Architecture and design news:
museums & heritage
Steven Holl's cloud-inspired Houston art gallery breaks ground
by Kim Megson | 05 Jun 2017
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has broken ground on a new building dedicated to modern and contemporary art, designed by Steven Holl Architects. The 165,000sq ft (15,300sq m) Nancy and Rich Kinder Building is the centrepiece of the museum’s wider US$450m (€400m, £348m) expansion, and will house 54,000sq ft (5,000sq m) of gallery space for exhibitions showcasing its collection. The building will be clad in a translucent-glass exterior, which
MoMA unveils completed renovation and reveals plans for Diller Scofidio + Renfro expansion
by Kim Megson | 01 Jun 2017
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York has completed the first phase of its major renovation programme, and unveiled its final plans for a multi-year expansion designed by architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, alongside Gensler. The renovation of the museum’s east section, which began in February 2016, is now finished. Galleries and public spaces have been enhanced on three floors with the reconfiguration of 15,000sq ft of space
Titanic Belfast submits expansion plans
by Tom Anstey | 26 May 2017
Northern Ireland’s popular Titanic Belfast attraction has submitted plans to expand its facility, with the operator casting its eye towards the hospitality side of its business. The plans, submitted to Belfast City Council propose the extension, integration and alteration of titanic pavilions, with a single storey extension of pavilions three and four. The plans also include a change of use, from retail to additional conferencing facilities, as well as a
Michael Bloomberg donates US$75m to under development Shed arts venue
by Tom Anstey | 26 May 2017
Philanthropist and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has donated US$75m (€66.8m, £58.3m) to The Shed – an under construction cultural institution in New York’s burgeoning Hudson Yards district. Bloomberg made an initial donation of US$15m (€13.3m, £11.7m) in 2012, contributing a further US$60m (€53.5m, £46.6m) towards the project this week. His donation brings total funds raised up to US$421m (€375m, £327.4m) as part of a US$500m (€445.5m, £388.8m)
Wales celebrates heritage and landscapes with eight glamping 'Epic Retreats'
by Kim Megson | 26 May 2017
The first competition-winning cabins that form Epic Retreats – Wales’ first pop-up boutique hotel – have been revealed. Several architectural teams were chosen through a competitive tender to design the purpose-built glamping units, which are themed on “the mythology, tradition and beauty of Wales.” Launched to coincide with Wales’s ‘Year of Legends,’ Epic Retreats is designed to immerse visitors in the country’s heritage and natural beauty. The cabins will be
Miami Beach's Bass gets October reopening date
by Tom Anstey | 26 May 2017
The Bass – a contemporary art museum on Miami Beach – has been given a reopening date of 8 October following a US$12m (€10.7m, £9.3m) renovation headed by project architects David Gauld and Arata Isozaki. First opened in 1964 inside the Russell Pancoast-designed former Miami Beach Public Library and Art Center, the then Bass Museum of Art has been in operation ever since, with the institution focusing on exhibitions of
Architects wHY transform masonic temple into 'playground of art' in LA
by Kim Megson | 24 May 2017
The hotly-anticipated Marciano Art Foundation – a new art museum created by wHY Architecture and Design – opens tomorrow (25 May) in Los Angeles’ Windsor Square; within one of the city’s most unusual buildings. The 100,000sq ft (93,000sq m) arts space is housed inside the secretive former Scottish Rite Masonic Temple, designed by Californian painter and architect Millard Sheets in 1961. wHY’s founding partner, Kulapat Yantrasast, was tasked reinterpreting the
Designers recreate daring jailbreak for Denmark's Prison Museum
by Tom Anstey | 24 May 2017
Horsen’s 162-year-old Prison Museum in Denmark has debuted a new permanent exhibition chronicling the escape of former prisoner Carl August Lorentzen. The exhibition, called Lorentzen’s Tunnel, tells the story of Lorentzen, a burglar who after 11 months of work had dug an 18-metre-long (60 foot) tunnel that led him to freedom on Christmas Eve 1949, leaving a note in his cell saying “where there’s a will, there’s a way”. While
Renovators wanted: Italian government giving away more than 100 heritage sites for free
by Tom Anstey | 19 May 2017
Italy’s government is giving away more than 100 historic buildings for free on the understanding that any prospective owners must turn their site into a heritage attraction. Hoping to breathe new life into disused public buildings, including castles, farmhouses and monasteries, the scheme was unveiled by the government-run Agenzia del Demanio (ADD) – Italy’s state property agency. "The goal is for private and public buildings which are no longer used
New Museum of London uncovering city history with underground exhibition
by Tom Anstey | 17 May 2017
As the Museum of London formulates plans for its £250m (US$324m, €291m) move to the iconic Smithfield Market, its exhibition team is digging deep to present London’s history in new ways – including opening up the site's underground passages for a glimpse of what the city was like in Victorian times. The museum was given the green light to move to its new home in January 2016, after alternative redevelopment
Architects sought for National Museum of World Writing in South Korea
by Kim Megson | 15 May 2017
South Korea’s culture ministry has launched an international design competition for a National Museum of World Writing, to be built in on the side of a vast lake in Incheon city. The 15,650sq m (168,400sq ft) building will dedicated to the collection, conservation, research and exhibition of international writing systems from across the globe. Described by the competition organiser as “an international hub for writing research and policy exchange”, it
Alejandro Aravena and Elemental win architecture competition for Art Mill museum on Doha Bay
by Kim Megson | 15 May 2017
The architecture firm of Chilean Pritzker Prize winner Alejandro Aravena have won an international competition to design a “pre-eminent” Art Mill museum on the historic waterfront of Doha, Qatar. An international jury today (15 May) announced the selection of Elemental from an eight-strong shortlist, based on their strategies for the Doha Bay site and its links to the wider city. The museum will be built on a complex that has
Life for Abu Dhabi's Guggenheim as contractors invited to renew tender bids
by Tom Anstey | 12 May 2017
The team behind the development of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi have asked contractors to renew their tender bids, indicating the long-stalled development could be about to splutter back into life after several years on the shelf. Speaking to Arabian Business, a senior executive with one of the bidding companies said the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) had recently asked them to renew their bid bond. “The commercial bid was submitted
George Lucas wins planning approval for LA museum as new renderings released
by Kim Megson | 12 May 2017
The Los Angeles Planning Commission has officially approved on Star Wars creator George Lucas’ plans to build the long-gestating Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Exposition Park. The decision was finalised yesterday (11 May), according to news service NBC Los Angeles. New renderings and information released by Lucas and MAD Architects, who have designed the spacecraft-like museum, reveal the latest iteration of the green lit project. The museum will have
Starting pistol fired in race to design City of London concert hall
by Kim Megson | 11 May 2017
A seemingly doomed plan to build a new world-class concert hall in the City of London has been given a new lease of life, with an architecture competition launched to find a concept design team. The Barbican performing arts centre, the London Symphony Orchestra and Guildhall School of Music & Drama have together fired the starting pistol on the competitive process for the venue, called The Centre for Music, calling
Scott Brownrigg's Museum of Military Medicine conceived as 'floating industrial form'
by Kim Megson | 10 May 2017
Architecture studio Scott Brownrigg have unveiled their design for the proposed new home of the Museum of Military Medicine in Cardiff. The museum’s directors want to relocate the attraction from its current home at Keogh Barracks near Aldershot to Cardiff Bay, and the vision for what the planned new building will look like was presented this week for public consultation. The collections of the four corps of the Army Medical
V&A introduces secondary school DesignLab education scheme
by Tom Anstey | 08 May 2017
The Victoria and Albert (V&A) museum is using the £100,000 (US$130,000, €118,000) prize it received in 2016 for winning the Art Fund’s Museum of the Year to launch a programme to support art and design education in secondary schools. Called DesignLab Nation, the scheme is an evolution of the brainchild of former V&A director Martin Roth, which sent touring exhibitions to museums and art schools across Britain until 1977, when
Miami's long-awaited Frost Museum finally opens doors to the public
by Tom Anstey | 08 May 2017
The US$305m (€278.2m, £235.1m) Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is celebrating its grand opening today following a major expansion and redevelopment. The hotly-anticipated museum – which sits in a prominent location on Miami’s waterfront in the city's Museum Park – has navigated through difficult circumstances to reach this stage. Pharmaceutical entrepreneurs Patricia and Phillip Frost had to step in last year to fill a US$45m (€41m, £34.7m) funding
Adjaye Associates win contract to design Florida library and cultural centre
by Kim Megson | 08 May 2017
The architecture practice of Sir David Adjaye will lead the design of a major library and events centre in the city of Winter Park, Florida. Adjaye Associates have been hired by the Winter Park City Commission to work alongside HuntonBrady Architects on the project, which will be located in the northwest corner of the city’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. The building will be the new home of the Winter
Peter Zumthor unveils design for Basel's Beyeler Foundation extension
by Kim Megson | 05 May 2017
Swiss architect Peter Zumthor has presented his designs for the extension of Renzo Piano’s Fondation Beyeler in Basel. The CHF100m (US$101m, €92.2m, £78.1m) project will be constructed on the previously private land of the Iselin-Weber Park. It will see the addition of a simple service building for administration and deliveries, a transparent pavilion for events and a House for Art to display expanded collections of modern and contemporary art. The
Obamas unveil design for presidential museum and library on Chicago's South Side
by Kim Megson | 04 May 2017
Barack and Michelle Obama, the former president and first lady of the United States, have today (4 May) unveiled the design of the planned Obama Presidential Center on Chicago’s South Side. Designed by Todd Williams Billie Tsien Architects, the complex will be formed of 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. Visitors
Jeanne Gang reveals how design must strengthen communities in exclusive CLAD interview
by Magali Robathan | 03 May 2017
The architect behind the American Museum of Natural History's hotly-anticipated new wing has made a passionate plea for investment in science education, saying: "You've got people denying climate change. It's a crisis." In an exclusive interview with CLAD, Jeanne Gang talks about her work with the museum, the masterplan and dolphin sanctuary she is creating for the Baltimore National Aquarium, Studio Gang's temporary installation for the National Building Museum and
Sweeping visitor centre celebrating the life and work of Henry Moore opens on the sculptor's former estate
by Kim Megson | 26 Apr 2017
To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the foundation of iconic British sculptor Henry Moore has opened a new visitor centre and archive dedicated to his work. The Henry Moore Foundation was founded in 1977 to encourage public appreciation of the artist’s work and to support emerging talent. In the last four decades it has awarded over 2,000 grant awards totaling £31m (US$39.7m, €36.4m). To mark its birthday, the organisation has upgraded
Jack Rouse Associates to develop visitor experience for Kodak
by Tom Anstey | 25 Apr 2017
Kodak has announced plans to create a brand home in Rochester, New York, with leading design firm Jack Rouse Associates (JRA) selected to plan, design and implement the 9,000sq ft (836sq m) Experience Centre. Part of a 10-year masterplan to breathe life into the Eastman Business Park, the centre will explore Kodak’s innovations in photography, film, printing, digital imaging, and chemistry. Telling the story of the Kodak brand, the centre
Jamie Fobert's cliff vision nears completion as opening date set for Cornwall's expanded Tate St Ives
by Tom Anstey | 25 Apr 2017
Work is nearing completion on Jamie Fobert Architects’ cliffside extension of Cornwall’s Tate St Ives, with an official opening date now set for 14 October this year. A four-year construction project, the plans go back 12 years to 2005 when the London-based Jamie Fobert was first appointed to double the size of the museum. In addition to lengthy delays because of planning issues, Jamie Fobert lost the project in 2011
London's Mail Rail opening to the public in July
by Tom Anstey | 24 Apr 2017
London’s upcoming Postal Museum has confirmed that it will open its doors to the public later this year, with the £26m (US$33.2m, €30.5m) attraction set to launch in July. Created to chronicle five centuries of social and communication history across Britain, the Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios-designed Postal Museum has been financed through the Heritage Lottery Fund, Royal Mail and Post Office, in addition to support from a number of individual
Delays and costs stack up for under-pressure Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
by Tom Anstey | 20 Apr 2017
Los Angeles’ Academy Museum of Motion Pictures isn’t following the Hollywood script during its construction, with skyrocketing costs and lengthy delays holding up the long-awaited project, according to new reports. The Renzo Piano-designed museum, which will be dedicated to exploring and curating the history and future of the moving image – was originally budgeted at US$250m (€233m, £195m) when it was first conceived several years ago, but since then costs
Kengo Kuma designs Turkish modern art museum formed of stacked wooden boxes
by Kim Megson | 19 Apr 2017
The ever-busy architecture practice of Kengo Kuma have added yet another large-scale leisure project to their growing slate of work: the Odunpazari Modern Art Museum in the Turkish city Eskisehir. A series of overlapping stacked wooden volumes will form the 3,582sq m (38,500sq ft) museum building, which will display collections of Turkish contemporary art. Located in a recently developed area of the city’s Odunpazari district – which is known for
Design competition launched for 'world-class' Kaunas concert venue
by Kim Megson | 19 Apr 2017
An international design competition is to be held in the next few months for a new concert venue in the heart of Kaunas, Lithuania. Malcolm Reading Consultants (MRC) has been appointed by Kaunas City Municipality to run the one-stage design contest, which will identify an architect to build a world-class music venue, called the M.K. Ciurlionis Concert Centre, with multifunctional spaces for public and community events. The initiative follows the
Heatherwick, Fujimoto and Corner to judge Hong Kong pavilion contest to rival London and Melbourne efforts
by Kim Megson | 18 Apr 2017
The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) has invited young local architects to conceive an eye-catching temporary pavilion for Hong Kong, with high-profile designers including Thomas Heatherwick, Sou Fujimoto and James Corner judging their efforts. The inaugural Hong Kong Young Architects & Designers Competition is is intended as a platform for emerging architects and designers “to showcase their creativity and potential” and gain valuable experience. The competition is open to
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