DESIGN DISPATCH

The Finalists for the Venice Architecture Biennale Have Been Announced, and Other News

Plus, L.A.'s AIA concentrates its efforts on rebuilding, and Paolo Sorrentino is tapped to design an installation for Salone del Mobile.

View of one of 52 finalist’s submissions: Civic PORCH by Studio James Carpenter / JCDA Inc. and Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc. Courtesy “PORCH: An Architecture of Generosity" Organizers.

The U.S. finalists for the 19th annual Venice Architecture Biennale have been announced.

The U.S. Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale will showcase 52 projects that embody the theme Porch: An Architecture of Generosity, highlighting the attribute as a space for community and civic engagement. Selected by a distinguished jury, the finalists include Studio Gang, Brooks + Scarpa, Olson Kundig, and Pei Cobb Freed + Partners, Moody Nolan, and Hood Design Studio, among others. 

L.A.’s AIA has formed a task force focused on rebuilding in the aftermath of the wildfires.

Architects in Los Angeles are mobilizing to rebuild communities devastated by the January 2025 wildfires, which destroyed more than 10,000 structures. Led by Mohamed Sharif and Greg Kochanowski, the AIA Los Angeles Wildfire Disaster Response Task Force is coordinating efforts to integrate fire-resistant design, sustainability, and equitable recovery into the rejuvenation process with broad support from architects, policymakers, and community groups.

Paolo Sorrentino. Courtesy of Salone del Mobile.

Director Paolo Sorrentino will design a site-specific installation for Salone Del Mobile.

Paolo Sorrentino will debut “La Dolce Attesa” at Salone del Mobile, an installation designed with Margherita Palli to explore the experience of waiting. This year’s fair will also feature Pierre-Yves Rochon’s Villa Héritage, a neoclassical space blending history with contemporary design, and a showcase from Robert Wilson inspired by Michelangelo’s Rondanini Pietà.

After consecutive quarters with slow earnings, Estée Lauder’s new CEO announces layoffs.

Estée Lauder CEO Stéphane de La Faverie has unveiled a sweeping restructuring plan to counter the beauty giant’s declining sales, which fell 6 percent in Q2 to $4 billion. The company will cut up to 7,000 jobs, streamline operations into brand clusters, and shift strategy to align with evolving consumer habits, including a greater focus on mass-market appeal. 

American shoppers should expect Shein and Temu prices to increase.

Shein, Temu, and Amazon Haul face rising prices in the U.S. after President Trump revoked a trade loophole that allowed duty-free imports of low-cost Chinese goods. The move significantly impacts Shein and Temu, which relied on the exemption to keep prices low, though both have started diversifying suppliers and expanding U.S. operations. 

Courtesy of Ikea

Today’s attractive distractions:

Ikea’s cheery Tjärlek collection hints at the color and optimism of springtime. 

With its newest app launch, Invites, Apple seems to be taking aim at Partiful.

Porsche Design names Orlando Bloom as its newest ambassador for watches and eyewear.

Wouldn’t you know it, Beata Heuman’s spatial awareness extends to her studio, too. 

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