The Barbican Centre’s £231 million restoration has been greenlit.
London’s Barbican Centre is moving forward with a £231 million restoration and modernization led by Allies and Morrison, working with Asif Khan Studio and engineers Buro Happold. The project will focus on upgrading the Brutalist arts complex’s public areas—including the multi-level foyers, the Lakeside Terrace, and the Conservatory—to improve accessibility, sustainability, and energy efficiency, while reactivating underused spaces and enhancing visitor experience. Approved by the City of London Corporation, the multi-phase plan will begin major construction in 2027.
Dutch social venture Shift has shortlisted five designs for “a new wonder of the world.”
An international architecture competition organized by Dutch social venture Shift has revealed the five shortlisted organizations tasked with designing a new “world wonder” intended to inspire climate action. Heatherwick Studio, MVRDV, Mecanoo, Office for Political Innovation, and Ecosistema Urbano were selected from 80 submissions by teams from around the world, with each now receiving €40,000 to develop their concepts before a final presentation. The competition—launched with a €250,000 prize fund—aims to create a large-scale cultural destination in the Netherlands that uses architecture, immersive experiences, and storytelling to motivate millions of visitors toward more sustainable behaviors.
Salvador Dalí’s largest painting will be auctioned in Paris.
Salvador Dalí’s largest painting is heading to auction in Paris. The large-scale canvas—unusual for Dalí, who more often worked on smaller formats—demonstrates the artist’s signature dreamlike imagery and meticulous technique that helped define the Surrealist movement. Its appearance at auction underscores continued market interest in Dalí’s work, which remains highly sought after decades after his death and continues to command multimillion-dollar results on the secondary market.
73 artists have joined a new benefit auction by Free Arts NYC.
The nonprofit Free Arts NYC has launched “The Sketch Project,” a benefit auction featuring 73 artists and cultural figures, including KAWS, Jerry Saltz, and Sasha Gordon, who have each contributed original sketches. All works in the auction start at $1,000—with all proceeds supporting Free Arts NYC’s education and mentorship programs for underserved youth across New York City.
MIT researchers and Cemex design ‘Heirloom House’ materials to last 1,000 years.
The experimental “Heirloom House” proposes a durable form built from ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) components designed to last up to 1,000 years. Created by Matter Design’s Brandon Clifford in collaboration with Davide Zampini of Cemex Global R&D, the project uses nine concrete megaliths weighing one to three metric tons each, with specially engineered bases that allow the heavy elements to wobble, pivot, and be rearranged to reconfigure interior spaces over time. Rather than demolishing and rebuilding homes, the design envisions architecture that endures for centuries while adapting to changing needs through reconfiguration instead of renovation.
Today’s attractive distractions:
Apple announced a cheap MacBook in the era of expensive PCs.
The 2026 Whitney Biennial… wants you to feel something.
Equinox is dropping Grown Alchemist for Le Labo.
A24 just released a Marty Supreme table tennis shoe with Koyo Bear.
