Revitalizing a civic anchor The renovation and expansion of the Appleton Public Library reimagines a longstanding community landmark as a flexible, light-filled hub for learning, gathering, and exchange. Located in downtown Appleton, Wisconsin, the project renews the 1981 brutalist structure with contemporary spaces that improve environmental performance and reinforce the library’s role as a civic … Continued
Edificio Portico is a significant addition to Madrid’s most dynamic and modern business district, the Campo de las Naciones, which has seen extraordinary growth since the 1980s. The building provides efficient, flexible, and environmentally friendly office space while serving as an architectural landmark. Located 10 kilometers from the city center, the building is conceived as … Continued
Reimagining the research lab The University of North Carolina Genome Sciences Building (GSB) reimagines the traditional linear arrangement of the research lab, locating wet and dry labs together in light-filled pods that encourage interdisciplinary interaction. The facility serves as a new social hub for the campus, demonstrating the value of transparency in science through its … Continued
The best-kept secret in Cambridge The John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center was founded in 1970 to advance transportation innovation for the public good, and its new building in Cambridge, Massachusetts, furthers this critical mission. As the original facility grew outdated, the General Services Administration (GSA) entered an unprecedented land agreement with the Massachusetts … Continued
Located on the campus of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), this striking facility houses several of the world’s leading neuroscience research programs. Providing an environment that fosters the cross-pollination of ideas was a driving force behind the building’s design. The interior is organized around a five-story, open-air atrium that provides visual connections throughout … Continued
Athletic training centers are rarely show-stopping works of architecture. The New York Jets’s training facility, an elegant composition of metal and glass volumes, is a notable exception. SOM’s vision was to create a kind of architectural machine that would enable players to train at a higher level — and win more football games. The entire … Continued
The National Museum of the United States Army walks visitors through every generation of the Army, focusing not on battles or wars, but on the individual soldier – a centuries-long narrative of honor, sacrifice, and valor. Its site traverses 84 acres of the Fort Belvoir Military Installation, a bucolic site located just 20 miles outside … Continued
Setting up the next century For decades, the southeast corner of Princeton University served as an ancillary support area: a surface parking lot with temporary structures, two athletics fields, and several acres of unoccupied space. As the institution envisioned its future, setting goals to create a dedicated place for athletics and to reach net zero … Continued
Planning the skyscraper hotel’s next century The standards for American hospitality forever changed when the Waldorf Astoria opened its doors in 1931. Setting a record as the largest hotel in the world, the city’s new “unofficial palace” became an instant centerpiece of New York culture—welcoming celebrities, politicians, royalty, everyday tourists, and New Yorkers alike throughout … Continued
A new presence on Vassar Street In 2019, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) established the Schwarzman College of Computing (SCC) to usher a new approach to education in the computing age, with research ranging from artificial intelligence to the social, ethical, and policy dimensions of computer science. With nearly half of MIT’s undergraduate student … Continued