Inside Calder Gardens: Philadelphia’s Newest Blend of Art, Architecture, And Nature

Located along Philadelphia’s iconic Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Calder Gardens offers a serene space dedicated to celebrating the legacy and artwork of Alexander Calder.

What to Expect

• Indoor & Outdoor Spaces: Seamlessly integrating art and nature.
• Rotating Displays: Featuring Calder’s famous mobiles, stabiles, and monumental sculptures.
• Lush Landscape Design: Crafted to reflect light, season, and shadow.

Deceptively Expansive Interior Architecture

While the low, wooden-and-metal exterior maintains an unassuming footprint on the Parkway, entering Calder Gardens reveals a deceptively expansive spatial experience designed by Herzog & de Meuron.

Rather than traditional grand museum rotundas, visitors begin in a quiet, domestic-scale wood-lined lobby. From there, the building tucks much of its 18,000 square feet underground, unfolding into a sequence of subterranean galleries:

• The Highway Gallery & Mezzanine: A mezzanine level framed by a long, low window overlooking the expressway, offering dynamic overhead viewpoints of suspended mobiles against the urban landscape.
• The Cuboid Stair: A passage lined with rough concrete that transitions visitors down into the main exhibition level.
• The Open Plan Gallery: Anchored beneath a massive central structural disc, this central vault opens out laterally into daylight and garden views.
• The Curved Gallery: A quiet, fully light-controlled gallery wrapping around the Sunken Garden wall, ideal for delicate works on paper and smaller mobiles.

Harmonious Garden Design & Landscape Integration

Designed by renowned Dutch landscape designer Piet Oudolf alongside Herzog & de Meuron, the gardens are an essential element of the exhibition experience—not just a backdrop.

The outdoor spaces feature carefully curated native perennials, grasses, and flowering flora that shift dynamically across seasons. The paths lead visitors through sunken garden beds, meadow-like vistas, and tree-lined corridors where Calder’s sculptures interact directly with shifting light, wind, and shadow, blurring the boundary between human design and natural organic beauty.

Guided Tours & Contemplation Walks

For a deeper connection to the site, Calder Gardens offers In-Depth Contemplation Walks led by specially trained guides. These intimate, 45-minute sessions encourage reflective close-looking, conversation, and a unique perspective on how Calder's art interacts with nature and architecture.

• Schedule: Daily at 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM.
• Group Size: Limited to 10 visitors per walk (private group options available).
• Pricing: $30 per person ($15 for members), which includes garden and gallery admission.

"Art should be dynamic, ever-changing, and connected to its surrounding environment."

Plan Your Visit

Calder Gardens is open Thursday through Monday, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM (with a members-only hour from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM). General admission is $18 for adults, $16 for seniors, $5 for students and youth, and free for children 12 and under.

Pittsburgh International Airport Named One of the World's Most Beautiful Airports

When you think of the world’s most breathtaking architecture, airport terminals might not be the first thing that comes to mind. Usually, they are places of stressful security lines, fluorescent lighting, and endless corridors. But Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is officially changing the game.

Just months after opening its highly anticipated, $1.7 billion modernization project, PIT has earned a massive global spotlight. The prestigious, France-based Prix Versailles—in association with UNESCO—has named Pittsburgh’s new terminal to its exclusive 2026 list of the World’s Most Beautiful Airports.

Pittsburgh shares this incredible honor with only six other global hubs this year, including Frankfurt Airport in Germany and San Diego International. Here is a look inside the stunning new gateway that has the architectural world talking.

Designed by "NaTeCo": Nature, Technology, and Community

The 811,000-square-foot facility was brought to life by master architects Luis Vidal + Architects, alongside Gensler and HDR. Vidal designed the terminal around a philosophy he calls "NaTeCo"—a seamless blend of nature, technology, and community. Instead of feeling like a sterile transit hub, the building feels like an extension of Western Pennsylvania itself.

If you fly through the new PIT terminal, here are the jaw-dropping design features you can't miss:

• The Rolling Roofline: The terminal's sweeping, undulating roof was structurally modeled to mimic the rolling topography of the Allegheny Mountains.
• An Indoor Forest: The interior features 38 massive steel columns structurally engineered to branch out like trees, creating a canopy effect over travelers.
• Floods of Natural Light: Giant glass walls run throughout the terminal, replacing depressing terminal lighting with soaring views and natural daylight.
• Outdoor Terraces: Travelers can actually step outside to get fresh air on four beautiful outdoor terraces before catching their flights.
• Local Homages: The passenger journey features a pedestrian tunnel built to pay tribute to the city's iconic Fort Pitt Tunnel, and aluminum leaves are pressed directly into the terrazzo floors.

"This terminal was built by Pittsburghers, for Pittsburgh. It showcases our region's innovation, craftsmanship and hospitality..."
— Christina Cassotis, CEO of Pittsburgh International Airport

A Masterclass in Local Art & Sustainability

Beyond the structural architecture, the new terminal doubles as a world-class art gallery. The airport's design features original works from 15 artists—most of whom are Western Pennsylvania locals. From the wood-framed flight information displays to massive installations, local culture is woven into every corner.

The terminal isn’t just a pretty face, either. It was built with a heavy focus on public wellness and sustainability, featuring advanced energy-efficiency measures, reduced walking distances for passengers, and a universally accessible layout designed to make travel smoother for everyone.

Have You Flown Through the New PIT Yet?

Pittsburgh has long been a city celebrated for its bridges, reinvention, and grit—and now, it has a world-class gateway to match. The next time you book a flight, you might just want to route yourself through PIT to experience one of the most beautiful spaces in modern aviation.

What do you think of the new design? Let us know in the comments below!

Morocco’s 115,000-Seat Grand Stade Hassan II Hits 30% Construction Milestone

Morocco’s ambitious bid to reshape the landscape of global football architecture is moving from bold concept to physical reality at astonishing speed. Nine months into active construction, the monumental Grand Stade Hassan II in Benslimane—set to become the largest purpose-built football stadium on Earth with a capacity of 115,000 seats—is officially 30% complete and progressing ahead of schedule.

Architectural rendering of the Grand Stade Hassan II canopy design by Populous and Oualalou + Choi.

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A Vision Taking Shape: From Renderings to Reality

Located approximately 38 kilometers northeast of Casablanca on a 100-hectare forested site in El Mansouria, the venue was designed by renowned sports architecture firm Populous in collaboration with Moroccan architect Tarik Oualalou (Oualalou + Choi).

Inspired by the traditional Moroccan moussem—a cultural gathering often centered around grand tent structures—the venue features a dramatic, translucent aluminum lattice canopy that covers both the stadium bowl and surrounding public botanical gardens.

GRAND STADE HASSAN II

• Capacity: 115,000 Spectators (Largest Football Venue)
• Location: Benslimane Province (38 km from Casablanca)
• Design Concept: Traditional Moroccan Moussem Tent Canopy
• Key Contractors: TGCC & SGTM Joint Venture
• Schedule Target: Completion by December 2027

Construction Highlights So Far:

• Round-the-Clock Work: Crews are operating on three continuous shifts a day, 7 days a week, driving aggressive progress.
• Tribunes Progress: Roughly 40% of the stadium's grandstands/tribunes are already erected.
• Site Preparation: Earthworks contracts led by local construction powerhouse SGTM are near completion, paving the way for full structural completion target by December 2027.

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Architectural & Infrastructure Features

The Grand Stade Hassan II is designed not just as a stadium, but as an immersive oasis:

• Atmospheric End Stands: Two three-tiered compact end stands accommodating 29,500 general admission spectators each.
• Unrivaled Hospitality: Five levels of premium hospitality along the sidelines welcoming 12,000 VIP, VVIP, and Royal Box guests.
• Sky Gardens: A ring of 32 stairways features lush elevated platforms 28 meters above ground, creating botanical gardens high in the canopy.
• Transit Integration: Direct access via new high-speed rail links, regional express lines, 60+ kilometers of road improvements, and parking for over 10,000 vehicles connecting Casablanca, Rabat, and Mohammed V Airport.

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The Race for the 2030 FIFA World Cup Final

While the 2030 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted across Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, the rapid momentum surrounding Grand Stade Hassan II has put the venue squarely in the spotlight.

For years, Madrid’s newly renovated Santiago Bernabéu was widely considered the default frontrunner for the 2030 World Cup Final. However, with Morocco investing over $500 million in the stadium and surrounding infrastructure, Casablanca has emerged as a formidable contender to host football’s ultimate match.

"When Grand Stade Hassan II opens, it will be unlike any venue that has ever hosted a World Cup final—a stadium built from cultural memory, designed as a gathering place rather than just an arena."

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Long-Term Legacy Beyond 2030

Unlike temporary tournament venues, the stadium will serve as the permanent home for two of Africa's most storied football clubs—Raja Club Athletic and Wydad Athletic Club—as well as the Moroccan national team.

As construction accelerates toward the 2027 completion date, Morocco is demonstrating that its World Cup ambitions are not just future plans, but active, landmark projects rising in real time.

A Guide to Visiting The Brand-New Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library

The long-awaited day has finally arrived. On July 4, 2026—coinciding beautifully with America’s 250th birthday—the highly anticipated Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library officially opened its doors to the world. Perched majestically on a mesa above the Little Missouri River in Medora, North Dakota, this isn't your traditional, dusty archive. It is a stunning, high-tech tribute built right in the heart of the rugged Badlands that T.R. credited with making him the leader he became.

If you are planning a trip to experience this architectural and historical marvel, here is your ultimate guide to what makes a visit to the TRPL absolutely unforgettable.

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A Revolution in Eco-Design

Before you even step inside, the building itself will take your breath away. Designed by the world-renowned international architectural firm Snøhetta, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is the only carbon-neutral presidential library in existence.

The building is low-slung and practically melts right into the top of the North Dakota butte. It features a massive, grass-covered living roof where visitors can take their lunches to go and enjoy expansive views of the rolling prairie. The surrounding 93 acres are part of a massive native plant restoration project, proving that the institution takes T.R.’s fierce conservation legacy seriously.

The "Adventure Galleries": Immersive History

Forget walking silently past glass cases with tiny placard text. The TRPL relies heavily on AI, holograms, and interactive storytelling to let you step directly into Roosevelt’s boots. Upon entry, you are handed an RFID-enabled wristband that customizes your journey. As you explore, you will experience:

• The Campaign Trail: Pick your top political issues to dynamically generate your own digital election poster.


• The Amazon Expedition: Climb into a physical boat and float down an uncharted South American river while 16 high-powered projectors transform the room into a vibrant, dangerous jungle around you.


• The Rough Riders: Track the diverse unit's progress across interactive battle maps from the Spanish-American War.


• Personal Artifacts: Linger over deeply moving historical objects, like his 1884 pocket diary opened to the heartbreaking entry, "The light has gone out of my life," written on the day both his wife and mother passed away.

Connecting Story and Setting

One of the best features of the library is how seamlessly it transitions from indoors to outdoors. A nearly one-mile-long elevated, fully ADA-accessible boardwalk loops straight out from the library into the prairie. Walking it offers sweeping views of the terrain where a young Teddy built his first ranch, offering a quiet space for reflection.

Best of all, the boardwalk connects directly to the legendary Maah Daah Hey Trailhead, allowing active hikers to venture straight out into the Badlands wilderness.

Pro-Tips for Your Visit

• Book in Advance: To ensure an unhurried, top-tier experience, the museum utilizes limited timed-entry ticketing. Walk-ups are not guaranteed, so secure your passes online ahead of time. Tickets run $26 for adults and $16 for youth.


• Give Yourself Time: Plan to spend at least 2 to 3 hours here to fully appreciate both the indoor multimedia galleries and the outdoor landscape trails.


• Make a Weekend of It: Combine your visit with a trek into the adjacent Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Grab a steak cooked on a pitchfork at the local Pitchfork Steak Fondue, and take in the historic, open-air Medora Musical in the evening.

The Bottom Line

The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library isn't just a monument to a past leader; it’s an invitation to challenge yourself, examine your own values, and connect deeply with the American wilderness. Whether you are a history buff, an architecture enthusiast, or a nature lover, Medora’s newest crown jewel is officially open and well worth the pilgrimage.

The Monumental Expansion Of The New Museum In Manhattan

Since its founding in 1977 by Marcia Tucker, The New Museum of Contemporary Art has proudly stood as Manhattan’s only museum dedicated exclusively to contemporary art. Strikingly anchored in the Bowery, the museum has always championed "new art and new ideas."

Now, the institution is poised to radically redefine its presence on the Lower East Side.

The museum is currently undergoing a massive, highly anticipated physical expansion. Designed by the visionary architectural firm OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture), led by partners Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas, this project will double the museum’s footprint, dramatically increasing its ability to showcase boundary-pushing art and engage with the local community.

Expanding the Stack: The Architectural Vision

In 2007, The New Museum made waves when it opened its iconic, seven-story building designed by the Japanese firm SANAA. Resembling a stacked cluster of shifted metallic boxes, it became an instant architectural landmark.

Instead of trying to mimic or overshadow SANAA’s masterpiece, OMA’s new design acts as a brilliant, complementary companion.

Replacing the Annex: The expansion replaces the museum's adjacent property at 231 Bowery (a former restaurant supply building used for years as additional project space).

The Angular Companion: OMA’s new structure rises as an angular, glass-and-mesh companion building. By utilizing a faceted, translucent facade, it mirrors the metallic, light-catching quality of the SANAA building while offering open, inviting views from the street level.

Seamless Connection: Internally, the floors of both buildings will be seamlessly integrated, allowing visitors to fluidly walk between the existing galleries and the new spaces.

What the Expansion Brings to the Bowery

The OMA-designed expansion injects an additional 60,000 square feet of space into the institution. This isn’t just about making the museum bigger; it’s about making it vastly more functional and accessible.

1. Expanded Gallery Space

The New Museum has historically been limited by its vertical, compact galleries, which often meant taking entire floors offline during exhibition rotations. The new wing adds three floors of world-class gallery space, allowing the museum to host major, large-scale exhibitions alongside intimate solo shows simultaneously.

2. The New Home of NEW INC

The expansion will provide a permanent, custom-tailored home for NEW INC, the museum's groundbreaking cultural incubator. Founded in 2014, NEW INC brings together artists, designers, and tech futurists to collaborate on interdisciplinary projects. The new facilities will feature advanced digital studios, co-working spaces, and tech labs.

3. Community and Education Hubs

A dedicated floor will be carved out for education, community programming, and public workshops. This ensures that neighborhood residents, local students, and visiting artists have a shared space to interact directly with contemporary creative practices.

4. Public Amenities and Improved Circulation

To alleviate the famously long elevator lines of the original building, the expansion introduces a prominent, highly visible atrium staircase. The ground floor will also see an expanded lobby, a larger bookstore, and a revitalized public café.

A New Era for Contemporary Art

The New Museum’s expansion represents a fearless commitment to the future of the Lower East Side and the global contemporary art scene. By doubling its footprint, the museum ensures it can continue to take risks on underrecognized artists, support tech-forward creative industries, and welcome an ever-growing community of art lovers.

As the scaffolding begins to come down, the new OMA building stands as a testament to the fact that even as Manhattan evolves, the spirit of experimental, radical art remains firmly rooted on the Bowery.

Woven into the Ozarks: The Monumental New Expansion Of The Crystal Bridges Museum Of American Art

When the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art first opened its doors in Bentonville, Arkansas, in November 2011, it completely upended the American art world. Founded by billionaire philanthropist Alice Walton, the museum proved that world-class art collections didn't just belong in coastal metropolises—they could thrive nestled inside a natural ravine in the middle of the country.

Fifteen years later, the museum is celebrating a massive milestone. On June 6–7, 2026, Crystal Bridges officially opened its highly anticipated, 114,000-square-foot campus expansion to the public.

Designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie—the vision behind the original structure—this monumental addition increases the museum’s footprint by roughly 50 percent, seamlessly blending art, community, and the majestic Ozark topography.

Completing the Figure-Eight: Architecture & Landscape

Safdie’s original design was celebrated for how it integrated with nature, using bridge-like pavilions to span two spring-fed ponds. The expansion completes a long-term developmental vision for the 134-acre campus.

The new construction introduces a completed figure-eight configuration that naturally loops circulation over the streams and ponds. Rather than feeling like an attached wing, the expansion acts as a continuous evolution of the museum's spatial flow.

Beyond the indoor galleries, the project debuts five acres of newly landscaped grounds, including new gardens, wooded trails, a new 15,000-square-foot pond, and an outdoor event plaza complete with a water feature for performances.

More Room for American Art

The expansion introduces 29,000 square feet of dedicated new gallery space, providing much-needed room for a collection that has grown exponentially since 2011.

The Temporary Exhibition Hall: A massive, 14,000-square-foot space flooded with natural light from a custom skylight system. This new infrastructure allows Crystal Bridges to host multiple major traveling exhibitions at the exact same time. The hall kicked off its public debut with the inaugural exhibition, Keith Haring in 3D.

The Bridge Gallery: A stunning glass-walled corridor that serves as both a walkway and an exhibition area for sculptures, ceramics, and glasswork. It also houses a new 40-seat café looking out over the ravine.

Contemporary Expansion: A new Contemporary American Art Gallery drastically increases space for post-war and contemporary installations, bringing immersive fan-favorites like Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room back on view alongside works by Teresita Fernández.

A Complete Reinstallation: To coincide with the grand opening, the museum underwent a complete curatorial reorganization. Visitors can now explore a re-envisioned display of roughly 600 works from the 4,100-object permanent collection, including nearly 200 pieces being shown for the first time.

The Learning and Engagement Hub

At the very heart of the expansion is a deep commitment to the community. The project introduces the Learning and Engagement Hub, a facility designed to foster hands-on creativity and education for visitors of all ages and abilities.

The Hub features:

Specialized ceramics and digital art studios.

Classrooms and flexible artmaking spaces.

Artist-in-residence studios.

A cozy, home-like community lounge for gathering.

Families visiting the campus will also notice construction progressing on the Ozark Discovery Canopy, an upcoming interactive outdoor playscape set in the wooded ravine that merges science, play, and nature.

Part of a Grand Vision: The Art + Wellness Campus

The completion of the Crystal Bridges expansion is only one piece of a broader, revolutionary vision for Bentonville. The museum is now connected via miles of trails to two major new neighbors on the 134-acre site: the Heartland Whole Health Institute (designed by Marlon Blackwell) and the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (designed by Polk Stanley Wilcox).

Together, these facilities form a unique Art + Wellness Campus that explores the intersections of physical health, education, architecture, and the healing power of nature and great art.

Welcoming nearly 800,000 visitors annually, Crystal Bridges has solidified its status as a vital American cultural landmark. With Safdie’s completed masterpiece now fully realized, the museum is beautifully positioned for its next fifteen years of inspiration.

Inside The New Obama Presidential Center in Chicago: A Visitor's Guide

More than a decade after it was first announced, a historic transformation has officially been completed on Chicago’s South Side.

The Obama Presidential Center has celebrated its official Grand Opening Ceremony, with the sprawling, state-of-the-art campus officially opening its doors to the public on June 19, 2026.

Nestled within the historic landscape of Jackson Park, this 19.3-acre, world-class civic hub is much more than a traditional, quiet repository of presidential documents. It has been reimagined from the ground up as an active, bustling town square designed to inspire the next generation of global citizens. Here is a look inside the highly anticipated campus and what you can experience on your first visit.

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1. The Striking Museum Building

The undeniable crown jewel of the campus is the breathtaking, eight-story Museum building, soaring 225 feet above the South Side. Designed by the renowned architectural team of Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, the building's exterior features a sweeping, geometric silhouette meant to evoke four hands coming together in unity.

The facade also features a stunning, towering glass art installation by artist Julie Mehretu titled “Uprising of the Sun.”

Inside, dynamic exhibits span across four floors, detailing the historic path, campaigns, and enduring legacy of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Key highlights include an incredibly detailed, full-scale replica of the Obama Oval Office, a massive 88-foot-tall media installation titled Power of Words, and an immersive Opening the White House gallery that recreates iconic moments from the administration in miniature.

At the absolute peak of the tower sits the Sky Room, a glass-enclosed observation space that is completely free and accessible to all visitors, offering sweeping views of Jackson Park, the neighboring Museum of Science and Industry, and Lake Michigan.

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2. A Hub for Community: The Forum & Home Court

The center explicitly shifts away from the static nature of past presidential libraries by creating expansive spaces built for physical activity, gathering, and local programming.

• The Forum Building: This vibrant civic hub houses the Elie Wiesel Auditorium, the Hadiya Pendleton Atrium, and the Democracy in Action Lab—all engineered to host professional conferences, community panels, and local creative workshops.


• Home Court: A massive, 45,000-square-foot athletic facility anchored by a beautiful, NBA-regulation basketball court. This space is custom-built to host youth sports leagues, wellness workshops, and community events, seamlessly tying President Obama’s legendary love for basketball directly into the campus's neighborhood mission.


• The Chicago Public Library: The campus features a brand-new, modern neighborhood branch of the Chicago Public Library, seamlessly anchoring the complex into the daily lives of local residents.

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3. Reimagined Public Parklands & Gardens

True to its home in Jackson Park, the campus is wrapped in a lush tapestry of beautifully designed outdoor spaces, almost all of which are free and open to the public without a ticket:

• The Great Lawn & Playground: An expansive, open green lawn ideal for families to picnic, play, or relax. Adjacent to the lawn is a massive, 21,000-square-foot playground featuring custom climbing ropes and multi-tiered slides.


• The Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit and Vegetable Garden: Located directly atop the roof of the public library, this community garden provides a warm space to explore urban agriculture and cooking.


• The Wetland Walk & Women's Garden: Tranquil paths wind through a revitalized wetland area, complete with beautiful scenic walkways and an upgraded, fully accessible design surrounding the historic Women's Garden.

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Planning Your Visit

The Obama Foundation has designed the campus with a deep commitment to environmental sustainability, actively tracking a LEED Platinum certification. The museum is heavily optimized for inclusion, featuring fully bilingual English/Spanish exhibition displays, integrated Braille, and assistive media technologies.

• Location: 6001 S Stony Island Ave, Chicago, IL 60637 (Jackson Park)


• Transit Access: The South Shore Line provides direct service stopping right at the nearby 57th Street Station for convenient access.


• Tickets: While the park, library, and campus grounds are entirely free to enjoy, entering the Museum requires a timed-entry ticket. Standard adult admission aligns with Chicago’s major cultural institutions, with built-in everyday discounts and designated free days for Illinois residents.

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Israel’s Tallest Tower Planned: 111 Floors In Ramat Gan “Vertical City”

Ramat Gan is officially reaching for the stars. The Tel Aviv District Committee is currently reviewing a massive urban expansion project known as "Vertical City," which is set to feature a record-breaking 111-floor skyscraper.

Once completed, this tower will not only be the tallest in Israel but will redefine the entire Diamond Exchange (Bursa) district as a premier hub for living, working, and learning.

A City Within a Building

The project, designed by the architectural firm Bareli Levitsky Kasif La Fontaine, is envisioned as a self-contained urban ecosystem. Rather than just a single office block, the 11-dunam site will host three interconnected towers:

The Crown Jewel: A 111-floor office and mixed-use tower reaching roughly 470 meters, 1,541.99 Feet, in height.

Residential Tower: A 72-floor high-rise featuring 400 long-term rental apartments and 350 student dormitory units.Office Tower: A secondary 60-floor tower dedicated to commercial space.

Key Features and Innovation

The "Vertical City" isn't just about height; it’s about modern urban solutions.

The "Green Waterfall": A defining architectural feature is a vertical park system that flows from the ground level up through the towers, creating ecological and social links between floors.

Shenkar College Relocation: In a major move for the local academic scene, Shenkar College is planned to occupy four floors of a low-rise building connecting the lobbies of the three towers.

Public Infrastructure: The project includes a six-level underground public parking lot with 900 spaces, owned by the Ramat Gan Municipality, and a new school and kindergarten complex.

Changing the Face of Ramat Gan

For decades, the Diamond Exchange district has been dominated by offices and commercial trade. The Ramat Gan Municipality sees "Vertical City" as the catalyst for rejuvenation. By focusing the 72-floor residential tower entirely on rentals for young families and students, the city aims to bring "around-the-clock" life to an area that traditionally empties out after business hours.

While it won't quite touch the heights of Dubai's Burj Khalifa, this 111-floor giant firmly places Israel in the "ultra-high-rise" league, signaling a new era of dense, green, and vertical urban planning.

Callaghan Horiuchi Shares Interior Renderings Of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Redesign In Bentonville, Arkansas

Callaghan Horiuchi is redesigning key interior spaces at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. The New York–based firm led by Christian Callaghan and Haruka Horiuchi will reimagine the guest experience inside both the original museum building from 2011 and its expansion, expected to open this year. The goal is to create a more cohesive journey between the old and new.

Callaghan Horiuchi is designing a new cafe at Crystal Bridges Museum of Art, and other features. (Courtesy Callaghan Horiuchi)

The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art’s expansion was unanimously approved by the Bentonville Planning Commission in 2021, and construction started shortly after. The same team behind the original building, Safdie Architects and Buro Happold, designed the expansion, which increases the museum’s size by 50 percent. The interior redesign at Crystal Bridges by Callaghan Horiuchi entails the creation of new galleries, lobbies, gathering spaces, and learning environments within the museum and its expansion.

Renderings show an upgraded courtyard with verdant plantings and trees and a redesigned and expanded main lobby crowned with Safdie’s glass dome. A whimsical, floral art piece by the Haas Brothers will bloom in the room’s center, underneath the circular skylight.

A new cafe will be located within a main circulation path amid the building’s signature ceilings lined with curved slabs of wood and large spans of angled glazing.

The revamped lower lobby will feature new immersive book stacks and furniture for leisure. Here, the rounded book shelves double as seating to form a “campfire,” Callaghan Horiuchi said. Wood from the site was repurposed into furnishings throughout the interiors.

An art piece from the Haas Brothers will be inserted in the revamped and expanded main lobby. (Courtesy Callaghan Horiuchi)

“A central challenge of the project was accommodating a diverse variety of spaces, our interior design strategy seeks to unify the lobbies, circulation areas, and ancillary spaces with the galleries, creating a seamless visitor journey,” said Christian Callaghan in a statement.

Architects note the museum will be reconfigured into seven “signature moments,” designed to leave a lasting impression on visitors; and ten “key areas,” interstitial zones that create a cohesive guest journey.

“Our goal was to design interiors that feel both inspiring and deeply connected to place,” Haruka Horiuchi added. “Throughout the museum, new furniture enhances comfort and accessibility, including repurposed original benches with new cushions and armrests alongside custom pieces crafted from on-site wood slabs, celebrating creativity and craftsmanship.”

Construction has already begun on the interior redesign and will complete alongside the museum expansion in June 2026. It’s happening parallel to other transformative projects underway at Crystal Bridges, including a new nature trail by Studio Bryan Hanes.

Polk Stanley Wilcox and OSD completed the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine at Crystal Bridges last summer, as reported by AN. Marlon Blackwell Architects finished the new multifunctional Heartland Whole Health Institute and a creative parking complex in June.

https://www.archpaper.com/author/danroche/

Jeddah Tower: Everything You Need To Know About The Soon-To-Be World’s Tallest Skyscraper

What do Philadelphia City Hall, the Empire State Building, and the Burj Khalifa have in common? They’ve all held the title of the world’s tallest skyscraper. And eventually Jeddah Tower, a neo-futuristic skyscraper planned in Saudi Arabia, will join the ranks among these iconic structures.

Designed by Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the structure will stand at 3,281 feet tall when completed in the next four to five years, nearly 11 times the height of the Statue of Liberty. “The design for Jeddah Tower is rooted in the symbolism of Saudi Arabia while looking toward the future by being technologically expressive,” explain Smith and Gill in a joint statement to AD. “Its slender, subtly asymmetrical massing evokes the new growth of palm fronds shooting upward from the land—a symbol of new life heralding future growth for the kingdom.”

Where will Jeddah Tower be located?

Jeddah Tower will be located in the city from which it gets its name, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A port area, the city borders the Red Sea and is the second-most populated in the Middle Eastern country. When complete, the skyscraper will join other architectural marvels in Jeddah, such as the Penang Floating Mosque and Al Balad, the town’s historic center featuring homes from coral.

The building is designed in a neo-futuristic style, an avant-garde aesthetic often underpinned by the use of world-class technology and a rethinking of both the form and function of developments. Renderings show a singular, slender tower, which subtly tapers towards its apex. As Smith and Gill explain, the shape is inspired by new palm fronds, which are abundant in Saudi Arabia.

Though the design is meant to honor its Saudi Arabian origins, it also represent the pinnacle of super-tall design and the technological evolution that has allowed such monumental design to become a reality. “The geometry of the tower starting at the base as a single tripod form then gradually separating at the spire, is tied to the wind performance characteristics of the tower—an analogy of new growth fused with technology,” the pair add.

When will Jeddah Tower be completed?

Jeddah Tower’s construction started back in 2013 but was paused in 2018. Its contractor, the Binladin Group, was taken off the project following the the 2017–2019 Saudi Arabian purge when its president, Bakr bin Laden, half-brother to Osama Bin Laden, was arrested. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in further delays; though in September 2023 Dezeen reported that construction had restarted.

“Jeddah Tower construction has restarted…the tower is expected to be completed within four to five years,” the Jeddah Economic Company (JEC), the developer, confirms in a statement to AD. The business has solicited several contractors for proposal, and JEC is currently assessing bids. “We’re targeting to select a contractor within two to three months,” the statement finishes.

How much of Jeddah Tower is complete?

Before it was halted, builders had finished about a third of the building. When completed, the tower will stand at around 3,281 feet, or one kilometer. It will be about 564 feet taller than the Burj Khalifa, designed by Smith while he was working at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, which currently holds the record for the world’s tallest skyscraper.

What will Jeddah Tower hold?

Similar to the Burj Khalifa, Jeddah Tower is expected to be a mixed-use building, offering both residential, commercial, and office space. There will also be an observation deck (currently planned to be the world’s tallest), a Four Seasons hotel, and a 98-foot-diameter outdoor balcony, which was originally designed as a helipad.

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/contributor/katherine-mclaughlin

Former Family Court Building To Become Hotel, African American Museum To Move To Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Two developers have been selected to lead the transformation of Philadelphia's former Family Court building into a new hotel on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Philadelphia-based National Real Estate Development and Washington, D.C.-based Frontier Development & Hospitality Group were named Wednesday as the firms that will renovate the historic building at 1801 Vine St. Another lot at 1901 Wood St., behind the Free Library of Philadelphia, will become the new home of the African American Museum in Philadelphia.

The Family Court building was built in 1941 and served the municipal court system until 2014, when the city relocated its functions to a new address at 1501 Arch St. The building, reminiscent of the palace architecture of La Place de la Concorde in Paris, has been unoccupied since 2017.

Plans for the building include a boutique hotel with a restaurant and bar and event spaces meant to liven up the entrance on Vine Street. The project also will include the expansion of the Free Library's Parkway Central building with the creation of the new Children and Family Center.

The soonest the hotel renovation and new buildings could be completed is 2028, officials with the city and the public-private Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp. said Tuesday.

Last August, the city and PIDC narrowed down the field of proposals to four developers, who were required to include the new location for the AAMP as part of the bidding process. The museum is leaving its longtime home at 701 Arch St. to become part of the Parkway's "Museum Mile." Philadelphia was the first city in the U.S. to build a museum like the AAMP when it opened its doors during the city's bicentennial celebrations in 1976.

“This project stands as a testament to our commitment to honoring the past while building a future that reflects our values and aspirations," Mayor Jim Kenney said. "The African American Museum of Philadelphia's relocation to a brand new facility on the Parkway, the city’s most celebrated cultural thoroughfare, signifies a historic move that rightfully places it alongside Philadelphia’s most prestigious museums."

In 2020, the city withdrew the renovation contract it previously had awarded to Peebles Corp., a Black-owned development firm that also sought to turn the Family Court building into a hotel. That project was delayed for several years by cost considerations, including the developer's effort to obtain tax credits by gaining historic designation for the building. The city ultimately cited the uncertain outlook of the hotel industry during the pandemic as the reason for exiting its partnership with Peebles Corp.

National Real Estate Development and Frontier Development & Hospitality Group will partner with Method Co., Smith & Roller and BKP Development Group, giving the new project minority equity ownership as required by the city.

The 247,000-square-foot Family Court building was designed by Philadelphia architect John Torrey Windrim as a twin to the Free Library, which was completed in 1927. In addition to being listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the exterior of the Family Court building and 37 New Deal-era murals painted inside are listed on the city's historic register.

The lot behind the Free Library covers about 88,000 square feet and was formerly owned by the Philadelphia Parking Authority. The Free Library expansion was also a requirement of the lot's development.

National Real Estate Development has a growing portfolio of projects in Philadelphia, including the East Market mixed-use development that added more than 560 apartments to Center City in recent years. The company is currently building a multifamily residence at 2nd and Spring Garden streets and has other large developments in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.Frontier Development & Hospitality Group has developed condos in Philadelphia and has extensive experience with hotel projects in other cities.

Various approvals, permits and negotiated terms between the city and the two developers still remain to be worked out before construction on the project can begin. City officials did not provide an estimated budget for the redevelopment and its separate pieces.

The contract for the Family Court building comes against the backdrop of much larger plans to reimagine the Ben Franklin Parkway as a greener, more walkable stretch. The city is currently gathering public feedback about conceptual goals and amenities that could help bring new life to the Parkway.

Frontier Development & Hospitality Group has developed condos in Philadelphia and has extensive experience with hotel projects in other cities.

Various approvals, permits and negotiated terms between the city and the two developers still remain to be worked out before construction on the project can begin. City officials did not provide an estimated budget for the redevelopment and its separate pieces.

The contract for the Family Court building comes against the backdrop of much larger plans to reimagine the Ben Franklin Parkway as a greener, more walkable stretch. The city is currently gathering public feedback about conceptual goals and amenities that could help bring new life to the Parkway.

Source: https://www.phillyvoice.com/staff-contributors/michael-tanenbaum/

10 Of The Best Ancient Ruins … That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

Ancient Khmer pyramid in Koh Kher, Cambodia. Photograph: Alamy

Done Pompeii, Ephesus and Angkor and still thirsting after archeological marvels? The founder of Timeless Travels magazine recommends 10 less well-known sites that can usually be savoured without the crowds

Koh Ker, Cambodia

Lost to forest and abandoned for over a thousand years, you’ll find this little-visited site in northern Cambodia. It’s less than two hours’ ride from its more famous cousin, Angkor Wat, and well worth a visit to see more than two dozen temples emerging from the jungle. A highlight is a seven-tiered pyramid, 40 metres high, which is thought to have been the state temple of Jayavarman IV and is often compared to Mayan temples. The site was the capital of the whole Khmer empire from 928-944AD.
• A new road means day trips to Koh Ker are possible from Siem Reap, but there are also now a few basic guesthouses and an ecolodge for those who want to stay longer

Choquequirao, Peru

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 Photograph: Zachary Bennett/Corbis

Little sister to the better-known Machu Picchu, Choquequirao is one of the most-rewarding travel destinations in the Americas. Only a few hundred people visit during the dry season (May to October), compared with thousands each day at Machu Picchu. At 3,000m, the site sits on a cloud-forest ridge, 61 miles west of Cusco in the remote Vilcabamba range. The city was built by Topa Yupanqui, son of the man who built Machu Picchu, Pachacuti, some time in the 15th century. It’s a two-day trek to Choquequirao from the town of Cachora (though a cable car link is planned), and exploring it and the outlying sites of Capullyoc, Hurincancha and Casa de Cascada with a guide will take several days.
• Buses run from Cusco to Ramal, close to Cachora, where guides and pack mules can easily be hired

Ani, Turkey

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 The ruined church of Saint Gregory in Ani. Photograph: Alamy

There are some wonderful treasures in the far east of Turkey and one of them is the site of Ani. Capital of the Armenian Bagratid dynasty until the 11th century, and situated on key trade routes, it flourished for over 400 years and at its peak was larger than any contemporary European city, with a population of over 100,000. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1319, and today its ruins are spread over a wide area, with the remains of spectacular churches, a Zoroastrian fire temple, palaces and city walls. Take a picnic and spend a day exploring the site.
• Ani can be reached by taxi or hire car from the town of Kars, 46km away and served by internal flights from Ankara or Istanbul

Conimbriga, Portugal

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 Photograph: Getty Images

This is one of the largest Roman settlements in Portugal – roughly halfway between Lisbon and Porto, near the village of Condeixa-a-Nova. It was a prosperous town in Roman times and, while not the largest Roman city in Portugal, it is the best preserved. Although only a small section of the site has been excavated, there are baths, luxurious houses, an amphitheatre, a forum, shops, gardens with working fountains and city walls to explore, with many wonderful mosaics still in situ. In its centre is one of the largest houses discovered in the western Roman empire, the Casa de Cantaber, which is built around ornamental pools in superb colonnaded gardens and has its own bath complex and heating system. There is also a good museum, cafe and picnic site. Pick up a guidebook from the museum and have a few euro coins in your pocket to make the fountains work.
• Easyjet and Ryanair fly to Porto and Lisbon from about £50 return

Han Yangling, China

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 Terracotta figures in the Han Yangling museum. Photograph: Alamy

A smaller version of the Xi’an terracotta warriors, this often-overlooked site is the the tomb of E mperor Jing Di , who died in 141BC, and his Empress Wang. The site, 20km north of Xi’an, is well laid-out, with glass panels over the burial pits so you can see everything in situ, and there is also an excellent museum. The warrior figures here have individual faces; their arms were made of wood and they wore clothes. Sadly, both have disintegrated now, though examples can be seen in the museum. The pits are filled with figurines of courtiers and animals, and you can see the fossilised remains of wooden chariots.
• Han Yangling is easily reached by taxi, from Xi’an international airport (25 minutes)

Pella, Jordan

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 Photograph: Corbis

Frequently bypassed for the larger sites of Jerash and Umm Qais , Pella, in the north Jordan valley, is a multi-period site, occupied since neolithic times. It has some stunning Roman/Byzantine remains, and recent excavations have unearthed a Canaanite temple dating from 1700BC and early-bronze-age city walls dating from 3200BC. Take the time to climb to the top of Tell Husn, the southern mound overlooking the dig house, and you will be rewarded with a fantastic view across the excavations and the Jordan valley.
• The site is 45 minutes by road from the city of Irbid (two hours from Amman). Buses run from Irbid to the present-day village of Tabaqat Fahl

Vatican Necropolis, Italy

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 Photograph: AGF/Rex

Beneath the Vatican City lie the ancient streets of Rome and an ancient burial ground, the Vatican necropolis – originally a cemetery on the southern slope of Vatican Hill. Saint Peter is said to be buried here, after he was martyred in the nearby Circus of Nero. Emperor Constantine I built a basilica above the apostle’s grave in the fourth century AD, and excavations in the 1940s did find a number of mausoleums. To walk at ancient street levels through the necropolis is an exciting experience for those who love to step back in time.
• Visits must be booked with the Vatican Excavations Office. Tours, in groups of about 12, last 90 minutes

Takht-e Soleyman, Iran

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 Photograph: /Getty Images

Takht-e Soleyman, meaning Throne of Solomon, is a breathtaking site built around a mineral-rich crater lake 30km north of Takab in Iran’s West Azerbaijan province. The earliest remains date from the Sasanian period, from 224 to 651AD. Set in a vast, empty landscape 2,000 metres above sea level, the site includes the remains of a Zoroastrian fire temple complex and a 13th-century Mongol palace. It is surrounded by an oval wall with 34 towers and two gates. The lake is 60 metres deep and so filled with minerals that it contains no life and is undrinkable. Don’t miss the small museum, housed in an Ilkhanid (a 13th-century building), with fine examples of tile, ceramics and stucco decoration. 
• The site is about two hours by taxi from the city of Zanjan, which is served by buses and trains from Tehran

Fatehpur Sikri, India

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 Photograph: /Corbis

This surprisingly intact walled and fortified Mughal city is 40km west of Agra and the Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh. Built by Emperor Akbar in 1571, it was the Mughal capital for 14 years before being abandoned for lack of water. A stunning royal complex of pavilions and palaces include a harem, a mosque, private quarters, gardens, ornamental pools, courtyards and intricate carvings. It is the best-preserved collection of Mughal architecture in India. Don’t miss the Rumi Sultana palace, the smallest but most-elegant structure in the complex, and the secret stone safes in the corner of the Treasury, which also houses a museum opened just last year.
• The complex is an easy day trip from Agra: take a bus or train to Fatehpur station, 1km from the site

Pula, Croatia

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 Photograph: Getty Images

The amphitheatre of Pula is the only Roman amphitheatre to have four side towers and all three levels preserved. Built between in 27BC and 68AD, it is one of the six largest surviving Roman arenas in the world, and the best-preserved ancient monument in Croatia. Overlooking the harbour in the north-east of the town, it seated 20,000 spectators. In summer there are weekly re-enactments of gladiator fights, and it is also used for plays, concerts and the September Outlook festival. Look out for the slabs that used to secure the fabric canopies that sheltered spectators from the sun.
• Ryanair flies to Pula from Stansted from £117 return

by Fiona Richards

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