Articles by AD Editorial Team

The Moscow Urban Forum has announced the participation of internationally renowned Dutch architect and theorist Rem Koolhass at their event in July. 

As always, this year’s edition of the Venice Architecture Biennale is brimming with exhibitions and installations—the result of thousands upon thousands of hours of research and work. When arriving at the Arsenale or Giardini, the overwhelming amount of “things to see” are neatly tucked into the national pavilions, or, in the case of the Arsenale, hidden on the sides of the sweeping corridor. In the likely event that you have limited time to enjoy all that FREESPACE has to offer, ArchDaily‘s editors have selected our favorite works displayed at the 16th International Architecture Exhibition.

Here, presented in no particular order, are some of our top suggestions from across the Biennale sites.

Ever wondered about the hardest and softest woods in the world? As architects, we’re all pretty familiar with the softest: Balsa. Its material qualities are what make it so attractive to make models. But what about the the strongest wood in the world? Ever pondered just how many pounds or kilos of force they can withstand?

The Chinese Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale, themed “Building a Future Countryside“, is endeavored to explore new technology and ideas to make better of China‘s rural areas. A digitally-fabricated outdoor pavilion “Cloud Village” has been set up in addition to the national exhibition at the Venetian Arsenale. The Cloud Village has a twisting form which creates a sequence of open and semi-enclosed spaces under its roof. It seeks to convey an abstraction of the everyday life in Chinese countryside where boundaries of private and public realms are not always defined. 

As La Biennale prepares to open to the public this Saturday May 26, PLANE—SITE spoke to curators Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara about this edition’s theme, Freespace. They move beyond architecture as an object, instead imagining Freespace as an invitation to think about architecture as a space of opportunities. Literally and metaphorically, Freespace presents environments of generosity, accessibility and freedom and celebrates the rich civic experiences that they create.

To architecture students worldwide, MAD encourages you to apply for the 2018 MAD Travel Fellowship. 

Ma Yansong, founding principal partner of MAD Architects, initiated MAD Travel Fellowship in 2009. During the past 8 years, the program has sponsored 45 students for their overseas architecture travels to Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. MAD believes it is only through travel – the visceral experience of interacting with, and being influenced by, different spaces – that one can begin to understand ideas of context and gain a deeper insight into architecture.

ArkDes, the Swedish Centre for Architecture and Design, have launched a new Instagram account showcasing “surprising objects” and never-before-seen gems from Sweden’s national architecture collection. ArkDes Collections, which presents an eclectic mix of drawings, models, and photographs by architects including Ralph Erskine, Gunnar Asplund, Sigurd Lewerentz and Bernt Nyberg, has also highlighted significant work by lesser-known practitioners, such as Léonie Geisendorf and Mariana Manner.

One of the most highly regarded architects of the 20th century, Walter Gropius (18 May 1883 – 5 July 1969) was one of the founding fathers of Modernism, and the founder of the Bauhaus, the German “School of Building” that embraced elements of art, architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design, and typography in its design, development and production.

As part of our 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale coverage we present the proposal for the Chilean Pavilion. Below, the participants describe their contribution in their own words.

As part of our 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale coverage we present the proposal for the Egyptian Pavilion. Below, the participants describe their contribution in their own words.