As Tesla rolls out deliveries of its controversial Cybertruck, this Dezeen video shares a look inside the electric pickup and showcases some of its unique features, including the hexagonal steering wheel and retractable truck bed cover.

The release of the car has been hotly anticipated since Tesla founder Elon Musk unveiled the concept in 2019, leaving commentators divided about whether its unconventional angular design is "courageous" or "ridiculous".

 

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Dezeen has produced a video showcasing Tesla's new Cybertruck 

Now, the five-seater is finally being delivered to the first buyers, although at a 50 per cent markup from what was originally promised five years ago.

Musk claims the Cybertruck combines a sports car's acceleration with off-road driving skills, making it a "better truck than a truck, while also being a better sports car than a sports car".

A new video produced by Dezeen demonstrates the suspension on the vehicle's all-terrain tyres being raised for cross-country driving, as well as showing its octagonal steering wheel, reminiscent of that of a racing car.

The car's six-by-four-foot trunk bed is concealed behind an electric tonneau cover and tailgate, which can be seen opening at the touch of a button.

Instead of separate headlights, the Cybertruck features a long "light bar" at the front that can illuminate up to 480 metres ahead.

The car's chunky body is formed from angular panels of stainless steel that were left unpainted, with a panel of panoramic glass for a roof.

Both the body and the glass are reportedly bulletproof against nine-millimetre cartridges leading James McLachlan, editor of Car Design News, to compare it to a "mobile fortress".

"The Cybertruck encapsulates a dystopian future vision where the United States is sliding into lawlessness," he wrote in a recent opinion piece for Dezeen.

Cybertruck provided by VoyageATX, footage and edit by Sonia Singh.

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New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority has installed yellow safety barriers in a subway station to mitigate "intrusions" onto the train tracks.

The bright yellow barriers are part of a safety pilot program monitored by New York City Transit (NYCT), which the organisation will study and scale up if successful.

"It's still in an experimental phase," said MTA CEO Janno Lieber in a statement. "We will be watching carefully to determine if the barriers are effective at deterring track intrusions without interfering with passenger circulation. If they pass the test, we will be ready to deploy widely."

Dispersed periodically along the length of a station, the metal barriers sit directly adjacent to support columns and just before the yellow tactile warning strip that lines a platform edge.

They leave half of the gaps between columns open and block the remaining space to decrease the possibility commuters would fall, be pushed, or enter into the tracks below.

The first batch of barriers was installed in a Uptown Manhattan station at 191 Street, with plans to install the remaining test fleet at a Coney Island station, a station in Downtown Brooklyn, and a fourth location that has yet to be determined.

The program follows a 2022 MTA report that studied reasons behind track intrusions and possible solutions to prevent them, which cites pushing, suicide, intoxication, mental illness, and slipping to be some of the reasons commuters could enter onto tracks.

"Safety in the subway system is something that customers consistently cite as a core driver of their satisfaction and is a top priority for us at New York City Transit,” said NYCT president Richard Davey.

"This pilot program will help us determine the most effective ways to keep subway customers safe and focused on getting to their destination, while also addressing track intrusion."

Another recent citywide initiative in New York included the installation of a new public trashcan designed by Group Projects, while recent safety design includes the installation of nets underneath the Golden Gate Bridge in San Franscisco

The photography is by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority 

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These construction photos capture One Za'abeel, a pair of skyscrapers and a 230-metre-long cantilever, on which Japanese studio Nikken Sekkei is nearing completion in Dubai.

In the construction images revealed by One Za'abeel, the complex is shown near completion with its record-breaking skybridge, named The Link, spanning a six-lane highway.

According to Mace, one of the construction companies working on the project, the steel and glass bridge is the "world's longest cantilever".

It is just 16 metres shorter than the smallest of the two skyscrapers that flank it, which measures 235 metres in height. The tallest of the two buildings extends to 305 metres, making it a supertall skyscraper.

Nikken Sekkei is set to officially complete One Za'abeel at the end of this month. Being one of the first visible structures for those travelling from the airport, it is hoped to become a landmark for Dubai.

Inside, The Link contains an infinity pool that runs its entire length. The horizontal structure will also feature a range of restaurants, as well as retail and leisure facilities.

These offerings form part of a wider mixed-use programme for the complex, which will also contain offices, hotels and residences.

According to Nikken Sekkei, One Za'abeel's "iconic design strikes a clear departure from the existing buildings around it".

One Za'abeel has been designed by Nikken Sekkei for developer Ithra Dubai. The lift of the dramatic cantilever over the highway was carried out over the live highway in 2020.

The project is not the first record-breaking building in Dubai. The city is also home to the 828-metre-tall Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, which was completed in 2010 to a design by architect Adrian Smith while working at architecture studio SOM.

Other habitable buildings with significant cantilevers include the Busan Cinema Center in South Korea, which features a roof with a column-free cantilever of 85 metres, and the observation deck at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, which projects 66.5 metres.

The photography is courtesy of One Za'abeel.

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British practice Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios has been appointed to lead the architectural design for the redevelopment of Liverpool's International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum.

The redevelopment is a part of the larger Waterfront Transformation Project and was originally supposed to be led by British studio Adjaye Associates.

However, the studio was dropped from the project in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against its founder David Adjaye.

The architectural design of the £58 million redevelopment will now be led by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBS).

It will centre on the Dr Martin Luther King Jr building, which will become the new entrance to the International Slavery Museum, and the Hartley Pavilion.

This will be redesigned to have better circulation and "enhanced" commercial facilities, the museum said.

"FCBS are excited and humbled by the invitation to join the NML team and to lead the architectural transformation of these museums," FCBS partner Kossy Nnachetta, who will lead the redevelopment, said.

"We understand that there is huge responsibility to help create a platform to tell this story, long whispered, yet still awaiting the space to fully express itself; and all the potent, deep-seated emotions it can elicit," she added.

"We hope to help create something bold and yet beautiful. The result of 'many hands' working together with the museums and communities in Liverpool."

The exhibition design for the museums will continue to be led by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, which was appointed in 2022 at the same time as Adjaye Associates.

The International Slavery Museum, which is dedicated to the history of enslaved people, the transatlantic slave trade and contemporary slavery, is currently contained within the Maritime Museum but will be expanded into the Dr Martin Luther King Jr building.

Turning this into the new entrance will create "not only improved visitor orientation and an inspiring welcome, but also a stronger sense of purpose and identity for the museum," the museums said.

FCBS' redevelopment will be led by Nnachetta, supported by Geoff Rich and Peter Clegg. The firm completed the original masterplan for National Museums Liverpool, the public body responsible for the museums, in 2019.

"To be bringing two such visionary designers [FCBS and Ralph Appelbaum Associates] with international reputations to the project represents the bold ambition and thinking behind it," National Museums director Laura Pye said.

"We are delighted they're keen to embrace this as a co-production project which we feel will create something truly ground-breaking," she added.

“There has never been a more important time to address the legacies of the transatlantic slavery and the redevelopment of the International Slavery Museum symbolises our, and our region's, commitment to confronting the significant role the city played in British imperialism."

The museum redevelopment was one of a number of projects that Adjaye Associates was dropped or stepped down from following accusations of sexual assault by Adjaye.

"National Museums Liverpool has taken the decision to terminate the contract with Adjaye Associates (AA)," a spokesperson for the museum told Dezeen at the time.

"We would like to thank the AA team who have worked hard to bring the International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum transformation project to a developed design stage," it added.

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California architecture studio AO and developer Matteson Capital have announced plans to change the height of a proposed Oklahoma City supertall skyscraper, which would make it the tallest building in the US if approved.

AO and Matteson Capital announced in a joint statement that they plan to request a variance from Oklahoma City to increase the height of the supertall skyscraper from its original proposed 1,750 feet (533 metres) to 1,907 feet (581 metres).

"Matteson Capital and AO announced today that they will request a variance from the City of Oklahoma City to increase the height for one of the towers in the already entitled development known as The Boardwalk at Bricktown," claimed the team.

"If approved, the height variance will make the structure the tallest building in the United States and currently fifth tallest in the world."

The extra 157 feet (47 metres) proposed for the skyscraper would bring it to 1907 feet tall (581 metres), a homage to the year that Oklahoma was granted statehood. Newly released renderings show a definitive spire rising from the top of the structure.

The Boardwalk at Bricktown is a mixed-used development encompassing three approved 345-foot-tall (105 metre-tall) towers and a fourth supertall skyscraper, with its originally proposed height still pending approval.

If approved, it would unseat the 1,776-foot-tall (541 metres) SOM-designed One World Trade Center in New York as the tallest building in the US and the Western Hemisphere.

100 condominiums and a 350-key Hyatt hotel are planned for Legends Tower, with a top floor that will consist of an observatory, bar and restaurant.

At approximately 5 million square feet, The Boardwalk at Bricktown is a "mixed-use marvel" and will include hotels, condominiums, retail and commercial space and "1,776 residential units ranging from market-rate to affordable workforce and luxury options", according to the team.

Renderings of the development show three geometric buildings clustered closely around the base of a skyscraper which tapers along its height to end in a bisected top.

Other towers currently being built around the US are included in this round-up of eight upcoming skyscrapers in the United States, while Fraser & Partners recently unveiled designs for what may be the world's tallest hybrid timber tower in Perth.

The images are courtesy of AO.

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This week on Dezeen, the Royal Institute of British Architects named Ghanaian-Scottish architect and educator Lesley Lokko the recipient of this year's Royal Gold Medal.

Lokko is the first African woman to receive the prestigious award and, following in the footsteps of architects Zaha Hadid and Yasmeen Lari, became the third woman to win in her own right since the Royal Gold Medal was established in 1848.

In a video produced by the Royal Institute of British Architects, she reflected on her career in architecture and stated, "I very much hope that this medal demonstrates that it's worth it to think differently".

This week we also published a roundup of the 10 regions that will make up the Neom mega-development in northwest Saudi Arabia.

The best-known and largest Neom development is The Line (pictured above), which is set to be a city made up of two 500-metre-tall skyscrapers stretching 170 kilometres long.

The Trends in Evolution & Ecology journal named the controversial project one of this year's 15 most pressing global conservation issues, claiming it to be a substantial risk to migratory species.

Elsewhere in Saudi Arabia, architecture studio Populous unveiled its design for a stadium with seating on three sides and a retractable screen on the other.

Named the Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium, after the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, it will form part of an entertainment district in Qiddiya and is a proposed venue for the 2034 World Cup.

In other architecture news, photographer Rasmus Hjortshøj captured the spiky exterior of the BIG-designed Kaktus Towers as they near completion in Copenhagen.

We also rounded up eight upcoming skyscrapers in the United States that are in various stages of development, including what is set to be the first supertall skyscraper in Miami and an "all-electric" skyscraper in Manhattan.

Meanwhile in London, activist collective BP or not BP? took to Instagram to urge architects not to work on the recently-announced redevelopment masterplan for the British Museum due to funding from oil company BP.

The collective stated that by accepting a £50 million donation, the British Museum is "allowing BP to continue its extraction and harm Global South communities across the world who face the worst impacts of the climate crisis".

In design news, former Ferrari-designer Lowie Vermeersch spoke with Dezeen about his newly created micro vehicle project, Komma, which aims to push traditional vehicles off the road.

Hoping to shape 21st-century urban design by reducing the amount of space needed for vehicles, the Komma car is an electric two-seater vehicle that features car-like seats placed in front of one another for a narrow width.

Projects that turned readers' heads this week included a garden pavilion in London that weaves around a Lebanese cedar tree, a home in Sydney topped with a roof garden and a bamboo-clad house in the Netherlands.

Our latest lookbooks featured kitchens with floor-to-ceiling cabinets that help keep interiors clutter-free and homes with sheds and outbuildings.

This week on Dezeen

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New York architect Dong-Ping Wong, who came up with the idea for a floating, cross-shaped swimming pool proposed for New York City, claims that he has been "frozen out" of the project.

Wong made the claim in a post on Instagram, which addressed the recent news that the + Pool project has been granted $16 million to advance.

In the post, Wong also expressed concern that his original civic vision for the project had been lost, claiming that "the ideals that grounded the project slowly gave way to interests that prioritized money, exposing the project to the levers of gentrification".

Wong, now director of New York-based practice Food Architects, led the design of + Pool under defunct studio Family along with PlayLab Inc co-founders Archie Lee Coates IV and Jeff Franklin and architect Oana Stănescu when it "was launched as a lark" in 2010.

The floating pool, which will reportedly filter up to 1,000,000 gallons of river water a day without the use of chemicals, was designed to float in the waterways of New York City to provide publicly accessible swimming.

"The goal wasn't to just build a pool"

"When I started + Pool, the goal wasn't to just build a pool," said Wong in his post. "The goal was to see if it was possible to make big civic changes to the city from the ground up for places that often get overlooked."

Since the project's launch, it has faced a series of starts and stops, as both its now-patented technology and design faced approval from municipal, commercial and environmental organizations.

In 2015, the 501c3 non-profit Friends of + Pool was formed to be the organising body of the project.

"When we decided to start a non-profit in 2015, it was based on the ideal that a non-profit would protect the project from private interest and ensure it remained a project for everyone," Wong said in his post.

"I was never invited back to a board meeting"

Since 2022, Wong claims that he began to be "frozen" out of the project after he raised internal concerns about what he describes as the "long-standing lack of diversity of the + Pool board".

"These issues were repeatedly dismissed, I was frozen out of the project," he wrote on Instagram.

"I wrote to the board in 2021 that we should establish a clear position on race and discrimination as an organization," Wong told Dezeen.

"About a year later, I joined a board meeting and listened as the board discussed a DEI statement that they were preparing. In the statement, the only actionable item was to take an annual survey of the number of people of colour involved in the project," he continued.

"I asked whether there was more being done and they said no. After that board meeting, which was in April 2022, I was never invited back to a board meeting, design or engineering meeting, gala or fundraising event or any internal discussions."

Record on accessibility "speaks for itself" says + Pool

Friends of + Pool disputes Wong's account.

In response to Wong's Instagram post, the non-profit told Dezeen that Wong had decided not to be involved in the progression of the organisation but rather to centre his work on the architecture of  + Pool. The organisation also claimed that Wong continues to be invited to all events and activities.

"+ Pool's record on swim education and swim accessibility for communities of colour speaks for itself," managing director of Friends of + Pool Kara Meyer told Dezeen.

"Friends of + Pool has made DEI a major priority in its policies and programs, which is why it was a centrepiece of both the Governor and the Mayor's announcements at the Jan 5 press conference."

None of the project's founders sit on the board, according to the non-profit, although it said that they continue to have a voice in making recommendations.

The other co-founders told Dezeen that they felt the project was still aligned with its original intent.

"We are proud of how the non-profit is fulfilling our original vision," co-founders Coates IV, Franklin and Stănescu told Dezeen in a joint statement.

"In fact, it's gone beyond what any of us imagined. This should be a moment of collective celebration and is when the work truly begins."

Funding approval "bittersweet"

A location for + Pool has also been disputed. In 2021, ​​New York's Economic Development Corporation confirmed a provisional site for the project north of the Manhattan Bridge, although Friends of + Pool told Dezeen that a final site has yet to be chosen by the government.

The provisional location sits between Wong's residence and the Food Architects office in New York City's Chinatown neighbourhood. While + Pool was "never originally intended to come to Chinatown" according to the designer, its proposed location further cemented a personal connection to the project for Wong.

"I'm Chinese-American, and we've had the office in Chinatown for seven or eight years, depending on where you count the borders of Chinatown," he told Dezeen.

"I felt like I could speak to and about the project and its relationship to underserved communities in a way that was much more personal and specific than I could before it was located here."

Wong called the recent $16 million of funds approved for the project "bittersweet" on Instagram.

"With + Pool closer to reality, I worry about how the leadership will treat the neighbourhood's long-standing communities – the majority of whom are people of colour and lower income," he wrote.

"I'm concerned about what concession to access might be made in the service of commercial interest and about what agreements with predatory developers might be taking place without my knowledge."

Friends of + Pool recently announced the $16 million will be used to create a 2,000-square-foot (185 square metres) version of + Pool to be built for testing come summer 2024, with plans to open it to swimmers in 2025. Original versions of the project held that the modular pool could reach up to 9,000 square feet (836 square metres).

According to the team, it will also serve as a pilot project for + Pool's design and technology to be used throughout New York state.

The images are courtesy Friends of + Pool.

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Architecture studio Populous has revealed its design for the Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium in Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia, which is a proposed 2034 World Cup venue.

Named after Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, the stadium in the Qiddiya entertainment district will have a retractable roof and pitch.

One side of the stadium will be a large, retractable LED wall, which will be used to broadcast live events, films and laser shows. When retracted, it will reveal an opening that allows the pitch's three-sided seating to overlook the 200-metre-high Tuwaiq cliff that the stadium is perched upon.

"It is set to be the world's first fully integrated venue with a combined retractable roof, pitch and LED wall – an architectural innovation offering unparalleled versatility and allowing the space to transform into different event modes in a matter of hours," said Populous.

Digital screens will cover the exterior of the geometric venue, which appears to rise out of the cliffside in a series of staggered blocks.

Surrounding the stadium will be towers of sports and entertainment spaces connected by an internal street, also covered by LED screens, that will direct visitors to openings with cliff-edge views.

"The stadium exterior is formed by a collection of modular cubes that act as an extension of the Tuwaiq cliff, framed by portals that glimpse into the future of the city," said Populous senior principal Rhys Courtney.

"The cubes and portals spill down the cliff to create a massive digital canvas that interacts with users at different scales – from street-level vistas to the three-sided seating bowl experience, to citywide views – transcending the stadium typology."

The stadium forms part of Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, with Populous designing the 45,000-seat stadium to FIFA requirements.

It will become the home ground of Saudi Arabis's pro league football clubs Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr, but the stadium is set to host a range of events in sports, entertainment and culture, including boxing, esports, concerts and theatre performances.

"The Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium represents a quantum leap in stadium design and a new generation of digitally-enabled innovation," said Populous managing director Chris Lee.

"The level of embedded technology will enable both incredible gaming and entertainment experiences and a new way for fans to watch and enjoy football itself."

The Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium will be the focal point of a wider entertainment and esports district for Qiddiya designed by Populous, which is also set to include a neon-lit esports arena.

With construction underway to the west of Riyadh, Qiddiya is one of 14  "giga-projects" planned to boost tourism in Saudi Arabia and is 100 per cent owned by the Public Investment Fund.

As well as the Populous-designed stadium and esports area, the entertainment megaproject will contain concert halls, a race track, a Jack Nicklaus-branded golf course and a Six Flags theme park with the world's longest, tallest and fastest rollercoaster.

Populous designed the stadium to be well integrated into Qiddiya city and connected to other venues in the gaming and esports district through park-and-ride facilities and drop-off zones. Hotel, shopping and dining areas will be built close by.

Low-energy, climate-controlled facilities will ensure comfortable temperatures year-round, including a lake built under the stadium that reuses captured rainwater to pre-cool the air conditioning system.

Other designs by Populous include the redevelopment of Manchester City's Etihad Stadium to add a hotel and museum and the Geodis Park stadium in Nashville, which the studio claims is the US's largest purpose-built soccer stadium.

The images and video are courtesy of Populous.

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Architecture studio Hassell has designed the conceptual Lunar Habitat Master Plan, a scalable system of inflatable pods that could be partly constructed from moon materials and 3D-printed on site.

Designed for the European Space Agency's Discovery program, the settlement would be designed to house 144 people and comprise residential spaces as well as sports arenas, restaurants and large greenhouses.

Hassell described the Lunar Habitat Master Plan as "the next step in the creation of the first permanent human settlement on the moon".

"Access to space is getting cheaper every year, so over the next two decades space travel will evolve hugely," Hassell's global head of design Xavier de Kestelier said.

"The moon is an extremely hostile place to live. With no atmosphere, humans need novel infrastructure to access water and oxygen whilst being subjected to high degrees of radiation," he added.

"We need to start planning for how larger communities can not just survive, but also thrive and live on the moon."

Hassell's moon base would be built from modular components that would include inflatable pods covered in 3D-printed lunar soil to shield their inhabitants from lethal levels of radiation.

"Shipping anything to the moon will always be costly, so we therefore decided to create the habitats out of inflatable modules which would be light and compact," De Kestelier said.

"Inflatable habitats on the moon might sound like science fiction, but these types of inflatable membranes are already being tested on the International Space Station."

It would be constructed using hexagon-shaped interlocking building blocks, a design that was informed by tetrapods, which are used in wave-dissipating structures to enforce seawalls and prevent erosion.

Satellite panels would be brought from Earth and installed at even intervals.

Hassell added that the fact that the moon base masterplan is scalable means it's also more sustainable.

"Hassell's scalable habitat system considers innovative interlocking mechanisms that allow for greater flexibility when building, so that the embodied energy contained in the hexapods can be reconfigured to reflect the size of future settlements – providing a flexible and sustainable solution," the studio said.

The lunar base was designed to be built near the edge of the Shackleton Crater at the South Lunar Pole, as the crater has the potential to hold frozen water.

The Lunar Habitat Master Plan could be used by national agencies such as NASA, ESA and Jaxa, as well as by commercial space companies, and was unveiled on stage today at the ESA's Space Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands.

It follows another concept for inflatable moon buildings, the Moon Village by architect studio SOM. Danish studio BIG has also planned to create 3D-printed moon buildings for its Project Olympus with 3D-printed building company ICON.

Images are courtesy of Imigo unless otherwise stated.

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Local studio MacDonald Architects has designed the safety nets recently installed on each side of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to prevent people from jumping from its sides.

Designed by MacDonald Architects on behalf of Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (GGBHT) – the state district that manages the bridge, the deterrent nets were completed on earlier this month.

According to the GGBHT, the nets were installed on 95 per cent of the 87-year-old bridge, with some sections currently under construction having vertical fences installed.

The marine-grade stainless steel nets were installed 20 feet (six metres) below the sidewalk and stretch 20 feet out from the bridge, suspended at intervals by red-painted steel arms that match the colour of the bridge.

"The net is a proven design"

They run through the whole 1.7-mile length (2.7 kilometre) of the bridge and were installed to prevent people from taking their own lives by jumping from the bridge.

They are meant to catch people who jump from the bridge, allowing the on-site security to retrieve the individuals from the net.

According to GGBHT, there have been an average of 30 confirmed suicides every year on the bridge for the past 20 years.

"The purpose of the net is to reduce the number of deaths associated with individuals jumping off the Bridge," said GGBHT in a statement.

"The net is a proven design that deters people from jumping, serves as a symbol of care and hope to despondent individuals, and, if necessary, offers people a second chance."

Work began on the project in 2017, and the GGBHT reported the net to be "already working as intended", saying that less than half of the average number of people died on the bridge in 2023.

"There have also been several instances where people have jumped into the net, and we, along with partner agencies, have successfully rescued many of them," added GGBHT.

The nets come after years of advocacy from local groups including the Bridge Rail Foundation, which comprises people in the community with personal connections to the issue.

"The prices are astronomical"

MacDonald Architects has been the main design consultant on the bridge since the 1980s, implementing transit retrofits like bike rails and improving the structure's seismic rating over the years.

The studio's principal Donald MacDonald spent years researching various suicide prevention barriers in order to submit recommendations to the local government on possible design solutions.

According to a report by the Guardian, the net was approved more than a decade ago but has faced numerous challenges including local complaints due to the historic nature of the bridge and construction delays, some stemming from a lawsuit launched by contractors.

MacDonald told Dezeen that the biggest challenges in the design were the variety of inputs from local interests, the impact of wind on the bridge when new aspects were installed along with the high costs of the project.

For the Golden Gate Bridge, the design called for modifications to the travellers – platforms installed under the bridge for maintenance.

"The prices are astronomical," said MacDonald. According to GGBHT, $224 million (£130 million) was spent on the installation.

The changes to the bridge also underwent a historical evaluation, according to MacDonald, who has installed a variety of deterrent systems from fences to nets on bridges in the United States and Canada.

"It had to comply with the national guidelines," he told Dezeen. "When I did it, there wasn't a lot of data available on bridges. So I had to work out a whole system evaluating the bridge in a historical format."

Other newer structures have become locations for suicide, sparking controversy from local communities.

These include the Heatherwick Studio-designed Vessell in New York City, a sculptural vertical walkway that was forced to close in 2021 after multiple suicides followed its 2019 opening, even after a "buddy system" was put in place by its owners.

The photography is courtesy of Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District.

International helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org. In the USA, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 800-273-8255, while in the UK the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123.

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Ghanaian-Scottish architect and educator Lesley Lokko has been named the recipient of this year's Royal Gold Medal by the Royal Institute of British Architects, making her the first African woman to win the award.

Lokko, who is also an author and curator, is the third woman to receive the prestigious accolade in her own right – rather than as part of a team – since it was established in 1848. The others are architects Zaha Hadid and Yasmeen Lari.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) said Lokko has been selected for "relentlessly pursuing inclusivity and equity in the field".

"A fierce champion of equity and inclusion in all aspects of life, Lesley Lokko's progressive approach to architecture education offers hope for the future – a profession that welcomes those from all walks of life, considers the needs of our environment, and acknowledges a broad range of cultures and perspectives," said RIBA president Muyiwa Oki.

"A visionary agent of change, Lesley has dedicated her life to championing these values, not only through academic endeavours, but through her work as an author and curator," he continued.

"She remains a humble revolutionary force, with her ambition and optimism etching an indelible mark on the global architectural stage."

Lokko is best known as the founder of African Futures Institute (AFI), an independent school of architecture in Accra, Ghana, which exists to reimagine "Africa as the crucible of the future".

More recently, she has made waves as the curator of the 18th International Architecture Biennale in Venice. She was the first person of African descent to curate the event.

Lokko described her RIBA Royal Gold Medal win as "such a surprise" and "a testament to the people and organisations I have worked with that share my goals".

"This was never on the cards," she reflected.

"I'm delighted to be considered alongside some of the great past winners of the Royal Gold Medal. Although this is a personal award, this isn't merely a personal triumph, this is a testament to the people and organisations I have worked with that share my goals," Lokko continued.

"I came into architecture seeking certainties, looking for answers. Instead, I found questions and possibilities, far richer, more curious, and more empathetic ways to interpret and shape the world. Architecture gave me language, in all its forms – visual, written, built, performed – and that language, in turn, has given me such hope."

Lokko has a PhD in Architecture from the University of London and is the author of essay collection White Papers Black Marks, as well as 13 novels including Sundowners.

Over the last two decades, she has taught architecture to students around the world. She founded the Graduate School of Architecture at the University of Johannesburg and served as dean of The Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture at The City College of New York.

Her edition of the Venice Architecture Biennale was named The Laboratory of the Future and explored the themes of decarbonisation and decolonisation through the lens of Africa. In an exclusive interview with Dezeen before the event, she said Africa is a "powerful place from which to examine the issues that will dominate the next century".

The 2024 Royal Gold Medal will be formally presented to Lokko in London on 2 May 2024. It follows several other awards given to Lokko, including an OBE in 2023 for her services to architecture and education and the RIBA Annie Spink Award in 2020 for her "outstanding contribution to architectural education".

This year's selection committee was chaired by president Oki and consisted of 2023 Royal Gold Medal winner Lari, RSHP senior partner Ivan Harbour, London School of Architecture's head Neal Shasore and Walters & Cohen partner Cindy Walters.

Other women to have won the RIBA Royal Gold Medal include Ray Eames, Patricia Hopkins, Sheila O'Donnell, Shelley McNamara and Yvonne Farrell.

Norman Foster, Nicholas Grimshaw, Frank Gehry and Frank Lloyd Wright are also among the previous winners.

Read the full jury citation below:

Professor Lesley Lokko is an educator, author, and curator. A luminary architect and renaissance figure who has etched an indelible mark on the global stage. For over two decades Lokko has been rightly recognised for her groundbreaking contributions to architectural education, dialogue, and discourse from a Global South perspective – relentlessly pursuing inclusivity and equity in the field. Not only is Lokko the first African woman to receive this honour, but she also now takes her place among architecture's defining figures.

One of her crowning achievements is the Architectural Futures Institute (AFI) nestled in Accra, Ghana – an architectural education centre, that reimagines Africa as a crucible of the future, where novel urban forms are collaboratively conceived. The AFI stands as a beacon, acknowledging the contributions of women from the African diaspora. It extends an invitation to embrace opportunities and exalts courageous and creative voices.

A guiding force for creativity, Lokko's curatorial prowess shone brilliantly in her recent stewardship of the Venice Biennale 2023, a groundbreaking event that united African and Africa-related architectural expressions for the first time. It was a platform where emerging and established African architects and designers converged to create ‘The Laboratory of the Future', a six-part exhibition igniting the discourse on decarbonisation and decolonization. Under Lokko's curatorship Nigerian artist, designer, architect and master builder, Demas Nwoko was the first Black person to be awarded the prestigious Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the International Venice Biennale.

Her pivotal role on the board of the pioneering New Architecture Writers program in London, dedicated to supporting "professionals of colour who are under-represented across design, journalism and curation", underscores her commitment to diversity. Remarkably, Lokko's seminal work White Papers Black Marks was published over two decades ago in 2000. In 2020, she was awarded the RIBA Annie Spink Award for Excellence in Architectural Education for her impactful leadership, passion and an unwavering commitment to architectural education and research, in particular her lectures and published works focusing on the subjects of race, identity and architecture.

While Lokko's impact extends beyond architecture, this honour acknowledges her prodigious contributions to the architectural domain. Her work champions diverse approaches to practice, and pushes the boundaries of what architecture is, and what it can achieve.

She ardently advocates for individuals from all walks of life to partake in the tapestry of architecture; and her interpretation of architecture as culture, an art form that fosters public dialogue centred on ideas and content rather than only function, democratises architecture, making it accessible to all.

Lokko's work is a clarion call for equitable representation in policies, planning, and design that shape our living spaces. Her pedagogical footprint spans diverse cultural landscapes, from the United States and the United Kingdom to South Africa and Ghana.

This medal honours Lokko's resounding voice. It is a testament to her unwavering commitment to advancing architectural education and redressing imbalances by amplifying the voices of underrepresented people in shaping our built environment.

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Activist collective BP or not BP? has called on architects not to work on the British Museum's recently announced redevelopment masterplan as it will be funded by oil company BP.

In an Instagram post on Friday, the organisation, which seeks to end oil sponsorship of culture, said: "Architects: we invite you to pledge not to work with the British Museum until their new partnership with BP is dropped."

"The British Museum recently accepted the biggest single corporate donation to the arts in the UK," it added.

"£50 million from oil giant BP, over the next ten years to 'help deliver the museum's redevelopment masterplan'. This donation, amidst an escalating climate crisis, has also been described as 'one of the biggest, most brazen greenwashing sponsorship deals the sector has ever seen.'"

 

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BP or not BP? urged architects to not apply for the job in an Instagram post

In December, the British Museum announced plans for an architectural competition to redevelop around 7,500 square metres of gallery space at its central London location, with applications set to open in spring.

This would be supported by the decade-long partnership with BP.

"A new multi-year partnership with BP will support the future transformation of the museum by contributing £50 million over 10 years," the museum said.

"The partnership will also help deliver on plans to maintain public access for generations to come. The museum is very grateful for BP's support at this early stage of the masterplan."

"Architects can't in good faith work with The British Museum"

However, BP or not BP?, said that working on the redevelopment would go against guidance from climate network Architects Declare on how to approach projects.

"Guidance from @architectsdeclare_uk encourages firms to approach projects by evaluating their contributions to mitigating climate breakdown," it stated.

"This redevelopment will do the opposite: allowing BP to continue its extraction and harm Global South communities across the world who face the worst impacts of the climate crisis."

"Architects can't in good faith work with The British Museum until this deal is dropped. Join us and tell the museum to #dropBP!" the organisation added.

Architects Declare also stated that it believed it would be consistent with its declaration for architects to turn down the job.

"UK Architects Declare is committed to moving the design of our built environment towards fully regenerative solutions to the planetary emergency," the organisation told Dezeen.

"As such, the AD Steering Group do believe it would be consistent with our Declaration's point 5 for architects to turn down this opportunity because of BP's sponsorship: 'Evaluate all new projects against the aspiration to contribute positively to mitigating climate breakdown, and encourage our clients to adopt this approach'."

"A number of companies have publicly declared they will not work on fossil fuel infrastructure and most of the big cultural institutions have now broken links with fossil fuel sponsorship," it added.

"It is particularly important that when some organisations show such leadership, they are supported by the broader industry."

British Museum "squarely on the wrong side of history"

BP or not BP? told Dezeen that it believes there are other sponsorship alternatives for the British Museum and that letting BP use its well-known London building for events "continues a neocolonial legacy of extractivism".

"Just as there are alternatives to fossil fuels, there are also alternatives to taking dirty sponsorship money from fossil fuel producers like BP," BP or not BP? member Francesca Willow said.

"The British Museum's decision to keep backing one of the architects of the climate crisis – for a further 10 years – has put the museum squarely on the wrong side of history," she continued.

"For years, BP has used the iconic museum building as the backdrop for lobbying politicians and burnishing its brand, continuing a neocolonial legacy of extractivism and oppression," she added. "Architects should refuse to play any part in BP's planet-wrecking agenda."

Museum disappointed by call for boycott

In response, the museum said that the campaign was "disappointing" as the redevelopment was aimed at creating a net-zero estate.

"The British Museum is in urgent need of renovation and the masterplan will be one of the most significant cultural redevelopments ever undertaken and private funding is essential," a spokesperson for the British Museum told Dezeen.

"It's disappointing campaign groups are calling for a boycott when we've said we will be looking at design proposals with a particular focus on sustainable and environmental expertise, working with us responsibly to create a net-zero estate," it added.

"We look forward to seeing submissions that aim to restore the highly significant and celebrated listed buildings on the site."

The architectural competition would look to introduce "contemporary architecture and innovative gallery displays" to the museum's "Western Range", which contains collections from Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome.

Architects Declare has previously condemned architecture studios for refusing to stop designing airports.

The issue of sustainability in architecture was also highlighted by the climate action group Architects Climate Action Network in 2022, when it claimed that the Royal British Institute for Architects' Stirling Prize shortlist "promotes architecture that pollutes the planet".

The image is by Shutterstock.

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Architecture studio 10 Design has unveiled its design for Huafa Snow World in Shenzhen, which will include an indoor ski resort that the studio claims will be "the largest of its kind in the world".

Slated to open in 2025, the development will include a hotel, shopping mall, office space, and an indoor ski slope with an undulating shape that rises over the other functions.

"Anchored by an 80,000 square-meter indoor ski resort, the largest of its kind in the world, Huafa Snow World boasts a rich mix of retail, entertainment, commercial, hospitality, civic and cultural components, creating a vibrant destination," said 10 Design.

According to the studio, the development will have an "urban green axis" stretching the site from north to south, providing public space with a connection to nature.

Located in the city's growing technology hub, Qianhai Bay, 10 Design wants the development to be a place where people and businesses can connect.

The site will be divided into three main clusters – an entertainment area on the western side, a culture and civic area that is integrated with the green axis, and a retail area designed to connect with the neighbouring buildings.

"Situated in a key location, conveniently linked to the airport and an intercity transportation hub, the new development provides locals with a place to gather while easily attracting and connecting discerning business and leisure travellers from across the globe," 10 Design said.

"Our vision for the project is to deliver a fully immersive experience, servicing not only tourists but also the local residents."

"The planning and design for this cultural epicentre reimagines retail development as a multi-faceted community experience, inviting discovery and encouraging guests to explore," the studio continued.

Huafa Snow World will include the Huafa Snow Centre, which will overlook the nearby riverfront and combine ski facilities with retail spaces and a hotel.

10 Design designed the snow centre as a series of interconnected boxes, aiming to encourage a sense of exploration between the different functions.

Rising over the boxy forms will be an undulating structure containing an 83-metre-tall and 441-metre-long ski slope, which will be topped with solar panels to offset the energy required for the ski centre and commercial buildings, according to the studio.

A hotel connected to the snow centre will contain a ballroom with panoramic views of the ski slope.

To create a snowy theme in the design, ceramic boards and aluminium panels will be added to the facades, intending to mimic glaciers and ice crystals.

10 Design claims the environmental impact of Huafa Snow World will be minimised with rainwater harvesting that will irrigate the landscape, and a wetland reserve designed to prevent urban waterlogging.

"Seamlessly blending innovative design, cutting-edge technology, and sensation-rich experiences, Huafa Snow World is slated to become the leading attraction in the region, supporting growth and celebrating nature," said the studio.

Founded in 2010, 10 Design is an architecture and masterplanning studio with offices in Hong Kong, Edinburgh, Dubai, Miami, London, Shenzhen, Singapore, and San Francisco.

The studio recently revealed its second design for Saudi mega-development Neom, the Norlana yachting town in the Gulf of Aqaba, which followed a luxury resort with two jagged skyscrapers unveiled in November last year.

The images are by 10 Design.

The post 10 Design set to top Shenzhen mall with indoor ski slope appeared first on Dezeen.

Photographer Rasmus Hjortshøj has captured a pair of spiky high-rise buildings by Danish studio BIG as they near completion in Copenhagen.

Named Kaktus Towers, the pair of jagged buildings comprise 495 residences and are linked by a raised public park that slopes between them.

According to BIG, while the towers themselves are open and inhabited, the communal facilities and public park will reach completion late this spring.

The Kaktus Towers are among the upcoming buildings featured in Dezeen's roundup of 12 interesting architecture projects scheduled to reach completion in 2024.

Their distinctive look is achieved through the rotation of their floorplates, which provides each home with a unique view of the Danish capital's Vesterbro district. Their corners are also opened up as balconies.

BIG has designed the tallest of the two towers to reach 80 metres and, together, they encompass 26,100 square metres.

Hjortshøj's photos capture the completed exterior of the Kaktus Towers for the first time, with the planting on the elevated park and balconies still to be added.

The images also offer a glimpse inside one of the Kaktus Tower apartments, which is lined with exposed concrete and wooden joinery including floor-to-ceiling kitchen cabinetry.

BIG has said each residence has "custom-designed interiors" along with their private angular balconies.

A circular walkway that wraps around the central circulation core can also be seen in the photos.

Alongside the elevated public park, the Kaktus Towers' upcoming communal areas will include an outdoor kitchen, a cafe and fitness areas.

At the base of the towers will be a public plaza that links to an existing train station adjacent to the site.

BIG is an architecture studio that was founded by Bjarke Ingels in 2005. It has studios in Copenhagen, New York, London and Barcelona.

Elsewhere, BIG is also scheduled to complete its new Copenhagen headquarters in 2024, as well as the stone-clad One High Line skyscrapers in New York.

The post Spiky Kaktus Towers by BIG nearing completion in Copenhagen appeared first on Dezeen.

This week on Dezeen, we published photographs showing a skyscraper by Zaha Hadid Architects that is close to being completed on the world's most expensive site in Hong Kong.

Located in Hong Kong's Central Business District, The Henderson office building occupies what was reportedly the world's most expensive plot when it was purchased in 2017.

Photographs taken by Dezeen's design editor Jennifer Hahn show most of its curved glass facade panels are now in place.

We also took a look at 10 other skyscrapers by Zaha Hadid Architects that are currently in the works, including a twisted skyscraper in Malta and a shard-shaped crystalline skyscraper in Saudi Arabia.

In other skyscraper news, California architecture studio AO has put forward plans for a skyscraper in Oklahoma City that would be 533-metres high, making it the second-tallest in the US. The skyscraper, which has not yet been approved, would be part of a development called the Boardwalk at Bricktown.

A 43-storey skyscraper in Chicago was also unveiled this week. Designed by US firm Morris Adjmi Architects, The Row skyscraper has a "deeply expressive" facade that takes cues from the city's industrial past and the work of architect Mies van der Rohe.

Saudi Arabian mega-project Neom unveiled its latest design, Aquellum, an "upside-down skyscraper" that will be located inside a mountain range by the Gulf of Aquaba.

The building will be centred around a 100-metre-tall void above an "underwater open square" and will be designed by architecture studios LAVA and Name Architecture. It will contain hotel and retail spaces, as well as residential apartments and "innovative hubs".

In design news this week, electronics brand LG unveiled what it says is "the world's first wireless transparent OLED TV". Showcased at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the TV could be used as a subtle room divider while switched off.

Also on show at CES were industrial designer Marc Newson's smart artificial intelligence (AI) binoculars, designed for Swarovski Optik. The binoculars use AI to identify bird and animal species, overlaying species information on the image in front of them.

Eco-friendly design had a moment, with shoe brand Vivobarefoot and material science company Balena unveiling a prototype trainer that is 3D-printed from compostable materials. The "scan-to-print-to-soil" trainer was designed to be composted in an industrial facility.

Materials companies Circular Matters and StoneCycling also worked with biomaterials, using corn cobs to make a biodegradable interior cladding. CornWall was designed as a more sustainable alternative to plastic laminate or ceramic interior wall tiles.

Car Design News editor James McLachlan explored who entrepreneur Elon Musk's bulletproof Cybertruck is meant to appeal to in an opinion piece this week.

The Cybertruck encapsulates "a dystopian future vision where the United States is sliding into lawlessness," McLachlan says, though he also argues that an "understanding of the importance of design and manufacturing working together is Musk's genius."

Popular projects this week included a Menorcan holiday home encased in fluted concrete, a Washington DC residence with a gabled annexe and a Chilean holiday home with a rotated terrace.

Our latest lookbooks featured ten homes with net floors and ten interiors with mid-century modern furniture.

This week on Dezeen

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The post This week we revealed Zaha Hadid's Hong Kong skyscraper appeared first on Dezeen.

Portuguese studio OODA has revealed a skyscraper made up of 13 staggered cube volumes as its design for the Hora Vertikale residential development in Tirana.

Scheduled to break ground in spring 2024, the 140-metre-tall building will include apartments stacked over a park with public amenities.

Located in the Albanian capital, OODA wants the building to engage the local community and described it as "a unique vertical village set amidst a large green city".

The studio designed 13 cubes, in seven variations, for the building that each measure 22.5 metres by 22.5 metres and seven stories tall – the typical height of buildings in Tirana, according to the studio.

Three rows of three cubes will form the base of the building, with some set apart and slightly rotated to form narrow gaps. Two side-by-side cubes will sit on top, followed by two singular  to form a building that is six cubes tall.

Some cubes will have gridded facades with regular window openings, while others will have protruding blocks and rounded elements.

The uppermost cube will feature angular balconies supported by columns punctuating the perimeter.

"Each cube embodies a unique concept related to art and is also inspired by the local vernacular," said OODA.

OODA claims the building will be made from materials locally sourced from Albania, intending to reduce its carbon footprint and support local businesses.

"The result is a building that leaves a lasting impact on both city visitors and those who live there," said the studio.

The building was designed to have a striking impression on the landscape, with a staggered blocky exterior that has a distinct appearance from all angles.

"From a distance, the building presents distinct elevations and perceptions from different views around the city," said OODA.

"Up close, the concept's playful interplay reveals its secrets, and the compositions step back from the main road towards the park at the rear, creating the most adequate transition in terms of scale."

Hora Vertikale is the latest high-profile skyscraper with a distinctive design set to be built in Tirana, following Chybik + Kristof's design for a cascading tower made from red concrete.

MVRDV has also revealed plans for a skyscraper in the city, which will have a silhouette modelled on the bust of the prominent Albanian historical figure Gjergj Kastrioti.

With offices based in Porto and Lisbon, OODA was established in 2010 and is led by partners Diogo Brito, Francisco Lencastre, João Jesus, Julião Pinto Leite and Rodrigo Vilas-Boas.

The studio has previously renovated a ceramic-tiled building in Porto into 14 apartments and collaborated with Kengo Kuma to convert a slaughterhouse into a cultural centre.

The images are by Plomp.

The post OODA designs staggered skyscraper in Tirana as "unique vertical village" appeared first on Dezeen.

Dezeen's features editor Nat Barker has been shortlisted for excellence in creative journalism at the 2024 Créateurs Design Awards, which will also see architect Frida Escobedo and designer Gaetano Pesce presented with awards.

Barker was shortlisted for the annual award alongside writers from Wallpaper, Galerie Magazine and The Grand Tourist for his feature: Will architects really lose their jobs to AI?

The piece, which explores whether artificial intelligence technology can truly replace architects, created a passionate debate in Dezeen's comments section.

Barker spoke to different architects and designers for the story to gather a wide range of opinions on the impact AI could have on design and architecture studios.

The Créateurs Design Awards (CDA) were founded in 2019 to "highlight extraordinary work in architecture, interior design, product design, photography, journalism and curation".

"Our mission is to recognize and uphold excellence in the design industry, to preserve design integrity and inspire future generations," CDA stated.

Last year, Dezeen's deputy editor Cajsa Carlson was nominated for the excellence in creative journalism award.

This year will also see Mexican architect Escobedo awarded the Prix Charlotte Perriand, which celebrates trailblazers in the field of architecture and design.

Escobedo, who started her eponymous studio in 2006, was named this year's winner in recognition of her "daring concepts" and for "ushering in a new era of architecture", said CDA.

"To find myself acknowledged by this remarkable jury is an honour that resonates deeply within me," said Escobedo. "It serves as a testament to the enduring legacy of Charlotte Perriand, a legacy I am humbled and overjoyed to perpetuate."

Designer and architect Pesce will be given the Andrée Putman Lifetime Achievement Award at the event, which will take place in Paris, France, on January 20th.

A selection of his work from the 1960s and onwards was recently shown in a Los Angeles solo show. And at Milan design week last year, Pesce unveiled his first-ever handbag, designed for fashion brand Bottega Veneta.

The post Dezeen's features editor shortlisted in 2024 Créateurs Design Awards appeared first on Dezeen.

Academic and designer Neri Oxman has responded to allegations of plagiarism following a report by the news website Business Insider.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Oxman apologised for citation errors in her PhD, which she completed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2010, stating that she "omitted quotation marks for certain work that I used".

"I regret and apologize for these errors"

The American–Israeli academic and designer made the statement following a piece published on Business Insider, which alleged that her dissertation was "marred by plagiarism".

"I was forwarded an email this morning from a reporter at Business Insider who noted that there are four paragraphs in my 330-page PhD dissertation: "Material-based Design Computation," which I completed at MIT in 2010, where I omitted quotation marks for certain work that I used," she wrote.

"For each of the four paragraphs in question, I properly credited the original source's author(s) with references at the end of each of the subject paragraphs, and in the detailed bibliography end pages of the dissertation," she continued.

"In these four paragraphs, however, I did not place the subject language in quotation marks, which would be the proper approach for crediting the work. I regret and apologize for these errors."

"I have always recognized the profound importance of the contributions of my peers"

In her response, Oxman also responded to a series of other apparent citation errors in her PhD that were highlighted in the Business Insider article, including paraphrasing German physicist Claus Mattheck in a sentence without a proper citation.

"I deeply apologize to Mattheck for inadvertently not citing him when I paraphrased [him]," Oxman said, stating that Mattheck's work is properly cited elsewhere in her thesis.

"As I have dedicated my career to advancing science and innovation, I have always recognized the profound importance of the contributions of my peers and those who came before me," she added.

The accusations of plagiarism directed at Oxman follow the resignation of Harvard University president Claudine Gay, who has also been accused of plagiarism.

Gay resigned following a campaign against her presidency, in which billionaire hedge-fund manager Bill Ackman, who is married to Oxman, played a significant role.

Gay was initially under pressure due to criticism of Harvard University's response to the Israel-Hamas conflict and alleged campus antisemitism. The pressure intensified when an investigation by conservative activist Christopher Rufo and journalist Aaron Sibarium alleged multiple instances of plagiarism in her dissertation and journal pieces.

"We expect to dispute a substantial number of facts"

Following the Business Insider article, Ackman posted a series of posts on X criticising its reporting.

"We expect to dispute a substantial number of facts in the story," he wrote on X.

"Unfortunately we were never given the opportunity to analyse the facts before Business Insider published its story 90 minutes after alleging plagiarism in a 6,900 word email," he continued. "Once we have completed our analysis we will revert with corrections of the record."

Oxman, who is known for her pioneering work in the field of material ecology, is a former tenured professor at MIT and led The Mediated Matter Research Group.

She was a contributor to Dezeen's recent Dezeen 15 series marking our 15th anniversary. Oxman used her Dezeen 15 manifesto and an accompanying movie to set out the vision for her new studio.

In her statement on X, Oxman gave more details of the studio, which is called Oxman and "has been in stealth mode" since she founded it in 2020.

"I have continued my work in a new company I founded in New York City called Oxman, which along with 27 other members of my team, we are working to advance innovation in product, architectural, and urban design," she wrote.

"Oxman has been in stealth mode. I look forward to sharing more about Oxman later this year."

Comments have been turned off on this story due to its sensitivity.

The post Neri Oxman caught up in academic plagiarism row appeared first on Dezeen.

Mega-project Neom has unveiled Aquellum, which was designed by architecture studios LAVA and Name Architecture inside a mountain and will be centred around an "underwater open square".

Described by LAVA founder Alexander Rieck as an "ultra-luxury upside-down skyscraper," the building will contain hotel and retail spaces as well as residential apartments and "innovative hubs". It will be located along the Gulf of Aqaba coastline in Saudi Arabia.

It will feature a floating marina that will be located in the sea next to the mountain range and will be the first point of access for visitors.

To enter Aquellum itself, visitors will go on a "specially designed vessel" that will travel on a hidden underground canal. This will open up into what the studios describe as an "underwater open square".

"Aquelleum is an ultra-luxury upside-down skyscraper," Rieck said. "The facade's facing inwards instead of facing outwards."

"Things are inside-out and upside-down," he continued. "Normally architecture is focused to the outside."

The building will be centred around a 100-metre-tall central void that rises from the underwater square and is surrounded by a courtyard with walkable paths.

Visuals show a large, open concrete building with geometrically shaped balconies protruding from the walls, as well as deep cutouts that will house terraces and patios, ponds and indoor waterfalls.

"It becomes this sort of magic cube around which everything plays out," Name Architecture founder Nathalie Rozencwajg said.

The only exterior part of the building, the roof, will contain a space described as a cloud garden. Renders show planted pathways arranged above the void, with the water below visible through gaps in the ground.

The different levels of the skyscraper will be connected by the boulevard, a path that winds its way through the courtyard.

Aquellum will also feature a space named The Generator, which will be dedicated to research labs.

"It's an experiential space that will change you forever," Rozencwajg said. "It's a metaverse that you can physically experience."

"You have residences, you have hotels, cinemas, museums and The Generator, which is this research lab that will attract creators to come and interact and new ideas to emerge," she continued.

Aquellum is the latest Neom project to be unveiled in the Gulf of Aqaba and follows on from luxury hotel trio Leyja, hexagonal-pillar hotel Siranna, jagged skyscrapers Epicon, the Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura-designed Utamo, and coastal yacthing town Norlana.

The projects are the latest to be announced as part of Neom, which is one of the world's largest and most controversial developments and includes plans for a 170-kilometre-long city called The Line.

It has been criticised on human rights grounds, including by human rights organisation ALQST which reported that three men were sentenced to death after being "forcibly evicted" from the Neom site.

Last year experts from the UN Human Rights Council expressed "alarm" over the imminent executions. Saudi Arabia responded to the UN by denying abuses had taken place.

The visuals and video are courtesy of Neom.

The post Neom reveals "upside-down skyscraper" inside Gulf of Aqaba mountain appeared first on Dezeen.

Dutch studios MVRDV, Orange Architects and LOLA Landscape Architects have designed a masterplan for a neighbourhood in Zwolle, the Netherlands, which will include a converted warehouse topped with wooden apartments.

Named WärtZ the development is being created as a "second city centre" south of Zwolle railway station. MVRDV will complete four mixed-use buildings for the 120,000-metre-square development including the revamped warehouse named Wärtsilä Hall at the centre of the development.

"I think it is fantastic to breathe new life into this industrial area," MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs said.

"MVRDV already has a number of transformations to its name," van Rijs continued. "This provided a lot of knowledge about how we can repurpose existing buildings in the most sustainable way possible."

MVRDV is designing the project for developer AM in collaboration with Dutch studios Orange Architects and LOLA Landscape Architects.

At the heart of the project will be the revamped warehouse, which will retain its distinctive undulating roof.

The hall is the largest building in the masterplan and will host innovation startups, creative companies and educational facilities on the ground floor, while a residential structure will be raised above its roof.

"The Wärtsilä hall, with the new wooden residential building on top, is a good example of sustainable repurposing and densification in the city," Van Rijs said.

Supported by exposed mint-green beams and columns, the rectilinear apartment block is intended as an eye-catching counterpoint to the historic architecture in Zwolle.

A statue by Dutch artist Marte Röling named the Dikke Vette Gouden Vredesduif will also be added to the roof of Wärtsilä hall as an unconventional visual anchor.

The other three buildings that MVRDV will design for the development will comprise offices along their lower levels with housing spaces above.

Cladded in brick, these structures will reference the roof of Wärtsilä hall with curving ground floor window details and face towards green public spaces by LOLA Landscape Architects.

WärtZ will introduce 850 new homes to the area, of which 30 per cent is planned to be social housing.

The project will also seek to be car-free, with generous pedestrian zones and cycling routes in addition to shared transport connections and links to the adjacent railway station.

WärtZ will be constructed in a series of phases, with the first set to begin in early 2025.

Rotterdam-based MVRDV was established in 1993 and is led by Winy Maas, with Van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries. The studio has recently completed a bold yellow office retrofit in Berlin and a bright-coloured cultural hub altering a 1980s pyramid structure in Albania.

The imagery is courtesy of MVRDV, Orange Architects and LOLA Landscape Architects.

The post WärtZ district designed as "second city centre" for Zwolle appeared first on Dezeen.

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Architecture studio Snøhetta has shared construction photos of Čoarvemátta, an angular educational facility nearing completion in Norway's Sápmi region.

Čoarvemátta is being designed by Snøhetta on the outskirts of central Kautokeino for Sámi National Theater Beaivváš and Sámi High School and Reindeer Husbandry School, which are two important institutions in the area that has traditionally been inhabited by the Sámi people.

It is among the upcoming buildings featured in Dezeen's roundup of 12 interesting architecture projects scheduled to reach completion in 2024.

Just visible from within its snowy surroundings, Čoarvemátta's curving timber forms can be seen taking shape for the first time in the photos.

It is being designed by Snøhetta to blend in with the landscape while evoking the innermost segment of a reindeer antler – a part that is highly valued by the Sámi people.

This element of the antler is frequently used as the primary material in gárraduodji, which is a traditional Sami handicraft involving the making of knives and similar tools.

"The ambition is a building blending into the surrounding landscape, avoiding sharp angles breaking with the landscape’s natural shapes," said Snøhetta.

"The shape of the building is inspired by the innermost joint of the reindeer horn – a part of the horn that symbolizes different qualities and strengths but also represents two elements that unite," it added.

"In fact, the name of the project Čoarvemátta comes from the Sámi words 'čoarvi' and 'mátta', meaning 'horn' and 'root'."

Once complete, Čoarvemátta will be cloaked in wood to mimic a cloth from the outside and give the interior the feeling of a lavvu – a temporary fabric dwelling traditionally used by the Sami people.

The heart of the project will be a central meeting point, from which the building will extend in three directions into rooms dedicated to both reindeer husbandry and traditional Sámi handicrafts.

According to Snøhetta, the goal of the project is to help solidify the two Sámi National Theater Beaivváš and Sámi High School and Reindeer Husbandry School's "cultural position" in Norway.

"Assembling all functions under a generous roof, and creating robust and spacious rooms, the aim is to facilitate synergies between building and users, theater and school, and architecture and landscape," said the studio.

The project was commissioned by the Norwegian Governmental Building Agency in June 2021. Snøhetta is developing it with the architectural studio 70°N Arkitektur, contractor Econor and Sámi-Norwegian architect Joar Nango who recently exhibited his nomadic library at the Venice Architecture Biennale.

Snøhetta is an architecture and design studio founded by architects Craig Dykers and Kjetil Trædal Thorsen in 1989. It is expected to open Čoarvemátta in late August.

Alongside Čoarvemátta, the studio is also expecting to reach completion on several projects in 2024 including the barrel-vaulted El Paso Children's Museum in the USA and Beijing City Library in China.

The photography is by Svein Solheim and the renders are by Snøhetta.

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Architecture contest Antepavilion will return to London this year in a new location, following a two-year hiatus caused by a dispute with Hackney Council.

This year's winning Antepavilion structure will be built on a plot in Southwark, rather than at its original warehouse site in Hoxton Docks where previous years' structures were installed.

The change of location comes after the council restricted the use of the warehouse, requiring Shiva – the organiser and sponsor of the arts charity Antepavilion – to obtain planning permission for any new structures to be built on the site.

However, the organisers said this made it impossible for Hoxton Docks to continue as the host of the Antepavilion, leading it to change locations.

New site selected for its history of art displays

Antepavilion has stated that the new site, south-east of the Old Kent Road Flyover in Southwark, is "feted for its history of art displays", including the Mandela Way T-34 Tank, otherwise known as Stompie.

The architecture contest was launched in 2017 as an annual competition for temporary structures that challenge planning constraints. It was postponed indefinitely in 2022 due to ongoing disputes with Hackney Council that began in 2019.

In 2019, the council issued an enforcement notice to Shiva demanding the removal of four unauthorised Antepavilion structures. A second notice was issued in 2020 to prevent the building from being used as an art venue and demanded the removal of all artwork from the site.

In addition to this, a "sinister" police raid on the Hoxton Docks building in June 2021 saw the arrest of several Antepavilion staff. In 2022, this was ruled unlawful by the High Court.

Hackney Council planning inspector Luke Perkins later quashed the second of the enforcement notices and granted retrospective planning permission for the site's change of use.

However, he simultaneously reinstated the initial enforcement. In an amended form, he said he had "no power to direct that future art installations displayed externally do not require permission in their own right".

This year's winners to be revealed in April

Now returning for its sixth year, Antepavilion has issued a brief for 2024 called Earthwork, which it has said is open to interpretation.

Among the few requirements are an expectation "to engage with the (uncertain) archaeology of the site" and design for re-use, Antepavilion said. The budget for the project is £25,000, which includes the prize fund as well as construction costs.

The closing date for entries is 15 March and winners will be revealed on 5 April.

The last competition, held in 2021, was won by The Antechamber by Studio Nima Sardar – a collapsible camera obscure – and followed a bamboo tensegrity structure by Project Bunny Rabbit, which was built as a "special early summer commission".

Previous winning structures have included the duct-shaped HVAC pavilion, the inflatable AirDraft barge and a series of fibreglass sharks.

Architecture Foundation was the original partner for the Antepavilion competition, but it pulled out in January 2021 following the aforementioned legal wrangles.

The photography is by Jim Stephenson.

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Electronics brand LG has unveiled the Signature OLED T, a television with a transparent screen that was on display at this year's Consumer Electronics Show.

LG has described the Signature OLED T as "the world's first wireless transparent OLED TV".

The television features a 77-inch OLED screen, which stands for organic light-emitting diode and is a technology used in lighting. It facilitates digital displays on products including televisions and smartphones.

Thanks to its transparency, the TV does not need to be placed against the wall like a traditional screen.

Rather, the Signature OLED T can be used as a subtle room divider while switched off, or positioned against a window without compromising its view.

"Practically invisible when turned off, the TV blends into the environment and frees users from the long-standing problem of what to do with the 'big black screen'," said the brand.

The model uses wireless video and audio transmission technology, which is facilitated by LG's Zero Connect Box.

This box sends 4K images and sounds to the TV, allowing users more freedom to place the model anywhere without having to depend on electrical outlets, according to LG.

An artificial intelligence (AI) processor powers the screen's picture quality. Users can pivot between two settings – transparent and opaque – depending on how they would like content to appear on the screen.

"Content displayed on the transparent screen appears to float in the air, yet simultaneously fuses with the surrounding space to create a compelling and atmospheric visual effect," said LG.

Custom widgets were also integrated into the design, including an "info-ticker" on the lower part of the screen that displays information such as weather updates and news alerts, as well as the option to transform the entire screen into an animated fish tank.

The Signature OLED T will be available as a standalone TV or in against-the-wall and wall-mounted options.

Held in Las Vegas, the Consumer Electronics Show is an annual trade show of the latest technology.

This year, LG is also showcasing a two-legged house robot on wheels that uses AI to operate. Previous editions of the event have seen brands present products ranging from a voice-absorbing facemask by PriestmanGoode to a Hyundai concept for a flying car.

The images are courtesy of LG.

CES 2024 takes place at various locations in Las Vegas from 9 to 12 January 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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Testing for the floating +Pool swimming pool proposed for New York City's waterways will begin this summer upon the project receiving $16 million to advance.

Designed by LA-based design studio PlayLab Inc and the now-dissolved studio Family, +Pool is a cross-shaped pool that will filter pollutants from the surrounding water without chemicals and provide publically accessible swimming for New Yorkers.

Non-profit organiser Friends of +Pool announced recently that the project received $4 million from the City of New York and $12 million from New York State to "pilot and scale" the project for summer 2024.

"This summer, the Governor and the nonprofit Friends of + POOL plan to launch an approximate 2,000 square foot (185 square metres) version of the water-filtering swimming pool utilizing + POOL's design and technology," said the team in a statement.

"The installation in New York City this summer will demonstrate how the +Pool, and its unique filtration system, will provide access to our waters and meet new regulations outlined by the government."

The pilot project will also serve as testing for the +Pool's design to be used elsewhere in New York state, with renderings depicting it floating in waterways in Buffalo, Newburgh, Rochester and other locations.

According to the team, the full-sized +Pool will be capable of cleaning 1,000,000 gallons of water a day by filtering water through its walls without chemicals or additives.

The patented filtration system created by Friends of + POOL  "brings raw river water to an acceptable microbiological standard for swimming" using the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (US EPA) water quality modelling software.

The four branches of its cross-design are also adaptable and can reconfigured for a variety of activities including lap swimming, lounging watersports and children's activities.

The sections can be used independently or combined to form an Olympic-length or 9,000-square-foot pool.

"This summer's public demonstration of the system will provide New York State and Friends of + POOL with the final data needed to secure permits and greenlight the completion of the pool's installation," said the team.

The pool is expected to be open for swimmers summer of 2025.

Previously, a location for +Pool was approved to be placed north of the Manhattan Bridge.

A floating installation based on the project was created by PlayLab Inc, Family New York, Floating Point and Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in 2019.

The images are courtesy of Friends of +Pool.

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US company Madison Square Garden Entertainment has withdrawn its proposal for the Populous-designed MSG Sphere London, slamming the planning process as "a political football between rival parties".

In a letter to the Planning Inspectorate, Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSG) said it could no longer participate in developing the music venue for a site in Stratford near the Olympic Park in east London.

"I write to confirm that we are officially withdrawing our application from the Planning Inspectorate process," the letter read, reported the BBC.

"After spending millions of pounds acquiring our site in Stratford and collaboratively engaging in a five-year planning process with numerous governmental bodies, including the local planning authority who approved our plans following careful review, we cannot continue to participate in a process that is merely a political football between rival parties."

In a statement shared with Dezeen, MSG's sister company Sphere Entertainment confirmed it would "not be participating in the call-in process".

"We have informed Mr Gove that our decision not to move forward with our plans for Sphere in London stands, and we will not be participating in the call-in process," the media company said.

Its withdrawal follows London mayor Sadiq Khan's rejection of the proposal in October over fears that the illuminated sphere would cause "unacceptable harm to hundreds of residents".

This was in light of a report by engineering firm WSP, commissioned by the Greater London Authority (GLA), which "identified significant errors and omissions" in the plans for the venue.

In response, the UK's levelling up secretary Michael Gove instructed the London Legacy Development Corporation – the planning authority for the Olympic Park and its vicinity – in November of last year not to deny planning permission until he has reviewed the application.

MSG turning focus to "forward-thinking cities"

However, Sphere Entertainment told Dezeen it was pessimistic about the outcome and accused the mayor of "hijacking" the planning process.

"The entire five-year planning process was hijacked by the mayor and his bogus last-minute report," said Sphere Entertainment's spokesperson at the time.

The company has since told Dezeen it will now turn its focus to "forward-thinking cities around the world".

"We would like to thank all of those who worked earnestly to bring this project to London," said Sphere Entertainment.

"We are committed to continuing to work collaboratively with forward-thinking cities around the world who are serious about bringing this next-generation entertainment experience to their communities."

The MSG Sphere London was first proposed for a site near the Olympic Park in Stratford in 2018. If built, it would have been 120 metres wide and 90 metres tall, with its exterior covered in illuminated screens.

Hanam could host next MSG Sphere

It would have been the second MSG Sphere to be built, following the MSG Sphere Las Vegas that opened last year with artworks by Es Devlin and John Gerrard. Both venues have been designed by the international studio Populous.

Plans for the MSG Sphere London have been controversial since its inception. In 2022, it won planning permission after the London Legacy Development Corporation's planning committee voted six to four in favour of the proposal, despite 852 objections submitted in opposition to the project. In total, 355 responses were received supporting the proposal.

MSG is now reportedly planning to build a 120-metre-high spherical music venue that would host performances by K-pop artists in Hanam, South Korea.

According to the newspaper The Korea Economic Daily, the city is planning to open a 900,000 square-metre K-Star World that could include the spherical music venue.

The post MSG Sphere creators withdraw plans for London venue appeared first on Dezeen.

New photographs reveal the sinuous glass facade of The Henderson office building by Zaha Hadid Architects as it takes shape in Hong Kong's Central Business District.

The 36-storey skyscraper is nearing completion and is already being hailed as a new landmark for the city, occupying a prime spot next to Chater Garden alongside IM Pei's Bank of China Tower and the HSBC building by Foster + Partners.

The site at 2 Murray Road was reportedly the world's most expensive plot when it was purchased by developer Henderson Land in 2017, coming in at £764,000 per square metre.

"With this site, we were very conscious that we had to create something extraordinary and unique, something 21st century and forward-looking," said Zaha Hadid Architects principal Patrik Schumacher.

"We had the ambition to create a special piece of architecture that would be noticed and make waves around the world."

Although construction of The Henderson has overshot its intended 2023 completion date, recent photographs reveal most of its curved glass facade panels are now in place.

The building's organic form was informed by the buds of the Hong Kong orchid, which graces the city's flag, offering a marked contrast with the more traditional skyscrapers nearby.

Its curvaceous volumes combine to create an undulating facade that mimics overlapping flower petals, clad in more than 4,000 panels of double-laminated glass that between them have 1,000 different curvatures.

The body of the building is elevated above the ground and will be connected to Hong Kong's network of raised pedestrian walkways, leading straight into two different Mass Transit Railway (MTR) stations and the leafy Chater Garden.

By mimicking organic forms and bringing nature into the building via two open-air balconies and an enclosed sky garden, Zaha Hadid Architects says it wants The Henderson to feel like an extension of the public park.

The sky garden will also accommodate a running track while a banquet hall on the top floor is set to offer views across the city and Victoria Harbour.

The office has a column-free, open-plan layout, supported by six "mega-columns" and a one-sided steel core.

As of September, only half of the building's office space had been leased by tenants including Swiss watch brand Audemars Piguet and auction house Christie's, which is setting up its Asia Pacific headquarters across four floors.

This is evidence of a wider slump in Hong Kong's office real estate market with a record 13 million square feet of workspace currently sitting empty across the city.

Zaha Hadid Architects is the studio of the late British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, which she founded in 1979. Today it is led by Schumacher.

The Henderson is the studio's second project in Hong Kong, following the Jockey Club Innovation Tower in Kowloon. Elsewhere, the practice is also nearing completion on the King Abdullah Financial District Metro Station in Riyadh.

The photography is by Jennifer Hahn.

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British studio Foster + Partners has unveiled its design for Techo International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which has commenced construction 20 kilometres south of the city centre.

Drawing from the local vernacular and its tropical climate setting, the design by Foster + Partners will consist of a new airport city and a terminal building with a grid-shell roof that was designed to resemble a tree canopy.

"An airport is amongst the most important of public buildings, reflecting its symbolic status as the gateway to a city and its crucial role in the globalised economy," Foster + Partners head of studio Stefan Behling said.

"The new Techo International Airport will be an important part of Phnom Penh's continued development as the nation's primary inter-regional, inter-modal transport hub."

The terminal building will comprise a central headhouse for all passenger processing and retail functions, which will be flanked on either side by two curving aerofoil-shaped wings for departures and arrivals.

A single lightweight steel roof consisting of an interconnected canopy of "trees" will stretch across the entire structure, with each tree spanning 36 metres.

The roof design will also use a filtering screen to capture natural light and illuminate the terminal interior.

"Inspired by Cambodia's history and built heritage, the terminal's design stands as a modern embodiment of Cambodian culture," Foster + Partners senior partner Nikolai Malsch explained.

"The terminal roof is an expression of lightness and inherent modularity, serving as a symbolic gateway for every traveller's journey."

Foster + Partners will use a warm material palette for the terminal interior as a further nod to the natural, neutral-toned local architecture of the region.

The height of the raised-roof system will also be contrasted against human-scale design gestures, such as visual permeability to the airport ramps and limited level changes throughout the masterplan.

Set to run primarily from onsite-generated photovoltaic energy, the design also integrates dense landscaping that runs the length of its central spine and leads into the terminal.

The studio will utilise extensive plantings and green edges within the airport buildings to soften the interiors against the monumental grid shell roof.

The airport is currently under construction, with the masterplan set to be completed in a series of phases.

The first phase will accommodate 13 million passengers per year through the under-construction terminal headhouse and aerofoil piers, while future plans include the addition of a further aerofoil wing to increase the airport's capacity to 30 million passengers per year.

Foster + Partners has also recently revealed designs for a mixed-use development in Miami that references the local vernacular and plans for a new urban centre in Hangzhou, China.

The studio is currently working across a number of airport projects within Saudi Arabia, including its design for the six-runway King Salman International Airport in Riyadh and a new terminal at Abha Airport defined by a series of interconnected stone buildings.

The images are courtesy of Foster + Partners.

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Architecture studio Cutwork has developed a concept for low-cost, modular housing that could be reconfigured to facilitate twice as many people during a crisis.

The experimental architecture and design studio believes its ReHome concept could address the increasing demand for affordable housing around the world.

Rather than building emergency shelters to house people affected by conflict or natural disasters, it proposes structures that would be equally effective in times of stability.

According to Antonin Yuji Maeno, co-founder and lead architect of Cutwork, these homes could be easily adapted to accommodate different volumes of people.

"The idea is not to build strictly emergency shelters that won't be used in the long term, but to build good quality affordable housing that can provide shelter and security in all environments and situations," he said.

The project follows Cutwork's Cortex Shelter project, which was a design for flat-pack refugee shelters.

The ReHome system is formed of 27-square-metre units that can be stacked "like Lego bricks" to create buildings of up to six storeys.

These units would be prefabricated off-site to enable fast and cost-efficient construction.

"Regarding the size of the challenge ahead, we can see how prefabrication reduces the cost dramatically for creating affordable, modular housing with economies of scale," said Maeno.

The design allows the units to be combined or adapted to create five different apartment types, plus extra spaces that can be shared between multiple homes.

In Cutwork's estimation, one 27-square-metre unit could accommodate an individual or couple under normal living conditions, or up to four people in times of crisis.

Similarly, a double unit could accommodate a couple or individual with children, but could be adapted to make room for a family or group of up to six people.

A series of visualisations and drawings reveal the different options and configurations, made possible by the use of compartmentalisation and symmetry.

Each standard unit would be partitioned into three sections with sleeping spaces and utility areas located in the central block, sandwiched in between large flexible living spaces.

Non-load-bearing walls could be removed to connect adjoining rooms, while the bathrooms would incorporate double-door frame systems that allow flexible subdivision.

It would be possible to increase the height of the units to create space for additional mezzanine bedrooms.

Communal kitchen and laundry units could also be added, to provide opportunities for social interaction or co-working.

The concept visuals show trellises incorporated into the facades, encouraging plants to grow up around the glazed frontages.

ReHome was originally conceived for Ukraine as a low-cost, fast-build solution to replace homes destroyed or damaged since the Russian invasion.

Cutwork's ambition was for good quality housing that could also become emergency housing if required in the future.

A prototype was planned for construction, in partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German Society for International Cooperation), but is currently on hold.

Maeno believes the project has a wider potential scope around the world and is seeking partners and developers to help bring the concept to life for the first time.

Cutwork already has experience of creating co-living, having worked on the Flatmates housing project in Paris. Architect Norman Foster also recently unveiled a housing prototype for displaced people together with concrete brand Holcim.

The post Cutwork designs modular housing to be used for long-term living or emergency shelter appeared first on Dezeen.

Architecture studio MAD has revealed its design for an arts centre on a waterfront site in Guangdong, China, which will have an undulating form modelled on moving water.

Encompassing 121,275 square metres, the mixed-use Nanhai Art Center will be divided into three buildings containing a theatre, museum and sports centre.

It has been designed by MAD as both a "public gateway" to the waterfront and a cultural venue for citizens of Foshan and Guangzhou.

According to MAD, this ambition draws on the traditions of the Chinese province Guangdong, which are centred on social gatherings.

"The local culture of southern Guangdong is always about the gathering of people," said MAD founder Ma Yansong.

"To keep the same lifestyle, it has to be contributed by the contemporary cultural venues. The design of the Nanhai Art Center wants to provide the maximum grey spaces for such activities."

The site for the project is in Nanhai Cultural District, which MAD described as "an important urban site that bridges the cities of Guangzhou and Foshan".

Once complete, it is intended to resemble moving water, with large roof eaves modelled on the traditional architecture of Lingnan, the region in which Guangdong is located.

The undulating roofscape will be crafted of white ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) – a type of plastic with a translucent finish.

In the visuals, it is suggested that this roofscape will be supported by sweeping tree-like columns constructed from timber.

"The Nanhai Art Center resembles a continuous wave of water, with three main buildings looming underneath the floating sun canopy," said MAD.

These venues will be linked together by outdoor patios and viewing platforms, which will overlook the waterfront and a park.

The plan for Nanhai Art Center is arranged around a central axis. The museum and theatre will be arranged on one side of this spine, measuring 89,269 square metres.

Inside, the theatre – named the Grand Theater – will contain a 1,500-seat amphitheatre alongside a 600-seat multi-purpose hall.

On the opposite side of the axis will be the sports centre, which will measure approximately 32,006 square metres.

This will comprise various sports facilities including swimming pools and courts for basketball and badminton.

According to MAD, the proposal for Nanhai Art Center also features commercial spaces that will be positioned along the waterfront.

Other details in the plan include the incorporation of photovoltaic panels, rainwater collection facilities and vertical planting systems.

MAD is an architecture studio founded by Ma in Beijing in 2004. It is scheduled to begin construction of the Nanhai Arts Center in 2024 with completion slated for 2029.

Other recent proposals by MAD in China include a six-venue arts and cultural centre and the China Philharmonic Concert Hall, which is slated for completion later this year.

The visuals are courtesy of MAD. 

Project credits:

Architect: MAD
Principal partners in charge: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano
Associate partners in charge: Kin Li, Liu Huiying
Design team: Li Cunhao, Zhang Ying, Yoshio Fukumori, Rozita Kashirtseva, Hao Ming, Orion Campos, Zhang Lipei, Gao Chang, Zeng Tianxing, Li Yuchen, Ma Ran, Hemant Jindal, Jiang Yunyao, Zhou Rui, Ma Yiran, Zhang Tong, Peng Wanjing
Client: Foshan Nanhai Youwei Baiyue Culture Co.
Contractor: Foshan Nanhai Liyayuan Real Estate Development Limited Company
Executive architect: Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co.
Landscape consultant: Earthasia (Shanghai) Co.
Lighting consultant: Ning Field Lighting Design Corp.
Stagecraft consultant: China Institute of Arts Science & Technology

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Mercedes-Benz and developer Binghatti have revealed plans for a supertall skyscraper in central Dubai, which will be the car company's first branded residential tower.

Named Mercedes-Benz Places in Dubai, the tower will reportedly be 341 meters high and located close to the Burj Khalifa.

The 65-storey building in the downtown district of Dubai will be car company Mercedes-Benz's first branded residential property.

"With Mercedes-Benz Places in Dubai, we are going beyond automotive to create outstanding brand moments," said Britta Seeger, a member of the management board for Mercedes-Benz Group AG.

"Our aim with our first branded real estate residential tower is to create new, desirable grounds that inherit our brand's DNA and give our customers a place to arrive, unwind and come home to."

Few details of the supertall skyscraper – buildings over 300 metres – have been announced, but renders show a sinuous tower with a curved pinnacle and facades imprinted with the Mercedes-Benz's three-pointed-star logo. It will become one of the city's tallest buildings.

The visuals also show the skyscraper located near the Burj Khalifa, which is the world's tallest building. It will contain 225 apartments along with restaurants, a gym, lounges, exhibition spaces and "VIP parking" facilities.

Dubai-based developer Binghatti has begun construction and the skyscraper is set to complete in 2026.

It is the latest in a series of residential developments being created by car brands across the world. Binghatti is also creating a 42-storey skyscraper with luxury car manufacturer Bugatti in Dubai.

Along with Bugatti and Mercedes-Benz, Bentley, Aston Martin and Porsche are also developing residential properties.

Porsche created a 60-storey skyscraper in Miami Beach, which opened in 2017, and Bentley is creating a 61-storey skyscraper nearby. Meanwhile, Aston Martin is designing an angular black home in New York as part of its Automotive Galleries and Lairs service, which launched in 2019.

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Danish architecture studio BIG has created an experimental stage set for Danish pop trio WhoMadeWho's world tour.

A suspended silver orb formed the centrepiece of the immersive audiovisual design, which was created for the tour that began in November. It is BIG's latest inflatable structure and was informed by the floating 26-metre-diameter, mirrored sphere it created for Burning Man in 2018.

"Our design for WhoMadeWho's stage draws from our previous ventures into inflatable creations like SKUM and The Orb [at Burning Man]," BIG partner Jakob Lange explained.

"With maximum visual impact, the inflatable sphere serves as a canvas for captivating three-dimensional video projections, elevating the concert experience to a new level."

The orb was integrated with controllable lights and visuals, but was also designed to reflect the surrounding scenography to give its presence a multimedia dimensionality.

Three futuristic silver pods were positioned below the sphere to be occupied by each band member and the stage was framed by an expansive LED screen background.

BIG's stage was brought to life with immersive visuals from the creative teams of Flora&faunavisions, LA-based EyeMix Studio and animator Christopher Mulligan.

Using AI and other advanced visualisation tools, the artistic teams sought to combine BIG's stage set with cutting-edge imagery that can respond in real-time to WhoMadeWho's performances.

The stage system will reach audiences across cities such as Paris, Los Angeles, London and New York City as WhoMadeWho – comprising of Tomas Høffding, Tomas Barfod and Jeppe Kjellberg – continue their world tour in 2024.

Founded in 2005 by Bjarke Ingels, BIG is one of the world's most influential architecture studios with headquarters in both Copenhagen and New York. The studio recently unveiled its masterplan for a 1,000-square-kilometre development in Bhutan and its design for a cascading, luxury residential building near Athens.

The photography is by Michael Poselski

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Online design magazine Design Week is to cease publication with the website due to be taken offline in mid-January.

The publication, which is focused on the business of design, announced the decision with a statement on its website on 22 December stating that its publisher had decided to close the publication.

"Design Week is ceasing publication with immediate effect," said the statement.

"Design Week's parent company, Centaur, has made the decision to close the publication as its strategy shifts towards its 'core audience of marketers, and focuses on training, information, and intelligence'."

According to the statement, Design Week will continue to be online until 19 January, with a series of articles looking "back at Design Week's achievements" set to be published early this January.

Closure "not entirely unexpected"

Launched in 1986 by writer Jeremy Myerson, who is now professor emeritus at the Royal College of Art, the publication was the first weekly magazine in the UK aimed at designers and their clients.

Responding to the news that the magazine was closing, Myerson said it "was disappointing news to hear on a personal level", but "not entirely unexpected".

Design Week published its last physical edition in 2011, becoming a digital-only publication after that.

"Design Week really belonged to a world of black and white print, manual typewriters and paste-up galleys, an era when a weekly newspaper full of stories and jobs for professional designers was a ground-breaking idea," Myerson told Dezeen.

"In 1986, architects had two weekly papers – AJ and Building Design – and ad agencies had one – Campaign. Designers had none and Design Week changed that."

"Intensification of the London design scene was partly due to Design Week"

Over its 38 years, Design Week had a huge impact on the UK design industry.

"Design Week really helped to build the professional status of graphic, industrial and interior designers in the UK, especially when Lynda Relph Knight, a brilliant contributing editor who worked on the launch and who became my long-term successor, was at the helm," explained Myerson.

"Design firms flexed their muscles as businesses through the pages of the magazine," he continued. "Many became public companies and went on to acquire design groups internationally."

"There's no doubt that, in the late 1980s, the scaling and intensification of the London design scene was partly due to Design Week – the ability to hire talent at speed plus the visibility that editorial coverage gave to those doing the hiring. I've lost count of the number of people who have sidled up to me at parties and said 'I got my first job through Design Week'."

"UK-centric journal made sense in the 1980s"

However, Myerson also accepted that a publication like Design Week may not make sense in 2024.

"I think it [the closing] shows how print-based magazines can struggle to adapt to the demands of digital 24/7 publishing," he said,

"It also shows just how global design has become. A UK-centric journal made sense in the 1980s at a time when Centaur, the publisher of Design Week, was an innovator and a risk-taker. Not today, it seems."

Design Week is the latest UK design magazine to close, with Blueprint magazine, which was launched in 1983 by Peter Murray and Deyan Sudjic, ending its print edition in 2020 after 37 years.

The photography is by Jeremy Myerson.

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Architect Patty Hopkins and lighting designer Michael Anastassiades have been awarded OBEs in King Charles III's New Year Honours list.

Also recognised in the list were designers Samuel Ross and Frances Mary Sorrell, along with architect Audley English and Create Streets founder Nicholas Boys Smith.

Architect Patty Hopkins, who founded Hopkins Architects with her husband Michael Hopkins, was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), the second-highest Order of the British Empire honour.

Patty Hopkins is one of the UK's best-known architects and was jointly awarded the RIBA Royal Gold Medal with Michael Hopkins in 1994.

She was one of the early pioneers of high-tech architecture with her studio responsible for numerous significant buildings including Hopkins House, Schlumberger Research Centre, Westminster Underground Station, Portcullis House and the Olympic Velodrome.

London-based lighting designer Anastassiades was also honoured with an OBE. He is the founder of his eponymous brand and studio Michael Anastassiades and was a Dezeen Awards judge in 2020.

His studio has designed lighting for numerous brands including Flos, Herman Miller, Bang & Olufsen and Cassina.

Also recognised in the New Year Honours list was Frances Sorrell, who was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), the highest Order of the British Empire award.

Sorrell co-founded design consultancy Newell and Sorrell with her husband John Sorrell along with the educational charity Sorrell Foundation.

Designer Ross, Society of Black Architects co-founder English and Create Streets founder Boys Smith were all made Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the honours list.

The King's New Year Honours are awarded each year in December. Together with the Birthday Honours given out on the King's official birthday in June, they make up part of the British honours system.

In last year's list, Scottish-Ghanaian architect Lesley Lokko was awarded an OBE, while British artist Grayson Perry was awarded a CBE.

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Italian architect and engineer Carlo Ratti has been appointed director of the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2025.

The Venice Architecture Biennale directors announced today, 21 December, that Ratti will curate the 19th edition of the international architecture exposition.

Ratti is the founder of architecture and innovation studio Carlo Ratti Associati and director of the Senseable City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

He teaches both at MIT and at the Politecnico di Milano, and is an expert on urban planning, having authored over 750 publications including the recent Atlas of the Senseable City, published by Yale University Press.

Ratti's statement suggests technology focus

Ratti's work often explores the impact of technology on the world of architecture and urbanism.

In a statement, he suggested that the biennale will follow a similar direction.

"We architects like to think we are smart, but real intelligence is everywhere," Ratti said.

"The disembodied ingenuity of evolution, the growing power of computers, and the collective wisdom of the crowd. To face a burning world, architecture must harness all the intelligence around us."

"I am honoured and humbled to have the opportunity to curate the Biennale Architettura 2025," he added.

The 19th Venice Architecture Biennale will take place in the Italian city from 24 May from 23 November 2025.

Ratti will follow on from Scottish-Ghanaian architect, academic and novelist Lesley Lokko, whose biennale centred around Africa and the diaspora closed on 26 November.

His curatorial experience includes former roles as programme director for the Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design in Moscow and curator of the BMW Guggenheim Pavilion in Berlin.

Ratti was the chief curator of the Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture in Shenzhen (UABB) in 2019, titled Urban Space + Technological Innovation, when he told Dezeen that "China is one of the best places for experimenting".

He was also co-curator of the Porto Design Biennale in 2021 and oversaw the urban vision for Manifesta 14 Prishtina, the European Nomadic Biennale, in 2022.

Ratti's notable architectural projects include MEET, a centre for digital culture in Milan, and the Italy Pavilion at the Dubai Expo in 2020.

The portrait of Carlo Ratti is by Sara Magni.

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British studio RSHP has revealed its plans to introduce a mixed-use neighbourhood with a series of public spaces within La Défense business district in Paris.

Designed for the district's Jean Moulin site, the project will aim to bring the "urban business neighbourhood currently eclipsed by road infrastructure back to life", RSHP said.

The design will also embody the sustainability goals of La Défense (PLD), taking measures to minimise both its embodied and operational carbon emissions.

La Défense is aiming to "become the world’s first post-carbon business district", RSHP said, meaning it is aiming to reduce its carbon emissions and fossil fuel dependency while continuing to grow.

RSHP's design is the winning entry of a competition held by the property development branch of BNP Paribas.

It is being developed with Paris architecture studio AREP and landscape architect Vogt. Engineering company Ingerop and consultants EODD and Socotec also form part of the team.

"The project represents a significant challenge, occupying as it does an interstitial site currently dominated by large-scale infrastructure and marked by radical changes of level that are presently almost impossible to navigate," said RSHP partner Stephen Barrett.

"Illustrating the fact that it is possible to transform such difficult environments into places where future generations can live and work well, delivering an inclusive, exemplary mixed-use low carbon development in the process, is precisely why we consider this project so important."

The main element of the proposal is a pair of buildings with prefabricated timber structures, designed to reduce both building waste, embodied carbon and construction time.

One of these will have a slender form accommodating 15 floors of residences, while the other will be low-lying with a stepped green roof and six to eight floors of flexible office space.

These buildings will flank a landscaped promenade, which will lead through a series of new public spaces including pocket parks. It will also connect with pedestrian and bike routes, as well as to the surrounding public transport network.

RSHP's proposal will be complete with various mixed-use facilities for leisure, sport and entertainment. This will include a 1,400-square-metre food court, an indoor market, a roof terrace, climbing facilities, yoga spaces and a 250-square-metre events pavilion.

To achieve the district's low-carbon goals, RSHP's proposal focuses on using energy-efficient and passive design strategies and making use of recyclable internal fit-outs. Buildings will also be designed for future adaptation.

RSHP was founded in London in 1977 by Richard Rogers with studios across London, Paris, Melbourne, Sydney, Shanghai, Shenzhen and New York.

Its proposal for La Défense forms part of the area's wider scheme called Empreintes, which is focusing on transforming five urban sites with "innovative mixed-use, low-carbon projects".

The studio has also recently unveiled its first residential design in New York City for a Manhattan penthouse and its proposal for a glazed office skyscraper in Shenzhen, China.

The images are courtesy of RSHP.

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Australian architecture studio Fraser & Partners has revealed its design for a nearly 190-metre-tall residential tower named C6 in Perth, Australia, describing it as a "new benchmark in height for mass timber".

Fraser & Partners says C6, which will be 189.1 metres tall, will become the world's tallest hybrid timber housing once it is completed, towering over plans for SHoP Architects' 180-metre-tall hybrid timber tower in Sydney and Schmidt Hammer Lassen's design for a 100-metre-tall housing block in Switzerland.

It will also surpass the 86.6-metre-tall mass-timber building Ascent in Wisconsin, which was certified as the tallest mass-timber building last year.

Fraser & Partners designed C6 to be made from 42 per cent mass timber, including cross-laminated timber floors and glued laminated timber beams, aiming to facilitate the need for more housing with a minimal impact on the environment.

The rest of the building's structure will comprise a concrete core and columns and a steel diagrid.

C6's hybrid structure was carefully designed to make the best use of each material, allowing the design to reach record-breaking heights, according to Fraser & Partners director Reade Dixon.

"To get to 189.1 metres we relied on the hybrid structure model, using concrete where it was the most efficient and required for gravity loads and lateral stability at this height – in the core and the columns – and using timber where it was more efficient than using concrete, the horizontal structure being the floors and beams," Dixon told Dezeen.

"At this height, typical superstructure design was used, such as concrete outrigger walls at three different locations in the tower to deal with lateral loading and reduce core and column sizes," he added. "A steel diagrid was also used to further assist with bracing requirements."

"All these elements combined together to allow this new benchmark in height for mass timber."

According to Fraser & Partners, C6 will be carbon-neutral upon its completion and will fully operate on renewable energy.

"With the help of Australian advisory firm Slattery's Carbon Accounting team, C6's timber structure was calculated to sequester 10,500 tonnes of carbon compared to a typical concrete building of the same scale," Dixon explained.

"At this early stage, we are expecting the structure to be carbon neutral on completion based on the calculations provided by Slattery."

C6 will contain 237 apartments ranging in size from one to four bedrooms, and the mass-timber structure will be exposed in the interior.

The residential tower will sit atop a podium with public space planted with native flora, aiming to provide a place for community engagement and facilitate the rehabilitation of the endangered black cockatoo bird and other local species.

Dixon hopes C6 will encourage architects and developers around the world to build more tall buildings in mass timber.

"We hope that a project like C6 will help give further confidence to the market on how this construction methodology can help reduce the built industries carbon footprint and head towards a carbon-positive future," said Dixon.

"There will always be a place for concrete in tower designs, however, we feel timber is currently heavily underutilised in the tower construction market, and projects like this will help kickstart the further growth of these industries in Australia and around the world."

Recently completed buildings made from mass timber include an office building in Mexico that architecture studio Dellekamp Schleich says is the country's largest mass-timber structure and a six-storey business school in Singapore by Toyo Ito, which claims to be the largest wooden building in Asia.

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A 64-metre-high entrance clad in staggered stone blocks will lead to Utamo, a "theatre of the future" in Saudi Arabia that has been announced as mega-project Neom's latest destination.

Designed by Spanish studio Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura, the Utamo events space will be accessed by walking up a landscaped coastal path that the studio described as "very romantic".

This will lead to a "single, monumental door" set into a cliffside that reaches a height of 64 metres and is surrounded by blocks of rectangular stones.

"Utamo, like a film, needs a dramatic ascension, then a turning point," said architect Ricardo Emilio Bofill, the son of late architect and studio founder Ricardo Bofill.

"As we approach this big door, you realise that there's something much more special inside," he added.

"You go through a space that becomes narrower and narrower and then all of a sudden, it explodes into another world that immerses you in art and performance, augmented by the most incredible technology."

Located on a mountain by the Gulf of Aqaba coastline, the Utamo events space will be set above a garden promenade featuring more than 50 different shrubs, flowers and herbs.

Inside the grand hall, which will have a capacity of 2,600 people, Utamo will hold immersive artistic installations and performances.

"Utamo is going to be one of the most unique venues in the world," Bofill said. "A theatre of the future where the greatest artists come together. It's an exclusive experience where the imagination knows no bounds."

Utamo, which is the eighth Neom destination to be revealed, will also house VIP lounges and signature restaurants.

A video shows the main hall used as a performance space that reaches the full height of the building and appears to open up to give visitors a view of the ocean.

Described as a space where "reality and the digital realm converge," Utamo will allow guests to become a part of the performance, according to Neom.

"Advanced audio-visual systems will captivate guests with sensory experiences, enveloping them in audio-visual wonder as they become part of the performance itself," Neom said.

The Utamo announcement follows that of Siranna, a hexagonal-pillar hotel, at the end of November. Earlier that month, Neom also revealed plans for Epicon, a luxury resort that will feature two jagged skyscrapers by 10Design.

In total, the Neom project will contain 10 destinations. These will also include an octagon-shaped port city named Oxagon, the mirrored mega-city The Line and an island resort called Sindalah.

The mega-project has been criticised on human rights grounds, including by human rights organisation ALQST that reported that three men were sentenced to death after being "forcibly evicted" from the Neom site.

It is one of the top architecture and design controversies of the year 2023.

Images and video are courtesy of Neom.

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This week on Dezeen, we revealed the winners of the inaugural Dezeen Awards China in the architecture, interiors, design and Designers of the Year categories.

The winners were crowned at an awards ceremony at The Sukhothai hotel in Shanghai. The Haikou Jiangdong Huandao Experimental School was named the Dezeen Awards China 2023 architecture project of the year, while ToSummer Beijing Flagship Store took home the interiors award.

China's design project of the year went to the Combo Bench and Obisidan Chair. Designers of the Year winners included Open Architecture, Mario Tsai Studio and AIM Architecture.

In London, the proposed MSG Sphere continued to create conversations. Helen Barrett explored both sides of the debate in her piece Does London need the Sphere?

It was also revealed that MSG is considering building a Sphere in Hanam, South Korea, which would function as a music arena for K-pop artists. The Sphere could become part of the proposed K-Star World, which would also feature a theme park and a K-culture and video industrial complex dedicated to K-pop (Korean pop).

This week, Australia announced a ban on engineered stone due to the risk of silicosis. The material, which is valued as a durable and affordable alternative to natural stone for kitchen benchtops, can be dangerous when it is cut as it releases a fine silica dust into the air.

"This prohibition will ensure future generations of workers are protected from silicosis associated with working with engineered stone," said minister for training and workforce development, water, and industrial relations Simone McGurk.

David Lake and Ted Flato of Texas studio Lake Flato Architects won the AIA Gold Medal 2024. The studio won the award, which is considered one of the most prestigious awards in architecture, for its engagement with "controversial environmental and socio-political issues".

An eight-person jury said the architects won for their ability to make "sustainability exciting in a way few other architects have accomplished".

In design news, Dutch design brand Moooi launched a pair of rugs based on artworks by Alf Bärbel Wit Peters, aged eight. The young designer created two rugs for the company.

"The details, lines, strokes, choices, shapes and rhythms in his art echo the freedom of Basquiat, Appel, Kline, Miró, Haring and Kandinsky, bearing a unique style," Moooi said.

For our Year in Review this week, Rima Sabina Aouf looked at the top 10 product designs of 2023. These included an airless basketball, a phone charger for rough sleepers and and glasses that instantly change prescription.

Features editor Nat Barker summarised 10 architecture and design controversies this year, including the Sphere planning battle, the I NY revamp and 15-minute city conspiracy theories.

Popular projects this week included a "desert modernism" extension in London, a skinny hotel in Vietnam and a house in Japan built as one big room.

This week on Dezeen

This week on Dezeen is our regular roundup of the week's top news stories. Subscribe to our newsletters to be sure you don't miss anything.

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Architecture studio Snøhetta has revealed its design for an opera house in the historic town of Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, informed by traditional Najdi architecture.

Located on the outskirts of Riyadh, the Royal Diriyah Opera House will accommodate 3,500 visitors and contain a 2,000-seat opera theatre, two 450-seat multipurpose theatres and a 450-seat covered rooftop amphitheatre.

The project, which is expected to be completed in 2028, aims to provide a leading stage for future generations of performers.

It will form part of a wider masterplan to redevelop Diriyah, an ancient town known for its vernacular Najdi architecture of mud-brick structures placed close together to create shade.

Informed by Najdi architecture and the nearby riverbeds of the Wadi Hanifah valley, Snøhetta's design will comprise a cluster of buildings with textured facades, built from palm, stone and earth.

​"This project aims to connect the area's rich history with contemporary culture, highlighting the importance and integrity of arts when building future communities," said studio co-founder Kjetil Trædal Thorsen.

"The concept is built on the idea of earth from the riverbeds, which crack when exposed to the hot sun, is moulded by wind and rain, and then finds a new shape as separate forms," added Snøhetta.

"This idea formed the cluster of buildings, which appears to be rising from the ground with open passages throughout."

The Royal Diriyah Opera House will also include a cafe, retail space, public gardens and shaded outdoor spaces.

"Seamlessly integrating these public spaces enriches both the cultural and recreational experiences and enhances the intrinsic value of the location," said Snøhetta.

Other cultural projects by the studio include an elliptical planetarium in France and a mass-timber museum extension with an oculus in the US.

The images are by Binyan.

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Italian studio Stefano Boeri Architetti has unveiled its masterplan for a meditation centre and landscaped gardens at the Ramagrama stupa, a Buddhist pilgrimage site in Nepal.

The masterplan will aim to enhance the visitor experience and ensure the longevity of the site, which centres around a stupa, or burial mound, containing relics of the Buddha.

While providing new prayer facilities, Stefano Boeri Architetti's design focuses on the introduction of two giant gardens around the stupa and its centuries-old bodhi tree.

These will be named the Peace Meadow and the Biodiversity Ring Garden.

"This project represents an extraordinary challenge for us: that of creating a meaningful centre for prayer, meditation and peace in one of the most sacred sites of Buddhism," said the studio's founder Stefano Boeri.

"Due to its truly universal value and collaborative nature across cultures and nations, this project will become one of the most significant ongoing cultural heritage projects in Nepal."

The site is located in Ramagrama, a municipality on the banks of the Jharahi River in western Nepal. Dating back to the sixth century BC, the stupa takes the form of a green mound topped by the bodhi tree.

Stefano Boeri Architetti said its design references the work of Japanese architect Kenzo Tange and will prioritise the use of local materials.

The masterplan is intended to introduce a staggered approach to the sacred site, "providing a succession of spaces that emphasise the symbolic significance of Ramagrama stupa".

There will be four access points, directing visitors to the four routes up to the central hill.

At the heart of the masterplan is the Peace Meadow, a large open lawn that will be landscaped to resemble a mandala – a spiritual symbol of the universe formed of geometric patterns.

This space is intended to be used for contemplation and will measure 600 metres in diameter, surrounded by facilities including meditation and prayer areas.

Above the circle of meditation and prayer areas will be the Biodiversity Ring Garden – a sloped garden comprising 80,000 plants.

There will be 70 different species of plants, selected to be native species to the Terai plain, the birthplace of Buddha. It will also incorporate shaded pathways overlooking Ramagrama stupa.

Stefano Boeri Architetti is the eponymous studio of Boeri, which he founded in 2011. Today its main office is in Milan, but it also has offices in Shanghai and Tirana.

Other recent projects by the studio include a proposal for one of its Vertical Forest skyscrapers in Dubai and a masterplan for the Smart Forest City that will be covered in 7.5 million plants for Mexico.

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David Lake and Ted Flato of Texas studio Lake Flato Architects have been awarded the 2024 AIA Gold Medal for their engagement with "controversial environmental and socio-political issues".

Lake and Flato won the 2024 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Gold Medal, which is considered one of the most prestigious awards to be given to architects.

The two architects, who co-founded their studio Lake Flato Architects in San Antonio, Texas, in 1984, were cited by the eight-person jury for their ability to make "sustainability exciting in a way few other architects have accomplished".

"The projects they envision have raised the collective consciousness surrounding our climate crisis while simultaneously captivating a broad audience with buildings that are both beautiful and sustainable," continued the AIA.

"While Texas, a region grappling with unprecedented growth and climate change, seems an unlikely place for a firm focused on sustainability to thrive, they have nevertheless helped clients see architecture and sustainability as inextricably linked."

The pair has been at the helm of their studio for the last 40 years after meeting while working in the office of American architect O'Neil Ford in the late 1970s.

It has expanded over the years, opening up offices in Austin and creating projects internationally, while always focusing on Texas' built environment.

"This honor is particularly wonderful in his time now," Flato told Dezeen.

"We've got so many environmental challenges and it shows to us how important it is as architects to try and solve these really big, tough topics."

"We felt that in the beginning that buildings could make people more connected to the environment," added Lake.  "What an honor to have our peers recognize our 40 years of effort to do that."

The jurors cited projects such as a pavilion in Decatur, Texas, as examples of the studio's focus on sustainability.

This pavilion, the first Living Building Challenge-certified project in Texas, was designed for an organisation promoting healthy water systems and included features that mitigated wastewater's effects on marshland.

The studio has since replicated this method in projects such as a pavilion at Confluence Park.

Also cited was Lake Flato Architects' work on a grocery chain operating in Mexico and Texas called H-E-B, for whom it created sustainable elements that set "the benchmark for resiliency in a big-box store".

Restoration has also been high on the studio's agenda in projects such as the Marine Education Center in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, which was constructed on the site of destruction from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and was built to withstand further disasters.

Lake Flato Architects has also designed many works of residential architecture, such as a recent Corten-steel-clad house in Texas that was designed to "sit lightly on the land".

Technological innovation also features in its work, and Lake and Flato's studio has been on the cutting edge of 3D printing in architecture, working with Texas building technology company ICON to create houses with 3D-printed elements in Austin.

According to the AIA, the studio's approach has led to important ties between conservation and architecture.

"Throughout all of their groundbreaking work, Lake and Flato have ensured their buildings sit lightly on the land and nurture the life that interacts with them," said AIA.

"Their process, collaborations, and tireless environmental advocacy have directly preserved access to more than 50,000 acres of land in Texas, where less than four per cent of land is publicly available, and conserved 35,000 acres of habitats stretching from West Virginia to Florida's Everglades."

Lake Flato has been the recipient of other honours, including the AIA Firm of the Year Award in 2004, as well as hundreds of other awards including COTE's 15 Top Ten Green Project Awards and the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture in 2014.

The Gold Medal was established in 1907. Last year, the award went to Chicago architect Carol Ross Barney and other recipients include Angela Brooks and Lawrence Scarpa (jointly) as well as British architect Richard Rogers.

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Tech company Google and architecture studio Jahn have released visualisations of the planned revamp of the James R Thompson Center, an iconic postmodern-style building in Chicago's Downtown.

The plans for the redesign retain the original rounded form and the 17-storey atrium inside. Its glass curtain wall will change, moving from the slightly darkened patterned glass of the original to a more uniform, sleek look.

Located in the core of Downtown Chicago – known as the Loop – the Thompson Center was designed in the 1980s by local architect Helmut Jahn. It housed offices for the Illinois state government and connections for the Chicago Transit Authority.

Last year, tech company Google purchased the building from the city and plans to make it a centre for its offices and to rent extra space. Google will retain Jahn's practice, named Jahn, for the redesign.

"For the Thompson Center, we're working with the building's original architects at Jahn to help bring the design into the 21st century while maintaining its iconic form," said the company.

It said that the redesign was meant to "honor the postmodern legacy of the building".

However, certain details of the facade are set to change, such as the red and beige panelling of the ground-level collanade. Google's plans see a heightened entry program, with tall collonades that make more clear the ground-level recess in the facade.

The renderings show a second-storey amenities space placed above these columns on the interior of the building.

The developers on the project, The Prime Group and Capri Investment Group, confirmed that the train connections accessible through the atrium will remain under Google's plans, which means that some part of the atrium's ground and subterranean levels will remain open to the public.

Before, these areas held restaurants and services such as postal and licensure offices.

"When it opened, the Thompson Center was intended to be a new kind of gathering space for Chicagoans," said Google.

"[O]ur hope is that this reimagined building becomes something more: a thriving community destination for all Chicagoans in a revitalized Loop neighborhood."

Google has also set ambitious sustainability goals for the structure, aiming for "carbon-free" operation by 2030.

This will be achieved in part through the replacement of the facade with triple-pane glass and by completely replacing the mechanical systems.

The new facade will also allow for less artificial lighting during the day. Google said that the redevelopment will take "several years to complete".

The tech company recently worked to complete its campus in Silicon Valley with Danish studio BIG and UK-based Heatherwick Studio.

Jahn Studio also remains relevant in other ways in the Chicago infrastructural landscape, working towards the completion of a skyscraper in the south of the city, which will be one of the tallest in the area.

Images are courtesy of Google.

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Swiss studio Herzog & de Meuron has unveiled its design for the cubic Seoripul Open Art Storage building, which will become an archive for three museums in Seoul, South Korea.

Set to be built on the eastern edge of Seoripul Park, the giant cube will house the collections of Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul Museum of Craft Art and Seoul Museum of History.

Landscaped gardens that tie into the park also form a key part of the design, aiming to establish the building as a "dynamic civic space" in Seoul, Herzog & de Meuron said.

Once complete, Seoripul Open Art Storage will be defined by its distinctive cubic form that is enclosed by translucent glass panels and positioned on top of a series of stone blocks.

"Beyond its role as a storage facility, it aspires to be a dynamic civic space for Seoul residents and global visitors," said Herzog & de Meuron.

"Characterised by a pyramidal glass structure atop mineral blocks and surrounded by a carefully delineated garden, the building becomes a prominent landmark visible from Seocho Road, capturing the attention of passersby," continued the studio.

The bulk of Seoripul Open Art Storage will contain archival facilities, enveloping levels one to four of the building. The collections will be arranged depending on their required storage conditions, catered for through the design of different "climatic zones".

This glass-clad volume will be broken up by narrow openings and cutouts. On the east side, it will overhang the stone bases to form a sheltered entrance area.

To maximise storage space, circulation and technical spaces are designed on the south side of the plan.

"Concentrating vertical circulation for visitors, art handling, and technical systems on the south side of the building in a functional spine allows the rest of the floorplate to remain open and flexible," said the studio.

A focal point of the interior will be a glazed, conical atrium, extending up from the ground floor to the sixth and wrapped by display cases to offer visitors glimpses of the archive.

Above the archive areas, the fifth floor of the building will contain both administrative zones and a public restaurant, illuminated by a continuous band of glazing.

The restaurant will have views into the floor above, which will be dedicated to art conservation – an activity usually "concealed behind closed doors in conventional archive buildings".

These conservation spaces crown the building. Here, more private areas will line the perimeter while an open workspace will surround the central atrium.

Seoripul Open Art Storage's blocky base volumes will contain circulation and facilities including a cafe, shop, library and auditorium. They will each be formed using rock excavated from the site and finished with large areas of glazing.

"The masterplan requires significant intervention in the existing topography through excavation," said Herzog & de Meuron.

"The new building areas, specifically the four pedestal blocks below the current topography, are conceived as mineral volumes, aiming to maximize gneiss rock reuse from the excavation," the studio continued.

Completing Seoripul Open Art Storage will be two underground levels housing exhibition spaces and parking, as well as the surrounding gardens.

The gardens will be landscaped using traditional Korean gardens as a reference and open to visitors to both the building and Seoripul Park. These will be linked by a path.

"This strategic placement positions the Seoripul Open Art Storage not merely as a repository for cultural and historical artefacts but also as a harmonious integration of nature, culture, and urban life," said Herzog & de Meuron.

According to Herzog & de Meuron, it is targeting carbon neutrality in terms of both operational and embodied carbon emissions, within the building's 50-year lifespan.

It said this will be achieved through measures including the use of concrete with a "high recycled content", passive ventilation strategies, a geothermal heat pump and photovoltaic panels.

"Considering the building’s 50-year lifespan, the emissions avoided by the integrated photovoltaic system on the roof and facade exceed the emissions produced during the building’s construction and operation," it said. "This achievement results in achieving carbon neutrality."

Seoripul Open Art Storage is expected to begin construction in 2025 and reach completion in 2028.

Established in Basel in 1978, Herzog & de Meuron is a RIBA Royal Gold Medal and Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning studio led by Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron.

Its other recent proposals include an extension of London's Liverpool Street station and Calder Gardens in Philadelphia, which will house works by American sculptor Alexander Calder.

The images are courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron.

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Australia has become the first country in the world to ban engineered stone, following rising cases of silicosis among workers who handle the material.

The ban was agreed at a meeting of Australian federal and state workplace ministers on Wednesday, and will come into place across the country from 1 July 2024.

The ban targets engineered stone, also known as agglomerated stone – a type of material made by mixing crushed stone with a resin binder.

"This is a dangerous product"

While it is valued as a durable and affordable alternative to natural stone for kitchen benchtops, the material can be dangerous while being cut because it releases a fine silica dust into the air.

Australia has recorded rising cases of the lung disease silicosis in stonemasons who have handled the product, leading it to be dubbed "the asbestos of the 2020s" by union leader Zach Smith.

"This is a dangerous product that's known to cause the potentially fatal disease silicosis, and it has no place in our workplaces," said Queensland industrial relations minister Grace Grace in a statement following the meeting.

"The rate of silicosis illness in Australia for those working with engineered stone is unacceptable," said her Western Australian counterpart Simone McGurk. "This prohibition will ensure future generations of workers are protected from silicosis associated with working with engineered stone."

Ban follows report finding no safe level of silica in engineered stone

The move comes nine months after an investigation by three Australian news outlets accused supplier Caesarstone of not doing enough to warn people of the dangers of working with the material and the country's construction union launched a campaign calling for the ban.

A subsequent report by the national policy body Safe Work Australia found that engineered stone workers were significantly over-represented in silicosis cases and were being diagnosed with the disease at much younger ages than workers from other industries, with most being under the age of 35.

It also found that the risk from engineered stone was distinct from that of natural stone due to the material's physical and chemical composition, and that this was likely contributing to more rapid and severe disease.

The report concluded that no level of silica was safe in engineered stone and that the material should be prohibited in its entirety.

Silicosis is caused by tiny particles of silica becoming embedded in the lining of the lungs and manifests in symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, weakness and fatigue.

The condition is life-altering and potentially fatal, with many formerly healthy young sufferers describing being unable to work or play with their kids.

Caesarstone commits to supplying Australia with "alternative products"

In response to news of the ban, Caesarstone commented that while it disagreed with the decision, it is taking the necessary steps to ensure supply of alternative materials to Australian consumers.

"The Caesarstone brand is well known in Australia and its products have earned tremendous success over the years," said Caesarstone CEO Yos Shiran. "We are already taking steps to supply our Australian market with alternative products while maintaining our strong market presence."

It has previously argued that its material is safe if handled correctly and that the silicosis danger was the fault of employers and work safety bodies.

Other companies including Ikea and Bunnings had already committed to phasing out the material in the Australian market.

The ban will apply to the manufacturing, supplying, processing and installing of engineered stone but not its removal, repair, disposal or minor modifications.

Australia's workplace ministers will meet again in March 2024 to finalise details of the ban, including the transition period for contracts that have already been implemented and the precise definition of engineered stone.

The country's Model Work Health and Safety Regulations currently exclude concrete and cement products, bricks and pavers, porcelain, ceramic tiles, roof tiles, grout, mortar and render, and plasterboard from the definition of engineered stone, but ministers have indicated that additional products would be added to the exemptions.

This may allow future engineered stone products to be exempted from the ban if there is "compelling evidence" that they can be used safely.

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Italian studio Mario Cucinella Architects has unveiled its design for a hospital and health park in Cremona, Italy, which appears to rise out of the ground in concentric rings.

The hospital will have a radial semicircular layout that rises to seven storeys and staggers to create roof terraces.

A semicircular colonnade will stand opposite the hospital to enclose a circular public park with a lake at the centre.

According to Mario Cucinella Architects, the Cremona hospital will be "a new model for healthcare architecture" that is well connected to the city.

It will include diagnostic and treatment services as well as leisure spaces that encourage social interaction to improve the care and wellbeing of patients.

The hospital will be located between Cremona's urban expansion and the Park of the River Po and Morbasco, creating a connecting point between the city and areas of nature.

The semicircular design of the hospital is intended as a "core" from which future hospital expansions can be built.

Mario Cucinella Architects also designed terraces spanning the nearby river with embankments and elevated pedestrian paths to provide a connection to the natural landscape.

"We were required to design spaces that are not only for patient care but are also for all the other people who spend every day in a hospital for whom it is a workplace," said studio founder Mario Cucinella.

"We were also required to plan in advance for buildings that will be able to transform and adapt to changing conditions, not only in response to health emergencies such as those we have recently experienced, but also to continuous developments in the medical field that bring about innovations, including in how hospitals are organised."

The studio described the hospital as a "city within a city". It will have seven floors above ground and two basement levels. Medical departments will be arranged with the aim of creating a collaborative hospital that fulfils patients' needs efficiently.

"Each patient will experience different hospital environments depending on the care pathway they take and on the intensity of treatment they require – the different departments are no longer separate 'cells' isolated one from another but are organised instead as different groups of professionals working on that particular patient," explained Mario Cucinella Architects.

"This results in a system where the whole hospital collaborates as a single department in caring for the patient, rather than as a sum of separated departments."

As part of the wider masterplan, the healthcare park will feature a forest surrounding the hospital with green paths passing through the building that connect patients with therapeutic activities, including meditation spaces, forest bathing, a community food forest and outdoor reading spaces.

The landscape will contain two "rings". The Vitality Ring will be a pedestrian route with sports and social spaces open to the public, while the Rural Ring will host events and activities surrounded by meadows and a lake at the centre.

"As a new piece of landscape for the city of Cremona, the healthcare park gives the community a new reference point that is animated by spaces for socialising as well as by quieter, more introspective places for care of the person and for general physical and mental well-being, in a setting of naturalness and urban biodiversity," said Mario Cucinella Architects.

Mario Cucinella Architects intends to mitigate the urban heat island effect and reduce the area's average temperature by around four degrees Celcius by adding natural elements to the landscape, such as vegetation and water features.

The studio also plans to minimise the environmental impact by implementing passive design strategies, including optimised orientation, wind permeability and natural daylight.

Other projects by Mario Cucinella Architects include a hospital in Milan wrapped in ceramic fins that can break down smog particles and a monolithic church on a hilltop in southern Italy.

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The company behind MSG Sphere Las Vegas is reportedly planning to build a 120-metre-high spherical music venue that would host performances by K-pop artists in Hanam, South Korea.

MSG, the owner of venues including Madison Square Garden, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the city of Hanam, located just east of Seoul. If built, the project would mark the first Sphere in Asia.

Construction could begin in 2025

According to the newspaper The Korea Economic Daily, Hanam is planning to open a 900,000 square-metre K-Star World that could include the spherical music venue.

It would also feature a film studio, a theme park and a K-culture and video industrial complex dedicated to K-pop (Korean pop), reported Korean newspaper The Chosun Ilbo.

MSG's sister company Sphere Entertainment wants to start construction on the K-pop Sphere in 2025, said newspaper Korea JoongAng Daily, which described the project as the "K-pop Sphere".

It would be the tallest sphere so far, at 120 metres high and 160 metres wide.

Korea JoongAng Daily added it would normally take 42 months to "conduct a feasibility study to review the potential lifting of development restrictions and to go through other administrative procedures", but the South Korean government has vowed to fast-track the process. This would reduce it to 21 months.

"The government will fast-track licensing and other administrative procedures to reduce the period to 21 months to help [the company] carry out the project as planned," a ministry official told the newspaper.

A Hanam city official told The Korea Economic Daily that the establishment of the MSG Sphere and K Star World is expected to take three to four years.

According to the newspaper, the entire K-Star World project would cost an estimated 2.5 trillion won (£1.5 billion) and the Sphere would cost an additional three trillion won (£1.8 billion), a third of which would be financed by Sphere's owner MSG Company.

Project follows on from Las Vegas and London

Sphere Entertainment had said that it planned to focus on "many forward-thinking cities" for its next sphere-shaped venues after its design for London's Stratford neighbourhood was rejected by mayor Sadiq Khan.

The UK levelling up minister, Michael Gove, subsequently prohibited the local planning authority from blocking the application.

However, a spokesperson for Sphere Entertainment stated it "cannot continue to participate in a process that can be so easily undermined by political winds".

"As we said previously, we will focus on the many forward-thinking cities," the spokesperson added.

The company's MSG Sphere Las Vegas (main image) opened in October with bespoke artworks by designer Es Devlin and artist John Gerrard.

Before its unveiling, social media videos showed the sphere covered in swirling lava visuals.

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Luxury goods company LVMH, which owns brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior and Fendi, has signed an agreement with Miami Design District to improve the environmental performance of its stores in the district.

Unveiled this week during Miami art week, the agreement will see the stores from the company's 15 brands in the district powered by solar from 2025. It also includes commitments on water and power use as well as material choices.

The agreement will allow the stores to be powered by renewable sources, even though LVMH does not own the properties.

"In most of our retail we don't own the premises, we're tenants, so we don't pay for the power or utilities, we pay our ledger," said CEO of LVMH North America Anish Melwani who signed the agreement with Craig Robins, CEO of Dacra, which co-owns Miami Design District.

"So even if you want to find renewable power there isn't a way to do it," he continued. "So that is the problem-solving that was required."

The Miami Design District is a neighbourhood in Miami, which has been developed since the early 2000s by Dacra and includes numerous luxury fashion stores, design shops and art institutions including the Institute for Contemporary Art.

It is home to 15 LVMH brands including Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Fendi, Dior, Sephora, Bulgari, Hublot, Tiffany & Co, Berluti and Louis Vuitton, which is located in a store designed by Dutch studio Marcel Wanders.

The agreement also saw LVMH commit to targets on rainwater and power use – as well as waste. It will see a centralised energy monitoring system put in place in the district, along with a comprehensive stormwater management plan.

With its new stores and renovations of existing stores, LVMH will source the majority of materials from within Florida and 100 per cent of wood will be FSC-certified by 2025.

"As luxury brands, we have to create extraordinary environments for our customers. How do we do that with materials that can be sourced locally?" said Melwani.

"That's also part of the commitment that our stores are making, we're still going to export some things from exotic parts of the world, but we are going to do less of that – we'll take advantage of the extraordinary things that are available here."

LVMH signed the agreement as part of its ongoing strategy to improve the sustainability of its 5,600 global stores. Speaking at the event to mark the agreement, Melwani explained that focusing on sustainability was "existential" to the business.

"Luxury is all about making excellent products in the traditional methods," he said. "And for us means making, for example, fragrances with real flowers that are grown in fields, that means growing Champagne grapes that can only grow in the Champagne region."

"And so when you think about how many of our products come from natural things that have been grown in the same place for centuries, those coming under threat from climate change is existential," he continued.

"It's truly about protecting our business, our ability to do things the way they've always done."

The company aims to start replicating the partnership with its other landlords in the US and has begun similar initiatives in China and the Middle East.

The announcement follows British fashion designer Stella McCartney and LVMH presentation of a market of sustainable material innovations at climate conference COP28. The market presented 15 innovators that provided plant-based alternatives to plastic, animal leather and fur as well as regenerative alternatives to traditional fibres.

"The fashion industry accounts for eight per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions," McCartney said. "We need to get creative and innovative with alternatives, moving beyond the limited materials that the industry has been working with traditionally."

Miami art week takes place from 6 to 19 December in Miami, US. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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Colour specialist Pantone has announced Peach Fuzz as its 2024 colour of the year, a subtle orangey hue that was chosen to express a yearning for community and cosiness during uncertain times.

Pantone 13-1023 Peach Fuzz was described by the Pantone Colour Institute as "softly nestled between pink and orange".

"Peach Fuzz is a compassionate and nurturing soft peach shade whose heartfelt kindness and all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body and soul," said the institute's vice president Laurie Pressman.

"At a time of turmoil in many aspects of our lives, the Pantone Colour of the Year 2024 expresses our need for nurturing, empathy and compassion as well as our imaginings and desire for a more peaceful future," she told Dezeen.

The warm and subtle shade was also chosen for its ability to "bring beauty to the digital world".

The Pantone Colour Institute is the trend-forecasting arm of the Pantone company. Since 1999, the institute has chosen an annual colour that it feels best represents both the current mood and looks towards the year ahead.

Marking the 25th anniversary of the programme, the gentle Peach Fuzz was based on a culmination of research conducted throughout 2023.

As well as "all areas of design", the institute team monitored the entertainment industry and films currently in production, as well as travelling art collections, emerging artists and the fashion world, Pressman said.

"Aspirational travel destinations, new lifestyles, playstyles, or enjoyable escapes and socio-economic conditions," are all considered, according to the vice president.

"Influences may also stem from new technologies, materials, textures and effects that impact colour, and also relevant social media platforms and even upcoming sporting events that capture worldwide attention," she added.

"Most of all, we keep our eyes and ears open to the hopes and aspirations that many people share with us and which help us to provide the symbolic colour that best represents those feelings," noted Pressman.

Pantone Viva Magenta 18-1750 was named colour of the year for 2023. According to the company, Peach Fuzz is a natural progression from last year's vibrant reddish-pink shade, which was described as "brave and fearless".

"Our colour of the year for 2024 reflects an evolution from last year's colour, rather than a sharp break," explained Pressman.

The vice president said that during a moment in time when a focus on our collective physical and mental wellbeing is paramount, Peach Fuzz encapsulates a need for a strong sense of community.

"It is a colour whose nurturing and cosy sensibility brings people together and elicits a feeling of tactility," she said.

"The Pantone Colour of the Year is a colour we see crossing all areas of design – a colour that serves as an expression of a mood and an attitude on the part of the consumers, a colour that will resonate around the world, a colour that reflects what people are looking for and what they feel they need that colour can hope to answer," concluded Pressman.

The colour Veri Peri won the title for 2022 – a Pantone hue that was informed by the rise of the metaverse as well as the impact of coronavirus lockdowns.

Shortly afterwards, interiors expert Michelle Ogundehin criticised the choice, claiming in a Dezeen opinion piece that "it's time to reconsider the whole colour of the year carnival".

The images are courtesy of Pantone unless otherwise stated.

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