As 2024 comes to an end, the architectural world looks ahead to 2025, a year set to unveil transformative projects across the globe. From cultural landmarks in Asia, such as Sou Fujimoto's "Grand Ring" for Expo 2025 Osaka and MAD Architects' Hainan Science Museum in China, to dynamic urban developments like OMA's Harajuku Quest in Tokyo and David Chipperfield's Elbtower in Hamburg, these projects reflect a commitment to innovation, sustainability, and preserving cultural heritage.
Humanity has become obsessed with breaking its limits, creating new records only to break them again and again. In fact, our cities’ skylines have always been defined by those in power during every period in history. At one point churches left their mark, followed by public institutions and in the last few decades, it's commercial skyscrapers that continue to stretch taller and taller.
Chapman Taylor's Saadiyat Beach District Residences project has moved to the construction phase, marking a new development within Saadiyat Island's expanding cultural and residential landscape. This waterfront project, part of the broader Saadiyat Island masterplan for Nael & Bin Harmel, situated near Abu Dhabi's urban center, will introduce a range of residential options, including apartments, townhouses, and villas.
Muraba and RCR Arquitectes, recipients of the 2017 Pritzker Prize, have collaborated on Muraba Veil, a modern architectural project in Dubai that aims to incorporate traditional elements alongside contemporary innovation. This 380-meter-high tower is the latest result of a decade-long partnership between Muraba, a Dubai-based developer, and RCR Arquitectes, a Spanish architectural firm. The project introduces a skyscraper designed to engage with the local environment and culture, seeking to combine modern architectural techniques with regional heritage.
Coop Himmelb(l)au has been selected to lead the architectural design for the new Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Working in collaboration with Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) and Dar Al-Handasah, the design integrates advanced structural solutions, energy efficiency, and modern technologies to create a facility of global significance.
Landscape architecture has traditionally been associated with lush greenery, rooted in the historical development of gardens and parks as spaces that bring nature into urban areas. This connection to greenery is deeply ingrained in the origins of the field, where the creation of verdant retreats was seen as both aesthetically pleasing and beneficial to human well-being. However, in regions like the Middle East, where water scarcity and harsh climates are more prevalent, there is a growing trend toward using local materials such as sand, stone, minerals, and indigenous plants. This shift reflects a more sustainable approach, reimagining landscape architecture to align with the environmental and cultural contexts of the region.
Contrary to common belief, artificial islands have a lengthy historical background in many regions worldwide. This heritage dates back to the reclaimed islands in Ancient Egypt, the hundreds of Stilt crannogs found in Scottish and Irish lakes and waterways, and the ceremonial islands constructed during the Aztec Empire. By definition, an artificial island is an island that has been constructed by humans rather than formed through natural processes. Artificial islands can be built for many different reasons, and these reasons are only increasing as the world faces the looming issue of space scarcity.
As temperatures rise globally, the impacts of urban heat islands—once considered an invisible threat—are becoming increasingly pronounced and ever more dangerous. Despite this mounting threat, however, the public realm which constitutes about 30% of cities offers immense potential to provide respite from scorching heat and introduce new opportunities to improve urban resilience efforts. As global temperatures rise, cities in regions like the United Arab Emirates and India are facing unprecedented challenges in maintaining livable urban spaces.
URB has revealed details about the Dubai Green Spine project, an urban development initiative aiming to introduce a 64-kilometer-long green corridor in Dubai. The project, aligned with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, hopes to improve urban mobility and environmental quality by converting one of the city’s major arterial roads into a multifunctional public space with ample greenery, urban farms, integrated non-motorized transportation infrastructures, and community zones.
In 1853, at the New York World Expo, a man climbed onto a suspended platform and ordered the rope supporting it to be cut. He dropped a few inches, but the safety system activated, and the platform remained stable, to the delight of the watching crowd. At that moment, perhaps not even Elisha Graves Otis realized how his invention would permanently change the course of architecture.
