The Mass Timber pavilion, an observation deck, was designed by Spanish architect and Rice University professor Jesús Vassallo, along with a team formed by graduates Pouya Khadem and Lene Sollie. It is located in the biodiverse Rice University campus in Houston, within a restored watershed housing various microhabitats. Made of Cross Laminated Timber, this carbon-negative structure resembles a large furniture piece, showcasing the logic of its assembly. Photo César Béjar. Jesús Vassallo
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News of contemporary, modern, architecture including works around the world by both leading and emerging architects
Henning Larsen designs ferry terminal and HQ in the capital of the Faroe Islands
International studio Henning Larsen has unveiled detailed designs for an 8,000m2 public harbour and headquarters for shipping company Smyril Line in Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands. Traditional Faroese wooden fishing boats and the hand-built coastal paths inspired the wooden structure and concrete base of the building.
The terminal is located close to the Faroese parliament and was once the primary gateway between the Faroe Islands and the rest of the world. A terrace ramp offers the public impressive views, and the office features an expansive private internal garden. Visualisation credit ELEMENT. Henning Larsen
MOREPowerhouse Arts in Brooklyn, New York by Herzog & de Meuron
Basel-based architects Herzog & de Meuron have transformed a derelict 115-year-old power plant in Brooklyn, New York, into 170,000 sq ft of workshop space for artists and fabricators. The Turbine Hall of the power plant was repaired and preserved, exposing concrete vaults, brick chases, glazed tilework, and graffiti from the time when the site was known as the 'Bat Cave'. The upper level of the Turbine Hall, with its exposed structure displaying refurbished steel trusses, is left as an open flexible space for exhibitions and events.
(more…)MOREJames Gorst Architects create a temple complex in Hampshire
London and Suffolk based James Gorst Architects have designed a multi-faith temple complex in Rake, Hampshire, located within the South Downs National Park. The plan comprises orthogonal pavilions that house a temple, library, chapels, meeting spaces, public foyer and a kitchen. The pavilions are connected by a cloistered walkway facing a courtyard garden, set within landscaped grounds.
(more…)MORESerpentine Pavillon 2023: À Table designed by Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture
9 June 2023 - 29 October 2023
The 22nd Serpentine Pavilion was designed by French-Lebanese Paris-based architect Lina Ghotmeh. The title 'À Table' is a French call to sit at a table and engage and participate while sharing a meal. The pavilion's lightweight timber structure is built predominately of bio-sourced and low-carbon materials, and designed to be lightweight and demountable, allowing it to be reused.
(more…)MOREPPA Architectures design the ‘Conservatoire de Musique et de Danse’ outside Toulouse, France
Toulouse-based PPA Architectures has designed the Conservatoire de Musique et de Danse (Conservatory of Music and Dance) in Blagnac, a suburb of Toulouse, France. Set in a landscaped site, the project consists of a horizontal two-storey volume and a perpendicular single-storey concrete building.
(more…)MOREMcLaren Excell restores and extends a listed 18th century cottage in Hampstead
London-based interior design and architecture studio, McLaren Excell, has completed the restoration and extension of a listed semi-detached 18th-century cottage in Hampstead, London. The removal of a 1950s side extension allowed for the addition of a corten steel-clad extension at the lower ground floor level. The interior of the Regency building has been restored to its original 1820s state, while the new extension features shuttered in-situ concrete walls and coffered ceilings. The Douglas fir boards used for shuttering have been re-used for the internal joinery. Photo of corten-clad extension by Simone Bossi. McLaren Excell
MOREWespi de Meuron Romeo architects design house with bed and breakfast accommodation in Bruges
Switzerland-based architects Wespi de Meuron Romeo have created a house with separate bed and breakfast accommodations set in a forest in Bruges, Belgium. The house and each of the bed and breakfast accommodations feature private courtyards. The walls of the buildings and courtyards, both internally and externally, are constructed of old bricks, including broken pieces, coated with a thin render to preserve the visible texture of the bricks. Wespi de Meuron Romeo
MORESanden+Hodnekvam designs a Brick House with a Tower in Lillehammer, Norway
Norwegian architecture studio Sanden+Hodnekvam has designed a house on a steep hillside overlooking Lake Mjøsa, south of Lillehammer in Norway. In keeping with the area's tradition of masonry buildings and brickyards, shades of red brick have been used to clad a load-bearing timber structure. Ash joinery is used externally, and ash plywood is used internally, along with an exposed pine roof structure. The main living and sleeping spaces are on the first floor, with children's accommodation and an apartment on the ground floor. On the top floor, a small tower provides a sitting area with views of the city and the lake. Sanden+Hodnekvam
MORECasa Enso II in Guanajuato, Mexico by HW Studio Architects
Mexico-based architects HW Studio, designed Casa Enso II in Guanajuato, Mexico using stone as the primary construction material, an abundant local material with deep cultural significance. The project is organised as a crucifix creating four quadrants each with a separate purpose. The entrance quadrant houses a garden, the second quadrant provides space for cars with shading by preserved trees, there is a one-bedroom house in the third quadrant and a contrasting vertical element in the fourth quadrant forming an office. Photo Cesar Bejar. HW Studio
MOREHKW Bookshop in Berlin by Sauerbruch Hutton using recycled elements
Sauerbruch Hutton has redesigned the bookshop at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) in Berlin, with reused elements from previous exhibitions. Light grey MDF boards are used for the tables and shelves, and steel-framed recycled polycarbonate sheets are used as movable screens. In contrast to the muted colour of the furniture elements and the architecture, the books and textile ceiling flags provide colour and help define the boundary of the bookstore. Photo © Jan Bitter. Sauerbruch Hutton
MORESnøhetta designs a viewing tower and panorama room in the Tyrolean Alps
Architecture firm Snøhetta, with headquarters in Oslo, has designed a viewing tower and panorama at 2,030 meters above sea level, near the Wiedersberger Horn peak in the Tyrolean Alps, Austria. The building is of timber construction, following the tradition of buildings in the Alpbactal region, with a concrete base and clad in locally made shingles. Situated adjacent to the cable car station, the building provides keyless access to an unheated but sheltered space with 360-degree panoramic views, in both winter and summer. Photo Christian Flatscher. Snøhetta
MOREFamily home in Derbyshire by architects Blee Halligan
Architects Blee Halligan, with offices in London and Turks and Caicos Islands, have created 'Derwent Valley Villa', a family home in the village of Duffield in Derbyshire, England. Inspired by historic 18th-century red brick cotton mills in Derbyshire, the house is built of red brick with concrete banding, and designed as linked garden spaces in a wet woodland garden to provide the experience of 'living in a garden'. Photo ©Henry Woide. Blee Halligan
MOREUrban apartment building by Bovenbouw Architectuur in the Antwerp docklands
Belgian-based Bovenbouw Architectuur has created the 'Palazzo', an apartment building next to the Kattendijkdok in Antwerp. The Palazzo features an undulating facade on a prominent corner site and comprises 54 apartments over 6 floors with commercial units on the ground floor, a courtyard accessible from the street and underground parking. The building forms part of an urban block with the other buildings designed by Sergison Bates Architects and BULK Architectuur. Photo Stijn Bollaert. Bovenbouw Architectuur
MOREDEMOGO creates a cabin 2,667m above sea level in the Italian Dolomites
The New Bivouac Fanton, a cabin designed by Italian architects DEMOGO, is situated 2,667m above sea level in the Marmarole mountain range in the Italian Dolomites. The structure is characterised by its inclined profile and designed as a telescope to frame the vast natural space with a distant view of the town of Auronzo at the base of the valley. The shade of the exterior, with its natural metallic coating, is influenced by the surrounding rocks and it contrasts with the raw timber interior. Photo Iwan Baan. DEMOGO
MORESehw Architektur designs two buildings for use as temporary accommodation for professionals in Berlin
Berlin-based Sehw Architektur's project 'Twins for Modern Job Nomads' in Berlin Schöneweide provides temporary accommodation for 50 professionals on an urban in-fill site. Rather than completely fill the existing gap, a six-storey street-facing building is situated to allow entry to a semi-public courtyard, which then provides access to a 'twin' rear building via a private communal garden. Photo Helin Bereket. Sehw Architektur
MOREMaison à Bordeaux by Rem Koolhaas, OMA
Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas of OMA, designed Maison à Bordeaux, a three-floor house on a hill overlooking Bordeaux. The house was designed for a couple. Following a car crash, the husband became wheelchair-bound and his brief to the architect was clear, 'I do not want a simple house. I want a complex house because the house will define my world'. The heart of the house is a 3m by 3.5m elevator platform that moves between the three floors and itself becomes part of the kitchen, living space or office, giving easy access to books, artwork or a wine cellar. The house was completed in 1998. Photo Hans Werlemann ©OMA. OMA
MOREGigon/Guyer extension to the Josef Albers Museum Quadrat Bottrop in Germany
Zurich-based Annette Gigon / Mike Guyer Architects have added a two-story extension to the Josef Albers Museum Quadrat in Bottrop's historic park Stadtgarten. The form, materials and colour of the structure are designed such that the architectural identity of the adjacent 1913 judge's villa and museum buildings from the 1970s and 1980s, are clearly legible. Photo Stefan Müller, Berlin. Gigon/Guyer
MORECarvalho Araújo designs Casa na Caniçada on woodland in Viera do Minho, Portugal
Portuguese architect Carvalho Araújo designed a glass and concrete house situated in dense woodland near the Caniçada reservoir in Portugal. The form of the three-floor house was informed by an existing building on the site. The openings have been designed to allow continuity between the inside and outside, while the surrounding spaces have been preserved with the vegetation providing a sense of enclosure. Photo ©NUDO. Carvalho Araújo
MOREBIG designs Quito’s tallest building embracing biodiversity and urban farming
IQON is the tallest building in Quito, Ecuador, and BIG's first project in South America. The building is comprised of 33 stacked concrete boxes, each rotated to offer stunning views and outdoor terraces for residents. Native trees are planted in the balconies, which can be replanted in the city once they outgrow their planters. The building acts as an urban farm utilising the unique climatic conditions of Quito, one of the highest cities in the world at 2,820m. BIG
MORELoenen Pavilion in the Netherlands by KAAN Architecten
Rotterdam, São Paulo and Paris-based KAAN Architecten were commissioned by the Netherlands War Graves Foundation to create a building in Loenen, Netherlands, to commemorate Dutch victims of the Second World War. KAAN Architecten designed a stone pavilion keeping it as narrow as possible to minimise disturbance to the birch and pine trees in the forest. The design keeps the form horizontal by avoiding vertical elements which was the principle of the original landscape architect for the site, Daniel Haspels. Photo ©Simone Bossi. KAAN Architecten
MOREHerzog & de Meuron designs campus for Royal College of Art in Battersea
Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron have created 15,500 sq m of workshop, studio and research space for the Battersea campus of the Royal College of Art in London. The textured brickwork and the large north-facing clerestory windows of the studio building, together with the metal fins of the research building, create a distinctive identity for the campus. The building achieves a BREEAM Excellent rating and is designed to be robust, low maintenance and flexible. Photo © Iwan Baan. Herzog & de Meuron, Royal College of Art.
MOREStudioAC designs a galvanised steel house inspired by local farm buildings
Toronto-based architects Studio Architecture and Collaboration (StudioAC) have built a house clad in unfinished galvanised steel inspired by local farm buildings. The unfinished galvanised steel walls and roof reflect the changing hues of the landscape and sky. The house is situated on the Bruce Peninsula, north of Toronto, Canada. Photo Felix Michaud. StudioAC
MOREArchitect John Wardle refurbishes Kew House in Victoria Australia
The refurbishment of architect John Wardle's own home, Kew House, Victoria, remodels the house while preserving three ancient Scottish Elm trees. It updates the house both in terms of thermal efficiency and also spatially, to accommodate the inhabitants evolving use and to house an extensive art and ceramics collection. The works feature precision Victoria Ash joinery including an Ash lined study overlooking the gardens. Photo Sharyn Cairns. Wardle
MOREOrma Architettura completed a low-carbon building in Corsica using local Laricio Pine
Orma Architettura has created a low-carbon, three-apartment contemporary building on the site of a ruin in the village of Christinacce in Corsica. The building is primarily made of timber with wide windows framing views of the mountains. To reduce the carbon footprint the building is constructed using techniques that would allow the use of higher humidity local Laricio Pine to avoid transporting timber from outside of the island. Photo Julien Kerdraon. Orma Architettura
MOREHouse in Mojácar by Alberto Campo Baeza and Modesto Sánchez Morales
Architects Alberto Campo Baeza and Modesto Sánchez Morales have collaborated on a four-year project to complete a house in Mojácar, southern Spain. The site is sandwiched between two houses on a steep four-level site staggered between two streets. The aim of the design was to recreate Almerian architect Roberto Puig's image of 'a terraced Mediterranean village with a beautiful cascade of white volumes overlooking the sea'. Photo Javier Callejas. Alberto Campo Baeza
MOREPavilion along the Lisbon waterfront by Bak Gordon
Bak Gordon Arquitectos have designed a bar and pavilion in Belém along the Lisbon waterfront in Portugal. The painted concrete skeletal structure has a small enclosure in glass, such that the glass elements can be completely removed to create one continuous space. The space is open to the river and also has a sense of enclosure under the overhanging roof. Photo Francisco Nogueira. Bak Gordon architectos
MORECasa Tejocote by GOMA integrates with the semi-desert landscape of Querétaro, Mexico
Gonzalez Muchos Arquitectura (GOMA) designed Casa Tejocote in Querétaro, Mexico, consisting of four concrete volumes set around a central garden. The pigmented concrete structure is fully exposed and provides the finish for both the interior and exterior. It is designed to match the landscape and give warmth to the interior spaces, which open onto either gardens or patios. Photo Ariadna Polo. GOMA
MOREAlberto Campo Baeza creates Rotonda House on a hill north of Madrid
Award winning Spanish architect Alberto Campo Baeza designed Rotonda House at the summit of a hill, north of Madrid. The building captures a 360° panoramic landscape from the belvedere situated above a two storey podium made of local limestone. The building is based on a 12m by 12m grid divided into nine 4m x 4m squares, giving it a Palladian flavour. Photo Javier Callejas. Alberto Campo Baeza
MOREAteliers O-S Architectes restructure an obsolete school building in a suburb of Paris
Paris-based Ateliers O-S Architectes have restructured an inefficient asbestos-ridden catering building, which is part of the Frédéric Joliot-Curie high school in the town of Dammarie-les-Lys. The updated 1960s building opens up a view of the forest from a 1,200-capacity dining room, and a large 'roof' volume brings in light through lateral windows while forming a generous canopy under which pupils can gather. Photo Cyrille Weiner. Ateliers O-S Architectes
MOREOrtner & Ortner Baukunst create office campus for W&W comprising seven courtyard buildings
Architects O&O Baukunst have created a 160,000 square-meter campus housing 4,200 employees for financial group Wüstenrot & Wüttembergische AG in Kornwestheim, Germany. The compact campus consists of seven courtyard buildings surrounded by mixed meadow orchards and a boulevard lined with cafes, restaurants, and conference and leisure facilities. Photo Stefan Mueller. O&O Baukunst
MOREDavid Chipperfield wins the 2023 Pritzker Prize
Architect Sir David Chipperfield has been awarded the 2023 Laureate of The Pritzker Architecture Prize. Accepting the prize, David Chipperfield remarked that as architects we have a 'role in creating not only a more beautiful world but a fairer and more sustainable one too'. The significant contribution to world architecture spans over four decades and includes over a hundred works including civic, cultural, academic, housing and urban master planning. Photo Richard Bryant / Arcaid. Pritzker Prize, David Chipperfield Architects.
MORECasa Alferez by Ludwig Godefroy Architecture
Ludwig Godefroy has created a monolithic concrete house in the middle of a forest outside Mexico City. Contrasting with the concrete interiors is a playful arrangement of top-lit spaces featuring a triple-height living space. Photo Rory Gardiner. Ludwig Godefroy
MORENaill McLaughlin Architects’s Cambridge library wins the RIBA Stirling Prize 2022
The New Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge by Naill Mc Laughlin Architects has been awarded the 26th RIBA Stirling Prize. This modern building respects the historic context, uses passive ventilation and natural lighting to minimise energy use and is designed to last in excess of 400 years. Photo Nick Kane. RIBA
MOREContemporary family house by David Kohn Architects wins RIBA House of the Year 2022
The Red House by David Kohn Architects is RIBA's House of the Year 2022. The house in Dorset takes inspiration from the Arts and Crafts movement and is a playful and colourful addition to the landscape. The project features thick walls, deep eaves and steel piles with a slate roof providing a home to the local bat population. Photo Will Pryce. RIBA, David Kohn Architects
MOREHenning Larsen designs school in Denmark that captures more carbon than it emits
The Feldballe School extension in Rønde, Denmark has been designed by architects Henning Larsen using almost entirely bio-based materials such as wood and straw. The building uses natural and passive ventilation systems, together with solar panels, which are expected to eliminate energy consumption daily. The architects are now scaling up the model for a 13,000-square-meter project. Photo Rasmus Hjortshøj. Henning Larsen
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Mies van der Rohe Haus Lange and Haus Esters in Krefeld Germany
The influential modernist architect Mies van der Rohe built two private villas, Haus Lange and Haus Esters, between 1927 and 1930. Steel is used as the main structural element for the buildings, with a brick covering, allowing large openings that were not previously possible in load-bearing brick buildings. The buildings in Krefeld have been preserved and are now used as exhibition spaces by the Kunstmuseen Krefeld. Photo Volker Döhne © VG Bill-Kunst, Bonn 2019. Kunstmuseenkrefeld
MORERIBA announces Sir David Adjaye to receive the 2021 Royal Gold Metal for Architecture
30 September 2020
Sir David Adjaye's significant influence on the advancement of architecture over the last 25 years has been recognised with the UK's highest honour for architecture, the RIBA Royal Gold Medal. His completed projects range from private homes to major art centres and include the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC, and Ruby City, an art centre in San Antonio Texas. Photo credit Josh Huskin
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