The world’s first “upcycled” skyscraper won World Building of the Year in the last year of architecture, and Burkina Faso-born Francis Kéré became the first African architect to win the coveted Pritzker Prize.
In addition, it was a year in which we lost industry titans like Ricardo Bofill and Meinhard von Gerkan and gained long-awaited new landmarks like the Steinway Tower in New York and the Taipei Performing Arts Center.
The effects of Covid-19’s delays on construction projects, which typically take years to complete, are still being felt. However, whether it’s the world’s second-tallest tower or an Abu Dhabi interfaith religious complex, 2023 promises to be a year of remarkable new openings.
Nine of the architectural projects that will change the world in 2023 are as follows:
National Library of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel
The National Library of Israel and its extensive collection of books, manuscripts, and photographs are moving to a brand-new building next to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, after outgrowing their previous location.
The phrase “Houses That Can Save the World” The building’s distinctive upper volume resembles a huge block of carved rock. Local limestone was mixed into the cement as a nod to Jerusalem’s historic color palette. These homes are a blueprint for a greener future. Inside, offices including an assembly room, a young place and different presentation spaces, are designed around the 50,500-square-foot understanding corridor.
From the soaring circular skylight to the ground-level display cases that make items from the library’s collection visible to passersby, the design by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron aims to reflect the institution’s values of openness and accessibility.
Nordø, Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen has been chosen by UNESCO to be the World Capital of Architecture in 2023, and the Danish capital is full of sustainable design examples.
The ongoing transformation of the once-industrial Nordhavn (or Northern Harbor) into a pedestrian-friendly “smart” district with green energy sources and a “super bikeway” connection to the city center is the most important of these. Ongoing years have seen deserted grain and concrete storehouses changed over into workplaces and condo blocks, while a rambling Joined Countries grounds, UN City, opened there in 2013.
The most recent addition to the neighborhood by Danish architecture firm Henning Larsen, Nord, is a good example of the change that is taking place. With a redbrick exterior that distinctions to the site’s modern past, sizable public nurseries and a housetop patio, the 115-home improvement guarantees inhabitants an “island desert garden” with simple admittance to the region’s developing assortment of eateries and public spaces.
Argentine city of San Salvador de Jujuy’s Lola Mora Cultural Center
Although the late Argentine architect César Pelli is most well-known for iconic skyscrapers like the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the World Financial Center in New York, his company’s first new project in South America since 2018 is a much more modest endeavor.
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The Lola Mora Cultural Center is dedicated to its namesake sculptor, one of the pioneering female artists of the early 20th century, and is situated in a forest with views of the city of San Salvador de Jujuy in northwest Argentina. The institution will house an interpretation center, restaurant, library, and atelier for visiting artists in addition to a selection of her works.
The building, whose shape was taken from a sculptor’s chisel, is “net-zero energy” according to architects Pelli Clarke & Partners, though it may go even further: With the assistance of on location wind turbines and sun based energy creation, the middle is supposed to produce 20% more energy than it consumes.
Abrahamic Family House, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Although Muslims make up nearly 80% of the population in the United Arab Emirates, the three Abrahamic religions—Islam, Christianity, and Judaism—are treated equally at Abu Dhabi’s new interfaith complex. The mosque, synagogue, and church of the project all stand in aesthetic harmony on a “secular” visitor pavilion in three identically sized cubic forms.
Even though each of the three main buildings has a different orientation on the site, the Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye’s firm, Adjaye Associates, said it looked to the commonalities between the faiths in its designs.
In addition to providing places of worship, the complex aims to promote cultural exchange and dialogue. According to the architects, a fourth space—an educational center—will serve as a location “for all people of goodwill to come together as one.”
Merdeka 118, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Remaining north of 2,227 feet over Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, Merdeka 118 is currently the world’s second-tallest structure behind Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. It is likewise one of only four supposed “super tall” high rises — a term used to portray towers estimating north of 600 meters, or 1,969 feet — on the planet.
How to construct a supertall: Ismail Sabri, the then-prime minister at the time, compared the design of the world’s tallest building to the image of former leader Tunku Abdul Rahman raising his hand in the air when he announced the country’s independence in 1957 at the nearby Stadium Merdeka. In contrast, the triangular glass planes on the building’s facade, according to Fender Katsalidis, an Australian architecture firm, were inspired by patterns found in Malaysian arts and crafts.
The building—along with the sprawling mall at its base—promises approximately 1 million square feet of retail space, offices, a hotel, a 1,000-seat theater, and Southeast Asia’s highest observation deck.
Crenshaw, Louisiana, USA
Locals in the historically Black neighborhood saw an opportunity to push for new infrastructure in an area that has long suffered from underinvestment when a new section of the LA Metro’s K Line threatened to split Crenshaw Boulevard in two. Destination Crenshaw, a public-private initiative costing $100 million, aims to accomplish exactly what its name suggests: to transform the Crenshaw neighborhood into a destination rather than just a road.
Over 100 works of Black art and culture will be displayed along the 1.3-mile cultural corridor, which will include pedestrian walkways, ten brand-new public parks, street furniture, and more. The reimagining of a Confederate statue by African American artist Kehinde Wiley will stand among the murals, statues, and permanent installations.
Although not all of it will be finished by the end of 2023, several major components, such as Sankofa Park, the largest of the landscaped areas, and four “pocket” parks, are anticipated to open by the fall.
AMRF First Structure, Sydney, Australia
Sydney is undergoing a significant urban transformation with the construction of a massive precinct to serve and profit from the city’s new international airport. Over the course of the next three decades, it is the hope of authorities that the area, which is known as the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, will be able to establish itself as a major economic hub for the creative, scientific, and technological sectors.
There is still a long way to go since the airport won’t open until 2026. However, a single structure is the foundation of every new city.
The Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF) First Building, which will serve as a visitor center and hub for the entire development of the Aerotropolis, is scheduled to be completed in late 2023. The light-filled design was overseen by Hassell Architecture in collaboration with Western Parkland City Authority and Indigenous designer Danièle Hromek of Djinjama, a First Nations cultural research and design practice. It was constructed from prefabricated timber modules and was inspired by the movement of water.
Bengaluru, India’s Kempegowda International Airport
India’s third most crowded city, Bengaluru, is set to invite its extremely past due air terminal development, with Kempegowda Worldwide’s 2.7-million-square-foot Terminal 2 entering activity ahead of schedule one year from now. After the second phase of the project is finished, the airport will be able to accommodate an additional 25 million visitors per year, which will eventually reach 40 million.
Expectations regarding the appearance and experience of terminal buildings have been raised by lush airports like Singapore’s Changi. A “terminal in a garden” by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is a series of interconnected buildings joined by landscaped spaces and populated with plants, bamboo-clad pavilions, indoor waterfalls, and rattan furnishings. The architecture firm’s approach is similarly inspired by nature.
Giza, Egypt’s Grand Egyptian Museum
Since a design competition was announced in 2002, the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum has been plagued by delays. It will cost more than $1 billion and house some of the most valuable objects from human history. Even five years ago, perhaps optimistically, it was included on this list.
CNN repeatedly requested confirmation from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities that the museum would finally open in 2023, despite numerous promising signs (including the announcement of a major concert there in January).
The 5.2 million square foot structure was designed by Dublin-based Heneghan Peng Architects. It has exhibition spaces, a conservation center, and an atrium tall enough to hold a huge Ramses II statue. The building’s glass-fronted facade and interior are dominated by triangular shapes, a nod to the nearby Pyramids of Giza.
