The starting point of this essay is a multidisciplinary study conducted by the Department of Architecture and Urban Studies of the Politecnico di Milano regarding the opportunities for the revitalisation of the almost 800 Community Cinemas owned by the Italian Catholic Church. These cinemas represent the local communities and are an important part of the contemporary Italian urban environment. Research shows that cinemas are threatened by how people currently consume audio-visual content, that there is a need to rethink the projection theatres as social gathering spaces open to the twenty-first-century neighbourhood, thanks to some features innate in the Community Cinemas that can be enhanced. Four case studies have been identified that represent the most common (or widest variation of) size and general layout among the 800 existing situations. A general model has been developed through the radical re-shaping of the space in accordance with new urban and social functions and implementing new technologies. By designing these case-study project solutions, it was possible to define that a new model of multipurpose social centre merged with a more traditional projection room is not only possible, but thanks to state-of-the-art technologies could represent a perfect match and an opportunity to make significant changes throughout a community.

This paper discusses the analysis of modern landscaping trends. Today’s challenges and environmental issues that reduce landscaping area in large cities force us to search for new landscaping trends. Amid global environmental problems, the popularity of green areas attached to private homes is increasing. Despite avant-garde trends, there is a growing interest in traditional oriental gardens, both Chinese and Japanese, based on the principles of harmony between human and nature. At the same time, the arrangement of modern Chinese-style private gardens in Ukraine and other Post-Soviet territories, without a deep understanding of fundamental methods, including ‘one lake, three mountains’, ‘garden in a garden’, ‘mountains–water’, sets such gardens apart from true Chinese design. By comparing the historical Chinese pavilions and modern Chinese-style arbours, their non-conformity has been proven, and it recommended to arrange modern Chinese-style gardens based on the use of time-honoured traditions.

Throughout their history, all civilized states have built buildings for libraries in line with their needs, possibilities, and imperatives. Every time any dedicated structures were designed and built to host a library, they incorporated the sense for their further use by future generations. Thus, there evolved a basis for a library of the future.
The presented cases from modern international practices in library design and construction illustrate a broad range of expanding possibilities in architecture and design in this new thematic area. The use of modern structural systems, finishing materials, and lighting fixtures enable interesting and unique features in library buildings, while new spatial organisation changes the layout structure and architectonics of libraries.
What is this library of the future? What particularities make it different from the libraries of the past and present? What are the key criteria of a high-quality library functioning in the future? These are major questions explored in the paper that, when answered, provide clear conclusions.

The achievements of South American architecture of the early twenty-first century have put the architects of this continent at the forefront in the field of innovative and unorthodox design solutions. Many see the basics of new, socially sustainable design methods for the architecture of the future in the principle of incrementality. The purpose of the paper is to analyse the usefulness and universality of the central feature of some of the most appreciated incremental projects, which is the skilful introduction of informal processes (including participation) into a highly formalised and institutionalised design environment. To analyse the projects and their broad context, a conceptual apparatus was used, as applied in the theory of Postmodernism in architecture and art (especially the works of Christopher Alexander and George Dickie). It allows to highlight similarities and fundamental differences between architectural cultures and to take a step closer to answer the question of the possibility of imitating designs created in completely different cultures in the Polish and European context.

The authors of the article would like to present contemporary architectural implementations from the Łódź agglomeration region, which were created in accordance with the ethical doctrine - pleasure and avoidance of unpleasantness are the most important values, purpose of life and motive of conduct. The analyzed objects were designed in the first two decades of the current century. Cubature objects as well as hedonistically shaped urban public spaces were evaluated. Construction documentation and critical user input were analyzed. The aim of the analysis is to assess the phenomenon of searching for a return to the nineteenth-century character of Łódź›s buildings and the surrounding area perceived as hedonistic as opposed to critical attitude towards neomodernist architecture. This is currently the topic of widespread debate of the Łódź society in relation to the Urban Space Restoration program.

The 21st century has contributed to the development of new, innovative technologies in many areas of life, including medicine, aviation, molecular engineering and construction. Modern technologies are developing very quickly, bringing various conveniences to modern man. However, the 21st century has brought us also the destructive effect of growing weather anomalies associated with deepening climate change.
Living in the age of consumerism, we should think about how we are contributing to this state? Can we, living today, improve our existence? Can the solutions proposed nowadays protect us from many negative effects of climate change? Can we influence the increase in air pollution, temperature rise and the associated growing phenomena such as floods and fires?
Citizens of modern cities are facing many of these inconveniences. We, as architects and urban planners, should react and implement solutions that will improve living conditions.
The subject of the articles is to present selected examples of solutions for the use of greenery, which will help to eliminate unfavorable climate conditions in cities. Properly designed greenery, both on the urban and architectural scale of the city, contributes to the leveling of the Urban Heat Island, improves the comfort of living, and is a stabilizer of temperature and humidity. Research with a thermal imaging camera shows how the use of greenery contributes to lowering the temperature in downtown buildings.
The results of the research are a supplement to the analyses carried out in connection with the observation of thermal behavior of urban development. The possibility of referencing the results will influence the residents’ awareness. It is important to use appropriate building materials and greenery as one of the elements improving the comfort of living in the city.

This paper presents the outcomes of a study on the potential of contemporary Rio de Janeiro to act as a site for a twenty-first century project. An analysis of the city’s architecture in the context of social, spatial and wildlife-related determinants and an analysis of extant major culture-forming places became the starting point for determining conceptual guidelines for the competition design of the Architecture Athenaeum in Rio de Janeiro, which has been presented in the paper. The research was based on critical analysis of the literature and on-site studies.