As we leave the first month of the new year behind, we looked at the prominent and most viewed architectural news of 2022 written by WAC Country Editors/Reporters in the WAC Country Editors/Reporters Program, a voluntary-based program initiated by the World Architecture Community. 

Launched in 2017, WAC's voluntary-based program, emphasizing the importance and power of local architecture, local construction, local techniques, local materials, innovation with sustainable local materials, covers a diverse, sharp and striking hyper-local architecture stories - which mostly remain as unknown and undiscovered stories in the global media.

WAC's Country Reporters and Editors who penned the eight top articles include WAC Italy Country Reporter Antonello Magliozzi, WAC Egypt Country Reporter Asmaa Kamaly, WAC Cameroon Country Reporter Baden Baden Edgar, WAC Taiwan Country Reporter Chaolee Kuo, WAC France Country Reporter Franklin Yemeli, WAC India Country Reporter Megha Balooni, WAC India Country Editor Pranati Satti and WAC Turkey Country Reporter Silviya Masani.

Most viewed architectural news of 2022 include the importance of material choices and their influence in an architecture office, the new Orange Côte d'Ivoire headquarters designed by Koffi & Diabaté Architects in Africa, The Ledge made of pointed roof and Casuarina slats and designed by Wallmakers in India to the phenomena of the vertical focusing on high-rises.

The Country Reporters and Editors of the WAC below are listed according to a statistical data. The list includes the Country Editors/Reporters whose stories have exceeded 2,000 views in 2022.

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Read on for the 8 WAC Country Reporters/Editors with their most read stories (in alphabetical order of the reporters/editors...):

Image courtesy of Philippe Rahm

Interview with Philippe Rahm by Antonello Magliozzi

An exclusive interview with Swiss thinker and architect Philippe Rahm by WAC's Italy Country Reporter Antonello Magliozzi emphasizes the importance of the past and re-emergence of the past as a new socio-cultural scenario. This could become the "characteristics of a physiological architecture" as related to the physical environment.

"I consider myself modern in method and tools, but post-modern in goals," says Philippe Rahm.

The interview is presented both as a video and a written transcript. 

The story received over 2,280 views. 

Read more about interview with Philippe Rahm.

Image courtesy of IHC global

Egypt's 12th World Urban Forum (WUF) by Asmaa Kamaly

Egypt's 12th World Urban Forum (WUF) written by WAC's Egypt Country Reporter Asmaa Kamaly became one of the most viewed stories of 2022. Organized by the UN Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat), the World Urban Forum will to be hosted in the city of Cairo in Egypt in 2024 to explore sustainable urbanization.

The forum brings together a wide range of participants from around the world to discuss urgent urban challenges that we face today.

The story received over 2,990 views. 

Read more about the 12th World Urban Forum.

Image © CHORUS ARCHITECTURE

ARCHI-NOW Competition 2022 by Baden Baden Edgar

An international competition, titled ARCHI-NOW Competition 2022, written by WAC Cameroon Country Reporter Baden Baden Edgar gained a significance attention by our readers. 

The competition, organized by Cameroon-based multidisciplinary platform CHORUS ARCHITECTURE, called projects for the best "thesis in architecture" personal graduation or academic research work "on themes and issues related to resilience and innovation in the built environment” economics, cultural, environmental and energy sustainability."

The story received over 2,600 views. 

Read more about ARCHI-NOW Competition 2022.

Image © Chaolee Kuo

The Gothic Church On A Skyscraper by Chaolee Kuo

WAC's Taiwan Country Reporter Chaolee Kuo penned a story about a new project near metropolitan Taipei, Taiwan. The article became one of the most read stories of 2022. 

Designed by Behet Bondzio Lin Architekten, the project "looks like a new "Goethe church" on a skyscraper, reinterpreting the religious spirit in the architectural language of the 21st century."

The story received over 2,760 views. 

Read more about The Gothic Church.

Image © François-Xavier Gbré

New Headquarters Of Orange Village Côte D'Ivoire by Franklin Yemeli

A new headquarters of Orange Village Côte D'Ivoire, written by WAC's France Country Reporter Franklin Yemeli, presents "a new generation office building with a high environmental quality approach."

Enhanced deliberately with sculptural façade details in the façade, the project designed by Koffi & Diabaté Architects, "brings flexible and efficient office spaces with generous circulation areas, real places of life and collaborative work."

The story received over 2,140 views. 

Read more about new Headquarters Of Orange Village Côte D'Ivoire.

Image: Rane Vidyalaya by Shanmugam Associates. Image © LINK Studio, Bangalore

Interview with Raja Krishnan and Santhosh Shanmugam by Megha Balooni

Raja Krishnan and Santhosh Shanmugam of Shanmugam Associates spoke to WAC's India Country Reporter Megha Balooni in an exclusive interview with WAC. The interview became the most read article among highlighted other articles written by WAC Country Editors/Reporters.

Developed as part of Megha's Significance of Materiality in Architecture series, Megha's interview focuses on the design philosophy and vision of Shanmugam Associates, an Indian architecture practice. The founders Raja Krishnan and Santhosh Shanmugam believe that "the focus needs to be on a responsible building than any style or language."

The story received over 4,760 views. 

Read more about interview with Raja Krishnan and Santhosh Shanmugam.

Image © Syam Sreesylam, courtesy of Wallmakers

Wallmakers' The Ledge in Peeremedu, Kerala by Pranati Satti

The Ledge is a two-bedroom residence designed by Indian architecture practice Wallmakers gained a great attention by our readers. 

Penned by WAC's India Country Editor Pranati Satti, the building, which looks like a cracker, underlines how the office works with mud and waste materials - which is a distinctive approach of Wallmakers. Featuring a pointed roof, the residence is made of Casuarina slats, creating its own scaffolding.

The story received over 2,040 views. 

Read more about The Ledge by Wallmakers.

Image © Cemal Emden

Eyup Cultural Center and Marriage Hall in Turkey by Silviya Masani

In this project review, WAC's Turkey Country Reporter Silviya Masani looks at Emre Arolat Architecture's Eyup Cultural Centre and Marriage Hall project as a case study in Turkey. 

Masani examines the before-and-after design processes of the complex and re-questions whether the proposed design elements in the first phase of the project design were concluded successfully.

The story received over 2,420 views. 

Read more about Eyup Cultural Center and Marriage Hall.

editors reporters WAC Country Reporters Program