The penthouse residence by Metaphors is defined by a balance of extremes, where bold neo-classical elements are combined with the raw mass of brutalism. The architectural program rejects a singular aesthetic, instead opting for a material collision that pairs deep-veined, sculpted marbles with intricately detailed ceilings and embossed wall panels. This allows the residence to function as a versatile home, shifting between an expansive stage for high-society hosting and a series of intimate, quiet sanctuaries for family life.

Penthouse residence by Metaphors | all images courtesy of Metaphors

AESTHETICS, UTILITY, AND MINDFULNESS DRIVE METAPHORS’ Practice

Based in India, Metaphors was co-founded by Anand Bhagat and the late Amala Sheth, gaining early recognition for designing large-scale IT campuses and commercial spaces during the country’s technological boom. The firm’s expertise spans hospitality, residential, and institutional sectors, always prioritizing functional and contextually sensitive design. Bhagat, a certified naturalist and martial artist, steers the studio’s vision through his personal mantra, ‘AUM’ – Aesthetics, Utility, and Mindfulness. This philosophy ensures that every project reflects technical precision alongside a deep respect for the user’s experience and the environment.

bold neo-classical elements are combined with the raw mass of brutalism

PENTHOUSE RESIDENCE WITH CONTRASTING INFLUENCES

To animate the interiors, Metaphors utilizes a sequence of strategic ceiling cut-outs that allow natural light to penetrate the deep plan. These openings transform the atmosphere of the home throughout the day, casting shifting shadows across the heavy stone surfaces and textured wall treatments. The spatial organization follows this logic of contrast; while the brutalist influence introduces a sense of permanence and austerity, the neo-classical detailing provides a rhythmic ornamentation that softens the structural rigor.

By navigating this balance of extremes, the design ensures that movement through the home becomes a processional experience. The heavy, veined marbles ground the living volumes, while the light-filled voids overhead introduce a sense of verticality and openness. This layering of history and modernism results in a residence that serves as an experiential study in harmony and contrast.

light-filled voids introduce a sense of verticality and openness

light-filled voids introduce a sense of verticality and openness

each room is crafted for both shared family moments and cherished solitude

sculpted marbles in deep veined tones ground the space with opulence

the neo-classical detailing provides a rhythmic ornamentation that softens the structural rigor

the residence shifts between an expansive stage for high-society hosting and intimate sanctuaries for family life

the brutalist influence introduces a sense of permanence and austerity

project info: 

name: Penthouse Residence
design studio: Metaphors | @metaphorsdesignpune
lead architect: Anand Bhagat | @anandbhagat84
interior architect: Pauravi Mahajan- Pawar | @ar.pauravi
location: India

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Daxing Jizi Design inserts OctaPlay, a public art installation, into a site defined by monumental industrial remains in Beijing, reframing the heavy material legacy of the area through movement, color, and atmospheric change. The lightweight, kinetic structure is commissioned for Yong Ding He Ji, a cultural and lifestyle destination unfolding along the Yongding River at the foot of Shijingshan. Set within Shougang Park’s vast former steelworks, the installation takes its name from its eight-sided geometry. Its octagonal frame and folded surfaces recall paper origami, a contrast to the rigidity of the industrial environment.

The designers describe the project as a topological translation of Shougang Park’s iconic smokestacks. Still, instead of vertical mass, OctaPlay disperses volume into semi-transparent elements that rotate and overlap. Suspended colored discs move gently with the wind, their shifting alignments producing an ever-changing composition of light and shadow.

all images by Zhu Yumeng, unless stated otherwise

wind-driven installation reframes the industrial landscape

In their early design ideas, the Chinese team at Daxing Jizi Design explored weaving overlapping metal sheets. As the project developed, this approach evolved into a combination of folding and nesting, paired with both heavy and light materials. Color became central in the later stages. While the metal framework of OctaPlay was initially conceived in black, prolonged time on site led the team to reconsider. Surrounded daily by dark industrial structures, they introduced silver surfaces with soft peach tones on the reverse, subtly lightening the installation.

Wind becomes the invisible conductor of the installation, animating the suspended elements and determining their rhythm. As sunlight passes through the rotating discs, colored reflections drift across the ground, turning visitors into participants within a temporary field of light. 

Yong Ding He Ji occupies a complex terrain where riverbanks, mountains, and factory relics coexist. The broader development follows a strategy of minimal intervention and spatial extension, allowing architecture, art, and commercial programs to emerge from the existing ground. OctaPlay operates within this logic and responds to the surrounding chimneys and steel structures, translating their scale and symbolism into an abstract, human-scaled form.

OctaPlay by Daxing Jizi Design stands within Shougang Park’s former steelworks

suspended colored discs through folded metal surfaces | image by Li Haibin

the installation stands between industrial relics and surrounding hills

the installation invites visitors to move through shifting fields of color and shadow

OctaPlay reinterprets the vertical mass of smokestacks

cut-out openings and folded edges define the human-scaled structure

suspended discs rotate gently, producing overlapping chromatic effects

the folded structure frames light, color, and movement

layered geometry and rotating colored elements

wind-driven colored discs animate the installation

an ever-changing composition of light and shadow | image by Kong Fansheng

wind becomes the invisible conductor of the installation | image by Kong Fansheng

octagonal frame and folded surfaces recall paper origami | image by Kong Fansheng

snow transforms OctaPlay into a seasonal landmark | image by Yong Ding He Ji

project info:

name: OctaPlay

artist: Daxing Jizi Design | @daxingjizi

location: Yong Ding He Ji, Shougang Park, Beijing (Shijingshan District, left bank of Yongding River)

area: 50 square meters

project director: Xie Qiongzhi

lead designer: Zeng Zhenwei

design consultant: Li Wenhai

structural engineering: AND Office

client: Yong Ding He Ji

photographer: Zhu Yumeng | @yumeng_zhu_coppakstudio, Kong Fansheng

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Dreamlike and futuristic, the work of designer Iris van Herpen is set to show at the Brooklyn Museum in New York in May 2026. The opening will mark the North American debut of the traveling exhibition, dubbed Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses, which brings more than 140 couture works into dialogue with design and scientific artifacts.

The museum has a long history of fashion exhibitions, and this one situates Iris van Herpen’s practice within a broader design conversation. Exhibits showcase how her garments operate as constructed environments for the body, shaped by material research, digital fabrication methods like laser-cutting and 3D printing, and a sustained engagement with natural systems.

Iris Van Herpen, Morphogenesis Dress, from the Sensory Seas collection, 2020. laser-cut and screenprinted mesh, duchesse satin, and laser-cut Plexiglas. collaborator: Philip Beesley. model: Yue Han. photo © David Uzochukwu

digital fabrication for dreamlike creations

Throughout the galleries of the Brooklyn Museum, Iris van Herpen’s garments appear as sculptural forms in motion and unaffected by gravity. Laser-cut meshes, layered polymers, and translucent synthetics register subtle shifts in posture and movement. This way, the designer gives each piece a sense of responsiveness as rippling designs often hover between rigidity and flexibility.

Many works foreground the mechanics of making. Three-dimensional printing, hand pleating, and experimental bonding techniques remain visible, so that the visual language is defined by its fabrication processes. This emphasis on construction aligns the exhibition closely with industrial design and architecture, where form is guided by material behavior rather than just decoration.

Iris van Herpen, Labyrinthine Kimono Dress, from the Sensory Seas collection, 2020. glass organza, crepe, tulle, and Mylar. model: Cynthia Arrebola. photo © David Uzochukwu

iris van herpen’s scientific references

Scientific reference points shape the exhibition design of Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses, as marine biology, anatomy, physics, and astronomy inform the sequencing of the Brooklyn Museum galleries. As such, the progression of spaces moves from themes of aquatic environments toward cosmic scales. But these disciplines are more than just backdrops. They influence how garments occupy space and how viewers circulate among them.

Scientific artifacts and contemporary artworks appear alongside the couture pieces to reinforce this approach. Fossils, skeletal structures, and even optical experiments echo the garments’ geometries. The effect remains measured and deliberate, encouraging close observation rather than quick a walkthrough.

Iris van Herpen. Sensory Seas Dress, from the Sensory Seas collection, 2020. PETG and glass organza. collaborator: Shelee Carruthers. models: Cynthia Arrebola and Yue Han. photo © David Uzochukwu

Iris Van Herpen, Morphogenesis Dress, from the Sensory Seas collection, 2020. laser-cut and screenprinted mesh, duchesse satin, and laser-cut Plexiglas. collaborator: Philip Beesley. model: Yue Han. photo © David Uzochukwu

project info:

name: Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses

artist: Iris van Herpen | @irisvanherpen

museum: Brooklyn Museum | @brooklynmuseum

location: 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY

opening: May 16th, 2026

photography: © David Uzochukwu | @daviduzochukwu

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Wuzhou Elementary School is a public primary school located in central Shenzhen, designed by People’s Architecture Office (PAO) to support contemporary educational models that emphasize creativity, exploration, and experiential learning. The project responds to Shenzhen’s broader transition from an industrial economy to one oriented toward innovation by reconsidering how architectural space can support evolving modes of education.

The school is conceived as a three-dimensional ‘Learning Landscape,’ replacing conventional classroom-and-corridor arrangements with a continuous field of varied spatial conditions. Learning environments are organized as interconnected zones that support different forms of interaction, movement, and engagement. This spatial flexibility encourages student-centered learning while allowing the school to adapt over time as pedagogical needs change.

Interior and exterior learning environments are treated as equally important components of the educational experience. Covered outdoor areas, occupiable architectural elements, and classrooms that open directly to exterior spaces reduce the separation between indoors and outdoors. These conditions support learning beyond the desk, enabling hands-on activities and engagement with natural elements.

all images by Yumeng Zhu

People’s Architecture Office focuses on movement and flexibility

The design team at People’s Architecture Office (PAO) organizes the Learning Landscape around three primary spatial elements: the Mountain, the Valley, and the Beach. Located in the main courtyard, the Mountain houses the school’s theater and cafeteria. Its stepped exterior provides vertical circulation and seating, while a raised platform at its base functions as a stage for performances and events. The Valley, designed at a smaller scale for younger students, features terraced steps descending toward a central mound, creating seating for informal gatherings and group activities. Adjacent to the Valley, the Beach is composed of gently contoured terrain that supports physical play and motor development for younger children.

Large interstitial spaces distributed throughout the school facilitate cross-disciplinary learning, collaboration, and informal interaction. Additional terraced areas, including the green roof, library, and sports facilities, are connected across multiple levels, reinforcing visual and physical continuity throughout the campus.

Vegetation is integrated across the project to address Shenzhen’s tropical climate. Planted areas contribute to passive cooling, help filter air pollution, and reduce noise from surrounding streets. These landscapes also form part of the learning environment, allowing students to engage with plant care and environmental processes. At the urban scale, the school is conceived as an extension of the large public park located to the north, while its greenery contributes to mitigating the urban heat island effect generated by adjacent commercial development.

Wuzhou Elementary School is a public primary school located in central Shenzhen

the school supports contemporary educational models based on creativity and exploration

the campus is conceived as a three-dimensional ‘Learning Landscape’

interior and exterior environments are treated as equally important learning areas

classrooms open directly to outdoor spaces, reducing the boundary between inside and outside

covered outdoor areas support hands-on learning and informal activities

stepped surfaces provide seating, circulation, and performance areas

terraced elements connect the library, green roof, and sports facilities across levels

large interstitial spaces support collaboration and cross-disciplinary learning

vegetation is integrated throughout the school to support passive cooling

architecture is used as a tool to support evolving modes of learning

the school, developed by People’s Architecture Office (PAO), connects to the adjacent public park

project info:

name: Wuzhou Elementary School

architect: People’s Architecture Office (PAO) | @peoplesarchitecture

location: Shenzhen, China

photographer: Yumeng Zhu

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

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James Turrell completes the permanent installation of As Seen Below—The Dome, a Skyspace at ARoS Aarhus Art Museum, ahead of its public opening on June 19th, 2026. The work is the artist’s largest Skyspace realized within a museum context and marks the final phase of the major expansion project of the institution, The Next Level. Measuring 16 meters in height and 40 meters in diameter, the work reframes the experience of looking, turning the sky into a material presence shaped by architecture, time, and light.

‘With As Seen Below I’m shaping the experience of seeing rather than delivering an image. The architecture holds the sky close, so you recognise that the act of looking is the work itself. Here light isn’t description; it’s the substance you stand within. In this Skyspace the day has weight, the evening has temperature, and the change belongs to you.’ shares the artist.

James Turrell, As Seen Below – The Dome, a Skyspace by James Turrell | images by Mads Smidstrup © ARoS, 2025. From James Turrells visit in As Seen Below, June 2025.

how ‘as Seen Below—The Dome, a Skyspace’ reshapes perception

For more than five decades, Turrell has built a practice around light and the proposition that it’s not merely something we see, but something we inhabit. His Skyspaces, architectural environments punctured by a ceiling aperture that frames the open sky, are among his most widely known works. They cultivate attentiveness, slowing the visitor’s body and senses down to meet the shifting conditions of natural light.

As Seen Below—The Dome, a Skyspace pushes this logic further than any of Turrell’s previous museum-based projects. Visitors enter the installation through an underground, light-filled corridor before arriving inside the vast domed chamber. From there, Turrell’s calibrated lighting washes across the interior surfaces, subtly modulating the way the sky is perceived through the central oculus.

Unlike many Skyspaces that function as solitary or intimate encounters, this work is conceived as a shared environment. The scale of the dome allows for a collective experience of light unfolding over time, emphasizing seasonal shifts and daily cycles. According to ARoS, the work is designed to foreground our relationship to nature, the sky, and the idea of a shared planet.

James Turrell completes the permanent installation of As Seen Below

completing the major expansion of ARoS Aarhus Art Museum

The opening of As Seen Below—The Dome, a Skyspace concludes The Next Level, ARoS’ multi-year expansion developed in collaboration with Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects. The project includes The Salling Gallery, a subterranean exhibition space dedicated to annual contemporary commissions, which opened in June 2025, as well as the Art Square, a permanent outdoor platform for art set to open in 2026. Turrell’s dome operates as the conceptual and spatial anchor of this transformation, integrating architecture, landscape, and perception into a single work.‘We are thrilled to announce that As Seen Below will open to the public in June 2026, in what promises to be a defining moment in the history of ARoS. We are proud that our museum will be home to the artist’s most significant Skyspace to date, an extraordinary work that invites visitors to slow down, look up, and experience light, time, and space in profoundly moving ways,’ shares Rebecca Matthews, Director of ARoS, framing the installation as a defining moment for the institution.

the work is the artist’s largest Skyspace realized within a museum context

marking the final phase of the major expansion project of the institution

James Turrell and Rebecca Matthews inside the Skyspace installation

the artist conceives this work as a shared environment

the work is designed to foreground our relationship to nature, the sky, and the idea of a shared planet

Turrell’s dome operates as the conceptual and spatial anchor of this transformation

project info:

name: As Seen Below—The Dome, a Skyspace

artist: James Turrell

location: ARoS Aarhus Art Museum, Aarhus, Denmark

public opening: June 19, 2026

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Sinuous and textural, Wallmakers‘ Kulhad Pavilion stands on Miramar beach in Goa, India as a temporary structure for the Serendipity Arts Festival 2025. The pavilion is set along the edge of the sand and occupies a narrow, shaded strip between trees and coast beyond.

Kulhads, also known as terracotta mud cups, once defined the everyday ritual of tea at railway stations across India. Used briefly and discarded soon after, they accumulated along tracks and coastlines, leaving a quiet record of consumption. For this pavilion, more than 18,000 of these cups were gathered from local communities in Dharavi and reused as a building material with structural purpose.

images © Studio IKSHA

the vaulted structure of terracotta waste

The architects at Wallmakers form the Kulhad Pavilion through three compressive catenary vaults, each shaped to direct weight downward into the ground. Built as unreinforced masonry, the vaults rely on geometry and gravity rather than additives or frames. The earthen cups are stacked and bonded to create a porous surface that filters light and air while maintaining mass and stability.

As the structure meanders along the beach edge, it takes on multiple roles as seating, shade, and informal stage. People pause beneath the vaults to escape the sun, while animals find shelter in the same spaces. Through this simple exchange between waste material and spatial need, Wallmakers presents the Kulhad Pavilion as an example of how discarded objects can regain civic presence through careful architectural thinking.

the Kulhad Pavilion stands along Miramar beach in Goa, India

Wallmakers designs the pavilion using 18,000 reclaimed terracotta ‘kulhads’

the pavilion reuses discarded mud cups collected from Dharavi in Mumbai

the structural system comprises three compressive catenary vaults

the unreinforced vaults rely on geometry and gravity for stability

earthen surfaces filter light and breezes along the beach edge

the structure weaves between trees as seating, shade, and gathering space

project info:

name: Kulhad Pavilion

architect: Wallmakers | @ar.vinudaniel

location: Goa, India

area: 1025 square feet
completion: 2025

photography: © Studio IKSHA | @studio.iksha

design team: Vinu Daniel, Preksha Shah, Jayesh Varma
structural engineer: Steelcrete
civil contractor: Aviyon Constructions

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Doca Linear Park is a landscape-led urban regeneration project by Natureza Urbana located in Belém do Pará, Brazil. The project occupies the former Igarapé das Almas, a 1.2-kilometer canal running along the central median of Visconde de Sousa Franco Avenue. The intervention addresses the historical disconnection between the city and its waterways by reintroducing water as a central element of public space and urban infrastructure.

Belém’s urban development progressively buried and fragmented its rivers and igarapés, prioritizing road infrastructure and reducing the presence of water in everyday life. The canal corridor was previously characterized by limited vegetation, low soil permeability, and a lack of public amenities, resulting in an underused and environmentally compromised urban space. Doca Linear Park forms part of a broader strategy to restore ecological and spatial continuity while improving environmental performance and public accessibility.

Designed as one of the key urban legacies for COP30, the project transforms the former canal into a continuous linear park structured around green infrastructure and water-sensitive urban design principles. The historic watercourse becomes the organizing element of the project, shaping a sequence of public spaces for leisure, sports, and everyday use. The design integrates nature-based solutions to improve water quality, reduce diffuse pollution, and support microdrainage, while resilient hydraulic systems address flood mitigation and public safety.

all images by Manuel Sá unless stated otherwise

Doca Linear Park builds A Continuous Network of Public Spaces

Increased soil permeability and the introduction of extensive native vegetation contribute to passive cooling, improved drainage, and the regulation of the local microclimate. The design team at Natureza Urbana follows these landscape strategies to support biodiversity and ecological connectivity within the urban fabric. Along its 1.2-kilometer length, the park incorporates viewpoints, elevated walkways, kiosks, playgrounds, a dog park, shaded seating areas, a continuous cycle path, and sports facilities, creating a varied sequence of spaces connected by pedestrian and cycling routes.

The design prioritizes universal accessibility, safety, and comfort, ensuring continuous use throughout the day. Community participation informed the development process through engagement with local residents, schools, and organizations, contributing to programmatic and spatial decisions aligned with local needs. Integrated within a wider framework of sanitation, drainage, and urban revitalization works in the Doca area, the project serves approximately 500,000 residents.

By converting a former canal into combined ecological and public infrastructure, Doca Linear Park reintroduces water into Belém’s urban experience and establishes a model for landscape-based regeneration within the Amazonian context.

Doca Linear Park occupies the former Igarapé das Almas canal in Belém do Pará

the 1.2-kilometer park runs along the central median of Visconde de Sousa Franco Avenue | image by Leonardo Finotti

landscape design replaces a previously underused canal corridor

nature-based solutions improve water quality and drainage performance

the project reintroduces water as a key element of public space

water-sensitive urban design supports flood mitigation and safety | image by Leonardo Finotti

elevated walkways provide views across the canal landscape | image by Leonardo Finotti

playgrounds and sports facilities activate the public realm | image by Leonardo Finotti

native vegetation contributes to cooling and ecological connectivity

Doca Linear Park combines ecological infrastructure with public space

shaded seating areas support everyday use of the park

kiosks and gathering areas support leisure and social interaction

the park integrates pedestrian and cycling routes along its length

the intervention addresses Belém’s historical separation from its waterways

project info:

name: Doca Linear Park

architect: Natureza Urbana | @naturezaurbana_br

location: Belém do Pará, Brazil

area: 40.080,24 sqm

project leader: Giulia Corsi
design team: Claudia Jaegerman, Julia Ximenes, Juliana Santos, Luan Neske, Nicollas Rangel, Yan Azevedo

coordination: Manoela Machado and Pedro Lira
partners: Vallenge Engenharia, Geasa Engenharia and Marcello Sanguinetti Estruturas Ltda

photographers: Manuel Sá | @omanuelsa, Leonardo Finotti | @leonardofinotti

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

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The Best Pivot Door Contest 2026, organized by FritsJurgens, brings together leading architects, designers, and makers from around the world to celebrate innovation in pivot door design. Announced in 2026 and drawing from more than 200 international submissions, the contest highlights 15 nominated projects that demonstrate how pivot doors continue to redefine architectural thresholds across private homes, cultural settings, and highly specialized environments. Evaluated by an independent jury of internationally recognized architects and engineers, including BIG, Foster + Partners, Zaha Hadid Architects, KAAN Architecten, and Arup, the initiative underscores why pivot doors have become a key architectural element: they merge structural performance with spatial expression, turning functional access points into defining design moments.

the Best Pivot Door Contest 2026 by FritsJurgens highlights 15 nominated projects | all images courtesy of FritsJurgens

Founded in the Netherlands, FritsJurgens is a company rooted in precision engineering and architectural collaboration. Established by FritsJurgens, the brand emerged from a clear ambition: to develop high-performance pivot systems capable of supporting very small and light, and exceptionally large and heavy doors while maintaining effortless movement and visual restraint. From the outset, the company positioned itself at the intersection of design and technology, working closely with architects and fabricators to solve complex spatial and mechanical challenges.

Over the years, FritsJurgens has built a reputation for systems that operate invisibly yet decisively shape architectural experience. Its pivot mechanisms are designed to be concealed within the door, allowing doors to read as moving walls rather than technical objects. This philosophy naturally extends into the Best Pivot Door Contest, which functions not only as a competition but also as a platform to showcase how thoughtful engineering can expand architectural language across climates, cultures, and material traditions.

evaluated by an independent jury of internationally recognized architects and engineers, the initiative underscores why pivot doors have become a key architectural element

The 2026 edition introduced a refined nomination process, with FritsJurgens selecting fifteen standout projects from a broad global pool. These shortlisted works were assessed by a jury of renowned architects, ensuring a multidisciplinary perspective that balances architectural intent, structural logic, and material execution. Alongside the jury awards, a newly introduced Public’s Choice Award invited a wider audience to engage with and support exemplary projects, reinforcing the contest’s international reach.

The Best Exterior Pivot Door 2026 – Jury Award was awarded to Silent Giant in Switzerland, designed by Mattia Canepa architetto. Transforming a private garage entrance into a transparent architectural feature, the nearly four-metre-wide glass door operates with remarkable calm despite its 470-kilogram weight. The jury highlighted the project’s precision, proportion, and the way controlled movement elevates a purely functional threshold into an architectural experience. ‘Technically outstanding and visually serene. The door reads as a moving wall whose elegance comes from precision rather than expression,’ says Fernando Garcia, Arup.

name: Silent Giant

award: Best Exterior Pivot Door 2026 – Jury Award

design: Mattia Canepa architetto
manufacture: Cattani Falegnameria SA
photograph: Alessandro Radice

country: Switzerland

The Best Exterior Pivot Door 2026 – Public’s Choice Award went to Lost Villa in Bali, designed by Single Art. Hand-carved from locally sourced Balinese timber and finished through charring, the door stands out for its tactile richness and cultural sensitivity. Its expressive surface contrasts with the smooth, almost weightless motion of the pivot system, earning praise for material honesty and craftsmanship. ‘A beautiful example of material honesty and craft. The surface invites touch and the movement introduces a quiet theatricality,’ comments Jesper Boye Andersen, BIG.

name: Lost Villa

award: Best Exterior Pivot Door 2026 – Public’s Choice Award

design: Single Art
hardware: SIMU Indonesia

country: Indonesia

Best Interior Pivot Door 2026 – Jury Award was presented to Tafelberg in the Netherlands by Studio Massimo. Within a continuous Red Grandis interior, the pivot doors blend seamlessly into walls and ceilings, reinforcing a calm and unified spatial language. The jury valued the project’s consistency and restraint, noting how movement becomes an integral yet almost imperceptible part of the architectural composition. Dikkie Scipio from KAAN Architecten says, ‘A masterclass in consistency and spatial calm. The design allows architecture to breathe without distraction.

name: Tafelberg

award: Best Interior Pivot Door 2026 – Jury Award
design: Studio Massimo
manufacture: Broporte Exclusive Doors
photograph: Riccardo De Vecchi Photography / Christian van der Kooy

country: Netherlands

The Best Interior Pivot Door 2026 – Public’s Choice Award was awarded to the Dubai Cinema Door by Worldesignteam WDM. Concealed within a sculptural travertine wall, the door remains visually indistinguishable until it pivots open, revealing a private cinema. The project was recognized for its theatrical presence, bold geometry, and the technical achievement of integrating a heavy stone door into a seamless architectural surface. ‘A sculptural object that becomes architecture. The sense of weight and precision is impressive,’ says Alessandra Laiso, Zaha Hadid Architects.

name: Dubai Cinema Door

design: Worldesignteam WDM
manufacture: Concept 5
hardware: Chabros
photograph: Yasar Curtay

country: United Arab Emirates

Winning both jury and public votes, Villa Venezia in Italy received the Best Speciality Application 2026 – Jury Award and Public’s Choice Award, making it the only project to receive both jury and public recognition in this year’s contest. Featuring two nearly four-metre-tall thermally broken steel pivot doors with an ultra-slim profile, the project achieves a rare balance between structural rigor and visual delicacy. The jury praised its engineering refinement, precise detailing, and architectural clarity, positioning it as a benchmark for future pivot door applications. ‘A beautifully engineered composition. The balance between structural logic and visual delicacy is remarkable,’ exclaims Fernando Garcia, Arup.

name: Villa Venezia

manufacture: UKeg Group srl

evaluated by an international jury and supported by public voting, the contest highlights the expanding role of pivot doors in contemporary architecture

project info:

name: Best Pivot Door Contest 2026 

company: FritsJurgens | @fritsjurgens

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Dead oak tree returns to life as sound sculptures, musical instruments, and playable records by artist Steve Parker. On display in an exhibition named Funeral for a Tree, the project began when a 65-year-old live oak tree in the artist’s yard died from oak wilt, a disease that slowly kills trees. Instead of removing the tree and moving on, Steve Parker chose to listen to it by transforming the oak tree into sound sculptures, allowing the tree to perform its own memorial. At the heart of the exhibition are the wood cookies, which are round slices cut from the oak’s trunk. 

The artist carefully turned them into playable records, similar to vinyl records, and each wooden record is engraved with recordings of migratory birdsong. These are sounds from bird species that once rested in the oak during different seasons of its life. When placed on a custom-made wooden turntable, the records spin and play, letting the tree remember the life it once supported.

all images courtesy of Ivester Contemporary and Steve Parker

Other instruments include medical breathing bags and brass

The records shown in the exhibition are made directly from the tree itself, and as the wood continues to dry over time, it naturally cracks and changes shape. This affects the sound quality, causing the music to fade, distort, or fill with static. The artist allows this to happen instead of fixing it, so in this way, the sound slowly disappears, just like memories change over time. Sound in the exhibition is also shaped by the sheng, a traditional Chinese mouth organ linked to ideas of rebirth and the phoenix. Sheng musician Jipo Yang performs the birdsongs, and throughout the gallery, sheng instruments appear in many forms. Some are played live, while others are connected to machines like ventilators and CPAP devices. These machines gently push air through the instruments, giving them breath. 

Other sound sculptures fill the space as well, still made of recycled oak tree. One includes a live oak branch connected to a camshaft that slowly moves and brushes against a wind chime. Another features a large bass drum covered in wood shavings. When birdsong plays, the shavings gently shake, making the sound visible as well as audible. There are also abstract turntables fitted with horn speakers, turning sound into something you can feel in the room. There’s even a plant-like instrument made from salvaged brass, medical breathing bags, and sheng reeds. It looks part machine, part organism, and each performance rearranges and activates the sculptures in new ways. The exhibition Funeral for a Tree by artist Steve Parker was shown at the art gallery Ivester Contemporary between November 29th, 2025 and January 10th, 2026.

at the heart of the exhibition are the wood cookies, which are round slices cut from the oak’s trunk

detailed view of the playable records

view of the turntable made from oak tree

exhibition view

there’s even a plant-like instrument made from salvaged brass, medical breathing bags, and sheng reeds

detailed view of the musical instruments

other sound sculptures fill the space as well, still made of recycled oak tree

the sound sculptures shown in the exhibition are made directly from the tree itself

exhibition view at Ivester Contemporary

project info:

name: Funeral for a Tree

artist: Steve Parker | @steveparker

gallery: Ivester Contemporary | @ivester_contemporary

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The Memphis Art Museum shares updated renderings, construction images, and the first details of its curatorial approach for its new downtown cultural campus, scheduled to open in December 2026. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron in collaboration with architect of record archimania and landscape studio OLIN, the 11,475-square-meter building repositions the institution along the Mississippi River, expanding its gallery footprint and its role as a civic space. The museum frames the new building as an active participant in the way that art, history, and community are experienced.

The glass facade of the building and street-level galleries allow passersby to see inside, while a public plaza shared with the historic Cossitt Library forms a new cultural commons along the bluff. At the center, a shaded courtyard operates as a social hinge, surrounded by a continuous, single-story loop of flexible gallery spaces. Five galleries feature large windows overlooking either the Mississippi River or the courtyard, while light-filled classrooms with northern exposure link viewing art to making it. Atop the building, a 4,645-square-meter rooftop sculpture garden, described as an ‘art park in the sky’, extends the footprint of the museum into the skyline. Sculptures, native plants, an event pavilion, and panoramic views of downtown Memphis and the Mississippi floodplain transform the roof into a public destination. 

The building is among the first major US museums to be constructed using laminated timber, with wood forming a defining architectural element throughout the campus. Timber beams, warm-toned surfaces, and material references to the clay banks of the Mississippi embed the building in its regional landscape. ‘Already, the civic nature of the building is tangible, and one can sense the positive impact it will have on Memphis,’ notes Ascan Mergenthaler, Senior Partner at Herzog & de Meuron.

all Memphis Art Museum construction images by Houston Cofield

a curatorial shift grounded in lived experience

Founded in 1916, the Memphis Art Museum is the largest and oldest world art museum in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas, holding nearly 10,000 works that span 5,000 years of global history. Its collection includes Old Master paintings from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, American art from the late 19th and 20th centuries, and significant holdings in photography. The move downtown allows the institution to reorganize its narratives around lived experience rather than conventional art historical chronologies.

That shift is most visible in the new curatorial framework. When the museum opens, its galleries will be organized into 18 distinct exhibitions that foreground connections across time, geography, and medium. The new layout creates visual and conceptual dialogue between spaces. ‘The construction of a new museum has given us a rare opportunity to not simply display more art, but to reimagine how we think about history, power, creativity and connection,’ says Chief Curator Dr. Patricia Lee Daigle. ‘We’re able to present the collection in ways that reflect the lived realities of the city that we serve.’

One thematic throughline across the campus is liberation. An exhibition anchored by Henry Sharp Studio’s Warren Black Gospel Window, on view for the first time, presents an early depiction of Christ and three biblical women as Black. This gallery will be in conversation with another space across the courtyard that explores jazz as a liberatory force for Black American abstract artists, including Sam Gilliam’s Azure (1977), a work long associated with the museum. These cross-courtyard sightlines are not incidental; the building’s spatial organization actively supports curatorial storytelling.

scheduled to open in December 2026

archives, artists, and the making of collective memory

Through the Blackmon Perry Initiative, the institution has acquired 80 works by contemporary Black artists, including Sanford Biggers, Brittney Boyd Bullock, Jordan Casteel, Torkwase Dyson, Alteronce Gumby, Hew Locke, and Ebony Patterson, an initiative supported by the Blackmon Perry Endowment, which funds a Curator of African American Art and Art of the African Diaspora, along with exhibitions, catalogues, and acquisitions. Another major addition is the Hooks Brothers Studio archive, which includes more than 75,000 photographs documenting Black life in the American South between 1900 and 1984, promised as a gift from Andrea Herenton and board trustee Rodney Herenton.

Opening during a year of major cultural expansions across the city, including projects at the National Civil Rights Museum and the National Ornamental Metal Museum, the new Memphis Art Museum positions itself as part of a broader cultural ecosystem rather than a standalone icon. As Executive Director Zoe Kahr puts it, ‘The depth of a community’s belief in the arts is reflected in its willingness to invest boldly in spaces that invite imagination, dialogue, and connection.’

the 11,475-square-meter building repositions the institution along the Mississippi River

expanding its gallery footprint and its role as a civic space

an active participant in the way that art, history, and community are experienced

the glass facade of the building and street-level galleries allow passersby to see inside

light-filled classrooms with northern exposure link viewing art to making it

a 4,645-square-meter rooftop sculpture garden extends the footprint of the museum

front street | all renderings courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron

front street sidewalk

Monroe Plaza

courtyard entry

roof garden

gallery north

gallery west

gallery north

front street sidewalk, evening

riverside evening

project info:

name: Memphis Art Museum | @brooksmuseum

architect: Herzog & de Meuron | @herzogdemeuron

location: Memphis, Tennessee, USA

total area: 11,475 square meter (123,500 square feet)

architect of record: archimania | @archimania

landscape design: OLIN | @olininsta
opening: December 2026

The post herzog & de meuron-designed memphis art museum takes shape ahead of 2026 opening appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.