Articles by Andreea Cutieru

UK-based practise Alison Brooks Architects has recently won the competition to design the new Entrance Building and Children’s Literature Resource Centre for Homerton, the biggest college in Cambridge. Described by the architects as a “lantern”, the proposal is a three-storey mass-timber framed pavilion which will welcome visitors to the grounds while also providing additional study and exhibition space. Through its morphology and copper-clad facades of the upper floors, the new building establishes a dialogue with its context and provides a flexible space that can accommodate the College’s future spatial needs.

The latest news and reports on China’s construction sector redefine the country’s future architectural landscape. A Cultural Infrastructure Index reflecting the data from 2020 places China and, more specifically, Shenzen as the world leader in investments regarding cultural facilities. Last year saw the announcement of 10 new cultural projects, all designed by world-renowned architects. At the same time, the Chinese authorities announced last month that buildings taller than 500 metres would no longer be approved, marking the end of an era that made the country home to 10 of the tallest 20 buildings in the world.

“We all have to change our way of thinking now. I want to change my architecture to be even more kind to nature,” says Kengo Kuma in this Louisiana Channel interview, where he shares his thoughts on the pandemic’s impact on architecture and the environment. The architect discusses the collective responsibility towards nature and the importance of designing buildings and cities that allow for and encourage outdoor activities.

After four years since its reveal, planning permission has been granted for UK’s Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, designed by Adjaye Associates, together with Ron Arad Architects and Gustafson Porter + Bowman. First developed in 2017, the project has been stalled by public opposition concerning the chosen site and the loss of green space. A revised design has been revealed in 2019 and was given the go-ahead last week after a public inquiry. To be built within Victoria Tower Gardens, next to the Houses of Parliament, the project features a series of bronze fins marking the entrance pavilion, paired with an underground educational centre.

With three more years to go until the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and the re-opening date announced by French President Emanuel Macron, Notre Dame’s restoration work progresses. After a long safety phase and months of work interruption last year due to the pandemic, all burned timber from the roof has been removed, and scaffolding has been installed inside the cathedral. As a homage to the heritage structure and “the collective effort to rebuild Notre Dame”, the Catholic University of America is building a replica of one of the cathedral’s roof trusses in Washington D.C., using medieval techniques.

Recent extreme weather events and the acceleration of climate change, paired with decarbonization efforts that are not on track, make climate-related disruption unavoidable for urban environments, raising the issue of climate-risk adaptation. Moving past what can be done to prevent climate change, there is a strong imperative to develop strategies to prepare urban environments to cope with inevitable challenges such as sea-level rise, floods, water scarcity or extreme heat. The following discusses how cities can build resilience and adapt to undergoing and expected future climate threats.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) unveiled its design for the New York City Public Health Laboratory, a ten storey building meant to strengthen the metropole’s capability to respond to a variety of public health issues and future challenges. The laboratory is organized within a cubic glass volume stepping outward, which rises from a masonry-clad podium containing community-related functions. In order to give the new facility an active role within the Harlem neighbourhood, the design incorporates a training lab and an auditorium available to the community.

Accompanying the ongoing Olympics, Pavilion Tokyo 2021 invited Japanese architects and artists, including Kazuyo Sejima, Sou Fujimoto, Junya Ishigami and Yayoi Kusama, to envision nine temporary structures to be placed in various locations around the National Stadium designed by Kengo Kuma. The initiative showcases experimental interventions within the urban landscape that illustrate a playful take on public space. Also participating in the project are Terunobu Fujimori, Akihisa Hirata, Teppei Fujiwara, as well as artists Makoto Aida and Daito Manabe + Rhizomatiks.

Büro Ole Scheeren has unveiled its design for a hotel resort in Cebu, one of the most popular destinations in the Philippines. Taking inspiration from the island’s natural landscape and traditional architecture, the project brings together lush greenery, pools and waterfalls within a volume wrapped in arches reminiscent of local structures. The design team describes the project as “a journey through the rainforest”, where architecture, interior design and landscape converge into a multi-sensory experience.

The Chicago Architecture Biennial has announced the cultural partners, which will be presenting programming in the form of lectures, panels, workshops or performances within this year’s edition. SOM, Studio Gang, the Museum Of Contemporary Art are some of the over 100 museums, architecture studios and community organizations involved in the event. The 2021 edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial will take place from September 17 until December 18 across various sites throughout the city. The Available City intends to highlight the potential of vacant urban areas as collective spaces through interventions developed in close collaboration with the local community.