Architecture | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/architecture/RSS feed for ArchitectureenFri, 30 Oct 2026 15:57:10 +0000Where Is England's Oldest Pub? An Archaeologist Drilled Into 600-Year-Old Timbers to Answer the Contentious Questionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/where-is-englands-oldest-pub-an-archaeologist-drilled-into-600-year-old-timbers-to-answer-the-contentious-question-180989783/Tree-ring dating shows that a historic tavern in Somerset has been continually operating as an inn since the 1430s, when local monks built it to lodge wool merchantsFri, 30 Oct 2026 15:57:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/where-is-englands-oldest-pub-an-archaeologist-drilled-into-600-year-old-timbers-to-answer-the-contentious-question-180989783/For Over Four Years, the Hirshhorn Worked to Revitalize Its Sculpture Garden. Today, It's Home to a 'King and Queen,' a 'Wish Tree' and a 55,000-Pound Vertical Swimming Pool Artworkhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/for-over-four-years-the-hirshhorn-worked-to-revitalize-its-sculpture-garden-today-its-home-to-a-king-and-queen-a-wish-tree-and-a-55000-pound-vertical-swimming-pool-artwork-180989784/Newly refreshed by Japanese artist-architect Hiroshi Sugimoto, the sunken garden welcomes National Mall visitors with bronze masterpieces, contemporary stunners and a stage set for creative performancesFri, 30 Oct 2026 15:20:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/for-over-four-years-the-hirshhorn-worked-to-revitalize-its-sculpture-garden-today-its-home-to-a-king-and-queen-a-wish-tree-and-a-55000-pound-vertical-swimming-pool-artwork-180989784/'Lie Down and Look Up' at England's Most Ornate Ceilings, From Sparkling Gold-Leaf Stars to Intricate Plaster Designs at Queen Victoria's Seaside Retreathttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lie-down-and-look-up-at-englands-most-ornate-ceilings-from-sparkling-gold-leaf-stars-to-intricate-plaster-designs-at-queen-victorias-seaside-retreat-180989770/A new campaign encourages visitors to take in the lavish art above their heads at five historic sites across England. There are even cushions for maximum comfort while you gazeWed, 28 Oct 2026 18:19:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lie-down-and-look-up-at-englands-most-ornate-ceilings-from-sparkling-gold-leaf-stars-to-intricate-plaster-designs-at-queen-victorias-seaside-retreat-180989770/Archaeologists at This Ancient Maya Metropolis in the Forest of Belize Are Debunking Long-Held Myths About the Mesoamerican Civilizationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/archaeologists-ancient-maya-metropolist-forest-belize-debunking-long-held-myth-about-mesoamerican-civilization-180989648/Diane and Arlen Chase have spent a good portion of their lives uncovering the once-great city of Caracol. Their groundbreaking research is rewriting everything we thought we knew about the MayaMon, 26 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/archaeologists-ancient-maya-metropolist-forest-belize-debunking-long-held-myth-about-mesoamerican-civilization-180989648/Immerse Yourself in the Cosmos at Frank Lloyd Wright's Only Planetarium, Recently Restored to Its Former Glory in Floridahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/immerse-yourself-in-the-cosmos-at-frank-lloyd-wrights-only-planetarium-recently-restored-to-its-former-glory-in-florida-180989743/Completed in 1958, the domed building is located on the campus of Florida Southern College, home to 13 Wright-designed buildings, the world's largest single-site collection of the architect's workFri, 23 Oct 2026 18:08:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/immerse-yourself-in-the-cosmos-at-frank-lloyd-wrights-only-planetarium-recently-restored-to-its-former-glory-in-florida-180989743/Shanghai's 'Audacious' New Opera House Just Opened Its Doors—and a Gravity-Defying Staircase—to the Publichttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shanghais-audacious-new-opera-house-just-opened-its-doors-and-a-gravity-defying-staircase-to-the-public-180989726/The riverfront opera house is Shanghai's latest cultural statement. It features three performance halls and is designed to be accessible to everyone, not just ticket-holdersWed, 21 Oct 2026 17:50:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shanghais-audacious-new-opera-house-just-opened-its-doors-and-a-gravity-defying-staircase-to-the-public-180989726/Where Exactly Were the First Humans to Be Captured in a Photograph Standing? Three Obsessed Filmmakers Solved the Nearly 200-Year-Old Mysteryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/where-exactly-were-the-first-humans-to-be-captured-in-a-photograph-standing-three-obsessed-filmmakers-solved-the-nearly-200-year-old-mystery-180989727/The sleuths spent two years digging into archives and building 3D models of 19th-century Paris. The location is now immortalized by a bronze plaque celebrating the historic site and the "poetic" early photographWed, 21 Oct 2026 16:29:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/where-exactly-were-the-first-humans-to-be-captured-in-a-photograph-standing-three-obsessed-filmmakers-solved-the-nearly-200-year-old-mystery-180989727/The Burning of This French City Hall Was a 'Catastrophe for Heritage,' Tragically Reminiscent of the Notre-Dame Firehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-burning-of-this-french-city-hall-was-a-catastrophe-for-heritage-tragically-reminiscent-of-the-notre-dame-fire-180989711/French authorities say that the Limoges city hall, built in the late 19th century and celebrated as an architectural gem, was the victim of an arson attack amid mass protests in France over the weekendMon, 19 Oct 2026 21:13:51 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-burning-of-this-french-city-hall-was-a-catastrophe-for-heritage-tragically-reminiscent-of-the-notre-dame-fire-180989711/Madrid's Renewed and Expanded Sorolla Museum Lets the Paintings of the Spanish 'Master of Light' Re-emerge Into Public Viewhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/madrids-renewed-and-expanded-sorolla-museum-lets-the-paintings-of-the-spanish-master-of-light-reemerge-into-public-view-180989701/Dedicated to the works of Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, the museum is centered around his historic home and studio. The first phase of its yearslong renovation is complete, featuring expanded exhibition spacesFri, 16 Oct 2026 18:01:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/madrids-renewed-and-expanded-sorolla-museum-lets-the-paintings-of-the-spanish-master-of-light-reemerge-into-public-view-180989701/When Jane Austen Took a Turn About the Ballroom in Bath, Ancient Roman Artifacts Were Hiding Beneath Her Feet. Now, Archaeologists Have Finally Found Themhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-jane-austen-took-a-turn-about-the-ballroom-in-bath-ancient-roman-artifacts-were-hiding-beneath-her-feet-now-archaeologists-have-finally-found-them-180989592/Recent excavations at the Bath Assembly Rooms in England revealed Roman-era coins, roof tiles, pottery, glassware, a network of ditches and a fragment of a military helmetWed, 30 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-jane-austen-took-a-turn-about-the-ballroom-in-bath-ancient-roman-artifacts-were-hiding-beneath-her-feet-now-archaeologists-have-finally-found-them-180989592/In One of Rome’s Most Famed and Neglected Villas, Centuries-Old Risqué Frescoes, Painted Over by Nuns, Have Reappearedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-one-of-romes-most-famed-and-neglected-villas-centuries-old-risque-frescoes-painted-over-by-nuns-have-reappeared-180989585/Nearly a year into a $40 million restoration of the Villa Silvestri Rivaldi, conservators are rediscovering and reviving 16th-century artTue, 29 Sep 2026 20:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-one-of-romes-most-famed-and-neglected-villas-centuries-old-risque-frescoes-painted-over-by-nuns-have-reappeared-180989585/Japan's Smallest and Least-Populated Major Island Is a World of Pilgrimages, Delicious Food and Plenty of Forest Bathinghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/japans-smallest-and-least-populated-major-island-is-a-world-of-pilgrimages-delicious-food-and-plenty-of-forest-bathing-180989590/Each year, more than 100,000 people hike at least part of a 750-mile route on Shikoku that connects 88 Buddhist temples and other sacred sitesTue, 29 Sep 2026 19:40:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/japans-smallest-and-least-populated-major-island-is-a-world-of-pilgrimages-delicious-food-and-plenty-of-forest-bathing-180989590/Archaeologists Unearth the 2,400-Year-Old School Where Aristotle Taught Alexander to Be Greathttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-the-2400-year-old-school-where-aristotle-taught-alexander-to-be-great-180989581/The latest excavation at Aristotle’s gymnasium in ancient Mieza has revealed ornate, mosaic-covered halls where researchers believe Alexander the Great learned his formative lessonsMon, 28 Sep 2026 19:49:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-the-2400-year-old-school-where-aristotle-taught-alexander-to-be-great-180989581/The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, a New Endeavor From the Creator of 'Star Wars,' Is a Story in Itselfhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/the-lucas-museum-of-narrative-art-a-new-endeavor-from-the-creator-of-star-wars-is-a-story-in-itself-180989533/Almost two decades in the making, the institution centers on art that shapes our everyday lives and reveals the craft behind itMon, 21 Sep 2026 17:31:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/the-lucas-museum-of-narrative-art-a-new-endeavor-from-the-creator-of-star-wars-is-a-story-in-itself-180989533/Centuries Ago, an Architect Characterized the Parthenon’s Curves as a Clever Optical Illusion. Now, a Mathematician Begs to Differhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-ago-an-architect-characterized-the-parthenons-curves-as-a-clever-optical-illusion-now-a-mathematician-begs-to-differ-180989520/In the first century B.C.E., Vitruvius wrote that the Acropolis’ largest temple was horizontally bowed so that it didn't seem to sag, and that explanation persisted for millennia. New research suggests a different reasonFri, 18 Sep 2026 17:11:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-ago-an-architect-characterized-the-parthenons-curves-as-a-clever-optical-illusion-now-a-mathematician-begs-to-differ-180989520/Montana Built a $107 Million Museum. Its Smallest Room Says a Lot About the Thought That Went Into Designing the Spacehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/montana-built-a-107-million-museum-its-smallest-room-says-a-lot-about-the-thought-that-went-into-designing-the-space-180989453/The Montana Heritage Center in Helena has a smudge room. It is open to the public and teaches non-Native visitors why a room dedicated to the burning of cleansing materials, a practice of many Indigenous cultures, is neededMon, 14 Sep 2026 16:51:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/montana-built-a-107-million-museum-its-smallest-room-says-a-lot-about-the-thought-that-went-into-designing-the-space-180989453/