Rafael Vi?oly Architects

Can’t wait for the finished product! #museums #design #nmohm

Over a decade after its completion, I was delighted to join Dr. Keith Gillow on a visit to our scheme for the Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford. Having been personally involved since the earliest stages of the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter Masterplan and leading the third (and final) design iteration of this complex faculty building through its planning approval - I received the most positive balance of UX satisfaction, sustained performance and proven durability from our clients - who proudly describe the building as one of the best in the University. This RIBA award-winning scheme always derived from the idea of a single collaborative environment, designed to adapt to the continued growth of Mathematics and its various disciplines. Its architectural gesture linking views from and into the Tower of the Winds (Radcliffe Observatory), validating the essence of our Masterplan. Its two atria expanding visual connectivity across floors and into the lecture hall basement, via two ‘crystals’, themselves conceptualised by the academics based on mathematical formulae. The unwavering efforts of all our colleagues from Rafael Vi?oly Architects (past and present), who made the delivery of this world-class facility possible. Huge credit to Dr Gillow, Funders (Clay Mathematics Institute in particular), Estates Directorate and User Groups at the Institute and wider University, for walking this journey alongside us at RVA and the amazing technical & construction teams involved. #architecture #highereducation #universityofoxford #rafaelvinolyarchitects

Last week - on Veterans Day, no less - I visited the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington TX with my partner Bassam Komati and Rafael Vi?oly Architects' Director Christina Kruise, CNP. Jacob Douenias, AIA, NCARB, our Project Manager for the building, showed us around the construction site, which, thanks in part to his diligence and dedication, is speeding toward completion for its March 25, 2025 inauguration. Being selected for this project was one of Rafael Vi?oly's (my father's) proudest moments as a naturalized American. He was enormously grateful for the welcome and the opportunity that the US gave him and our family when we arrived in 1979, and being part of remembering and celebrating the stories of America's greatest combat heroes was a profound honor to him. My partners and I and everyone on our team at RVA share his feelings.

Today, we honor and express our gratitude to all U.S. veterans, past and present, for their courageous service to our nation. Their bravery, sacrifice, and steadfast commitment have safeguarded the freedoms cherished by every American. Image: construction progress of the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas, designed by Rafael Vi?oly Architects. The project’s symbolism is embodied in a monumental slab of fire-forged steel, seemingly suspended on five pillars, each representing one of the traditional branches of the Armed Forces. This remarkable structural design reflects the valor of Medal of Honor recipients, who bore immense burdens in the heat of battle to support their brothers and sisters in arms and defend our nation.

I had a most insightful post-occupancy tour of our scheme at The Bryanston & Marble Arch Place alongside Caroline Edwards and her amazing team from Almacantar, our clients. The scheme has already surpassed many leasing and performance milestones now, and its legacy is very promising. Equally as important to us at Rafael Vi?oly Architects, is the consolidation of its growing track record of civic and social value impact, tangible in its immediate context and the wider community it serves. Following an extensive design & delivery process, the scheme has now become the urban connector it was intended to be, linking Hyde Park and the Portman Estate through its sinuous, stimulating public corridor and retail/ leisure frontages. The fully-leased commercial component across both blocks has attracted world-class tenants and the unique collection of 54 apartments overlooking Hyde Park, The Bryanston, continues to consolidate the development as one of the most desirable living destinations in London. Tribute to our clients, our team at RVA, the design and technical teams involved and all our partners with whom we collaborated to deliver this landmark, prime mixed-use vision #architecture #london #almacantar #rafaelvinolyarchitects

Although we didn't take home the 'Pritzkerpumpkin' prize at this year's Pumpkitecture! at the AIA New York | Center for Architecture, we had an amazing time carving pumpkins alongside some fantastic competitors. Our one-of-a-kind RVA Liberty design, crafted by Rafael Vi?oly Architects' Lal Guner, Bassam Komati, Reem Makkawi, Anna Murphy, and Eugenia Zelaya, may not have won, but it definitely captivated the crowd!

Thank you to the Financial Times and writer Cathy Hawker for including Médano in the How to Spend It Prime Property story on new hot spots on the property scene. The last project designed by Rafael Vi?oly, Médano is an innovative, ultra-sustainable, luxury, multi-family residential development that is sited just 15 minutes outside of Montevideo, Uruguay, on the only property in “Greater Montevideo” that is not separated from the beach by a road. The unique oceanfront development, seamlessly integrates into the landscape behind the dunes of a low-rise neighborhood, making it nearly invisible from the public beach. The 425-meter long building includes approximately 120 terraced units, each with open-to-the-sky gardens offering views of either the beach or a lagoon. The unprecedented architecture ensures that no apartment sits atop another, creating a sense of privacy akin to free-standing homes, with direct access and no need for a lobby. Prioritizing sustainability, it aims to be the region’s first Nearly Zero-Energy Building, incorporating locally sourced materials, photovoltaic power, rainwater recapture, and cross-ventilation. This "conscious luxury" combines thoughtful architecture and eco-friendly practices to foster wellbeing and harmony with nature. Read the story here: https://shorturl.at/XUgvm

A snapshot of members from Rafael Vi?oly Architects' NYC-based leadership team last night before they headed out to the 2024 Common Bond Gala at Pier 60 in New York City. We are proud to support the AIA New York | Center for Architecture!

In a recent interview with?Uruguayan radio station Radio Sarandí 690, Román Vi?oly, Partner at Rafael Vi?oly Architects, discussed Médano El Pinar, a $100 million residential development?on?7 hectares along Uruguay’s coastline.?He explained how the project addresses the market’s lack of high-end family housing and highlighted the ultra-sustainable development's unprecedented architecture and many of its visionary features.?These include terraced apartments with private gardens and independent entrances, offering the privacy of standalone homes, as well as advanced engineering aimed at near-zero energy consumption and a potentially carbon-neutral footprint. Listen to the full interview (in Spanish) here: https://shorturl.at/yN6Sb

On a productive and moving trip to Buenos Aires last week, for two talks related to the 19th Architecture Biennial, it seemed like everywhere I looked, the buildings of Rafael Vi?oly Architects looked back. It was wonderful to see so many old friends of mine and of my father's and to be hosted by the Museo de Bellas Artes and Andres Gribnicow. And seeing the library at the Universidad de 'San Andrés', thanks to Esteban Devecyan, was an unexpected bonus!