Cultural Archives - Metropolis

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Cultural

Viewpoints

5 Articles to Read for Autism Acceptance Month

METROPOLIS editors share their ongoing coverage on designing for autism and neurodiversity.
Projects

Dyani White Hawk Weaves Lakota Symbolism into Monumental Mosaics

The Minneapolis-based artist’s work can be seen in collections across the country, including large-scale installations at Portland International Airport and JFK Terminal 6.
Projects

From Transfer Machine to Front Door: Pittsburgh Reinvents Its Airport

Pittsburgh International Airport’s new $1.7-billion terminal transforms a once-fragmented system into a unified, landscape-driven “front door” to the city.
Viewpoints

How The Craft of Kawai Kanjirō Teaches Us to Find Beauty in the Unknown

On the 100th anniversary of the Japanese mingei movement, New York’s Japan Society puts on the first U.S. retrospective of the folk potter and Living National Treasure.
Profiles

Designing Architecture in Dialogue with Water

METROPOLIS Future100 2026 honoree Kimhour Lor examines Cambodia’s complex and evolving relationship with water amid the climate crisis.
Viewpoints

Photographer Morris Lum Gives Chinatowns the Attention They Deserve

His new book, Chinatowns: Tong Yan Gaai, shows large format photography taken across 16 different Chinatowns across North America.
Projects

Baltimore Reclaims the Public Pool

CannonDesign’s modular pool strategy is delivering affordable and flexible aquatic centers to neighborhoods long excluded from public infrastructure.
Profiles

Architecture by, for, and with America’s First Communities

Indigenous architects have methods and perspectives that could shape the future of the built environment.
Viewpoints

The Shakers: Culture, Craft, Community, and Care

Behind the separatist Christian sect that believed that every tool, object, and design choice should serve a purpose.
Viewpoints

Design in Motion: Boston Launches a Festival for the Next Generation

Boston’s Design Student Film Festival foregrounds time-based media as a tool for critique, storytelling, and the creation of new spatial imaginaries.
Projects

This UVA Campus Building Asks Students to Slow Down

At the University of Virginia, Aidlin Darling Design creates the Contemplative Commons, a cross-disciplinary hub where calm, clarity, and connection are embedded in the architecture itself.
Viewpoints

We Need a New Approach to Designing for Autism

Architects and designers need to update their strategies for neuroinclusive design. Recent research points the way forward.
Projects

The New New Museum: A Pair, Not an Addition

Designed by OMA, the new addition in New York's Bowery brings openness, transparency and infrastructural ambition—but also unresolved questions about material, performance, and user experience
Viewpoints

NeoCon 2026 Brings New Exhibits, Collaborations, and More

From a new lighting show to dynamic collaborations—and a full lineup of inspiring programming—here’s what to expect at Chicago’s annual commercial interior design show.
Projects

Deanna Van Buren Is Designing Justice and Belonging in Detroit

In collaboration with Quinn Evans and Allied Media Projects, the LOVE Building shows how architecture rooted in care, access, and justice can help shape a more inclusive future.
Projects

In Chicago, Adaptive Reuse Projects are Amplifying Local Nonprofits’ Missions

New projects by Future Firm, Lamar Johnson Collaborative, and Canopy all transform existing warehouse and church buildings into meaningful, community-driven spaces.
Projects

In Vancouver, The Butterfly Redefines High-Rise Living

Revery’s sculptural 57-story tower merges luxury housing, public programs, and heritage preservation while prioritizing daylight, fresh air, and social connection.
Viewpoints

How a Big Firm Drives Big Change

Gensler’s Design Resilience Leader and Director of Sustainability Katie Mesia discusses how the firm is scaling carbon neutrality, shifting culture, and aligning sustainability with business performance.
Viewpoints

Can We Design Buildings That Give Back?

From low-hanging fruit to high-value visions, Living Future spells out a future for our built environment that’s brimming with social and sustainable impact.
Projects

Portland’s Carnegie Libraries Reopen as Community Anchors

LEVER’s transformations of the Albina and North Portland libraries expand their civic role—pairing preservation with cultural investment and community-led design.