Architecture and design news:
museums & heritage
CROX's organically shaped museum floats on a grassy hill
by Stu Robarts | 26 Nov 2019
CROX have created an organically shaped museum in Liyang, China, inspired by a musical instrument that is one of the city's cultural symbols and designed to give the appearance of floating on a grassy hill. The Liyang Museum is located next to a lake within a public park in a new urban district of the city and is aimed at acting as a connection between the new urban area and
Foster + Partners-designed Zayed National Museum to open in 2021
by Andy Knaggs | 21 Nov 2019
Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism has confirmed that the Foster + Partners -designed Zayed National Museum will open in 2021, nine years after its initial planned opening date. Conceived in memory of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding president of the UAE, the museum was first announced in 2007 as one of three major museums planned for Saadiyat Island's Cultural District in Abu Dhabi. While the
C+ Architects' LAB Art Museum is a glowing ring in the mountains
by Stu Robarts | 20 Nov 2019
C+ Architects have created art gallery in Wulong, China, that is designed to look like a glowing ring in the mountains. The LAB Art Museum is set on a 3,000sq m (32,300sq ft) hilltop site that at times is surrounded by clouds. Its white elliptical form stands out against the surrounding green hills and its main volume is raised up on four functional blocks at ground level that serve variously
Aecom's San Francisco waterfront park incorporates colours and materials of port heritage
by Stu Robarts | 05 Nov 2019
Aecom are creating a new waterfront public park in San Francisco that will incorporate elements of the site's former life as a port, including its cranes, the slipway and former cribbing and keel blocks. Crane Cove Park is part of the wider regeneration of the Pier 70 shipyard, which was San Francisco's largest shipbuilding facility before it closed down and was turned over to the Port of San Francisco in
Snøhetta's monolithic, organic Arctic visitor centre houses temperature-controlled exhibition vault
by Stu Robarts | 04 Nov 2019
Snøhetta have designed a visitor centre for Arctic preservation storage called The Arc with an exhibition building that is towering and monolithic, but also curved and organic. The facility was commissioned by Arctic Memory AS to showcase content from the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and the Arctic World Archive, as well as to educate visitors and inspire innovative preservation solutions for the world's food and digital resources. Located 78° north
Coldefy & Associés-led team to design National Pulse Memorial & Museum
by Stu Robarts | 01 Nov 2019
A team led by Coldefy & Associés has been selected to design the National Pulse Memorial & Museum in memory of the 49 victims of Orlando's Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016. The memorial comprises the preserved nightclub building with an adjacent open space that has been transformed as a place for gathering and celebration. There will also be a peaceful garden planted with 49 trees. A pool of water that
Carmody Groarke to extend Design Museum Gent with "third place"
by Stu Robarts | 31 Oct 2019
Carmody Groarke, Trans Architectuur Stedenbouw and RE-ST Architectenvennootschap have won a design competition to extend Design Museum Gent with a new "third place" that will link the museum and the city. The new wing will also link together the museum's two existing buildings, as well as provide additional spaces for exhibitions, debate, reflection, public activities, retail and catering. It is designed to be a welcoming meeting place with free access
Tod Williams and Billie Tsien's designs for Obama Presidential Center are refined again
by Stu Robarts | 29 Oct 2019
Updated designs of the Barack Obama Presidential Center have been released showing a more sculptural building, introducing a large glazed element and adding a textured finish. The centre will comprise 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. A Sky Room at the top of the building will provide views of the
Wilkinson Eyre and Gustafson Porter and Bowman's railway museum project gets massive funding injection
by Andy Knaggs | 18 Oct 2019
The UK government has announced a £250m (US$322m, €290m) Culture Investment Fund for England. The funding package will be spent on infrastructure projects in the culture, museums and libraries sectors. More than £125m (US$161m, €145m) of the fund is earmarked for investment in improvements to regional museums and libraries. As the recipient of the largest single contribution from the fund (£18.5m US$23.8m, €21.4m), the National Railway Museum in York will
Scott Carver Architects to renovate oldest theatre in New South Wales, Australia
by Stu Robarts | 15 Oct 2019
The Victoria Theatre, the oldest in the Australian state of New South Wales, is to undergo a renovation led by Scott Carver Architects aimed at conserving its heritage features and reviving it as a venue for live performances. Located in the city of Newcastle, the theatre is expected to cost around AU$11.5m (US$7.8m, €7m, £6.1m) to refurbish, which is said to be more than justifiable investment from a business perspective.
MoMA's $450m Diller Scofidio + Renfro renovation is unveiled
by Stu Robarts | 15 Oct 2019
After a five-year, $450m (€409m, £356m) renovation project split over two phases, New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) reopens next week with 102,000sq ft (9,500sq m) of new gallery and public space. Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, working with Gensler, the renovation has seen the building's footprint increased to 708,000sq ft (66,000sq m), with gallery space increased by around a third to 166,000sq ft (15,000sq m). There's a
David Adjaye's Ruby City art gallery has opened in Texas
by Stu Robarts | 14 Oct 2019
The Ruby City contemporary art centre, designed by British architect Sir David Adjaye, has opened in San Antonio, Texas. So-called because of the ruby red colour of its precast concrete exterior, the 14,000sq ft (1,300sq m) gallery houses more than 900 paintings, sculptures, installations and video works. Its design was inspired by the vision of the late collector and philanthropist Linda Pace and, in part, by the Spanish missions built
From Wellington Bombers to Formula 1, Mather & Co and Cube Design create the Silverstone Experience
by Andy Knaggs | 11 Oct 2019
The Silverstone Experience, a journey through the home of British motor racing, is to open in a refurbished WW2 RAF hangar later this month. The £20m (US$24.6m, €22.3m) development has taken seven years to bring to fruition and included the restoration of the 4,000sq m (13,100sq ft) hangar. Led by architect Jane Lock-Smith of Cube Design, the project required more work than was initially expected, with the hangar having to
Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects design revealed for Mennello Museum expansion
by Stu Robarts | 10 Oct 2019
Newly unveiled designs Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects for a $20m (€18m, £16m), 40,000sq ft (3,700sq m) expansion of Florida's Mennello Museum of American Art show a mixture and merging of indoor and outdoor spaces. Integrated with the existing 12,000sq ft (1,100sq m) museum building, the new structure mixes spacious, naturally-lit indoor exhibition rooms with terraces, covered outdoor spaces, open concourses and pathways connecting them with the green and
Science and Industry Museum restoration begins with work on historic Power Hall
by Andy Knaggs | 02 Oct 2019
Work has commenced on the restoration of the Grade II-listed Power Hall at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester – part of a larger, multi-million-pound project to create a more sustainable museum and a "beacon for contemporary science". The museum was forced to close the Power Hall in April this year due to urgent repairs that needed to be carried out on the roof. Following a grant of £6m
Google's Palace of Versailles VR tour welcomes virtual visitors
by Stu Robarts | 02 Oct 2019
Google has created a virtual reality tour of the Palace of Versailles, allowing people to explore the architecture, artworks and history of the former home of French royalty wherever they are in the world. The Versailles: The Palace is Yours exhibit takes visitors on a tour of rooms including the Royal Grand Apartments, the Chapel and the Opera. It was created using a technique called photogrammetry, via which 3D models
NM Architekci win design contest for US$63m Polish Army Museum
by Andy Knaggs | 23 Sep 2019
NM Architekci has won an international competition to design a permanent exhibition space for the new Polish Army Museum in Warsaw. The decision was based on functional, spatial, aesthetic and educational considerations, followed by the financial credibility of the project, according to the secretary of the selection jury, Marek Szaniawski. Costing an estimated PLN 250m (US$62.7m, €57m, £50.5m) and due to open in November 2020, the new museum will be
Thinc Design reveal new observatory for the Empire State Building
by Andy Knaggs | 23 Sep 2019
The observation deck on the top floor of the Empire State Building has reopened this week after the third of a US$165m (€148, £128) four-phase redevelopment of the experience at the iconic New York City landmark. The observatory redevelopment was carried out by design consultants Beneville Studios, project managers JLL, elevator company Otis, contractors Skanska and Thinc Design, who designed the wider observatory experience exhibition. Squint/Opera were responsible for the
India earmarks billions for five-year heritage and culture project. Will build 100 new museums
by Andy Knaggs | 17 Sep 2019
A programme of "authentic reconstruction" of 11 historic sites in India, and the setting up of 100 experiential museums, are among ambitious plans reportedly under development by India's culture ministry. India's The Economic Times reports the Indian government will invest 270 billion Indian Rupees (US$3.8bn, €3.4bn, £3.1bn) in a five-year programme running from 2020 to 2025, about a quarter of which will go to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
Addenda's glass-wrapped concrete Black Box houses new Bauhaus Museum Dessau
by Andy Knaggs | 13 Sep 2019
The new Addenda Architects -designed Bauhaus Museum, which takes the form of a 100m (328ft) long “Black Box” of reinforced concrete on stilts enclosed within a glass envelope, has been opened in Dessau, Germany. The outer envelope measures 105m (344ft) long, 25m (82ft) wide and 12m (39ft) high – and is made up of 571 triple-glazed glass panes. Inside, the Black Box allows no natural light in, but provides the
Kengo Kuma-designed Odunpazari museum opens in Turkey
by Andy Knaggs | 10 Sep 2019
Kengo Kuma's latest creation – the Odunpazari Modern Museum in Eskisehir, Turkey – has opened, with the architect striving to create a sense of intimacy and warmth through its wood-clad buildings. The inspiration for Kuma's design, which is based on a cluster of boxes clad with stacked, interlocking timber beams, comes from the history of the location, which used to be a centre for timber trading. The word odunpazari means
Architects AL_A reveal designs for 'world-class' £42m Paisley Museum
by Andy Knaggs | 03 Sep 2019
The transformation project designed to turn Paisley Museum, in Renfrewshire, Scotland, into a world-class tourist destination is moving forward, with the first images of the redesign produced by architects AL_A being released. The town of Paisley is best known for the pattern of the same name – an ornamental textile design using a teardrop-shaped motif with a curved upper end. Renfrewshire Council is planning to invest a total of £100m
Archiplanstudio transforms 16th-century hydraulic water pump into eco-museum
by Tom Walker | 28 Aug 2019
Italian architects firm Archiplanstudio has completed the transformation of a 16th-century building housing a hydraulic water pump into an eco-museum and visitor attraction. The Bondanello Chiavicone, near the northern Italian city of Mantua, was originally built in 1589 to prevent water running down from the provinces of Reggio Emilia and Modena from flooding the area. Work on the building – which first began in 2009 – included the complete renovation
Cox Architects and Neeson Murcutt expand Australian Museum in AUS$57.5m renovation
by Andy Knaggs | 16 Aug 2019
A major renovation by Cox Architects and Neeson Murcutt will expand touring exhibition halls and create new facilities at the Australian Museum in Sydney. The attraction closed to the public from 19 August for the improvements, that will see storage space being repurposed to give the museum 1,500sq m (4,900sq ft) of additional touring exhibition halls across two levels. This capacity means it could host either one major exhibition or
JRA create branded experience centre for Toyota in Texas
by Andy Knaggs | 14 Aug 2019
Car manufacturer Toyota has opened its first visitor attraction in North America – the 44,000sq ft (13,400sq m) Toyota Experience Center (TEC) at its headquarters in Plano, Texas. The company says the centre, which was planned, designed and project managed by experience designers JRA, is intended to educate visitors about Toyota's past, present and future as a mobility company. The centre features a variety of interactive exhibits and displays, all
Waterway above Notre Dame among 'People's Design Competition' for new cathedral roof
by Tom Walker | 14 Aug 2019
A competition to find alternative designs to replace the destroyed Notre Dame Cathedral roof has attracted a number of innovative "solutions" – including a rooftop waterway over the medieval cathedral. The People’s Notre Dame Cathedral Design Competition was launched in defiance of the French senate’s plans to restore the roof exactly as it was before the devastating fire earlier this year. Set up by book publisher GoArchitect, the campaign invited
Ney & Partners and William Matthew Associates create double cantilever bridge with symbolic sliver gap for Tintagel Castle
by Andy Knaggs | 12 Aug 2019
A £5m (US$6m, €5.4m) programme of improvements at world-famous Tintagel Castle, Cornwall, UK, has reached a milestone, with the opening of a footbridge that joins the two halves of the castle for the first time in more than 500 years. Designed by Ney & Partners engineers and William Matthew Associates Architectural Practice, the bridge spans a 190-foot gorge between the 13th-century gatehouse on the mainland and the courtyard on a
Clark Enersen Partners are part of the transformation team working on the Truman Presidential Library and Museum
by Andy Knaggs | 30 Jul 2019
The Harry S. Truman Library and Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, has closed to allow a year-long renovation, which will see the facility reopen to coincide with the 75th anniversary of Truman becoming US president in 1945. Museum planning and design firm Gallagher & Associates has created the new designs, and is working in collaboration with Monadnock Media, architectural firm The Clark Enersen Partners, and construction company JE Dunn Construction.
Ethos Design and Architecture design £10m aquarium for Belfast
by Andy Knaggs | 25 Jul 2019
Proposals for a new £10m (US$12.48m, €11.21m) ReefLIVE aquarium in Belfast's Titanic Quarter are to be put forward for approval, with hopes that the attraction will draw more than 300,000 visitors per year. Designed by Ethos Design and Architecture, and with planning by consultants Turley, the aquarium would be situated opposite the Titanic Hotel on Queen's Road, which is a short distance from the Titanic Belfast museum. ReefLIVE, a UK
Science museum built from wood could be 'future icon of sustainability' as Cobe architects envision carbon-neutral plan
by Andy Knaggs | 24 Jul 2019
Danish architecture firm Cobe has won an international competition to create designs for a new science museum in the Swedish city of Lund, with the visitor attraction set to open in 2024. Constructed of wood, the museum will be CO2-neutral and will have "the potential to become a future icon of sustainability", according to Cobe. The two-storey building proposed in the successful design has a total floor space of 6,000sq
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