Architecture and design news:
arts & culture
Foster + Partners' Battersea Power Station hotel to offer London vista from rooftop infinity pool
by Kim Megson | 20 Oct 2015
The Foster + Partners-designed hotel at the heart of London’s £8bn (US$10bn, €8.8bn) redevelopment of Battersea Power Station will feature a dramatic rooftop swimming pool with views of the London skyline. The Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC) has revealed more information about the highly-anticipated 160-room project, including the fact that the PPHE Hotel Group has agreed to operate the hotel under its art’otel brand when it opens in early
Hat-trick: Caruso St John architects unveil Liverpool Philharmonic, plus galleries for Damien Hirst and Larry Gagosian
by Tom Anstey | 14 Oct 2015
Three high-profile projects designed by architecture studio Caruso St John have opened in the space of just two weeks. Two private art galleries designed by the firm have opened their doors in London; Damien Hirst’s £25m (US$38.2m, €33m) Newport Street Gallery and Larry Gagosian’s third – the largest gallery in the capital. Work has also been completed on a large-scale refurbishment of the 1939 Grade II-listed Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. The
Renzo Piano's power station regeneration will create art and culture hub at the heart of Moscow's Red October district
by Kim Megson | 20 Oct 2015
The Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) has been commissioned to convert a historic Moscow power station into a brand new venue exhibiting contemporary Russian arts and culture. The firm - which has recently completed work on the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York - will create the new art space for the V-A-C Foundation on a two hectare plot in the Russian capital’s Red October district. The project
'Oscars for Museums' honours Gehry's Fondation Louis Vuitton, Whitworth, Whitney, MOMA and more
by Kim Megson | 19 Oct 2015
The Frank Gehry-designed Fondation Louis Vuitton has been awarded the prize for ‘Best Architecture & Spatial Design’ at the 2015 Leading Culture Destinations Awards in London. The 126,000sq ft (11,705sq m) museum, which houses Vuitton’s private collection, has become a popular Paris attraction since opening in October 2014. The €100m (US$132m, £80m) building won the prize for Gehry’s famous ‘glass cloud’ design. The ceremony, which took place on 9 October
BIG designs sinuous art museum to twist across a Norwegian river
by Kim Megson | 15 Oct 2015
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) have designed a new art gallery for a Norwegian sculpture park which will twist across a river below. The firm’s founding partner, Bjarke Ingels, described the design as the group’s “first experiment with social infrastructure – a building that serves as a bridge – or a cultural institution that serves as a piece of infrastructure.” The 1,400sq m (15,000sq ft) museum will be the new centrepoint
Eva Jiricná to design major new gallery for New York's oldest museum
by Kim Megson | 15 Oct 2015
The New-York Historical Society, the city’s oldest museum, has commissioned Czech architect Eva Jiricná to create a new permanent gallery to house its 100-strong collection of Tiffany stained glass lamps. Eva Jiricná Architects Limited (EJAL) were initially appointed by the museum to redevelop the masterplan of its fourth level, which houses a collection of art, furniture and artifacts related to New York. They were then commissioned to design the museum’s
Grupo Habita unveils Art Deco-inspired hotel in Mexican mansion
by Kim Megson | 14 Oct 2015
A 1940s mansion in the Mexican city of Guadalajara has been transformed into the city's first design-led hotel, Casa Fayette. Casa Fayette sits in Guadalajara’s booming Lafayette district. It comprises of a new nine-floor modernist tower – which houses a rooftop spa and the hotel's 37 rooms and suites – and the original mansion's Art Deco structure. The latter contains a retro-inspired bar and restaurant. The hotel was designed by
SANNA-designed 'River' community centre in Connecticut, US, opens to the public
by Kim Megson | 14 Oct 2015
The SANAA-designed Grace Farms complex – a multipurpose facility which features a gymnasium, library and several performance spaces – officially opened on 9 October in New Canaan, Connecticut, US. The Grace Farms Foundation – a non-profit organisation established in 2009 to support initiatives in the areas of faith, the arts, justice and community – celebrated the milestone with a two-day celebration, which included a special performance by the Paul Taylor
South Korean artist Koo Jeong A designs glow-in-the-dark skatepark for Liverpool
by Kim Megson | 13 Oct 2015
The UK’s first glow-in-the-dark skateboard park has opened in Liverpool ahead of the city’s 2016 biennial arts festival. The permanent sculpture, which is named Evertro, opened to the public on 6 October. It has been designed by South Korean artist Koo Jeong A in association with developer Wheelscape Skateparks. The central bowl of the facility is coated in a phosphorescent paint, so when evening falls, the park glows a luminous
Groosman unveil extreme cantilever design for Kigali Art & Culture Centre in Rwanda
by Kate Parker | 13 Oct 2015
Dutch architectural firm Groosman has unveiled a new Rwandan art and cultural centre which will feature two huge cantilevered wings. The Rotterdam-based studio worked with engineers Geelhoed Group on the design of the Kigali Art & Culture Centre, which will be located on the outskirts of Rwanda's hilly capital. The cross-shaped block will be decorated with traditional African geometric patterns and will feature two cantilevered sections overhanging an elevated plaza,
Elvis is in the building: Mississippi Arts & Entertainment Experience to recognise legendary artists
by Tom Anstey | 12 Oct 2015
Ground has been broken on a US$45m (€40m, £29m) immersive arts facility in Meridian, Mississippi, designed by Gallagher & Associates and dedicated to film, literature, music, art, dance, theatre and visual arts. The 58,500sq ft (5,435sq m) Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience has been designed to be “totally immersive”, according to principal architect Cybelle Jones, who said the plans would incorporate media, hands-on experiences and interactive art. "What is so
Contemporary Bali arts complex redefines relationship between nature and art
by Tom Anstey | 05 Oct 2015
US architects ArandaLasch have unveiled plans for a contemporary arts complex and gardens in Bali, envisioned as a place to experience “art within nature”. Revealed at the inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial, the Budidesa Art Park – funded by Chinese-Indonesian entrepreneur Budi Tek – comprises a series of art gardens, a museum complex and residences surrounded by rice paddies near the country’s capital of Denpasar. Budidesa will act as a new
Stufish Architects create nature-inspired water theatre in Xishuangbanna
by Tom Anstey | 01 Oct 2015
The work of the late Mark Fisher has been realised with the opening of Stufish Entertainment Architect’s Dai Show Theatre in Xishuangbanna, China. Fisher, who died in 2013, drew the initial concept designs for the Dai Show Theatre, which hosts a permanent 75-minute acrobatic water display created by show producers Dragone. Key to the Xishuangbanna’s cultural offering, the 19,500sq m (209,900sq ft) theatre is inspired by the natural and cultural
Natural History Museum's multi-million facelift by Niall McLaughlin Architects follows 'three great narratives'
by Tom Anstey | 25 Sep 2015
London’s Natural History Museum (NHM) is to undergo a multi-million pound transformation of its grounds as part of an overall redevelopment of the popular tourist attraction. Niall McLaughlin Architects, in collaboration with Kim Wilkie, won a competition to redesign the grounds of the London attraction in April 2014. As part of a larger strategy, NHM is adopting "three great narratives", which will guide visitors around the museum based on the
Oscar winner Hayao Miyazaki's magical landscapes to become a nature theme park
by Tom Anstey | 24 Sep 2015
Oscar-winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki has revealed plans to create real-life versions of the landscapes from his imaginative anime films, with designs for a 10,000-acre (40,000sq m) nature park on a remote island off the coast of Japan. Miyazaki, who retired from filmmaking in 2013, will recreate the magical worlds seen in classics such as Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and My Neighbour Totoro, at the theme park on Kume Island
Herzog & de Meuron's Tate Modern addition to open June 2016
by Alice Davis | 23 Sep 2015
A £215m (US$329m, €296m) extension for London’s Tate Modern will open next year, the gallery’s director has said. The announcement should assuage fears that construction work for the popular visitor attraction was running behind schedule. The designs have been on the table since 2008, and the extension was originally slated to open in time for the capital’s 2012 Olympic Games. The 11-storey addition, designed by acclaimed architecture firm Herzog &
MAD architects reveal revised plans for George Lucas' Museum of Narrative Art
by Tom Anstey | 21 Sep 2015
The architectural team behind director George Lucas’ Museum of Narrative Art have revealed revised renderings of the plans, which have been drawn up to counter a lawsuit filed by green space advocates. Images by Beijing-based MAD architects, which will be officially presented to the City Council this week, show a significantly smaller but similarly-designed version of the lakefront buildings, with more green space for recreational use. Earlier this month, a
New landmark: The Broad contemporary art museum by Diller Scofidio + Renfro opens in LA
by Tom Anstey | 21 Sep 2015
The Broad, a new contemporary art museum, has become the latest addition to the Los Angeles cultural sector, with the free-to-visit attraction opening to the public on Sunday (20 September). Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) in collaboration with Gensler, the museum cost US$140m (€123m, £91.6m), with funding coming from billionaire philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad, founders of the The Broad Art Foundation. The dramatic honeycomb structure cladding the
Savioz Fabrizzi repurposes shipping containers to create grunge music venue
by Tom Anstey | 16 Sep 2015
Swiss-based architecture firm Savioz Fabrizzi have repurposed a number of shipping containers, inserting them into an existing venue in the town of Sion in Switzerland to create a grunge-style music hall. The two-storey Le Port Franc, which is centred around a 300-seat concert hall, also includes a rehearsal space, dressing rooms and a breakout lounge. The containers have been converted for multifunctional use, with one being transformed into a bar.
Snarkitecture’s blockbuster BEACH exhibition to live on in Washington’s underground art space
by Alice Davis | 10 Sep 2015
A popular Snarkitecture-designed exhibit at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, drew to a close this week, attracting almost 200,000 visitors in just two months. The temporary interactive exhibit, entitled BEACH, was installed in the museum’s famous Great Hall and made from a mishmash of construction materials and an ocean of 750,000 recyclable plastic balls. “We had around 182,000 visitors total,” a spokesperson for the National Building Museum told
Gaudí's beautiful Casa Vicens in Barcelona to be restored as a museum
by Tom Anstey | 08 Sep 2015
Antoni Gaudí's Casa Vicens in Barcelona, Spain, is to be turned into a museum celebrating his work. It will open during the second half of 2016. The house was built in 1889 and is a UNESCO-listed World Heritage site. Gaudí, who lived from 1852 until 1926 is the best known practitioner of Catalan Modernism – a style centred in Barcelona and expressed mainly through architecture. Casa Vicens is the first
China creates duplicate of I.M. Pei's Louvre Pyramid in Shijiazhuang
by Tom Anstey | 07 Sep 2015
After drawing the ire of the Egyptian government when it created a replica sphinx last year, a Chinese theme park in Shijiazhuang has added to its collection, creating a 1:1 replica version of Paris’ Louvre Pyramid. Not sharing quite the same iconic locale, the replica Louvre Pyramid – the original of which first opened in 1989 – sits in the overgrown field of the unique amusement park/movie set in Shijiazhuang,
Design collective numen/for use create free-floating human crawler experience
by Tom Anstey | 03 Sep 2015
Croatian-Austrian design collective numen/for use have unveiled a new installation at Aut. Architektur und Tirol museum in Innsbruck comprised of a series of interactive, explorable, stitched safety nets. The temporary exhibition, which closes on 10 October, uses elastic strings tethered to the ceilings and walls of the exhibition space, forming a fluid tunnel for intrepid visitors to traverse through. The architect’s design uses dispersed structural support to allow for an
New Brooklyn gallery by local firm SO-IL aims to be 'haven for modern art'
by Alice Davis | 27 Aug 2015
SO-IL has revealed its design for an art gallery in Brooklyn, New York, which explores the relationship between both exterior and interior, and light and dark. The four-storey Artes Amant – expected to complete by 2017 – is a haven for modern art, where artists can create, display and store their work. The designs for the 1,320sqm (14,250sq ft) Artes Amant began with the inside, looking first at the functionality
Mandarin Oriental NYC gets makeover in collaboration with New York's art and fashion community.
by Kate Parker | 27 Aug 2015
Global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm HOK has redesigned 42 suites at the Mandarin Oriental New York hotel to offer guests a unique experience of the city. The HOK-designed one and two-bedroom suites feature panoramic views of Central Park, the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline and aim to invoke New York City life through the course of a day with their distinct theming. To achieve this, the project
Snarkitecture's indoor 'white beach' draws crowds to National Building Museum
by Alice Davis | 26 Aug 2015
More than 100,000 visitors have visited an unusual seaside-inspired installation at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, causing online ticket sales to be ceased to ensure current ticket holders can be accommodated. The temporary exhibit, entitled BEACH, has been installed in the museum’s famous Great Hall and is the work of architecture practice Snarkitecture. The Brooklyn-based firm’s 10,000sq ft (929sq m) interactive architectural exhibit – made from a mishmash
Damien Hirst and Massive Attack revealed as collaborators for Banksy's twisted theme park
by Alice Davis | 20 Aug 2015
Rumours that urban artist Banksy is behind a pop-up visitor attraction in Weston-super-Mare, England, were given further credence today (20 August) as Dismaland’s website went live, revealing a cavalcade of counter-culture contributors. Dismaland, a twisted version of a Disney theme park, has been installed at the town’s Tropicana lido, which has been derelict since 2000. According to the website, hosted at dismaland.co.uk, “Dismal Land is a festival of art, amusements
Gucci launches elegant first restaurant inside Shanghai boutique
by Jak Phillips | 20 Aug 2015
Gucci has become the latest fashion powerhouse to bring its brand into the restaurant business, opening 1921 Gucci in Shanghai, China. The chic new eatery, which can only be accessed via an elevator inside the Gucci Shanghai boutique, follows in the footsteps of Armani's Fifth Avenue restaurant in New York City and Ralph Lauren's Polo Bar, as fashion giants seek to harness their brand power in new markets. Although Gucci
Architects sought for Barack Obama's presidential library
by Tom Anstey | 19 Aug 2015
Having recently chosen Chicago, Illinois, as the host location for Barack Obama’s presidential library, The Barack Obama Foundation is now launching a competition to find an architect for the US President’s legacy project. The presidential library – a repository for preserving and making available the papers, records, collections and other historical materials of every President of the US since Herbert Hoover in 1929 – will be developed in partnership with
Guerilla artist Banksy secretly creates twisted version of Disney theme park
by Tom Anstey | 18 Aug 2015
Banksy has reportedly created a twisted version of a Disney theme park, which the anonymous street artist is planning to open this weekend as a pop-up visitor attraction in Weston-super-Mare, England. The subversive theme park-cum-art exhibition has been built over the past several months under the guise of a movie set at the 10,200sq ft (950sq m) abandoned Tropicana lido. Signs at the site indicated Grey Fox Production were shooting
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