The year 2008 in architecture involved some significant architectural events and new buildings.

Events

*February 10–11 –

2008 Namdaemun fire 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

: The wooden superstructure of the 550-year-old Namdaemun gate in

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

(South Korea) is destroyed by arson. *June 20 – The Architects (Recognition of European Qualifications etc and Saving and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2008 comes into force in the UK. *July 8 – The first in

Francesco da Mosto Francesco da Mosto (; born 1961) is an Italian architect, author, historian, film maker and television presenter. He presented the three BBC 2 series '' Francesco's Venice'' (2004) and '' Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe'' (2006) where he explored ...

's television series '' Francesco's Mediterranean Voyage'' is broadcast. *October 2 – The William L. Slayton House, designed by

I. M. Pei Ieoh Ming Pei
– website of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners ( ; ; April 26, 1917 – May 16, 2019) was ...

in 1958, is listed in the United States

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. *October – The inaugural

World Architecture Festival The World Architecture Festival (WAF) is an annual festival and awards ceremony, one of the most prestigious events dedicated to the architecture and development industry. The first four events were held in Barcelona, from 2008 to 2011, at which p ...

is held in Barcelona.

Buildings and structures

Buildings opened

*January 1 –

China Central Television Headquarters The CCTV Headquarters serves as the headquarters for China Central Television (CCTV) formerly located at the old China Central Television Building some to the west. Feted by architecture critics as perhaps "the greatest work of architectu ...

building in Beijing, by

Rem Koolhaas Remment Lucas Koolhaas (; born 17 November 1944) is a Dutch architect, architectural theorist, urbanist and Professor in Practice of Architecture and Urban Design at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. He is often cited as a re ...

and OMA, officially opens. *January 12 – New

Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station The Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station is the United States scientific research station at the South Pole of the Earth. It is the southernmost point under the jurisdiction (not sovereignty) of the United States. The station is located on the ...

officially inaugurated. *January –

Fuglsang Art Museum Fuglsang Art Museum ( da, Fuglsang Kunstmuseum) is an art museum set in rural surroundings in Guldborgsund Municipality on the island of Lolland in Denmark. It is part of the Fuglsang Cultural Centre. The museum features Danish art with an empha ...

Lolland Lolland (; formerly spelled ''Laaland'', literally "low land") is the fourth largest island of Denmark, with an area of . Located in the Baltic Sea, it is part of Region Sjælland (Region Zealand). As of 1 January 2022, it has 57,618 inhabitant ...

, Denmark, designed by

Tony Fretton Tony Fretton (born 17 January 1945) is a British architect known for his residential and public gallery buildings, as well as other British and international design work. He graduated from the Architectural Association (AA) and worked for vario ...

, inaugurated. *March 26 – Terminal 3 of the Beijing Capital International Airport opens, designed by

Foster + Partners Foster + Partners is a British architectural, engineering, and integrated design practice founded in 1967 as Foster Associates by Norman Foster. It is the largest architectural firm in the UK with over 1,500 employees in 13 studios worldwide. ...

. *March 27 –

Heathrow Terminal 5 Heathrow Terminal 5 is an airport terminal at Heathrow Airport, the main airport serving London. Opened in 2008, the main building in the complex is the largest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom. Terminal 5 is currently used exclusi ...

, designed by the Richard Rogers Partnership, opens. *April 12 – New National Opera House in Oslo opens. *April –

Maggie's Centre Maggie's centres are a network of drop-in centres across the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, which aim to help anyone who has been affected by cancer. They are not intended as a replacement for conventional cancer therapy, but as a caring enviro ...

in London, a drop-in cancer care centre designed by

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners RSHP is a British architecture firm, architectural firm, founded in 1977 and previously known as the Richard Rogers Partnership which became Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. in 2007. The firm rebranded from Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners to si ...

, opens ( Stirling Prize 2009). *June –

Contemporary Jewish Museum The Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) is a non-collecting museum at 736 Mission Street at Yerba Buena Lane in the South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The museum, which was founded in 1984, is located in the historic ...

in San Francisco, designed by

Daniel Libeskind Daniel Libeskind (born May 12, 1946) is a Polish–American architect, artist, professor and set designer. Libeskind founded Studio Daniel Libeskind in 1989 with his wife, Nina, and is its principal design architect. He is known for the design a ...

, opened. *June 25 –

Chords Bridge The Chords Bridge ( he, גשר המיתרים, ''Gesher HaMeitarim''), also called the Bridge of Strings or Jerusalem Light Rail Bridge, is a side-spar cable-stayed bridge in Jerusalem. The structure was designed by the Spanish architect and eng ...

("Bridge of Strings") in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

, designed by

Santiago Calatrava Santiago Calatrava Valls (born 28 July 1951) is a Spanish architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter, particularly known for his bridges supported by single leaning pylons, and his railway stations, stadiums, and museums, whose sculpt ...

, inaugurated. *June 28 –

Beijing National Stadium The National Stadium (), also known as the Bird's Nest (), is an 80,000-capacity stadium in Beijing. The stadium was jointly designed by architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron from Basel-based architecture team Herzog & de Meuron, p ...

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...

. *August 1 – Beijing South railway station, designed by Terry Farrell, opened. *September ** A. P. Møller School, Schleswig, Germany, designed by

C. F. Møller Architects Arkitektfirmaet C. F. Møller, internationally also known as C. F. Møller Architects, is an architectural firm based in Århus, Denmark. Founded in 1924 by C. F. Møller, it is today the largest architectural firm in Denmark based on number of em ...

. ** Darwin Centre II, Natural History Museum, London, designed by C. F. Møller Architects. *September 11 –

Ponte della Costituzione The Ponte della Costituzione ( en, Constitution Bridge) is the fourth bridge over the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. It was designed by Santiago Calatrava, and was moved into place in 2007 (connecting Stazione di Santa Lucia to Piazzale Roma), ...

in Venice, designed by

, inaugurated. *September 24 – Atlantis The Palm in

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

, United Arab Emirates. *September 27 –

California Academy of Sciences The California Academy of Sciences is a research institute and natural history museum in San Francisco, California, that is among the largest museums of natural history in the world, housing over 46 million specimens. The Academy began in 1853 ...

Golden Gate Park Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, United States, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. It is administered by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, which began in 1871 to oversee the development ...

, San Francisco, designed by

Renzo Piano Renzo Piano (; born 14 September 1937) is an Italian architect. His notable buildings include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (with Richard Rogers, 1977), The Shard in London (2012), the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City (20 ...

. *October 16 – Weill Hall,

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

, designed by

Richard Meier Richard Meier (born October 12, 1934) is an American abstract artist and architect, whose geometric designs make prominent use of the color white. A winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1984, Meier has designed several iconic buildings ...

*November – New Ahus, Akershus University Hospital, Oslo, Norway, designed by C. F. Møller Architects, opened. *November 11 – Curve (theatre) in

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

, England, designed by

Rafael Viñoly Rafael Viñoly Beceiro (born 1944) is a Uruguayan architect. He is the principal of Rafael Viñoly Architects, which he founded in 1983. The firm has offices in New York City, Palo Alto, London, Manchester, Abu Dhabi, and Buenos Aires. Viñ ...

, is opened. *November 20 – Peter B. Lewis Library at Princeton University, by

Frank Gehry Frank Owen Gehry, , FAIA (; ; born ) is a Canadian-born American architect and designer. A number of his buildings, including his private residence in Santa Monica, California, have become world-renowned attractions. His works are considered ...

, officially dedicated. *November 22 – Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, in Qatar, designed by

I. M. Pei Ieoh Ming Pei
– website of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners ( ; ; April 26, 1917 – May 16, 2019) was ...

, is officially opened. * The Public, West Bromwich, England, designed by Will Alsop, opens first stages to public.

Buildings completed

*January 28 – Beijing National Aquatics Center, known as the "Water Cube", in readiness for the

. *August 28 – Shanghai World Financial Center in Pudong, Shanghai, China, designed by William Pedersen. *November –

Transformation AGO The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO; french: Musée des beaux-arts de l'Ontario) is an art museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The museum is located in the Grange Park (neighbourhood), Grange Park neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, on Dundas Street, ...

( Art Gallery of Ontario) renovation by

. *December –

Assut de l'Or Bridge The Assut de l'Or Bridge (Valencian: ''Pont de l'Assut de l'Or'', Spanish: ''Puente de la Presa del Oro'') is a white single-pylon cable-stayed bridge in the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain, designed by Valencian architect and civil en ...

in Valencia, Spain, designed by

. *''date unknown'' **Remodelling of Lumen United Reformed Church in

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mus ...

, London, designed by Theis + Khan Architects. **

Mountain Dwellings Mountain Dwellings ( da, Bjerget) is a building in the Ørestad district of Copenhagen, Denmark, consisting of apartments above a multi-story car park. The building was designed by the Danish architectural practicPLOT Bjarke Ingels Bjarke Bundgaard Ingels (; born 2 October 1974) is a Danish architect, founder and creative partner of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). In Denmark, Ingels became well known after designing two housing complexes in Ørestad: VM Houses and Mountain D ...

. ** Linked Hybrid, a nine-tower high-rise housing project by Steven Holl Architects, in

Beijing, China } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

. **

459 West 18th Street 459 West 18th Street is a mid-rise condominium located at that address in the West Chelsea neighborhood of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is an 11-story building with retail space on its ground floor and 10 residential units, one on e ...

, Manhattan, a high-rise condominium designed by Della Valle + Bernheimer. **

Living Shangri-La Living Shangri-La is a mixed-use skyscraper in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and is the tallest building in the city and province. The 62-storey Shangri-La tower contains a 5-star hotel and its offices on the first 15 floors, with ...

in Vancouver, Canada ** Torre Caja Madrid (''Caja Madrid Tower''), Spain, designed by Foster and Partners. **First Kranhaus in Rheinauhafen, Cologne, Germany, designed by Alfons Linster and Hadi Teherani of BRT Architekten. ** Westside shopping and leisure complex,

Bern german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

, designed by

. ** Olnik Spanu House, Garrison, New York, United States, designed by

Alberto Campo Baeza Alberto Campo Baeza (born 1946, in Valladolid) is a Spanish architect and Full-Time Design Professor at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid from 1986 to 2017. He retired the same year. He has built a selected number of award ...

. **Library and Learning Center of the University of Vienna, by Zaha Hadid **Moliner House, Zaragoza, Spain, designed by Alberto Campo Baeza.

Awards

American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal Two American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medals are awarded each year by the academy for distinguished achievement. The two awards are taken in rotation from these categories: *Belles Lettres and Criticism, and Painting; *Biography and Mus ...

–

* AIA Gold Medal –

(Italy). * Architecture Firm Award –

KieranTimberlake Associates KieranTimberlake is an American architecture firm founded by Stephen Kieran and James Timberlake in Philadelphia. The firm espouses a philosophy of sustainable design, collaborative design, and in-depth research. They have also shown an interest i ...

. *

Driehaus Architecture Prize The Driehaus Architecture Prize, fully named The Richard H. Driehaus Prize at the University of Notre Dame, is a global award to honor a major contributor in the field of contemporary traditional and classical architecture. The Driehaus Prize was ...

– Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk. * Emporis Skyscraper Award – Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower in

Shinjuku is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration ...

, Tokyo. *

Grand Prix de l'urbanisme The Grand prix de l'urbanisme is awarded for urban planning in France by the Ministry for Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Planning. The prize has been awarded annually since 1989, except during the period from 1994 until 1998, when it ...

–

David Mangin David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

. *

Lawrence Israel Prize The Lawrence Israel Prize is awarded by the Interior Design Program of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), New York City. The prize was named for and endowed by the architect Lawrence J. Israel. The prize was first awarded in 1998 and has ...

– AvroKO * LEAF Award, Grand Prix – schmidt hammer lassen for

Performers House Performers House was a folk high school in Silkeborg, Denmark, specializing in offering programs for young people with a special interest in music, dance and theatre. Performers House was situated at the revitalized industrial site of an old p ...

* Praemium Imperiale Architecture Award – Peter Zumthor. *

Pritzker Prize The Pritzker Architecture Prize is an international architecture award presented annually "to honor a living architect or architects whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produ ...

– Jean Nouvel. * Rome Prize for architecture – Frederick B. Fisher *

RAIA Gold Medal The Gold Medal is the highest award of the Australian Institute of Architects, awarded annually since 1960. The award was created to recognise distinguished service by Australian architects who have: * designed or executed buildings of high merit; ...

– Richard Johnson. * RIBA Royal Gold Medal – Edward Cullinan. * Stirling Prize – Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios & Alison Brooks Architects &

Maccreanor Lavington Maccreanor Lavington is a British architectural design firm with offices in Rotterdam and London, known for its work in housing, public buildings and regeneration. The firm was formed in 1992 in Rotterdam by architects Gerard Maccreanor and Ri ...

. * Thomas Jefferson Medal in Architecture – Gro Harlem Brundtland. *

Twenty-five Year Award The Twenty-five Year Award is an architecture prize awarded each year by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to "a building that has set a precedent for the last 25 to 35 years and continues to set standards of excellence for its architect ...

– The Atheneum. *

UIA Uia is a locality in the Marquesas Islands. UIA can refer to: * Argentine Industrial Union (''Unión Industrial Argentina'') * International Islamic University Malaysia (''Universiti Islam Antarabangsa'') * International Union of Architects (''U ...

Gold Medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...

–

Teodoro Gonzalez de Leon The name ''Teodoro'' is the Italian, Portuguese and Spanish form of Theodore. People Given name * Teodoro Alcalde (1913–1995) * Teodoro Ardemans (died 1726) * Teodoro Borlongan (1955–2005) * Teodoro Buontempo (1946–2013) * Teodoro Cano G ...

. * Vincent Scully Prize – Robert A. M. Stern.

Births

Deaths

*January 1 –

Harald Deilmann Harald Deilmann (30 August 1920 – 1 January 2008) was a German architect. Born in Gladbeck, Westphalia, Deilmann was best known for his work on public spaces, such as opera houses and museums, throughout Germany and worldwide. He was a m ...

, German architect (born 1920) *January 30 –

Fernando Higueras Fernando de Higueras Díaz (November 26, 1930 – January 30, 2008) was a Spanish architect. He was one of the most famous architects in the world during the 1970s. He was born in Madrid. He graduated as an architect from the Superior Techni ...

, Spanish architect (born 1930) *February 9 –

Carm Lino Spiteri Carm Lino Spiteri (9 September 1932 – 9 February 2008), also known by his nickname ''Iċ-Ċumpaqq'', was a Maltese architect and politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives with the Nationalist Party between 1971 and 1987, an ...

, Maltese architect and politician (born 1932) *March 5 – Nader Khalili, Iranian architect, writer, and humanitarian (born 1936) *March 24 –

Victor Christ-Janer Victor F. Christ-Janer (March 27, 1915 – March 24, 2008) was an American architect who along with the world-renowned Harvard Five helped define the Modernist architectural movement in New Canaan, Connecticut. He was also an educator, artist, an ...

, American modernist architect (born 1915) *March 29 –

Ralph Rapson Ralph Rapson (September 13, 1914 – March 29, 2008) was Head of the School of Architecture at the University of Minnesota for 30 years. He was one of the world's oldest practicing architects at his death at age 93, and also one of the most ...

, American architect (born 1914) *March 31 –

David Todd David Todd may refer to: * David Todd (architect) (1915–2008), American architect * David Todd (producer), American record producer * David Peck Todd (1855–1939), American astronomer * David B. Todd Jr. (c. 1932-1980), American surgeon * Da ...

, American architect (born 1915) *May 30 – Rodney Gordon, English architect (born 1933) *June 15 –

Walter Netsch Walter A. Netsch (February 23, 1920 – June 15, 2008) was an American architect based in Chicago. He was most closely associated with the brutalist style of architecture as well as with the firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. His signature aes ...

, American architect (born 1920) *July 6 –

George Tibbits George Tibbits (January 14, 1763 – July 19, 1849) was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York. He was born in Warwick, Rhode Island on January 14, 1763. He pursued classical studies and e ...

, Australian composer and architect (born 1933) *September 18 –

Abdur Rahman Hye Abdur Rahman Hye ( ur, ; 17 December 1919 – 18 September 2008) was a Pakistani architect and a pioneer of institutional architectures in Pakistan. Early life and training After graduating from Sir J.J. College of Architecture, Bombay befor ...

, Pakistani architect (born 1919) *November 14 – Sir

Bernard Feilden Sir Bernard Melchior Feilden CBE FRIBA (11 September 1919 – 14 November 2008) was a conservation architect whose work encompassed cathedrals, the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal. Biography Feilden was born in Hampstead, London. He was edu ...

, English conservation architect (born 1919) *November 29 – Jørn Utzon, Danish architect (born 1918)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2008 In Architecture 21st-century architecture

Events

Buildings and structures

Buildings opened

Buildings completed

Awards

Births

Deaths

See also

References