Architectural case studies and material exemplars to spark your creativity and inspire your next project.
Architecture can generally be differentiated from every other design discipline as a result of one, particularly significant characteristic: scale. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe once exclaimed that furniture design could be even more challenging than conceiving a skyscraper, given the attention to detail necessary on smaller objects. But what if solutions devised at the human…
Ever since James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro realized the first section of the phenomenally successful High Line in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, cities around the globe have sought their own urban splint of greenery and public amenity. From MVRDV’s Seoul Skygarden to Heatherwick’s Garden Bridge in London, many of the biggest names…
Far from the days of Woodstock, the rise of festival culture has evolved from niche grassroots gathe rings to massive multi-faceted events. Growing in scope and size, these art and music focused events have provoked a new typology in ephemeral architecture, spaces that are meant to be experienced in situ: the festival pavilion. Given that the…
Italian lighting manufacturer Karman has served up a number of new luminaires with — true to the bra nd — a twist. The Domenica Large Pendant, for instance, recalls the traditional church bell but renders the form in white plaster, adorned with an intricate pattern, that gives way to gold or white wire netting. It measures…
Last weekend, August 7–9, the 13th triennial Alvar Aalto Symposium took place in the Finnish archite ct’s hometown of Jyväskylä, a few hours north of Helsinki. Founded in 1979, the event is not about the legacy of its namesake but rather the future of the profession the world over, and this edition included speakers from China,…
Some buildings become permanently engrained in the collective consciousness of architects, such is t heir influence in both academic circles and professional practice, and Chilean firm Gubbins Arquitectos has channeled the spirit of one such icon for a residence on the picturesque coastline of Cachagua. Perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the Mirador…
We’re used to seeing renowned Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura creating striking modernis t forms on a grand scale, but his first project in the United States looks like being relatively restrained by comparison. The 63-year-old Pritzker Laureate was tapped by developers EastBanc for a key site dubbed the “entrance to Georgetown” in Washington and…
Everyone loves a good slatted design, whether in the form of a brise soleil, sunscreen, ceiling plan e, or even furniture. While wood is the obvious choice for such applications, the material might not lend itself well to some designs due to factors of weight, installation, and performance or maintenance mandates. Here are five alternatives to…
In their endeavors to create a perfectly serene setting for the practice of Buddhism, the Japanese h ave long been renowned for their beautifully restrained designs, in both the built environment and their carefully manicured natural landscapes. In Tokyo, Asakusa’s Sensoji Temple is one of the most visited in the country, while in Kyoto, the bamboo…