Inspiration

Collectively, these dynamic screens begin to reveal the powerful ways that shadows can be designed.

Yesterday, Daniel Libeskind unveiled plans for the Kurdistan Museum, a cultural center that will cel ebrate the history of the Kurdish people. The 150,000-square-foot museum is to be built in Erbil, Iraq, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Kurdistan is a loosely defined geographical area in the heart of the Middle East that includes the self-governing region…

The wait is finally over. The public has spoken. Over 300 experts from fields spanning the arts and business worlds have weighed in. The winners of the 2016 A+Awards, the world’s largest awards program for architecture and products, have officially been decided! This year’s entries have surpassed every expectation, treating us to an exhibition of…

Materials can say a lot. Contrary to the announcement made by colored paint which shouts itself out to the world, the innate material qualities of a wall, roof or floor are often much more subtle: the grain of a wood, the coolness of steel, a chalky expanse of brick. The examples in this collection all…

Earthquakes? No longer a problem for Japanese fabric manufacturer Komatsu Seiren, whose showroom fac ility in Nomi, Japan, has been fitted with a carbon-fiber curtain designed by the architect Kengo Kuma. This innovative reinforcement provides added stability to the building, protecting it from damage wrought by earthquakes. “The fiber rod is said to be seven times…

A few years ago, a revolutionary ceramic material burst onto the scene, giving the bathroom industry opportunities to rethink the shape of fixtures and fittings. Called SaphirKeramik, the material was developed by Swiss bath manufacturer Laufen and boasts superior strength that allows for production of incredibly thin-walled ceramic sanitary-ware. One new series stemming from this…

The geometric A-frame form in architecture was awakened in the 20th century, when architects and bui lders explored the simplistic and functional construction shape with open floor-plans in farmhouse vernacular. The dramatic, sloping roof and cozy living quarters resonated with wider audiences and soon found their way to vacation homes and remote cabins. The triangular shape…

Le Corbusier may have described houses as “machines for living in,” but most people take a less func tionalist attitude toward the buildings in their lives. Walking around a familiar city, architectural landmarks seem more like old friends than machines. It’s no coincidence that children’s drawings of houses often resemble faces: a door for a mouth…

Architectural associations exist around the world to support local architects and encourage the publ ic to appreciate the contributions of architecture in creating good cities, good urban environments and — simply put — places where people want to be. Toon Dreessen is the President of the Ontario Association of Architects, and he talked with Architizer about…