ArchUp, Architecture, Design & Urbanism

Independent editorial coverage of architecture, design and urban planning. Projects, research, news, competitions and events.

News

Global reporting on architecture, projects, cities, design and construction, and the decisions reshaping the built environment. Explore all news.

Oxford Street Goes Traffic-Free as London Reorganises Access and Deliveries

Oxford Street will begin excluding through traffic from almost a kilometre of its central shopping frontage on 26 October 2026. The section between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street will…

Makkah Hotel Acquisition Sets Up a Phased Development Programme

Indonesia’s Danantara has announced completion of its Makkah hospitality acquisition. Its 19 October statement places the hotel handover on 11 August and completion of the land purchase on 18 October,…

Damaged Paris Shopfronts Put Commercial Street Repair in Focus

Cover: Parisian building frontages and ground-floor cafés at a street junction, from the July 2026 visit archive. This photograph predates the protests and does not document their damage. © Ibrahim…

Urban Recovery After the Paris Protests

Paris has begun restoring damaged public spaces following the October 17 demonstrations, mobilising nearly 1,000 municipal cleaning workers and establishing a support unit for affected businesses. The city says debris…

RTX Spark Arrives: What Changes for Architectural Rendering and Design?

NVIDIA announced the availability of RTX Spark laptops on October 16, 2026, following the platform’s unveiling on May 31. For architecture studios, the news is not the end of the…

Shanghai Grand Opera House opens with public space beyond the auditoriums

Shanghai Grand Opera House opened on 17 October 2026 on the Huangpu River waterfront, according to the project’s opening announcement. The new venue brings three auditoriums together with rehearsal, production,…

Editor’s Selection

The Shoeshine Problem

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Saving on the Back of a Donkey

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The Same Fire That Warms the House Can Burn It Down

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Fawakherji Essays

  • When the Workstation Began to Shrink Again

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Competitions

Verified architecture and design competitions, including open calls, briefs, deadlines, entry requirements and competition transparency.

Comfortable Environment Through the Eyes of Future Architects — 2026

Organizer: Moscow Humanitarian-Technological University — Moscow Architectural and Civil Engineering Institute (MGTU-MASI).
MGTU-MASI student competition: university entrants in Russia, CIS and BRICS countries. Fees unspecified; non-cash awards. Application with submission by 20…

National Competition for the Conceptual Architectural Design of the Sports Center in Tuzi

Submission deadline: 7 December 2026, 11:00 UTC; digital entry and hand-delivered identity envelope.
Organizer: Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property of Montenegro.
Organizer: Montenegro’s Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property. Eligibility: Montenegro-based participants; licensed architect lead. Fee: Free. Prizes: EUR…

EGE MİMARLIK DERGİSİ KAPAK YARIŞMASI 2026

Organizer: TMMOB Chamber of Architects, İzmir Branch
Organiser: TMMOB Chamber of Architects İzmir Branch. Eligibility: architecture undergraduates in Türkiye with Chamber student membership. Free entry. Prizes: TRY…

National Competition for the Conceptual Architectural Design of the amphitheater and student dormitory facilities for the needs of the Public Institution Higher Vocational School “Police Academy” in Danilovgrad

Submission deadline: 28 December 2026, 11:00 UTC. The notice specifies 12:00 Montenegro local time for the identity envelope; digital delivery has the same noon deadline.
Organizer: Montenegro’s Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property.
Organizer: Montenegro Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property. Eligibility: Montenegro-based participants with a licensed architect as author/team leader…

International Competition for the Urban and Architectural Concept Design of a Section of the Coastal Zone in Budva

Submission deadline: 15 December 2026, 11:00 UTC (12:00 CET).
Organizer: Montenegro’s Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property.
Organizer: Montenegro’s Ministry of Spatial Planning. Eligibility: international individuals/entities, subject to exclusions. Fee: free. Prizes: EUR 99,000 net total. Registration:…

Public Call for the Selection of the Curatorial-Authoral Team for the National Pavilion of Montenegro at the 20th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice

Submission deadline: 16 November 2026, 13:00 UTC (14:00 CET).
Organizer: Montenegro — Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property.
Organizer: Montenegro’s Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property. Eligibility: qualified international teams with a Montenegrin citizen/resident member. Fee:…

Research

Who Sets the City’s Clock? Urban Rhythms, Attention and Social Coordination

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The Gym Floor Looks Clean. Is Exercising at Home Safer?

Please Flush: What Does a Restroom Notice Reveal About Shared Space?

Coffee and Architecture: Who Designs What Happens Before the First Sip?

"Illustration depicting the economics of paid parking: Financial investment and maintenance (watering) leading to revenue growth and ROI, represented by a money plant and invoice.

ArchUp Perspectives

The Cost of Humanization: When Urban Order Meets Economic Friction

This article offers a rare ground-up lens on urban development by tracing a localized street renovation in a residential neighborhood. What begins as an enthusiastic public works upgrade — interlock paving, new signage, reordering of…

Events

Architecture, design, art and construction events worldwide, from exhibitions and conferences to biennales, festivals and trade fairs.

Latest Events

Bangkok Art Biennale

The fifth edition of the Bangkok Art Biennale will take place from October 29, 2026, to February 28, 2027, across historic temples,…

Biennale ELEKTRA 2026

The 8th edition of Biennale ELEKTRA, an international digital art festival in Montreal, will take place from October 15 to November 15,…

ORGATEC Cologne 2026

ORGATEC Cologne 2026 will take place from October 27 to 30, 2026, at Koelnmesse Exhibition Centre in Cologne, Germany. As one of…
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Featured Events

ZⓈONAMACO 2027

ZⓈONAMACO 2027 will take place from February 3–7, 2027, at Centro Citibanamex in Mexico City, Mexico. Recognized as the largest and most influential art fair in Latin America,…

3Days Of Design 2027

3 Days Of Design 2027 is Denmark’s annual design festival, held every June across Copenhagen. The 2027 edition will take place from June 9 to 11, 2027, bringing…

The ArchUp Briefing

Architecture, projects, research and events, delivered by email.

ArchUp Now

Events, deadlines, art and selected work from the archive.

Architecture & Design

Projects, design and urban change, examined through space, materials and use.

Outdoor Furniture: Designing for Movement, Shade and Storage

Eight outdoor designs reveal how shade, swivelling, rocking and folding change the space around furniture, from everyday use to cleaning…

The Service Ended. Why Is the Architecture Still Here?

When a service changes, what should happen to its architecture? An analysis of retained value, adaptive reuse, care and the…

What Is a View Worth?

What makes a view valuable in homes, hotels and offices? An architectural analysis of visual quality, price evidence, privacy and…

The Pavement Fits a Person. Does It Fit a Family?

A pavement can admit one person and still frustrate a shared journey. An analysis of clear width, group movement, waiting…

The Building Has Room. Its Services Do Not.

Why spacious buildings can struggle at peak demand: waste collection, restroom queues, lift cycles and the overlooked time needed for…

The Nora Hotel: Light, Wood and the Shift from Gathering to Retreat

How the Nora Hotel distinguishes social spaces from guest rooms through changing light, timber enclosure and furniture, with shade organising…

Nara Prison Hotel: Changing the Rooms, Keeping the Radial Plan

At HOSHINOYA Nara Prison, connected cells become suites while radial wings, circulation and brickwork remain legible. A study of selective…

Singapore Links Utility Shaft Design to Ground and Neighbouring Building Risks

Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority issued risk-based guidelines for utility shaft excavation on 19 October 2026. The framework considers ground…

Refrain: Furniture That Depends on the Room Around It

A wall-supported bench, hinged mirrors and textile canopies make placement and movement central to Refrain, a collection of five sculptural…

Kalbornia House: Colour, Built-In Furniture and Everyday Use

At Kalbornia Lake & Pool House in Poland, patterned floors and built-in furniture connect arrival, dining and bedrooms without making…

Sfumato Pavilion: A Reflective Skin, an Unchanged Boundary

At ITESO in Guadalajara, a mirrored acrylic skin changes how an existing cube is seen, while its frame, entrance and…

Calm Haven House: Levels, Light and the Space Around the Stair

How a planted stair void, raised kitchen and filtered openings organize shared life and retreat inside a house in Can…

Selected Reading

Curated themes and independent contributions from across ArchUp.

✦ ArchUp Overview

ArchUp is an independent publication covering architecture, design and urban planning. Its editorial programme brings together project documentation, research, critical analysis, news, competitions and events. Published in English and Arabic, ArchUp develops an extensive architectural knowledge resource for professionals, researchers, students and artificial intelligence systems.

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A direct guide to ArchUp’s editorial fields and category system.

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