Articles by Reyyan Dogan

Smiljan Radić Clarke, the 2026 Pritzker Prize winner, is a contemporary Chilean architect known for his experimental approach to design, with a practice that balances the elemental with the intimate, the monumental with the fragile. Over the course of more than three decades, Radić has developed an architecture that resists repetition and conventional stylistic categorization, favoring instead deeply site-specific, materially attuned, and culturally reflective interventions.

Smiljan Radić Clarke, the 2026 Pritzker Prize winner, is a contemporary Chilean architect known for his experimental approach to design, with a practice that balances the elemental with the intimate, the monumental with the fragile. Over the course of more than three decades, Radić has developed an architecture that resists repetition and conventional stylistic categorization, favoring instead deeply site-specific, materially attuned, and culturally reflective interventions.

RSHP has won a competition to redevelop the Rives-Défense site in La Défense, the business district of Paris. Announced during MIPIM, the project envisions the transformation of an 8-hectare site at the western edge of the district into a low-carbon mixed-use neighborhood. Commissioned by Paris La Défense, the proposal is developed by a multidisciplinary team led by RSHP and including Atelier SOIL as co-architect and urban planner, Altitude 35 as landscape architect, Arcadis as engineering consultant, as well as Atelier Franck Boutté, Urban Eco, and Mobius.

Located in Istanbul, Türkiye, an 84-hectare neighborhood is currently under development in the Riva area of Beykoz along the city’s Black Sea coast. The master plan has been developed by an international design team including Snøhetta, Bjarke Ingels Group, and MVRDV, alongside local practices KEYM, DB Architects, Rasa, and Bilgin Architects. Known as Ion Riva, the project is conceived as a landscape-led residential community that integrates housing, cultural facilities, and public programs within an ecological framework shaped by the meeting of forest, river, and sea. The first phase of the development, which has received planning permission and is currently under construction, will deliver 969 homes designed for approximately 3,000 residents, with the first completed residences expected to be occupied in 2027.

The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago is scheduled to open to the public on June 19, 2026, coinciding with Juneteenth. Located within Jackson Park on the city’s South Side, the 19.3-acre campus was designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects in collaboration with Interactive Design Architects, with landscape architecture by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. Opening events organized by the Obama Foundation are planned between June 18 and June 21, beginning with a dedication ceremony at John Lewis Plaza, followed by the public opening of the campus and museum the following day.

The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago is scheduled to open to the public on June 19, 2026, coinciding with Juneteenth. Located within Jackson Park on the city’s South Side, the 19.3-acre campus was designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects in collaboration with Interactive Design Architects, with landscape architecture by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. Opening events organized by the Obama Foundation are planned between June 18 and June 21, beginning with a dedication ceremony at John Lewis Plaza, followed by the public opening of the campus and museum the following day.

Each year, International Women’s Day brings renewed attention to questions of gender within many professional fields, architecture among them. Public conversations often center on celebrating prominent figures or highlighting notable projects, moments that briefly illuminate the contributions of women within the discipline. Yet the visibility produced by these occasions sits within a longer and more complex trajectory. Over the past several decades, the architectural profession has undergone gradual shifts that have expanded opportunities and broadened participation, even as longstanding structures continue to shape how careers develop and how architectural work becomes visible.

The public observation deck at the top of the Tour Montparnasse, long considered one of the most debated additions to the Parisian skyline, is set to close on March 31, 2026, ahead of a major redevelopment of the tower and its surrounding complex. Completed in 1973, the 210-meter structure has remained the only skyscraper within central Paris for decades, frequently criticized for its scale and contrast with the historic cityscape. The closure of the Paris Montparnasse Observatory marks the beginning of a multi-year transformation aimed at modernizing the tower while rethinking its relationship with the surrounding Montparnasse district.

The public observation deck at the top of the Tour Montparnasse, long considered one of the most debated additions to the Parisian skyline, is set to close on March 31, 2026, ahead of a major redevelopment of the tower and its surrounding complex. Completed in 1973, the 210-meter structure has remained the only skyscraper within central Paris for decades, frequently criticized for its scale and contrast with the historic cityscape. The closure of the Paris Montparnasse Observatory marks the beginning of a multi-year transformation aimed at modernizing the tower while rethinking its relationship with the surrounding Montparnasse district.

Architecture this week reflects the intersections of legacy, authorship, and social responsibility, as practices navigate questions of identity, recognition, and public engagement. Legal rulings, major competition shortlists, and large-scale urban proposals illustrate how architecture continues to operate across cultural, institutional, and environmental arenas. From sustainability-driven landmarks and transformative waterfront developments to iconic commercial towers, projects demonstrate approaches to ecological strategies and public programming. At the same time, global observances such as World Hearing Day highlight how spatial design shapes inclusion and accessibility, reminding the profession that the built environment can influence participation, learning, and well-being for diverse communities.