Botanical gardens bring the landscape, design, community, and scientific inquiry into close conversation. Emerging from medicinal gardens and private collections that were dedicated to classifying plants, botanical gardens were developed into institutions where specimens gathered across regions and climates could be cultivated and presented to public audiences. Their evolving position in society produced a distinct architectural repertoire, from greenhouses and conservatories to herbaria and laboratories and, eventually, visitor centers and hospitality spaces. Architecture remains integral to the botanical garden as an instrument of cultivation and a framework for organizing and studying the field of botany.

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In an era where we spend most of our time indoors, contemporary architecture offers an innovative approach: dissolving the barriers between inside and outside. This fusion, now an iconic feature of many current projects, reflects a growing desire to live in harmony with nature, promoting a synergy that transcends walls and restores the human connection to the natural environment. Large windows framing landscapes and the use of biophilic design principles blur the boundaries between interior and exterior, creating flexible, light-filled spaces where nature is incorporated into the architectural design. This integration stems from meticulous design choices made possible by technological advances—such as high-performance glazing and smart systems—that enable this connection without sacrificing comfort or energy efficiency.

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ArchDaily's curatorial team strives every day to present our readers with the most significant, inspiring, and innovative projects, while also ensuring a diverse representation of global architecture.

As part of our 2023 Year in Review retrospective on ArchDaily, we look back and reflect on what was published over the past year. Residential architecture remains one of our most visited categories of built projects, generating immense interest among our users worldwide. With this in mind, we have selected the 50 best houses published this year on ArchDaily en Español, offering a brief showcase of the form and character of residential architecture across the Spanish-speaking world.

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Videos

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Videos

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Spanish photographer Fernando Alda explores the construction of the Pacific Center building in Panama, designed by local firm Ventura Arquitectos, in his most recent photo essay. Titled "An Aesthetics of Disappearance," Alda's work was exhibited in the Panamanian firm's pavilion during the inaugural Expo Modii 2018 in Panama City.

Scaffolding, energy dissipators, shoring, electrical installations, and safety netting define the temporary spaces that make up this photo essay. These compositions center on spaces rendered invisible while awaiting the real spaces. "In Pacific Center," writes architect Silvia Escamilla, "he freezes this temporal lapse and the ephemeral elements that inhabit it, those that go unnoticed by us, granting them a new aesthetic value."

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The Official Association of Architects of Madrid has awarded the 2018 COAM First Prize ‘ex aequo’ to the renovation of Sala Equis, designed by architects Lorenzo and Luis Gil (Plantea Estudio), to Espacio SOLO by Juan Herreros and Jens Richter, and to the book Oiza by Javier Vellés.

Regarding Sala Equis, the jury highlighted that the renovation of the former Duque de Alba cinema “equips the available space with contemporary uses, materials, and furniture, balanced with the memory of the existing structure,” and emphasized that it “encompasses the traditional movie theater alongside other activities surrounding this main function.”

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