Author: Yusuf Usmani

Studio Koht Arkitekter has completed Sædalen Kirke, a contemporary parish building in Norway that reinterprets traditional church typology through a flexible, community-oriented lens. The project merges sacred and civic functions, shaping a space that extends beyond worship to accommodate a broader cultural program. Conceived as a shared architectural framework, the building supports a range of activities throughout the week, including liturgical gatherings and community events, without compromising its spiritual identity. This duality is expressed through a careful orchestration of form, material, and spatial continuity, allowing the church to operate as both a place of reflection and a vibrant social anchor…

Architecture is entering a moment where its boldest ideas depend on the materials. Since microorganisms can now grow concrete, polluted soil can return as clean brick, and facades can purify air while producing biomass. Across emerging experiments, from fossil-free steel to adaptive bio-foams, materials are doing far more than simply supporting buildings. They are absorbing emissions, transforming waste into structure, and responding to ecological conditions, shifting architecture toward performance, adaptability, and environmental intelligence. PhotoSyntetica PhotoSynthetica by ecoLogicStudio turns a building’s facade into a living, air-cleaning skin. The panels are made of ETFE and bring in city air from below. Inside,…

The pandemic exposed weaknesses in global healthcare planning. During this period, nearly two-thirds of US hospitals reported overcrowded emergency units and ventilator shortages, revealing unpreparedness in times of crisis. But it was not the only catalyst for change since hospitals today must evolve to handle rising patient numbers, climate uncertainty, digital healthcare services, and future emergencies. In response to these pressures, architects are rethinking spatial planning and designing hospitals to adapt to modern needs. Instead of rigid layouts, they are designing flexible infrastructures with convertible spaces and independent air circulation paths that improve infection control and patient safety. It marks…

Italian studio CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, in collaboration with Salone del Mobile.Milano has unveiled a digitally fabricated Alpine bivouac that will debut as an urban pavilion for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. After the Games, they will relocate it from the city to the mountains, where it will serve as a permanent refuge for mountaineers at a high-altitude Alpine site. Design inspired by Crystalline Alpine Formations Carlo Ratti said, “Unfortunately, today bivouacs often look like airships that have landed on our beautiful alpine landscapes. Here, we took the opposite approach: a structure that blends as much as possible with the surroundings. Great 20th-century Italian architect Gio Ponti once…

Francis Kéré has started construction on Museum Ehrhardt in the small village of Plüschow near the Baltic Sea, collaborating with HK Architekten and Hermann Kaufmann + Partner ZT GmbH. The project marks Kéré Architecture’s first cultural project in Germany, honouring Alfred Ehrhardt (1901-1984), whose contributions to photography, film, and art shaped the New Objectivity movement in 20th-century Germany. It also marks the firm’s first museum building in Europe; this 1,400-square-meter structure will stand next to Schloss Plüschow, a historic castle that now houses an artist residency and gallery serving as the region’s creative hub. Rooted in Family Legacy Dr. Jens…

More than mere repositories of art and artifacts, the world’s largest museums have become monumental expressions of civic identity, ambition, and cultural continuity. These vast architectural feats don’t just house history; they make it. Designed with enduring materials and visionary intent, they are spaces where the past, present, and future converge under soaring atriums, subterranean vaults, and immersive digital galleries. Each museum in this curated list tells a story beyond its exhibitions, one of national pride, urban transformation, and the transformative power of architecture. Whether carved from stone or clad in glass, these buildings stand as testaments to humanity’s desire…

Exactly a century ago, in 1924, Paris welcomed athletes from across the world and introduced Olympic villages with simple rows of wooden huts. For the first time, all athletes lived together in one place, and that experiment raised a question that still echoes through every Olympics: what happens to these massive venues once the Games end? Some cities answered with foresight, like Helsinki, which built its 1952 village to blend into residential life, and its apartments still house families. Others struggled under the weight of scale, like Sochi, where venues such as the Iceberg Skating Palace remain underused due to…

Imagine a home that moves with you from bustling cities to remote landscapes, redefining what it means to live, work, and travel. Architects are no longer rooting buildings to a fixed site; they are embracing mobile and remote architecture, designing structures that relocate, float, or shift to where people need them most. This transition reflects a growing desire for flexibility in lifestyle, travel, and spatial use. In both urban and isolated regions, mobile architecture and mobile design present innovative responses to pressing concerns about climate adaptation, space efficiency, and mobility. The global modular construction market will already exceed $112 billion…

On Instagram alone, the #architecture tag boasts nearly 200 million posts showcasing everything from the Burj Khalifa to the Sydney Opera House. Even places never intended as landmarks can become icons, like the bright pink wall of the Paul Smith store in Los Angeles. Painted in 2005 to catch drivers’ attention, it has since drawn thousands of tourists and influencers, racking up over 221k posts under #pinkwall. However, the viral popularity of the Pink Wall has caused friction with local residents – at one point, fed-up neighbors even defaced it with graffiti saying “Go f*** ur selfie,” a telling sign…

Designed by Oppenheim Architecture, the 38-story New Boulevard Tower will be one of Albania’s tallest residential landmarks and a defining feature of Tirana’s skyline. The tower occupies a strategic location within the River Project Masterplan, which links Skanderbeg Square to the Tirana River along the historic north-south axis. By towering at the intersection of a large public square and the future Central Park, the towering structure will serve as a gateway, drawing people into a more connected and lively city core. Pedestrian-Centric Planning The surrounding masterplan prioritizes people over cars thereby dedicating nearly 65% of the urban core for pedestrians and bikes. In this…