Practice

Richard Rogers of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners is known in London, United Kingdom, for his high-q uality exhibitions of structural expressionism, buildings such as NEO Bankside offering commercial space that blends his distinctive industrial language with a luxury office environment. Recently, though, the British architect completed a project in the capital with very different requirements:…

There are few gaps left in the burgeoning portfolio of British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, which con tinues to grow at an extraordinary pace both on the drawing board and at construction sites around the globe. However, many of the buildings themselves, from concepts to finished structures, are filled with empty space — in a very literal…

The acts of sketching and model-making traditionally provide architects with much of their inspirati on at the outset of the creative process. However, some move further into the realms of art to help them visualize their concepts, enjoying the fluidity and flexibility of paint and, in particular, the free-flowing qualities of watercolors. One such architect is…

The Windy City’s Merchandise Mart is the home of superlatives. When it was completed in 1930, the 4. 2-million-square-foot building ranked as the biggest in the world. Today, it is still Chicago’s number one commercial building. And, within this behemoth, the 650,000-square-foot Design Center is the world’s largest venue of its type, while the separate ground-floor…

Architecture can be defined as a poetic assemblage, a collection of parts that together form spatial experience. Mosaics are similar; multiple small pieces of varied material are combined to form an image. Their application can dramatically transform architectural narratives. Generally understood as interior decoration or art, mosaics are typically made of tesserae, small square stone…

The big one is almost upon us. America’s inaugural architecture biennial launches in Chicago this we ekend looking to capture the public imagination and throw architecture into the mainstream spotlight in the same way that the Venice Biennale has done for Europe. The event — entitled “The State of the Art of Architecture” — runs from…

Few manufacturers in the world can boast as long and influential a history as Villeroy & Boch’s. With origins that stretch back to 1748 as a small ceramic manufacturer in Lorraine, France, Villeroy & Boch has also developed a deep, guiding sense of tradition — a tradition of always staying on the cutting edge of…

Take a peek inside some of the new and renovated spaces — from showrooms and a flagship store to des ign studios and event venues — opened by five manufacturers this past season. Artemide, ChicagoThe Italian lighting brand just opened a new Chicago flagship store designed by architecture firm Studio de Bevilacqua. Situated only steps away…

Sinks, soap dispensers, and hand dryers in public spaces are so commonplace that washing your hands typically goes by without a second thought. But, for anyone tracking resources, the germ-conscious, and detail-oriented designers, these mundane systems can pose huge problems. Protruding dispensers make it difficult to get the most use out of a space, and…