We’ve rounded up the most spectacular buildings that are expected to be completed this year. Alongside a number of regional plans, our list also includes the world’s second-tallest skyscraper.
Merdeka 118, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia—Fender Katsalidis
Expected to be inaugurated in the second half of 2023, this Kuala Lumpur skyscraper will be the second tallest building in the world with its 678.9m height, behind Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. The 118-story tower was designed by the Australian firm Fender Katsalidis. It will house a shopping mall at the bottom, while the pattern of the glass façade draws inspiration from traditional Malay art.
Pyramid of Tirana, Albania—MVRDV
Work on this former communist monument in the Albanian capital began in February 2021. While the original concrete shell has been preserved, the structure was opened up to the outside at several points allowing it to be reborn as the new cultural hub of the city.
Mendel’s Greenhouse, Brno, Czechia—Chybik + Kristof
Brno Abbey, belonging to the Augustinian Order, is of great scientific historical significance: it was here that Abbot Gregor Mendel laid the scientific foundations of heredity, for which he is justly known as the father of genetics. Chybik + Kristof has revived the greenhouse of the abbey, where Mendel carried out his experiments. In the renovation process, emphasis was placed on preserving and rendering visible the original foundations, around which a structure was erected that would serve a variety of touristic purposes.
Beijing Library, China—Snøhetta
This ethereal-looking library is designed in a collaboration between the Norwegian firm and ECADI. Besides being a traditional house for book sharing, it is intended to be a center for the promotion of information exchange, learning, and debate culture. Its fascinating, forest-like structure will be 16 meters high and the façade will be composed of massive glass panels to ensure a sense of transparency. The sculptural columns connecting the roof to the ground are not only for structural stability, but they also to conceal the technology system that controls the interior climate, lighting, and acoustic comfort.
Masaryčka, Prague, Czechia—Zaha Hadid Architects
Zaha Hadid Architects is transforming a vast 28,000 square meter area in Prague’s Old Town, which used to serve as a parking lot. A major transport hub has been created here, greatly simplifying traffic in the area. It provides a link between Na Florenci Street and Hybernská Boulevard and integrates existing transport stops to provide a single point of access to the railway station, metro, bus station, and, in the future, an airport link as well.
Grand Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt—Heneghan Peng
The opening of this grandiose museum, announced back in 2002, has already been delayed for several years. According to reports, the building is now well and truly on the home stretch, and when it opens it will be the largest museum in the world dedicated to a single civilization.
Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw, Poland—Thomas Phifer and Partners
Thomas Phifer and Partners has designed a two-building complex to be located on Plac Defilad in Warsaw: one will house the museum and the other the TR Warszawa Theater. The New York-based design firm has envisioned a highly modern, clean-cut building in a city steeped in history, with the aim of creating an entirely new cultural hub.
American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA—Studio Gang
One of New York City’s most visited museums has outgrown its space, and a new wing is opening under the name Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation. The new building’s cavernous concrete form was inspired by natural processes like the formation of canyons and glaciers. The dynamic interior also offers excellent transparency, making it easy to navigate around the museum.
Source: Archdaily, Chybik + Kristof
The Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture program series starts this week!
Fascinating Kádár cubes, or the divisive architectural legacies of socialism in Hungary
