Archinect - News

Álvaro Siza completes sculptural extension to Porto monastery

2024-05-09T17:24:00-04:00

Pritzker Prize-winning architect Álvaro Siza has completed an extension to the Monastery of Leça do Balio outside Porto, Portugal.

The recently renovated monastery will now serve as the headquarters for the Livraria Lello Foundation, offering a space for “exhibitions that will champion literacy and critical thinking.”

Photo: Alexandre Delmar

Located near Siza’s hometown of Matosinhos, the scheme draws on the architect’s early childhood dreams of being a sculptor. Among the contributions by Siza to the extension is a stand-alone sculpture ‘Viandante’ which acts as a “poetic tribute to the pilgrim’s journey, offering a serene space for visitors to reflect and forge deeper connections.”

Photo: Alexandre Delmar

The extension, due to open on June 22, follows weeks after Siza's self-named Serralves Museum expansion in Porto opened to the public. The 45,000-square-foot expansion is the fifth building designed by Siza for the Serralves Foundation after the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Ar...

Zooco creates ‘Brutalism over the sea’ with Spanish restaurant inside renovated 1970s concrete structure

2024-01-11T13:55:00-05:00

Madrid-based studio Zooco has completed an extensive renovation and extension of a 1970s concrete structure in Santander, Spain. The Cantabrian Maritime Museum restaurant has been constructed inside an architectural complex that also includes an Oceanographic Center designed by Vicente Roig Forner and Ángel Hernández Morales, built between 1975 and 1978.

Image credit: David Zarzoso

The original concrete structure sees two square forms connected by a canopy. The interior spans three floors with a central courtyard covered by a vault of paraboloid membranes, while a 2003 renovation and extension saw the addition of a pyramid-form aluminum structure to the western facade and roof.

Image credit: David Zarzoso

For their 2023 overhaul of the scheme, Zooco inserted a new space on the second floor to house a restaurant and terrace. To facilitate the restaurant, a new volume was constructed to resolve issues with the roof and facade, while ...

Glazed extensions flank Montreal’s historic Maisonneuve Library following major EVOQ renovation

2023-11-24T16:15:00-05:00

Montreal’s Maisonneuve Library has reopened to the public following a major restoration and expansion of the historic building. Dating from 1912, and once serving as a city hall, the building’s transformation was led by Montreal-based EVOQ Architecture and Dan Hanganu Architects, now part of EVOQ, following a 2017 competition win.

Image credit: Adrien Williams

At the center of the project is the original 1912 building, which was rehabilitated to restore its “original splendor.” The building’s stone facades and oversized doors were restored, as were original plaster moldings, wood paneling, and mosaic floors. Meanwhile, anchoring elements of the interior such as the piano nobile’s marble staircase and its two imposing stained-glass features were repaired.

Image credit: Adrien Williams

The existing building is flanked by two contemporary extension wings. The alignment of the extension’s curtain walls, as well as the rhythm of its...

Construction underway on Snøhetta and Park Associati’s 1960s office renovation in Milan

2023-08-29T11:50:00-04:00

Snøhetta and Park Associati have published photographs showing progress on the refurbishment of the 1960s Pirelli 35 office block in Milan. When completed in 2024, the project seeks to “create a generous and publicly accessible building with a significantly reduced carbon footprint.”

Image credit: Tommaso Maserati courtesy of Snøhetta

Building on the existing scale and lines of the neighboring buildings, the Pirelli 35 refurbishment will see works to the existing structure complimented by a rooftop addition and a six-story extension. The rooftop volume will create a new penthouse office floor while the extension “intimately addresses the smaller scale of the surrounding residential buildings while also providing chromatic contrast to the sober and elegant re-cladded facade of the existing building.”

Image credit: Tommaso Maserati courtesy of Snøhetta

The new scheme has been organized in three horizontal “layers.” The ground and 9th floor emphasize transparency to provide a high degree...

OMA completes renovation of Tiffany & Co. Manhattan flagship with rooftop extension

2023-05-19T17:02:00-04:00

OMA has completed its transformation of Tiffany & Co.’s 5th Avenue flagship in New York City. The updated store now features a three-story rooftop addition designed by OMA and interiors by Peter Marino.

Image credit: floto+warner

The project marks the first significant renovation of the store since its opening in 1940. Now known as ‘The Landmark,’ the store “invites visitors to discover the history and range of Tiffany & Co. goods in a redefined flagship environment of displays and shared experiences,” according to OMA.

Image credit: floto+warner

The interior of the existing limestone building sees a central core reorganized to create a clear elevator lobby and improved visitor flow. Atop the building, a new three-story volume houses a dedicated gallery, exhibition, and event space.

Image credit: floto+warner

The first two floors of the volume are stacked into a clear box for exhibitions and events, with a double-height, column-free s...

PietriArchitectes designs 15-unit social housing project using cross-laminated timber

2023-01-01T08:00:00-05:00

Paris’ PietriArchitectes has shared images of their new 15-unit social housing development in the northern suburb of Aubervilliers.

Completed towards the end of last year, 36 Ferragus is the key cog in a requalification operation for the city’s center. Currently, about two-thirds of Aubervilliers residents inhabit some form of social housing, and so the development provides relief in what is to some a frequent powder keg for related issues.

Opting for pre-fabricated components and wood as its main building material for the extension project, the studio worked within a site that’s part of the larger Heurtault block of the ZAC Moutier agglomeration to adapt a disused existing early-20th century residential structure and garage.

Image: Hugo Hébrard

Per the architects: "This game of opposition between old and new constitutes the soul of the project. On the street side, the extension is set back from the preserved construction, providing inhabitants with space to access the buildings. A ...

22 projects shortlisted for the Don't Move, Improve 2021 awards

2021-05-21T18:49:00-04:00

The Don't Move, Improve Awards is an annual program organized by New London Architecture highlighting the city's best new home extensions and celebrate innovative home improvement projects. In its eleventh year, each selected winner demonstrates "how a well-designed home can improve quality of life, offer functional solutions on the smallest of sites, and create beautiful spaces even within the most restricted of budgets."

Below are this year's shortlist winners and a selection of project images.

A Cloistered House by Turner Architects. Image courtesy of NLA

A CLOISTERED HOUSE by TURNER ARCHITECTS
AMOTT ROAD by ALEXANDER OWEN ARCHITECTURE
CLAIRE AND TOM'S HOME by ZMINKOWSKA DE BOISE ARCHITECTS
COUNCIL HOUSE RENOVATION by VATRAA
ELMFIELD ROAD by ECKFORD CHONG

Elmfield Road by Eckford Chong. Image courtesy of NLA

ER Residence by Studio Hallett Ike. Image courtesy of NLA

ER RESIDENCE by STUDIO HALLETT IKE
FRUIT BOX by NIMTIM ARCHITECTS
GRAIN HOUSE by HAYHURST AND CO

Grain House by Hayhurst and Co...

New London Architecture offers a different perspective on home renovation projects

2019-12-16T17:08:00-05:00

In London, where it is often difficult, if not nearly impossible, to build new ground-up residences, many architectural firms specialize in helping families give their "traditional"-looking homes contemporary updates. Initiatives like New London Architecture (NLA)'s annual "Don't Move, Improve!" competition, for example, recognize architecture projects that focus on home extensions and renovation improvements of existing buildings.

Currently in its 9th year, the competition has allowed firms like Proctor & Shaw and Paul Cashin Architects to showcase their efforts towards allowing homeowners to redefine their living space in a noninvasive way.

Enfilade located in London Borough of Lambeth. Project by Proctor & Shaw. Image © Ben Blossom via/Proctor & Shaw Facebook

Joann Plockova of the New York Times dives into the subject and speaks with architect Paul Cashin. He shares with Plockova, "a constrained planning culture" is a contributing factor to an increase in extension popularity. A...

Stanton Williams design a new extension for Cambridge's business school

2018-01-17T16:10:00-05:00

Stanton Williams completed a new design extension for the Cambridge Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge. The £21.5 million expansion utilized the existing site's potential in creating The Simon Sainsbury Centre. The Centre will serve as a versatile hub in providing flexible education spaces for the school’s Executive Education program.

The Centre is conceived as an extension of the original hospital replacing two former nurses' hostels. Stanton Williams' design draws inspiration from the hospital's historic masonry facade while also complimenting the adjoining 1995 John Outram-redesigned building. This approach unifies the campus's architectural identity beyond a single period style.

Cambridge's new extension is also on track to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating for sustainability. The design utilizes an innovative strategy of distributed ventilation with the incorporation of 60 small heat recovery units within the building envelope to create a ‘breathing facade’....

Deadline for Ed #2 'Disaster' submissions extended until January 30

2018-01-04T12:00:00-05:00

With 2017 in the rearview mirror, Ed wanted to take stock of where we are and where we’re going. But despite our best attempts at optimism, things didn’t look so hot. Our rents are rising. The climate is getting crazy. Nuclear war seems right around the corner. It began to feel like the only thing we can depend on is our monthly student loan bill. That is, we couldn’t help but notice that we’re in the middle of a sh*tstorm.

For our second issue, Ed is trying to grapple with the seemingly widespread sense that things are bad and probably getting worse. That is, we’re trying to think about architecture and disasters: How does architecture play a role in creating disasters? How can architecture help mitigate them? Are there such things as disasters in architecture itself? What even qualifies as a disaster anyway?

Credit: KC Green

Late last year, we began accepting written submissions of around 1500-2000 (max.) words (Chicago-style citation), as well as visual and built projects, that re...

Project Profile: 'Pitch Perfect'

2017-12-15T18:34:00-05:00

Each year, the NLA (New London Architecture) runs a competition celebrating the best in home extensions and improvements. Now in its seventh year, the 2018 shortlist shows more than ever the value of good design in home improvements, and how architects can work with tight constraints to create an intrinsically unique solution to a family situation.

Photo: Anna+Tam © nimtim architects ltd

Nimtim’s shortlisted project is no exception; a young family needing extra space, privacy, and addressing this on a multi-levelled site. The result is a modern, sleek echo of the adjoining terraced roofscape, and a considered approach to lighting and heating within this elegant design.

Photo: Anna+Tam © nimtim architects ltd

The use of timber on both the external and the internal creates a cohesion throughout the project, and the way in which the existing ground floor layout of the home has been addressed, gives the impression on the interior that this is not an addition but a natural evolution of t...

WOHA builds Crowne Plaza Changi Airport hotel extension in just 26 days

2017-08-22T15:32:00-04:00

WOHA unveiled the latest photos of their 103,495 square-foot extension for the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport (CPCA) hotel in Singapore. The extension was completed in a mere 26 days, according to the firm; quite the accomplishment considering the constrained site at one of the world's busiest airports. Completed last year, the 243-room hotel extension is Singapore's first private-sector commercial project that uses pre-fab, pre-finished volumetric construction techniques.

Photo © Patrick Bingham-Hall.

Client OUE Hospitality Trust found that “using the PPVC method has slashed manpower requirements on site by as much as 45 percent. It added that the use of PPVC has shaved off 17 percent in overall construction time, with about 40 percent in manpower savings,” WOHA describes.

V&A Museum addition includes $70M all-porcelain public courtyard

2017-06-30T17:33:00-04:00

The bold addition features the world's first all-porcelain public courtyard, paved with 11,000 handmade porcelain tiles in 15 different patterns. The tiles were manufactured by Koninklijke Tichelaar Makkum, the Netherlands' oldest registered company, established in 1572.

After six years of construction, the Exhibition Road Quarter, AL_A-designed courtyard space opened yesterday in London's Victoria and Albert Museum, adding 11,840 square feet of column-free flexible gallery space to the museum to help accommodate the V&A's headline exhibitions. Intended as a meeting point, public square and museum entrance, AL_A's extension is V&A’s largest architectural intervention in over 100 years.

Peter Zumthor unveils scheme for Fondation Beyeler extension in Riehen

2017-05-04T18:25:00-04:00

After being unanimously chosen out of 11 renowned architecture firms, Peter Zumthor presented his vision for the expansion project of the reputable Fondation Beyeler Museum in Riehen, Basel. Joining the original Renzo Piano-designed museum building, the new expansion will provide more room for the Museum's cultural events as well as more gallery space for their growing permanent collection of modern and contemporary art.

Zumthor's scheme reflects the Museum's focus on “the visitor's personal and sensory experiences in encountering art and nature”. The expansion will be constructed on private land of the Iselin-Weber Park, which will become accessible to the public.

The scheme distributes the Museum's various functions among three buildings, like a village-like community,: an administrative building, a transparent events pavilion, and the “House for Art”.

Images Courtesy Atelier Peter Zumthor & Partner.

Visitors will be able to easily access recreation areas in the Iselin-Weber Park a...

Preserving memory in 2016 Stephen Lawrence Prize winner House of Trace

2016-10-07T19:12:00-04:00

Tsuruta Architects' House of Trace was revealed as the 2016 Stephen Lawrence Prize winner during a slew of big announcements at the RIBA Stirling Prize party in London yesterday...[In designing the House of Trace,] Tsuruta Architects wanted to preserve a “sense of everyday memory, while simultaneously allowing the new intervention to have its own identity.”

It surely must be a proud moment for London-based Tsuruta Architects, whose delightful old-meets-new House of Trace won the RIBA's 2016 Stephen Lawrence Prize.

More details on Bustler.

Previously:

RIBA announces 2016 Stephen Lawrence Prize shortlist

Jean Nouvel's museum extension plans narrowly rejected in Geneva

2016-03-02T14:04:00-05:00

The people of Geneva have narrowly rejected a controversial plan to extend and renovate the city’s Musée d’Art et d’Histoire by the French architect Jean Nouvel. The “non” camp won the public vote on 28 February with 54%. Ateliers Jean Nouvel in Paris designed the planned extension, which was approved by Geneva’s municipal council last May, in collaboration with the local firms Architectures Jucker and DVK Architectes.[...] The council must now launch a new competition for the museum.

Related Nouvel stories in the Archinect news:

Playtime: first look at a contemporary extension on a classic house

2016-02-11T12:13:00-05:00

Designed by Playtime Agence d'Architecture, this 45 square meter glass and pre-lacquered white aluminium extension of a traditional French house is striking without being out of place.

Landscape features heavily in the design's conception: built in order to have "architecture and nature dialogue on a constant basis" as a press release states, the extension affords views of the Monts du Lyonnais and is sited carefully to preserve the property's numerous hundred-year-old trees. Price tag: €180,000 ex VAT.

Take a look at "Real Fantasies," AMO's latest collaboration with Prada

2016-02-05T13:43:00-05:00

For the 2016 Spring/Summer Prada Real Fantasies, AMO graphically reinterprets the Indefinite Hangar as a synthetic sunset fixed within a 3 dimensional blank space. The abstract hangar is populated with geometric objects and furniture. Characters move through a neutral scene between the undefined and distilled fragments of daily life. The horizon and scale constantly shifts, manipulating the frame and disrupting a linear sequence: an artificial landscape where fiction and collection collide.

OMA and its think tank counterpart, AMO, have deep ties to the fashion world, in particular with Prada. Alongside built work by the architectural powerhouse, notably the recently-completed Fondazione Prada, OMA/AMO has designed runways, look books, and videos for the Milanese luxury brand.

Since 2012, that collaboration has produced graphic short movies showcasing new collections under the project banner "Real Fantasies." For the 2016 Spring/Summer collection, AMO imagined a world of pure architectural extension, a CAD utopia unblemished by reality.

Described as a "3 dimensional blank space," the setting of the video seems locked in an endless sunset. Lithe models ride a train past a city of pure geometry, which morphs seamlessly into an unending picture window.

It's visual porn at it's best and well worth a look. Watch the video below, and for more connections between fashion and architecture, check out these links:

Archinect - News

Álvaro Siza completes sculptural extension to Porto monastery

Zooco creates ‘Brutalism over the sea’ with Spanish restaurant inside renovated 1970s concrete structure

Glazed extensions flank Montreal’s historic Maisonneuve Library following major EVOQ renovation

Construction underway on Snøhetta and Park Associati’s 1960s office renovation in Milan

OMA completes renovation of Tiffany & Co. Manhattan flagship with rooftop extension

PietriArchitectes​ designs 15-unit social housing project using cross-laminated timber

22 projects shortlisted for the Don't Move, Improve 2021 awards

New London Architecture offers a different perspective on home renovation projects

​Stanton Williams design a new extension for Cambridge's business school​

Deadline for Ed #2 'Disaster' submissions extended until January 30

Project Profile: 'Pitch Perfect'

WOHA builds Crowne Plaza Changi Airport hotel extension in just 26 days

V&A Museum addition includes $70M all-porcelain public courtyard

Peter Zumthor unveils scheme for Fondation Beyeler extension in Riehen

Preserving memory in 2016 Stephen Lawrence Prize winner House of Trace

Jean Nouvel's museum extension plans narrowly rejected in Geneva

Playtime: first look at a contemporary extension on a classic house

Take a look at "Real Fantasies," AMO's latest collaboration with Prada

PietriArchitectes designs 15-unit social housing project using cross-laminated timber

Stanton Williams design a new extension for Cambridge's business school