Author: Isha Chaudhary
Isha Chaudhary
Isha Chaudhary is an architecture writer who follows and writes about current trends and emerging discussions in architecture, with a focus on design, technology, and place-making.
Aldar has set a new record in Abu Dhabi’s property market with the AED 400 million (USD 108.9 million) sale of an eight-bedroom mansion at Faya Al Saadiyat, making it the most expensive home ever sold in the emirate. The beachfront property is located on one of the final villa plots on Saadiyat Island, within the prestigious Saadiyat Beach Golf Club. Spanning 6,561 square meters, the mansion offers rare scale and privacy, along with 360-degree views of the sea and golf course. It features a private car gallery, golf simulator, in-house cinema, wellness and fitness suites, and direct beach access,…
Barranca Province, Peru – Peru’s Ministry of Culture and researchers revealed Peñico, a city founded between 1800 BCE and 1500 BCE, perched on a hillside terrace at 600 m (1,970 ft) above sea level in the northern Barranca province. A circular main plaza at the heart of the city, surrounded by eighteen uncovered buildings. These include ceremonial spaces, homes, and administrative areas, all built using local stone and mud bricks. Along the walls of the plaza, archaeologists found carved designs showing the pututu, a conch shell trumpet that was probably used to send signals across distances or during rituals. Among the items uncovered at…
Cornell University’s HelioSkin project has brought to life a flexible, photovoltaic fabric inspired by plant biology. This photovoltaic textile merges engineering, biology, and architecture, offering lightweight solar power collection that could wrap around curved surfaces from backyard canopies to stadiums and skyscrapers. Bio-Inspired Design: HelioSkin’s Solar Fabric Innovation HelioSkin takes its cue from heliotropism, the phenomenon by which plants, such as sunflowers, track the sun throughout the day. Researchers studied Arabidopsis, a model plant that bends its stem up to 90° toward the light by growing cells on the shaded side approximately 25% larger in size. Using that insight, the…
Adidas, in collaboration with Los Angeles design studio PlayLab, has built a temporary 200-meter running track in an abandoned gypsum quarry in the New Mexico desert. It’s a land art installation that blends into the natural environment and redefines running as a meditative, sensory experience rather than a competitive sport. The project marks the relaunch of Adidas’ EQT (Equipment) line, but instead of flashy ads or urban billboards, the brand chose silence, space, and earth. The track is made entirely from local materials like quarry dust, sand, and biodegradable paint. No artificial turf, no rubber. Just a soft white surface…
Jumeirah Group has officially opened Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, its new resort on the Dubai waterfront, designed with flowing lines and refined geometry reminiscent of a luxury superyacht. Positioned between the Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel, the new development completes a long-standing design trilogy that began with sail and fluid forms, culminating here in a vessel-like structure that seems to rise from the sea. How Fluid Form and Function Merge in Marsa Al Arab’s Facade Designed by Killa Design, under the direction of principal architect Shaun Killa, the building presents a bold architectural design with a 36-metre steel…
Located in Admont, Austria, the Admont Abbey Library holds the record as the world’s largest monastic library hall. Completed in 1776, its architectural form was shaped to reflect values through clarity, order, and light-filled spatial planning. Architect Josef Hueber and Design Inspiration The library was designed by Josef Hueber, a Viennese‑born architect working in Styria. He took inspiration from Vienna’s imperial Court Library but advanced it through Baroque spatial logic combined with the Enlightenment spirit. Hueber divided the hall into three longitudinal sectors: a central hall with a large oval dome and two flanking wings. Each wing spans three vault…
In Robbinsville, New Jersey, a temple unlike any other in the Western Hemisphere now stands. The BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham is the largest Hindu temple in the United States and the biggest outside Asia. Spread across 183 acres, constructed with over 1.9 million cubic feet of hand-carved stone, and reaching a height of 191 feet, Akshardham is a stunning realization of ancient Indian temple architecture on American soil. The temple’s sheer scale, mission, and the controversy surrounding its construction stir vital questions about faith, labor, and immigrant identity in modern America. Ancient Indian Temple Architecture Reimagined in New Jersey The Akshardham’s…
Victor Kossakovsky’s Architecton, opening in U.S. theaters August 1 via A24, is an architecture documentary. There are no walk-throughs of sleek new buildings, no talking-head interviews with a roster of starchitects. Instead, this 98-minute film is a raw, sensory meditation on the life and death of materials, stone, concrete, and the spaces they form. Shot across Ukraine, Turkey, and Lebanon, the documentary captures structures as symbols of permanence and relics, often shattered, crumbling, or buried in dust. Whether it’s the war-torn remains in Ukraine, the aftermath of Turkey’s 2023 earthquake, or the ancient ruins of Baalbek, Architecton uses its camera…
Lisbon, Portugal – S.L. Benfica has unveiled an ambitious new master plan for Estádio da Luz, transforming the legendary stadium into a global destination for sport, culture, and entertainment. Designed by the renowned international architecture firm Populous, in collaboration with Lisbon-based Saraiva + Associados, this revitalization will reimagine the stadium and its surrounding precinct as a vibrant civic, commercial, and community hub. Having originally designed Estádio da Luz for UEFA Euro 2004, Populous returns to lead this transformative vision, bringing together contemporary design, next-generation fan experiences, and sustainable urban development. Rui Costa, President of S.L. Benfica, said, “This is a…
Shanghai, July 2025 – China has welcomed its first-ever LEGOLAND resort, and it has also claimed the title of the world’s largest. Spanning 318,000 m² (about 78 acres), the sprawling complex is located in Fengjing Town, Jinshan District, and officially opened on July 5, 2025. Built across nearly four years, the LEGO Shanghai Resort rose from the ground with the hands of over 10,000 workers hailing from 15 different countries. The result is a colossal playground carved from more than 85 million LEGO bricks, packed with eight themed zones and over 75 rides, performances, and hands-on experiences all crafted to fire up…