Yidan Center, China
Construction of Zaha Hadid Architects' Yidan Center in Shenzhen, China, has reached full height. The center will host facilities for academic research, cultural events, and exhibitions, supporting the foundation's mission to advance global education. Inspired by the surrounding mountainous landscapes, historically crossed by trade and communication routes, the building is conceived as a place of convergence and collaboration. The 165,815-square-meter complex features terraces and balconies overlooking a central outdoor "canyon." A large oculus skylight at…
Central Yards, Hong Kong
Plans the glass building of Central Yards have been unveiled by a consortium of architecture practices, including AL_A and UNStudio. Centred on a powerful concept of 'the bridge' that unifies the surrounding neighbourhoods and the harbour, Central Yards is an iconic groundscraper spanning approximately 400 meters along Victoria Harbour. The mixed-use Central Yards development will encompass 148,600 square metres and have a "biophilic" design. Renders reveal a series of soft-edged, glazed volumes, connected by raised…
Gare de Mons Station, Belgium
Swathes of glass and steel make up the sinuous exterior of the new Gare de Mons station in Belgium, which has been designed by Swiss-Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. Located along the international Paris to Brussels train line in Mons, the station's sculptural structure is organised around a raised gallery volume that stretches 165 metres across the site. Conceptualised by Calatrava as a "monumental bridge", its volume traverses a series of 350-metre-long platforms and bus stops…
Isola Della Musica Opera House, Vietnam
Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW), in collaboration with PTW Architects, has begun construction of the Isola della Musica, a new opera house and convention center in Hanoi, Vietnam. Inspired by the region's history of pearl cultivation, the building features a series of curved concrete shells whose forms and surfaces evoke the texture and luminosity of mother-of-pearl. The building will appear to rise from the water, establishing a visual link between the two lakes and creating…
Dubai Museum of Art
Designed by Pritzker Prize-winner Ando for Dubai-based conglomerate Al-Futtaim Group, Dubai Museum of Art, also known as DUMA, is hoped to become a cultural landmark for artists and art enthusiasts. Dubai Museum of Art will be housed in a rounded, twisting building overlooking the emirate's natural saltwater creek. Renders of the five-storey museum reveal a curving building finished with white walls, punctuated by triangular windows as they swoop and twist upwards. Its distinctive silhouette draws…
