Architecture and design news
‘Punk reimagining’ of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre uses shipping containers and scaffolding
by Kim Megson | 26 Sep 2016
Plans are underway to recreate William Shakespeare’s iconic Globe Theatre around the world using nothing but scaffolding and re-purposed shipping containers. The original Globe was built by Shakespeare in 1599 in the London borough of Southwark as a theatre in the round, which allowed huge crowds get as close as possible to the onstage action. The theatre was destroyed in 1644, but a replica was created in 1997 using the
All stadiums built for one-off events should be temporary, says architect Ruben Reddy
by Matthew Campelli | 26 Sep 2016
Stadiums and arenas built for events such as the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games should all be temporary, according to South African architect Ruben Reddy. Talking at the Soccerex Global Convention in Manchester, Reddy told delegates that the structures should be designed so that they can be deconstructed and the materials used to create other civic buildings such as hospitals and school. He used his native South Africa as
Groundbreaking leisure-led shopping and entertainment complex opens in China
by Kim Megson | 26 Sep 2016
Jiangnan Global Harbor, one of the world’s largest leisure-led retail schemes, has officially opened near Shanghai. The 500,000sq m (5.3 million sq ft), five-level project is located in the city of Changzhou, within the prosperous Jiangsu province. Designed by architects Chapman Taylor, the scheme has a vast Art Deco-inspired atrium with giant LED screens and musical fountains; 60,000sq m (645,800sq ft) of space dedicated to bars, restaurants and cafés; and
Is AECOM’s new Sacramento arena the most sustainable stadium ever built?
by Kim Megson | 26 Sep 2016
The new California home of US National Basketball Association franchise the Sacramento Kings has become the first indoor sports venue to achieve LEED Platinum certification. The US$507m (£336m, €476m) Golden 1 Center, which will host its first preseason fixture on 10 October, is the highest-scoring stadium ever certified by the US Green Building Council – the body that oversees the LEED system. It is also among the top three per
World Architecture Day 2016 will highlight demand to design a better world
by Kim Megson | 26 Sep 2016
This year’s World Architecture Day will be used by the industry to promote the role of good design in “ensuring a better future for all people.” The International Union of Architects (UIA), which represents the world’s 1.3 million architects, has announced that the 3 October milestone will have the theme ‘Design a Better World.’ The association has called on architecture organisations around the globe to use the day to highlight
Ronger Kane says 'less is more' when designing true wellness spaces
by Kim Megson | 25 Sep 2016
Chinese interior designer Ronger Kane has designed a minimalist hotel to showcase his “less is more” approach to creating spaces where people can feel truly at ease. The White Sail Hotel at the Seven-Star Bay Yacht Club, located in the Chinese city Shenzhen, is a restrained, white-clad building dedicated to sports and leisure. “Leisure resides in physical and mental relaxation and pleasure,” said Kane. “Our designs focus on how to
Week's top news: MVRD unveil revolutionary design concept, Garden Bridge faces review and Adjaye's African American museum opens in Washington
by Kim Megson | 24 Sep 2016
Here are some of the stories that appeared on CLAD this week, from Francis Ford Coppola’s private island retreat to a new energy-producing paving slab. Monday • Renowned street artist Phlegm has created an eight-storey mural in Toronto, bringing art to the city’s busiest intersections. Read here. • Legendary Hollywood director Francis Ford Coppola has opened a private Caribbean island to create a “Robinson Crusoe experience”. Read here. Tuesday •
Wanda 'wolf pack' grows as operator launches latest multi-billion dollar Wanda City development
by Tom Anstey | 23 Sep 2016
Wang Jianlin’s public feud with Disney continues to heat up with the Wanda chair’s latest multi-billion Wanda City to open its doors tomorrow (23 September). Located 500km (311m) west of the recently opened Shanghai Disney Resort, the US$5.2bn (€4.64bn, £4bn) Hefei Wanda City has been described as the “first Huizhou culture theme park in the world.” A tribute to the culture of the Anhui province, which dates back more than
Mandara to operate spa in historic Russian hotel
by Jane Kitchen | 23 Sep 2016
Mandara Spa will operate a spa at the Lotte Hotel in Saint Petersburg, Russia, set to open in mid-2017. The five-star property is situated near Saint Isaac’s Square, and constructed on the historically significant location of Yakunchikova’s mansion, built in 1849. The original building design was drawn up by the French architect Adrian Robin and has reportedly housed famous historical figures such as John Quincy Adams, the first US ambassador
American Museum of Natural History gains first approval for US$325m Gilder Center
by Tom Anstey | 23 Sep 2016
New York’s American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) has been granted first approval for its US$325m (€288.8m, £248.6m) expansion intended to expand the institution’s role for scientific research and education. AMNH was given the approval when a joint committee composed of members from the Community Board 7 committees on preservation and parks and environment voted in favour of the Gilder Center plans, which will create a new six-storey addition to
Is Everton finally closing in on a new stadium? US architects begin work on design
by Kim Megson | 23 Sep 2016
British football club Everton is working with US design firm Meis Architects to create a vision for a proposed new stadium. Meis Architects founder Dan Meis told CLAD that the studio was working with the Premier League club, but couldn't comment further on the plans at this early stage of the project. The Liverpool-based club has long made clear its wish to relocate from its current home at Goodison Park
Italian designer evokes ancient crypt with Burgundy wellness centre
by Kim Megson | 23 Sep 2016
Italian architect and spa designer Alberto Apostoli has created a wellness centre in the south of France that evokes a medieval crypt. Atrium - Spa & Beauté has been built on one of the mazy streets of Mâcon, the historic gateway town to Burgundy. The client wanted a spa and sauna complex that reflects the history and religious background of the town – typified by the adjacent Church of Saint
America's 'first' reversible golf course opens in Michigan
by Kim Megson | 22 Sep 2016
Golf course architect Tom Doak has designed “North America’s first reversible course” for the Forest Dunes resort in Michigan. Called The Loop, Doak’s design features two distinct layouts that use the same 18 greens and fairways. Players move clockwise on one day, and counterclockwise the next. The course – developed on a relatively flat, sand-based stretch of land to the west of the resort’s pre-existing course – is due to
London mayor launches investigation into Garden Bridge procurement
by Kim Megson | 22 Sep 2016
London mayor Sadiq Khan has ordered a review into Thomas Heatherwick’s proposed £185m Garden Bridge project, which will investigate whether taxpayers have had value for money for their contribution. Dame Margaret Hodge MP, the former chair of the UK’s Public Accounts Committee, will conduct the review. She will focus on the procurement process around the project, and analyse whether the required standards have been met around transparency and openness. According
Iger hints at further expansion for Disneyland Shanghai following strong first quarter
by Tom Anstey | 22 Sep 2016
Disney chair and CEO Bob Iger has said that the operator’s new Shanghai venture has “ample expansion possibilities” following a strong opening three months. Disneyland Shanghai, which opened on 17 June this year, has enjoyed a strong start to life as a visitor attraction, with the company reporting 95 per cent occupancy rates and visitors staying two hours longer on average than expected. “We've had a fantastic opening for Shanghai
Long-awaited National Museum of African American History and Culture opens in Washington
by Kim Megson | 21 Sep 2016
The long-awaited opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. will take place this Saturday (24 September), with US president Barack Obama in attendance. A three-day festival of music, literature, dance and film will accompany the opening of the museum, which is dedicated to exploring the story of America through the lens of the African American experience. Obama will lead the museum’s dedication ceremony
Unique multi-million pound Southampton aquarium development to tell city's maritime story
by Tom Anstey | 21 Sep 2016
Plans are in the works to develop a multi-million pound aquarium project in Southampton, combining undersea creatures with a showcase of the region’s strengths and its links to the high seas. Combining an aquarium setting with a maritime center exploring Southampton’s position at the centre of a global story, the development promotes itself as championing “Storylines of Science, Technology and Life: Voyages of Discovery.” The site will also include a
Maki and Kuma campaign for Tokyo gymnasium to receive UNESCO recognition
by Kim Megson | 21 Sep 2016
A group of Japanese architects, including Fumihiko Maki and Kengo Kuma, are petitioning UNESCO to recognise the gymnasium building designed by Kenzo Tange for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics on its World Cultural Heritage list. The high-profile team today (21 September) launched a campaign to have the Yoyogi National Gymnasium listed before the Olympics return to Tokyo in 2020. The facility – which hosted swimming, diving and basketball events at the
Wanda announces Crone Partners and Kengo Kuma will design luxury Sydney hotel
by Kim Megson | 21 Sep 2016
Australian architects Crone Partners and Japanese studio Kengo Kuma & Associates will build a luxury hotel for Wanda in Sydey’s Central Business District. The pair have won an international architecture competition to design the Wanda Sydney, whose Chinese developer wants it to become one of Australia's most luxurious hotels. Located in the city’s Circular Quay, the building will feature a pixelated facade of sandstone, cascading green walls and large windows
Architects WW+P win £2.2bn project to build legacy rail link for Dubai 2020 Expo
by Kim Megson | 21 Sep 2016
London architects Weston Williamson+Partners (WW+P) have won a contract worth £2.2bn (US$2.8bn, €2.5bn) to build a new “legacy” rail link across Dubai in time for the emirate to host the 2020 World Expo. The Dubai Metro 2020 will form a 15km route between Nakheel Harbour & Tower and the world fair site. The line will connect many of Dubai’s most popular mixed-use and leisure developments, including The Gardens, Discovery Gardens
AS Roma president hints at breaktgrough in bid to build Colosseum-inspired stadium
by Kim Megson | 20 Sep 2016
James Pallotta, the American investor in charge of Italian football club AS Roma, has claimed construction work on a new stadium for the team could begin next March. Plans to build an 52,000 home ground inspired by the colosseum of ancient Rome have been in the pipeline for four years, with little sign of a breakthrough being made due to what club president Pallotta described as “some problems due to
Exclusive: How MVRDV are transforming a museum art depot into a unique attraction for Rotterdam
by Kim Megson | 20 Sep 2016
The founders of Dutch architecture studio MVRDV believe their project for Rotterdam’s Museum Boijmans van Beuningen offers a new model for how museums can take full advantage of their vast cultural collections. Winy Maas, Nathalie de Vries and Jacob Van Rijs – who are transforming what was an art storage depot into an attraction in its own right – told CLAD that rethinking the art storage facility as something that
Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects win international design competition for towering public meeting space Stavanger, Norway
by Kim Megson | 20 Sep 2016
Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects have won an international architecture competition to design “a new public centre” for the city of Stavanger, Norway. Their successful proposal for Breiavatnet Lanterna envisions a large-scale urban redevelopment of the city’s park and the addition of a 101m (331ft) high rise of flexible space for restaurants, cafes, performing arts spaces, exhibitions, green terraces and offices. Multifunctional leisure facilities will be placed around a large amphitheatre
Energy-generating flooring launches in the US as Pavegen’s global expansion continues
by Kim Megson | 19 Sep 2016
Pavegen, the British clean-tech company, has launched an innovative flooring system that creates energy from footsteps. The technology, called V3, was unveiled in New York today (19 September) by the company and London mayor Sadiq Khan, who is in the US on a trade mission. The multi-functional paving provides multiple options to integrate renewable energy production into urban spaces. According to Pavegen, the technology has implications across sectors, including sport,
Proposal for £5m Turkish bath in Newcastle gets council green light
by Matthew Campelli | 19 Sep 2016
A £5m (US$6.5m, €5.8m) proposal to reopen Turkish baths in Newcastle, UK, has moved a step closer with the council approving planning permission. Charity Fusion Lifestyle is behind the project, which will see the baths and pool re-established in the north-east city by 2018. The venue will be kitted out with new health and wellbeing facilities, a spa and bistro cafe. Work is expected to begin in early 2017 to
Studio Bednarski's sliding bridge projects 'breathing new life' into historic cities
by Kim Megson | 19 Sep 2016
London architects Studio Bednarski have completed one high-profile European bridge and won a competition to build another, with their founder telling CLAD that both will be agents of urban reinvigoration. The £10m (US13$m, €11.6m) sliding Inderhavnen Bridge in Copenhagen has finally opened to the public after a five-year construction period beset by delays and the bankruptcy of the first contractor. The architects said “quiet sophistication and grace of motion” were
Street artist Phlegm creates eight-storey mural in Toronto as public art meets placemaking
by Kim Megson | 19 Sep 2016
Renowned street artist Phlegm has created an eight-storey mural in Toronto as part of a giant revitalisation project bringing art to the city’s busiest intersections. The enormous untitled artwork was created by Phlegm over the course of a month-long residency at the midtown Yonge and St. Clair junction, which saw him dramatically suspended 12-storeys in the air outside the 1 St. Clair West building. Small images of the cityscape were
Liquid marble installation comes to London for design festival
by Kim Megson | 18 Sep 2016
Designer Mathieu Lehanneur’s famous marble sculpture, which mimics the look and feel of rippling water, has gone on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London as part of the city’s ongoing design festival. The piece, called Liquid Marble, evokes a surreal vision of the sea by using 3D movie-making software to reproduce the visual effect of the water’s surface on a piece of hand-polished black marble. Liquid Marble
Week's top news: Heatherwick unveils design for NYC's Hudson Yards, Nike's avatar running track and a new museum from Peter Zumthor
by Kim Megson | 17 Sep 2016
Here are some of the stories that appeared on CLAD this week, from a trio of mini forests being installed across London to Thomas Heatherwick’s latest high-profile landmark. Monday • Architect Asif Khan is bringing tiny forests to the streets of London for the city’s design festival. Read here. • Sports architects Populous are aiming to secure 10 major projects in China over the next five years as the nation
Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena set for 'most significant' revamp in its history
by Kim Megson | 16 Sep 2016
Australia’s top venue for tennis and concerts, the multipurpose Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, will be refurbished and expanded so that it can host bigger shows and sporting events. Cox Architecture studio, who originally designed the arena, and contractor and developer Lend Lease, will oversee the project, which will include the addition of a new “eastern pod” main entrance. The venue – famous for hosting the main fixtures at the
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Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
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