Dutch firm MVRDV has built a public library that looks like a huge eye, as part of a new cultural district in Tianjin, China. The atrium of the Tianjin Binhai Public Library is deliberately designed to look like a 3D eyeball, staring out through the building's glazed façade, reported the Dezeen. The five-storey-high space is framed by floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, which are staggered at different levels to form the shape of an eye socket, while a spherical mirrored auditorium at the centre forms the pupil. The curving lines of the shelves provide areas where visitors can sit and read, and observe others doing the same. They also continue out across the glass facade, forming louvers that deflect the glare of the sun. MVRDV first revealed its designs for the Tianjin Binhai Public Library in June 2016, when construction was already well underway. It is one of five buildings commissioned by the Tianjin Urban Planning and Design Institute to form a new cultural centre for the Binhai district of the coastal city. The master plan for the area was set by German firm GMP – and MVRDV found it a struggle to fit the entire program into the allotted space. It was this that led the team to create the spherical auditorium at the centre. The 33,700-square-metre building is the Dutch firm's fastest project completion to date – with a period of just three years between the first sketch and the opening ceremony. Fast-tracking the process caused a few design headaches. The upper shelves directly above the atrium are currently unreachable, after planned access rooms were dropped – a decision MVRDV said was taken by the local team against their advice. As a result, these shelves are covered in perforated aluminum plates that printed to look like books. They are cleaned using a system of moveable scaffolding and ropes. The library also houses education facilities, which are located around the periphery of the interior and accessed via the main hall. Subterranean rooms hold a large archive and provide extra book storage. Reading areas for children and the elderly are located on the ground floor, with reading rooms and lounge areas on the first and second floors. The upper floors contain meeting rooms, offices, computer rooms and two rooftop terraces. Tianjin Binhai Public Library sits alongside building a new exhibition center by GMP, as well as other cultural buildings by Bernard Tschumi Architects, Bing Thom Architects and HH Design. All five are connected by a public corridor sheltered beneath a glass canopy.

British architect David Chipperfield is to carry out major restoration works on the Procuratie Vecchie on Venice's Piazza San Marco, which will see the palace opened to the public for the first time in 500 years, reported The Dezeen. Due to be completed in 2020, the project will be a multi-million dollar undertaking for its owners, the Italian insurance company the Generali Group. For five centuries the building has been closed to the public, reserved for politicians and royalty. But once David Chipperfield and his studio complete the restoration work, the palace will become a venue for art exhibitions, installations and seminars. Built on top of stone arcades in the twelfth century, the Procuratie Vecchie runs along the north side of the iconic central square. At 152 meters long it is Venice's longest building. The original two-storey structure burnt down and was replaced in the 1530s by a three-storey structure in the early Renaissance classical style. Once at the heart of Venetian government, the building still has original frescos and ornate ceilings from the days it was used by the nine governors who aided the Doge administer the city-state known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice. At ground floor, the stone arcades are home to Venice's famous – and expensive – coffee shops, the oldest of which have been in situ since the 18th century. The restoration will also include opening a hidden passageway between Piazza San Marco and the Royal Gardens. The park on the bank of the Grand Canal has lain abandoned for years but now there are plans to restore a wisteria-covered pergola and plant an orangery. The unique location of Venice, a UNESCO World Heritage site, means all building materials will have to be bought in and out by boat along its canals.

Resigned to the fact that rising sea levels are inevitable at this point, architects are starting to create feasible, water-based living solutions. According to Inhabitat.com Italian architect Luca Curci has just unveiled a design that envisions a soaring zero-energy tower infused with greenery on each level that will be planted into the sea floor, resulting in what could be the future of self-contained architecture. Curci’s proposed Vertical City tower would consists of 10 overlapping modular layers, reaching a height of nearly 750 meters with 180 floors. The facade would be clad with a membrane of photovoltaic glass, which would generate sufficient energy for the entire building and then some. The tower would have 17650 square meters of floor surface that would be used for residences, offices, services, retail space, and various facilities. The tower design would be focused on providing a healthy, vibrant environment that connects the residents and workers with nature. For example, the tower would have ample air circulation and natural light on each level thanks to numerous perforated slots throughout the tower’s exterior. Additionally, the design calls for over 20000 meters of outdoor green space spread throughout the building, including a public open-air garden plaza on the rooftop. The massive tower’s base would be planted firmly into the sea floor. The submerged floors would house the parking and technical areas, as well as various amenities such as spas, mediation centers, a workout center, etc. A handful of luxury hotels rooms would also be completely submerged underwater, offering a unique experience as well as amazing views of marine life. Access to the Vertical City would be possible by water, land or air. The circular base would have external and internal docks as well as multiple naval entries for large and small boats. The tower would be connected to the mainland via a semi-submerged bridge for pedestrians, cars, and an electric-based public transportation system. For air arrivals, the building will be topped with a heliport.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the shortlist of 6 projects competing for the Stephen Lawrence Prize. Now in its 20th year, the prize is the highest honor in the UK awarded to projects with a construction budget of less than US$ 1.3 million, reported the Archdaily. Previous winners of the award include House of Trace by Tsuruta Architects (2016); The Fishing Hut by Niall McLaughlin Architects (2015); House No 7 by Denizen Works (2014); Montpelier Community Nursery by AY Architects (2013); Kings Grove by Duggan Morris Architects (2012); and St Patrick's Primary School Library and Music Room by Coffey Architects (2011). The 2017 shortlist is: • The Compound, Birmingham / BPN Architects. Former textile factory turned into an art venue, a workshop and a client's home. • Fallahogey Studio, Kilrea, Northern Ireland / McGarry-Moon Architects. Studio space set within the garden of the architects’ award winning house. • Houseboat, Poole, Dorset / Mole Architects with Rebecca Granger Architects. A new nautical-inspired house overlooking Poole harbor. • Peacock House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk / BHSF Architekten with Studio-P Suburban. Courtyard home complete with studio space for a private art collection. • Silver House, Swansea, Wales / Hyde + Hyde Architects. Concrete, timber and steel layered family home overlooking the Bristol Channel. • Wolfson Tree Management Centre, Tetbury, Gloucestershire / Invisible StudioTwin timber buildings to house equipment and staff facilities at the National Arboretum The winner of the 2017 Stephen Lawrence Prize will be announced alongside the RIBA Sterling Prize at a ceremony on October 31st in London.

Vietnam Authorities plans to build a new building for Vietnam's National Exhibition and trade fair center. From 9 designs the developer company VIN Group selected the master plan and architectural concept of the Hamburg architectural firm "GMP". The design for the main building of the trade center follows the motif of an open lotus flower - Vietnam's national flower - and, with this shape, is intended to become the unique and unmistakable landmark of the city. The new building to be built on the 128 hectare site, which benefits from good transport connections and is located to the north of Hanoi on the way to the international Noi Bai airport; in the east-west direction it is divided by a river. With a gross floor area of more than 600 thousand square meters, the future National Exhibition and Trade Fair Center to the north of the river will be embedded in a green park landscape which extends to the southern side of the river. The entrance to the trade fair will be marked by two high-rise hotel and office blocks, which are placed on either side of the access area and which are visible from afar. The first building phase includes the Trade Fair Center, which consists of a conference center and 8 exhibition halls. All buildings are grouped in circular fashion around a central open space, which is designed as a water feature with "islands" and bridges. The entrance hall is placed to the south and the support-free halls, with an exhibition area of 10 thousand square meters each, are linked with each other by a ring-shaped building called the "Concourse". Delivery yards are situated between the various exhibition halls, from where trucks can drive into the sides of the halls; the gates on the sides also serve as connections between the halls. In this way it is possible to combine several areas or separate them from each other, ensuring flexible use and making it possible to organize several trade exhibitions at the same time. In later building phases, six trade fair halls are planned both in the west and the east, which will be combined to a square overall layout shape and connected to the central buildings of the first phase via glazed connecting galleries. In addition, a trade exhibition building for regular trade exhibitions is provided in the eastern part of the site; the building is circular in plan and is placed on its own so that it attracts attention from the motorway and main road.