Gensler's Trump Tower Tbilisi, Space Needle double-decker elevators, and a Dezeen parametricism series mark a day of high-profile global design moves

Gensler is the architect for a Trump Tower development in Tbilisi, Georgia, comprising six architecturally distinctive towers. A 70-storey skyscraper will be the tallest building in the country. A single rendering has been released so far. (Dezeen, May 5, 2026)

Impact · This is one of the largest branded real estate commissions publicly linked to a major global architecture firm in an emerging Caucasus market. For firms competing for international mixed-use commissions, it signals that Trump Organization development continues to expand into non-traditional geographies, creating both opportunity and reputational calculus for participating design firms. Gensler's involvement normalizes big-name Western firms working on politically branded towers in post-Soviet markets.

Action · If your firm pursues international mixed-use commissions, review your internal policy on politically branded or controversial client engagements now—before an RFP arrives. Ensure your risk committee has a documented framework for evaluating reputational exposure on high-profile branded developments.

Olson Kundig and Otis Elevators have installed all-glass, double-decker elevators on the Seattle Space Needle's exposed structural core as part of the ongoing Century Project modernization. The elevators are mounted externally on the tower. (Dezeen, May 5, 2026)

Impact · This sets a new benchmark for heritage landmark modernization, demonstrating that iconic mid-century structures can integrate cutting-edge vertical transportation without compromising—and actually enhancing—their architectural identity. For firms specializing in historic preservation or tourism-infrastructure design, this is a reference project for justifying high-cost experiential upgrades to landmark clients and municipal stakeholders.

Action · If you work on landmark or tourism-infrastructure projects, add this to your reference library as a precedent for exposed-core elevator installations on heritage structures. Use it in client presentations to demonstrate ROI on experiential modernization.

Dezeen has launched a multi-part series on parametricism, with Owen Hopkins providing an introductory overview that frames the computational design movement as the architecture 'of neoliberalism itself.' A companion case study examines Zaha Hadid's Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku as the ultimate expression of parametricism's 'seamless fluidity.' (Dezeen, May 5, 2026)

Impact · This signals a renewed critical discourse around computational and algorithmic design methodologies at a moment when AI-driven design tools are proliferating. For firms heavily invested in parametric workflows, the framing as 'neoliberal architecture' could influence public procurement discourse, academic curricula, and client perception—particularly for publicly funded projects where political optics matter.

Action · If your firm uses parametric design as a differentiator, prepare a position paper or talking points that address the political and social critiques now being amplified by major trade media. Anticipate that clients and public agencies may raise these critiques in briefings.

Brooklyn-based Peterson Rich Office designed five new Condé Nast Galleries at The Met in New York, revealing historic facades to showcase the museum's layered architectural history. The spaces were completed in time for the yearly gala exhibition. (Dezeen, May 5, 2026)

Impact · A relatively small Brooklyn studio landing a gallery redesign at The Met—one of the world's most visited museums—demonstrates that institutional clients are increasingly willing to commission emerging firms for high-profile interior architecture, particularly when the brief involves adaptive reuse and heritage revelation rather than new construction.

Action · If your firm has museum or cultural-institution experience, study PRO's approach to heritage-layer revelation as a design strategy. Update your portfolio to emphasize similar capabilities for institutional RFPs.

Students at Concordia University, led by instructor Jeremy Petrus, converted Kevlar fabric from the Montreal Olympic Stadium roof into furniture, wearables, and decor for the O-cycle Project exhibition during Montreal Design Week. (Dezeen, May 5, 2026)

Impact · This project demonstrates a scalable model for material upcycling from demolition and renovation of iconic buildings. As more mid-century and late-20th-century landmarks face envelope replacement, the volume of high-performance materials entering the waste stream will grow. Academic-industry partnerships that redirect these materials into design products could become a meaningful circular-economy niche.

Action · If your firm is involved in any major renovation or demolition of post-war buildings, explore partnerships with local design schools or material-research labs to upcycle distinctive salvaged materials—both as a sustainability initiative and a public-engagement strategy.