The use of robots and AI is a "new form of colonialism" that will lead to a resurgence of Arts and Crafts, according to trend forecaster Li Edelkoort.

Edelkoort has been a trend forecaster since she was 21 and says the discipline has "informed every single step of my life".

During an on-stage interview with Dezeen deputy editor Cajsa Carlson at Downtown Design during Dubai Design Week, Edelkoort explained that she is currently thinking about the return of Arts and Crafts, the 19th-century movement mostly associated with British designer William Morris.

"I'm craving fantasy – I don't know where it comes from, but it's there," she said. "I'm craving almost childish initiatives and design, I'm craving colour, I'm craving painting, motif and ornamental finishes."

"It's been building up for a few years," she added. "I really believe in the return of Arts and Crafts, as it has been described by William Morris. And I think it might also be our future."

Edelkoort predicts society will soon have "universal allowance of money"

Edelkoort anticipates that in the next few years, we will look more to our inner child – a trend she claims she's already seen evidence of.

"As a kid, you always want to use cardboard to make a new building, or a box becomes your house," she said. "And sure enough, Max Lamb recently made an exhibition of cardboard furniture."

"That's how trends work – he's maybe not going back to childhood, but I use this way of thinking and then we come together on a similar idea."

The Dutch trend forecaster was also influenced by Morris' book News from Nowhere, which envisions a future society where money is allocated in a different way to a capitalist system.

"There's no stealing, there's no judge, there's no prison, there's no marriage so there is no divorce – there's money, but there's not a monetary system," she said.

Edelkoort believes this could become a reality in just a decade.

"It's more like the universal allowance of money, which will come to us very soon, I think in 10 years from now," she said. "That will allow us to develop our own world, because the work will be done by artificial intelligence."

AI and robots will lead to the "age of the amateur"

The rise of AI and robots will also mean we need to rethink the reason for our existence since it will no longer be tied to work, she says.

"You see that people with money are using AI and robots like their new slaves, it's a new form of colonialism," she said. "And we have to share the money that is made by the bots."

"We will have to give [people] a reason for being here," she added. "[Otherwise], a baby will be born without a future and no reason to be born, because there's no way there's going to be work – if we define the future as work, which we do."

But she believes that if a future in which robots and AI do all the work comes to pass, creativity can help us find reasons to live.

"I think we will create an Arts and Crafts world next to this billionaire world and they will sort of coexist," she said. "I call it the 'age of the amateur'".

"What is new is what's coming from the Global South"

As well as looking at long-term societal changes, Edelkoort's work focuses on more contemporary trends. Her latest book, Proud South, looks at fashion, photography and art from the Global South.

In Dubai, which she described as "the platform of the Global South", the trend forecaster explained why we should be looking to designs from the southern parts of the planet.

"In the North, it's very boring because people keep designing the same thing," she said. "They already have a cupboard full of the same thing. Sometimes you buy something and come home and say, oh shit, I already have that – you forgot."

"What is new is the South, what is coming from the Global South. That's why I made a book called Proud South, which is celebrating what is happening in the regions in the southern part of the planet."

Rather than being about specific designers and design movements, her focus is on broader influences.

"It's really more of a vision, I would say, than individual brands or people," she explained. "It's to do things from the heart, from the origin, from the tribe, sometimes from the indigenous culture, from whatever inference you can pick up in the South, and how do you translate that into, in this case, fashion and photography."

A second book in the series will look at design and craft, and Edelkoort hopes the books will help create "happiness" for people in other regions of the world.

"There are a lot of health problems, mental health problems, with young people especially," she said.

"I think the South is giving us solutions as a form of intrinsic happiness, which is translated in colour, in motif and in the destination of fashion and photography. And it has a power which we have lost."

"There is this possibility for a change"

As well as Proud South, Edelkoort is working on a trend book about Paris, a city that she says "is fascinating because it hasn't changed and everything else changed."

"In Paris, people don't like to change – French people hate change, they love tradition," she said.

She is also focusing on the World Hope Forum, which she founded together with Philip Fimmano with Dezeen as a media partner to be a "holistic global platform for the exchange and expansion of knowledge, innovation".

The idea came to her after doing a talk with Dezeen during the coronavirus pandemic.

"I did this talk with Dezeen, and it was seen by more than a million people," she said. "So I was like 'wow, what is happening now – if there is this impact of what I think and say, maybe I can reach people to create a better world.'"

The World Hope Forum aims to reach people with good news, rather than the negative news stories that Edelkoort feels we're constantly being fed. Its YouTube channel showcases hopeful films under different themes.

"We have bundled hopeful scenarios: making money, making people happy, being better for the planet, being better for the future," Edelkoort explained.

"When you see them adding up, it really becomes notable, and you can feel in your soul that there is this possibility for change."

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At Fendi's autumn winter 24 menswear show in Milan, the fashion house unveiled sneakers and handbags designed by MAD Architects founder Ma Yansong as an "extension of the experience of architecture and the city".

Yansong's debut excursion into fashion design saw the architect develop a range of accessories defined by the same sinuous lines as his buildings.

His take on Fendi's classic Peekaboo bag features dramatic slashes across the front, inlaid with pieces of varnished aluminium that peek out through the gaps. Aluminium was also used to form the bag's double-curved handle, designed to fit neatly into the palm of a hand.

Matching slip-on trainers feature a curvaceous injection-moulded sole, accented by glossy air bubbles and eyestays.

"It's my first time designing shoes and bags," Yansong told Dezeen. "I'm always interested in designing something closer to the people."

"That's also my understanding of architecture. I think it's always about how people use the space, the feel of the space and about their emotions."

Created under the creative direction of Silvia Venturini Fendi – Fendi's artistic director of accessories and menswear – both products are available in either a monochrome black colourway or in metallic grey with bright yellow detailing.

Although new to fashion, Yansong has long experimented with designing smaller-scale objects, whether reimagining Dior's Medallion chair or releasing a range of idiosyncratic homeware pieces from rugs to fish tanks.

"Maybe in the future, I want to design more furniture or more clothes," Yansong said. "Maybe automobiles. Really, everything around our lives that needs design."

"I think those are extensions of the experience of architecture and the city. So maybe the designers should be more multi-disciplinary, working more based on human experience not just in the traditional categories that divide our profession."

The collaboration is the latest in a line of "progressive partnerships" from Fendi that hope to "align the worlds of fashion and architecture".

Just last year, Japanese architect Kengo Kuma created a collection of accessories for the brand from tree bark and washi paper, while the late Zaha Hadid created a many-layered version of the Peekaboo bag as part of a charity auction in 2014.

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In this lookbook, we feature nine residential projects that demonstrate unique ways of interacting with a site's history by weaving existing ruins into their designs.

Until recently, it has been common practice to hide away old structures during adaptive reuse projects.

However, the architects in this list embrace the past by stitching domestic spaces with the remains of former buildings, creating inventive encounters with preserved architectural remains.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring clever outbuilding interiors, homes with mid-century modern furniture and residential spaces with playful net floors.

Nickzy Apartment, Hungary, by Béres Architects

Carefully preserved stone walls are featured in this Hungarian guesthouse renovation by local studio Béres Architects.

20th-century plaster finishes have been stripped back to expose the 400-year-old apartment's original stonework, reestablishing its visual prominence against modern white-rendered walls.

Find out more about Nickzy Apartment ›

El Priorato, Spain, by Atienza Maure Arquitectos

The interiors of this 16th-century Spanish clergy house were restored by Atienza Maure Arquitectos to create ambiguity between the existing structure and new interventions.

Concrete vaults, white-painted walls and limited fixtures sit alongside heritage-protected arches to create minimal differentiation between the materials and spaces.

Find out more about El Priorato ›

Mediona 13, Spain, by Nua Arquitectures

In the historic centre of Tarragona, Spain, Nua Arquitectures reinforced this home's crumbling stone and timber structure with brightly coloured steel supporting elements.

According to the studio, the steel insertions add another layer to the home's visible "memory" and draw attention to the historic building fabric.

Find out more about Mediona 13 ›

Croft Lodge Studio, West Midlands, by David Connor Design and Kate Darby Architects

David Connor Design and Kate Darby Architects enclosed the decaying remains of a 300-year-old building under a steel-framed shell in England's West Midlands area.

The bold new studio maintains every aspect of the heritage-listed structure within the internal living spaces, including the rotting timber, dead ivy and old birds' nests.

Find out more about The Parchment Works ›

Cascina, Italy, by Jonathan Tuckey Design

For this farmstead restoration in Italy, British studio Jonathan Tuckey Design prioritised returning the 19th-century buildings to their original state with minimal alterations.

The existing beams and trusses of the distinctive barn roof had lost their structural integrity, leading the studio to layer a new roof atop the timber without disrupting the internal aesthetic.

Find out more about Cascina ›

Ardoch House, Scotland, by Moxon Architects

Moxon Architects expressed eye-catching details of 19th-century ruins within this outbuilding refurbishment in the Scottish Highlands.

Alongside new finishes of uniform clay plaster, pieces of the crumbling masonry were preserved within the guesthouse's renovated walls and doorways as subtle connections to the earlier building.

Find out more about Ardoch House ›

The Parchment Works, Northamptonshire, by Will Gamble Architects

The remains of a 17th-century parchment paper factory and cattle shed were brought into focus within this residential extension by Will Gamble Architects.

New interventions were intended to be discreet, exposing original structural elements internally, while configuring glazing to look out onto uncovered ruins from the ground floor.

Find out more about The Parchment Works ›

Redhill Barn, Devon, by TYPE

This 200-year-old English barn was in a state of disrepair before TYPE restored it into a modern family home.

Aiming to distinguish between old and new, the studio lined contemporary wall finishes and wood panelling against remnant stone walls, while using existing columns to dictate the house's layout.

Find out more about Redhill Barn ›

Cuddymoss, Scotland, by Ann Nisbet Studio

Scottish architecture practice Ann Nisbet Studio inserted a timber-framed home into a stone ruin in Scotland and defined new living spaces within the surviving forms.

To encourage layered encounters of the site, views of the landscape were also aligned with existing window apertures from the bedrooms.

Find out more about Cuddymoss ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with net floors, mid-century modern furniture and perforated brick walls. 

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Double-height balconies and outdoor teaching spaces enliven the facades of The British School in Tokyo, which architecture practice Heatherwick Studio has completed in Japan.

The school is located in the south of Azabudai Hills, a mixed-use district designed by Heatherwick Studio, which is made up of various timber buildings defined by curving roofs and greenery.

Heatherwick Studio's and Japanese developer Mori Building Company's ambition for the school was to be visually distinct yet complementary to these neighbouring structures.

"The client wanted the school to have a different but complementary character to the rest of the Azabudai Hills scheme," the studio told Dezeen.

"As such, it nestles within the pavilion and landscape scheme we've created, overlooking the central garden plaza to the north," it continued.

"The client also wanted it to have a strong individual presence on the street that didn't feel commercial or business-like. They wanted it to feel friendly and approachable, like a school!"

According to Heatherwick Studio, the presence of the school within the district references the impact of Stanton Williams' placement of the arts college Central Saint Martins in the heart of King's Cross in London.

"We felt that – as seen with Central Saint Martins at the centre of the King's Cross development – having a school can be a key anchor to a project, bringing life and activity to the scheme from different angles," the studio explained.

To achieve its distinct identity, the studio animated the building's facades with a mix of outdoor play spaces and double-height balconies.

Curved brick details and fluted columns were also designed visually soften the blocky form of the building, which was dictated by the given site's boundaries and the client's programme requirements.

"The plot boundary and programme were already fixed, which resulted in an, approximately, 100-metre-long building of seven storeys," the studio explained.

"Because of the block-like form, we worked hard to adjust its character for its three main elevations, using the required outdoor learning spaces and playgrounds to bring variety to the building's appearance."

The balconies can be seen along the eastern facade, arranged in a cascading formation and overlooking a garden at the centre of Azabudai Hills. Meanwhile, the stepped columns can be found all around the building.

"The stepped columns both push through and blend open to create fluting ceilings under the main outdoor terraces, drawing the eye up along its elevations," the studio explained.

Inside, The British School in Tokyo has 40 classrooms, alongside music rooms, libraries, a laboratory and a roof garden with a vegetable patch.

Each year group also has a common area, which opens onto the adjoining outdoor spaces. They can also be connected to the classrooms through sliding timber screens.

A range of sports facilities, including an indoor hall, gymnasium and swimming pool, alongside two outdoor pitches, complete the building.

Elsewhere in the district, Heatherwick Studio has created residential buildings, retail and restaurant spaces, two temples, art galleries and offices, which collectively replaced more than 200 existing structures on the site.

The British School in Tokyo's brickwork and columns are intended as a reference to the facade of the old Azabu Post Office that previously occupied a neighbouring plot.

Heatherwick Studio is a London architecture and design studio founded by British designer Thomas Heatherwick in 1994.

Its other recent architectural projects include proposals for a public library in Columbia and an exhibition hall in Shanghai.

The photography is by Raquel Diniz and the video is courtesy of Heatherwick Studio.

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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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British design studio Layer has aimed to bring sustainability to mattress design in a collaboration with Chinese start-up Mazzu, creating a modular, foamless product made up of textile-covered springs.

The Mazzu Open mattress was designed to have the comfort of a traditional sprung mattress while being adaptable, repairable and easy to pack down when moving house, so as to prolong the product's life.

The design features row upon row of individually textile-wrapped pocket springs, which sit sandwiched between a base "matrix" and a cushioned topper to hold them in place.

All its components are either recyclable or biodegradable, and no glue was used in the construction of the mattress.

The structure — left open at the sides for a distinctive, utilitarian look — also has the benefit of being hygienic, according to the studio, as users can check the inside of the mattress and take it apart to clean every element.

The modular design of the mattress means buyers can treat the springs like "pixels", choosing between three levels of firmness for each point in the matrix to create a support pattern of their choosing. This also allows couples to customise their own side of the bed.

Additional spring modules and a different base and topper can be added to change the size of the mattress, and the whole kit can compress down to around 80 per cent of its size when disassembled.

The mattress comes in a reusable packaging system, also designed by Layer, that sees it divided into small components and split across several cartons, each weighing less than 10 kilograms. The spring modules compress from 250 millimetres to 50 millimetres in height as part of this.

Layer founder Benjamin Hubert told Dezeen that the studio tried to tackle multiple problems with current mattresses in one go with Mazzu, ranging from the impracticability of transporting them to the lack of customisation.

"They are too bulky once you unpack them and they 'inflate' from their compressed shipped form," said Hubert. "They contain huge amounts of foam, which is next to impossible to recycle, and for the most part you can't pack them down again for storage or transport."

The studio wanted to avoid using polyurethane foam, a common mattress material, because as well as being difficult to recycle, it is energy intensive to produce and generates volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are harmful to health.

The material is technically recyclable, but most mattresses do not reach the scarce recycling facilities, and they are often discarded before their time. In the UK, for instance, around 6.4 million mattresses are thrown away each year — about one for every ten people — and only around 14 per cent of them are recycled.

Instead of foam, the Mazzu Open mattress's hourglass-shaped springs are shrouded in a two-tone 3D-knit polyester sleeve. The other materials used are steel for the springs, ABS plastic for the connection system and wool for the topper. The wool is biodegradable, while all the other materials are recyclable.

Hubert describes Mazzu as "leading the way" in delivering sustainable, high-performance bedding, and says the companies worked together for three years through the pandemic.

They went through many iterations of the mattress design in that time, as the studio tried to find a connection solution that would be both simple and comfortable.

"We must have tried about 20 different connection techniques," said Hubert. "We had to find an optimum size that could be calibrated to fit all the standard mattress sizes too — not easy given there are a lot of international sizes."

"The system needed to be highly cost-effective by using the least amount of parts and the simplest connection feature," he continued. "The design of the connection systems changed dozens of times as we tested strength, ease of use, noise and comfort — we had hundreds of springs in the studio at times!"

Other recent designs from the London-based design studio have included sustainable dog toys for Canadian company Earth Rated and a green hydrogen vehicle retrofitting system for US start-up Croft.

Mazzu and Layer launched the Mazzu Open mattress at the German furniture fair IMM Cologne, which was held from 14 to 18 January. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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From the JPMorgan Chase headquarters in New York designed by UK architecture studio Foster + Partners to be "all-electric" to Miami's first supertall skyscraper, we round up eight skyscrapers coming to the United States.

In various stages of development, the projects below are underway, with Jahn Studio's 1000 M in Chicago and SOM's Two Manhattan West already at full height in their respective cities.

Some, like the Wilson Tower in Austin, have faced various construction delays, though the Texan city holds more spaces on this list than skyscraper-studded New York City.

Read on for eight upcoming projects in cities across the US.

1000 M, Chicago, by Helmut Jahn

Located in the Historic Michigan Avenue District of Chicago, 1000 M is a 73-storey skyscraper spanning 788 feet (240 metres), that consists of an angular base topped with a curved edge tower.

Originally, the tower was planned to reach 832 feet (254 metres) tall, but restrictions in the area caused the developers to reduce the height. The tower's topped out in late summer 2023.

Find out more about 1000 M ›

Two Manhattan West, Manhattan, by SOM

Two Manhattan West is one of a pair of towers supported by "mega columns" at their bases.

It is part of the Manhattan West development, which covers more than seven million square feet combined (650,321 square metres), with a masterplan by SOM that includes residential, retail, hotel and office spaces just north of New York's High Line.

After nine years of development, the project will be completed in early 2024.

Find out more about Two Manhattan West ›

Sixth and Guadalupe, Austin, by Gensler 

Joining several skyscrapers under construction in Austin, Gensler's Sixth and Guadalupe will reach 875 feet (267 metres) high and consist of two industrial glass and steel volumes atop a podium.

It will host residential and office programs, as well as the city's highest sky pool deck.

Wilson Tower, Austin, by HKS

The Wilson Tower by HKS was set to be the tallest building in Texas at 80 storeys before its height was halved after an unsuccessful review in January 2023.

Now spanning 45 storeys, a new iteration of the design maintains the brise soleil wrapped facade, while the team plans to adjust the ground floor programming.

Find out more about Wilson Tower ›

JPMorgan Chase headquarters, Manhattan, by Foster + Partners 

Topped out in November 2023, the new JPMorgan Chase headquarters by Foster + Partners will be New York's "largest all-electric tower", according to the architecture studio.

Located at 270 Park Avenue, it has 60 storeys and reaches 1,388 feet (423 metres) high, with a stilted base raised 80 feet (27 metres) off the ground.

Find out more about JPMorgan Chase headquarters ›

Waterline, Austin, by KPF

Estimated to be completed in 2026, the 1,022-foot-tall (312 metres) mixed-used Waterline tower is set to be the tallest in the state of Texas, unseating the JPMorgan Chase Tower in Houston.

Located along Waller Creek, the building will consist of 74 storeys distributed across three distinct volumes and separated by open-air spaces supported by surrounding columns.

Find out more about Waterline ›

The Waldorf Astoria Miami, Miami, by Sieger Suarez Architects and Carlos Ott

Set to be Miami's first supertall skyscraper, according to developer PMG, the Waldorf Astoria Miami will contain 100 storeys and reach 1,049 feet (319.7 metres) high.

Located in Downtown Miami, it consists of nine offset cubes intended to emphasise the structure's suspension and height, which will host the five-star Waldorf Astoria hotel as well as private residences.

Find out more about the Waldorf Astoria Miami ›

Tower 36, Miami, by KPF

Unanimously approved as of October 2023, Tower 36 located in Miami's Design District will be 635 feet (193 metres) tall and will be the tallest office building in the district, according to KPF.

The building will consist of a tapered tower atop a rectangular base, with terraces on all office floors that are detailed with light bronze soffit accents.

Header rendering is of JPMorgan Headquarters courtesy of DBOX for Foster + Partners.

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University of the Arts London graduate Yalan Dan has fabricated a series of 3D-printed bioplastic joints that can be used to repair furniture or construct it from scraps.

His Furniture First Aid Kit, FFA for short, provides users with the means to mend broken or discarded items and give new life to waste materials such as plywood or chipboard by combining them to form new items.

The project was informed by the concept of stooping and skip diving, which involves salvaging abandoned, damaged and unwanted furniture from skips or sidewalks.

Dan aims to change perceptions about furniture as being readily disposable and hard to repair in a bid to keep items in circulation for longer.

"FFA can change the neglect of street furniture materials and encourage more people to act on their own to remake furniture that is going to be thrown away," he told Dezeen.

"It also encourages people to be more active in picking up unwanted street furniture to create new value."

Four distinct joints allow surfaces to be fixed at different angles, including L-shaped, T-shaped and cross-shaped pieces, as well as a joint that attaches a broad, flat surface to a narrow, upright piece.

Holes in the joints allow screws or nails to be inserted, holding the surfaces together.

The joints are 3D printed using polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastic, coloured red and orange to reference the visual language of medical first aid kits.

"[The FFA is] inspired by medical first aid kits – most are bright red, enabling people to see them quickly," Dan told Dezeen. "At the same time, it is an eye-catching cue to differentiate the restored furniture from other furniture."

So far, Dan has used the FFA mainly to join wood-based materials such as chipboard and plywood. However, the designer says the kit can also be used in conjunction with other types of surfaces.

"Based on my research, most of the waste furniture thrown away on the streets is made of wood or plywood," Dan told Dezeen. "However, [the FFA] is not limited to wooden furniture – it can be fixed on the surface of many hard things, such as plastic, plaster and stone."

The Furniture First Aid Kit is Dan's graduation project from the University of the Arts London.

Other student-designed projects published on Dezeen in recent months include a trio of satirical smart home devices informed by feng shui and a portable treehouse-style tent that can be towed behind a bicycle.

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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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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.

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Local architecture studio RA! took cues from Latin American art deco design when creating the tiny interior of Los Alexis, a small taqueria in Mexico City's Roma Norte neighbourhood.

Los Alexis is a taco eatery – or taqueria – in Roma, a famed district in Mexico City, which features examples of art deco architecture.

RA! drew on the "vibrant personality" of the area when designing the single 15-square-metre room restaurant, housed within a former beer depository.

"One of the most important requests of our client was for this tiny space to shine among the rest of the retail premises on the street," said studio co-founder and designer Pedro Ramírez de Aguilar.

RA! clad the walls and floors in a distinctive mosaic of broken ceramic tiles with green joints as an ode to Barcelona, where chef Alexis Ayala spent time training, the designer told Dezeen.

A curved bar finished in slabs of ribbed green material fronts the open kitchen, which is positioned on the right of the small open space.

Utilitarian materials, including the tiles, were chosen throughout the restaurant for their "endurance and fast cleaning processes".

White-painted steel breakfast-style stools line the bar, which has a top made of steel – selected for its resistance to grease, according to Ramírez de Aguilar.

The studio decided to preserve the space's original, peeling ceiling "to create a wider contrast [within the eatery] and to remember the old premises".

Informal seating lines the pavement just outside of the taqueria where customers can eat and socialise.

Other than a small bathroom at the back of Los Alexis, the one-room restaurant is purposefully defined by its bar and open kitchen.

"Typical 'changarros' [small shops] in Mexico City are all about the conversation with the cookers, so we tried to have this interaction between people as a main objective," explained Ramírez de Aguilar.

Founded in 2017, RA! previously created the interiors for a restaurant in the city's Polanco neighbourhood with a bar counter shaped like an inverted ziggurat.

DOT Coffee Station is another hole-in-the-wall cafe in Kyiv, Ukraine, which YOD Group designed with a similar floor-to-ceiling mosaic of tiles.

The photography is courtesy of RA!

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Perforated metal sheets form the facade of this renovated bookshop in Shanghai, China, which local studio Wutopia Lab has filled with 10,000 metres of shelving.

Named Shanghai Book City, the 12,000-square-metre building has been overhauled to transform it from a traditional bookstore into a cultural hub and public landmark.

According to Wutopia Lab, it is hoped to reinvigorate the surrounding streets and encourage visitors to spend more time reading and less time on electronic devices.

Shanghai Book City is now distinguished by its facade, which is covered in perforated aluminium panels positioned in a sawtooth arrangement. This design is intended to resemble books lined up spine-side out.

A lighting system behind the facade's aluminium panels also creates a twinkling effect as the light passes through the holes.

This aims to set the store apart from neighbouring buildings on Shanghai's Fuzhou Road while evoking a bird's eye view of the city.

"The perforated aluminium facade pattern is based on a bird's eye view of Shanghai at night, including the Huangpu district, the Bund, the Huangpu River and the Pudong district," project architect Chen Lin told Dezeen.

"The stars and dots are abstract pixels representing the lights in each household."

Harnessing the vast scale of the existing building, the bookstore's interior is designed as a "city within a city" with bookshelf-lined "streets" and 16 commercial areas.

These commercial zones include an art gallery, a theatre and a cafe, as well as writer's studios, wellness classrooms and offices, and aim to diversify the store's offerings and clientele without compromising the atmosphere inside.

"The Book City is a translation of urban space from indoors to outdoors," said Lin.

"We strive to create a vertical city with squares, streets and 'book houses' of different sizes. Readers can stroll through the streets and 'houses within houses', where books serve as the facades of these houses, forming a sea of books."

Shanghai Book City's entrance area blends into the street, creating a covered zone that functions as a public square to attract visitors to the store.

A stepped volume, named Book Mountain, sits just inside the doors and combines a platform, shelving and seating for events including book launches as well as casual perusing.

Three double-height atriums stacked one on top of the other define the core of the building, all of which are lined with oversized shelving stretching from floor to ceiling.

The atriums have glass floors that allow natural light to reach as far inside the spaces as possible, while interior windows are cut into the bookcases to help illuminate the surrounding rooms.

The seven-storey Shanghai Book City was originally built in 1998 and reopened in October 2023 after a two-year closure.

Wutopia Lab was founded in 2013 by Ting Yu and Erni Min. Previous projects by the firm include a subterranean museum with an undulating roof and a museum encased in an arch-shaped shell made from copper.

The photography is by CreatAR Images.

Project credits:

Architect: Wutopia Lab
Chief architect: Ting Yu
Project managers: Shengrui Pu and Hao Li
Project architects: Jie Lv and Chen Lin
Design team: Peng Li, Zixiang Feng, Haoran Zhang, Qiuyan Wang, Yanyan Feng, Danman Zhang, Lei Wang and Zijie Xu
Construction drawing design firm: Shanghai Sanyi Architectural Design Co., Ltd
Construction firm: Shanghai Xinhua Media Co., Ltd.

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Interior design must begin facing up to uncomfortable truths about our planet and health in 2024, Michelle Ogundehin writes in her annual trends report for Dezeen.

This must be the year of truth. It's no time to be distracted by talk of trends, new or latest looks. The tactic of holding facts at arm's length has only enabled denial, obfuscation, and fakery, as well as cauterising our moral obligation to change. Mark Twain aptly summarises our current malaise with the pithy: "What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know, it's what we know for sure that just ain't so."

Thankfully, the zeitgeist is shifting. We see it in current TV programming, ever a prescient reflection of public mood. Consider Channel 4's punchy The Great Climate Fight, which volubly charges the British government with incompetence, to ITV's Mr Bates vs The Post Office, dramatising the scandalous lies behind a huge miscarriage of justice.

It's no time to be distracted by talk of trends, new or latest looks

The desire for unvarnished veracity is there in Netflix's new tranche of documentaries. Think Robbie Williams: Behind the Scenes and its Jeffrey Epstein exposé. Even Disney's Wagatha Christie vehicle was about truth-telling.

It reflects the shattering of any persistent facade that everything's just fine. In the face of extreme weather patterns – from tornados in Manchester in the north of England to record-breaking monsoons in Pakistan – and the escalating rates of chronic disease, anxiety, depression, loneliness epidemics, and other mental-health disorders seen worldwide, surely, finally, our eyes are opening?

In case not, here are a couple of truths that we may need to be reminded of.

One: the perpetual quest for economic growth is unsustainable on a finite planet, yet it prevails because we've been hoodwinked into believing that better always means newer, faster, or more. We are entreated to consume for the good of the economy – the work-to-spend cycle. The implication being that if we don't, we're responsible for mass unemployment and the failure of honest businesses.

Ergo, consumer-driven economies are routinely prioritised over basic citizen welfare, and material goods have become proxies for our dreams and aspirations, even our expressions of love.

Two: the environments in which we live are increasingly toxic – physically, socially, and mentally. Yet we're reneging on personal responsibility for our wellbeing with the misguided assumption that big industry would never create products dangerous to human health, and that our healthcare providers are there to patch us up if they do. We need to focus on causes and prevention instead of lucrative (but futile) searches for cures for diseases like cancer.

It wasn't so long ago that the desire to exercise, seek wellbeing, or be social were reasons to leave the home

What's tricky is that potential solutions to the above don't wash well with legislators or many politicians because they appear slow, unduly restrictive, difficult, or inconvenient. Immediate results (i.e. within a single term of office) are seldom forthcoming, thus a stance of head-in-the-sand, or a default to fast fixes, becomes entrenched as the go-to action.

And yet, research suggests that we, the people, feel differently. According to the 10th annual Life at Home report produced this year by IKEA (one of the world's largest home surveys, encompassing the views of 37,428 people aged 18-plus across 38 countries), searches for "slow living" have doubled since 2015.

So where does this leave us?

We're being pushed and pulled in many contradictory directions. It wasn't so long ago that the desire to exercise, seek wellbeing, or be social were reasons to leave the home. Now these activities all happen within the same four walls.

This creates many tensions. Should our domestic caves be linked to the world via the latest high-tech gizmos, or be our deliberate respite from the techno-frazzle? How do we square a wish for personal privacy with the sensation of living in more open spaces? Can we work from home without feeling like we live at work?

It was no surprise to me that Squishmallows were the hit toy of 2023. These soft, malleable cute-character cushions are acutely comforting to hold. Even the revered investor Warren Buffet now has the company in his portfolio. They are a potent symbol of a need.

In response, the popular press touts voluminous La-Z-Boy-style recliners as the next big thing, but is an inducement to lounge ever further into denial really what's called for?

Our ability to thrive must become the guiding principle for all design

Humans are the ultimate adaptors, but we require stimulus to learn and grow, if not an element of discomfort. While your genes may load the gun, your environment pulls the trigger. Currently, for many, that's somewhere hyperconnected yet also physically disconnected, temperature-controlled and sedentary.

Align this with the current cult of convenience – that which enhances personal comfort or advantage over everything else, and therein lies the downward spiral.

We must abandon the ordered, rational, learned good taste and comfort that we've become used to in favour of something more instinctive and rugged. Less a singular design aesthetic than a profoundly sensory desire to touch, smell and feel intensely. It is the personal over the predictable. The umami in the dish. The idea that owes its genus to a singular moment of unique creative vision, or innovation.

We must aim for a societal stability that does not rely on the continuous fetishisation of "novelty" to drive ever-increasing consumption if economic activity is to have a hope of remaining within ecological scale. Our ability to thrive must become the guiding principle for all design, if not perceptions of success.

Most importantly, we can no longer be afraid to speak or hear these truths, starting at home – the environment over which we have the most agency.

Here, then, are some final "home" truths that bear repeating.

Most homes are more polluted on the inside than a busy street corner outside due to the build-up of invisible toxins therein, yet we spend 90 per cent of our time indoors. Some examples: gas hobs leak benzene, a known carcinogen, even when they're off – this has been linked to one in eight cases of childhood asthma.

We have been living in a time of fantastical storytelling

Microplastics have been found in the placentas of unborn babies. Chemicals in everyday personal care products can cause chronic hormonal disruption that leads to breast cancer. Chemical flame retardants legally mandated for use on your upholstery increase smoke toxicity more than they reduce fire growth.

And Wi-Fi may not be as benign as you think. The World Health Organisation, in association with the International Agency on Cancer, formally classified electromagnetic field radiation (as emitted by Wi-Fi connected devices) as a Class 2B human carcinogen (potentially harmful to health) over a decade ago.

In summary, we have been living in a time of fantastical storytelling, fictions of delusional positivity that obscure the truth. Plato considered that truth is a correspondence between belief and reality. Time to wake up then if we are to stand a chance of survival, as our current reality almost beggars belief.

Michelle Ogundehin is a thought leader on interiors, trends, style and wellbeing. Originally trained as an architect and the former editor-in-chief of ELLE Decoration UK, she is the head judge on the BBC's Interior Design Masters, and the author of Happy Inside: How to Harness the Power of Home for Health and Happiness, a guide to living well. She is also a regular contributor to publications including Vogue Living, FT How to Spend It magazine and Dezeen.

The photo, of a Kyiv apartment designed by Olga Fradina, is by Yevhenii Avramenko.

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Japanese architect Tadao Ando has unveiled plans for Armani Beach Residences at Palm Jumeirah, a luxury residential complex on the oceanfront in Dubai.

Designed in collaboration with Sharjah developer Arada and luxury company
The Armani Group, the 8,361-square-metre building will host 53 homes.

Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect Ando's proposal features a glass and concrete facade, punctured by a semicircular opening. It will also be lined with curved terraces that overlook a ground-floor pool and adjacent private beach.

It is set to be complete by the end of 2026.

Armani Beach Residences at Palm Jumeirah will include homes ranging from two to five bedrooms, along with penthouses and two presidential suites.

To help establish a connection with the ocean, all of the homes will include large glazed areas offering expansive outward views.

Residents will have access to a spa, multi-purpose function room, cigar lounge, movie theatre and children's playroom, along with a landscaped deck area.

"The architecture at this wonderful location is designed to pursue a visual and experiential continuity between the interior and the seascape that surrounds the project, with the interplay of light and shadow helping to create a dynamic sequence from arrival through to the public areas and finally to each impeccable residence," said Ando.

The interiors will be designed by The Armani Group, which will allow residents to choose between a dark or light interior palette for their home.

Ando said the project marks the continuation of his long-term collaboration with luxury fashion house Armani, which began in 2001 with his design for the Armani headquarters, Teatro Armani, in Milan.

"I am proud to renew our longstanding partnership with Giorgio Armani to deliver a project that brings nature and architecture together, producing a spectacular space in which to live," Ando said.

According to the vice chairman of Arada Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, the proposal will aim to present "a new standard for the high-end Dubai real estate market".

Other upcoming projects in Dubai include Mercedes-Benz's first branded residential skyscraper and a sweeping vertiport terminal for "air taxi services".

The images are courtesy of Arada.

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US start-up Rabbit and tech company Teenage Engineering have designed the R1, a "pocket companion" that aims to upturn the dominance of smartphones in our lives by using artificial intelligence to complete tasks.

Revealed at last week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the Rabbit R1 is a palm-sized, bright orange AI assistant that is designed to take actions on behalf of its user, even where those actions involve multiple or complex steps.

The device, which the company described as a "pocket companion", could be used to book flights, stream music or edit Photoshop images, among other uses.

Users push and hold a button on the right-hand side of the device to talk to their R1 as they would a walkie-talkie, issuing commands in natural language and viewing a simplified visual interface that represents their assistant as a pixel art-styled bunny.

Rabbit is asking consumers to rethink many of their digital habits with the pared-back invention, including how they interact with apps, what security norms they accept, and how their devices can look.

At a CES keynote address, Rabbit founder and CEO Jesse Lyu said that the company had aimed to create "the simplest computer" and a "delightful" user experience — "something so intuitive that you don't need to learn how to use it".

"The best way to achieve this is to break away from the app-based operating system currently used by smartphones," he said. "Instead, we envision a natural language-centred approach."

The R1 hosts Rabbit's custom AI, a type of Large Action Model (LAM). LAMs represent an evolution of the Large Language Models (LLMs) that have become well-known from chatbots like ChatGPT.

Whereas those merely generate text in response to human input, Lyu explained, Rabbit's AI also generates actions on behalf of users — activities like buying groceries online or booking taxis or tickets.

These sorts of personal AI "agents" have been increasingly hyped online, but Rabbit claims theirs is the first operating system built with such a LAM.

The LAM works by first learning to understand people's intentions and behaviours on specific apps, then mimicking those actions. There is no need for custom integrations like Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for each app, as the model is universal and functions across all mobile and desktop environments.

At launch, Rabbit says the R1 will already have been trained to work with the most popular apps, and it will continue to roll out more functionalities in the future. It will also add the ability for users to train their own agents — or "rabbits" — on more niche apps.

The device is standalone and does not need to be connected to a smartphone to function.

For the industrial design, Rabbit worked with Teenage Engineering — known for its innovative takes on music gadgets like synthesisers and speakers — to develop an original look with a nostalgic touch.

The company says it took cues from the Tamagotchi – the Japanese digital toy pet – and aimed to make the device "as strikingly beautiful as it is intuitively functional".

As well as a 2.88-inch touchscreen display and the touch-to-talk button, the physical components include a scroll wheel to navigate the display and the "rabbit eye" — a rotating camera for computer vision. This enables the agents to carry out tasks like "looking" in the fridge and identifying the ingredients there to suggest a recipe.

As an avatar, the operating system is represented on the screen by a bunny head that jumps up and down while processing information and bops along with headphones when playing music.

Rabbit says there are security benefits to many of its design choices. The touch-to-talk button avoids the "always listening mode" of smart speakers, a gadget that Lyu described as "outdated" in his keynote.

Similarly, the rotating capability of the "eye" keeps the camera lens in a position where it is physically blocked until the user requests it, cutting off another avenue for surveillance.

Rabbit also promises a high level of encryption, and says that users will always have awareness and control of the actions delegated to the agents. The device will not store the user's credentials for third-party services.

All of the processing is done within data centres rather than on the device, which Rabbit says means the device is inexpensive — it retails for US$199 (£159) — and consumes little power.

It does, however, add to the demand on data centres, which require huge amounts of water and electricity.

Lyu said that with the LAM fast evolving, the R1 would eventually help users do things that could never be achieved on an app-based phone, but that the device is not intended as a direct substitute.

"We did not build Rabbit R1 to replace your phone," he said. "It's just a different generation of devices. The app-based system was introduced more than 15 years ago, and the new generation of AI-powered devices are just getting started."

Since CES, Rabbit has since taken pre-orders for more than 30,000 R1 units.

Other devices on show at the trade fair, the largest in the field of consumer gadgets, included a world-first transparent OLED television by LG and a "thermometer of the future" by Withings.

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US studio Ome Dezin has renovated a large mid-century home in Brentwood, California, using a tonal colour palette and maximising the lush hillside views.

The six-bedroom 12221 Benmore residence was designed and constructed in 1960 by notable local architects A Quincy Jones and Frederick Emmon.

When Jesse Rudolph and Joelle Kutner of Ome Dezin came to the project, it had undergone a 1990s remodel that had stripped away its character and style.

The team made it their mission to revive the home's original charm and connection to the outdoors, bringing in natural tones and materials.

"We have always been fans of A Quincy Jones and familiar with his work, which is what prompted us to see the home initially," the duo told Dezeen.

"This one did not disappoint — it had the typical Quincy atrium-like living space centered across from the exterior which includes a 40-foot (12-metre) waterfall."

Many of the existing fixtures were retained, including the fixed windows and doors, wherever possible.

To keep the focus on the views from the large windows, the interior was designed with "a more muted, streamlined aesthetic".

"We wanted to ensure the intention of Quincy was intact, so we aimed for a bit of brutalism and connection with nature," said Rudolph and Kutner. "We opted for a limited material and color palette in favour of natural tones."

The new white oak staircase designed for the three-storey atrium features rectangular forms and has an architectural presence, echoing the shape and style of the building.

It sits at the nexus of the living room, dining area, kitchen and bar, which all flow together and enjoy expansive views out the back of the house.

A den adjacent to these open spaces is furnished with a variety of midcentury pieces, in keeping with the building’s history.

Two types of stone were used throughout the home: travertine, which appears in the kitchen, bar area and powder room, and richly patterned Cipollino in the primary bathroom chosen to pick out the colours of the mountains visible through the windows.

In the lower-floor bedrooms and around the fireplace, flagstones and cobblestones were laid to create a grounding quality and to connect the spaces to the rocky landscape outside and pavers around the swimming pool.

Custom pieces designed for the project include the dining table created with furniture designer Ben Willett, which allows all of the chairs to be tucked away neatly underneath.

Two 10-foot-high (three-metre) doors were custom-built for the living space and feature Jean Prouvé-influenced circular window cutouts that allow light to shine through.

"We paid special attention to the lighting in the home, mostly sourcing vintage lights to add charm and character," the design team said.

"With such a large home, and lots of windows and tall ceilings, warm mood lighting really made the spaces feel intimate and magical, particularly in the evenings."

Rudolph and Kutner founded Ome Dezin as a design and development studio focused on residential restoration in and around Los Angeles.

California has no shortage of mid-century properties in need of revamping. Other recently completed examples include Studio Schicketanz's renovation of modernist architect Henry Hill's former seaside home, and Woods + Dangaran's overhaul of a residence that once belonged to singer Bing Crosby's manager.

The photography is by Nils Timm.

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Infrastructure consultants AECOM and Spanish architecture studio Luis Vidal + Architects have created a terminal for Boston's Logan Airport capped by a long, bright-red roof.

The project adds 390,000 square feet (36,232 square metres) of space to Logan International Airport. The largest airport in the city, it is located on a piece of land that juts out into Boston Harbor.

A massive red roof slopes over the south facade of the terminal, where it was interspersed with windows to create views of the city. On the opposite side, where the gates are, the face of the structure is mostly glass.

The standing-seam metal roof was painted in Boston Red, a shade of prismatic paint custom-developed for the project at Monopol Color Lab in Switzerland. It is the first time prismatic paint has ever been used for an airport facade, according to Luis Vidal + Architects founding principal Luis Vidal.

The four-storey terminal rises to 96 feet (29 metres) at its tallest point, from which it slopes down towards the rest of the airport.

During the day, the prismatic nature of the paint allows the colour to shift slightly between red and orange, depending on the light.

"The red color is intended to establish the terminal as a landmark and iconic gateway to the city and the region," Vidal told Dezeen, adding that the paint was originally developed for military usage.

"Boston itself inspired the color: from the historic brick buildings to the institutions for whom red is a signature color – like Harvard and MIT – to the dramatic sunsets and foliage to the Red Sox."

According to Vidal, the roof's form has a subtle aeronautic shape. Its corners taper to sharp edges that "cut through the sky with precision".

Where the form bulges out on its south side, a series of darkened panoramic windows were installed under the lip of the roof, along the edge of the terminal's crescent-like form.

The terminal was meant to stand out while adhering to the strict requirements of the site and integrating with the existing airport facilities.

"The building is the first and last building you see arriving and departing at the airport," AECOM principal Terry Rookard told Dezeen.

"The terminal becomes the iconic front door to the entire airport campus. Simultaneously, the building blends into the existing airport, as it tucks in and defers to the existing terminal geometry forms, allowing both buildings to talk to each other – while expressing themselves independently."

On the gate-side, the overlapping slopes of the roof create clerestory windows that bring light into the terminal's great hall.

Many of the walls and the ceilings of the interior are also standing-seam metal, but painted in white.

Inside, large black columns rise to support the graduated ceiling and airport amenities, such as restaurants and stores, are laid out in an open format.

Several elements aimed towards the terminal's "resiliency" were also included, the designers said.

Photovoltaic glass gathers energy for the terminal, while the windows were placed to ensure plentiful natural light throughout the year.

Because of the terminal's proximity to the water, all of the critical infrastructure was lifted six feet (1.8 metres) above grade "to allow for a rapid return to service in a flood event and to protect capital-intensive utility investments", according to Rookard.

The design team also took into account "passengers who require a visual and auditory separation from a busy terminal", it said.

Working with the New England Center for Children, the team integrated an all-ages room where flyers can use an airplane simulator room to prepare for their flights.

"The building's shape, passenger journey, color and sustainability are holistically integrated into a design response that is understood from the scale of the city as well as the passenger’s experience," said Rookard.

The terminal will begin full operations later in 2024.

Other recent airport add-ons include an expansion to Kansas City International Airport by SOM, which includes a massive mass-timber canopy over the entrance program.

Meanwhile, Foster + Partners has unveiled designs for an airport in Cambodia with a "tree-canopy" roof.

The photography is by Ema Peter.

Project credits:

Architect: AECOM
Vision architect: Luis vidal + architects
Construction manager: Suffolk
Structural engineer, sustainability, protective design: Thornton Tomasetti
Structural engineering (existing building renovations): Simon Design Engineering
Geotechnical engineering/environmental: GEI Consultants, Inc.
MEP engineering, special systems, asset management: Arora Engineers, Inc.
Baggage handling systems, BHS & passenger simulation modelling: BNP Associates, Inc.
LLC building code consulting: Code Red Consultants
Lighting design: Collaborative Lighting
Cost estimating: Dharam Consulting
Cost estimating: RLB
Rain, ice, wind and snow analysis: RWDI
Terminal planning & programming: Ricondo & Associates, Inc.
Resident engineering: Keville Enterprises, Inc.
Communications: speXsys, LLC IT
Hydrant fuel system design: TECS, LLC
Specifications: Kalin Associates
Simulation modelling: HNTB Airfield
Irrigation systems: Irrigation Consulting
Interior landscape design: Hammer Walsh
Roof consulting (canopy): Gale Associates

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As Zaha Hadid Architects' The Henderson skyscraper nears completion on the world's most expensive site in Hong Kong, we take a look at 10 other skyscrapers in the works by the studio.

Founded by the late Zaha Hadid in 1980, the studio has designed many well-known buildings ranging from the MAXXI in Rome to London's Aquatic Centre.

Zaha Hadid Architects' portfolio already includes several distinctive skyscrapers around the world, such as One Thousand Museum in Miami and Morpheus hotel in Macau, with many more on the way.

Read on for 10 upcoming skyscrapers by the studio.

The Henderson office, Hong Kong

Zaha Hadid Architects' 36-storey The Henderson in Hong Kong, which has a curved glass facade informed by the buds of an orchid, was recently photographed nearing completion.

The site at 2 Murray Road was widely reported as the world's most expensive plot when it was purchased for the project in 2017.

Find out more about The Henderson office ›

OPPO headquarters, Shenzhen, China

Slated to be completed by 2025, the OPPO Shenzhen headquarters will consist of four interconnected towers designed to house open-plan offices for the Chinese smartphone manufacturer.

Each tower will be characterised by sinuous glass forms that taper inwards toward ground level, despite their varying heights.

Find out more about OPPO headquarters ›

Tower C, Shenzhen, China

Tower C is another skyscraper planned for Shenzhen, which Zaha Hadid Architects designed as a pair of supertalls linked by a multi-storey podium of curved green terraces and aquaponic gardens.

Expected to be finished by 2027, the mixed-use development will reach nearly 400 metres in height and become one of the city's tallest buildings.

Find out more about Tower C ›

Mercury Tower, Paceville, Malta

Currently under construction, Mercury Tower has been the tallest building in Malta since it topped out in 2020.

Reaching 122 metres in height, the skyscraper features a distinctive twist in its structure, which divides the building's residential apartments and hotel rooms.

Find out more about Mercury Tower ›

Discovery Tower, Sarawat Mountains, Saudi Arabia

Discovery Tower is a shard-shaped crystalline skyscraper, which is planned for the Trojena ski resort as part of Neom in Saudi Arabia.

Visuals recently released by Neom show a supertall structure defined by numerous columns that taper toward the peak and will house observation decks and restaurants.

Find out more about Discovery Tower ›

Vauxhall Cross Island towers, London, UK

Construction has reportedly begun on Vauxhall Cross Island towers – a duo of buildings in south London that will be connected by a shared podium and feature 53 and 42 storeys respectively.

Plans for the mixed-use development previously caused a stir when opponents of the scheme were angered by the heights originally proposed for the towers.

Find out more about Vauxhall Cross Island towers ›

Bora Residential Tower, Mexico City, Mexico

Located in the Santa Fe business district in Mexico City, the Bora Residential Tower is currently being constructed with a completion date yet to be confirmed.

When complete, the six-tower building will be over 50-storeys tall, making it the "highest residential tower" in the city, according to Zaha Hadid Architects.

Find out more about The Bora Residential Tower ›

Daxia Tower, Xi'an, China

Planned for China's Xi'an business district, Daxia Tower will reach 210 metres tall when complete.

The mixed-use building will feature a curved form and planted interior terraces that "echo mountainside waterfalls", according to the tower's architects.

Find out more about Daxia Tower ›

The Mayfair, Melbourne, Australia

The Mayfair is an upcoming tower in Melbourne with a completion date yet to be confirmed.

The 64-metre-high apartment block will be defined by facades covered in angular balconies and a roof crowned by a pair of swimming pools.

Find out more about The Mayfair ›

CECEP Shanghai Campus, Shanghai, China

Developed for Chinese renewable energy company CECEP, this mixed-use building will utilise renewable energy technologies and recycled materials when constructed, according to its architects.

Planned for north-east Shanghai beside the Huangpu River, the campus will consist of three interlinked towers when complete.

Find out more about CECEP Shanghai Campus ›

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Designed by Marc Newson and unveiled at this week's Consumer Electronics Show, Swarovski Optik's AX Visio binoculars are equipped with artificial intelligence so they can identify bird and animal species.

Swarovski Optik — the segment of the Swarovski group dedicated to sports optics such as binoculars and rifle scopes — said it considers AX Visio to be the world's first smart binoculars, capable of identifying some 9,000 species of birds and wildlife in real time.

It targets mainly birdwatchers but also hunters with the invention, which has an augmented reality display so users can see species information overlaid on the image in front of them, and don't need to look away to consult a book, phone or friend.

Users turn a digital camera-like dial to the bird or mammal identification mode to enable the feature and click a button to begin identification.

The AX Visio also includes a camera for taking photos and videos and a "share discoveries" mode that lets users mark the location of an item of interest before passing the binoculars to another person.

Without the digital features switched on, the AX Visio still functions as a set of analogue binoculars, and there is an extra lens in between the usual two objective lenses to enable the digital functions.

"The AX Visio's added value for users consists of a real viewing experience that is enhanced with digital input," said Swarovski Optik chief technology and operations officer Andreas Gerk.

In an interview on the Swarovski Optik website, industrial designer Newson said that it had been special to work on a product that was the first of its kind and that integrating all of the technology — including augmented reality, Bluetooth, GPS and a camera — inside the small package had been a challenge.

"It's rare for a designer to work on something that is the first product within a category, which is naturally exciting and suffice to say, challenging," said Newson. "Binoculars are traditionally solely analogue objects, which, while compelling and 'future proof', are essentially bi-dimensional."

"The AX Visio belongs to a different typology, and one that is totally new in the combination of optics and technology," he added. "Similar to a modern camera, they are optical, electronic and digital."

The AX Visio is Newson's second product for Swarovski Optik following the CL Curio, a compact pair of traditional binoculars. AX Visio has a similar extruded aluminium bridge and focus wheel placement as that design.

Newson said he aimed for the AX Visio to be "intuitive, modern and crucially, comfortable in the hand and on the eye", while also having a bit of personality.

"I wanted them to feel approachable and usable," he said. "The inclination when designing high-performance items tends for them to be purposefully complex, and I was hoping to create something that was the opposite — intuitive and inviting."

"The three-scope construction is an obvious visual departure from other binoculars, and this encompasses the solid hinge and bridge detail, joining the dots between the three lenses," he continued. "This structure took a significant amount of time to rationalise — and manufacturing expertise to realise."

The AX Visio are designed to be repairable and able to be taken apart, which Svarovski Optik says is standard for its brand, and that future updates will be available through the companion app so that the product's life cycle will be "many years".

It also has an open programming interface and welcomes external providers to develop new functionalities for the binoculars.

The data and part of the AI model for bird identification came from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a research institute that publishes the Merlin Bird ID app. The integration into the device was handled in house at Swarovski Optik.

The binoculars were revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world's largest gadget trade fair, held yearly in Las Vegas.

Australian-born Newson is one of the world's most well known industrial designers. One of his early works, the 1990 Lockheed Lounge, is now the world's most expensive design object, and luxury items like an all-diamond ring and limited-edition samurai sword feature heavily in his oeuvre.

Among his more accessible designs are a toaster and kettle for Australian brand Sunbeam and a public toilet in Tokyo, and he is also known for working with Jony Ive at Apple.

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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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.

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Architecture studios Oficina de Diseño Colaborativo and Atelier TBD have created a cultural space that preserves the "self-built essence" of San Miguel de Allende.

Created in collaboration with interior studio Maye Colab, Santa Tere Espacio is a cultural space and office that will primarily serve to foster reading in the surrounding neighbourhoods.

"Santa Tere Espacio emerged from the idea of creating architecture through renovation, reuse, repair, and repurposing," said the team. 

"Based on the self-built essence of the neighbourhood, Office of Collaborative Design, TBD Atelier, and Maye Colab joined forces with a shared vision to propose a project that engages with the site's legacy."

According to the team, self-construction is a "common building practice in Latin America", a technique they sought to preserve by repurposing both the existing architecture and materials from the site, which was a former six-room, single-story dwelling.

For Santa Tere Espacio, the team distributed several meeting rooms, a kitchenette, a bathroom and a central courtyard along the structure's lateral plan with a second, detached bathroom tucked into a corner of the site. 

A long alleyway, marked with a curving concrete path, runs along the length of the exterior and provides access to each space.

"The intervention primarily involved demolitions to bring in light and allow ventilation of the spaces, and the incorporation of new elements such as doors, windows, and tile finishes that contrast with the pre-existing structure," said the team.

"Openings were created in the form of doors, windows, and domes, and some walls were demolished to make way for the central courtyard."

Colab worked with a palette of red, yellow and pink on the interior, based on hues found during construction.

"The idea of capturing the site's essence is also reflected in the project's colour palette, designed based on the colours found in the construction, with a contrasting colour being the blue of the ironwork."

Bright blue windows and doors were distributed across the space and finished with geometric handles.

Interior furnishings were finished primarily in red, with the kitchenette covered in bright red tile and desks throughout the space trimmed in the same shade.

In a desk at the front of the building, the stalk of a plant grows through an opening carved in its surface, while a silver of a triangular skylight sits above.

The project's landscape design incorporates both native plants and others commonly found around the neighbourhood's rooftops, patios and facades.

A spindly palo verde plant was planted in the courtyard to provide shade, a species considered sacred to the Aztecs and associated with the feathered serpent god, according to the team. 

Santa Tere Espacio will act as a co-working and cultural space and will host OCD, Maye Colab and the bookstore Una Boutique de Libros.

Programming will focus on "reading, feminism, design and diversity". 

Founded by Nadyeli Quiroz Radaelli, OCD and Maye Colab are design studios based in Mexico, while Atelier TBD, founded by Victor Wu, is an architecture office based between Brooklyn, Taipei and San Miguel.

Elsewhere in San Miguel de Allende, design studio Mestiz opened a studio to showcase its collaborations with local craftspeople.

The photography is by Leandro Bulzzano.

Project credits:

Architecture: Oficina de Diseño Colaborativo OCD, Atelier TBD
Interior design: Oficina de Diseño Colaborativo OCD, Atelier TBD, Maye Colab
Furniture and colorimetry: Maye Colab
Landscape architecture: Oficina de Diseño Colaborativo OCD, Atelier TBD
Principals: Maye Ruiz, Nadyeli Quiroz, Victor Wu
Design team: Alejandra Skinfield, Paola Bravo, Sara Lopez Farias
Structural consultant: Formula+, Yoyo Wu
Sources:
Steelwork: Crónica Estudio

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Local architecture studio Provencher Roy has included the "lighthouse"-like Port of Montreal Tower with cantilevered platforms in the renovation of a disused industrial pier in Montreal.

Provencher Roy placed the 65-metre-tall tower on the edge of a pier in Montreal's Old City that once served as a grain exporting hub for the region. It now functions as a departure point for cruise ships.

The entirety of the pier was restored by the studio, with the tower rising at the end of a similar horizontal structure that serves as a boat terminal and was completed in 2019.

Called the Port of Montreal Tower, the structure is made of glass and steel and has a series of cantilevers that jut out as it rises. An observation deck protrudes from its side 55 metres off the ground, offering views of the river, the city and Mount Royal mountain.

According to the studio, the tower was meant to serve as a "lighthouse" for both pedestrians approaching the quay by land and for visitors arriving at the city by sea.

"We wanted to make a statement to attract Montrealers to the end of the pier thanks to quality public spaces, beautiful views from the Tower, access to the river, and a space for citizens," said Provencher Roy principal Sonia Gagné.

The glass-and-metal construction of the tower serves a few functions. It allows light to illuminate the tower at night, adding to its function as a "beacon", while creating viewpoints for those inside at multiple points throughout the structure.

"Industrial architecture is based on rationality and forms that are qualified by the need they fill. In this case, the volumetric development is a response to offering visitors and Montrealers an elevated experience, while creating a visual landmark for the Port of Montreal," Gagné told Dezeen.

"The architectural vocabulary developed for the Tower alludes to the area's rich industrial past through its rigorous, expressive structure and compact, pragmatic massing."

The glass facade also allows for daytime passersby to see an expressive staircase inside the structure, an important element of the design.

Described as a "sculptural helicoid", the staircase begins where the two vertical aspects of the tower connect, leading 10 metres up to the observation deck.

It was wrapped in gold-coloured balustrades – meant to reference both the staircases of historic Montreal and the gold of wheat crowns that once filled the industrial silos on the quay.

A platform at the top of the stairs leads to a small, "jewell-like" belvedere – or viewing chamber – that juts out of the facade.

The tallest building around, the tower rises from the end of the restored grounds of the pier – collectively called the Grand Quay – which was organised with the help of landscape architecture studio Nip Paysage.

A restored ferry terminal occupies the majority of the pier and is split in half by a roadway. On one side, where the tower sits, the team created a series of steps that lead to the roof of the terminal.

At the front of a terminal is a large cantilevered volume that serves as an event space.

Green spaces and a wooden walkway lead down and off the terminal roof. This promenade passes greenspaces with native plants, dotted with sculptural light wells that filter light to the terminal below.

The promenade is meant to be the terminus of a series of walking routes that run through the Old City.

It ends in a tree-covered platform with a wooden herringbone-patterned deck and steps on one side. These increase in number as the rest of the pier slopes down from the platform towards a large green space, interspersed with chairs and a monumental sculpture by artist Yann Pocreau.

Other projects by Provencher Roy include a bridge made with recycled glass in Montreal and offices in the city's Olympic Stadium tower.

Photography by James Brittain unless otherwise noted.

Project credits:

Architect: Provencher_Roy
Landscape: NIPPAYSAGE
Structure: NCK
Electromechanical: Pageau Morel
Civil: GÉNIPUR
Maritime infrastructure: WSP Group
Structural glass: Elema
Lighting: CS Design
Consultant: Arup
Builder: Pomerleau

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Shoe brand Vivobarefoot and material science company Balena have created a prototype trainer that is 3D-printed from compostable materials.

Unveiled today at materials conference Biofabricate, the mono-material shoe was 3D-printed from a compostable, thermoplastic material created by Balena.

Described by Vivobarefoot as "scan-to-print-to-soil", the product will be created in a "fully automated process – scanned on phone and automatically printed". The shoes were designed to be composted in an industrial facility.

The company believes that the shoe will form part of a process of rethinking the current industrialised system of designing, manufacturing and disposing of trainers.

"Whilst the current system might have been fit for the early part of industrialisation, it's definitely not fit for the future" Vivobarefoot co-founder Asher Clark told Dezeen.

"In contrast to that, our goal is to create a flagship solution – one that's on demand, rather than from stock. We want it to be fast, digital, simple and ultimately an additive process," he continued.

"We want to build a system that creates product when you need using the only the materials you need when you need it, as opposed to an industrial system that's making huge mountains of stock with subtractive processes."

The trainers build on Vivobarefoot's VivoBiome shoes, which are also 3D-printed based on scans of user's feet, but are made from more traditional materials. Currently 176 "paying pioneers" are testing the first generation of the red VivoBiome shoes.

Vivobarefoot's on-demand "scan-to-print" process sees customers scan their own feet to create shoes that are much more fitted to the shape of an individual's feet.

"All of our feet are different in shape," said Clark. "So even if we want to make the perfect footwear, perfect feet, it's incredibly difficult to do that in a one-size-fits-all industrial model."

The prototype shoes were made from BioCirflex, which was developed by Balena, and complies with international biodegradation standard ASTM D6400-04 and European biodegradation standard EN 13432.

Although the product is biodegradable and compostable, it was not designed to be composted in a back garden. Vivobarefoot expects the product to be composted in an industrial facility, and establishing this process will be one of the tasks that need to be set up before a mass launch.

"The polymers will biodegrade in any compost environment," Balena founder David Roubach told Dezeen.

"In a compost environment you have specific enzymes that know to digest the monomers and it's the same enzymes you have in industrial and the same one you will have in your home compost," he continued.

"But it is not enough just to tailor the material, or to know how it will break down, you need also to work with a brand to really build an infrastructure for circularity."

"So legally, we can say yes, put it in your home compost, and it will biodegrade. But the truth is that we don't know how long it will take and we don't know if you have a compost in your garden," he continued.

"As a material science company, we understand that part of our responsibility is also to build the logic circle behind the material."

The trainers form part of Vivobarefoot's wider aim to radically change the footwear business as it believes that heavily cushioned shoes are damaging people's feet. It aims to create shoes using as little material as possible.

"Millions of years of evolution have done an amazing job – your feet are amazing bits of kit, we like this idea that the best bit of technology to go into a shoe is the human foot," said Clark.

"What we're trying to do is make is shoes that follow your feet, we're trying to make as little footwear as possible, to allow your feet to do what they were designed to do," he continued.

"Shoes aren't just trashing your health, all that fancy underfoot, cushioning and support that you're used to under your feet is actually making them shoe shaped and weak, which negatively impacts the way you move and ultimately negatively impacts your health."

Clark believes that the majority of "shoes are trashing your feet and the planet". Along with reducing the amount of material that goes into shoes and considering what happens at the end of their life, he believes that the whole manufacturing process needs to radically change.

"Shoes are made in offshore industrial supply chains that have huge environmental costs," he said.

"They're subtractive, which means that the way industrialisation works is that you're cutting away lots of material – there's lots of waste in order to get to a product, so ultimately, this whole process is slow, its analogue," he continued.

"It's also complicated, there's multiple layers to the supply chain and it's almost impossible to get your hands around in terms of the true environmental impact. But it's ultimately wasteful by design."

Brands that have launched footwear described as biodegradable include Bottega Veneta with its sugarcane and coffee boots and Adidas with the uppers of its Futurecraft trainers.

A more experimental composition came from German designer Emilie Burfeind, whose compostable sneakers are made with a mushroom mycelium sole and a canine hair upper.

Images courtesy of Vivobarefoot.

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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.

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Materials companies Circular Matters and StoneCycling have used corn cobs – one of the world's most plentiful agricultural waste materials – to make interior cladding that is biodegradable and almost entirely bio-based.

Available in the form of tiles and sheets, CornWall is intended as a more sustainable alternative to ceramic interior wall tiles or plastic laminate.

The material is derived from more than 99 per cent renewable, biological sources, is created at low temperatures using mainly solar power and emits less carbon dioxide in its production than was captured by the corn as it grew, the manufacturers claim.

To give the products a long lifespan, Circular Matters and StoneCycling have produced the tiles with a mechanical fixing system, so they can be demounted and reused or given back to the company for cleaning and recycling.

The technology behind CornWall was invented by Circular Matters – a start-up spun out of a lab at Belgium's KU Leuven University, where founder Pieter Dondeyne and his team found a way to process plants to enhance their natural biopolymers and create durable materials.

The team then partnered with Dutch company StoneCycling to channel their technology into a product.

StoneCycling co-founder Ward Massa told Dezeen that the focus on corn came because it is one of the most grown crops on the planet and its waste is abundant.

"What happens when you grow corn for human consumption is when it's ready to harvest, you take off the corn and the corn cob is a leftover material because it doesn't hold any nutritious value," he said.

"Usually, that means that these corn cobs remain on the field and rot away, or they are burned as biomass to generate energy," he continued. "In both cases, you release the carbon that was stored in those fibres – it rots away and it gets released, or you burn it and it gets released."

With CornWall, the carbon is locked away until the tiles reach the end of their life and are left to decompose.

The production process begins with the discarded cobs being collected, dried and shredded into biomass.

This material is then mixed with other agricultural waste, binders and pigments and pressed into a plate material at a relatively low heat of 120 to 150 degrees. As a final step, the tiles are given a thin coating for water resistance.

All of the ingredients are derived from biomass apart from the pigment, which accounts for the 0.5 per cent of the product that is not bio-based – a very low percentage in a field where even products containing small amounts of materials of organic origin are sometimes labelled as bio-based.

According to Massa, the companies were able to keep the product pure by focusing on interior wall applications only.

"If you want to create a product that can also be used on the exterior or as a flooring or in the shower, then you have to start adding chemicals to bind it, to make it more water resistant and stuff like that," he said.

"We chose to start with this application because it's relatively easy and the binder and the product is nothing else than the natural polymers that are already part of this biomass. Because of adding heat and pressure, these polymers are activated and bind together."

CornWall is also biodegradable according to official standards, with Massa saying it could be buried in a field and disintegrate in a couple of months.

The only thing that would remain is the water-resistant coating, which is not biodegradable but makes up less than 0,001 per cent of the total product meaning it does not affect its biodegradability overall, according to Massa.

"Unfortunately there are no 100 per cent biodegradable coatings on the market yet," he said. "We're working with our suppliers on this but it'll take more time."

Instead, the intent is to keep the product in use for as long as possible.

The companies wants to target retail and hospitality chains that frequently open and close locations – Starbucks is an example Massa gives – and work with them to make sure the tiles stay in a closed loop of material reuse.

He also believes CornWall offers good options for these kinds of businesses in the design stage, as it can be ordered in custom colours and embossed patterns to complement their branding.

"As far as we are concerned, this will become the new retail material," said Massa. "Especially in those places in retail where they now use materials that are either glued or take a lot more energy to make or create a lot of waste when the shops are being renovated or demolished."

"Production can also be done regionally because you don't need a very complicated factory for it."

CornWall is currently available in a base range of six colours and two sizes, developed in collaboration with Dutch design practice Studio Nina van Bart. Massa says additional textures will soon be added to the line.

CornWall is the fourth product from StoneCycling. The first was the WasteBasedBrick, which is made from 60 per cent waste and was used by Dutch architects Nina Aalbers and Ferry in 't Veld of Architectuur Maken to build their own house in Rotterdam.

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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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Architecture studio Renzo Piano Building Workshop has created a justice building for Toronto to display "the identity and values of a modern justice institution" while respecting nearby historical buildings.

Working with local studio NORR Architects and Engineers, Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) designed the structure for downtown Toronto, where it will house many of the city's criminal courtrooms.

The Ontario Court of Justice building is located adjacent to a number of 19th-century judicial structures as well as the Viljo Revell-designed Toronto City Hall.

Two primary elements make up the courthouse – a four-storey podium that includes a massive atrium and a 13-storey tower set on top of it.

From the outside, the tower and podium are separated by a cantilevered floor plate that extends out towards the street and a recess in the facade.

The entrance to the podium is fronted by a series of massive columns supporting this cantilevered floor plate as well as two smaller cantilevered floor plates stacked over the primary entrance.

According to the studio it placed as much space as possible in front of the building, which faces Nathan Phillips Square, to increase public space and tie it into the "urban fabric".

The building rises only 96 metres, to make sure the courthouse did not exceed the height of the nearby City Hall.

"The design seeks to balance the need to express the identity and values of a modern justice institution without imposing over the adjacent iconic City Hall," said the studio.

On the south side of the structure, a large architectural "mast" was affixed to the side of the building. According to the studio, the mast was placed to line up with the east side of Osgoode Hall, an 1832 structure by architects John Ewart and WW Baldwin.

"In this manner, the project complements the judicial precinct that began to take shape over a century and a half ago," said RPBW.

Inside the podium, the atrium rises 20 metres tall. It was enclosed in a type of glass that was designed to have "minimum reflectivity" and has a pattern printed on it to make it bird-friendly.

A cable tension system was used on the facade to limit the interference of structural elements inside the building and make the atrium as open as possible.

For the facade of the tower, the team also relied heavily on class cladding, with hydro-formed embossed metal panels set back from the glass. The glass stops at the corners of the building, revealing the metal underneath.

"This carefully designed composition involved an extensive development process that included many factory visits, prototypes and mock-ups," said RPBW.

"The result is a highly dynamic effect created by the tower facade, which constantly oscillates between reflective and transparent, depending on daylight and weather conditions."

The interior of the atrium houses a series of elevator cores clad with yellow quartz panels. A large, white staircase was suspended from the high ceiling, connecting the ground floor of the building with the courtrooms on the first floor.

The entry program is characterised by concrete and stone. However, the studio noted that there is a "progression of increasing amounts of beech" for the interiors as one moves up through the tower towards the courtrooms, where the wood dominates.

On top of the building, its mechanical systems were moved down into the floors below to create a rooftop garden with benches, as well as a field of photovoltaic panels.

The design also nods towards the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which attempted to investigate and make recommendations for ameliorating violence towards the nation's Indigenous communities.

Working with local architecture firm Two Row Architects as consultants, the team included a publicly accessible Indigenous Learning Centre and has added other "cultural acknowledgements" throughout the site.

The project began in 2016 and will open later this year. At 72,000 square metres, it will be the largest courthouse in the province of Ontario.

Italian architect Renzo Piano founded his studio in 1981 and has since completed several high-profile projects in Europe and internationally, including Centre Pompidou in Paris in collaboration with British architect Richard Rogers, as well as the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles.

The photography is by Nic Lehoux. 

Project credits: 

Architect: Renzo Piano Building Workshop, NORR Architects
Structural: Stephenson Engineering Ltd.
Mechanical: The Hidi Group
Electrical: MBII
Facade: Knippers Helbig
Building envelope: BVDA Group Ltd.
Vertical transportation: HH Angus
A/V consultant: Sight N Sounds Design Inc
Civil engineer: WalterFedy
Energy & sustainability: Morrison Hershfield
Microclimate consultant: Theakston Environmental
Acoustics: Valcoustics
Traffic: Tranplan Associates
Blast consultant: Thornton Thomasetti
Geotech: Amec Foster Wheeler
Heritage consultant: +VG Architects
Indigenous consultant: Two Row Architect
Code: Muniak Enterprises
Wayfinding: Frontier
Landscaping: Vertechs

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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.

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Elon Musk's bulletproof Cybertruck represents a dystopian vision of America but exactly who it's intended for remains unclear, writes James McLachlan.

Outside of politics, few figures are as polarising in American life as Elon Musk. A hero to some owing to his perceived willingness to challenge progressive orthodoxies, for others he represents the worst of ego-driven toxic masculinity. Musk's latest venture, the gargantuan electric Cybertruck, is almost as polarising as the man himself.

The Cybertruck has been with us for a while now. When it launched in late 2019, some designers welcomed its stealth-bomber architecture, chiefly because the sharp angles punctured the soft, jelly-mould forms that dominate contemporary automotive design. Others likened it to a rebooted version of Giugiaro's origami form language, minus the depth or sophistication. Nevertheless, Musk, via his designer Franz von Holzhausen, had shaken things up.

The Cybertruck retains its killer-droid aesthetic – grim, impassive mask slashed by a single blade of light

At that point it was a concept car, where designers stretch the boundaries as far as they dare without being burdened by the feasibility of their thought experiments. In that context, the Cybertruck was just another provocation.

But Musk claimed his Pythagorean beast would make it to production. What's more, he claimed 250,000 customers had already signed up for one. All but the most ardent Elon fanboys were sceptical.

Then came the Covid-19 pandemic, which precipitated a global shortage of computer chips. The industry ground to a halt and few believed a production version of the Cybertruck would see the light of day.

But here it is and from a design perspective, remarkably little has changed. From the front, the Cybertruck retains its killer-droid aesthetic – grim, impassive mask slashed by a single blade of light. The windshield is greenhouse levels of big, served by a necessary, but nevertheless comically large single wiper.

The lighting signature repeats itself on a boxy rear that lacks definition. Other angles are more favourable – the folded body panels, unpainted 1.8-millimetre-thick cold-rolled stainless steel, are bent along straight lines rather than elaborate curves, creating dynamic angles. These pieces are simply bolted on to a two-piece subframe created by Tesla's vaunted Giga Press casting machine.

Virtually indestructible, these strong lines have saved Musk a small fortune in manufacturing costs. The truck is retailing at $60,000 for a base model, and though that is 10 grand more than first announced, it is still competitive. This understanding of the importance of design and manufacturing working together is Musk's genius.

But who is the Cybertruck for, exactly? Is it a lifestyle truck aimed at libertarian tech bros? A radical alternative to working vehicles from legacy automakers?

The ethical sheen that came with Tesla ownership has patinated

It is worth charting how we arrived at this point. In making electric cars that actually worked with Tesla, Musk was rewarded by Californian consumers who viewed themselves as more enlightened than those clinging to their gas-guzzling SUVs. Among the first customers was California design royalty Yves Behar, who owned an early Tesla prototype.

Tesla was the green face of car ownership, to the extent that some owners found themselves at the sharp end of a culture war in which climate-sceptic truck drivers would blast black soot all over their shiny paintwork: "rolling coal".

Perhaps these are the consumers that Musk is now courting with his self-declared war on progressive culture. Either way, the ethical sheen that came with Tesla ownership has patinated. Enterprising souls are selling bumper stickers disowning Musk (though not his car) to those who want the world to know they are still the good guys.

When the car world emerged from self-enforced isolation in 2022, it brought with it a hatful of concepts that tapped into ideas of escape. Audi and Lamborghini revealed jacked-up off-roaders, which evoked a desire to flee the cities in search of rural isolation and safety. The Cybertruck goes further, encapsulating a dystopian future vision where the United States is sliding into lawlessness.

For some, the unrest following the murder of George Floyd, which saw city centres across the US incinerated, confirmed Musk's bleak outlook. A mobile fortress complete with bulletproof glass and frightening levels of power was the logical defence.

Musk appeared on the Joe Rogan show, talking up the Cybertruck's "beast" mode. Precisely what this beast mode entailed was unclear, but footage emerged of Rogan firing an arrow at the window like a roided-up Robin Hood.

It could be that Musk has changed the game once again

With PR like this, it is hard to imagine a progressive Californian wanting to own one. But what about the prospect of stealing customers from the legacy brands like Ford and General Motors? Because when it really comes down to it, for truck owners capability is what counts. The most obvious rival is the tradcore Ford F-150 – the best-selling truck in the US and itself a colossus. Or the new Hummer, reinvented as an electric vehicle (EV) for eco-conscious fans of military-derived hardware.

Ford's flagship electric truck has a huge and versatile loading bay, a front trunk where the engine used to be, and can power your house should there be a power cut. So too, does the Cybertruck, but footage of the new pretender, wheels scabbling fruitlessly for traction on earthy terrain, has been shared gleefully across the internet.

Musk has been remarkably good at retaining a dedicated band of haters, so how true a picture this kind of footage paints of the Cybertruck's abilities is hard to say, but reviews from road-testers have been very favourable so far. It could be that Musk has changed the game once again, as he did with Tesla.

And then there is the climate question. The Cybertruck may be an EV, but given the sheer size of the thing it is hard to defend its eco-credentials. A car enthusiast, Joe Biden's vision for a decarbonised America partly focused on wholesale transition to battery power. Tax breaks to EV buyers reflected this, but also rigged the market.

What this mostly means in practice is electrified versions of existing products, which take a heavy toll on the planet. The Ford F-150 battery weighs the same as a Volkswagen Beetle. The Cybertruck is even heavier.

For years, the larger-than-life American boxing promoter Don King had a catchphrase that he rolled out when hyping up his latest show: "Only in America!" he would bellow. King understood better than most that in American society, relentless self-promotion is often enough to carry you through, regardless of substance.

But King also knew his audience better than anyone. We are about to find out how well Musk knows his.

James McLachlan is the editor of Car Design News. He is also a former editor of Icon and writer for Architects' Journal.

The photo is courtesy of Tesla Inc.

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California architecture studio AO has put forward plans for a supertall skyscraper as part of a development in Oklahoma City that, if completed, will be the second-tallest building in the United States.

The skyscraper will be part of a development called the Boardwalk at Bricktown in downtown Oklahoma City. Plans consist of three 345-foot-tall (105 metre-tall) towers and one larger tower that could be as tall as 1,750 feet (533 metres).

As it stands, the plan for the three-acre site has gained approval for the smaller towers, but is still seeking approval for the supertall tower. If built, it would be only 26 feet shorter than the SOM-designed One World Trade Center in New York, the tallest building in the US.

Its height puts it well within the supertall range, a category given to skyscrapers with heights between 900 and 2,000 feet tall (300-600 metres).

AO said the height was a response to the city's growing population. The tallest building in Oklahoma City currently is Devon Tower, which has a height of 844 feet (257 metres).

"The tower's height evolved to align with the visionary goals set by both the developer and the city," AO managing partner Rob Budetti told Dezeen.

"As Oklahoma City experiences a surge in market growth, characterized by increasing demand, population, and the development of employment hubs, the design for The Boardwalk at Bricktown has progressed in response to the dynamic expansion and advancement within this thriving urban landscape."

Designed for developers of Matteson Capital and Thinkbox, the complex will hold retail and entertainment spaces and the towers will hold residences and a hotel.

Renderings show three smaller towers flanking a central corridor decked out with storefronts, a mezzanine, water features and light installations, with the supertall skyscraper at the back of the complex.

The supertall skyscraper will be relatively flat with a uniform shape that tapers up slowly towards the structure's crown.

The skyscraper and the towers will be clad with glass and illuminated at points by strips of light at their corners.

Thornton Tomasetti has been brought on for the structural engineering of the project.

AO is based outside of Los Angeles and the project will be its first foray into supertall skyscrapers.

Other supertall buildings in the works in the United States include a 1,388-foot-tall (423 metres) skyscraper for JPMorgan Chase in New York City by Foster + Partners.

The images are by AO Architects.

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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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Underwear brand Modibodi and illustrator Justyna Green have collaborated on the relaunched First Period Kit, which includes a comic that speaks to teenage girls' first experience of getting their period.

The kit includes a comic and sticker kit designed by Green and several Modibodi products, including a waterproof bag for changing, two pairs of Black Hipster Bikinis and a handheld mirror intended for exploring the body.

Green's comic tells the story of two teenage friends – Rosie and Riya – and begins on their school bus when Riya gets her first period.

Green aimed to depict Riya's experience in an "honest and warm way", intending to normalise the physical changes teenage girls go through during puberty while depicting the various emotions they can experience during the time, from embarrassment to anger.

The comic aims to break the taboo around female anatomy that has "left too many girls disconnected from their bodies, or even worse – ashamed of them," said Green.

In the comic, Riya holds up the kit's mirror to inspect her vulva for the first time.

According to Green, this was a conscious choice in prompting teenagers to understand their body parts better, which the illustrator says is the first step toward wider change needed to destigmatise periods as "shameful and taboo".

"It's important to break the taboo around female anatomy so that people with vulvas, vaginas, clitorises, uteruses, labias majoras and minoras can confidently describe their body parts, understand them better and in turn communicate their needs better too," Green told Dezeen.

"And for everybody regardless of their sex, to be able to say 'vulva' without looking away or blushing."

Green believes that there is a gap for content that is both entertaining and humourous to tackle female health and wellbeing.

"It's paramount that girls know their bodies so that they can take care of them and communicate their needs," said Green. "I want the girls who read it to have a laugh, grab a mirror, take a look at their vulva, and get to know their bodies."

The comic's visuals are translated into a sticker pack and on the kit's packaging assets.

Modibodi's First Period Kit was first launched in 2021 in a bid to take the uncertainty out of the experience.

Other period-related projects published on Dezeen include a smart menstrual cup that tracks periods automatically, a sanitary pad washing device for refugees and a portable menstrual cup cleaner designed to save water.

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Industrial designer Mary Lempres has created a bio-cement structure developed to mimic naturally occurring oyster reefs that tackle coastal flooding, filter seawater and promote biodiversity.

Called Reef Rocket, the structure comprises a duo of bio-cement modules with ridged surfaces that can be stacked in two directions and create a rocket-like shape when assembled.

Norwegian-American designer Lempres drew on biomimicry for the project, a practice that looks to nature to solve human design challenges.

The ridged modules were created to be placed underwater and emulate coastal oyster reefs, which naturally filter algae from seawater as well as attract and provide shelter for other aquatic organisms.

Oyster reefs also dissipate wave energy, mitigate storm surges and manage eroding coastlines, explained the designer.

Lempres collaborated with bio-geotechnical specialist Ahmed Miftah to develop a method for growing plant-derived cement that makes up the modules, which she described as "similar to the irrigation systems required for growing a plant".

The pair poured a bio-based, non-toxic solution containing a crude extract from globally grown plants over crushed aggregate.

Sourced in New York City, the aggregate was created from crushed glass and oyster shells salvaged from local restaurants and New York Harbour.

"The packed substrate grows similarly to a plant," Lempres told Dezeen.

Saturated for three to nine days, the substance becomes natural concrete after the extracted biocatalyst causes minerals to form "mineral bridges" between the glass and shell waste.

"The resulting product is water-resistant, durable and comparable with standard concrete containing the same amount of aggregate," explained the designer.

"It can be grown in any environment without heat or otherwise burning fossil fuels and is derived from waste products, making it an affordable and scalable alternative to cement," she continued.

"Bio-concrete is chemically identical to the material oysters produce to grow their reefs. The key difference is the bio-concrete we've developed grows in just several days, while oyster reefs take millennia to grow."

This process closely mimics the natural processes that occur when oyster shells and coral reefs are grown, according to the designer.

"I was inspired by the ability of this reef-growing material to withstand extreme wave energy and corrosive saltwater," she said.

When creating the modules, Lempres and her team made "hundreds" of prototypes.

Eventually, they settled on prefabricated moulds, which the bio-cement can be packed into and set – "like sand" – without the need for heat or chemicals.

Reef Rocket was deliberately developed to be small in size, lightweight and easy to assemble, making the design accessible to as many people as possible, according to the designer.

"Nature has the incredible ability to grow intricate and durable material, like shells and coral, without polluting its surrounding environment," said Lempres.

"Reef Rocket harnesses the natural process of growing durable minerals to re-grow vital reef structures, benefiting humans and our ecology from the worsening effects of climate change," she added.

"This paves the way for a future where hard and durable material can be grown like a crop, regenerating waste rather than polluting our environment."

Previously, US design workshop Objects and Ideograms conducted a research project that involves 3D printing with calcium carbonate to create sustainable underwater "houses" for coral reefs and marine life to grow. Chinese materials company Yi Design developed a porous brick made from recycled ceramic waste that could be used to prevent flooding in urban areas.

The photography is courtesy of Mary Lempres. 

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Taiwanese designer Pao Hui Kao has unveiled her first solo exhibition, featuring colourful furniture made out of rolls of tracing paper.

On show at Spazio Nobile Gallery in Brussels, the show – called 25 Seasons, Landscapes of Paper and Lacquer – brings together 50 objects and paintings produced by Kao.

These include new versions of her Paper Pleats furniture, which she makes by combining rolls of tracing paper into honeycomb structures and soaking them in rice glue.

Once hardened, these pieces – which include benches, sideboards, stools and tables – are surprisingly strong.

Kao recently developed a technique of coating her paper structures with colour pigments and Urushi, a type of Japanese lacquer, to highlight the crinkled surfaces.

In contrast with earlier works in the Paper Pleats series, which have a more ethereal quality, the coloured Paper Pleats pieces are highly graphic in appearance.

Kao's choice of colours includes rich shades of red and blue, as well as black, which she applies with a self-made tool.

"Alongside school, I also studied Chinese ink drawing from the age of 10, mixing it with other materials like oil in a very creative way," the designer said.

"Urushi lacquer is similar to Chinese ink; it allows for creating thickness in successive lines like an imaginary calligraphy," she continued.

"I don't use a brush like in Chinese ink drawing but a paper tool that I specially created to trace the colour lines or paint my pieces," she added.

Kao's first experimented with paper constructions while she was studying at Design Academy Eindhoven. Still based in the Dutch city, she has continued working with the material since graduating in 2016.

She was first drawn to plant-based materials after discovering she was allergic to some of the chemical ingredients typically used to manufacture other types of materials.

In time, she learned to appreciate the sustainability and health benefits of working with natural, non-toxic materials.

Speaking to Dezeen in 2020, at her first exhibition with Spazio Nobile, she told Dezeen: "From my personal experiences of collaborating with eco-friendly industries, I was aware how a small decision made by designers could affect not only the manufacturing process but a whole recycling system."

For this exhibition, Kao has also unveiled new versions of her Lacquer Leafs.

Similar to the Paper Pleats works, these curved paintings are made by soaking crepe paper in rice glue to create the shape, then building alternate layers of Urushi lacquer and colour pigments on top.

One installation features 25 of these paintings, displaying different colours that relate to different times of the year.

They reference the lunisolar calendar used in Asian countries, with one extra season added to the standard 24.

"The gestation time for the work is very long, especially for the Lacquer Leafs, which require weeks or even months for the 25 successive layers of Urushi lacquer and natural pigment to solidify before being spontaneously sanded and left to dry," said Kao.

"Depending on the climate, the result will always be different and unpredictable."

Other recent paper installations include the Takeo packaging exhibition, which aimed to highlight the "unique sensory properties" of Japanese paper.

25 Seasons, Landscapes of Paper and Lacquer is on show at Spazio Nobile Gallery in Brussels from 24 November 2023 to 17 March 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

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London studio Delve Architects has transformed a Victorian house in Camberwell with a cork-clad extension that introduces a bright open-plan kitchen and dining space for entertaining.

Appropriately named Camberwell Cork House, the 20-square-metre extension project replaces an existing kitchen and back room that the studio said was "cramped and dark".

"The kitchen was small, cramped and dark, with a small door into the garden and no visual connection between interior and exterior," Delve Architects told Dezeen.

"The intention was to maximise sight lines into the long garden and bring in light as much as possible."

Camberwell Cork House's dining room now extends out into the garden, enclosed by large triple-glazed windows and a 2.4-metre-high glass door with green-painted frames.

These large glazed areas focus attention on the outside while allowing westerly light to filter into the dining space.

According to Delve Architects, a key move to help make the space feel brighter and airier was to sink the extension, which required a step down from the main living spaces into the dining area.

"It is one of the design principles we propose for Victorian properties as it can often be achieved without major structural implications or underpinning – a simple step, but a highly beneficial one," explained the studio.

Skylights also run along the length of the extension's roof to drench the space with light from above.

Further supporting the connection between the home's interior and the garden is a stretch of brick paving that runs from the patio and into the kitchen.

Another key element of the project was the use of cork, a renewable material harvested from the bark of the cork oak tree, which is biodegradable, durable and insulating.

The natural material is used as cladding and insulation, forming part of a wider design strategy focused on minimising carbon emissions and energy bills.

However, Delve Architects aimed to ensure that its use of this contemporary material does not overshadow the existing Victorian architecture.

Cork cladding is only used on the rear side of the home, covering the facade of the extension, while internally it is only used as insulation. The extension also has a butterfly roof to echo the existing streetscape.

Delve Architects, a small studio set up in 2017 by two school friends based in south London, had not worked with the material before Camberwell Cork House.

According to the studio, by using it as both external cladding and a thermal insulator, the project aims to showcase the potential of cork beyond aesthetics.

"We want to show how decarbonising can be done at any scale and loved the challenge of working with this natural material," said co-director Alex Raher.

Cork is used as part of a palette of materials that were chosen for either their low U-values or for being environmentally friendly. Others include hard-wearing terracotta floor tiles in the kitchen and water-based paints made using clay.

As well as opening up spaces at the back of the terraced house, Delve Architects has introduced a utility room and created a snug lounge at the front of the home.

To create a feeling of warmth, the walls and ceiling of the lounge are painted in a rich Venetian red.

Cork is increasingly being selected as a material for domestic architecture projects.

Other cork-clad houses recently featured on Dezeen include a home in east London by Polysmiths and a residence by Inês Brandão Arquitectura in Portugal that uses the material to camouflage into its surrounding landscape.

The photography is by Fred Howarth.

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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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French architecture practice TVK has completed a neighbourhood in Paris made up of limestone buildings surrounding a garden and designed as a sustainable development that aims to increase biodiversity.

Located on a triangular site in Paris's 19th arrondissement, the project is "the capital's first zero-carbon district", according to TVK.

Named Îlot Fertile, which translates to "fertile island" in French, it contains apartments, a youth hostel, student residences, a hotel, offices, restaurants, shops and sports facilities.

The four buildings that make up the neighbourhood range in height from seven to nine storeys tall, each with ground-floor levels made from low-carbon concrete and designed to achieve large, unobstructed interior spaces.

The upper levels were made from load-bearing limestone sourced mainly from the local Ile-de-France region, aiming to reduce the carbon cost of transportation.

TVK claims the 35,200-square-metre development is the largest load-bearing stone building site since Georges-Eugène Haussmann's reconstruction of Paris in the mid-19th century.

"Each material is used in the right place and the right quantity," TVK founders Pierre Alain Trévelo and Antoine Viger Kohler told Dezeen.

"We chose to use mainly limestone from the Paris region – it's the same one used to build the Haussmann buildings."

Public spaces, including restaurants and shops, are located on the ground floors of the buildings and open onto the central garden.

Hotel accommodations and apartments are on the upper levels, and a raised outdoor level provides additional garden spaces with an orchard, vegetable patches, insect hotels and nest boxes.

Office spaces are located in a building that sits parallel to a railway line and, aiming to work with the site's existing topology and move as little earth as possible, TVK designed a sunken sports centre in a large hole on the site to create an interior with high ceilings.

"The biggest challenge of the project was to bring together more than a dozen programmes and turn them into a fully-fledged part of the city," said Trévelo and Kohler.

"The shape of each building is linked to the very specific geometry of the site shaped by the railway infrastructure," they continued. "This brings diversity to a building complex of this scale."

TVK designed Îlot Fertile to have a minimal carbon footprint in its construction and operation. It topped the buildings with photovoltaic panels and green roofs to produce energy while also aiming to increase biodiversity.

"Its proximity to public transport means that Îlot Fertile does not require any car parking, and we used a bioclimatic design to keep energy requirements to a minimum for heating, cooling and lighting," said Trévelo and Kohler.

"For the small amount of energy that will be consumed, the project plans to compensate for it by producing green energy via bio-solar roofs."

"Driven by the City of Paris' ambition for ecological transition, zero-carbon is a long-term objective for the life of the entire operation," added Trévelo and Kohler.

Elsewhere in Paris, Christ & Gantenbein completed a 124-metre-long steel-clad housing block, and RSHP unveiled its design for a "post-carbon" neighbourhood that will be located in the La Défense business district.

The photography is by Julien Hourcade.

Project credits:

Architect: TVK
Client: Linkcity
Landscape design: OLM
Building and civil engineering: Berim
Engineering: Carbone 4 and Amoes

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Interior design in 2024 will have a focus on individualism and see a backlash to the rise in AI design while colours will be informed by global warming, interior designers across the globe told Dezeen.

While the trend for locally sourced materials and sustainable biomaterials looks set to become more pronounced, designers also believe that interiors will move away from the earthy hues and soft shapes seen during the pandemic years.

However, the maximalist trend predicted by many to take off in 2023 appears to have given way to a more individualist take on interiors, with a focus on simplicity recalling the designs of US fashion pioneer Halston.

"I'm seeing a growing interest in post-industrial aesthetic and quiet refinement," said Becky Carter, founder of the eponymous US studio.

"Maximalism now seems out of touch," she added. "Even the womb-like softness of the 1970s inspiration we've seen so much of is starting to feel heavy and overdone."

"There's a refreshing air to Halston-esque modernity: simple, unfussy materials, elegantly arranged, detailed, but without excess."

"We foresee a shift in direction"

Yohei Terui and Hiromu Yuyama from Japanese studio I IN also believe we will see a move away from earthy hues in interiors.

"Over the past couple of years, the theme has revolved around earthy colour and simplicity through the use of natural materials," the duo told Dezeen.

"However, we foresee a shift in direction, trending towards a more 'decorative' approach, in contrast to the previous style," they added.

"We believe that this shift is driven by the prevailing desire of self-expression and individuality in today's culture."

New Delhi-based interior designer Iram Sultan echoed the preference for more individual designs, saying we will see: "Emotional design, personalized spaces, a fresh approach towards materials, finishes and textures, and interiors that are easy, warm, comfortable and sustainable."

Interiors to focus on "real places" rather than AI-generated designs

The rise in artificial intelligence (AI) in 2022 and 2023 was also on people's minds, with several designers mentioning a backlash against digital designs.

"Memorable and customised spaces that are not Pinterest- and AI-generated will be preferable, as the race against interior design and AI technology grows," said UK-based designer Tola Ojuolape.

In 2024, interior design will be more about creating tangible spaces, according to London-based Oskar Kohnen Studio.

"We want to see less digital dream houses of pandemic years, and go back to real places," studio founder Oskar Kohnen said. "Forward-thinking conceptual interiors that create long-term value rather than effects."

Julien Sebban of French studio Uchronia agreed, saying: "The biggest trend will be very textured materials, cosy and comforting such as shearling or thick wool. As people need an antidote to digital they need to feel the physical world."

2024 may see "resurgence of the arts and crafts style"

When it comes to material trends for 2024, designers are choosing to work with natural and local materials.

"For me, natural materials with a strong connection to their placement have a profound bond with today's design," said Pedro Ramírez de Aguilar, co-founder of Mexican studio RA!

"I believe materials such as wood and natural plasters play a crucial role in creating a sense of grounding."

Danish studio Spacon & X partner Malene Hvidt argued that the materials used also affect the colours chosen for interiors, saying: "We also try to use colours that emphasise the natural appearance of the material itself, such as treating wood with tinted linseed to preserve the pattern of the grain."

This sentiment was echoed by Tim Greer, director at Australian studio TZG. "I'm hoping that we will see more natural materials with fewer complex and unsustainable finishes," he said.

"I think the drive towards sustainability will see the use of more natural materials and a resurgence of the arts and crafts style," Sultan added.

"There is a genuine return to solid bold colours"

The colours of our interiors next year will range from pale fresh hues, such as pistachio, to stronger shades.

"Palette-wise, I feel there is a genuine return to solid bold colours – be it a punch of emerald green, mustard yellow or Yves Klein-blue to provoke the visual energy. The expression of materiality and tactility is also a key focus for my studio this coming year," said Hong Kong designer André Fu.

"Customers are thriving for experiences to express their own personality and values – this has led to a greater awareness for the role design plays in the realms of hospitality."

"I'm loving seeing light, lemon-lime yellow being utilized. I also think pistachio has yet to peak," said Carter, while Ojuolape believes in "rich, pigmented and plaster colours".

"The colour and material trends will be very warm colours and more specifically orange as we need joy and to warm things up," said Sebban. "With global warming more important than ever, that will be the colour we get used to."

"Embrace a bold departure from the ordinary as the world adopts warm, earthy tones inspired by landscapes and eclectic hues drawn from various cultural expressions, all crafted with sustainably sourced materials," added Nigeria-based designer Titi Ogufere.

Biophilia will continue to "be a staple"

The designers Dezeen spoke to all said they were taking the subject of sustainability seriously. There is a need to create "lasting design," said US-based designer Giancarlo Valle.

"Sustainability cannot be separated from the world of building," he argued. "The most sustainable thing one can do as a designer is to create something that someone will not want to take down after a short period of time."

Spacon & X's Hvidt added that customers are also increasingly demanding when it comes to sustainability.

"Sustainability is fast becoming a key consideration when it comes to interior design," she said.

"Studios such as ours are always looking for new ways to become increasingly responsible – this is also what clients are expecting as we collectively become more aware of our impact on the planet, especially for future generations."

This focus is seen in the use of plants and trees indoors as well as outdoors to create biophilic designs – interiors that are more connected to the natural environment.

"Biophilia will continue to be a staple in the design aesthetic as well as beautiful, natural and healthy surface finishes," said Ojuolape.

"The biophilic movement will remain strong," agreed Sultan.

"In the future, 'high-end' may mean local artisan work" 

Ogufere added that sustainable design will draw on local communities.

"Sustainability takes a global stage, with collaborative projects empowering local communities and embracing circular design principles, reflecting a collective commitment to environmentally conscious practices worldwide," she said.

"Personally, I believe that sustainability is about building with a local hand, using local materials to create a profound sense of community and reduce carbon emissions," agreed RA!'s Ramírez de Aguilar.

"Architects are becoming more aware of their immediate context and are losing the fear of only using 'high-end materials.' In the near future, 'high-end' may mean local artisan work."

Finally, designers were also planning to include technology in their interiors next year.

"Technology will be used to enhance the quality of living," said Sultan.

Terui and Yayama from I IN, who see textiles as a strong trend next year, said: "Collaboration between the interior design and fashion industries can contribute to the development of new technology which in turn allows innovative spaces to be created."

Fu believes this can also help make projects more sustainable, saying: "I think considerations for sustainability is an integral aspect of my design approach, it's all an organic and subconscious act – from the selection of materials to the integration of technology into the design without undermining the overall experience in mind."

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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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Architects from studios including Counterspace and OMA are among those expecting less extravagant and more community-centric designs to dominate the global architecture scene in 2024.

Dezeen spoke to architects from leading and emerging studios around the world to get their predictions for the trends that could define the industry this year.

For most, world affairs are expected to have the biggest impact on architecture in 2024 and beyond, as countries begin "looking inward" and become more protectionist.

"The era of abundance seems to be coming to an end"

"The honeymoon period of globalisation is over," said MVRDV Asia studio director Wenchian Shi.

"Each country and each continent is looking more inward and trying to be more defensive," she told Dezeen.

OMA's managing partner David Gianotten agreed, suggesting that "the era of abundance seems to be coming to an end".

"We are facing a shortage of resources," he said.

Gianotten added that the Covid-19 pandemic and, more recently, two major wars, have "caused a sense of insecurity among many of us".

This will lead to "new design approaches" that prioritise local communities and the creation of safe spaces, he said.

"People worry about their communities, and they want to know how they can be in positions to help," Gianotten explained.

"I think the built-environment industry will focus more on creating safe places where different agents in the community can have an increased sense of belonging, and act for the common good."

This echoes the hopes of Counterspace founder Sumayya Vally for 2024, which are to give voices to local communities that may have previously been overlooked.

"I would love to see architecture made in the image of diverse experiences and perspectives, architecture that listens deeply to its contexts," said Vally, who was named emerging architect of the year at Dezeen Awards 2023.

World affairs will cause "less experimentation"

Meanwhile, Snøhetta co-founder Kjetil Trædal Thorsen believes that current world events will lead to more restrained architecture in 2024 and beyond.

"Right now, there should be no doubt that the ongoing conflicts, polarisation, and social inequality will continue to destabilise societies around the globe," he said.

"This is already influencing the economy, politics and thus also our clients, going for safer choices, known solutions and less experimentation."

MVRDV partner Stefan de Koning echoed this sentiment.

"Given the continuing crises in the economy, the environment, and everything else, I expect to see a decline in the luxury sector," he said.

"This includes even places like the UAE, which has previously been very luxury-oriented, but where we are starting to see more interest in the idea of a less ostentatious style of architecture."

However, Heatherwick Studio partner Mat Cash said the full effects of current world affairs will only be known later in 2024 when the world faces what The Economist has called the biggest election year in history.

"Over four billion people – more than half the global population – will be urged to vote," said Cash. "Each of these moments will help define a movement either towards greater polarisation and isolationism or towards more global co-operation," he explained.

These elections could have "far-reaching impacts" on architecture, he said, as they will determine the world's responses to the challenges it currently faces.

"We will focus our creativity on making the most of what we have"

Another trend expected to dominate in 2024 is a greater focus on sustainability.

"We might finally once again see the creation of our physical surroundings as a positive contribution to humanity rather than being a burden," said Thorsen.

This was also a trend prediction for architects in 2023. However, architects told Dezeen measures will become more targeted and, therefore, more effective this year.

"As more and more people feel the urgency of the issue, I think we will become more focused on managing specific risks that climate change brings to the built environment, rather than generic design approaches for environmental wellbeing," said Gianotten.

Co-founder of Dutch studio Overtreders W Hester van Dijk expects an increase in architects prioritising biobased materials – those made from biodegradable living matter.

"The Dutch government, for example, has just reserved €200 million to upgrade the percentage of biobased materials, by weight, in new buildings in the Netherlands from three per cent to 30 per cent," she explained.

"The money is intended for farmers and builders to work together to put biobased building materials on the market."

Meanwhile, Stuart Latham at Foster + Partners said more accurate carbon calculations for projects will emerge.

"With carbon calculations becoming more sophisticated, there will now be more certainty about predictions for the performance of buildings. Approximations will increasingly be left behind," he explained.

Latham is also confident retrofit will become a top priority.

"Foster + Partners believe the idea of retrofit and the revitalisation and reinterpretation of existing buildings will continue to gain strength as awareness about embodied carbon grows throughout the industry," he said.

Alexandra Hagen, CEO of Dezeen Awards 2023 architecture studio of the year White Arkitekter, agreed.

"We will focus our creativity on making the most of what we have already built," she said.

"As architects, we will use design as a tool to reinvent and revitalise the existing building stock in creative ways. It will have an impact from interior design to masterplanning."

Public engagement will become key

Heatherwick Studio partner Cash said the dedication to retrofit will also be visible in the way architects design new buildings in 2024, with a rise in studios designing for longevity.

"I think the conversations around sustainability will slowly shift from being purely concerned with a building's life cycle to its actual life expectancy," he said.

He said this will see a shift from "fast architecture" – buildings designed with a lifespan of 20 to 30 years – and more engagement with the public.

"We must have an aspirational mindset that looks to build for 1,000 years," Cash argued.

"[The public] are the judges of a building’s longevity and ultimately their success," he added. "2024 will be much more about how the public actively engages in this conversation and their voices will begin to be heard."

This will also be catered for through the design of more mixed-use buildings, a typology that Zaha Hadid Architects associate director Melodie Leung expects more of in 2024.

"There is no longer an assumption that buildings will always be inhabited in the same way," she explained.

"Clients and design teams are incorporating a more nuanced understanding of how the spaces in which people live, work and socialise may be shared and used differently across various times of day and how they can be adapted in future decades."

Direction of AI in architecture disputed

However, architects disagreed about the direction that technologies such as AI will take in 2024, after the topic attracted significant hype in 2023.

For Hagen and Leung, continuing to upskill in this area will become increasingly important.

"Continuous upskilling in design, sustainability and tech is crucial in 2024," said Hagen. "Shortly, I believe we will be aided by new AI tools to analyse and design our projects."

Leung said the fields of architecture and engineering will become "inseparable from the digital realm" in 2024.

"Advances in AI augment the ability of design teams to integrate complex layers of information and analysis in the design process with the goal of achieving more sustainable and longer-lasting buildings," she explained.

Yet, at the other end of the spectrum, MAD founder Ma Yansong said architecture will shift away from technology next year.

"While engineering and technology quickly develop, architecture can respond and sync with human emotion," Ma explained.

"Architecture is not a product or the pure outcome of technology, but also rooted deeply with art, culture and civilization," he continued. "We will leave behind pure digital architecture that has no expression or no soul."

Meanwhile, Counterspace's founder suggested the integration of AI with architecture is unavoidable, and encouraged architects to turn their focus to what they can control.

"Architects have been working with AI for a number of years," Vally said.

"I think the question is not whether we will or won’t be affected by the shifts we know are coming, but how we can build platforms that amplify voices from multiple contexts, include different bodies of knowledge; and build models that are resonant with different perspectives."

Specifically, Vally hopes more architects will look beyond mainstream trends in 2024 and pay more attention to the contexts in which they are designing.

"Rather than look to trends, we should really study our past and present conditions to uncover the stories and histories that lie waiting in place," she concluded.

Thorsen agreed, asking: "Maybe trends are a bit out altogether?"

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Interior design office PL Studio has transformed an east London townhouse using colours and graphics that take cues from the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakesh.

The three-storey, new-build house features similar shades of blue, green and yellow to the Morrocan villa that was once home to artist Jacques Majorelle.

Further green tones allude to the villa's verdant garden, while soft pink hues bring a sense of overall "warmth and joy" to the palette.

PL Studio designed the scheme for creative couple Tom Lalande and Julian-Pascal Saadi, who live in the house with their chihuahua puppy, Sasha-Lee.

The studio founders, couple Sabrina Panizza and Aude Lerin, felt the design should reflect their clients' love of colour.

"Although we admired the architecture and loved how the townhouse was beautifully filled with natural light, we felt that overall, the property was lacking character and positivity," said the pair.

"We wanted to create a home that reflected our clients' personalities and joyful spirit, a home filled with positive energy."

Lalande and Saadi had recently returned from a trip to Marrakesh, which led this to becoming the starting point for the design.

The reference is most evident in a reception room at the house's entrance, which features cobalt blue walls, a colour-block rug, plants and a Tom Dixon Etch pendant light in gold-toned brass.

The effect is heightened by paint graphics that include arched openings – both real and illusionary – and stepped blocks that create the suggestion of extra staircases.

As Saadi works as a psychologist, this room primarily serves as a waiting room for his clients.

The couple's main living space occupies the uppermost floor, where an L-shaped room gives the pair a combined kitchen, dining area and lounge.

Geometric wall graphics tie these three spaces together but also highlight the divides between them. The most striking of these is a triptych of picture-frame-style blocks that frame the dining table.

"Our clients didn't have a clear idea of what they wanted, but they had a strong desire to be surrounded by pieces of art, colours and objects that would give them good energy, which is so powerful," said Panizza and Lerin.

"They were not afraid of mixing different shades and colour combinations, so we went for bright, bold, and fearless!"

The main bedroom, located on the middle floor, uses subtly different shades of green to create colour depth. This is offset with monochrome stripes and pops of pink and blue.

Also on this floor is a guest bedroom that doubles as a dressing room, featuring a striped ceiling that looks like a market stall awning and a pink bathroom framed by black linear details.

Arches feature throughout these spaces, in the form of mirrors and wardrobes as well as wall graphics.

Saadi's ground-floor office takes the place of a third bedroom. This room has a different character from the rest of the house, with details inspired by surrealist art.

Key features include a sculptural table in the shape of a hand and ceiling wallpaper depicting a cloudy sky.

Panizza hopes the "kaleidoscopic" project can serve to inspire people who see London's new-build homes as characterless compared with the city's older properties.

"We want to show it is absolutely possible to create a home with lots of personality and character. It just takes a bit of courage," she told Dezeen.

The photography is by Taran Wilkhu unless otherwise indicated. Top image is by Aude Lerin

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After an unsteady 2023, Dezeen's editorial director Max Fraser considers what 2024 might hold for design.

His predictions for what we will see when it comes to design next year range from the rise of material intelligence to the rush for sustainable accreditation.

Collective material intelligence

The pace of development in material innovation continues, in particular those made from supposedly sustainable resources as well as those salvaged from waste streams, such as fabrics made from bacterial fermentation and handcrafted biotextiles.

The appetite to use such creations in projects will increase in 2024 as designers strive to create products with greater material sensitivity. This goes hand-in-hand with a drive to lower the impact of our consumption on planetary systems as we continue to sharpen our focus on the climate crisis.

Increasingly informed clients and customers, together with (hopefully) heightened regulations, will demand ever-more transparency around the origin of the materials, seeking justification for their implementation, as well as assurances around traceability and a low full-life impact.

An increasing number of designers will respond by shortening supply chains, opting for regionally-appropriate materials, harvested or mined closer to the place of production.

This will likely become more of a prevalent expectation in 2024, buoyed by an already enterprising surge in new biomaterials and fabrication technologies. The challenge is scaling this from narrow experimental work into more mainstream channels.

Greater appreciation of aesthetic imperfection

Product uniformity works well for items such as TVs, phones and washing machines. But when it comes to the use of natural materials in mass-production systems, the mindset of uniformity and perfection also prevails. This means that the inconsistent nuances in colour, texture or grain that are inherent in the likes of wood, wool, leather or stone become a hurdle to overcome.

There is a growing concern that stripping out the quirks of a tree, the striations of a rock or the blemishes on an animal hide just creates unnecessary waste. This was highlighted by Formafantasma's Cambio research project when the design studio investigated the global impact of the extraction, production and distribution of wood.

Working with Finnish furniture brand Artek, one of the outcomes of the study was for the manufacturer to reassess its strict timber selection criteria. Previously only using regularly grained local birchwood without any natural marks, the brand has loosened its criteria to embrace imperfections. In 2023, characteristics such as insect borelines, knots and even bark first appeared on the iconic Stool 60 by Alvar Aalto as part of an evolving Artek collection.

This approach from a reputable brand sends a signal to the rest of the furniture industry that an 'imperfect' aesthetic sensibility needs to be embraced if we're to reduce processing and production waste. This is something that I suspect will become more evident in 2024, helped by the economic case that customers will want to buy into the unique characteristics of these items.

Raw and mono-material products

Designers will further endeavour to reduce the complex interplay between different kinds of materials used in production. The motivation is to create products where the component parts can be dissembled and separated more easily for repair or recyclability.

Such intentions will need to be communicated to users and the inevitable aesthetic change celebrated.

As circularity becomes expected, a 'circular aesthetic' will also emerge whereby products will be lauded for their efficient and singular use of materials, exposed fixings and true-to-material 'raw' finishes.

This was recently exemplified by the aluminium Knuckle light by David Taylor for Hem, an embodiment of raw, folded, uncoated aluminium and the winner of the lighting design of the year in the Dezeen Awards 2023.

Fifty shades of sustainable

For several years now, overuse of the word 'sustainable' across all areas of society has reached the point where its very meaning has become opaque. Take a trip to any trade fair or design week and you'll leave with sustainability fatigue, so much is the word oversaid, overheard and overprinted.

Many smart brands recognise this and are eager to communicate the great lengths they go to to reduce their planetary burden, ensure reputable supply chains, create healthy work environments for all and deliver economic returns that benefit their communities as well as their shareholders. To that end, the B Corp rush is on.

B Corp Certification is one of the most rigorous and reputable certification schemes for any aspiring business, thoroughly assessing all of the aforementioned criteria and more. As one manufacturer joked to me, "It's a tough process. Everything is opened, assessed and scored. It's like letting a stranger look through your underwear."

Manufacturers like Modus in the UK, Fredericia and Astep in Denmark and Andreu World in Spain all crossed the line in 2023 and I predict many more will pass the test in 2024: credibility from accreditation.

Trade fairs – a make-or-break year

It's been another bumpy year for trade fairs, which have struggled to rebound to pre-pandemic glory. The considerable cost and enormous effort of exhibiting has brands questioning how often they can commit. The returns that fairs are expected to deliver for these exhibitors – namely via marketing, footfall and ultimately orders – is an increasing pressure when attendees have also become more discerning about which shows they choose to visit.

The excessive waste generated by stand construction continues to be a challenge to overcome. I've become so distracted by the endless use of virgin materials to construct brand-ego-sized displays that I barely notice the product anymore. I call for greater brand humility and am hoping the previously-mentioned circular aesthetic will find its place on stand design as fairs continue to evolve.

It remains a struggle to make rather grim exhibition centres pleasurable, while reducing the environmental burden. Smaller, more nimble shows like Alcova and Material Matters will likely gather pace, able to better attain the sweet spot between quality content and distinct experience. Those that succeed will need to marry timely inspiration with responsible aspiration.

AI – will it deliver on the hype?

While hype, speculation and doom-mongering around the impact of generative artificial intelligence continues across multiple industries and at government-level, I expect the dust will settle somewhat in 2024.

For all of the wonders that AI promises, including analyzing data to inform design decisions, automating repetitive tasks, and simulating and testing designs, maybe there will be more skepticism as to whether or not it will live up to the fanfare we've witnessed this year.

One of the leading voices in AI, Gary Marcus, believes there are "many serious, unsolved problems" with the technology that could limit its usefulness. However, Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky reckons designers should embrace AI otherwise the world "will be designed without them" as he stated in an interview with Dezeen in November. He added, "But, I am also wary of fetishization of technology" and, sharing this sentiment, I would caution the hype.

In off-the-record chats, I encounter plenty of individuals who are nonchalant about AI, so I would question the assumption that we must all want and need to use it. Within design, I wonder if we'll see a revolution from artificial intelligence in 2024 – or perhaps its offerings will just become casually subsumed into the designer's toolbox.

Polarising approaches to production will broaden

When it comes to fully scrutinising every action and proceeding with self-initiated care and integrity, many brands will find their mojo in 2024, particularly more nimble family-owned businesses with a clear eye on their legacy.

But I fear most won't, as the pressures of increasing costs, stubborn inflation, volatile supply chains, debt repayments, shareholder expectations and hesitant citizen consumption trigger an urgent scramble to carve out new market segments. All of these touchpoints are and will continue to be directly or indirectly exacerbated by the desperate human conflicts and environmental disasters that we've witnessed globally in 2023.

Changing business models to circumnavigate these disruptions requires long-term vision and stability, two things seemingly in short supply right now. Those willing to evolve their enterprises deserve to succeed, however, I suspect many businesses will choose not to rock the boat.

Add to this the ongoing lacklustre governmental approaches to the climate crisis and it's hard to envisage a world that can muster much excitement at the release of another new yet non-essential product. The time for the design industry to broaden its collaboration with other industries is now. The opportunities to work on game-changing solutions to some of our existential challenges are ripe for the picking.

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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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Saudi mega-development Neom has revealed the Norlana town wrapped around a marina on the Gulf of Aqaba designed by architecture studio 10 Design.

Planned for 3,000 residents, the town will be built as part of a cluster of developments being planned on the Gulf of Aqaba in the northwest of Saudi Arabia as part of Neom.

The coastal town will be designed by architecture studio 10 Design with a focus on sport.

Along with marina, the development will include an 18-hole golf course, equestrian club and tennis club.

The development's 700 apartments and two hotels will be arranged around a 120-berth marina.

"Historically settlements have been founded by water, and so the heart of Norlana is the marina," said 10 Design managing principal Chris Jones.

"It's this bowl of vibrancy from which you can migrate to the different communities."

The marina will be surrounded by stacked blocks featuring numerous cantilevers, which the architect designed to merge into the surrounding mountains.

"When you arrive, coming in by water along the Gulf of Aqaba, you see buildings that appear to be growing out of the mountains," said 10 Design architect Rochana Verma.

"You start to see that the hillsides are actually buildings and that the fingers on the beach are actually villas," added Jones.

"Then you are drawn to the marinas and the [plaza and the public realm and the bustle of people right down to the water's edge."

Norlana is the ninth region announced as part of the mega-development and joins four other tourism destinations planned to be built in the Gulf of Aqaba as part of Neom.

Along with Norlana, Utamo is described as a "theatre of the future", Leyja is a collection of three luxury hotels, Epicon is a pair of jagged skyscrapers and Siranna is a hotel made of hexagonal pillars.

The projects form 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.

Neom 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 photographs and video are courtesy of Neom.

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From the conversion of a Norwegian silo to a green-roofed Japanese villa, we've rounded up some of the most interesting architecture projects that are scheduled for completion in 2024.

Not A Hotel Ishigaki, Japan, by Sou Fujimoto

Upcoming architecture projects in Japan include Not A Hotel Ishigaki, a disc-shaped villa with a swooping walkable roof that will incorporate a meadow, tree and pond.

Designed by Sou Fujimoto for Ishigaki Island, the rentable home will be designed without a front or back and prioritise outward views to ensure occupants feel "the comfort of nature all day long".

Find out more about Not A Hotel ›

National Assembly of Benin, Benin, by Kéré Architecture

Kéré Architecture is due to complete the National Assembly of Benin in West Africa in 2024. The government building is being designed for Porto-Novo and will have a top-heavy form modelled on palaver trees, a species used by generations of West African communities as places to host public gatherings and make communal decisions.

"This project gives shape to our ideas about community gathering, the importance of indigenous forms of governance and what contemporary African architecture can be on a national scale," said the studio's founder Diébédo Francis Kéré.

Find out more about National Assembly of Benin ›

Kunstsilo, Norway, by MX_SI and Mestres Wåge Arquitectes

After much anticipation, the Kunstsilo art museum and cultural centre will open in Norway within a converted 1930s grain silo. It was originally expected to be completed in 2020.

The design was the winning entry of an international competition in 2016, chosen for the way it respected the historical structure. Just a few openings will be made in its interior to house the circulation areas, while an adjoining warehouse will house the exhibition space for modern art.

Find out more about Kunstsilo ›

Simone-Veil Bridge, France, by OMA

Another late arrival in 2024 is the Simone-Veil Bridge, which OMA has designed to accommodate cars, bikes and pedestrians in Bordeaux while doubling as an events space.

The studio said the project aims to "rethink the civic function and symbolism of a twenty-first-century bridge". OMA first unveiled its design in 2013, originally targeting a 2018 opening date.

Find out more about Simone-Veil Bridge ›

Jinghe New City Culture and Art Centre, China, by Zaha Hadid Architects

One of Zaha Hadid Architects' most exciting upcoming projects is an art centre that will meander over an eight-lane motorway in Xi'an.

Named Jinghe New City Culture & Art Centre, it will comprise cultural and recreational facilities interspersed with courtyards and outdoor areas.

According to the studio, it will be intended to emulate the "valleys carved by the Jinghe River through the mountains and landscapes of Shaanxi province".

Find out more about Jinghe New City Culture and Art Centre ›

Kaktus Towers, Denmark, by BIG

Over six years since BIG first unveiled the design, the spikey-looking Kaktus Towers will reach completion in Copenhagen's Vesterbro district this year.

Their distinctive look will be achieved through the rotation of floorplates, with their corners opened up as planted balconies. They won't be far from BIG's new headquarters, which it will also complete this year in the capital's Nordhavn port district.

Find out more about Kaktus Towers ›

Transamerica Pyramid, USA, by Foster + Partners

In the USA, the overhaul of the iconic Transamerica Pyramid will be completed by Foster + Partners. The landmark building, which was built in 1972, was the tallest in San Francisco for almost 50 years until the Salesforce Tower was built.

The substantial renovation of the modernist skyscraper will see its interior and exterior brought up to modern-day standards, while the adjoining Redwood Park is also reinvigorated.

Find out more about Transamerica Pyramid ›

China Philharmonic Concert Hall, China, by MAD

This year will see MAD's China Philharmonic Concert Hall complete in Beijing, which will become the first permanent residence for the country's philharmonic orchestra.

MAD released construction photos in 2023 that revealed its undulating silver facade, which it designed to be "reminiscent of a piece of jade".

Find out more about China Philharmonic Concert Hall ›

Juneau Avenue, USA, by Heatherwick Studio

One of the most unusual projects on the list is Juneau Avenue, a public park with a "motorcycle amphitheatre" that Heatherwick Studio is creating on an old parking lot.

It will offer outside space for employees at the adjacent Harley-Davidson headquarters, while also providing the company with a venue for public events such as motorcycle rallies.

Find out more about Juneau Avenue ›

Rubicon, UK, by Alison Brooks

This housing project is set to be completed in Cambridge by RIBA House of the Year-winning studio Alison Brooks Architects.

Named Rubicon, it will comprise homes modelled on old lofts, warehouses and mills, which the studio said are seen "as ideal structures for contemporary lifestyles" today.

There will be 186 units spread across five buildings, each finished with pastel-hued glazed bricks and an abundance of bike storage to align with the city's reputation as the UK's cycling capital.

Pathé Palace, France, by Renzo Piano Building Workshop

Another project on the list that involves an existing building is Pathé Palace, a seven-screen cinema complex that Renzo Piano's studio is crafting from an art deco structure in the heart of Paris.

The project will involve the revival of its 1929 rotunda, the creation of a head office for cinema company Pathé and the introduction of a statement atrium at its centre.

Nearby, Notre-Dame Cathedral will also reopen following the devastating fire in 2019, after French president Emmanuel Macron set an ambitious target for its restoration to finish in time for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Čoarvemátta, Norway, by Snøhetta

Snøhetta fans will be excited to hear that the studio has several projects opening in 2024, but one of its most interesting is Čoarvemátta.

Čoarvemátta is a rural facility that will be shared by the Sámi National Theater Beaivváš and Sámi High School and Reindeer Husbandry School – two key institutions in Norway's traditional Sápmi region that is traditionally inhabited by the Sámi people.

Its curving wooden form, which is being modelled on a reindeer horn, will contain spaces dedicated to traditional Sámi handicrafts and reindeer herding culture.

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Dezeen's top five houses of the month for December feature a home in Japan designed as "one big room" and a "floating treehouse" on a Norwegian hillside.

Also featured in the roundup is a wooden house that steps down a hillside in Chile and the renovation of a brutalist townhouse in London.

This is the latest in our houses of the month series, where we showcase the five most popular residences featured on Dezeen in the past month from all around the world.

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

Building Frame of the House, Japan, by IGArchitects

Designed by Japanese studio IGArchitects as an adaptable space for both living and working, this house was envisioned as "one big room".

"[The clients] have a vague boundary between their private and work life, therefore they were imagining a house where they can work anywhere and where they can sense the presence of each other wherever in the house," IGArchitects founder Masato Igarashi told Dezeen.

Find out more about Building Frame of the House ›

House Dokka, Norway, by Snøhetta

Architecture studio Snøhetta and engineer Tor Helge Dokka created a mass-timber home that is supported on large wooden stilts above a hillside in Kongsberg, Norway.

Named House Dokka, the home was designed to resemble a "floating treehouse".

Find out more about House Dokka ›

Brutalist townhouse, UK, by Pricegore 

In Chelsea, London, architecture studio Pricegore renovated a four-storey modernist townhouse to create a three-bedroom home. The studio embraced the 1960 building's existing brutalist design focusing on concrete elements and exposing material finishes.

"The new works take their momentum from the existing building," Pricegore co-founder Dingle Price said. "There is no contrast, either internally or externally, between the old and the new."

Find out more about Brutalist townhouse ›

Arizona house, USA, by The Ranch Mine

Phoenix-based architecture studio The Ranch Mine was informed by a nearby 1950s, mid-century modern house called White Gates for the design of this desert house in Arizona. The house has breeze-block walls and a roof cutout for a palm tree.

"Knowing the history of this home, the architects knew immediately that they had the challenging task of creating a new neighbour that should honour the legacy of the mid-century modern icon, while adding a distinctly new chapter to the story of this unique neighbourhood," said the studio.

Find out more about Arizona house ›

 Casa Ladera, Japan, by WMR Arquitectos

In Chile, WMR Arquitectos balanced a slanted wooden house named Casa Ladera on a hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the village of Matanzas

The 2,130-square foot (198-square metre) house was designed to hang onto a 45-degree slope so that it has an unobstructed view of the ocean.

Find out more about Casa Ladera ›

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Berlin-based designer Kimia Amir-Moazami hopes to tackle the issue of food waste with a container system that reveals if something is safe to eat or not.

Vorkoster is a smart lid that uses PH-sensitive film to detect if a food product has expired. The film gradually changes colour as the food product begins to spoil, making it easy to see whether it's still edible.

This can provide an accurate indication of food freshness so that people don't have to rely on generic expiry dates, which can lead to food being thrown out unnecessarily.

Amir-Moazami presented the project at Dutch Design Week as part of the Secrid Talent Podium, a showcase of projects championing design as a force for good.

"Over 60 per cent of food waste happens in households. That is not just food, but also money wasted," said Amir-Moazami, speaking to the exhibition organisers.

"I wanted to create something that can help people to save food, either for sustainability or financial reasons."

The lid was designed for use with any food containing protein, such as meat or fish. As these items expire, they release ammonia gas.

The film, which is made from algae coated in a specially developed indicator dye, reacts to this gas by changing colour from pale green to bright purple.

The lid was designed to fit over any type of tub or bowl, to make it as easy to use as possible.

"By designing a lid, the use of my product stays flexible and is not limited to one type of container," said Amir-Moazami.

The designer produced her first working prototype of Vorkoster in 2021, as her graduation project from the design degree programme at UdK Berlin.

This was developed with the help of Sany Chea, a chemistry scientist she met during a residency at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research.

Since then, the pair have been developing the concept with a view to launching Vorkoster as a commercial product.

They believe the product could hit the shelves in the next two years.

"The challenge with Vorkoster is that it is a product that deals with food quality and expiry dates," said Amir-Moazami.

"This is a sensitive topic, so the technology needs to be developed to a point that it's truly consumer-friendly, safe and clear. Before we can go to market, it needs to function flawlessly."

In the past two years, Amir-Moazami and Chea have participated in a series of entrepreneur and scholarship programmes to help them fund the project's development.

As part of the Secrid Talent Podium, which was supported by the Dutch Design Foundation and What Design Can Do, they received a cash prize of €7,777.

There were seven participants in total, with others including brick innovator Emy Bensdorp and Luc van Hoeckel of Super Local, with his affordable hospital equipment.

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Berlin studio Mono Architekten has combined a perforated concrete viewing tower with a car park topped by a public park to create a new entrance to the town of Neuenburg am Rhein, Germany.

Located close to the border with France and Switzerland, the project is situated between the town itself and the recently redeveloped green spaces a Stadtpark am Wuhrloch, a meeting point which was previously difficult to traverse due to a nine-metre height difference.

Bridging these two conditions, Mono Architekten sought to complement the functional need for a 231-space car park with more public facilities, including a new public plaza and a 36-metre-high viewing tower.

"The aim was to develop independent typologies from the functional requirements of parking and barrier-free access to the city park," Mono co-founder André Schmidt told Dezeen.

"Together they create an identity-forming urban ensemble," he continued.

"The parking garage roof was thus designed as a public square – Münsterplatz – and the vertical access structure to the city park was designed as a tower – Bertholdturm – with a publicly accessible viewing platform."

Using the site's level change as an advantage, the new car park meets the level of the town to allow it to connect seamlessly to the new public square, which is finished with planting and paved seating areas.

Two spiralling ramps at either end of the carpark provide access for vehicles, while the perimeter of the structure curves to meet the existing road with its perforated concrete facade.

In the nearby viewing tower, an elevator core links the ground floor entrance with the rooftop, where 360-degree views of the landscape are accompanied by corten steel panels on the parapet that detail landmarks and their distances.

A bridge of corten steel links the car park roof with an upper entrance to the tower, and in future there is a plan to extend this bridge to create a ramp down to the adjacent parkland, creating a step-free, accessible route between it and the town.

The two structures were united by their matching exterior finish, with blocks of tamped concrete arranged to create square perforations that allow air to flow freely.

"The sedimentary tamped concrete layers at the entrance to the city are inspired by the city's former location on the banks of the Rhine," explained Schmidt.

"The reddish pigmentation harmonizes with the sandstone traditionally used in this area," he continued. "The monolithic construction emphasizes the archaic character of the buildings."

Mono Architekten took a similar approach to blending infrastructure with public facilities in their design for a service station in Thuringia, which also includes an exhibition space about the site's nearby bronze-age burial mound.

The photography is by Gregor Schmidt. 

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