Articles by Andreea Cutieru

Construction is underway for OMA’s Simone-Veil Bridge in Bordeaux, with the first elements of the metal framework installed on the right bank of the Garonne river. Spanning 548 metres, the sixth bridge across the Garonne will connect the municipalities Floirac and Bègles and provide the city with a new public space, thus framing the bridge as a contemporary boulevard. Designed as a continuous surface extended to landscaped public spaces on each bank, the 44-metre bridge will accommodate cars, public transport, bicycles, with the largest surface dedicated to pedestrians. When completed, the project will become the first bridge in OMA’s body of work.

BIG revealed the design for a treetop hotel room wrapped in 350 bird houses created for the Treehotel in Lapland, Sweden. Designed in collaboration with ornithologist Ulf Ohman, the 34 square-metre Biosphere room seeks to enhance the surrounding biosphere by providing a habitat for local birds while allowing guests to be immersed in the surrounding forest. The project is the latest addition to the hotel’s series of individually designed rooms created by some of Scandinavia’s most renowned architects, such as Snøhetta, Rintala Eggerstsson, and Tham & Videgard.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has expressed concern over the damage caused to historic landmarks in Ukraine and called for the protection of its cultural heritage. At the same time, the organization has taken action within its capabilities to help safeguard the endangered sites. Ukraine is home to seven World Heritage sites, including the 11th-century Saint-Sophia Cathedral and the entire ensemble of the Historic Centre of Lviv. In addition, several sites in the recently damaged cities of Kharkiv and Chernihiv were on the tentative list for potential nomination to World Heritage status.

Büro Ole Scheeren has revealed the design for a tropical resort complex in Sanya, one of China’s most popular holiday destinations. The project establishes a strong connection with its natural environment, amplifying the presence of lush greenery. The stacked volumes create a curved façade embracing the ocean and amplifying the panorama, while the offsets and openings create the opportunity for natural plantings throughout the building, bringing to life a version of the hanging gardens.

Advances in biotechnology and material science are opening new material opportunities, with the potential of fundamentally changing the connection between the built environment and the natural world. Building materials and construction account for 11% of greenhouse gas emissions. The AEC industry can contribute to curbing climate change in the following years, and the re-evaluation of commonplace building materials is one of the most critical steps. Bioengineered materials, which grow, produce energy, self-heal, are the next frontier in biology and material science and potentially a path towards a new kind of architecture. Although innovation in these fields is still far away from mainstream commercial use, it promises to dramatically change the image of the built environment.

‘Future Cites’ exhibition was recently inaugurated at the Future Design Arts Centre in Chengdu, examining how the work of Zaha Hadid Architects has redefined urban landscapes around the world. The monographic show highlights the trends and innovations shaping contemporary urbanism and traces the ideas and concepts that defined ZHA’s body of work. The exhibition displays the office’s ongoing research and various urban design approaches, presented through visualizations, architectural models and video projections.

David Adjaye Associates has been commissioned to design an exhibition with rare and previously unreleased work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, to be hosted at the Starrett-Lehigh Building in West Chelsea, New York. “Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure” is the first show organized by the artist’s family after his death and will feature over 200 paintings, drawings and artefacts, together with recreations of Basquiat’s New York art studio and the Michael Todd VIP Room of the Palladium nightclub, for which the artist created two paintings.

Shigeru Ban Architects designed a wellness retreat on Japan’s Awaji Island. The project features a bridge-like wooden structure suspended above the lush landscape, providing visitors with a zen experience. The Vierendeel timber girder allows for a 21-metre span and a significant cantilever on one end of the 90-metre long structure. The Zenbo Seinei retreat, which will focus on meditation and healthy food, is currently under construction and is set to open this spring.

Paris City Council granted final approval to Gustafson Porter + Bowman‘s landscape design for the Eiffel Tower site. The project is the result of a 2019 international competition that sought to redesign the 2-kilometre axis leading up to the Eiffel Tower, connecting Place du Trocadéro, Palais de Chaillot, Pont d’Iéna, Champ de Mars and the Military Academy. The landscape plan redefines this iconic green space in Paris by increasing green areas by 35% and adding over 200 new trees, in addition to pedestrianizing the Iena bridge.

Since 2017, UN-Habitat, together with Shigeru Ban Architects, Philippe Monteil and the NGO Voluntary Architects’ Network, developed several shelter typologies for a pilot neighborhood in Kalobeyei Settlement in Kenya. The Turkana Houses are meant to house South Sudanese and other refugees living in Northern Kenya who could not return to their original villages due to endless civil wars and conflicts. Unlike typical refugee shelters, these structures were meant to provide a home for long periods of displacement and the four typologies developed are informed by the extensive experience of Shigeru Ban Architects with disaster relief projects and the local building techniques of local people.