Architecture Topics

The KIO Towers, officially known as Puerta de Europa, are two of the most recognizable buildings in Madrid. Standing at Plaza de Castilla on the Paseo de la Castellana, these dramatic leaning skyscrapers have become an unmistakable symbol of the Spanish capital.
In this episode, we explore the architecture and history of the KIO Towers, from Madrid’s expansion north and the transformation of Plaza de Castilla to the ambitious design by architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee. We look at how the towers were engineered to lean, the structural challenges hidden behind their simple form, the financial troubles that stopped construction, and how an unfinished corporate project eventually became one of Madrid’s most famous landmarks.
Whether you’re interested in modern architecture, skyscraper design, Madrid architecture and urban planning, or you’re simply planning a trip to Madrid and want to understand the buildings you’ll see around Plaza de Castilla and the Castellana, this is the story behind one of the city’s most unusual sights.

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Discover the story of the Louvre Pyramid, one of the most famous landmarks in Paris and an essential stop for anyone visiting the Louvre Museum. We explore how architect I. M. Pei transformed the historic Cour Napoléon with a modern glass pyramid, why the project caused such controversy, and how it eventually became one of the defining images of Paris.
From François Mitterrand’s Grand Louvre project to the vast underground entrance hidden beneath the courtyard, this episode reveals the architecture, history and engineering behind the Louvre Pyramid, the smaller glass pyramids and the inverted pyramid inside the Carrousel du Louvre.
A perfect listen for anyone planning a trip to Paris, looking for things to do near the Louvre, or interested in French history, Paris architecture, museums, iconic buildings and the work of I. M. Pei.
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Keep the memories of your own trips together with WentoTravel.com, a permanent travel archive for your photos, videos, notes and journeys.
Architecture Topics listeners can use the code ARCHITECTURETOPICS to get 30% off for life.

As heatwaves become more frequent and cities grow hotter, air conditioning is becoming one of the most important architectural questions of our time. But the future of AC is not as simple as installing more machines everywhere.
In this final episode of The Architecture of Cool, we explore air conditioning, climate change, home comfort, urban heat, energy use, refrigerants, green roofs, street trees, passive cooling, district cooling, radiant cooling, and the challenge of keeping buildings comfortable in a hotter world.
From historic cities like Paris, Venice, Barcelona, and Rome to fast-growing hot-climate cities, the question is no longer whether we need cooling. The question is how we design better buildings, better streets, better rooftops, and better AC systems so comfort inside does not make the city outside hotter, louder, or harder to live in.

Air conditioning changed more than indoor comfort. It changed the way homes, apartments, facades, windows, ceilings, and cities were designed.
In this episode of The Architecture of Cool, we explore how AC entered domestic life, from window units in older apartment buildings to central air in modern homes and split systems in historic European cities.
A story about architecture, air conditioning, climate control, window AC units, central air, split systems, thermal comfort, domestic architecture, modern homes, urban buildings, and the complicated relationship between comfort inside and machinery outside.

Air conditioning is not just a modern convenience. It belongs to one of architecture’s oldest questions: how do we create shelter from the world outside?
In this episode of The Architecture of Cool, we explore climate control as a core part of architecture, from shade, walls, courtyards, wind, and water to the invention of modern AC in the early twentieth century.
This is a story about heat, comfort, cities, industry, and the moment buildings began to manufacture indoor weather.