Photographer: SFAP | ArchDaily

AVENUE & SON Skatepark / Various Associates

韩爽 - HAN Shuang — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The AVENUE & SON SKATEPARK NORTH COAST is located in Riverain, the ninth-phase development of Aranya, spanning 15,000 square meters beside the UNDEFEATED SPORTS CENTER. Taking root in a pioneering seaside neighborhood defined by art, culture, and creativity, it has become a popular destination for both residents and visitors. The skatepark stands at the heart of Riverain's vision, weaving sports culture and commercial vitality into public environments to foster a thriving, symbiotic community.

ArchDaily's Best Architectural Projects of 2025

Hana Abdel — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 07:30:00 +0000

As the year culminates, it's once again time for the ArchDaily team of curators to reflect on the best-performing projects of 2025 and consider what readers were most interested in. Through this diverse overview, we assess the cross-continental similarities and differences in trends and construction development. This year brought us many grand cultural and public spaces by Lina Ghotmeh, BIG, Zaha Hadid Architects, DnA, and Serie Architects, who populated events like Expo Osaka and the Venice Biennale, as well as a surprising number of museums and public or landscape works in China and the rest of the Asian continent. However, while these were sought-after projects, the leading works remained, unsurprisingly, residential projects.

Interior Design Trends of 2025

Mohieldin Gamal — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 04:00:00 +0000

As 2025 approaches its end, we look back at an eventful year in the world of interior design. Last year, designers favored reserved, modest approaches, a trend that continued from previous years. The emergence of artificial intelligence generated intense discussions on digital equity and misinformation, which continued into 2025, especially with the topic of the Venice Architecture Biennale, Intelligens. This opened the conversation to the opportunities of digital technologies, attempting a more hopeful outlook. On the other hand, completed interior design projects over the year focused more on the tangible and the pragmatic, with expressed raw materials and an appreciation of history.

The Built Environment as a Third Teacher: Architectural Play in Japanese and Chinese Kindergartens

Moises Carrasco — Sun, 24 Aug 2025 07:30:00 +0000

In contemporary Japanese and Chinese kindergarten design, architects are transforming the interior spaces from a simple container into an active, multi-sensory environment. This shift seems to follow Studies in developmental psychology that suggest that a child's experience of space begins with a sensorimotor engagement through touch and manipulation. Thus, they place a strong emphasis on the use of materials and the approach of learning through play. Architects seem to be moving beyond traditional classrooms, into environments that are tactile, stimulating, and rooted in their specific contexts. The buildings themselves become tools for education, encouraging children to learn and explore through direct physical engagement.

889GLO Art Space / SpActrum

Pilar Caballero — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Nestled in the heart of Caojiadu, Jing'an District, Shanghai, the 889 Plaza embarks on a transformative journey to redefine itself as a distinctive community art/creativity hub within the city's fiercely competitive commercial landscape. In mid-2024, curator Susan's visit to SpActrum's newly completed Shanghai office sparked a collaborative venture, culminating in the creation of 889GLO Art Space - a nearly 1,000-square-meter creative platform designed to activate community art exchanges, integrate scenographic displays, and foster diverse social interactions. This project extends SpActrum's ongoing investigation into the unseen forces of construction, expanding their architectural inquiry into the realms of commerce and consumption within the context of China's massive urban development.

Habitat Qinhuangdao Phase II / Safdie Architects

Valeria Silva — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 07:00:00 +0000

The second phase of Habitat Qinhuangdao, a high-density residential complex located on the coast of the Bohai Sea, 200 miles east of Beijing, China. This phase more than doubled the size of the initial development, which opened in 2016, to form a vibrant community of over 1,800 households with access to over 40 acres (16 hectares) of gracious public gardens, terraces, and recreational spaces on the ground and in the sky, which is going to fully interpret the positive impact and role of architectural space on community building.

DJI Flagship Store / Various Associates

Pilar Caballero — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 02:00:00 +0000

DJI has opened its largest flagship store in the world at OCT Harbour on the shores of Shenzhen Bay. Three years ago, Various Associates was entrusted to renew the space to reflect DJI's unique sense in technology, commitment to quality, and meticulous research spirit.

Tianjin Zhongshuge Library / X+Living

Pilar Caballero — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 02:00:00 +0000

The project is located in the Italian-style district of Tianjin, where century-old Italian architectural clusters characterized by red bricks stand. The original site of Tianjin Zhongshuge was a modern building that detached from the surrounding classical context. The reconstruction demands an integrated consideration of architecture and interior design, fitting into the cultural atmosphere of the district. Red bricks, as an important constructive material in Italian classical architecture, have become a necessary design element for this project.

SpActrum Shanghai Office / SpActrum

Pilar Caballero — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 23:00:00 +0000

Born to Build - Today's construction process is often reduced to its final outcomes, with more steps and intermediate forms than historically seen. For example, the process of formwork erection for a concrete project involves the erection of a dense forest of scaffolding and then the formwork for the negative form of the building supported, in steps that seem far removed from the final form. In such a process, the forms resulting from the construction process continue to emerge and are annihilated in the newly emerging forms, so that the construction process, which has no attempt on the form or on an intellectual level, becomes a continuous generator with contently emerging and withering forms, thus it undergoes the most dramatic formal changes of the site.

The Veil City Lounge / Groundwork Architects & Associates

Hana Abdel — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

“The Veil” City Lounge captures the essence of its surroundings at Sungang, Shenzhen, and showcases unique design concepts to create a harmonious blend of contrasts. Situated in a vibrant yet running down, rough, and masculine neighborhood, our building embodies the metaphor of a beautiful entity patiently biding its time, waiting to reveal its true allure. Much like a delicate veil being unveiled, it is a captivating structure in its environment.

Jinghope · Life Aesthetics Community / Various Associates

Valeria Silva — Sun, 10 Dec 2023 02:00:00 +0000

The Jinghope · Life Aesthetics Community adopts a design direction different from the popular Beach Club at The Sanya EDITION, which features bamboo-woven structures designed by Various Associates earlier. In this project, the focus is on creating a seamless connection with the hotel's overall vibe and balancing the needs of the hotel and the new businesses. The Jinghope · Life Aesthetics Community connects with the main entrance of the hotel and stands in the circulation route leading to the guest room area, injecting vitality into the public space through the addition of a new circulation. The newly built spiral staircase connects the ground floor to the second floor, directing visitors from the ground floor to the commercial space. Nestled amidst lush vegetation, the open-air contemplation and relaxation areas seamlessly integrate with the indoors.

FUTURE CITY Exhibition Center / Various Associates

July Shao — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 20:00:00 +0000

The Golden Business Center, a hallmark of "Golden Luohu", is one of Shenzhen's earliest urban landmarks completed not long after the city opened up. Constructed in 2003, this building embodies the architectural style prevalent during that period, notably recognized by citizens for its golden hue. To harmoniously integrate the new exhibition center with the existing structure, it becomes crucial to establish an appropriate design scale for the exhibition space's facade while preserving the style of the original building. To achieve this delicate balance, Various Associates ingeniously incorporated hollowed-out patterns inspired by the city fabric with a golden facade, to echo the original architectural features and establish a connection between the original structure and the new space.

3½coffee / Some Thoughts

Pilar Caballero — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000

In the bustling streets of Shanghai, where life intertwines with social interactions, we find the enchanting 3½ store nestled on Taiyuan Road. For SomeThoughts, this project is a profound exploration of balance, both in its inclusive essence and its diverse commercial offerings.

Rock&Ride Shenzhen MixC Popup Store / Within-Beyond Studio

Pilar Caballero — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The architectural design inspiration for this project originates from the heavy industry domain, drawing from fuel towers and jet propulsion systems, with a focus on the dynamics of "energy storage" and "ejection." It translates into a symbolic architectural space using concise language, aligning with the core spirit of the American retro jewelry brand Rock&Ride. The design is rich in passion and power, symbolizing the infusion of continuous energy into the free riders. The breakthrough in the context of block-type commerce lies in the open embrace of urban space, creating a favorable urban living experience. Simultaneously, the construction of the architectural image must strike a balance between artistry and mass appeal, allowing for a distinctive commercial space that can amplify the brand's voice and inject new vitality into the urban landscape.

adidas Asia Pacific Flagship Seoul / Various Associates

July Shao — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000

First Asia Pacific adidas flagship in Myeongdong, Seoul - Featuring the "Home of Sport" concept, adidas has opened its first Asia Pacific flagship store in the unique and bustling shopping district Myeongdong, a must-visit spot in South Korea. Various Associates, the only Chinese design firm that participated in the flagship design, partnered with adidas to extract local Korean elements and blend them with adidas brand personality, creating a "home of sport" with closer connections and deeper resonance with local customers. The store integrates into the bustling streets of Myeongdong, where diverse types of business and public activities take place. Surrounded by the cooking aroma among small stalls, this flagship creatively conveys the core value of friendliness and inclusiveness from the overarching concept of "Home of Sport".

Bananain Concept Store Beijing / Some Thoughts Studio

Collin Chen — Mon, 29 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Amidst the hustle and bustle of city life, Bananain’s first Concept Store in Beijing is situated in the west of Sanlitun, known as the “dirty street” before restoration. With this narrow network of alleys, the site connects the northern and southern districts of Sanlitun, foresting “wildness” interwoven with meticulously crafted commercial forms here. Through re-examining essential elements of the surrounding environment, Some Thoughts aspire to capture the diverse cultural background and commercial ambiance to weave into the interior design.

M2 Art Centre / SpActrum

Collin Chen — Tue, 16 May 2023 16:00:00 +0000

The Origin of M2 - M2 Art Centre is a multifunctional art space located in Hangzhou, which originated from a wedding dress showroom. The initial function setting of the space triggered a reflection on women and their choices in marriage and relationships: Marriage is no longer a default option for everyone in contemporary society but rather a rational choice for individuals to grasp their own lives. Therefore, can a contemporary commercial exhibition space be expanded into a mind-body journey with some psychic touch, providing an opportunity for introspection and contemplation of life before the wedding moment? Can a space imbued with profound meaning serve as a versatile venue in the city, hosting various artistic and design activities? The design team SpActrum and the owner of M2 embarked on an unusual exploration together.

SND Concept Store / Various Associates

Collin Chen — Sat, 25 Mar 2023 23:00:00 +0000

A grand, immaculate dune evokes an otherworldly atmosphere, detached from the modern world and providing a serene escape from the urban chaos. It creates a pristine white stage against a pitch-black backdrop, displaying the collections of clothing like precious treasures and luring visitors to embark on an exploration.