Waldorf Astoria by SOM. Image © Dave Burk
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https://www.archdaily.com/1034460/next-practices-awards-and-baghdads-forested-master-plan-the-weeks-review
This week, architectural developments around the world highlighted the balance between continuity and change in the built environment. Conversations around sustainability, heritage, and resilience highlight how architecture adapts to shifting cultural, social, and environmental conditions, reimagining the role of design in shaping future communities. Across different contexts, projects, and initiatives, ongoing efforts to address environmental challenges, preserve cultural landmarks, and prepare new infrastructures reflecting the diverse scales and directions shaping architectural practice today.
Inside Out, Downside Up Pavilion / Slaatto Morsbøl. Image © Maja Flink with Courtesy of Copenhagen Architecture Forum Copenhagen Architecture Forum (CAFx)The Copenhagen Architecture Biennial, which runs until October 19 under the theme “Slow Down,” has transformed the Danish capital into a platform for architectural dialogue and experimentation. The program features more than 250 events and highlights include the Slow Pavilions, Barn Again by Tom Svilans & Thiss Studio, and Inside Out, Upside Down by Slaatto Morsbøl, and the transdisciplinary group exhibition Slow Down, which explores how cultural narratives might shift toward slower, more sustainable futures.
Next Practices Awards | Ambulance for Monuments, Romania. Image © Lavinia Cociubei
During the Biennial’s opening days, ArchDaily announced the winners of the 5th edition of the Next Practices Awards, recognizing 20 architectural practices whose work proposes new directions for the built environment. This year’s selected practices represent diverse geographies, disciplines, and approaches, from sensitive renovations and grassroots initiatives to community-based preservation. Among them, 1110 Office for Architecture from Osaka explores material restraint and contextual integration through renovation projects, Ambulance for Monuments from Romania engages in emergency interventions paired with local training, the Deir ez-Zor Heritage Library from Syria works to safeguard architectural memory in a post-conflict setting, and NAAW from Kazakhstan investigates cultural memory and contemporary life in Central Asia.
Related Article 20 Practices Shaping the Future of Architecture: Winners of the ArchDaily 2025 Next Practices Awards 
Centre Pompidou 2030 Renderings. Image © Moreau Kusunoki in association with Frida Escobedo Studio
Elsewhere in Europe, the Centre Pompidou in Paris is preparing for a comprehensive five-year renovation. Designed in 1971 by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, the museum and cultural center will undergo a full closure beginning this week. The project, led by Moreau Kusunoki in collaboration with Frida Escobedo Studio and AIA Life Designers, aims to remove asbestos, improve fire safety, enhance accessibility, and achieve major upgrades in energy performance. Supported by France’s Ministry of Culture, the renovation is scheduled for completion by 2030.
Meanwhile, in Italy, preparations for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics are underway. Fifteen sports venues across northern Italy, concentrated in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, will host the Games from February 6 to 22, 2026, followed by the Paralympic Games from March 6 to 15. These facilities span urban arenas and mountain resorts, reflecting a mix of new construction, adaptive reuse, and upgrades to existing infrastructure.
Anterselva. Image Courtesy of Milano Cortina 2026On The Radar
SOM Restores New York’s Art Deco Landmark Waldorf Astoria
Waldorf Astoria by SOM. Image © Dave Burk
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has completed the extensive renovation and adaptive reuse of the Waldorf Astoria New York, transforming the landmarked Art Deco skyscraper into a dual-function complex that combines a 375-key five-star hotel with 372 luxury residences. First opened in 1931 and long celebrated as the “unofficial palace of New York,” the building has been reimagined through a detailed work of preservation, restoration, and modernization. SOM‘s work encompassed the restoration of 62,000 square feet of historic public interiors, including the lobbies, Peacock Alley, and the Grand Ballroom, now the city’s fourth-largest interior landmark, while introducing new terraces, modernized amenities, and updated residences designed within the building’s original structural framework. The result reclaims the Waldorf’s cultural legacy while positioning it for a new century, marking one of the largest preservation and adaptive reuse efforts in New York City.
Gensler Reveals Master Plan to Transform Baghdad
Baghdad Sustainable Forests Master Plan. Image Courtesy of Gensler and Bucharest Studio
Gensler, in partnership with Emkanat, has unveiled the “Baghdad Sustainable Forests” master plan, a 10-million-square-meter development designed to serve as a global model for urban renewal and ecological restoration. Positioned on the banks of the Tigris River at the former Al-Rasheed military site, the project aims to transform neglected land into a network of mixed-use villages, civic landmarks, and cultural destinations embedded within an extensive urban forest. With over one million trees planned to capture 22,000 metric tons of CO₂ annually, the design integrates ecological repair with new economic and social infrastructure, including innovation hubs, lifestyle clusters, and public gateways. Developed under the patronage of the Iraqi government, the initiative supports the country’s National Environmental Strategy while reimagining Baghdad as a resilient, sustainable, and vibrant capital for future generations.
Hugh Broughton Architects to Lead Infrastructure Renewal at Australia’s Davis Antarctic Station
The Australian Antarctic Division has appointed Hugh Broughton Architects to provide architectural design services for the Antarctic Infrastructure Renewal Program (AIRP), a decade-long initiative to modernize Australia‘s Antarctic research stations. Marking the most significant investment in polar infrastructure since the 1980s, the program underscores Australia’s commitment to scientific research and environmental stewardship in East Antarctica. Working within the newly formed Program Alliance, comprising Bouygues Construction, Mott MacDonald, Stantec, and the AAD, the practice will lead the design of the Davis Critical Infrastructure Works, including a new powerhouse, vehicle workshop, utility building, and upgraded site-wide systems. Scheduled to begin in 2026 and complete by 2032, the project adopts a modular, aerodynamic “kit-of-parts” approach to ensure resilience, sustainability, and efficiency in one of the world’s most extreme environments.
This article is part of our new Weekly Recap series, bringing together featured articles this week and emerging stories shaping the conversation right now. Explore more architecture news, projects, and insights on ArchDaily.