Archinect - News

Egypt suspends plan to restore granite cladding on one of the pyramids of Giza following backlash

2024-02-17T08:00:00-05:00

Egypt has scuttled a controversial plan to reinstall ancient granite cladding on the pyramid of Menkaure, the smallest of the three great pyramids of Giza, a committee formed by the country’s tourism minister said in a statement. [...] The pyramids are the only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world that still remain.

The initiative was announced in January by Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, calling it “the project of the century.”

The project, led by a team of Egyptian and Japanese experts, would have commenced after at least a year of planning but has since drawn international outcry, with many critics believing that there should be as little intervention on the structure as possible and that this restoration attempt could have the effect of disrupting its natural state. The pushback has led Egypt’s antiquities authority to review the project.

The plan called for the reuse of fallen granite blocks that have remained around the pyramid’s base. However, according to Zahi Hawass, a former minister of antiquities who headed the Menkaure pyramid review committee, it would be impossible to determine where each granite block had originally been located.

Mexico is planning a new museum at Chichén Itzá

2023-03-21T11:53:00-04:00

The museum, which is still in the planning stages, will replace a much smaller building that closed more than ten years ago. It is likely to follow in the museo de sitio (site museum) model found at other complexes managed by the federal Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e História (INAH). Carlos Esperón, the director of the Maya Museum in Cancún, in the neighbouring state of Quintana Roo, tells The Art Newspaper that work on the museum “could take two years.”

Meanwhile, the Art Newspaper is reporting that several finds taken from the disputed new Maya Train project’s construction will be displayed at the new museum, which is the third most visited cultural site in Mexico. Some experts had feared it would eventually become at risk over the number of visitors interacting with the 1,500-year-old space.

The new museum will apparently be built away from the UNESCO-protected site's monumental area on the other side of a highway so as not to risk any further damage. A section called Chichén Viejo which had previously been off-limits will also be made public as part of the construction project. Costs are expected to exceed US$14.4 million.

Hidden corridor discovered in Great Pyramid of Giza

2023-03-03T16:34:00-05:00

A hidden corridor nine metres (30 feet) long has been discovered close to the main entrance of the 4,500-year-old Great Pyramid of Giza, and this could lead to further findings, Egyptian antiquities officials said on Thursday.

The discovery was made under the Scan Pyramids project, a program launched in 2015 that aims to explore and discover ancient Egyptian Pyramids using non-invasive and non-destructive techniques. The group, which includes Cairo University and the French Heritage Innovation Preservation (HIP) Institute currently uses infrared thermography, 3D simulations, and cosmic-ray imaging. Reuters reports that the discovery could provide more information of the Pyramid’s construction and the purpose of a gabled limestone structure located at the front of the corridor.

It’s theorized that the corridor was made to redistribute the pyramid’s weight around either the main entrance, now used by tourists, or around a potentially undiscovered space. Scientists found the corridor through cosmic-ray muon radiography and then retrieved images of it by feeding a 6mm-thick endoscope from Japan through a small joint in the pyramid’s stones.

SOM to reimagine visitor experience at Egypt's pyramids and sphinx

2022-07-26T19:02:00-04:00

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and Egyptian practice Raafat Miller Consulting (RMC) have been selected to reimagine the visitor experience for the popular sound and light show attraction at the site of the ancient Pyramids and the Sphinx in Giza, Egypt.

The pair were appointed by OSL for Entertainment Projects, an Orascom Investment Holding Company (OIH). SOM will act as lead designer for the concept, design, and master plan for the project. Existing facilities will be enhanced with contemporary interventions in order to establish a world-class visitor experience while respecting unique environmental and preservation requirements.

“Visiting Giza is a rare, transformative experience that offers a glimpse into centuries of human history. As one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Giza welcomes millions of people every year,” SOM design partner Chris Cooper commented on the commission. “In reimagining the experience, our priority is to honor and preserve its history and create a sus...

Foster + Partners unveils renderings for new Transamerica Pyramid Center retrofit

2022-03-31T18:04:00-04:00

Foster + Partners has shared an update to its recently announced retrofit of William Pereira’s iconic Transamerica Pyramid Center in San Francisco.

New renderings appear to show fresh and open office spaces upgraded for workers’ comfort and workplace flexibility in addition to an on-site members club called ‘CORE,’ a top-floor cocktail bar, wellness area, retail, and several ground-level interventions meant to transform the block-sized development into a historically-sensitive connector of the city.

Image courtesy Foster + Partners

The project represents the largest renovation in the building’s 50-year history and will encompass the revitalization of the adjacent Redwood Park in addition to the pyramid’s refurbishments and a complete overhaul of neighboring 545 Sansome Street into a “contemporary high-design office building.”

Image courtesy Foster + Partners

Historian and critic Paul Goldberger, who is an advisor to dev...

San Francisco’s Transamerica Pyramid is getting a makeover thanks to Foster + Partners

2022-03-29T19:59:00-04:00

Owner Michael Shvo and his partners have hired world-renowned architect Norman Foster to redesign the iconic tower’s interiors and plan to invest $250 million to renovate the 1972 building and expand its Redwood Park. The owners also plan to roughly double the size of neighboring 545 Sansome St. and add a new facade to create a modern office building at the cost of around $150 million.

Work is expected to begin within the week and take around a year to be completed. The project will include the expansion of Redwood Park and, potentially, the adjacent 545 Sansome Street, which will be rebranded as 3 Transamerica pending approval by the city.

Previously on Archinect: San Francisco’s iconic Transamerica pyramid is for sale

“We want to make this place a focal center of downtown, and make sure people come here not only to work,” Transamerica Pyramid owner Michael Shvo explained to the San Francisco Chronicle. “It will not only transform the interior of the building but the landscape and the exterior and bring life to the entire site.”

“It’s about responding to a very specific climate of a city,” Norman Foster said in a publicity video released by Shvo's company. “It’s about health; it’s about sustainability; it’s about green.”

Video courtesy SHVO on Vimeo.

Grand Egyptian Museum heads toward completion

2020-08-14T14:23:00-04:00

A $1 billion museum complex situated on the Giza plain overlooking the Great Pyramids is nearing completion in Egypt after a nearly decade-long delay.

The massive structure, initially planned by Irish firm Heneghan Peng Architects, is being completed now, The Art Newspaper reports, under the direction of Major General Atef Moftah, an official appointed in 2016 by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to finish the project. Moftah, who is a trained engineer, has taken over executing the design of the complex and has adapted the initial proposal to speed up construction and lower costs, the report states.

View of the massive statue of Ramses the Great installed in the museum's atrium. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia user Djehouty.

The Art Newspaper explains that the structure is "96.5% complete" and will make its global debut sometime in 2021.

The massive museum complex will contain over 5,000 artifacts discovered in the tomb of Tutankhamen as well as a large collection of ancient stat...

San Francisco’s iconic Transamerica pyramid is for sale

2019-08-20T14:00:00-04:00

The Transamerica Pyramid, San Francisco’s second-tallest building and an icon of the city’s financial might for four decades, is being marketed for sale for the first time. “Right now, San Francisco has a very robust office real estate market,” Jay Orlandi, chief administrative officer at Transamerica, said in a statement. “We are exploring options for a possible 100% interest sale of the property, with Transamerica retaining naming and branding rights.”

The 853-foot, William Pereira-designed pyramidal skyscraper reigned as San Francisco’s tallest tower for more than 30 years before it was dethroned by the Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects-designed Salesforce Tower in 2018.

Built in 1972, the Brutalist-style Transamerica building features a four-sided pyramidal form wrapped in repeating bands of modular concrete window frames, and is capped by a soaring pointed top that is illuminated in a variety of colors throughout the year. The top one-third of the tower includes a pair of monolithic elevator shafts that break with the building’s otherwise pyramidal form.

Though originally disliked due to its shape and height, the tower eventually became a symbol of the city of San Francisco and has adorned corporate logos, tourist memorabilia, and other ephemeral media symbolizing the city for decades. The base of the tower is marked by Redwood Park, a pocket park designed by landscape architect Tom Galli that includes a series of redwood trees tr...

Construction begins for OMA's Xinhu Hangzhou Prism, “a pinnacle reaching into the sky”

2019-03-12T10:17:00-04:00

Groundbreaking has taken place for OMA's Xinhu Hangzhou Prism, a 50,000m2 mixed-use building in Hangzhou, which is quickly developing into one of China's major tech hubs. With OMA's Chris van Duijn and Michalis Hadjistyllis as project leads, The Prism will be located in Hangzhou’s Future Tech City in the new Technology Central Business District. The project is currently expected to be complete in 2020.

Image by Bloomimages, Courtesy of OMA.

According to OMA, the Prism is “a pinnacle reaching into the sky” whose design was inspired by an ancient saying that there is “paradise above, and Hangzhou below”. The pyramid-shaped complex comprises two radical oblique cuts through the building envelope, which create terraced lofts that offer scenic views of the city. A hotel, retail spaces, and atrium garden will also be located inside the complex, and a large interior void will make room for a public garden with water features and playgrounds. A 35,000m2 residential tower will be built adjace...

Shigeru Ban unveils designs for Kentucky Owl Park whiskey distillery

2018-11-19T18:50:00-05:00

While Japanese whiskey distilleries are claiming top accolades for their finely crafted products these days, one decorated artisanal-minded Japanese master is bringing his craft to the heart of Bourbon country: Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban has been selected to oversee the planning and development of the "Kentucky Owl Park" experience in the Bluegrass State.

Image: Shigeru Ban Architects/Stoli Group

Global spirits enterprise Stoli Group, which had recently acquired the Kentucky Owl Bourbon brand, tasked Ban's firm to transform a 420-acre site at Cedar Creek Quarry into a must-see destination along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail—part tourist experience, part industrial facility complete with state-of-the-art distillery, bottling center, rickhouses for aging as well as office spaces for the corporation's American whiskey division.

Image: Shigeru Ban Architects/Stoli Group

"Shigeru Ban's vision for the site hearkens back to the 19th century with long-span steel structures that...

Ancient ramp discovery could help explain construction of Egyptian Pyramids

2018-11-06T18:48:00-05:00

The mystery of how, exactly, the pyramids were built may have come a step closer to being unravelled after a team of archaeologists made a chance discovery in an ancient Egyptian quarry. Scientists researching ancient inscriptions happened upon a ramp with stairways and a series of what they believe to be postholes, which suggest that the job of hauling into place the huge blocks of stone used to build the monuments may have been completed more quickly than previously thought.

The theory of ancient Egyptians using ramps to move the enormous stone blocks to build the Great Pyramids of Giza some 4,500 years ago has been around for a while, but this new discovery suggests the possibility of a significantly steeper ramp angle and shorter construction period than commonly assumed.

Albania's communist-era pyramid will be transformed by MVRDV into a Center for Technology, Art and Culture

2018-05-18T14:33:00-04:00

A bizarre building in the middle of Albania's capital, the Pyramid of Tirana has been the site of continuous debate over its uncertain future. Built as a monument to the country's Stalinist leader, Enver Hoxha, construction of the pyramid-shaped structure completed shortly before the collapse of communism.

As national attitudes began to change, the building shifted from a museum to a convention center, and has since functioned as a military base for NATO, a television studio, and a nightclub. Though not in complete disuse, the pyramid has sat dilapidated and vandalized for the past decade amidst debates over its preservation. The government had wanted to raze the structure in order to build a sleek new parliament building, but citizens and activists have wanted to see their communist heritage, however dark, preserved.

Image: Gent Onuzi

This is all to change now as designs to transform the communist-era pyramid into a Center for Technology, Art and Culture have been revealed. “The Py...

Archeologists uncover the secret of the Great Pyramid

2017-09-26T15:29:00-04:00

Archaeologists believe they have found the key to unlocking a mystery almost as old as the Great Pyramid itself: Who built the structure and how were they able to transport two-ton blocks of stone to the ancient wonder more than 4,500 years ago?

The pyramid's stones were known to have been transported from over 500 miles away but archeologists did not agree on how ancient Egyptians achieved it . Recent discoveries suggest that the stones were transported using boats and a network of waterways leading to the site of the pyramid in Giza.

New pyramid, older than Giza, discovered 20 miles south of Cairo

2017-04-04T13:48:00-04:00

Archeaologists have discovered what appears to be the first attempt at a smooth-sided pyramid in Egypt. The pyramid is estimated to be 3,700 years old (about 200 years older than Giza), and although no elaborately-outfitted burial chambers have been found yet, the team is still excavating in an attempt to determine the full size of the pyramid. According to the Associated Press, it's located 20 miles south of Cairo in the sleepy burial community of the Dahshur necropolis, which has long been home to graves of royal courtiers and other high-society movers and shakers.

AIA honors I.M. Pei's Grand Louvre with 2017 Twenty-Five Year Award

2016-12-15T20:54:00-05:00

When I.M. Pei's Grand Louvre in Paris was first completed in 1989, it was denounced as a modernist insult to its historic location, the 800-year-old Grand Palais. But 27 years later, the 71-foot-tall glass pyramid has become as treasured as the artwork it houses. In an announcement today, the AIA announced the Grand Louvre - Phase I project as the 2017 Twenty-Five Year Award recipient.

The Twenty-Five Year Award distinguishes a building that has gracefully stood the test of time over the last 25-35 years. Chaired by LMN Architects' Mark Reddington, the 2017 jury selected the project that best “demonstrate[s] excellence in function, in the distinguished execution of its original program, and in the creative aspects of its statement by today’s standards.” The nine-person jury also included Adrian Smith, Timothy J. Johnson of NBBJ, and William Q. Sabatini.

The Grand Louvre was executed in two phases over the course of a decade. In Phase I, Pei built the pyramid and reorganized the museum...

One of the best long reads of 2016 explores the demise of a medieval U.S. city

2016-12-14T18:20:00-05:00

Each generation likes to think it is unique, or at least living on the cutting-edge; but archaeologists have long known that history has a way of repeating itself. Although North America is often considered to be part of the "New World," inhabitations on this continent date back millennia. In this fascinating piece by Annalee Newitz for Ars Technica (whose length is perfect for plane reading) archaeologists uncover new sections of the lost city of Cahokia, which flourished between 1100 and 1400 A.D. in an area that is currently known as East St. Louis. A city of 30,000 that was more populous than Paris at the time, the pyramid and earthern-mound laden city went through all the statutte-endowed stages of societal refinement before taking the low road into ritual sacrifice and random trash fires. Sound familiar?

For more on the ancient world:

Three pyramids in one: Mayan Kukulkan pyramid is an architectural "Russian nesting doll"

2016-11-17T13:08:00-05:00

Once, twice, three times a pyramid: thanks to non-invasive scanning, archaeologists have determined that "El Castilo," also known as the Kukulkan pyramid in Chichen Itza, has two other pyramids inside of it. As The Guardian explains:

"A 10-metre-tall pyramid was found within another 20-metre structure, which itself is enveloped by the 30-metre exterior visible at the Maya archeological complex known as Chichen Itza in Yucatán state. The smallest pyramid was built between the years 550 and 800, engineers and anthropologists said. The middle structure had already been discovered in the 1930s and dates back to the years 800-1000, while the largest one was finished between 1050 and 1300."

Pyramids in the news:

A closer look at BIG's West 57th Street "courtscraper"

2016-03-04T13:01:00-05:00

It’s tempting to see this as celebrity’s flourish, but consider all that the shape achieves: It maximizes river views and covered balconies, obstructs its neighbors as little as possible, fills a deep narrow block without resorting to an ungainly slab, protects even low apartments from the noise of the West Side Highway, pierces the skyline with a jaunty top, and leaves room for a courtyard that even in winter basks in sunlight most of the day.

More BIG news from around the world:

Downtown Jerusalem gets a Libeskind-designed Pyramid Tower

2015-07-28T13:20:00-04:00

A new high-rise building called the Freedom Pyramid will change the face of Jerusalem’s downtown area. The project, conceived by architects Daniel Libeskind and Yigal Levi, will see a multi-purpose tower comprising commercial shopping and residential units atop the old Eden theater. The idea for a high-rise at this location, adjacent to Mahaneh Yehuda market, first hit headlines in 2011. But a Jerusalem municipal committee only now approved the construction.

Correction: Studio Daniel Libeskind has informed us that the correct project title is "The Pyramid." The incorrect title "Freedom Pyramid" has been the result of an unauthorized press leak.

Studio Daniel Libeskind also provided us with new renderings of the project as well as some more information about The Pyramid:

The Jerusalem Municipality approves a mixed-use tower designed by Studio Libeskind (New York/Milan/Zurich) in conjunction with local architect Yigal Levi.

Located adjacent to the Mahane Yehuda market, commonly known as “The Shuk”, in the heart of the city, the 105-meter, 26-story complex entitled The Pyramid will feature 200 apartments, a boutique hotel, a public plaza lined with shops, and a roof-top observatory and restaurant that will provide sweeping views of the ancient city.

“The Pyramid mediates between ancient traditions and myths, while providing a 21st century reinterpretation of that great form,” said architect Daniel Libeskind. “The design complements the context...

"The Pier Park" wins New St. Petersburg Pier competition

2015-04-27T15:38:00-04:00

After public comments were provided, the committee discussed the concepts, the input they had received, and deliberated on the ranking. The final ranking of the Design Concepts by the Selection Committee is as follows: The Pier Park by Rogers Partners Architects+Urban Designers, ASD, Ken Smith Destination St. Pete Pier by St. Pete Design Group ALMA by Alfonso Architects, inc. City staff will now present these rankings to City Council for approval at a meeting in the near future.

"We established a pier process that citizens on every side of this issue agreed would result in a fair and objective decision," said St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman. "I am proud that we have stayed true to that process and that it has been transparent and open to the public throughout. I thank the Selection Committee for their diligence and their hard work. This was not an easy job, but it was a necessary one. The iconic St. Petersburg Pier has often been the source of passionate debate in the Sunshine City, but it is also a source of great pride. I'm looking forward to the day we cut the ribbon on a new St. Petersburg Pier."

Click here to see the full The Pier Park proposal (PDF).

Previously:

Three teams left to compete for St. Petersburg Pier redesign

2015-04-15T19:11:00-04:00

Just three proposals left in the second attempt of the St. Petersburg Pier design competition in St. Petersburg, Florida. Back in 2012, "The Lens" by Michael Maltzan Architecture and Tom Leader Studio won the original competition, but that design was kicked to the curb after local group Concerned Citizens of St. Pete fiercely opposed it -- mostly because it eliminated the pier's iconic inverted pyramid that was built in 1973. The group's request to preserve the pyramid became a requirement for RFQ #2.

A final shortlist of seven new proposals was revealed last December. The Pier Selection Committee convened on March 20 to discuss each proposal, and then narrowed down the list to the following three proposals and their current designs:

ALMA by Alfonso Architects
Original proposal.

Destination St. Pete Pier by St. Pete Design Group
Original proposal.

The Pier Park by Rogers Partners Architects+Urban Designers, ASD, Ken Smith
Original proposal.

Each team is now preparing responses to an additio...

A closer look at the Giza 2030 master plan: blessing or curse for Egypt?

2015-01-27T14:11:00-05:00

Is this the promising future of Giza 2030? What is the status of Giza 2030 after the Egyptian Revolution in 2011? Would it be a curse or a blessing if I were from Giza? And my message to the current Egyptian regime is this: if this is the future of Egyptian cities, please leave the situation as it is.

New St. Pete Pier – Finalists 2.0

2014-12-30T17:51:00-05:00

Second time's the charm — that's what the eight finalists of the New St. Pete Pier competition must be thinking.

After the first attempt of an architectural competition to redesign the iconic pier in St. Petersburg, FL was off to a bad start (remember? Michael Maltzan's entry "The Lens" was first crowned as winning entry and, after a heated debate, quickly fed to the sharks and never realized), the City of St. Petersburg launched a second RFQ for the pier's redesign.

The latest brief incorporated one of the core arguments brought forward against "The Lens" by the group Concerned Citizens of St. Pete — the preservation of the signature Inverted Pyramid structure built in 1973.

Eight finalists have now been presented to the public; each team equipped with a $30,000 stipend to develop initial design concepts, cost estimates and detailed reports.

↑ Discover Bay Life by VOA - View concept (PDF)

↑ The Pier Park by Rogers Partners Architects+Urban Designers, ASD, Ken Smith - View concept (PDF)

↑...

BIG News: Planning Commission Approves Durst’s 57th Street Pyramid Apartments

2012-12-22T17:57:00-05:00

“Our approval will facilitate development of a significant new building with a distinctive pyramid-like shaped design and thoughtful site plan that integrates the full block site into the evolving residential, institutional, and commercial neighborhood surrounding it,” Ms. Burden said before voting in favor of the project.

Conceptual artist Christo is building a gigantic sculpture out of oil barrels in Abu Dhabi

2012-11-26T16:08:00-05:00

Christo is creating for Abu Dhabi a colossal structure that he claims will be the world's biggest permanent sculpture. Estimated construction costs of $340m (£212m) would also make it the world's most expensive. A 150-metre-high, flat-topped pyramid would be taller than St Paul's Cathedral or St Peter's Basilica and would overshadow the Great Pyramid of Giza – creating Abu Dhabi's answer to Egypt's pyramids or Mecca's Kaaba.

Hoxha’s Pyramid

2011-08-02T17:27:00-04:00

Albanians have been trying to figure out what to do with the pyramid for years. Just last month, the parliament passed a law to tear it down. Even so, opponents of the demolition are gathering petitions to save the building. And the current president is deciding whether to sign the bill or side with the protesters.