For our latest roundup, we have collected five times architects have either created new cowsheds or transformed existing sheds into houses, studios and libraries.

In locations from Rajasthan, India, to Dorset, UK, architects are working with agricultural buildings to create surprising and well-designed spaces that celebrate their functional pasts.

Here are five of the best:

Cow House, India, by Compartment S4

One of just two brand-new cowsheds designed to house animals on this list, the sculptural Cow House in Maharashtra, India, was designed by Indian studio Compartment S4.

The aim was for the building, which replaces a dilapidated shed, to prioritise the comfort of both staff and cows. It was constructed from brick, stone and bamboo.

Find out more about Cow House ›

Cowshed, UK, by David Kohn Architects

London studio David Kohn Architects worked on the former dairy farm Middle Rocombe Farm, in Newton Abbot, UK, turning an agricultural building into a house and studio aptly named Cowshed.

The studio aimed to keep as much of the existing 1979 building as possible, retaining its original timber trusses, concrete floor and columns and some blockwork walls while adding new concrete blockwork.

Find out more about Cowshed ›

Stanbridge Mill Library, UK, by Crawshaw Architects

A former cowshed in Dorset was turned into the light-filled Stanbridge Mill Library, which is organised around a wooden, barrel-vaulted arcade that references the client's collection of books on Palladian architecture.

The library and office is located in an outbuilding of a Georgian farmhouse on a grade II-listed farm that had stood neglected for over forty years. London studio Crawshaw Architects made only small structural interventions to the building.

Find out more about Stanbridge Mill Library ›

The Potato Shed, the Netherlands, by Julius Taminiau Architects

Dutch studio Julius Taminiau Architects felt like it was "stepping into Vincent van Gough's painting The Potato Eaters" when it first saw the austere agricultural structures on a former farm in the Netherlands.

It kept only the foundations of an old cowshed when creating this home, which was named for the painting and is clad in thin timber slats that conceal double-layered openings.

Find out more about The Potato Shed ›

Gaushala, India, by Studio Saar

Located in south Rajasthan, India, the Gaushala – Hindi for cowshed – dairy facility was built using 560 tonnes of reclaimed material including steel and rubble.

It was designed to accommodate a herd of 40 native cows called Gir and has a sculptural, undulating roof that helps to divert water away from the building.

Find out more about Gaushala ›

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In the run-up to Milan design week, we've compiled a list of must-see happenings around the city, including a mindfulness space by Zaha Hadid Architects and interior designer Kelly Wearstler's first furniture collection for H&M.

Centred as always around the Salone del Mobile furniture fair, this year's Milan design week (MDW) takes place from 20 to 26 April and is set to host hundreds of designers, architects and brands.

To help you prioritise your time, we've rounded up some key highlights to look out for, both at Salone and in town.

For our full list of highlights – plus in-depth features on the evolution of Milan design week and the state of the local design scene – look out for the second edition of our Dezeen Dispatch magazine in design week locations across the city.

Zaha Hadid Architects x Audi

Zaha Hadid Architects is using spatial compression and expansion to encourage design week visitors to slow down and unplug in its installation The Origin.

Designed for German carmaker Audi, it consists of a titanium-coloured fibreglass portal set on top of a reflecting pool in the courtyard of Portrait Hotel Milano.

Portrait Hotel Milano, Corso Venezia 11

Triennale Milano

As always, there is plenty to see at Milan's Triennale museum during design week.

Visitors can attend The Eames Houses, a show anchored by an architectural installation based on the 1949 modernist home of seminal American designers Ray and Charles Eames (above). The installation is a collaboration between the Eames Office and Spanish manufacturer Kettal.

Also at Triennale, Danish heritage brand Frederica is presenting A Chronicle of Danish Design. Charting a century of Danish furniture, the show combines pieces from pioneers such as Hans J Wegner and Nanna Ditzel with the work of contemporary designers, including Cecile Manz.

Alphabet is another exhibition, which explores the 30-year career of British design duo Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby.

And if that isn't enough, visitors can also head to Continuous Present, a show by Japanese Pritzker Prize-winning architect Toyo Ito dedicated to the work of Italian architect and designer Andrea Branzi.

Triennale Milano, Viale Emilio Alemagna 6

Alcova

Each year, design platform Alcova spotlights the work of international creatives within Milanese architectural gems off the beaten track.

This year, the exhibition returns to Baggio Military Hospital, one of its former locations, and also takes place across architect Franco Albini's rationalist Villa Pestarini, which is open to the public for the first time.

Among the many established and emerging exhibitors are leading British designer Faye Toogood and Spanish creative Patricia Urquiola, Greek architect Kiki Goti and as well as the second edition of India's Shakti Design Residency.

Interdisciplinary student projects are also out in full force, with presentations from design schools including Design Academy Eindhoven and a debut from London's AA School of Architecture.

Baggio Military Hospital, Via Giovanni Labus 15 and Villa Pestarini, Via Mogadiscio 2/4

Metamorphosis in Motion by Lina Ghotmeh

Making her Milan design week debut, Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh presents a pink-hued labyrinth set within Palazzo Litta's courtyard.

Formed from curved geometric modules, the installation creates shifting perspectives and a sequential path that subtly guides visitors' movements, with each pocket of space offering a different spatial experience.

The installation forms part of the annual MoscaPartners Variations exhibition, which showcases a wider programme of global exhibitors.

Palazzo Litta, Corso Magenta 24

The Romance of Fragility

Glass takes centre stage in Italian design gallery Delvis (Un)Limited's exhibition exploring the creative potential of fragility.

Works by international designers, including Inderjeet Sandhu (top image), Maria Tyakina and Tino Seubert (above), challenge conventional perceptions of the material. From pieces sculpted to echo stone to others melted into liquid-like casts, each one pushes the material's limits and stereotypes.

Delvis (Un)Limited Gallery, Via Fatebenefratelli 9

About Silk by Ai Weiwei

Using silk as a medium for the first time, multidisciplinary Chinese artist Ai Weiwei envelops the Rubelli showroom in lampas fabric woven with intricate motifs illustrating his evolution as an artist.

The choice of silk underscores the material's origins in China while echoing Rubelli's centuries-old craftsmanship in Venice. The installation also includes an accompanying documentary offering an exclusive look into the collaboration.

Rubelli Showroom, Via Fatebenefratelli 9

Disco Aperitivo by Sophie Lou Jacobsen

Glassware designer Sophie Lou Jacobsen is turning an apartment in Loreto into an ode to 1970s and 80s-era Italian glamour.

The takeover marks the launch of her Disco Aperitivo collection, with party-worthy pieces including cocktail glasses, ruffled placemats, an ashtray and a cigarette box. In the spirit of aperitivo, Milanese institution Palinurobar will be serving drinks throughout.

By appointment only via disco@thelast.agency

Convey

Design platform Convey is occupying an entire five-storey building near Torre Velasca with a showcase bringing together work from 20 emerging brands with buzzy international designers.

Among them are East London studio Six Dots Design, Georgian practice Rooms Studio and Marco Campardo, who was recently named one of Apple's Designers of Tomorrow.

Convey Building, Via San Senatore 10

The White House at Dropcity

While Donald Trump spends the larger part of his presidency tearing down parts of the White House, students at the Politecnico di Milano have turned the building into a case study on domestic propaganda.

Exploring the White House as both residence and media symbol, the exhibition at Dropcity unpacks how its design and interiors – from fences and tablecloths to service corridors and ceremonial spaces – have been used to project power and public image across decades of presidencies.

Seven installations dissect the house's spatial and decorative choices, revealing its role as an icon of political performance. While you're at Dropcity, don't miss the exhibition by graduates of Central Saint Martins' MA Material Futures programme, who present transdisciplinary projects ranging from ultra-stretch textiles to lab-grown gemstones made from paint waste.

Dropcity, Via Sammartini 56

Osteria Fiori di Marimekko

Beloved Finnish brand Marimekko blends design and gastronomy with Osteria Fiori di Marimekko, inviting visitors to step into a playful, multisensory celebration of its floral prints.

Alongside textile installations and a shoppable selection of ceramics, highlights include flower-infused drinks and aperitivo bites inspired by the shapes and colours of the brand's floral prints.

Osteria Grand Hotel, Via Ascanio Sforza 75

Over and Over and Over and Over by 6AM

In the vaults of Piscina Romano, Milanese design studio 6AM explores repetition as a creative engine through an exhibition focused on contemporary glass sculptures.

New pieces – including a limited-edition colour of the Paysage lamp and the Float furniture collection in a new finish – sit alongside blown glass cubes first developed for Bottega Veneta's Summer 2026 runway show (above).

Piscina Romano, Via Ampère 24

When Apricots Blossom by Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation

The Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation debuts at Milan design week with When Apricots Blossom, an exhibition celebrating Uzbek craft through a contemporary lens.

Twelve designers, including Bethan Laura Wood, Marcin Rusak, Fernando Laposse and Nifemi Marcus-Bello, present new work created in collaboration with Uzbek artisans to reframe the material traditions of the Aral Sea region and Karakalpakstan.

Highlights include a colourful tapestry draped across the palazzo's facade (above), orchard-inspired floral installations and interpretations of bread trays and stamps to honour the sacred role of bread in Uzbek culture.

Palazzo Citterio, Via Brera 12

Kelly Wearstler for H&M Home

For her Milan design week debut, American interior designer Kelly Wearstler partners with H&M Home to unveil a first look at their upcoming collaboration, marking the brand's first designer partnership to feature large-scale furniture.

Set within the Baroque grandeur of Palazzo Acerbi, the installation unfolds as a playful sequence of rooms inspired by the collection's themes of daily rituals and modularity, where Wearstler's bold forms flirt with soaring columns and opulent frescoed interiors to create a dialogue between past and present.

Palazzo Acerbi, Corso di Porta Romana 3

Deoron

Digital design platform Deoron returns to Milan design week with an exhibition inside a former ball bearings factory. Opening the industrial site to the public for the first time, the showcase brings together over 50 international designers and brands across furniture, homeware, lighting and technology.

Among the highlights: a tactile pink DJ booth by Berlin-based creative studio Yont, stem and twig-inspired vases born from Amsterdam-based design studio Gast's exploration of CGI materiality (above), and a series of translucent soap spheres by Danish designer Matias Møllenbach, each delicately perched on a matching resin dish.

A bar and a programme of listening sessions and daily events round out the event.

Via Padova 11

Shared Matter

Switzerland's Shared Matter sets out to explore what defines modern Swiss design today.

Co-curated by Dezeen's editorial director Max Fraser and Milan-based architect Maddalena Casadei, the exhibition presents six emerging Swiss designers whose works sit at the intersection of research and cross-cultural collaborations.

Standout projects include a sleek aluminium floor lamp by Panter & Tourron (above) and an intuitive musical instrument that translates abstract music theory by Akuto Studio.

Spaziovento, Via Pinamonte da Vimercate 4

Grand Hotel and La Casa Magica by Nilufar

Nilufar Depot sets the stage for a reimagined luxury hotel, unfolding through a series of curated rooms, a penthouse suite and an outdoor area.

The installation, called Grand Hotel Nilufar (above), brings together imagined interiors and standout pieces by various designers, including Bethan Laura Wood and David/Nicolas.

Across the city, Italian studio Studio Caviar has designed the setting for La Casa Magica at Nilufar Gallery, an exhibition that explores the home as a ritual space through objects drawn from diverse geographical and cultural contexts that engage with belief and symbolism.

Nilufar Depot, Viale Lancetti 34. Nilufar Gallery, Via della Spiga 32

Base Milano 

Base Milano, Milan design week's home for emerging and experimental design, is back with an exhibition of works by more than 80 emerging designers from 23 countries.

The programme includes the return of the venue's urban camping project on its terrace. Twenty students from London's Royal College of Art have taken over the terrace for the week, where they are also camping out for the duration of the design festival.

The project explores modes of collective cohabitation and spatial design practice. And be sure to check out the much-hyped installation FOMO by Alessandro Ramundo.

Base Milano, Via Bergognone 34

Food for Thought by IKEA

IKEA is taking over design gallery Spazio Maiocchi with a reimagined Swedish saluhall, a traditional indoor food market hall, including a large working kitchen.

For the main attraction, the furnituremaker has paired five designers with five buzzy young chefs, who will work together to create an immersive room set and a matching menu informed by different home scenarios.

Among the duos, who will be hosting live cooking demonstrations throughout the week, are London designer Charlotte Taylor and chef Ben Lippett.

The event marks the launch of three new product launches from the company's flagship collection, IKEA PS.

Spazio Maiocchi, Via Achille Maiocchi 7

L'Appartmento by Artemest

Back for its fourth edition, commerce platform Artemest's much-loved showcase L'Appartmento returns to Palazzo Donizetti to pay homage to Italian grandeur.

Set against frescoed ceilings and the palazzo's sweeping elliptical staircase, the exhibition invites five interior design studios, including the Rockwell Group and Charlap Hyman & Herrero, to each reimagine an Italian cultural capital – Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples and Palermo – as a room. The exhibition extends outdoors for the first time, bringing the curated selection of Italian furniture and decor to the courtyard.

Palazzo Donizetti, Via Gaetano Donizetti 48

Superstudio Design

Mega design project Superstudio returns to Milan for its 26th edition. Spread over three permanent locations, the event features the work of participants from 16 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Among this year's highlights is an exhibition curated by Marcel Wanders celebrating 25 years of Dutch design brand Moooi, which takes place at Superstudio Più.

There is also a photography project on display at Superstudio Maxi. Called Portraits, the project was created to showcase dialogues between Italian brands, including B&B Italia and Kartell, and products by seminal creatives from Gaetano Pesce to Gio Ponti.

Superstudio Piú, Via Tortona 27. Superstudio Maxi, Via Moncucco 35. Superstudio Village, Via Pericle Negrotto 59

Salone del Mobile

The big news at this year's Salone del Mobile is the launch of Salone Raritas, the fair's first dedicated exhibition for collectible design, with a set created by Formafantasma.

Visitors should look out for a special project from Sabine Marcelis, impossibly delicate glass lamps by Draga & Aurel for Salviati (above) and new work from Lewis Kemmenoe for London's Max Radford Gallery.

More than 700 designers under the age of 35 also feature in this year's edition of Salone Satellite, the fair's platform for emerging talent. Among them is a delegation of seven young stars from Design Week Lagos's annual Design and Innovation exhibition.

Looking ahead to 2027, architecture firm OMA is developing an exhibition for contract furniture at the fair. In preparation, this year's edition is hosting a day of talks dedicated to the topic, with a keynote lecture by studio founder Rem Koolhaas and a programme curated by Koolhaas and OMA partner David Gianotten taking place throughout the day on Wednesday 22 April.

Milan design week 2026 takes place from 20 to 26 April 2026 at various locations across Milan, Italy. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

The post Twenty-one unmissable exhibitions and installations at Milan design week 2026 appeared first on Dezeen.

Two gabled homes feature in Dezeen's top five houses of the month for March, including a barn-like holiday home in Norway and a family dwelling designed to slot together in the Netherlands.

Also among the most popular dwellings published on Dezeen this month are a compact brick farmhouse in India and a low-lying concrete home in Slovenia.

Read on to find out more about Dezeen readers' favourite houses this month:

House Grimstad, Norway, by Waelgaard Salim Arkitekter

Local studio Waelgaard Salim Arkitekter completed this barn-like dwelling in Norway, cladding its exterior in black tar-stained timber.

Designed as a family holiday home, House Grimstad is organised across two storeys and comprises an open-plan ground floor and a more compartmentalised first floor.

Find out more about House Grimstad ›

The Threshold House, India, Madras Spaces

Repurposed bricks, timber and tiles make up the compact volume of this 93-square-metre farmhouse completed by Indian studio Madras Spaces in Tamil Nadu, India.

Named The Threshold House, the home is complete with a spacious patio overlooked by a balcony shared by the first-floor bedrooms.

Find out more about The Threshold House ›

House on the Edge of the Plain, Slovenia, by Skupaj Arhitekti

Situated within the largest plain in Slovenia, this low-lying home was designed by local studio Skupaj Arhitekti.

Full-height glazing wraps around its minimalist concrete frame, which was designed to nod to both the flatness of the surrounding landscape and nearby examples of 20th-century modernism.

Find out more about House on the Edge of the Plain › 

Light House, Netherlands, by Woonpioniers

Local studio Woonpioniers completed the Light House in the Netherlands, comprising a pair of gabled volumes designed to slot together "like puzzle pieces".

Located in the village of Nigtevecht in Utrecht, the home features stepped floor levels and mezzanines that create a feeling of spaciousness for the timber-lined interiors.

Find out more about Light House › 

Grama House, Brazil, by Studio Arthur Casas

Dramatic cantilevers and overhangs extend the volume of this house, which has been built from wood and stone in São Paulo, Brazil.

Completed by local architecture practice Studio Arthur Casas, the sprawling home encompasses 1,800 square metres and has a series of indoor-outdoor spaces on the upper floor.

Find out more about Grama House ›

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A recent book focused on the tiny home trend in Texas, theorises what the explosion of micro-domiciles means for contemporary American class politics and economics. Here the author select five projects from the book.

Spurred on by a 2015 conference in London called New Ideas for Housing, researchers Ella Harris, Mel Nowicki and Tim White were interested in shrinking domestic space in the industrialised countries. This led them to the "epicentre of the tiny house movement" of the 2010s, the United States.

The team chose Austin as their object of study, given the large typical footprint of Texas houses and the rapid growth of the city, driven by a tech-sector migration that has forced residents to find new places to live in the periphery. The phenomenon has gone from trend to necessity.

Unaffordable cities

"In the midst of an escalating affordability crisis, a number of tiny house developments have been built on the city's periphery and surrounding counties," White told Dezeen.

"Whilst initially tiny homes were occupied by people who really bought into the lifestyle, we found that many now end up in these homes due to a lack of affordable options in big cities."

Along with photographer Cian Oba-Smith, the team travelled to Austin, documenting the lives of people living in these communities. This research and documentation led to the publishing of Reconstructing the American Dream: Life Inside the Tiny House Nation.

The tiny homes have allowed for autonomy and creative solutions, according to the researchers, but also illustrate deep inequities in the housing system and an increasing strain on cities.

"We found that tiny housing simultaneously challenges and reproduces the mythology of the American Dream," said White, who added that the homes allow people to explore forms of living and lighten the workloads required for making rent under traditional housing models.

"It has enabled people to contest the 'bigger is better' drive for material accumulation so central to the American Dream – the myth that the bigger the home, the fancier the car, the more possessions you have, the happier you will be."

"Diminutive version of the American Dream"

But there are caveats.

"Tiny housing represents a diminished and diminutive version of the American Dream in an era of crisis," continued White.

The researchers also examined the difference between so-called tiny homes and a similar, older form of housing – the trailer park.

"We were surprised by how much of a distinction is drawn between trailer parks and tiny homes, when the differences are largely aesthetic," said White.

"Tiny housing risks directly infringing on mobile home and trailer parks as a final bastion of affordable housing for low-income Americans, as landowners increasingly cash in on the opportunity to replace existing residents with the higher-paying clientele buying into the tiny house movement," he continued.

"An initial flick through it might look similar to the photography books that valorize tiny living, but as you read you'll see our approach is somewhat different. Our attempt has been to explore the 'real' Tiny House Nation. Not to attack it, not to deny its beneficial impacts for a huge number of people, but to inject some nuance into the debate so that we can take forward the positives of tiny living without normalizing the negatives," he added.

"Tiny housing can be highly liberating for some people. But for others, it's very much a reflection of what is being taken away from us."

Read on for five case studies from the book.

Pure Salvage, Luling

"Pure Salvage is a 43-acre site on interstate land. Entering the large metal gates is like stepping into a different universe, created single-handedly by its owner, Brad."

"There are around 10 tiny homes on-site. Brad has built all of them by hand, almost entirely by himself, largely using salvaged materials from homes and barns across Texas. They are inarguably impressive, crafted from beautiful old woods, reclaimed stained glasses and antique features and fittings, from engraved door knobs to stunning ceramic tiles."

"The slightly jaunty angles of their walls, floors and porches are a testament to Brad's Do-It-Yourself approach to even the most complex of jobs. Despite their ad-hoc appearance, they function perfectly, most of them complete with flushing toilets and hot water. Also on the site is a 6,000-square-foot warehouse full of salvaged materials – enough to build a whole village of homes."

Granite Lake, Kingsland

"Granite Lake is an 11.7-acre site in Kingsland, Texas Hill Country – a 1.5-hour drive from downtown Austin. It is centred around a four-acre, man-made lake teeming with large-mouth bass and mussels. For its proprietors and live-in landlords, Mike and Lisa, tiny housing is being harnessed as not only a housing solution but also an entrepreneurial opportunity."

"Lisa uses the site to exhibit Platinum Cottages as she steps into the business of tiny home sales. Mike owns the site and runs the vacation rentals. There are also two long-term residents, both older single women, who live in tiny houses on-site."

"When we assembled by the lake in the late evening Texan sun, it was clear that they were an incredibly close unit that had found genuine pleasure and fulfilment from this unconventional way of living together."

Boxwood, Kingsland

"Boxwood sits on a small tract of land in Kingsland not far from Granite Lake, and has two rows of relatively upmarket tiny homes separated by a few metres – some stacked high with large terraces, others low to the ground with extended porches."

"Residents of Boxwood must bring their own tiny home to the plots here. One is a primary school teacher in her 30s who moved to Boxwood and started a job in Kingsland after being priced out of Austin. She enjoys her new home, but isn't so convinced about the politics of her new neighbourhood – a typically Texan conservative stronghold. Being gay, she feels somewhat out of place here."

"A woman in her 50s shares her home with a three-legged cat named Garfield. For her, the tiny home was an opportunity to downsize and free up liquidity as she semi-retires, giving her time and money for travelling. Having spent many years working long hours in a hospital, tiny living has enabled her to cut down to two 12-hour shifts per week."

Village Farm, Austin

"Eight miles east of downtown Austin, Village Farm forms part of a vast, sprawling 30-acre site divided between sections for RVs, trailers and, most recently, tiny homes. The land was originally a large working farm, but in the 2010s the landowner sold it to a holiday resort conglomerate."

"When the land was sold, they fought to keep at least some of the farm running. Village Farm harnesses this feature to promote itself as an ‘agrihood', boasting a sustainable, community-centred lifestyle. Its website encourages prospective residents to 'cultivate a life where every day is an opportunity to live sustainably, joyfully, and in harmony with the earth.'"

"Residents must buy their tiny home via Village Farm, and when we first visited in 2022 the cheapest homes were upwards of $150,000. With ground rent included, most tiny home dwellers at Village Farm were paying around $1,700 per month. A 'community fee' includes the upkeep of on-site services and events. Not all of the tiny homes are occupied by permanent residents, with several rented out on Airbnb."

Community First!, Austin

"Literally across the road from Village Farm is Community First!, a 'homeless village' established by Christian missionaries. With 500 colourful tiny homes and RVs across 51 acres – and counting – it's a huge endeavour."

"It took many years to secure approval on a site due to furious backlash from local residents, pushing the project further and further out of city limits. Although peripheral and lacking in public transport, the site benefited from the lack of zoning laws that had enabled local residents to stop the village from going ahead in other places."

"Rent at Village Farm averages $385 a month, and two-thirds of the tiny homes have no indoor plumbing, relying on communal toilets and kitchens. Residents are given the opportunity to take up jobs in the village such as working as gardeners or in the cafe."

"Although it is highly optimistic in its approach, and marketing, Community First! is far from without its challenges. The mortality rate at Community First! is a reminder of the brutal hardship faced by many of its occupants. Nonetheless, the aims of the village, to provide holistic, long-term support for its residents, remain central to the Community First! project."

The photography is by Cian Oba-Smith

The post Five Texas tiny houses that "challenge and reproduce" the American Dream mythology appeared first on Dezeen.

Today marks 10 years since the death of one of architecture's all-time greats, Zaha Hadid. To help mark the anniversary, Zaha Hadid Foundation director Aric Chen has picked out 10 of his favourite items from the Hadid archive exclusively for Dezeen.

Iraqi-British architect Hadid died from a sudden heart attack in Miami on 31 March 2016.

Sometimes referred to as the "Queen of the Curve", her distinctive style had an enormous impact on the way buildings are designed. She is still the only solo woman ever to win the coveted Pritzker Architecture Prize, receiving the honour in 2004.

Today her legacy is looked after by the Zaha Hadid Foundation, which this summer will be carrying out renovation works on its 10 Bowling Green Lane building in London – Hadid's former office – with plans to reopen in the autumn as a public space hosting exhibitions, talks, workshops and other cultural events.

The charity is also currently undertaking a multi-year project to inventory and catalogue the estimated 300,000 items in its archive.

In memory of Hadid on the 10th anniversary of her death, foundation director Chen selected 10 artefacts for Dezeen:

Malevich's Tektonik, London, UK, 1976

"This student work of Zaha's is something we always bring out for visitors to the archive. It speaks of her precociously bold inventiveness, and the influence of Malevich and the 20th-century Russian and Soviet avant-garde on her pursuit of liberating architecture from constraints, and even gravity, through abstraction.

"In this case, Zaha was responding to an assignment while studying under Rem Koolhaas and Elia Zenghelis at the Architectural Association (AA). Based on one of Malevich's 'arkhitekton' studies of architectural form, you can see what would become a 14-storey hotel orbiting and landing on London's Hungerford Bridge.

"Zaha would create new versions of this painting later on, but this is the first, and was presumed lost until we rediscovered it in one of her student portfolios."

Student sketchbook, London, UK, 1977

"Among the dozens of sketchbooks in the archive, three of them, including this one, cover the period from October 1976 to May 1977 when Zaha was a student at the AA. Together, they offer remarkable insights into the development of her ideas, while posing just as many questions.

"This particular drawing relates to the development of her student project for a Museum of the Nineteenth Century, and comes towards the end of a series that places its elements in a range of sites and locations including, as you can see, her native Iraq. We're not exactly sure what her intentions were in doing this, but we're often asked how closely connected Zaha felt to Iraq, and the answer is: very.

"It will be exciting to see her only built project in the country, the 170 metre-tall Central Bank of Iraq tower, inaugurated later this year."

The Peak, Overall Isometric, Day View, Hong Kong, China, 1983

"Zaha found conventional methods of architectural drawing to be limiting, and so – especially early on – she used painting as a tool for investigating new possibilities for architecture, tectonics and space. We're fortunate to have hundreds of these paintings in the archive.

"This one depicts her proposal for a leisure club on Hong Kong's Peak that won an international competition in 1983. While it was ultimately never built, the scheme caused quite a stir and helped catapult Zaha to the forefront of the architectural vanguard at the time."

Painted Jacket, circa 1985

"Zaha was as virtuosic in constructing her persona as she was in creating architecture. In many ways, her work, how she lived and who she was were of a piece, and fashion – what she herself wore –figured prominently into the equation.

"The archive includes her personal wardrobe: around 1,200 garments including extraordinary examples from Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, Comme des Garcons, Prada.

"However, Zaha herself designed and made this linen jacket in the mid-1980s, painting it with the same 'wooshes' and other shapes that can be found in some of her sketchbooks and interior designs of the period. It also reveals her playful side: tucked in a lower corner is a single, large googly eye.

"She wore the jacket to the opening of her first solo exhibition in Japan at the GA Gallery in 1985."

Vitra Fire Station presentation box, Weil am Rhein, Germany, 1991-1993

"For years, it was assumed that Zaha's designs were unbuildable, until she started building them. Her first permanent structure was a fire station commissioned by Rolf Fehlbaum for the Vitra Campus in Weil-am-Rhein, Germany.

"Made for that project, this incredible acrylic box model snugly fits layers of cardstock reliefs, paintings, drawings and photocopies in a way that allowed Zaha to literally carry the design process with her to client meetings.

"The office made several of these for various projects. In a 1993 lecture, Zaha described how, being an Iraqi passport holder at the time, she would often get stopped at the airport. And so making these transparent, see-through cases was a somewhat cheeky way of speeding up the baggage-search process."

A New Barcelona sketches on Post-its, 1989

"The design process in the office could be both brisk and iterative, and Zaha often used Post-its, alongside sheets of tracing paper, notepads and hotel stationery, to communicate intentions, assign tasks, jot notes, or spark design concepts amongst her staff and colleagues.

"This set of early sketches, relating to A New Barcelona (1989), her entry to a competition called Housing and the City, explores interlocking geometries that twist the city's axis and probe the layering of elements within Barcelona's grid."

Music Video Pavilion study models, Groningen, the Netherlands, 1990

"The archive includes countless architectural models, but I have a particular weakness for these little guys, which were made by the artist Daniel Chadwick while he was working for Zaha.

"They're variations on a music video pavilion that Zaha built for a 1990 urban festival in Groningen, the Netherlands. (Bernard Tschumi, Rem Koolhaas, Peter Eisenman, and Coop Himmelb(l)au also participated with pavilions of their own.)

"Zaha's narrow pavilion, wedged between two historic buildings, led visitors up stairs and ramps through a series of screened music videos – a new pop-culture medium at the time. The pavilion still exists, though moved to another location, and will feature in our exhibition Zaha Hadid: Architecture of Performance, which will be on view at the foundation when we reopen this autumn."

MAXXI relief model, Rome, Italy, circa 1998

"How to represent Zaha's unconventional spatial imagination was a constant question for the office, and one of the most striking inventions they came up with was paper reliefs, like this one for the MAXXI museum in Rome.

"Cut and folded from single sheets of heavy paper, these reliefs bridged Zaha's 2D and 3D work while articulating the interlocking forms and flowing spaces she was exploring and, in this case, their relationship to the museum's urban site."

Liquid Glacial Dining Table, London, UK, 2012

"In some quarters, Zaha is known just as much for the objects she designed as her architecture. By all accounts, she was passionate about the many furniture, tableware, jewellery and other objects that she and her studio created with over a hundred manufacturers and producers.

"One of the projects I remember best is the Liquid Glacial collection she designed for David Gill Galleries in London, including this stunning two-part dining table, which sits in the archive with its pulsating, rippling surface."

Wooden Goat, date unknown

"Zaha mostly furnished her homes with her own designs, but with some notable exceptions. She was a fan of the Panton chair, for example. And then there was this goat.

"We're still looking into the backstory, but it became something of an old standby for her, and an emblem of the deep loyalty that defined many of her relationships.

"As a 2008 Vogue magazine profile on Zaha's home reported: 'The only animal is a carved goat which a friend gave her years ago and which she takes everywhere because, as she says, 'I am very superstitious about friendship'."

The images are courtesy of the Zaha Hadid Foundation.

The post Ten items from the Zaha Hadid archives that capture her talent and idiosyncrasies appeared first on Dezeen.

Pink rubber, slanted timber and colourful micro-algae are among the materials that make up these eight standout pieces of furniture and lighting, spotted by Dezeen's design and interiors reporter Jane Englefield over the past month.

La Corbeille by Hauvette & Madani

Paris interiors studio Hauvette & Madani has redesigned its formerly timber La Corbeille wall lamps in strikingly veiny alabaster.

When attached to this sleek wooden wardrobe, also by the studio, the sculptural sconces create a clever two-in-one piece of furniture and lighting.

Blue Chair by Completedworks

Expanded polystyrene, polyurethane rubber and clay come together in Blue Chair, a rough-hewn piece of furniture that London brand Completedworks debuted at Paris's Matter and Shape fair earlier this month.

The armchair is characterised by large hunks of the materials, pleasingly arranged to create the impression of thick slabs of bright-blue butter.

4D Coffee Table by Kutarq Studio

No welding or screws were involved in the making of this coffee table, which was hand-bent by designer Jordi Lopez of Valencian studio Kutarq.

The low-slung, stainless steel table is a smart example of minimalist furniture that still makes a big impact with its craftsmanship.

Soof Chair by Hawa Al-Najjar

Rising Iraqi-British star Hawa Al-Najjar is one to watch for her narrative-led furniture and thoughtful application of materials.

For her Soof Chair, the emerging designer crafted a seat from wet and dry felted wool, silk and dyed waxed linen thread, which is supported by a mild steel frame and embellished with a duo of porcelain bells.

Al-Najjar designed the chair to pay homage to the ancient Kepenek, Faranji and Kulagir cloaks worn by generations of shepherds herding sheep across the Caucasus and Kurdistan.

"It is a celebration of wool as a living, renewable material that can be returned to the soil at the end of its life," she told Dezeen.

SO-Colored lighting by We+

SO-Colored is an ongoing project by Japanese design studio We+, which involves the amalgamation of powered micro-algae with naturally derived resins to create impressively vivid finishes for furniture and lighting.

Also presented at Matter and Shape, these geometric lamps are a unique interpretation of regular strip lighting that showcases a natural material that is billions of years old and not only looks good, but absorbs carbon dioxide at the same time.

X'Y'Z' by In Seoungsik

Emerging Japanese designer In Seoungsik is offering people alternative ways to sit with his trompe l'oeil X'Y'Z chair series.

The timber seating is slanted at unexpected angles, prompting instant visual intrigue and a handful of different ways to recline.

Pink Rubber Shifting by Brian Thoreen

Cascading folds of pink rubber make up this unusual sconce by Mexico City-based designer Brian Thoreen, who is known for his playful material experiments.

Thoreen created the lighting as a permanent installation for local restaurant Rosetta, where guests can enjoy the soft glow emitted through the wall lamp's generous curves.

Underground Vol III by Kirkby and Transport for London

Underground Vol III is the third collaboration between textiles brand Kirkby and Transport for London (TfL).

The duo upholstered pieces of furniture, including this armchair, with patterns informed by iconic moquette designs used across the London Underground since the 1910s.

Pictured here, this chair is covered with a simplified velvet version of Eden, a 1930s art deco houndstooth design that originally clad seating on trams and trolley buses across the city.

The post Dezeen's favourite furniture and lighting from March appeared first on Dezeen.

Our latest roundup looks at houses that take a novel approach to roof design, including a reimagination of the dormer window, an unconventional brick roof and waving concrete forms.

Clay Rise, UK, by Templeton Ford

Founders of British studio Templeton Ford reimagined a typical dormer window for their home in West Sussex, where the roof curves down in three tiers.

Clay bricks form the base of the home's walls, and the upper portions were clad in clay tiles to match the distinctive, sweeping roof.

Find out more about Clay Rise ›

Mygunyah by the Circus, Australia, by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design

Australian studio Matt Gibson Architecture + Design expanded a 19th-century terraced house in Melbourne with two contrasting brick extensions – one built with black bricks and the other with pale-coloured bricks.

At both extensions, the brickwork runs seamlessly from the walls and over the pitched roofs, creating a slightly surreal appearance.

Find out more about Mygunyah by the Circus ›

Chuzhi, India, by Wallmakers

Designed to evoke the shape of a whirlpool, these snaking shapes form a sculptural roofscape at the Chuzhi house in Shoolagiri, India, which is partly embedded in a steep and rocky site.

Architecture studio Wallmakers aimed to blend the home in with the challenging topography, with earthen walls built around trees and rocks.

Find out more about Chuzhi ›

Earth, Japan, by Sou Fujimoto

Also designed to blend in with the landscape, this holiday home by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto features a circular garden that rises from ground level to form a green roof over the interior spaces.

Created for hotelier Not A Hotel, the coastal residence has an oval terrace that cuts into the planted roof and leads to a poolside living and dining room on the upper level.

Find out more about Earth ›

Omloop Farmhouse, Belgium, by Hé!

Brussels-based architecture studio Hé! updated this Flemish home in Belgium by replacing a portion of its traditional pitched roof with a glazed roof, creating a transparent extension of the roofline.

The glass-topped space contains a winter garden, which is divided from the rest of the home by a thick rammed-earth wall.

Find out more about Omloop Farmhouse ›

Vaazh House, India, by VY Architecture Studio

Ribbons of earth-toned concrete ribbons connect two single-storey blocks at Vaazh House in Tamil Nadu, forming a staggered, waving roof over the central patio.

Local practice VY Architecture Studio referenced the region's mud architecture when designing the home, which was created for a family seeking a relaxing space away from their busy lives in nearby Chennai.

Find out more about Vaazh House ›

Casa Tobi, Mexico, by Espacio 18 Arquitectura

Designed to resemble a crab emerging from the rocks, this house by Mexican studio Espacio 18 Arquitectura features pink stucco walls and a symmetrical, stepped layout that aligns with the sloped site.

Located on the Oaxacan coast, Casa Tobi's multiple rooftop spaces contain a swimming pool, semicircular water feature and social spaces overlooking the nearby sea.

Find out more about Casa Tobi ›

Leaf House, UK, by Michaelis Boyd

As its name suggests, Leaf House in the Cotswolds is characterised by two leaf-shaped roofs, which feature planted tops, gently upturned soffits, and steel "stems" that extend towards the ground.

It was designed by Alex Michaelis, co-founder of architecture studio Michaelis Boyd, who wanted to create a home rooted in the woodland setting for his own family.

Find out more about Leaf House ›

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Whether to make sloped sites level, prevent flooding or reduce impact on natural surroundings, houses on stilts are being built around the world. Here are eight of the best contemporary examples.

House in the Delta by MAPA, Argentina

Raised on stilts to protect from periodic flooding on its riverside site near Buenos Aires, House in the Delta was the first Passivhaus-certified home built in Argentina.

Architectural studio MAPA described the home as "an amphibious house – built high above the ground to coexist with the periodic flooding on the banks of the Paraná Mini".

Find out more about House in the Delta ›

Prat House, by ERRE Arquitectos, Chile

Located in Matanzas, Chile, the 128-square-metre Prat House was designed by Raimundo Gutiérrez of ERRE Arquitectos to take advantage of its coastal site.

The entire single-storey seaside house was elevated on steel stilts, with a raised walkway and timber steps providing access.

Find out more about Prat House ›

Yngsjö by Johan Sundberg Arkitektur, Sweden

Constructed using predominantly light-coloured timber to help it blend with its surroundings, Yngsjö was built as a retreat from city life for a Swedish family based in London.

Located close to the shores of the Baltic Sea, the house is designed to sit lightly on the site with over half the structure raised on slender steel pillars.

Find out more about Yngsjö ›

Casa 144º by Jaime Prous Architects and Pineda & Monedero, Spain

Architecture studios Jaime Prous Architects and Pineda & Monedero raised this metal-clad home on metal stilts above a steeply sloping site to the east of Barcelona.

Created for a retired couple who wanted an escape from the city, Casa 144º is lifted off the ground to minimise its impact on the landscape.

Find out more about Casa 144º ›

Residence Chez Léon by Quinzhee Architecture, Canada

Described by its architect as "a contemporary chalet in harmony with its environment", this cedar-clad residence was raised above a sloped site overlooking the St Lawrence River in Québec.

Quinzhee Architecture designed the 129-square-metre ski house to take advantage of its site and surrounding views.

Find out more about Residence Chez Léon ›

Hole with the House Around by ElasticoFarm, Italy

The aptly named Hole with the House Around comprises a series of boxy volumes raised on stilts surrounding a central void.

Architecture studio ElasticoFarm designed the structure as an extension to an existing 1970s house surrounded by trees in an Italian park in Cambiano, a town to the southeast of Turin.

Find out more about Hole with the House Around ›

Villa Grieg, by Saunders Architecture, Norway

Saunders Architecture designed this house overlooking a lake in Norway for the descendants of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg.

Named Villa Grieg, the house combines a two-bedroom home with a music studio. The sloped music studio sits on the ground floor, with stairs leading up to the raised home that winds around a central void.

Find out more about Villa Grieg ›

Casa Açucena by Tetro Arquitetura, Brazil

The majority of this angular, lily-shaped home was raised on stilts to prevent the unnecessary removal of trees from its site in a lush Brazilian forest.

According to the studio, the black stilts that support the house were placed at "random" to emulate how trees grow in a forest.

Find out more about Casa Açucena ›

The post Eight contemporary houses raised on stilts appeared first on Dezeen.

In this roundup, we spotlight seven buildings with undulating glass facades that resemble flowing fabric, giving new meaning to the idea of curtain walling.

From a rippling theatre in Brisbane to a pearlescent flagship store in Tokyo, the featured projects each use curtain-like elevations to create a distinct character.

They demonstrate how architects are challenging the ubiquitous trend of rectilinear glazed buildings, proving that all-glass facades don't have to be visually homogeneous.

Read on for seven buildings draped with fabric-like facades:

Glasshouse Theatre, Australia, by Blight Rayner Architecture and Snøhetta

Spanning two street frontages, this rippling glass facade wraps the cantilevered first floor of Glasshouse Theatre in Brisbane.

Its design was intended to minimise the theatre's visual mass while transforming its first-floor foyer into "a kind of public theatre" observable by passersby.

Find out more about Glasshouse Theatre ›

La Samaritaine, France, by SANAA

Japanese studio SANAA updated the La Samaritaine department store in Paris with an undulating glass facade that marks an entrance on the Rue de Rivoli.

According to the studio, the glass pays homage to the rhythm of windows on nearby Haussmann-style buildings while helping to soften the look of the store.

Find out more about X ›

Tiffany & Co, Japan, by Jun Aoki & Associates

Jun Aoki & Associates said it designed this blue-hued facade to feel lightweight, emulating "a wisteria trellis swaying in the soft wind".

Its curved glass panels, which are finished in Tiffany & Co's signature blue colour, bulge at the corners and curve up around its ground-floor entrance like draped fabric.

Find out more about Tiffany & Co ›

Expo Cultural Park Greenhouse, China, by Delugan Meissl Associated Architects

A trio of glass-walled greenhouses forms part of this cultural park, set on the site of a disused steelworks in Shanghai.

The curved structures offer a deliberate contrast with the old industrial building, appearing to "grow organically in between and around the strict existing grid", the studio said.

Find out more about Expo Cultural Park Greenhouse ›

Yale University Center for Innovative Thinking, USA, by Weiss/Manfredi

Weiss/Manfred designed this glass pavilion to juxtapose the brutalist and Gothic-style buildings of Yale University, where it is located.

It has a gentle, wavy shape, formed from 6.7-metre-tall glazed panels lined internally with an automated pleated curtain that enhances its ripple effect when viewed from the outside.

"The glass skin's reflective and transparent quality allows the pavilion to act as a chameleon, mirroring the surroundings and campus activity by day and creating a destination imbued with luminosity at night," said Weiss/Manfredi.

Find out more about Yale University Center for Innovative Thinking ›

Louis Vuitton, Japan, by Jun Aoki & Associates

Jun Aoki & Associates also used undulating glass panels at the Louis Vuitton flagship store it designed in Tokyo.

The facade has a distinctive pearlescent finish, achieved by covering the glass panels with a colour-shifting film. It is intended to resemble water, nodding to its proximity to Tokyo Bay.

Find out more about Louis Vuitton ›

Nordstrom, USA, by James Carpenter Design Associates

This curvy elevation marks the Nordstrom department store, which sits at the base of the Central Park Tower by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill in New York.

The five-storey facade is illuminated by LED lights and lined internally with chainmail, helping to minimise solar gain.

Find out more about Nordstrom ›

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Brazil has seen a skyscraper boom in recent years, with several in the major cities and the completion of the country's tallest in 2025 in the coastal town of Balneário Camboriú. Here, we round up eight across the country.

In response to growing populations and urbanisation in major cities across Brazil, some developers and architects are embracing vertical construction.

International studios such as Dutch firm UNStudio and French architect Jean Nouvel have completed tower projects in the country, while local studio Triptyque has pushed forward with several characteristic, grid-clad skyscrapers.

In late 2024, local developer FG Empreendimentos announced it would be building the tallest residential tower in the world, also in Balneário Camboriú. Supported by the brand of Brazilian car racer Ayrton Senna, the project is reportedly under development.

However, Brazil has yet to complete a supertall skyscraper, with the tallest just below the 300 metre threshold.

Read below for eight unique completed skyscrapers in Brazil.

Mata Atlantica Tower, São Paulo, by Jean Nouvel

French architect Jean Nouvel completed this 25-storey tower at the Rosewood São Paulo resort in 2024, which features interiors by French designer Philippe Starck.

The volume steps back into large roof gardens and various balconies, which are covered by vertical timber screens meant to encourage the growth of indigenous flora and fauna.

Find out more about Mata Atlantica Tower ›

AGE360, Curitiba, by Triptyque and Architects Office

This 124-metre-tall, 36-storey skyscraper contains 34 apartments, supported by a load-bearing concrete "exoskeleton".

Studios Triptyque and Architects Office based the tower's facade around a simple grid, which was then warped and bent to respond to climatic and site conditions.

Find out more about AGE360 ›

Yachthouse, Balneário Camboriú, by Pininfarina

The twin skyscrapers by Pininfarina became the tallest building in Brazil last year, topping out at 294 metres high (964 feet) – only six metres from the supertall skyscraper designation.

Located in the coastal city of Balneário Camboriú, it is one of many skyscrapers the city has become known for.

Find out more about Yachthouse ›

EZ Parque da Cidade, São Paulo, by UNStudio

The EZ Parque da Cidade development encompasses two residential skyscrapers reaching 39 and 36 storeys tall, which contain  "windmill-shaped" floor plans.

"This inventive floorplan, across all four apartment types, improves cross ventilation, allowing for fresh air and natural daylight to penetrate every room, for a more comfortable indoor temperature and healthy living environment," said UNStudio.

Find out more about EZ Parque da Cidade ›

Vitra, Balneário Camboriú, by Pininfarina

Located along Avenue Brasil in Balneário Camboriú, the Vitra skyscraper rises 62 storeys at 682 feet.

The mixed-use skyscraper is composed of a tower that rises through the centre of a triangular-shaped podium and is composed of a thin volume bordered by a "continuous aluminium frame".

Find out more about EZ Parque da Cidade ›

Inspira SP, São Paulo, by Triptyque

Similar to its AGE360 project, Triptyque wrapped the Inspira SP skyscraper in a concrete superstructure, which is covered in planters.

"By moving the load-bearing elements to the periphery, the structural grid frees up the internal spaces, allowing each floor to be occupied in a free, flexible, and reprogrammable manner," said the studio.

Find out more about Inspira SP ›

Pietro Maria Bardi, São Paulo, by Metro Arquitetos Associados

Metro Arquitetos Associados recently completed an extension to Lina Bo Bardi's famed Museu de Arte de São Paulo.

The 14-storey monolithic, black tower sits directly next to the museum's original, elevated structure and mirrors "exactly the same dimensions" as the horizontal form.

Find out more about Pietro Maria Bardi ›

Bueno Brandão 257, São Paulo, by Königsberger Vannucchi Arquitetos Associados 

Designed by local studio Königsberger Vannucchi Arquitetos Associados  combines porcelain panels and certified Finnish timber cladding on its facade, which is "a rare application in Brazil", according to the team.

It rises 22 storeys, with one 500-square-metre apartment per floor.

The post Eight recently completed skyscrapers in Brazil appeared first on Dezeen.

British-American designer Jony Ive achieved legendary status through his world-changing creations as Apple's design chief, but what's he been up to since leaving the company in 2019?

Ive moved to California to join Apple in 1992 and went on to collaborate with Steve Jobs on a series of game-changing tech products, including the iPod and the iPhone.

After nearly three decades at the firm he left to found his own design studio called LoveFrom, in partnership with his friend and Apple colleague, the Australian designer Marc Newson.

There Ive has applied his pared-back, detail-obsessive design approach to an array of different projects, particularly items for luxury brands.

He is also working on a series of products for artificial-intelligence company OpenAI, details of which have not yet been released.

In the meantime, here are nine things designed by Ive post-Apple:

Christie's rostrum

Ive and LoveFrom's most recently unveiled project is a rostrum for luxury auction house Christie's, replacing a Thomas Chippendale design used since 1776.

It was made from 200-year-old oak by UK furniture maker Benchmark. At the back, stairs up to the podium deploy silently using a touch mechanism.

Find out more about the Christie's rostrum ›

Ferrari Luce interior

Also a recent reveal, Ive, Newson and LoveFrom designed interiors for Ferrari's first electric car, which is set to be fully unveiled in May.

Ive and Newson focused on creating satisfying physical controls, challenging the notion that "electric cars must be dominated by large touchscreens".

Examples include aluminium toggles on the central dashboard and an overhead "launch" pull-switch that activates an acceleration boost.

Find out more about the Ferrari Luce interior ›

Balmuda Sailing Lantern

Prompted by his struggles to find the right portable LED light for his own sailing yacht, Ive worked with Japanese manufacturer Balmuda on this nautical lantern.

Ive claimed he spent two years on the design, which recalls a traditional lighthouse's lamp, and uses a combination of red and white LEDs to mimic the warm glow of a live flame.

Find out more about the Balmuda Sailing Lantern ›

LoveFrom, Moncler

Ive turned his hand to fashion with this outerwear collection for Moncler.

The design enables the wearer to create different layer combinations via a magnetic button, adding a field jacket, parka or poncho to the base jacket.

It was made from a specially made material on extra-large looms that allowed each garment to be made from a single piece of fabric folded together.

Find out more about LoveFrom, Moncler ›

Linn Sondek LP12 turntable

LoveFrom updated the Linn Sondek LP12 for the turntable's 50th anniversary, making a series of subtle interventions described by Ive as "respectful and gentle".

The primary switch was made circular and flat and some of the edges were rounded, while tweaks were also made to the dust cover, hinges and badge.

Find out more about the Linn's Sondek LP12 turntable ›

William Stout Architectural Books brand identity

Ive's studio demonstrated its graphic design credentials with this rebrand for the William Stout Architectural Books in San Francisco.

Its work included the creation of a custom typeface based on the font used for the legendary bookstore's original sign.

Find out more about the William Stout Architectural Books brand identity ›

King Charles III's coronation emblem

Another LoveFrom logo was created as the official emblem of King Charles III's coronation.

The design depicted a crown formed of the national flowers of the United Kingdom's four nations – an English rose, a Scottish thistle, a Welsh daffodil and a Northern Irish shamrock.

Find out more about King Charles III's coronation emblem ›

Comic Relief red nose

Arguably the world's most recognisable fundraising product, the Comic Relief red nose was given an Ive revamp for 2023.

The flat-pack design was made from 95 per cent plant-based materials including paper, corn-based bioplastic polyester and bagasse, a packaging material made from sugarcane pulp which was also used for a small white storage case.

Find out more about this Comic Relief red nose ›

(RED) Diamond Ring

A very different kind of charity design actually developed by Ive and Newson shortly before the pair left Apple, this ring was made entirely from a single enormous diamond with a record number of facets.

It was created for AIDS charity (RED) using lab-grown diamonds and sold to an anonymous buyer at auction for $256,250.

Find out more about the (RED) Diamond Ring ›

The post Nine Jony Ive designs that aren't Apple products appeared first on Dezeen.

Following the news that Smiljan Radić has won this year's delayed Pritzker Architecture Prize, we round up eight projects from the Chilean architect's experimental career.

Pite House, Chile, 2005

The Pite House hangs off the cliffside in Papudo, and is made up of several concrete volumes.

A cantilevered pool looks out onto the water below, while the interior is primarily open plan, with large windows lining the cliffside facade.

House for the Poem of the Right Angle, Chile, 2012

Radić based the unusual, protruding angles and forms of the House for the Poem of the Right Angle on an abstract painting by architect Le Corbusier.

Its twelve-centimetre-thick reinforced concrete walls form an assemblage of skylights, curved walls, harsh right angles and a cantilever, while the interior is lined in wood and encircles a central courtyard.

Find out more about the House for the Poem of the Right Angle ›

VIK Winery, Chile, 2014

Located in Millahue, Chile, VIK Winery is covered by a low-lying stretched fabric roof, while the majority of the building is located underground.

Its sprawling entrance includes a rock garden by Radić and his wife, sculptor Marcela Correa, which leads to the building's transparent facade via a network of stone pathways.

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, London, 2014

The architect's 2014, doughnut-shaped Serpentine Gallery Pavilion was made of a paper-thin layer of white fibreglass, from which a metallic wedge protruded from the side.

"For me, this pavilion is a folly, and the folly historically is a romantic place, a place of extravagance and a place of atmosphere," he said the day the structure debuted. "So this pavilion had to both occupy and create a symbolic place."

Find out more about the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion ›

Teatro Regional del Bíobío, Chile, 2018

Located in Concepción, the Teatro Regional del Bíobío was designed by Smiljan Radić along with architects Eduardo Castillo and Gabriela Medrano.

The theatre's offset, concrete structure is covered in a white skin made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which becomes semi-transparent at night when the interior is illuminated.

Find out more about the Teatro Regional del Bíobío ›

Prism House + Terrace Room, Chile, 2020

Located near Conguillío National Park, the Prism House + Terrace Room is made of two triangular volumes joined together by a broad deck.

For the design, the architect looked to the geometrical structure of the 1974 Prism House by architect Kazuo Shinohara, as well as his own projects, calling the house "an exercise in repetition and replication".

Find out more about the Prism House + Terrace Room ›

Alexander McQueen stage, London, 2021

This bulbous stage was designed for an Alexander McQueen Spring Summer 2022 show and marked the brand's first London show after a 20-year hiatus, as well as its return to physical presentations after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Radić, a long-time collaborator of the fashion brand, worked with structural specialist ES Global and creative agency Gainsbury&Whiting to create the steel tensile structure, which contained rows of wooden chairs for guests.

Find out more about the Alexander McQueen stage ›

Chile Biennial inflatable stage, Chile, 2023

Radić worked with fellow architect Nicolás Schmidt to create a reflective, inflatable installation for the country's architecture biennial in Santiago.

Sited in the Plaza de la Cultura, multiple weights held down the structure on the exterior, while the cavernous interior held chairs and screens for presentations.

Find out more about the Chile biennial installation ›

The post Eight key projects by Pritzker Prize 2026 winner Smiljan Radić appeared first on Dezeen.

Our latest lookbook collects homes with warm, bright and tactile living spaces that are set against a backdrop of concrete blockwork walls.

Spanning the US, Australia and Japan, these examples include a concrete-block home in Melbourne, designed to reference local farmhouses, and an understated and "robust" beachside residence in Cornwall.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring heavenly home interiors, restaurant interiors and stylish wine bars.

SKI House, New Zealand, by Roberts Gray Architects

Local studio Roberts Gray Architects designed SKI House for the parents of studio co-founder James Gray, who lived next to the site in Wānaka, New Zealand, for over two decades.

Screens of lightweight steel and blackened timber contrast with its structure of exposed blockwork walls, which are paired with stone paving and warm-coloured accents in the living area.

Find out more about SKI House ›

House by the Sea, UK, by Of Architecture

This understated beachside home in Cornwall was designed for an artist and surfer, who tasked London practice Of Architecture with designing a "simple, robust and utilitarian" living space.

An open-plan living, kitchen and dining space is held on the ground floor, which is framed by blockwork walls and lit by a central skylight.

Find out more about House by the Sea ›

Cowshed, UK, by David Kohn Architects

London-based studio David Kohn Architects converted a cattle shed on a former dairy farm in Newton Abbot, UK, into a home and studio for artist Suzanne Blank Redstone and her husband Peter Redstone.

The studio looked to retain much of the existing structure, collaborating with engineering studio Structure Workshop to retain the original timber trusses, concrete floor and blockwork walls to define new rooms.

Find out more about Cowshed ›

Merricks Farmhouse, Australia, by Michael Lumby Architecture and Nielsen Jenkins

South African studio Michael Lumby Architecture collaborated with Brisbane practice Nielsen Jenkins to design this concrete-block home on the Mornington Peninsula in Melbourne, Australia.

Designed to reference local farmhouses, the home comprises six bedrooms and a large open-plan living room, where dark timber cladding complements the exposed concrete and blockwork walls.

Find out more about Merricks Farmhouse ›

Lode, UK, by Nikjoo

Blockwork walls complement oak flooring at this home completed by local architecture studio Nikjoo on a former parking space in London.

Beyond its redbrick facade, the home contains its main living spaces on the ground floor, while the bedrooms above are similarly complete with exposed concrete walls and wooden floors.

Find out more about Lode ›

House of Joy, Japan, by KKAA YTAA

A simple material palette of concrete blocks, wood and metal was used for this holiday home designed for an elderly couple in Japan's Ise-Shima National Park.

Completed by Japanese architecture studio KKAA YTAA, House of Joy is complete with a pitched wooden roof and minimalist concrete structure that serves as a backdrop for the home's interiors.

Find out more about House of Joy ›

Hedge and Arbour House, Australia, by Studio Bright

Blockwork walls were left exposed across the interior of this home in Melbourne, designed by Australian practice Studio Bright.

Named Hedge and Arbour House, the dwelling was designed by the studio as a simple, single-storey structure and is. wrapped with metal mesh screens for climbing plants.

Find out more about Hedge and Arbour House ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring heavenly home interiors, restaurant interiors and stylish wine bars.

The post Seven tactile living spaces with blockwork walls appeared first on Dezeen.

In this roundup, we explore sculptural concrete buildings that evoke the geometries and monumental aspects of brutalism, but were designed by contemporary architects.

The striking buildings in this roundup include a concrete chapel in Missouri, a cube-shaped home in Mexico and an Argentinian home with a cantilevered terrace.

Casa Alférez, Mexico, by Ludwid Godefroy

This brutalist holiday home in a Mexican pine forest was designed by Mexico City-based architect Ludwig Godefroy, who drew on "the idea of a cabin in the woods".

"I wanted the house to look like a cube that crashed on the floor among the trees," he explained.

Find out more about Casa Alférez ›

Atlantic Pavilion, Portugal, by Valdemar Coutinho Arquitectos

Designed by Valdemar Coutinho Arquitectos, this sports centre in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, features angular concrete surfaces that funnel daylight into its public foyer.

Located on a compact site, the building's design was guided by the principles of brutalism in its use of concrete both inside and out, and features a cantilevered upper storey.

Find out more about Atlantic Pavilion ›

Pedro Reyes studio, Mexico, by Pedro Reyes

Mexican sculptor Pedro Reyes designed a bunker-like extension as the main workplace for his studio in Coyoacán, Mexico City. Its brutalist appearance comes from the material used – prefabricated concrete panels.

"Definitely, it resembles a work more of infrastructure or engineering than of architecture, which is one of the characteristics of brutalism," Reyes said.

Find out more about Pedro Reyes studio ›

A Brutalist Tropical Home, Indonesia, by Patisandhika and Dan Mitchell

The aptly named A Brutalist Tropical Home in Bali sits in a small valley nestled within rice fields on the south coast of the island.

Here, architectural studio Patisandhika and designer Dan Mitchell created a house with structural slabs that extend horizontally from its exterior. Inside, it has a double-height living room with a multi-level layout that is filled with tropical plants.

Find out more about A Brutalist Tropical Home ›

Chapel of the Risen Christ, US, by Design Alliance Architects

Eight massive curved walls form this concrete chapel in St Louis, Missouri, which has stained-glass windows and was designed in reference to the resurrection.

"The curvature of the walls expands concentrically toward the nave, symbolizing the spreading of the Gospel," the studio told Dezeen. "Their deliberate fragmentation alludes to the broken body of Christ on the cross, a central tenet of Christian theology."

Find out more about Chapel of the Risen Christ ›

Brutal Honesty, Argentina, by OF Studio

A mountainside in Mendoza, Argentina, is home to the Brutal Honesty house, designed to resemble abstract rock formations.

"In essence, Brutal Honesty is a built extension of the mountain – a space for living that neither conceals nor embellishes, but exists in open dialogue with its surroundings," designer OF Studio said.

Find out more about Brutal Honesty ›

Casa HMZ, Mexico, by Lucio Muniain

Created as a "habitable sculpture," Casa HMZ in San Luis Potosí has raw board-formed concrete walls and draws on the works of Mexican architect Luis Barragán.

The heavy rectangular house, which has recessed windows, sits on a golf course and has wide views of the surrounding landscape.

Find out more about Casa HMZ ›

NICO Loma Alta, Mexico, by Hybrid and Palma

The only hotel on the list, NICO Loma Alta in the bohemian surf town of Sayulita features elements of brutalism and vernacular architecture.

At its rooftop level, a plunge pool is framed by the concrete beams used throughout the structure, which are contrasted with steel and wood to create a tactile design.

Find out more about NICO Loma Alta ›

The post Eight monumental buildings that offer modern takes on brutalism appeared first on Dezeen.

Natural materials, vaulted ceilings and utilitarian furniture feature in this lookbook of monastic interiors, where every room is a sanctuary for minimalist devotees.

Typically located in a church compound, a Christian monastery is a building that houses monks or nuns, and their restrained interiors – designed for prayer and contemplation – have become a source of inspiration outside of the religion.

Much like monasteries, the interiors below achieve a sense of serenity with neutral tones, wood and stone surfaces, and furniture that prioritises function over decoration.

Although they have a pared-back appearance, visual interest is created by celebrating the rooms' architecture with dramatic archways, exposed ceiling structures and symmetrical layouts.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring restaurant interiors in Mexico City, stylish wine bars and interiors where shoji screens filter light in.

Casolare Scarani, Italy, by Studio Andrew Trotter

Architecture practice Studio Andrew Trotter converted a 19th-century school in Puglia into a serene home with earthy finishes and furnishings, including stone floors and wooden furniture.

Aiming to retain the original character of the building, which was abandoned in the 1960s, its vaulted ceilings were kept intact and covered with a lime plaster.

Find out more about Casolare Scarani ›

Mourning Dovecote, USA, by Neal Schwartz

Neal Schwartz, founder of California-based studio Schwartz and Architecture, wanted to create a "chapel-like" space when designing a studio extension for his home in Sonoma.

A swooping roof rises at the end of the symmetrical extension and lets light in through a skylight, while a low window at floor level was designed for bird watching.

Find out more about Mourning Dovecote ›

Vaulting Loft, UK, by Mata Architects

Vaulting Loft is a house in London with soaring wooden ceilings, designed by local studio Mata Architects as a "white, cathedral-like space".

Intending for the home's architecture to be the main focus, Mata Architects paired white walls and ceilings with Douglas fir floorboards, an oak-clad volume containing the bathroom, and Taj Mahal Quartzite stone in the kitchen.

Find out more about Vaulting Loft ›

Chapel Residence, Hong Kong, by NC Design & Architecture

Designed for a devout Christian couple and their children, local studio NC Design & Architecture drew upon religious imagery for the transformation of this family home in Hong Kong.

The studio aimed to foster reflection and connection in the six-storey residence, which features rows of arches, marble accents and a lofty white living room.

Find out more about Chapel Residence ›

Rome apartment, Italy, by Serena Mignatti

Architect Serena Mignatti was informed by the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi for this apartment in Rome, but its lime-based painted walls and exposed wooden ceiling beams also give it a monastic quality.

Located in a 19th-century building, Mignatti renovated the penthouse for musician Thom Yorke and actress Dajana Roncione, overhauling the interiors with warm, neutral hues.

Find out more about the Rome apartment ›

Círculo Mexicano, Mexico, by Ambrosi Etchegaray

Architecture studio Ambrosi Etchegaray referenced the pared-back design ethos of the Shakers, a Christian sect founded in 1747, when transforming a 19th-century building in Mexico City into a hotel.

Minimalist bedrooms were designed to be devoid of ornamentation, with blocky plinths forming side tables, beige linens covering the beds, and Shaker-style peg rails used to hang mirrors and trinket boxes.

Find out more about Círculo Mexicano ›

House for Two Musicians, Portugal, by Atelier Matteo Arnone

Completely symmetrical in plan, this house in Portugal features two semicircular recording studios that project out over the double-height living space and bedroom below.

Designed by Italian practice Atelier Matteo Arnone, the home's neutral interiors feature plaster-coated walls, wood furniture and grey upholstery.

Find out more about House for Two Musicians ›

Gate Lodge, Ireland, by A2 Architects

A circular void looms over the dining area at the centre of Gate Lodge in Navan, revealing the home's pyramidal roof and skylight above.

Designed by Irish studio A2 Architects, the home has a cruciform plan with four arms containing a kitchen, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a lounge area.

Find out more about Gate Lodge ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring restaurant interiors in Mexico City, stylish wine bars and interiors where shoji screens filter light in.

The post Eight heavenly home interiors that embody monastic minimalism appeared first on Dezeen.

A home that fuses British and Japanese architecture features among the latest edition of Dezeen's houses of the month, as well as two mid-century renovations.

Also included in Dezeen's monthly roundup of readers' favourite residences are contemporary homes in India and Costa Rica.

Read on for the full list, three of which were featured on Dezeen before anywhere else as part our new exclusives section:

House in Vernate, Switzerland, by Enrico Sassi

Architect Enrico Sassi overhauled this hillside house overlooking Lake Lugano that was built in 1972.

His additions included a stainless-steel kitchen and the introduction of a blue, yellow and white colour palette devised by modernist architect Le Corbusier.

"I am particularly proud of the new blue," said Sassi. "It gives a lot of life and joy, and combines harmoniously with the brick colour."

Find out more about this house ›

Ananda, India, by Thought Parallels Architecture

A large roof made of coconut wood helps to shade the interiors of this house in Kerala, conceived as a contemporary take on local vernacular architecture.

At its centre is a double-height living, dining and kitchen area organised around a concrete spiral staircase.

Find out more about Ananda ›

Sky House, UK, by Klas Hyllén Architecture

Sky House is another 1970s bungalow, updated by UK studio Klas Hyllén Architecture to take better advantage of the views from its hillside position.

Plywood and glazing feature extensively, particularly in the kitchen-dining area, creating a bright and fresh interior.

Find out more about Sky House ›

House in Onomichi, Japan, by Denizen Works

UK architecture studio Denizen Works is typically associated with houses in rugged rural Scotland, but this project saw it test ideas in south-west Japan.

Designed in collaboration with local studio Hiroshima-based Takearchitects, it combines the proportions common to British homes with Japanese construction methods.

Find out more about House in Onomichi ›

Casa Tres Pochotes, Costa Rica, by FAMM Arquitectura

Three large pochote trees drove the design of this house in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica, constructed for one of the co-founders of FAMM Arquitectura. Rooms look out onto or wrap around the trees, while terraces and balconies frame them or borrow the shade from their canopies.

Pochote wood also forms cladding for part of the exterior, combining with white brick and exposed concrete beams.

Find out more about Casa Tres Pochotes ›

The post Dezeen's top five houses of February 2026 appeared first on Dezeen.

Springy silicone, candy-coloured resin and second-hand cat figurines are among the materials used to create these shining examples of lamps spotted by Dezeen's design and interiors reporter Jane Englefield over the past month.

Lineair by Baptiste Vandaele for YSM

Belgian designer Baptiste Vandaele looked to the primary colours and understated geometry of the Bauhaus when constructing this dimmable table lamp.

Created in collaboration with Japanese manufacturer YSM, the hooded lighting is made up of only a handful of linear planes in an artful display of understated design.

Boxing Ring Lamp 081 by Matthieu Doucet for KØGE

There is something delightfully playful about this table lamp, wrapped in springy silicone strings to mimic a cordoned-off boxing ring.

Belgian designer Matthieu Doucet created the lamp's lightweight inner structure out of delicate washi paper, which diffuses soft light through its translucent surface and is supported by a stainless steel frame.

For all its credentials as a functioning lamp, half the fun of the product lies in running your fingers along its silicone strands and watching them bounce away from you like the tensioned ropes in a real boxing match.

Flora Lamp II by Marcin Rusak

Polish designer Marcin Rusak has a masterful knack for suspending real flowers in resin, which he forms into tables, vases and cabinets.

At this year's Collect craft fair, currently on show at Somerset House in London, Rusak is presenting one of a series of unique table lamps finished in this trademark style.

An integrated LED light with a dimmable switch illuminates the flowers and leaves encased in matte resin to create truly beautiful lighting that I would kill to own, or, even better, to have made myself.

Trishelf by Place in Place

Trishelf is a collection of stackable wall lamps influenced by the look of architectural partition walls and sunlight seeping through building windows.

Emerging Chinese studio Place in Place created the pieces from sculptural blocks of candy-coloured resin, with E-shaped gaps that allow glowing light to emerge from within.

The blocks can be mounted to the wall vertically or horizontally, stacked in multiples on surfaces or used as bookends. Aside from the eternal visual pull of resin, especially illuminated resin, Trishelf is impressively modular.

Fluid by Nao Tamura for WonderGlass

Japanese designer Nao Tamura has captured the beauty of light passing through liquid with Fluid, a glass pendant filled with water.

Created for Italian brand WonderGlass, the pendant looks a bit like a weighty wine decanter, poised to be poured.

Donut by HAHA Studio

The pleasingly chubby form of doughnuts seems to have universal appeal in lighting design, highlighted by recent popular designs like Sabine Marcelis's bloated Varmblixt lights for IKEA.

Swedish practice HAHA Studio has jumped on this enduring trend with Donut, a compact lamp composed of two stacked solid aluminium rings that can be used as a table, pendant or wall-mounted light thanks to the integrated keyhole fittings on its base.

Buké Lamps by Simon Skinner

Swedish designer Simon Skinner's Buké Lamps were an undeniable star at this month's Stockholm Creative Edition for their brilliant use of unwanted glassware.

Skinner scoured charity shops and flea markets for second-hand bowls, ashtrays and tiny cat figurines, which he stacked on top of each other to create 20 deliciously kitschy table lamps.

Each piece of glassware was sandblasted to create a unified whole, resulting in lamps that look as if they are made of objects suspended in ice. It's a fitting visual metaphor for the pieces, created to freeze the previously discarded homeware in time.

Orbita by Pleto Studio

Ukrainian practice Pleto Studio handcrafted Orbita, a floor lamp with a lumpy base made from a bespoke mixture of clay, hemp fibres, cellulose, wood shavings and mineral powders. The tall, boucle shade was created from 100 per cent natural wool.

Orbita is a smart celebration of the understated beauty of natural materials and raw textures.

The post Dezeen's favourite lighting designs from February appeared first on Dezeen.

In his latest book, The Iconic Nordic House, author Dominic Bradbury explores Nordic architecture from the past 125 years, including buildings by architects Finn Juhl and Alvar Aalto. Here, he picks ten favourites.

The book, co-authored with photographer Richard Powers, follows Bradbury's publication New Nordic Houses, which looked at contemporary architecture.

In contrast, The Iconic Nordic House delves into the architects and designers who shaped what Nordic architecture is today.

"Going back into architectural history, it's clear that Scandinavian architects and designers have collectively punched above their weight for many decades," he told Dezeen.

"There is still, today, an engaging and endearing warmth, character and originality to Nordic design that helps to encourage the ongoing interest in the region's architecture, especially when it comes to house and home."

Read on for Bradbury's pick of ten projects from The Iconic Nordic House:

Carl and Karin Larsson, Lilla Hyttnås, Sundborn, Sweden, 1899 to 1912

"With its original fusion of art, interiors, architecture and gardens, Carl and Karin Larsson's Lilla Hyttnås is a mesmerising retreat upon the green edges of the small Swedish town of Sundborn.

"Over time, the Larssons transformed a modest country cottage into an inspirational home, combining traditional ingredients with modern elements such as Carl Larsson's bespoke painting studio.

"The Larssons treated the family home, shared with their many children, as a canvas for their work. It is a house full of pattern, colour and imagery, including family portraits by Carl painted on doors and panels, along with textiles throughout by Karin, as well as their furniture and lighting."

Eliel Saarinen, Hvitträsk, Kirkkonummi, Finland, 1903

"This ambitiously scaled family home successfully combines vernacular references, arts and crafts elements and the Finnish National Romantic style in one cohesive vision, serving as home to Eliel Saarinen and his wife Loja, a textile designer who contributed to the evolution of the interiors.

"Hvitträsk began as a joint project, shared with Saarinen's partners Herman Gesellius and Armas Lindgren. The three colleagues initially designed and developed Hvitträsk together, but within just a few years, the Lindgrens had moved back to the city while Saarinen parted from his first wife and married Loja, who was Gesellius' sister.

"Hvitträsk became the Saarinens' family home, while it also hosts a spacious architectural studio, with views of the lake itself. It was the childhood home of designer Pipsan Saarinen and architect Eero Saarinen, who initially began working with his father after the family settled in the United States, eventually becoming one of the great masters of the mid-century modern movement."

Josef Frank, Villa Carlsten, Falsterbo, Sweden, 1927

"Over time, the Austrian-born architect Josef Frank became one of the key proponents of Nordic-inspired design. Frank's wife was Swedish, and from the 1920s onwards, he began spending an increasing amount of time living and working in Scandinavia.

"During the late 1920s and early 1930s, Frank designed a handful of new homes in Falsterbo, combining modernist touches with coastal cabin references. One of the most delightful of these is Villa Carlsten, a modestly scaled escape set within a generously sized garden in the town itself.

"Today, the carefully restored home is decorated with many pieces of furniture designed by Frank himself, along with the vibrantly patterned textiles that he created during the 1940s and 1950s for the famous Swedish design house Svensk Tenn."

Alvar Aalto, Villa Mairea, Noormarkku, Finland, 1939

"Alvar Aalto famously turned his attention to almost every aspect of his houses and buildings, as seen at Villa Mairea in the rural region of Noormarkku.

"Here, Aalto was asked to design a new family home for his colleagues Maire and Harry Gullichsen. Characteristically, Aalto involved himself in every aspect of Villa Mairea – a modernist exemplar that sits within a clearing in the surrounding forest.

"His remit included the gardens, the two-storey home, the interiors, lighting, furniture and almost every detail of the house. With an organic character inspired by the natural beauty of the surroundings, Villa Mairea is now an essential reference point in the development of warm Nordic modernism."

Finn Juhl, Finn Juhl House, Ordrup, Denmark 1942

"Like his Finnish contemporary Alvar Aalto, the pioneering Danish designer Finn Juhl was a talented multi-disciplinarian who trained and initially worked as an architect, yet became much better known as a furniture designer.

"Finn Juhl's own self-designed home in Ordrup offers a master class in the Danish style. The L-shaped building is mostly arranged over one storey with an easy flow from one space to the next, while Juhl established constant connectivity with the surroundings throughout.

"Although Juhl had an office alongside the main entrance, the glory of the house is the spacious 'great room', with space enough here for a lounge by the fireplace, a library in one corner and a dining area in another.

"During the winter months, however, Juhl would retreat into the spacious master bedroom at the other end of the house, where there was a work table placed near the fire and everything he needed to continue working within a more intimate and warmer setting."

Ásmundur Sveinsson and Einar Sveinsson, Ásmundarsafn, Reykjavik, Iceland 1959

"Travelling together with my co-author, photographer Richard Powers, our extensive trips for The Iconic Nordic House encompassed the mainland Nordic nations as well as the Faroe Islands and Iceland, with some extraordinary houses to be found here.

"One of the most dramatic of these projects was Ásmundarsafn in Reykjavik, designed by and for the artist Ásmundur Sveinsson. Celebrated for his monumental pieces fusing modernist influences and Nordic mythology, Sveinsson found himself outgrowing his studios a number of times over.

"With a passion for architecture and design, he designed Ásmundarsafn as a bespoke base both for daily living and making art. The project was completed in two parts, with Sveinsson designing a distinctive fortress-like house to begin with, topped by a domed roofline. Later, assisted by architect Einmar Sveinsson, he added a larger studio to the rear."

Matti Suuronen, Futuro House, Weegee Exhibition Centre, Espoo, Finland 1968

"Matti Suuronnen's Futuro House was one of the most famous and optimistic of all prototypical, Space Age concept homes.

"The project was a collaboration between Finnish architect Matti Suuronen and manufacturers Polykem. The idea was to create a flexible multi-purpose dwelling that could be delivered on lorry or by helicopter to remote locations.

"Suuronen designed his sci-fi saucer with a series of interconnecting reinforced plastic segments that could be bolted together to make the domed house, which was anchored to the site on supporting legs fixed to a ring beam base. Although widely publicised, the production of Suuronen's ingenious design was halted by the oil crisis of the early 1970s and subsequent recession.

"The survivors are now much sought after, with Espoo's version in pristine condition and still speaking of the innovative, experimental spirit within 20th-century Scandinavian architecture and design."

Sverre Fehn, Villa Holme, Holmsbu, Norway, 1998

"The highly influential body of work developed by architect Sverre Fehn speaks of the close relationship between buildings and landscape.

"Villa Holme, upon the edge of the small coastal village of Holmsbu, is a case in point. A commission from the later years of the architect's career, the house was designed for graphic designer Ingolf Holme during the 1970s, but construction and completion were repeatedly delayed until the 1990s.

"The timber-framed house plays with geometry, as well as the context, subverting a square form by placing it upon a diagonal footprint.

"One half of the house is devoted to a double-height studio for Holme, with the rest of the residence arranged over two storeys. Now coated with Virginia creepers, the house feels very much of its place, as one would expect from Sverre Fehn."

Snorre Stinessen, Manshausen Sea Cabins, Manshausen Island, Norway 2015

"The cover star of The Iconic Nordic House sits within an extraordinary coastal setting in northern Norway.

"Here, Stinessen was commissioned by explorer Børge Ousland to create an unforgettable Arctic resort that also fully respects the precious landscapes and ecologies of this part of Norway. Their agreed approach was to divide the accommodation at Manshausen into a series of modestly scaled, individual cabins with the resort's restaurant hosted by a converted, communal building, while other shared temptations include a bespoke sauna, essential for such Scandinavian retreats.

"The cabins are sensitively sited on the old, existing docksides and are carefully positioned for both privacy and cultivating a sense of intimate connectivity with the natural surroundings."

Tham & Videgård, Krokholmen House, Stockholm archipelago, Sweden, 2015 to 2022 

"The Stockholm Archipelago holds many delights, both natural and created.

"Situated on the outer edges of the Archipelago, the Krokholmen House neatly encapsulates many of the key themes threaded all the way through The Iconic Nordic House. The house is highly contextual and sits upon its site with the lightest of touches, yet this is also an elegantly crafted building, which makes the most of natural materials. The key ingredient is the sculptural, tent-like roof over the main living spaces, which face the open water.

"A few years later, Tham & Videgård's clients called them again, asking for a second cabin nearby, holding guest accommodation, an integrated porch – which serves as a semi-sheltered, fresh air living room – and, of course, a sauna. These two structures have a different character, yet they work closely in combination with one another."

The photography is by Richard Powers.

The post Ten iconic houses that show how Nordic architects have "punched above their weight" appeared first on Dezeen.

From sushi, Singaporean food, and, of course, tacos, restaurants in Mexico City have it all. For this week's lookbook, we dive into restaurant interiors in the city that utilise formal innovations and materials to showcase its world-class cuisine.

With the city's art week just having passed, Mexico City art and design are front and centre.

The eight restaurants below, opened in the last four years, showcase not only the beauty but the rigour of design in the city around something taken very seriously – food.

But it's not all tacos and terracotta; these restaurants vary in materials, styles and location, showing the breadth of style in the metropolis.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring global wine bars, shoji screens, and home saunas.

Makan by Locus

Local studio Locus designed this Singaporean food restaurant to fit into a concrete-framed space at the base of a mid-rise building.

Remarkably, the studio managed to use 50 per cent recycled materials for the interior, which features built-in wood elements as well as screened-in dining spaces.

Find out more about Makan ›

Los Alexis by RA!

This taco restaurant in the city's Roma Norte neighbourhood was decked out by local studio RA! in thousands of tile shards – a homage to the chef Alexis Ayala's time spent in Barcelona.

The compact space is centred by an open kitchen hemmed in by a steel-topped bar and a green, ribbed material, with the scheme inverted to shroud the venting elements above.

Find out more about Los Alexis ›

Órale Milanga by MYT+GLVDK

This fast-casual restaurant is devoted almost entirely to the Milanese dish and features overlays of green metal and mesh throughout – from the sides of the bar to the extensive shelving.

Modernist-style tubular chairs with beige and olive leather reflect the colour scheme of the space, with mirrors lining the walls to create visual expansion.

Find out more about Órale Milanga › 

Ninyas by Ignacio Urquiza and Ana Paula de Alba

The design scheme for this restaurant fuses its two main offerings, steak and sake, mixing Japanese and Mexican sensibilities.

To find a commonality, the designers relied heavily on stainless steel. Wooden stools were given stainless-steel footrests, and an earthy red floor provides contrast.

Find out more about Ninyas ›

Plumbago by OPA

Two gabled volumes covered in polycarbonate panels on an infill lot create soft light for this recently opened Mediterranean restaurant in the city.

The studio kept the main dining space open and lined it with cinder block and brickwork that showcases various construction techniques.

Find out more about Plumbago ›

Savvia by Worc Studio

The design in this tall-ceilinged space was implemented to reflect the cuisine, traditional and communal.

Located in the historic core of the city, Savvia features a massive wood-topped communal table with a circular chandelier above, with the kitchen elevated to the second floor to create more space for diners.

Find out more about Savvia ›

Oku Pedregal by Michan Architecture and Escala Arquitectos

One of two Oku sushi restaurants in this city, this most-recent outpost in the Jardines de Pedregal neighbourhood features teardrop-shaped dining areas partially suspended from the ceiling.

The restaurant's material palette is light, featuring pine-clad surfaces, pigmented stucco and GFRC panelling.

Find out more about Oku Pedregal ›

Tana by RA!

This moody Polanco bar sells tapas and drinks in a compact, 65-square-metre space with heavily textured walls and concrete pendant lamps.

The space is centred on a massive concrete bar created in the shape of an inverted pyramid, reminiscent of Aztec architecture.

Find out more about Tana ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring global wine bars, shoji screens, and home saunas.

The post Eight Mexico City restaurant interiors good enough to eat appeared first on Dezeen.

Thatched roofs may be synonymous with traditional architecture, but this roundup points to a revival of the age-old craft in contemporary buildings across the globe.

Used to create thick, insulating shelters, a thatched roof is an ancient roofing method achieved by layering bundles of dried vegetation such as reed.

The technique is often associated with old, rustic cottages in Europe, but it has been used historically across continents, seen everywhere from rural farmhouses in Japan to round huts in Ethiopia.

While some may consider thatching to be a dying craft, the examples in this roundup suggest many designers are bringing back the technique for modern-day architecture.

Read on for nine buildings heralding a thatched-roof renaissance:

Thread, Senegal, by Toshiko Mori

Japanese architect Toshiko Mori looked exclusively to local materials and building techniques for her design of Thread, a cultural centre in the remote village of Sinthian.

This is visible in the contemporary thatched roof that crowns the building, which features undulations in its surface to help collect rainwater for crops.

Find out more about Thread ›

Dune House, Latvia, by Archispektras

This lopsided thatched roof shields the exterior Dune House, which Archispektras created for an avid kitesurfer in Latvia's grassy Pape Nature Reserve.

It was designed by Archispektras as a contemporary interpretation of local buildings that traditionally use thatched reed for roofing.

"We took the material and exploited it to the maximum effect by creating a modern shape and covering it in a sculptural manner," the studio told Dezeen.

Find out more about The Dune House ›

Hata-Mazanka, Ukraine, by YOD Group

In Ukraine, YOD Group recently married tactile thatch with clean-cut glass to create the Hata-Mazanka guesthouses.

The design is a nod to a mazanka – a rural Ukrainian residence with a thatched roof and white walls. Unlike a traditional mazanka, the height of the roof is deliberately exaggerated, rising to 10 metres in height to stand out in the landscape.

Find out more about Hata-Mazanka ›

El Perdido Hotel, Mexico, by Estudio ALA

A series of outbuildings capped by thatch is dotted across this hotel on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

Estudio ALA designed the roofs with long, visible straws, resulting in a shaggy look that complements the rammed-earth walls tucked below.

Find out more about El Perdido Hotel ›

Farmer's Restaurant, Japan, by Shigeru Ban

Shigeru Ban created this restaurant on Awaji Island as a homage to traditional Japanese farmhouses.

It features an oversized thatched roof formed from tailored and tightly packed reeds, which overhangs the cardboard tubes that wrap the structural columns of the building in true Ban fashion.

Find out more about Farmer's Restaurant ›

A Mental Image, the Netherlands, by Santiago Borja

This observatory, temporarily installed on top of the modernist Sonneveld House in Rotterdam, was visible from afar thanks to its distinctive hexagonal roof.

It was designed by artist Santiago Borja as a contemporary take on traditional Dutch construction methods while deliberately contrasting the white walls below.

Find out more about A Mental Image ›

KinShip EcoLab, Ireland, by Fuinneamh Workshop Architects

KinShip EcoLab is a rammed-earth shelter in the Tramore Valley Park in Cork, Ireland, designed as a space for events on biodiversity.

Its design draws on its natural setting and was crafted from biomaterials that can return to the ground at the end of its useful life. This includes its hipped roof, which is made from thatched reeds raised on a timber frame.

Find out more about KinShip EcoLab ›

Bridge House, India, by Wallmakers

Rather than layering bundles of reeds, the roof of this house by wallmakers is formed from furry-looking shingles made from thatching local grasses.

The scales are mounted on its twisted exterior, which is formed from a grid of steel cables stabilised with a layer of mud. According to the studio, the design was intended to resemble a pangolin.

Find out more about Bridge House ›

AM House, Vietnam, by AmDesign Office, Time Architects and Creative Architects

The rugged thatched roof of this Vietnamese dwelling contrasts with the geometric concrete walls of its living spaces.

It offers a modern spin on vernacular in southwest Vietnam while introducing natural details to the home, which is surrounded by a pond.

Find out more about AM House ›

The post Nine buildings heralding a thatched-roof renaissance appeared first on Dezeen.

To mark Chinese New Year today, Dezeen selects the 12 most anticipated architecture projects set to complete in China this year by studios including Snøhetta, Neri&Hu and Zaha Hadid Architects.

Among the projects to look out for are towering headquarters for two leading Chinese firms in Shenzhen, hotels on the site of a former porcelain factory and a linear museum.

OPPO Headquarters, Shenzhen, by Zaha Hadid Architects

The amorphous headquarters for OPPO, China's leading smartphone manufacturer, will comprise four interconnected towers with the highest reaching 200 metres.

Designed by British studio Zaha Hadid Architects, the towers will be unified by their sinuous glass forms that taper inwards towards ground level.

The headquarters will contain large atriums surrounded by light-filled open-plan offices in a bid to echo the company's "commitment to connectivity”.

Find out more about OPPO Headquarters › 

Anji Culture and Art Centre, Anji, by MAD

Beijing-based MAD Architects will complete Anji Culture and Art Centre this year, a six-venue arts and cultural centre in Anji, Zhejiang Province.

The centre will be defined by a series of curving canopy roofs that were designed to look like scattered bamboo leaves.

According to the studio, the buildings' curved shapes also respond to the undulating terrain of the surrounding tea-growing hills of Anji.

Find out more about Anji Culture and Art Centre › 

Shanghai Grand Opera House, Shanghai, by Snøhetta

This major new cultural landmark in Shanghai, designed by architecture studio Snøhetta, will finally open to the public this year, nine years after it won the global competition for the project.

The building's most prominent feature will be a helical roof that connects to the ground via a spectacular spiral staircase, which the studio says was designed to resemble an unfolding fan.

Its spiralling stepped roof will link to a riverside plaza, allowing it to double as a public meeting place and a stage for large-scale events.

Find out more about Shanghai Grand Opera House › 

Hotel Indigo and EVEN Hotels, Jingdezhen, by Neri&Hu

Chinese architecture studio Neri&Hu was commissioned to design two new hotels on the site of a former porcelain factory in Jingdezhen.

Both of the eight-storey hotels will be positioned atop a raised piazza, where a series of public functions will be located.

Tiled roof responds to the old factory's silhouette, while a combined material palette of red concrete, red terrazzo, red ceramics, and red brick will be used throughout the complex.

Xinhu Hangzhou Prism, Hangzhou, by OMA

The mixed-use Xinhu Hangzhou Prism will be distinguished by its asymmetric form, created by two oblique facades lined with projecting cubic balconies.

Intended to resemble "a pinnacle reaching into the sky", Dutch studio OMA's design was modelled on the ancient Chinese proverb "above, there is heaven; below, there is Suzhou and Hangzhou”.

A large void will puncture the flat facades at ground level, where a publicly accessible "garden atrium" will be located.

Find out more about Xinhu Hangzhou Prism › 

Weilong New Residence, Huizhou, by Line+

Weilong New Residence, which will provide resettlement for local rural communities, was designed to improve the quality of life for its residents.

Designed by Hangzhou-based architecture studio Line+, the structure was informed by the concept of the "Hakka walled village", a large multi-family communal living system that is unique to the Hakka people in southern China.

In addition to residential units, the complex will also integrate educational, cultural, and commercial functions.

Grand Canal Museum Complex, Hangzhou, by Herzog & de Meuron

This linear museum designed by architecture studio Herzog & de Meuron will sit beside China's Grand Canal, the longest and oldest artificial river in the world that runs over 1,000 miles between Beijing and Hangzhou.

The Swiss studio described its long form as "recalling an elegant Chinese brush stroke, telling the story of the Grand Canal". Its rippling glass facade was designed to resemble water.

The Grand Canal Museum Complex will contain 50,000 square metres of exhibition spaces split over two levels. Below the elevated galleries, the museum will have accessible meeting places and public event spaces.

Find out more about Grand Canal Museum Complex › 

Ziyouji Cultural Architecture Complex, Xianning, by Büro Ziyu Zhuang

German-Chinese architecture practice Büro Ziyu Zhuang (BUZZ) has designed a cluster of sculptural buildings for Ziyouji, a boutique homestay in Xianning, Hubei Province.

It will feature four buildings — an art museum, a meditation tower, an art workshop and an art bookstore — that will form a public architectural section within Ziyouji.

BUZZ's design combines monumental qualities with the natural landscape, with the aim of creating a series of landmarks.

China Merchants Bank Headquarters, Shenzhen, by Foster + Partners

Another headquarters due to complete in Shenzhen this year is the 388-metre-tall supertall skyscraper designed by British architecture studio Foster + Partners for China Merchants Bank.

The facade features triangular glass panels fixed at different angles in a series of arched forms, designed to enhance views of the nearby Shenzhen Bay.

Foster + Partners drew on shapes from the traditional Chinese art of paper folding when designing the building.

Find out more about China Merchants Bank Headquarters › 

Wuhan Luzhou Art Exhibition Center, Wuhan, by Studio Link-Arc

The Luzhou Art Exhibition Center will feature a series of volumes with curving outlines that will house exhibition spaces, restaurants, retail, leisure and entertainment under a green roof.

Designed by Studio Link-Arc, the winner of Architect of the Year at last year's Dezeen Awards China, the new art centre is informed by water and ripples in response to its waterfront location.

It aims to become a new cultural landmark in Wuhan, together with other planned neighbouring buildings such as a theatre by architect Sou Fujimoto and a library by Snøhetta.

Jing Brand Development, Wuhan, by Aedas

The mixed-use complex along the Yangtze River in Wuhan was designed by international studio Aedas for Jing Brand, a Chinese white liquor brand.

The twin towers, a 180-meter office tower and a 100-meter hotel tower, were conceived as "sails on the river", connected via a podium at the bottom.

The podium design continues the flowing form informed by the pouring movement of Jing's liquor. The brand's showroom at the site's corner will be shaped like a liquor glass and will serve as a showroom, as well as a public space.

Lynk&Co Motorsport Experience Center, Chengdu, by Muda Architects

Local studio Muda Architects will unveil a multi-level showroom for Chinese automotive brand Lynk&Co at Tianfu International Circuit in Chengdu.

The deconstructivist building pays homage to the design of Lynk&Co's performance vehicles, clad in silver aluminium panels with sweeping curves.

The studio described the project as "a futuristic vessel straddling circuit, city, tradition and innovation energy".

Dezeen China assistant Kaia Wang also contributed to the article.

The post Twelve upcoming Chinese projects to be completed in the Year of the Horse appeared first on Dezeen.

This week Sou Fujimoto's design for a residential project was revealed as the latest development on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. Here we take a look at the museums anchoring the cultural district.

After being planned for decades, the Saadiyat Island cultural district has developed quickly in recent years.

Four out of five cultural anchors are now complete, with the final major cultural building on the island – Guggenheim Abu Dhabi – set to open this year.

Surrounding these museums will be numerous residential buildings, including the development designed by Fujimoto and the Mandarin Oriental Residences by Danish studio BIG.

Here are Saadiyat Island's five cultural anchors:

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, by Frank Gehry, under construction

Set to open later this year, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will be the late Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry's last major building.

Located on a tip of the island surrounded by water on two sides, the long-awaited museum is formed of vast clashing geometric forms, which will contain galleries of varying heights and styles.

Find out more about Guggenheim Abu Dhabi ›

Zayed National Museum by Foster + Partners, 2025

The centrepiece of the cultural development, the soaring Zayed National Museum is named after UAE founder Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and dedicated to the history, culture and landscape of the Emirates.

Modelled on the wings of a falcon, the museum designed by UK studio Foster + Partners was topped with five giant steel towers, described as "thermal chimneys".

Find out more about Zayed National Museum ›

National History Museum by Mecanoo, 2025

Set on a coastal site, the sprawling Natural History Museum is contained within a series of white-concrete forms designed by Dutch studio Mecanoo to resemble rock formations.

Designed for Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism, the blocky exterior is wrapped in ridged panels of ultra-high performance concrete to ensure "durability in the desert climate".

Find out more about National History Museum ›

TeamLab Phenomena by TeamLab Architects, 2025

The third of a trio of cultural buildings completed on the island in 2025, TeamLab Phenomena is located directly alongside the National History Museum on the coast of Saadiyat Island.

Created as a permanent venue for Japanese art collective TeamLab's immersive artworks, the almost windowless building has a sinuous form made from white, glass fibre-reinforced concrete.

Find out more about TeamLab Phenomena ›

Louvre Abu Dhabi by Jean Nouvel, 2017

The first of the cultural anchors completed on Saadiyat Island, Louvre Abu Dhabi – the first Musée du Louvre outpost outside of France – has been open since 2017.

Almost entirely surrounded by water and topped with a 180-metre-diameter dome, the art museum contains 6,400 square metres of gallery space along with a 270-seat auditorium, restaurant, shop and cafe.

Find out more about Louvre Abu Dhabi ›

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Tired of doomscrolling? Why not take a five-minute break to browse through this roundup of strangely pleasing architecture.

The Scoop, UK, by Corstorphine & Wright

This office building in London looks like a chunk has been taken out of it using a giant ice-cream scoop.

That was a decision made by architecture studio Corstorphine & Wright to ensure that, viewed from down the street, it perfectly frames the circular window of the neighbouring church.

Find out more about The Scoop ›

Footbridge at Albi, France, by Ney and Partners

Another piece of architecture that interacts with its neighbour in a gratifying way can be found in the town of Albi, France.

Here a steel pedestrian and cycle bridge cantilevers out from a 19th-century viaduct over the River Tarn, with a weaving pattern that corresponds to the geometry of the original crossing's arches.

Find out more about this bridge ›

Shanghai Grand Opera House, China, by Snøhetta and ECADI

Norwegian architecture studio Snøhetta and Chinese studio ECADI designed this opera house to resemble an unfolding fan.

A vast and dramatic spiral staircase winds its way up to the roof of the building, and will be accessible to the public once the project opens.

Find out more about Shanghai Grand Opera House ›

The Twist, Norway, by BIG

Designed by Danish architecture studio BIG, this art gallery is quite literally a building with a twist.

The strips of aluminium that make up its cladding help to create the optical illusion of a curved form, twisting like a stack of playing cards.

Find out more about The Twist ›

Hometown Moon, China, by Syn Architects

A large, illuminating semi-circular window emerges from the roof of this ceremonial hall at the edge of a glassy pool on China's Mount Tai.

Neatly mirrored in the water it forms a full circle that resembles the moon, while also reflecting light down into the space below during the daytime.

Find out more about Hometown Moon ›

The Glasshouse, UK, by Heatherwick Studio

The studio of British designer Thomas Heatherwick drew on Victorian terrariums for this kinetic greenhouse at the centre of a National Trust garden.

Closed it takes the shape of a 10-sided pyramid, but a hydraulic mechanism allows its glass panes to slowly unfurl like a flower on warm days.

Find out more about the Glasshouse ›

Ephemeral Bubble, Japan, by MAD

This installation saw a PVC-membrane bubble protrude from the front of a historic wooden house, almost as if it had been blown by the building itself.

It was created by Chinese architecture studio MAD for the 2024 Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale in Japan, and was used to host performances and ceremonies.

Find out more about Ephemeral Bubble ›

Dresden Museum of Military History extension, Germany, by Studio Libeskind

A giant shard of steel appears to slice right through the neoclassical facade of Dresden's Museum of Military History, symbolising a break with the city's difficult past.

The striking extension was completed in 2011 and is considered a key example of deconstructivist architecture.

Find out more about the extension to the Museum of Military History ›

Photography Seoul Museum of Art, South Korea, by Jadric Architektur and 1990uao

Rising up to form a sturdy cube, a twisting stack of concrete panels give this photography museum in Seoul an appealing tactility.

The architects drew on the appearance of a camera's iris, and intended for the building to change depending on the light and viewer's perspective as "a tribute to the transience of photography".

Find out more about the Photography Seoul Museum of Art ›

300 John Lemley Lane, USA, by Ben Pennell

There's something strangely satisfying about the exoskeleton of this experimental house in Christiansburg, Virginia.

Working with students at Virginia Tech, designer Ben Pennell constructed most of it himself using simple materials in ingenious ways.

Find out more about 300 John Lemley Lane ›

The post Ten examples of oddly satisfying architecture appeared first on Dezeen.

The late mid-century modern designer Verner Panton was born 100 years ago today. To mark the occasion, we have rounded up 10 of his most enduring pieces of furniture and lighting.

Born in Brahesborg-Gamtofte in Denmark on 13 February 1926, Panton left an indelible mark on the design industry and is remembered as a household name who dared to experiment with swathes of colour, shapes and materials.

His career spanned furniture, lighting and product design as well as interiors and architecture – a common feature among many of Panton's mid-century peers, who were considered polymaths for their multidisciplinary capabilities.

To mark 100 years since Panton's birth, we have collected 10 of the designer's most iconic pieces of furniture and lighting.

Panton Chair, 1967

Characterised by its distinctive S-shape, Panton's eponymous chair is widely considered to be not only his most famous piece of furniture, but one of the most recognisable pieces of furniture ever created.

The seat made design history in the 1960s as the first cantilevered chair to be manufactured completely out of a single piece of plastic.

The Panton Chair has been enshrined in popular culture ever since, referenced in settings from Barbie Dreamhouses to an iconic Vogue magazine cover that depicts model Kate Moss sitting nude in the chair.

Flowerpot lamp, 1968

Panton designed his brightly-coloured Flowerpot lighting range in 1968 to embody the period's flower-power movement, which promoted peace, love and free thinking.

The original collection featured a duo of table lamps and a trio of pendant lamps. Each was made of two lacquered metal hemispheres, positioned at opposite angles to create a glare-free, ambient glow.

Heart Cone Chair, 1958

The Heart Cone Chair made waves in the late 1950s for its distinctively heart-shaped upholstered seat supported by a satin stainless steel base.

Manufacturer Vitra described the chair as a clear example of Panton's fascination with geometry, and his desire to create emotional impact despite the functionality of his furniture. The brand has marked the designer's centenary by producing a two-tone blue version.

Panton created the heart-shaped furniture as a playful follow-up to the Cone Chair, conceived for the Kom-Igen inn restaurant on Denmark's Funen island. He was responsible for both the design and interiors of the restaurant.

Panthella lamp, 1971

Designed three years after the Flowerpot lamp, the Panthella is another example of Panton's experimentations with glare-free lighting.

The first Panthella was produced in 1971 in five vibrant colours. Light is reflected from the oversized, mushroomy shade onto the lamp's trumpet-shaped chrome base. For Panton's centenary, Panthella manufacturer Louis Poulsen has reissued the lamp in its original bold hues, including red and orange.

Barboy trolley, 1963

Barboy is a flexible, mobile piece of furniture that has served as a side table or a drinks trolley since the early 1960s.

Panton crafted Barboy from four cylindrical wooden parts, which are supported by chrome-plated castors. The project is a classic example of the designer's penchant for combining blocky and colourful shapes with shinier accents.

Living Tower, 1969

Perhaps Panton's most unusual design, Living Tower is a sculptural piece of furniture fitted with interior niches for reclining.

The upholstered tower was crafted from polyurethane foam, a staple of the 1960s furniture industry, with a birch plywood frame. It measures over two metres in height and can accommodate up to three people in seated positions.

Cloverleaf sofa, 1969

Cloverleaf broke with the modernist tradition of rectilinear sofas, reimagining the couch as a modular structure of alternating inward and outward-facing niches.

This radical new form, resembling a many-leaf clover, was designed to encourage socialising and interaction, as well as allowing the sofa to be endlessly extended and reconfigured.

Globe lamp, 1969

Many of Panton's lighting designs stack several reflectors on top of each other to completely obscure the bulb, but none does it more impressively than the gravity-defying Globe pendant.

Here, five polished aluminium reflectors, accented in red and blue, are suspended inside a transparent acrylic sphere, emanating a soft ambient glow that seems to come from nowhere.

System 1-2-3 chair, 1973

It took Panton three years to develop the System 1-2-3 chair with its S-shaped cantilever seat that allows for next-level customisation.

Customers are able to pick between two backrest heights, four seat heights and six base types – including legs, runners, casters or plates – yielding around 20 different versions of the same design.

Fun lighting, 1963

Panton crafted his affectionately-named Fun lighting series from translucent discs of seashells, flexibly connected to each other using metal rings.

The heat that is emitted by each of the lights' central bulbs causes the discs to move and reflect patterns of light. Chains of varying lengths can be arranged to create lighting of various sizes.

The series offers an alternative to a traditional chandelier, and highlights the breadth of materials Panton used over his career.

The post Ten Verner Panton products that have stood the test of time appeared first on Dezeen.

Sipping on a red or white wine is made all the better by these wine bars from Canada to Kazakhstan, which are clad in zinc, marble, and reclaimed materials, as seen in our latest lookbook.

Natural and orange wine have seen a surge in popularity in recent years, and the design industry has matched its pace with a new wine bar popping up here, there and everywhere across major cities.

The seven wine bars below showcase some of these unique interiors found across cities including New York City, Montreal and Marseille, where everyone from casual enthusiasts to aficionados can enjoy a glass.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring shoji screens, home saunas and minimalist living rooms.

Dévo, France, by Axel and Mélissa Chay 

Located in Marseille, Dévo is a restaurant and bar informed by the "instinctive, generous and deeply rooted" reputation of the French city, according to husband-and-wife design duo Axel and Mélissa Chay.

The pair pulled in references to 1970s Italian bars as well, outfitting the interior with geometric lines and sleek surfaces.

Find out more about Dévo ›

Stars, USA, by Studio Valle de Valle

Studio Valle de Valle employed a zinc-covered bar, cedar panelling, custom furniture and a sandy matte red marble floor to outfit Stars in the East Village, a single-room wine bar.

"The zinc is almost buttery and malleable, the fusion red marble is so much more subtle than the name implies, and the Valle stools bring them both together; the world between grey and red may really be yellow," Studio Valle de Valle co-founder Chase Sinzer told Dezeen.

Find out more about Stars ›

With Others, USA, by Studio Ahead

San Francisco studio Studio Ahead used taupe walls, walnut banquettes and metal mesh shelving to create a soft-industrial feel for this Williamsburg wine bar.

Owner Shanna Nasiri tapped the studio to create a "neighbourhood bar" that would evoke the creative spirit of Williamsburg in the late 1990s and early 2000s, before the neighbourhood became populated with the luxury brands and developments of today.

Find out more about With Others ›

Stem, Canada, by Ravi Handa

Located in Montreal's Little Burgundy neighbourhood, Stem wine bar features reclaimed materials found during demolition, which were repurposed into artworks by Jeremy Le Chatelier.

The space also contains a recurring motif of thin, wooden slats, which are intended to evoke wine glass stems.

Find out more about Stem ›

Vinvinvin, Canada, by Ménard Dworkind

This Montreal wine bar is filled with jewel tones, geometric patterns and wine bottles repurposed as lamps.

"They were looking for something loud, something with a lot of colour and something that really broke the mould from traditional wine bars," Ménard Dworkind co-founder David Dworkind told Dezeen about the clients.

Find out more about Vinvinvin ›

House of Wine, Czech Republic, by Chybik + Kristof 

Towering, curved, wood-panelled volumes recall traditional Moravian wine cellars in this Czech wine bar in Znojmo.

The wooden volumes are multi-level and contain circular terraces outfitted with seating that look out onto the space below.

Find out more about House of Wine ›

Six Coffee Wine, Kazakhstan, by NAAW Studio

Six Coffee Wine in Almaty, Kazakhstan, doubles as a cafe and wine bar, with multiple styles of seating and gathering distributed throughout the space.

"The concept was built around a gradual shift – from morning to evening, from coffee to wine," NAAW Studio co-founder Elvira Bakubayeva told Dezeen.

Find out more about Six Coffee Wine ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring shoji screens, home saunas and minimalist living rooms.

The post Seven wine bars for stylish sipping appeared first on Dezeen.

In our latest roundup, we look at eight homes where circular windows add character and a sense of play to their exteriors.

Included in this list is a timber-clad home with a porthole-style window that frames views of a nearby volcano in Iceland and a sculptural family home in London where rounded windows draw on the site's curving shape.

Hampshire Mill House, UK, by Cooke Fawcett

London-based studio Cooke Fawcett expanded this Grade II-listed mill house in Hampshire, UK, with timber-clad additions.

Included in the design was a standalone studio annexe, which has a low-lying structure complete with a large circular window that looks back towards the home's main extension.

"The round window to the studio is probably the most gestural element of the design," studio co-founder Oliver Cooke said.

Find out more about Hampshire Mill House › 

Heifort, Belgium, by Felt

Belgian architecture studio Felt used copper to clad the roof of this barn-like home designed for a retired couple in Ghent.

The home is organised across a single level and, at one end, contains an attic guest room that has been tucked beneath the large roof and finished with a large circular window.

Find out more about Heifort › 

Swan Nest, Iceland, by Yrki Arkitektar

This summerhouse in Iceland was designed by local studio Yrki Arkitektar in reference to its location overlooking one of the country's most active volcanoes.

Partially sunk into its site, the two-storey dwelling has a concrete and timber-clad form wrapped in glazing, including a porthole window in the kitchen that frames a view of the nearby volcano.

Find out more about Swan Nest › 

Runda, UK, by Nikjoo and Flawk

Architecture studio Nikjoo collaborated with London-based developer Flawk to create Runda, a sculptural family house built on an infill site in north London.

Its playful, brick exterior is defined by curved walls and porthole windows informed by the gentle curve of the site's plot.

Find out more about Runda › 

Casa Wiz, Argentina, by BHY Arquitectos

A two-storey gabled greenhouse was added to a 1980s house in Buenos Aires, designed by Argentinian studio BHY Arquitectos.

Named Casa Wiz, the home's renovation included the enclosure of an unused terrace with a third gable, which is wrapped in white metal and punctuated with a small porthole window.

Find out more about Casa Wiz › 

Brockley House, UK, by Office S&M

A playful, pastel palette informed by cake adverts from the 1950s was used to add character to this home renovation by architecture studio Office S&M.

Situated on a corner plot in London, Brockley House's exterior is covered with textured lilac render and green drainpipes and a large circular window overlooking the rear garden.

Find out more about Brockley House › 

Red House, UK, by David Kohn 

Oversized eaves, patterned brickwork and green details define this house in Dorset, southwest England, completed by London studio David Kohn Architects.

Designed to reference British vernacular houses but with certain "eccentricities", the home's unusual features include its geometric front and circular and semi-circular windows with green-coloured frames.

Find out more about Red House › 

Peek-a-Blue, UK, by Nimtim Architects

Local studio Nimtim Architects used openings coloured in ultramarine blue to create visual connections within this London home extension.

Named Peek-a-Blue, the project included the addition of a new kitchen and dining room at ground level, where sliding doors and a porthole window overlook the rear garden.

Find out more about Peek-a-Blue › 

The post Eight offbeat homes accentuated by porthole-style windows appeared first on Dezeen.

Following the unveiling of the Discovery Building today, we look at eight architectural highlights from Antarctica over the past 20 years.

By far the world's least developed continent, Antarctica has very few buildings.

Two simple huts built in 1899 were the first structures to be constructed on the continent, but as exploration has continued, research bases have grown in complexity and scale with the Discovery Building designed by Hugh Broughton Architects being the latest addition.

"Antarctica is unique in that it is the only continent where you can see both the very first building ever constructed and some of the most advanced buildings in the world," Hugh Broughton Architects founder Hugh Broughton told Dezeen.

"Borchgrevink's Hut, built between 1898 and 1900 at Cape Adare, consisted of two small timber structures measuring just 5.5 by 6.5 metres, barely insulated and extremely rudimentary," he continued.

"By contrast, contemporary Antarctic buildings like the Discovery Building are large, highly insulated, airtight and aerodynamic. In many ways, they would not look out of place in a temperate climate, yet they are designed to perform in one of the harshest environments on Earth."

The harsh climatic conditions, along with geographic separation from major settlements, mean that Antarctic architecture has to be extremely efficient. However, Broughton doesn't believe that this has overly constrained the architecture built on continent.

"Once all the climatic, environmental, operational and logistic factors that influence the design of a building in Antarctica have been considered, one might presume that there is no room left for creativity, but this could not be further from the truth," he said.

"Design in Antarctica is truly innovative and there have been many new stations and buildings completed in recent years which have won awards from across the world, and which demonstrate that they have the X Factor – designs which rise above the ordinary to help make people's lives more enjoyable."

Broughton also described architecture in Antarctica as "embassies on the ice", which he believes are key in supporting scientists deliver cutting edge research.

"These buildings respond to their context with imaginative solutions developed from first principles, which reduce maintenance burden, emphasise health, safety and well-being and provide an inclusive, exciting, and inspiring place to live and work," added Broughton.

"They are the vehicle to support groundbreaking scientific research which will help us to understand and then combat climate change and they act as 'embassies on the ice' for the nations that sponsor them."

Read on for eight examples of innovative Antarctic architecture:

Scott Amundsen Base by Ferraro Choi (2008)

The base furthest south in Antarctica, and therefore the world, is the Scott Amundsen Base, located near the South Pole.

Built to accommodate 150 people from the US's National Science Foundation, the building is elevated on 36 hydraulic jack columns. This means that the whole structure can be raised over time so that it doesn't get buried in snow.

Princess Elisabeth Station by Philippe Samyn and Partners, International Polar Foundation and Prefalux (2009)

Described as the "first-ever zero-emission station" in Antarctica, the Princess Elisabeth Station is perched on stilts on an exposed, granite ridge in Queen Maud Land.

The building, which has a stainless steel finish and aerodynamic shape, was designed by Belgian studio Philippe Samyn and Partners in collaboration with the International Polar Foundation and Prefalux, to be compact to reduce material and energy use.

Its main base has a mass timber frame visible throughout the interiors, giving the research facility a different feel from the majority of other bases on the continent. Below this structure is a more typical, regular-shaped building, used as a garage for vehicles and various other activities.

The base runs entirely on renewable energy with solar panels placed on all its facades, while nine wind turbines are installed along the ridgeline.

Bharati Research Station by Bof Architekten (2012)

Bof Architekten designed the space-age-looking Bharati Research Station, part of which is raised six metres above the ground on distinctive V-shaped columns, as India's third research facility in Antarctica.

As an innovative solution to building on the hard-to-reach continent, the main structure of the base is made from the 134 shipping containers used to transport other building materials to the site. This shipping-container structure was wrapped in a highly insulated and aerodynamically formed skin to reduce snow drifting.

Shipping containers along the edges of the two-storey base contain single bedrooms for 47 researchers, while the communal areas were placed in the centre of the building.

Halley VI Antarctic Research Station by Hugh Broughton Architects (2013)

Described as "the world's first mobile research facility", the Halley VI Antarctic Research Station on the floating Brunt Ice Shelf was designed by Hugh Broughton Architects for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS).

The distinctive structure consists of eight interlinking modules raised on hydraulically elevated feet to stay above the snow.

Jang Bogo Station by Space Group (2014)

Located on Terra Nova Bay, the Jang Bogo Station was designed by Space Group for the South Korean Antarctic research mission.

The base's main 4000-square-metre building has an aerodynamic triple-arm form raised on stilts. Two of the wings contain living quarters, with the third containing scientific laboratories and a large dining space illuminated by a series of diamond-shaped windows in the connecting central space.

Juan Carlos 1 Spanish Antarctic Base by Hugh Broughton Architects (2018)

Set on Livingstone Island, the current Juan Carlos 1 Spanish Antarctic Base was designed by Hugh Broughton Architects to replace an ageing facility on the site.

The redesigned base comprises a three-pointed habitat module for up to 20 people, along with a separate science module and several additional units for services and storage.

All of the structures are raised on legs and clad in bright red, fibre-reinforced plastic panels to give a unified appearance.

Comandante Ferraz Research Station by Estúdio 41 (2020)

Designed by Curitiba-based Estúdio 41 as the Brazilian Navy's scientific base on King George Island, the Comandante Ferraz Research Station consists of a pair of teal-hued, linear modules raised on stilts.

Both blocks are terminated with fully glazed walls, while every room in the block has a window to ensure views and natural light. The research station contains 17 laboratories, accommodation for 64 scientists, along with shared living areas, a gym and a library.

Antarctic Discovery Building by Hugh Broughton Architects (2026)

The most recent piece of Antarctic architecture, this large two-storey building is the main operations base for the British Antarctic Survey at the Rothera Research Station, which acts as the capital of the British Antarctic Territory.

Inside the 4,500-square-metre building is the base's main plant for generating power, alongside a store, offices, a gym, a music room, an arts and crafts space, a sauna and vehicle repair workshops. It is topped with a control tower for the base's airstrip.

A unique snow deflector on the building's roof uses the region's strong wind to blow snow away from the building.

The main photo is by the International Polar Foundation.

The post Eight Antarctic buildings that "have the X Factor" appeared first on Dezeen.

In the wake of this year's Stockholm Design Week being cancelled, designers and brands have taken matters into their own hands with an alternative programme of events across the city. Here are 10 highlights you won't want to miss.

Among the flurry of things on show across the city this week between 3 and 7 February is a pop-up listening lounge, a collection of prison furniture prototypes and a multi-brand exhibition in an old canon factory.

The grassroots programme was designed to fill the hole left by the Stockholm Furniture Fair and its associated design week, which were postponed until 2027 and will now run in a biennial format.

"Even though there is no proper Stockholm Design Week and people, including myself, have been so confused and negative, I must say I'm really impressed," Nordiska Galleriet's Hanna Nova Beatrice told Dezeen.

"There are so many activations and it's really brand-led," she added. "They've gone out of their way more than they usually do, because there's no fair."

The week-long event is rather confusingly branded, with more than 100 studios and manufacturers exhibiting under the umbrella of Stockholm Design Days, while emerging and independent designers are largely showing as part of Stockholm Creative Edition after the festival was moved forward from its usual time in May.

But we've weeded through the whole programme and broken down 10 of the most interesting things you'll want to see below.

Echo exhibition at Kanonverkstaden

Echo is a new exhibition platform for Swedish design, which will debut in an old cannon factory on Skeppsholmen island this week before travelling to Copenhagen for 3 Days of Design.

Geared first and foremost at architects and buyers, the show will see a selection of established brands including ASKO and Bang & Olufsen rub shoulders with younger designers like Fredrik Paulsen of JOY Objects and Desiré Apelgren, who is presenting an asymmetrical, metal take on the classic Swedish stick back chair (above).

"With the Stockholm Furniture Fair on hold, we just have to do something," said Karin Sköldberg, co-founder of Echo and PR agency Trendgruppen. "We do have to take care of our design history; it's an essential part of our culture and not the least a sustainability feat to still have manufacturing in Sweden."

In the Context of Sigurd Lewerentz at FAB Grönlandet

As part of Stockholm Creative Edition, design lovers will have the rare opportunity to enter Sweden's former National Insurance Institute – an icon of early Swedish modernism designed by Sigurd Lewerentz (above).

Inside, buzzy local furniture company Contem and ceramicist Ingrid Unsöld are showcasing site-specific projects made using materials partly sourced from the heritage-listed building, which now serves as an office and museum.

Ung Svensk Form at ArkDes

Work from Sweden's most promising young designers will be on show at Stockholm's ArkDes museum as part of an exhibition showing the winners of the annual Ung Svensk Form competition.

Standout projects include Christmas trees turned into furniture by Rickard Torstenfelt, Alma Duran's blobby neon lights and a series of tables from Svenskt Tenn Design Scholarship laureate Love Persson that reflect on the experience of losing a parent (above).

Breva mig! at Etage1

In response to the looming expansion of Sweden's prison system, industrial design students from Stockholm's Konstfack school have created a series of prototype furniture to investigate how these penitentiary spaces can be designed with empathy.

The resulting pieces, on show at Etage1, were created in collaboration with furniture maker Nola and the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, which facilitated a visit for the students to one of the country's largest prisons as part of the project.

The Listening Lounge by Exakt MFG and Superlab

Svensk Form's library is turning into a listening lounge this week courtesy of design studio Superlab and furniture brand Exakt MFG, which is making its debut as part of Stockholm Design Days.

Envisioned as a kind of public living room informed by Japanese listening bars, the space will be furnished using the company's first-ever collection, made entirely in-house to maintain full control over materials, processes and quality.

Stockholm Creative Edition at Industricentralen

Stockholm Creative Edition is taking over the city's 1937 Industricentralen building to host its main exhibition, with a spotlight on emerging designers including Nils Askhagen, Interesting Times Gang and Matsson Marnell.

"In our own exhibition, we want to offer insights into how the designers of the future think," explained founders Ulrika Kjellström Attar and Philippe Attar. "It is more exploratory, more risk-taking, and shows new ways of relating to material, function and form."

Visitors will be fed via a pop-up bakery from Håkan Johansson Frost – Sweden's only world-champion baker.

Beyond Design in SoFo

In Södermalm, or "SoFo", leading Swedish and European design brands will be opening their showrooms and studios between 3 and 5 February, culminating in a joint party on the final night.

Under the title Beyond Design in SoFo, the event will see longtime locals like Hem and Vitra joined by Danish exports Hay, &tradition, Fritz Hansen and Gubi, which are popping up at locations across the district.

Also taking part are local firms Note Design Studio and Färg & Blanche with its Extreme Stitching Lab, where visitors will be able to see Sweden's most powerful long-arm cylinder sewing machine in action.

Stay Curious by NK Interior

NK Interior CEO Kadi Harjak has curated an exhibition at the Nordiska Kompaniet department store that reflects on contemporary Swedish design across materials, disciplines and generations.

Under the theme Stay Curious, the show will take over the building's Light Court and its display windows along Hamngatan with work from Mimmi Blomquist, Nick Ross, Gustav Winsth and more.

The Building

Seven nordic design brands – including HAHA studio, String Furniture and Sweden's oldest furnituremaker Gemla – are presenting curated exhibitions under one roof as part of a group show at The Building.

Also on show will be works in glass, textiles, lighting and furniture from independent designers including Emilie Palle Holm and Simon Skinner, who was last year named as one of Dezeen's names to watch.

Process, Material, Craft at Moderna Dansteatern

Three of Stockholm's leading design schools are joining forces for an exhibition at the Moderna Dansteatern theatre, spotlighting standout student work around the theme of process, material and craft.

Konstfack's presentation Clay City will feature work made using locally sourced earth from Årsta, while Malmstens and Beckmans (above) will showcase furniture created by their graduates in collaboration with established Swedish design companies like Källemo, Nola and Stolab.

Stockholm Design Days and Stockholm Creative Edition are taking place at various locations across the Swedish capital this week. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

The post Ten must-see shows at Stockholm's unofficial design week appeared first on Dezeen.

Homes spanning Mexico, Australia, and Japan feature in this roundup of the houses of the month for January.

Among this list of the five of the most popular residences featured on Dezeen this month is a family home with dramatically-curving roof and a tiny cabin modelled on a typical Australian shed.

Read on to find out more about Dezeen readers' favourite houses this month:

Clay Rise, UK, by Templeton Ford

The founders of British studio Templeton Ford designed and built this residence in West Sussex as a family home for themselves.

Named Clay Rise, the home was designed by the duo to reinterpret Sussex's archetypal houses, and is defined by red brick and tile walls topped with a curvy three-tiered roof.

Find out more about Clay Rise ›

The Oculus, Australia, by Hayley Pryor

Architect Hayley Pryor drew on typical Australian sheds for the design of The Oculus, a tiny moveable cabin in Byron Bay, Australia.

Created in collaboration with local builder Chris King, the 21-square-metre dwelling has a timber exterior, which is crowned with a corrugated metal roof and large central skylight.

Find out more about The Oculus ›

Casa Tao, Mexico, HW Studio

A focus on creating shaded interiors informed this concrete house on the Pacific coast of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, designed by locally-based HW Studio to "withdraw discreetly" into its context.

Inside, the home has a semi-elliptical wall that frames multiple levels of courtyards while also providing privacy from the street.

Find out more about Casa Tao ›

Amami House, Japan, by Sakai Architects

Local studio Sakai Architects used a large corrugated metal roof with a triangular skylight to shelter the timber-lined interiors of this off-grid home in Japan.

Located on Amami Ōshima, off Japan's southern coast, Amami House encompasses 119 square metres and is organised across a square plan centred by a communal living, kitchen and dining space.

Find out more about Amami ›

Heifort, Belgium, by Felt

A copper-clad roof tops this barn-like home in Ghent completed by Belgian architecture studio Felt.

Designed for a retired couple with the goal of "ageing-in-place", the home is arranged across one level for accessibility, with its living spaces divided by large portals made from cross-laminated timber.

Find out more about Heifort ›

The post Dezeen's top five houses of January 2026 appeared first on Dezeen.

Hand-carved lamps and NM3's debut timber furniture are among the striking woodwork pieces spotted by Dezeen's design and interiors reporter Jane Englefield over the past month.

When Dezeen spoke to interior designers about their trend predictions for 2026, creatives were united in forecasting less processed and more honest materials – chief among them wood.

The following pieces are a selection of recently designed furniture, lighting and accessories that demonstrate the versatility of timber, which continues to stand the test of time.

NMNG by NM3

Since its founding in 2020, Milan studio NM3 has been causing a stir with its distinctly utilitarian furniture made from slabs of stainless steel.

NMNG is the studio's latest collection of two tables and a chair, made for using the same meticulous methodology that the designers normally apply to steel but crafted entirely from solid oak.

The collection is produced by Stockholm's Nordiska Galleriet and will launch as part of an unofficial design festival taking place in the Swedish capital next week.

Acid Lamps by Josh Page

From a distance, these teak veneered plywood lamps look as if they have been stained with acid to create ink blot-style marks on their surfaces.

In fact, British designer Josh Page created the patterns by carving into the teak veneer to reveal the layers of plywood beneath. When carved in this way, each lamp is characterised by a unique "acid" design.

Page chose delicate poplin for the lampshades, which feature electric blue stitching to match the braided blue cables. The result is beautifully layered lighting that demonstrates the decorative potential of timber.

Shelf by Ralph Parks

This wall-mounted shelf was handcrafted by British designer Ralph Parks from unidentified, reclaimed wood that he has resolved is "possibly yew".

Characterised by all the meandering lumps and bumps that feature on an untreated tree branch, the shelf was created as a place to toss keys or small trinkets.

It is a satisfyingly tactile piece, made all the more charming by its unconfirmed origins.

Art cart by Dom Johnson

Multiple uses are packed into one piece of furniture in this nifty art cart by British designer Dom Johnson.

Johnson used Douglas fir plywood and hardwood to create the cart, which features a reversible worktop and pencil tray, as well as a birch plywood pegboard, a mounted paper roll and various bespoke storage.

The cart was designed for Watts Gallery in Surrey after the museum commissioned Johnson to create furniture that would encourage visitors to draw during their visit.

It is an approachable piece of furniture that feels as if it might attract even the most amateur of sketchers.

Thorn by Rickard Torstenfelt

Thorn is a distinctive coat rack by emerging Swedish designer Rickard Torstenfelt, made from the spiky branches of old Christmas trees.

The recent Malmstens furniture school graduate salvaged one of the most overlooked forms of timber and transformed it into a beautifully prickly piece of furniture that is as sculptural as it is functional.

Thorn will be on show in Stockholm next week as part of the annual Ung Svensk Form exhibition at architecture and design museum ArkDes.

Lamp by Charlotte Taylor and Garcé Dimofski

Known for her penchant for collaboration, British designer Charlotte Taylor worked with Lisbon studio Garcé Dimofski to design this chunky solid wood table lamp.

The pleasingly weighty lampshade crowns a base made using Japanese-style joinery not dissimilar to the kind seen in Taylor's Sombresa table, which she debuted at last summer's 3 Days of Design festival in Copenhagen.

Available in both a natural and a black-stained finish, the lamp casts a soft glow across the joinery when illuminated.

Candle holder by Carlo Raymann

Finnish designer Carlo Raymann is a founding member of Minestrone Workshop, a Helsinki-based design collective established to test the limits of timber.

Raymann created this simple but loveable candle holder from small slabs of Douglas fir, which were glued in place to encourage plenty of interaction around the dinner table.

"The idea is a simple play with shapes and grain directions," he told Dezeen. "Several candle holders can be arranged to form different kinds of patterns."

The post Dezeen's favourite wooden furniture and lighting from January appeared first on Dezeen.

From site-specific exhibitions in modernist houses and ballet theatres to climate-conscious curatorials, high-end British design and an exhibition by Serpentine Pavilion designers Lanza Atelier, we've picked out 15 events from the dizzying array on show at this year's Mexico City art week.

Over the past twenty years, anchor art fair Zona Maco has cemented early February as the apex of Mexico City art culture, with a whole slate of smaller fairs, gallery openings, and experiences popping up around the city.

Recently, design has become a more integral aspect of the city-wide art showcase, evidenced by the addition of an explicit design section to Zona Maco, and its recent announcement of a dedicated collectible design category.

Many of the exhibitions are extremely site specific, leveraging the rich architecture of the city. Last year, Dezeen collaborated with Studio Davidpompa on a guide to must-see buildings in the city.

There's a lot to see, so Dezeen has selected 15 things that design lovers should prioritise during the busy week.

Reuse: Architectures of Almost Nothing at Laguna

Fittingly sited at art space Laguna's home, a reused factory, this exhibition brings together 15 studios that "work with reuse, resource efficiency, and material precision as guiding design principles".

Curated by María Muñoz and Edgar Rodríguez, the show will highlight different cultural and aesthetic perspectives around architectural reuse.

Forma at Zona Maco

On top of the yearly design section that brings together designers at all career levels, this year Zona Maco will showcase six collectible design studios, spaced throughout the extensive international art programme.

Among the participants are international galleries Carpenters Workshop Gallery and Citco, as well as Mexican gallery Adn.

Find out more about Forma at Zona Maco ›

Fragmentos de Mar by Studio Davidpompa

Located at lighting designer Davidpompa's showroom, a neo-baroque building in the Roma neighbourhood, Fragmentos de Mar is the latest collaboration between the studio and iconic local restaurant Contramar.

It will feature a lighting collection and installation that uses shells and other aspects of the restaurant's seafood cuisine, "transformed into a material that tells a story of origin and renewal", with an opening night co-hosted by Dezeen.

Unique Design X

International fair Unique Design X returns to Mexico City for its third time, making its home on the ground level of the Expo Reforma building that also houses art fair Material, with dozens of international studios, galleries and institutions showing work in unconventional arrangements.

This year, it will feature special exhibitions by Fredrik Nielson, Lea Mestres and Lorena Saravia and a section dedicated to French-Mexican creative reciprocity.

Azul y Verde by Lanza Atelier at Ago Projects

Mexico City architecture studio Lanza Atelier, which was recently selected to design this year's Serpentine Pavilion, will present a solo exhibition at local gallery Ago Projects, in the Reforma neighbourhood.

Based around the "shared origins of blue and green across cultures and languages" the studio will present a variety of design objects.

The Resident by Lee Broom and Diez Company

British designer Lee Broom will join the lighting curator Diez Company at the company's showroom in a historic Polanco estate.

Broom's debut Mexico exhibition will see the designer transforming the estate with over 50 of his archival works, including some in new finishes for the exhibition.

Barragán en Barragán at La Cuadra

Founded by architect Fernando Romero, La Cuadra, designed by the famed Mexican architect Luis Barragán, has become a cultural campus. Romero's organisation wants to turn the site into a "new epicenter in the Latin American art circuit ".

For the art week, Romero has tasked architect Jorge Covarrubias, and the exhibition will explore the work of Barragán through scale models and photographs.

Sanctum: Where Memory Rests by Fábrica 

Part of curator Fábrica's ongoing La Sala internacional event series, Sanctum will be hosted in the studio of Mexico City furniture producer and restorer Azotea and feature sculpture, photography, and sound design by Com. The outfit partnered with Mexico City-based American designer Jonathan Bailey to design and curate the exhibition.

It will be an "immersive, completely shoppable environment" and feature designers such as New York's Eny Lee Parker and local Kimera Atelier.

Feria Territorio at Espacio CDMX

The organisers of Design Week Mexico, the yearly design fair in October, are launching their second major art week exhibition, underscoring the growing relevance of design during the week.

Located in the group's modernist pavilion in Chapultepec park, dozens of designers will showcase collectible and industrial design objects.

Casa Locken by Omet

Austin-based, Mexican design gallery Omet will showcase a new collection in Casa Locken, a 1957 home designed by modernist architect Francisco Artigas.

The exhibition will host work from big names in Mexican architecture and design, including pieces by Tatiana Bilbao, Fernanda Canales, and Raúl de la Cerda.

Inner Stage by Studio 84

Following up on its 2025 installation at Casa Max Cetto, Studio 84 has teamed up with several institutions for an exhibition and performance series at Escuela del Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández.

Unno Gallery will showcase work by Alana Burns, Lucía Echavarría, and Andrea Vargas Dieppa; CC-Tapis is presenting rugs by Scarlett Rouge and Sabine Marcelis and 6:AM will show a series of sculptural works.

La Metropolitana at Edificio Vizcaya

Mexican designers and fabricators La Metropolitana will fill the historic Edificio Vizcaya, a historic building in the Juarez neighbourhood.

A series of sculptural chairs by the studio will be used for activations, such as a collaboration with the New York restaurant Comal at Origen in the space.

Viso Collective Materia by Viso Project

New York-based curatorial platform Viso Project is putting on an exhibition for the first time in Mexico.

With a focus on materials that show the "juxtaposition between the delicate and the robust" it will feature commissioned works by designers such as Chuch Estudio, Maremoto, and Esteban Tamayo Ramos.

Codices by Balmaceda

Milan-based Mexican rug design studio Balmaceda will present its new collection at an exhibition in the city's Loma neighbourhood.

The collections "draws inspiration from ancestral Mexican architecture, reinterpreting pyramids, reliefs, and ancient codices through a contemporary design language" in a series of rugs, tapestries and other woven works.

La Píldora by Clásicos Mexicanos

Local studio Clásicos Mexicanos, known for its recreation of iconic modernist design, sometimes from as little as hazy photographs, is putting on an exhibition at La Píladora, a house by modernist architect and designer Roberto Eibenschutz.

The exhibition will restore the house through the placement of historic design recreations.

Mexico City art week is on in locations across the city from 1 to 9 February. For more architecture and design happenings, visit Dezeen Events Guide.

The post Fifteen must-see design and architecture events during Mexico City art week 2026 appeared first on Dezeen.

Following Niall McLaughlin being named as the recipient of this year's RIBA Royal Gold Medal, we look at 10 key buildings by the Irish architect.

Described by RIBA as "marked by a deliberate modesty", the buildings created by McLaughlin's eponymous studio vary widely in scale, function, material and aesthetic.

They include four buildings that were shortlisted for the Stirling Prize – Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre in 2018, Darbishire Place in 2015, Bishop Edward King Chapel in 2013, and The New Library at Magdalene College, which was the winner in 2022.

In an interview with Dezeen, McLaughlin said that a focus on creating meaningful architecture united all of his projects.

"I think people want buildings to be meaningful," he told Dezeen. "Okay, I know that sounds almost trite, but it's true that people want to feel that a building is something that helps them to communicate meaning to each other."

Read on for 10 of McLaughlin's most significant projects:

The New Library at Magdalene College, 2022

Built for the University of Cambridge, The New Library at Magdalene College is a brick and timber structure that references historic architecture at the campus. The project, which has won the 2022 Stirling Prize, was the result of a 2014 competition to create new facilities alongside the Grade I-listed Pepys Library.

The building is organised on a tartan grid and includes a triple-height entrance hall and double-height reading rooms. The interior is filled with a mix of cross-laminated timber and red brick, topped with gabled roof forms and skylights.

Auckland Tower, 2021

This larch tower functions as an entrance for Auckland Castle and a viewpoint for the town of Bishop Aukland. The studio's design is informed by an illustration in a book about medieval fortifications and is intended to mimic a siege engine.

It was built entirely from glued-laminated timber, which Niall McLaughlin Architects chose for its durable qualities, cost and visual ties to wooden medieval structures. Golden balconies and balustrades line the tower and contrast against the grey hue of the timber, while an interior ticket hall features text-engraved walls and ornate panelled ceilings.

Hampshire House, 2019

Located in a river valley in Hampshire, this country home comprises a number of concrete volumes set against a flint-clad "inhabitable wall". The home is organised across a subtly sloping site that allows for each of its interior spaces to overlook the surrounding landscape.

The home's monolithic exterior is contrasted by its French oak-lined interior walls that frame full-height windows. Interior spaces were kept comparatively small allowing for sections of the home to be closed and cornered off when not in use by the resident's extended family.

Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre, 2018

Stone fins and clerestory windows characterise Niall McLaughlin Architects' Nazrin Shah Centre, which was designed for Worcester College at the University of Oxford.

Housing a lecture theatre, student learning areas, seminar spaces and a dance studio, the structure sits on the college's heritage-listed campus and features an interior with timber beams and columns. In 2018, the project was shortlisted for the Stirling Prize.

Jesus College, 2018

Elsewhere at the University of Cambridge, Niall McLaughlin Architects refurbished a 1970s building at Jesus College. The project was the result of the same competition that led it to create The New Library at Magdalene College.

As part of the renovation, the studio restored the building's existing library and dining area and extended it with offices, social spaces, student accommodation, a cafe and a student bar. The interior was stripped back to reveal its brick and timber bones, while the exterior of the building was recladded in timber and stone.

St Teresa's Church and Priory, 2016

At St Teresa's Church and Priory, a heritage-protected church in Dublin, Niall McLaughlin Architects was tasked with improving and refurbishing a prayer room and priory on the second floor.

Due to the nature of the building's protected status, any new additions to the space needed to preserve and be in keeping with the existing structure, leading the studio to develop a design that slots within the original walls. Ash framework with integrated seating and screens sits within the original space, alongside a bespoke wooden altar, a tabernacle, a presider's chair and a pulpit.

Fishing Hut, 2015

Located on a lake in Hampshire, the Fishing Hut is a small cabin that provides a place to store boats and fishing tackle but also functions as a meeting point and shelter for anglers.

The structure has a steel frame, built on top of a concrete foundation that is cast on the lakebed. Oak lines the interior of the cabin, while oak shutters clad the exterior and allow it to be opened up to the outside. It is topped with an aluminium roof that overhangs wooden decks at either end.

Duncan Terrace house, 2014

In a 15-year-long project, Niall McLaughlin Architects restored and extended a Grade II-listed Georgian home in London to better frame its resident's art and sculpture collection.

As part of the project, the studio added a subterranean gallery at the rear of the garden. The gallery is connected to the home by a passage concealed by a double-height screen, which is constructed from blocks of cast plaster set against panels of translucent glass.

Bishop Edward King Chapel, 2013

Bishop Edward King Chapel is an elliptical-shaped structure at the Ripon Theological College in Oxford that was created to replace a smaller chapel on the campus. It has a Clipsham-stone facade that is arranged in a dog-tooth bond formation and has similar characteristics to the surrounding limestone buildings.

Inside, the chapel features tree-like timber columns that are organised around its perimeter. The timber structure was constructed using prefabricated spruce sections, which come together to form a lattice canopy overhead.

House at Goleen, 2009

Irish blue limestone clads House at Goleen, a rural cottage on the south coast of Ireland for which Niall McLaughlin Architects designed four monolithic extensions. The studio mirrored the sloping roof profile of the existing cottage with a series of staggered gables that taper into the landscape.

The original structure has a white painted finish that distinguishes it from the new grey limestone-clad additions. Courtyards surround and bridge the spaces between each of the volumes.

A version of this piece was originally published in 2022 to mark the New Library at Magdalene College winning the Stirling Prize.

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From a psychedelic Moooi installation and a Coors beer spoof at IDS Toronto to a stylish display of Montreal talent in a Corso Italia basement, here are the standouts from the late January design events in Toronto.

Despite sub-zero temperatures, thousands of people made the trip to see trade show IDS Toronto and the hundreds of events that make up the city-wide Design TO festival.

With a focus on Canadian design, we looked at new releases of commercial projects, prototypes and collectible pieces across the events.

Read on for Dezeen's highlights from Toronto's January design fairs:

Out of Office by Ste Marie and Moooi

Dutch furniture company Moooi worked with legendary Vancouver design studio Ste Marie to create a booth within IDS Toronto's curated office exhibition, which was cleverly titled Out of Office as a nod to the middle three letters of the brand's name.

Its exterior was clad in classic office mineral fibre panels, but the inside was given a psychedelic treatment. The space was upholstered with Moooi Fluid fabric, featured a metal-wrapped planter, and four of Ron Gilad's Dear Ingo Chandeliers.

Tiered seating was accented by speakers, while features reminiscent of HVAC ventilation shafts held retro TVs running AI videos of conceptual Moooi furniture come to life, such as the life-size horse lamp by Swedish studio Front.

Tape curated by Jamie Wolfond 

Curated by designer Jamie Wolfond and his team, which operates 8x7 out of a space adjacent to his workshop, Tape showcased a range of pieces that celebrated different forms of the universal, yet often-overlooked, adhesive.

Stand-out pieces included the Working Condition lamp by Copenhagen-based Canadian designer Persia Mckinney Duncan that showcased glass pieces held together by duct tape as an exploration of the "space between repair and ornament".

Local MSDS Studio's Tape Vessels featured vase-like objects wrapped in aluminium-foil tape, while Wolfond himself experimented with drywall joint tape as a medium for 2D perspectival art.

Home deCoors by Coors Light

The Canadian arm of beer brand Coors Light put on an irreverent exhibition on the IDS Toronto showroom floor.

For the installation, 30-count cases of beer were displayed among contemporary design objects, serving a variety of functions, from console to coffee table, and lampstand. An accompanying pamphlet showed the "range" – a list of decor categories, above which were repeated images of the case of beer.

Pot-Au-Feu by Ensemble

Roving Montreal design collective Ensemble, led by designers Anaïe Dufresne and Nicholas Sangaré, is quickly becoming one of the most exciting showcases during DesignTO, if not in all of Canada. This year, the team returned to a basement gallery in the outskirts of the city, cladding the walls and floors with wood veneer and fabrics.

Some big-name Montreal lighting studios, such as D'armes and Lambert et Fils showed pieces, with D'armes co-founder Alex Joncas showing some of his personal work. Stand-out pieces included a collection of all-leather tables with removable tops by Séjour Studio, new rubber collections from Atelier Fomenta, and a metal chair by Les objets Raymond Raymond.

Atriani Interiors

Following its Best Booth Award at IDS Toronto 2025, Canadian design studio Atriani Interiors worked with local interior designer Mila Yudina to create a booth at this year's event featuring the luxurious decor the company is known for.

At the centre of the booth, though, were the lacquered Ottagono Coffee Table, a four-piece set. According to the company, the piece represents the "new direction and vision" for the brand.

Shell stool by Maxwell Sims

Local designer Maxwell Sims showcased his Shell stool at the Prototype section of IDS Toronto, which showcases work from early-career designers.

Shell consists of three parts that can be easily assembled and disassembled. For the project, Sims wanted to try and shape bent aluminium in a way similar to plastic stools, "preserving the visual simplicity of the stool while resolving the connection of parts as simply as possible".

Ourse

Located prominently at the top of the entry programme at IDS Toronto was the debut collection of Canadian furniture brand Ourse. The collection included mostly wood furniture and decor designed by Canadian design names such as Jake Oliveria Studio, Thom Fougere, MSDS Studio, Nicole Marion, and Small Medium Large.

The furniture is made from Canadian wood. According to Fougere, it provides a "platform to express a distinctly Canadian point of view, grounded in local making, material knowledge, and restraint". It reflected a sentiment expressed to Dezeen several times over the week – Canadians are seeking to design and consume locally, given the US's ongoing tariff threats on Canadian imports, including wood and furniture.

Coolican & Company 

Local manufacturer Coolican & Company showcased several of its wood-based furniture with new products, including the Asquith table series as well as an iteration of its Calla woven benches upholstered with fabric upcycled from the Paris fashion industry.

The company, which prioritises sustainable wood manufacturing, won a sustainability award for its IDS Toronto booth.

IDS Toronto ran from 22-25 January 2026; DesignTO is on show from 23 January to 1 February in locations across the city. For more installations, talks and fairs in architecture and design visit Dezeen Events Guide.  

The post Eight highlights from the biggest week in Canadian design appeared first on Dezeen.

For those starting or continuing their wellness journey this new year, we've compiled a selection of design-forward saunas and bathhouses in which to socialise and warm up in New York's freezing winter temperatures.

Bathhouse culture has exploded in NYC in recent years, driven by a demand for wellness-focused experiences and communal alcohol-free spaces.

The reinvigorating benefits of cycling the body through hot and cold temperatures have been understood since Ancient Greek and Roman times, and sauna and bathhouse culture has remained popular in many parts of the world: from Scandinavia and Russia, to Turkey and Japan.

New Yorkers are finally catching on, and several brands have opened one or more locations across the city. Many have strategically used interior design to heighten the atmosphere and promote relaxation inside their spaces. Here are some of our favorites:

Bathhouse, Williamsburg, by Verona Carpenter Architects

One of the first to expand this market in 2019, Bathhouse opened its first location inside a former soda factory in Williamsburg. Many of the original features of the 1930s industrial building were retained by Verona Carpenter Architects, including exposed brickwork and wood ceiling trusses.

Meanwhile, additions include geometric matte-black tiles and a custom aqua and white tile wall mural by illustrator Amit Greenberg depicting an Ancient Roman-inspired bathing scene as a focal point.

Find out more about Bathhouse ›

Bathhouse, Flatiron, by Rockwell Group

Following the success of the first Bathhouse space, the team approached local studio Rockwell Group to create a totally different experience for its Manhattan location.

Designed to evoke the remnants of an ancient civilisation, inverted pyramids are suspended over the bathing pools, and striated travertine wraps the walls. A dark and dramatic entrance sequence and equally atmospheric changing areas evoke a more futuristic aesthetic.

Othership, Flatiron, by Futurestudio

Othership's 9,550-square-foot (887 square metres) sauna and ice bath experience in Manhattan's Flatiron District is the brand's third outpost, after two in Toronto, with interiors for all locations by Toronto-based Futurestudio.

Guests referred to as "journeyers" have access to a spacious 640-square-foot (59-square-metre) performance sauna and ice baths for up to 16 people in a private cold sanctuary room. There's also an amphitheatre-style tea lounge, where guests can gather around a central fireplace to socialise.

Othership also recently opened in Williamsburg with a similar interior style.

Find out more about Othership ›

Akari, Williamsburg, by Mark Hinchcliff, Shayna Olsan and Luke Carstens

Founders Shayna Olsan and Luke Carstens opened Akari – their ode to Japanese sentōs and onsens – in 2023 as a membership model so members can use the sauna and cold plunge pool as many times as they like for a capped fee.

The duo worked with architect Mark Hinchcliff on the project, creating a warm and intimate space that leads to a garden at the back. Recently updated, this outdoor space includes a larger plunge pool and a seating area intended as a quiet refuge from the city.

Akari, Greenpoint, by Stroop Design

For the brand's second outpost, which opened in 2025, the Akari team enlisted interiors studio Stroop Design and thermal consultant Kiel Moe to help craft a space that references the Japanese traditions around which the concept is based.

Glass-block walls, green tiles around the cold plunge, and a skylight in the larger sauna are all notable features. Akari is also due to op its first Manhattan location on the Lower East Side later this year.

Find out more about Akari Greenpoint ›

Lore Bathing Club, Noho, by Studioilse and Ringo Studio 

Founded by James O'Reilly and Adam Elzer, Lore Bathing Club spans 6,200 square feet (576 square metres) over two floors, including a Finnish sauna, an infrared sauna, a large cold pool and hammam-style heated benches. The founders consulted with Studioilse and Ringo Studio to bring the design to life.

Warm travertine and textured floors define the cold plunge, while rich alder wood and deep chocolate tones envelop the sauna, creating a soothing environment for members and single-session guests.

Saint, Chelsea, by BoND

Architecture studio BoND is behind the interiors of Saint, which offers four intimate "studios" each designed for one or two people.

Custom American walnut millwork in these spaces pairs with Italian terrazzo vanities and flooring, while the cedar dry sauna is complemented by an ice bath and shower area in Brazilian slate.

SAA, East Williamsburg, by Bench Architecture

The spa area at co-working members' club SAA occupies the top level of the former warehouse and enjoys panoramic views of the city skyline.

As part of the building's overhaul, Bench Architecture used dramatic green marble to line the sauna, steam room, hammam, cold plunge pool and warm bathing pool. There's also a set of smaller wood-lined sauna pods positioned on the roof.

Find out more about SAA ›

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For our latest lookbook, we've collected homes, offices and shops where Japanese shoji screens were used to create practical and beautiful sliding doors and walls.

Among the interiors featured in the lookbook are a modernist home in the US and a Tokyo office filled with natural materials.

While most of the interiors shown here are from Japan, shoji screens are also used in Western interior design – often to create a Japanese feel, but also as a practical solution to keep rooms bright while adding a layer of privacy.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring relaxing saunas, minimalist living rooms and kitchens featuring natural wood.

Duane House, US, by OWIU

The interior of this Los Angeles home blends mid-century modern and traditional Japanese influences, with shoji screens used to create a large sliding wall in the living room.

Here, it's juxtaposed with a classic LC4 chair by architect Le Corbusier and sculptural washi-paper lamps by designer Isamu Noguchi. A brick floor matches the screen's grid pattern.

Find out more about Duane House ›

House in Saidera, Japan, by Akio Isshiki Architects

Cedar wood was used for the structure and facade of this Japanese home, which features a construction technique called shinkabe that leaves beams and columns visible in the interior.

Architect Akio Isshiki used traditional design elements such as shoji screens to create a home that would "set a new standard for contemporary living through a modern interpretation of Japanese architectural elements".

Find out more about House in Saidera ›

Matsuya Ginza lounge, Japan, by I IN

Local studio I IN aimed to turn "light itself into the material of the space" at this VIP lounge for department store Matsuya's Ginza location in Tokyo.

While most of the walls were kept white, one room was drenched in the saturated Edo purple hue. Here, delicate shoji screens and gridded paper lamps help bridge the gap between traditional and modern Japanese interiors.

Find out more about Matsuya Gina lounge ›

Conran Shop, Japan, by Keiji Ashizawa

Designer Keiji Ashizawa created the interior of this Conran Shop in Daikanyama, Tokyo, which spotlights products from Japan and Asia.

Shoji screens were used in the basement, where they were matched with Japanese paper that had been dyed grey and used as wallpaper.

"Shoji screens are an important element in creating a Japanese-style room but I realize that they can also be well used in both functional and aesthetic ways in a modern space," Ashizawa explained.

Find out more about Conran Shop ›

Hiiragi's House, Japan, by Takashi Okuno

This U-shaped house in Japan's Ehime Prefecture was designed so that all rooms would have views of a tree in the central courtyard.

Inside, architect Takashi Okuno used clean lines and minimal decorations to create a sense of simplicity. Shoji screens were used as walls and window screens in a traditional Japanese room, which has a tatami-mat floor and can be used as a guest room.

Find out more about Hiiragi's House ›

Symbolplus office, Japan, by Symbolplus

When designing its own office, located in a timber building designed by Japanese architect Akio Hayashi, Tokyo studio Symbolplus aimed to use natural materials in innovative ways.

In its seating area, shoji screens were used both as walls and ceiling panels, tilting over the room's angular grey sofas.

"Rather than seeking visual novelty, this project innovates through its approach to material reuse, tradition, and adaptability," the studio explained.

Find out more about Symbolplus office ›

Malibu Surf Shack, US, by Kelly Wearstler

US interior designer Kelly Wearstler created a "rustic and raw" decor for this 1950s beachfront cottage in California.

She drew on the property's original details, which included shoji screens, when creating the interior. The resulting space was then filled with an eclectic mix of vintage and contemporary pieces.

Find out more about Malibu Surf Shack ›

House in Toyama, Japan, by NYAWA

This traditional timber home in Toyama, Japan, was updated by architecture studio NYAWA to use as a holiday home. Its original wooden structure, including its decorative intricate carvings, was restored.

The studio then combined the traditional shoji screens with corrugated polycarbonate screens to provide different degrees of light and privacy.

Find out more about House in Toyama ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring relaxing saunas, minimalist living rooms and kitchens featuring natural wood.

The post Eight interiors where translucent shoji screens let the light in appeared first on Dezeen.

Who are the architects behind this year's Serpentine Pavilion? In this roundup, we take a look at 10 stand-out projects from the varied portfolio of Lanza Atelier.

Founded in Mexico City in 2015, Lanza Atelier is a six-strong studio led by partners in life and work, Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo.

The studio's portfolio spans furniture and exhibitions to houses and pavilions, unified by a focus on craft, collaboration and local context, and an ambition to challenge convention.

Abascal is from Spain and studied architecture at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Technische Universität Berlin and at Vastu Shilpa Foundation in Ahmedabad, while Arienzo is Mexican and studied at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City.

Alongside practising architecture, the duo also teaches and is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Emerging Voices Award 2023 from the Architectural League of New York.

In an interview with Dezeen to mark the Serpentine Pavilion, Lanza Atelier's founders told Dezeen that they "have this feeling that we are part of a [new] generation" of Mexican architects.

Read on for 10 stand-out projects by the studio:

Charred Wood Base Pavilion, Mexico, 2025

The traditional Japanese Shou Sugi Ban technique was used to darken the plywood structure of this temporary pavilion in Mexico City.

Crowned by a corrugated plastic roof, the tilted, semi-enclosed form was crafted for arts agency Base to use as an events space that can be easily assembled and disassembled.

Find out more about Charred Wood Base Pavilion ›

Caracol House, Mexico, 2025

Lanza Atelier incorporated sea-snail shells into the concrete surfaces of this house in Cancun, which was created for a client with a love for the ocean.

The home is designed to look inwards to maximise privacy, with living spaces organised around a series of voids and patios framed by walls of concrete and limestone.

Find out more about Caracol House ›

A10 Pavilion, Mexico, 2025

Rain chains line the perimeter of this eight-metre-tall pavilion, giving it a "dynamic, living quality" according to the studio.

Set on the plaza of a Mexico City shopping centre, the steel structure incorporates a reflective pool at its heart, which is overlooked by a wooden bench and elevated walkway.

Find out more about A10 Pavilion ›

A family of 4, 2024

A family of 4 is a chair collection that Lanza Atelier created in response to the arrival of the founders' second son. It is now part of the Denver Art Museum's design collection.

It comprises four seats of different heights that, on first view, appear to represent a traditional family, but they are actually intended to be shared by all family members in various scenarios.

For example, a ground-level chair could be used by adults entertaining a baby sitting on the floor, while the tallest chair could be enjoyed by a toddler wanting to sit in line with adults at a dinner table.

Re-Source at Storefront, USA, 2021

In 2021, Lanza Atelier led the exhibition design for a show at the Storefront for Art and Architecture gallery in SoHo, New York.

Plywood tables and stools that could be disassembled were used to exhibit artworks and given to visitors at the end of the show, highlighting the importance of reusing and repurposing materials.

"We wanted to propose an exhibition design that could have an afterlife," the studio told Dezeen.

Find out more about Re-Source at Storefront ›

Folding Chair, 2021

An example of a furniture design project by Lanza Atelier is its Folding Chair collection, described as "the mobile cousins of normal static chairs".

The seats are crafted from MDF and have fabric joints that allow them to be folded, transforming them into flat, abstract objects. The design was longlisted in the seating category of the Dezeen Awards in 2021.

1973-2021 at Concéntrico, Spain, 2021

This installation in a civic square in Logroño, Spain, took the form of a trio of giant circular benches with diameters of 20, 30 and 40 metres.

It was built outside a town hall to bring the space into a human scale and encourage social encounter, paying "tribute to buildings open to the public", the studio said.

Forest House, Mexico, 2019

Nestled in a pine forest near Mexico City, this brick-and-concrete house is designed to ensure nature is present throughout.

Its form was guided by the positions of trees on the site, with a curved corridor bordering the site with a brick lattice that offers glimpses of the surroundings.

Community Center Pavilion, Mexico, 2018

A walkway led visitors across a pond to reach this pavilion, which was set in the water and built from stacks of low-cost stabilised-earth blocks in Mexico City.

It was designed by Lanza Atelier, TO and architect Alberto Odériz to be dismantled and repurposed in the reconstruction of Ocuilan following an earthquake in 2017.

Find out more about Community Center Pavilion ›

Public Toilets and Kiosks, Mexico, 2015

Lanza Atelier's first official project was in Ecatepec, Mexico City, where it was commissioned to design a series of public toilets on a seven-kilometre bike path

The semi-open structures are built from concrete blocks and filled with planting, creating what the studio described as "a small oasis in the harsh climate of the bicycle track".

In an interview with Dezeen, Abascal said it looked for opportunities to push the boundaries of this project's brief, lobbying for all-gender bathrooms, "which, at the time, was something that was hard to pass through the government".

The post Ten stand-out projects by Serpentine Pavilion architect Lanza Atelier appeared first on Dezeen.

For our latest roundup, we look at seven homes across the UK and Australia, ranging from new builds to extensions, that are finished with shiny, metal exteriors.

Stewart House, Australia, by SSdH

Australian practice SSdH renovated this single-storey, brick home in Melbourne, creating new openings while also preserving its 1970s character.

Contrasting with the brick, aluminium was used to frame a full-height window and a projecting window box at the home's rear, as well as for reflective surfaces across the interior.

Find out more about Stewart House ›

Tabberner Cook House, UK, by James Alder Architects

Local studio James Alder Architects chose zinc panels and aluminium-framed glazing to complement its brick-clad timber extension to the Tabberner Cook House in south London.

Inside, the spacious extension houses rooms for gardening and bicycle maintenance, along with a new kitchen, which is crowned with an exposed waffle-slab ceiling and integrated skylight.

Find out more about Tabberner Cook House ›

Bondi House, Australia, by Nick Kent Design

Located in Sydney, Bondi House's minimalist design is defined by its translucent and reflective exterior, which has been clad with polycarbonate screens and metal louvres.

Completed by local studio Nick Kent Design, the two-storey home sits on a narrow plot and is composed of a lightweight, steel-framed structure that allows the home to be easily reconfigured in the future.

Find out more about Bondi House ›

Red Hill House and Studio, Australia, by Zuzana & Nicholas

A "robust palette" of stone, concrete and steel was used to transform this Brisbane cottage into a home and studio for the founders of Australian practice Zuzana & Nicholas.

The materiality was used to maintain a division between the ground-floor studio and the home above, with a more utilitarian palette of exposed concrete and metal used across the lower level.

Find out more about Red Hill House and Studio ›

Covent Garden Apartment, UK, by Carmody Groarke

London-based architecture studio Carmody Groarke overhauled this Grade II-listed penthouse apartment in London, adding a glazed kitchen extension and sheltered rooftop terrace.

The studio used slanted panels of 25-millimetre-thick aluminium to construct the shelter, which were arranged to mimic the spacing of windows in the building below.

Find out more about Covent Garden Apartment ›

Proclamation House, Australia, by State of Kin

Aluminium awnings contrast with the olive-toned exterior of Proclamation House, a light-filled family home in western Australia completed by architecture studio State of Kin.

Defined by its sculptural concrete form, which is coated in hemp render, the home sits on the former site of a derelict dwelling and accommodates a couple and one of their elderly parents.

Find out more about Proclamation House ›

House on a Hill, UK, by Hugh Strange Architects

London studio Hugh Strange Architects restored and extended this hillside Victorian home with a series of stepped timber volumes clad with metal.

Looking to reinstate the home's connection to its terraced concrete garden, the studio added a rear extension composed of three glazed volumes complete with green roofs and galvanised steel elements.

Find out more about House on a Hill ›

The post Seven homes characterised by shiny metal exteriors appeared first on Dezeen.

Our latest lookbook features houses that prioritise wellbeing with their own saunas, including ones with calming timber-lined interiors and sliding glass doors overlooking gardens.

The roundup includes residences in Japan, Canada, Finland, and the UK that have dedicated sauna rooms, offering a relaxing retreat without having to leave the comfort of your own home.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring minimalist living rooms, wood-filled kitchens and dining rooms situated under voids and lightwells.

Earth, Japan, by Sou Fujimoto

Nestled under a garden on Ishigaki Island, Earth is a concrete holiday home designed by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto for hotelier Not A Hotel.

On the home's lower level, a timber-lined sauna features a back wall that curves up towards a skylight placed under a shallow pool, creating dappled patterns of light.

Find out more about Earth ›

The Pines, UK, by Ström Architects

British studio Ström Architects used fair-faced concrete and lime-washed brick for its extension to a period property in Surrey, which contains a combined kitchen and dining room, home office, gym and sauna.

Lined with tiles and timber slats, the sauna overlooks the home's outdoor swimming pool and garden through a full-height window.

Find out more about The Pines ›

Upcycled Sauna, Czech Republic, by Ika Architekti

Second-hand and scavenged materials form this self-built sauna in Brno, which was perched on railway sleepers in the garden of Ika Architekti co-founder Tomás Dvořák.

The sauna was built from wooden pallets filled with sheep wool insulation, with spruce planks cladding the interior and second-hand corrugated fibreglass panels covering the exterior.

Find out more about Upcycled Sauna ›

Haussmann apartment, France, by Hauvette & Madani

Local design studio Hauvette & Madani tucked an in-house sauna behind a bespoke daybed as part of its renovation of a Haussmann-era apartment in Paris.

Finished with dark wooden slats, the calming sauna sits among delicate white mouldings and eclectic artwork in the apartment.

Find out more about the Haussmann apartment ›

Hinterhouse, Canada, by Ménard Dworkind

Architecture studio Ménard Dworkind created a single-storey cedar-clad holiday home in Quebec and a matching sauna, both with views across the surrounding forested hillside.

Located at the end of a trail that steps away from the home, the sauna is fronted with a large window and a sliding cedar shutter.

Find out more about Hinterhouse ›

Kassette House, Germany, by Malte Schütt

Kassette House is a modular wooden sauna with hemp insulation, a gridded facade and a planted roof designed to connect it with its garden setting.

Created by designer Malte Schütt, the freestanding sauna was installed at the home of a private customer in Germany and is warmed by an electric sauna heater.

Find out more about Kassette House ›

Amami House, Japan, by Sakai Architects

Designed by Japanese studio Sakai Architects, a large corrugated metal roof tops this off-grid home in Japan and shelters patio space wrapping its perimeter.

The home features a small sauna that uses fuel made from construction offcuts, and opens onto the outdoor space through sliding glass doors.

Find out more about Amami House ›

Three Square House, Finland, by Studio Puisto

Three interconnected square volumes cloaked in zinc and black-oiled wood make up this lakeside home in Finland, which was designed by Helsinki-based Studio Puisto.

The smallest volume contains a timber-lined sauna, where clerestory windows let natural light in while maintaining a sense of privacy.

Find out more about Three Square House ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring minimalist living rooms, wood-filled kitchens and dining rooms situated under voids and lightwells.

The post Eight relaxing home saunas for an instant wellness retreat appeared first on Dezeen.

The tallest buildings in Albania, Canada and the Ivory Coast are among the upcoming skyscrapers scheduled to be completed in 2026.

Downtown One, Albania, MVRDV

A map of Albania will be outlined by the pixelated facade of Downtown One, a skyscraper formed of stacked blocks with large rectangular windows. At 140 metres, it will be the country's tallest building.

The project, originally scheduled for completion in 2024, was designed by MVRDV in Tirana, where numerous unusual skyscrapers are currently being constructed.

Find out more about Downtown One ›

China Merchants Bank Headquarters, China, by Foster + Partners

At 388 metres, China Merchants Bank Headquarters in Shenzhen will qualify as a supertall skyscraper.

The building by Foster + Partners has a distinctive geometric exterior formed with tessellated steel and glass panels that draw on traditional Chinese paper folding.

Find out more about China Merchants Bank Headquarters ›

Central Bank of Iraq, Iraq, by Zaha Hadid Architects

Another banking headquarters on the list is this 170-metre-tall skyscraper, which Zaha Hadid Architects is completing in Iraq.

Located on the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad, it will have a twisting exoskeleton raised on a large podium that spans an entire city block. According to the studio, its design is intended to "mimic the light reflecting from waves" of the adjacent river.

Find out more about Central Bank of Iraq ›

Waterline, USA, by KPF

One of the most significant skyscrapers set to open in the US this year is Waterline.

Designed by KPF, the staggered tower rises to a height of 312 metres, making it the tallest building in the state of Texas and Austin's first official supertall skyscraper.

It is one of several landmark buildings KPF is completing this year, also including 520 Fifth Avenue – a 304-metre supertall skyscraper in New York, close to the Chrysler Building.

Find out more about Waterline ›

SkyTower at Pinnacle One Yonge, Canada, by Hariri Pontarini Architects

Canada's tallest building is also expected to reach completion this year. The 351-metre-tall building will have a slightly sloping facade with balconies on one side that emulate vents.

Its architect, Hariri Pontarini Architects, said its design "reflects light in different ways and results in a distinctive silhouette that shifts depending on the angle you view it from".

Find out more about SkyTower at Pinnacle One Yonge ›

Atlassian Headquarters, Australia, by SHoP Architects and BVN

In Australia, SHoP Architects and BVN will complete Atlassian's headquarters – the world's tallest hybrid timber building.

At a height of 180 metres, the office building will have an internal timber structure surrounded by an envelope of steel and glass.

It will take the title of tallest hybrid timber building from Ascent by Korb + Associates Architects in the US, which is 86.6 metres high.

Find out more about Atlassian Headquarters ›

Mercedes-Benz Places, UAE, by Binghatti

Located close to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, this supertall skyscraper by developer Binghatti will be car company Mercedes-Benz's first branded residential property.

It will peak at 341 metres, becoming one of the city's tallest buildings, and feature facades imprinted with the Mercedes-Benz's three-pointed-star logo across its sinuous form.

Find out more about Mercedes-Benz Places ›

262 Fifth Avenue, USA, by Meganom

This skinny supertall skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan will have full-floor residences and an observation deck at its 305-metre-high summit.

It is being constructed on the site of two vacant structures, which have been demolished, and incorporates a 12-storey limestone building within its base.

Find out more about 262 Fifth Avenue ›

Tour F, Ivory Coast, by Pierre Fakhoury

Africa's tallest tower is slated for completion in the Ivorian city of Abidjan in 2026.

Designed by Lebanese-Ivorian architect Pierre Fakhoury for developer PFO Africa, the tower will have a chamfered exterior that reaches a height of 421 metres. It will be primarily occupied by offices.

Sany Irootech Headquarters, China, by SOM

SOM has several projects set to open in 2026, but one of the most interesting is this pair of skyscrapers in Guangzhou. The tallest of the two towers will reach 204 metres.

They will be unified by their exposed diagrid structure and the podium on which they will be raised, which shelters a public plaza with shops and dining areas.

The post Ten skyscrapers set to complete in 2026 appeared first on Dezeen.

On the heels of Dezeen's 2026 interiors trend report that forecast "intelligent restraint" in the year ahead, our latest lookbook spotlights eight pared-back living spaces.

With a new year underway, Dezeen spoke to interior designers about their trend predictions for 2026. The creatives were united in their feeling that spaces designed over the next 12 months will resist extravagance for the sake of it.

Among the contributors was Smita Thomas, founder of Bengaluru studio Multitude of Sins, who predicted "a disciplined, intelligent restraint that borrows from maximalism's warmth but strips its excess".

To mark the anticipated shift from much of the decadence that characterised interior design in 2025, we have rounded up eight living spaces from around the world that are characterised by minimalism.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring wooden kitchens, compact bedrooms and homes in former factories.

Plaka House, Greece, by Local Local 

Emerging architecture studio Local Local renovated this neoclassical Athens home with "contemporary and playful finishes" that respect the building's historic character.

The main living area features an almost entirely white, monochromatic palette, interrupted only by red terrazzo flooring and a fireplace reconstructed with green marble from the island of Tinos.

Find out more about Plaka House ›

Home Farm, UK, by John Pawson

Often hailed as one of minimalist architecture and design's leading voices, British creative John Pawson applied his signature pared-back style to this Cotswolds retreat he designed for himself.

The interior of Home Farm is characterised by subtle timber accents, breathable lime plaster and a sparse selection of furniture.

"There's very little stuff," acknowledged Pawson. "I think I'm used to it, but you can see on people's faces when they look around."

Find out more about Home Farm ›

Amami House, Japan, by Sakai Architects

Amami House is an off-grid dwelling on the Japanese island of Amami Ōshima, topped by a large corrugated metal roof.

Local studio Sakai Architects chose a pared-back interior for the home to match the minimal way it functions as an all-solar-powered building with a vegetable garden that doubles as a space for composting food waste.

The living space is characterised by planks of sugi, a type of Japanese cedar, which were dyed using local mud and the extract of the Sharimbai tree – a process used in the region's traditional textile craft.

Find out more about Amani House ›

Heatherhill Beach House, Denmark, by Norm Architects

Copenhagen firm Norm Architects created this "getaway from everyday life" as a wooden holiday home on the Danish coast.

Timber also features heavily in the interior, which includes an ocean-facing living room with wood panelling and smooth brick flooring.

"We opted for integrating traditional materials in a contemporary way," architect Sophie Bak told Dezeen.

Find out more about Heatherhill Beach House ›

Madrid apartment, Spain, by Hanghar

This renovated 1970s Madrid apartment proves that minimalist doesn't always mean monochrome.

The property is home to Eduardo Mediero, founder of local architecture studio Hanghar, who designed his flat with carefully curated bursts of Pirelli rubber flooring, raw MDF and galvanised steel.

Pops of colour add to the pared-back but eclectic feel in the form of a gridded, cage-like yellow stool and glossy, rounded red sofa.

Find out more about this Madrid apartment ›

Kerr, Australia, by SSdH 

Set within an old chocolate factory in Melbourne, Kerr is a split-level, mezzanine-style apartment with a subtle interior design.

Local studio SSdH created an open-plan living and kitchen area dominated by geometric cabinetry made from Australian spotted gum timber, as well as brushed stainless steel and nickel fixtures.

Find out more about Kerr ›

House by the Sea, UK, by Of Architecture

London practice Of Architecture designed this Cornish beachside home for a surfer-and-artist couple to reflect their carefree lifestyle.

The pair were hoping for a "simple, robust and utilitarian" living space, which the studio achieved using a palette of sandy hues and industrial-style pendant lamps.

Find out more about House by the Sea ›

Flat Iron House, UK, by Michaelis Boyd

A flowing spiral staircase connects all five floors of this minimalist Georgian townhouse in west London, reconfigured by architecture studio Michaelis Boyd.

Flat Iron House features a subtle aesthetic, selected to evoke the owners' memories of holidaying in a Moroccan villa and led by neutral tones and gentle textures.

Find out more about Flat Iron House ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring wooden kitchens, compact bedrooms and homes in former factories.

The post Eight minimalist living rooms where less is more appeared first on Dezeen.

Weathering steel has been a trendy choice among architects for many years, but as this diverse roundup of projects completed in 2025 shows, any reports of it going out of style are greatly exaggerated.

EMIT Technologies, USA, by CLB Architects

Almost all the weathering steel that wraps this building was custom fabricated and engineered on site.

That's because it is the headquarters of an energy and manufacturing company in Wyoming, developed by CLB Architects' renovation of a former Kmart department store.

A laser-perforated scrim layer helps to shade the building, as well as providing a glimpse of the activity within.

Find out more about EMIT Technologies ›

The Yard, China, by Neri&Hu

Another adaptive reuse project saw architecture studio Neri&Hu transform a former industrial compound in the Chinese city of Dalian into a creative hub.

Corten steel – the brand name of the original weathering steel product patented in 1933 – was used as the main surface material throughout, in homage to the site's past.

Find out more about The Yard ›

Nujiang River 72 Turns Canyon Scenic Area, China, by Archermit

Also in China, weathering steel's extreme durability made it the material of choice for this cantilevering viewpoint over the Nujiang Grand Canyon in Tibet.

Its rusty hue references colours of the rocky landscape, as well as the significance of the colour red in Tibetan culture.

The structure features a reinforced glass floor that allows visitors to look down at the river 130 metres below, and sits alongside other attractions including a zipwire.

Find out more about Nujiang River 72 Turns Canyon Scenic Area ›

Alta North Residence, USA, by Prospect Studio

Weathering steel remains a popular choice for residential projects, such as this house on the edge of a forest in Wyoming.

The architecture studio wanted something "both visually arresting and deeply rooted in its surroundings", and so combined the steel with concrete, reclaimed timber and stone for the exterior walls, as well as cedar-lined soffits.

Find out more about Alta North Residence ›

Doshi Retreat, Germany, by Balkrishna Doshi and Studio Sangath

The last project by the late Pritzker Architecture Prize-winner Balkrishna Doshi, this structure snakes its way across the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein.

Conceived as a place for private contemplation, its sunken walls and sculptural pavilion are all crafted from weathering steel made using scrap, chosen because its quality of changing appearance with the weather gives the building a feeling of being alive.

Find out more about Doshi Retreat ›

Baker Creek Pavilion, USA, by Sanders Pace Architecture

Located in a park in Knoxville, Tennessee, this pavilion sits next to a mountain-biking pump track.

Sanders Pace Architecture wanted to build something sturdy but not overly obstructive to views across the park, so used perforated Corten steel panels that will require minimal maintenance.

Find out more about Baker Creek Pavilion ›

What Nelson Sees, UK, by Paul Cocksedge

For last year's London Design Festival, designer Paul Cocksedge created a weathered-steel sculpture in Trafalgar Square.

Created to help showcase Google's AI tools, some of its metal tubes function as viewing portals displaying AI-generated films depicting London's past, present and future from the perspective of the famous adjacent statute of Admiral Horatio Nelson.

The raw, industrial aesthetic of the steel was chosen as a contrast to the technology inside the tubes and in reference to Nelson's maritime history.

Find out more about What Nelson Sees ›

Farrapona Geological Viewpoint, Spain, by Puerto & Sánchez Arquitectos

This lookout over a high mountain pass in northern Spain is in a remote location that reaches temperatures of close to 30 degrees Celsius in summer and minus 20 in winter, so a tough material was essential.

It was formed of nine parts prefabricated in a specialist metal workshop more than 100 kilometres away and trucked in to be assembled by crane.

Find out more about Farrapona Geological Viewpoint ›

Red Rock, USA, by Faulkner Architects

California-based studio Faulkner Architects topped this huge concrete house with a weathering steel cantilever that overlooks Las Vegas.

As well as being capable of withstanding the desert conditions, the composition was intended as "a nod to the geology of Las Vegas Valley and Red Rock Canyon beyond", according to the studio.

Find out more about Red Rock ›

Sawmill Treehouse, Australia, by Robbie Walker

A much smaller home at only 12 metres long and four metres wide, this cabin on stilts sits on a steeply sloping site in a dense forest in Victoria.

Designer Robbie Walker said the slatted weathering-steel wrapping will help to protect the cabin from heat during the summer, as well as hiding services and so enabling a cleaner, more sculptural look.

Find out more about Sawmill Treehouse ›

The post Ten ways that architects used weathering steel in 2025 appeared first on Dezeen.

From a monumental presidential center in Chicago to skyscrapers in New York and Texas, here are the most anticipated architectural projects completing in the United States in 2026.

Buffalo Bills stadium, New York, by Populous

The new Highmark Stadium is being constructed adjacent to the NFL team Buffalo Bills' current stadium in southeast Buffalo, New York.

It will have stacked seating for around 62,000 with a perforated sweeping exterior. Like its predecessor it will have an open roof, but the new building will feature a deep canopy with "the world's largest snowmelt system".

Find out more about New Highmark Stadium here ›

New Museum expansion, New York, by OMA

OMA has been working on an expansion for the SANAA-designed New Museum in Manhattan since 2019, and this year, the articulated building will finally be open. The building tapers down and up from a wide middle, creating extra space on the street-facing aspect.

Wedged between the metal-clad SANAA structure and historic brick buildings, OMA New York partner Shohei Shigematsu said the building take cues from the 2007 building while having its own identity.

Find out more about the New Museum expansion ›

Waterline, Texas, by KPF

Since it topped out in August 2025, this skyscraper designed by KPF in Austin is  the tallest in Texas and the first supertall in the state, rising 1,025 feet (312 meters).

The building has multiple stacked volumes supported by externalised columns at levels that mark changes in programme and hold outdoor and amenity spaces. Named Waterline, it slopes away from the Red River and has a podium designed to be open to connections to the series of trails along the riverfront.

Find out more about Waterline ›

Obama Presidential Center, Illinois, by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects

After years of delays due to the pandemic and complications over site selection, the Obama Presidential Center is set to open in southern Chicago this year. A number of renowned artists and studios, such as Moody Nolan and Maya Lin are involved with the project.

A massive concrete structure with a faceted facade sits on a large site with several support structures, some of which have been placed underground in order to provide parking space.

Find out more about the Obama Presidential Center ›

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, California, by MAD

The futuristic Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is nearing completion in Los Angeles after years of delays. It has a sweeping facade covered with thousands of fibreglass-reinforced polymer (FRP) panels and a green roof.

It is dedicated to the work of film director George Lucas and connect to the adjacent Exposition Park.

Find out more about Lucas Museum of Narrative Art ›

520 Fifth Avenue, New York, by KPF

This supertall skyscraper topped out in late 2024, rising 1,002 feet (305 metres) in the heart of Manhattan, near the Empire State Building.

It has a narrow form with several slight setbacks as it rises, and the studio has said it was informed by beaux-arts design in the creation of its envelope, seen in the detailed, arched window frames.

Find out more about 520 Fifth Avenue ›

Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, New York, by Studio Gang

Studio Gang announced the design of this semi-enclosed theatre in Upstate New York in 2023, and is on track to complete it this year.

With a mass-timber structure, the theatre will have a sloping roof and triangular support beams that frame the natural beauty of the surrounding Hudson Valley.

Find out more about the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival ›

262 Fifth Avenue, New York, by Meganom

This skinny supertall skyscraper is finally set to complete in the Nomad district of Manhattan near Madison Square Park.

With a core pushed to one side, the 1,001-foot-tall (305 metres) structure will feature full-floor residences and have a facade clad in aluminium and glass.

Find out more about 262 Fifth Avenue ›

The post Eight highly anticipated American architecture projects completing in 2026 appeared first on Dezeen.

We're ringing in the new year with a look at 15 landmark architecture projects scheduled for completion in 2026, including museums, performing arts venues and a face-shaped tower.

Sagrada Familia, Spain, by Antoni Gaudí

The most significant building set to be completed in 2026 is the Sagrada Familia, 100 years after the death of its architect Antoni Gaudí.

It officially became the world's tallest church last year, with the addition of a cross to the tower of Jesus Christ.

The construction of the famous basilica has been long and complex, beginning in 1882 and halting during the Spanish civil war when many of Gaudí's designs were lost. It sped up in recent years with help from the engineering firm Arup.

Find out more about the Sagrada Familia ›

Shanghai Grand Opera House, China, by Snøhetta

Buildings due to open in China this year include Shanghai Grand Opera House, for which Snøhetta unveiled its design in 2019.

Its defining feature will be its dramatic helical staircase, which is designed to resemble an unfolding fan that links the roof with a riverside plaza.

Find out more about Shanghai Grand Opera House ›

Centre des Cultures et Spiritualités Ewés, Togo, by Kéré Architecture

Fans of Kéré Architecture can look forward to several of its projects opening in 2026, including this cultural centre in Togo.

The 7,000-square-metre complex will be dedicated to the heritage of the Ewé people and feature a series of low-lying structures, including temples and an open-air amphitheatre.

Kéré Architecture is also finally due to complete the Benin National Parliament, which had also featured on our list of buildings to look forward to in 2024 and 2025.

Find out more about Benin National Parliament ›

LACMA, USA, by Peter Zumthor

Another of the most highly anticipated openings of 2026 will be the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), following its redesign by Peter Zumthor.

The elongated concrete structure, which required the razing of four existing buildings on the site, has been in the works for more than 20 years.

Following a planning consultation in 2019, it received the support of movie star Brad Pitt, who described Zumthor as "master of light and shadow".

Find out more about LACMA ›

V&A East Museum, UK, by O'Donnell + Tuomey

In London, O'Donnell + Tuomey will complete the five-storey V&A East Museum in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The building, which will have an angular, multifaceted form, will be the second cultural venue created for the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) at the park, following the opening of the V&A East Storehouse in 2025.

Find out more about V&A East ›

Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre Cairo, Egypt, by Foster + Partners

For Foster + Partners, 2026 will see the completion of Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre Cairo, a hospital that will prioritise connecting patients with nature.

"It brings together the latest research on biophilia and the positive impact of nature in clinical settings with our pioneering work on collaborative working environments that allow healthcare professionals to give the best care," said head of studio Nigel Dancey.

Find out more about Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre Cairo ›

Casa Wabi Mushroom Pavilion, Mexico, by OMA

One of the most unusual projects on this year's list is the Casa Wabi Mushroom Pavilion, designed by OMA for the Casa Wabi artist's retreat on the Mexican coast.

The otherworldly building will be used to cultivate fungi, and according to the studio, its curved form will provide an "optimized interior organization" to facilitate this.

OMA is also expected to wrap up work on its late-running extension to SANAA's sculptural New Museum in New York, which will double the size of the contemporary art gallery.

Find out more about the Casa Wabi retreat ›

Skanderbeg Building, Albania, by MVRDV

If the Casa Wabi Mushroom Pavilion wasn't sufficiently unusual, this face-shaped tower in Tirana may prove to be.

It is being designed by MVRDV to evoke the country's prominent historical figure Gjergj Kastrioti – a military commander known locally as Skanderbeg.

Elsewhere in the city, the studio will also complete work on Downtown One, which is set to become Albania's new tallest building.

Find out more about Skanderbeg Building ›

Samuel H Scripps Theater Center, USA, by Studio Gang

Jeanne Gang's studio will wrap up work on this open-air theatre for the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival in Upstate New York.

It will have a domed roof supported by a mass-timber structure and be accompanied by a series of pavilions with supporting facilities.

Find out more about Samuel H Scripps Theater Center ›

Grand Canal Museum Complex, China, by Herzog & de Meuron

Elsewhere in China, Herzog & de Meuron is expected to conclude work on the Grand Canal Museum Complex, which it unveiled in 2020.

Located in Hangzhou, the linear museum will be enveloped by a rippling glass facade that resembles water and celebrate the history of the world's oldest and longest artificial river.

Find out more about Grand Canal Museum Complex ›

Danjiang Bridge, Taiwan, by Zaha Hadid Architects

One of Zaha Hadid Architects' most exciting upcoming projects is Danjiang Bridge, which is set to be the world's longest single-tower, cable-stayed bridge upon its completion.

The structure will reduce traffic congestion on small local roads by connecting highways on either side of the Tamsui River in Taiwan.

Find out more about Danjiang Bridge ›

Lucas Museum, USA, by MAD

Over 10 years since MAD first unveiled the design, the Lucas Museum will open its doors in California in 2026.

The spaceship-like building is distinguished by its rounded structure finished in panels of fibreglass-reinforced polymer (FRP), which were created with the help of robots.

Find out more about Lucas Museum ›

CityWave, Italy, by BIG

After topping out during Milan design week in 2025, BIG's landmark CityWave Office will open this year. It will comprise two office buildings of differing heights, connected by a giant canopy.

The building forms part of CityLife, a development already home to skyscrapers by Zaha Hadid, Daniel Libeskind and Arata Isozaki.

Find out more about CityWave ›

Olympia, UK, by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC

For Heatherwick Studio, a major building opening this year will be its revamp of Olympia in London, which it is carrying out with SPPARC.

The studios will introduce a public plaza on the rooftops of the existing Victorian exhibition halls, as well as offices, hotels, a theatre and a live music venue.

Find out more about Olympia ›

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, UAE, by Frank Gehry

Though its official opening date is yet to be disclosed, there is speculation that the long-awaited Guggenheim Abu Dhabi could finally reach completion on Saadiyat Island in 2026.

The project, which was the last major cultural building by the late architect Frank Gehry, was due to open in 2025, but construction works remained ongoing in December.

Its completion will follow the opening of other major cultural institutions on the island, including Jean Nouvel's Louvre Abu Dhabi and Zayed National Museum by Foster + Partners.

Find out more about Guggenheim Abu Dhabi ›

The post Fifteen buildings to look out for in 2026 appeared first on Dezeen.

For our latest lookbook, we've gathered eight kitchens across the globe where natural wood panelling and cabinets create a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

Whether they're located in a summerhouse in rural Sweden or in an apartment in central Tokyo, these kitchens were given a natural touch and calm feel through the use of wood panels and wooden details.

While many of the kitchens are almost entirely made from wood, in other instances the designers matched the material with glossy tiles and pastel colours to create striking contrasts.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring dining rooms illuminated by voids, compact bedrooms and statement fireplaces.

Living with Timber, UK, by EBBA Architects

EBBA Architects founder Benni Allan didn't skimp on the wood when designing the interior of his own flat in a former tea factory.

The London apartment features walls, floors, furniture and even speakers crafted from Douglas fir, including in the kitchen, where all the appliances are hidden behind slim wooden doors.

"Timber is adaptable, warm and tactile," Allan told Dezeen. "The versatility and sense of craft the material brings is something that isn't appreciated enough."

Find out more about Living with Timber ›

East Village Apartment, USA, by GRT Architects

Local studio GRT Architects created this wooden kitchen as part of its renovation of an apartment in the East Village.

At its centre, an oxblood-red kitchen island is clad in small glossy tiles that contrast with the white-oak cabinetry.

Find out more about East Village Apartment ›

The Rye Apartments, UK, by Tikari Works

The interior of these south London apartments by architecture studio Tikari Works all feature exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT), while the cabinetry was made from spruce wood.

The light wood gives the kitchen a modern feel, while large windows set into gabled walls illuminate the interior.

Find out more about The Rye Apartments ›

Hiroo Residence, Japan, by Keiji Ashizawa

Named for its location in Tokyo's Hiroo neighbourhood, this home has a muted colour palette and was filled with wooden furniture and art pieces by its architect, Keiji Ashizawa.

The open-plan wooden kitchen features a dining chair with a woven seat that the architect created especially for the apartment, and which was inspired by both Shaker designs and classic Scandinavian chairs.

Find out more about Hiroo Residence ›

Hee House, Sweden, by Studio Ellsinger

This hat-shaped Swedish holiday cabin, located on a "rural and wild" plot, has a steeply gabled shape and was made from wood and aluminium.

Inside the open-plan kitchen and living area, the wooden walls were left in their natural colour and matched with spacious built-in shelving. Pastel-blue chairs and a dark-red tiled floor add a touch of colour to the cosy kitchen.

Find out more about Hee House ›

Lake Como villa, Italy, by Tuckey Design Studio

This old villa next to Lake Como in northern Italy was turned into a modern home by British practice Tuckey Design Studio.

Inside, the designers chose to use materials found in Lombardy, including green-stained oak timber. This was contrasted against natural wood and chairs in a warm red colour in the bright kitchen.

Find out more about Lake Como villa ›

Horsö, Sweden, by Bross and Nick Flygt

The interior matches the exterior of this holiday home in Sweden, which was finished in untreated wood to disrupt its natural surroundings as little as possible.

"The choice of materials is drawn from the local environment, wood, stone and untreated timber, that will age gracefully and last over time," co-designer Sofia Bross told Dezeen.

In the kitchen, wooden kitchen cabinets and a dark-grey stone splashback were combined, helping to underline the tactile feel of the home.

Find out more about Horsö ›

Surf House, USA, by Feldman Architecture

The kitchen of the bohemian Surf House in California was clad in salvaged Monterey cypress wood, which was also used for the home's exterior.

Wood panelling decorates the floor, walls and ceiling in the kitchen, as well as its large central kitchen island.

The use of natural materials was intended to help find "the perfect balance between high design and a casual Californian aesthetic," the designers said.

Find out more about Surf House ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring dining rooms illuminated by voids, compact bedrooms and statement fireplaces.

The post Eight kitchens filled with warm natural wood appeared first on Dezeen.

Next in our review of 2025, we select 10 of the best videos produced by Dezeen this year, including  look inside postmodern landmark The Cosmic House and a sculptural exhibition transforming cardboard into icy, crystalline forms.

Across the year, the Dezeen Studio team also captured a cinematic study of the quiet spatial language of contemporary Korean architecture, filmed a kinetic Milan installation that flexes and reshapes with human touch, and produced explainers examining major design movements.

Read on for Dezeen's top 10 architecture and design videos of 2025:

The Cosmic House video tour

In this video, Dezeen takes viewers inside The Cosmic House in west London, the postmodern home designed by architectural historian Charles Jencks together with his wife, landscape designer Maggie Keswick Jencks.

The project also involved collaborations with leading postmodern architects, including Terry Farrell and Michael Graves, who helped shape the house's distinctive character.

The film highlights the building's spatial layout, symbolic elements and use of geometry and explains how the house contributed to the development of postmodern architecture in the UK.

Find out more about The Cosmic House ›

Serpentine Pavilion 2025 video interview with Marina Tabassum

Dezeen interviewed Marina Tabassum about her design for the 2025 Serpentine Pavilion, which draws on climatic principles and community-based building practices from Bangladesh.

The video details how the pavilion was designed to promote natural ventilation, filtered light and adaptable occupation, with Tabassum situating the commission within her wider research into displacement and environmental response.

Find out more about the Serpentine Pavilion 2025 ›

Marina Tabassum design-process interview for the Serpentine Pavilion

In a related video, Dezeen spoke to Tabassum earlier in the year about the research underpinning the pavilion.

She discussed early models, the study of vernacular spatial systems and the process of modifying regional construction strategies for the London context. The film offers insight into how the design developed prior to construction.

Watch the design-process interview ›

Design You Can Feel installation video for ASUS and Dezeen

This video takes viewers inside Studio INI's London workspace, where founder Nassia Inglessis discusses a series of past projects while developing an early concept for ASUS and Dezeen's Design You Can Feel exhibition for Milan design week.

The film traces how her previous experiments with movement and material behaviour inform the ideas she begins to test for the installation, which later took the form of Willful Wonder – a corridor-like structure with winged panels that opened and closed in response to visitors' movement.

Find out more about Design You Can Feel ›

Everything you need to know about art deco video

As part of Dezeen's ongoing explainer series, features editor Nat Barker outlined the origins and defining characteristics of the art deco movement.

The film traces the style's development across architecture, interiors and consumer products, highlighting international examples and identifying recurring motifs, geometries and materials.

Watch the Art Deco explainer ›

Five most impactful chair designs of mid-century modernism video

Dezeen created a video examining five influential mid-century modern chairs, focusing on their construction techniques, material innovations and influence on later design.

Archival images and commentary outline how each chair contributed to developments in ergonomics, manufacturing and modernist form. The video formed part of Dezeen's mid-century modern design series.

Find out more about mid-century chairs ›

Green-roofed housing community by Shibanee & Kamal Architects

Dezeen documented a housing community in Texas designed by Shibanee & Kamal Architects, featuring curved green roofs integrated into the surrounding terrain.

The video shows how the terraced volumes and shaded circulation routes aim to mitigate heat and connect residents with nature, while the architects explain the project's environmental rationale.

Watch the green-roofed community video ›

Dirty Looks exhibition video at the Barbican

This video captures Dirty Looks, an exhibition at the Barbican that examines the subversive use of dirt within fashion.

Barbican curators discuss how designers have used dirt to challenge conventions around glamour, order and acceptability, while the film records the range of installations on display, from soil-based works to pieces exploring surface residue.

Find out more about Dirty Looks ›

Frozen Forms exhibition video at the Anchorage Museum

Dezeen documented Frozen Forms, an exhibition by designer Noa Haim and the Anchorage Museum featuring large-scale cardboard sculptures inspired by the crystalline structures of ice.

The video shows how the folded and layered cardboard elements were assembled to explore form, repetition and structural logic, reflecting the museum's ongoing research into northern materials and environments.

Find out more about Frozen Forms ›

Kia EV5 x Seongok Seowon Academy video

Dezeen travelled to Korea to film a video pairing Kia's EV5 model with Seung H-Sang's Seongok Academy, a contemporary interpretation of a traditional Confucian educational complex.

The film records the relationship between the academy's courtyards, timber structures and circulation routes, exploring how the project draws from historic Korean spatial organisation.

Find out more about the Kia EV5 x Seongok Academy project ›

Work with Dezeen Studio

These films form part of Dezeen Studio's ongoing work producing design-led video content in collaboration with architects, designers, brands and cultural institutions around the world.

To explore more of Dezeen Studio's recent video projects, watch our showreel, or get in touch with sales@dezeen.com to discuss potential collaborations in 2026.

The post Dezeen's top 10 architecture and design videos of 2025 appeared first on Dezeen.

Continuing our 2025 Review, China editor Christina Yao selects the year's best Chinese architecture projects including grand schemes by international studios BIG, OMA and Zaha Hadid Architects, as well as small-scale pavilions from local studios.

Yohoo Museum, Hangzhou, by Aedas

Designed by architecture studio Aedas, Yohoo Museum features an undulating roof that is shaped like an infinity loop comprised of two interlocking rings.

The interlocking rings create two circular light wells, which according to the studio, symbolise the connection between heaven and earth. The two ends of the museum were gently raised off the ground without visible support, creating the entrances to the museum.

Entirely clad in glass, the crystal-like quality of the translucent, multi-layer, laminated glass, known as "emerald glass", was intended to imitate jade's gentle warmth.

Find out more about Yohoo Museum › 

The Seaside Pavilion, Chaishan Island, by GN Architects

Designed as a gateway to the remote island of Chaishan, The Seaside Pavilion is sheltered by a canopy of leaf-like sails.

Local studio GN Architects used fishing nets to create the 36 slender blades that form the pavilion's canopy, with each connected to a central axis that allows them to move with the sea breeze.

Visitors are invited to rest and watch the sea while sitting on the benches located at the base of the timber frame. A reinforced-steel platform was added to support the lightweight timber frame to withstand strong ocean winds and typhoons.

Find out more about The Seaside Pavilion › 

Drifting Stones pavilion, Chongqing, by DoDesign

Informed by a large flat-topped boulder, Chinese studio DoDesign perched this fully-glazed viewpoint on a rocky site in Chongqing.

Designed to immerse visitors within this dramatic landscape, the main viewing area is concealed beneath a stepped stack of cement-coated slabs that imitate natural stones.

The stone-like roof elements were created by covering steel frames with poured cement mixed with local stone powder, which was then hand-chiselled by local artisans to mimic the textures of the surrounding rocks.

Find out more about Drifting Stone pavilion ›

The Louis, Shanghai, by Louis Vuitton

A new landmark in central Shanghai, the boat-shaped concept shop is wrapped in a metallic skin printed with Louis Vuitton's monogram.

The first two floors of the three-storey shop contain an exhibition that showcases the brand's culture and history, while a cafe with a sunken terrace occupies the top floor.

According to Louis Vuitton's in-house design team, the boat shape pays homage to Shanghai's port culture as the "gateway to the east", while also nodding to the brand's history of crafting trunks for ocean voyages.

Find out more about The Louis ›

Jomoo headquarters, Xiamen, by OMA

Dutch architecture studio OMA created the 105-metre-tall skyscraper as the office campus for Jomoo, China's largest sanitaryware company.

Informed by the rocky and mountainous terrain of Fujian province, OMA designed a mountain-like base for the tower by pulling up the podium to form a series of angles on the facade.

The studio also added white ceramic stripes to the glazed facade, to evoke the window tracery that is commonly seen in local architecture and reference the main material used in Jomoo's products.

Find out more about Jomoo headquarters › 

Maiji Mountain Visitor Centre, Tianshui, by ZXD Architects and Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD)

This ring-shaped visitor centre was designed to celebrates the history and culture of the nearby UNESCO World Heritage site known for its 1,600-year-old caves, grottoes and Buddhist carvings.

ZXD Architects and BIAD referenced the importance of circumambulation in Buddhism – the ritual act of moving clockwise around a sacred site – in their design, by creating six volumes in the ring-shaped form that guides visitor movement.

The six volumes also reference the Six Paths of reincarnation in Buddhism, encircling a pool of water. Each volume is clad in sandstone panels, nodding to the geology of Maiji Mountain.

Find out more about Maiji Mountain Visitor Centre ›  

AYDC Public Art Centre, Guiyang, by Atelier Xi

Atelier Xi created an art centre in three sculptural stone-clad pavilions that house a library, events space and an outdoor stage. Drawing inspiration from the native karst cave formations of Guizhou province, each of the pavilions features a distinct, carved-out interior.

The library sits beneath a large, vaulted ceiling, with a sunken reading pit at the centre surrounded by full-height glazing.

The chapel is formed by four bulging walls shaped like inverted arches that create an intimate events space, while the central stage is defined by a single arched section sheltering a concrete plinth.

Find out more about AYDC Public Art Centre ›

The Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art, Suzhou, by BIG

Designed by BIG in collaboration with ARTS Group and Front Inc, the Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art is located next to the Jinji Lake waterfront.

According to the studio, the architecture of the museum reinterprets "lang" – a long, sheltered corridor connecting various pavilions commonly seen in centuries-old Suzhou gardens.

Each of the museum structurs was clad in rippled and curved glass and warm-toned stainless steel, reflecting the surrounding sky, water, and gardens.

"Our design for the Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art is conceived as a garden of pavilions and courtyards," said BIG founder Bjarke Ingels. "Individual pavilions are woven together by glazed galleries and porticoes, creating a Chinese knot of interconnected sculpture courtyards and exhibition spaces."

Find out more about The Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art ›   

Greater Bay Area Sports Centre, Guangzhou, by Zaha Hadid Architects

In Guangzhou, Zaha Hadid Architects and local studio Guangdong Architectural Design and Research Institute (GDAD) designed a stadium informed by the hulls of traditional sailing ships from the Song Dynasty.

The centre includes a 60,000-seat stadium, a 20,000-seat arena for basketball and indoor events, and a 4,000-seat aquatic centre with a swimming pool and diving well.

The roof of the stadium was designed as a system of layers that help passively cool and ventilate the buildings, which Zaha Hadid Architects described as "emulating the pleated silk structures of traditional Chinese fans".

Find out more about Greater Bay Area Sports Centre › 

Pujiang Platform, Chengdu, by MVDRV

Dutch studio MVRDV revamped a viewpoint in the hills of Chengdu to blend in with the landscape, featuring domed roof covered in grass and a projecting balcony that overlooks the new town of Pujiang.

Used as a visitor destination and event space, Pujiang Platform was built from timber to show respect to the nature of the site and reduce embodied carbon.

Inside, the roof of the structure slopes upwards, while the floor slopes down, creating what MVRDV describes as a "telescopic" effect that draws "visitors to the expansive viewing window and balcony that projects out over the slope".

Find out more about Pujiang Platform ›  

The post The top 10 Chinese buildings of 2025 appeared first on Dezeen.

It might have been the year of AI "slop", but 2025 also saw the emergence of some genuinely innovative, intriguing and even beneficial uses for artificial intelligence. Here, we round up eight of our favourites as part of Dezeen's Review of 2025.

"Slop" was the defining word of 2025 – at least according to Merriam-Webster – and describes the flood of mindless, machine-generated content that has flooded social media courtesy of generative AI systems like OpenAI's Sora 2.

Meanwhile, the companies creating these models are still locked in their arms race to create the most intelligent algorithm, spending unthinkable amounts of money to build up their vast data centres, which are already generating more annual carbon emissions than New York City and guzzling more water than humans (via water bottles that is).

But outside of the generative AI bubble, architects, designers and engineers are dreaming up some actually interesting new applications for the fledgling technology, from visualising dreams and keeping plants alive to finding salvageable materials among the ruins of Ukraine.

Below are eight of our highlights.

Dream Recorder by Modem

Dutch design studio Modem – founded by Astin le Clercq and Space10 veteran Bas Van De Poel – has been quietly serving up some of the most innovative uses for AI since its launch in 2021.

Among them is a "compass" designed to enable phone-free walks and a chair co-created by British designer Ross Lovegrove and a Google AI trained to emulate his style.

This year, our most-read AI story by a country mile was Modem's Dream Recorder, a bedside device that allows users to replay their dreams as short animated videos.

Find out more about the Dream Recorder ›

WaterSense buoy by Filip Budny

The global sustainability winner at this year's James Dyson Awards was a buoy that uses AI to monitor the water quality of our rivers and lakes, arming local communities with real-time data to fight back against pollution.

Landlocked bodies of water are especially vulnerable to agricultural runoff, sewage and industrial waste, but are currently supervised only via sporadic manual testing.

In these blind spots, Polish engineer Filip Budny's WaterSense buoy provides unprecedented oversight by continuously and autonomously assessing water quality using cheap paper sensors, evaluated not by humans but by an AI, which he says can forecast pollution events up to 72 hours in advance.

Find out more about WaterSense ›

Neo Gamma robot by 1X

California company 1X made headlines this year when it opened pre-orders for its robo housekeeper Neo Gamma, which promises to do your household chores.

Clad head-to-toe in beige knitwear, the robot will reportedly be steered by a multitasking AI model that can process both language and visual information. This means that Neo Gamma can understand and respond to voice commands, while simultaneously controlling all the motor functions needed to carry them out.

The catch is that, at least in the early stages, the robot will rely heavily on remote operation, with a 1X employee seeing through its eyes and acting as the metaphorical guard rails while the AI is trained in real home scenarios.

Find out more about Neo Gamma ›

FOODres.AI by MIT's Biru Cao and Yiqing Wang

On the more experimental side of things, a duo of MIT students have developed a prototype for an AI-powered 3D printer, which guides users through turning their food waste into printing filament.

Whether born from fruit peels, coffee grounds and leftover rice, the resulting biomaterial can then be used in lieu of traditional plastic filament to 3D-print everyday household objects like cup holders and small containers.

So far, designers Biru Cao and Yiqing Wang have only built a partial prototype. But they're working to develop a fully realised version, which they hope could one day help to tackle the food waste crisis.

Find out more about FOODres.AI ›

LeafyPod by LeafyPod

One of the buzziest launches to come out of the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was this self-watering smart planter.

Designed for nature lovers who weren't blessed with the green thumb to match, LeafyPod features an AI-powered watering system that automatically adapts to the needs of its current inhabitant.

This calculation is based not just on the type of plant it holds but also on real-time data about light exposure, humidity and temperature, gleaned via a suite of sensors hidden inside the minimalist white planter.

Find out more about LeafyPod ›

Circularity on the Edge by Kateryna Lopatiuk and Herman Mitish

The use of artificial intelligence in conflict zones like Ukraine and Gaza has raised grave ethical concerns and carried devasting consequences in recent years.

But Ukrainian architect Kateryna Lopatiuk and developer Herman Mitish have also discovered a way the technology can actually help countries rebuild.

Their project Circularity on the Edge uses computer vision and remote sensing technology to analyse drone footage and identify salvageable materials in the rubble, which can then be used in the reconstruction effort.

Find out more about Circularity on the Edge ›

Even G2 smart glasses by Even Realities

Smart glasses are promising to be the next big product category for artificial intelligence, with a veritable avalanche of AI-powered specs released in 2025.

Meta's collaboration with Ray-Ban was perhaps the most notable – and tech giants including Apple, Samsung and Google reportedly have their own models in the works.

So far, the Even G2s by Chinese company Even Realities have stood out for looking the most like a regular pair of glasses – complete with prescription lenses – while eliminating the controversial outward-facing camera seen in other models, which has raised concerns about privacy and surveillance.

Find out more about the Even G2 ›

Prompting Nowhere treadle-powered AI by Max Park

A vintage foot-powered sewing machine generates the energy needed to run a large language model (LLM) in this critical project from Central Saint Martins graduate Max Park.

The AI itself was trained on the socialist ideals of textile designer William Morris and visualises the hidden labour behind the technology by making its output contingent on manual effort on the part of the user.

Unlike conventional LLMs like ChatGPT or Claude, which rely on far-off data centres, all of the data is processed locally in a bid to help users reclaim a sense of ownership over artificial intelligence.

Find out more about Prompting Nowhere ›

The post Eight actually interesting uses of AI from 2025 appeared first on Dezeen.

As the material continues to grow in popularity, we take a look at mass-timber apartments, academic buildings and even an Apple Store made with cross-laminated timber and glulam, for our 2025 Review.

Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation, USA, by Grafton Architects and Modus Studio

This angular building is located at the University of Arkansas as part of the school's Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design and contains a workshop on the ground floor with double-height ceilings.

It is Grafton Architects' first mass-timber building, with the studio calling it an "amazingly attractive challenge".

Find out more about Anthony Timberlands Center for Design ›

Apple Miami Worldcenter, USA, by Apple

Dezeen exclusively revealed Apple's first mass-timber building this year, which was designed by the brand's in-house team and is located in Miami.

"As a free-standing building with sizable spans, we wanted an efficient structural solution that could be sourced locally in the region and help reduce the overall carbon footprint of the project," Apple retail design lead BJ Siegel told Dezeen.

Find out more about Apple Miami Worldcenter ›

Rubenstein Treehouse, USA, by Studio Gang

Studio Gang completed the Rubenstein Treehouse at Harvard's Enterprise Research Campus in Allston, which sits just outside of Boston proper.

The building is a social hub, and was designed around two huge concrete pillars, with a mass-timber structure that branches around them.

Find out more about Rubenstein Treehouse ›

SuperBungalows on Marathon, USA, by SuperLA

This nine-unit apartment building in Los Angeles was created using prefabricated panels and a structure made of cross-laminated timber and glued laminated posts.

According to the team, it is the first time this type of system was used to build a multi-family project in southern California.

Find out more about Superbungalows on Marathon ›

The Centre for Health, Denmark, by Dorte Mandrup

The Centre for Health is located in De Gamles By neighbourhood in Nørrebro, Copenhagen, and was designed to be a warm, inviting environment for a diabetes treatment regimen.

"Timber was a requirement not only for structural reasons, but also to add materiality, warmth, and tactility throughout," project director Christine Fuglsang-Jacobsen told Dezeen.

Find out more about the Centre for Health ›

Wandering House, Switzerland, by Lionel Ballmer Architectes

This residential annex in rural Switzerland was made from a concrete base topped with an upper level made of CLT panels that was clad externally in charred-timber planks.

Both inside and outside the house, a distinct line is drawn where the two structural materials meet.

Find out more about Wandering House ›

Walmart Home Office, USA, by Gensler

Gensler took the lead on the design of several office buildings for the Walmart headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, which were built using mass timber.

"Walmart's new Home Office is an expression of their culture, values, and identity, which also lies at the heart of their decision to use mass timber at an unprecedented scale across their campus," said Gensler principal Johnny Kousparis.

Find out more about Walmart Home Office ›

Valckensteyn, The Netherlands, Powerhouse Company

Powerhouse Company completed this block of affordable housing in Rotterdam using a mass timber structure.

According to the team, it is the first residential, mass-timber building in the city and references the area's post-war social housing typology.

Find out more about Valckensteyn ›

Wood Up, France, by Local Architecture Network

The Wood Up apartment building in Paris is "one of first buildings in France to surpass the typical height limits for timber constructions", according to design studio Local Architecture Network.

The 14-storey building contains 132 timber-framed apartments and is made of a Douglas fir, beech and spruce mass timber structure.

Find out more about Wood Up ›

Lyncott CLT Building, Mexico, by PPAA

This building in Querétaro, Mexico, was built for dairy manufacturer Lyncott and is the first building constructed predominantly from mass timber in Mexico, according to the team.

"Lyncott introduces a milestone in Mexican architecture by becoming the first building with an all-wood CLT structure in the country," said PPAA.

Find out more about Lyncott CLT Building ›

The post The top 10 mass-timber buildings of 2025 appeared first on Dezeen.

As the holidays approach, we take a look at houses from India to Scotland that would be ideal places to spend the vacation in for the latest roundup in our 2025 Review.

Earth, Japan, by Sou Fujimoto

Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto created this circular home, called Earth, on Ishigaki Island for hotelier Not A Hotel.

The concrete walls encircle a roof garden, which slopes upwards to the sea and downwards towards a courtyard and fireplace area.

Find out more about Earth ›

HATA, USA, by Anastasiya Dudik 

Self-taught architect Anastasiya Dudik was informed by Soviet-era brutalism and California's history of domed architecture for this holiday home in Pioneertown, California.

Inside, the house is divided on one side into a sleeping area, and a large open living room with a conservation pit on the other.

Find out more about HATA ›

Alloa Hills Weekend Home, India, by Studio Sangath

Local practice Studio Sangath designed this sprawling concrete and brick home for a couple that wanted a retreat from their working, city life in Ahmedabad, India.

The home consists of cubic forms arranged around a central courtyard to create a "meandering" layout.

Find out more about Alloa Hills Weekend Home ›

CLT House, USA, by nArchitects

nArchitects founders Eric Bunge and Mimi Hoang created this lakeside cabin in New York's Hudson Valley as a nature retreat for their family.

The duo used a CLT structure to build the house to allay environmental concerns.

Find out more about CLT House ›

Prefab House Changeover, Spain, by TEST

Architecture studio TEST prefabricated this deep red holiday home off-site and placed it on top of six shotcrete pillars leftover from another mountainside cabin on the same plot.

Large wooden shutters protect the exterior and open to reveal the glass panels that surround the two-level house.

Find out more about Prefab House Changeover ›

Rancho del Bosque, Mexico, by Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos

This holiday house in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, consists of six semi-circular structures that branch off a main volume, which holds a living area.

The smaller structures contain a lounge area and individual bedrooms, while another, rectangular structure on the other side contains a kitchen.

Find out more about Rancho del Bosque ›

Pine Island Cottage, Canada, by Bureau Tempo and Thom Fougere

Canadian studios Bureau Tempo and Thom Fougere worked together to pull in natural elements from the rocky Ontario surroundings for this holiday home on an island in Georgian Bay.

"Translating that tactile experience into the interior in unexpected ways became a guiding goal in selecting materials," said Fougere. "It often came down to finding the minimum touch with the maximum impact to achieve this."

Find out more about Pine Island Cottage ›

Casa Plaj, Portugal, by Extrastudio

Casa Plaj in Portugal juts off its grassy, hilly site in a cantilever.

The front facade of the building is relatively closed, while the three other sides contain wide-open windows that look out over the surrounding coast.

Find out more about Casa Plaj ›

Fairburn Tower, UK, by Simpson & Brown

Architecture studio Simpson & Brown transformed this ageing, 16th-century tower house in the Scottish Highlands into a holiday home, preserving the house's unique character while giving it modern upgrades.

"Unfortunately, the tower eventually became a ruin in about the 1750s, but regardless of how crumbly it seemed, it had that potential [and] that sense of history and needing to be saved," said project architect Julie Barklie.

Find out more about Fairburn Tower ›

GDR Bungalow, Germany, by Jan Winkelmann and Julia Carloff-Winkelmann

Owners Jan Winkelmann and Julia Carloff-Winkelmann converted this 1960s bungalow located outside of Berlin themselves, updating the structure with a colourful palette that called to California modernism.

The duo completely gutted the house, reorganising the interior and opening up the space for a more modern layout, while still maintaining elements of its functionalist roots.

Find out more about GDR Bungalow ›

The post The top 10 holiday homes of 2025 appeared first on Dezeen.

Next in our 2025 review, we look at concept cars that grabbed readers' attention this year, including an art deco Mercedes-Benz, a minimalist Audi and a car informed by rocket ships.

With the transition to electric still shaking up the automotive world, numerous leading car brands aimed to define their future aesthetic with concept cars in 2025.

While some looked directly to the future, others hearkened back to their own heritage and motoring's "golden era" of the 1930s.

Read on for six standout concept cars that got people talking this year.

Buick Electra Orbit by GM China

General Motors aimed to combine retro looks with modern technology with its futuristic Buick Electra Orbit concept car (top and above).

Designed to evoke retro rocket ships and 20th-century space-age references, the car was created to showcase the creativity and technological ambition of the Buick brand.

"Electra Orbit is a bold exploration of what Buick can be when we blend heritage inspiration with visionary innovation," said Stuart Norris, vice president of design for GM China.

"By reinterpreting space-age motifs and pushing electric-architecture freedoms, we wanted to create a concept that feels both familiar in its Buick DNA and thrillingly new."

Find out more about GM China Buick Electra Orbit ›

Avatr Vision Xpectra

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Avatr also unveiled a concept car with a clear futuristic aesthetic. Topped with a greenhouse-like roof, its Vision Xpectra features inflatable headrests and a central interaction hub made from glass.

According to the brand's chief design officer, Nader Faghihzadeh, its design will influence upcoming Avatr models.

"As EV technology and battery life continue to advance, we have the freedom to rethink the traditional car model and explore entirely new design possibilities," he told Dezeen.

Find out more about Avatr Vision Xpectra ›

Vision Iconic by Mercedes-Benz 

Mercedes-Benz looked to the past to define its future aesthetic with the creation of the art deco-styled Vision Iconic concept.

Unveiled at Shanghai Fashion Week, the car is defined by its dramatic radiator grille, which evokes designs from the "golden era of automotive design" in the 1930s.

Art deco styling continues inside the car, distinguished by brass door handles, mother-of-pearl inlays and fan-shaped straw marquetry, along with a floating glass instrument panel.

Although retro-looking, the car integrates future technologies like Level 4 automated driving, an artificial intelligence (AI) companion and solar paint to extend its range.

Find out more about Mercedes-Benz Vision Iconic ›

EXP 15 by Bentley

Car brand Bentley also looked to the 1930s for its "design vision for the future" with the EXP 15, which is based on the three-seater Bentley Speed Six.

The three-seater EV concept was produced to "provide clues to the brand's first full-electric production car", which is set to be launched next year.

"The beauty of a concept car is not just to position our new design language, but to test where the market's going," said Bentley director of design Robin Page.

"Some customers want a classic 'three-box' sedan shape, others a 'one-box' design and others again something more elevated. So this was a chance for us to talk to people and get a feeling."

Find out more about Bentley EXP 15 ›

Concept C by Audi

Audi was one of several brands following the minimalist trend started by Jaguar's controversial Type 00 car.

For its Concept C car, the German automaker looked to its own heritage and the golden age of motoring, basing the vehicle on both the 1930s Auto Union Type C and the third-generation Audi A6.

According to Audi, the pared-back language of the two-seater car was designed to demonstrate Audi's new philosophy of using "minimal measures to have maximal impact".

Find out more about Audi Concept C ›

Hyundai Concept Three

Designed especially for tight roads in European cities, this compact electric vehicle was created to "set the tone for Hyundai's next chapter of design innovation".

In an interview with Dezeen, Hyundai Design Center head Simon Loasby said that "we're due a renaissance" in "cool small cars".

Find out more about Hyundai Concept Three ›

The post The six most talked-about concept cars of 2025 appeared first on Dezeen.