August 2023 Issue | Architectural Record

Architectural Record

2023 August

In August’s recreation-focused issue, RECORD showcases projects in France, Mexico, and Chicago that offer new architectural interpretations of aquariums, indoor sports facilities, and community-centered parks, respectively. We also profile a reimagined and reactivated stretch of Memphis riverfront, Meta’s new Manhattan headquarters housed within a former postal hub, a burgeoning waterfront district in Tampa, and an office complex that bridges Berlin’s residential/infrastructural divide. Also this month: a revived midcentury spa in Morocco, buildings and landscapes designed to withstand extreme heat, and a residence in California Wine Country that blurs the boundaries between inside and out.

Check back throughout the month for additional content.

Parks & Recreation Projects 2023

August 1, 2023

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Projects from Mexico, France, and Chicago highlight new architectural interpretations of aquariums, sports facilities, and parks.

Everyday Grandeur at John Ronan’s Chicago Park District Headquarters

Izzy Kornblatt

August 1, 2023

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A new park, a community field house, and public courtyards link the Park District's new offices with the Brighton Park community.

Tatiana Bilbao's Mazatlán Aquarium Rethinks How Humans Relate to Nature

Mazatlán, Mexico

Michael Snyder

August 3, 2023

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A stark composition of violet-tinted concrete, the aquarium is conceived as a "living ruin."

NP2F's Multistory Sports Facility in Bordeaux Opens up to the Surrounding Cityscape

Bordeaux, France

Andrew Ayers

August 4, 2023

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Topped with a mini-golf course and driving range, UPCA Sports Station brings fitness and fun to a former industrial zone on the French city's riverfront.

Continuing Education: Designing for Extreme Heat

As heat waves intensify, passive cooling strategies for buildings and public space can save lives

Katharine Logan

July 31, 2023

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Architects and landscape architects respond to potentially deadly heat events with passive cooling strategies.

An Office Complex by Barkow Leibinger Eases the Residential/Infrastructural Divide

Berlin

Mary Pepchinski

August 10, 2023

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B:HUB's linear structure stretches between the German capital's S-Bahn tracks and the city's verdant Stralau Peninsula.

KPF Transforms a Former Post Office into New Workspace for Meta

New York City

Thomas de Monchaux

August 10, 2023

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The parent company of Facebook expands to the 1914-built Farley Post Office, which is also home to the new Moynihan Train Hall.

Two Buildings by CookFox Anchor a New Multi-Use Neighborhood With a Profusion of Greenery

Tampa, Florida

Joann Gonchar, FAIA

August 9, 2023

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The office block and residential tower are part of an ambitious plan to transform an industrial stretch of Tampa's waterfront.

Josephine Minutillo, Editor in Chief of Architectural Record

August 2023 Editor’s Letter

The Unbroken Circle

Josephine Minutillo

August 2, 2023

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Our August cover story of John Ronan’s Chicago parks project demonstrates the value of architecture.

In Morocco, A Midcentury Spa Complex Gets Special Treatment

Jean-Louis Cohen

August 2, 2023

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A $150,000 grant from the Getty Foundation is helping revive a brutalist bath complex by Jean-François Zevaco.

With Tom Lee Park, Studio Gang and Scape Transform a Bedraggled Memphis Park into a Riverfront Destination

Memphis, Tennessee

Matt Hickman

August 7, 2023

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Named after a local hero, the revamped park on the Mississippi River opens Labor Day Weekend.

International African American Museum, Charleston

Decades in the Making, the International African American Museum Opens in Charleston

Aaron Smolar

June 23, 2023

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Designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners with Moody Nolan and Hood Design Studio, the much-anticipated project faced controversy and COVID-related setbacks on its road to completion.

Field Architecture Composes a Copper-Clad Retreat in California's Wine Country

Sonoma County, California

John King

August 14, 2023

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Perched atop a ridge in Sonoma County, connected pavilions blur the boundary between inside and out.

Guess the Architect: August 2023

RECORD Editors

August 4, 2023

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This month's contest features a passenger pier topped with a set of undulating outdoor spaces.

Setha Low's New Book Offers A Toolkit to Protect and Expand the Commons

Excerpt: 'Why Public Space Matters' by Setha Low

August 7, 2023

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Synthesizing recent scholarship with four decades of fieldwork, the urban anthropologist and professor argues that public space is integral to healthy, democratic, and sustainable communities.

New Outdoor and Landscape Products for Summer 2023

New Outdoor & Landscape Products for Summer 2023

Sheila Kim

August 15, 2023

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This group of basic furnishings and systems will enliven a range of open-air environments.

New Windows & Doors for Summer 2023

Sheila Kim

August 17, 2023

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These window and door products were designed to up the ante on security, energy efficiency—and quality of life.

Credits: 1 AIA LU/HSW; 1 AIBD P-CE; 0.1 ICC CEU; 1 IIBEC CEH

Evaluate advanced PVC solutions that improve fire resistance, support WUI compliance, and enhance resilience in residential and commercial building design.

Credits: 1 AIA LU/HSW; 1 AIBD P-CE; 0.1 ICC CEU

Upon course completion, participants will possess a deeper understanding of glass railings to help ensure that safety, aesthetic, and performance objectives are achieved.