Snøhetta "captures the magic of the mountains" with lookout in Lech

Stepping stones lead across a reflective pool of water at Lech Mountain Mirror, a viewpoint in the Austrian Alps, designed by architecture studio Snøhetta to invite a moment of pause.

Located in a village called Lech in the Vorarlberg region, the installation comprises a shallow pool of water on the roof of the Zugerbergbahn cable car station, across which visitors can walk.

Snøhetta's Innsbruck office designed Lech Mountain Mirror as a lookout point that simultaneously mirrors the dramatic views of the surrounding mountains and clouds, playing with visitors' perspectives.

Free to access, it is hoped to become...

Broken-pitch roof tops wooden House in Yakami by Enter-Archi

A distinctive roof maximises mountain views and prevents snow build-up at this timber-framed house in Japan's Shimane Prefecture, designed by Japanese studio Enter-Archi.

Named House in Yakami after the rural town where it is located, the one-storey home was organised by Enter-Archi as three connected volumes with courtyards in between.

A covered parking space occupies the front volume, while the middle one contains an open-plan living, kitchen and dining room, and the rear volume hosts three bedrooms.

The house was constructed from a traditional Japanese timber post-and-beam system, with columns, beams and rafters left...

Vollebak creates Rock Jacket from 54,000 slate tiles

Experimental clothing brand Vollebak has made a one-off coat covered in over 50,000 half-centimetre-square pieces of slate.

Named Rock Jacket, the coat is the latest piece designed by Vollebak that aims to challenge traditional clothing material choices. It follows jackets made from graphene, copper, American walnut and Dyneema – a fibre that is 15 times stronger than steel.

"We have made clothing with wood, mycelium, and metal, rock felt like one of the next logical challenges to take on," Vollebak co-founder Nick Tidball told Dezeen.

Described by the brand as a "sci-fi-style Harrington jacket", the coat is...

We're scared of Meta's adorable AI device

https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/2v4Y9RUpQ7bDWU67xUCijQ?utm_source=generator

Why are AI companies opting for cute design? And why is New York building "jailscrapers"? Listen to the latest episode of Dezeen Weekly now.

This week, Dezeen features editor Nat Barker, design editor Jennifer Hahn and editor-in-chief Tom Ravenscroft consider the launch of Meta's Muse Charm AI device.

Then, they delve into New York City's project to replace the notorious Rikers Island mega-jail with four high-rise facilities embedded within the city.

Dezeen Weekly artwork is by Simon Volt. Editing is by Miguel Santa Clara. 

Dezeen Weekly is an original Dezeen podcast in which our journalists talk about the key design and architecture stories of...

What the Stones Whisper / Collectif MAGMA

Located in Lunano, within the rural landscape of the Marche region, the tower stands alongside a path regularly used by local residents, near a picnic table overlooking the town. The path connects, among other places, the Monte Illuminati Convent and the Torre Lunano, two centuries-old stone structures that punctuate the surrounding hilltops and stand as quiet markers of an ordinary heritage deeply rooted in the landscape.

Zonify Wall and Zonify Table by Studio Stockholm for Zilenzio

Dezeen Showroom: acoustic solutions brand Zilenzio has released Zonify Wall and Zonify Table, a duo of sound-absorbing products for streamlining in-person and digital meetings.

Created in collaboration with Studio Stockholm, Zonify Wall is a large, wall-mounted acoustic panel, while Zonify Table is a smaller desk screen with integrated dimmable lighting.

Both products feature a distinctive pleated textile design made up of stone wool and fabric, selected for maximum sound absorption in an office environment.

Studio Stockholm founder Marco Checchi had the idea for the pleated design during a dinner, when he folded a...

Benthem Crouwel revamps "one of the Netherlands' most iconic waterworks"

A passage for migratory fish and a cycle route have been added to Afsluitdijk, an iconic dam in the Netherlands, in a recent revamp by Dutch studio Benthem Crouwel.

Afsluitdijk is a landmark 32-kilometre-long dam built between 1927 and 1932 to protect the Netherlands from storm surges and flooding caused by the North Sea.

It was updated over the last eight years to align with current safety standards and improve its performance against increasingly extreme weather and rising sea levels.

According to Benthem Crouwel, the overhaul ensures the dam can withstand a severe one-in-10,000-year storm, while preserving its iconic...

THE BOYZ ? UNEXPECTED

The Architecture of Water: ArchDaily's October Editorial Focus

Water is life. Animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria all depend on it: water structures their cells, carries their nutrients, and hosts the chemistry that keeps them alive. Even the rare exceptions confirm the rule. Some seeds and spores can lose nearly all their water and enter a dormancy so deep that their metabolism almost stops, yet it is water that brings them back. In the most literal sense, water connects us.

Climate, Density, and Spatial Layers: 18 Houses Shaping Contemporary Vietnamese Architecture

Contemporary Vietnamese residential architecture stands out for its deep sensitivity to local microclimates and context. Detailed studies of weather patterns consistently drive strategic design decisions, resulting in buildings that act as adaptive shelters. Facing conditions that range from scorching summers to dry, cold winters, along with frequent exposure to heavy rains, storms, and floods, architects adopt protective facade elements and multi-layered spatial configurations to shield interior spaces from harsh environmental factors.