The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) announced, that Grafton Architects will receive the 2020 Royal Gold Medal, the UK’s highest honour for architecture. The Royal Gold Medal is approved personally by Her Majesty The Queen and is given to a person or group of people who have had a significant influence ‘either directly or indirectly on the advancement of architecture’.
The LocHal Public Library in the Dutch city of Tilburg was the absolute winner among the projects presented at the World Architecture Festival (WAF), which was held from December 4 to 6, 2019 in Amsterdam. The World Architecture Festival offers a variety of unique opportunities to engage with the international architectural elite to promote the product, services and brand. WAF is the place to connect with leading architects from over 68 countries.
UK-artist and self-proclaimed “accidental architect” David Mach has just unveiled an amazing design for his first ever building. Slated for a new development just west of Edinburgh, Mach 1 is a massive, sculptural building built out of over 30 shipping containers.
Firm XWG Archi-Studio, Beijing, built 3D printed pedestrian bridge in Shanghai. Inspired by the ancient Anji Bridge in Zhaoxian, China, the bridge adopts the structure of a single arch to bear the load, and the distance between the abutments is 14.4 meters. The length of the pedestrian bridge is 26.3 meters and the width is 3.6 meters.
Bjarke Ingels Group and FREAKS freearchitects have completed a new cultural center for Bordeaux, France that frames the UNESCO-listed city’s love for contemporary art, film, performances and the waterfront. Dubbed MÉCA (Maison de l’Économie Créative et de la Culture en Aquitaine), the art-filled public space takes the shape of an angular loop that houses three regional arts agencies: FRAC for contemporary art; ALCA for cinema, literature and audiovisuals; and OARA for performing arts. By leaving a void in the center of the building, the architects successfully preserved views of and public passage to the waterfront, while creating a shaded “urban living room” accessible to all.
The Japanese architect Junya Ishigami, celebrated for his experimental structures that interpret traditional architectural conventions and reflect natural phenomena, has been selected to design the Serpentine Pavilion 2019. Ishigami’s design takes inspiration from roofs, the most common architectural feature used around the world.
The Pritzker-winning Japanese architect Shigeru Ban proposed the project of a temporary chapel for Notre Dame site, which would be made of recyclable materials. When a fire broke out in Notre Dame this past spring, Paris lost more than a tourism icon—its residents also lost a gathering place for community and worship. Now Shigeru Ban wants to change that with a temporary chapel that would serve as a gathering place for religious services while the cathedral undergoes restoration.
Designers Zeyu Cai and Sibei Li have been announced as the winners of the people’s Notre Dame design competition organized by GoArchitect to spark debate regarding the redesign of the roof and spire of Paris‘ damaged cathedral. Open to entries from around the globe and voted for by the public, the initiative saw 226 proposals submitted from 56 different countries. The winning project, titled ‘Paris Heartbeat’, gives the gothic building a new mirrored roof and spire, announcing the intervention as a beacon of hope for the future of the city.
The Festival des Architectures Vives (FAV) is an architectural path for the general public, who can discover or rediscover the historical landmarks of the city of Montpellier. The event invites visitors to go in contact this rich heritage by offering installations scattered around the city. In Montpellier, it takes place in the historic town and offers a path connecting mansions and courtyards, mostly private, that are usually not visible to visitors.
Copenhagen-based Henning Larsen has broken ground on sustainability-minded project—the Shaw Auditorium for The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Designed with modular seating, the multipurpose auditorium will be a flexible space that can accommodate a wide range of cultural events from concerts and musicals to conventions and exhibitions.
UK-based global vertiport owner and operator Skyports and the German air taxi company Volocopter unveiled plans for the Volo-Port – the physical landing pads for so-called eVTOL (electric take-off and landing).
On the evening of April 15th, 2019, the world held its breath as the Notre-Dame Cathedral was engulfed in flames. A few hours later the centuries-old cathedral had lost its entire roof, spire, and was severely damaged.
Toronto & Dubai based Machou Architects Group has designed the world’s longest urban agriculture park for Dubai. Designed to transform the city’s most vital highway into an eco-valley, the project has been developed in response to the lack of functional public spaces and sustainable outdoor spaces. Reimagining Sheikh Zayed Road, the project centers on Dubai’s main transportation artery and its primary link to other cities.