Architecture and design news:
museums & heritage
Adjaye Associates creates temporary art hub for Venice Biennale
by Tom Anstey | 19 May 2015
London-based architectural firm Adjaye Associates have designed a temporary pavilion to house a selection of works at the 56th Venice Art Biennale. The biennial event, which was first held in 1895, is a major contemporary art exhibition showcasing creativity from across the world including art, contemporary dance, architecture, cinema and theatre. The vast exhibition is made up of a central pavilion and the Venetian Arsenale (a complex of shipyards and
Herzog and de Meuron's US$645m M+ Museum opening delayed until 2019
by Tom Anstey | 18 May 2015
The opening of the hotly-anticipated M+ Museum in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) has been pushed back to 2019 after a delay in funding held up the construction process. Originally set for opening in 2017, the museum – designed by Herzog and de Meuron in partnership with TFP Farrells and Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong – is now scheduled for completion in Q4 2018, with the public
Renzo Piano's Academy museum one step closer to reality after gaining unanimous approval from LA Planning Commission
by Tom Anstey | 15 May 2015
Hollywood bigwigs look to have gained the vital stamp of approval needed to proceed with Renzo Piano's US$300m (€263.5m, £190.4m) development of Los Angeles’ Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. To be located next to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), which is currently undergoing an expansion, the Academy museum has been designed by award-winning architect Renzo Piano. Contemporary architect Zoltan Pali had been working on the project but
JRA’s interactive Sioux City children’s museum nears completion
by Jason Holland | 15 May 2015
Jack Rouse Associates (JRA) is finalising work on a science and technology focused children’s museum in the US ahead of its opening in Q3 of this year. JRA is providing final concept, schematic and detail design for the 8,000sq ft (743sq m) exhibit space at the US$6m (€5.3m, £3.8m) Children’s Museum of Siouxland in Sioux City, Iowa. Targeting children aged between six months and 10 years, the 15,000sq ft (1,394sq
“Glittering jewel” of culture to be created by LDA Design at London’s Olympic Park
by Jason Holland | 15 May 2015
LDA Design has been selected to masterplan a university campus at London’s Olympic Park, featuring a museum, collections libraries and performance spaces. A team led by the practice, which also includes Nicholas Hare Architects, will develop the 125,000sq m (1,345,489sq ft) campus for University College London (UCL), called UCL East. It will be located south of the ArcelorMittal Orbit and the Zaha Hadid-designed London Aquatics Centre at the Queen Elizabeth
South Korea adopts High Line approach with MVRDV's Seoul Skygarden plan
by Jason Holland | 13 May 2015
Netherlands-based architecture practice MVRDV is to turn an abandoned station overpass in Seoul, South Korea, into a public park and garden. The studio won the Seoul Metropolitan Government competition to transform the 938m (3,077ft) long elevated highway, next to the city’s Central Station, in a similar fashion to the High Line in New York City. MVRDV’s proposal, Seoul Skygarden, will see 254 types of trees, shrubs and flowers used to
Neutelings Riedijk unveil plans for Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Netherlands
by Tom Anstey | 13 May 2015
Neutelings Riedijk Architects have revealed final designs for the merger of three Dutch museums in Leiden, incorporating a central atrium to seamlessly blend old with new. Combining the Natural History Museum ‘Naturalis’, the Zoological Museum in Amsterdam and the National Herbarium of Leiden and Wageningen, the existing 20,000sq m (215,000sq ft) museum will be renovated with further construction adding another 19,000sq m (204,500sq ft) of space. The design includes a
October opening date for SANAA’s eco-themed River complex in Connecticut, US
by Jason Holland | 12 May 2015
The SANAA-designed Grace Farms complex – which features an amphitheatre, gymnasium and library – will officially open on 9 October. Located in New Canaan, Connecticut in the US, it is being built for the Grace Farms Foundation, a non-profit organisation established in 2009 to support initiatives in the areas of faith, the arts, justice and community. The complex will be open to the public. The 86,000sq ft building is known
CMSB wins US$105.8m contract for Sarawak Museum redevelopment in Kuala Lumpur
by Tom Anstey | 12 May 2015
Malaysian property developer Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad (CMSB), has won the right to build the proposed RM308m (US$105.8m, €93.4m, £69.5m) Sarawak Museum Campus and Heritage Trail in Kuala Lumpur. The project, awarded by local government for the Sarawak region, comprises design, construction, fitting out and exhibit design for the 30,000sq m (323,000sq ft) museum development. PPES Works – a subsidiary of CMSB – has signed a design and build negotiated
Indian Heritage Centre opens in Singapore, designed by Greg Shand and URBNarc
by Liz Terry | 11 May 2015
The multi-million dollar Indian Heritage Centre (IHC) has been opened in the Little India district of Singapore by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The four-storey building, designed by Singapore-based Greg Shand Architects, in collaboration with URBNarc, incorporates modern and traditional Indian architecture, and is inspired by the “Baoli” – a well in which water is reached via a descending set of steps. With its translucent, shimmering facade, the design creates
Jack Rouse Associates creating new Jim Beam visitor centre for Kentucky’s Urban Bourbon Trail
by Tom Anstey | 08 May 2015
Jack Rouse Associates (JRA) are driving forward plans for a new visitor attraction for spirit maker Beam Suntory – the Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse – in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, US. Located below Beam Suntory’s Louisville office, the new multi-million dollar visitor experience will include a small working distillery, a bottling line, a tasting experience and a selection of Jim Beam-branded merchandise for sale. Scheduled to open towards the end of
Snøhetta, Cao Perrot and Schlögl & Süß Architekten present €34m Swarovski Crystal Worlds expansion
by Tom Anstey | 29 Apr 2015
A team made up of Snøhetta, Cao Perrot and Schlögl & Süß Architekten have created the architectural elements and designs for the €34m (US$37.3m, £24.3m) expansion of Wattens, Austria’s Swarovski Crystal Worlds. The museum, opened in 1995 to celebrate crystal-maker Swarovski’s 100th anniversary, was originally designed by artist Andre Heller, who was commissioned to design the 14-chamber museum. Reopening on 30 April, the expansion has nearly doubled the available space,
Munich looks at dark past with Georg Scheel Wetzel-designed museum highlighting the birth of Nazi Germany
by Tom Anstey | 06 May 2015
The city of Munich has opened NS-Dokumentationszentrum München – The Munich Documentation Centre for the History of National Socialism – a museum and education hub focusing on the city’s role as the birthplace of fascism in Germany. The white cube design by Berlin-based architects Georg Scheel Wetzel represents a counterpoint to the still existing Nazi Party buildings in its vicinity. According to the architects, its design allows a diverse array
Prada's new arts campus has design by Rem Koolhaas and Wes Anderson
by Tom Anstey | 06 May 2015
OMA, the architectural practice founded by Rem Koolhaas, have converted a former industrial complex in Milan, Italy, into a new home for designer Miuccia Prada’s Fondazione Prada. Fondazione Prada was established by Miuccia Prada in 1993 as a cultural organisation dedicated to the arts, cinema and philosophy. The new venue opens to the public on 9 May. The 19,000sq m (204,500sq ft) art campus, has been seven years in the
Safdie Architects' Medal of Honor Museum pays tribute to US's highest distinction
by Tom Anstey | 30 Apr 2015
Safdie Architects have unveiled plans for South Carolina’s National Medal of Honor Museum – a five-point design presenting the history of the US’s most decorated and revered soldiers. The new museum and education centre coming to the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, has been budgeted at US$98m (€87.8m, £63.9m) and is intended to recognise and remember the recipients of the country’s highest military honour, also teaching
Danish science centre gutted by fire while on-site with CEBRA, Rambøll A/S and Elgaard redevelopment will still open on time
by Tom Anstey | 28 Apr 2015
A fire has more or less completely destroyed a popular science centre in Hellerup near Copenhagen, Denmark. The town’s Experimentarium – which was undergoing a DKR339m (US$49.5m, €45.4m, £32.4m) redevelopment – was gutted by fire on 27 April, the exact cause has yet to be determined. The expansion would have added a roof exhibition area, new classrooms, a training and education centre, conference centre, café and solar panels. Ejendomsselskabet was
Cleveland Museum of Natural History approves Fentress' US$150m masterplan
by Tom Anstey | 27 Apr 2015
Colorado-based architectural firm Fentress have revealed final plans for the US$150m (€138m, £99m) renovation and expansion of Cleveland’s Museum of Natural History after gaining approval from the museum’s board of trustees. The plan, which aims to better integrate nature and science into exhibitions, is soon to enter the US$20m (€18m, £13.2m) first phase and will increase the museum's space to 200,000sq ft (18,500sq m), up from 68,000sq ft (6,300sq ft).
Tate Harmer designs underground arts venue at Brunel’s historic Thames Tunnel
by Jason Holland | 24 Apr 2015
Isambard Kingdom Brunel's original entrance to the world's first underwater tunnel is to be turned into a cultural venue for music performances, theatre and events. The 65ft (19.8m) deep entrance shaft to the Thames Tunnel, in Rotherhithe, London, was the first project the famous engineer worked on. Architectural practice Tate Harmer has now designed a freestanding cantilevered staircase that will provide public access to the circular ‘sinking shaft’ for the
Design competition invites schoolchildren to create Australian state park using Minecraft
by Jason Holland | 23 Apr 2015
An Australian national park could be designed by primary school pupils using the video game Minecraft. The government of South Australia has launched a competition asking students to create their perfect national park using the popular game, or to suggest changes to an existing state park. Minecraft allows players to build constructions out of textured cubes in a 3D pixelated world. With AU$8.9m ($6.9m, €6.4m, £4.6m) set aside for park
Perkins + Will create new nature-inspired home for Shanghai Natural History Museum
by Tom Anstey | 22 Apr 2015
Shanghai Natural History Museum has moved into its new home – a nautilus-shaped building inspired by the biological structure of cells, the elements and natural phenomena. Designed by Perkins + Will, the green structure mimics architectural themes found in nature. The main area of the 479,000sq ft (44,500sq m) exhibition space rises from the site’s foundations, spiralling upwards like a shell. Within the structure, light is dispersed through a lattice
Architects Fabre-Speller and Atelier 3A work on €56m prehistoric cave painting attraction
by Tom Anstey | 21 Apr 2015
The French government has spent €56m (US$60m, £40.2m) recreating an exact replica of a cave discovered in 1994 containing a huge collection of prehistoric paintings of horses, mammoths and rhinos – among the oldest documented pieces on earth. The works – preserved thanks to a rock fall roughly 23,000 years ago – were quickly closed off to the public after their discovery on the basis that something as simple as
Snøhetta and SANAA are head to head in final competition for Budapest's Ludwig Museum job
by Tom Anstey | 21 Apr 2015
Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta and Japanese design studio SANAA have both been awarded first place in a competition to design the New National Gallery and Ludwig Museum in Budapest, Hungary. Part of plans for Europe’s largest museum development, the announcement is the final piece of the puzzle in Budapest's HUF75bn (US$277m, €235m, £183m) cultural quarter. While both firms have been named winner of the contest, only one of the two
Winning entries in "Anti-Guggenheim" competition focus on Helsinki’s heritage and community
by Jason Holland | 20 Apr 2015
A museum of the welfare state and a collection of artistic spaces that span the harbour waterfront are among the shortlisted projects in the competition to find better alternatives to the proposed Guggenheim development in Helsinki. Eight entries have been selected by The Next Helsinki competition jury, with the aim of showcasing the “variety and depth” of the 217 submissions received. Architect Michael Sorkin, who initiated the project and is
Cultural venues dominate Mies van der Rohe Award shortlist
by Jason Holland | 17 Apr 2015
Four of the five finalists nominated for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – the Mies van der Rohe Award – involve leisure-related architecture. Lederer Ragnarsdóttir Oei’s Ravensburg Art Museum, Bjarke Ingels Group’s Danish Maritime Museum, Archea Associati’s Antinori Winery, and Barozzi / Veiga’s Philharmonic Hall Szczecin all made the cut from a previous shortlist of 40, with the winner to be announced on 8 May. The O’Donnell +
Ambitious plans outlined for a Palestinian cultural museum in Gaza
by Kath Hudson | 14 Apr 2015
Ambitious plans are emerging for a museum in the war-torn Gaza Strip, honouring Palestinian culture and history. The proposals are an offshoot of the £40m Palestinian Museum Hub – currently under construction more than 83km (52m) away in Birzeit, the West Bank – which is due to open next year. The Hub was designed by Ireland-based Heneghan Peng Architects As part of this project, there are plans for satellite sites
Anti-Guggenheim Helsinki design competition attracts 200 alternative visions
by Jason Holland | 14 Apr 2015
A design contest launched to rival the controversial Guggenheim project in Helsinki, Finland, has received more than 200 entries from 37 countries. Set up by a group led by architect Michael Sorkin, The Next Helsinki competition is a protest against the City of Helsinki’s decision to allow a $153m (€146m, £105m) Guggenheim museum to be built in the South Harbor area. Instead of allocating space to a “foreign-owned museum chain”,
Mumbai masterplan omits 1,000 buildings from heritage list
by Tom Anstey | 10 Apr 2015
A 2034 development masterplan for Mumbai, India, has come under fire after proposing to remove 70 per cent of the currently heritage-listed sites in the city, while incorrectly labelling others. Of the 1,488 listed heritage buildings, sites and precincts in the city, 1,000 will be removed under the new guidelines unveiled by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. According to the contentious Mumbai Development Plan - 2034, the listed Jehangir Art Gallery
Giant slides by artist Carsten Höllerpart offer Hayward Gallery visitors an alternative escape
by Kath Hudson | 01 Apr 2015
Specially-commissioned slides which will allow visitors to travel from the Hayward’s Gallery iconic glass pyramid ceiling to the entrance level, will open in London this June as part of an exhibition of work by Belgian artist Carsten Höller. The exhibition Decision will immerse visitors in a series of experimental environments, aiming to transform their physical and mental experience in ways which will lead them to question their habitual perceptions. Other
HGA to lead ambitious Walker Art Center expansion project
by Jason Holland | 31 Mar 2015
A $75m (€69.9m, £50.8m) renovation at the Walker Art Center will create a new cultural district in Minneapolis, US. Locally-headquartered architects HGA and Netherlands-based Inside Outside will oversee the project, which will include the construction of a new entrance pavilion as well as landscaping improvements to the art museum’s campus. The plans will directly connect the Walker to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, situated opposite, creating a 76,890sq m (827,640sq ft)
Design of the year 2015 exhibition opens at London's Design Museum
by Katie Buckley | 25 Mar 2015
Hosted by London's Design Museum, the Design of the Year Awards 2015 exhibition is now open. The exhibition showcases 76 projects that have been shortlisted for this year's award. The projects range from cutting-edge technology, for example a solar powered table that can be used indoors, to epic architectural creations like Frank Gehry's Foundation Louis Vuitton, Paris. Curated by the Design Museum's Gemma Curtin, the exhibition is open to all,
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"Culture is the beating heart of this project"
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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