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a glowing, dual cantilevered box defines MVRDV’s project in yerevan, armenia
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.
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 project within the geography of Armenia. A translucent polycarbonate facade wraps the exterior. By day, it filters sunlight into the interior and by night, it emits a diffuse glow that reveals the depth of the atriums behind the skin. <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179379 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-02.jpg" alt="mvrdv yerevan armenia" width="818" height="654" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-02.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-02-125x100.jpg 125w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-02-768x614.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> the EU TUMO Convergence Center begins construction in Yerevan lofty atriums and flexible interiors MVRDV organizes five stories of educational and workspaces around three full-height atriums, each connected to the ground floor. The central entrance hall contains a café and digital lounge and is traversed by a bridge that extends outward as a viewing platform. At one end, a large event hall accommodates conferences and lectures. At the other, vertical connections link co-working spaces at different scales. The atriums operate as social spaces and environmental buffers. Separate heating and cooling systems allow broader temperature variation within these volumes, supported by anti-stratification fans and low-temperature floor heating. This approach reduces operational energy demand while maintaining comfort in adjacent work areas. Floor slabs use a bubble-deck system to lower concrete consumption and overall weight. Two central cores and open floor plates enable reconfiguration over time to allow the building to adapt to changing programs. <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179380 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-03.jpg" alt="mvrdv yerevan armenia" width="818" height="654" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-03.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-03-125x100.jpg 125w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-03-768x614.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> MVRDV designs the 120 meter-long bar to cantilever over the steep hillside a campus for collaboration in armenia The landscape surrounding MVRDV’s Yerevan, Armenia campus continues the rocky character of Tumanyan Park, introducing paths, seating areas, and informal gathering spaces. Routes connect the building to the park and to new vantage points overlooking the Hrazdan River Gorge. With the EU TUMO Convergence Center, the architects positions architecture as part of Yerevan’s growing technology ecosystem. Elevated above the terrain and designed for long-term adaptability, the project supports collaboration between students, researchers, and industry within a setting defined by the distinct landscape of Armenia. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179381 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-04.jpg" alt="mvrdv yerevan armenia" width="818" height="818" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-04.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-04-768x768.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> large glazed openings frame views toward Mount Ararat and the city <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179382 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-05.jpg" alt="mvrdv yerevan armenia" width="818" height="818" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-05.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-05-768x768.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> a translucent polycarbonate facade filters daylight and glows after dark three full height atriums organize five stories of learning and workspaces <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179383 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-07.jpg" alt="mvrdv yerevan armenia" width="818" height="615" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-07.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MVRDV-EU-TUMO-convergence-center-yerevan-armenia-designboom-07-768x577.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> a central bridge passes through the main hall and extends as a viewing platform flexible floor plates allow the building to adapt to changing programs project info: name: EU TUMO Convergence Center architect: MVRDV | @mvrdv location: Yerevan, Armenia client: TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, Simonian Educational Foundation status: under construction visualizations: © MVRDV founding partner in charge: Winy Maas partner: Stefan de Koning director: Gideon Maasland design team: Ronald Hoogeveen, Edina Peli, Rico van de Gevel, Katarzyna Nowak, Angel Sanchez Navarro, Valentina Fantini, Prajakta Gawde, Renata Lopes Tavares, Daniele Dalbosco, Jose Manuel Garcia, Floris Dreesmann, Francesca Cambi, Mohan Yuan, Konstantina Lola, Helena Kajszczak, Sun Ah Jeong, Konstantina Kousari, Bartosz Michałowski, Marta Vilaseca Piera, Sara Abi Merched MVRDV NEXT: Sanne van der Burgh, Boudewijn Thomas, Jaka Korla, Zhijia Xiong MVRDV interior: Aser Gimenez Ortega, Turker Naci Saylan, Basak Gunalp, Sofia Mermigka Angeli copyright: MVRDV Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries partners: co-architect: TUMO Architectural Department, Yerevan project coordination: TUMO Construction Department, Yerevan structural engineer: EOC Eckersly O’Callaghan, London MEP: MET Majdalani Engineering and Trading, Lebanon cost calculation: MultiCal, TUMO Construction Department building physics, thermal analysis: EK Lab, London facade engineering: EK Lab, London environmental advisor: Transsolar BREEAM assessor: Carbon Conscious Limited, UK acoustic advisor: MMG Acoustical Consultants lighting design: Triangle, Yerevan The post a glowing, dual cantilevered box defines MVRDV’s project in yerevan, armenia appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
chado’s monolithic white concrete brick office stands near botanical garden in russia
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.
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 Architectural Studio’s office is located near the Botanical Garden in Rostov-on-Don framed views of surrounding landscape inform the placement of workspaces a stone fence contrasts with the white concrete brick exterior a light concrete belt reinforces the building’s structural continuity the facade expresses solidity through repetitive articulation interior spaces maintain the same material language as the exterior monolithic walls and slabs emphasize tectonic clarity primary work areas are elevated to maximize daylight and landscape views controlled geometry shapes a focused working environment limited material variation reinforces spatial coherence the architectural composition balances mass and landscape the project reflects a commitment to structural honesty and material clarity project info: name: The office of architectural studio Chado architect: Chado | @__chado__ location: Rostov-on-Don, Russia founding partner / senior architect: Evgeny Zadorozhniy co-founder/ senior interior designer: Oleg Pigulevsky project leader / senior architect: Karolina Sholokhova project leader / architect: Dmitry Konovalov architect: Andrey Ershov project leader / interior designer: Liya Mamina project leader / interior designer: Anastasia Kostandi project leader / interior designer: Ekaterina Ivashchenko interior designer: Evgenia Anyukhovskaya interior designer: Anna Voronova interior designer: Elnara Radzhabova 3D artist: Daniil Zhuravlov photographer: Evgeny Denisyuk | @photodenisyuk designboom 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 our readers here. edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom The post chado’s monolithic white concrete brick office stands near botanical garden in russia appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
venice art biennale 2026 curatorial team shares details as koyo kouoh’s vision moves forward
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.
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 threshold as a spatial and symbolic device. In the Central Pavilion and the Arsenale, sweeping indigo banners descend from the rafters to mark transitions between zones, modulating tempo and atmosphere while preserving the autonomy of each artist’s universe. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1105018 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/venice-biennale-arte-2026-koyo-kouoh-curator-61st-international-art-exhibition-designboom-01.jpg" alt="venice art biennale 2026 curator" width="818" height="1227" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/venice-biennale-arte-2026-koyo-kouoh-curator-61st-international-art-exhibition-designboom-01.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/venice-biennale-arte-2026-koyo-kouoh-curator-61st-international-art-exhibition-designboom-01-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/venice-biennale-arte-2026-koyo-kouoh-curator-61st-international-art-exhibition-designboom-01-768x1152.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> portrait of Koyo Kouoh | photo by Mirjam Kluka, courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia in minor keys: A polyphonic model of collectivity In Minor Keys takes its title from music, where the minor key refers both to a compositional structure and to its emotional resonance. Within the 61st International Art Exhibition, the phrase operates as a curatorial framework grounded in listening, relation, and affect. Conceived by the late curator, Koyo Kouoh, the theme proposes an exhibition attuned to quieter tonalities and lower frequencies, privileging practices that unfold through intimacy, improvisation, and poetic persistence. The project emphasizes the capacity of art to nourish, sustain, and reconnect, foregrounding the sensory, emotional, and subjective dimensions of experience. Kouoh described the Biennale as a ‘polyphonous assembly of art,’ drawing on references from jazz improvisation, Caribbean thought, and the metaphor of the Creole garden, where diverse species coexist within shared ecosystems of protection and exchange. The exhibition is not organized into conventional thematic sections. Instead, it unfolds through what the team describes as undercurrents: Shrines, Processional Assemblies, Enchantment, Spiritual and Physical Rest, artist ‘universes’ conceived as islands or keys, and Schools, a term reflecting Kouoh’s longstanding commitment to artist-centered institution building. These strands interweave across sites, creating constellations of practices that privilege relation over hierarchy. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179339 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-02.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="545" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-02.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-02-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> Ebony G. Patterson, …fester… 2023. Hand-cut jacquard woven photo tapestry with glitter, trim, tassels, lace, metal, plastic and glass beaded pins on foam and wood armature. White blown-glass plants, black flame-worked glass plants, gold leaf on found plastic spine, glittered resin vultures, and artist-designed vinyl wallpaper. Dimensions variable, courtesy the artist, Monique Meloche Gallery, and New York Botanical Garden. special projects, performances, and schools Beyond the exhibition’s core presentation, In Minor Keys expands through performances, institutional collaborations, and editorial initiatives that reinforce Kouoh’s emphasis on relation and transmission. A procession of poets in the Giardini, inspired by her 1999 poetry caravan from Dakar to Timbuktu, introduces storytelling and collective recital as forms of embodied knowledge. Artist-led institutions, including Deniston Hill in New York, Black Star Lines in Accra, the Contemporary Art Institute in Nairobi, RAW Material Company in Dakar, among others, are presented under the rubric of Schools, reflecting Kouoh’s commitment to grassroots, non-market spaces of learning and regeneration. At the Arsenale’s Applied Arts Pavilion, developed with the Victoria and Albert Museum, Gala Porras-Kim presents a project examining museum conservation and classification systems, while Forte Marghera hosts site-responsive installations that extend the exhibition’s atmosphere of rest, wandering, and sensory attunement into the Venetian mainland. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179352 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-27.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="407" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-27.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-27-768x382.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> Mulindwa Peter The Owl Death (1982) editorial and graphic identity The official catalogue consists of two volumes: Volume I is dedicated to the International Exhibition curated by Kouoh, and Volume II to National Participations and Collateral Events. Featuring over 100 contributing authors, the publication centers artists through extended spreads that include critical texts and studio materials, alongside eight thematic essays and five literary ‘Invocations.’ The visual identity and catalogue design, created by Clarissa Herbst in collaboration with Alex Sonderegger, draw on komorebi, the shifting effect of light filtered through leaves, rendered through subtle tonal gradients and indigo textile banners that echo the exhibition’s spatial rhythm. La Biennale di Venezia also reiterates its commitment to environmental sustainability, continuing its carbon-reduction strategy through renewable energy use, material reuse, and emission mitigation measures. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179346 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-16.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="585" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-16.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-16-768x549.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> Alice Maher, Les Filles d’Ouranos (detail), 1996/2025. Epoxy and polyester resin, moorings, each piece 60 x 50 x 50 cm. Installation variable. Courtesy the artist. Photo Francois Poivret <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179344 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-14.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="1251" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-14.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-14-654x1000.jpg 654w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-14-768x1175.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> Alacu Josephine Mother’s Nightmare (1980) <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179338 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-01.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="1136" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-01.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-01-720x1000.jpg 720w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-01-768x1067.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> Guadalupe Maravilla, ICE Age Disease Thrower #1, 2025. Courtesy the artist and P·P·O·WGallery, New York <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179340 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-07.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="614" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-07.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-07-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> Tammy Nguyen, Love Justice, You Rulers of the Earth, 2025, installation view. Watercolor, vinyl paint, pastel, silkscreen printing, rubber stamping, hot stamping, and metal leaf on paper stretched over wood and gator board panel. Overall dimensions: 144 x 168 x 2 inches / 365.8 x 426.7 x 5.1 cm. Photo Studio Kukla. Courtesy the artist and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Seoul, and London. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179341 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-08.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="614" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-08.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-08-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> Tammy Nguyen, Love Justice, You Rulers of the Earth, 2025, installation view. Watercolor, vinyl paint, pastel, silkscreen printing, rubber stamping, hot stamping, and metal leaf on paper stretched over wood and gator board panel. Overall dimensions: 144 x 168 x 2 inches / 365.8 x 426.7 x 5.1 cm. Photo Studio Kukla. Courtesy the artist and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Seoul, and London. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179342 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-09.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="632" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-09.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-09-768x593.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> Kaloki Nyamai, installation view Kamene Studio. Courtesy Galerie Barbara Thumm, Berlin <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179343 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-10.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="573" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-10.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-10-768x538.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> Eustaquio Neves, Arturos, Untitled, 1993–95, photograph, mixed technique. Courtesy the artist <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179345 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-15.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="545" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-15.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-15-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> Alan Phelan, Carol Sawyer as Natalie Brettschneider as Leaf as Me 1986, when Ray was really Miller, 2019. Joly screen photograph. Courtesy the artist <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179348 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-19.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="461" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-19.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-19-768x433.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> Hagar Ophir, A triple alphabet Ouija Board, detail from Bound With The Living, 2024. Photo Moritz Gansen <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179349 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-20.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="431" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-20.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-20-768x405.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> Lampedusa – 2019 – 270 x 530 cm. Acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of Galerie Cécile Fakhoury <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179350 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-23.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="614" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-23.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-23-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> Mohammed Z. Rahman, Hearthside, Whitechapel Gallery, London, 9–21 September 2025, installation view. Courtesy Phillida Reid, London. Photo Lewis Ronald <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179347 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-18.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="697" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-18.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/venice-art-biennale-2026-curatorial-team-details-koyo-kouoh-vision-designboom-18-768x654.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> Crowd and Insects (1976), C. Driciru project info: name: Venice Art Biennale 2026 | @labiennale curator: Koyo Kouoh | @madamekoyo (appointed December 2024, passed away May 2025) president: Pietrangelo Buttafuoco dates: May 9th – November 22nd, 2026 follow our dedicated Venice Art Biennale Instagram account here for the latest announcements and live coverage. The post venice art biennale 2026 curatorial team shares details as koyo kouoh’s vision moves forward appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
robotic bird by korean artist duo erases its own footprints as social commentary
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.
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 our readers here. edited by: claire brodka | designboom The post robotic bird by korean artist duo erases its own footprints as social commentary appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
diesel unearths 50,000 old props, inflatables and memorabilia for FW 2026 runway set
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.
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, creating a landscape of memories that speak of the brand’s culture. As soon as the camera zooms out to show the full installation, viewers see white and wide space. Steel trusses and lights hang above, and on the floor, there are clothes, shoes, signs with the Diesel logo, chairs, mirrors, toys, and small tools. Some items hang. Some stand alone. Some are grouped. The floor is covered with objects in a loose order, making Diesel’s 2026 runway show in Milan feel like a post-party. The design works like a visual archive, as each object stands as proof of past moments. Creative director Glenn Martens explains that the collection is about waking up in a place and not knowing what happened the night before. The installation reflects this idea because the space looks like the morning after a wild party. Both the viewer and the model walk through fragments of scenes. The design positions an immersive environment at the center of Diesel’s 2026 runway show in Milan, where design, memory, and reuse gather and party for life. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179294 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/repurposed-props-inflatables-memorabilia-diesel-runway-show-milan-FW26-designboom-02.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-02.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/repurposed-props-inflatables-memorabilia-diesel-runway-show-milan-FW26-designboom-02-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> Diesel brings over 50,000 repurposed props and memorabilia to its Fall/Winter 2026 runway show in Milan <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179295 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/repurposed-props-inflatables-memorabilia-diesel-runway-show-milan-FW26-designboom-03.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-03.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/repurposed-props-inflatables-memorabilia-diesel-runway-show-milan-FW26-designboom-03-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> it is a set full of installation built from the brand’s memories since 1978 <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179296 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/repurposed-props-inflatables-memorabilia-diesel-runway-show-milan-FW26-designboom-04.jpg" alt="the space works like a scene after a party, with items place across the floor" width="818" height="460" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/repurposed-props-inflatables-memorabilia-diesel-runway-show-milan-FW26-designboom-04.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/repurposed-props-inflatables-memorabilia-diesel-runway-show-milan-FW26-designboom-04-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> the space works like a scene after a party, with items place across the floor <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179297 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/repurposed-props-inflatables-memorabilia-diesel-runway-show-milan-FW26-designboom-05.jpg" alt="the installation inside Diesel’s 2026 runway show in Milan focuses on upcycling and reuse" width="818" height="460" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/repurposed-props-inflatables-memorabilia-diesel-runway-show-milan-FW26-designboom-05.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/repurposed-props-inflatables-memorabilia-diesel-runway-show-milan-FW26-designboom-05-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> the installation inside Diesel’s 2026 runway show in Milan focuses on upcycling and reuse <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179298 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/repurposed-props-inflatables-memorabilia-diesel-runway-show-milan-FW26-designboom-06.jpg" alt="each object tells a piece of story from almost fifty years of Diesel’s culture" width="818" height="460" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/repurposed-props-inflatables-memorabilia-diesel-runway-show-milan-FW26-designboom-06.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/repurposed-props-inflatables-memorabilia-diesel-runway-show-milan-FW26-designboom-06-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> each object tells a piece of story from almost fifty years of Diesel’s culture everything is visible and open to view project info: brand: Diesel | @diesel creative director: Glenn Martens | @glennmartens season: FW26 The post diesel unearths 50,000 old props, inflatables and memorabilia for FW 2026 runway set appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
fibonacci sequence inspires surrealist bamboo and basalt architecture of bali beach club
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.
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 vegetation while extending the program vertically into the canopy. Positioned in a secluded area of the site, the Elysium pavilion is designed for ceremonial functions including meditation, yoga, and weddings. Constructed using composite structural insulated panels (SIP panels), the building avoids the use of concrete while enabling precise geometric forms. A defining feature of the pavilion is a 20-meter clear span between two structural halves, connected solely by glass. This configuration required detailed structural analysis by Inspiral Architects’ design team to maintain alignment and stability. Luna Beach Club sits along the cliffs of Nyanyi Beach in Tabanan, Bali sculptural elements interlace the beach club with the landscape The project prioritizes material systems that respond to climate and environmental conditions. Bamboo, basalt reinforcement, composite SIP panels, recycled timber, natural stone, lime renders, and green roofs are integrated across the development. Roof forms are shaped to provide shade, facilitate ventilation, and collect rainwater. The beach club structure represents the first building to employ a combined bamboo and basalt structural system. A translucent membrane roof material is used extensively, functioning as a lightweight enclosure that diffuses light. Throughout the site, materials are expressed in their natural state, reinforcing the tectonic clarity of the buildings. Interwoven gardens, sculptures, and smaller venues create a layered sequence of spaces across the site. The masterplan accommodates large-scale concerts, festivals, exhibitions, and performances while maintaining circulation clarity and sensitivity to the existing microclimate and terrain. The development process required extensive research, prototyping, and training of construction teams to execute the complex geometries and alternative material systems. Through structural experimentation and controlled fabrication methods, the project integrates ecological material strategies with advanced geometric design. Luna Beach Club establishes a spatial framework in which architecture, landscape, and programmed activity operate as interconnected systems, structured through proportional geometry and site-responsive construction. Fibonacci geometry informs the proportional layout of the site the masterplan organizes dining, event, and recreational spaces across sloping terrain circulation routes follow geometric relationships across the landscape layered woven shading regulates daylight within the restaurant space a double-curved roof combines bamboo and basalt in a unified system a lagoon-style pool extends toward the ocean edge the main beach club emerges as a vortex-like bamboo structure bamboo, basalt, and natural stone define the material palette the design integrates natural materials within a complex geometric framework the Elysium pavilion occupies a secluded ceremonial setting elevated pods constructed from recycled materials are suspended among existing trees overlooking the sea curved bamboo roofing covers the reception interior a11-meter slide connects the pool to the underground Utopia VIP Club project info: name: Luna Beach Club architect: Inspiral Architects | @inspiral.studios design team: Charlie Hearn, Laura Tika, Iqbal Ziaul Haq, Rahman Akbar Sayekti, Oktanto, Aileen Ivena, I Nyoman Bagus Sakhapradnya location: Nyanyi Beach, Tabanan, Bali designboom 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 our readers here. edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom The post fibonacci sequence inspires surrealist bamboo and basalt architecture of bali beach club appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
antoni gaudí’s original furniture designs reissued in new collection by BD barcelona
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.
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 the body,‘ notes BD Barcelona’s Max D’Huart. ‘For the centenary, our responsibility is not only to preserve these works, but to share the craftsmanship and human knowledge that continue to bring them to life. Through collaborations such as Monde Singulier, we aim to make that living legacy visible.’ <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179222 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BD-barcelona-antoni-gaudi-furniture-collection-designboom-02.jpg" alt="bd barcelona gaudí furniture" width="818" height="655" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BD-barcelona-antoni-gaudi-furniture-collection-designboom-02.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BD-barcelona-antoni-gaudi-furniture-collection-designboom-02-125x100.jpg 125w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BD-barcelona-antoni-gaudi-furniture-collection-designboom-02-768x615.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> BD Barcelona, Calvet Armchair, Antoni Gaudí | image © Jara Varela historic design reissued through the lens of BD barcelona BD Barcelona has preserved and re-edited Gaudí’s furniture since 1975, and has entrusted production to a lineage of master artisans who maintain the techniques and material standards associated with the originals. Each piece is handcrafted in solid oak, numbered, signed, and certified by the Real Cátedra Gaudí as an exact reproduction. The showcase foregrounds this transmission of knowledge. Elements of the production process are highlighted during the presentation, emphasizing that Gaudí’s philosophy is embedded in gestures and methods as much as in the finished form. The hand that shapes the wood remains integral to the piece’s identity, and links present-day craftsmanship to late nineteenth-century experimentation. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179223 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BD-barcelona-antoni-gaudi-furniture-collection-designboom-03.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-03.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BD-barcelona-antoni-gaudi-furniture-collection-designboom-03-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> BD Barcelona, Batlló Bench, Antoni Gaudí | image © Salva Lopez functional sculptures by a design icon Viewed in isolation, a Casa Calvet chair reads almost as a carved study of movement. The backrest dips and rises in a continuous contour, while the arms curve outward in a gesture that anticipates the forearm’s placement. The seat’s surface appears scooped from a single block, its edges softened through repeated sanding and varnishing. All together, the furniture reveals a compositional intelligence that mirrors Gaudí’s interiors. Historic images of Casa Batlló and Casa Calvet show ensembles of chairs arranged in relation to windows, brick walls, and decorative fittings. The Paris installation echoes that dialogue between architecture and object to frame the pieces within a spatial narrative rather than isolating them as collectibles. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179224 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BD-barcelona-antoni-gaudi-furniture-collection-designboom-04.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-04.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BD-barcelona-antoni-gaudi-furniture-collection-designboom-04-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> BD Barcelona, Calvet Stool, Antoni Gaudí | image courtesy BD Barcelona <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179225 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BD-barcelona-antoni-gaudi-furniture-collection-designboom-05.jpg" alt="bd barcelona gaudí furniture" width="818" height="1023" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BD-barcelona-antoni-gaudi-furniture-collection-designboom-05.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BD-barcelona-antoni-gaudi-furniture-collection-designboom-05-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BD-barcelona-antoni-gaudi-furniture-collection-designboom-05-768x960.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> BD Barcelona, Calvet Stool (detail), Antoni Gaudí | image courtesy BD Barcelona BD Barcelona, Batlló Bench, Antoni Gaudí, Taller de Arquitectura Ricardo Bofill | image © Nacho Alegre <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179226 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BD-barcelona-antoni-gaudi-furniture-collection-designboom-07.jpg" alt="bd barcelona gaudí furniture" width="818" height="1022" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BD-barcelona-antoni-gaudi-furniture-collection-designboom-07.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BD-barcelona-antoni-gaudi-furniture-collection-designboom-07-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BD-barcelona-antoni-gaudi-furniture-collection-designboom-07-768x960.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> BD Barcelona, Antoni Gaudí, collection | image courtesy BD Barcelona BD Barcelona, Antoni Gaudí, collection | image courtesy BD Barcelona project info: designer: Antoni Gaudí brand: BD Barcelona | @bdbarcelonadesign marketplace: Monde Singulier | @monde_singulier The post antoni gaudí’s original furniture designs reissued in new collection by BD barcelona appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
nordic office of architecture delivers phase one of oslo’s new government quarter
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.
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 Government Quarter phase one opens to the public Previously, the former Y-block and surrounding road infrastructure had created a car-centric enclave. In its place, the Norway-, Denmark- and Iceland-based architects link Hammersborg, the city center, and the fjord through reopened streets, refreshed plazas at Johan Nygaardsvolds plass and Einar Gerhardsens plass, and new pedestrian and cycling connections. A future public park, Regjeringsparken, designed with SLA and Bjørbekk & Lindheim, will introduce open lawns, native planting, and clear sightlines that maintain both accessibility and security. At the center of Phase 1 stands the A-block and its 51-meter-high Pyramid Hall, a timber-lined atrium that functions as both lobby and symbolic heart. The space is animated by Outi Pieski’s AAhkA (Mother Earth), a vertically rising artwork that addresses Sámi history and indigenous futurism. Generous glazing, visible circulation, and open ground floors position the building as a permeable threshold between state and citizen. ‘From day one, the question was how to create a place that symbolizes Norwegian democracy and identity. We were asked to design a secure government district, but also a place where people feel welcome to walk, sit, protest and remember – a government quarter that belongs to the whole of Norway,’ reflects Gudmund Stokke, founding partner and head of design at Nordic Office of Architecture. Bridges and shared social zones form what the team calls the Collaboration District, connecting ministries at the first-floor level and encouraging cross-departmental exchange. Internally, modular floor plates and flexible office layouts are designed to adapt to evolving political structures and digital work practices over decades. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179204 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-04.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="1019" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-04.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-04-803x1000.jpg 803w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-04-768x957.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> the first phase of Norway’s New Government Quarter in Oslo is completed embedding security in landscape and long-term sustainability The architecture responds directly to the post-2011 dilemma of reconciling security with public trust. Protective measures are integrated into landscape design, building envelopes, and controlled vehicle access. Clear sightlines, active ground levels, cafés, and accessible gardens invite everyday use. Material choices root the complex in Norwegian geology and craft traditions. Larvikite stone clads facades and public surfaces, selected for durability and long-term patina. Locally sourced timber from Nordmarka brings warmth to interiors, while boatbuilders Risør Båtbyggeri, in collaboration with Biko, contributed to the double-curved wooden surfaces and sculpted stair elements. The buildings are designed to meet BREEAM-NOR Excellent standards, incorporating seawater-based heating and cooling, low-carbon concrete, and detailed envelopes to reduce operational energy demand. Approximately 20 percent of the 15,800 furniture items in Phase 1 are reused from previous government buildings, aligning circularity with continuity. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179206 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-06.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="876" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-06.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-06-768x822.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> reopening the political center of the country as a reconfigured civic landscape art as memory and continuity Curated and produced by KORO, the quarter hosts Norway’s largest public art program, comprising around 300 new and re-sited works. Artworks bearing visible traces of the 2011 attack have been conserved and relocated, forming a distributed memorial embedded in daily use. The collection includes Pablo Picasso’s sandblasted concrete mural. The Fishermen, relocated from the former Y-block to the southwest facade of the A-block; Do Ho Suh’s Grass Roots Square, a field of approximately 50,000 small bronze figures supporting stone slabs at Einar Gerhardsen’s plass; and Jumana Manna’s 800-square-meter mosaic Sebastia at Johan Nygaardsvolds plass, composed of stone offcuts donated by municipalities across Norway, turning the plaza into a literal ‘city floor.’ The project also incorporates the public 22 July Centre, dedicated to the events of July 22nd, 2011, and anticipates the unveiling of the new National 22 July Memorial in summer 2026, marking 15 years since the attacks. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179208 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-08.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="1226" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-08.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-08-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-08-768x1151.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> the masterplan consolidates nearly all Norwegian ministries into a compact campus for around 4,100 employees a national commission Commissioned by the Ministry of Digitalisation and Public Administration with Statsbygg as developer, the project was awarded in 2017 to the Team Urbis consortium led by Nordic Office of Architecture. Phase 1 was delivered on time and within the parliamentary budget frame of NOK 24.7 billion and is expected to be completed for more than NOK 2 billion under this ceiling. ‘The New Government Quarter is a once-in-a-generation commission that demonstrates how architecture, landscape, engineering and art can come together on one of the most sensitive sites in Norway,’ says Eskild Andersen, CEO and Partner at Nordic Office of Architecture. ‘It transforms a closed government district into an open civic heart for Oslo and the country, where everyday government and everyday life converge.’ With Phase 2 set to begin in 2026 and complete by 2030, the quarter remains a long-term national project. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179213 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-17.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="401" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-17.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-17-768x376.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> framed as a ‘design for democracy’ <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179202 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-01.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="940" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-01.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-01-768x883.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> the project brings government functions together <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179203 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-02.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="895" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-02.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-02-768x840.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> the space is animated by Outi Pieski’s AAhkA (Mother Earth) <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179205 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-05.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="927" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-05.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-05-768x870.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> Phase 1 includes the restored Høyblokken alongside the new A- and D-blocks <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179207 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-07.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="869" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-07.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-07-768x816.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> a public ‘front line’ facing the city <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179209 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-10.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="1027" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-10.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-10-796x1000.jpg 796w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-10-768x964.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> the masterplan arranges five new and two restored buildings as a ring of ministries <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179210 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-11.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="781" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-11.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-11-768x733.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> the architecture responds directly to the post-2011 dilemma of reconciling security with public trust <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179211 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-14.jpg" alt="" width="818" height="693" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-14.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nordic-office-architecture-phase-one-oslo-new-government-quarter-haptic-architects-designboom-14-768x651.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> clear sightlines, active ground levels, cafés, and accessible gardens invite everyday use project info: name: New Government Quarter (Regjeringskvartalet), Phase 1 architect: Nordic Office of Architecture | @nordicooa location: Akersgata 42, 0180 Oslo, Norway sub-consultants: Haptic Architects | @hapticarchitects, Scenario (interior architects) | @scenario_architecture, I-d. Interiørarkitektur & Design | @i_d.no design consortium (Team Urbis): Nordic Office of Architecture (lead), COWI, Rambøll, Aas-Jakobsen, Asplan Viak, Bjørbekk & Lindheim (landscape), SLA (landscape) client: Statsbygg owner: Ministry of Digitalisation and Public Administration (DFD), Norway public art commissioner: KORO The post nordic office of architecture delivers phase one of oslo’s new government quarter appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
pleated fabric shapes aoi’s structural lighting form
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.
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 the internal armature stabilizes the pleated surface project info: name: Aoi designer: InOutGrid – Ingrid Ng designboom 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 our readers here. edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom The post pleated fabric shapes aoi’s structural lighting form appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
monolithic white ‘avlakia house’ overlooks rugged island of antiparos, greece
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.
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 thickness conveys a sense of permanence while remaining aligned with agricultural structures found across the Cyclades. The gesture feels both infrastructural and inhabitable, forming a threshold between land and dwelling. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179165 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/avlakia-house-argyro-pouliovali-architecture-research-practice-ARP-antiparos-greece-designboom-02.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-02.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/avlakia-house-argyro-pouliovali-architecture-research-practice-ARP-antiparos-greece-designboom-02-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> Avlakia House sits between two natural gorges on the Greek island of Antiparos the white monolith overlooks antiparos, greece Above ground, a white monolithic volume contains the shared spaces of ARP’s Avlakia House. Its geometry is defined through proportion and repetition, with subtle inward inclinations that respond to solar orientation and human scale. The white surface captures the changing light of Greece throughout the day, casting soft shadows that articulate its depth. Below ground, the private bedrooms are organized as a cluster of stone volumes arranged around a protected courtyard. This configuration evokes the spatial logic of a small village, where circulation occurs through open air yet remains sheltered from prevailing winds. The courtyard introduces light and air into the embedded spaces and shape a living space that feels breezy and curated. An amphitheater carved into the terrain extends this relationship between dwelling and landscape. Serving as a viewing platform, it frames the horizon and the surrounding gorges. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179166 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/avlakia-house-argyro-pouliovali-architecture-research-practice-ARP-antiparos-greece-designboom-03.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-03.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/avlakia-house-argyro-pouliovali-architecture-research-practice-ARP-antiparos-greece-designboom-03-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> the residence is conceived as a hybrid between architecture and landscape interiors of local stone and marble Material choices reinforce the project’s dialogue with place. Local stone and marble define walls and surfaces, while terrazzo flooring references regional craft traditions. Collaboration with local artisans ensured that construction techniques reflect the knowledge embedded in the island’s building culture. The environmental strategy operates with similar restraint. Planted roofs blend the architecture into the terrain while contributing to thermal performance. Deep shading mitigates solar gain, and cross ventilation harnesses the northern winds that sweep across Antiparos. Throughout the project, landscape operates as part of the structure itself, as its massing responds directly to the site’s two gorges. The pools and outdoor terraces extend along the retaining wall and align with natural contours and maintain visual continuity toward the sea. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179167 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/avlakia-house-argyro-pouliovali-architecture-research-practice-ARP-antiparos-greece-designboom-04.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-04.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/avlakia-house-argyro-pouliovali-architecture-research-practice-ARP-antiparos-greece-designboom-04-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> a white monolithic volume contains the shared spaces above ground <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179168 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/avlakia-house-argyro-pouliovali-architecture-research-practice-ARP-antiparos-greece-designboom-05.jpg" alt="avlakia house ARP greece" width="818" height="1023" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/avlakia-house-argyro-pouliovali-architecture-research-practice-ARP-antiparos-greece-designboom-05.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/avlakia-house-argyro-pouliovali-architecture-research-practice-ARP-antiparos-greece-designboom-05-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/avlakia-house-argyro-pouliovali-architecture-research-practice-ARP-antiparos-greece-designboom-05-768x960.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> local marble, terrazzo, and regional craftsmanship shape the material palette a continuous retaining wall defines the architecture along the terrain <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1179169 size-full" src="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/avlakia-house-argyro-pouliovali-architecture-research-practice-ARP-antiparos-greece-designboom-07.jpg" alt="avlakia house ARP greece" width="818" height="1022" srcset="https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/avlakia-house-argyro-pouliovali-architecture-research-practice-ARP-antiparos-greece-designboom-07.jpg 818w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/avlakia-house-argyro-pouliovali-architecture-research-practice-ARP-antiparos-greece-designboom-07-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/avlakia-house-argyro-pouliovali-architecture-research-practice-ARP-antiparos-greece-designboom-07-768x960.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /> much of the program is embedded into the ground using local stone private bedrooms are arranged around a protected courtyard below grade project info: name: Avlakia House architect: ARP – Architecture Research Practice | @arp_athens location: Antiparos, Greece photography: © Yiorgos Kordakis | @yiorgoskordakis The post monolithic white ‘avlakia house’ overlooks rugged island of antiparos, greece appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.