Architecture and design news:
museums & heritage
Revealed: Daniel Libeskind's vision for a museum of humankind in Kenya
by Andrew Manns | 14 May 2019
Polish architect Daniel Libeskind has released images of his breathtaking designs for "Ngaren" – a world history museum commissioned by famed paleoanthropologist, Professor Richard Leakey. Set to rise in the rugged hills of Kenya's Rift Valley – widely recognised as the cradle of human life – the jagged-shaped building will chart the course of sapient evolution with narrative-led exhibits that address misconceptions about extinction, climate change, war, and overpopulation. Speaking
Sir David Adjaye wins Kiran Nadar Museum job with 'sacred geometries' concept
by Andrew Manns | 13 May 2019
Sir David Adjaye has been selected to design the new Kiran Nadar Museum of Art and Cultural Center (KNMACC) following a global competition that brought together 47 of the world's most prestigious architecture firms. Planned for New Delhi, the attraction – Adjaye's first cultural commission in India – will house a 6,000-piece collection of South Asian contemporary art as well as facilities for music and creative education. Adjaye's "veil of
Perrot & Richard set to revive century-old concert hall in Lyon
by Andrew Manns | 13 May 2019
The city of Lyon has selected French design firm Perrot & Richard Architectes to renovate the Salle Rameau, a 100-year-old concert hall in Lyon that once hosted performances by the likes of Louis Armstrong and Ray Ventura. French real estate firm Companie de Phalsbourg will lead the €14.3m (US$16m, £12.3m) overhaul, which will see the Art Nouveau building's dilapidated facilities converted into an 840-capacity theatre, a rooftop bar, a restaurant,
Statue of Liberty Museum gears up for long-anticipated opening
by Andrew Manns | 09 May 2019
The Statue of Liberty Museum is set to make its long-awaited debut on 16 May. Designed by FXCollaborative, the 26,000 sq ft (2,415.4 sq m) attraction – said to be the largest addition to Liberty Island since the Statue of Liberty – will boast a number of exhibits produced by ESI Design, including an immersive theatre space and a gallery with the landmark's original torch. Other highlights will include an
Studio Other Spaces to design museum extension that mirrors 'constant motion' of the sky
by Andrew Manns | 30 Apr 2019
Berlin-based art and design team Olafur Eliasson and Sebastian Behmann, co-founders of Studio Other Spaces (SOS), have been commissioned to transform a 1960s-era courtyard into a canopied community hall at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York. The new atrium – dubbed Common sky – is expected to further augment the institution's US$160m (€142.6m, £122.8m) expansion, which is being led by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) and which
Italian Design Museum opens in Milan with expansion plans already in place
by Luke Cloherty | 25 Apr 2019
Some of the 1,600 objects previously exhibited in the Triennale di Milano have found a permanent home in Milan's newly-opened Italian Design Museum. The museum, which was made possible by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, opened on 9 April to coincide with Milano Design Week 2019. Sitting under the artistic direction of Joseph Grima, the museum is aiming to become "the leading international centre dedicated to Italian
Italian Design Museum opens in Milan with expansion plans already in place
by Luke Cloherty | 25 Apr 2019
Some of the 1,600 objects previously exhibited in the Triennale di Milano have found a permanent home in Milan's newly-opened Italian Design Museum. The museum, which was made possible by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, opened on 9 April to coincide with Milano Design Week 2019. Sitting under the artistic direction of Joseph Grima, the museum is aiming to become "the leading international centre dedicated to Italian
Italian Design Museum opens in Milan with expansion plans already in place
by Luke Cloherty | 25 Apr 2019
Some of the 1,600 objects previously exhibited in the Triennale di Milano have found a permanent home in Milan's newly-opened Italian Design Museum. The museum, which was made possible by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, opened on 9 April to coincide with Milano Design Week 2019. Sitting under the artistic direction of Joseph Grima, the museum is aiming to become "the leading international centre dedicated to Italian
French PM announces global design competition to restore Notre Dame
by Andrew Manns | 18 Apr 2019
Following the tragic destruction of Notre Dame's 19th-century spire, the French prime minister, Édouard Philippe, has invited architects to put forward ideas for its restoration. "The international competition will allow us to ask the question of whether we should even recreate the spire as it was conceived by Viollet-le-Duc," Philippe said of the project. "This is obviously a huge challenge, a historic responsibility," he added. Viollet-le-Duc, who counted Victor Hugo's
Peter Zumthor's $650m LA County Museum of Art given green light
by Luke Cloherty | 12 Apr 2019
A new home for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) – worth an estimated US$650m (€574.6m, £497.3m) – has cleared a major hurdle having had its plans approved. Designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, a former Pritzker Prize winner, the new building’s plans were approved at a county vote, which also cleared US$117.5m (€103.9m, £89.9m) in taxpayer funding for it. The museum’s design has received criticism for its
Jean Nouvel completes US$434m museum in Qatar
by Luke Cloherty | 26 Mar 2019
Cultural space developments in the Gulf region continue apace with the opening of a new US$434m (€383m, £328.7m) museum in Doha, Qatar. Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, the museum resembles a desert rose and has been described as representing a kind of fantasy. "To imagine a desert rose as a basis for a design was a very advanced idea, even a utopian one," said Nouvel. He continued: "To construct
Hugh Broughton Architects revamp 'Sistine Chapel of the UK'
by Andrew Manns | 25 Mar 2019
British design practice Hugh Broughton Architects have completed an £8.5m (US$11.2m, €10m) refurbishment of Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. Also known as the English 'Sistine Chapel', the renovated space features a restored Baroque fresco as well an adjoining undercroft that houses a cafe, art gallery, and visitor centre. Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the scheme was reportedly one of the largest open-access renovation
V&A Museum of Childhood interiors to be designed by AOC
by Luke Cloherty | 23 Mar 2019
The V&A Museum of Childhood (MOC) in East London has chosen architecture firm AOC to design the new interiors for its £13.5m (US$17.8m, €15.7m) overhaul project. Working alongside base build and exterior architects De Matos Ryan, AOC will open up and modernise the Grade 2-listed building in Bethnal Green in London’s East End, creating three new galleries and more space so that the museum can display a significantly larger amount
Regional museum in Chilean desert gets redesign from Studio Libeskind
by Luke Cloherty | 22 Mar 2019
The Museo Regional de Tarapacá in the Atacama Desert, Chile, has been reimagined by architect Daniel Libeskind’s practice Studio Libeskind. The new 3,760sq m (40472.3sq ft) building will allow for a larger showcase of the existing museum collection and provide a modern update to the original, which was completed in 1892. Over 6,000 years of northern Chile’s history – including the pre-Hispanic history of the Atacama Desert, the colonial history
Kengo Kuma's wood market-inspired museum on track for summer opening
by Andrew Manns | 21 Mar 2019
The Kengo Kuma-designed Odunpazarı Modern Museum (OMM) is slated to launch in Eskisehir, Turkey – the former "Turkic World" capital of culture – in June. The 4,500 sq m museum, which takes its cantilevered, stacked appearance from the town's Ottoman-era houses and traditional wood market, will unfold over three floors and comprise exhibition galleries, workshop areas, event spaces, a cafe, and a shop. Founded by Turkish billionaire and art aficionado
Snarkitecture’s interactive Snark Park art space opens in New York’s Hudson Yards
by Luke Cloherty | 19 Mar 2019
A new interactive exhibition space, courtesy of US design studio Snarkitecture, has opened in the thriving Hudson Yards development in Manhattan, New York. Called Snark Park, the new 6,000sq ft (557sq m) space will put on three major experiences per year, starting with its first installation, Lost and Found – a grid-like ‘forest’ made up of columns of various heights that emerge from the ground which aims to encourage visitors
Work completed on Longgang Cultural Centre in China
by Luke Cloherty | 12 Mar 2019
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
Transport Museum of Hungary chooses architecture competition winner
by Luke Cloherty | 04 Mar 2019
The Transport Museum of Hungary is building a new home in Budapest and has chosen New York architecture practice Diller Scofidio + Renfro to design it, following a competition. The firm beat out rivals including AL_A, Caruso St John, David Chipperfield, and Foster and Partners among others for the museum's new home, which will be based on a former rail maintenance depot site in the Kobanya region in east Budapest.
Plans for museum and visitor centre dedicated to Sir Francis Drake’s Golden Hinde to be submitted
by Luke Cloherty | 28 Feb 2019
A new visitor centre is in the offing for London's famous replica of the Golden Hinde warship, which was captained by British naval officer Sir Francis Drake – the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. The centre has been designed by London-based architectural practice SPPARC and will feature an accessible education facility exploring the vessel's history, as well as an exhibition space and viewing galleries. SPPARC's dual-level, 1,125 sq m
Snøhetta unveil plans for clifftop cultural museum in South Tyrol
by Andrew Manns | 27 Feb 2019
Scandinavian architecture practice Snøhetta have revealed the first renderings of their proposed design for the Bolzano Museum Quarter in South Tyrol, Italy. The cultural attraction, which – if greenlit – will be picturesquely situated atop Virgolo mountain, will also serve as a satellite facility, housing artefacts from the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology and the Municipal Museum of Bolzano as well as exhibition spaces for Otzi the Iceman – a
Universal Hip Hop Museum slated to break ground this year in New York
by Andrew Manns | 26 Feb 2019
Construction on the Universal Hip Hop Museum (UHHM) – the first institution of its kind in the US – is expected to begin by the end of 2019 in the Bronx, the birthplace of hip hop music. Supported by a team of acclaimed rap stars and disc jockeys, among whom are LL Cool J, Ice-T, and Kurtis Blow, UHHM will celebrate the genre's enduring resonance and cultural significance with various
Melike Altinisik Architects chosen to create self-constructing robot museum in South Korea
by Andrew Manns | 20 Feb 2019
Turkish design bureau Melike Altinisik Architects (MAA) have been selected to build a museum of robotics with components that "construct themselves". Located in Seoul, the future Robot Science Museum (RSM), which will have a globular as opposed to orthogonal form to provide a "wide range of possibilities for connection with urban orientation and public spaces", will rise four storeys and comprise three exhibition areas, a museum shop, offices, and a
Reimagined Museum of Modern Art to open its doors in October
by Andrew Manns | 06 Feb 2019
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York has announced that it will close this summer and reopen with expanded exhibition spaces on 21 October 2019. Designed by New York architecture practice Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) in collaboration with Gensler, the MoMA's extensions will feature more than 40,000 sq ft (3,716 sq m ) of galleries – allowing for the inclusion of both new and re-choreographed exhibits. The
China’s second Museum of Natural History site to open later this year
by Luke Cloherty | 30 Jan 2019
Construction of the main structure of the second outlet of the Chinese Museum of Natural History in Zhejiang is complete. Designed by David Chipperfield Architects, the museum is built into a sloping hillside in the city of Hangzhou and comprises an inner courtyard as well as several low-rise pavilions with exhibition halls and galleries. The galleries have been rendered in red ochre in order to match the clay earth of
Bernard Tschumi Architects complete industrial sciences museum in China
by Andrew Manns | 29 Jan 2019
Project teams have announced the completion of the Tianjin Binhai Exploratorium, a science and industry museum designed by Bernard Tschumi Architects (BTA). Featuring chimney-like spires and a bronze-coloured facade of perforated aluminium that resembles the iconic mudbrick fortresses and mosques of Timbuktu, the Exploratorium will mainly house galleries of exhibits on Tianjin's industrial past. The 33,000 sq m structure, BTA's first large-scale project in China, will also comprise offices, retail
National Portrait Gallery announces £35.5m facelift details
by Luke Cloherty | 25 Jan 2019
The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) in London has released details of its redevelopment plans, which entail a new entrance, new public galleries in the building’s East Wing and a new learning space. Jamie Fobert Architects (JFA) have designed the plans with help from architectural conservation specialists Purcell. Three windows in the current facade turned into doorways, taking pressure off the existing main entrance and allowing for disabled and non-disabled access
Studio Egret West to develop new master plan for Horniman Museum
by Andrew Manns | 22 Jan 2019
The Horniman Museum and Gardens has selected British architects Studio West Egret (SWE) to develop a master plan to expand its estate. SEW will lead the design for a number of as-yet-undescribed projects, which – when complete – will help the South London institution work towards its goal of attracting a million visitors a year by 2023. First founded in Edwardian times, the museum currently boasts a collection of more
Diller Scofidio + Renfro unveil designs for "once in a generation" Centre for Music
by Andrew Manns | 21 Jan 2019
New York-based architecture practice Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) have released the first concept designs for the long-anticipated London Centre for Music. Set to become the newest addition to London's Culture Mile – an array of institutes and landmarks situated around St. Paul's Cathedral – the Centre for Music will feature a 2000-person capacity, surround-seating concert hall designed by Nagata Acoustics; a multi-tiered foyer with extensive public galleries and event
FAAB Architektura present concept for revamped WWII museum in Poland
by Andrew Manns | 17 Jan 2019
Polish firm FAAB Architektura have revealed plans to extend the Museum of Pawiak Prison (MPP) in Warsaw. The renovated building, which will occupy the former grounds of the largest Nazi-run internment centre in Poland, will take the shape of a three-storey polyhedron and feature new exhibition spaces, a library, shop, information centre, and an observation deck. To enter the museum, patrons will mount an elevated ramp, which will run alongside
First look at Foster + Partners' classic car museum
by Andrew Manns | 15 Jan 2019
British architecture firm Foster + Partners have unveiled plans to design Mullin Automotive Park in the heart of England's picturesque Cotswolds region. The proposed £150m (US$192.5, €168.2m) motoring museum, which – if greenlit – will take shape at Enstone Airfield near Great Tew, will comprise a showroom and a main concourse plus a number of pavilions, lodges, green spaces, and interlinking test-drive roads. According to the architects, the idea behind
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