In today’s projects roundup, buildings grow beyond their functions — a residential complex becomes a vertical city, a museum extends the desert landscape, and a parking garage façade turns a utilitarian task into expressive architecture.
A City Inside a House
Walden 7 | Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura | Sant Just Desvern, Spain
Bofill’s projects and those of his followers are frequent guests on the magazine’s pages, and we are adding another cult residential complex from 1975 to the collection. It is made up of 18 interconnected towers forming seven inner courtyards. The apartments are assembled from modules of about 30 m², linked horizontally and vertically — from compact studios to multi-level units. A network of bridges, stairs, balconies, and open galleries turns movement through the building into a journey through a vertical city. Shared spaces extend all the way to the roof, where two swimming pools have been arranged for residents.
New Life Behind an Old Façade
Congregation Emanu-El | Mark Cavagnero Associates | San Francisco, USA
The restoration of a century-old synagogue is barely visible from the street, but it completely transforms the building’s inner life. The architects restored the historic main entrance, closed for several decades, reopening a direct path to the main hall beneath a 45-meter dome. Inside, an open courtyard was created, around which two floors of new spaces were arranged behind a glass shell with bronze mullions. A playground was added to the renovated roof.
A Museum Moving into the Desert
Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi | Mecanoo | Abu Dhabi, UAE
The 35,000 m² museum is conceived as a continuation of the natural landscape: its massive volumes resemble rock formations shaped by water and time. The geometry of the façades and interiors is based on pentagonal forms, referring both to minerals and to cellular structures. Three public routes pass through the complex, linking the waterfront with other institutions on Saadiyat’s “cultural island.”
An Arena of Petals
Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center | NBBJ| Hangzhou, China
The 80,000-seat arena is formed by 55 “petals” — 28 large and 27 small — creating the silhouette of a lotus flower. The natural image became the basis of the building’s engineering system: a parametric model made it possible to calculate the structure, optimize sightlines from the stands, and reduce material use at the same time. According to the architects, the stadium used about 67% less steel than Beijing’s “Bird’s Nest.”
From Villa Island to Public Quarter
uxe Lakes CPI Island | Vari Architects | Chengdu, China
The architects transformed a former villa demonstration settlement into a commercial and public district. Ten existing buildings were renovated and expanded, while ten more were built from scratch and integrated into the island’s topography. The complex was linked by a system of terraces, small squares, transitions, and multi-level open spaces: the project offers a sequence of intimate scenes designed for unhurried movement and everyday life.
Parking in Metal Scales
Parking Garage Facade P22a | wulf architekten | Cologne, Germany
The S-shaped parking garage for 3,250 cars is wrapped in a shell of 3,000 perforated metal panels overlapping like scales. The gaps between them provide natural ventilation and daylight to all five levels, turning the building’s engineering system into its main architectural image. By day, the façade appears light and translucent; by night, it resolves into a glowing geometric pattern.
@gorkjournal · GORK
3D · Photo · Render · Ai
A City Inside a House
Walden 7 | Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura | Sant Just Desvern, Spain
Bofill’s projects and those of his followers are frequent guests on the magazine’s pages, and we are adding another cult residential complex from 1975 to the collection. It is made up of 18 interconnected towers forming seven inner courtyards. The apartments are assembled from modules of about 30 m², linked horizontally and vertically — from compact studios to multi-level units. A network of bridges, stairs, balconies, and open galleries turns movement through the building into a journey through a vertical city. Shared spaces extend all the way to the roof, where two swimming pools have been arranged for residents.
New Life Behind an Old Façade
Congregation Emanu-El | Mark Cavagnero Associates | San Francisco, USA
The restoration of a century-old synagogue is barely visible from the street, but it completely transforms the building’s inner life. The architects restored the historic main entrance, closed for several decades, reopening a direct path to the main hall beneath a 45-meter dome. Inside, an open courtyard was created, around which two floors of new spaces were arranged behind a glass shell with bronze mullions. A playground was added to the renovated roof.
A Museum Moving into the Desert
Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi | Mecanoo | Abu Dhabi, UAE
The 35,000 m² museum is conceived as a continuation of the natural landscape: its massive volumes resemble rock formations shaped by water and time. The geometry of the façades and interiors is based on pentagonal forms, referring both to minerals and to cellular structures. Three public routes pass through the complex, linking the waterfront with other institutions on Saadiyat’s “cultural island.”
An Arena of Petals
Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center | NBBJ| Hangzhou, China
The 80,000-seat arena is formed by 55 “petals” — 28 large and 27 small — creating the silhouette of a lotus flower. The natural image became the basis of the building’s engineering system: a parametric model made it possible to calculate the structure, optimize sightlines from the stands, and reduce material use at the same time. According to the architects, the stadium used about 67% less steel than Beijing’s “Bird’s Nest.”
From Villa Island to Public Quarter
uxe Lakes CPI Island | Vari Architects | Chengdu, China
The architects transformed a former villa demonstration settlement into a commercial and public district. Ten existing buildings were renovated and expanded, while ten more were built from scratch and integrated into the island’s topography. The complex was linked by a system of terraces, small squares, transitions, and multi-level open spaces: the project offers a sequence of intimate scenes designed for unhurried movement and everyday life.
Parking in Metal Scales
Parking Garage Facade P22a | wulf architekten | Cologne, Germany
The S-shaped parking garage for 3,250 cars is wrapped in a shell of 3,000 perforated metal panels overlapping like scales. The gaps between them provide natural ventilation and daylight to all five levels, turning the building’s engineering system into its main architectural image. By day, the façade appears light and translucent; by night, it resolves into a glowing geometric pattern.
@gorkjournal · GORK
3D · Photo · Render · Ai