Architecture

Whether you think "architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness," like Frank Gehry, or that "architecture is not an inspirational business, it's a rational procedure to do sensible and hopefully beautiful things; that's all," like Harry Seidler, advances in materials and design continue to expand the architect's play book with buildings that reach for the skies and connect us to the earth.

Architecture Audio available

New Robot Science Museum will be part-built using robots

Adam Williams February 21, 2019

Following an architecture competition, Turkey's Melike Altinisik Architects has been selected to create the new Robot Science Museum in Seoul, South Korea. Interestingly, the firm says that the building will be part-constructed using 3D-printing machines, drones, and other robots.

The Robot Science Museum is due to be completed in 2022

Architecture

Rocky concert hall rises in the shadow of the Great Wall

Adam Williams February 20, 2019

OPEN Architecture blended architecture with nature for its UCCA Dune Art Museum and now the firm does the same again with the Chapel of Sound. Now under construction in China, the remarkable-looking concert hall seems a natural extension of the landscape and takes the form of a rocky outcrop.

Construction on the Chapel of Sound is already well underway and is expected to be completed ...

Architecture

MVRDV puts Albania on the map – literally

Adam Williams February 19, 2019

MVRDV rarely seems content to play it safe and with its latest work, Downtown One Tirana, the firm shows another example of its out-of-the-box thinking. The mixed-use building is defined by a pixelated facade that depicts the map of Albania.

Downtown One Tirana's pixelated facade is a representation of Albania's map

Architecture Audio available

Remote mountain cabin's hood offers protection from the elements

Adam Williams February 18, 2019

Constraint often proves fertile ground for inspiration and this indeed proved the case for Arkitektværelset AS. The Norwegian firm overcame a remote location and tricky terrain, as well as strict planning regulations while designing the unusually angular Hooded Cabin.

The Hooded Cabin is located atop a mountain in Norway and measures 73 sq m (785 ...

Architecture

Glass Resort offers the best seat in the house for Northern Lights viewing

Bridget Borgobello February 14, 2019

The recently opened Glass Resort at Snowman World in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland, hosts a series of glass-roofed cabins, providing the ideal spot to snuggle up and enjoy the night skies and, if you're lucky, the aurora borealis.

Snowman World Glass Resort, located in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland provide an ideal spot to catch the ...

Architecture Audio available

Pipe-shaped micro-cabin can hang from a mountain or dangle from a tree

Adam Williams February 14, 2019

The Fuselage, by Tree Tents, is a pipe-shaped dwelling that can be suspended above ground using trees or even a cliffside, or installed on stilts on the ground. It measures just 5.3 m (17 ft)-long and can run off-the-grid with a solar power setup.

The Fuselage can be suspended from a tree or cliffside, or placed on the ground on ...

Architecture

Narrow inner-city house is draped in a veil of greenery

Adam Williams February 14, 2019

Vietnam's Vo Trong Nghia Architects' overriding goal is to add greenery to its homeland's cities and the firm highlights this again with its recently-completed Breathing House. The project involved covering a narrow home in an awkward crowded plot in Ho Chi Minh City with a "green veil" of plants.

The Breathing House has a rooftop terrace area that is covered in greenery

Architecture

Curved aluminum facade raises the curtain on Chinese theater

Adam Williams February 13, 2019

Revery Architecture recently completed work on a performing arts center in Hong Kong's Kowloon Cultural District. The Xiqu Centre features a striking facade made up of curved aluminum that envelops glazing. The firm likens the effect to a lantern shimmering behind a beaded stage curtain.

The Xiqu Centre's exterior comprises a modular system of scaled aluminum that was CNC-cut from untreated ...

Architecture

Fuel storage tank transformed into novel micro-shelter

Adam Williams February 13, 2019

We've covered a lot of very small dwellings here at New Atlas, but this has to be one of the tiniest yet. Created from an old diesel fuel tank, the aptly-named Bunker definitely wouldn't suit claustrophobic types but includes lighting, shelving, and a bed.

The Bunker measures 3 m (9.84 ft)-long and 1.5 m (5 ft) in diameter

Architecture

The Art of Building photography contest celebrates construction from all angles

Nick Lavars February 12, 2019

Each year, the Chartered Institute of Building calls on photographers, professional and amateur alike, to submit images of the built environment for its annual Art of Building photography competition. The winner of the 2018 event has been announced, selected from an impressive array of finalists.

The intricate ceiling of a carpet market in Iran