Developers shared visuals recently of a new building that will be constructed where Nakagin Capsule Tower used to stand in Tokyos Ginza district. Accor, a global hospitality leader based in France, is behind the project which replaces the the famous Metabolist project from 1970 by Kisho Kurokawa.AN has reached out to Accor for details on the architects working on the forthcoming hotel project. The replacement tower will host the Tokyo flagship of Pullman, a brand hotel. It will contain 145 guest rooms, an all-day dining restaurant, a destination bar, and other amenities, according to a press release. Its modular exterior will have a gold lacquer, standing in stark contrast with the building it replaces.Demolition on Nakagin Capsule Tower started in 2022, and its capsules are now scattered all over the world. One capsule, for instance, is currently on view at Romes MAXXI in an exhibition curated by Diller Scofidio+Renfro.Demolition on the tower began in 2022. (Mark Dytham)Nakagin Capsule Tower was marred by maintenance issues for years after its completion. In 2018, the former owner (Nakagin Integration) had become frustrated with high maintenance costs and sold the land under the building, which it operated as a condominium, to a real estate company. In 2019, realtors floated demolishing the prized building, ushering in public outcries to save it. Those initial demo plans eventually subsided, but the idea to raise the building came up again in 2021. Demolition subsequently began in April 2022 and lasted several months. Afterward, the capsules were shipped to museums, and elsewhere.Kisho Kurokawa & Associates took initiative and relocated several capsules from Nakagin to an off-site location for conservation. In San Francisco, SFMOMA restored one capsule, which is now part of the museums permanent collection, as reported by AN.Another capsule is on display at Japans Museum of Modern Art Saitama. Meanwhile, Centre Pompidou in Paris may acquire another module for its permanent collection.Archivists have created a meticulous digital model of Nakagin Capsule Tower in the event of its reconstruction sometime in the future, albeit at a different location.The new hotel will open in late 2027.

Discover the most read stories on the ARs website from the past 12 monthsIn the past year, the AR has published thematic issues on Repair, the Mediterranean, Democracy, Sports, the Ground and Concrete, as well as editions highlighting the exemplary work of shortlisted architects and projects in the AR Public, Emerging, House, and W Awards. With an emphatically international scope, each issue contains multitudes but some pieces stand out for how widely they were read online. Below is a list of the ARs most read pieces of 2024, free for all registered users until 6 January 2025. Happy reading!Our paywall is down!Register now to explore the website for free until 6 January 2025.1. Revisit: Meskel Square in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, AR July/August 2024, Rahel ShawlAccess to the square is now subject to payment this simple act rejects the notion of free and equal access for all the citys residents2. Rebuilding Gaza, AR February 2024, Nadi AbusaadaWhen the bombardment ceases and it will cease who will rebuild it? And on whose terms?3. Alberto Ponis (19332024), AR April 2024, Sebastiano BrandoliniThe subtle and articulate conversations and love affairs Ponis had with local Sardinian culture and nature are today not only discouraged, but inconceivablePonis took interest in the local vernacular architecture, in particular the stazzo, which heavily influenced his houses, such as Casa di Pepita, completed in1969Credit:Alberto Ponis / Archivio Ponis4. Revisit: High Line by Diller Scofidio + Renfro and James Corner Field Operations, AR July/August 2024, Peter LucasIt has been argued that neoliberalism is dying. Perhaps, then, we can move beyond neoliberal approaches to urban design that foreground the interests of massive developers5. Architects games: what do you want, a medal?, AR June 2024, Kristina RapackiIt is a fact, unlikely though it sounds, that Walter Gropius competed in the Olympic GamesThe High Line culminates to the north at Hudson Yards, which includes The Shed, also by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. The site was previously an industrial backwaterCredit:Dean Kaufman / The Architectural Review6. Portfolio: Nguyn H, ARB Architects, AR March 2024, Hiu YThe architect cleverly combines the poetic materiality of used tiles with her own interpretation of place7. Depth unknown: the archaeology of resistance, AR September 2024, Dima SroujiThe ground serves as a witness to the cycles of destruction and rebuilding that have characterised Gaza for millennia8. Abdel Moneim Mustafa (1930), AR May 2024, Esra AkcanMoneim Mustafa was well versed in the techniques and ideologies underpinning tropical architecture a term used during both colonial and independence erasMoneim Mustafas most striking exterior is undoubtedly El Ikhwa Building, which combines retail and apartmentsCredit:Ahmed Abushakeema9. Geology of the anthropocene: Chteau de Beaucastel winery in ChteauneufduPape, France, by Studio Mumbai and Studio Mditerrane, AR October 2024, Eleanor BeaumontJain prefers to consider the contemporary notion of sustainability inmore primordial terms: Output must far exceed input. It is simple maths10. Revisit: Meisterhaus Kandinsky/Klee in Dessau, Germany by Walter Gropius, AR December 2023/January 2024, Florian HeilmeyerSince both artists had their own theories on colour and space, their interiors clearly differ from each other. Kandinsky preferred cool, clear colours, while Klee chose a palette of warm and earthy tonesIn comparison to Klees staircase, Kandinskys is slightly more subduedCredit:Thomas Wolf Wstenrot Stiftung / DACS11. Capital gains: ZIN by 51N4E, Jaspers-Eyers Architects and lAUC, AR May 2024, Christophe van GerreweyIt is questionable whether the process justified publishing a book entitled How To Not Demolish A Building12. Lin Huiyin (19041955) and Liang Sicheng (19011972), AR February 2024, Tao ZhuBetween 1932 and 1941, Liang and Lin visited more than 200 counties across 15provinces and examined more than 2,000structures13. Revisit: James R Thompson Center in Chicago, US by Helmut Jahn, AR May 2024, Zach MorticeThis cocaineboardroom behemoth bellows 1985! with the swagger of a Huey Lewis and the News chorusThe Thompson Centers kaleidoscopic 17-storey atrium is its centrepieceCredit:Michael Weber / imageBROKER / Shutterstock14. A Threshold, India, AR November 2024, Reuben J BrownThe first thing Avinash Ankalge and Harshith Nayak designed together as A Threshold was exactly that: athreshold15. Rubble with a cause: Warsaw Uprising Mound by Archigrest and Toposcape in Warsaw, Poland, AR September 2024, Adam PrzywaraSituated in the southeast of the city, theCzerniakw mound remained a landfill of demolition waste and domestic rubbish until the 1970s. Once it was abandoned, the mix of soil and rubble that made the mound started to nurture life16. Breaking convention: Chapex in Charleroi, Belgium, by AgwA and Architecten Jan de Vylder Inge Vinck, AR February 2024, Eleanor BeaumontThe palatial car park serves as a reminder of western capitalisms inability to respond quickly to the demands of decarbonisationThe city of Charleroi is encircled by the disused infrastructure of coalpowered industry. Its convention centre, Chapex, is pictured in the middle distanceCredit:Filip Dujardin17. Surveillance space: urban infrastructures of control, AR July/August 2024, Shannon MatternSpaces where gathering and governance happen the park, agora, town hall, parliament, college green can be orchestrated to facilitate surveillance18. Salt of the earth: the past and future of building with brine, AR April 2024, Daniel BellandHenna BurneyIn the southern Mediterranean, the Shali Fortress and its surrounding buildings, near the Siwa Oasis in the Egyptian desert, were constructed in the 12th century out of karshif blocks a material consisting of salt crystals, clay and sand19. Outrage: paralympic obstacle course, AR June 2024, Natalie KaneThe courtyard that leads from the athletes accommodation to the centre of the Village looks more like an obstacle course than a place of respite20. Pier Luigi Nervi (18911979), AR June 2024, Catharine RossiWhat Nervi argued was an architectural expression driven by structural logicNervis big international moment came at the 1960 Rome Olympic and Paralympic Games, for which he designed several buildings, including the Palazzetto dello SportSubscribe today to join the conversation and help support independent critical architectural writing. Digital subscriptions are available and all our content is available online, anywhere in the world

Detail of Through the Groves. All images courtesy of Heron Arts, shared with permissionMagic and Mystery Illuminate Hari & Deeptis Paper-Cut DioramasDecember 20, 2024ArtGrace EbertFor more than a decade, weve been following the intricate dioramas by Hari & Deepti (previously). The Mumbai-based husband and wife are known for their elaborate narratives of cut and layered paper, which they tuck inside frames and backlight with soft LEDs. In recent years, the duo has gravitated toward tiny, delicate patterns while making the overall scenes more minimal.Their new exhibition, Forgotten Places of Beings and Things, opens today at Heron Arts in San Francisco and presents a collection of enchanting works. Minuscule figures navigate lush woodlands and windswept dunes that, when illuminated, appear like worlds of magic and intrigue.The Walk to Two PondsWhat amazes us about the paper-cut light boxes is the dichotomy of these pieces in their lit and unlit states. The contrast is so stark that it has this mystical effect on the viewers, the artists say.Forgotten Places of Beings and Things is on view through January 25. Hari & Deepti recently published an illustrated childrens book titled The Seekers, and you can follow the latest in their collaborative practice on Instagram.The Stories They Told UsThrough the Wind Swept FieldA Forest StructureTime Keepers 1Detail of A Forest StructureUnder the Vine ForestUnder the Vine ForestDetail of It Passes and We StayNext article

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Signal logo as seen on a smartphone screen.SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesIn an era where data breaches and digital surveillance dominate headlines, securing your personal communications has never been more critical. Cybercriminals actively exploit stolen messages, photos, and personal information for identity theft, AI-driven scams and extortion. Fortunately, secure messaging apps offer tools to protect your digital privacy. Here are five apps for your consideration in 2025 to keep your conversations safe.Signal: The Privacy ChampionSignal remains the top choice for privacy-conscious users. It uses end-to-end encryption by default, ensuring that only you and your intended recipient can access your messages. Signal collects virtually no user data and features an open-source codebase, which allows independent security experts to verify its safety.The app recently introduced usernames, enabling users to connect without sharing phone numbers, adding another layer of anonymity. Its reputation as the "gold standard" for secure communication is bolstered by endorsements from privacy advocates like Edward Snowden. Signals commitment to privacy makes it the go-to choice for millions worldwide.Session: A Decentralized AlternativeSession is an innovative messaging app designed for those who prioritize privacy above all else. Unlike many competitors, Session operates on a decentralized network, meaning there are no central servers to hack or subpoena.Every message sent through Session is end-to-end encrypted, ensuring only the sender and recipient can access its content. Additionally, Session doesnt require a phone number or email for registration, providing a high level of anonymity right from the start.MORE FOR YOUSession excels in environments where privacy is critical, offering features like onion routing to obscure metadata and peer-to-peer communication that avoids centralized points of failure. For users seeking a messaging platform that offers both privacy and resistance to censorship, Session is an excellent choice.WhatsApp: Security Meets CommonalityOwned by Meta, WhatsApp uses the same end-to-end encryption protocol as Signal, ensuring robust privacy for billions of users. Despite concerns about Meta's data practices, WhatsApp has not compromised on its encryption standards.Recent updates include disappearing messages and end-to-end encrypted backups, showing an increased focus on user privacy. While metadata collection persists, WhatsApps ease of use and security features make it an accessible choice for everyday conversations.Wickr: Military-Grade EncryptionFor those prioritizing professional-grade security, Wickr stands out. This app employs military-grade encryption and a zero-knowledge architecture, ensuring that not even Wickr can access user messages.Its self-destructing messages and configurable expiration times make it ideal for sensitive communications. Wickr also supports enterprise-level functionality, appealing to businesses looking for secure collaboration tools.Viber: Security Meets Social FeaturesViber balances privacy and functionality, offering end-to-end encryption by default. The app includes features like hidden chats protected by PINs and secure group video calls, catering to both personal and professional use. Vibers combination of robust security and user-friendly features makes it a strong contender for those seeking an all-in-one messaging solution.Why Secure Messaging MattersCyber threats like identity theft and AI-powered scams are on the rise, making secure communication tools essential. These apps offer end-to-end encryption, meaning that even if your messages are intercepted, they are unreadable to unauthorized parties. However, choosing the right app depends on your specific needswhether you prioritize anonymity, group functionality, or enterprise-grade security. As cyber threats evolve, secure messaging apps provide a necessary line of defense in protecting your personal information and maintaining digital privacy.

Are health insurers knights, knaves, or pawns?gettyThe British economist Julian LeGrand suggested that public policy is grounded in a conception of humans as "knights," "knaves," or "pawns. Human beings are motivated by virtue (knights) or rigid self-interest (knaves), or are passive victims of their circumstances (pawns). A society's view of human motivation influences whether it builds public policies that are permissive, punitive, or prescriptive.Le Grand's observations were drawn from his studies of British social welfare policy and civil servants but could aptly be applied to health insurers and their role in the US health care system. Many health care debates-especially those relating to health care financing, quality, and education-implicitly prescribe a view of health insurers and their underlying motivations. This framework has previously been applied to physicians, patients, and pharmaceutical companies.Depending on the perspective, health insurers operate for the betterment of society or their own selfish gain; or their actions are defined more by external rules, regulations, and competitive positioning. The role of health insurance companies in US society has been actively debated in US society since the tragic murder of UnitedHealthGroup CEO Brian Thompson.I explore the ways in which health insurers are variously represented as knights, knaves, and pawns in public discourse and relate the importance of designing policies that match the true motivationswhatever they may be.Some health insurers perceive themselves as having knightly intent.gettyHealth Insurers as KnightsIf a society conceives of health insurers as ever well-intentioned knights, it places stewardship for the health care system firmly in their hands. Health insurers can be trusted to use and deploy resources wisely, minimize waste, and look beyond their narrow interests to protect the system as a whole. They are enablers of distributive justice by spreading risk across populations of health and sick people. They are the ultimate champion of the patient and the policies they implement through utilization management are designed to protect against fraud, waste, and abuse and ensure that care is delivered in accordance with evidence-based guidelines. Health insurers negotiate with health systems to reduce prices for patients and ensure broad access to care for a wide swath of the population. They operate to promote affordability, access, and quality and any financial gain is secondary. Health insurers identify and address quality issues and partner with doctors and health systems to improve care.Some perceive the role of health insurers as knaves.gettyMORE FOR YOUHealth Insurers as KnavesIf a society conceives of health insurers as knaves then policy, management, and educational efforts are designed to combat and work against health insurers, not with them. Health insurers are interested in themselves and their financial well-being first and their patients second, if at all. They deny care and restrict access to enhance profits. They prompt aggressive coding behavior to maximize revenue and government payers and they use their vast market power to underpay doctors and hospitals. They aggressively lobby and donate to politicians to preserve their ability to raise prices on their products and gouge the public. The health care system works in spite of health insurers not because of them. Policies and regulation must guard against their malfeasance, and the public must be protected by intense regulation and report cards. Without such regulation, health insurers will do everything the can collect as much as they can in premium revenue and pay as little out as possible.Some conceive of the role of health insurers as pawns in a more complex system. gettyHealth Insurers as PawnsIf a society conceives of health insurers as pawns, then efforts are applied to building systems to ensure that health insurers do what is right for patients and physicians because they cannot be trusted to do so on their own accord. Left to their own devices, health insurer behaviors are unpredictable. The health insurer is merely a function of the regulatory environment in which he it operates; accordingly, health insurers must be given guidelines to follow and policy-makers and regulators must decide priorities. Health insurers do not have any intrinsic orientation towards quality, but participate in quality programs because employer customers and require that they do so. They merely respond to regulatory requirements and expectations. The role of health policy and regulation for the pawn health insurer is to guide their every behavior because they lack individual agency, judgment, and moral compass to reliably do what is right for patients, doctors, or society.ImplicationsLe Grand's work on post-World War II British social policy found that perceptions of human motivations gradually transformed, with the prevailing view of the typical British citizenry morphing from knight into knave as the costs of maintaining an expensive welfare state increased.US perspectives on health insurers have undergone a similar transformation with the increasing costboth to taxpayers and to individual patientsof health care delivery. As health insurer behavior has been tied to these rising costs and increasing scrutiny has been applied industry behaviors, policy discourse increasingly reflects the perspective that health insurers are an obstacle not an enabler to a functioning health care system. Rather than being counted on to do the right thing, health insurers should be subject to intensive regulation to protect the public.These views are grounded in evidence of massive, increasing health insurance industry profits. The modern health insurer is regarded as either a knave or a pawn and is seldom regarded as a knight. But the evidence that has led to distrust of health insurers does not apply universally and some companiesin particular many not-for-profit onesstill aim to serve people communities. How can society be sure not to undermine those motivated by doing the right thing while guarding against those motivated purely by self-interest and profit?Insurers have been enablers of value-based models of health care payment such as accountable care organizations, the patient-centered medical home, hospital-at-home, and senior-focused clinics. In these examples, insurers are supporting a more progressive model of care delivery that enables responsible resource utilization. Applied effectively, these models improve individual and population outcomes.Still, it is perhaps the knavish conception of health insurers that makes these models more the fodder of modest pilot projects and demonstrations than models that are rapidly adopted and widely disseminated. With massive public discontent and a new presidential administration, could policy and regulation be accelerated to further force the health insurance industry in the direction of the models that more align with patient outcomes and stewardship of society?Le Grand offers an important lesson and warning: it is critically important to understand and get "true motivations" right. Disaster may follow if persons largely of a knavish quality are treated as knights; but the same may be true for "policies fashioned on a belief that people are knaves if the consequence is to suppress their natural altruistic impulses and hence destroy part of their motivation to provide a quality public service. Le Grand further warns that policies that "treat people as pawns, may lead to de-motivated workers..and causing adverse outcomes for the policies concerned; while policies that give too much powermay result in individuals making mistakes that damage their own or others' welfare."Policymakers would be wise to heed Le Grand's advice and carefully consider the motivations and behaviors of health insurers. For their part, in this time of profound turmoil, health insurance industry leaders must thoughtfully consider whether and how they contribute to the perception that they are knights, knaves, or pawns

Plate of vegetarian pumpkin carrot soup served with spoon, balsamic sauce and fried onion on textile ... [+] napkin over dark blue texture background. Top view with space. (Photo by: Natasha Breen/REDA/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesNewspapers are committing to cover climate change, including in their food sections. Producing food is responsible for approximately 10% of total U.S. carbon emissions and 30% of global climate emissions. Agriculture is the largest source of the potent greenhouse gas methane, nearly all of which comes from cow burps. For the even stronger greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, animal agriculture accounts for a whopping 79% of U.S. emissions, largely due to fertilizers applied to crops fed to cattle and to cow manure. Although research is being conducted into supply side solutionsfor example, feed additives to reduce cow burpsfarmers are faced with uncertainty as to these new feeds effectiveness, costs, and health impacts on cows and consumers. At least for now, demand solutions, or changing our diet, can deliver quicker environmental benefits.But lets not fret about going vegan tomorrow. Consider plant-forward eating, or focusing on plant-based foods while eating meat occasionally. Anything we do to replace beef with tasty recipes featuring plant-based proteins helps. And lets not forget that high rates of meat consumption are linked to cancer and heart disease.Lots of things prevent us from switching to plant-forward diets, including lack of knowledge. According to a Yale study, about half of Americans would be willing to eat more plant-based foods if they had more information about the environmental impact of different foods. Unfortunately, 40% of Americans say they never or infrequently hear about the impact of food choices on global warming in the media. Research shows that media can influence social norms about food consumption, and thus help bring about a much needed transition in the American diet.The majority of Americans say they would eat more plant-based foods if the cost were less than meat options (63%). In reality, plant-forward eating can be cheaper than meat-heavy diets, especially as the cost of beef is expected to rise significantly over the next several years. Two-thirds of Americans say they would eat more plant-based foods if the meals tasted better (67%).Here is where newspaper food sections come in. A 2021 analysis of four popular U.S. newspaper recipe sections found an average of 54% of recipes included meat or fish, 26% were vegetarian, and 20% vegan. Figures for four U.K. newspapers were 61% meat/fish, 28% vegetarian, and 12% vegan. A spokesperson for the Washington Post, which scored relatively high with a quarter of its meals vegan and nearly a third vegetarian, told the researchers [M]ore and more readers are looking for help making climate-friendly decisions about all aspects of their lives, food included, and we want to respond to that.MORE FOR YOUYet even the Washington Post may not be keeping up with the publics openness to plant-based meals. According to a 2020 study on climate change and diet, 94% of Americans are willing to eat more fruit and vegetables, more than half are willing to eat less red meat (54%), and nearly half (46%) are willing to use dairy alternatives such as soy or almond milk.As consumer attitudes favoring plant-forward eating become more widely known, and as more of us follow plant-forward recipes, we can envision newspaper food sections following suit to meet the needs and interests of their audiences. So here is what you can do to help the plant-forward transition.Try the growing number of tempting vegan and low-meat/cheese recipes, This will help you lower your carbon footprint and improve your health, while letting food writers know that these recipes are popular.Invite family and friends over for a delicious plant-forward meal. You can also share with them how food and agriculture contribute to climate emissions and how to reduce these emissions. Research shows that specific messages resonate more than abstract messages. So instead of referring to CO2-equivalents of greenhouse gasses avoided, use language such as reducing your meat intake to three times per week is equivalent to avoiding six short-haul return flights each year.Write to your newspaper asking them to support the transition to plant-forward diets. Many newspapers already have committed to sound reporting about climate change. Including a carbon label next to each recipe, similar to how some outlets post nutrition labels, is one way to further this commitment. Newspapers could also eliminate recipes that include beef. Epicurious left beef behind in 2021beef no longer appears in its new recipes, articles, newsletters, or Instagram feed. Thank newspapers for including more and more plant-forward recipes.In short, consider the maxim Meat is a Treat something we eat occasionally rather than every day. And share this maxim with family, friends, and those who influence what we eat.