Architecture and design news:
arts & culture
Aidia Studio's low-rise fortress wins Barjeel Museum For Modern Arab Art design competition
by Stu Robarts | 01 Nov 2019
Aidia Studio has won the Rifat Chadirji Prize 2019, which sought design proposals for a new Barjeel Museum For Modern Arab Art in Sharjah, UAE. Established in 2017, the Rifat Chadirji Prize is one competition run by the Tamayouz Excellence Award and seeks ideas that respond to local challenges, as well as to celebrate architecture in the Near East and North Africa. Aidia's proposal for a building to house Barjeel's
SODA's hi-tech rotating theatre recalls the past in its aesthetic
by Stu Robarts | 31 Oct 2019
The Studio of Design and Architecture (SODA) has created a new theatre with a revolving auditorium, a quickly adaptable configuration for a diverse range of events and a striking glass, brickwork and Art Deco aesthetic. The Boulevard Theatre is part of a wider and ongoing 55,000sq ft (5,100sq m) mixed-use development in London also designed by Soda for Soho Estates. The theatre is split into two volumes – with the
Carmody Groarke to extend Design Museum Gent with "third place"
by Stu Robarts | 31 Oct 2019
Carmody Groarke, Trans Architectuur Stedenbouw and RE-ST Architectenvennootschap have won a design competition to extend Design Museum Gent with a new "third place" that will link the museum and the city. The new wing will also link together the museum's two existing buildings, as well as provide additional spaces for exhibitions, debate, reflection, public activities, retail and catering. It is designed to be a welcoming meeting place with free access
HKS Architects wrap adaptable arena in Art Deco and Moderne exterior
by Stu Robarts | 30 Oct 2019
The newly opened Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, has been designed by HKS Architects to not only be very adaptable depending on what events it is hosting but to pay homage to a neighbouring entertainment, sports and livestock complex. The $540m (€486m, £420m) centre sports an Art Deco and Moderne architectural style in keeping with the nearby Will Rogers Memorial Center, with two towers anchoring its north façade, rendered
Tod Williams and Billie Tsien's designs for Obama Presidential Center are refined again
by Stu Robarts | 29 Oct 2019
Updated designs of the Barack Obama Presidential Center have been released showing a more sculptural building, introducing a large glazed element and adding a textured finish. The centre will comprise a museum dedicated to Obama's presidency, a library of his archives and a forum to advance the Obama Foundation 's public mission to promote global progress. A Sky Room at the top of the building will provide views of the
Unknown Works recreate 3D scanned fish and chip shop in China
by Stu Robarts | 24 Oct 2019
Creative studio Unknown Works has completed a 33sq m (355sq ft) restaurant in China called Scotts TKL based on 3D scans of fish and chip shops from around the UK. The project was based on the concept of 'Shanzai' – the act of copying and imitating that is often ascribed to Chinese businesses – and seeks to ask questions about Sino-British relationships and cultural exchange. Ben Hayes of Unknown Works
Beijing Fenghemuchen Space Design create serene wooden library and café
by Stu Robarts | 24 Oct 2019
Beijing Fenghemuchen Space Design has created a 1,170sq m (12,600sq ft) library, coffee shop and cultural space in China's Hangzhou City that is contained and shaped by natural wooden bookshelves and elements. The aim was to create a reading-themed space that could also be used for shared experiences and community purposes. Designers Yi Chen and Muchen Zhang chose to use oak throughout for its warmth and naturality as a material
WilkinsonEyre and Grant Associates unveil island playground masterplan for Singapore
by Stu Robarts | 22 Oct 2019
Architects WilkinsonEyre and landscape architects Grant Associates have unveiled a conceptual masterplan for "a global leisure and recreation destination" on two islands off the south coast of Singapore. The Sentosa-Brani Master Plan is part of a wider scheme to rejuvenate Singapore’s Greater Southern Waterfront. The scheme would use the natural features and tropical landscape of the islands as a backdrop for leisure attractions and day-to-night hospitality offerings. New public realm
Hotel and cinema complex will be an artwork in itself says Woods Bagot's Helen Taylor
by Stu Robarts | 22 Oct 2019
When the scaffolding comes down later this year on Edwardian Hotels' £300m (US$387m, €348m), Woods Bagot -designed Londoner hotel, an artwork façade will be revealed. The boutique hotel and cinema complex will cover 32,000sq m (345,000sq ft) in central London, span 15 storeys and have a six-storey, 30m (98ft)-deep basement. But Helen Taylor, project lead at architects Woods Bagot, told CLAD that it was creating its faience design – using
Wilkinson Eyre and Gustafson Porter and Bowman's railway museum project gets massive funding injection
by Andy Knaggs | 18 Oct 2019
The UK government has announced a £250m (US$322m, €290m) Culture Investment Fund for England. The funding package will be spent on infrastructure projects in the culture, museums and libraries sectors. More than £125m (US$161m, €145m) of the fund is earmarked for investment in improvements to regional museums and libraries. As the recipient of the largest single contribution from the fund (£18.5m US$23.8m, €21.4m), the National Railway Museum in York will
Scott Carver Architects to renovate oldest theatre in New South Wales, Australia
by Stu Robarts | 15 Oct 2019
The Victoria Theatre, the oldest in the Australian state of New South Wales, is to undergo a renovation led by Scott Carver Architects aimed at conserving its heritage features and reviving it as a venue for live performances. Located in the city of Newcastle, the theatre is expected to cost around AU$11.5m (US$7.8m, €7m, £6.1m) to refurbish, which is said to be more than justifiable investment from a business perspective.
MoMA's $450m Diller Scofidio + Renfro renovation is unveiled
by Stu Robarts | 15 Oct 2019
After a five-year, $450m (€409m, £356m) renovation project split over two phases, New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) reopens next week with 102,000sq ft (9,500sq m) of new gallery and public space. Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, working with Gensler, the renovation has seen the building's footprint increased to 708,000sq ft (66,000sq m), with gallery space increased by around a third to 166,000sq ft (15,000sq m). There's a
David Adjaye's Ruby City art gallery has opened in Texas
by Stu Robarts | 14 Oct 2019
The Ruby City contemporary art centre, designed by British architect Sir David Adjaye, has opened in San Antonio, Texas. So-called because of the ruby red colour of its precast concrete exterior, the 14,000sq ft (1,300sq m) gallery houses more than 900 paintings, sculptures, installations and video works. Its design was inspired by the vision of the late collector and philanthropist Linda Pace and, in part, by the Spanish missions built
Salient converts 90s plaza into boutique hotel in West Bengal
by Stu Robarts | 10 Oct 2019
Salient has converted a 1990s development called Swabhumi Plaza into a boutique hotel in Kolkata, West Bengal. The plaza was built to celebrate the heritage of Bengal through performance, food and culture. The new Swabhumi Raajkutir hotel has been designed in the style of a pre-independence, 19th century Bengali home to transport guests back to the Bengali Renaissance. The design theme for the property is based on a fictitious story
Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects design revealed for Mennello Museum expansion
by Stu Robarts | 10 Oct 2019
Newly unveiled designs Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects for a $20m (€18m, £16m), 40,000sq ft (3,700sq m) expansion of Florida's Mennello Museum of American Art show a mixture and merging of indoor and outdoor spaces. Integrated with the existing 12,000sq ft (1,100sq m) museum building, the new structure mixes spacious, naturally-lit indoor exhibition rooms with terraces, covered outdoor spaces, open concourses and pathways connecting them with the green and
KAOS Architects convert former submarine factory into arts centre
by Stu Robarts | 07 Oct 2019
The Kai Art Center, designed by KAOS Architects, has opened in a former submarine production plant in Tallinn, Estonia. Originally built in 1916 to house workshops for shipbuilding, the building was used for the construction of 12 submarines between 1913 and 1917. Split across two floors, it is made of reinforced concrete and has a curved roof that gives the centre one of its most notable features – a 6m
Science and Industry Museum restoration begins with work on historic Power Hall
by Andy Knaggs | 02 Oct 2019
Work has commenced on the restoration of the Grade II-listed Power Hall at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester – part of a larger, multi-million-pound project to create a more sustainable museum and a "beacon for contemporary science". The museum was forced to close the Power Hall in April this year due to urgent repairs that needed to be carried out on the roof. Following a grant of £6m
Google's Palace of Versailles VR tour welcomes virtual visitors
by Stu Robarts | 02 Oct 2019
Google has created a virtual reality tour of the Palace of Versailles, allowing people to explore the architecture, artworks and history of the former home of French royalty wherever they are in the world. The Versailles: The Palace is Yours exhibit takes visitors on a tour of rooms including the Royal Grand Apartments, the Chapel and the Opera. It was created using a technique called photogrammetry, via which 3D models
University of Oxford gets potential net zero library and study centre
by Stu Robarts | 01 Oct 2019
Wright & Wright Architects, working with Max Fordham, have unveiled a new potentially net zero library and study centre at the University of Oxford's St John's College. The building is the first of its kind at the college and is powered by a 215sq m (2,300sq ft) solar array installed to cover all possible areas of the roof. The 2kWp system is expected to generate around 40,000kwh/pa, while the building
Arquivio Architects' naturally integrated design wins Vilnius concert hall competition
by Stu Robarts | 27 Sep 2019
Spanish firm Arquivio Architects has won a competition to design Lithuania’s new National Concert Hall in Vilnius with a design that integrates the building into the landscape “as naturally as possible”. Following a brief that included a building and two concert halls, Arquivio proposed that the different elements be interconnected by an open ground floor green corridor. In addition, it sought to carefully incorporate the nearby Lutheran Garden. The brief
Populous designs largest esports venue in Southern Hemisphere
by Stu Robarts | 27 Sep 2019
Sports stadium and events venue experts Populous have unveiled designs for the largest video gaming and esports complex in the Southern Hemisphere. Covering 2,700sq m (29,100sq ft), spread across two floors and with a capacity for over 1,000 people, Fortress Melbourne will house a purpose-built arena with a retractable 200-seat grandstand, a professional boot camp room and training facilities, dedicated areas for LAN, RPG and tabletop gaming, two bars and
Tod Williams and Billie Tsien receive Praemium Imperiale Award
by Stu Robarts | 17 Sep 2019
New York-based Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, who are currently designing the Barack Obama Presidential Center, have received the 2019 Praemium Imperiale Award for architecture. The global arts prize is awarded annually across five categories by the Japan Art Association to honour recipients for their “outstanding contributions to the development, promotion and progress of the arts”. Speaking at the announcement of the 2019 laureates, former British Governor of Hong Kong
India earmarks billions for five-year heritage and culture project. Will build 100 new museums
by Andy Knaggs | 17 Sep 2019
A programme of "authentic reconstruction" of 11 historic sites in India, and the setting up of 100 experiential museums, are among ambitious plans reportedly under development by India's culture ministry. India's The Economic Times reports the Indian government will invest 270 billion Indian Rupees (US$3.8bn, €3.4bn, £3.1bn) in a five-year programme running from 2020 to 2025, about a quarter of which will go to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
Addenda's glass-wrapped concrete Black Box houses new Bauhaus Museum Dessau
by Andy Knaggs | 13 Sep 2019
The new Addenda Architects -designed Bauhaus Museum, which takes the form of a 100m (328ft) long “Black Box” of reinforced concrete on stilts enclosed within a glass envelope, has been opened in Dessau, Germany. The outer envelope measures 105m (344ft) long, 25m (82ft) wide and 12m (39ft) high – and is made up of 571 triple-glazed glass panes. Inside, the Black Box allows no natural light in, but provides the
Permanent mirror installation offers new perspective for San Francisco waterfront
by Andy Knaggs | 09 Sep 2019
Seeing Spheres, a new and permanent artwork by Olafur Eliasson featuring five reflective silver orbs has been opened on San Francisco's waterfront. The Mission Bay installation by the Danish-Icelandic artist is situated at a plaza next to the city's new Chase Center sports complex, where the Golden State Warriors basketball team will play. Each sphere is a 5m (16.4ft) high orb made of polished, hydroformed steel, each supporting a flat,
Austrian stadium transformed into a "living forest" by artist and designer Klaus Littmann
by Tom Walker | 06 Sep 2019
Austrian artist Klaus Littmann has transformed the Wörthersee Stadion in Klagenfurt, Austria, into a forest as part of an art installation looking to change people's perception of nature. The 32,000-capacity stadium, home of SK Austria Klagenfurt football club, has been fitted with a mini-forest of 300 trees what is set to become Austria’s largest public art installation. Overseen by Enea Landscape Architecture, the “For Forest: the unending attraction of nature"
Sydney Modern expansion status uncertain after contractor withdraws bid
by Andy Knaggs | 02 Aug 2019
Lendlease has reportedly withdrawn its bid to build the long-planned Sydney Modern expansion at the Art Gallery of NSW in Australia. The AUS$344m (US$233m, €210m, £193m) project was first announced six years ago and has been funded mostly by the New South Wales (NSW) Government, with AUS$100m (US$68m, €61m, £56m) coming from private philanthropy. When announced in 2013 the project cost was estimated at AU$400m. This was revised up to
Submerged Great Barrier Reef museum will convey messages about the threats to oceanic marine systems
by Andy Knaggs | 23 Jul 2019
The first installation of the Museum of Underwater Art – a series of inter-tidal and fully submerged galleries planned for the Great Barrier Reef region of Queensland, Australia – is due to open in December on the coast at Townsville. Ocean Siren will be a solar-powered sculpture of a young girl, which uses live temperature data supplied by the Australian Institute of Marine Science to give a visual representation of
AGB Events launches the Halo light art installation in Queensland
by Andy Knaggs | 19 Jul 2019
A spectacular light and sound event has launched in Townsville, north-eastern Queensland in Australia. Halo, which is created by Sydney-based AGB Events, will run in the evenings until 4 August, and is being staged in conjunction with the inaugural North Australian Festival of Arts. The event will see Castle Hill, which looms above the city, lit up with a dramatic light and sound show for five minutes, every 20 minutes.
Steven Holl and Architecture Acts win competition for new Ostrava concert hall
by Andy Knaggs | 10 Jul 2019
The Czech city of Ostrava is to have a new concert hall designed by Steven Holl Architects and Prague-based Architecture Acts following an international competition. The structure will create a tension between new and old, with the new building sitting astride the city's existing House of Culture. The 1,300-seat concert hall, which is expected to open in 2023, was designed as a "perfect acoustic instrument in its case" in collaboration
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