Architecture Article

Atelier Peter Zumthor has revealed conceptual designs for their CHF 100 million ($100 million USD) addition of the Beyeler Foundation in Riehen, Switzerland, just outside of the city of Basel. Located on land formerly off-limits to the public, the extension will add an array of new event and gallery spaces to the existing museum, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop and opened in 1997.

The sliver of land today known as 150 North Riverside sat vacant for decades. Wedged between the Chicago River to the east, active Amtrak rail lines to the west, and Lake and Randolph street viaducts to the north and south, the lot is only 85 feet across at its widest point. Prior to the project’s completion, developers, for decades, believed it was impossible to build on a site with such constrictive features. Despite this long-held belief, client-developer Riverside Investment & Development saw an opportunity to purchase the parcel and structure a unique acquisition of two adjacent parcels of largely air rights above the rail lines. This combined three-parcel site allowed the design team to create a 54-story office tower directly on the riverfront, in conjunction with a surrounding public park and riverwalk.

MYS Architects has been selected to design a new mixed-use high-rise in the northern business district of Tel Aviv, an area home to the city’s urban skyscraper belt. Called the “Egged Tower,” the project consists of a 65-story tower rising from a commercial podium, constituting one of the largest current construction projects in the city.