Taipei, Taiwan
Taipei has been announced as World Design Capital 2016, having been the only city to submit a bid for the title. The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) announced the designation at its general assembly in Canada. Taipei will be the fifth World Design Capital and following Cape Town, which becomes World Design Capital 2014 next year.
Courtesy Dezeen
Al Wakrah, Qatar
New details have emerged on Zaha Hadid Architects and AECOM’s 2022 FIFA World Cup stadium in Qatar. Scheduled to begin construction in late 2014, the 40,000-seat venue is reportedly inspired by the shape of a local fishing boat – the Arabian dhow. One of the stadium’s unique design aspects is a modular, engineered timber second tier, which will be dismantled and shipped to various developing countries after the games.
Image: ZHA
Courtesy Arch Daily
London, England
A proposal by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners’ to redevelop the London School of Economics’ Aldwych campus has been selected ahead of a shortlist of candidates, including Grafton Architects, Heneghan Peng, Hopkins Architects and OMA. The announcement comes two weeks after the practices were told to reconsider their submissions by the LSE’s judging panel.
Image: Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
Courtesy Design Boom
Kiruna, Sweden
Despite the sub-freezing temperatures and the fact that its walls, fittings, fixtures and even glasses are made entirely from ice and compacted snow, Sweden’s famous Ice Hotel is mandated to install fire alarms as a safety measure in compliance with national building regulations. The hotel, located in the far north of Sweden, is made from approximately 1,000 tons of ice that melts away and is rebuilt each year.
Courtesy Gizmodo
Montpellier, France
A jury, led by City Mayor Ms Hélène Mandroux, has selected Danish architecture firm BIG out of five international shortlisted teams to design a new Museum of the Human Body in Montpellier, France. The 7800-square-metre building, which has been shaped and lifted to form an underlying continuous space, will help give new artistic, scientific, and social perspectives on the human body.
Image: BIG + MIR
Courtesy Bustler
