Renovation

A former Aldi store is getting the starchitect treatment with an ambitious renovation by BIG. It will transform the building into a light-filled museum defined by an eye-catching roof that resembles a colossal piece of paper draped over the building.

The St. Pauli Bunker was commissioned by the Nazis during WWII to protect Hamburg residents from Allied bombing raids. It has now received an ambitious new extension including restaurants, a hotel, and a large park and "mountain path."

London's 177-m-tall BT Tower has been a lot of things over the years – a telecommunications tower, a revolving restaurant, and even the target of a bombing attack. It's now set to begin a new chapter as a luxury hotel, courtesy of Heatherwick Studio.

Commissioned to renovate a residence in Montreal, Canada, Indee Design decided on a lighthearted approach. The result, named Atelier Chabot, is described as a playhouse for kids and adults, and boasts a slide, climbing wall, and netted area.

Google has revealed plans for its new HQ in Chicago. The project will transform the existing 1980s-era James R. Thompson Center, giving the aging building an ambitious renovation that brings it in line with modern sustainability standards.

Renovations of former industrial spaces are currently very popular. The Ark, by MAD Architects, is more unusual than most and involves installing an eye-catching mixed-use building over a disused cement factory warehouse in Shanghai, China.

The CTBUH has named Quay Quarter Tower, by 3XN Architects, the Best Tall Building Worldwide for 2023. The prestigious authority on skyscrapers hailed the project's clever repurposing of an old high-rise into an eye-catching cantilevering tower.

MVRDV's renovation of Albania's Tirana Pyramid is now finally complete and has officially opened to the public. The building has been transformed from a communist-era brutalist landmark into a scalable technology center focused on young people.

PAU recently completed an ambitious renovation of Brooklyn's 19th century Domino Sugar Refinery. The firm retained the main brick shell of the historic building and inserted an all-new modern and energy efficient glass office building inside.

Austin Maynard Architects is adept at transforming dilapidated homes into attractive modern residences. Its Helvetia project has breathed new life into an old terrace house, adding lots of natural light, an atrium and multiple garden spaces.

It's all well and good creating new buildings that are packed with sustainable design, but it's often even greener to adapt what has already been built. To highlight this, RIBA has launched a new award to celebrate the creative reuse of buildings.

Following the completion of its Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts just a few days ago, Studio Gang has now finished work on its American Museum of Natural History extension, which features an eye-catching sculpted rock-like form.