Featured

The Barbican Estate / Chamberlin, Powell and Bon Architects | Classics on Architecture Lab

by

Architects: Chamberlin, Powell and Bon ArchitectsArea: 160000 m²Year: 1976Photographs: Joas SouzaCity: LondonCountry: United Kingdom The Barbican Estate, a residential and cultural complex in London designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, transformed a 35-acre bombed site into a high-density Brutalist development completed in 1976. Commissioned by the City of London Corporation to counter population decline, the …

Read more

Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library / SOM | Classics on Architecture Lab

by

Architects: Skidmore, Owings & MerrillArea: 125,262 ft²Year: 1963Photographs: Ezra Stoller/Esto, SOM, Gunnar Klack, Henry M. Trotter, Michael Kastelic, Ragesoss, Nick Allen, Ajay Suresh City: New HavenCountry: United States The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and completed in 1963, stands as a Modernist icon on Yale University’s campus, …

Read more

Nordic Pavilion at Expo ’70 / Sverre Fehn | Classics on Architecture Lab

by

Architects: Sverre FehnYear: 1970Photographs: Norwegian National Museum, TeigenCity: SuitaCountry: Japan Sverre Fehn’s design for the Nordic Pavilion at the Osaka World Expo in 1970 diverged from his usual use of heavy materials, such as concrete and stone, by exploring a delicate, inflatable structure. A prominent postwar Norwegian architect and a founder of PAGON, Fehn sought …

Read more

Säynätsalo Town Hall / Alvar Aalto | Classics on Architecture Lab

by

Architects: Alvar AaltoYear: 1949Photographs: Fernanda Castro, Wittenborn & Company, Leon, Bas Wallet, Jonathan Rieke, Scott Ingram, Zache, AlexignatCity: JyväskyläCountry: Finland Säynätsalo Town Hall, designed by Alvar Aalto in 1949, is a monumental civic structure located in the small Finnish town of Säynätsalo. The building merges classicism and modernity, forming a symbolic center for the community …

Read more

Niterói Contemporary Art Museum / Oscar Niemeyer | Classics on Architecture Lab

by

Architects: Oscar NiemeyerYear: 1996Photographs: Gili Merin, wikiarquitectura.com, Donatas Dabravolskas / Wikimedia Commons, Cristiane Sousa / Wikimedia Commons, Phx de / Wikimedia Commons, Maria Fátima Leite / Wikimedia CommonsCity: NiteróiCountry: Brazil The Niterói Contemporary Art Museum (MAC), completed in 1996 by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, is an iconic saucer-shaped structure perched on a cliff above Guanabara …

Read more

The Audeum / Kengo Kuma & Associates

by

Architects: Kengo Kuma & AssociatesArea: 11,009 m²Year: 2024Photography: Lee Namsun, Lee YongbaekDesign Team: Sungyeon Won, Hiroyo Yamamoto (CG), Shoki An (3D), Yi Ji, Yuzuru Kamiya (Model), Masafumi Yukimoto, Yuya Mori, Jeongwon Kim, Sayaka Shimizu (Model)Cooperation: Kozo Keikaku Engineering, NI SteelConstruction: KCC CorporationIllumination: LPA – Lighting Planners AssociatesCity: SeoulCountry: South Korea The Audeum (Audio Museum) in …

Read more

UCCA Clay Museum / Kengo Kuma & Associates

by

Architects: Kengo Kuma & AssociatesArea: 3,437 m²Year: 2024Photography: Eiichi Kano, Fangfang TianConstruction: Jiangsu Hanjian GroupFacility and Exterior Consultants: Jiangsu Hanjian GroupDesign Team: Yutaka Terasaki, Mengxian Bao, Qirui Liu, Yiwen Shen, Pan Luo, Xiaoshan Huang, Yoo Shiho (Graphic)Illumination Consultant: Yushe YuzhuCooperation: Crownhomes Co., LtdCity: YixingCountry: China The UCCA Clay Museum, designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates …

Read more

Interview with Graeme Labe of Luxury Frontiers

by

Graeme Labe, South African architect and co-founder of Luxury Frontiers, epitomizes the synthesis of sustainable architecture with luxury hospitality. His Johannesburg-based firm, with an additional presence in Memphis and London, champions “light-on-earth” constructions, prioritizing minimal environmental impact while delivering luxurious experiences. Luxury Frontiers has been recognized for projects such as Camp Sarika by Amangiri in Utah …

Read more

Interview with Carla Ferrando Costansa and Pablo Garrido Arnaiz of PARABASE

by

Carla Ferrando Costansa and Pablo Garrido Arnaiz, architects and co-founders of Parabase, have significantly shaped the architectural and urbanism landscape. Their firm, founded in 2021, has offices in Basel, Switzerland, Mexico City, Mexico, and Barcelona, Spain. Architect Carla Ferrando Costansa, a graduate of ETSAV, Barcelona, and the Technical Universiteit Eindhoven, has collaborated with prominent firms …

Read more

Le Cylindre Sonore / Bernhard Leitner | Classics on Architecture Lab

by

Architects: Bernhard LeitnerYear: 1987Photographs: Bernhard LeitnerCity: ParisCountry: France Le Cylindre Sonore, designed by Bernhard Leitner, is a fusion of architecture and sound located in a bamboo garden at Paris’s Parc de la Villette. This public art piece creates a space where sound and human perception merge. The double-cylinder structure, 10 meters in diameter and 5 …

Read more

Coconut Club & Park in Phnom Penh / T3 Architects

by

Architects: T3 ARCHITECTSArea: 1920 m²Year: 2021Photography: Bruce VincentiisManufacturers: COTTO, Hafele, K-Cement, SCGLead Architects: Charles Gallavardin, Tereza Gallavardin, Dominique DesmetMain Contractor: OCICStructural Design Consultant: OCICMEP Design: OCICArchitect: Rafael LiraInterior Designer: Huy NguyenClient: Canadia BankCity: Phnom PenhCountry: Cambodia Coconut Club & Park, a recreational facility by T3 Architects in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, completed in 2021, embodies sustainable …

Read more

Dessau Bauhaus / Walter Gropius | Classics on Architecture Lab

by

Architects: Walter GropiusYear: 1926Photographs: Thomas Lewandovski, Gili MerinCity: Dessau-RoßlauCountry: Germany The Dessau Bauhaus, designed by Walter Gropius and completed in 1926, embodies modernist ideals through its integration of architecture, art, and design. Relocated from Weimar, the school features a pinwheel configuration with teaching spaces, housing, offices, and an auditorium connected by bridges. Advanced techniques like …

Read more

Al Shaheed Monument / Saman Kamal | Classics on Architecture Lab

by

Architects: Saman KamalYear: 1983Photographs: Steve McCurry, United States Navy, Wikimedia user Mondalawy, Wikimedia user Mimi.arashi, Wikimedia user Husseinalalie1, Wikimedia user HUSIEN alshmare, Wikimedia user Taifshakir, Wikimedia user Ali alhamzah, EdiaCity: BaghdadCountry: Iraq The Al Shaheed Monument, designed by Saman Kamal and Ismail Fatah al Turk, stands as a symbol of both beauty and complexity in …

Read more

Endless House / Friedrick Kiesler | Classics on Architecture Lab

by

Architects: Friedrick KieslerYear: 1950Photographs: Friedrick Kiesler, Whitney Museum of American Art The Endless House by Friedrick Kiesler reflects his vision of elastic, adaptable spaces responsive to occupants’ needs. Its flattened spheroid shape optimizes natural light and embodies cyclical, interconnected rhythms of life. While models and sketches illustrate flowing transitions and innovative materials like reinforced concrete …

Read more

St. John’s Abbey Church / Marcel Breuer | Classics on Architecture Lab

by

Architects: Marcel BreuerYear: 1961Photographs: Flickr user: rburzel, Paul Crosby, Paul Middlestaedt, Pews / Richard AndersonBorough: CollegevilleCountry: United States St. John’s Abbey Church, designed by Marcel Breuer, is a cast-in-place concrete landmark of modern religious architecture in the United States. Commissioned in 1950 by Abbot Baldwin Dworschak, who sought an enduring architectural monument reflecting bold Benedictine …

Read more

Bamboo Craft Village / Archi-Union Architects

by

Architects: Archi-Union ArchitectsYear: 2018Photographs: Bian Lin, Huapeng Chu, Li Han, Wei Zang, Hua Chai, Philip F. YuanManufacturers: Chengdu Meiyu Landscaping Engineering, Sichuan Xinchangle Architectural Engineering, Suzhou CrownhomesLighting Support: Hongri Lighting GroupConstruction: Sichuan Zhongye Cultural Tourism Co.LtdDigital Fabrication: Shanghai Fab-Union Architectural Technology and Digital Fabrication Co.LTDMasterplan for Bamboo Craft Village: Chengdu Meiyu Landscaping Engineering Co., Ltd.Guide …

Read more

Interview with Huang Zelin of Aether Architects

by

Zelin Huang, founder of Aether Architects in Shenzhen, China, is a Chinese architect known for exploring relationships within architecture. His work examines the interplay between gravity, function, materials, context, human interaction, and time. As a Class 1 Registered Architect in China, Huang integrates phenomenology with architectural design, creating dynamic spaces that adapt to environmental needs. …

Read more

Bamboo Pavilion / ZUO STUDIO

by

Architects: ZUO STUDIOArea: 1570 m²Year: 2018Location: Taiwan Bamboo Pavilion, designed by ZUO STUDIO in Taichung’s Fengyuan Huludun Park, reflects the city’s growth and sustainable development. Inspired by the Taichung World Flora Exposition theme, “Formosa Beauty of Taiwan,” the design resembles a seed sprouting from the earth, blending indoor and outdoor spaces with nature. Visitors experience …

Read more

Loyal Captain / Heliotrope Architects

by

Architects: Heliotrope ArchitectsArea: 500 ft²Photographs: Kevin ScottContractor: Dovetail General ContractorsLandscape Architect: Ironwood TreeLighting Design: Light PlanCity: SeattleCountry: United States Loyal Captain, designed by Heliotrope Architects, updates the historic 1933 residence of Captain Ole E. Nelson in Bergen, Norway, with a contemporary kitchen addition. Built to complement the original Scandinavian-style craftsmanship, the post-and-beam design maintains the …

Read more

Suncrest Residence / Heliotrope Architects

by

Architects: Heliotrope ArchitectsArea: 3000 m²Year: 2009Photographs: Sean Airh​art, Benjamin BenschniederCounty: San JuanCountry: United States Suncrest Residence, designed by Heliotrope Architects on Orcas Island, Washington, occupies a 26-acre site of Douglas fir and Pacific madrone forest, rocky clearings, and ponds, minimizing disturbance to sensitive ecology, including bald eagle nests. Positioned where the forest meets a rocky …

Read more

Hideout Horizon Bamboo House / Studio WNA

by

Architects: Studio WNAArea: 70 m²Year: 2019Photographs: The Freedom Complex, Maya GypsyManufacturers: Freemite, ISEH Bambu Bali, Local traderLead Architect: Widhi NugrohoInterior Design: Putri WiwohoProject Management: I Nyoman Gede SubawaCountry: Indonesia Hideout Horizon Bamboo House, designed by Studio WNA in Bali and completed in 2019, is a striking addition to the Hideout Network. Featuring a wing-shaped roof …

Read more

Pretty Plastic Music Pavilion / Grosfeld Bekkers Van der Velde Architecten

by

Architects: Grosfeld Bekkers Van der Velde ArchitectenPhotographs: Sint-Oelbert GymnasiumMaterial: Pretty Plastic by Bureau SLA and Overtreders WMunicipality: OosterhoutCountry: The Netherlands Grosfeld Bekkers Van der Velde Architecten completed the music pavilion at Sint-Oelbert Gymnasium in Oosterhout, Netherlands, the first permanent building to feature Pretty Plastic, a 100% recycled PVC cladding material developed by Dutch studios Overtreders …

Read more

Meditation Gazebo / STUDIOARO

by

Architects: STUDIOAROArea: 200 ft²Year: 2022Photographs: Turtle ArtsLead Architects: Aroty PanyangLocation: Denkanikottai, Tamil NaduCountry: India Meditation Gazebo, designed by STUDIOARO, pays homage to the land’s heritage and the family that lived there, where a traditional holiday home once stood amid rich biodiversity. After replacing the old house with a modern residence, the gazebo was constructed as …

Read more

Diamond Island Community Center / VTN Architects

by

Architects: VTN ArchitectsArea: 1450 m²Year: 2015Photographs: Hiroyuki OkiCity: Ho Chi Minh CityCountry: Vietnam Diamond Island Community Center, designed by VTN Architects in Ho Chi Minh City, transforms a Saigon River islet into a multifunctional venue with eight bamboo pavilions for events like banquets and conferences, with future plans for restaurants. The center features two large …

Read more

Los Manantiales / Felix Candela | Classics on Architecture Lab

by

Architects: Felix CandelaYear: 1958Photographs: Flickr user Emmanual Hernandez, Erik Eugenio Martínez Parachini, Flickr user wework4her, Flickr user duncan c, Flickr user VivaXochimilco, Laurad, Jessyvl8 on Wikimedia CommonsCity: Mexico CityCountry: Mexico Los Manantiales, a restaurant designed by Felix Candela in Xochimilco, Mexico City, stands as a pioneering thin-shell concrete structure utilizing intersecting hyperbolic paraboloids, or “hypars.” …

Read more

Cenotaph for Newton / Etienne-Louis Boullée | Classics on Architecture Lab

by

The Cenotaph for Sir Isaac Newton, envisioned by French architect Étienne-Louis Boullée, is one of architecture’s most ambitious conceptual projects. As a tribute to Newton and embodying Enlightenment ideals, this unbuilt design represents Boullée’s “architecture parlante” philosophy, using form to communicate meaning. The proposed structure was a massive 150-meter sphere, symbolizing Earth and Newton’s cosmic …

Read more

Tree House at Bambu Indah / IBUKU

by

Architects: IBUKUYear: 2021Construction: PT Bamboo PureCollaborators: Bambu IndahCity: Kecamatan UbudCountry: Indonesia Bambu Indah Treehouse, designed by IBUKU in Bali, is an eco-resort showcasing innovative bamboo architecture. Built among three interconnected trees high in the jungle canopy, the structure forms a large basket-like enclosure where the floor seamlessly transitions into sloping walls. A lightweight roof with …

Read more

The Bull Cooking School / Chiangmai Life Architects

by

Architects: Chiangmai Life ArchitectsArea: 160 m²Year: 2023Photographs: Chiangmai LifeDesign Team: Markus Roselieb, Tosapon SittiwongCity: Chiang MaiCountry: Thailand The Bull Cooking School, designed by Chiangmai Life Architects, is the third bamboo pavilion created for Zabb e Lee’s cooking school in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Set between a large tree and a pond, this pavilion uses a U-shaped …

Read more

The Arc at Green School / Ibuku

by

Architects: IbukuArea: 760 m²Year: 2021Photographs: Tommaso Riva, Courtesy of IbukuStructural Engineer: Atelier One, Atelier One, Neil ThomasCreative Director: Elora HardyDesign Concept: Ibuku, Jörg StammConstruction Manager & On-Site Architect: Ibuku, Jules de LaageOn-Site Consultant: James WolfProject Architect: Ibuku, Rowland SaulsBuild Time: 8 monthsWidth: 23,5 m (75 ft)Length: 41 m (134 ft)Height: 14 m (46 ft)City: Kecamatan …

Read more

Luum Temple / CO-LAB Design Office

by

Architects: CO-LAB Design OfficeArea: 250 m²Year: 2019Photographs: César Béjar, CO-LAB Design Office, Pakal Egger and Tonatiuh EggerLead Architects: Joana Gomes, Joshua Beck, Arturo Garza Espinosa, Rodrigo Arias Lopez, Thalia Velasco, Antonio Quintero, Alberto AvilezEngineering: Esteban MoralesConstruction: Arquitectura.Mixta: Jaime Peña, Javier Creuheras, Arley Osorno, Farut VaronClient: Luum ZamaCity: TulumCountry: Mexico Luum Temple, a bamboo pavilion by …

Read more

© 2026 · ARCHITECTURE LAB · ISSN 3061-6743 · © All rights reserved.
All images are (©) copyrights belong to photographer/office mentioned.