Archinect - News

Heatherwick Studio opens ceramics-rich Xi’an CCBD development in China

2024-12-18T16:08:00-05:00

Heatherwick Studio has updated the new Xi’an Centre Culture Business District upon its first public opening after sharing details of the project with Archinect last November.

The development occupies space between the ruins of the Temple of Heaven and the famed Shaanxi TV Tower. Central to its design is the artistic heritage of ceramics in the region. A nod to the historical presence of the Terracotta Army can be seen in the exterior tiled cladding on each of its buildings’ facades.

Photo credit: Qingyan Zhu

This confers an inviting tactile impression that will further lure its users. The studio’s founder, Thomas Heatherwick, says it also results in an "unexpected three-dimensional urban landscape" equalling 155,000 square meters (or more than 1.6 million square feet).

Photo credit: Qingyan Zhu

Within its pedestrian-centric "sensory experience" comprised of a retail podium, offices, a hotel, and apartments, activity converges around a central plaza with a 187-foot high vertical park ...

Zaha Hadid Architects continues work on Chengdu's 'Unicorn Island' tech hub

2024-12-17T09:35:00-05:00

Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has updated their progress on the Unicorn Island tech hub development in Chengdu, China. The 165.5-acre project delivers worker housing and office/research space for 70,000. Buildings are arranged in clusters and established "organically" along a radial distribution since the project began completing its first buildings in January 2020. The master plan is located in the Tianfu New Area. The firm also completed work on the Chengdu Science Fiction Museum in the city last October.

LA City Council approves changes to boost housing stock despite detractors

2024-12-12T15:57:00-05:00

The Los Angeles City Council has decided on regulatory updates to the 2021-2029 housing element that will center new development mainly in commercial districts and existing high-density residential neighborhoods while avoiding single-family zones in spite of the benefits proven to be offered by the latter.

The 15-0 vote allows for additional building in those areas provided a certain percentage of affordable housing units are included. Some have labeled the single-family zoning exception as 'exclusionary' as those plots cover 72% of the city. The update also allows for development on lots owned by public agencies or religious organizations. Los Angeles is currently facing an immense housing crisis and will have to present a plan to create an additional 255,000 homes to the state by mid-February.

(h/t Urbanize LA and the LA Times for the update)

New York's bold 'City of Yes' vision gets approved by City Council

2024-12-11T18:44:00-05:00

Last week, the New York City Council voted to approve an amended version of the Adams Administration's 'City of Yes' housing vision for 80,000 new homes over the next 15 years.

This will require a $5 billion public investment and comes with several key inclusionary zoning (including ADUs, office conversions, the removal of parking requirements, etc.) changes to help deliver on the promise. New York City has been suffering an affordability crisis for several years. Speaking to the media, Adams framed its passing as being both historic and a victory for working class New Yorkers.

We featured the New York Times' recent explanation of underlying factors influencing the 'City of Yes' plan before its approval.

General Motors mulls major Renaissance Center demolition in Detroit

2024-12-06T10:33:00-05:00

Multiple Detroit news outlets are reporting about the controversy swirling around a potential demolition of the city’s downtown Renaissance Center five-tower block as General Motors looks to secure public funds needed for a renovation. The company is apparently pursuing an all-or-not approach to its plan, which would author a pair of large-scale office-to-residential conversions while creating new public spaces. John Portman was its original designer.

Craig Wilkins of the University of Michigan told the Detroit Free Press: "The idea of 'if you don’t go with this, then we’ll just tear it all down; seems like extortion to me, and I don’t think the public should allow itself to be extorted."

The design of the complex has been criticized as being "anti-urban" and caustically apart from the life of the city since it first opened in 1977.

Editor's Picks #565

2024-12-02T00:55:00-05:00

The latest entry in the Deans List series, with USC Architecture Dean Brett Steele generated some discussion with Thayer-D and Will Galloway both ultimately agreeing that "North America cities are not being built in the nicest way right now. Lots of...car-dominated planning in general that does not compare well with what we did in the past…Somehow we seem incapable of that kind of outcome with our current planning laws and economy."

Plus, in celebration of International Coffee Day Archinect picked a few favorite examples of new café designs. Bench appreciated the "breadth of projects shown here across cultures. Really lovely work happening in far flung corners of the world that i never would have seen otherwise. Awesome article, more of this".

Mamonaku Kohi in Quezon City, Philippines

News

The new NCARB Competency Standard for Architects outlines 16 key competencies. Donna Sink felt "These all seem reasonable". For their part bennyc thought "16 is a big change and valuable addition"...

Archinect入驻微信，小红书平台 / Archinect launches on WeChat and RED in China

2024-11-27T19:35:00-05:00

Archinect is thrilled to announce our official debut on two of China’s leading social media platforms—WeChat and RED (Xiaohongshu). This milestone marks an important step in Archinect’s 27-year mission of connecting the global architecture community. With an official presence on these platforms, we aim to establish closer connections with Chinese-speaking architects and design enthusiasts.

Since its founding in 1997, Archinect has been dedicated to fostering meaningful connections among architects worldwide. By launching on WeChat and RED, we’re excited to bring Archinect’s distinctive voice to China’s thriving architecture and design scene while introducing exclusive content tailored for our growing audience.

Follow Archinect on WeChat

WeChat is China’s premier all-in-one platform for messaging, digital publishing, and social media, with over 1 billion active users. Through our official WeChat account, we’ll deliver the latest architectural news, interviews, and updates, tailored t...

Unpacking the factors behind New York City's complex housing crisis

2024-11-26T14:29:00-05:00

The New York Times recently outlined some of the facts underpinning NYC’s housing crisis ahead of an upcoming final City Council vote on Mayor Eric Adams’ amended ‘City of Yes’ zoning overhaul plan for 80,000 new residential units on December 5th.

Among the interesting takeaways: only 10% of zoned residential lots allow for the construction of high- or moderate-density buildings through "as of right" development. The plan also calls for ADUs and a framework to fund office conversions, which account for 20,000 units. Currently, the rate of new apartment construction in the city is still at historic lows. The Regional Plan Association estimates there will have to be 473,000 more units of housing by 2032 to match its current needs. (h/t Forbes.)

LA’s cramped rezoning plan still short of housing goals says UCLA study

2024-11-19T11:09:00-05:00

Under state laws designed to remedy a housing shortage, the city has to set aside land for the construction of 250,000 more homes than allowed through existing zoning rules. Measures under consideration by a City Council committee are likely to satisfy the state requirements, the UCLA analysis found. But when analyzing the likelihood of what developers would actually build, researchers found the number of new homes would be far lower.

The L.A. City Council is expected to vote later this afternoon to approve the rezoning measure. The report's co-author Shane Phillips of the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies says the city would be better served if its generous slate of incentives was expanded to cover the remaining 72% of neighborhoods currently zoned for single-family houses. Others have labeled this plan as exclusionary for that reason. Planners face a state mandate to find space for at least 250,000 new housing units by mid-February.

Bjarke Ingels talks Bhutan smart city development with CBS' '60 Minutes'

2024-11-18T14:09:00-05:00

"If we succeed, we can show that you can create a city that does not displace nature, that is anchored and rooted in the local heritage and culture, and that still allows for prosperity and growth to happen."

The ever-popular Ingels sat down with Lesley Stahl to go over his team's vision for the project they first unveiled with Arup almost a year ago. The 386-square-mile master plan's design features many public buildings and other important infrastructure that double as bridges, unfolding in the shape of a Mandala flower, which hosts 11 neighborhood-scale developments rendered with increased density as they cascade in ribbons down to a low-lying southern terminus.

Bhutan, a nation of under 800,000 people, is struggling to retain skilled young professionals. A public bond campaign worth $100 million USD has just been launched for the project. According to the South China Morning Post and other outlets, the new 'Gelephu Mindfulness City' will be developed in phases over 21 years.

New York could bring back congestion pricing under revised plan

2024-11-14T09:48:00-05:00

New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul has indicated the return to congestion pricing could be imminent before the new year. ABC7 reports: "Along with announcing a revised congestion pricing proposal, setting the base fare at $9 instead of $15, she is expected to discuss an alternate revenue source to make up for the lost $6, a 40% decrease in revenue."

The move comes after a last-minute pause right before its originally scheduled start in June and in anticipation of the second Trump administration’s return to the White House. The plan will ultimately work to alleviate the MTA's large budget deficits, which are projected to reach $900 million. Several lawsuits have attempted to halt it otherwise. Kate Wagner recently pointed to congestion pricing as an area for architects to invest their energies in as "agents of change."

Editor's Picks #564

2024-11-05T12:29:00-05:00

As part of the Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series, Niall Patrick Walsh gathered perspectives from Mike Armstrong, CEO of NCARB, Pascale Sablan, President of NOMA, architect and author Melvin L. Mitchell, writer and editor John Parman, architect and Professor Emeritus at George B. Johnston and Peggy Deamer author and Professor Emerita at Yale University.

Later, Kate Wingert-Playdon, Senior Associate Dean and Director of Architecture at Temple University, made the case for "always working in collaboration. That is a strong theme here at Tyler...so many good results in the built environment rely on good relationships, including well-conceived contracts…Respect is a big piece of collaboration. This is not to say that all design comes down to a contract; it is still about creative thinking. But a good contract isn’t just about business and law".

News

The_Crow felt the Snøhetta-led expansion for The Joslyn Art Museum was "pretty corporate tbh". What’s your take?

Photo © Nic Lehoux, cou...

Farshid Moussavi one of ten appointed to Mayor of London’s new Town Architects committee

2024-10-29T15:53:00-04:00

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced the appointment of Harvard GSD professor and architect Farshid Moussavi to a new two-year pilot program to improve public space and high streets in the city.

The Town Architects program includes ten total names and is meant to "support the creation of safe, inclusive and sustainable neighbourhoods and economic growth by ensuring that boroughs" by augmenting the planning process in unison with Chief Placeshaping Officers and Design Champions. Each architect was chosen from the existing Design Advocates pool. Joining Moussavi are Jas Bhalla, Adam Khan, Ken Okonkwo, Holly Lewis, Hilary Satchwell, Paul Monaghan, Tom Holbrook, Alice Fung, Julian Lewis.

New York City previews initial pedestrian-minded ‘Future of Fifth’ redesign proposal

2024-10-21T18:51:00-04:00

The full details for a proposed new pedestrian corridor along Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan designed by Field Operations have been released by the city in anticipation of the first redesign of the famous thoroughfare in its 200-year history.

The plan covers a swath from Central Park South to Bryant Park, expanding sidewalks in the area by 46% and reducing the number of lanes for motor vehicle traffic from five to three.

Arcadis and Sam Schwartz Engineering are joining Field Operations as the co-leads of the design and study. Their work expands on the previous mayoral administration’s Open Streets program. The city says the plan is "projected to pay for itself in less than five years through increased property and sales tax revenue."

Image courtesy of City Hall

Aside from the stated economic benefit the redesign is meant ultimately to solve an existing spatial imbalance, as 70% of Fifth Avenue's current daily traffic is pedestrians.

At this volume—which increases during times wh...

$2 billion Fourth & Central plan for LA's Arts District gets update

2024-10-17T17:05:00-04:00

The $2 billion plan for the mixed-use Fourth & Central development in downtown LA has been altered away from the project’s originally announced 10-building plan in the Arts District. Studio One Eleven is leading the plan, which has been updated as of October 17th.

The update includes more rental housing than its previous iteration. An Adjaye Associates-designed residential tower has also been resized from 44 stories to 30 stories in response to "community concerns," according to developer Continuum's late-August statement in the LA Times.

Image rendering courtesy Studio One Eleven and Adjaye Associates

Image courtesy Studio One Eleven

Foster + Partners debuts Gaafaru Island master plan for the Maldives

2024-10-17T15:55:00-04:00

Foster + Partners has unveiled a new resiliency-based master plan for the low-lying Gaafaru Island in the Maldives. The plan addresses the existential crisis posed to the island by climate change, providing "holistic" solutions along multiple fronts where there is a need for a better economic and environmental way forward.

Image courtesy Foster + Partners

According to the firm, the six core tenets of the plan are:

Adapting to rising sea levels and extreme conditions
Minimizing damaging dredging and land reclamation practices
Nurturing ecology
Enhancing prosperity for all
Unifying communities
Establishing net zero energy, water and waste

Image courtesy Foster + Partners

Partner Tony Miki said: "A significant part of this project has been about identifying and understanding the various challenges – and then working out how to tackle them in the most holistic way possible. Our masterplan seeks to embed resilience into the built fabric for the next one-hundred years, providing ecological prote...

Field Operations completes major elevated walkway on Seattle waterfront

2024-10-08T08:31:00-04:00

Seattle’s Waterfront Park transformation took another step closer to completion last week with the opening of Overlook Walk, a new elevated park for the waterfront designed by Field Operations. The new walkway creates a “new pedestrian destination and journey between the city and waterfront,” linking the historic Pike Place Market with the Seattle Aquarium, Pier 62, Waterfront Park, and Elliott Bay.

Image credit: Tim Rice

The walkway is located in the footprint of the former Alaskan Way Viaduct, which was demolished to improve access to the waterfront. Sitting between Pike Place Market and the Seattle Aquarium, Overlook Walk bridges a nearly 100 vertical foot gap between the market and waterfront, featuring 360-degree views of downtown Seattle, Lumen Field, T-Mobile Park, Elliott Bay, the Olympic Mountains on the western horizon, and Mount Rainier to the south.

Image credit: Tim Rice

Image credit: Lara Swimmer

The design also envelops the new Seattle Aquarium Ocea...

SCAPE completes Living Breakwaters coastal resiliency project for Staten Island

2024-10-01T11:01:00-04:00

SCAPE has completed work on the $111 million Living Breakwater coastal resiliency project in Staten Island, New York three years after the start of construction in the borough's Tottenville neighborhood.

Per SCAPE: "The project consists primarily of 2,400 linear feet of near-shore breakwaters—partially submerged structures built of stone and ecologically-enhanced concrete units—that will break waves, reduce (and eventually reverse) erosion of the beach along Conference House Park, and provide a range of habitat spaces for oysters, fin fish and other marine species."

Image courtesy SCAPE/Ty Cole

Staten Island was heavily impacted by Superstorm Sandy, prompting the launch of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Rebuild By Design competition in 2013. A live oyster installation for the project is expected to follow by 2027.

Image courtesy SCAPE/Ty Cole

Port Authority signs on to Foster + Partners' $10 billion Midtown Bus Terminal replacement plan

2024-09-30T18:19:00-04:00

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, in conjunction with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), has announced the signing of the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the revised Midtown Bus Terminal replacement plan from Foster + Partners and Epstein.

The $10 billion project, which was last updated in February, calls for a 2.1-million-square-foot terminal to be delivered in phases over four years with an eventual 2032 completion. The plan will partially close 41st Street between 8th and 9th Avenues. A temporary facility will come online by 2028. The terminal currently services around 100,000 passengers per day.

Image: Foster + Partners & Epstein

Field Operations announces new The Bentway Islands project in Toronto

2024-09-30T12:00:00-04:00

Field Operations has announced they are working with Canadian partners Brook McIlroy on a new public realm rehabilitation project dubbed The Bentway Islands in Toronto.

The plan calls for the redevelopment of three traffic islands into a new space that totals 125,000 square feet. Design concepts for the project will be revealed next year. It will serve as the "sister site" to a previously completed Phase I development. Field Operations also recently completed the final piece of the award-winning Domino Park in Williamsburg. Brooklyn.

Image courtesy The Bentway

Phase I of The Bentway development. Image courtesy Nic Lehoux

Phase I of The Bentway development. Image courtesy Brandon Ferguson

L.A moves new rezoning plan forward, critics say it will codify exclusion

2024-09-28T10:07:00-04:00

Will L.A. continue to preserve communities dominated by single-family homes? Or will the city make a historic shift to allow for more affordable housing in areas that have long excluded it?

City Planning officials voted on Thursday to approve the plan, which the LA Times pointed out is limited to just 28% of the city and areas that are heavily zoned for commercial and/or multifamily construction.

The publication had to use a F.O.I.L. Act petition to obtain a copy of the city-funded Architectural Resources Group/USC-UCLA report on outdated single-family zoning policies, which reads: "Detached single-family residences cover a disproportionate amount of the land zoned residential. This has resulted in an unaffordable housing market due, in part, to a pervasive lack of supply and the fact that single-family homes are more expensive than multi-family residences."

City Council has until February to approve a final rezoning plan in line with the state's original 2022 mandate.

Studio Egret West, Hawkins\Brown, Haworth Tompkins, and others behind $13.4 billion Earl's Court master plan in London

2024-09-27T17:13:00-04:00

A £10 billion ($13.4 billion USD) master plan for London’s Earl’s Court district has been submitted to planning officials in the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea before the commencement of construction on its first phase in 2026. The plan covers 7.5 million square feet and includes 4,000 new residential units plus a 4.5-acre park and 2.9 million-square-feet office component.

Joining Studio Egret West and Hawkins\Brown on the project are dRMM, Maccreanor Lavington, Sheppard Robson, Haworth Tompkins, Serie Architects and ACME, and SLA. Approvals are expected by the summer of 2025.

Image: courtesy The Earls Court Development Company

SOM, Weiss/Manfredi, and Future Green's $336 million NJPAC redevelopment breaks ground in Newark

2024-09-20T11:05:00-04:00

Skidmore, Owings & Merril (SOM) have broken ground on a new $336 million campus redevelopment at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in downtown Newark. The state’s largest city will receive a new 350-unit SOM-designed ArtSide apartment complex through the plan. Other key elements include new headquarters for legendary WBGO radio, Future Green Studio’s reimagined Chambers Plaza park area, and the 58,000-square-foot Cooperman Family Arts Education and Community Center from Weiss/Manfredi.

ArtSide. Image: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, courtesy of NJPAC.

SOM had created the NJPAC’s original master plan in 1988. Newark’s Mayor Ras Baraka commented: "The streets of Newark have always been steeped in the arts. This is a city where jazz and hip hop are in the breeze, and every wall without a mural is just a canvas no one’s yet claimed. The new neighborhood around NJPAC will fully embrace that dynamic spirit, bringing more housing, stores and gathering places to our already lively do...

1 in 3 American bridges are in need of significant repairs, new study finds

2024-09-16T11:49:00-04:00

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s 2024 Bridge Report survey has found 221,800 bridges in need of repair and 76,175 bridges that should be replaced across the country. The accounting, released in late August, claims that some 36%—or nearly 221,800 spans—require some repair work currently. States are simply not committing enough of their available bridge formula funds from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to adequately solve the repair problems, according to their analysis.

The report echoes the urgency of last year’s findings, which declared the exact same percentage of bridges to be "structurally deficient", requiring a total of $319 billion worth of repairs nationwide.

In the face of post-pandemic habits, U.S. cities turn to vernacular design traditions for answers

2024-09-12T07:00:00-04:00

Gone are the days when the easiest way to make an architectural splash was with a shimmering and photogenic stand-alone building, fancy forms torquing this way and that. Along with exploring new takes on regional or vernacular design traditions, the field’s top talents are taking on projects that reimagine existing institutions or public spaces — or forge new links among them.

In a new piece for The New York Times, Yale School of Architecture senior critic Christopher Hawthorne explores how architects are striving to rejuvenate downtown areas across the U.S., where hybrid work schedules and negative perceptions have led to reduced vibrancy.

While converting commercial buildings into residential spaces is a popular strategy, it's not always feasible due to structural constraints, Hawthorne argues. Architects are therefore exploring strategies to entice activity downtown by reimagining existing structures and incorporating regional aesthetics.

Related on Archinect: Foster + Partners' Three Transamerica redesign wins approval in San Francisco. Image credit: dbox, courtesy of Foster + Partners/SHVO

Throughout the New York Times piece, Hawthorne cites examples such as the Seattle Aquarium's Ocean Pavilion by LMN Architects which reconnects the city to its waterfront, the revitalized Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco by Foster + Partners aimed at attracting ...

Chicago pushes O'Hare Airport redevelopment completion target to 2034

2024-09-11T19:26:00-04:00

The official timeline of the planned $8.5 billion Chicago O’Hare Aiport expansion has been moved to 2034, according to Crain’s. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) is working with Ross Barney Architects, Arup, and Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects (JGMA) to complete its first 19-gate Satellite Concourse 1 phase, which will be completed in 2028. Phase 2 will follow four years later (two years more than was previously scheduled). The $300 million renovation of Terminal 3, which broke ground in April, is expected to be complete by 2032.

Maryland officials announce design contract for collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge reconstruction

2024-09-07T12:00:00-04:00

The Maryland Department of Transportation has awarded the contract to rebuild the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge to Kiewit, a national infrastructure development firm with extensive experience in similar projects and a reported $17.1 billion in revenues last year. The AP reports the design contract is worth $73 million. Officials released the RFP in June following the March 26th disaster and will grant "exclusive rights" to the company for its second construction phase, which is expected to stretch into 2028. The total cost of reconstruction is expected to surpass $1.7 billion.

Related unveils plans for next phase of Hudson Yards

2024-08-30T11:30:00-04:00

Renderings of the next phase of Hudson Yards have been made public by Related Companies along with a construction price tag of $12 billion. Hudson Yards West will be built on top of the site’s still-undeveloped western rail yards and cultivate a 5.6-acre park called Hudson Green designed by HOLLANDER and Sasaki.

Related's CEO Jeff T. Blau says it will "be an oasis that becomes the new calling card of the neighborhood."

Rendering Courtesy of Related Companies and Wynn Resorts

Once in place, the project will yield a total of 1,500 new apartment units (Related has promised that 324 will be affordable) with an anchoring 80-story Wynn Resorts hotel and casino tower at Eleventh Avenue and 33rd Street. An architect for either of these components has yet to be named.

Rendering Courtesy of Related Companies and Wynn Resorts

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) is responsible for the total 13-acre master plan, which includes another 2-million-square-foot office component and public K-8 school. This...

New York City releases RFP to transform Park Avenue into a verdant, public space

2024-08-30T08:00:00-04:00

Earlier this week, the City of New York released a request for proposals (RFP) to redesign a portion of Park Avenue, between East 46th Street and East 57th Street, by adding greenery, public seating, concessions, and safer crossings for pedestrians.

This section of Park Avenue sits atop the Grand Central Terminal Train Shed, which is currently undergoing a major rehabilitation by the City and the MTA. The project includes replacing the train shed roof structure and waterproofing membrane, along with enhancing Park Avenue, which will be removed and reconstructed in stages as underground work occurs. The street will be restored with an expanded median for pedestrians. Its redesign aims to enhance public space, promote sustainable transit options, and foster community for residents and visitors.

The New York City Department of Transportation is seeking design services from a contractor with a background in landscape architecture or urban design to fill the wider median with elements,...

Message In a Bottle In Sainsbury

2024-08-29T21:36:00-04:00

The false columns in the foyer were part of the intended spatial sequence, conceived as a procession from shadow to light, inspired by the entry to an ancient church. Visitors would enter this crypt-like lower level, proceed up a grand staircase, and arrive in the airy galleries above.

Call it a reactionary's revenge if you want, but "a message in a bottle" was found inside one of the Sainsbury Wing's pilasters during the demolishment activity. It is said to have been written as a time capsule by one of the major donors of the Museum, Lord John Sainsbury.

While the message's author goes as far as to say, “I believe that the false columns are a mistake of the architect (VSBA) and that we would live to regret our accepting this detail of his design. Let it be known that one of the donors of this building is absolutely delighted that your generation has decided to dispense with the unnecessary columns.”

The Guardian's architecture critic Oliver Wainwright has the last piercing words for the client and their architect doing away with the old design; "More than 30 years later, Sainsbury’s view is shared by the National Gallery’s current administration. Director Gabriele Finaldi has said it is the “heavy grey architecture” and “forest” of thick pillars on the ground floo...