The Art Institute of Chicago has shared new photos for its redesigned Architecture and Design galleries after work was completed by the Chicago-based practice Norman Kelley.The project installed a modular system of walls and columns to support a more flexible display of thematic exhibitions, creating a "fluid experience" that better supports curatorial efforts. The museum is debuting this alongside its recent acquisitions from Amanda Williams, Tatiana Bilbao, Andrs Jaque, Stanley Tigerman, and more.Image courtesy Art Institute of ChicagoNorman Kelley also worked previously with the Art Institute on a permanent display of architectural fragments from around Chicago that's located in the Women's Board Grand Staircase area. You can find out more about the duo's backstory from our 2018Next Up Mini-Sessioninterview with foundersThomas Kelley andCarrie Norman.Image courtesy Art Institute of ChicagoImage courtesy Art Institute of ChicagoImage courtesy Art Institute of ChicagoImag...

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a fascinating confluence of tradition and innovation. Originally a desert trading hub, the UAE has evolved into a ground for experimentation and architectural innovation. Home to impressive structures such as the Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest building, and the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab, the country has become a pole of attraction for architects worldwide. Zaha Hadid and Norman Foster for instance, have left indelible marks on the region, such as the Opus building and the Zayed National Museum. Modern UAE architecture seamlessly incorporates cutting-edge technology with cultural heritage, as seen in the Louvre Abu Dhabis floating dome and the carbon-neutral city of Masdar. Today the country stands at forefront of sustainable and adaptive design, while at the same time, testing the limits of architectural expression and construction.With so many architecture firms to choose from, its challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in United Arab Emirates based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.How are these architecture firms ranked?The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firms level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firms ranking, in order of priority:The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2024)The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2024)The number of projects selected as Project of the Day (2009 to 2024)The number of projects selected as Featured Project (2009 to 2024)The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2024)Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of United Arab Emirates architecture firms throughout the year.Without further ado, here are the 10 best architecture firms in United Arab Emirates:10. Zomorrodi & Associates Zomorrodi & AssociatesZomorrodi & Associates is a global, multi-disciplinary architectural and design consultancy with offices in Dubai and Tehran. Headed by its founder Shahrooz Zomorrodi, the studio has a varied portfolio and primarily serves the residential, commercial, retail and hospitality sectors. The studios projects are regularly featured in leading design publications. Beyond featuring regularly in the regional and international media, the practice has also bagged an impressive number of awards for its architectural and interior projects.Some of Zomorrodi & Associates most prominent projects include:Cadence, Saint Kitts and NevisTr88House, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesCave House, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesPalm, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesKerman Motor Building, Tehran, Iran The following statistics helped Zomorrodi & Associates achieve 10th place in the 10 Best Architecture Firms in United Arab Emirates: Total Projects 17 9. LAMI Architects LAMI ArchitectsLAMI Architects is a Dubai-based Architectural Boutique Design Studio, providing comprehensive services in architecture, interior architecture and urban design. With an outstanding diverse projects portfolio. What sets us apart is our passion and love to create the ultimate spatial experiences combined with a contemporary architectural design language.Founded by Wisam Al Lami, a passionate architect with a distinctive design portfolio. His works reflect a unique placement of masses and materials to create a relationship with light, shade and shadow. Embedding nature, creating in-out experiences are the main elements that he uses in his designs.Some of LAMI Architects most prominent projects include:RA Mansion, Puerto Rico The following statistics helped LAMI Architects achieve 9th place in the 10 Best Architecture Firms in United Arab Emirates: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 1 8. Alina Sulina Design studio Sulina DesignAlina Sulina Design studio is a team of like-minded individuals striving to make design a way of life. Our principles always revolve around a minimalist approach, where aesthetics do not compromise functionality, and clean forms help focus on what truly matters.Some of Alina Sulina Design studios most prominent projects include:Dune house, Manchester, United KingdomVienna, Vienna, Austria The following statistics helped Alina Sulina Design studio achieve 8th place in the 10 Best Architecture Firms in United Arab Emirates: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 2 7. MEAN* Middle East Architecture Network MEAN* Middle East Architecture NetworkMEAN* (Middle East Architecture Network) is an Innovative Architecture Practice that works at the nexus of design and emergent technologies. MEAN* utilizes cutting edge computational design processes and digital fabrication tools to leverage the quality of architectural solutions. Computer Programming, Robotics, 3D Printing, AR, VR and CNC manufacturing are some of the technologies we use to leverage our work.MEANs mission is to amalgamate computation, material research, and digital fabrication, to provide interdisciplinary solutions that respond to current economic, environmental and social developments.Some of MEAN* Middle East Architecture Networks most prominent projects include:Deciduous 3D Printed Pavilion, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesSabeel 2020 Water FountainMeandering Arcades Barjeel Art Foundation Museum The following statistics helped MEAN* Middle East Architecture Network achieve 7th place in the 10 Best Architecture Firms in United Arab Emirates: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 3 6. ibda design ibda designibda design is a design-driven architecture studio with a focus towards a projects specific context, and a close attention to detail. The two partners, Wael Al Awar (Lebanon) and Kenichi Teramoto (Japan), each own unique biographical stories that first led them away from their home countries, then later to collaborate in Dubai. Thus, they share a mutual ability to observe a city up-close and intimately, yet also from afar, with the attentive eye of an outsider.With no first-language shared between them, the two are required to communicate through architecture, using design as a language. Upon merging their individual sensibilities of form and natural landscape, they reach an architectural consensus amongst themselves and the context.Some of ibda designs most prominent projects include:Hai d3, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesAl Warqaa Mosque, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesOffice Tower DubaiBeirut Museum of Art (BeMA)Hayy: Creative Hub, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia The following statistics helped ibda design achieve 6th place in the 10 Best Architecture Firms in United Arab Emirates: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 5 5. desert INK desert INKCreating exciting places which enhance lives. desert INK is pioneering new forms of landscape architecture for the Middle East and aims to define a sustainable and context-driven blueprint for landscapes in the region.Some of desert INKs most prominent projects include:The Block, Dubai, United Arab Emiratesdesert INK Interior, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesTerra The Sustainability Pavilion, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesPrivate Villa, Dubai, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesPrivate Villa, Jumeirah, United Arab Emirates The following statistics helped desert INK achieve 5th place in the 10 Best Architecture Firms in United Arab Emirates: A+Awards Winner 1 Total Projects 5 4. Gianni Ranaulo Design Gianni Ranaulo DesignWe are Gianni Ranaulo Design.We are passionate and dedicated to the pursuit of exciting and engaging architectural design solutions.Some of Gianni Ranaulo Designs most prominent projects include:The Village, Villefontaine, FranceWaves Actisud, Metz, FranceENOX, Gennevilliers, FranceCompagnie De Phalsbourg Headquarters, Paris, France The following statistics helped Gianni Ranaulo Design achieve 4th place in the 10 Best Architecture Firms in United Arab Emirates: A+Awards Winner 1 Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 4 3. Shape Architecture Practice + Research Shape Architecture Practice + ResearchShape has become an award-winning firm that leads the way in UAE Design. Weve served a wide range of clients, including private developers, national ministries, and government entities. Our firm boasts a broad portfolio of projects, varying in scale from private residences to urban master plans.Weve spearheaded the creation of landmark hotels and residences, as well as cultural centers, institutional facilities and academic campuses. Shapes work can be found in major cities in the UAE and beyond.Some of Shape Architecture Practice + Researchs most prominent projects include:Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesMuseum of Energy & Infrastructure, Sharjah, UAE, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesShees Friday Market, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates The following statistics helped Shape Architecture Practice + Research achieve 3rd place in the 10 Best Architecture Firms in United Arab Emirates: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 3 2. Etereo Design Etereo DesignWith an astute understanding of architecture, a vibrant and artistically abundant Italian heritage, dotted with influences from the Middle East and harmoniously brought together with passion Etereo is born. Working as creative inventors, our motivation is to design soulful and inspiring spaces that encourage creativity. It is this approach that drives all our projects, pushing us to go beyond the brief and lead from human experiences to create special places.Architecture and design lie at the heart of our studios ethos and encompasses a multitude of different functions to see the project from conception to completion; from envisioning the artistic direction, selection of materials and finishes, sourcing from some of the best suppliers, to execution of all the finer details.Some of Etereo Designs most prominent projects include:Ghaf Majlis, Ajman, United Arab EmiratesSontuosa, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesExclusivissima, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesRosso Bulgaro, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesEleganza, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesFeatured image: Petraviva, Dubai, United Arab Emirates The following statistics helped Etereo Design achieve 2nd place in the 10 Best Architecture Firms in United Arab Emirates: A+Awards Winner 2 Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 15 1. Killa Design Killa DesignAs a firm, Killa Design is dedicated to creating innovative buildings that are timeless, environmentally sustainable and contextually inspired. We specialise in mixed-use, high rise, hospitality, office and residential projects. We also have significant experience in retail, theatre, museum, urban design and master planning projects.With value-led building solutions, cutting-edge and creative thinking, we strive to build strong relationships with our clients by going beyond the brief to help transform their project vision into viable, liveable spaces. Our people are passionate about responsible design and its impact on the lives we touch every day.Some of Killa Designs most prominent projects include:Museum of the Future, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesOffice of the Future, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesAddress Beach Resort, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesRoyal Arts Complex, Saudi ArabiaSRG Tower, Dubai, United Arab Emirates The following statistics helped Killa Design achieve 1st place in the 10 Best Architecture Firms in United Arab Emirates: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 19 Why Should I Trust Architizers Ranking?With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the worlds largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the worlds best architecture each year.Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlightedA Guide to Project AwardsThe blue + badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizers Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a projects likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:Project completed within the last 3 yearsA well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphsArchitectural designwith a high level of both functional and aesthetic valueHigh quality, in focus photographsAt least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the buildingInclusion of architectural drawings and renderingsInclusion of construction photographsThere are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizers Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.Were constantly look for the worlds best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please dont hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.The post 10 Best Architecture and Design Firms in United Arab Emirates appeared first on Journal.

While February arguably has bigger name-value releases, January is no slouch with its output. One of the more notable releases this month is Yellow Brick Games Eternal Strands, an action RPG where players venture to the mysterious Enclave to battle bosses and unravel The Veils mysteries.While it launches on January 28th, the developer has confirmed a public demo for launch on January 21st. It will only be available for PC via Steam and features the games Prologue. Progress carries over to the full release, making this a great way to get a head start.Eternal Strands is also coming to Xbox Series X/S and PS5. Game Pass subscribers can also play it on day one. The main story takes 25 to 35 hours, but completionists may require 40 hours. Check out our interview with the developer here.Of course, the journey doesnt stop at launch as Yellow Brick is teaming with Square Enixs Creative Studio III of Final Fantasy 16 fame to release a new free Epic creature, armor, and weapons. Learn more about it here.PINCH ME, IS THIS REAL LIFE?! We are SO honored to be on the cover of @edgeonlines next issue!! THANK YOU! Inside, youll learn more about the public demo of the games prologue coming to Steam on January 21 progress carries over to the full game on January 28! https://t.co/zpU7mCNUmK Yellow Brick Games ETERNAL STRANDS | 28 JAN 2025 (@YellowBrick_Qc) December 23, 2024

Developers are seemingly working on running games made for the PS3 natively on PS5 hardware through emulation. Developer Implicit Conversions has, on its public roadmap, added a new item: PlayStation 3 Emulator. The posting on the roadmap says that the studio is researching and prototyping a PS3 emulator that would work with in-house Syrup emulation engine.It is worth noting, however, that PS3 emulation with Syrup could still be quite some time away, since the post on the roadmap has been tagged as Dreaming About, which would indicate that the developers are still in the research phase.For context, the Syrup engine allows developers to bring their older titles from consoles going as far back as the Sega Master System and Nintendo Entertainment System to more modern platforms like Xbox Series X/S and PS5. The emulator provides a host of features as well, including support for online play, save states, timeline rewinding, and widescreen support.The studio works with Sony to bring some of its classic titles from PSOne and PS2 on to modern platforms, making them available through the higher tiers of a PlayStation Plus subscription. PS3 games, however, can currently only be played on the PS5 through the use of cloud gaming.It is also worth noting that PS3 emulation has also been under works by open source developers, with emulators like RPCS3 already working with some PS3 games on PC. Progress, however, is still an ongoing thing, with developers working on adding more features and support for more games.

As Nintendo gets closer to unveiling its successor to the Nintendo Switch, a recent leak revealed some possible details of the upcoming console. Following up on the leak, however, a new patent by Nintendo has been discovered which gives us more details about the console.Discovered by industry insider Laura Kate Dale on BlueSky, the patent, which can be checked out on the official US patents website, reveals details of how the Nintendo Switch 2s hardware decoder will work. It depicts a games engine seemingly working with a neural network to output graphics at higher resolutions.Among other things, the patent indicates that the Switch 2 will have its own take on Nvidias DLSS feature, using a special chip developed by Nvidia, to run higher-resolution games than would be possible on current Nintendo hardware. Some of the examples in the patent filing indicate outputting 540p images to 1080p, for instance.One of the more interesting bits, as pointed out by Dale, is how this will be used to reduce game size, fitting them on smaller capacity physical media. The example given is that a game with native 4K textures might need a 60 GB download, but a 1080 native version might only need 20 GB (which would allow it to fit on a 32GB Switch Cart, the current max size Nintendo produces for Switch 1).While Nintendo itself is yet to officially unveil a successor to the Nintendo Switch, rumours have indicated that we will see the console announced some time before April.Another new Nintendo patent published yesterday seems to yet again verify claims the Switch 2 will use DLSS style AI upscaling (Nvidia chip) to improve output resolution for games, rather than trying to natively run them at higher internal resolutions.ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-pu Laura Kate Dale LauraKBuzz (@laurakbuzz.bsky.social) 2025-01-01T13:40:36.019ZPerhaps the most interesting piece of this, after a lengthy read, is that one example use case given is explicitly to reduce overall game sizes, to fit a modern game onto "smaller capacity physical media", e.g. Switch carts, which get exponentially more expensive for larger cart capacities. Laura Kate Dale LauraKBuzz (@laurakbuzz.bsky.social) 2025-01-01T13:41:57.130ZThe example given is that a game witth native 4K textures might need a 60GB download, but a 1080 native version might only need 20GB (which would allow it to fit on a 32GB Switch Cart, the current max size Nintendo produces for Switch 1).The idea being to do a 4X upscale on the device in realtime. Laura Kate Dale LauraKBuzz (@laurakbuzz.bsky.social) 2025-01-01T13:43:37.650Z

Yat Siu, executive chairman of Animoca Brands, has made 540 investments into blockchain games. We talked to him about the 2025 outlook.Read More

Tango Gameworks rebrands following Krafton acquisition | News-in-briefNow known as Tango Gameworks Inc, the studio shared it was "excited to continue crafting games that bring joy to players around the world" News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Jan. 2, 2025 This is a News-in-brief article, our short format linking to an official source for more information. Read more about this story by following the link below:Tango Gameworks rebrands following Krafton acquisition

The Steam community has handed Black Myth: Wukong the coveted Game of the Year Award during the 2024 Steam Awards.Game Science's action RPG also took home the Outstanding Story-Rich Game Award and Best Game You Stuck At Award.Steam account holders determine the winners of the Steam Awards by voting across 11 categories (some of which are a tad tongue-in-cheek) during the Winter Sale. Voting was open from December 19 to December 31, with nominations also being handed out by the Steam community prior to that window.Other notable winners this year included Elden Ring, which nabbed the Labor of Love Awardhanded to a title that has received ample support from its creators years after release.God of War Ragnarok, which debuted on PC last year, took home the Best Game on Steam Deck Award. Helldivers 2 was honored with the Better With Friends Award and Silent Hill 2 nabbed the Outstanding Visual Style Award.The Most Innovative Gameplay Award was bestowed upon early access title Liar's Bar, which asks four players to participate in deadly games of liar's dice and liar's deck.You can find the full list of winners below or over on Steam.The 2024 Steam Awards WinnersGame of the Year Award - Black Myth: WukongVR Game of the Year Award - Metro AwakeningLabor of Love Award - Elden RingBest Game on Steam Deck Award - God of War RagnarokBetter with Friends Award - Helldivers 2Outstanding Visual Style Award - Silent Hill 2Most Innovative Gameplay Award - Liar's BarBest Game You Suck At Award - Black Myth: WukongBest Soundtrack Award - Read Dead RedemptionOutstanding Story-Rich Game Award - Black Myth: WukongSit Back and Relax Award - Farming Simulator 25

Telegram is trying to crack down on scams with a new feature that lets official third-party services assign verification icons to users and chats, the messaging service announced on Wednesday.This is separate from the verification process Telegram has for public figures and organizations. Instead of displaying a blue checkmark, accounts and chats verified by third-party services will have a unique icon appear to the left of their name. If you click on the profile of a third-party verified chat or account, you can see which service verified it and why.The profile of a verified account or chat might say something like, Verified by the Learning Standards Authority for quality language education. GIF: TelegramTelegram says only services with an official bot verified by Telegram can apply to become a third-party verifier, helping to prevent scamsandreduce misinformation. X has a similar feature that lets verified organizations assign affiliation badges to related accounts.The update comes just months after French authorities arrested Telegram CEO Pavel Durov over claims he enabled illegal activity on the platform. Since then, Telegram has updated its privacy policy, disabled misused features, and changed its tone surrounding moderation. Durov said Telegram reached profitability last year, with total revenue surpassing $1 billion.Along with this update, Telegram is also rolling out new search filters that should make it easier to find certain chats, the ability to scan QR codes using Telegrams in-app camera on iOS and Android, as well as a way to turn digital gifts into NFTs.

Teslas production and delivery numbers for 2024 are out, and the numbers are pretty sobering. The premiere EV company in the US produced 1.77 million cars this year, a drop of about 4 percent compared to the previous year, and delivered 1.79 million vehicles this year, or about 1 percent less than 2023. Tesla also deployed 31.4 GWh in energy storage.That said, the company said it had a record fourth quarter for deliveries, with 495,570 vehicles making their way to customers. Tesla also said it deployed 11 GWh of energy storage products, which it also said was a record. And it produced 459,445 vehicles, most of which were Model 3s and Ys. But the late year rally wasnt enough to bring the companys full-year numbers in line with 2023. And indeed, Tesla CEO Elon Musk had warned at the beginning of the year that increased competition and reduced demand for the companys aging lineup of vehicles was going to be an overall drag on its performance in 2024. Not even the relative popularity of the Cybertruck, which began deliveries late last year, was enough to lift Teslas fortunes for the year. And despite setting records for deliveries and energy deployment for Q4, the company still came in below Wall Streets expectations of 504,800 vehicles delivered, according to Wedbushs Dan Ives. Teslas stock price was down about 5 percent on the gloomy news.Its unclear how Tesla will navigate the new environment after Donald Trump resumes the presidency. Much has been said about Musk and Trumps burgeoning alliance, but the incoming president is likely to eliminate a lot of the incentives that helped make Tesla vehicles more affordable to consumers, including a $7,500 tax credit on new EVs. Musk has said that a more affordable Tesla is on deck for 2025, and a fully autonomous Cybercab for 2026 though both projects face a lot of hurdles. And of course, China looms over everything, as the countrys surging domestic EV production continues to put pressure on US manufacturers who do business there. China is Teslas largest and most important market, and the company is continuing to lose market share to BYD and other major players.