Archinect - News

Rowan Moore: UK architects should look elsewhere for council housing inspiration

2024-11-25T17:59:00-05:00

In Britain, as our government has promised, we’re going to have a “council housing revolution”, the building of as yet unknown numbers of homes at genuinely affordable rents, a return to policies of 50 and more years ago in order to address the well-known housing crisis. Which is welcome. Luckily there are, close at hand, outstanding examples of how this might be done, in cities and countries on the continent of Europe.

Moore points to Vienna, the city known for its ambitious development model for social housing, and Barcelona as two examples of what he says is a healthy "willingness to experiment" to be applied back home in the UK. The new Labour Party government has promised to usher in a "revolution" in council housing to deliver the up to 100,000 new homes needed per year to match current needs that have been made worse for years by bad policies and a lack of funding.

The same set of issues are plaguing efforts back across the pond in New York City, where Moore's American counterpart Michael Kimmelman recently considered some "radical" alternatives being pursued as part of NYCHA's complicated new plans.

French officials float €5 tourist entrance fee after Notre Dame reopening

2024-10-29T09:59:00-04:00

The soon-to-reopen Notre Dame Cathedral might include a €5 entrance fee. The French cultural minister's controversial proposal, which The Guardian says is being "fiercely opposed" by the Roman Catholic church’s leaders, could raise upwards of €75 million ($80.8 million) annually. A 1905 law enshrining secularism in France could prevent the fee from being enacted. Ariel Weil, who represents the city center, told a radio outlet "The minister’s proposal as it stands may not be possible, but it does raise the question of the huge number of visitors to Notre Dame and the colossal investments required in our religious heritage nationwide."

Notre Dame is scheduled to reopen its doors on December 8th after a five-year reconstruction.

Rowan Moore reviews new 'Difficult Sites' exhibition on challenging architectural parameters

2024-10-22T12:02:00-04:00

This small but rewarding show is a celebration of architectural skill and ingenuity, spurred on by whatever complexities might arise. Its exhibits include models and drawings supplied by contemporary practices, and taken (albeit, regrettably, only as reproductions) from RIBA’s collections. Some projects seek to soar above the mucky stuff. Others embrace the difficulties, making them into an occasion to create something that would never otherwise have come into being.

Speaking to the more than 20 building projects selected for the show, Moore added: "The qualities of thought on display are as relevant as ever, as the physical demands of climate emergency, and the challenges of providing new housing on a restricted supply of land, bring a whole new level of difficulty to bear. In these circumstances, design is not a luxury but a necessity. It’s beyond the scope of the RIBA exhibition to propose how these vaster challenges can be met, but it demonstrates creative intelligence that can be applied to more than the occasional delightful home."

If you're feeling up to the challenge, 'Difficult Sites: Architecture Against the Odds', which opened on October 11th, will remain on view until March 25th, 2025 at the RIBA Architecture Gallery in London.

Dutch architects share details of Corbusier-inspired tiny apartment in Rotterdam

2024-09-11T14:48:00-04:00

A 74-square-foot apartment design in Rotterdam, the Netherlands’ second-largest city, has captured attention for its innovative use of space, as featured on Archinect.

Image: © Ossip van Duivenbode

The Cabanon, as its architect-owners Beatriz Ramo and Bernd Upmeyer prefer to call it, takes the 1951 vacation retreat Le Corbusier designed for himself in the Côte d'Azur as inspiration and includes a living room, sleeping pod, and tiny bathroom component with a small toilet, rain-shower, and spa.

Image: © Ossip van Duivenbode

Each of these spaces comes color-coded, an effect that counteracts the apparent cramping quality of the space. A series of built-ins are another pivotal inclusion, affording them space to store items for their guests behind a tangerine-colored wall.

Image: © Ossip van Duivenbode

Ramo and Upmeyer acquired the upper floor residual space in the upper portion of their post-war apartment building in 2013. Upmeyer is the founder of BOARD (Bureau of Architecture, Research ...

BIG updates status of one of EU’s largest mass timber projects in Luxembourg

2024-09-03T17:48:00-04:00

BIG has provided an update on its Skypark Business Center at the Luxembourg Airport in Luxembourg. What will be one of Europe’s largest hybrid mass timber designs is now almost fully enclosed and stands as the first completed structure included in the Airport City grounds expansion. Metaform Architects is collaborating with BIG locally on the project, which was won after a 2018 international competition. Construction will yield approximately 840,000 square feet for offices and other commercial activities.

Bjarke Ingels recently spoke with our Niall Patrick Walsh in an interview about their noteworthy 3D printing innovations.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kai-Uwe Bergmann (@kaiuwebergmann)

The 2024 Olympic Village as an answer to America's point access block problem

2024-07-01T11:21:00-04:00

Host cities through the decades, including Helsinki, Athens, London, Torin, Seoul, Barcelona, and most recently, Paris, have all used point access block housing that would be illegal to build in the U.S. When studying mixed-use Olympic Villages as a model for successful pedestrian-oriented development in the U.S., it becomes abundantly clear that major discrepancies exist between housing options in the U.S. and the rest of the world.

The endemic use of brick and natural stone in European apartment buildings versus their more combustible American counterparts is another factor underlying discrepancies architect Sean Jursnick herein describes as preventing the creation of better adaptable low-carbon multifamily designs in the country. It adds to another recent analysis of the point access block dilemma from the Center for Building in North America in May.

He says: “Reforming the building code and allowing for taller point access blocks, similar to Paris’ Olympic Village, is a great first step in unlocking high-performance housing.” The A/C-less dorms will house up to 14,250 athletes and support staff during the games before transitioning into permanent housing for 6,000 in the ailing Saint-Denis suburb.

Ten construction equipment companies form new group to promote sustainability

2024-05-02T11:46:00-04:00

Ten major companies in the construction equipment industry have formed a coalition to promote sustainability in the sector. The France-based organization, named the Community of Sustainable Equipment Players (CAMD), includes Bouygues Construction, Colas, Eiffage, Haulotte, JCB, Kiloutou, Manitou Group, NGE, Salti, and Volvo.

The group has set out five key objectives for member companies. The group will aim to provide practical solutions and support cross-sector projects, build a knowledge base and a common decarbonization strategy, raise the profile of the materials sector and its role in the transition of the construction industry, defend the convictions of a sustainable industry, and foster a shared vision and ambition for decarbonizing the industry.

Related on Archinect: Federal 2007 ban on fossil fuels in government-owned buildings finally kicks in. Image: © Dave Burk/SOM

“The CAMD is based on the pooling of efforts, skills and best practices to accelerate the environmental trans...

New European Bauhaus Academy launches skills training network

2024-04-30T14:59:00-04:00

The New European Bauhaus Academy has launched a learning initiative called NEBA Alliance, a network of skills training hubs across the European Union meant to accelerate “up- and re-skilling” activities for workers in the AEC fields and adjacent professional industries. The news was shared via a press release earlier this month that included statements from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who announced the formation of the NEB Academy in November 2022.

Fourteen partners from industry and higher education have signed up to support the effort, which is meant to enable the 160,000 new jobs that are being added to the building sector as part of an inbound "Renovation Wave" in Europe.

"Setting up a central portal and database of certified training materials, courses, and modules, along with a selection of best practices in pedagogies, it will enable widespread scaling of training on bio-based materials in sustainable construction," the announcement states. "The curat...

An MIT-born startup is pitching their idea for green roof additions to the Parisian skyline

2023-04-05T16:45:00-04:00

A new startup born out of the MIT School of Architecture and Planning has developed a green roof concept aimed at improving the quality of life of Parisians while addressing a host of environmental and urban health concerns for the ancient city of 2.1 million.

Roofscapes is the brainchild of Master of Architecture students Eytan Levi, Olivier Faber, and Tim Cousin. The trio all hail from France and met while studying as undergraduates at the EPFL Lausanne. Together, they see the concept as a way to “unlock” the potential of the thousands of pitched roof structures throughout Paris that have for centuries gone unused.

“We knew we wanted to have an impact on the built environment that was different than what a lot of architectural firms were doing,” Faber told MIT News for a recent profile of the venture. “We were thinking about a startup, but mostly we came to MIT because we knew we’d have a lot of agency to grow our skills and competency in adapting the built environment to the cli...

Hyperloop companies form international consortium

2023-02-14T19:11:00-05:00

A consortium of seven international hyperloop companies has formed a new entity called the Hyperloop Association, the group recently announced. The organization was begun in December and expects a royal decree to follow shortly announcing it as a legal entity.

The Association says it will be based in Brussels in order to work with European Union commissioners and the EU's Agency for Railways to "advance the progress and facilitate the widespread implementation of the innovative transportation system across Europe and globally."

The news comes after years of collaborations between various participating hyperloop companies and architecture firms on infrastructure and transportation design.

BIG, for example, designed the XP-2 pods as well as passenger portals for Hyperloop One. Zaha Hadid Architects worked with Hyperloop Italia to develop station designs and strategies for urban and rural impleme...

Planting trees could lead to fewer heat-related deaths in urban areas, according to a new study

2023-02-03T17:32:00-05:00

A new scientific study has shown the positive correlations between public health and tree planting in urban areas.

In a report published recently by The Lancet medical science journal, a team of European researchers shared data on mortality rates in 93 cities in the summer of 2015 that showed how premature deaths caused by urban heat islands can be mitigated through increased greening strategies.

The study found 6,700 premature deaths in that period related to the phenomenon. One-third of those deaths, according to the authors, could have been prevented by adding 30% more trees in the urban environments of each city. The data supports established notions that particularly low-income communities can benefit from resiliency measures, adding to a growing chorus of scholarship at a time when climate change is becoming a moribund issue for cities worldwide at an accelerated pace.

Ci...

Record high temperatures are making European cities look elsewhere for future heat mitigation plans

2022-07-20T15:16:00-04:00

Cities across Europe are scrambling to implement public infrastructure upgrades to combat rising temperatures. As a result, many areas are "melting" under the strain of heatwaves that have already claimed more than 1,900 lives in Spain and Portugal alone. Not to mention the record high temperatures in England this week, where the area reached 40°C (104 F) for the first time.

According to new projections from the United Nations, the effects of heatwaves are expected to continue in frequency until at least the 2060s. As a result, nascent Heat Actions Plans in cities like Paris (where only 35% of Metro cars have air-conditioning) are planning for tests that will likely be further exacerbated by an expected influx of climate refugees from some of the most-affected regions during that same timeframe. As news continues to break, architects and urban designers try to face the worsening impacts of climate change's increasingly moribund demands.

For example, efforts to alleviate the heat is...

The Asphalt Art Initiative expands to more cities as new statistics point to improved pedestrian safety

2022-04-19T20:06:00-04:00

Bloomberg Philanthropies has announced a European expansion of its Asphalt Art Initiative on the heels of a new study from the organization and Sam Schwartz Consulting that revealed some eye-opening statistics about the improvement of blacktop spaces in urban areas. A total of 20 new cities will be given grants of $25,000 each as part of the program’s next round of funding, which has to date gone to fund 45 projects in 41 different locations across the United States.

The joint study of 22 different U.S. test cases revealed that arts-driven transportation projects produce, among other outcomes, a 50% drop in the rate of crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists, a 37% drop in the rate of crashes involving serious injury, another 25% drop in road rage incidents between pedestrian and motorist, and a 27% increase in drivers yielding to pedestrians who have the right-of-way, suggesting tremendous public health and safety benefits overall.

Asphalt Art Initiative, Amsterdam. Lead artist: ...

EU seeks to become world’s first carbon neutral continent with new “European Green Deal”

2021-07-16T14:28:00-04:00

The European Commission, acting on behalf of the European Union, has unveiled details of the “European Green Deal,” with the ambitious aim of making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. To achieve this, all 27 EU Member States will pledge to reduce emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.

The portfolio of measures set out by the European Union contain many prevalent to the architecture and construction industries. For example, the public sector of each country will be required to renovate 3% of its buildings each year to drive a culture of renovation. The EU estimates that this could lead to 35 million buildings being renovated by 2030, with the creation of 160,000 green jobs in the construction sector.

In addition, the EU has set a benchmark for each Member State to achieve 49% renewable energy use in buildings in 2030, as well as increasing the use of renewable energy in heating and cooling by 1.1 percentage points each year by 2030. Meanwhile...

Allianz Arena will not display rainbow colors in support of LGBTQ activists following a controversial UEFA ruling

2021-06-22T21:01:00-04:00

UEFA has rejected a call from activists to convert the Allianz Arena in Munich into a rainbow-covered light scheme in unison with protests ahead of Germany’s final European Championship group game with Hungary that it is slated to host on Wednesday.

The city council’s proposal was rejected by Europe’s governing soccer body after a ruling cited the effort’s political motivations as the reasoning behind the denial.

Activists are looking to shed light on the recent passage of a bill they say is meant to target LGBTQ education in Hungary’s public school system. The Herzog and de Meuron-designed stadium would have joined other Bundesliga pitches across the country in a show of solidarity that will now be expressed by fans inside the stadium, at Town Hall, and on the city’s nearby Olympiaturm as support for the protest grows.

Aerial photo of Allianz Arena. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons user Chumwa.

“We in Munich certainly won’t let ourselves be discouraged from sending a clear signal to...

Could Europe's ambitious climate-action plan spark a new common design aesthetic?

2020-10-05T13:30:00-04:00

[...] the European Union sees a chance to create a new common aesthetic born out of a need to renovate and construct more energy-efficient buildings. The proposal for energy retrofits is part of the climate actions at the core of the EU’s 1.8 trillion euro ($2.1 trillion) coronavirus recovery plan and could result in a sweeping architectural makeover, one that leaders have compared to a new Bauhaus movement for the continent.

For Bloomberg CityLab, Kriston Capps and Laura Millan Lombrana contemplate how the European Union's bold $2.1 trillion coronavirus recovery plan, and its embedded measures to make buildings more energy-efficient, could shape architecture and urban design on much of the continent. A new Bauhaus movement maybe?

"The sheer scope of climate actions under consideration could give lawmakers, engineers and architects an opportunity to build toward a shared continental vision," they write.

The battle against planned obsolescence takes a step forward in Europe

2019-10-01T13:00:00-04:00

It's no secret that planned obsolescence makes the world go 'round. We've all been there: You buy a big-ticket item that seems to work great until, that is, the product is no longer under warranty. Soon after, it breaks. Lo and behold, repairing the item is prohibitively expensive, it might even cost nearly as much to fix as buying a whole new item. What are you going to do?

Aside from making for a frustrating consumer experience, the practice generates an incredible amount of waste, especially with regards to consumer electronics and home appliances.

Legislators in Europe have had enough and are working to make planned obsolescence in household appliances a thing of the past. According to a recent article from BBC News, "From 2021, firms will have to make appliances longer-lasting, and they will have to supply spare parts for machines for up to 10 years. The rules apply to lighting, washing machines, dishwashers and fridges."

The move is expected to help reign in carbon dioxide emi...

“I can only look at the decision to leave the EU with disbelief”: Rem Koolhaas wants to show the EU's positive impact on Britain

2019-05-24T16:26:00-04:00

I am determined not to talk about Europe in terms of crisis or anxiety. I hope that the forces that allow Europe to continue developing constructively can coalesce and collaborate. But it would be foolish to make any predictions about what will happen next. For the first time in my life I don’t understand what is going on in Britain.

With all the uncertainty surrounding Britain's future, Rem Koolhaas recently shared his thoughts with The Guardian on how he watched the country improve when it first became part of the European Union. In light of the EU elections to encourage people to vote, Koolhaas took part in the Eurolab initiative to show how EU and Europe has made a positive impact on Britain. “As someone who experienced this transformation on a day-to-day basis I can only look at the decision to leave the EU with disbelief,” Koolhaas says.

Architecture Office's new exhibition explores the transformation of European immigrant towns in the US

2019-04-04T14:51:00-04:00

Founded by Nicole McIntosh and Jonathan Louie, Architecture Office's newest exhibition Swissness Applied focuses on the architectural transformation of European inspired immigrant towns and their presence in the United States. A nation comprised of people and cultures from around the globe, the project allows for the topic of cultural appropriation in architecture, urban design, and planning to be discussed.

Architecture Office co-founder Nicole McIntosh is a Swiss-born architect whose collaborative research explores a highly curated exhibition of various European immigrant towns whose characteristics reference from German, Danish, and Swiss design motifs. US towns such as Frankenmuth, Michigan; Solvang, California; and New Glarus, Wisconsin have been implemented into the American landscape by the individuals who immigrated to those areas. For this exhibition, New Glarus is a town the studio uses as the primary subject of focus in Swissness Applied.

Swissness Applied exhibition m...

'We believe there is no good Brexit:' British architects respond to impending EU withdrawal

2019-03-21T13:59:00-04:00

Just like manufacturing, architecture is dependent on international trade. British architects export their services, bringing back work and revenues, while a net influx of foreign architects fills offices: A fifth of the profession nationwide is foreign, and in London, a third, according to British architect Piers Taylor. Norman Foster, who heads Foster + Partners, more than 1,000 architects strong, said, “My practice absolutely depends on talent, and much of that talent is foreign.”

The Los Angeles Times details responses of leading British architects, including David Chipperfield, Norman Foster, Richard Rogers, in the light of the looming March 29 deadline for the UK to officially leave the EU—if this Brexit happens without further delay.

"Chipperfield has emerged as architecture’s Churchill in the letter-writing campaign, as he has waged an eloquent, diplomatic campaign of letters to the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Guardian, among others," writes Joseph Giovannini for the LAT. "Like other 'remainers' who mainly argue staying in the EU in economic terms, Chipperfield does acknowledge the economic advantages of remaining, but he points out that commercial criteria and the myopia of money have crowded out the philosophical and political debate."

Last June, the AJ reported that prominent UK architecture firms, Foster + Partners and Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, even considered leaving London for the European Union if Brexit meant a significan...

HENN's winning design gives the largest cultural center in Europe a makeover

2018-10-29T19:43:00-04:00

The Gasteig, the largest cultural center in Europe, will undergo an intensive renovation and remodeling. After 30 years of use, the Gasteig will be redesigned by the team at HENN. Opening in 1984/85, the centre welcomes an estimated two million visitors annually. Originally designed by the architecture partnership of Raue, Rollenhagen, Grossmann and Lindemann, its red brick design may not have been a visual showstopper. However, the building's role as Munich's cultural hub is what it's revered for.

Image © HENN

Having been chosen to renovate a structural icon within the community, HENN focused on redesigning the center by introducing a new architectural element to the building. Highlighting the role of the center's interior, HENN's design proposal features a glazed bridge that focuses on uniting existing areas of the building. The transparency of the bridge creates a new visual perspective enabling the the Gasteig to open up to the city and create a welcoming feel.

Interior space I...

New European hyperloop proposed running from Amsterdam to Frankfurt

2018-09-14T13:07:00-04:00

The UNStudio Futures Team (UNSFutures) recently announced plans for a 'Station of the Future' at the first edition of HyperSummit. Organized by Hardt Hyperloop, the summit took place in Utrecht, Netherlands focusing on urgency, research, and collaboration to realize a European hyperloop.

The proposed hyperloop will run from Amsterdam to Frankfurt in 53 minutes. Using technology powered by solar panels, the hyperloop will produce no sound or environmental emissions and can provide the necessary energy to power itself.

The station has been envisioned as a series of tessellating components which can adapt to a range of possible contexts: city-centre, edge of city or adjoining an existing infrastructure hub, such as an airport.

Europe's new tallest building, The Lakhta Center by RMJM, nearly completed in St. Petersburg

2018-07-31T13:30:00-04:00

For a brief period from 2011 until 2012 Renzo Piano’s 309.7m London skyscraper, The Shard, was the tallest in Europe. However, it has since been dwarfed by three new buildings in Moscow, and, this summer, the title has shifted to Moscow’s second city, St Petersburg, as one of Russia’s largest companies plans its relocation.

The Lakhta Center, designed by British firm RMJM, is set to be Europe's new tallest skyscraper. The nearly completed supertall, located on St. Petersburg's coast, will reach approximately 1,515 feet, which is about 50% taller than The Shard in London. The building will serve as the new headquarters for Russian energy company Gazprom, currently based in Moscow.

Lakhta Center rendering by RMJM, located in St. Petersburg, RU. Image: Lakhta Center.

With piles driven 270 feet into the ground, the 87-story skyscraper also boasts LEED Gold certification. The design features an energy saving ice storage facility, which can accumulate up to 1000 tonnes of ice during the night used to air condition the building during the day.

US sanctions against Iran could negatively impact EU engineering and construction firms

2018-05-10T20:24:00-04:00

Much is at stake for US and European companies enjoying revived trade with Iran following US President Donald Trump’s decision this week to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal and impose fresh sanctions. Hardest hit will be oil and gas firms, plane makers like Airbus and Boeing, and car makers. But European engineering and construction firms, recruited in the last two years to help Iran develop its transport infrastructure, could lose out as well.

US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal and impose new sanctions will drastically impact European engineering and construction firms and could restrict the availability of international finance for big schemes.

After the nuclear deal was signed, Iran launched immense transit programs spending around $25 billion. Vinci and Ferrovie dello Stato have signed deals in Iran’s expanding rail and aviation sectors.

New photos of Oscar Niemeyer's Communist party headquarters in Paris

2018-04-11T16:40:00-04:00

Oscar Niemeyer's Communist party headquarters in Paris was recently captured by photographer Denis Esakov. Take a new look at the Brazilian architect's concrete achievement, one of his first in Europe.

RIBA releases Brexit report indicating UK architects' growing concerns of the industry's future

2018-03-21T16:04:00-04:00

With one year left until Brexit, 2018 is a critical year for the UK architecture industry. Today, the RIBA released the latest results of their Global by Design report, a comprehensive survey of UK architects on Brexit. Although UK architects can adapt to next year's changes, RIBA describes, they also expressed growing concerns for the uncertain future of their industry in addition to the lack of clarity on the UK's future relationship with the EU.

RIBA surveyed their members between December 2017-January 2018. For starters, 71 percent of architects believe Brexit will have a negative impact on the built environment, compared to 60 percent in the 2017 survey.

The 2018 report also reveals that 68 percent of architects had projects put on hold, and more than 2 in 5 architects (43 percent) had projects cancelled since the EU referendum (in 2017, 61 percent had delays and 36 percent had cancellations). To add to that, 60 percent of EU architects considered leaving the UK since the refer...

New Royal Academy of Arts' transformative redevelopment set to open in May 2018

2017-12-13T14:23:00-05:00

Celebrating its upcoming 250th anniversary year, the Royal Academy of Arts will open a new campus to the public in May 2018. The design for the redevelopment is by Sir David Chipperfield CBE RA, and will bring new (and free) collections to the public with 70% more space than the current footprint. The development will also join Burlington House and Burlington Gardens to unify the two-acre campus.

Exciting tours and exhibitions are planned, celebrating both the history of the institution and works from students in the RA schools. This mix, and the promise of free entry to collections is certain to bring more people to the institution. The artist and architect-led RA will also encourage public involvement with the new Architecture Studio, set in The Dorfman Senate Rooms. These creative spaces invite not only engagement, but the opportunity for the public to become part of this interaction of art and architecture.

Fotografiska London to launch in Whitechapel

2017-11-03T11:33:00-04:00

Opening November 2018 will be London’s largest permanent home for photography, Fotografiska London. The 89,000 sq ft gallery will have ticketed entry, but since it can show up to seven separate exhibitions, this ticket will get you far. This new home for photography follows Fotografiska’s successful gallery in Stockholm which features new talent alongside the world’s most celebrated photographers, and has become a major visitor attraction in the seven years since opening. Londoners can expect solo exhibitions, themed shows, and charity collaborations – all of which will be highly interactive with app and social media integration.

The project, which benefits from its accessible location in Whitechapel will include a bar, café, and two restaurants serving sustainable cuisine. Fotografiska's hope is to follow the successful self-set example of their Stockholm gallery's recently awarded 'Restaurant of the Year'. To attract product launches and events, the building will also house a conf...

New Design District Announced for Greenwich Peninsula

2017-09-28T13:45:00-04:00

Today, Knight Dragon, the developers delivering London’s largest single regeneration project, Greenwich Peninsula, have announced a new one-hectare district which will be the first purpose-built district for creatives. The Design District is the next phase in Knight Dragon’s 20-year, £8.4billion plan for the area, and promises to bring culture and community to the area with a central public realm.

Image: Knight Dragon

Open workshops and studios surround courtyards in this new creative hub formed of 16 buildings, to be situated in the heart of Greenwich Peninsula, for the use of over 1800 people. The project, designed by 8 practices, is from the outset a diverse project; each of the human-scaled workplaces were designed without conference between the practices. The result is a huge variety in form, colour, and style, with excellent transport links, thanks to the proposed new £1million tube station.

Image: Knight Dragon

Affordability is at the heart of this scheme, with prices start...

Rowan Moore on revamping contemporary competition culture

2017-09-15T15:10:00-04:00

There are still plenty of competitions – under European Union law, some sort of competitive process is required for public buildings. A lot of the time they work well. [...] But the chances have shrunk of a Mackintosh, a Pompidou or a Golden Lane emerging, or of changing the direction of architecture. Competitions have become managerialised, encased in regulation, procedure and risk-avoidance, and varnished in PR.

Rowan Moore of The Guardian gives his two cents on the “climate of caution” that has taken over architectural competition culture in Europe, where judging panels are more inclined to pick celebrity figures over emerging practices.

Archinect - News

Rowan Moore: UK architects should look elsewhere for council housing inspiration

French officials float €5 tourist entrance fee after Notre Dame reopening

Rowan Moore reviews new 'Difficult Sites' exhibition on challenging architectural parameters

Dutch architects share details of Corbusier-inspired tiny apartment in Rotterdam

BIG updates status of one of EU’s largest mass timber projects in Luxembourg

The 2024 Olympic Village as an answer to America's point access block problem

Ten construction equipment companies form new group to promote sustainability

New European Bauhaus Academy launches skills training network

An MIT-born startup is pitching their idea for green roof additions to the Parisian skyline

Hyperloop companies form international consortium

Planting trees could lead to fewer heat-related deaths in urban areas, according to a new study

Record high temperatures are making European cities look elsewhere for future heat mitigation plans

The Asphalt Art Initiative expands to more cities as new statistics point to improved pedestrian safety

EU seeks to become world’s first carbon neutral continent with new “European Green Deal”

Allianz Arena will not display rainbow colors in support of LGBTQ activists following a controversial UEFA ruling

Could Europe's ambitious climate-action plan spark a new common design aesthetic?

The battle against planned obsolescence takes a step forward in Europe

“I can only look at the decision to leave the EU with disbelief”: Rem Koolhaas wants to show the EU's positive impact on Britain

Architecture Office's new exhibition explores the transformation of European immigrant towns in the US

'We believe there is no good Brexit:' British architects respond to impending EU withdrawal

HENN's winning design gives the largest cultural center in Europe a makeover

New European hyperloop proposed running from Amsterdam to Frankfurt

Europe's new tallest building, The Lakhta Center by RMJM, nearly completed in St. Petersburg

US sanctions against Iran could negatively impact EU engineering and construction firms

New photos of Oscar Niemeyer's Communist party headquarters in Paris

RIBA releases Brexit report indicating UK architects' growing concerns of the industry's future

New Royal Academy of Arts' transformative redevelopment set to open in May 2018

Fotografiska London to launch in Whitechapel

New Design District Announced for Greenwich Peninsula

Rowan Moore on revamping contemporary competition culture​

Rowan Moore on revamping contemporary competition culture