Archinect - News

Burning Man plans a permanent, sustainable location, with a design team from MIT leading the vision

2021-03-09T12:45:00-05:00

The Land Art Generator Initiative collaborated with the Burning Man project to develop a design challenge that invites creative proposals for regenerative projects for Fly Ranch, an off-the-grid ranch in the Great Basin.

The competition brief asked for designers, creatives, and inventors to "integrate sustainable systems for energy, water, food, shelter, and waste management into works of art in the landscape. The objective is to build the foundational infrastructure for Fly Ranch, support Burning Man Project's 2030 sustainability goals, engage a global audience to work together towards systemic transformation, and serve as an inspiration for the developing field of regenerative design."

From regenerative venues, spaces for habitation to energy infrastructure, the design competition received nearly 200 design proposals. Out of those submissions, ten were selected as top proposals for the LAGI 2020 Fly Ranch Design Challenge. "Art and creativity are the connective strings that weave...

SUPERBLOOM is LA's first new streetlamp in almost 70 years

2020-09-04T13:32:00-04:00

In 2019, the L.A. Lights the Way competition invited designers to reimagine and redesign the future of Los Angeles street lamps. Initiated by the City of L.A. and led by the Mayor's Office in conjunction with the Bureau of Street Lighting (BSL), the civic competition winner is Project Room and their winning design SUPERBLOOM. The design brief asked designers to create a lighting system that would not only incorporate new lighting technology but also provide shade and have enough room for text on each pole.

"Project Room’s winning design reimagines the traditional lamp post as a bundle of tubes where each service — roadway light, pedestrian light, and telecommunications equipment — is assigned a dedicated tube fabricated of steel or aluminum. The design allows for additional features, such as 5G equipment, shade fixtures, and even a bench, to be added as needed." Text by L.A. Lights the Way. Image courtesy of Project Room.

Image courtesy of Project Room

According to Project Room co-fou...

Chang Kyu Lee + Dokyung Kim win the Central Park Summer Pavilion Competition, 2nd Prize 'the plaYform'

2016-03-14T11:43:00-04:00

Central Park Summer Pavilion Competition was open for international architects. The CPSP was envisioned as a meeting point for different cultural and leisure circuits, with the goal of using the same space for a broad range of daytime and nocturnal activities in a sustainable fashion that respects its surroundings. The idea was for it to become an obligatory stop for visitors to Central Park.

Chang Kyu Lee New York based architectural designer and Dokyung Kim from University of California, Los Angeles won the second prize on this competition with a project challenges definition of linear gesture. The ‘plaYform’ proposes a “space of experiences” - simply pushed-down a plaTform connects human and nature as a ‘plaYform’ at the same time a simple linear gesture defines a whole proposal that shows as an object.

A gigantic Central Park is the emblematic piece of urban break space in New York City. Central Park is the most visited park in the United States and holds numerous trees and specie...

Philharmonic Hall of Szczecin scoops up the 2015 Mies van der Rohe Award

2015-05-11T18:47:00-04:00

During a ceremony recently held at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona, the European Commission and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe officially announced the Philharmonic Hall of Szczecin as the 2015 recipient of the biennial European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award. The 2015 edition first rounded up 420 projects down to 40. Then, the jury selected five finalists to compete for the high-ranking €60,000 award.

Completed in 2014 after three years, the Philharmonic Hall replaced the former WWII-era Konzerthaus in Szczecin, Poland. Barcelona-based firm Barozzi / Veiga designed the 3.800 m² geometric structure with a symphony hall that accommodates 1,000 spectators, a chamber music hall for 200 spectators, a multifunctional exhibition + conference space, and a wide foyer that's spacious enough for also hosting events. To add to that, the hall received a nomination in the Design Museum's popular 2015 Designs of the Year.

Ibañez Kim Studio wins Folly 2015 with "Torqueing Spheres"

2015-03-18T20:40:00-04:00

The architectural folly is an opportunity for architects to bring out their eccentric side in the design process, which makes it an entertaining approach when creating a (temporary) public installation. In this spirit, the Socrates Sculpture Park and The Architectural League of New York hosts the international Folly competition. Launched in 2012, the competition calls for early-career architects and designers to submit proposals that are described as contemporary interpretations of the architectural folly. The winning entry is then constructed as a temporary public outdoor installation at the Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, New York City.

Cambridge and Philadelphia-based practice Ibañez Kim Studio was announced as the Folly 2015 winner with their design, "Torqueing Spheres". IK Studio's distinctive proposal features a series of connected spherical forms that form a social-interactive space.

More project details below.

"Torqueing Spheres combines a simple concept – a straig...

Winner of "Adolf Loos: A Private Portrait" and "Escape Home: Rebuilding a Life After the Anschluss"

2014-07-09T18:28:00-04:00

We have our book giveaway winner for Adolf Loos, A Private Portrait and Escape Home, Rebuilding a Life After the Anschluss! The two memoirs were each written by family members of Austrian architect Adolf Loos.

Adolf Loos, A Private Portrait is the first English translation of the 140-page biography written by Adolf's last wife Claire Beck Loos, who wrote it to help pay for her husband's tombstone.

Escape Home shares the story of Vienna-born architectural designer and Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice Charles Paterson, who was the nephew of Claire Loos. Charles co-wrote the family memoir with his daughter Carrie Paterson.

Our lucky winner of these two great titles is Roy P. from Los Angeles, CA. Congrats!

Thanks to everyone who participated!

More details about the books here.

Zaha Hadid wins the Design Museum’s Designs of the Year Award 2014

2014-06-30T18:17:00-04:00

Zaha Hadid is the first woman to win the Design Museum's Designs of the Year Award 2014 with her Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan. Another first in this year's competition is that the Heydar Aliyev Center is the first architectural project to win the widely recognized award.

The competition began with 76 nominations in the categories Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Furniture, Graphics, Product, and Transport, followed by the selection of the seven Category winners.

Any thoughts on the jury's selection? Share 'em in the comment section below.

SOM and Entasis chosen to design Scandinavia’s tallest tower in Gothenburg, Sweden

2014-06-18T16:29:00-04:00

The London office of SOM and Copenhagen-based firm Entasis -- who collaborated with COWI in Denmark and Sweden -- was just announced as having the winning design for the Polestar Tower in Gothenburg, Sweden. Once built, the 230 m. structure will reportedly be Scandinavia's tallest tower.

Since our last update on the Gothenburg tower competition, five star-studded finalist teams submitted their proposals under anonymity. SOM and Entasis went against teams led by Zaha Hadid Architects, Ian Simpson Architects, Wingårdhs Arkitektkontor, and Manuelle Gautrand Architecture.

"Commissioned by major contractor SERNEKE and the City of Gothenburg, this inspirational new residential scheme includes Sweden’s tallest building, marking a shift from traditional development patterns in the country. Drawing on their experience as designers of 6 of the world’s fifteen tallest buildings, SOM’s design is highly efficient, both in terms of floor space and energy use, while still including apartments with views focused on the city and waterfront."

BIG chosen to expand headquarters of Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet in La Vallée de Joux

2014-06-13T20:44:00-04:00

Family-owned Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet have chosen BIG, HG Merz, Luchinger & Meyer, and Muller Illien as having the winning design for a new expansion of their headquarters in La Vallée de Joux, La Brassus, Switzerland. Adding quite the literal twist to the timeline concept, BIG's proposal -- titled Maison des Fondateurs -- dons a 25,000 ft. spiral-shaped museum that tells the centuries-long history of Audemars Piguet.

Dig into the details on Bustler.

Aedas wins top honors for Revitalisation Project at the latest HKIA Annual Awards in Hong Kong

2014-06-12T14:22:00-04:00

In the latest Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA) Annual Awards, Aedas was no doubt victorious once again with two preservation/renewal projects: "Art Community": Revitalisation Project in Wan Chai, Hong Kong and Center 66 in Wuxi, China. As the highest architectural awards program in Hong Kong, the HKIA Awards recognizes outstanding architecture designed by HKIA members.

Aedas once again won the highest honor, Medal of the Year, in addition to the Special Architectural Award in Heritage + Adaptive Reuse for the Revitalisation Project.

Here's a glimpse of the project, which preserved and revived an early 20th-century shophouse building into a public space for arts and culture:

More info and photos on Bustler.

The mythologically inspired “Shinseon Play” wins the first Young Architects Program Seoul

2014-06-05T19:35:00-04:00

Jang Won Choi, Kyung Min Kwon, and Cheon Kang Park of collaborative team MOON JI BANG recently won the inaugural Young Architects Program Seoul in South Korea with their proposal, "Shinseon Play". The proposal draws inspiration from traditional Korean mythology with features like gently swaying "clouds", a trampoline, and a grassy meadow -- making it an ideal outdoor installation for the summer season.

Find out more on Bustler.

Jose M. Ahedo wins the 2014 Wheelwright Prize

2014-05-21T21:07:00-04:00

Architect Jose M. Ahedo of Studio Ahedo from Barcelona was named as the 2014 recipient of the Wheelwright Prize. The competition pool started with nearly 200 applications from 46 countries and then to seven finalists who were announced in April. For its second year as an open international competition, the Harvard Graduate School of Design awards the $100,000 travel fellowship to an early-career architect whose proposal best conveys original, scholarly, and professional design.

After a second stage of deliberation, the jury selected Ahedo and his proposal, "Domesticated Grounds: Design and Domesticity Within Animal Farming Systems", which focuses on the architectural and organizational models of animal farming.

"Noting that livestock is a significant cause of land degradation, greenhouse gas emissions, social friction, and problematic development worldwide, Ahedo proposes to research a wide range of practices, from industrial operations driven by 'techno-capitalist policies' to informal or vernacular farms that have grown out of traditions. 'These two distinct production modes coexist in both developed and developing countries,' Ahedo writes in his essay, observing that neither responds adequately to the innumerable environmental and social challenges related to animal farming today."

3xn to design the new International Olympic Committee HQ in Lausanne

2014-04-22T18:12:00-04:00

3xn was chosen by the International Olympic Committee as the architectural partner to design the new IOC Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. The IOC selected the Danish firm after a collective decision by the IOC Architecture College during a March 25 meeting... The design for the new headquarters will be revealed at a later date arranged by the IOC.

The winning concept for the IOC Headquarters will be located on a 24,000 square meter site on the banks of Lake Geneva providing an ‘Olympic campus’ of administrative buildings for 500 employees. 3xn has worked continuously on their proposal since last July when they were shortlisted with 12 international all-star practices.

Head over to Bustler for more info.

David Chipperfield wins Nobel Center architectural competition

2014-04-09T12:52:00-04:00

David Chipperfield's "Nobelhuset" is the winning design for the new Nobel Center in Stockholm, after a unanimous jury decision. Back in Fall 2013, Chipperfield was one of 11 famous architects who submitted proposals for the future Nobel Center.

In the second stage, the competition narrowed down to three proposals from: Johan Celsing - Johan Celsing Arkitektkontor (Sweden); Gert Wingårdh - Wingårdhs Arkitektkontor (Sweden); and of course, David Chipperfield and Christoph Felger - David Chipperfield Architects Berlin (Germany).

The Nobel Center will be built to become an architectural representation of the Nobel Prize and serve as a space to promote the Prize's ideals of forward thinking and innovation.

Here's more detail into the winning design:

"According to the statement of the jury, the proposed building has an elegant, timeless and attractive external appearance with a clear identity of its own. The revised façade design, with its shimmering vertical brass elements and glass, has a l...

Wingårdhs wins Statoil competition in Norway, beats Snøhetta, OMA and Norman Foster

2014-04-04T21:22:00-04:00

"E = mc²" by Swedish firm Wingårdhs was the winning solution in an invited competition to redesign the Forus West building of major energy company Statoil in Sandnes, Norway. Statoil will now further develop its plans for the new building based on Wingårdhs’ proposal and clarify significant regulation issues before further progress is done.

From 48 applications worldwide, the invited teams consisted mostly of Norwegian names and a few famous ones: Snøhetta (NO); Foster + Partners (UK) with Space Group (NO); and Helen & Hard (NO) with SAHAA (NO). OMA (NL) was also invited but withdrew shortly before the competition deadline, much to the jury's disappointment.

Here's a glimpse of Wingårdhs’ proposal:

See the jury's evaluation and other details on Bustler.

OMA wins Axel Springer Berlin HQ competition

2014-03-26T15:17:00-04:00

The wait is finally over. After a unanimous decision from the jury, Rem Koolhaas of OMA has the winning design for the new Berlin Media Campus of German publishing house Axel Springer. OMA's concept won against those of two notable finalists, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Buro Ole Scheeren. A contract will be issued once it has been decided if and when the construction project can be implemented.

Find out more on Bustler.

Winners of the "NORMAN FOSTER In the 21st Century" giveaway

2014-03-17T18:13:00-04:00

A few weeks ago, Archinect had another monograph giveaway for Arquitectura Viva's "Norman Foster In the 21st Century". The most recent and longest installment in AV's monograph series, the book features 50 works and projects by British architect Norman Foster that were developed in the 21st century.

The lucky winners who'll receive the "Norman Foster" monograph are:

David I. - Detroit, MI
Andrew H. - Cambridge, MA

Congrats, David and Andrew! Thanks to everyone that participated.

For more details about the book, click here.

Mecanoo and Martinez + Johnson chosen to redesign MLK Library in D.C.

2014-02-18T15:38:00-05:00

Alas! The winning team to renovate the historic Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library has been selected. That team would be Mecanoo and Martinez + Johnson, who won over notable finalists Patkau + Ayers Saint Gross and STUDIOS + Freelon. Upon contract approval, Mecanoo and Martinez + Johnson will begin working with library staff and consultants to finalize the new library's design scheme.

Find out more on Bustler.

Getting up close and personal with the Times Square Heart Design winning sculpture

2014-02-14T15:55:00-05:00

To show you all some Valentine's Day love, we have more photos to share of Young Projects' recently unveiled "Match Maker" sculpture from the 2014 Times Square Heart Design competition. Currently on display at New York's Times Square until March 11, 2014, the interactive heart-shaped sculpture pairs up individuals based on their zodiac sign compatibility.

From left to right: Bryan Young of Young Projects; Sherry Dobbin, Director of Public Art for the Times Square Alliance; and David van der Leer, Executive Director of Van Alen Institute

Find more photos on Bustler.

Street Smart winning proposal revamps Bangalore, India with local perspective

2014-01-28T19:56:00-05:00

There's nothing more reliable than a local's perspective when it comes to redesigning urban cities. Focusing on India's cityscapes, the Street Smart International Design Competition invited all design professionals to propose ready-to-build designs that reimagine Indian city streets based on the feedback and everyday experience of each city's urban dwellers.

Check out a part of the first-place proposal by Febin Frederick & Naveen Nair of A Cube Paradigms.

See the entire proposal at Bustler.

A better look into the winning Park Russia proposal

2014-01-24T20:04:00-05:00

We've been showcasing a few of the finalist Park Russia proposals all week, but things just wouldn't feel complete without a better look into the Cushman & Wakefield consortium's first-place entry. UK-based practice Gillespies -- who served as the group's Design Team Leader, Masterplanner and Landscape Architect -- sent us more images from the group's winning proposal.

More project details on Bustler.

Images courtesy of Gillespies.

Dubai chosen for World Expo 2020 with HOK-led master plan

2013-12-05T18:48:00-05:00

Dubai won the bid to host the World Expo 2020, being the first Middle Eastern city selected in the Expo's 160-year history. HOK, in partnership with Populous and Arup, led the design team that developed the master plan, themed "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future." Their proposal won against those from Brazil, Russia, and Turkey. The 1,082-acre (438-hectare) Expo site is equidistant from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, next to the new Al Maktoum International Airport and near the Jebel Ali Port.

Images: HOK