Articles by Maria-Cristina Florian

In Beirut, the Interdesign Building stands as a striking yet enigmatic structure. Never used since its conception in 1973, the building was designed by Lebanese architect Khalil Khouri and, in some ways, it represents a physical testament to the region’s hopes and struggles. During the inaugural edition of We Design Beirut, the exhibition “All Things Must(n’t) Pass: A Subjective Recount Of Khalil Khouri’s Life And Career As A Designer” opened the building to the public, aiming to tell the story of its architect, Khalil Khouri, through the lens of his son and grandson, Bernard and Teymour Khoury. On this occasion, ArchDaily’s Editor in Chief, Christele Harrouk sat down with Bernard Khoury at his DW5 office to discuss the life of his father and a little-known chapter of Lebanese architectural history.

Built in 1971, the Rothko Chapel in Huston, Texas, was conceived as an intimate sanctuary for people of every belief, while in front of the chapel, Barnett Newman’s sculpture “Broken Obelisk” stands in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In 1964, Mark Rothko was commissioned by John and Dominique de Menil to create a meditative space for his site-specific paintings. Rothko’s vision clashed with that of the initial architect, Philip Johnson, over the scale and grandiosity of the building, which he felt distracted from the art. The project underwent several revisions with different architects, including Howard Barnstone and Eugene Aubry. Now officials have announced the indefinite closing of the chapel, after having sustained severe damage during Hurricane Beryl, the Category 1 storm that hit Houston on July 9.

Sports-focused architecture office Populous has been confirmed as the lead designer of the Aramco Stadium, one of the main locations scheduled to host the upcoming 2027 AFC Asian Cup and the 2034 FIFA World Cup. The office has also been commissioned with the design of the surrounding master plan in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The new 47,000-seat venue will be compliant with international standards for premier football competitions, aiming to establish Al Khobar as an international sporting destination.

Beyond just a visual record, architectural photography is a powerful medium that holds the ability to reveal and explore architectural spaces from unique perspectives. Through the lens of a skilled photographer, architecture showcases its interplay of lights and shadows, the tectonics of its structural elements, the careful detailing of joined materials, and the larger narratives of cultural heritage. On World Photography Day 2024, we celebrate this unique art form by highlighting the work of 25 distinguished photographers who have captured architecture in its most evocative forms.

In preparation for the city of Asturias, Spain, to become one of the hosts of the FIFA World Cup in 2030, the El Molinón stadium is proposed to undergo a major remodeling process. Home Real Sporting de Gijón, the stadium is reimagined by the architecture office Sordo Madaleno together with Orlegi Sports. The proposal aims to increase the stadium’s capacity to accommodate 9,000 additional visitors to the 33,650 fixed seats during the World Cup. It also strives to reconnect the venue to its surroundings and the city of Gijón, Asturias.

Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM) has announced the International High-Rise Award 2024/25. Selected from more than 1,000 new high-rises worldwide dating from the past two years, the nominated projects are located in 13 counties from 5 continents. In autumn, the five finalists will be announced, followed by the winner announcement scheduled for November 12, 2024. The main objective of the award is to highlight good practices in the ongoing trend of mixed-use high-rises.

In response to the Czech Republic’s soaring real estate prices, architecture firm KOGAA has transformed a former storage facility in Brno into DADA Distrikt, an affordable and diverse housing development. The project’s economic approach, achieved through shared funding and direct sales, bypasses extra costs associated with developers while refurbishing a part of the city’s industrial heritage, transforming it into an active urban district. The project also features sustainability measures aimed at lowering its maintenance costs, further exemplifying the intersection of affordable housing, heritage restoration, and sustainable urban living.

More than half of the world’s population resides in urban areas, with over 4 billion people depending on cities as their main environment. According to the United Nations’ latest report on populations in cities, this number is expected to continue to increase over the next 50 years, prompting cities worldwide to strive to find better ways to accommodate their growing population while transitioning to more sustainable urban practices. To highlight this responsibility, the United Nations has declared July 11th the World Population Day.

The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is now recognized as a symbol of Madrid, Spain. Home to the Real Madrid football team, the stadium built in 1947 occupies a key position in the city, adjacent to a major transit artery. The stadium went through several refurbishments since its inauguration, most aimed at increasing the seating capacity. A major modernization process began in 2012, following an international competition. The winning design team is L35 Architects, in collaboration with GMP and Ribas & Ribas. The refurbishment project aimed to redefine the building’s relationship with the surrounding urban spaces, to improve accessibility, and to integrate more activities, from sporting to leisure, commercial, and socio-cultural functions.

The State of Qatar has unveiled the design of its national pavilion to take shape at Expo Osaka 2025. Designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates in collaboration with Qatar Museums, the pavilion blends traditional craftsmanship from Qatar and Japan while highlighting the two countries’ connection to the sea, which is understood as a hub of resources and a medium for trade and knowledge exchange. The prepared exhibition, on view between April 13 and October 13, 2025, aims to showcase Qatar’s innovations across diverse fields.