Culture

"Bir Zamanlar Publishing" (BZY) is an institution dedicated to researching the diverse religious and cultural communities that have lived in Turkey. It collects visual and textual materials, aims to share this documentation with the public, and also organizes exhibitions and gatherings. Mıgırdic Arzivyan For this multifaceted institution, we designed a 13 m² space located on the basement level of the historic Hak Passage in Nişantaşı. The space was expected to accommodate book sales, workshops, and the display of unique objects. Rather than treating it as a conventional retail unit, we approached it as a hybrid space that combines the functions of a museum, archive, store, exhibition platform, and place of learning. Mıgırdic A... More

A new pavilion in Eindhoven as a gift from the Chinese city of Nanjing. Image Courtesy B-too Nanjing The former Philips enclave Strijp-S in Eindhoven is the place where it was decided that this unique building with patently clear Chinese influences should be erected. An effervescent place where residential, life and work go hand-in-hand, and consequently there is always something to do here. The new pavilion in Eindhoven is a gift from the Chinese city of Nanjing. The name You Ning refers to this good city connection. “You” means friendship and “Ning” is the abbreviated name for the city of Nanjing. Who else but Eveline Wu could come up with a fitting concept and who else but B-too could design the interior... More

The Ismaili Centre, designed by Moriyama Teshima Architects in association with Charles Correa Associates, uniquely responds to established Islamic building traditions, while incorporating contemporary architectural form, materiality, and construction methods. The architectural language distinguishes a community that is both informed by its past and modern in its outlook, inviting peaceful faith and contemplation, intellectual discovery, and public outreach. Shai Gil The first of its kind in North America, the unique roof of the prayer hall is constructed of elegant structural steel trusses of various depths and dimensions, which are covered by a double layer of glass. The glass rises in the shape of an inverted cone and is pieced toge... More

Abrams Books retained Spacesmith for the site selection and design of their new 40,000 sf headquarters. Our team began by evaluating multiple locations while working with Abrams to develop new workplace standards to comfortably accommodate employees and provide them with needed collaboration spaces, as well as enhanced amenities. A 19th century landmarked building was chosen giving Spacesmith the opportunity to juxtapose the iconic with the new, a nod to Abrams long history in the publishing industry and its contemporary branding effort. Photo credit: Eric Laignel Multiple workplace strategies were studied, and Abrams chose a 90% open workplace, a large departure from their previous headquarters which held private offices. To manage t... More

Externally, the building looks like a closed structure of blank blocks, but inside, due to the labyrinth spatial organization and the transformational potential of the pavilions, the adventure and inspiring spatial experience begins.    The cultural center is located on two floors – the first and -1, where additional spaces are concentrated, in which a special action takes place: to get there, one needs to go down through a secret passage – a waterfall. There are four main axes in the labyrinth, each of which divides the structure into “quarters”. The bottom left includes restaurants, the theater, and the offices. The upper left quarter incorporates a large pavilion with the main stage. The upper right se... More

At the gateway to Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, currently stands Shinhigwauk Hall, the former residential school where children from 184 First Nations communities across Canada were taken from their parents, families, culture and communities. Since the school’s official closure in 1970, the Children of Shinhigwauk Alumni Association, the survivors of the school, have been working with Algoma University to heal this place, and work toward reconciliation through the vision of a cross-cultural learning centre – a facility of healing, cultural preservation, dialogue and transformation. A new heart for the campus, the design intent of the Makwa Waakaa’igan Indigenous Centre of Cultural Excellence is to provide... More

This project responded to the recommendations of a larger master plan vision to forge a more connected, sustainable campus for the Banff Centre that inspires new levels of artistic activities and productions. Caption Planned in two phases: Phase 1 – the recently completed renovation of the Eric Harvie Theatre, renamed in honor of the major donor as the Jenny Belzberg Theatre, and the subsequent Phase 2 – additions and renovations to the Laszlo Funtek Wing to create the new Performing Arts and Learning Complex. Caption As a place in Canada where creative boldness is expected, and which is described as a place where artists have the ‘freedom to be fearless’, the new expanded Performing Arts and Learning Com... More

In an increasingly polarized world, it is even more critical that architecture be broadly inclusive, accessible, and welcoming to all. Opened in September 2022, the Harrison McCain Pavilion is a small project in scale, with a restrained budget and constructed with humble materials. Yet it has captured the imagination of the citizens of Fredericton, and has been widely embraced by its diverse communities, from the Indigenous peoples who have lived there for centuries, to the newcomers who have recently come from afar. The new entry pavilion completes the expansion of the renowned Beaverbrook Art Gallery. It’s both the new face of the institution and a new social hub for the close-knit community. Since its founding in 1959, the Beaver... More

KPMB Architects with Omar Gandhi Architect, Jordan Bennett Studio, Elder Lorraine Whitman (NWAC), Public Work and Transsolar have been selected as the winning team of the international design competition for the new Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and Waterfront Arts District. Caption The new Gallery and Arts District, located on the Salter Block of the Halifax Waterfront, will be a transformative arts destination for all to experience. It will inspire and celebrate creativity and imagination, but also challenge the status quo and reshape institutional values. It will be a place created with people, art, and culture at its core. Caption The work completed by the winning team embodies a vision of a place for all seasons, rooted in sus... More

Bruno Klomfar   On a historically significant industrial site, where a hammer mill grew into the most important metal-processing company in Vorarlberg, a natural history museum and city garden was established after the closing down of the company. Bruno Klomfar Bruno Klomfar New and additional parts have been added with flair and finesse to the surviving historic buildings, in which the industrial character of the existing buildings was referenced and interpreted in a contemporary manner. Bruno Klomfar The exhibition spaces were designed on several floors. The new constructions can be identified by its cladding of Corten steel plates. The administration buildings protrude from the old facades in the back court. T... More

The extension does not only transform Film City Aarhus to Denmark's largest cluster of digital, visual companies. It also completely turns the Film City on its head and creates an urban space on an international scale - shaped by the digital opportunities of tomorrow. Caption Playing with urban spacePlay with the urban space and create a building with space for innovation and inspiration for digital and visual businesses. That is the vision behind the extension of Film City Aarhus situated on the South Harbour in Aarhus where a new buildings adds 4,400 sqm to the existing Film City, while a new urban space turns the district on its head as an invitation for play and learning, movement and immersion - all in the setting of tomorrow's d... More

With more than 700,000 visitors a year, The Culture Yard is a popular success. Not only has it revitalised Elsinore’s waterfront, it has also created new possibilities for the development of Elsinore as a modern city of culture. Caption   Elsinore’s new hubAs the focal point for Kulturhavn Kronborg, The Culture Yard has created a new gathering place for locals and visitors and put Elsinore on the cultural map of the world, hailed by the New York Times as one of the world’s most noteworthy places to visit. It is among Denmark’s most popular cultural centres and has attracted major cultural events such as the Crown Prince Couple’s Awards and the world’s largest design award, Index Award. Additio... More

With its unique finds from the Viking Age, including the world’s oldest and best-preserved Viking ships, the Viking Age Museum in Oslo has been hailed as one of the world’s most important museums. It contains Norway’s most important contribution to our world’s cultural heritage, and with the coming expansion and remodeling of the museum, it will be further elevated from a national museum to a leading international knowledge centre for the dissemination of knowledge about the Viking Age. Caption "The proposal provides an excellent solution to a complicated challenge. All with a focus on preserving our unique, highly popular Viking collection, which is one of the most important cultural monuments in the world,"-... More

With the restoration and further development of Strängnäs Cathedral, a new chapter is added to the history of the church and the surrounding area, known as the hilltop-cathedral, which for more than 1,000 years have been a nerve centre for religion and culture. A new chapter that aims at embracing the many players of the cathedral and facilitating a living, culture-historical environment. Caption A culture-historical environment As the winning piece, the cathedral is restored with respect for its proud history while creating more space for it to hold more activities than it does today – including exhibitions. Simultaneously, the outer spaces are brought into play again, while three new buildings are established to giv... More