From Las Vegas to Rome: Photographs by Iwan Baan
Munich, Germany
Through July 6, 2024
A traveling exhibition showcasing the work of renowned architectural photographer and RECORD contributor Iwan Baan arrives at the Architekturgalerie Munich. The displayed works explore Baan's excursions in Rome and Las Vegas, revealing unexpected similarities and connections between the two cities. The visual dialogue of the exhibition honors the 50th anniversary of Denise Scott Brown and Robert Venturi's seminal book Learning from Las Vegas, which draws a parallel of architectural significance between the Nevada capital and the Eternal City. A new book accompanying the exhibition, titled Iwan Baan, ROME - LAS VEGAS, Bread and Circuses, features contributions from RECORD contributing editor Izzy Kornblatt. See architekturgalerie-muenchen.de.

Biophilia: Nature Reimagined
Denver
Through August 8, 2024
The term “biophilia,” coined by American biologist and author Edward O. Wilson in his 1995 book, describes humankind’s innate affinity for the natural world, which persists despite technological advancement. The Denver Art Museum presents an exhibition delving into contemporary design’s reflexive relationship to nature, featuring architectural models, furniture, objects, digital installations, and immersive art experiences by an international roster of designers and artists including Iris van Herpen, Studio Gang, teamLab, Joris Laarman and DRIFT, among others. Through a thematic approach, Biophilia explores the ways in which contemporary architecture, design, and art evoke the structures, relationships, and phenomena in nature. See denverartmuseum.org.

Constructing Hope: Ukraine
New York
Through September 3, 2024
The Center for Architecture presents the work of over a dozen architects and designers currently supporting Ukraine’s short- and long-term reconstruction efforts. The first exhibition of this work in the United States, Constructing Hope brings together a wide range of projects—from designs for modular furniture and housing to detailed documentation of destroyed buildings and remembered spaces—to illustrate how architecture can foster mutual aid and facilitate support networks. Including drawings, photographs, videos, furniture, and models, the exhibition’s visual identity was created by Ukrainian graphic designer Aliona Solomadina, who has been inspired by the intricate crisscross patterns of tape on windows seen throughout Ukrainian cities and towns in the course of the current war. See centerforarchitecture.org.

Raise the Roof: Building for Change
London
Through September 21, 2024
In this exhibition, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) explores the narratives and attitudes embedded within the fabric of its London headquarters. RIBA commissioned a number of British designers to respond to the 1934 building’s specific original interior features, including a mural by Edward Bainbridge Copnall and a carved timber panel, both depicting indigenous colonized people in states of subjugation. Participating artists include Esi Eshun, Thandi Loewenson, Arinjoy Sen, and Giles Tettey Nartey. See architecture.com.

Bio-Spaces: Regenerative, Resilient Futures
London
Through September 30, 2024
Curated by environmental media-and-events platform Planted in collaboration with Oliver Heath Design Studio, an experimental, multi-sensory exhibition at Roca London Gallery immerses the visitor in the world of biophilic design. Composed of modular gridded “islands,” each exploring a pertinent theme, Bio-Spaces highlights architectural case studies and products that derive inspiration from nature. See rocalondongallery.com.

Christien Meindertsma: Re-forming Waste
London
Through October 19, 2024
The third iteration of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s symposium concerning sustainable materials is cemented by an exhibition devoted to the work of Dutch designer Christien Meindertsma. The artist's creative practice centers around the life cycles of raw materials and explores sustainable alternatives to harmful systems of mass production; this exhibition focuses on her work with linoleum and sheep’s wool. See vam.ac.uk.

Competitions

Fantini Design Awards
Deadline: August 9, 2024
Italian kitchen and bath manufacturer Fantini invites all architects, designers and developers to submit eligible projects to its annual awards celebrating the best of water-inspired North American design. Three projects will be selected as winners, with one representative per winning project receiving a four-day, all-expenses paid trip to a Piero Lissoni-designed resort in Pella, Italy. See fantinidesignawards.com.