London Festival of Architecture announces 2019 programme


With the mission to support London’s architecture talent, celebrate innovation, and promote positive change to the public realm, the London Festival of Architecture (LFA) returns this June with a 400-event strong programme.

The line-up — featuring events such as a ‘migration walk’ in East London, a ‘comedy safari’ of classic Londoner experiences and a séance at the John Soanes-designed Pitzhanger Manor — is experimental. Refreshingly, the majority of events push way beyond printed images and text on the walls. While events span many types — from exhibition, installation, talks, workshops, family events, walking tours — there is an enthusiastic focus on group interaction and public engagement.

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World’s first upcycled high-rise is proposed for Copenhagen


Danish architecture firms Lendager Group and TREDJE NATUR want to prove that building tall doesn’t need to come at the cost of the environment or human comfort. That’s why the two firms teamed up to design CPH Common House, a proposal for the world’s first upcycled high-rise in the Ørestad area of Copenhagen. Draped in greenery, the stepped building would be built from upcycled materials “to an unprecedented extent” for an estimated 1,174 tons of carbon emission savings in the building phase.

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svetozar andreev fuses nature and modernity to create steel form in malta


the proposal by andreev and britanishskaya envisions a new form comprising of over 5,000 square meters of exhibition space laid out over five spiral floors, with a dynamic laser show in which each spiral step represents one thousand years of maltese history. the proposal has been submitted to the maltese authorities and andreev describes the project as ‘a perfect monument and symbol of the fusion of modernity and nature, of time and history, and a testament to the tenacity of the human spirit.’

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The Tulip — A new public cultural and tourist attraction for London






The Tulip is a showcase for London’s world-leading expertise in architecture, culture, education and business. This unique visitor attraction will deliver economic benefits to the City, Greater London and beyond. The Tulip offers a free state-of-the-art education facility for London’s state schoolchildren, and provides a memorable and informative experience for tourists about London’s history and dynamism. The public realm at ground level will be increased and enhanced with green spaces in line with the City’s and the Mayor’s goals for better public spaces.

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The Met Selects wHY Architecture to Renovate Rockefeller Wing in New York City




The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City has selected Kulapat Yantrasast and wHY Architecture to renovate its Michael C. Rockefeller wing. With arts produced in Africa, Oceania and the Americas, the 40,000-square-foot wing is located on the southern side of the Fifth Avenue museum. The $70 million project aim is showcase the collection of arts and artifacts from sub-Saharan Africa, the Pacific Islands, and the Americas.

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House of the Flying Beds by AL BORDE

























Built in the late eighteenth century, at first sight the house gave the impression of not being useful at all. It had only one-floor plan, the brick floor was broken, the eighty square meters were dark and cold, and the wood roof structure was rotten. Only the earth walls seemed able to be refurbish, which at first glance they did not look so bad at all.

The family does not seek for privacy: kitchen, living, dining, and bathroom are for communal use. Almost public because the project is thought to receive visitors and friends all the time. In this house for all, the private space is reduced to the bed of each one of the members of the family.

The final finishes of the completed work are almost the same as they were there in eighteenth century. The refurbish actions are a few and strategic: structural walls are reinforced, rammed earth is treated, doors and windows that were in poor condition are changed, and the floor is polish concrete.

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Foster + Partners Open Apple Champs-Élysées Store by Transforming Parisian Apartment









The latest Apple Store designed by Foster + Partners has opened on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, occupying the grounds and courtyard of a historic Parisian apartment. The ornate Beaux-Art building has been appropriated by “carefully interweaving several layers of history with contemporary, light-filled and inviting spaces.”

The design is the result of a close collaboration by Foster + Partners and Apple’s chief design officer Sir Jonathan Ive, which has produced Apple Stores around the world including Piazza Liberty in Milan, Michigan Avenue in Chicago and Regent Street in London.

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Maison du Parc in Montreal features stark interiors with “mysterious depth”




















Black and white spaces, including a sculptural staircase and a wine cellar, are found across this brick house overhauled by Montreal firm La Shed Architecture.

Maison du Parc, or Park House, is a three-storey residence in the Canadian city that has received a rear extension and a dramatic interior renovation.

La Shed Architecture gave the house a fresh coat of white paint on its brick front, after the facade was carefully preserved, while the fully glazed addition joins a garden, pool and detached garage at the back.

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GRAFT’s Masterplan for Georgian Railway Headquarters Mimics the Natural Curve of a Railway Junction





GRAFT has developed a master plan for the Didube Chughureti District in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia. The master plan for the business district attempts to provide its inhabitants with a healthy working environment by balancing scenic landscaping with the necessary amenities.

The overall complex consists of a pair of complimentary towers: the main tower, in particular, will house the head offices for the Georgian Railway Company. Elements of the façade reflect the railway. The facades, themselves, appear to divide in a similar way to a railway junction. At the base of the tower, the descending curve of the façade plateaus, creating a roof for the new open-air museum, which features locomotives from the Georgian Railway Company.

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