Articles by Antonia Piñeiro

The New Museum is the only museum in New York City dedicated exclusively to contemporary art. From its beginnings as a one-room office on Hudson Street to the inauguration of its first freestanding building on the Bowery, designed by SANAA in 2007, it has evolved into a center for exhibitions, research, and documentation on international living artists. In 2017, Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas of OMA were selected to design the New Museum’s expansion. The first design images were released in 2019. On January 13, the Museum announced that its 60,000-square-foot expansion, designed in collaboration with Cooper Robertson, will open on March 21, 2026, with an exhibition exploring the very definition of humanity.

Construction has begun on the new Bishoftu International Airport (BIA), designed by Zaha Hadid Architects for Ethiopian Airlines Group. Ethiopia‘s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed Ali, laid the cornerstone at the airport’s groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, January 10, 2026. The new airport will be located approximately 40 kilometers south of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, and is planned to become Africa‘s largest airport. Phase One of the project is designed to serve 60 million passengers per year. Subsequent phases are expected to increase capacity to up to 110 million passengers annually, supported by four runways and parking for 270 aircraft, more than four times the capacity of Ethiopia’s current main airport, according to statements by the Prime Minister.

A new museum dedicated to the science of carbon fiber opened in Fiorenzuola d’Arda, Italy, on December 17, 2025. The project dates back to 2021 and was designed by CRA–Carlo Ratti Associati in collaboration with the late Italian architect Italo Rota. Commissioned by MAE, a manufacturer of equipment for carbon fiber production, the project transforms one of the world’s largest archives on carbon fiber into a dynamic museum, uniting research with archival preservation and turning the archive into a space for interactive exploration. The project is described by its designers as a “living museum,” a place to read, inquire, and connect ideas.

Malabo served as the capital city of Equatorial Guinea from the country’s independence from Spain on October 12, 1968, until January 2, 2026, when a decree issued by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo officially transferred the capital to Ciudad de la Paz (“City of Peace”), located in Djibloho Province. Obiang formalized the move as part of a long-planned territorial reorganization. While the former capital remains an important economic center on Bioko Island, Ciudad de la Paz was conceived as a planned capital on Africa‘s mainland. The initiative to relocate the capital dates back to 2008, with construction beginning in 2011. The new capital, also referred to as Djibloho, after the province, or Oyala, has been framed by the government as a decentralization effort aimed at improving national accessibility.

During 2025, several sports infrastructure projects were announced that remain on our radar, most of which are scheduled for completion between 2028 and 2030. Located across Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and North America, these projects reflect contemporary masterplan strategies for the transformation of large sports venues within their urban contexts. Many of the stadiums are planned as part of broader redevelopment frameworks that include new public spaces, mixed-use programs, event facilities, and mobility upgrades, rather than as isolated structures. Designs led by international offices such as Populous, Foster + Partners, Heatherwick Studio, OMA, Gensler, AFL Architects, and VUILD illustrate a range of architectural, urban, and infrastructural responses to the evolving role of large sports facilities.

UNS has revealed images of SeoulOne, a master plan designed for Hyundai Development Company (HDC) in Seoul, South Korea, intended as a new model for multigenerational living. The project, already under construction on a brownfield site in the northeast of the city, reimagines an existing industrial site and railway area as a 405,000 m² car-free neighborhood for a multigenerational community. A never-sleeping, green master plan for Seoul, SeoulOne is envisioned as a mixed-use mini-city where all essential services for people of all ages are available within a 10-minute walk. The design includes 24/7 residential towers, retail spaces, offices, a hotel, sports facilities, daycare centers, senior living facilities, and a medical center, offering permanent services within walking distance. More than 30% of the site is dedicated to vegetation, including pocket parks, roof gardens, water gardens, and a forest walk, creating a year-round green village.

MVRDV and SYNRG have received approval to construct Schieblocks, a 47,000-square-metre office building in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Designed for developer LSI, who markets the project as The Bluezone Offices, the building will occupy a narrow site along the railway line, reaching 61 metres in height and extending almost 150 metres in length. The programme includes commercial spaces at ground level, offices throughout, and a restaurant and event venue on the upper floors. Conceived as a “3D neighbourhood,” the design breaks the large volume into a series of colourful, distinct blocks that incorporate numerous references to Rotterdam’s architectural character.

On November 20, 2025, the Mississippi Museum of Art (MMA) confirmed the purchase of Fountainhead, a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1948 and completed in 1954. The renowned modernist architect designed the residence and its furnishings for oil businessman J. Willis Hughes, who lived there with his family until 1980. Established in 1911, the MMA is the largest art museum in the state of Mississippi, offering exhibitions, public programs, artistic and community partnerships, educational initiatives, and opportunities for exchange year-round through a permanent collection of paintings, photography, multimedia works, and sculpture. The purchase is part of the Museum’s goal to embed itself in neighborhoods across the city in ways that support its community-building priorities, making the architectural landmark available to the public for tours with reservations. The initiative is inspired by institutions such as the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, which acquired the Wright-designed Bachman-Wilson House in 2015.

Amid ongoing global discussions on climate adaptation and resilient urban development brought into sharper focus by the outcomes of COP30, this week’s architecture news illustrates how cities worldwide are rethinking their built environments. From Venice, where the 19th Architecture Biennale concluded with debates on material use and long-term cultural impact, to international awards foregrounding regenerative and socially responsive design, the conversation around architecture is increasingly intertwined with planetary priorities. Major urban interventions, from Thessaloniki‘s seafront redevelopment and Rio de Janeiro‘s new public library, to Abu Dhabi‘s Natural History Museum and a civic stadium in Birmingham, demonstrate how multiple cities are addressing mobility, heritage, density, and climate resilience. Additional plans, such as Mantua‘s ecological urban strategy, Utrecht‘s elevated landscape above transport networks, and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol’s redesigned landside mobility system, further reflect a transition toward integrated, people-centred urban frameworks that prioritize environmental performance, public space, and long-term territorial stewardship.

Kéré Architecture has unveiled its proposal for the 40,000-square-meter Biblioteca dos Saberes (House of Wisdom) in Rio de Janeiro‘s Cidade Nova neighborhood. Designed by Francis Kéré, Mariona Maeso Deitg, and Juan Carlos Zapata, the cultural complex is commissioned by the Rio de Janeiro City Hall and planned for a site near Valongo Wharf and the Little Africa area. The design was presented to members of the community on November 20, the National Day of Zumbi and Black Consciousness in Brazil. Important features include a perforated façade for sun protection, roof gardens, landscaped terraces, shaded courtyards, open-air areas, a canopied amphitheater, and a pedestrian bridge connecting the building to the nearby monument to Zumbi dos Palmares.