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public space

white patterned facade of a building

Calgary Central Library is wrapped in a striking, snowflake-like facade

Calgary’s new Central Library has just opened its doors to the public — and it’s a thing of elegant, energy-efficient...

large church space with gold detailed ceilings and walls

Former convent in Valencia is reborn as an ornate entertainment hub

In the heart of Valencia, Spain, the old convent of San José has undergone a sensitive transformation that has...

Rendering of tall wooden skyscrapers near water

Wooden skyscraper city proposed for Stockholm’s most eco-friendly neighborhood

When Anders Berensson Architects was tapped by the Stockholm Center Party to design a new Stockholm neighborhood...

pavilion with weathered steel folded roof and glass walls

The origami-like monocoque pavilion in London is shaped by its environment

A striking prefabricated monocoque pavilion has popped up in London, bringing with it a social-enterprise cafe...

looking through a wood-roofed bridge

This beautiful planted bridge doubles as a public gathering place in China

When Beijing-based practice DnA Design and Architecture was tapped to renovate an old stone masonry bridge in Zhejiang,...

Media Library in Thionville, Dominique Coulon, Dominique Coulon and Associates, France, multi-purpose, green library, green roof, green architecture, floating architecture, natural light, ramps and walkways, promenade, public space, media library

This sinuous, green-roofed Media Library in France looks like it floats in mid-air

With a sinuous, meandering form that blurs the line between interior and exterior, the new Media Library in Thionville,...

parkipelago Copenhagen, CPH-Ø1 Copenhagen, floating islands Copenhagen, floating artificial islands public space, parkipelago architecture, CPH-Ø1 by Marshall Blecher and Magnus Maarbjerg, Copenhagen Islands project

This hand-built island is the start of Copenhagen’s “parkipelago” of floating public spaces

A tiny wooden island floating in Copenhagen harbor is bringing life and interest back to the city’s waters. Australian...

Kalix Bridge by Erik Andersson Architects, Kalix Bridge, multipurpose bridge, bridge doubles as public space, bridge with amphitheater like seating, multipurpose bridge in Sweden, public spaces on public infrastructure projects

Proposed Swedish bridge offers stellar river views with amphitheater-like seating

Erik Andersson Architects has proposed a new type of bridge for Kalix, Sweden that does more than just connect...

Dawn Bridge by MVRDV, Dawn Bridge in China, Dawn Bridge competition, Dawn Bridge Zhujiajiao, Zhujiajiao bridge project, bridge as public space, multi use bridge, bridge architecture in China

Tree-topped bridge to double as public space for a historic Chinese town

MVRDV has won a competition for Dawn Bridge, a new multi-use bridge near Shanghai that will give locals and visitors...

Serpentine Pavilion Beijing, international Serpentine pavilion, Serpentine Pavilion Beijing by JIAKUN Architects, Serpentine Pavilion Beijing 2018, Serpentine Pavilion Beijing location, WF CENTRAL and Serpentine Galleries, JIAKUN Architects,

First international Serpentine Pavilion will open in Beijing

The Serpentine Pavilion is going global, with its first international debut in Beijing, China. Launched by London’s...

COBE Architects, BRUT architects, Place Schuman, Brussels, Belgium, pedestrian friendly, pedestrian-friendly design, agora, green architecture, European Union, public space

A futuristic mirrored agora is landing in Brussels like a giant flying saucer

COBE and BRUT just unveiled competition-winning plans for Place Schuman, which will transform a busy roundabout...

Rapana street library, Rapana library in Varna, Bulgaria street library, CNC milled pavilion, curvaceous timber pavilion, European Youth Capital, European Youth Capital funds, 3D modeled library

Gorgeous street library in Bulgaria offers 1,500 books for free

Nature inspired this stunning street library in Bulgaria, but it was computers that made the design possible. A...

LAVA, Garden Island Sydney Harbour, green garden island, sydney harbour architecture, sydney harbour projects, australian architecture, sydney urban design, urban design, green space, green gardens, public space, green islands, urban gardens, green technology, master planning, green residential developments, sustainable design,

LAVA unveils greenery-infused Garden Island to revamp Sydney Harbour

Australia-based firm LAVA just unveiled a stunning proposal for converting an inaccessible plot of land near Sydney...

Magasin 113 by MVRDV, Magasin 113 by BSK Arkitekter, Magasin 113 Frihamnen RiverCity, Frihamnen RiverCity architecture, Frihamnen RiverCity Gothenburg, Magasin 113 adaptive reuse, Magasin 113 Gothenburg, Magasin 113 Sweden, Frihamnen RiverCity, BSK Arkitekter and MVRDV, adaptive reuse in Sweden,

MVRDV unveils plans for the biggest urban development project in Scandinavia

MVRDV and BSK Arkitekter have grand plans for Gothenburg, Sweden. The two architecture firms just unveiled Magasin...

Da Nang City Center Square by HUNI Architectes, Da Nang City Center Square, Da Nang public space, Da Nang plaza, Da Nang masterplan modern, SUDS design, sustainable urban drainage systems Vietnam, sustainable urban drainage systems architecture, lotus-inspired architecture, lotus-inspired landscape, Da Nang landscape architecture

Lotus-inspired public space collects rainwater to reduce Da Nang’s runoff footprint

Urban stormwater runoff poses serious risks to safety and the environment - and cities around the world are taking...

One Bucket at a Time by Factor Eficiencia and 5468796 Architecture, MEXTROPOLI 2017 installation, MEXTROPOLI 2017 buckets, bucket installation, bucket public space, bucket art, viene viene, viene viene-inspired architecture, painter bucket architecture, Mexico City public space pop up

A wave of buckets hijacks public space in Mexico City

How much fun can you have with paint buckets? The designers at Factor Eficiencia and 5468796 Architecture proved...

Oxygen Park by AECOM, Oxygen Park in Qatar, Oxygen Park Doha, Oxygen Park Education City, desert park, desert landscape architecture, Doha landscape architecture, subterranean park,

Subterranean Oxygen Park is a breath of fresh air in the Qatari desert

A “green lung” in Qatar’s desert landscape is helping people stay healthy and active by reconnecting them...

Carve, Beatrix Park Amsterdam, urban parks, urban design, green space amsterdam, landscape architecture, park design, park landscape, playground design, unique playgrounds, playground landscapes, public playground design, park renovation, urban design, green space, public space

Historic Amsterdam park gets new life with a funky climbing “blob”

Design and engineering firm Carve breathed new life into one of Amsterdam's oldest parks with a playful new blob-like playground...

Mailänder Platz tower by RKW Architektur+, Stuttgart architecture, Stuttgart mixed use tower, Mailänder Platz architecture, Mailänder Platz tower, Mailänder Platz hotel, Mailänder Platz residences, grapevine green wall, grapevine on tower facade, stone-clad tower

Grapevines spread through the cracks of Stuttgart’s proposed stone-clad high-rise

Pockets of greenery appear to split apart the stone facade of this new mixed-use tower planned for Stuttgart, Germany....

Hastings Pier by drMM architects, Hastings Pier RIBA Stirling Prize, Hastings Pier Heritage Lottery Fumd, Hastings Pier renovation, salvaged materials in pier construction, British seaside pier architecture, reclaimed materials from a fire, multipurpose public space by the sea

Salvaged materials from devastating fire take new life in a British pier

A British seaside pier destroyed by a devastating fire in 2010 has made an incredible comeback in the hands of...

CoFuFun by Nendo, CoFuFun plaza, CoFuFun Japan, CoFuFun Tenri Station, Tenri station plaza, Cofun, ancient Japanese tombs, nendo public space, nendo design, nendo urban design, multirpurpose plaza design, precast white concrete,

Ancient Japanese tombs inspire nendo’s first public space design

Prolific Japanese studio nendo completed their first public space design that puts a playful and futuristic spin...

Maidan Tent, Maidan Tent design, Maidan Tent for refugees, refugee public space architecture, refugee multifunctional design, Ritsona refugee camp

Maidan Tent aims to improve life in refugee camps with pop-up public space

A Milan-based design studio created a portable pop-up building that aims to improve the lives of refugees. Named...

Times Square Redesign by Snohetta, Times Square reconstruction, Times Square benches, Times Square public space transformation, Times Square redevelopment, Times Square official opening

Times Square now has double the public space

The most visited destination in the United States now has double the public space—an amazing feat unimaginable...

Mecanoo architects, MLK Library, martin luther king library, library design, library renovation, Martinez+Johnson Architecture, historic renovations, historic buildings dc, washington dc architecture, landmarked buildings dc, mlk centers, green rooftops, green space, public space, green design,

Mecanoo to update Washington’s MLK Library with massive green roof

Renovating historic architectural landmarks is no easy task, but Dutch firm, Mecanoo, will be taking on the responsibility...

Taikoo Place by Gustafson Porter + Bowman, Taikoo Place in Hong Kong Taikoo Place park, LEED Platinum Taikoo Place, Hong Kong green space, Hong Kong park, Hong Kong native species, Hong Kong landscape architecture

Tropical park with native species will add much-needed green space to Hong Kong

The concrete jungle of Hong Kong will soon become a bit greener. Landscape architecture firm Gustafson Porter +...

green roof, exhibition hall, China, Nanning Planning Exhibition Hall, Zhubo Design Zstudio, urban park, rainwater collection, green architecture, steel structure

A lush hilly park tops the Nanning Planning Exhibition Hall in China

The green roof of the new Nanning Planning Exhibition Hall in China is an elevated urban park that that brings...

Chelyabinsk’s Congress Hall by PIARENA. Archchel-2020 competition, architecture inspired by sails, sail-like architecture, BRICS and SCO conference center in Chelyabinsk, Chelyabinsk new architecture, Chelyabinsk congress hall

Spectacular Congress Hall curves upwards like a sail to bridge a Russian river

Government meeting halls don’t often inspire awe and wonder—but the Russian city of Chelyabinsk’s planned...

japanese architecture, japanese house, micro apartment, ON Design, public space, sharing, Small Japanese house, Venice Biennale 2016, yokohama, patio, outdoor patio, Japanese house

How shared space makes four micro apartments in Japan seem much larger

Sometimes, size really doesn't matter. Designed by Osamu Nishida and Erika Nakagawa from ON Design & Partners,...

Place des Gens de Mer, Bourgeois / Lechasseur architectes, public space, gathering spaces, Canada, cedar, plywood building in Canada, revitalization, green architecture

Beautiful public gathering space grants second life to a former fish processing plant

The project. located in a village in the Magdalen Islands, Canada, is part of a larger initiative to build a series...

Elbphilharmonie Plaza by Herzog & de Meuron, Hamburg concert hall, Elbphilharmonie Plaza concert hall, Elbphilharmonie Plaza panoramic views, Elbphilharmonie Plaza observation deck, Elbphilharmonie Plaza opening

Herzog & de Meuron’s Elbphilharmonie Plaza is the highest public square in northern Germany

The Elbphilharmonie Plaza opening ceremony on November 4, 2016 marks the first of many ceremonies to come counting...

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