Archinect - News

Ai Weiwei's first solo show in eight years features a 49-foot reproduction of Monet’s Water Lilies using LEGO bricks

2023-03-20T18:03:00-04:00

Ai Weiwei has unveiled a new large-scale reproduction of Claude Monet’s Water Lilies as part of an upcoming exhibition of the architect-provocateur’s work on view from April 7 at the Design Museum in London.

The 15-meter (49-foot) Water Lilles #1 is comprised of 650,000 bricks rendered in 22 different colors to reproduce the famous series of paintings, which Monet executed between 1897 and 1926 at his home studio in Giverny.

Image: Ela Bialkowska/OKNOstudio

Ai says: “It’s crucial for individuals to find a personalized language to express their experience of these challenging conditions. Personalized expression arises from identifying with history and memories while creating a new language and narrative. Without a personal narrative, artistic narration loses its quality. In Water Lilies #1 I integrate Monet's Impressionist painting, reminiscent of Zenism in the East, and concrete experiences of my father and me into a digitized and pixelated language. Toy bricks as the material, with...

Zaha Hadid Foundation announces new leadership and museum effort

2022-03-07T20:14:00-05:00

The long-awaited inaugural phase of what will eventually serve as the future home of London’s Zaha Hadid Foundation (ZHF) is now set to go after the organization announced a new museum and research center initiative slated for two locations in the adopted hometown of its late namesake.

The two sites will be split between the former location of London’s Design Museum at Shad Thames, which was acquired by ZHF in 2013, and the studio’s longtime Clerkenwell home in Bowling Green Lane, which it vacated last year citing concerns over workspace limitations during COVID.

Together they will house a collection of more than 10,000 objects including paintings, sketches, furniture, fashion design, jewelry, models, and other media that are all either directly from or related to the life’s work of the first woman ever to win the Pritzker Prize.

Furthermore, the foundation announced the appoi...

Design Museum Everywhere launches new virtual exhibit addressing equity in design

2020-10-14T11:54:00-04:00

The Design Museum has launched a new virtual exhibition, We Design: People. Practice. Progress. to highlight the lack of racial and gender diversity in the design field. We Design tells stories about designers of different ages, genders, backgrounds, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and abilities through stories, oral histories, videos, and photos.

Featured designers. From left to right: Ade Hassan, Clint Ramos, Debra Latour, Elyse Ayoung, Fady Saad, Gabrielle Bullock, Janine Kwoh, Jeff Staple, Liz Ogbu, Nestor Castaneda, Phil Freelon, Phil Kongtcheu, Rica Elysse, Sabrina Dorsainvil, Taniya Nayak. Image courtesy of Design Museum Everywhere.

Examples of each subject's work will also be showcased accompanying insights to their unique personal lives and career paths. Moreover, data visualizations and cast studies will be used to creatively communicate the racial inequities in the design industry. Some stats include: 86% of graphic designers are White. 69% of interior designers ...

Sir Terence Conran, visionary founder of the Design Museum, has passed away

2020-09-14T11:23:00-04:00

Terence Conran, founder of the Design Museum, designer, philanthropist and businessman, has passed away on Saturday, September 12th. He was 88 years old.

Conran founded the Design Museum in Shad Thames in 1989, and in 2016, the museum was relocated to Keningston, West London where architect John Pawson transformed the organization's 1960s modernist building into an authentic new home. As one of the world's leading museums devoted to contemporary architecture and design, the Design Museum has staged over 100 exhibitions, welcoming over seven million visitors and showcasing the world of names like Paul Smith, Zaha Hadid, Jonathan Ive, Frank Gehry, Eileen Gray and Dieter Rams.

Sir Terence Conran. Courtesy of the Design Museum.

Conran received a medal for Arts Philanthropy in 2012 for is ongoing support and commitment to the museum. In 2017, the Queen awarded him the Order of the Companions of Honor for his contributions to the arts.

A true multidisciplinarian, Terence studied textile de...

Archinect's Virtual Event Guide for the week of June 16-20th

2020-06-16T12:01:00-04:00

This week's featured virtual event happenings, from Archinect's Virtual Event Guide, address collaboration, manifestos, architectural media, Adolf Loos, games, female architects of color, public space post-pandemic, bamboo architecture, Syria, and more...

Are you hosting a virtual lecture? Presentation? Tour? Interview? Happy Hour? Submit it for consideration by clicking here.

Are you an expert in an arena that's especially important right now? Let us know if you would like to work with Archinect to host an online event.

Knowledge is Power
Tuesday, June 16, 2020 | 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM BST
New London Architecture's Curator-in-Chief Peter Murray interviews architect Clare Wright on the power of archives and special collections in illustrating the enduring Church-State relationship against the backdrop of Lambeth Palace Library.
Click here to attend and/or register

With Power comes great Responsibility
Tuesday, June 16, 2020 | 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM BST
There has never been a more important time to...

The Design Museum of London aims to bring art and design into your home with their new Digital Design Museum Calendar

2020-04-03T17:57:00-04:00

Online courses, activities, and programming have increased as the globe adjusts to this "new normal" of social distancing measures and safety precautions amid the current pandemic. However, museums across the globe have shifted their efforts towards bringing art to the homes of millions of patrons.

On April 1st, the Design Museum announced the launch of their new Digital Design Calendar of online content. According to a press statement by the museum, "new digital calendar includes lesson plans and activities for children at home with the Young Design Museum program, a series of ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions for adults in new Learn with the DesignMuseum series and a roster of Instagram Lives with leading designers called #DesignDispatches."

Image courtesy of Design Museum

The museum has partnered with the Royal College of Art, BBC Studios, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and several others who aim to assist the museum by carrying out it's "mission to make the impact of design vi...

Design Museum of Chicago announces Design Impact Grant Program

2019-11-22T13:30:00-05:00

The Design Museum of Chicago, Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), and NeoCon have unveiled a new Design Impact Grant Program targeted at "elevating the visibility of Chicago's design legacy, assets, talent, and community, and at supporting civic good through design."

The Design Museum of Chicago website states that the 2020 award will include a "large-scale commissioned design installation on Chicago's Riverwalk," as well as a separate grant award and the opportunity to engage in associated programming alongside the museum.

According to the website, between two and four grants of up to $25,000 each will be awarded each year for "individuals and organizations using design or design principles to directly address pressing issues in Chicago communities."

Nominations are open to anyone who lives or works in the City of Chicago. Nominations are due December 31st, 2019 at midnight with applications for pre-selected entrants to be submitted between Januar...

"Moving to Mars" at UK Design Museum highlights multi-sensory space design

2019-10-17T17:00:00-04:00

The exhibition features immersive environments, about 200 objects including contributions from NASA, the European Space Agency and SpaceX; NASA's 3D-Printed Mars Habitat Challenge winners, AI SpaceFactory; robotic builders by Foster & Partners; the first sustainable urban design for Mars, Mars City Design; the first spacesuit designed for the Mars surface; Christopher Raeburn's new fashion collection inspired by the red planet and much more.

The exhibition opens October 18th and will run until February 2020.

3D-printed Mars Habitat by Foster + Partners

Christopher Raeburn spring-summer '20 campaign. Image courtesy of Christopher Raeburn

Stanley Kubrick enters the spotlight at the Design Museum

2019-04-25T18:54:00-04:00

As any student of architecture or design will know, the attendance of a Stanley Kubrick exhibition is an experience not to miss. The recently opened exhibition at London's Design Museum, following those at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Barcelona's CCCB (Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona), is the most in-depth yet, set in the country where the director lived and produced nearly all of his work. As Oliver Wainwright writes in his review of the exhibition, "[Kubrick] was scared of flying, so the vast majority of his films were shot in the UK. If he wouldn’t travel then the world would be brought to him, at astonishing lengths."

Production designer Ken Adam’s sketch for the war room in Dr Strangelove. Photograph: © Sir Kenneth Adam

According to its website, the exhibition "features about 700 objects, films, interviews, letters and photographs. Expect to see a detailed model of the Centrifuge-set that Kubrick had developed for 2001: A Space Odyssey; film props such a...

Opening tomorrow, Milan will get its first permanent museum dedicated to Italian design

2019-04-08T17:04:00-04:00

When the Triennale Design Museum inaugurates its new permanent exhibition on April 9th, Italy will be getting a new museum dedicated to the country's best known works of design and architecture. Pulling from the Triennale's 1,600 piece collection, the exhibition will focus on the history of modern Italian design from 1946 to 1981 and will include iconic pieces such as Gio Ponti's Superleggera chair and Ettore Sottsass' "Carlton" Room Divider.

For Stefano Boeri, the President of Triennale Milano, the new museum is an opportunity to expand their permanent collection and revitalize the historic institution. It is the first stage of a broader long-term project "to make the institution an important international center devoted to this discipline," he says.

The Museum of Italian Design will be taking over the ground floor of the Triennale's existing building, the historic Palazzo dell'Arte designed by Giovanni Muzio. Eventually, the plans are to expand the collection and the museum. An i...

'Design for Good' exhibition opening this weekend at the Museum of Design Atlanta

2018-09-19T16:15:00-04:00

The Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) has announced their upcoming exhibition Design for Good: Architecture for Everyone, curated by John Cary. Opening on September 23, the museum will showcase projects featured in Cary's book Design for Good.

Women’s Opportunity Center in Kasungu, Rwanda, by Sharon Davis Design and Women for Women International. Image: Elizabeth Felicella.

The exhibition highlights projects around the world that embody a sense of dignity and belonging. Emphasizing the power of design on every person's life, the show affirms good design should be for everyone, not just the elite who can afford it.

Women’s Opportunity Center in Kasungu, Rwanda, by Sharon Davis Design and Women for Women International. Image: Elizabeth Felicella.

MODA will host a lecture by curator John Cary on September 27, along with a lecture on October 18 by Michael Murphy, Executive Director of MASS Design Group.

St. Jerome’s Children’s Centre in Murunyu, Nakuru, Kenya, by Orkidstudio. Image: Odyss...

Kengo Kuma's V&A Dundee Museum opens; interiors revealed!

2018-09-13T14:04:00-04:00

The V&A Dundee Museum opens its doors tomorrow with the 3D Festival, a free two-day event on September 14 and 15. The grand opening will include performances, dance, design, and lighting collaborations.

V&A Dundee Museum by Kengo Kuma, located in Scotland. ©HuftonCrow

The museum was designed by Kengo Kuma and is his first building in the UK. Along with the forthcoming opening, the museum has unveiled the interior architecture revealing a light filled wooden design.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Oak Room at the V&A Dundee ©HuftonCrow

Scottish Design Galleries V&A Dundee ©HuftonCrow

As Scotland's first design museum, the space features 300 exhibits drawn from the V&A’s collections of Scottish design, as well as from museums and private collections across Scotland and the world.

V&A Dundee Museum by Kengo Kuma, located in Scotland. ©HuftonCrow

Scottish Design Galleries V&A Dundee ©HuftonCrow

Free tickets to the 3D Festival on ...

Take a look inside London's new Design Museum

2016-11-18T11:15:00-05:00

How do you create a new home to house iconic and innovative design? With eyes on the final outcome, and with everyone waiting to see the unveiling of one of the most anticipated buildings this decade, we think that John Pawson, OMA, Arup, and Allies & Morrison have risen to the challenge of transforming a grade II listed building into the new home of the Design Museum.

Yesterday was the preview of the new Design Museum in Kensington. Archinect UK was delighted to have been invited to see the grand unveiling of the building, and to get our feet inside the transformed Commonwealth Centre. The sheer gravity of the main space is enough to make this an incredible building, but, as we learn more, experience more, and see how it completely engages the user, we realise that this is a project that really doesn’t disappoint.

The Design Museum was founded almost three decades ago in 1989 by Sir Terence Conran, and only closed at its previous space in June of this year, to make preparations for t...

OMA, MAD, Herzog & de Meuron among 2016 Designs of the Year architecture nominees

2016-09-02T19:27:00-04:00

The Designs of the Year Award always presents a flurry of memorable projects, from Zaha Hadid's Heydar Aliyev Center to human organs-on-chips...Established by London's Design Museum, the slightly renamed Beazley Designs of the Year Award celebrates the most innovative global design in Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Graphic, Product and Transport from the last 12 months.

The 2016 Designs of the Year Award competition is in full swing, with more than 70 projects on the nomination list. Will another architecture project be crowned as the overall winner next January, joining Zaha Hadid's Heydar Aliyev Center? Here are a few of the Architecture nominees:

Fondazione Prada. Designer: OMA.

VIA 57 West. Designer: BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group.

Arena for Learning, UTEC, Lima, Peru. Designer: Grafton Architects.

Better Shelter. Designers: Johan Karlsson, Founder & Interim MD; Dennis Kanter, Designer; Christian Gustafsson, Industrial Designer; John van Leer, Engineer and Industrial Designer; Tim de Haas, Head of Technology; IKEA Foundation, Partner; UNHCR, Partner.

Nida house in Navidad (Chile). Designers: Mauricio Pezo, Principal Architect; Sofia von Ellrichshausen, Principal Architect; Diego Perez, Collaborator Architect; Carlos Atala, Client; Ricardo Ballesta, Builder.

Tate Modern Switch House. Designer: Herzog & de Meuron.

(cover image) Harbin Opera House by MAD Arch...

'Adopt an Object' campaign announced by London's Design Museum

2016-08-08T13:37:00-04:00

In an attempt to help raise the final £1 million needed to cover construction costs of their new Kensington High Street home, the Design Museum in London have launched a fundraising campaign, Adopt an Object.

For £5, each adopter will receive a personalised thank you film showing an iconic object from the Design Museum's permanent collection making it's way from Shad Thames to the new site in Kensington. Twelve films have been commissioned for the project including a pair of Louboutin heels riding a tube and a Dyson Vacuum crossing the road.

The new museum is due to open on 24 November and will include a free permanent collection as well as two temporary spaces.

Terence Conran, founder of the Design Museum commented: 'We are about to move from Shad Thames to new, bigger premises in Kensington, where all our dreams and ambitions to create the best and most important design museum in the world will become a step closer to reality. It will make my long lifetime in design absolutely wo...

Human organ-mimicking microchip wins Designs of the Year Award 2015

2015-06-23T19:18:00-04:00

A microdevice called Human Organs-on-Chips is engineered with the astounding ability to mimic the complex structures, functions, and mechanical motions of whole human organs. Fabricated by scientists Donald Ingber and Dan Dongeun Huh at Harvard University's Wyss Institute, Human Organs-on-Chips was announced today as the 2015 Designs of the Year Award winner in the Design Museum's popular international competition.

The annual contest shows off an entertaining categorized mix of thoughtful designs whose creators range from global-brand giants to emerging entrepreneurs. Needless to say, competition is tough year after year. In 2014, Zaha Hadid's Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan snatched the winning title.

The 2015 edition started out with 76 nominated Designs-of-the-Year hopefuls across six categories: Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Graphic, Product and Transport. (The Furniture category in previous editions appears to have been omitted.) Last month, the jury then selected the ...

Designs of the Year 2015 narrows down to six Category Winners

2015-05-19T01:37:00-04:00

And then there were six. The Design Museum in London revealed the Category Winners for Designs of the Year 2015. The museum's international competition and exhibition are popular for showcasing an array of distinctive projects that can undoubtedly attract broader public attention to contemporary design, but also prove the relevancy of design and its potential impact in society.

The competition jury sifted through submissions from international design stars, emerging startups, and students. After selecting 76 nominees total this past February, the jury picked one winner for each category: Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Graphic, Product and Transport. (The Furniture category appears to have been omitted.) This year's winners include ads of deformed vegetables for an anti-food waste campaign, a monolithic eco-designed university building, Google's self-driving car, and microchips engineered to operate like human organs.

↓ ARCHITECTURE: UC INNOVATION CENTER – ANACLETO ANGELINI
Designed ...

Get a glimpse of the Designs of the Year 2015 Architecture nominees

2015-02-20T18:58:00-05:00

It's that time of year for Design Museum's popular Designs of the Year 2015 awards, a showcase of noteworthy works created by international stars, up-and-coming startups, and students. A total of 76 projects from the previous year were selected for the categories Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Graphic, Product and Transport. Last year, Zaha Hadid took the top prize with the all-too-familiar Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Category winners will be announced on May 4, and the overall winner will be revealed during a Design Museum event on June 4. In the meantime, all nominated works will be exhibited at London's Design Museum beginning March 25.

The Architecture category has some solid contenders that could make it anyone's game (maybe), with some of them having already won some top awards. Love 'em or hate 'em, here they are:

↑ FONDATION LOUIS VUITTON - Paris, France. Designed by Frank Gehry and Gehry Partners

↑ ONE CENTRAL PARK Sydney, Australia. Designed by Ateliers Jean Nou...

In-depth Louis Kahn exhibition opening at London’s Design Museum on July 9

2014-07-07T21:13:00-04:00

"Louis Kahn: The Power of Architecture" is a multi-themed exploration behind legendary architect Louis Kahn that will be showcased at the Design Museum in London starting Wednesday, July 9. Until Oct. 12, 2014, the exhibition will feature architectural models, original drawings, travel sketches, photographs, and films – including interviews with famous architects like Renzo Piano, Frank Gehry, Sou Fujimoto, and Peter Zumthor who each describe how Kahn has influenced his own work.

Learn more about the exhibition on Bustler.

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.

Seven category winners for Designs of the Year 2014

2014-04-23T19:03:00-04:00

This year's Designs of the Year jury have chosen their crème de la crème of the world's most cutting-edge design. Since London's Design Museum announced the 76 nominees in February, the competition has narrowed down to seven category winners. In the final step of the competition, one of these category winners will be announced as the overall winner by June 30 at an event hosted by St. Martins Lane London.

The category winners are:

(Pictured above) Architecture: HEYDAR ALIYEV CENTER, BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - Designed by Zaha Hadid and Patrik Schumacher

Digital: PEEK (PORTABLE EYE EXAMINATION KIT) - Designed by Dr. Andrew Bastawrous, Stewart Jordan, Dr. Mario Giardini, Dr. Iain Livingstone

Fashion: PRADA S/S14 - Designed by Miuccia Prada

Furniture: PRO CHAIR FAMILY - Designed by Konstantin Grcic

Graphics: DRONE SHADOWS - Designed by James Bridle / booktwo.org

Product: THE SEABOARD GRAND - Designed by Roland Lamb and Hong-Yeul Eom

Transport: XL1 CAR – Designed by Volkswagen

More details can be found on Bustler.

Seventy-six nominations listed for Designs of the Year 2014

2014-02-11T21:27:00-05:00

Nominations were announced for Designs of the Year 2014 -- the event where work from the "cool kids" in the big world of design are sure to be found [...] A total of 76 nominees include international stars, crowd-funded start-ups, and student projects. A winner in each category and one overall winner will be announced later this year. All nominations will be exhibited at London's Design Museum starting March 26 - Aug. 25, 2014

Here's a small selection of this year's nominated designs.

Architecture - MAKOKO FLOATING SCHOOL - Designed by NLÉ, Makoko Community Building Team Photo by NLÉ

Furniture - NEW INTERIOR FOR UNITED NATIONS NORTH DELEGATES’ LOUNGE (NEW YORK) - Designed by Hella Jongerius, together with Rem Koolhaas, Irma Boom, Gabriel Lester and Louise Schouwenberg. Photograph by Frank Oudeman

Graphics - CHINEASY - Created by ShaoLan Hsueh with Illustrations by Noma Bar. Photo by Brave New World

Digital - LEGO CALENDAR - Designed by Adrian Westaway, Clara Gaggero, Duncan Fitzsimons, Simon Emberton. Photographs by Adrian Westaway

Find the complete list at Bustler.

Design Museum sells Thames-side home to architect Zaha Hadid

2013-07-09T19:04:00-04:00

The Design Museum will remain in the building until the move in 2015. Deyan Sudjic, the museum's director, said: "Whilst we are sad to be leaving Shad Thames we are leaving the building in the best possible hands..." In a statement, Hadid said the building would be an opportunity "to consolidate our archive in a single location". It would also be used for architecture exhibitions where "the research and innovation of global collaborations in art, architecture and design" could be put on display.

“The Future Is Here: A New Industrial Revolution” Coming to London’s Design Museum

2013-07-01T18:53:00-04:00

This summer, the Design Museum in London will be offering a glimpse into the future of fabrication and manufacturing with The Future Is Here: A New Industrial Revolution, a major new exhibition about the sweeping changes in manufacturing that are transforming our world.

Design Museum London Announces the Designs of the Year 2013 Category Winners

2013-04-10T17:56:00-04:00

Back in January, we had published the shortlisted nominees in the Architecture category of the sixth annual Designs of the Year Awards, hosted by London's Design Museum. Today now the final winners across the seven categories—Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Furniture, Graphics, Product, Transport—were announced, too.

Design Museum London Shortlists the Designs of the Year 2013

2013-01-17T14:35:00-05:00

London's Design Museum this week announced the nominees for the sixth annual Designs of the Year. The shortlist consists of over 90 outstanding design projects from around the world in the last 12 months across seven categories: Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Furniture, Graphics, Product, and Transport.

These are some of the nominees in the Architecture category.