Architects: Spaceworkers Location: Penafiel, Porto, Portugal Architects In Charge: Henrique Marques, Rui Dinis Collaborators: Sérgio Rocha, Rui Miguel, Rui Rodrigues Project Year: 2012 Photographs: João Morgado Fotografia de Arquitectura

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In an article published by the New York Times, Philip Nobel laments the time taken to construct architecture. As architects, we have the passion to shape space and craft environments. For most, that translates into physically constructing such visions, but the path from drawing board (or computer screen) to realization is often times a long and arduous path.

In the past few years, such difficult financial times have challenged architects to fight for their buildings; namely, asking the designer to find ways to make the buildings work – whether with a changed material palette, smaller footprint, or shortened height.  Yet, apart from finances, we’ve also reported dozens of projects which narrowly clear other obstacles, such as attaining community consent.  And, of course, we have seen scores of great awarded competition proposals that do not incur the same luck, and slowly dwindle to non-existence.

One of our favorite parts of ArchDaily is our InProgress section, where we keep track of the progression of the original architectural vision through actuality. After the break, we share a few projects that haven’t had the most direct route through completion. Let us know in the comments below your thoughts on which project you’ve been waiting to see complete.

Architects: Renzo Piano Building Workshop Location: Trento, Italy Architect: Renzo Piano Project Year: 2012 Photographs: Courtesy of RPBW, RPBW – Stefano Goldberg, RPBW – Paolo Pelanda, Colombo Costruzioni – Alessandro Gadutti, RPBW – Cristiano Zaccaria

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Architects: Foster and Partners Location: Turin, Italy Design Group: MAIRE Engineering (agent), Foster and Partners, Ltd. ICIS, Giugiaro, Arch CAMERANA Benedict, Studio Ass Mellano, Buonomo Vigil Studio, Studio Ass CO.PA.CO, Prof. G. Garzino, Studio A. Lazzerini, M. Arch Luciani, Prof. Ing Ossola, POLIEDRA S.P.A. and TEKSYSTEM New building gross area: 36,232 sqm. Photographs: Courtesy of comunicarch

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Architects: CMD Ingenieros Location: Kutaisi, Georgia Year of Construction: 2011-2012 Design Team: Alberto Domingo Cabo – PhD in Structural Engineering , Carlos Lázaro Fernández – PhD in Structural Engineering, Juliane Petri – Civil Engineer. Master’s Degree in Land Use Planning, Francisco Palacios Climent – Civil Engineer Client: Kutaisi City Hall Surface: 45,000 sqm Budget: 82,000,000 € Photographs: Courtesy of CMD Ingenieros

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Earlier this month, Roche held a foundation stone-laying ceremony for their new office building that is currently being constructed in Basel, Switzerland. Designed by the Basel-based architecture practice of Herzog & de Meuron, the 178-meter-tall tapering structure will be formed by superimposed floor slabs that narrow as the high rise ascends. Its simple shape and predominantly white color scheme will anchor itself within the urban setting of Basel and become one of the few high rises scattered throughout the city’s skyline.

Continue after the break for more images and information.

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New York-based architectural photographer Paul Clemence has shared with us recent images and his thoughts on Massachusetts College of Art and Design’s new student residence hall that is being constructed in downtown Boston. The 21-story, $61 million building is planned for completion this year.

Boston is not particularly known as a destination for trendy, contemporary architecture; but some new buildings are beginning to change that perception. From Diller Scofidio Renfro’s Institute of Contemporary Art to Norman Foster’s new wing at The Museum of Fine Arts to the recently completed Renzo Piano addition to the beloved Gardner Museum, the city’s urbanscape is getting a much needed updating. And now, a soon to be finished bold new project by the firm ADD Inc is bringing a colorful twist to the mix. They are the designers behind the new MassArt Students Residence Hall.

Continue reading for more.

Architects: Kris Yao | Artech Architects Location: Kaohsiung, Taiwan Clients: China Steel Corporation (CSC) Design Team: Willy Yu, Hua-Yi Chang, Nai-Wen Cheng, Jun-Ren Chou, Yen-Hsun Li Site Area: 11,037 sqm Lot Coverage Area: 2,590 sqm Total Floor Area: 81,054 Completion: Expected 2012 Photographs: Jeffrey Cheng

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We have been keeping close watch on the progress of Barclays Center, SHoP’s 650,000+ stadium for Brooklyn at Atlantic Yards. The project has an interesting history as the client, Bruce Ratner, originally looked to Gehry to design an urban solution and iconic image for the 22 acre site, prior to teaming with Ellerbe Becket and SHoP. As we’ve reported earlier, SHoP’s response has developed to become a sweeping pre-fabricated volume, with a perforated latticework steel skin and a transparent ground level. Photographer Roger Edwards has shared some recent photos with us of the construction process as the building is quickly beginning to take shape.

Check out more photos after the break.

Bosco Verticale, by Boeri Studio (now recognized as Barreca & La Varra and Stefano Boeri Architetti), is a high-density tower block that experiments with the integration of a lush landscape within the facade of the architecture. The Vertical Forest, currently in construction in Milan, Italy, deal with the concept of regenerating the lost forests on the ground within the inhabitable space of buildings. The towers are 80 metres and 112 metres tall. Together they will have the capacity to hold 480 big and medium sized trees, 250 small size trees, 11,000 groundcover plants and 5,000 shrubs – the equivalent of a hectare of forest. For more on this project, follow us after the break.

Architects: Boeri Studio (Stefano Boeri, Gianandrea Barreca, Giovanni La Varra) Location: Milan, Italy Design Phase: 2006 – 2008 Construction Phase: 2008 – 2013

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Architect: Manuel Ocaña del Valle Location: Benalúa Railway Station, Alicante, Spain Developer: Casa Mediterráneo Collaborators: Miguel Molins Jiménez, Karolina Kurzak, Adriana Cepeda, Paloma Montoro, María Ortiz-Muyo, BeDV Arquitectos Project Management: INECO Project Director: Marisa Guillamot Bernardo Built surface: 3,500 sqm Budget: 5,900,000 euros Photographs: Manuel Ocaña

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Architects: VIGLIECCA&ASSOC Location: Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil Date: 2008 – under construction Client: State of Ceará Government / Special Department of the State of Ceará for 2014 Cup Total Intervention Area: 215.000 sqm Design Team: Hector Vigliecca, Luciene Quel, Ronald Werner, Neli Shimizu, Caroline Bertoldi, Bianca Riotto, Fernanda Trotti, Hernani Paiva, Kelly Bozzato, Luiz Marino, Mayara Christ, Pedro Ichimaru, Rafael Alcantara, Paulo Serra, Luci Maie, Renata Haring Construction: Galvão + Andrade Mendonça Landscaping: Rodolfo Geiser Paisagismo e Meio Ambiente Photographs: Azul Serra

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Apple has released updated plans revealing an ambitions solar installation for their proposed campus in Cupertino. Announced back in June, the campus will include an office, research and development building, research facilities, corporate auditorium, fitness center, a central plant and associated parking. Foster + Partners will collaborate with ARUP North America and local civil engineering firm Kier & Wright for the completion of the project.

Continue reading for more details.

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Construction of Richard Meier’s Shenzhen Clubhouse is nearing completion. Unique geometry fully clad in white metal panels play with overlays of solid and void, unmistakably consistent with the Richard Meier signature style. Being located on an island in the center of OCT Bay, the facility is surrounded by large bodies of water and lush gardens. The Shenzhen Clubhouse is scheduled to be completed early next year.

Continue reading for the architects project description, photographs, renderings and drawings.

Architects: Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP Location: Shenzhen, China Project Area: 11,000 sqm Completion: 2012 Photographs: Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP

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Architects: Populous Location: Miami, Florida, USA Photographs: Emilio Collavino

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The modernization of the Messe Basel is making progress. Developed by Basel architects Herzog & de Meuron on behalf of the MCH Group, the project aims renew the existing exhibition space and become a popular destination for pedestrians and foreign visitors. The new multifunctional exhibition building is scheduled for completion in 2013.

Architects: Herzog & de Meuron Basel Ltd., Basel Location: Basel, Switzerland Client: MCH Messe Switzerland AG, Basel, Switzerland Project Area: 141,000 m2 Construction Period: 2010 – 2013 Photographs: Courtesy of MCH Swiss Exhibition (Basel) Ltd.

Continue reading for more images, renderings and information.

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Ten years since the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, the National September 11 Memorial was dedicated in a private ceremony with the victims’ families. It was officially opened to the public as of today, September 12th. The opening of the 9/11 Memorial is a first step towards the closing of a long chapter of construction at the World Trade Center site.

Architecture photographer Paul Clemence shared with us a recent photo set of the current status of the One World Trade Center building by SOM.

I was downtown today, checking  out the commotion by Ground Zero and snapped these images of the Freedom Tower. Is for sure going up and we can already glance at its connection to neighborhood buildings, its presence on the skyline and some interesting architectural nuances.

- Paul Clemence

More photos after the break.

Architects: K2S Architects Ltd Location: Helsinki, Finland Client: Helsinki Parish Union and the City of Helsinki Structural engineering: Insinööritoimisto Vahanen Oy Matti Kivinen, Ulla Harju Project Year: 2012 Project Area: 300 sqm Photographs: Courtesy of K2S Architects

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Architects: nARCHITECTS Location: Beirut, Lebanon Design Team: Eric Bunge, Mimi Hoang (Principals); Tiago Barros, Stephen Hagmann, Hubert Pelletier (Project Architects); Seung Teak Lee, Julia Chapman, Christopher Grabow (Design Team); Competition Phase: Alice Wong (Project Designer), Dominique Gonfard, Adam Vana Architect of Record: ABC Technical Team: Lamia Jallad, Bascir Muhanna, Johnny Salman Client: ABC S.A.L. Structural Engineer: BRM Lighting Designer: DEBBAS Landscape: ZMK Project Year: 2011 Project Area: 50,000 sqm Photographs: Courtesy of nARCHITECTS

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Architects: Lucio Morini + GGMPU Location: Córdoba, Argentina Client: Government of the Province Cordoba Collaborators: Julia Garayoa, Adrián Castagno, Verónica Gordillo, Diego Andres Gómez, Mariana Pelliza, Guadalupe Daher, Cecilia Villareal, Luciana Antonucci, Agustín Elies Project Year: 2011 Project Area: 21,380 sqm Photographs: Courtesy of Lucio Morini Studio

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Last September, we shared the news of Louis Kahn’s memorial park for the southernmost tip of Roosevelt Island. Kahn had designed the park in the 70s, but after his sudden death, the plan was forgotten until 1992 when the MoMA featured the scheme in an exhibition. Upon learning of Kahn’s thoughtful and architecturally compelling ideas to commemorate FDR and his Four Freedoms speech, the public quickly advocated its completion. As we reported earlier, at the end of Kahn’s axial tree-lined triangular “Garden”, a 72 sqf “Room” will contain excerpts from the text of President Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech. This room, contained by 12 foot high granite columns, is meant for contemplation and remembrance as Kahn’s stoic material palette, clear formal attitude, and forced perspective of the skyline will create, what we imagine will be, a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. With Kahn’s simple gestures, the memorial will preserve a time in American history where FDR’s leadership inspired hope to endure the Great Depression and the second World War. We’re excited for the memorial to be completed and we’ll keep you up to date with its progress.

A great sample of construction photos and renderings after the break.

Architect: EDGE Studio, Pfaffmann & Associates Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania EDGE Studio Design Team: Gary Carlough AIA, Jonathan Golli, Matt Fineout AIA, Stephen Mrdjenovich Pfaffmann & Associates Design Team: Rob Pfaffmann AIA, Carl Bergamini RA, Erik Hokanson Completion Date: 2011 Photography: Carl Bergamini, Pfaffmann & Associates

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