Daily coronavirus architecture and design briefing: 2 April

Daily coronavirus briefing: today's architecture and design coronavirus briefing includes converting buildings into hospitals, a public health artwork campaign and an Elon Musk donation.

BDP architect explains how ExCel centre was converted into coronavirus hospital

Converting convention centres into coronavirus hospitals is the most efficient way to increase intensive-care capacity, according to James Hepburn of architect BDP, which helped convert London's ExCel centre into the 4,000-bed NHS Nightingale (via Dezeen).

Elon Musk donates ventilators to New York hospitals

Founder of Tesla Elon Musk was thanked by the mayor of New York for "donating hundreds of ventilators" to the city. However journalists at Financial Times spotted that the machines in photos of the donation are actually just machines for treating sleep apnea (via FT Alphaville – subscription needed).

Museums documenting coronavirus pandemic as it happens

Institutions around the world are gathering surveys, photographs and interviews to help people study the current crisis in the future (via New York Times).

Opposite Office proposes converting Berlin's Brandenburg airport into superhospital

German studio Opposite Office has proposed creating a temporary Covid-19 superhospital inside Berlin's unfinished Brandenburg airport during the coronavirus pandemic (via Dezeen).

Amplifier launches campaign to create public health artworks

Design lab for grass roots movement Amplifier has started an emergency campaign for artists to create works that communicate public health messages or promote mental health during the pandemic (via Amplifier).

London Festival of Architecture launches digital version

After delaying it's annual programme of events due to coronavirus, the London Festival of Architecture (LFA) is launching an online programme. LFA Digital 2020 is launching in June and applications are open for submissions for digital events around this year's theme – power (via LFA).

British American Tobacco working on plant-based vaccine

The makers of cigarettes such as Lucky Strike and Dunhill has said it has a potential coronavirus vaccine in development using tobacco plants (via Guardian)

MIT chemists design drug candidate for Covid-19 cure

A team of chemists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has made a potential drug to treat coronavirus by blocking its ability to enter human cells (via Fast Company).

Oil and gas industry will never be the same again

Coronavirus could stop climate change by killing the oil industry suggest analysts after the pandemic has caused demand for oil to fall through the floor, suggesting peak demand has been reached (via Guardian).

Architects' Journal guide to financial help for practices

The Architects' Journal magazine has published the latest in a series of articles giving advice on the financial aid available to UK architecture practices affected by the country's lockdown (via Architects' Journal).

Keep up with developments by following Dezeen's coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. For news of impacted events, check Dezeen Events Guide's dedicated coronavirus page.

Image is a promotional poster for the Amplifier design contest by Thomas Wimberly.

 

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