Architecture and design news
Lemay's clever design creates a sleek but efficient aquatics centre
by Stu Robarts | 17 Feb 2020
Lemay 's "judicious" design for an aquatics centre in Canada ensures it is not only sleek and sympathetic to its context, but that it uses energy-saving measures to moderate its running costs. The Beloeil Aquatics Centre was completed last year with little in the way of fanfare, but it shows that attractive and intelligent design can be delivered on a modest budget. The CAD$16.5m (US$12.5m, €11.5m, £9.5m), 55,000sq ft (5,100sq
Alexis Dornier creates "experimental treetop boutique hotel" in Bali forest
by Stu Robarts | 14 Feb 2020
Alexis Dornier has created an "experimental treetop boutique hotel" located in Ubud on the island of Bali, Indonesia, with a mix of part-industrial, part-natural structures in a tropical forest setting. In designing the 10ac (4ha) Lift hotel, Dornier sought to forgo the typical concrete-based development approach on the island in favour of low-rise and treehouse-like structures made of metal elements and natural materials. Each of the structures has a different
Rothko Chapel to reopen after Architecture Research Office renovation
by Stu Robarts | 14 Feb 2020
The Rothko Chapel will reopen in Houston this June after a 14-month restoration project by Architecture Research Office that is part of a wider $30m (€28m, £23m) masterplan project the studio is carrying out. Opened in 1971, the chapel was created as a place for interfaith worship and contemplation by its founders – artist Mark Rothko and John and Dominique de Menil – and has 14 huge Rothko canvases on
Shortlist revealed for National Railway Museum's Central Hall
by Stu Robarts | 14 Feb 2020
Five proposals have been shortlisted for the design of the National Railway Museum 's Central Hall in York, UK, which is scheduled to open in time for the museum’s 50th anniversary in 2025. Run in partnership with Malcolm Reading Consultants, the design competition sought proposals for a £16.5m ($22m, €20m), 4,500sq m (48,400sq ft) centrepiece building to provide a new entrance space and integrate the museum estate. It will house
Counterspace's Serpentine Pavilion will be both one and many places for gathering
by Stu Robarts | 13 Feb 2020
Counterspace have been chosen to design the Serpentine Pavilion for 2020 with a design based on gathering spaces and community places around London that will be accompanied by a public programme across the city. Now in its 20th year, the annual pavilion commission is described by the Serpentine as "a global platform for experimental projects by some of the world's greatest architects." This year's architects from the Johannesburg-based practice –
Liverpool FC unveils updated KSS-designed expansion proposals for Anfield
by Stu Robarts | 13 Feb 2020
Liverpool FC has revealed updated KSS -designed plans for the expansion of the Anfield Road stand at its Anfield stadium and has begun a second-stage public consultation of the proposals. Plans to expand Anfield, which were first revealed in 2014, were developed following the takeover of the club by FSG in 2010 – putting an end to discussions about a potential move to a new stadium. Work to expand the
£67m Eden Project attraction to open in Northern Ireland
by Andy Knaggs | 13 Feb 2020
A new £67m (US$86.9m, €79.8m) cultural and environmental Eden Project tourist attraction, designed by Grimshaw Architects, is to be built in Northern Ireland and is expected to open in 2023. Eden Project Foyle will cover a 100-hectare (250-acre) site along the banks of the River Foyle near Derry-Londonderry, brining previously inaccessible land, three historic walled gardens and an 18th-century icehouse back into use. The destination will feature a range of
OMA's Bali hotel provides open space for guests and locals to mix
by Stu Robarts | 12 Feb 2020
OMA 's first hotel in Bali has been designed both for guests and to engage the local community, with an open space for cultural events and leisure activities. The open space, or platform, at Potato Head Studios runs from the hotel down to the beach at Seminyak and is based on the raised and ground-level courtyards of Indonesian and Balinese homes. It provides a flexible stage where guests and locals
Glazed wooden Tchaikovsky Academic Opera and Ballet Theater will be a monument to the arts
by Stu Robarts | 12 Feb 2020
wHY Architecture are to build a monolithic but welcoming glazed, wooden theatre in a new park on the Kama River as a beacon for the emerging arts district in Perm, Russia. The firm began working on the Tchaikovsky Academic Opera and Ballet Theater in September 2019 and their design was given the go-ahead in January 2020 by a vote of approval from the City Council of Perm, the planning commission
Wafai Architecture's Seashell House gets residents close to nature
by Stu Robarts | 12 Feb 2020
Wafai Architecture have designed a sustainably constructed house that is inspired by the shape of a seashell and is aimed at helping residents live close to nature. The Seashell House, the first project for which is currently in discussion, is reminiscent of a junonia shell in terms of its folded shape and its patternation. The single-storey structure's compact 240sq m (2,600sq ft) footprint means a limited impact on a site
Steven Holl Architects create "social condenser" community centre in Shanghai
by Stu Robarts | 12 Feb 2020
Steven Holl Architects have topped out the Shanghai Cofco Cultural and Health Center, which is aimed at being "a social condenser" for residents of the dense surrounding housing. Designed in 2016 and expected to be completed mid-to-late 2020, the 7,520sq m (81,000sq ft) development comprises a mix of public realm, a canalside park, space for recreational and cultural programs, amenities and health facilities. An open, spacious design contrasts that of
Pendulum integrate parks and pools into Kansas City Royals downtown regen concept
by Stu Robarts | 11 Feb 2020
Pendulum Studio have created a concept design for a new Kansas City Royals ballpark development in the downtown area of the city that would incorporate a variety of amenities and the blur lines of public and private space. The potential for a move to a new downtown home for the Missouri-based team has been discussed for a number of years – in part with the regeneration of the area in
ATTA's forest-like restaurant reminds us where food comes from
by Stu Robarts | 11 Feb 2020
Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane Architects' (ATTA) design for the GYRE.FOOD restaurant in Tokyo, Japan, places diners in a forest-like environment of soil and lush greenery to encourage thought about the planet, the climate and where food comes from. GYRE.FOOD is located in a 1,000sq m (10,800sq ft) top-floor space of the MVRDV -designed GYRE complex, which opened in 2007 and comprises five stacked and spiralled boxes. The GYRE name is taken
Hollywood's Academy Museum of Motion Pictures to open in December
by Andy Knaggs | 10 Feb 2020
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which has been designed by Renzo Piano, is set to open in Hollywood on 14 December 2020 it has been announced. The museum will be located in the former 1939 May Company department store, now called the Saban Building, with a spherical building added. Renzo Piano said: "The historic Saban Building is a wonderful example of Streamline Moderne style, which preserves the way people
Limburg is taking its cyclists into water, through treetops and underground
by Stu Robarts | 10 Feb 2020
Cyclists in Belgium's Limburg province are being brought closer to nature in a variety of innovative and unusual ways. "25 years ago Belgian Limburg was the first region worldwide to develop a cycle node network, where you cycle from junction to junction," explained Igor Philtjens, Minister for Regional Tourism, chairman of Visit Limburg and the driving force behind the projects. "We were a pioneer in recreational cycling tourism, but over
Asif Khan unveils huge woven gateways for Expo 2020 Dubai
by Stu Robarts | 10 Feb 2020
Three huge entry gateways for Expo 2020 Dubai, designed by Asif Khan, will welcome visitors onto the site from 20 October, with a futuristic exploration of the traditional mashrabiya. Mashrabiyas are a type of decorative, projecting window often used to control light and airflow that typically found on Arabic residences. Khan's Expo Entry Portals, which are part of his wider work on the expo's public realm, are said to be
Jean-Michel Gathy channels Issey Miyake to create signature installation for Tokyo spa
by Megan Whitby | 10 Feb 2020
Designer Jean-Michel Gathy has created a 3D origami-inspired feature wall for Four Seasons ' spa sanctuary in its upcoming hotel in Japan – called Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi. Dominating the spa lobby, the flowing paper structure appears to billow and sweep outwards and has been designed to calm guests as they enter the spa. Gathy’s work is inspired by Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake’s flowing fabrics, as captured
Integrated Field create a children's hospital that's a playground
by Stu Robarts | 07 Feb 2020
Integrated Field have created a children's hospital aimed at making the experience of being in hospital less daunting, more comfortable and much more fun for its little patients by introducing elements for play and recreation. The 6,000sq m (64,600sq ft) EKH Children's Hospital is located in Thailand's Samut Sakhon province and opened towards the end of 2019 after a two-year design and build process. Recognising that hospitals can be such
Niall McLaughlin Architects to design Somerset House auditorium and public space
by Stu Robarts | 07 Feb 2020
Niall McLaughlin Architects have been chosen to design a new, multi-purpose auditorium and public space for London's Somerset House arts centre. Designed and built by Sir William Chambers during the mid-to-late 1770s, the current neoclassical building has a rich history and courtyards that are described as being among the most beautiful in Europe. With the building already home to a creative community and a variety of different exhibition and events
Arctic Bath floating spa hotel opens in Sweden
by Stu Robarts | 07 Feb 2020
The Arctic Bath Hotel and Spa, designed by Bertil Harström, Johan Krauppi and Annkathrin Lundqvist, has opened on the Lule River near the small village of Harads in Swedish Lapland. First announced in 2017, it was conceived to be a year-round Arctic wellness destination that will float on the water during the summer and be frozen into the ice during the winter. The 12-room hotel is inspired by the era
Huge V-shaped "light cone" intersects Wuhan bookstore
by Stu Robarts | 06 Feb 2020
A bookstore in Wuhan, China, has reopened after a two-year design and renovation project by Wutopia Lab that has seen a huge "light cone" inserted into the building, drawing natural light from the roof down to all floors. The 10,000sq m (107,600sq ft) Hubei Foreign Language Bookstore was established 40 years ago and has undergone a number of alterations and renovations over the years. Wutopia Lab were keen to re-establish
Sarah Mannerings Studio transform flooded garage into apocalyptic HIIT studio
by Stu Robarts | 06 Feb 2020
Sarah Mannerings Studio have transformed an unserviced and flooded basement garage in London into an apocalyptic-themed fitness studio for rowing-based high-intensity interval training workouts. The 1675sq ft (156sq m) space is the first and flagship site for the Rowbots fitness brand, which offers 45-minutes classes in which individuals alternate between rowing machines and floor-work. The brief requested the conversion of the derelict space into a boutique gym with a reception
Lyons transform car park into integrated park, square and events space - and car park
by Stu Robarts | 06 Feb 2020
Lyons with Aspect Studios, have transformed a car park in Melbourne, Australia, into a 10,000sq m (107,600sq ft) urban park with nine distinct areas and two levels of car parking retained underneath. Prahran Square was conceived to provide much needed new open public space in the Prahran suburb of the city, which has the second-lowest amount in the state of Victoria. it combines a park, a square and a network
Switch The Gym's tech-based studios relay performance data to screens
by Tom Walker | 06 Feb 2020
Dutch boutique fitness brand Switch The Gym has launched a second technology-based studio aimed at optimising workouts for each individual, designed by DR+ Architecten, No Bears and First Impression. Founded by Terry Labee, Switch The Gym provides a timetable of HIIT group workouts at an affordable price point. "It offers the fun and energy of group training with the attention and expertise of personal training, but without the expense," Labee
X+Living create fantastical 3D world for kids in Shenzhen
by Stu Robarts | 05 Feb 2020
X+Living have created a kids' activity centre in Shenzhen, China, that combines a mix of slides, ball-pits and hidden spaces with fantastical design elements and a pastels aesthetic. Shenzhen Neobio Family Park is the most recent of a number of Neobio Family Parks that X+Living has worked on. Covering 6,000sq m (64,600sq ft), it houses the play space, an entrance lobby, a changing area and a restaurant. Located partly in
Sustainable sports centre in Barcelona features greenery, timber and passive design
by Stu Robarts | 05 Feb 2020
A sports centre in Barcelona, designed by Anna Noguera and Javier Fernandez, has won awards for its sustainable and innovative design, which includes a greenery-covered façade, swathes of glazing and timber interiors. Barcelona City Council appointed Noguera and Fernandez after they won an architectural competition it ran in 2014. The competition briefed for the creation of a sports centre in the Turó de la Peira area of Barcelona, in which
Adidas builds sustainable sports pitch using 1.8m plastic bottles
by Tom Walker | 04 Feb 2020
Adidas has built a sustainable sports pitch in Florida, using 1.8m recycled plastic bottles. The bottles were collected from nature – at remote islands, beaches, coastal communities and shorelines – in order to prevent them from ending up permanently in the eco-system. Each bottle was then washed and treated before being converted and used as infill for the synthetic 3G pitch. The pitch has been installed at the Miami Edison
Marianne Shillingford on the power of paint
by Stu Robarts | 04 Feb 2020
As the creative director for Dulux in the UK, Marianne Shillingford is an authority on the power of colour, but she says that paint can do more than just make a room look good and that the impact it can have is often overlooked. "Architects see paint as a protective coating rather than an opportunity to change something quite radically for very, very little money," she explained in an interview
Saudi 'giga project' Qiddiya kicks off 12-month ground preparation work
by Andy Knaggs | 04 Feb 2020
Construction at Qiddiya – the site earmarked as Saudi Arabia's future "capital of entertainment, sports and the arts" – has moved into a new phase, with the appointment of Saudi road construction company Abdul Ali Al-Ajmi to undertake a 12-month ground preparation project. The work will involve landscaping 7 million cu m (247 million cu ft) of earth, across a combined area of more than 4 million sq m (43
ARM Architecture begin AU$150m upgrade of Sydney Opera House
by Stu Robarts | 04 Feb 2020
ARM Architecture have begun work on a AU$150m (US$101m, €91m, £77m), two-year renovation of the Sydney Opera House that will better equip it for performances, enhance its acoustics, improve accessibility and create a safer working environment. The project is part of the 10-year Decade of Renewal capital works programme, via which AU$275m (US$185m, €167m, £142m) of investment will transform the Opera House ahead of its 50th anniversary in 2023. The
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