New and Noteworthy: 7 Global Exhibitions, Collaborations, and Commissions to Know About
Some of the most anticipated design and architecture work is happening right here in the United States, and much more is on the calendar all around the world. Here’s a peek into seven of the most highly-anticipated commissions, collaborations, and exhibitions from the U.S. to Australia.
Commissions
ODA New York Commissioned to Redesign WWII-era Historic Post Office in Netherlands
ODA, an architecture firm in New York City, has won a proposal to restore the historic Poskantoor post office in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The post office is one of the only buildings in the city center that wasn’t bombed in World War II. The building has been vacant for over a decade, but ODA will transform the 58,000-square-meter (or 624,000-square-foot) space into a mixed-use residential, hotel, and retail property with a nearly 500-foot tall tower emerging from behind the historic façade. Construction on the adaptive reuse project will begin later this year.
Annabelle Selldorf will Design Interpretation Center at Forbidden City for World Monuments Fund
Interior Design Hall of Fame honoree Annabelle Selldorf will lead the interior design of a new interpretation center at the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. Selldorf is one of only a handful of American architects entrusted to lead a development at the Forbidden City. The interpretation center will be the first-ever public access point to the Forbidden City’s Qianlong Garden, and will be housed in an existing, restored structure on the grounds of the Qianlong Garden. Selldorf represents her eponymous firm as the architect of the Garden’s visitor center. Construction on the interior of the interpretation center is expected to begin in late 2019 for a 2020 opening.
Collaborations
22 Firms Overhaul a 10,000-Square-Foot Mansion for the Kips Bay Decorator Show House in Palm Beach
If the thought of working alongside one or two additional firms is daunting, imagine working with 22. That’s how many it took to turn a Mediterranean mansion in Palm Beach into Florida’s newest Kips Bay Decorator Show House in just four months. Tickets to tour the massive home are on sale through February 20, and all proceeds benefit the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club.
Lee Broom Transforms a Parking Garage into a Modernist Garden in Sydney, Australia
Up-and-coming lighting designer Lee Broom will create his largest installation yet for Space Furniture in Australia. The installation, titled Park Life will transform a subterranean parking lot into Broom’s contemporary interpretation of a sprawling estate garden. A mix of hidden passageways, tableaus, and vignettes will show Space Furniture’s lighting and furniture with the drama for which Broom’s installations are known. The exhibition will be open to the public from March 14 to March 22 beneath the Space Furniture flagship showroom in Sydney.
COS Designers Commission Arthur Mamou-Mani for Milan Design Week Installation
COS, a fashion brand known for offering functional, refreshed perspectives on classic silhouettes has partnered with architect Arthur Mamou-Mani for Milan Design Week. Mamou-Mani will construct a 3D-printed installation made of a compostable polylactic acid bio-plastic for the brand during Salone del Mobile in Milan. It will be open to the public from April 9-14, at Milan’s Palazzo Isimbardi.
Exhibitions
The Dutch Bring an Immersive Installation to Milan’s XXII International Triennale Exhibition
The Netherlands will bring an exhibition to Milan’s renowned design museum, La Triennale di Milano, as a contribution to the XXII International Triennale Exhibition. The installation, titled I See That I See What You Don’t See is a response to the Triennale’s theme Broken Nature: Design Takes on Human Survival. The exhibition will host an array of projects with crossovers between design, biology, forensic science, cosmology, or activism to explore how light and darkness together impact humans. The exhibition will be open from March 1 to September 1 at La Triennale di Milano.
Snarkitecture Delves into the Arts with Hudson Yards Exhibition Space
It’s no secret that the New York-based architecture and design firm Snarkitecture likes to toe the line between art and architecture. The firm recently announced it will permanently occupy an exhibition space called Snark Park in Hudson Yards. Snark Park will be dedicated to experimental and interactive installation design. The space will host three exhibitions each year, with the first opening to the public on March 15. Titled Lost and Found, a labyrinth of massive columns will intrigue and provoke viewers to challenge how they perceive their surroundings. Lost and Found will be on view from March 15 to August 1 of 2019.
