Exhibition showcases Asian American architects in postwar California

The term “hostile architecture” refers to design that’s intended to discourage relaxation: divided benches, spiked ledges, inclined seats. The architect David Adjaye has tweaked the concept to produce buildings that should be inviting but aren’t, the architectural equivalent of a bouncer’s deadpan “Can I help you?” As one of the last of the global superstars, Adjaye has spent 25 years attracting clients to his chilly virtuosity. Two years after his reputation imploded in a sexual-harassment scandal, Adjaye has returned with two major new projects: the Studio Museum in Harlem and the Princeton University Art Museum, both well under way when he withdrew from the public eye. When these two clients scrambled to put some distance between themselves and the founder, one of his partners, Pascale Saban, and another firm, Cooper Robertson, took the lead on both. But it’s still his work. The “sensitivity to how the human body interacts with sculpted space is a good architect’s superpower, but it’s one that Adjaye badly misuses,” architecture critic Justin Davidson writes. “He inflicts subliminal discomfort, partly through the neo-brutalist scowl of the concrete and partly through proportions that seem calculated to intimidate.” “All that architectural stagecraft and choreographed precision left me with a strong urge to leave,” Davidson writes, about visiting the Studio Museum. Read his full review of both works: https://lnkd.in/euvPtS6V

Continuing the celebration of our work from the last 20 years, we now look at Scotland + Venice. Since 2016, Architecture and Design Scotland has played a key role in curating and delivering Scotland’s presence at the International Architecture exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia – through the Scotland + Venice partnership, showcasing the best of contemporary Scottish architecture and design thinking. Scotland + Venice is a partnership between Creative Scotland, British Council Scotland, National Galleries of Scotland, Architecture and Design Scotland, V&A Dundee and the Scottish Government established to position Scotland internationally at the Venice Biennale. Our role in the project ensured that Scotland’s contribution to the architecture Biennale is not only internationally relevant but also deeply rooted in local voices and landscapes. Through our contribution to Scotland + Venice, Architecture and Design Scotland has championed innovation, participation, and excellence—demonstrating how architecture can respond to the challenges of our time while celebrating the distinctiveness of place. Some of these projects included: Scotland + Venice 2016: Prospect North, by LATERAL NORTH and Dualchas Architects delivered an interactive exhibition exploring 15 community projects throughout Scotland and Scotland’s relationship with its northern neighbours with a focus on people and place. After Venice the exhibition toured in Scotland and visited Iceland. Scotland + Venice 2018: The Happenstance The Happenstance was the Scotland + Venice response to Grafton Architects theme of Freespace. In the garden of Palazzo Zenobio, WAVEparticle curated an active archive around a boardwalk-cum-climbing frame designed by Baxendale. The Happenstance playfully engaged with people of all ages, encouraging everyone to reclaim Freespace. Elements of The Happenstance were exhibited in Scotland along with a series of events. In 2021 our Scotland + Venice contribution was presented at V&A Dundee , due to the pandemic. What if…?/Scotland by 7N Architects responds to the Biennale’s theme How will we live together?, and looked to re-engage the civic role of architects and designers by asking citizens from across Scotland to share their hopes and dreams for the future of the places they call home. Scotland + Venice 2023: A Fragile Correspondence In 2023, we supported the delivery of A Fragile Correspondence, a project that explored the relationship between language, landscape, and architecture. Developed by Architecture Fringe, -ism architecture magazine and /other, the exhibition responded to the Biennale’s theme The Laboratory of the Future. It also opened at V&A Dundee in late 2024 to allow Scottish audiences to explore how cultural and ecological narratives from Scotland’s Highlands, Islands, and Lowlands can inform more sustainable and inclusive design practices. View the past projects here: https://bit.ly/47ewtLQ #20yearsADScotland

Architecture has long served as both a physical and metaphysical construct—an inscription of human consciousness upon material form. In the early twenty-first century, however, the accelerating entanglement of organic and digital systems calls for a renewed ontology of space, one that repositions architecture not merely as shelter or representation but as interface: a living dialogue between interiority and the the cosmic field. As design transitions into the post-digital condition, characterized by seamless integration of data, matter, and consciousness, the boundaries between the biological and the technological begin to dissolve.³ Architecture must therefore evolve from a discipline of construction to one of cosmic mediation—a transmergent art that fuses interior awareness with environmental intelligence. When reinterpreted within design theory, the Tree of Life suggests an architecture of ascent—a choreography of light, proportion, and movement that guides occupants through layers of awareness. Louis Kahn’s monumental geometries and Tadao Ando’s luminous voids echo this spiritual architecture, where space becomes a vessel of revelation rather than enclosure.⁵ In this sense, the Kabbalistic framework offers a model for interior transcendence: built environments conceived not merely as physical interiors but as psychic terrains. Each spatial threshold enacts the passage between concealment and disclosure, between matter and spirit. The architect, like the Kabbalist, becomes a mediator of flows—of light, form, and consciousness. The Vastu Purusha Mandala, central to classical Indian architectural thought, translates this principle into geometric form: a cosmic grid aligning built space with celestial order. Contemporary computational design unconsciously replays this metaphysical logic, producing algorithmic architectures that evolve according to the internal intelligence of form. This teleological orientation toward purification parallels the modern ecological imperative. The Zoroastrian lens situates sustainability not as technical necessity but as spiritual destiny, binding material practice to cosmic the emerging fusion of biological and technological consciousness. In architectural practice, this manifests as environments that learn, decay, and regenerate—buildings that behave more like ecosystems in a perpetual state of flux, embodying the transient equilibrium between organic decay and digital renewal.

GIfA Regional Awards Entry 2025 Project: Re-imagining the Planetarium as the Wits Anglo American Digital Dome Architect: Kate Otten Architects In 2021, Kate Otten Architects were appointed by the University of the Witwatersrand to transform the historic Wits Planetarium into a cutting-edge Digital Dome. The project included the adaptive re-use of the original building, a three-story north wing extension, and upgrades to adjacent sports facilities. The design balances heritage sensitivity with contemporary needs. The original Zeiss projector was preserved as a museum piece, finishes were restored, and reclaimed timber was used for new joinery. A new glazed entrance connects the old and new buildings, which are materially distinct yet visually cohesive. The extension respects key sightlines and uses terracotta-patterned brickwork to reference the existing structure. Accessibility and flexibility were central to the design, with new ramps and circulation ensuring equal access for all visitors. The result is a dynamic, inclusive space that serves educational, research, and public functions while celebrating its architectural heritage.

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“Drawings were really helping me to go on and eventually find the path to what the project should be.” Jacques Herzog offers a brief insight into the process of sketching and drawing that played a key role in developing the design of Calder Gardens, recently opened to the public in Philadelphia. The complete journey is documented in ‘Calder Gardens: Drawings and Texts by Jacques Herzog’, published by Hauser & Wirth. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/d9EMNEmf #herzogdemeuron #caldergardens #hauserwirth #hdm_monographs #architecturebook #architecture #design

🏛️ The Evolution of Architecture — From Shelter to Sustainable Design Architecture has always been more than just building walls and roofs; it’s the reflection of human progress — our values, our environment, and our technology. 🔹 Primitive Era: Architecture began as a simple response to survival — structures made of mud, stone, and wood to provide shelter and protection. 🔹 Ancient Civilizations: The Egyptians, Mesopotamians, and Persians shaped early architecture with monumental forms, symmetry, and symbolism — from pyramids to ziggurats and royal palaces. 🔹 Classical Age: Greek and Roman architects introduced proportion, order, and innovation. Arches, domes, and aqueducts became the backbone of structural design. 🔹 Medieval Period: The Byzantine, Islamic, and Gothic styles transformed architecture into spiritual expression. • Byzantine: Iconic domes and mosaics. • Islamic: Courtyards, wind catchers, geometric patterns, and passive cooling systems. • Gothic: Verticality, stained glass, and light-filled cathedrals. 🔹 Renaissance to Neoclassical: A return to harmony, perspective, and human scale. Architects like Brunelleschi redefined space using mathematical precision and proportion. 🔹 Modern Movement: Industrial materials—steel, concrete, and glass—gave birth to new design freedom. Function became as important as form. Schools like Bauhaus promoted “less is more.” 🔹 Contemporary Architecture: Today’s designs merge art, technology, and sustainability. Smart systems, environmental sensitivity, and digital modeling drive the modern vision of architecture. 💡 In essence: From primitive shelters to smart, energy-efficient buildings, architecture tells the story of how humanity learned to balance function, beauty, and sustainability.

🔴 IV DAYS OF ARCHITECTURE MONTENEGRO 🔴 The Days of Architecture in Podgorica bring together an exceptional group of world-renowned architects whose work and vision are reshaping contemporary architectural thought—shifting it from spectacle to sustainability, from form to essence, and from the construction of physical structures to the construction of meaning. ➡️ On the occasion of the official opening of the event on November 14, Podgorica will welcome Benedetta Tagliabue, founder of the renowned Spanish studio Benedetta Tagliabue – EMBT Architects, winner of over a hundred international awards and member of the Pritzker Architecture Prize jury. The closing of the event will be marked by a lecture by Carlo Ratti, one of the most prominent architects and researchers of our time, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and the Politecnico di Milano, and director of the renowned MIT Senseable City Lab City Lab. Adding particular significance to the event is Reinier de Graaf, partner at the celebrated office OMA and one of the most influential European architects of today, whose work—rooted in reflections on architecture as a social and political practice—raises questions of power, economy, and the impact of space on daily life. ➡️ The list of lecturers also includes Marijn Schenk from the Dutch office NEXT architects, City Architect of Amstelveen, and Sigurd Larsen, a Danish-German architect known for combining functionality and warmth in design, with experience in renowned studios such as OMA and MVRDV. From Slovenia come Matevz Zalar and Miha Munda of ELEMENTARNA d.o.o., a multi-award-winning practice whose projects have been nominated for the EU Mies van der Rohe Award and the Piranesi Award, and who are recipients of the 2025 Plečnik Award. ➡️ The regional architectural scene will be represented by Dinko Peracic, founder of the collective Platforma 9.81 and partner at ARP from Croatia, known for socially engaged projects and for representing Croatia at the 15th Venice Architecture Biennale, as well as Tomislav Curkovic Ćurković (studio Dva arhitekta), author of a distinctive contemporary architectural expression, recipient of the Drago Galić Award, and former President of the Croatian Chamber of Architects (2009–2015). The Montenegrin architectural scene will be led by Professor RIFAT ALIHOHODZIC , winner of the prestigious Borba Award (1991), who represented Montenegro at the 12th Venice Architecture Biennale, and at the following 13th Biennale took on the role of Commissioner of the Montenegrin Pavilion. 🔜 Looking forward to seeing you at the IV Days of Architecture from November 14 to 16‼️

Sean McNamara Studios Presents: Cascading Architecture - When Water Features Define Structural Identity Exploring Integrated Hydraulic Design Where Fluid Dynamics Become Primary Architectural Language This architectural study reimagines the relationship between building and water feature, demonstrating how hydraulic elements can transcend decorative function to become the defining structural gesture that establishes spatial identity. The descending rooftop water feature dominates the composition—massive flowing forms in deep teal and black cascade from upper volumes like frozen fabric, creating dramatic vertical sculptural element. This isn't water feature adjacent to architecture—this IS the architecture, with fluid forms functioning as primary facade treatment that transforms conventional building envelope into kinetic sculptural statement. The material treatment achieves remarkable sophistication. The water surfaces show realistic flow patterns with striated texture suggesting movement frozen in time, creating tension between static structure and implied motion. The dark teal coloration against coral-lit angular volumes establishes strong chromatic contrast—the warm peachy glow on cantilevered planes reads warmer against cool water tones. The reflecting pool extends the concept horizontally, with cylindrical water vessels creating rhythmic pattern that mirrors the verticality of the descending feature. This integration ensures water establishes comprehensive aquatic environment where architecture emerges from and returns to water—suggesting themes of natural cycle and elemental connection. The angular cantilevered volumes provide geometric counterpoint to organic water forms. These sharp-edged planes appear to defy gravity while water features ground the composition with visual weight and downward directionality. This interplay between ascending architectural gesture and descending water movement creates dynamic equilibrium that animates the entire composition. The conceptual significance lies in challenging conventional hierarchies between building and site amenity. Rather than treating water features as landscape accessories added after architectural design completion, this approach makes hydraulic design the generative concept from which all other formal decisions emerge. This represents evolution toward architecture as environmental choreography, where buildings orchestrate elemental experiences rather than merely providing shelter. How do you envision water integration evolving as primary architectural expression in luxury residential design? #SeanMcNamaraStudios #WaterFeatureDesign #ArchitecturalInnovation #LuxuryResidential #ContemporaryArchitecture #SculpturalDesign #DesignExcellence