architectural icons | architecture news and projects https://www.designboom.com/tag/architectural-icons/ designboom magazine | your first source for architecture, design & art news Fri, 20 Jun 2025 11:53:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 grand palais reopens in paris after four-year renovation by chatillon architectes https://www.designboom.com/architecture/grand-palais-paris-four-year-renovation-chatillon-architectes-06-19-2025/ Thu, 19 Jun 2025 17:45:55 +0000 https://www.designboom.com/?p=1139941 the grand palais fully reopens following a major transformation that improves public access and brings back long-concealed architectural elements.

The post grand palais reopens in paris after four-year renovation by chatillon architectes appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

]]>
paris’s grand palais fully opens to the public after renovation

 

After four years of renovation, the Grand Palais in Paris fully reopens following a major transformation led by Chatillon Architectes (find designboom’s previous coverage here). The project, which began with the unveiling of the restored Nave for the 2024 Olympics, is the most extensive restoration in the building’s 120-year history. Spanning 77,000 square meters, the work improves public access, brings back long-concealed architectural elements, and adapts the historic structure to meet modern cultural and technical needs. During the Centre Pompidou’s own renovation period, its exhibitions will be temporarily housed in the newly restored galleries of the Grand Palais.


images © Charly Broyez for Chatillon Architectes, unless stated otherwise

 

 

Chatillon Architectes reveals the true identity of the building

 

Paris-based Chatillon Architectes focused on restoring the original layout of the building, which had become fragmented over time. They studied over 3,000 archival plans and drawings to guide the work, aiming to respect the original design of the monument while updating it for contemporary use. New exhibition spaces, restaurants, and circulation routes are added, with over 40 elevators and 30 staircases introduced to make the building fully accessible.

 

‘The Grand Palais is a powerful symbol of France’s cultural legacy – iconic and instantly recognisable, yet so much of its beauty has been hidden for decades,’ says François Chatillon, founder of Chatillon Architectes. ‘We didn’t set out to reinvent it, but through a process of revelation we wanted to uncover its identity. This renovation was about bringing it back to life, staying true to its spirit while opening it up for the future and giving the monument back to the people.’

 

Built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition, the Grand Palais was originally designed by a team of architects led by Charles Girault. It combined Beaux-Arts architecture with then-revolutionary materials like steel and glass. In later years, parts of the building were damaged, altered, or closed off, reducing access and hiding many of its key features.

The renovation reopens the original central axis, allowing visitors to move freely from Square Jean Perrin to the Seine. This new connection forms what the architects call a ‘place centrale’, an open area created by combining the Rotonde d’Antin, the Salon Seine, and other interior spaces. One major change was the removal of a wall separating the Nave from the Palais de la Découverte, restoring a sightline that hadn’t been visible since 1937.


the Grand Palais in Paris fully reopens to the public | image © Antoine Mercusot for Chatillon Architectes

 

 

Centre Pompidou Moves Exhibits to Renovated Galleries

 

Lighting and technology enhancements throughout the galleries have transformed them into versatile spaces for a wide range of exhibitions. The Centre Pompidou will use these spaces while its own museum is being renovated. Other public areas include a mezzanine-level café, Le Réséda, led by Michelin-starred chef Thierry Marx, and a new brasserie, Le Grand Café, overlooking the Champs-Élysées gardens with interiors by Joseph Dirand.

 

Interior partitions are replaced with glass to bring in light and expose the building’s original proportions. Every element, from doors over six meters tall to statues, ornaments, and 150 windows, was carefully restored. ‘At Chatillon Architectes, we strive to revitalize historic landmarks, such as the Grand Palais, as both emblematic monuments and vibrant cultural spaces,’ shares Simon Chatillon, partner of Chatillon Architectes. ‘We approach cultural projects with a strong sense of place, developing thoughtful and innovative interventions that bring renewed energy and help define their future.’

 

The gardens surrounding the building have also been redesigned, visually connecting to the nearby Champs-Élysées. More than 60,000 plants from 250 species were added to support biodiversity, using a rainwater-fed irrigation system built into the renovated roof. A new pedestrian entrance at Square Jean Perrin replaces a former road and improves the site’s integration with the city.


Chatillon Architectes’ project is the most extensive restoration in the building’s 120-year history


the work brings back long-concealed architectural elements


adapting the historic structure to meet modern cultural and technical needs

grand-palais-paris-four-year-renovation-chatillon-architectes-designboom-large02

Chatillon Architectes focused on restoring the original layout of the building


new exhibition spaces, restaurants, and circulation routes are added


40 elevators and 30 staircases introduced to make the building fully accessible


the centre pompidou will use these spaces while its own museum is being renovated

grand-palais-paris-four-year-renovation-chatillon-architectes-designboom-large01

the renovation reopens the original central axis | image © Antoine Mercusot for Chatillon Architectes


lighting and technology enhancements transform the galleries | image © Antoine Mercusot for Chatillon Architectes


interior partitions are replaced with glass to bring in light | image © Antoine Mercusot for Chatillon Architectes

grand-palais-paris-four-year-renovation-chatillon-architectes-designboom-large03

the gardens surrounding the building have also been redesigned

 

project info:

 

name: Grand Palais | @le_grand_palais Restoration
architect: Chatillon Architectes | @chatillonarchitectes
location: Paris, France

The post grand palais reopens in paris after four-year renovation by chatillon architectes appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

]]>
in london, sir john soane’s museum unpacks the ideas behind richard rogers’ iconic works https://www.designboom.com/architecture/london-sir-john-soanes-museum-ideas-richard-rogers-iconic-works-exhibition-06-19-2025/ Thu, 19 Jun 2025 10:50:23 +0000 https://www.designboom.com/?p=1139841 the exhibition features eight works, from the zip-up house to the lloyd’s building and centre pompidou.

The post in london, sir john soane’s museum unpacks the ideas behind richard rogers’ iconic works appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

]]>
Sir John Soane’s Museum in london honors Richard Rogers

 

Running until September 21st, 2025, Richard Rogers: Talking Buildings opens at Sir John Soane’s Museum in London. The exhibition looks back at the 50-year career of Richard Rogers (1933-2021), a British architect known for designing some of the world’s most recognizable buildings and for using architecture to express his political and social beliefs. Rather than offering a career overview, the show presents his work as a journey through eight important projects, allowing visitors to witness how his ideas evolved across time.

 

These eight projects include both built and unbuilt works, starting with the experimental Zip-Up House from 1967, and ending with his final work, the Drawing Gallery of 2020, brought to vivid life in pink for Château La Coste’s annual exhibition in 2023 (find designboom’s previous coverage here). Other featured buildings include the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Lloyd’s building in London, celebrated for their high-tech designs.

 

Curated and designed by Richard’s son, Ab Rogers, the exhibition presents this selection in an engaging way through large-format drawings, models, and moving imagery that deconstruct Rogers’ work with clarity.


all images by Gareth Gardner

 

 

Talking Buildings draws parallels between the two architects

 

Central to Rogers’ work is the idea of legibility, the belief that buildings should clearly show how they are built and what they are for. Instead of hiding technical elements like pipes, beams, or ventilation systems, the Pritzker-winning architect often left them exposed and treated them as part of the design. He wanted people to understand how a building worked, just as you can understand how a machine works by looking at its parts. This approach reflected his belief that architecture should be transparent, honest, and open to everyone.

 

Richard Rogers: Talking Buildings also draws a parallel between Rogers and Sir John Soane, the 19th-century architect whose former home is now the museum. Though they worked in very different times, both architects believed in architecture as a tool for education and public engagement. Soane created his house-museum to teach students and visitors about design, while Rogers brought radical ideas into public space, reshaping how cities like London function and feel. Both used light, space, and structure to make architecture more human and more accessible.


Richard Rogers: Talking Buildings opens at Sir John Soane’s Museum in London

 

 

architecture as a response to challenge

 

Two specially commissioned films by Marina Willer offer fresh insights into Rogers’ perspectives on the featured projects. Complementing the exhibition, the Foyle Space hosts a specially commissioned installation by RSHP titled RSHP Architects in Dialogue. This display showcases RSHP’s past, present, and future projects, highlighting their ongoing influence on modern architecture and urban design, both in London and around the world.

 

The exhibition also shows that Richard Rogers was deeply engaged with the world around him. Throughout his career, he used architecture to respond to major social and environmental challenges, from affordable housing and climate change to the design of more democratic and accessible cities. Public space played a central role in his work, seen as a vital setting for connection, interaction, and community.

 

By presenting Rogers’ work in dialogue with the legacy of Sir John Soane, Talking Buildings invites visitors to reflect on the broader role of architecture in shaping society. Soane imagined a more enlightened London through his ambitious plans in the 19th century, while Rogers, in his time, helped build a more open, flexible, and inclusive city. 


the exhibition looks back at the 50-year career of Richard Rogers


the British architect is known for designing some of the world’s most recognizable buildings

london-sir-john-soanes-museum-ideas-richard-rogers-iconic-works-designboom-large03

the show presents his work as a journey through eight important projects


model of the Zip-Up House (1967) by Richard + Su Rogers | image courtesy of RSHP


the exhibition features a selection of works through large-format drawings, models, and moving imagery


curated and designed by Richard’s son, Ab Rogers

london-sir-john-soanes-museum-ideas-richard-rogers-iconic-works-designboom-large02

Talking Buildings also draws a parallel between Rogers and Sir John Soane


Millenium Dome (known as The O2) by Richard Rogers | courtesy of RSHP Drawings


Rogers House (1969) | | image courtesy of RSHP


the Foyle Space hosts a specially commissioned installation by RSHP

 

 

project info:

 

name: Richard Rogers: Talking Buildings

location: Sir John Soane’s Museum | @soanemuseum, London, UK

curator: Ab Rogers | @abrogersdesign

dates: June 18th – September 21st, 2025

The post in london, sir john soane’s museum unpacks the ideas behind richard rogers’ iconic works appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

]]>
mosaics, ironwork, and pergolas of gaudí’s casa batlló in barcelona restored after a century https://www.designboom.com/architecture/mosaics-ironwork-pergolas-antoni-gaudi-casa-batllo-barcelona-restored-century-06-19-2025/ Thu, 19 Jun 2025 10:01:49 +0000 https://www.designboom.com/?p=1139659 as casa batlló marks 20 years as a UNESCO world heritage site, the domestic spaces at the heart of gaudí’s design are set to reemerge with renewed clarity and vibrancy.

The post mosaics, ironwork, and pergolas of gaudí’s casa batlló in barcelona restored after a century appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

]]>
revitalizing one of antoni Gaudí’s most emblematic works

 

Casa Batlló, one of Antoni Gaudí’s most emblematic residential works, has been undergoing an ambitious process of restoration over the past year, led by architect Xavier Villanueva. The project, now set to open to the public on June 19th, focuses on returning the vivid intricacy of the building’s rear facade, private courtyard, and garden to their original condition as first designed in 1906. This period marked Gaudí’s mature phase within the Catalan modernisme movement in which he began synthesizing structural experimentation, ornamental craft, and spatial poetry into unified architectural compositions.

 

Over the years, the iconic dragon-scaled elevation has continued to draw crowds as it animates the Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona, while also becoming a platform for key cultural initiatives, from Sofia Crespo’s projection-mapped facade to Kengo Kuma’s shimmering staircase and Refik Anadol’s digital interventions. While that elevation has evolved into an icon of modern Barcelona, the lesser-seen rear facade remained largely hidden from view as its character gradually faded with time and became obscured by later additions over the past century. Now, as Casa Batlló marks 20 years as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the concealed domestic spaces are set to reemerge with the clarity and vibrancy Gaudí intended.

 

Restoration teams uncovered the original hues of the stucco, ironwork, and carpentry hidden beneath layers of pale repainting, while discovering previously unseen spatial and structural features such as a spiral-shaped vaulted support system of brick and iron beneath the balconies. Mosaic patterns, parabolic pergolas, handcrafted planters, and original Nolla tilework were also reassembled with the help of skilled artisans, bringing back texture, rhythm, and intention. ‘When we discovered the original colors, we couldn’t believe it, The facade as it stands is now like the photographic negative of the original by Gaudi,’ says Villanueva. ‘The discoveries we made relate in shapes, colors, and materials to the rest of Casa Batlló.’

mosaics, ironwork, and pergolas of gaudí's casa batlló in barcelona restored after a century
pergola after restoration | image © Claudia Mauriño

 

 

hidden Color, craftsmanship, & structure return to Casa Batlló

 

Casa Batlló was designed as a private garden space for the Batlló family, and its courtyard was conceived as a place of retreat from the city’s bustle, amid tiled paths, parabolic pergolas, and handmade planters. This restoration is the first full intervention on the courtyard and back facade since its completion, recovering lost elements while reinterpreting them through an exacting study of archival drawings and photographs, stratigraphic testing, and material research.

 

The interventions seem to foster a dialogue between the building’s past and present through a particular focus on materiality. Over 85,000 pieces of Nolla mosaic, originally laid at the start of the nineteenth century in the courtyard, have been restored or replicated by hand, using enhanced materials to ensure durability outdoors. The trencadís mosaics, Antoni Gaudí’s signature patchwork of ceramics and glass, were largely preserved in situ where possible, or carefully reproduced using 3D scans and high-resolution archival imagery, keeping their original patterns intact.

mosaics, ironwork, and pergolas of gaudí's casa batlló in barcelona restored after a century
facade after restoration | image © Claudia Mauriño

 

 

Ironwork, including railings and pergola structures, has been restored by Enric Pla Montferrer’s workshop in Alpens. Where previous repairs had introduced welds, the team reinstated Gaudí’s original bolted modular system that was discovered thanks to original construction markings found on site. During the restoration, the team found that even the hidden structure supporting the balconies revealed surprises, such as a spiraling system of brick and reinforced vaults, radical for its time, and undocumented until this recent intervention.

 

Wooden elements, from the original muntins to balcony doors, were restored or recreated by heritage carpenter Josep Bartolí. Crucially, the original hues — long buried under decades of repainting — were uncovered through stratigraphic analysis, revealing a palette that echoes the green tones of Casa Batlló’s main facade. The stucco too revealed a dramatic shift from a bold black that had faded to a warm cream, reshaping how the entire rear facade is perceived in contrast to the theatrical flourish the building is otherwise celebrated for.

mosaics, ironwork, and pergolas of gaudí's casa batlló in barcelona restored after a century
courtyard after restoration | image © Claudia Mauriño

 

 

the landmark celebrates 20 years as UNESCO heritage site

 

For the restoration team, the project forms part of a broader five-year initiative to reframe Casa Batlló as a living cultural space. Now marking its 20th anniversary as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the building is celebrated as an architectural landmark — a pivotal work within Gaudí’s built legacy — as well as an evolving site of public engagement. This approach stretches the impact of conservation beyond historical fidelity, and considers it in the context of public access, education, and craft.

 

To realize this vision, the team brought together a multidisciplinary group of artisans including ceramicists, carpenters, ironworkers, and glaziers, who worked collaboratively to recover Gaudí’s original materials and techniques. Their work is being documented and shared through a short film and accompanying on-site exhibitions, allowing visitors to understand the process and labor behind the final restoration. These efforts speak to a broader goal to make the house more accessible and legible, inviting the public into Gaudí’s world by illuminating the layers of experimentation, technique, and creative labor that continue to define it more than a century on.

mosaics, ironwork, and pergolas of gaudí's casa batlló in barcelona restored after a century
ironwork after restoration | image © Pere Vives

mosaics, ironwork, and pergolas of gaudí's casa batlló in barcelona restored after a century
trencadís after restoration | image © Casa Batlló

mosaics, ironwork, and pergolas of gaudí's casa batlló in barcelona restored after a century
mosaic restoration process | image © Casa Batlló

antoni-gaudi-casa-batllo-renovation-barcelona-designboom-01

mosaic restoration process | image © Casa Batlló

mosaics, ironwork, and pergolas of gaudí's casa batlló in barcelona restored after a century
trencadís restoration process | image © Casa Batlló


ironwork restoration process | image © Óscar Rodbag

antoni-gaudi-casa-batllo-renovation-barcelona-designboom-02

trencadís restoration process | image © Casa Batlló

 

project info:

 

name: Casa Batlló restoration | @casabatllo

location: Barcelona, Spain

lead restoration architect: Xavier Villanueva

The post mosaics, ironwork, and pergolas of gaudí’s casa batlló in barcelona restored after a century appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

]]>
brutalist landmark torre velasca reopens in milan as mixed-use tower with public piazza https://www.designboom.com/architecture/brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-milan-mixed-use-tower-public-piazza-hines-asti-architetti-05-29-2025/ Thu, 29 May 2025 15:45:04 +0000 https://www.designboom.com/?p=1136094 asti architetti led the refurbishment of the skyscraper that combines residential, corporate, cultural, and communal uses.

The post brutalist landmark torre velasca reopens in milan as mixed-use tower with public piazza appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

]]>
milan’s brutalist icon returns with new mixed-use identity

 

After a three-year restoration, Torre Velasca, Milan’s iconic skyscraper, reopens to the public with a fresh identity that amplifies its brutalist-modernist legacy. First completed in 1958 by the avant-garde collective BBPR (Banfi, Belgiojoso, Peressutti, and Rogers), the concrete tower has long stood as a symbol of postwar Italian resilience and experimentation. Now, under the direction of Hines, with Asti Architetti leading the architectural refurbishment, Torre Velasca enters a new phase as a hybrid vertical complex that combines residential, corporate, cultural, and communal uses, anchored by a newly created urban piazza.


all images ©Albo

 

 

Hines and Asti Architetti restore Torre Velasca

 

The defining form of the tower, composed of a rational base rising into a dramatic overhanging crown supported by angled buttresses, is preserved in its entirety. Often likened to a medieval fortress or Lombard tower, its bold silhouette remains unchanged, but its skin and systems are carefully upgraded. The original clinker brick facade, one of the most distinctive features of the building, was subjected to extensive restoration, led by Milan-based Asti Architetti for global real estate firm Hines, using laser cleaning and manual repair techniques to preserve its original grain and irregularities. Windows, some of which had been replaced with incompatible frames in the decades since its construction, were returned to BBPR’s specifications, reintroducing uniformity and rhythm to the grid.

 

The restoration also involves an overhaul of the building’s technological core—HVAC, energy efficiency systems, acoustic insulation, and digital infrastructure—earning the project LEED Gold and WiredScore Gold certifications. ‘The restoration had to be invisible,’ explains Paolo Asti. ‘Every intervention had to match the design logic and constructive intelligence of BBPR, or it didn’t belong.’


after a three-year restoration, Torre Velasca reopens to the public

 

 

reimagining BBPR’s skyscraper as a civic platform

 

Spanning 34,000 square meters of mixed-use program across 29 floors, what was once a gated skyscraper now opens fully to the public. The base now includes flexible event spaces, an exhibition gallery, retail units, and informal lounges. The 75-meter-high tower, once seen as a fortress, now functions as a civic platform. ‘This isn’t just a real estate project. It’s a return of public dignity to a building that was always meant to be part of the city, not apart from it,’ notes Senior Managing Director of Hines Mario Abbadessa.

 

Internally, public and private programs are layered vertically in a manner that respects the original tripartite structure: a commercial and communal ground plane, a modernist office block midsection, and a residential crown above—now reimagined as the METT Hotel & Lifestyle residences. The 18th floor houses MIA, a new panoramic restaurant designed with restrained luxury, while the mezzanine floors accommodate SUSHISAMBA and other food and wellness amenities. The interiors feature bespoke terrazzo, restored wood paneling, original signage typography, and hand-finished ceramics in an effort to echo the material intelligence of BBPR’s original scheme.

 

Perhaps the most radical gesture is at street level, where the formerly vehicle-dominated area around the tower has been entirely re-landscaped as Piazza Velasca, a pedestrian piazza paved in natural stone and planted with magnolias, olive trees, and native grasses. Asti Architetti’s custom benches and Esa Engineering’s lighting reinterpret BBPR’s design language in a contemporary idiom. The original street lamps designed by BBPR have also been restored, bridging past and present.


Milan’s iconic skyscraper adopts a fresh identity


first completed in 1958 by the avant-garde collective BBPR


the concrete tower has long stood as a symbol of postwar Italian resilience

brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-milan-mixed-use-vertical-hub-new-public-piazza-hines-asti-architetti-designboom-large02

under the direction of Hines, Asti Architetti leads the architectural refurbishment


Torre Velasca enters a new phase


a newly created urban piazza anchors the project


a hybrid vertical complex that combines residential, corporate, cultural, and communal uses

brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-milan-mixed-use-vertical-hub-new-public-piazza-hines-asti-architetti-designboom-large03

its bold silhouette remains unchanged


its skin and systems are carefully upgraded


laser cleaning and manual repair techniques preserve the original grain and irregularities of the facade

brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-milan-mixed-use-vertical-hub-new-public-piazza-hines-asti-architetti-designboom-large01

a rational base rises into a dramatic overhanging crown supported by angled buttresses

 

project info:

 

name: Torre Velasca Restoration

location: Milan, Italy

original architects: BBPR (Gian Luigi Banfi, Lodovico Belgiojoso, Enrico Peressutti, Ernesto Nathan Rogers)

restoration lead architect: Asti Architetti | @asti_architetti

developer: Hines Italy | @hines

floor area: 34,000 sqm

height: 75 meters

 

engineering: CEAS (structures), ESA Engineering (MEP)

general contractor: ARS Aedificandi

heritage supervision: Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la città metropolitana di Milano

The post brutalist landmark torre velasca reopens in milan as mixed-use tower with public piazza appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

]]>
frank lloyd wright’s only realized skyscraper, price tower in oklahoma, is sold to new owners https://www.designboom.com/architecture/frank-lloyd-wright-skyscraper-price-tower-oklahoma-sold-new-owners-mcfarlin-building-05-07-2025/ Wed, 07 May 2025 09:30:01 +0000 https://www.designboom.com/?p=1131342 the sale closed on may 5, 2025, just one day before the property was due to be auctioned as part of a bankruptcy proceeding.

The post frank lloyd wright’s only realized skyscraper, price tower in oklahoma, is sold to new owners appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

]]>
Frank Lloyd Wright’s skyscraper sold to McFarlin Building LLC

 

Frank Lloyd Wright’s singular skyscraper, the iconic Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, is officially sold to McFarlin Building LLC. The sale closed on May 5, 2025, just one day before the property and its associated collection were due to be auctioned as part of a bankruptcy proceeding. With no competing qualified bids received, McFarlin secured the landmark for $1.4 million. The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, which holds a preservation easement on the site, expresses optimism about the tower’s future, citing the new owners’ respect for its architectural significance and their plans for careful revitalization.


Price Tower | image by John H. Waters, AIA

 

 

copper panels front the 19-story Price Tower

 

Designed in 1952 and completed in 1956, the 19-story Price Tower stands as Frank Lloyd Wright’s only built skyscraper. It was commissioned by Harold C. Price Sr. to house his oil pipeline business alongside apartments and rental offices, hybrid that embodied Wright’s vision of organic architecture. Inspired by his unrealized 1928 project, St. Mark’s in the Bowery, the tower is notable for its radical structure. Floors cantilever out from a central core, eschewing the steel-frame orthodoxy of postwar high-rises. Its copper-panel facade, geometric interiors, and asymmetrical form mark it as a true original in the American landscape.

 

The recent journey of the tower to new ownership has been anything but smooth. Once the pride of mid-century Bartlesville, Price Tower had fallen into disrepair under previous owners Copper Tree Inc. and Green Copper Holdings LLC, who filed for bankruptcy in early 2025 with just $216 in the bank. A series of legal disputes, utility shutoffs, and unauthorized collection sales triggered national concern among preservationists. McFarlin’s bid, initially delayed by court proceedings, ultimately prevailed, with The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy stepping in throughout to defend their easement and advocate for a sustainable resolution.


Price Tower, Dewey Avenue, Bartlesville, OK | image © Flickr via Warren LeMay

 

 

a National Historic Landmark secures a new future

 

Despite its struggles, the tower remains a National Historic Landmark and a touchstone of modern architecture. Its preservation easement, granted to the Conservancy in 2011, protects not only its exterior but also select interiors and collection items. John Snyder and Macy Snyder-Amatucci of McFarlin, the new owners, have a track record of creative adaptive reuse and are already working with the Conservancy to stabilize and restore the building. 

 

Wright once called the tower ‘An assertion of the American sense of itself. This upraised hand on the prairie is a symbol of American independence.’ As McFarlin Building LLC steps in with fresh resources and a long-term plan, the Price Tower may once again rise as a beacon.


exterior of Price Tower, March 2025 | image by John H. Waters, AIA

frank-lloyd-wrights-skyscraper-price-tower-oklahoma-sold-new-owners-designboom-large01

copper panels clad the tower’s facade | image © Flickr via Warren LeMay


interior of the corporate apartment | image by John H. Waters, AIA


interior of the corporate apartment | image by John H. Waters, AIA


15th floor double-height space | image by John H. Waters, AIA


Lobby | image by John H. Waters, AIA

frank-lloyd-wrights-skyscraper-price-tower-oklahoma-sold-new-owners-designboom-large02

Price Tower interior detail | image by Andrew Pielage


Price Tower | image by John H. Waters, AIA


image courtesy of Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy

 

 

project info:

 

name: Price Tower

architect: Frank Lloyd Wright

location: Bartlesville, Oklahoma, US

 

current owners: McFarlin Building LLC

The post frank lloyd wright’s only realized skyscraper, price tower in oklahoma, is sold to new owners appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

]]>
OMA-designed fondaco dei tedeschi store in venice closes its doors https://www.designboom.com/architecture/oma-fondaco-dei-tedeschi-store-venice-doors-dfs-05-02-2025/ Fri, 02 May 2025 10:10:50 +0000 https://www.designboom.com/?p=1130540 the DFS department store regularly hosted art installations, exhibitions, concerts, and cultural events.

The post OMA-designed fondaco dei tedeschi store in venice closes its doors appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

]]>
Fondaco dei Tedeschi closes almost ten years after oma’s revamp

 

After nearly a decade of operation, the OMArenovated Fondaco dei Tedeschi in Venice shuts its doors (find designboom’s previous coverage here). Duty Free Shoppers (DFS) Group, the LVMH-owned travel retailer that runs the department store, posts a quiet notice on its website: ‘As of May 1, 2025, our store will be closed.’ The news is followed by a farewell post on Instagram, thanking friends and customers for the years of shared experiences.

 

Venice was home to DFS’s only store in Europe, a space that regularly hosted art installations, exhibitions, concerts, and cultural events, particularly on its rooftop and in the central courtyard. Locals often used the historic building as a shortcut between Campo San Bartolomeo and the Rialto, while tourists were drawn in as much for the panoramic views as for the luxury shopping.


all images by Delfino Sisto Legnani and Marco Cappelletti © OMA, unless stated otherwise

 

 

the history behind the 800-year-old building

 

The closure, announced in November 2024, ends a project that aimed to rewire a 13th-century monument for 21st-century life. Located at the foot of the Rialto Bridge, across from the fish market, the Fondaco started life as a trading hub for German merchants, later became a customs house under Napoleon, and under Mussolini, a fascist post office. Over the centuries it burned down twice, was rebuilt, stripped of its towers, filled in with concrete, and altered so heavily that by the time the international design practice OMA stepped in, little of its original structure remained untouched. Still, in 1987, it gained protected monument status, freezing further transformation in place.

 

OMA’s approach, led by Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli, Rem Koolhaas, and Silvia Sandor, treated the building as a palimpsest, layered and messy. Their renovation, commissioned by the Benetton family in 2009, carved out new public paths through the mass, added a hovering steel-and-glass floor over the central courtyard, and revived the rooftop by transforming a 19th-century pavilion into a wooden terrace with panoramic views over Venice. 


the OMA–renovated Fondaco dei Tedeschi in Venice shuts its doors

 

 

as DFS departs, a new chapter begins

 

Inside, they opened up vertical circulation with new escalators, retained key historic rooms, and reinstated the gallerias as surfaces for frescoes, this time in contemporary form. The courtyard, once closed to the city, became a kind of indoor campo, a public piazza at the heart of the structure. 

 

DFS operated the space as a luxury department store, but that is only part of the story. OMA’s design was also about public access, civic energy, and rethinking what a monument can be. It avoided nostalgia and challenged the idea that heritage buildings must be static or sacred. With DFS gone, the future of the building is uncertain. Its protected status severely limits what can be altered, but its history shows that the Fondaco always adapts.


the space that regularly hosted art installations, exhibitions, concerts, and cultural events


locals often used the historic building as a shortcut between Campo San Bartolomeo and the Rialto


Venice was home to DFS’s only store in Europe

oma-fondaco-dei-tedeschi-store-venice-doors-dfs-designboom-large03

tourists were drawn in as much for the panoramic views as for the luxury shopping


OMA treated the building as a palimpsest, layered and messy


the courtyard became a kind of indoor campo


a steel-and-glass floor hovers over the central courtyard

oma-fondaco-dei-tedeschi-store-venice-doors-dfs-designboom-large02

transforming a 19th-century pavilion into a wooden terrace with panoramic views over Venice


OMA’s revamp carved out new public paths through the mass


its history shows that the Fondaco always adapts | image courtesy of DFS

 

 

project info:

name: Fondaco dei Tedeschi (DFS Venice) | @tfondaco

renovation architect: OMA | @oma.eu 
operator: DFS Group 

location: Venice, Italy 

date of closure: May 1, 2025

 

lead architects: Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli | @ippopeste, Rem Koolhaas | @rem.koolhaas, Silvia Sandor | @silviasandor

renovation completed: 2016

The post OMA-designed fondaco dei tedeschi store in venice closes its doors appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

]]>
step inside a de stijl icon through david altrath’s images of the rietveld schröder house https://www.designboom.com/architecture/de-stijl-icon-david-altrath-images-rietveld-schroder-house-04-24-2025/ Thu, 24 Apr 2025 17:00:13 +0000 https://www.designboom.com/?p=1129238 designed in 1924 by gerrit rietveld for truus schröder-schräder, the home still feels like it belongs to the future.

The post step inside a de stijl icon through david altrath’s images of the rietveld schröder house appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

]]>
David Altrath photographs the rietveld Schröder House

 

German photographer David Altrath delivers a visual narrative of one of architectural modernism’s most radical dwellings—the Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht, Netherlands. Designed in 1924 by Gerrit Rietveld for the Dutch socialite Truus Schröder-Schräder, the home stands as a three-dimensional manifesto of the De Stijl movement. Through Altrath’s crisp compositions, the series offers a fresh perspective on a house that, over a century later, still feels like it belongs to the future.


all images by David Altrath

 

 

de stijl’s legacy lives on in utrecht

 

Altrath’s images reveal the innovative structure of the residence, drawing attention to the relationship formed by the lines, planes, and bold primary colors that compose its visual language. With no fixed corners, sliding panels, and jutting planes, Rietveld dissolves the divide between inside and outside. Altrath casts his lens on this interplay of openness with precision, letting light and shadow animate the architecture’s geometric rigor.

 

The adaptable interior layout of the Rietveld Schröder House, where walls move and rooms shift to accommodate daily life, comes alive through Altrath’s series. His shots focus on the architectural decisions that challenged the rigid domestic norms of the 1920s, instead proposing a flexible, living architecture rooted in abstraction, freedom, and clarity. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, the dwelling is one of the few built expressions of De Stijl principles in architecture. 


David Altrath delivers a visual narrative of one of architectural modernism’s most radical dwellings


the Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht was designed in 1924 by Gerrit Rietveld


the home stands as a three-dimensional manifesto of the De Stijl movement

de-stijl-icon-david-altrath-images-rietveld-schroder-house-designboom-large02

the series offers a fresh perspective on a house


even a century later, the house still feels ahead of its time


Altrath’s images reveal the innovative structure of the residence


lines, planes, and bold primary colors compose the visual language


The Red and Blue chair by Gerrit Rietveld

de-stijl-icon-david-altrath-images-rietveld-schroder-house-designboom-large01

the chair was in 1917


the Zig-Zag Chair in red


the residence is one of the few built expressions of De Stijl principles in architecture

 

 

project info:

 

name: Rietveld Schröder House
photographer:
David Altrath | @davidaltrath

architect: Gerrit Rietveld

location: Utrecht, Netherlands

The post step inside a de stijl icon through david altrath’s images of the rietveld schröder house appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

]]>