Schemata Architects clads Yawn Yard guesthouses in Japan with local timber

Japanese studio Schemata Architects has used locally sourced timber planks to clad this series of low-lying, angular guesthouses overlooking the sea on Kouri Island.

Located on the western coast of the small island in northwestern Okinawa, the project named Yawn Yard comprises seven individual guesthouses spread across two nearby sites connected by a road.

Tokyo-based Schemata Architects designed each of these guesthouses with an irregular, hexagonal plan. Created by two rectilinear blocks angled to create a V-shape, they shelter a central terrace and pool facing the sea.

"The freestanding villas for families and groups of...

Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall was the most significant building of 2003

Next up in our 21st-Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildings is Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles by Gehry Partners, an icon of deconstructivism.

Disney Hall is perhaps the most famous building by Frank Gehry who, despite being Toronto-born, is one of, if not the most, famous living American architects.

Its completion in 2003, after more than 15 years of stops and starts, marked the return of Frank Gehry's rising architectural stardom to his adopted home city of Los Angeles, where the architect had been living since the 1940s.

New York City Ballet Art Series Presents Elizaveta Porodina

Elizaveta Porodina is a renowned photographer and artist based in Munich, Germany, whose work often features surreal, symbolic narratives, blending fashion, fine art, and documentary influences. Her background in clinical psychology shapes her work with the complexities of the human experience, using photography as a medium for exploring the subconscious mind.

Working in a diverse range of styles from dark, cinematic portraits to vibrant, dreamlike compositions, Porodina’s photography invites the viewer to embark on a journey through time and space, drawing them into deep, sometimes ambiguous, worlds. With a keen eye for cinematic compositions and a profound connection to the emotional...

Zaha Hadid Architects references magnetic forces for Serbian mill conversion

UK studio Zaha Hadid Architects and local studio Bureau Cube Partners are set to transform a paper mill in Belgrade, Serbia, into a museum with an elliptical roof informed by the scientific work of Nikola Tesla.

In an effort to preserve Belgrade's architectural history, the Nikola Tesla Museum will be located in the Milan Vapa Paper Mill, which was originally built in 1924.

Zaha Hadid Architects and Bureau Cube Partners will preserve some of the mill's facades and vaulted ceilings while converting it into a cultural destination.

The museum will be dedicated...

Lenovo unveils laptop with unrolling display that doubles in size

Chinese technology brand Lenovo has revealed a "first-of-its-kind" laptop with a "rollable", vertically expanding display at the CES tech fair in Las Vegas.

Lenovo's ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable was developed in cooperation with the company's innovation arm Lenovo Research and is a production-ready evolution of a concept first showcased two years ago.

Its key innovation is a rollable display that extends from 14 inches to 16.7 inches, adding almost 50 per cent to the total screen size.

Users can activate the expanding display by pressing a dedicated key or gesturing in front...

Foster + Partners designs exoskeletons for stepped-back skyscrapers in Manila

British studio Foster + Partners has begun construction on two stepped-back towers for the BDO Unibank Inc campus in the Philippines, which will have exoskeletons to support solar shading and achieve structural stability.

The studio is transforming five urban plots in Manila to create the campus, with the two towers – which are connected by a covered walkway – rising above open ground floors.

Foster + Partners looked to vernacular architecture for the buildings, which will step back at regular intervals. At each step back, there are triple-storey amenity spaces as well as outdoor terraces.

The two towers at...

Aedas unveils infinity loop-shaped museum in Hangzhou

Architecture studio Aedas has completed the Yohoo Museum on an artificial island in Hangzhou, China, which is shaped like an infinity loop.

Located within Liangzhu Yohoo Park at the centre of Hangzhou's Yuhang District, the museum is located on an island in an artificial lake, which connects to the over 2,500-year-old Grand Canal.

Named Yohoo Museum, the building has an undulating roof design that takes the form of two interlocking rings. Two circular light wells were created within the interlocking rings that, according to the studio, symbolise the connection between heaven and earth.

"It...

Laugavegur.

Trekking on the Laugavegur. These days in the Icelandic highlands were definitely one of the highlights of the year. From hiking over geothermal mountains, lush green volcanic valleys and black rock plains. It amazed me how diverse the landscape can be in such a short time. One day I will be back.

Josmo opens Mumbai store with "just the right amount of drama"

Goan furniture brand Josmo has opened a flagship store in Mumbai, designed by founder Anjali Mody to reflect a contemporary approach to Indian design craft.

With India's interior design market growing fast, Josmo is one of several homegrown brands on the rise.

The Mumbai store is the company's first outside Goa, where it was founded by Mody in 2010.

As creative director, Mody designed the retail space in line with a brand style she describes as "witty, elegant and unapologetically unique".

"We wanted it to feel like stepping into a world where every detail whispers Josmo," she...

LG reveals 3-in-1 "lifestyle projector" that is also a lamp and speaker

Electronics brand LG has unveiled a pair of projectors designed to blend in with modern homes at this week's CES tech fair.

Named the PF600U and the CineBeam S (model PU615U), the projectors are the latest additions to LG's range of "lifestyle projectors", which aim to optimise spatial efficiency so they can be used in compact residential contexts.

In a statement released ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the company described the PF600U as a "versatile device" that "transforms living spaces with its multifunctionality".

"Serving as a projector,...