AI slop comes for real estate listings, the White House clears out the agency in charge of national design, and more.
- The shopping mall is emerging as an unlikely refuge in the age of climate crises. Here’s how cooled, communal bunkers built for capitalism are being reconsidered as spaces for survival and togetherness. (Next City)
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Chicago’s skyline is full of empty offices—but that’s already started to change. Last year, plans were announced to turn four downtown office buildings into mixed-use developments with 226 apartments. Now, some of Chicago’s skyscrapers may be next in line, turning vacancy into much-needed housing. (Construction Dive)
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The White House has dismissed six members of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, the century-old independent agency that shapes the nation’s architectural identity from memorials to monuments. The purge clears the way for new appointees aligned with Trump’s “America First” design policies. (NPR)
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Scrolling through real estate listings is turning into a game of “is this AI?” Listings now feature “hallucinated” staircases, AI agents, and virtually staged rooms. While generative tools like AutoReel and ChatGPT can save money and time, they’re also blurring the line between reality and render for buyers. (Wired)
Boston is the recipient of the first and only public sculpture in the United States by the late Italian artist and designer Gaetano Pesce. Titled Double Heart, it’s a celebration of love, joy, and connecting with others.
Courtesy of Gaetano Pesce’s Studio, New York and Champ Lacombe, Biarritz/London. Photo by Aram Boghosian
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Gaetano Pesce, the late Italian artist and designer, has left his mark on Boston. A 30-foot-tall sculpture comprising a pair of red hearts pierced by an arrow now sits at Lyrik, a development in the Back Bay neighborhood. Adapted from a 1970s lamp, Double Heart turns a familiar Valentine’s image into a public reminder that love and connection are what matter most right now. (Dwell)
Top photo by Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images.
