designboom | architecture & design magazine
type: channel
description: designboom magazine | your first source for architecture, design & art news
date: 2026-02-25T15:46:52Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: a glowing, dual cantilevered box defines MVRDV’s project in yerevan, armenia
items: chado’s monolithic white concrete brick office stands near botanical garden in russia
items: venice art biennale 2026 curatorial team shares details as koyo kouoh’s vision moves forward
items: robotic bird by korean artist duo erases its own footprints as social commentary
items: diesel unearths 50,000 old props, inflatables and memorabilia for FW 2026 runway set
items: fibonacci sequence inspires surrealist bamboo and basalt architecture of bali beach club
items: antoni gaudí’s original furniture designs reissued in new collection by BD barcelona
items: nordic office of architecture delivers phase one of oslo’s new government quarter
items: pleated fabric shapes aoi’s structural lighting form
items: monolithic white ‘avlakia house’ overlooks rugged island of antiparos, greece

a glowing, dual cantilevered box defines MVRDV’s project in yerevan, armenia
type: item
creator: kat barandy I designboom
date: 2026-02-25T16:30:35Z
subject: architecture
subject: interiors
subject: MVRDV
description: wrapped in a translucent polycarbonate facade, MVRDV's building cantilevers at both ends overlooking yerevan, armenia. The post a glowing, dual cantilevered box defines MVRDV’s project in yerevan, armenia appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
encoded: MVRDV begins the EU TUMO Convergence Center in Yerevan Designed by MVRDV, the EU TUMO Convergence Center in Yerevan, Armenia has begun construction on a hillside site overlooking the Hrazdan River Gorge. The project expands TUMO’s campus in Tumanyan Park with a flexible building that brings education, research, and technology companies into a shared environment. Launched in 2011, TUMO provides free training in creative and technical fields and has reached more than 100,000 young people. From its base in Armenia, it has grown to include centers in Paris, Tirana, Berlin, and Mumbai. The new facility in Yerevan expands this mission by accommodating start-ups and industry partners alongside students. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179378 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-01.jpg" alt="mvrdv yerevan armenia" width="818" height="580" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-01.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-01-768x545.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> visualizations © MVRDV Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries a glowing building wrapped in translucent polycarbonate MVRDV’s 120-meter-long building sits atop a sunken base and cantilevers at both ends over steep terrain outside Yerevan, Armenia. The architects shape the elongated form to read as a single volume, elevated to increase visibility from across the gorge. The podium lifts the structure while extending the topography of Tumanyan Park toward the facade. Large glazed openings at each end frame long views. To the north lies the river gorge while, to the south, Mount Ararat rises beyond the city. The building’s orientation establishes a direct visual relationship with these landmarks and embeds the p…

chado’s monolithic white concrete brick office stands near botanical garden in russia
type: item
creator: Chado
date: 2026-02-25T13:55:54Z
subject: readers
subject: architecture in russia
subject: concrete architecture and design
subject: where people work
description: controlled geometry shapes a focused working environment. The post chado’s monolithic white concrete brick office stands near botanical garden in russia appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
encoded: Concrete Shapes Chado Studio’s Nature-Oriented Workplace Chado Architectural Studio has established its office in a low-density residential area near the Botanical Garden in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. The selected site offers reduced urban intensity during working hours and direct visual access to surrounding greenery. The decision to locate the office here was driven by the relationship between workspace and landscape, prioritizing framed views of nature as part of the daily working environment. The building is conceived as a restrained and monolithic volume. Its architectural language emphasizes solidity, durability, and enclosure, creating a controlled environment suited to concentrated creative work. Material consistency defines both interior and exterior surfaces. Custom-developed white concrete brick is used throughout, paired with a light concrete belt that reinforces the perception of structural continuity. This approach strengthens the building’s sculptural presence and underscores the monolithic expression of walls and slabs. all images by Evgeny Denisyuk Elevated Workspaces Respond to Topography and Landscape The site’s uneven topography informed the spatial organization of Chado Architectural Studio. The structure is positioned to elevate primary workspaces, maximizing views and daylight access. Secondary functions are arranged at ground level. Existing mature trees were preserved and integrated into the composition, contributing to microclimatic comfort while partially screening the building from the street. The surrounding vegetation softens the architectural mass and establishes a dialogue between built form and landscape. The office reflects the studio’s emphasis on material clarity, structural honesty, and a reduction of superfluous elements. Through controlled geometry, limited material variation, and integration with the natural setting, the project establishes a working environment aligned with the studio’s architectural principles. Chado Architectur…

venice art biennale 2026 curatorial team shares details as koyo kouoh’s vision moves forward
type: item
creator: thomai tsimpou I designboom
date: 2026-02-25T11:57:06Z
subject: art
subject: venice art biennale 2026
description: in minor keys brings together 111 invited participants, including 105 individual artists and collectives, alongside 6 artist-led organizations. The post venice art biennale 2026 curatorial team shares details as koyo kouoh’s vision moves forward appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
encoded: everything announced so far for venice art biennale 2026 During the press conference held on February 25th, 2026, at Ca’ Giustinian in San Marco, the curatorial team appointed by the late Koyo Kouoh unveiled the framework of the Venice Art Biennale 2026. Titled In Minor Keys, the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia will run from May 9th to November 22nd, 2026, across the Giardini, the Arsenale, and venues throughout Venice. The pre-opening will take place on May 6, 7, and 8, with the official inauguration and awards ceremony scheduled for May 9. Appointed Artistic Director of the Visual Arts Department in December 2024, Kouoh had fully developed the theoretical framework of the exhibition, artist selection, editorial structure, graphic identity, and spatial layout prior to her passing in May 2025. With the support of her family, La Biennale di Venezia committed to realizing the project exactly as she had conceived it. The exhibition has since been carried forward by the team she personally selected, including Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo, Marie Helene Pereira, Rasha Salti, Siddhartha Mitter, and Rory Tsapayi, through an intensive process of online collaboration and in-person seminars in Venice and Dakar, where Kouoh had established her base at RAW Material Company. In Minor Keys brings together 111 invited participants, including 105 individual artists and collectives and 6 artist-led organizations. The generational span ranges from artists born in 1943 to those born in 1997, foregrounding intergenerational dialogue as a defining dimension of the exhibition. National Participations and Collateral Events will be announced on March 4th, 2026, with the International Jury to follow in April. The Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement will not be awarded in this edition, as Kouoh did not have the opportunity to define them. Cape Town–based Wolff Architects were appointed to develop the exhibition design and scenography. Central to their approach is the th…

robotic bird by korean artist duo erases its own footprints as social commentary
type: item
creator: ujoo
date: 2026-02-25T11:20:20Z
subject: art
subject: readers
subject: kinetic installations
subject: korean art
subject: robots
description: the kinetic work is situated within a diorama-concept installation depicting sand terrain and consists of two mechanical devices that act in a cyclical structure. The post robotic bird by korean artist duo erases its own footprints as social commentary appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
encoded: no bird robot installation follows cyclical structure No Bird is an art installation by South Korean husband-and-wife artist duo UJOO+LIMHEEYOUNG. Based on a short story about flightless birds, the kinetic work is situated within a diorama-concept installation depicting sand terrain and consists of two mechanical devices that act in a cyclical structure. A robotic bird leaves footprints over sand while another machine follows behind to erase the tracks with a toothbrush, along with a thin wire rake that smooths the sand. Finally, soft bristles flatten the surface to complete the tracks’ erasure. the bird-like machine walks across the sand, leaving footprints | all images by UJOO+LIMHEEYOUNG UJOO+LIMHEEYOUNG use kinetic installation as social commentary When activated, the robotic bird operates for approximately 2 minutes. Its movement is triggered by a sensor detecting the viewer’s proximity, and continues as long as the viewer remains within the sensor’s range. Through the work’s structure, with the endless formation and erasing of tracks, the artists reference our human survival and its repeated patterns of remembering and forgetting, generating and extinguishing, destroying and restoring. the bird-like machine pauses as it walks in order to maintain a set distance from the trace-erasing machine the trace-erasing machine erases bird footprints left in the sand the trace-erasing machine uses a toothbrush, rotating pins, and soft bristles when activated, the installation operates for approximately 2 minutes the bird-like machine was designed and built based on the walking mechanism of a bird an artificial rose hangs from the bird-like walking machine the trace-erasing machine takes inspiration from construction equipment project info: name: No Bird artists: UJOO+LIMHEEYOUNG | @ujoolimheeyoung esignboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from o…

diesel unearths 50,000 old props, inflatables and memorabilia for FW 2026 runway set
type: item
creator: matthew burgos I designboom
date: 2026-02-25T10:30:49Z
subject: design
subject: video
subject: diesel
subject: fashion design phenomena
subject: inflatable structures
subject: recycling
subject: set design
description: a set full of installation built from the brand’s memories since 1978, the space works like a scene after a party, with items place across the floor. The post diesel unearths 50,000 old props, inflatables and memorabilia for FW 2026 runway set appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
encoded: recycled objects in Diesel’s 2026 runway show in Milan Diesel brings over 50,000 repurposed props, inflatables, and memorabilia to its Fall/Winter 2026 runway show in Milan. A set full of installations built from the brand’s memories since 1978, the space works like a scene after a party, with items placed across the floor and on platforms under white lights. The layout feels like evidence on display, and each object tells a piece of the story from almost fifty years of Diesel’s culture. The installation inside Diesel’s 2026 runway show in Milan focuses on upcycling and reuse. Old props, toys, signs, furniture, and brand pieces are placed together in one large open space, resembling a storage room mixed with a stage. Everything is visible and open to view. Models walk through a path between the objects, and around them are toy horses, a small car, balloons, animals, signs, and large figures, some of them even taller than the models. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179293 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/repurposed-props-inflatables-memorabilia-diesel-runway-show-milan-FW26-designboom-01.jpg" alt="diesel 2026 show milan" width="818" height="460" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/repurposed-props-inflatables-memorabilia-diesel-runway-show-milan-FW26-designboom-01.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/repurposed-props-inflatables-memorabilia-diesel-runway-show-milan-FW26-designboom-01-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> all images courtesy of Diesel Installation of old props and inflatables on the floor Inside Diesel’s 2026 runway show in Milan, there’s even a recycled car that stands next to the sculptures. A rocket shape rises behind a shelf. There are plastic animals, red fuel pumps, and carnival items. These objects come from different worlds: childhood, travel, street life, and home. Yet, they are placed close together, cr…

fibonacci sequence inspires surrealist bamboo and basalt architecture of bali beach club
type: item
creator: Charlie Hearn
date: 2026-02-25T10:00:17Z
subject: architecture
subject: readers
subject: video
subject: architecture in indonesia
subject: bamboo architecture and design
subject: marble and stone design
subject: restaurant and café design
description: gardens and sculptural elements interlace the beach club’s architecture with its coastal landscape. The post fibonacci sequence inspires surrealist bamboo and basalt architecture of bali beach club appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
encoded: Luna Beach Club by Inspiral Architects sits along Nyanyi Beach Inspiral Architects designs Luna Beach Club on the cliffs of Nyanyi Beach in Tabanan, Bali, developing a geometry-driven masterplan that integrates dining, event, and recreational spaces within a site-responsive bamboo and basalt architectural framework. The project responds to the site’s topography, vegetation, and ocean frontage through a series of organically configured structures informed by Fibonacci geometry. The masterplan organizes the complex using proportional relationships derived from the golden section, establishing spatial flow and visual alignment across the sloping terrain. Intersections generated from key site points determined the placement and orientation of buildings, guiding circulation and movement between programmatic zones. all images courtesy of Inspiral Architects Bamboo, basalt, and natural stone define the material palette At the core of the development is the main beach club structure, designed as a vortex-like form constructed from bamboo and basalt. The double-curved roof structure employs a combined bamboo and basalt structural system, integrating natural materials within a complex geometric framework. Layered woven shading elements regulate daylight penetration, maintaining interior comfort during daytime while allowing the structure to function as an illuminated focal point at night. The building accommodates dining, workshops, and performance events. Adjacent to the restaurant is a lagoon-style pool oriented toward the ocean. This pool connects to an underground venue known as the Utopia VIP Club, accessed via an 11-meter slide that leads to a cave-like pool and club space. Within the forested portion of the site, elevated pods constructed from recycled materials are suspended among existing trees. These structures incorporate nets, tunnels, and climbing routes, creating a network of play spaces integrated into the natural landscape. Their placement respects existing ve…

antoni gaudí’s original furniture designs reissued in new collection by BD barcelona
type: item
creator: kat barandy I designboom
date: 2026-02-25T02:30:29Z
subject: design
subject: BD barcelona
subject: chair design
subject: wood and timber architecture and design
description: a collection of certified Antoni Gaudí furniture demonstrates how his iconic architecture lives on through handcrafted oak design. The post antoni gaudí’s original furniture designs reissued in new collection by BD barcelona appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
encoded: a collection to mark 100 years since gaudí’s passing To mark the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death in 1926, the design marketplace Monde Singulier presents an exclusive Parisian showcase of furniture reissued in collaboration with BD Barcelona, the official editor of Gaudí’s designs, at its space on Rue Danielle Casanova in the 2nd arrondissement. The exhibition, which ran from February 19th to 21st, brought a focused selection of oak furniture originally conceived for Casa Calvet and Casa Batlló into a contemporary gallery setting in central Paris. The presentation forms part of BD Barcelona’s year-long program dedicated to the Gaudí Centenary, extending a series of international initiatives throughout 2026. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179221 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BD-barcelona-antoni-gaudi-furniture-collection-designboom-01.jpg" alt="bd barcelona gaudí furniture" width="818" height="614" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BD-barcelona-antoni-gaudi-furniture-collection-designboom-01.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BD-barcelona-antoni-gaudi-furniture-collection-designboom-01-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> BD Barcelona, Antoni Gaudí, collection | image courtesy BD Barcelona Furniture as an Extension of Architecture The Gaudí-designed chairs and benches carry a palpable density, seen at last through their reissuing by BD Barcelona. Their varnished surfaces absorb and reflect light with a muted sheen which reveals the grain’s direction and the subtle transitions between convex and concave planes. Wooden legs twist with a graceful torsion, and backrests follow the curvature of the spine. The approach reflects a central idea in Antoni Gaudí’s work marked by furniture conceived as a direct continuation of architecture. ‘Gaudí did not design furniture as objects, but as living extensions of architecture and …

nordic office of architecture delivers phase one of oslo’s new government quarter
type: item
creator: thomai tsimpou I designboom
date: 2026-02-25T00:01:50Z
subject: architecture
subject: interiors
subject: architecture in norway
subject: haptic architects
subject: hufton + crow
subject: masterplans and urban revitalization
subject: nordic office of architecture
description: the masterplan consolidates nearly all Norwegian ministries into a compact campus for around 4,100 employees. The post nordic office of architecture delivers phase one of oslo’s new government quarter appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
encoded: nordic office of architecture reshapes norway’s political center Nordic Office of Architecture with Haptic Architects, Scenario, and I-d. Interiørarkitektur & Design completes the first phase of Norway’s New Government Quarter in Oslo, on the site of the July 22nd, 2011, terrorist attacks, reopening the political center of the country as a reconfigured civic landscape. The masterplan consolidates nearly all Norwegian ministries into a compact campus for around 4,100 employees. Framed as a ‘design for democracy,’ the project brings government functions together while restoring pedestrian routes, public plazas, and daily urban life to an area long defined by trauma and security barriers. The masterplan arranges five new and two restored buildings as a ring of ministries around interconnected public spaces, stitching the quarter back into Oslo’s historic center. Phase 1 includes the restored Høyblokken alongside the new A- and D-blocks, forming what the architects describe as a public ‘front line’ facing the city. The retained G-block and future phases complete a walkable campus that balances visibility and discretion. ‘The New Government Quarter is now part of Oslo’s everyday life rather than an isolated enclave,’ says Knut Hovland, Partner and Head of Design at Nordic Office of Architecture. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179212 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-16.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="855" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-16.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-16-768x803.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> all images by Hufton + Crow New Gove…

pleated fabric shapes aoi’s structural lighting form
type: item
creator: Ingrid Ng
date: 2026-02-24T21:45:35Z
subject: design
subject: readers
subject: lighting design
subject: textile and fabric art
description: sheer blue fabric layers create depth across the lampshade surface. The post pleated fabric shapes aoi’s structural lighting form appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
encoded: Pleated Fabric creates an interplay of Light and Shadow in Aoi Aoi is a contemporary lighting object that investigates the interaction between fabric construction and illumination. Developed by Ingrid Ng of InOutGrid, the piece applies traditional pleating techniques to translate textile manipulation into a controlled study of light and shadow. When illuminated, the otherwise monochromatic exterior reveals layered shades of blue arranged in geometric configurations. The superimposed sheer fabrics modulate light transmission, producing depth and calibrated shadow patterns across surrounding surfaces. Aoi explores the relationship between fabric construction and illumination | all images courtesy of InOutGrid Pleated Modules and Wire Framework shape Aoi lighting piece The lampshade is composed of repeated textile modules sewn together to form an icositetragon, a twenty-four-sided geometric structure. Each unit contains intricate pleat formations, while their repetition establishes formal continuity and structural coherence. The resulting geometry balances complexity at the scale of detail with clarity at the scale of the whole. An internal wire framework supports the textile envelope, introducing a dialogue between flexible fabric and rigid structure. The concealed armature stabilizes the pleated surface while maintaining visual lightness. Drawing from the proportions and framing logic of traditional Japanese lanterns, Aoi, developed by designer Ingrid Ng of InOutGrid, reinterprets heritage craft techniques within a contemporary lighting context, positioning fabric as both structural and luminous medium. the lighting object applies traditional pleating techniques to shape light textile manipulation becomes a study of light and shadow sheer fabric layers create depth across the lampshade surface the lampshade takes the shape of a twenty-four-sided icositetragon a concealed wire framework supports the textile envelope the geometric wire structure encases the lightbulb t…

monolithic white ‘avlakia house’ overlooks rugged island of antiparos, greece
type: item
creator: kat barandy I designboom
date: 2026-02-24T19:30:31Z
subject: architecture
subject: interiors
subject: architecture in greece
subject: residential architecture and interiors
description: greece-based studio ARP builds its 'avlakia house' as a hybrid between architecture and topography, embedding the spaces into the slope. The post monolithic white ‘avlakia house’ overlooks rugged island of antiparos, greece appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
encoded: Avlakia house: a dwelling between two gorges Avlakia House by ARP – Architecture Research Practice is located between two natural gorges on the island of Antiparos, Greece. Located on a site with expansive views toward the western Cycladic archipelago and direct exposure to strong northern winds, the residence rises with a monolithic presence over the terrain. The program called for a main house and a guest house with seven bedrooms in total, accompanied by multiple outdoor areas and swimming pools. The scale of this requirement could easily have dominated the landscape. Instead, the architects approached the project as a hybrid between architecture and topography, allowing much of the volume to merge with the sloping terrain. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179164 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/avlakia-house-argyro-pouliovali-architecture-research-practice-ARP-antiparos-greece-designboom-01.jpg" alt="avlakia house ARP greece" width="818" height="545" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/avlakia-house-argyro-pouliovali-architecture-research-practice-ARP-antiparos-greece-designboom-01.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/avlakia-house-argyro-pouliovali-architecture-research-practice-ARP-antiparos-greece-designboom-01-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> images © Yiorgos Kordakis arp embeds built space into the slope A large portion of the ARP-designed Avlakia House is set into the earth and constructed from local stone. This decision by the architects limits the visual impact of the building when viewed from a distance and preserves the contours of the site. The distinction between what rises above ground and what remains concealed below is guided by environmental exposure, spatial sequence, and respect for the cultural landscape. The architecture emerges as a continuous stone retaining wall that traces the terrain. Its thickn…