Dezeen School Shows: a proposal that examines London's failed new-build housing blocks is among the student projects by the Architectural Association.

Also featured is a research project that examines the "idle urbanisation" of France's Etang de Berre territory and a proposal for a data-driven public asset for London's Nine Elms Station.

Architectural Association

School: Architectural Association
Diploma Units: 10, 20, 17, 7, 14

School statement:

"Diploma with Honours is the highest award a student can receive upon completion of the Diploma Programme at the Architectural Association (AA).

"Fifth Year students are nominated at the end of each academic year based on their final presentations for assessment, which convince the diploma tutors of the value, relevance and premise of their project.

"Five students were awarded a Diploma with Honours for the 2025 to 2026 academic year, including Jay E Chew, Changjin Kweon, Ruby Amelia Neal, Sacha Trouiller and Jing Yun Zhou.

"The winning projects will be exhibited in the AA Bar on the first floor of 36 Bedford Square in London from 20 June to 11 July as part of Projects Review 2026, the AA's end-of-year exhibition of work by students across the school."

Pulse Logic: Closing the Loop, Collective Urban Data as Public Architecture by Changjin Kweon

"Pulse Logic proposes a data-driven public asset for Nine Elms Station, where collective urban data is returned to the public through architecture rather than used to control public life from above.

"Transport predictions, crowd density and environmental conditions are translated into visible spatial states: openings, light, ventilation and shared waiting areas.

"By reading the building, people can wait, move, gather or invent their own responses. This is the project's approach to 'closing the loop' – public behaviour changes the architectural state, and that altered state becomes a new civic signal, transforming infrastructure into a responsive, legible and publicly accountable urban commons at scale."

Student: Changjin Kweon
Diploma Unit: 10

Marking the Land: Practicing Territory Across the Kelabit Highlands by Jay Chew

"Marking the Land investigates territory as a practice rather than a condition of ownership within the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia.

"Historically, land was understood not as property, but claimed through continual acts of occupation, cultivation and mark-making. 'To own the land was to work on it.'

"Today, this understanding of territory exists in tension with state land regimes that recognise indigenous rights only as historical conditions.

"The project asks how architecture might operate as a territorial practice outside the legal frameworks of the state. It proposes a network of architectural markers across the highlands that are collectively constructed, maintained and rebuilt, enabling territoriality to be continually practised over time."

Student: Jay Chew
Diploma Unit: 20

The Smoke of the Earth: Re-Framing The Anxious Landscape by Ruby Neal

"The Smoke of the Earth explores theatre as a spatial and social condition in the fragmented post-industrial landscape of Stoke-on-Trent.

"Set within a terrain shaped by extraction and subsidence, the project proposes a non-hierarchical performance space where intuition, movement and shared encounter take centre stage.

"Visitors become both spectators and protagonists, guided by drifting sound and shifting light through porous, chamfered rammed earth walls.

"The walls are made from earth excavated directly on site, already mixed with mine spoil and blast furnace slag, which provides natural stabilisation.

"The charcoal from old ovens gives the surfaces a deep, tonal presence, turning industrial archaeology into visible structure. In this way, the building grows out of the ground itself, offering flexible spaces where rehearsal, performance and everyday life overlap, creating the conditions for collective reorientation in the present."

Student: Ruby Neal
Diploma Unit: 17

Peripheral Sea: The Idle Territory of Berre by Sacha Trouiller

"This work investigates forms of domestic and landscape infrastructure as a continuation of research embracing the idle urbanisation of France's Etang de Berre territory.

"Unfolding in two interventions, located at the edge of both the urban spread and the water, the project addresses both the urgencies of housing shortage and landscape destruction in the region.

"Both designs, while remaining specific to their sites, are in some sense extraneous to them. They refer, obliquely, to the entirety of the Berre territory and the monumental infrastructures that constructed it.

"They can be seen as acts of collimation, to alter even slightly the way the Berre Sea and its architecture are perceived. Fundamentally, they seek to question the meaning of place in a peripheral setting; not to resolve it, but to generate other levels of existence within it."

Student: Sacha Trouiller
Diploma Unit:  7

Hot Assets: A Radical Retrofit of London's Failed New-build Housing Blocks by Jing Yun Zhou

"Contemporary London housing has been engineered into a 'hot asset' – a financialised machine which is optimised for capital accumulation but produces a pattern of physical failure, where overheating and social isolation are built into the architecture itself.

"This project proposes the radical retrofit of London's failed new-build housing blocks, linking thermal repair to resident agency.

"The brick-clad facade is cut, opened and extended for social ends. Holes are cut to ventilate the core. The thermal line is reorganised into a series of habitable spaces that filter air, shade and heat. Windowless corridors give way to occupiable shared space and encounter."

Student: Jing Yun Zhou
Diploma Unit: 14

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the Architectural Association. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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From a reused church in Texas to a restaurant in the Wisconsin wilderness, a recent book shows the breadth of architecture happening in small towns and remote locations across the United States.

Out There: New Architecture Across America showcases 50 architecture firms working away from the main American metropoles, illustrating the breadth of work happening across the United States.

Edited by scholars Robert Ivy, Cathleen McGuigan and Peter B MacKeith, it traces the unique, regional methods being deployed by architecture studios in the country they see as rapidly homogenising.

"Each of the 50 firms chosen for Out There came from the recommendations of distinguished architects, critics and our writing team," the editors told Dezeen.

"We sought design excellence, within a wide variety of contexts, places and building typologies – mostly located in the so-called 'flyover states' between the two coasts."

Rather than producing simple vernacular or traditional forms, the architecture studios in the book focus on innovation and material usage. And the editors believe that a high degree of collaboration also guides the practices featured in the book.

"Remote locations no longer limit an architect's ability to meet, collaborate, or share with their peers," the editors said.

Read on for eight projects defining US architecture between the coasts.

St Thomas Housing, by the Office of Jonathan Tate, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2017

"When is a housing complex also a new kind of block?

"Jonathan Tate combined a cluster of 10 single-story residences and one double unit into a sculptural urban wonder for New Orleans's Irish Channel neighborhood."

Big Cabin/Little Cabin, by Renée del Gaudio Architecture, Fairplay, Colorado, 2017

"Having experienced an epiphany on first seeing the Rockies, Renée del Gaudio determined to intervene with great care into their immensity."

"At Big Cabin/Little Cabin, she has perched a skillfully detailed main residence and an auxiliary sleeping structure up above a rocky outcropping, opening them up to the wildness that first attracted the architect to Colorado from the East Coast."

Alone House, by Bright Common, Philadelphia, Pennslyvania, 2018

"A twist on the city's row houses, the brightly-colored corner house has thick, double-stud exterior walls for energy efficiency and buffering urban sounds, with small street-facing windows."

"However, it opens up to light and air in the back."

All Saints Church, by Cunningham Architects, Dallas, Texas, 2019

"Creative reuse of pre-existing structures holds a key to a more sustainable future.

"Cunningham Architects took the radical step of re-envisioning a derelict 1920s automobile showroom near downtown Dallas into a worship center for an Anglican church, an action that points a new way forward while imbuing a new generation's consciousness with the textures and memories of the past."

Gallery and Studio, by Johnsen Schmaling Architects, Racine, Wisconsin, 2019

"Even at a small scale, good architecture can have a big impact, as these Milwaukee-based architects demonstrated in their design for a crisp new building in a moribund neighborhood of a fading small city."

"When the glass-fronted art gallery, showing the work of regional artists, opened on a street corner (with an artist's studio above), nearby buildings began to be revived and attract new businesses again."

Wild Rice Retreat, by Salmela Architect, Bayfield, Wisconsin, 2021

"What began as a destination restaurant in the wilds of Wisconsin beside Lake Superior has grown."

"Architect David Salmela drew on his inner Finn – he is an American of Finnish heritage – and flung thirty-five cabins including Rice Pods, Nests, Treehouses and communal spaces through the trees out across a new retreat center that nestles and gathers its visitors."

The Springdale Municipal Campus, by Duvall Decker Architects, Springdale, Arkansas, 2023

"Duvall Decker Architects is this year's AIA Architecture Firm Award winner."

"The Springdale Municipal Campus is a model for a contemporary civic center, bringing together police, courts and civic functions into one complex, with a strong exterior presence and light-filled interior public spaces."

Starlight Park Facilities, by Gray Organschi Architecture, the Bronx, New York, 2023

"Few public projects are as humble as restrooms."

"However in Starlight Park, the architects brought dignity to the design of this park-side amenity, with its distinctive form, skylit spaces, splashes of color and a garden irrigated by rainwater."

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The latest edition of our weekly Dezeen Agenda newsletter features Zaha Hadid Architects being rebranded as ZHA. Subscribe to Dezeen Agenda now.

Zaha Hadid Architects principal Patrik Schumacher has announced that Zaha Hadid Architects is rebranding as ZHA after the end of a legal dispute.

This week's newsletter also included Gustaf Westman's stadium-shaped snack bowl, the passing of LOHA founder Lorcan O'Herlihy and the completed headquarters of Chinese phone company Vivo.

Dezeen Agenda

Dezeen Agenda is a curated newsletter sent every Thursday containing the most important news highlights from Dezeen. Read the latest edition of Dezeen Agenda or subscribe here.

You can also subscribe to our other newsletters; Dezeen Debate is sent every Thursday and features the hottest reader comments and most-debated stories, Dezeen Daily is our daily bulletin that contains every story published in the preceding 24 hours and Dezeen In Depth is sent on the last Friday of every month and delves deeper into the major stories shaping architecture and design.

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A swimming pool is raised above the ground at the White Modular House, which was designed by Argentine studio SET Arquitectura to "intervene as little as possible in the natural terrain".

Located in the mountains of Córdoba Province in Argentina, the all-white house rises from a steep hillside blanketed with native vegetation.

The main intent for local studio SET Arquitectura was to "establish a respectful relationship between architecture and landscape".

"Casa Modular White proposes a contemporary way of inhabiting the territory," the team said.

"The project adopts a clear strategy: intervene as little as possible in the natural terrain and allow the landscape to remain the true protagonist."

To achieve this, the studio conceived a three-storey, steel-framed structure lifted above the ground with stilts, thus reducing its physical footprint while providing elevated vistas.

"This approach minimises earthworks and allows the building to rest lightly upon the site, almost hovering above it," the team said.

The home is square-shaped in plan, and its main exterior materials are steel and corrugated metal cladding.

White was used to create a unified look and to present the house as an "abstract object" within the rugged terrain.

The design team used a modular approach throughout the home, from the overall layout to the structural system, facade treatment and circulation. This modular approach allowed for efficiency and clarity.

"The architecture presents itself as a precise and restrained intervention, contrasting with the irregularity of the surrounding vegetation, slopes and natural textures," the team said.

"This contrast is not intended to dominate the environment, but rather to highlight the coexistence of two distinct conditions – the organic complexity of nature and the rational geometry of the built form."

The main entrance is located on the second level and is accessed via an elevated steel walkway. Careful attention was paid to the entry sequence, ensuring that views of the valley were gradually revealed.

Totalling 280 square metres, the home, which serves as a primary residence, offers bright rooms, white walls and wooden flooring. The spatial organisation was informed by the site's topography and the desire to capitalise on views.

The second level also contains the public area – a living space, kitchen and dining room, which merge with outdoor spaces. Large stretches of glass bring in daylight while offering expansive vistas.

Bedrooms are found on the first and third levels.

"Each room establishes a unique relationship with the landscape, offering specific views, distinct levels of intimacy and multiple forms of connection with the outdoors," the team said.

The team extended the home beyond the interior by adding terraces and platforms, along with a swimming pool on the middle level.

"The swimming pool, conceived as a suspended volume projecting over the slope, becomes part of a sequence of outdoor areas designed to enhance contemplation of the landscape and enjoyment of the mountain climate," the team said.

Other projects in Córdoba include House in the Clouds designed by architect Malvina Zaya for herself and family, and a concrete and stone house by Nanzer + Vitas that is meant to resemble a medieval village.

The photography is by Gonzalo Viramonte.

Project credits:

Architecture: SET Arquitectura
Architects in charge: Carlos Arias, Pedro Ruiz Funes
Design team: Carlos Arias, Pedro Ruiz Funes, Paloma Allende
Engineering: Lucas Crespi
Collaborators: Juan E Biassi

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Dezeen School Shows: a plan for a zero-waste factory in a former textile mill, which has suffered repeated arson attacks, is among the projects from the University of Sheffield.

Also featured is a supportive living-learning environment for student parents and a public-facing civic space in the London Fire Brigade building.

University of Sheffield

School: School of Architecture and Landscape
Course: Part 1, Part 2 and non-accredited architecture courses
Tutors:  Adam Park, Adam Tarasewicz, Bryn Davies, Emre Akbil, Howard Evans, John Sampson, Kate Nicklin, Leo Care, Leonora Aigbokhae, Naomi Eckworth, Nicola Read, Satwinder Samra and Youcao Ren

School statement:

"Through our teaching, research and partnerships, we engage with social, political, economic and technical challenges.

"Our staff and students work with a range of partners, including local community groups, charities, health organisations and regional authorities, to develop practical solutions to real-world challenges."

Still Knowing How to (Ship) Build by Ellie Hardie

"Still Knowing How to (Ship) Build explores how the skills, knowledge and identity embedded within generations of shipbuilding labour can be retained in the face of industrial decline in Birkenhead.

"Located within Cammell Laird's Construction Hall – the town's largest building – the proposal explores how an industrial megastructure can be redirected to support community governance, construction skills education and the reuse of demolition waste from the wider shipyard.

"The architecture is shaped by the processes of ship construction itself, using reclaimed materials from the wider shipyard and celebrating the labour, assembly and material culture that define the site."

Student: Ellie Hardie
Course: MArch Architecture
Tutor: Leonora Aigbokhae

Hemingfield Agro-energy Commons by Ruby-Eloise Jones

"The Agro-energy Commons, located near Barnsley, Yorkshire, aims to repair the metabolic rift between rural sites of production and urbanist ventures through a community agro-energy hub, which acts as a bottom-up initiative to bring control back to rural areas.

"What was once a destructive carbon-producing colliery site is now a renewable energy centre, displaying innovative technology and exhibiting how accessible this may be to employ in villages across the country, whilst providing clean energy and locally produced food for the local community."

Student: Ruby-Eloise Jones
Course: BA Architecture (Y3)
Tutor: Leo Care

Inner Forth: Cleaning Up After by Freddie Bull

"Located around the Inner Forth in Scotland, this project proposes a fly ash block factory that transforms toxic industrial waste into a low-carbon construction material.

"Set within former coal-power infrastructure, it confronts the environmental legacy of fly ash lagoons and contaminated landscapes created through decades of extraction and pollution.

"The factory remediates polluted ash while manufacturing construction blocks directly from the waste stream, creating a circular system of environmental repair and material production.

"By linking architecture to extraction, waste and ecology, the project positions construction as a regenerative act, turning industrial afterlives into opportunities for climate recovery and future development."

Student: Freddie Bull
Course: MArch
Tutor: John Sampson

A House for Artists by Ania Druc

"My project encapsulates a multifunctional and transformable home built for two Sheffield artists.

"Inspired by the continuously moving River Sheaf, this proposal connects the wider community with a seasonal garden, inviting groups to boost local biodiversity and reduce 'food miles'.

"Whilst the front of the house engages with the public, the building further offers privacy for the clients through walls utilising a push/pull mechanism, meaning that rooms can be manually enlarged/compacted based on clients' needs.

"This idea of Kinetic Architecture allows my project to become an adaptive system, enhancing both comfort and responding to the site environment."

Student: Ania Druc
Course: BA Architecture (Y1)
Tutors: Bryn Davies, Youcao Ren and Naomi Eckworth

Civic Continuity by Louis Swift and Harrison Wade

"Based in Crossharbour, Isle of Dogs, Civic Continuity interrogates existing proposals on the site of a former ASDA, just north of Mudchute Farm.

"The project is situated in the near future after the current proposal stalls, with a new housing association forming in protest of a globalist view of the Isle.

"A school, courtyard housing and mews housing combine to create a more human, civic-focused centre for Crossharbour, with landscaped spines bringing the districts together.

"Community-led governance reinforces existing site lineages, ensuring the long-term stewardship of the site and creating a collective ownership of place."

Student: Louis Swift and Harrison Wade
Course: MArch
Tutor: Satwinder Samra

UBUNTU Energy Hub by Anggie Kristiadji Putri, Felicya Sheralynn and Yun-Tung Hou

"The Ubuntu Energy Hub project rethinks the role of architectural design-research in the face of energy crises.

"Working with the post-industrial steel works building of Sheffield and Districts African and Caribbean Community Association (SADACCA), the project provides spatial responses to a diverse range of interrelated energy, social justice and knowledge gap issues identified in conversation with the community and project stakeholders.

"The project demonstrates how architecture, when reimagined as a responsive and responsible practice, has the power to imagine, speculate and articulate just and caring futures.

"The project proposes novel architectural typologies that contribute to the architecture of community energy as an emergent practice.

"The architectural programmes of the retrofit hub, the care and resource hub, and the G-Mill as the festive energy hub all contribute to and respond to the existing community care infrastructures of SADACCA.

"The result is the embodiment of ubuntu energy as a joyful, powerful and collectivised energy transition."

Students: Anggie Kristiadji Putri, Felicya Sheralynn and Yun-Tung Hou
Course: MA Architectural Design
Tutor: Emre Akbil

In the Making: London Fire Brigade Education and Engagement Hub by Cin Namon Thongsuwan

"The project reimagines part of the London Fire Brigade's historic building at 8 Albert Embankment as a public-facing civic space.

"Drawing on the site's pottery heritage, it uses stages of making such as shaping, firing, glazing and reflection to shape the visitor journey.

"Conceptually, processes are reframed as a force of transformation and resilience. By opening the institution to the public and anchoring the sequence around the existing Memorial Hall, the project returns firefighting heritage to civic life through an architecture of learning, memory and care."

Student: Cin Namon Thongsuwan
Course: MArch: Collaborative Practice
Tutor: Satwinder Samra

Room for Growth student housing by Ashnah Bufion

"To address the challenges of modern parenthood in an increasingly isolated society, Room for Growth proposes a supportive living-learning environment for student parents – a shared community that redistributes caregiving responsibilities while integrating essential amenities.

"Shared balconies and play spaces allow for flexible and mutual support between families, whilst an on-site nursery, swap shop, communal kitchen and study spaces activate a secure communal courtyard.

"Located within the dense urban grain of Sheffield's commercial centre, the project envisages high-density urban housing, with care and co-operation at its heart."

Student: Ashnah Bufion
Course: BA Architecture (Y2)
Tutors: Adam Park

Ecology and Craft: Twin Acts of Repair by Chloe Maestre Bridger

"Ecology and Craft as Twin Acts of Repair proposes a new model of land stewardship in the White Peak, where ecological restoration and cultural production are intertwined through contemporary craft practices.

"Centred on a wool-processing and insulation-manufacturing facility, alongside workshops and teaching spaces, the project reworks a once-industrial landscape and unmanaged grazing land into a regenerative silvopastoral system.

"Through the revival of custodial skills such as shepherding, dry-stone walling, and natural construction, architecture becomes a site of shared making and knowledge exchange.

"Embedded within the cultural and material histories of the landscape, the project frames repair as a reciprocal relationship between people, place and process, where land, building and making remain in continual evolution."

Student: Chloe Maestre Bridger
Course: MArch
Tutor: Kate Nicklin

The Derwent Stoneyard by Sam Dryell

"The Derwent Stoneyard is rooted in the genealogy of gritstone. The project explores the relationship between geology, craft, ecology and time, proposing a new stone vernacular grounded in stewardship and low-carbon construction.

"Conceived as a centre for stone repair, apprenticeship and exchange, the project reimagines the quarry as a living landscape where extraction and ecological succession coexist.

"Buildings emerge from the quarry floor as though hewn from the geology beneath, constructed from rammed earth, site-derived gritstone and locally managed timber.

"Over time, the quarry gradually reclaims the buildings through erosion, vegetation and succession, blurring the boundary between architecture and landscape."

Student: Sam Dryell
Course: MArch: Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Tutor: Howard Evans

The Imaginarium Works by Gaziza Beibutova

"This project proposes the retrofit and reimagining of Genappe Mill within the Dalton Mills complex in Keighley.

"Once a thriving textile hub during the Industrial Revolution, Dalton Mills was central to Keighley's identity but has suffered repeated arson attacks since 2011.

"The zero-waste factory combines making with performance, inspired by the site's former use as a filming location.

"Here, young people can recycle on-site waste from vandalism into building components for local construction, as well as create production and film sets to be showcased in the outdoor theatre and film locations on the site.

"The building also incorporates rehearsal spaces for acting, dance, and music, supporting both creative production and community engagement."

Student: Gaziza Beibutova
Course: BA Architecture (Y3)
Tutors: Adam Tarasewicz and Nicola Read

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the University of Sheffield. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Dezeen Showroom: US brand PoliLam has advertised a selection of its latest surfaces on Dezeen Showroom, including those that look like stone and wood.

PoliLam has released its Milano Impressions surfaces, in which the intrinsic striated and mottled character of Italian stone and terrazzo is mimicked.

The surfaces' realistic grains and relief patterns are created through the use of custom embossing plates, which bond together layers of resin-saturated kraft paper.

The high heat and pressure applied to the paper recalls how stone is formed in nature, resulting in a similarly characterful and yet more durable product.

The brand's Seamless HPL Translucent Surfaces have clear edges and are semi-see-through, allowing light to diffuse evenly when backlit.

Users can choose from nine surface patterns, including solid colours as well as hyperrealistic wood grain and stone effects.

Nanotechnology is used in the production of the brand's ACE Surfaces, which come in 40 colourways and pattern options to suit both private and commercial kitchens and bathrooms.

In addition to a soft-to-the-touch finish, in-built Electric Beam Curing (EBC) technology allows surfaces to self-heal through the application of heat, removing scratches.

Capri Performance Tops feature coordinated colour edges, which create aesthetic continuity and a half-inch-thick profile for a slimline alternative to bulky tops.

Despite their delicate dimensions, they remain durable enough for daily use and can withstand scratches and impact, according to PoliLam.

PoliLam looked to real-life examples of timber species from around the globe to inform the palette of finishes for its Nature's Capsule surface collection.

The surfaces combine the natural beauty of wood grain with the practical advantages of laminates: fire resistance, wear resistance and easy maintenance.

PoliLam was founded by Victoria Acevedo Shen in 2006 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

It specialises in the design and manufacture of surfaces, specifically laminates, boasting a catalogue of stone, solid colour and woodgrain surfaces that have been used in projects throughout the USA and worldwide.

Dezeen Showroom

Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen's huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.

Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.

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A trio of swooping, interconnected volumes informed by traditional Cantonese opera costumes make up this performing arts centre, which has been completed by UK studio ZHA in Guangdong, China.

Perched on a waterfront site within south China's Greater Bay Area, the Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Center contains an undulating 1,200-seat Grand Theatre alongside an exhibition hall and 400-seat multifunctional hall.

The aluminium-clad centre was designed by ZHA, which was recently renamed from Zaha Hadid Architects, to act as a "civic and cultural anchor" for the larger redevelopment of the Yuehe Lake waterfront.

ZHA drew on the area's legacy as "a birthplace of Cantonese opera" for the centre's flowing forms, which were intended to evoke the silk sleeves of traditional costumes.

"The centre's design incorporates multiple distinct structures that crescendo and flare, rising at its western edge to frame the main theatre and exhibition space," the studio said.

Its three volumes, which are connected by a first-floor terrace, are clad with light-grey aluminium panels chosen to minimise solar heat gain.

Strips of jagged glazing break up their exteriors and are divided by prefabricated concrete panels.

At ground level, the Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Center is complemented by a waterfront promenade, gardens and a public plaza.

ZHA's use of dramatic curves extends to the spacious, skylit interior, where sweeping walls made from glass-reinforced gypsum frame the building's staircases and walkways.

Terracotta-toned walls are paired with wooden floors and ceilings throughout.

Within the Grand Theatre, the tiered seating and stage area are enclosed by undulating walls that have been finished with 100,000 "spines".

According to the studio, these spines optimise acoustics within the theatre by enhancing sound diffusion, controlling reverberation and dispersing standing soundwaves.

"This field of static spines that vary in length, density and tone animates the interior with the perception of a subtle, rhythmic vibrancy," the studio said.

Also in the Greater Bay Area, ZHA recently completed a waterfront sports centre, which includes a 60,000-seat stadium, sports arena and aquatic centre.

The studio was recently rebranded to ZHA after its principal Patrik Schumacher won a legal battle to remove studio founder Zaha Hadid from its name.

The photography is by Virgile Simon Bertrand.

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AI artist Thierry Lechanteur has transformed a speculative design by Antoni Gaudí for a supertall hotel in New York into a series of digital renders, featured as part of our Gaudí Centenary series.

Currently gaining traction online, the visuals recreate what Belgian artist Lechanteur described as "one of [Gaudí's] most fascinating projects" to mark the centenary of the architect's death.

The monumental hotel design, named Hotel Attraction, was developed in 1908 for a pair of unknown businessmen, but was never realised.

Gaudí's proposal consisted of a cluster of nine skyscrapers peaking at 360 metres on an unspecified site in Lower Manhattan. Today, the closest we will see to the real building is in models and digital visuals such as Lechanteur's.

The images have been widely shared on Instagram since Lechanteur posted them earlier this month, representing what the artist called "a nostalgia for a future that never happened".

"My work revisits architectural heritage through visual fictions," Lechanteur told Dezeen.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Analog Architecture Drawings (@analog_architecture_drawings)

Gaudí designed the building in 1908

"For the centenary of Gaudí's death, I wanted to extend his dream rather than reconstruct his drawings: a free interpretation of the tower he imagined for New York, grown from his architectural vocabulary rather than from any single document," Lechanteur continued.

"I think people are moved by architecture that almost existed: the Hotel Attraction is a ghost of an alternative New York, and seeing it rendered touches something like nostalgia for a future that never happened. And in a skyline of glass and steel, a 360-metre tower of colour and curves feels almost transgressive today, perhaps even more than in 1908."

Gaudí's designs for Hotel Attraction remained little known until they were published by his collaborator Joan Matamala i Flotats in 1956, in the report titled When the New World Called Gaudí.

The designs were once again publicised in 2003, when they were submitted as an entry to the international memorial competition for the redesign of the World Trade Center site by a group of art historians.

It is believed Gaudí was commissioned for the design in 1908 by two American businessmen. Alongside the hotel, it would have contained a theatre, gallery, restaurants and a viewpoint at its peak called the Space Tower.

Various accounts suggest why the skyscraper was never realised, including it being deemed too unrealistic, that Gaudí ended the project due to illness in 1909, or that he cancelled it due to his client's ambition to cater solely to the elite.

Lechanteur's visuals depict the exterior of the tower, which would have been defined by Gaudí's signature sweeping curves, giving rise to a mountain-like cluster.

It would have had a central tower with a circular plan and a star-shaped crown, surrounded by eight lower volumes. Gaudí is said to have envisaged it being built from a mix of iron, cement, stone and brick, finished with mosaics and glass domes.

Lechanteur said creating the visuals required collating extensive written records, built from scholarly accounts of the project, along with Gaudí's drawings.

"I rewrote all of this into my own detailed brief, which generated dozens of images; I then selected the strongest ones, reworked them in Photoshop, and ran them through further AI passes to unify the final result," he told Dezeen. "It's closer to an editing room than to a single shot."

According to Lechanteur, numerous AI models were involved in the process, though he predominantly works with ImagineArt – an AI creative platform with access to numerous model generators.

The artist has been creating AI-based architectural visuals since 2022, before "the current generative AI wave", he said.

He explained his ambition as an artist is to create "visual fiction, somewhere between photography, architecture, memory and imagination".

Our Gaudí Centenary series is taking place to mark 100 years since the death of Catalonia's most famous architect.  Over the last two weeks, we have taken a deep dive into some of his most famous projects, including the Sagrada Familia, the Church of Colònia Güell and Casa Batlló.

We also spoke to a lead architect on the Sagrada Familia, who told Dezeen there are "future challenges" ahead to complete the world-famous basilica.

Gaudí Centenary

This article is part of Gaudí Centenary, our editorial series profiling ​the Catalan architect and designer Antoni Gaudí​, marking 100 years since his death.

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Continuing our Gaudí Centenary series we look at the first house designed by Antoni Gaudí, Casa Vicens, which was a testing ground for his later work and a masterpiece in its own right.

Construction began on Casa Vicens in 1883 when Gaudí was 31 years old – the same year he took over the design for the Sagrada Família.

The cathedral became Gaudí's masterpiece and what he is most known for, but Casa Vicens is widely considered the first major work of the Catalan Modernisme movement and a testing ground for themes that informed Gaudí's later works.

Casa Vicens, the first house designed by Gaudí, has a distinctly more geometric appearance compared to the fluid, organic forms of the subsequent works he became known for.

Completed in 1885 as a summer home for stockbroker Manel Vicens i Montaner, Gaudí drew upon Orientalist design and Moorish architecture when designing the home.

Colourful ceramic tiles frame stone masonry on the external walls, triangular arches encircle the second floor, and decorated chimneys punctuate the roof perimeter.

"Considered Gaudí's first masterpiece, it is the work of a young architect fizzing with invention but still fumbling towards the style that would later become his own: the organic, undulating, alien buildings that utterly undermined ideas about what architecture could be and that haunt machine hallucinations 140 years on," wrote Edwin Heathcote in the Financial Times.

"Its candy colours, dazzling geometric ornament, chequerboard tiles and finely wrought ironwork make it appear unreal, a kind of hybrid fairytale castle and witch's house."

"If the outside is eccentric, the interiors are nuts," Heathcote continued. "A cacophony of colours, frescoes, materials and patterns, each room has a distinctive and wholly original feel though the overall effect is slightly queasy, a sensual overload even for someone like me who has a lot of time for Gaudí's vivid hyperactivity."

Gaudí was first commissioned to design Casa Vicens in 1878, fresh from graduating from Barcelona's School of Architecture, where his talents were doubted by tutors. At the time, the only completed project to his name was a section of perimeter fence at the Parc de la Ciutadella.

Orientalism was a popular design style at the time, and a revival in Moorish architecture had also come about in Barcelona in the mid-nineteenth century, which had an influence on the Catalan Modernisme movement in the late 19th century – all of which were points of reference for Gaudí at Casa Vicens.

What first made an impression on him when visiting the site of the home was the golden yellow marigolds growing there, so much so that Gaudí covered the exterior of the home with tiles depicting the flowers.

Not only in the home's facade tiles, but all over Casa Vicens are symbols drawn from nature – a great source of inspiration for Gaudí throughout his career.

The passionflower, a symbol of Jesus's crucifixion in Spanish Catholicism, features on the walls of the main bedroom. Gaudí designed the flowers with 10 petals to represent the 10 apostles said to have gathered at the crucifixion, the inner ring of the flower represents Jesus's crown of thorns, and the three prongs at the centre represent the three nails used to fix him to the cross.

Fern motifs in the sgraffito in the main bedroom represent good luck, while blackberries in the ceiling panels represent prosperity and wellbeing.

In the dining room, images of olive branches adorn the ceiling, and ivy crawls across the walls.

Yellow roses mark the tiled walls of the smoking room, and daisies and carnations also decorate surfaces in the home.

The European palm fan can be seen in the cast-iron gate and roof of the covered porch, and curved details in the ironwork over the windows hint at Gaudí's love for fluid lines to come.

Gaudí designed an enclosed porch to connect the indoors and outdoors, drawing in nature from the garden into the living spaces on the ground floor.

The tallest point of the home is a sheltered corner of the accessible roof topped with a cupola – a place Gaudí designed for its resident to escape to with views across Barcelona.

Gaudí was asked to extend the home in the 1920s, but by this point, he was wholly devoted to his work on the Sagrada Família. The commission was passed on to his friend and follower, Joan Baptista Serra de Martínez, with Gaudí's blessing.

Completed in 1925, the extension nearly doubled Casa Vicens in size, transforming it from a single-family home to a multi-family home with a unit on each floor. Additional changes were made to the home in 1935 and 1964.

In 2017, Casa Vicens opened to the public for the first time as a museum, following three years of renovation works carried out by architects José Antonio Martínez Lapeña and Elías Torres, of Martínez Lapeña-Torres Architects, and David García of Daw Office.

It is one of seven Gaudí projects to be recognised by UNESCO as world heritage sites, but the last on the list to be publicly accessible, after functioning as a private home for 130 years

For the recent renovation, museum function and service spaces were added to the 1925 extension – including a visitor's entrance and exhibition space – in order to minimise changes to Gaudí's original work.

"Casa Vicens can be seen as Antoni Gaudí's manifesto home, a flagship for freedom of style uncommon in construction of the time, showing the architect's later creative evolution and, looking outward, anticipates other contemporary movements in the European avant-garde of the late 19th century," said the Casa Vicens museum.

"With Casa Vicens, Antoni Gaudí created an innovative, original work. Beyond the Orientalist elements, in terms of style, Gaudí broke away from anything that had been built previously in Catalonia, which is why Casa Vicens is considered one of the first masterpieces of Modernisme."

As part of Dezeen's Gaudí Centenary series, which marks 100 years since the architect's death, we also looked at his curving Casa Batlló and Park Güell, which was originally designed as a housing estate.

The photography is by David Cardelus.

Gaudí Centenary

This article is part of Gaudí Centenary, our editorial series profiling ​the Catalan architect and designer Antoni Gaudí​, marking 100 years since his death.

The post Casa Vicens was Antoni Gaudí's "manifesto home" appeared first on Dezeen.

Renders and construction images of the upcoming London Museum in Smithfield, by architecture studios Stanton Williams and Asif Khan with conservation architects Julian Harrap Architects, have been released ahead of its opening later this year.

The museum, which will showcase London's history and replace the existing Museum of London that is set to be demolished, will be located in the former Smithfield general market.

Smithfield's 19th-century interior is being restored and updated by Stanton Williams and Khan alongside Julian Harrap Architects, with the museum spread out over three interconnected spaces called Real Time, Our Time and Past Time.

Renders and images of the museum show open-plan interiors that have kept the Victorian pillars and beams, while creating space for exhibition spaces as well as social events.

Visitors will enter the museum via a covered former street that will become the museum's main entrance and form the section called Real Time.

Moving into the museum, they will visit the central Our Time space in Smithfield's Linbury Hall.

This will sit under Smithfield Market's central dome, which has been newly restored.

This area will have 13 large displays that showcase recent London history, with a focus on culture.

Underground, in the Past Time section, London Museum will feature a series of permanent galleries set at the old Roman street level.

Here, visitors can learn about the history of London, stretching from its prehistoric inhabitants to Roman times and more recent history, such as the Blitz and the London Olympics.

The Past Time section will also feature a six-metre viewing window through which visitors will be able to watch trains from the Thameslink line pass by.

The renovation of the historic Smithfield Market buildings led to the rediscovery of an 800-square-metre system of underground vaults, as well as a perimeter of heritage shopfronts.

According to the London Museum, it will be a "green museum" and is "set to rank among the top one per cent of buildings worldwide with a BREEAM Outstanding sustainability rating." It is set to open on November 28.

The controversial demolition of the existing Museum of London is set to go ahead after a legal challenge contesting the plans was dismissed in court earlier this year.

The renders are courtesy of Secci Smith/Asif Khan.

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Dezeen Showroom: sculptural mouth-blown glass shades and delicate metal links meet in this chain-hung pendant light by Australian design studio Ross Gardam.

A continuation of the Solace lighting range, the Solace Chain pendant is built around the same teardrop glass form, with fluid curves based on the interplay of two intersecting circles.

The pendant light features the addition of a slender brass link chain draped into a loop, enhancing the sense of flow and bringing textural contrast.

"A fine chain introduces movement and subtle weight, allowing the geometric glass form to settle into a gentle, natural drape," said Ross Gardam. "The result is a composition that feels precise and fluid, balancing structure with softness."

Produced by Ross Gardam's manufacturing partners and hand-assembled in its Melbourne studio, the Solace Chain pendant light is available in single, single looped or double looped variations.

It can be hung in combinations of multiples to create a statement lighting installation that fills expansive spaces.

Product details:

Product: Solace Chain pendant
Designer: Ross Gardam
Contact: sales@rossgardam.com.au

Materials: mouth-blown glass and brushed brass
Colours/finishes: Black, Frosted Black, Frosted Clear, White (glass), Brushed Brass, Brushed Bronzed Brass, Brushed Blackened Brass (brass)
Dimensions: 360 x 360 x 550 millimetres

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One of Ukraine's most significant religious sites, Dormition Cathedral, is among the buildings to have been left badly damaged in the latest waves of Russian strikes in the country.

The cathedral, which forms part of Pechersk Lavra monastery complex – a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Kyiv – was set alight during a night of drone and missile strikes across Ukraine on Monday morning.

In photos shared with Dezeen by UNESCO, significant damage can be seen to the historic building's exterior and interior where it caught fire.

This includes a gaping hole in its iconic roof, known for its multiple gold domes. Russia has denied hitting the site, but this was refuted by reports made by security officers on site.

Dormition Cathedral was damaged in a wave of strikes across Ukraine in the early hours of Monday morning, in which the military reported 70 missiles and 611 drones, and at least 11 people were reported to have been killed.

Elsewhere in Kyiv, the national film studio of Soviet filmmaker Oleksandr Dovzhenko, home to the country's largest and oldest costume collection, was also hit, along with historic structures close to the cathedral, including Ivan Kushnik Tower.

The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, described the cathedral attack as "one of Russia’s most serious crimes ​against Christian culture to date", while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas labelled it a "war crime".

UNESCO has also condemned the attacks, adding that it is "ready to support relevant authorities in assessing damage".

"UNESCO condemns attacks against cultural property, educational institutions, students, education personnel and media professionals protected under international law," it said in a statement.

"Damage to such institutions deprives communities of access to culture, education, and shared spaces that are essential for recovery and social cohesion."

It is over four years since Russian forces began their full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which is the largest and deadliest war in Europe since world war two.

Among the many Ukrainian architecture studios affected by the tragedy is Archimatika, one of the country's largest firms, which told Dezeen that in the past two weeks alone, two of its key projects have been significantly damaged by Russian attacks.

These are a school within its Comfort Town residential district in Kyiv, as well as parts of the Unit City innovation park and residential development, also in the capital.

However, its founder Dmytro Vasyliev told Dezeen that the studio defiantly continues to focus on providing "stability, safety and normality" for people in Ukraine, despite the constant threat of Russian bombardment.

"The war has not changed the essence of our work as architects," he said.

"As much as possible in times of war, our task is to create environments that help people not simply endure difficult circumstances, but continue living full and meaningful lives," Vasyliev continued.

"What the war does change is this: projects that took years to design and build can be damaged overnight. For any architect, this is painful. You invest years of your life in a project, only to see part of that work destroyed in a matter of seconds," he explained.

"At the same time, buildings can be repaired and rebuilt. Nothing compares to the human cost of this war."

Vasyliev added that the studio is supporting building owners and developers with repair processes, while also turning its focus to creating safe spaces for local people, using its learnings and observations from the war over the past four years.

"In addition to mandatory regulations and underground shelters, we are introducing reinforced concrete safe rooms and paying closer attention to material selection," he explained.

"Recent attacks have shown that different facade systems respond very differently to blast impacts. For example, at Unit Home, ventilated porcelain facades were almost completely destroyed, while the plaster facades at Comfort Town, where the school is located, sustained only minor damage."

"We design for life, not for war. That is why we continue doing what we have always done: creating high-quality environments for people."

Earlier this year, we spoke to designers in the country about the unexpected trend of striking interiors that have emerged in Ukraine since the invasion in February 2022.

Elsewhere in Kyiv, Aranchii Architects is currently developing a church with a community air raid shelter, which will be designed to ensure "comfort and dignity".

The photography is by Zhanna Sirkovych, courtesy of UNESCO, unless stated otherwise.

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Tech company Snap has blended the immersive display style of mixed-reality headsets with the lightweight appearance and functionality of AI glasses in its latest product, the Specs.

Unveiled yesterday at the Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California, the Snap Specs are built to allow wearers to enjoy entertainment, work on the go or access AI assistance through a display projected into their field of vision.

Snap's Specs follow high-profile launches of AI-powered smart glasses from Meta, Google and Samsung, and smaller players such as Even Realities in the past year. However, they take a different tack in prioritising rich augmented-reality experiences over physical lightness and minimal overlaid displays.

Instead, they feature a large display that promises high resolution and 16 million colours. According to Snap, the 51-degree field of view feels like a 24-inch desktop monitor when you're working or a 115-inch home cinema screen placed about three metres away when you're watching a movie.

As with mixed-reality headsets such as the Apple Vision Pro, there is room-tracking technology, so virtual objects can appear anchored to the real environment, and hand tracking for gesture control.

The Specs are bulkier than most AI glasses but lighter than headsets, weighing between 132 and 136 grams, and work on their own, without being tethered to an external "puck", making it easier for users to wear than a headset when they are out and about.

Some of the use cases Snap outlined for the glasses include walking through a city and seeing directions projected onto the street, measuring a space without a tape measure, watching a movie, and working on a computer- or whiteboard-like screen.

Hundreds of apps – which Snap calls Lenses — have already been created by developers using a previous developer version of the glasses.

"When people first hear about augmented reality, they often imagine existing software floating in front of their face," Snap said. "We think the opportunity is much bigger than that."

"Some experiences will help people learn, some will help people work, some will help people create, and some will simply be fun. Many of them haven't been imagined yet."

As with other technology companies before it, Snap is positioning its product as one that can help people feel more present in the moment and free from the pull of their phone screens.

"We believe the best technology fades into the background, helping when it's needed and getting out of the way when it's not," said Snap. "Specs bring computing into the world around us."

"Instead of pulling us away from the moment, they make it possible to access information, entertainment, and assistance while staying engaged with the people and places around us," it continued. "We believe augmented reality is the most natural way to use a computer because it aligns with how people already experience the world: visually, socially, and in three dimensions."

The Snap Specs are made of the Swiss thermoplastic polymer TR90, which Snap co-founder Evan Spiegel referred to as "plastic titanium" on stage at the the Augmented World Expo, saying it was light enough to be worn for hours.

The glasses support prescriptions but through removable inserts rather than fixed lenses, allowing the glasses to be shared among friends and family. The lenses are electrochromic, becoming tinted in bright sunlight.

The Specs are made for long but not necessarily constant wear, with up to four hours of mixed-use battery life and an included charging case providing four additional charges on the go.

The display is powered by liquid crystal on silicon technology, with invisibly small nanostructures called waveguides directing the light to the wearer's eye, while two Snapdragon processors power the computer vision and Lenses.

Snap says it has prioritised privacy for the outset, with an LED indicator that lights up when recording is taking place and user control over what data is stored, synced or shared.

The Specs are built for on-device processing, apart from for AI interactions, which are processed in the cloud.

The Specs are the product of over 10 years of development at Snap, which launched its first pair of smart glasses in 2016, at the same time as it changed its name from Snapchat. Snap says they will begin shipping in autumn.

Meta has a similar prototype in development called Orion, which it previewed in 2024 but has not yet launched to the public.

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There was a strong Japanese influence on this year's edition of Copenhagen's annual design week, with designers and brands from Japan, including Issey Miyake and Karimoku, showing works both on and off the 3 Days of Design schedule.

The interest in Japanese design has skyrocketed in recent years, as the country becomes an increasingly popular travel destination, while shows such as Designart Tokyo, Osaka Art and Design and Alter showcase the talents of emerging designers.

In Copenhagen, many of the designers that Dezeen spoke to underlined the compatibility between Japanese and Scandinavian design, highlighting both regions' use of natural materials and focus on hospitality.

The shows ranged from new launches by established brands to smaller group shows that focused on individual designers. Below, we've collected some of the best exhibitions on Japanese design seen during 3 Days of Design 2026.

O Series by A-Poc Able Issey Miyake

Fashion brand Issey Miyake's A-POC Able presented its first show in Copenhagen, unveiling its pleated O Series lamp – initially launched in Milan last year – in new colours designed especially for the Scandinavian market.

"Last year, after Milan, we came here and I got lots of inspiration," A-Poc Able designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae told Dezeen at the event.

"Danish design and Japanese design are, I think, very similar. We respect design, of course, and we also respect nature."

While the O series lights were initially introduced in white, the Copenhagen editions came in colours inspired by the organic textures of wood and stone, a nod to the influence of nature on both Japanese and Scandinavian design.

Origamine

Washi-paper folding techniques were combined with functional designs that draw on Danish style to create Origamine, product designer Tomomi Yokoyama's take on Japandi design. Her sculptural sideboards and cabinets were matched with delicate washi-screen lamps.

"Japandi style is very trendy, but most of the time it's Europeans taking the Japanese style," Yokoyama told Dezeen. "I thought 'maybe there's a Japandi style from Japan's perspective' – putting Danish or European materials back to Japan. This is a new expression of Japandi."

Also showing together with Yokoyama was designer Takashi Seino, who displayed forward-thinking furniture with 3D-printed upholstery and a ribbed metal light fixture that "reinterprets the shared lighting culture of Japan and Denmark".

Time & Style

It was Tokyo-based Time & Style's second year in a row at 3 Days of Design, and the brand went all in, unveiling a wide variety of pieces ranging from furniture to lighting and accessories.

While the company already has showrooms and stores in Amsterdam and Milan, the response from its previous show in Copenhagen encouraged the company to come back to Denmark and show in a larger location – one of the many old warehouses in the city's formerly industrial Nordhavn area.

"We had a very good response last year, and also I think Japanese craftsmanship and the way we make things have very much in common with Scandinavian and Danish design," Momo Ono, who is in charge of press relations for international customers at Time & Style, told Dezeen.

"We feel like there's a lot we can share and collaborate on, so we thought this was a good opportunity to get in touch with people from the area," she continued.

15 Years After by Ishinomaki Laboratory

Designer Keiji Ashizawa originally launched the Ishinomaki Laboratory brand in Japan's Ishinomaki City in 2011, after the area was devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake that year.

The idea was to create a furniture brand that could be constructed by people in the area, using limited tools and materials to create everyday goods that would help the area to recover.

The 15 Years After exhibition, first shown in Tokyo earlier this year, explores how the brand has expanded since and presents 15 furniture pieces that played a significant role in its development. Ashizawa says he deliberately chose to show at 3 Days of Design rather than at Milan design week.

"I felt that 3 Days in Copenhagen was the ideal venue for explaining Ishinomaki Lab's essence and origins, as it offered a larger space and more time for detailed explanations than Milan," Ashizawa told Dezeen.

"For a small brand like ours, 3 Days is suitable because it allows for a more intimate and collaborative experience, with younger brands and designers also present, which visitors seem to enjoy."

A Moving Presence Dynaudio x Karimoku Case

Located in Copenhagen's picturesque Indre By, A Moving Presence was an immersive listening experience created in Danish hi-fi brand Dynaudio's new showroom.

Here, local studio Norm Architects designed a peaceful, minimalist interior using organic materials and bespoke furniture created with Japan's Karimoku Case.

"Dynaudio works from the belief in Scandinavian engineering, marrying the sensibilities that we have in Scandinavia for tactility with precision work and milling," Norm Architects co-founder Frederik Werner told Dezeen.

"That ties in really well with Karimoku, which has a high-touch technology when it comes to furniture production, but also an amazing human touch."

Among the pieces on show were a sound bar covered in tactile wooden louvres, combined with a custom-made wooden shelf that made the sound system look like an integrated piece of the interior.

Japanmade Vol 1

Denmark's OEO Studio and Japan-based writer Jens H Jensen wanted to celebrate contemporary Japanese design and craftsmanship in this nicely displayed exhibition.

Located a bit off the beaten path, Japanmade included works by larger brands such as Karimoku, which showed its MAS sub-brand, as well as more local ones, including New Light Pottery.

The brand's co-founder, Chizu Nara, hoped showing in Copenhagen this year could help New Light Pottery become a pioneer in a new market.

"If you think about interiors, many Japanese interior brands want to have a new market in Europe," she told Dezeen. "But when it comes to lighting, not many Japanese brands have the same idea yet. That's why we want to try."

A Prologue to EETAL

Nagasaki-based metal brand EETAL Project made its international debut in Copenhagen, where it presented how multiple Japanese, South Korean and American designers had explored sheet metal.

Among the works on display were Kyoto-based Studio Monoya's Punching Block collection, featuring decorative stools and accessories made from punched metal.

Designer Siin Siin, meanwhile, showed striking tables and chairs made from aluminium sheets, while Nagasaki firm Japan Benex worked with graphic designer Ikki Kobayashi on a series of colourful bookshelves.

3 Days of Design took place from 10 to 12 June 2026 in Copenhagen, Denmark. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

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Design studio Golem has completed a subterranean cocktail bar in central London featuring a glossy counter and tactile booths entirely covered in soft red velvet.

Occupying the basement levels of a building in Marylebone, Dive features furniture and materials that adapt to different scenarios and celebrate signs of use.

"Dive's experience is an ongoing negotiation between the design and its guests," explained Golem founder Ariel André. "The bar is not finished at opening, it is finished nightly, by hands, shoes, spills."

"Wear and tear is part of the architecture," he added. "Glossy surfaces are designed to take scratches from glasses and jewellery, velvety walls and floors are meant to retain the imprint of bodies."

Dive's owner chose to divide the venue into two distinct zones: a luminous bar area near the entrance and a darker, more intimate lounge reached by descending a short flight of steps.

Clean lines and sculptural forms define the bar, which features a curved cutout along its front. Convex mirrors and surfaces rendered in smooth, glossy finishes reflect light and movement throughout the space.

"The palette and shimmering light are calibrated for a transitional feel, somewhere between dusk and dawn: warm enough to flatter skin tones, restrained enough to leave the shimmering cocktails in focus," André explained.

A dark corridor leads to the steps that descend into the richer, more tactile lounge space. This area was designed to facilitate moments of interaction between guests, while also offering cosy corners for private conversations.

Structural arches supporting the street above contain flexible seating areas that can be configured to suit various social scenarios. Built-in benches lining the niches are covered with loose cushions that can be repositioned as required.

"The upholstery is conceived to be appropriated by guests," André pointed out. "Bodies shape the furniture, not the other way around."

"When unoccupied, the seating still carries the imprint of previous guests, holding the evening in a suspended time and space."

One of the arches known as the "fun room" is covered from floor to ceiling in lush carpet, allowing its U-shaped layout to be used for anything from lounging to dancing.

Golem created quart-de-lune tables specially for the project, which can be used individually by couples sitting side by side, or combined in sets of two or four to comfortably seat up to eight guests.

The lounge also functions as a listening room, with the choice of absorbent and reflective surfaces helping to create a tailored acoustic environment.

A dedicated DJ booth is positioned next to bespoke shelves housing the owner's extensive vinyl collection. The mixing desk is height adjustable to allow for seated or standing performance.

At the centre of the bar, the non-gendered bathrooms are arranged around a banquette where guests can sit and chat. A one-way mirror conceals this space from the outside while providing a glimpse back into the lounge.

André founded his Paris-based studio in 2021, working across the worlds of architecture, art and design. Previous Golem projects include a modular furniture system made of hundreds of squishy balls, which was used to create a conversation pit in a Brussels apartment.

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Dezeen School Shows: a cultural centre designed for riverside communities in Colombia is among the culturally diverse projects by architecture students at the American University in Dubai.

Also featured is a museum preserving the tradition of Julfar pottery, and a project that transforms an abandoned desert settlement into a venue for cultural events and festivals.

American University in Dubai

Institution: American University in Dubai
Course: ARCH 502 – Architectural Studio X
Tutors: Abdellatif Qamhaieh, Mattia Gambardella and Nicolas Turchi

School statement:

"This capstone course allows students to implement their thesis research by developing a project that integrates all principles of design, showcasing a comprehensive understanding of architectural design and professional capability.

"The course culminates in a senior showcase, where a panel of experts evaluate the projects. The 2026 Architecture Senior Showcase was held online from 9 to 17 May, concluding with an in-person exhibition and award ceremony on 26 June 2026.

"A jury of international experts from industry, academia and the press reviewed the projects, awarding first, second and third places.

"Additional awards involved the local and global community, including professors, alumni and faculty members. A special Future Architect Award from a jury of selected high school students was presented to one student.

"For the third consecutive year, all senior projects addressed one or more Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in alignment with the commitments outlined during COP28 in Dubai."

Moksha: A Journey to Liberation by Aastha Yadgouda

"There are two attributes that all humans can experience regardless of status, achievement, culture or background – we are all born one day, and we shall all die another day.

"This project explores the relationship between ritual, death, community and architecture through the sacred landscapes of Varanasi and the lived experiences of the Dom community.

"Through research, mapping and community engagement, it examines how spirituality, cultural heritage and everyday life shape the city, while revealing the social and spatial challenges faced by the Doms.

"Moksha responds through a series of interconnected interventions that seek to improve living conditions, strengthen community wellbeing and honour Varanasi's sacred identity.

"The project celebrates the dignity of those whose invisible labour sustains the city's spiritual traditions."

Student: Aastha Yadgouda
Course: ARCH 502 – Architectural Studio X
Email: aastha.yadgouda[at]mymail.aud.edu

Layers of Loss by Nahla Fahl

"Layers of Loss explores absence as a spatial and structural condition, rather than a void to be resolved.

"Located in Jobar, Damascus and centred around Al-Ourfan Mosque, the project repositions the site as a museum where memory, ruin and continuity coexist within a single evolving framework.

"The proposal is organised as a lightweight structural field that extends across the site and partially envelopes the mosque without dominating it.

"This scaffold-like armature acts as an ordering system for space, establishing a secondary layer above the ground that filters light, frames views and defines spatial relationships across the ruins.

"The mosque remains the central and protected reference point, around which all interventions are carefully calibrated.

"Rather than reconstructing what has been lost, Layers of Loss creates an open architectural field where structure, landscape and memory are interwoven, allowing the site to remain in a state of continuity and transformations."

Student: Nahla Fahl
Course: ARCH 502 – Architectural Studio X
Email: nahla.fahl[at]mymail.aud.edu

Architecture of Decay: The Sacrificial Ruin by Alia Taher

"Architecture of Decay is an architectural thesis located in Al Madam, a desert settlement in the United Arab Emirates that has gradually been abandoned and reclaimed by sand.

"Rather than treating decay as something to resist, the project explores how architecture can engage with natural processes of erosion, burial and transformation, while preserving the collective memory of place.

"Programmed as a cultural festival destination, the project combines performance spaces, exhibition areas, workshops, markets, storytelling venues and camping facilities.

"These activities transform the abandoned settlement into a seasonal gathering place that celebrates local heritage, while attracting new forms of cultural engagement.

"Constructed using 3D-printed sand and Corten steel, the architecture is designed to weather and evolve alongside its environment. As sand accumulates and surfaces erode, the building becomes part of the same natural processes that shaped the site itself."

Student: Alia Taher
Course: ARCH 502 – Architectural Studio X
Email: alia.taher[at]mymail.aud.edu

Kilnscape by Hanin Ali

"Julfar pottery is a significant part of Ras Al Khaima's cultural identity. However, it is at risk of disappearing due to the lack of people who practice it, and due to the kilns slowly deteriorating.

"Kilnscape is a museum that exhibits artefacts and protects kiln remains, while also operating as a pottery school where new generations can learn and experiment with the craft through hands-on experience.

"By combining exhibition, education and practice, the project encourages an active engagement with pottery.

"The goal is to transform Julfar pottery into a living tradition in which the past and present coexist, allowing the craft to be preserved, shared and carried forward into the future."

Student: Hanin Ali
Course: ARCH 502 – Architectural Studio X
Email: hanin.daryanavard[at]mymail.aud.edu

Unfolded by Sima Assaf

"Mass tourism has turned Petra – one of the world's most important UNESCO-protected sites – into a landscape under pressure. Visitors come to admire Petra, but the intensity of this admiration has begun to harm the very site they came to see.

"Unfolded begins with this problem. It asks: how can architecture protect Petra without hiding it, controlling it or competing with it?

"The project responds by creating a visitor centre where movement slows down and visitors rest before reaching the most fragile area. It's a place where the story of Petra can be understood beyond a single photograph.

"The project is placed strategically to unfold new parts of Petra. The centre introduces new routes, framed views, shaded paths, exhibitions and gathering spaces that guide people toward a wider understanding of the site.

"By revealing overlooked areas, the project aims to spread tourism more evenly across Petra and reduce the pressure on the places that are currently over-occupied."

Student: Sima Assaf
Course: ARCH 502 – Architectural Studio X
Email: sima.assaf[at]mymail.aud.edu

Insiyab by Mohammed Saeed

"Insiyab explores the revival of Arabic poetry in Dubai through architecture that listens, gathers and transforms voice into spatial experience.

"The thesis begins from the idea that sound has shaped collective memory, identity and cultural life across the Arab world.

"Before poetry was preserved through writing, it lived through rhythm, silence, echo, repetition and shared listening. The spoken verse carried values and social memory from one generation to another.

"Insiyab is a poetry performance hall and civic centre that brings oral heritage back into public life. The concept shapes the building as a sound buffer between the noise of the city and an inner world of listening.

"The project uses Grasshopper for seating organisation, acoustic studies, roof panel development and sound ray testing, allowing the architecture to respond directly to performance, listening and spatial acoustics."

Student: Mohammed Saeed
Course: ARCH 502 – Architectural Studio X
Email: mohammed.saeed[at]mymail.aud.edu

The Contraform by Ammar Raj

"Contraform explores how architecture can respond to the invisible systems of AI and surveillance that shape contemporary urban life.

"The project operates within a highly monitored environment where movement, behaviour and identity are constantly observed.

"Rather than resisting these conditions directly, it transforms surveillance pressures into spatial strategies that distort visibility, slow circulation, and reduce predictability.

"At the centre of the project is the Black Box Retreat, a space designed for gradual disconnection. As users descend, the architecture thickens, compresses and fragments, disrupting sight lines and limiting exposure to both physical and digital surveillance.

"The project presents architecture as an evolving interface between human agency and systemic observation. By embracing uncertainty as a design strategy, Contraform proposes a new spatial language that redefines how visibility, autonomy and control are experienced and negotiated within the contemporary city."

Student: Ammar Raj
Course: ARCH 502 – Architectural Studio X
Email: ammar.raj[at]mymail.aud.edu

Woven Sounds by Marieh Khalighinasab

"Woven Sounds explores the preservation of Persian carpet-making as a living cultural practice.

"While Persian carpets are celebrated worldwide as symbols of cultural heritage, the knowledge, oral traditions and collective processes behind their creation are gradually disappearing.

"Woven Sounds responds to this gap by proposing a live carpet museum that shifts focus from the carpet as an artefact to carpet-making as an active cultural process.

"Located in Isfahan, one of Iran's historic centres of carpet production, the museum becomes a space where weaving, learning and cultural exchange remain active parts of the visitor experience.

"Rather than functioning as a display space for artefacts, the project preserves and communicates the intangible heritage embedded within the craft.

"Opening toward the Zayandeh Rud and Marnan Bridge, the project connects craft, sound, memory and landscape, presenting carpet-making as a living tradition that continues to be practised, shared and heard."

Student: Marieh Khalighinasab
Course: ARCH 502 – Architectural Studio X
Email: marieh.khalighinasab[at]mymail.aud.edu

Al Silaa Desert to Destination by Rashed Ismail

"This project explores the intelligence of natural systems and the integration of ecology and architecture.

"Instead of imposing conventional hospitality infrastructure onto a fragile coastal desert, the design translates biological logic drawn from the Ghaf tree, Calotropis procera and desert microorganisms into architectural form.

"It's about building with nature's wisdom rather than against it.

"Taking inspiration from the Al Silaa coastal landscape and the Calotropis procera plant, the resort is organised around a field of funnel-shaped columns that simultaneously serve as structural supports, shading devices and atmospheric water-harvesting systems.

"Beyond Al Silaa, this project serves as a replicable prototype for desert eco-tourism across the Gulf, proving that when architecture truly learns from nature, it can be efficient, culturally rooted and deeply of its place."

Student: Rashed Ismail
Course: ARCH 502 – Architectural Studio X
Email: rashed.ismail[at]mymail.aud.edu

Souq ElTanbur by Areig Abdelmaguid

"Rooted in the living memory of Nubian displacement, this project asks: what does it mean to design for a culture that was physically removed from its motherland?

"The answer takes the form of a cultural market and gathering complex situated along the Egyptian Nile, one that treats culture not as something to be preserved, but as something to be lived in, traded in and celebrated out loud.

"This project uses architecture as an instrument of cultural reclamation, not through the literal reconstruction of what was lost, but through the creation of new spatial experiences that honour Nubian traditions of gathering, exchange and collective memory.

"The programme centres on a souq typology – a form historically embedded in the region's social and economic life – reinterpreted here as a platform for cultural continuity and community reactivation."

Student: Areig Abdelmaguid
Course: ARCH 502 – Architectural Studio X
Email: areig.abdelmaguid[at]mymail.aud.edu

Eternal Now by Tara Chopra

"Eternal Now explores how architecture can slow the perception of time within rapidly accelerating urban environments. Located within the Al Marmoom Desert Reserve in Dubai, the project responds to a growing disconnection from the natural and cosmic systems that once shaped how people understood the passage of time.

"Eternal Now proposes a wellness retreat that reconnects visitors with nature and the cosmos through architecture. The project is organised through a celestial framework derived from Orion and Canopus, two star systems historically significant within Arabian astronomy and navigation traditions.

"Embedded within the dunes, the architecture uses light, shadow, materiality and carefully framed views to make the passage of time physically perceptible.

"Residential, wellness and communal spaces are arranged to prioritise stillness, while preserving an uninterrupted relationship with the night sky."

Student: Tara Chopra
Course: ARCH 502 – Architectural Studio X
Email: tara.chopra[at]mymail.aud.edu

Magdalena: A Floating Corridor of Hope by Maria Somosa

"A Floating Corridor of Hope is an architectural thesis that addresses the challenges faced by displaced children and families living along Colombia's Magdalena River.

"By reimagining architecture as a tool for protection, education and community development, the project responds to the realities of conflict, displacement and limited access to essential services in some of the country's most vulnerable riverine territories.

"Located within one of Colombia's most important waterways, the proposal introduces a network of modular floating and anchored hubs that bring education, safe shelter and livelihood opportunities directly to riverside communities affected by displacement.

"The project delivers critical infrastructure to where it is needed most, creating safe spaces that foster learning, stability and social connection.

"Designed for flexibility and rapid deployment, the hubs can adapt to changing environmental and social conditions along the river.

"The system incorporates classrooms, community gathering spaces, workshops and areas for cultural exchange and skill development, providing children and families with opportunities to rebuild their lives while remaining connected to their communities and cultural roots."

Student: Maria Somosa
Course: ARCH 502 – Architectural Studio X
Email: maria.somosa[at]mymail.aud.edu

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and American University in Dubai. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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US studio CookFox Architects has unveiled the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music, which was informed by the musician's "honesty, bravery and authenticity", at a New Jersey university.

The largely rectangular, 30,000 square-foot (2,790-square-metre) building is located at Monmouth University campus in New Jersey, where the singer performed in early years and where his archives are stored.

Clad in weathering steel panels and with an unstained, mass-timber structure, the building was informed by singer Bruce Springsteen's music, according to the studio.

"The origin of this project, what drew me in, was a bond I felt with one of our generation's greatest storytellers," said CookFox Architects founding partner Rick Cook.

"That has been a thread through every aspect of the design of the building," he continued.

"As a team we were inspired by Bruce Springsteen's honesty, bravery and authenticity while designing the visitor experience, the form and proportions of the building, its materiality, the phenomenally high-performing auditorium space, and the relationship of the architecture to the exhibits, archives and content."

Springsteen grew up and lives in the state, and he references it frequently throughout his music.

According to the team, the weathering steel panels reference New Jersey's industrial heritage. The building is also surrounded by native New Jersey plantings and a London Plane tree to symbolise a tree that stood outside Springsteen's childhood home.

The building is accessed via a boardwalk, which brings people into a large, double-height, central hall, where the mass-timber structure is clearly visible.

The building branches off into the Powell Soundstage performance space to one side, with exhibition spaces on another.

Rectangular windows, some of which are partially concealed by the steel panels, provide light to the interior spaces.

The performance space, however, which takes up one end of the building. is capped by floor-to-ceiling glazing.

The space was used to screen a short film of Springsteen's life and career for the center's "opening act" during visitor hours, but will also be used for musical performances, lectures, and other video screenings.

Dotted lights in the ceiling reference the nighttime sky of the Jersey Shore, New Jersey's popular stretch of beaches, according to the studio.

On the other side of the building, three galleries contain exhibitions on the histories and heroes of American music, while Springteen's archive is located on the second floor.

These spaces look down onto the lobby via a mezzanine.

The building is "all electric, net-zero ready" according to the team, and has received LEED Gold certification.

Outside, the landscape designed by LaGuardia Design Group contains bioswales and detention systems to help with stormwater management and also contains a variety of native trees, such as juniper, tupelo, oak, and maple.

"I am enormously proud that our work will help to tell the story of American music," concluded Cook.

Elsewhere, the studio recently completed a tiered extension to a New York skyscraper and also completed a building along the Williamsburg waterfront.

The photography is by Alex Ferrec

Project credits:

Owner: Monmouth University
Architect: CookFox Architects
Client: Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music
General contractor: Torcon
Owner's project manager: Pure Project Management
Weathering steel: Dissimilar Metal Design
Mass timber: Timberlab
Mechanical engineer: Dagher Engineering
Structural engineer & facade consultant: DeSimone Consulting Engineering
Civil engineer: Langan
Geo-technical engineer: French & Parrello Associates
Landscape architect: LaGuardia Design Group
Exhibition & signage designer: C&G
Lighting consultant: ONELux
Code consultant: Design2147
Acoustic consultant: Longman Lindsey now Trinity Consultants
Security consultant: Dagher Engineering
Theater consultant: Harvey Marshall Berling Associates
Specification consultant: Long Green Specs
Accessibility consultant: KMA Architecture + Accessibility

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Dezeen School Shows: a masterplan exploring how the built environment can shape human emotion is among the student projects from American University in Dubai.

Also featured are a proposal that reimagines Dubai's industrial core as a creative hub and another that rethinks the city's waterfront as a climate-responsive public landscape.

American University in Dubai

Institution: American University in Dubai
Course: Master of Urban Design and Digital Environments (MUDDE)

School statement:

"The Master of Urban Design and Digital Environments (MUDDE) showcases a selection of student projects that investigate emerging approaches to urban development in Dubai.

"Featured works from the Thesis Studio course address contemporary urban challenges through research-driven design proposals. The projects explore themes including rule-based urbanism, gated communities, sense of belonging, superblocks, the development of industrial centres and ecological urbanism in beach environments.

"Collectively, they examine how urban design can respond to rapid urbanisation, environmental pressures and evolving social dynamics while enhancing the quality and inclusivity of urban life.

"Through a combination of analytical research and design speculation, students developed strategies that consider the relationships between urban form, mobility, ecology, economic development and community wellbeing.

"Additional projects from the Urban Design Studio – Neighbourhood Masterplan course focus on the design of a new district in Dubai, conceived on a vacant site.

"Students developed masterplans that integrate sustainability, liveability and adaptability in accordance with local regulations, proposing future-ready urban environments shaped by local conditions and global urban agendas.

"Together, the projects demonstrate the programme's emphasis on innovative urban thinking, digital design methodologies and context-sensitive approaches to shaping the cities of tomorrow."

Rule-Based Urbanism in Dubai by Mohamed Wahid

"Parametric urbanism tends to produce cities that look complex but feel like nowhere.

"This project pushes back by employing Christopher Alexander's pattern language to identify urban patterns in Dubai and embed them in the algorithm.

"Working in Grasshopper and Python, the proposal translates Dubai's older spatial patterns – courtyard clusters, shaded sikkahs, wadi alignment, wind-tower ventilation – into generative rules, then tests them on a desert-edge site near Expo 2020.

"The patterns are treated as instructions and produce a method for designing arid cities that grow with their context rather than over it."

Student: Mohamed Wahid
Course: UDDE614 – Thesis Studio
Email: mohamed.anghilamohamedyacoob[at]mymail.aud.edu

Re-Thinking Belonging in Transnational Urban Spaces: Evidence from Dubai's Multicultural Communities by Zahra Ahmadpour

"This infill development project explores how rapidly growing multicultural cities like Dubai can foster a stronger sense of belonging through strategic urban design interventions.

"Based on a loop-driven movement framework, the proposal reconnects vacant urban plots through integrated mobility, service, social and green networks that strengthen walkability, memory, mental mapping and everyday social interaction.

"The design transforms the large northern vacant plot into a courtyard-within-courtyard masterplan, creating a layered human-scale environment, which enhances social interaction, reinforces community identity and fosters deeper emotional connection to place."

Student: Zahra Ahmadpour
Course: UDDE614 – Thesis Studio
Email: zahra.ahmadpour[at]mymail.aud.edu

Beyond the Block: Reimagining Superblocks for Dubai by Ayah Albaumy

"This proposal reinterprets the superblock model for Dubai's hot-arid, car-oriented urban context.

"Set in Dubai Silicon Oasis, the project transforms large, fragmented plots into a connected network of climate-responsive superblocks organised around shaded mobility routes, green public spaces, mixed-use nodes and a central mobility hub.

"Rather than copying the European superblock model, the proposal adapts it through flexible block radii, thermal comfort strategies, last-mile connectivity and a gradual density transition.

"The project proposes a human-centred urban framework, which reduces short-distance car dependency while improving walkability, public life and environmental comfort."

Student: Ayah Albaumy
Course: UDDE614 – Thesis Studio
Email: ayah.albaumy[at]mymail.aud.edu

Regeneration of Industrial Zones into Creative Hub: The Case of Al Quoz by Charulatha Loganathan

"This project explores the transformation of Dubai's industrial core into a vibrant creative district while preserving its industrial identity.

"Aligned with the Dubai 2040 Vision, the thesis proposes 'symbiotic urbanism', using the Interlock design mechanism to integrate industrial logistics with human-centred urban experiences.

"This proposed masterplan introduces adaptive reuse of warehouses, climate-responsive pedestrian corridors and micro-mobility networks at district, neighbourhood and street scales.

"The design demonstrates how creative and manufacturing industries can coexist within a resilient, liveable and future-ready urban ecosystem."

Student: Charulatha Loganathan
Course: UDDE 614 – Thesis Studio
Email: charulathaloganathan[at]mymail.aud.edu

Eco-Link: Connecting City, Coast and Ecology by Azhaan Kalim 

"Dubai's coastal edges are often treated as fragmented boundaries shaped by infrastructure and real estate, limiting their ecological and social potential.

"This proposal reimagines the waterfront as a climate-responsive public landscape, where the city, coastline and ecological systems are seamlessly integrated.

"Located in Al Sufouh, Dubai, this project introduces a central connective spine that links the urban fabric to the beach, supported by a network of activity nodes that distribute public life across the site.

"Through a system of connected open spaces, walkable networks and human-scale development, this masterplan enhances accessibility, microclimate and everyday usability."

Student: Azhaan Kalim
Course: UDDE614 – Thesis Studio
Email: azhaan.kalim[at]mymail.aud.edu

Celestia Weave by Hadithya Chandrasekar 

"This neighbourhood masterplan for Dubai Design District explores the transformation of a fragmented work-oriented district into a connected mixed-use urban environment.

"The project is structured around a central spine, attractor nodes, layered mobility systems and integrated public spaces.

"Combining residential typologies, waterfront activation, pedestrian connectivity and a parametric architectural identity, the proposal creates a continuous and responsive urban ecosystem that balances density, movement, landscape and everyday public life."

Student: Hadithya Chandrasekar
Course: UDDE 604 – Urban Design Studio: Neighbourhood Masterplan
Email: hadithya.chandrasekar[at]mymail.aud.edu

Tides of Equilibrium by Tracy Abi Najem 

"This proposal aims to harness the fluidity of waves into an urban intervention, filtering the chaos of the city into a calming, structured site.

"Combining Dubai Design District's 'work hard, play hard' ethos with the dynamic nature of water – from calm waves to turbulent storms – the concept shapes the site into four quadrants of shifting atmosphere.

"Moving from a central calm core toward increasingly chaotic edges, four waves ripple outward from the centre, each quadrant defined by the existing road network."

Student: Tracy Abi Najem
Course: UDDE 604 – Urban Design Studio: Neighbourhood Masterplan
Email: tracy.abinajem[at]mymail.aud.edu

Skyline to Shoreline – A Bio-Creative Waterfront Masterplan for Dubai Design District by Patience Ankwatse

"This masterplan reimagines Dubai Design District as a living gradient where skyline, civic life, ecology, waterway and shoreline merge into a cohesive and future-ready urban environment.

"The proposal introduces diverse housing, ecological corridors and a highly walkable mobility network anchored by a central green-blue spine.

"A civic waterfront strengthens the relationship between the district and the Ras Al Khor Sanctuary in Dubai, enhancing public access and environmental stewardship.

"Aligned with the Dubai 2040 Vision, the project promotes climate resilience, social vibrancy and a balanced integration of nature, community and urban form."

Student: Patience Ankwatse
Course: UDDE 604 – Urban Design Studio: Neighbourhood Masterplan
Email: patience.ankwatse[at]mymail.aud.edu

From Isolation to Integration: Redefining Gated Communities in Dubai by Elyazia Almurr 

"This project redefines the gated community through the concept of the shell, proposing a layered spatial system that creates security through depth rather than rigid enclosure.

"The shell operates as a protective yet permeable boundary that transitions gradually from public edges to semi-public buffers and finally to private residential clusters.

"Instead of functioning as a solid wall, this masterplan uses layers of selective openings, green buffers and water bodies to maintain privacy while enhancing visual and physical connectivity.

"The outer layer acts as a harder protective edge, while the interior becomes softer, greener and more socially interactive.

"Through climate-responsive design and spatial hierarchy, the shell balances exclusivity with urban integration, proposing a more adaptive and community-oriented model of gated living."

Student: Elyazia Almurr
Course: UDDE 614 – Thesis Studio
Email: elyazia.almurr[at]mymail.aud.edu

Embodied Experience by Zeyana Khamis Al Aamri

"This masterplan is a mixed-use urban proposal within the Dubai Design District, which is a context that catalyses creativity.

"The framework is driven by a sensory design philosophy that acknowledges that the body, mind and emotions work together.

"The proposal divides the neighbourhood into five key nodes, each designed around a distinct sense and intended to evoke a specific neurological and emotional response.

"Evolved from a poetic exploration into a practical solution, the design meets regulatory standards and is supported by environmental and technical analysis, with Forma used to document projected outcomes."

Student: Zeyana Khamis Al Aamri
Course: UDDE 604 – Urban Design Studio: Neighbourhood Masterplan
Email: zeyana.alaamri[at]mymail.aud.edu

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and American University in Dubai. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Colombian designer Nicolas Riano Guerrero of Studio NRG has unveiled the Lilium chair made using aluminium salvaged from car rims.

The limited-edition furnishing reflects the soft shape of a flower petal with the aim of revealing how metal and other industrial materials can become approachable.

"The idea came from wanting to take one of the most industrial materials there is and change its identity and feel," said Studio NRG founder Guerrero, who is based in Los Angeles.

"Metal is almost always treated with a sharp, aggressive form and I wanted to see if by combining traditional forming processes with more modern digital fabrication, I could achieve the opposite," he continued. "It started as a question of how I could make metal inviting and even comfortable."

The designer studied petal geometry and measured sitting positions to find the right dimensions for the chair's backrest so that it could support a slight recline.

"I felt particularly moved by the curvature and softness of flowers and felt it tied in with my mission of forming metal into something warmer," said Guerrero.

The Lilium chair was produced using recycled high-grade aluminium form car rims that have been diverted from landfill, melted down, and cast into its shape at the South Gate foundry in Los Angeles.

"It feels exciting to take this material out of the industrial loop and give it new identity within furniture, essentially reconceptualising its use," said Guerrero.

According to the designer, sand casting the material and creating texture surface finish, a process done by hand, is a way to show how craft can complement industrial production but also how the latter cannot replicate the former.

"I was drawn to sand casting as it is one of the oldest casting methods in the world," Guerrero said. "Through this process I'm able to highlight qualities that typical industrial processes don't include: imperfections, variations, and history."

The recycled material Guerrero used is less expensive than standard aluminium, which allows him to produce the Lilium chair more competitively. Still, he has chosen to develop Lilium Chair as a piece of collectible design.

"This market gives a new generation of designers an opportunity to enter the conversation," Guerrero said. "It's allowing us to make work that is expressive and will endure rather than another mass-produced piece of furniture."

"It's allowing me to make bold statements as a young studio," he added.

Other collectible design made with upcucled materials includes wearables, decor and furniture made from the Kevlar fabric from the roof of the Montreal Olympic Stadium and USM modular furniture adapted with found objects designed by a group of Norwegian designers.

The photography is by Sophia Maguire

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Dezeen Showroom: the character of Italian stone and terrazzo is replicated in Milano Impressions, a high pressure laminate surface collection by US brand PoliLam.

The Milano Impressions collection features 12 different patterns, ranging from sophisticated veined marbles to expressive terrazzos, all featuring reliefs and grains replicated through PoliLam's custom embossing plates.

These plates press layers of resin-saturated kraft paper together under high heat and pressure to bond them, echoing the process of how stone is formed in nature.

PoliLam's high pressure laminate (HPL) features a high-density core with a transparent top overlay that withstands wear, scuffs and water, while new technology fortifies the surface with chemical and heat resistance, making it more practical for everyday use than many natural finishes.

This durability makes the range suitable for countertops, cabinetry, doors, walls and backsplashes.

Users can select from 12 finishes, one of which is the moody Denovo Lava, a subtle terrazzo with small stone inclusions and faint gold specks, based on dark volcanic stone found near Mount Vesuvius.

Other finishes are Alessia Marble and Kahlani, which offer elegant veined looks and tactile textures, while Bella Concrete brings soft tones and a smooth finish for modern spaces.

Product details:

Product: Milano Impressions
Brand: PoliLam
Contact: sales@polilam.com

Materials: paper and resin
Colours/finishes: Alessia Marble, Euphori Merced, Bella Concrete, Blu Ystad Terrazzo, Soul Ystad Terrazzo, Lapid Terrazzo Moda, Lapid Terrazzo Fenti, Denovo Lava, Kahlani, Grigio Marmo, Travern Marmo, Biancho Marmo

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The cavernous earth chambers of an anthill informed the stack of curved brick balconies that front this home in Maharashtra, India, designed by local studio Kaushal Tatiya Architects.

Aptly named The Anthill, the 650-square-metre home in Ahilyanagar is designed to offer cool living spaces in the region's hot, dry climate without mechanical ventilation.

Kaushal Tatiya Architects looked to the form of an anthill to create shaded, passively cooled interiors, surrounding a double-height living space at the home's centre with a series of breezy "chambers" that open onto deep, sheltered balconies.

"The idea for The Anthill came from studying the anthill not as a literal form, but as an intelligent climatic organism," the studio's founder Kaushal Tatiya told Dezeen.

"What fascinated me was its ability to regulate temperature, create ventilation through voids, and function through a network of interconnected chambers without any imposed geometry," he added.

"Throughout the design process, I tried to move away from conventional notions of walls and rooms and instead think in terms of carved spaces, cavities, and layered transitions."

A cluster of circular skylights in the home's roof pulls light through voids in the two floors above down to the central, ground-floor living area. This sits alongside an open-air passage along the side of the home with a cascading water feature.

While diffuse light fills this central area, the more private bedrooms at the perimeter of the home are shaded by deep balconies and smaller square and circular openings behind metal screens that provide ventilation.

Continuing the metaphor of an anthill, the studio described the home's palette as "earthy, tactile and naturally evolved", dominated by the reddish-brown terracotta, lime plaster and brick.

For The Anthill's curved facade, bricks were laid in varying textured patterns, with the walls also incorporating perforated brick courses informed by traditional jali screens to create ventilation and dappled light.

"One passes through narrow shaded transitions that suddenly open into larger volumes filled with light and ventilation," Tatiya said.

"Courtyards, skylights, jali, and layered terraces create pauses and moments of discovery throughout the journey."

While rough brickwork defines the home's external and circulation spaces, it is contrasted by timber panelling in the bedrooms and living areas, which have been kept "monochromatic and earthy" to allow light and shadow to come to the fore.

"I wanted the building to appear as though it had emerged from the ground over time rather than being artificially imposed on the site," Tatiya said.

"Brick became the primary material because it performs structurally, climatically, and spatially at the same time," he added. "The imperfections, textures, and layered surfaces also echo the eroded and shaped quality of an anthill."

The Anthill is fronted by a large garden, where a lawn and small pond lead to a parking area and the road via a striped, stone-paved path.

Other homes in India recently featured on Dezeen include a glazed dwelling by Mindspark Architects overlooking a cardamom plantation in Kerala, and a home in Indore by Otlo Studio designed to foster a calm, meditative atmosphere.

The photography is by Avesh Gaur.

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Few architects have achieved more public recognition than Antoni Gaudí. But why was he not more influential? Nat Barker reports as part of our Gaudí Centenary series.

Thanks to fantastical buildings and a fascinating character, Gaudí and his work have long been a source of considerable interest to many.

Around the centenary of his death, Barcelona has been gripped by Gaudí fever. So many events have been organised that several of the Catalan city's institutions are referring to 2026 as "Gaudí Year".

Among those who attended an anniversary mass at the architect's finally completed Sagrada Familia was Pope Leo XIV – with Gaudí himself well on the path to sainthood.

It's hard to imagine this level of pomp and circumstance in honour of any other architect, living or dead.

However, walk around most other major cities today and the buildings on display give little indication that he ever existed – much less so, arguably, than other prominent architects of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Why the lack of obvious Gaudí influence on global architecture, despite his global fame?

"He's famous in the general public," architecture historian and critic Mario Carpo told Dezeen. "But he's not necessarily popular with professional architects."

"A person against the spirit of his time"

The years surrounding Gaudí's sudden death represented a Cambrian explosion of architectural ideas in Europe.

Walter Gropius had founded the Bauhaus seven years prior in 1919. In 1923, Le Corbusier published his seminal Vers une Architecture. In 1925, art deco was launched by a major expo in Paris.

And in 1929 in Barcelona itself, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe blew away a World Fair with his famous pavilion, whose gridded rationality and extensive glazing looks much more familiar to us today than Gaudí's trippy creations.

Each of these ideas were firmly embedded in the societal upheaval of the first world war and the rapid advance of modernity. Gaudí was not.

"He was really a person against the spirit of his time," said Carpo. "Look at the buildings and you understand that people of the time must have thought, 'that guy is nuts'."

"He stands for a very specific strand of art nouveau, which is really very idiosyncratic," said MoMA chief curator of architecture and design Martino Stierli. "It's really him. Nobody else worked exactly like him."

Or, as Gaudí's biographer Gijs van Hensenberg puts it, he was "peculiar and particular".

"People just didn't understand what the hell he was about," van Hensenberg told Dezeen.

In technical terms Gaudí was highly innovative, and he used emerging materials such as reinforced concrete.

But on a more philosophical level, while others were embracing the machine age Gaudí had been looking centuries into the past, particularly with his most famous work – the Sagrada Familia.

"Gaudí was in a sense re-enacting and embodying and trying to revive the medieval way of building," Carpo said.

Motivated by his fervent Catholicism, Gaudí wanted to repeal the aberrations that had been the Renaissance and Reformation to restore what he viewed as the purer Christianity of the middle ages, including its churches.

Intrinsic to that ambition was the idea that a cathedral was not, as in the view of the modernists and most Western architects today, the product of a design thought up by an intellectual and passed to workers to materialise.

Instead, as in the medieval period, it was produced by artisanal master builders, designing and constructing as they went.

According to Carpo, Gaudí's belief in this approach is evidenced by the fact he used models rather than drawings, and by the fact that he slept at the site for the last 14 years of his life, climbing up onto the scaffolding each morning.

"Conceptually, it is as if he wanted to build the entire Sagrada Familia with his hands, everything improvising and extemporising on-site," said Carpo. "He was a madman."

"It's too expensive, it's not practical"

Clearly, this understanding of how architecture should work was totally at odds with the zeitgeist and the rapidly expanding construction industry, which the Bauhaus modernists and Le Corbusier were embracing wholeheartedly.

"They didn't think it was viable in an industrialised society to have this kind of crafts-based ornamentation – it's too expensive, it's not practical," said Stierli.

"But also it was against their notion of finding an architectural language that is in line with the industrial revolution."

Even ignoring architectural philosophy, Gaudí's career was not a useful blueprint for the new construction needed in Europe following the first world war, points out Barcelona-specialising architectural historian Jelena Prokopljević.

He had built principally on behalf of wealthy businessmen who were seeking cultural cachet, most notably his industrialist patron Eusebi Güell.

"These types of commissions simply disappear; they're not feasible anymore," Prokopljević told Dezeen.

"Gaudí builds to represent a new industrial class in Barcelona, in Catalonia. But later on, the necessities are much wider, and there is a lot of institutional and public construction, and also there starts to be a necessity for affordable housing, and you can't build it in this way."

These factors – combined with the fact that Gaudí's models were smashed up on the second day of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 – meant that his legacy was at its lowest ebb in the decades following his death.

Tellingly, when Nikolaus Pevsner published his influential book Pioneers of the Modern Movement: from William Morris to Walter Gropius in that same year, Gaudí was mentioned only in two appendix footnotes.

"More influential in the 21st century than the 20th"

But, Prokopljević says, though "sometimes the line was thinner and sometimes thicker" a throughline from Gaudí's architecture to today has always remained intact.

In fact, in Stierli's mind, though it's true that Gaudí had zero impact on the "grid-centric, very rational take on modernism" sometimes referred to as the international style, by the 1950s his presence may have been making itself known in less obvious ways.

"If you consider that our idea of modernism, the way it has been perpetuated through the notion of the international style, is highly reductive of what modernism or modern architecture was in the 20th century, I think you will find some really interesting throughlines," he said.

He points to a monographic exhibition on Gaudí held at MoMA in 1957 (pictured top).

In a press release issued at the time, curators Henry Russell Hitchcock and Arthur Drexler referred to "the recent preoccupation of many architects with sculptural forms and curved surfaces… which, although not directly influenced by Gaudí's little-known work, have nevertheless provided the impetus for the recent quickening of interest in his architecture".

An obvious example is Eero Saarinen's swooping and biomorphic TWA Flight Center, completed in 1962.

"I don't know if Saarinen knew of Gaudí, but even if he didn't, there is this other tradition of modern architecture within the 20th century that has often been written out of canonical histories, but it's there," said Stierli.

By the late 20th century, the use of computational modelling to kickstart construction of the highly complex Sagrada Familia led to growing interest in Gaudí among an emerging group of tech-savvy architects who were also keen to create spectacular forms.

"You could really see his catenary models as a predecessor to parametric design, and so then if you talk about Frank Gehry or Zaha Hadid, I think you can really start to build a lineage," Stierli suggested.

At the same time, Barcelona's international profile was boosted considerably by the 1992 Olympic Games and accompanying urban transformation work – with an explosion in visitor numbers to Gaudí's city.

Since then, his visible impact on contemporary architecture has only grown – with fellow Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and Catalan studio EMBT two notable examples, as well as the organic structures of Mexican architect Javier Senosiain.

EMBT principal Benedetta Tagliabue told Dezeen she particularly admires Gaudí's experimentation, use of physical models, collaboration with artisans and obsessive pursuit of making designs a reality, while also sharing with him a "common aim" in seeking to evoke nature with curving architectural forms.

"These are very beautiful ideas that I will try to maintain in our studio," she said. "So yes, we are influenced by Gaudí, because we have the same desires. But we try with all our best not to copy Gaudí, because copying Gaudí is really something very difficult and extremely dangerous."

"I would say that he was actually possibly more influential for the 21st century rather than the 20th," remarked van Hensenberg.

Today, Gaudí's relevance to the way architects design buildings extends well beyond his engineering ambition.

"He was very much into recycling materials, upcycling materials, and that is very interesting for today's generation," noted Prokopljević.

"We're in a moment where we are increasingly realising that our way of thinking about architecture is no longer aligned with what we're facing in terms of ecological concerns," added Stierli.

"And so I think his deep investment and research into the laws of nature and biomimetic design is something that we see a certain resurgence of at the moment."

It's a testament to Gaudí's uniqueness that he managed to be simultaneously after and before his time.

The main photo is by Alexandre Georges, courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art.

Gaudí Centenary

This article is part of Gaudí Centenary, our editorial series profiling ​the Catalan architect and designer Antoni Gaudí​, marking 100 years since his death.

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Swedish designer Gustaf Westman is ringing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted across the USA, Canada and Mexico, with a chubby pink snack bowl shaped like a football stadium.

Unveiled at the pop-up shop Westman is hosting with sports brand Nike in Los Angeles, the snack bowl is made from pink-glazed ceramic.

The designer conceived the bowl in the shape of a rounded football stadium, with ten indents shaped like seating blocks providing space for different foods.

Westman added a green-hued central tray to the bowl to echo a grassy pitch, which can be detached and used separately.

The designer described his tongue-in-cheek product as "the only object you need for the World Cup".

It is on display at the pop-up alongside other products Westman has designed to be used while watching this year's global football tournament at home, including his Chunky Beer Plate.

Similarly to a rubber ring, the translucent green plate has a hole at its centre so it can be placed on top of a bottle of beer when in use, creating a two-in-one snack-and-drink holder.

Also at the pop-up is Westman's ceramic Swoosh Plate, shaped like Nike's iconic logo and finished in the same pink glazed ceramic as the stadium snack bowl.

The launches follow on from Westman's playful Curling Bowl, another dual-function snack bowl he designed to look like a curling stone to mark the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan earlier this year.

Known for his humorous approach to design, Westman has made a name for himself for his colourful products, ranging from a Christmas tableware collection for Swedish brand IKEA to a car for Mercedes-Benz that includes an integrated tent and picnic table.

The photography is courtesy of Gustaf Westman.

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An unusual vending machine popped up in a Copenhagen kiosk during 3 Days of Design, offering affordable limited-edition design objects ranging from a butter knife to a three-metre-long candle.

Sell Out Show, which was shown outside of the official 3 Days of Design festival, was an initiative by designers Guillaume Gindrat, Frederik Buchmann, Massimo Scheidegger and Bruno Pauli Caldas to give emerging designers an opportunity to sell work during the design festival.

The vending machine contained 24 different objects, all developed by independent designers, with 100 per cent of the profits going to the creators.

Prices were capped at 635DKK, which equates to £73 or €85, as this was the highest price the machine's software would allow. But many were on sale for much less.

"The aim of the project is to give a platform to designers to actually sell their work and make money," Caldas told Dezeen.

"There is a whole lot of talking around design, but in the end, to actually live from this stuff is super hard for most people. We thought, let's make it really straightforward, let's put it all in a hyper-optimised box."

The vending machine was installed in Maria's Kiosk, close to Kongens Nytorv and Nyhavn, which has been run by owner Jørgen Hjelm Hansen for more than 30 years.

The organisers wanted to place it here, rather than in a picturesque setting, as they wanted it to be seen by more than just 3 Days of Design visitors.

"We wanted to create a situation where design is involved rather than being on a pedestal," said Caldas.

"It was about putting design in a public space and creating that funny interaction with people who just come here to buy their cigarettes."

The objects on sale included some by the organisers; Gindrat and Buchmann contributed a metal bottle opener, while Gindrat and Caldas collaborated on an ashtray that clips onto the edge of a bistro table.

Israeli designer Oded Webman was behind the butter knife, which featured an illustration of a crocodile, while German designer Anna-Lena Wolfrum offered a candle that you have to unroll to use.

The selection included industrial design objects, including a cast steel candle snuffer by New Zealand-born Andrew Roberts, a cigarette-packet-inspired ashtray by British designer John Tree, a wall hook by New Zealand-based Ted Synnott and an aluminium tray by London-based designer David Searcy.

There were also some softer additions, including a scarf emblazoned with the words "air max bill" by French designer Claire Lavabre and a blow-up pillow by collaborating designers Gabriella Duck Garnham and Luc Ferry.

Some of the designers were invited by the four organisers, while others were selected through an open call.

These four, who met while studying at Swiss design school ÉCAL, previously teamed up on the 2025 exhibition, Smoking Diaries, which presented ashtrays created by 17 different designers.

Both exhibitions were intended to disrupt the traditional channels through which people experience design, but Sell Out Show took the idea even further, allowing designers to effectively put their work in the hands of consumers.

Around half of the objects were sold during the launch event, and 20 of the 24 were sold out by the end of the event.

The organisers said the show was a one-off, although the kiosk owners are keen for a repeat next year. Caldas said they are considering whether they might instead take it to another city.

"The vending machine supplier was monitoring the sales from his office and he wrote us to say that he's never seen anything like this before in the 25 years he's been in business," Caldas said.

"It was great to see that so many people embraced the concept, since in the end it was always about creating a platform for young designers."

Notable 3 Days of Design exhibitions this year included Værktøj, which featured furniture and lighting made using a sewing machine, and Bread and Butter, which showcased perfect pairings in bathing and sauna culture.

Product photography is by Camilla Hoffmeister. Event photography is by Bianca Blair.

Sell Out Show took place in Copenhagen from 10 to 12 June 2026. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

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Design weeks never fail to be laden with chairs. To help you separate the wheat from the chaff, our design and interiors reporter Jane Englefield has rounded up seven of the most striking seating projects from Copenhagen's 3 Days of Design festival.

The annual 3 Days of Design festival concluded in the Danish capital last week, where over 400 exhibitors presented pieces ranging from a sleek sauna lamp to futuristic cutlery.

As always, there was an abundance of seating vying for visitors' attention, rendered in all manner of materials. Here, we've selected seven standout projects that may not reinvent the wheel, but do a savvy job of stretching the parameters of what the humble chair can be.

Conversation pit by Mesura for Vipp

More than 60 people can pile onto this oversized conversation pit, created in a delicious shade of butter yellow by Barcelona studio Mesura for Danish furniture brand Vipp.

Mesura designed the jumbo seating using Vipp modular sofa elements, which were surrounded by chunky stainless steel components interspersed with playful, swimming pool-style ladders.

Positioned at the Vipp campus, the furniture was a smart way of showcasing a product as part of a site-specific installation that won the hearts of visitors of all ages.

Break a Leg by Romain Basile Petrot

Break a Leg is a dining chair by Paris designer Romain Basile Petrot, crafted from a duo of bent aluminium pieces that were mechanically nailed together to form a cantilevered seat.

Though brutalist in style, the chair has a barely-there simplicity to it, which allows its cleverly conceived structure to shine without the need for extra decoration.

"The chair proposes a distinct expression of lightness – not through visual delicacy, but through structural tension, reduction, and the impression of suspension," said Petrot.

Break a Leg was unveiled at a group show hosted by design platform Deoron.

Crisscut Bench by Carlo Raymann

The co-founders of Helsinki-based woodworking studio Minestrone Workshop were out in full force at A Prima Vista, an exhibition of Finnish design that included a witty timber fountain sculpture by rising star Didi Ng Wing Yin.

Among the group was designer Carlo Raymann, who presented the Crisscut Bench, formed from rough-hewn slabs of silver fir arranged in a pleasing crisscross formation.

Raymann has previously made a name for himself with his charming, wafer-thin fish sculptures carved from delicate pieces of wood, so it was a joy to be reminded of just how artful his application of larger pieces of timber is, too.

Skind by Crude

There is such an attractive tension to the composition of Skind, a set of mass-produced dining chairs upcycled with beautifully distressed leather skins salvaged from old sofas.

Each sofa skin has been stretched across the chairs to just the right degree, creating a charming collection of seats that look as if they're trying on slightly ill-fitting clothes.

One of the buzziest projects from this year's Other Circle exhibition, the seating was designed by Copenhagen duo Crude.

Established by Sofie Winther and Charles Boyte in 2024, Crude transforms waste materials into new products to question the design industry's relationship to value and consumption. I'm intrigued to see what they do next.

Sun lounger by Lasse Sylvest Lilleør

Emerging Danish designer Lasse Sylvest Lilleør used glossy, UV-resistant plastic when designing this delightfully unusual sun lounger, which echoes the structure of a spinal column.

Presented as part of the Ukurant exhibition of work by young creatives, the lounger stood out for its cradling, vertebrate-like form. It's energising to see designers who are just starting out have such unique voices so early in their careers.

Mission Seating by Christine Kalia

Cypriot designer Christine Kalia was another contributor at Other Circle, presenting a dining chair, armchair and bench made from repurposed aluminium window components.

Kalia added buckled fastenings to each of the pieces, borrowing from the visual language of spacecraft.

The window components don't look especially comfortable, but the project revealed how an unlikely everyday object can be used to make something new and unexpected.

Ghost in the Shell by Kwangho Lee

Hosted by Copenhagen gallery V1 Salon, For Scale Only was a group show featuring the archival works of designers from Rick Owens to Max Lamb.

Contemporary pieces were also on display, including this bright white knotted armchair by South Korean designer Kwangho Lee.

At first glance, you can't help but root for the chair to be soft to the touch, thanks to its satisfyingly marshmallowy appearance.

Unfortunately, a quick paw at the furniture confirms that it is solid, created from a coated plastic structure. Still, the illusion was enough to draw you in and make you want to take a seat.

3 Days of Design took place from 10 to 12 June 2026 at various locations across Copenhagen, Denmark. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

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Architect Alison Brooks and designers Ron Arad, Faye Toogood and Max Lamb are among the industry leaders who have been recognised in King Charles III's 2026 Birthday Honours list.

The King's biannual honours programme, which rewards outstanding contributions and services to the country, also recognised architects Peter St John, Tony Fretton, David Bonnet and Mina Hasman, housing advocate David Birkbeck and design journalist Barbara Chandler.

Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) – the highest-ranking Order of the British Empire award apart from dame- and knighthood – was presented to British-Israeli designer Ron Arad, who pioneered the idea of collectible design with pieces like the Rover Chair.

Another CBE went to Peter Rowland Tudor St John, one half of architecture firm Caruso St John, known for innovative renovation and reuse projects such as Damien Hirst's Stirling Prize-winning Newport Street gallery.

"Caruso St John's approach to conservation is irreverent yet sensitive," the judges said at the time.

One rung below that, newly titled Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBEs), include Brooks (top image) – the only UK architect to have won the Stirling Prize, Manser Medal and Stephen Lawrence Prize – and architect Fretton, known for cultural buildings including the Camden Arts Centre and Denmark's Fuglsang Kunstmuseum.

Hasman, sustainability director at Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM), was also recognised for her leadership in advancing climate literacy, net-zero design and sustainable urban development.

"Mina has been an extraordinary force in moving our profession towards a more sustainable future," said SOM design partner Chris Cooper. "This OBE is a fitting tribute to a career defined by purpose and impact."

Other industry figures to receive an OBE include Birkbeck, whose social enterprise Design for Homes campaigns for better-designed homes, and inclusive design consultant Bonnett, who works with architects and developers to make the built environment accessible for people with disabilities.

Finally, the third-highest ranking title, Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), went to several prominent design industry figures.

Among them is Toogood, arguably the UK's most prominent female designer, whose playful catalogue includes the Roly Poly chair and Puffy lounger.

"I am incredibly honoured and humbled to receive an MBE," Toogood said. "This recognition belongs as much to the many talented people I have worked alongside as it does to me."

Also on the MBE list is furniture designer Lamb, known for his hands-on approach, which emphasises the beauty of the making process, and seasoned design journalist Chandler, who, aged 78, founded the Green Grads platform to support UK design graduates with ideas to heal the planet.

Other industry figures who have been honoured by King Charles III since his ascension to the throne include Scottish-Ghanaian architects Lesley Lokko and Patty Hopkins, as well as designers Michael Anastassiades and Tom Dixon.

The top photo of Alison Brooks is by Tereza Cervenova and Ron Arad's portrait is by Gary Morrisroe.

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Promotion: luxury appliance brand Fisher & Paykel has unveiled its 30-inch Steam Assist oven, which uses precision as a design principle to enhance the "architectural clarity" of a space.

Fisher & Paykel's Steam Assist oven reflects the brand's long-standing mastery of temperature control.

It can be arranged in different compositions, such as vertical stacks or linear installations, allowing it to be tailored to different spatial requirements.

It can also be installed with perimeter gaps as small as two millimetres, enabling flush-fitting, continuous surfaces across a wide range of kitchens.

Beyond its architectural fit, the oven has different engineering from previous models and has an increased internal capacity of up to 20 per cent.

It is equipped with the brand's Steam Assist Technology, which releases steam throughout the cooking experience to precisely control heat and airflow.

The design also has a vertical twin-fan system paired with twin-element heat sources, which help maintain consistent airflow and temperature throughout the cavity.

Fisher & Paykel explained that this enables predictable, repeatable cooking results across multiple shelf and dish positions.

The oven is also fitted with voice control, a wireless temperature probe and a touchscreen, with a method-led interface option automatically sequencing cooking techniques.

This enables consistent results across a range of methods, including steam-assisted roasting and baking.

Fisher & Paykel sees its latest Steam Assist oven as a "category-redefining platform change", which brings the ability to cook professionally into the home.

"Our goal was to reset expectations of what precision cooking means at home," said chief marketing and product management officer, Katrina Glenday.

"We started with first principles – size, consistency and performance – and applied a deeply analytical approach to the science of cooking."

Fisher & Paykel's latest release forms part of the State of the Art Collection – a coordinated range of product solutions designed to support "different modes of architectural expression".

The oven comes in three design styles – Minimal, Contemporary and Professional – each of which was recognised at this year's Red Dot Awards, with the Contemporary Style also receiving a Best of the Best award.

The Minimal Style, which debuted at Nature – Ritual, the brand's Milan design week 2026 exhibition, is defined by Fisher & Paykel as a monochromatic, handle-free and dial-free surface "designed to recede in support of material-led architecture".

The Contemporary Style has a brushed silver glass finish, which adds subtle reflective depth to a space, while the Professional Style is equipped with a robust stainless-steel aesthetic and more tactile controls.

According to Fisher & Paykel, each style spotlights its commitment to designing products that fit precisely within the architecture of the home, while enhancing the user's cooking and kitchen experience.

To learn more about the Fisher & Paykel Steam Assist oven, visit the brand's website.

Partnership content

This article was written for Fisher & Paykel as part of a partnership. Find out more about our partnership content here.

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Prize giveaway: for our latest competition, pizza oven brand Gozney is offering Dezeen readers the chance to win one of its limited-edition pizza ovens created in collaboration with paint brand Tonester.

One lucky reader will win a limited-edition Tread pizza oven in a warm stone-brown hue named Car Coat, which was designed by the owner of Tonester, Tony Piloseno.

Gozney's Tread oven is hyper-portable and lightweight. It comes with an accessory system, which enables users to cook pizzas in "locations never thought possible", such as a remote campsite or a beach.

"No matter where you go, Tread is built to explore and carefully designed to elevate the vibe of any campsite, beach destination, and everything in between," the brand explained.

Gozney has launched a limited design oven series, which sees four signature Tonester paint shades reimagined across four of the brand's best-selling ovens, including Tread.

According to Tom Gozney, founder and CEO of Gozney, the collaboration is a "design conversation" between the brands, which both share an instinct for form, material and colour.

"The way Tony evokes emotion through his paint colours is exactly how I think about the material, form and finish of our ovens," said Gozney. "We're both trying to transform spaces in different ways – Tony through colour and atmosphere, and us through the moments of connection that happen around fire and food."

"When I saw his shades and held them next to what we were building, something clicked," Gozney continued. "There's a moment when the fire's lit and the natural light hits the oven, and everything just looks right. These four shades amplify that."

According to Gozney, Tread pairs with several of its accessories, which are designed to enhance the cooking experience, including a stand, bag and server.

Gozney has won several globally renowned awards, including TIME's Best Inventions, the Red Dot Design Award and the iF Design Award, as well as being named one of Fast Company's Brands That Matter.

The Dezeen prize winner will receive the ultimate pizza oven bundle from Gozney: a Tread oven, Venture Stand, Venture Bag, Venture Placement Peel, Venture Turning Peel, Pizza Cutter, Roof Rack, and a Pizza Server.

Entrants must be from the UK or the US only.

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The competition closes on 14 July 2026.

To learn more about Gozney, visit its website.

Partnership content

This competition is a partnership between Dezeen and Gozney. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Architecture studio Dum-Dum Laboratorio de Arquitectura Avanzada has created a waterside pavilion out of red painted wood that serves as an environmental classroom for the local community in Calbuco, Chile.

Named Mirador Interpretativo Laguna Troya, or Troya Pavilion, the 38-square metre (409-square foot) lakeside pavilion serves as a space was designed as a space foe education and observation of the wetland ecosystem.

Completed earlier this year, the pavilion continues the studio's investigation of computational design processes that translate into construction systems with discrete fabrication logic.

The studio's system aimed to make the most of limited fabrication tools and resources, relying on small timber elements compounded to replace large structural members and to create varying degrees of enclosure and openness.

"From this programmatic intention, the project evolved into a porous architectural system that frames and mediates the surrounding landscape through an inhabitable stereometric cloud, where small-scale timber elements collectively generate spatial, structural and environmental conditions," Dum-Dum Lab co-directors Francisco Calvo Castillo and Katherine Cáceres Corvalán told Dezeen.

"This logic allowed us to create a structure that simultaneously functions as a lookout point, environmental classroom and permeable shelter framing views toward the lagoon," the studio added.

Arranged in a diamond patterned lattice, the small-scale timber elements were transported and assembled without sophisticated machinery. Selected for its environmental performance and versatility, the wood's material logic also informed the geometry of the pavilion.

"Rather than concealing connections, the pavilion emphasizes the visibility of the constructive process itself," the studio said.

The pavilion is composed of a small boardwalk on the river bank that steps down to three small platforms that serve as bleachers looking out across the water.

Dense foliage forms the boundaries on either side, and the pavilion is perceived as a floating red lattice from the water.

The team found that one of the main challenge of the design was balancing structural stability with permeability, having to carefully calibrate the density and positioning of each element to achieve more rigidity and openness.

However, the processes taught the designers how the discrete system could create environmental sensitivity and spatial richness without large-scale operations.

The porous geometry was designed to establish a reciprocal relationship with the site in which vegetation, birds and the climatic elements of water, wind and light integrate into the structure over time.

"The project encourages engagement with the surrounding biodiversity while minimizing physical impact on the terrain," the studio said.

"Developed in close collaboration with local organizations connected to environmental education and ecotourism, the pavilion also incorporates scientific illustrations of native flora and fauna by scientific illustrator Sol Pacheco as part of a broader effort to promote awareness of the wetland ecosystem."

Other recent pavilions that use similar construction logic include a timber structure shaped like a cube on the outside and a sphere on the inside by Waugh Thistleton Architects in Istanbul, a stone and wood pavilion reminiscent of ancient building forms in Sicily by Leopold Banchini Architects and a husk-like kiosk with a facade that opens like a seed pod by Walden Studio in the Netherlands.

The photography is by Katherine Cáceres and Pamela Villamar.

Project credits:

Client: Creación Artística Fondart 2025
Design Team: Francisco Calvo, Katherine Cáceres, Juan Luis Marín
Illustrator: Sol Pacheco
Construction team: Pamela Villamar, Rosina Viotto Bergmann, Juan Peña, Florencia Verdugo Silva, Camila Vera Llanos, Mauricio Santana Münzenmayer, Bernardo Marín
Collaborators: Concón Maderas Impregnadas

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Irish architect Lorcan O'Herlihy, who founded California studio LOHA in 1994, has passed away aged 66.

O'Herlihy died from glioblastoma on 14 June in Los Angeles, his studio confirmed.

Born in Dublin in 1959, O'Herlihy studied at the Architectural Association in London and California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo.

In his early career, O'Herlihy worked in Connecticut for Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates and in New York for Steven Holl Architects and IM Pei and Partners, where he worked on the glass pyramid at the Musée du Louvre.

In 1994, O'Herlihy founded Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects (LOHA) in Los Angeles.

Designing single-family houses in its early years, it later became known for its multi-unit housing schemes and has completed numerous housing projects in the USA, largely in California.

One of LOHA's first examples of apartment buildings came in 2009 with the bright red Formosa 1140 housing project in West Hollywood, which contains 11 homes in its metal-clad walls.

LOHA also designed the Cloverdale 749 apartments in 2014 with corrugated metal wrapping its exterior, and the studio's Mariposa 1038 housing block, which features a sculptural interior courtyard and a monochrome facade, was named one of North America's best new housing of 2018 by the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

In 2016, O'Herlihy expanded LOHA with a branch in Detroit, which, among its completed projects in the city, includes the 23-building City Modern neighbourhood.

Among LOHA's multiple student housing projects in California are the stepped SL11024 development in 2015, the coastal UCSB San Joaquin Student Housing complex in 2019, the black-and-white Westgate 1515 housing in 2021 and the metal-clad Granville1500 development in 2022.

The studio has also designed social housing projects, notably the MLK1101 affordable housing and community centre in South Los Angeles, which was completed in 2019 to provide 26 housing units for previously homeless individuals.

Last year, LOHA used shipping containers to form the Isla Intersections development, which contains 54 supportive housing units, gardens and space for job training and creative programming.

In addition to housing, LOHA has designed a light-filled creative workspace for Nike and adapted an agricultural building into California's Sandi Simon Center for Dance.

As well as running LOHA, O'Herlihy was a professor at the USC School of Architecture in Los Angeles.

He was the recipient of numerous awards over his career, including the Maybeck Award and Lifetime Achievement Award from the AIA California, and the AIA Los Angeles Gold Medal.

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Dezeen School Shows: a project exploring a table's concept through experimental materials is among the projects from the Paris School of Architecture.

Also featured is a project exploring social, cultural and ecological themes within Paris' urban structure, and another examining how architecture can respond to the evolving digital age.

Paris School of Architecture

Institution: Paris School of Architecture
Course: Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Architecture
Tutors: Martin Tubiana, Yasemin Sahiner, Luc Izri, Matthew Won Piker and John Bingham-Hall

School statement:

"Paris School of Architecture (PS-Arch) is an experimental and internationally oriented school of architecture based in central Paris. As a two-year postgraduate programme taught in English, it prepares graduates to operate across Europe and beyond.

"Recently awarded RIBA Part 2 Candidate Course status, PS-Arch occupies a distinctive position within the French and European landscape of architectural education, combining professional accreditation with an alternative model of architectural pedagogy.

"Founded in response to the changing conditions of contemporary architectural practice, PS-Arch places individual research at the centre of design education. Its research-led pedagogical model encourages students to critically engage with the social, political, environmental and technological challenges of the present.

"Through design, writing and representation, students question established assumptions and develop speculative propositions that operate between critical inquiry and architectural imagination.

"Moving beyond traditional instructional models, the school provides a framework for the development of each student's own intellectual and design agenda within a supportive network of practicing architects, designers, artists and researchers.

"The programme fosters independence, experimentation and rigorous debate, enabling students to define their own position within an increasingly complex disciplinary landscape.

"The projects presented in this year's exhibition address a broad range of contemporary questions through architecture and design. Engaging with the metropolis as a site of conflict, negotiation and transformation, they examine the visible and invisible forces that shape urban life.

"From questions of ecology and infrastructure to technology, governance and collective identity, the work reveals alternative readings of the city while proposing new forms of spatial, social and political imagination."

Default Systems, Inherited by Aaron Fenwick

"This project examines the contemporary city as an operational system shaped less by intentional urban design that prioritises lived human experience than by inherited logistical and governance protocols.

"In this dystopia, architecture increasingly functions as an execution layer for such protocols when authorship is delegated to automation. Reorganised around the efficiency of movement, housing and public life are reduced to modes of throughput rather than habitation and civic participation.

"Domestic space is therefore reformatted as logistical capacity: housing becomes human storage, circulation becomes governance, and the street shifts from civic ground to managed corridor.

"Through critical and speculative architectural drawings and infrastructural megastructures embedded within the existing city, the project amplifies contemporary urban tendencies to the point of satirical absurdity."

Student: Aaron Fenwick
Course: Integrated Research Project (Studio)

Cyclical Sanctuary by Garima Purohit

"Institutions have historically standardised space around continuous, uniform performance, built on a temporal logic misaligned with female biology.

"This project draws on a speculative ethnography of cyclical feminist communities emerging in response to two centuries of biomedical suppression and linear productivity culture, mapping four architecturally distinct environments onto the menstrual cycle to imagine spatial conditions that would support the menstruating body to return to its natural infradian rhythm.

"Through critical inhabitation, the proposal guides the Sacré-Cœur into the next stage of its history, converting it into a new spiritual sanctuary.

"Menstruation, follicular, ovulatory and luteal phases are translated into spatial atmospheres calibrated through acoustic thresholds, material texture, light intensity and social exposure, arguing that the erasure of cyclical knowledge was not only cultural or pharmaceutical, but built into the very walls we inhabit."

Student: Garima Purohit
Course: Integrated Research Project (Studio)

Firewall Architecture by Varvara Anisimova

"This speculative design project imagines a near future in which domestic life is no longer private, but continuously translated into data through phones, wearables, cameras, microphones and smart home systems. How might architecture respond to new conditions of exposure and offer digital shelter?

"Located within a dense Haussmannian block in Paris, the proposal implements a concealed interior network that passes through internal courtyards and residential buildings behind classical facades.

"Rather than rejecting technology, the project creates an architectural firewall where data can be idealised, distorted, masked or completely interrupted.

"Faraday caves, bird aviaries, dog corridors, water chambers and reflective surfaces form a new interior landscape where residents can regain control over their digital visibility."

Student: Varvara Anisimova
Course: Integrated Research Project (Studio)

Urban Activator by Interior Architecture students

"This one-week intensive launched Term 2 and the architectural phase of students' Integrated Research Projects through a collaboration with ESAM Design School, welcoming around 30 interior architecture students to work in integrated teams.

"Students developed temporary cultural interventions for Place Stalingrad, a Parisian public space where infrastructure, water and civic life converge.

"Each proposal responded to a speculative narrative developed by PS-Arch students, resulting in projects ranging from a landscape that invited the cyclical tides of the canal into the square, to an experimental democratisation of luxury craftsmanship, a disruptive data-signal tower and a provocative car parking structure.

"Physical making was central to the process, with students extensively utilising the facilities of the WoMa FabLab to produce large-scale models and prototypes."

Students: Interior Architecture students
Course: Integrated Research Project (Workshop)
Tutors: Martin Tubiana and Andy Yu

Bioclimatic Performance/Performing Bioclimaticism by Critical Inquiry students

"In the Critical Inquiry course, students investigated the social, cultural, ecological and political implications of Paris's new bioclimatic urban plan through an immersive programme of site-based research methods.

"Through a combination of walks, lectures, and fieldwork, they learned to read tensions, possibilities, and problems in the gap between bioclimatic design and the pluralistic practices of inhabitation in urban life by using sound recording, photography, film and observational writing as tools of rigorous inquiry.

"These methods encouraged students to develop original questions through direct engagement with the city itself, defining not only what they wanted to interrogate, but also what impact their research might have and for whom.

"The resulting projects combined written research with alternative media, producing distinctive investigations that contribute to contemporary debates on the design, governance and inhabitation of the city."

Students: Critical Inquiry students
Course: Critical Inquiry
Tutors: John Bingham-Hall and Eyub Acikgoz

Arts de la Table by Integrated Research Project students

"In this two week intensive, students explored the studio theme, 'muilding', by developing speculative table settings that reimagined eating as a spatial, material, and cultural act; treating food not only as nourishment but also as a design material.

"Working within a 50 by 50 centimetre footprint, they translated emerging trends and research into performative installations including: a chess set of bread questioning surveillance and control, an eroding cake modelled on soil movement patterns and a satirical subscription meal service critiquing waste and sycophancy.

"Together, the works transformed consumption into a medium for architectural speculation and aesthetic exploration."

Students: Integrated Research Project students
Course: Integrated Research Project (Workshop)
Tutors: Clementine Debaere, Delaney Inamine, Eyub Acikgoz and Martin Tubiana

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This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and Paris School of Architecture. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Dezeen Showroom: pizza oven brand Gozney has collaborated with paint company Tonester to launch a limited-edition range of products in the paint brand's signature shades, including the Dome XL (Gen 2) in Black Orange.

Part of the Tonester x Gozney Design Series, the special Dome XL (Gen 2) features one of paint brand's most famous colours – a deep orange with a black undertone that gives it a sophisticated edge and takes it out of the ordinary spectrum of browns and terracottas.

The hue is very at home amid heat, fire and earth – considerations that drove Gozney and Tonester's respective founders Tom Gozney and Tony Piloseno to choose the paint to colour the largest and most versatile pizza oven in Gozney's range.

"We spent a lot of time on which shades belonged with which oven," said Piloseno. "Each colour was chosen for the specific way it shows up next to fire – ember, shadow, ash and smoke – then matched to a single oven to carry as much weight on an outdoor focal piece as it does on a wall."

The other ovens in the series are the compact Arc Lite in black-violet High at the Gala, the portable Tread in stone brown Car Coat and the Arc XL in rich navy blue London House. Each is being released individually with one drop per day from 15 to 18 June.

"The way Tony evokes emotion through his paint colours is exactly how I think about the material, form and finish of our ovens," said Gozney. "When I saw his shades and held them next to what we were building, something clicked."

"There's a moment when the fire's lit and the natural light hits the oven and everything just looks right. These four shades amplify that."

Product details:

Product: Dome XL (Gen 2) in Black Orange
Brands: Gozney and Tonester
Contact: enquiries@gozney.com

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The Serpentine has installed a colourful, kinetic sculpture by Venezuelan artist Jesús Rafael Soto alongside this year's Lanza Atelier-designed Serpentine Pavilion in central London.

Named Pénétrable BBL Jaune, the kinetic pavilion is the first work by the artist, who passed away in 2005, to have been shown outdoors in the UK.

The interactive sculpture, which forms part of Soto's Pénétrable series, was selected for the gallery's art programme by a team including Serpentine artistic director Hans Ulrich Obrist.

"I met Jesus Rafael Soto in the early 2000s, several times in Paris, and recorded long conversations with him, and have ever since been very fascinated by his work," Obrist told Dezeen.

"How he really developed participatory kinetic work, how he managed to somehow dissolve objects into vibration, into to energy," he continued.

"Pénétrable are a real invention, they allow visitors to enter, to go through, [so it] goes from an object to a relation and we felt that would be amazing as part of our public art projects to do it in the park."

The pavilion, which was originally conceived in 1999, has a white steel frame from which thousands of yellow tubes are hung. Visitors are invited to walk through the sculpture and move the tubes to change how the piece appears.

It has been installed alongside this year's Serpentine Pavilion in Kensington Gardens in the same location as last year's Lego Play Pavilion, which was designed by architect Peter Cook.

"Last year we added a second commission in summer to the pavilion, the Lego pavilion of Peter Cook," said Obrist.

"And basically we decided that it would be interesting to have something very playful, something also for all generations, but including also children, to interact every summer," he continued.

"Sculpture in the park is an important part of what we are doing, but we wanted to extend that to have a type of play project every summer, so this is why, after Peter Cook, we timed the Jesús Rafael Soto to take place this summer."

Although the sculpture was commissioned separately from the nearby Serpentine Pavilion, Obrist believes that the two structures complement each other.

"The public sculptures do not have a direct relationship, they're not basically commissioned together with the architect of the pavilion," he explained. "They're a separate project, but we feel that the playfulness of Soto works very well with Lanza Atelier."

"We also think that the idea of celebrating with Soto, a pioneering artist who hasn't really had visibility in the UK seems important to us, because while he was one of the really key artists of his generation, his work has not really been seen in the UK."

In particular, Obrist highlighted that both the sculpture and the Serpentine Pavilion play on the idea of turning something impenetrable into something that you can pass through.

"The connection, of course, between Lanza Atelier and Jesús Rafael Soto's Penetrable is that both of these projects actually take something that, in theory, is a barrier or a wall or a solid mass and convert it into a passage," he said.

"What Soto does is dissolve the object into these hanging elements, which then have a relationship with your own body, [as you] go through it," he continued.

"At Lanza Atelier's A Serpentine, there is something similar happening, because the crinkle, crinkle walls, and also the brick columns, they have a kind of a sequence of apertures and the wall ceases to divide."

This year's brick-walled Serpentine Pavilion, which was designed by Mexican studio Lanza Atelier, opened to the public earlier this month. In an interview with Dezeen ahead of the opening the studio said that "it was time to bring new Mexican architecture to the table".

The photography is by George Darrell, courtesy of Serpentine.


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Next up in our Gaudí Centenary series, we tell the story of the Church of Colònia Güell, for which Antoni Gaudí's renowned hanging models were first developed, marking the beginnings of parametric design.

With mirrors on the floor and clusters of weighted strings suspended from the ceiling, entering Gaudí's workshop in 1898 would likely have felt like stepping into the mind of a mad scientist.

Yet for Gaudí, these complex webs were not eccentric experiments. They were the ingenious form-finding models adding much-needed clarity to his ambitious vision for the Church of Colònia Güell.

Also known as Gaudí's Crypt, the church project on the outskirts of Barcelona is recognised today as one of the architect's most important works, despite never actually being completed.

It is significant because it was the first project for which Gaudí developed his hanging-chain funicular models – an early, physical form of parametric design – and served as a testbed for the Sagrada Familia.

In the words of Gaudí himself, if it had been completed, it would have been "a monumental model" of the world-famous basilica.

Gaudí's models were experiments in funicular geometry

Gaudí was commissioned for the Church of Colònia Güell in 1898 by his long-term patron, the Spanish industrialist Eusebi Güell. It was planned as a place of worship for workers at Guell's textile factory in Santa Coloma de Cervelló, near Barcelona.

The then 46-year-old Gaudí was granted total freedom on the design, sparking his decision to test his pioneering structural innovations for the first time.

Specifically, he used it as an opportunity to experiment with funicular geometry, such as catenary curves, as well as hyperbolic paraboloids and hyperboloids.

Hyperbolic paraboloids are saddle-shaped surfaces, while hyperboloids are curved vaults that can be made from straight lines. Using them allowed Gaudí to create large, open spaces without the need for buttresses or supporting walls – as seen in the crypt.

 

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Gaudí designed the church using a hanging model

To test and calculate these forms, Gaudí developed a gravity-assisted hanging model formed of ropes and chains, which were attached to lead-filled sacks to form U-shaped curves.

Mirrors beneath the chains then allowed him to view the model upside down, visualising those same curves, hanging in tension, as buildable arches, vaults, and columns under compression.

Similar to parametric design software used by architects today, the hanging model also worked so that if one parameter was altered – such as the length of the string – the entire model would rebalance into an optimised catenary geometry.

As such, the models are often cited as an analogue precursor to parametric design and, therefore, parametricism – a 21st-century style of architecture that results from using digital design tools – long before the digitisation of architecture.

New Zealand academic Mark Burry, who is among the fifth generation of workers on the Sagrada Familia, said this revolutionary vision was likely sparked by Gaudí's geometry lessons at architecture school.

"He zeroed in on geometry, which he would have learned about at school, because a sixth of an architect's education in those days was descriptive geometry," Burry told Dezeen.

"He's probably the only person who ever saw the hyperboloid in the book that he studied from," he continued. "He's the only person who saw it and recognised the potential for it."

"He found a way to get kind of voluptuous, sensually warped surfaces that had a very simple logic."

Gaudí's design symbolised journey to salvation 

After 10 years of designing, the construction of the church began. However, in 1915, after Güell died, his family decided to cease building works.

Though it was never realised in full, Gaudí's final design for the Colonia Guell church was intended to be a symbolic journey through darkness and into the light of salvation.

It would have had both a higher and lower nave, or main hall, enclosed by side towers and a 40-metre-tall cupola. The lower nave, now known as the crypt, was the only part to be completed.

The crypt marked the start of the journey in darkness, built from clinker bricks, basalt stones and iron slag with dim, earthy tones and a rugged, textured appearance.

The upper nave was expected to have been completed with gold, blue, and white tones, representing the light, alongside towers topped with white doves.

Today, visitors to the crypt can see Gaudí's structural innovations in its slanted and twisted columns, inspired by tree trunks and branches, and vaulted roofs and walls, which give rise to a large open space with an uninterrupted view of the altar.

Its four central columns made from basalt would have supported the full load of the church above, but today they just support the crypt's roof, which is formed of two hundred brick ribs.

Outside, the crypt is framed by a series of stained-glass windows shaped like butterflies and surrounded by intricate stonework and mosaics in different colours and textures, with Greek symbols repeated between.

Gaudí's Crypt could have been his "best building"

The only way to see what the finished church could have looked like now is in detailed reconstructions of Gaudí's hanging model, such as the one at the Colònia Güell Interpretive Centre.

Though, for many, the crypt itself is a masterpiece in its own right, often referred to as the architect's most original work. In 1990, this led it to be protected with Cultural-Historical Interest status, before being listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2005.

In an interview with Dezeen, Gaudí biographer Peter Stanford described the church as "both Neanderthal and a spaceship at the same time", while academic Burry believes that it would have eclipsed the world-famous basilica in its reputation, had it been finished.

"I think that the Church of Colònia Güell would have been Gaudí's best building," Burry told Dezeen.

"If he'd been allowed to complete it, it wouldn't have needed any modern computation. He was using the most modest of materials, and the shape was already computed by his hanging model," Burry continued.

"I go at least once a year to the Church of Colònia Güell, because it gives me goosebumps when I go in."

The photography is courtesy of Adobe Stock unless otherwise stated.

Gaudí Centenary

This article is part of Gaudí Centenary, our editorial series profiling ​the Catalan architect and designer Antoni Gaudí​, marking 100 years since his death.

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Following the surprise success of architectural horror flick Backrooms, Edwin Heathcote considers the basis for our morbid fascination with endless corporate spaces.

Is it only me, or do we all have that dream about finding a secret door in our too-small apartment that leads to another room, a corridor, or perhaps a whole basement? It's the premise of Backrooms, but not in the vein of an exciting discovery, rather as a sinister undermining of everything we understand about the nature of space.

The movie, currently in cinemas, was based on a series of smart, low-budget YouTube shorts by a now 20-year-old Kane Parsons. These uncanny journeys through cursed leftover space became a breakout hit – viral pieces of faux found footage. Their blend of "creepypasta" urban legend, of pop and the paranormal, seemed to hit a nerve.

For most of horror history the haunted house has been the creepy gothic mansion

The initial photo that inspired the series depicts a real place: Rohner's Home Furnishings in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, when it was undergoing renovation work to transform it into a hobby shop in the early 2000s.

Those short films were so striking, and so successful, because they evoked the nightmare of being stuck in a recognisable kind of corporate space, a never-ending labyrinth of generic, fizzingly fluorescently lit abandoned spaces. It is an image that has become familiar to us; from the cringing horrors of David Brent's The Office to the corporate modernism of Severance (itself inspired in part by Backrooms and featuring Eero Saarinen's chillingly cool 1962 Bell Labs in New Jersey).

For most of horror history the haunted house has been the creepy gothic mansion, an imposing, creaking building of dark attics and cellars, cobwebs and odd-shaped windows. The archetype became so embedded – from Psycho to House on Haunted Hill – that it became a joke trope in the Addams Family, the Munsters, the Gruesome Twosome's Creepy Coupe in the cartoon Wacky Races.

The power of the Victorian haunted house to shock dissipated over the years, particularly for subsequent suburban generations more used to cookie-cutter suburban housing to the end of the horizon. Horror moves on. George A Romero shifted the zombie apocalypse from the streets to the mall in The Dawn of the Dead (1978), while in the same year John Carpenter transplanted the horror house to the generic suburbs in Halloween.

Each suggested a new site for terror, the commercial and the familiar, as opposed to the dark, the old and the exotic. Romero of course also used his movie as a brutal parody of an America which had replaced Main Street with the mall, his zombies a hardly veiled critique of stupefied shoppers dulled by desire for consumption.

Now, after online retail shifted habits, the abandoned mall has become the new American horror archetype. They're even called ghost malls, or dead malls, the haunted spaces of late modernist shopping.

There is also a hint here of the back-of-house operations of the hotel or the hospital

This is the new psychogeography, the traces of places that could be anywhere. Marc Augé called them "non-places".

Elsewhere they have been obsessively labelled as "liminal" – a word I am trying to avoid. They are uncanny in part because they are so recent, but their emptiness also represents our horror vacui – the anxiety of emptiness, which even has its own name: kenophobia.

In the movie version of Backrooms, the director focuses in part on defunct technologies – cassette tapes, floppy discs, analogue phones. They are things familiar to my generation, but presumably exotic to Parsons's generation, the same kind of 1980s fetishising seen in Stranger Things, with its Walkman and so on.

These objects add to the uncanny, along with the resolutely unfashionable furniture. This is clearly an era before IKEA brought an acceptable and universal basic modernism to almost every setting.

The film's protagonist, Clark (played by Chiwetel Ojiofor), is an architect. We see him sketching at various intervals. Yet he lives in a world of shit design, bottom-end furniture familiar from low-rent apartments or strip malls.

There is also a hint here of the back-of-house operations of the hotel or the hospital, in which parallel worlds co-exist with seen space. Corridors, rooms, kitchens, laundries, supply and cleaning closets, stores – a whole alternative interior – are invisible to the public, or at most half-glimpsed. It is a kind of architectural hypocrisy, that bare blockwork and vinyl floor aesthetic built for robustness and hard knocks, and so unlike the smooth public face.

This uncanny and endless architecture is the cipher for that uncertainty

More than anything there are those dropped ceilings, with foam panels in their aluminium grids and the flickering fluorescent lights. They give an impression of an infinity of banality, a Tron grid of dusty panels and an unseen void of endless ducts and cables above – the guts and viscera, the hidden-away life support of contemporary space.

One author (and occasional contributor here) explored these notions in his brilliant 2014 novel The Way Inn, in which a protagonist finds himself stuck in the endless loops of corridors and conference facilities, bound by airport ring roads and garage ramps. The same corporate uncanny is described as something initially familiar and almost comfortable, but which descends into an inescapable hellscape.

We might also think of rats or mice in a maze, those poor creatures doomed to spend their short lives enduring experiments designed to frustrate or condition them. The whole genre of backrooms asks whether we, like those unfortunate rodents, are only part of a larger experiment, observed.

Without wishing to spoil the (inconclusive) ending, there is an implication of this here, and this uncanny and endless architecture is the cipher for that uncertainty. It also builds on classical traditions, the maze designed by Daedalus to contain the Minotaur, a hybrid of human and beast destined to be slain by Theseus, who navigates using a thread given to him by Ariadne, just as Clark uses a rope in Backrooms.

Alongside Will Wiles and classical mythology, there is a rich legacy of literary mazes in which architecture expands to unsettle our sense of conventional space. Mark Z Danielewski's House of Leaves, with its hyper-inflating footnotes and parallel stories, is a brilliant exercise in the use of the endless unfolding of space.

Might, in fact, these endless spaces be inside of us?

And the yellow patterned wallpaper which gives the movie its sickly custard tone harks back, consciously or unconsciously, to Charlotte Perkins Gilman's 1892 The Yellow Wallpaper, the ur-feminist horror about a woman confined to her small bedroom with nothing but the wall-covering to look at, going slowly insane. But it was architecture's own great writer, Rem Koolhaas, who so brilliantly encapsulated (and christened) this phenomenon in his 2001 essay Junkspace.

"Junkspace seems an aberration," he writes. "But it is the essence, the main thing… the product of an encounter between escalator and air-conditioning, conceived in an incubator of Sheetrock (all three missing from the history books). Continuity is the essence of Junkspace; it exploits any invention that enables expansion, deploys the infrastructure of seamlessness: escalator, air-conditioning, sprinkler, fire shutter, hot-air curtain... It is always interior, so extensive that you rarely perceive limits."

And then, as if perfectly predicting Backrooms, he writes: "Junkspace is the body double of Space." As so often seems to happen, Koolhaas got there first. He both revels in and rejects the junksphere, ultimately concluding that we are ourselves becoming junkspace, with our augmented cyber-bodies.

Might, in fact, these endless spaces be inside of us? Like the ugly, deformed furniture piled up in those leftover backrooms, we exist and subsist in these mazes, surveilled, suspected, like the lab rats, with no real agency.

Their infinite expansion is the nightmare of endless work: the hospital, the big school, the office, the airport, the hotel, the convention centre, the corporate HQ, the care home, the hospital. And so on.

Edwin Heathcote is an architect and writer who has been architecture and design critic of the Financial Times since 1999. His numerous books on architecture include Monument Builders, Contemporary Church Architecture and the recently released On the Street: In-Between Architecture.

The photo is courtesy of A24.

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Architecture studio NBBJ has completed the headquarters of Chinese phone company Vivo in Shenzhen, China, which includes a terrace wrapped around the exterior of the skyscraper.

Located in Qianhai Bay, a new business district in west Shenzhen, Vivo Headquarters is a 150-metre-high building for 6,000 employees.

According to NBBJ, the design of the tower was informed by Vivo's smart phones that are known for their high quality cameras.

The floor plates shift from level to level, each cut at a slightly angle while rotating around the core, creating a continuous 360-degree spiralling terrace.

The shifting floor plates recall the aperture of a camera lens, while the spiralling terrace and a series of multi-height atriums created as a result, have views of the surrounding environment.

"One of the building's guiding visions is 'capturing life'—the hope that everyone working here will create meaningful professional memories within these vibrant workspaces," said NBBJ.

"Eight distinct atria dissolve boundaries between inside and outside, work and nature, tower and sky."

The sculptural facade of the tower was designed to contrast Qianhai Bay's glass-dominated skyline.

Horizontal glazing maximises the bay views, which, combined with the self-shading elements, reduces summer heat and maximises winter daylight.

Openable windows were concealed behind perforated metal screens, enabling natural ventilation needed in the humid subtropical climate of southern China, while reducing reliance on mechanical systems.

The podium features stairs and planters informed by local rocky coasts along the South China Sea.

The landscaping and planting shifts throughout the terraces in response to the environment conditions at various heights.

Shallow-rooted plants were positioned at lower levels, while deeper-rooted species at higher level, in order to withstand the strong winds during typhoon season.

Planting transitions to flowering trees and ferns at the higher terrace, adding different hues of greenery to the otherwise static exterior.

"Rather than a building adorned with planting, Vivo's HQ becomes a unified project in which coastal and lowland forest ecologies are woven directly into its architectural form," said NBBJ.

"Landscape design responds to vertical shifts in elevation, aligning ecological strategies with building massing so that the transition from plaza to podium reads as a continuous, inhabitable terrain."

NBBJ recently designed the Life and Mind Building at the University of Oxford, as well as adolescent behavioural health campus comprising a series of curved buildings.

The photography is by Kris Provoost unless otherwise stated.

Project credits:

Design architect: NBBJ
Architect of record, structure, MEP: TJA Shenzhen
Vertical transportation: WSP
Facade: Inhabit
Sustainability: Atkins Shenzhen
Interior design: Cheng Chung Design
Lighting design: BPI
Landscape design: China Architecture Design & Research Group

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Designers Robert Hahn and Jacobo Cuesta Wolf curated an exhibition of eclectic doorstops for Copenhagen's 3 Days of Design festival, including a clock-shaped wedge and a bound stack of books.

The Stop/Go exhibition displayed more than 20 objects at the Goethe-Institut Denmark, created by young and independent German creatives in response to a brief calling for novel reinterpretations of the humble doorstop.

Hahn and Cuesta Wolf, who have been collaborating on design and curatorial projects since 2024, chose the doorstop as a shared starting point for the show due to its ubiquity and straightforward functionality.

"It is small enough not to dominate and at the same time familiar enough to be understood," the duo explained. "A simple object, but also a good place to begin a conversation."

Among the German designers taking part in Stop/Go was Alexander von Dombois, who created a doorstop made from painted beechwood rings that stack like a children's toy.

Anna-Lena Wolfrum made her doorstop by machining ash wood into a bottom-heavy conical form, while Philipp Witte added a simple handle to a rock to evoke the earliest curling stones.

Oliver-Selim Boualam and Lukas Marstaller of design studio BNAG created a cast-metal replica of the doorstop used as a generic visual reference on Wikipedia, as well as a stool with wedge-shaped feet that can be used to prop open a door.

Martha Sophie Kikowatz used bent wire to trace the outline of a wedge, resulting in a lightweight doorstop that performs the required function with minimal use of material.

Mathis Hoseman also focused on the malleable properties of metal with his doorstop made from a single piece of bent steel, while Kasper Kyster used tension wire to shape a steel sheet into a shallow arc.

Other experiments with metal included Studio Œ's Smithy Doorstop, forged by flattening one end of a solid steel bar, and Florian Schregelmann's weighty Crossfit doorstop featuring a welded cross-shaped base.

Hahn & CuestaWolf's own contribution to the show features a conical cast-aluminium base with a long wooden handle, while Tim Schütze created his doorstop by combining larch wood with a chunk of dolomite stone.

Some of the more quirky responses to the brief included a doorstop made from a pile of books bound together with rope by Silvio Rebholz and Paul Rees, as well as a clock-shaped wedge by Studio Pond.

Till Seegräber and Justus Hilfenhaus used cork to create a circular non-slip wedge, while Karl Anton Schinkel devised a system for dipping found objects in rubber and adding handles to turn them into ready-made doorstops.

Stop/Go took place during the 3 Days of Design festival, alongside other group shows including an exhibition of design objects made using sewing machines and a presentation of sculptural furniture by design brand Mater.

The photography is by Max Mendez, with set design by Amelie Schleifenheimer.

Stop/Go took place from 10 to 12 June 2026 as part of 3 Days of Design. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

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Architecture studio WilkinsonEyre has completed the second and final phase of the CIBC Square development in Toronto, which includes a second skyscraper and an elevated park spanning train tracks.

Located in Toronto's central business district, the development is the headquarters for the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and contains two mixed-use office skyscrapers.

The project's first skyscraper, 81 Bay Street, was completed in 2022. This first phase of the project also included adding transit infrastructure, such as a bus stop, around the city's Union Station which sits underneath the buildings.

Both skyscrapers rise 250 metres and are wrapped in a similar diamond-motif glass facade. With the completion of the second phase, they are also now linked by the project's sky park, which is due to open later this year.

"CIBC Square presented an extraordinary opportunity to rethink how large commercial developments can contribute to the life of the city," said WilkinsonEyre director Dominic Bettison.

"Rather than treating infrastructure as a barrier, the project embraces it as an organising element that connects transit, landscape, workplace, and public space into a seamless urban experience."

The project's recently completed skyscraper, 141 Bay Street, sits closer to the city centre, while 81 Bay Street is located across the train tracks. They mirror each other in design, although are positioned perpendicular to one another.

The skyscrapers are comprised of a single building, but the glass facades make them look like two conjoined skyscrapers.

Like 81 Bay Street, 141 Bay Street is wrapped in the same convex glass diamonds that "introduce depth, scale, and changing reflections across the skyline" according to the team.

The skyscraper meets the street with a triple-height lobby, which connects to a pedestrian walkway.

On the other side, the building connects to the elevated park, which was developed in collaboration with landscape architects Public Work.

The park will contain walking paths, gathering spaces and outdoor amenities, and spans the entirety of the rail corridor below.

"The completion of the CIBC Square North Tower and the elevated park is an inspiration of north-south connectivity," said executive director Tim Kocur of the Waterfront BIA.

"Our waterfront has benefitted greatly from the expansion of the Financial District southward, but the Gardiner Expressway and rail yards remain a barrier that's difficult to ignore."

A number of large projects in Toronto have been completed recently or are under construction, including Canada's tallest skyscraper and a mountainous residential development by BIG.

The photography is by Doublespace

Project details:

Client: Le Caisse and Hines
Architect: WilkinsonEyre
Architect of record: Adamson Associates
Landscape architect: Public Work
Developer: La Caisse and Hines

The post WilkinsonEyre completes Toronto skyscrapers linked by elevated park appeared first on Dezeen.

Dezeen Showroom: an all-aluminium dining table with crimped sides is among seven new products featured on Dezeen Showroom.

Sail table by Tom Fereday for Design By Them

Designer Tom Fereday's Sail table for Australian brand Design By Them is made entirely from aluminium and its top features distinctively folded-over sides.

The table comes in three sizes and finishes, and is as at home on an outdoor patio as it is in a boardroom, according to the brand.

Sail was recently featured on Dezeen Showroom alongside a folding chair designed to facilitate elegant additional seating and an all-oak modular kitchen system handmade in Denmark.

Read on to see more of the latest products:

Muku task chair by Foster + Partners for Okamura

A simplistic silhouette, curated colour palette and eco-conscious materials define this office chair by British studio Foster + Partners and Japanese furniture brand Okamura.

The Muku task chair's enhanced lumbar support and adjustable armrests create an ergonomic seat to support desk work both at home and in the office.

Find out more about Muku ›

Aisti Aalto acoustic tiles by Aisti

An aerated wood fibre mixture forms the basis of these acoustic tiles created by Finnish brand Aisti.

Aisti Aalto acoustic tiles come in a single white colourway and, according to the brand, are fire-resistant, recyclable and cost-efficient.

Find out more about Aisti Aalto ›

Blue Ocean quartzite by Eggersmann

Kitchen brand Eggersmann has added a characterful blue stone option to its bespoke kitchens named Blue Ocean quartzite.

The material is naturally occurring and adds drama when used to clad and top kitchen units and islands alike.

Find out more about Blue Ocean ›

Theo folding chair by Matteo Thun and Benedetto Fasciana for Plank

Italian architect Matteo Thun and designer Benedetto Fasciana have designed an elegant folding chair for Italian furniture brand Plank.

The Theo folding chair is made from plywood and oak veneer and aims to act as a universally useful seat in any interior where flexible seating comes in handy.

Find out more about Theo ›

Modular kitchens by Vermland

Interior design studio Vermland has released a modular system of kitchen units that are handmade in Denmark out of solid oak.

Its modular kitchens are created through the combination of wall-mounted short and tall units as well as islands, all raised off the floor on metal feet.

Find out more about modular kitchens ›

LLLL.09 and LLLL.09.8 lights by Sarah Dehandschutter for LLLL

Belgian designer Sarah Dehandschutter has added a pair of new fin-like, sheer pendant lights to the offering of her lighting brand LLLL.

LLLL.09 and LLLL.09.8 lights have a rounded and elliptical shape respectively, each designed to be hung in clusters to create bespoke arrangements.

Find out more about LLLL.09 and LLLL.09.8 ›

Dezeen Showroom

Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen's huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.

Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.

Dezeen Showroom new releases newsletter

Click here to subscribe to our Dezeen Showroom new releases newsletter, a quarterly bulletin highlighting our editor's pick of the products we have published in the previous season.

The post Sail table by Design By Them among seven new products on Dezeen Showroom appeared first on Dezeen.

Dezeen School Shows: a collection of woven garments designed to respond to touch, light and movement is among projects showcased at this year's New Designers.

Also featured is a clothing range exploring the beauty of carnivorous plants and a ceramic project made using wild clay sourced from Dufftown, Scotland.

New Designers

Institution: New Designers Class of 2026

School statement:

"The UK's most established graduate design showcase returns in 2026, spotlighting the next generation of design talent.

"Taking place from 1 to 4 July, New Designers reflects the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of design today, bringing together emerging talent in a more dynamic, connected and immersive experience for both exhibitors and visitors.

"For over 40 years, New Designers has championed emerging creative talent, providing a vital platform for more than 2,500 graduates annually to present their visionary ideas to industry professionals and the public.

"The 2026 edition marks an exciting new chapter, uniting graduates from across the UK in a single, cohesive showcase taking place over one week."

Carneo Garden by Teepakorn Prasarttong-Osoth

"This project explores carnivorous flora – plants often associated with danger, mystery and aggression, standing in stark contrast to the delicate beauty traditionally linked to flowers.

"Challenging these preconceived notions, the project reinterprets their striking forms and intricate structures through a luxury design lens.

"Their unconventional aesthetic is transformed into a collection of distinctive applications, ranging from textile prints for interiors and fashion accessories to a curated series of decorative ceramic objects, celebrating the beauty found in the unexpected."

Student: Teepakorn Prasarttong-Osoth
Course: MA Fashion Design and Textiles, Birmingham City University

Normal by Oliver Hordon

"Normal is a two-part system that transforms lived experience into a deliberate, controllable playback – a field recorder that captures image and audio data, and a playback device that replays this through both visual and audio form.

"Modern methods of capturing memory prioritise constant recording, often reducing experience into passive documentation.

"Normal challenges this by reintroducing intention into the act of capture, encouraging the user to question what is worth holding rather than recording everything by default.

"It asks how technology can operate quietly within an experience, shaping focus, rhythm and atmosphere without pulling attention away from the moment."

Student: Oliver Hordon
Course: BA (Hons) Design for Industry, Northumbria University

Spread from 'Primordiopolis' by Ania Blanda

"The publication 'Primordiopolis' was created to explore the ancient relationship between animals and humans.

"It is inspired primarily by a deep belief in respect and by the profound sadness that arises when respect is replaced by ego."

Student: Ania Blanda
Course: BA (Hons) Graphics and Illustration, Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts

The Turnham Chair by Ed Satchell

"The craftsperson wanders through an ancient British woodland, selectively gathering the components of a chair.

"The woodland provides hazel sticks for the legs, support rails and backrests, grown for an annual harvest; a short distance away, sheep shorn for wool contribute to the material palette.

"The land provides the materials for high-quality, comfortable and elegant furniture.

"The Turnham Chair was grown on a farm and carefully hand-crafted by a farmer's son."

Student: Ed Satchell
Course: BA (Hons) Product and Furniture Design, University of Plymouth

Cornish Coastal Pattern by Millie Rowlandson

"This is a self-initiated pattern design project inspired by the wildlife of the Cornish Coast.

"From a young age, holidays spent in Cornwall have inspired a desire to respond to the local landscape – celebrating its distinctive flora and fauna through pattern."

Student: Millie Rowlandson
Course: BA (Hons) Illustration, Anglia Ruskin University – Cambridge School of Art

Monknash – Exploring Landscape, Memory and History by Rose Barlier

"This project is focused on the site of Monknash – a village and beach along the south coast of Wales – exploring both a journey through the landscape and a journey through time.

"The use of driftwood is central to the work, naturally embodying the idea of wandering and passage.

"The ceramic sculpture examines three stages on the journey towards the secluded beach, incorporating materials sourced from the site, such as saggar-fired seaweed, while steel and textiles pay tribute to Wales' rich industrial history.

"Through the lens of Monknash, the viewer is invited to explore their own personal and unseen places, and the memories and history surrounding them – emphasising the connection between the past and the present landscape."

Student: Rose Barlier
Course: BA (Hons) 3D Design and Craft, University of Brighton

Dreamweaver's Forest by Amber Moore

"Dreamweaver's Forest captures the connection between nature, imagination and escapism, inspired by forest imagery and rendered in a whimsical palette to highlight a fantastical atmosphere intended for the interior of a library.

"Translating texture and shape from forests using weave, knitting, laser-cutting, tufting and embroidery, the collection emphasises the value of handcrafted and slow textiles, producing greater feeling and connection between viewer and product.

"Designed for an interior library space, the work highlights the enduring relationship between forests, storytelling and the imagination."

Student: Amber Moore
Course: BA (Hons) Textiles Design, Arts University Bournemouth

"It must be everywhere" – Transcending Places by Evan Daggert

"This project focuses on a wild clay sourced from Dufftown, a small village in Scotland local to the maker.

"Through experimentation and discovery, a series of glazes were created and used to decorate large thrown vessels, with varied firing methods introducing atmosphere to each piece.

"Using this wild material allows nature to take part in the creation, as the vessels speak of and for the beauty of the natural world.

"Through touch, video and sound, the project evokes emotion and a sense of connection to the material and the place it came from.

"The title is drawn from an interview with artist Kerstin Gren, which formed part of a video dissertation exploring the material's significance to Evan and other makers."

Student: Evan Daggert
Course: Product, Ceramics and Jewellery, Grays School of Art – Robert Gordon University

Ubuntu by Ruari McVeigh (Garnet Green)

"This practice explores the relationship between place, memory and the natural world, drawing on lived experiences with wild animals in South Africa.

"Each piece is inspired by a specific animal – among them the porcupine, the ground hornbill and the Vervet monkey – drawing on observed moments of movement, texture and behaviour, reinterpreted through colour, surface and structure.

"These forms act as small, intimate archives, capturing fleeting interactions with wildlife and transforming them into objects that can be held, worn and shared."

Student: Ruari McVeigh (Garnet Green)
Course: BA Silversmithing and Jewellery, Glasgow School of Art, University of Glasgow

Living Fibres by Lola Powell

"Living Fibres is a woven collection designed to respond to touch, light and movement.

"It began as an exploration of the connection between body and landscape through slow tactile practices, including fibre extraction, foraging and plant-based dyeing.

"The project developed into a technical construction of these materials through digital weaving and hand finishing, evolving into sculptural forms that express the rhythms of nature.

"Activated on the body and within outdoor environments, this collection invites interaction with the land into expressive, versatile fabrics shaped by festival and community-focused contexts."

Student: Lola Powell
Course: BA (Hons) Textile Design, Norwich University of the Arts

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and New Designers. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

The post Foraged "living fibre" fashion collection among works at New Designers 2026 appeared first on Dezeen.

Dezeen Showroom: German design duo KaschKasch collaborated with design brand Villeroy & Boch on a recycled ceramic material that is "technically precise and materially imperfect".

Antao 3D aims to be the next evolution of ceramics' centuries-old history, where contemporary technological advances meet time-honoured craft.

KaschKasch and Villeroy & Boch intend for the material to be used to form basins through layer-by-layer 3D printing, gradually building into a ridged structure that makes each resulting piece unique.

"The starting point for Antao 3D is 100 per cent internally recycled ceramic," said Villeroy & Boch. "Production waste that would otherwise be discarded is reintegrated into the manufacturing process, feeding directly into the 3D printing workflow."

With the ability to 3D print the material, KaschKasch has established a connection between the material's heritage and the cutting-edge technology available to 21st-century manufacturers.

"What the process produces is a surface that carries the trace of its own formation – fine ridges and subtle variations result directly from the layered printing, creating a texture that is simultaneously technically precise and materially imperfect," the brand continued.

Product details:

Product: Antao 3D
Brands: KaschKasch and Villeroy & Boch
Contact: friedrich.veronika@villeroy-boch.com

Dezeen Showroom

Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen's huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.

Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.

Dezeen Showroom new releases newsletter

Click here to subscribe to our Dezeen Showroom new releases newsletter, a quarterly bulletin highlighting our editor's pick of the products we have published in the previous season.

The post Antao 3D material by KaschKasch and Villeroy & Boch appeared first on Dezeen.

Brick garden walls conceal the Walled Courtyard house, which local architecture studio Inglis Badrashi Loddo has completed on a historic square in Kennington, south London.

The single-storey home occupies a 63-square-metre infill site that originally formed part of the garden of a Grade-II listed Georgian townhouse, located on the south-east corner of the 18th-century Cleaver Square in Kennington.

Commissioned by the owners of the Georgian townhouse, the brief was to create a compact and accessible dwelling filled with natural light, separate from the original property.

According to Inglis Badrashi Loddo (IBLA), it is the first new house to be built on the square in over 175 years, meaning it had to meet strict planning conditions.

IBLA hid the structure behind brick boundary walls, which are reconstructions of the original home's walled garden.

"The site is very compact, completely enclosed and inward-looking – our main goal was to create a bright and light-filled home that felt expansive and generous, despite the constraints," IBLA director Kim Loddo told Dezeen.

"While the site had recently been used as a car parking area, historically the land was enclosed by brick walls, and our decision to reinstate this perimeter was driven by a desire to maintain a connection with the history of the site as a walled garden," Loddo said.

A combination of reclaimed and new London stock brick was used to reconstruct the perimeter walls.

The walls were completed without any windows in order for the site to read as a continuous garden wall from the street.

From the outside, the bricks are left untreated, while from the inside, the courtyard walls have been lightened with a lime-mortar paint.

Entry to the home is through a painted timber gate that opens onto a courtyard, creating a transitional space between the street and the interior, while also accommodating an air-source heat pump, bike storage and space for bins.

Inside, the home comprises a series of interconnected rooms arranged around a central courtyard garden, which is accessed via full-height sliding glass doors on all sides.

Designed to draw plenty of natural light into the home's interior, the floor-to-ceiling doors overlooking the courtyard were combined with a series of skylights.

From the entrance, the main bedroom and ensuite sit to the west of the plan, with long sightlines throughout the rest of the house.

At the centre of the plan, the open-plan kitchen-dining space is fitted with custom-made plywood cabinetry, illuminated by a skylight above.

A neutral palette combining white wall finishes, whitewashed exposed timber roof joists and the same grey porcelain flooring features throughout the home. Pocket doors slide away into wall recesses to expand the sense of space.

"The exposed roof joists are a good example of an attempt to integrate a key structural element while introducing character to the building," said Loddo.

"The regular rhythm of these joists sweeps through the main spaces and changes direction around the courtyard in harmony with the layout, giving interest to the ceilings while supporting the sedum roof above," she described.

To the east of the plan, there is an adaptable space that serves either as a second bedroom or a snug. The main bathroom is tucked into the curved corner of the site, fitted with a circular skylight to draw light inside.

Moves to improve the home's environmental performance include the addition of the air-source heat pump, high levels of insulation, underfloor heating and a green roof.

Other south London projects recently featured on Dezeen include a timber-framed house extension that creates space for gardening and a pale limestone brick extension designed to evoke a sense of calm.

The photography is by Brotherton Lock.

Project credits:

Architect: Inglis Badrashi Loddo
Structural engineer: DTS1
Main contractor: CB Design & Build
M&E consultant: Will Potter Partnership
Energy consultant: BuildPass UK

The post Garden walls conceal compact London house by Inglis Badrashi Loddo appeared first on Dezeen.

Zaha Hadid Architects principal Patrik Schumacher has announced that the studio is officially being renamed ZHA, following the conclusion of a legal battle.

Schumacher announced the studio's new name, which he described as a "natural brand evolution", in an Instagram post.

"I'm so proud and excited to announce that we will be trading the new name ZHA, and also with a new registered company named ZHA Architects Limited," he said.

"This is 10 years after Zaha's passing. We feel it's very natural brand evolution to move to a more collective identity."

"A new chapter"

Schumacher said the move feels like a natural next step as Zaha Hadid's final projects near completion.

"Of course, we love Zaha, and we've been working with her, the leadership, and myself, of course, for many decades, collaborating and working on these projects, but she's no longer with us – in spirit only – and we have a lot of new projects coming out," he said.

"We're operating across six continents with 100 projects in development and construction. ZHA means a new stage, a new chapter"

The announcement follows the conclusion of a legal battle between the studio and the Zaha Hadid Foundation over the use of Hadid's name.

In February, the Court of Appeal overruled a High Court judgement from 2024 over a licensing agreement, which required the architecture studio to retain Hadid's name and pay the foundation six per cent of its annual revenue to use it.

The ruling by Justice Colin Birss allowed Schumacher to either renegotiate the licensing contract or change the name of the studio.

It appears that Schumacher has chosen to rename, rather than renegotiate the agreement.

Along with the rebrand, the studio launched a new website. The website includes a statement highlighting that the studio has ended its licensing agreement with the Zaha Hadid Foundation.

"ZHA and ZHA Architects are trade marks of ZHA Architects Limited, a company based in London, UK and owned by its employees," it said.

"ZHA Architects Group previously traded under a trade mark licence from the Zaha Hadid Foundation. Following the termination of the licence in 2025 the ZHA Architects Group ceased all use of that trade mark and disclaims any connection with the foundation."

The studio recently unveiled plans for a housing development in Tirana with overhanging balconies and a 47-story-tall skyscraper in Taipei that draws on the shape of a fluted orchid.

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Continuing our Gaudí Centenary series, we look at Park Güell, a UNESCO-listed municipal park originally designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí as a private housing estate on the outskirts of Barcelona.

Opening in 1926 as a municipal garden for Barcelona's residents, the park is now such a popular attraction that there are protests about its "wild touristification".

But it was not planned this way. The park, which perhaps more than any other building showcases the many facets of Gaudí's enigmatic, unique personal style, was not even intended as a public space.

Situated on a mountainside plot in the city's Gràcia district, Park Güell's site was originally designed as an exclusive residential complex for the city's bourgeoisie.

The expansive development was proposed by Spanish industrialist Eusebi Güell based on the ideals of the garden city movement led by English town planner Ebenezer Howard.

As with all of the industrialist's major architectural works, he commissioned Gaudí for the design and it is one of five projects designed by the architect – including Palau Güell and Colonia Güell – that bear his name. Reports on Güell's wealth coming from slavery in Cuba have led to a recent rethinking of the legacy of this patronage.

Gaudí's plan divided the site into 60 triangular plots for luxury private homes, which would be surrounded by greenery and connected by a trio of viaducts that traverse the sloped landscape.

Construction on the estate began in 1900, with its two entrance pavilions, a central stairway, and elevated walkways being completed by 1903.

However, by 1914, the development was abandoned following a lack of interest from buyers due to complex lease contracts and few local transport systems. Only two of the 60 planned homes were ever built, one of which became Gaudí's home.

The park was sold to the city council in 1922, following the death of Güell at his on-site residence in 1918, and was later opened as a public space in 1926.

Now the estate-turned-major-tourist-attraction encompasses 12 hectares of public gardens with whimsical gingerbread house-style pavilions and mosaic-covered terraces overlooking the city.

It incorporates elements from the park's more luxurious beginnings, which act both as cultural infrastructure for the community and as important artefacts of Gaudí's work.

Alongside the architect's use of local stone and brick, more extravagant details, including serpentine benches, a mosaic dragon sculpture and large Doric columns, were made possible by Güell's fortune.

Today, the expansive park comprises two large areas – a 12-hectare main park and heritage site, and an additional eight-hectare woodland.

Two porter's lodge pavilions flank the park's gated entrance. Likened to gingerbread houses, their matching sand-coloured exteriors are clad with traditional Catalan clay tiles and mosaic detailing.

From here, visitors reach the park's Dragon Stairway, a grand double staircase that connects to the park's upper levels. The curved staircase is flanked on each side by grottos, topped with rounded terraces framed by decorative merlons.

Featured on the steps is a dragon, or salamander, sculpture covered with an ornate tile-shard mosaic, which has become emblematic of the park.

Situated at the centre of Park Güell is the Nature Square, a sprawling, open terrace originally conceived for hosting open-air shows visible from the surrounding terraces.

Here, visitors are also offered an unobstructed view of Gaudí's famous Sagrada Familia church, which began construction in 1882 and continued beyond the architect's passing in 1926.

A snaking bench designed by Gaudí's assistant Josep Jujol winds around the terrace to double as a balustrade and is similarly adorned with colourful tile-shard mosaic.

Partially dug into the hillside, the Nature Square is supported from its underside by a network of large stone pillars known as a hypostyle.

Named the Hypostyle Room, this space is made up of 86 striated Doric columns, with pockets of column-free areas designed as additional public space. Its ceiling is imprinted with several small domes.

A conduit collects rainwater from the square above, which is channelled through the hollow columns before being transferred to an underground tank.

In response to the site's topography, Gaudí originally designed three five-metre-wide viaducts for carriages to transport residents to the higher terrain.

The Low, Middle and High viaducts – named after their respective positions on the hillside – are each suspended on a structure of sloping columns formed of stones found on the site.

Further connecting the expansive site is a 10-metre-wide arterial roadway lined with palm trees that carves through the park, alongside a network of three-metre-wide paths, shortcuts, and steps for those travelling on foot.

Park Güell culminates 182 metres above sea level at the Hill of the Three Crosses viewpoint, where stone crosses were erected in place of a chapel originally planned for the site.

The park's shift from a private estate to a public garden also saw the conversion of Güell's former home, Larrard House, into a municipal public school, and Gaudí's home into the Gaudí Home Museum.

As one of Barcelona's largest green spaces and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Park Güell has become beloved by tourists and locals alike, with around 4.5 million visitors annually.

This popularity, however, has led to overcrowding. For this reason, Barcelona City Council has approved a plan that it claims will gradually reduce visitor numbers over two years and ultimately "bring the park back to the city".

Park Güell is one of seven UNESCO-listed buildings by Gaudí, alongside Casa Milà, Palacio Güell and the iconic Sagrada Familia, which is nearing completion after a 144-year-long construction.

The photography is by Cajsa Carlson, main photo via Shutterstock.

Gaudí Centenary

This article is part of Gaudí Centenary, our editorial series profiling ​the Catalan architect and designer Antoni Gaudí​, marking 100 years since his death.

The post How Gaudí's failed Park Güell housing estate became Barcelona's most popular park appeared first on Dezeen.

UK practices Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC have revealed a faceted glass canopy that shelters new outdoor spaces, as part of the transformation of the Olympia events centre in London.

Opening to the public today, the rooftop bars, restaurants and landscaped terraces mark the completion of the first phase of Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC's renovation of Olympia, which was originally built in 1886.

Designed to attract more activity to the site, a public staircase and escalators lead visitors from ground level to the public space above, which was built between Olympia's barrel-vaulted roofs.

A pleated canopy, made up of 520 glass panels supported by five 22-metre-wide steel arches, shelters the outdoor space.

The shape of the canopy fans out at the entrance points, designed to draw people in, and its faceted surfaces draw from the arched glass facade of Olympia's Grand Hall.

Elsewhere at the Olympia site, office towers with faceted glazed facades are also taking shape as part of the transformation project.

Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC wanted to diversify the site, which has functioned as an events space and exhibition hall for 140 years, and make it more accessible to visitors.

Once complete, Olympia will contain a 3,800-capacity entertainment venue, a 1,575-seat theatre, shops, offices and two hotels.

"Olympia has held a strange place in the hearts of Londoners, sitting at the centre of our city, hosting so many unusual events, yet simultaneously closed off to most of us," said Heatherwick Studio founder Thomas Heatherwick. "It certainly wasn't a place to take your family or go on a date."

"Our work over the last nine years has been about opening it up so anyone can enjoy it, whether they're going to a play, a music concert, an exhibition, or simply wandering around."

"What was once a lifeless perimeter is now a place where you can feel the city's energy," Heatherwick continued.

"The new Olympia reflects a quiet confidence, showing that we can take extraordinary British heritage and adapt it with care, imagination and purpose for the future."

Also in London, Heatherwick Studio is nearing completion on Google's upcoming landscraper office in King's Cross, which was designed with BIG.

Elsewhere in the UK, Heatherwick Studio revealed its design for a 62,000-seat stadium encircled by brick chimneys for Birmingham City Football Club.

Other projects by SPPARC include a brick-lined shopping area in London and a renovated Georgian townhouse with a honeycomb-shaped roof.

The photography is by Raquel Diniz unless stated.

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Designers such as Erwan Bouroullec, Louise Campbell, Foster + Partners and Jonas Trampedach used sewing machines to create objects for the third edition of the annual Værktøj exhibition during 3 Days of Design.

The Værktøj platform was founded in 2024 by Frederik Weber and Gustav Dupont, Trampedach, Kasper Salto and Michael Antrobus as a way to explore how tools inform the design process as well as the outcome.

The format provides a common starting point – in this case the sewing machine – and asks participants to create a one-off object that embodies the chosen tool's unique capabilities.

The previous exhibition presented objects made using a hydraulic press, while the inaugural edition focused on the capabilities of profile bending machines.

"Værktøj 3 invites visitors to consider the often invisible influence of tools and how they shape a designer's identity," the founders explained.

The objects presented during Copenhagen's 3 Days of Design festival included a sofa with a simple wooden frame and a seat covered with robust Tyvek fabric by Bouroullec.

London-based Foster + Partners Industrial Design contributed a lamp called Lomme – named after the Danish word for pocket – that used a stitched seam to lend the piece its structure and shape.

Other lighting objects include design duo Frederik Gustav's clusters of folded and sewn textile volumes, as well as Trampedach's wall lamps made by stretching a piece of fabric over a custom-made glass tube.

Danish designer Campbell's Peep lampshades were produced using textiles and paper that are rolled up to create a three-dimensional form held in place by just a few contrasting dark stitches.

British design studio Pearson Lloyd, meanwhile, used ripstop nylon and fibreglass struts to construct its BiCone lamp, which is part of an ongoing exploration of how materials can perform functions such as screening and diffusing light.

Several of the designers focused on the role of sewing in upholstered furniture, including Lærke Ryom's lounge chair covered with loose fabric that introduces textural folds and creases.

Industrial designer Kasper Salto reinterpreted a pressed-wood table, created for the previous year's exhibition, as the base for a stool featuring a cushion upholstered using upcycled vintage fabric.

Antrobus stitched together two pieces of leather to form a sling-like seat fixed to a metal frame, while Sia Hurtigkarl developed a swing seat that was made from discarded sails and informed by the methods used in sailmaking.

Other group exhibitions that took place during 3 Days of Design included a show that saw designers create pairs of products informed by bathing culture, as well as an exhibition of furniture and objects designed using Danish brand Mater's recycled materials.

The photography is by Peter Vinther.

Værktøj 3 took place from 10 to 12 June 2026 as part of 3 Days of Design. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

The post Erwan Bouroullec's crumpled Tyvek sofa among works created for Værktøj 3 exhibition appeared first on Dezeen.

A museum in Vietnam built from more than six million reclaimed clay tiles has won the grand prize at Wienerberger's 2026 Brick Awards, which is showcased in this video produced by Dezeen for the awards.

Đạo Mẫu Temple and Museum in Vietnam, which was built using six million up-cycled clay tiles salvaged from 500 houses in the local area, was selected as the grand prize winner

It was chosen from a total of 849 entries submitted from across six continents to this year's awards programme, from which six winners were selected.

The Brick Awards is a bi-annual competition 

Designed by ARB Architects in collaboration with folk artist Xuân Hinh, the temple and museum was conceived as a space rooted in local customs and vernacular architecture.

The team also sought to minimise disruption to the landscape, preserving a 50-year-old orchard at the centre of the site.

Five additional category winners were announced alongside the grand prize recipient.

Among them was Endless Brick Playground in Hangzhou, China, which won the Building Outside the Box category.

Developed by students of the China Academy of Art, the project functions as an evolving masonry laboratory.

Each year, over 80 students are tasked with designing and building a structure using only red bricks as part of a decade-long programme exploring bricklaying techniques and construction methods.

Previous installations are dismantled annually to give space to new structures, creating an ever-evolving architectural landscape.

Atelier ARS won the Working Together category for Clase Azul La Hacienda Jalisco, a warehouse and office complex created for Mexican tequila brand Clase Azul.

The studio was informed by the site's volcanic topography, partially embedding the building into the terrain.

Local stone, ceramic and clay elements were used to echo the colours and textures of the surrounding landscape.

In Barcelona, Peris+Toral Arquitectes were recognised for Social Atrium, a mixed-use housing project organised around a central bioclimatic atrium.

The architecture studio used biomass-fired brick for the exterior and interior to help regulate the building's temperature while bringing in daylight and natural ventilation throughout the year.

The space acts as a solar collector in winter and a cooling chimney in summer, while also serving as a communal gathering area for residents.

In Mallorca, a residential home called Ca na Birgit by TEd'A Arquitectes won the Feeling at Home category.

The house uses two thick parallel brick walls to shield its occupants from neighbouring properties while maintaining views towards the sea.

The architects used locally sourced marés stone and clay brick – materials traditionally used in Mallorcan architecture – to create a home defined by openness and simplicity.

For the first time in the awards' history, the jury awarded a special prize recognising an innovative collective living concept.

The award was given to Maker Architekten for redeveloping an urban neighbourhood in Belgium using reclaimed brick.

The regeneration project created 31 new social housing units built using historic bricks salvaged from other construction projects.

A hybrid mortar system was used to allow building components to be taken apart and reused at the end of their lifespan.

Established in 2004 by brick manufacturer Wienerbeger, the Brick Awards aims to celebrate the most innovative and contemporary uses of brick in architecture.

Wienerberger bricks were recently used in Lanza Atelier's Serpentine Pavilion, which references the undulating form of traditional English crinkle-crankle walls.

Top image by Trieu Chien.

Partnership content

This video was produced for Wienerberger as part of a partnership. Find out more about our partnership content here.

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Promotion: Swiss bathroom specialist Laufen presented two installations during this year's Milan design week, which showcased its latest material innovation and a refreshed brand image.

Both Experience Tomorrow installations, at Fuorisalone and in Laufen's Milan showroom, offered an immersive journey through the brand's latest innovations.

On show were Laufen's material developments such as Vitreon steel, as well as its latest design collaborations, including Par, a bathroom collection created by designer Konstantin Grcic.

For Fuorisalone, the team created a "sequence of immersive layers" arranged around a central seating area.

Among the highlights were Volta, the washbasin collection created by designer Yves Behar, which was crafted in Saphirkeramik – Laufen's pioneering ceramic material that creates exceptionally thin yet durable forms.

"Conceived as a refined architectural environment, the stand translates the company's new visual identity into space," said Laufen's team.

"Clean lines, harmonious geometries, deep tones and carefully selected materials create a setting with a restrained yet distinctive language, designed to highlight the quality of the collections and the experience of the contemporary bathroom."

Other items displayed throughout the booth included refreshed designs for a long-standing collaboration between furniture product brand Kartell and Laufen, including designer Anna Castelli Ferrieri's Componibile cabinet reinterpreted as a column washbasin with integrated storage.

On the ground floor of Laufen's Milan showroom, visitors were introduced to Vitreon steel via a selection of the brand's latest collections, which illustrated Laufen's approach to innovation in materials and design.

On the second floor, a circular wooden pavilion developed in collaboration with Grcic housed an installation introducing Par – a new bathroom collection created by the designer for Laufen.

"Set within a cylindrical wooden structure, the installation unfolds as a calm and contained environment," said the brand "Here, the bathroom is seen as a place where moments come together – where time is not measured but lived."

The space also presented a new chapter for Kartell by Laufen, with a series of designs by Ferruccio Laviani introduced thirteen years after the collection first debuted.

"With the exhibition Experience Tomorrow, Laufen unveils a renewed vision of the bathroom environment, expressing the brand’s eclectic soul through a holistic approach to the bathroom of tomorrow," said the team.

To learn more about Laufen's latest collections, visit its website.

The photography is courtesy of Laufen.

Partnership content

This article was written for Laufen as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Dezeen School Shows: a landscape architecture project that addresses Hull's rising sea level is among the projects by the University of Sheffield.

Also featured is a proposal to reinvent Manchester's "lost water spaces" into new landscapes for people and nature, and a rewilding project aiming to transform a suburban area of Sheffield.

University of Sheffield

Institution: University of Sheffield
Course: BA and MLA in Landscape Architecture, MA Landscape Architecture and MA Landscape Studies
Tutors: Aimee Felstead, Catherine Higham, Charlie Young, Charlotte Liu, Elisa Olivares, Emma Beaumont, Fiona McQuaid, Jess Bryne-Daniel, Joanne Phillips, Jono Daniels, Laurence Pattacini, Mel Burton, Nigel Dunnett, Ross Cameron, Russell Light, Thom White and Tom Wild

School statement:

"The School of Architecture and Landscape is defined by the curiosity, values and expertise of its staff and student community, and aims to make a positive difference to research and practice in our professions.

"From the smallest garden to large-scale urban developments and rewilded country estates, our landscape architecture courses embrace all aspects of the science, planning, design, creation and management of urban and rural environments."

Red Bank Regenerative Water Strategy by Rachel Mckinlay

"This project transforms the lost water spaces of north Manchester from wastewater landscapes to new urban commons for people and nature.

"In an era of climate uncertainty, water plays an essential role in the viability of urban living, and the linear water cycle is increasingly seen as an ecological failure.

"We must close the loop of the water cycle and the economy that people live in.

"A regenerative water design applies as a collaborative mindset where water brings together nature and people through a co-dependance leading to co-evolution.

"Spatially, regenerative water design must embrace uncertainty, flood cycles, community participation and adaptive landscape strategies."

Student: Rachel Mckinlay
Course: MA Landscape Studies
Tutors: Jess Bryne-Daniel and Laurence Pattacini

A Wastewater Landscape Biograph: From Biocultural Memory to Repair by Veronica Moreno Jimenez

"The Mezquital Valley holds economic, ecological and cultural values. Its original xerophytic landscape, fractal foodways and native species, which are both productive and connective, have been ignored.

"There is a missing link, the one that joins the contemporary productive landscape with the landscape that preceded it.

"This proposal responds to the loss of identity through the biocultural lens. The Hñähñu never forgot, and their living practices prove it.

"The interventions do not aim to eliminate the consequences of urban wastewater overflow but to use its transformative impact to create a productive landscape respectful of the identity of the valley."

Student: Veronica Moreno Jimenez
Course: MA Landscape Architecture
Tutors: Jess Bryne-Daniel and Laurence Pattacini

A wilder future by Sammy Kafuby 

"Traditional crafts and skills have been forgotten within the UK because of a disconnect between people and the landscape.

"This forgotten link needs to be addressed at many levels using a variety of approaches.

"Rewilding within the peri-urban setting of Birley Moor in Sheffield will provide people with a close link to nature, with people replacing the need for megafauna, which is often needed for successful rewilding projects, allowing it to furnish people with valuable, transferable life skills.

"Utilising historical management skills and hands-on engagement will provide co-benefits for both humans and nature."

Student: Sammy Kafu
Course: MLA (Y5)
Tutors: Mel Burton, Joanne Phillips and Charlotte Liu

Healing Scars; Minas de Riotinto by Joe Gallager

"This project aims to create a public park surrounding the abandoned pyrite smelters in the Riotinto mines.

"This public landscape will retain the industrial history and architecture of the site, creating a space where locals can explore the landscape that holds vast amounts of memories.

"The aim is to reopen an area of the site, allowing people to move through the industrial legacy whilst looking to help restore the contaminated landscape.

"The interventions will reduce the site's pollution and will create visual representations of restoration, helping to educate users on how small changes can result in large scale ecological benefits."

Student: Joe Gallager
Course: MLA (Y5)
Tutors: Nigel Dunnett, Fiona McQuaid and Elisa Olivares

Porter Brook Park: Out From Under by Kathryn Inskip

"Sheffield's rivers work as ecological corridors. However, the 3.5 hectare site is currently ecologically isolated, with a lack of vegetation and a culvert, making it challenging for wildlife to thrive here.

"The vision for the regeneration of this site is to create a resilient and flexible green space reconnecting Sheffield City Centre with the Porter Brook.

"The new site-sensitive design will improve nature connectedness, mitigate flood risk and increase biodiversity.

"The local community consists of a mix of students and young professionals, who will benefit from this proposed playful landscape that encourages immersion in a riparian planting."

Student: Kathryn Inskip
Course: MLA (Y5)
Tutors: Tom Wild and Ross Cameron

Friarwood; Artists Studios and Gardens by Madeleine Benyon

"Friarwood Art Studios, an 1880s Grade II listed dispensary building, has been retrofitted as part of a wider scheme to revitalise Pontefract as a hub for creativity and making.

"The studios and gardens provide space for local artists, fostering creativity and encouraging interaction between locals, hospital patients and visitors.

"The design places a strong emphasis on circularity and sustainability, as well as building resilience against climate change.

"The project is explored at different scales from urban strategic planning to detailed design."

Student: Madeleine Benyon
Course: BA Architecture and Landscape (Y3)
Tutors: Jono Daniels, Russell Light, Laurence Pattacini and Joanne Phillips

Matilda Street Sanctuary Project by Enya Jacobson, Nic Lynch, Genna Williams and Anna Yates

"The Matilda Street area is a currently underused but potentially vibrant area within the heart of Sheffield's cultural quarter.

"Successful design of shared places demands innovative thinking to respond to shifting contexts and actions in a world of increasing complexity and diversity.

"The module focused on approaches for generating original site-specific concepts and resolving these at a range of planning and design scales.

"Team Organica explored the issues associated with migration and created a design response that welcomes and celebrates diversity and inclusion within the urban environment.

"This group won the Rosie Reynold's creative design Award 2026."

Students: Enya Jacobson, Nic Lynch, Genna Williams and Anna Yates
Course: MLA (Y2)
Tutors: Jess Bryne-Daniel, Thom White, Catherine Higham and Charlie Young

Sustainable Communities: Retrofitting Flood Mitigation and Community Resilience by Porter Brown

"This project, as part of a specific module, explores the relationship between people and landscape, introducing the theories and practices that underpin sustainable communities.

"Focusing on residential landscapes, students, such as Brown, investigated how planning, design and management can respond to users' needs, aspirations and lived experiences.

"Through literature reviews, case study analysis and the development of design guidance, students examined themes, including social interaction, inclusion, health and wellbeing, and environmental resilience.

"The research culminated in a professional report and poster that demonstrated how evidence-based landscape design can support more equitable, healthy and sustainable residential communities."

Student: Porter Brown
Course: MLA (Y3)
Tutors: Aimee Felstead and Emma Beaumont

Belfast after the Walls by Kyle Craig

"This project's design strategies respond to movement, ecology and transition across the site.

"Spatial movement is informed by the fragmented patterns of Belfast's peace walls alongside the fluid patterns of movement within a murmuration of starlings, creating a hierarchy of routes throughout the site, including formal, informal, hard- and soft-scape.

"Existing vegetation is retained as an ecological core, with proposed planting and habitat typologies emerging outwards as a gradual gradient.

"Desire lines are proposed to be mown regularly as part of a responsive management plan that is informed by movement through the landscape as the vegetation establishes."

Student: Kyle Craig
Course: MLA (Y5)
Tutors: Nigel Dunnett, Fiona McQuaid and Elisa Olivares

A City Learning to Breathe with the Tide: A Sea-Level Rise Adaptation Strategy for Hull by Hui Zhang

"While hard engineering solutions can provide protection, they are not a permanent, adaptable solution and have physical limits.

"The vision for the project is to create an estuarine entrance that provides a living environment sharing tidal rhythms, ecological and civic lives, moving away from the focus on the flood danger to welcome a breathing, changeable landscape.

"The proposed interconnected water system makes space for the seawater intrusion and allows for a more resilient living environment.

"Fluidity is privileged above rigidity, the strong identity of the River Hull is respected, and changes over time are celebrated."

Student: Hui Zhang
Course: MA Landscape Architecture
Tutors: Jess Bryne-Daniel and Laurence Pattacini

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the University of Sheffield. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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A large, empty store in Oregon, USA, has been transformed into a net-zero library operations centre by Hennebery Eddy Architects, which incorporated an abundance of solar panels and colourful artwork.

The building – officially known as the Multnomah County Library Operations Center – is located on the east side of Portland.

Designed by local firm Hennebery Eddy Architects, the adaptive reuse project involved transforming a vacant 1995 building, which formerly held a grocery store, into a workplace and storage facility.

The Operations Center is considered the "beating heart" of the county's library system, as it serves the numerous libraries spread throughout the county, which encompasses the Portland metropolitan area.

The facility brings together material that was formerly spread across multiple locations.

"The new Operations Center is essential for effectively managing more than 500,000 catalogue materials and outreach services," said the team.

Rectangular in plan, the building consists of the original 52,000-square-foot (4,831 square metre) grocery store and the a 21,000-square-foot (1,951 square metres) addition.

As well as work and storage space, the building contains a used bookstore run by the Friends of Multnomah County Library.

The exterior was clad in grey metal panels that contain up to 80 per cent recycled content and were made locally, within 145 miles of the site. The exterior also features deep-set windows with ceramic-fit glazing and photovoltaic panels used as shading devices.

The facility has a total of 600 solar panels, which "fully offset the building's energy use", according to the team. The panels are estimated to produce 353,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year.

Inside, the team sought to create spaces that "prioritize the well-being, health and safety of the 130 employees who keep the library system running".

Ample glazing brings in daylight, with offices, meeting rooms and workstations placed on the perimeter of the floor plan for maximised sunlight and views. Skylights illuminate a central collections area.

Natural materials such as wooden wall panels are found throughout, as is nature-inspired artwork.

"Common spaces are energized by large-scale, biophilic murals conceived by community artists with the Portland Street Art Alliance – to enliven the office and materials storage space," the team said.

A terrace on the upper level offers workers access to fresh air. The shaded outdoor space features outdoor furniture, potted plants and climbing vines.

The building was designed with natural disasters in mind. An enhanced air filtration system reduces pollution and seasonal wildfire smoke, and the structural system is designed for increased resilience in the case of an earthquake.

According to the team, sustainability was a guiding concern for the design.

To help reduce energy consumption, the building features a high-performance building envelope and high-efficiency MEP systems with heat recovery ventilator units.

The materials found throughout the building, including the exterior metal panels, are durable and low-maintenance. Some are made of recycled materials, such as the lobby stair and benches, which were fabricated using salvaged glue laminated beams.

Great care was put into the responsible disposal of material during the demolition and construction process.

The team estimates that by re-using an existing building, the amount of embodied carbon was reduced by 66 per cent compared to a new facility. The project is expected to achieve LEED Gold certification, along with zero-energy certification from Living Future.

Moreover, it is the first project to align with Multnomah County's commitment to eliminating the use of fossil fuels in all new buildings and major renovations.

Other projects by Hennebery Eddy include an Oregon fire station with a burnt-wood facade and a Seattle chapel with walls made of concrete and rough sandstone.

The photography is by Kevin Scott.

Project credits:

Design architect and architect of record: Hennebery Eddy Architects
Architecture team: David Wark (principal in charge), Meg Matsushima (project manager), Tereza Wiest (project architect), Alexis Wilson (interior designer), Alexander Lungershausen (specification writer), Haley Teske (staff designer), Bianca Baccarini, Dan Petrescu and Patrick Turina (staff team)
Contractor: Fortis Construction
Civil engineer: KPFF Consulting Engineers
Structural engineer: James G Pierson
Mechanical engineer: Arris Consulting
Electrical engineer: Interface Engineering
Landscape: Place Studio
Lighting: Biella Lighting Design
Acoustical engineer, theatrical, A/V: The Greenbusch Group
Sustainability consultant: Project Pivot

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