains of The Curtain Theatre, which dates back to 1577, were discovered buried three metres beneath a disused Victorian goods yard earmarked for development in 2011. The Curtain was home to Shakespeare’s Theatre Company and the
Groundbreaking ceremony held for Foster + Partners' Norton Museum of Art in Florida
by Kim Megson | 08 Feb 2016
A groundbreaking ceremony has been held for the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida. British architects Foster + Partners are expanding the existing Art Deco-inspired museum – which opened in 1941 – adding 12,000sq ft (1,100sq m) in gallery space and creating a new entrance to regain the symmetry of the building’s original east-west axial arrangement. Three new double-height pavilions made of white stone will house a
Louvre Hotel Group plans bamboo resort complex for Indonesia's Funtasy Island eco-park
by Kim Megson | 08 Feb 2016
French hospitality company Louvre Hotels Group is preparing to open hundreds of luxury accommodations at the heart of “the world’s largest eco-theme park” – the US$240m (€216.2m, £166.8m) Funtasy Island development in Indonesia’s Riau Islands. Louvre’s luxury hotel complex will include 341 five-star villas under the Royal Tulip brand and a 183-room Golden Tulip hotel with a 260-seat restaurant. Constructed primarily from wood and bamboo, the buildings will be linked
Reimagined Helsinki City Museum sets May opening date
by Tom Anstey | 05 Feb 2016
Helsinki City Museum in Finland has announced an opening date of May 2016, following an €11m (US$12.3m, £8.4m) 18-month refurbishment of its premises, the most extensive transformation in the museum’s 105-year history. Moving from its current home within Helsinki’s historical district to a new location in Senate Square, the museum will be made up of a group of five historical buildings surrounding three inner courtyards, opening up spaces never previously
Lost Viking shield inspires competition-winning design for landmark Danish exhibition centre
by Kim Megson | 04 Feb 2016
When Copenhagen studio PLH Arkitekter decided to enter a design competition for an experience and knowledge centre at a historic Danish Viking site, they had a particularly creative idea: to build it in the image of a Viking shield. The studio’s design for the centre in Trelleborg – a Viking ring castle that is one of Scandinavia’s most important Viking monuments – subsequently won the competition, and will now be
David Chipperfield and Sou Fujimoto among the winners in design competition to 'prefigure the Paris of tomorrow'
by Kim Megson | 04 Feb 2016
A major international architecture competition for the urban regeneration of Paris has concluded, with 22 design teams selected to develop their innovative visions for the future of the French capital. The project, called reinventer.paris, launched in November 2014 with an invitation for architects, designers, investors, companies, collectives and artists to “prefigure what the Paris of tomorrow might be” for “an urban experiment on an unparalleled scale.” Over 800 proposals were
Opening date announced for National Museum of African American History and Culture
by Kim Megson | 04 Feb 2016
The Smithsonian has announced the National Museum of African American History and Culture will be opened by US President Barack Obama on 24 September 2016. The opening ceremony will be the focus of a week-long celebration, which will include a three-day festival showcasing popular music, literature, dance and film.
It's official! We open on 9/24/2016. Learn more about us here: https://t.co/kSSQR82sfO #SaveTheDate #BuildNMAAHC pic.twitter.com/seTkzsXqC1 — Smithsonian NMAAHC
Rock music, architecture and design collide in MVRDV's mixed-use masterplan for Ragnarock
by Kim Megson | 03 Feb 2016
The transformation of a former industrial site in Danish city Roskilde into a new home for rock and roll will be complete by April this year, CLAD has learned. The Danish Rock Museum, the headquarters of the annual Roskilde Rock Festival and the Roskilde Festival Folk Music School will soon all be housed in one new complex, called Ragnarock. The facilities will be located inside renovated factory buildings with new
Robot-built pavilion will take centre stage as V&A explores the future of engineering
by Kim Megson | 03 Feb 2016
Visitors to the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) in London this May will be able to explore a garden pavilion inspired by nature and fabricated by robots in front of their eyes. The Elytra Filament Pavilion – created by experimental architects Achim Menges and Moritz Dörstelmann in collaboration with engineers Jan Knippers and Thomas Auer – will launch a special Engineering Season at the museum. The installation will explore the
Michael Maltzan Architecture plan to reinvigorate LA with 'Ribbon of Light' bridge
by Kim Megson | 02 Feb 2016
Los Angeles’ 1932 Sixth Street Viaduct has officially closed ahead of its forthcoming demolition, allowing work to begin on a replacement which will better connect the city’s eastern and western districts and create a new large-scale arts and leisure realm. US practice Michael Maltzan Architecture have designed the US$449m (€411.2m, £311.2m) “transformative infrastructure project”, which centres around a 3,500ft (1,000m) long, ten-arch ‘Ribbon of Light Bridge’ spanning the Los Angeles
Science and Natural History museums enter preliminary discussions for west London sites
by Tom Anstey | 02 Feb 2016
Both London’s Science Museum and Natural History Museum have confirmed they are in preliminary discussions about opening satellite sites as part of the multi-billion pound Old Oak Common redevelopment in west London. The 30-year Old Oak development plan – conceived as the UK’s largest regeneration project with around 1.35sq km (0.52sq miles) of available space – will include a litany of new leisure projects including a possible new 40,000-capacity home
Black Gold project imagines cities of the future located in huge repurposed oil tankers
by Kim Megson | 01 Feb 2016
A Dutch architectural collective has proposed an iconic landmark for the Southern Gulf region: a city located inside a decommissioned oil tanker. The concept, called The Black Gold, imagines the storage tanks within the ship being adapted to house hotels, restaurants, museums, shops and apartments, while the base floor of the vessel could be used for big cultural event-based uses, such as concerts. The double steel walls would ensure a
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