CitiesBeautiful.org continually monitors development projects in beautiful cities worldwide. The goal is to keep our website visitors up to date on recent and proposed activities that potentially will contribute to – or detract from, depending on the “eye of the beholder” – the overall beauty of those cities. Click on any city above to see what the future holds!
Generally, if a building starts moving, it’s a very bad thing. But a new shape-shifting architecture concept from the students at Barcelona’s Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalunya proves otherwise. Responding to the notion that as buildings become smarter and greener they should also be responsive to their external environments, the project, dubbed Translated Geometries, explores how physical spaces could someday morph based on various environmental inputs. The concept uses Shape Memory Polymers–a composite material that can deform and return to its original state when activated by factors like heat, humidity, and light–to form a modular structure that expands and contracts based on temperature... Beautiful Facet: REVELATION
MVRDV's Maquinnext is a shopping center designed to provide much-needed park space along with retail and residential components. From above, passersby and residents can only see a forest, but hidden below is a network of energy-efficient commercial spaces. The highlight of the project is its strong focus on sustainable design. The green roof park will provide fresh clean air, a cooling effect, and recreational opportunities. The shops below the park will take advantage of passive solar design and day lighting. Rainwater will be collected and recycled for use within the facility... Beautiful Facet: SYNERGY
