Articles by Reyyan Dogan

A building designed by Minoru Yamasaki in downtown Minneapolis is set to be converted into a hotel, marking a new phase in the life of the former headquarters of the Northwestern National Life Insurance Company, one of the architect’s lesser-known yet formally distinctive works. Vacant since 2023, the building at 20 Washington Avenue South is now the subject of an adaptive reuse proposal that aims to introduce hospitality and public-facing functions. Initial plans were presented in April 2026, outlining a transformation of the structure while retaining its defining architectural features. The project is expected to move forward pending approvals, with a projected opening targeted for 2028.

The UIA World Congress of Architects 2026 Barcelona has released its full program, outlining the structure, participants, and range of activities scheduled to take place from June 28 to July 2, 2026. Expanding on the previously introduced theme, Becoming. Architectures for a Planet in Transition, the Congress is conceived as a distributed event across multiple venues and urban contexts rather than a single-site conference. Organized by the International Union of Architects (UIA) in collaboration with the Higher Council of the Colleges of Architects of Spain (CSCAE) and the Architects’ Association of Catalonia (COAC), the event is expected to gather approximately 10,000 participants and 250 speakers from more than 130 countries.

Bringing together a week of exhibitions, installations, and industry exchange, Milan Design Week 2026 and the 64th edition of Salone del Mobile.Milano concluded on April 26, following six days of programming across the fairgrounds and the city. Held from April 20 to 26, this year’s events reaffirmed Milan’s central role within the global design calendar. The Salone itself drew over 316,000 visitors from 167 countries. With 1,900 brands represented and a strong international presence, the week once again operated as both a cultural platform and an economic engine, navigating a context marked by market uncertainty while maintaining its capacity to convene designers, institutions, and industry leaders at a global scale.

Greece‘s built environment is shaped by the coexistence of multiple architectural layers, where historic structures, modern interventions, and evolving urban systems intersect. Classical landmarks and their surrounding urban fabrics continue to inform the spatial character of cities, while postwar developments, infrastructural upgrades, and contemporary projects add new dimensions to the country’s architectural landscape. This continuity between past and present provides the foundation for current design approaches, which increasingly focus on balancing heritage, environmental considerations, and contemporary urban needs.

Jakarta has become the world’s most populous city, according to the World Urbanization Prospects 2025 released by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). Using an updated and harmonized method for defining urban areas, the report estimates Jakarta‘s population at nearly 42 million, placing it ahead of Dhaka, which is about 40 million, and Tokyo, 33 million. The revised ranking illustrates how updated measurement criteria and continued demographic growth are reshaping understandings of urban scale in Asia and globally.

Robert A.M. Stern, the American architect, educator, and historian whose work shaped both the physical and intellectual landscape of contemporary architecture, has died at the age of 86. His passing was confirmed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA), the New York-based practice he led for more than five decades. Known for advancing a contextual, historically informed approach during decades dominated by modernist and high-tech architecture, Stern remained a prominent voice advocating for continuity, urban civility, and an understanding of architecture as part of a longer cultural lineage.

Two 36-storey residential towers have been completed on Irwell Bank Road in Singapore, featuring a pixelated facade designed by MVRDV. The scheme builds on the modular system developed by ADDP Architects, who designed the buildings using Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC). MVRDV‘s facade introduces variation across the elevations and marks the locations of the communal green spaces on the 24th floor and the rooftop. Irwell Hill Residences, developed by City Developments Limited (CDL), is MVRDV‘s debut collaboration on a building in Singapore‘s urban core.

Foster + Partners has developed a master plan for the redevelopment of the former FIX brewery in Thessaloniki, Greece. The proposal, commissioned by Dimand, outlines a mixed-use district that integrates public space, housing, hospitality, and cultural programs. Positioned along the western seafront and within walking distance of the city center, the site serves as a key point of connection between emerging neighborhoods and the waterfront. The project builds on the industrial history of the brewery complex while introducing new spatial configurations intended to support broader urban regeneration efforts across Thessaloniki.

The European Cultural Centre (ECC) has announced the winners of the ECC Awards 2025, selected from participants of the seventh edition of Time Space Existence and unveiled during the exhibition’s Closing Day on 23 November 2025 in Venice. Bringing together 207 practices from more than 52 countries, this year’s edition highlighted a broad spectrum of architectural and design approaches responding to the themes of Repair, Regenerate, and Reuse. The awards recognise four projects that stood out for their originality, execution, narrative clarity, and forward-looking engagement with questions of sustainability, community, and the future of the built environment.

The 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.,” curated by Carlo Ratti, closed on 23 November 2025 as the most visited Architecture Biennale to date. The exhibition recorded 298,000 visitors, in addition to 17,584 preview attendees, surpassing previous editions despite the temporary closure of the Central Pavilion for restoration. Bringing together 303 projects and 758 invited architects, along with 66 National Participations and 11 Collateral Events, the edition extended across the Giardini, Arsenale, and multiple sites throughout Venice.