UN climate chief urges governments to regulate AI, Moreau Kusunoki leads Centre Pompidou’s five-year renovation, and multifaceted hospitality space Manifest debuts a new location. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Gaza Biennale opens in Brooklyn
Gaznica, a tapestry by Firas Thabet; image courtesy of Gaza Biennale
Brooklyn-based nonprofit Recess Art will host From Gaza to the World, an exhibition of multimedia work by Palestinian artists, through December 20th. On display are reproductions of paintings, illustrations, and sculptures made using digital photographs and instructions from the artists, who are unable to transport their work outside of Gaza, The New York Times reports. The Gaza Biennale aims to illuminate the perspective of Palestinians experiencing genocidal violence at a time when many institutions are rejecting work by Palestinian artists. Other editions of the show have been staged in France and Denmark, with Greece and Turkey set to host in the near future. Organizers are planning to bring the exhibition to Washington, DC as well.
Centre Pompidou closes for five-year renovation
The exterior of Centre Pompidou; photo by Hervé Veronese
Parisian cultural mecca Centre Pompidou has closed its doors to undergo updates over the next five years. Following an international competition, Paris- and Sydney-based architecture firm Moreau Kusunoki will spearhead renovations alongside Mexico City-based Frida Escobedo Studio, while AIA Life Designers will oversee technical components, ArchDaily reports. Improvements will include the removal of exterior asbestos, enhanced fire safety and accessibility, and optimized energy efficiency.
Manifest adds second Washington, DC club
The 9,700-square-foot Manifest 002; photo by Kelly Marshall
Stylish Washington, DC social club Manifest has opened its second location in the nation’s capital, Manifest 002. The new outpost houses a barbershop, coffee shop, clothing store, cocktail lounge, and private dining room across 9,700 square feet in Union Market. INC Architecture & Design crafted the project, which heralds guests with a minty green ground floor flowing into the gallery-style boutique. According to Robb Report, the concept, founded by entrepreneur K.J. Hughes, serves to contrast the local vernacular of marble columns and wood panels with an inviting modernist aesthetic.
UN climate chief Simon Stiell champions AI
Image courtesy of Adobe Stock
While many of us wrestle with the ethics and pitfalls of AI’s impact on the design industry, other sectors are less cynical. Speaking earlier this week at the UN General Assembly in New York, Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the UN framework convention on climate change, defended climate diplomacy amidst the proliferation of fossil fuels by the Trump administration. Stiell lauded the global boom in renewable energy and government commitments to cutting carbon. The Guardian also reports that he discussed the possibilities posed by AI to optimize energy systems, develop tools to reduce carbon from industrial processes, and set new precedents for climate diplomacy. To this writer’s relief, he also cited the urgency in addressing how to resolve the exorbitant dependence of AI servers on water sources worldwide. “Done properly, AI releases human capacity, not replaces it,” Stiell says. “Most important is its power to drive real-world outcomes: managing microgrids, mapping climate risk, guiding resilient planning.”
Check out HD’s 2025 People Issue
The Tristan Auer-designed Pic restaurant at Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, Switzerland; photo by Amaury Laparra
Hot off the presses, the September 2025 edition—HD’s annual People Issue—explores the many innovative ways human centricity is informing the design world. In the issue, 13 visionary rulebreakers discuss projects and principles that demonstrate how to improve quality of life and leverage technology to build holistic environments. Luxury is also undergoing reexamination, with designers like Tristan Auer and Ste Marie’s Craig Stanghetta, disrupting the status quo with a more empathetic, emotionally resonant lens.
