as we wrap up 2025, these are the ten installations that capture the year’s evolving sensory and spatial imagination.
UPDATES
stay up to date with all the latest topics to be featured on designboom with our dedicated tag overview. we've collated the most recent themes in the worlds of art, architecture, design and technology for your easy reading: from emerging architecture studios to new design trends to relevant events from around the globe.
TOP 10 LISTS OF 2025 - BIG STORIES (11)
from a game controller made of bacteria and yeast, to a sonic bench converting human touch into sound, we look back at some of our favourite design objects and materials applications of 2025.
connections: +190
photography (442)
the photographer captures the concrete extension as a study in balance, showing how the architecture highlights history without overshadowing it.
through dazzling, faceless constructions, he turns the photographic portrait into a site of playful disappearance and self-invented identity.
connections: +440
architecture in japan (1693)
the porous envelope keeps the building almost fully open while shielding it from sun, rain, and typhoons.
the smooth outline of the structure slips beyond the shadow of the house, allowing plants to thrive and daylight to spill into the dining space.
residential architecture and interiors (4686)
local stone anchors the structure to the terrain, while concrete and timber define a calm, durable architectural language.
connections: +5100
original architectural features, including the brick facade and rounded corners, are retained.
chicken coops (17)
the piece turns a functional agricultural structure into a design-focused object.
connections: 30
from bamboo vaults rising in flood-prone villages to inflatable dream temples, here are ten pavilions reshaping how we think about space right now.
gold (13)
on the ceiling inside the car, there are 719 ‘stars’ positioned, replicating the exact constellations during the last night of the 1964 movie’s filming.
connections: +1080
a vintage-style monochrome watch, the recent model marks the 20th anniversary of the patrimony collection, first launched in 2004.
connections: +460
gabion walls (13)
a new pavilion opens on mount royal, the highest point in montreal and home to the basilica saint joseph’s oratory.
connections: +290
portuguese studio artequitectos organizes the interiors of its CL house to face a central garden courtyard.
architecture in canada (282)
two offset geometric volumes stacked vertically over three levels compose the 100-square-meter home.
quebecois architecture studios oyama and julia manaças architecte complete this 'waterhouse' project in canada.
connections: +4970
lighting design (551)
cara campos' furniture collection expresses the geometries and visible wear of the worn bicycles.
connections: +1950
the ilo lamp moves with you, and charges passively when you return it to its dock.
connections: +710
sound art (105)
la mécanique de noël installation examines festive gatherings through spatial design and mechanics.
at cooper hewitt, devon turnbull’s 'hifi pursuit listening room dream no. 3' frames high-fidelity sound as a crafted interior.
connections: +110
table design (186)
cara campos' furniture collection expresses the geometries and visible wear of the worn bicycles.
connections: +1950
guided by organic morphologies, the living series develops form and structure across a sculptural chair, side table, and tray.
connections: +1440
architecture in france (720)
kengo kuma will sensitively renovate the historic l'aventure michelin museum with its industrial heritage and rhythmic sawtooth roof.
paf atelier and BB architectes design the orange steel structure to reorganize living spaces without partitions.
christmas tree (16)
la mécanique de noël installation examines festive gatherings through spatial design and mechanics.
standing 8.4 meters tall, yuji okitsu's spiral-shaped centerpiece is crafted from 40,000 precision-cut fresnel lenses.
connections: 16
interactive installation (515)
carbon rods, 3D printed joints, and kite-canvas discs form its lightweight structure.
oas/s-ely installation operates as both an architectural object and an interactive platform.
connections: +3280
glass art and design (215)
la mécanique de noël installation examines festive gatherings through spatial design and mechanics.
reflections shift across the steel surfaces as sunlight and weather change.
motorcycle and scooter design (479)
from high-tech hoverbikes to solar-powered motorcycles, our list shows a design shift in personal mobility, where experimentation, form, and user experience come through.
an upgraded and smaller version of the 2024 model, the brand revives the retro styling for the recent motorbike with its pixelated decals.
connections: +480
KEEP UP WITH OUR DAILY AND WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS