While one might quibble with the significance of some of their selections (is a lollipop-looking observation tower for Phoenix the most meaningful project by BIG going forward next year?), there's no doubt the 10 projects identified by the editors at Architizer are sure to be the subject of much discussion in 2013. A least one enduring trend - the opening of splashy new museums and museum expansions - seems set to continue (the list includes three such projects), despite predictions of the end of that era.
Other projects of interest include:
One World Trade Center - "After a decade of intense debate, multiple delays, and questionable design revisions, One World Trade Center will finally peak at 1,776 feet to become the country’s tallest tower. The exteriors are expected to be completed in 2013, and the structure’s controversial stripped-back spire to be hoisted into place in the same time. (The building isn’t schedule for to open until 2014.) When that happens, the Manhattan skyline will have been restored, so to speak, with 1 WTC serving as a visual counterbalance to the magnetic pull of the Empire State Building in Midtown."
Shigeru Ban’s Cardboard Cathedral - "The church, which just broke ground, replaces the 1864 Christchurch Cathedral, torn down following extensive damages during a Februrary 2011 earthquake. Ban’s cathedral is intended to stand for just 10 years, long enough to find a more permanent replacement, though according to the BBC, the architect hopes his design catches on with the public and is granted permanent status."
