In terms of urban development, the choice between demolition and adaptive reuse holds far-reaching implications. From debates around the cultural and historical significance of structure, to the environmental impact of the process of razing and rebuilding, compared to the cost of preserving and adapting, the matter of demolitions have ignited the architectural community to come together and ask for more responsible assessment strategies in hopes of rediscovering the value of existing structures. This article gathers some of the stories of buildings facing the threat of demolition and the processes that led to their rescue.
London: The Latest Architecture and News
Rescuing Architecture: Stories of Buildings Saved from Demolition
Schindel Studio / Archer + Braun
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Architects: Archer + Braun
- Area: 27 m²
- Year: 2022
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Manufacturers: FLOS, Fermacell, Patent Glazing Company, Unity Lime, Velfac, +1
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Professionals: Simple Works, Atrium Ltd
WilkinsonEyre Designs a New Campus for the College of North West London in Wembley, London
WilkinsonEyre has been selected to design a new college campus on the Olympic Way in Wembley, London, to serve as the new educational facility for the College of North West London. The project is designed to cater to over 300 students per week in addition to the 250 staff members. The new facility will offer classes in engineering, the built environment, and green skills, as well as digital technology, computing, health, and social care. The new campus scheme has recently been granted planning permission at the Council’s Planning Committee meeting and has now been passed to the Greater London Authority for final approval.
Plykea Workshop / Erbar Mattes
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Architects: Erbar Mattes
- Area: 476 m²
- Year: 2021
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Professionals: Hallam Consulting, Environmental Engineering Partnership (EEP), CLPM, The Fire Surgery, Adex
Cast House / Bureau de Change Architects
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Architects: Bureau de Change Architects
- Area: 420 m²
- Year: 2023
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Professionals: PRS Builders, Blue Engineering, MWL Consulting
Urban Playground / McCloy + Muchemwa
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Architects: McCloy + Muchemwa
- Area: 50 m²
- Year: 2023
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Professionals: Design & Making
Wembury Mews Home and Studio / Russell Jones
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Architects: Russell Jones
- Year: 2022
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Manufacturers: K and D Joinery, LIT Design, Le Interiors
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Professionals: Techniker, Consultancy 31, Haringey Planning Department, Haringey Building Control, TAD Builders, +2
Bringing People Together Through Architecture: In Conversation with Lina Ghotmeh, the Designer of the 2023 Serpentine Pavilion
While visiting this year’s Serpentine Pavilion, the ArchDaily team has a chance to sit down with French-Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh, the designer behind the temporary structure built in the Kensington Gardens in London. The conversation touched upon Ghotmeh’s motivations and concepts that prompted this pavilion titled À table, conceived as an invitation to sit down together at a table, to enjoy sharing food and engaging in open dialogues. Delving into her Lebanese roots, the architect also expands on her methodology and the desire to create space for conversation and decision-making while encouraging conviviality among people of different backgrounds and experiences. The ArchDaily team also talked to Hans Ulrich Obrist, artistic director at the Serpentine Galleries, about the pavilion as a platform for architecture and the arts.
The Offbeat Sari Exhibition / Studio MUTT
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Architects: Studio MUTT
- Area: 325 m²
- Year: 2023
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Manufacturers: Dufaylite, ECOBoard
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Professionals: Sthuthi Ramesh Design, Beam LD, RASKL, Blue Elephant
Elizabeth Mews House / Trewhela Williams
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Architects: Trewhela Williams
- Area: 43 m²
- Year: 2022
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Manufacturers: Chauncey, IQ Glass, Torc Pots
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Professionals: Peter Dann Consulting Engineers, Woodland London
Achilles Marble House Extension / ConForm Architects
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Architects: ConForm Architects
- Area: 188 m²
- Year: 2022
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Manufacturers: Another Country, Direct Wood Flooring
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Professionals: AroBuild
RIBA Announces the 30 Winners of the 2023 National Awards
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the 30 winners of the 2023 RIBA National Awards for Architecture, providing an insight into the country’s architecture, design, and social trends. Among the key themes observed this year, the need to rebuild communities and to find sustainable ways of practicing stand out as the main concerns of the participant architects. The response to these themes is varied, ranging from buildings that aim to offer opportunities for collaboration for students to creating stimulating social spaces for the elderly or providing creative programs at a neighborhood scale. All the projects selected have been in use for at least one year and have provided data regarding their environmental performance. Examples of sustainable design include both new buildings, following the Passivhaus certification, and renovation of existing structures.
Pigment House / Unknown Works
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Architects: Unknown Works
- Area: 260 m²
- Year: 2022
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Manufacturers: Clayworks, FLOS, IQ Glass, Kast, Lazenby, +3
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Professionals: Bull & Bates, Grace & Wren Ltd