Osaka, Japan's third-largest city, is a vibrant blend of tradition and modernity, making it a compelling destination for architecture enthusiasts. Known historically as the "nation's kitchen" for its role as a mercantile hub, Osaka is also a city of cultural and architectural diversity. Its landmarks range from the historic Osaka Castle to striking contemporary developments, each reflecting Japan's evolving urban identity.
As the host city for the highly anticipated Expo 2025, Osaka is poised to showcase its architectural prowess on a global stage. The city's skyline features innovative works by renowned architects and urban planners, including cutting-edge cultural centers, transportation hubs, and waterfront redevelopments. With contributions from celebrated Japanese architects such as Tadao Ando, Kengo Kuma & Associates, and Takenaka Corporation, alongside international figures like Dominique Perrault, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, and Pelli Clarke & Partners, Osaka seamlessly blends modernity with tradition, creating a unique architectural identity that reflects its past while looking boldly to the future.
Red Sol Resort in Dhërmi. Image Courtesy of Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura
Architecture has been at the center of a transformation process in Albania, particularly significant in Tirana, its capital city. In 2017, the winning project for the Tirana 2030 Masterplan was unveiled, designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti, UNLAB, and IND [Inter.National.Design] as part of a competition organized by the Ministry of Urban Development. Aiming to give Tirana a new metropolitan dimension while promoting and preserving green spaces, the strategy integrates a system of open spaces, natural elements, and strategic projects at key points in the city. The multidisciplinary Catalan firm Bofill Taller de Arquitectura has contributed to this transformation with two mixed-use towers in Tirana and a resort project in the coastal town of Dhërmi, reflecting the distinctive aesthetic of Ricardo Bofill's work.
In my 2008 interview with Kengo Kuma in Manhattan—the Tokyo-based architect was in town for a lecture at Cooper Union and to oversee the construction of a house renovation in nearby Connecticut— he summarized the intention of his work for me, "The closest image to the kind of architecture I try to achieve is a rainbow." The architect designs his buildings as a chef would prepare a salad or a florist arrange a bouquet of flowers—by carefully selecting ingredients according to their size, shape, and texture. He then tests whether they should touch, overlap, or keep a distance to let the airflow pass through. The process is closer to a trial-and-error scientific experiment rather than an artistic exercise in projecting visionary forms and images. Although his buildings surely look strikingly artistic and utterly breathtaking. They are both precise and loose, primitive and refined, material and transient. The architect's fascination with materiality is startling, and despite having completed many dozens of buildings all over the world over the course of his distinctive career, in our conversation last month over Zoom, Kuma told me, "I stand at the beginning of a long process of material exploration."
Foster + Partners has developed a masterplan for a 38-hectare former industrial site in the heart of Constanța, a port city in Romania's Dobrogea region. The design transforms the site into a "city within a city," incorporating cultural and educational buildings, retail, entertainment, sports and leisure facilities, public parks, and botanical gardens. The project aims to reconnect the urban landscape and enhance the city's experience. The proposal is rooted in Constanța's history, from its Greek and Roman origins to its more recent industrial heritage.
Plaza of Kanagawa Institute of Technology / junya ishigami + associates. Image Courtesy of Junya Ishigami + Associates
The American Institute of Architects (AIA), a professional organization dedicated to supporting architects and advancing the field of architecture, has announced the elevation of 93 architects to its College of Fellows. This recognition is awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to the profession and society. This year's class includes 83 AIA member-architects and 10 international architects granted Honorary Fellowship. The newly elevated Fellows will be recognized at the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design 2025 (AIA25) in Boston.
The use of technology has become vital in the documentation and conservation of heritage, especially in difficult or urgent circumstances. After many landmarks of the historic city of Palmyra were destroyed during Syria's war in 2015, conservators built three-dimensional digital models of the destroyed city to aid its future reconstruction. The destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan in 2001 with very little prior documentation prompted action in the documentation of vulnerable monuments, such as the establishment of CyArk. More recently, detailed digital surveys and a heritage BIM model were essential in the restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris after it was devastated by fire in 2019.
As cities grow and available land becomes more limited, high-rise architecture plays an important role in addressing urban density while shaping new ways of living and working. Tall buildings are evolving beyond their traditional functions to integrate environmental strategies, enhance public engagement, and contribute to the urban fabric. Architects are exploring new materials, energy-efficient technologies, and spatial configurations that make towers more adaptable to their surroundings. Some projects incorporate green spaces and shared amenities to create a stronger connection between the built environment and its users, while others introduce innovative construction techniques to improve sustainability and efficiency.
Among this selection of projects submitted by the ArchDaily community, The Residences at 1428 Brickell by Arquitectonica in Miami, United States introduces a solar-powered facade that contributes to the building's energy needs. In Dubai, UAE, AVA by SOMA creates a transition from the city into a more enclosed, water-defined environment with a focus on luxury living. In Bangkok, Thailand, HAS Design and Research proposes the Bangkok Civic Center Tower as a new type of public space, combining green landscapes with mirrored surfaces to connect the city with nature. These projects reflect different approaches to vertical architecture and highlight how designers are responding to the challenges and opportunities of dense urban environments.
MVRDV has recently completed Mega Mat, a temporary installation for public gatherings and performances made from recycled plastic mats. Created for Bangkok Design Week, the joint goal of the architects and the Thai Creative Economic Agency was to design a space that also raises awareness about plastic waste and recycling in Thailand. The result is an infographic public space that, in addition to featuring bright, eye-catching colors, follows a color-coded system to organize information about the country's plastic waste processing. Mega Mat takes recycled plastic to reinterpret an everyday household item: the Sua, or mat, on which Thai families have been sitting for generations. This fresh take on a familiar object showcases the potential of using recycled plastic in daily life, embodied in a versatile public space now installed in the heart of Bangkok.
Spore Haus / AFF Architekten. Image Courtesy of DAM Preis 2025
The DAM Preis 2025, presented by the Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM), has been awarded to AFF Architekten for their project, Spore Haus, in Berlin. As one of Germany's most recognized architecture awards, the DAM Preis highlights significant contributions to contemporary architectural practice. This year's winner, Spore Haus, was selected for its "thoughtful design and careful integration" into the urban context, as well as its contribution to public life.
Time is running out! We invite you to take part in the ArchDaily 2025 Building of the Year Awards by casting your vote for the projects that have made the biggest impact on the built environment.
This year, ArchDaily's projects database has featured thousands of inspiring works, and thanks to your participation, 4,000 projects have been narrowed down to just 75 finalists—representing the best in each category. Now, it's time to choose the winners.
The United States is a country with an extensive history, its buildings holding onto legacies from later times. For their cultural significance, these structures are greatly celebrated and protected, however, they are also exempt from certain energy efficiency mandates. As cities push toward reaching climate goals, these mandates are under scrutiny. Preservationists argue that historic buildings deserve protection from potentially damaging retrofits. On the other hand, sustainability advocates bring up the need for energy efficiency improvements across all sectors of the built environment. The challenge lies in achieving a balance between the competing priorities - ensuring the maintenance of heritage and environmental responsibility.
Axonometric drawing of the Granciclismo showroom (with Daniela Puppa), 1988. Image Courtesy of Archivio Franco Raggi
"Franco Raggi. Unstable Thoughts" (Franco Raggi. Pensieri Instabili) offers an in-depth exploration of the work of Italian architect, designer, and intellectual Franco Raggi. Curated by Marco Sammicheli and Francesca Pellicciari, the exhibition provides visitors with an experimental and immersive experience that traces Raggi's creative journey. Designed by the architecture studio Piovenefabi, the installation is hosted in the Design Platform space at the Museo del Design Italiano in Milan, a museum dedicated to key themes and figures in contemporary design. Held from February to April, the event is part of the prelude to the 24th edition of the Milan Triennale International Exhibition, titled Inequalities, which will run from May to November 2025.
Inaugurated in 1991, the Maestro Francisco Paulo Russo State Theater in Araras is considered one of the city's and the region's main cultural venues. Designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer, one of the leading figures of the Modern Movement, the theater was equipped with all the necessary infrastructure to host local, national, and international cultural events between 1995 and 2005. Niemeyer left behind a legacy in which his signature free-form architectural style integrates influences from various sources while also engaging in a dialogue with the identity of a tropical country.
Co-living in East Asia has been rising since 2020, rapidly expanding while remaining in its early stages. At the same time, it continues to fulfill a significant demand from young professionals working in major cities. A 2020 study by real estate services firm JLL highlighted the growing demand for co-living in China and Singapore, citing key advantages such as affordability compared to private studio apartments and a contemporary urban lifestyle that fosters openness and shared experiences. Much like other industries where ownership is becoming less relevant—such as streaming services for music, films, and television, or mobility solutions like car- and bike-sharing—co-living appeals to a similar demographic that values flexibility and access over long-term commitments.
Unlike co-living initiatives in Spain, which often focus on multigenerational shared spaces, East Asian co-living primarily targets young professionals with dynamic career paths. Often required to relocate every few years, these individuals prioritize convenience and adaptability over investing in a permanent home. For them, committing to a long-term residence may not be practical, making fully furnished, professionally managed co-living spaces with built-in amenities and hygiene services an attractive option. These environments cater to fast-paced urban lifestyles, where networking at professional events often precedes solitary downtime at home.
Recently selected to participate in the upcoming 2025 edition of the Latin American Architecture Biennial in Pamplona, Práctica Arquitectura has established itself as a young and promising firm in the region, specifically in Mexico. Their architectural work focuses on materializing projects that achieve a high level of sensitivity, both for those who inhabit them and for their immediate surroundings, whatever they may be. In close connection with landscapes and terrains, their projects come to life through a design that carefully considers materials, structures, and details, while ensuring a sensory and emotional experience in the spaces they create.
Nature Within Vacation Home - Section. Image Courtesy of Unformed Design
The change of the calendar year marked the culmination of several processes in the world of renowned architecture firms. Between December 2024 and February 2025, Gensler unveiled a rendering of a Manhattan redevelopment project, Foster + Partners released renderings of a new hotel and luxury residences in Brazil, and Herzog & de Meuron announced the completion date for the new Memphis Art Museum. International competitions revealed their results, highlighting the winning project of the young firm Unformed Design, as well as the collaboration between the Portuguese Fala Atelier and the Swiss Continentale on an educational architecture project. These projects showcase the broad scope of architectural design, from the detailing of a high-end project's relationship with nature to the urban renewal potential of a programmatic conversion project.
International architectural firm Populous has announced the initial phase of the redevelopment of Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, in collaboration with Como 1907 and the Municipality of Como in Italy. The project aims to modernize the historic stadium while maintaining its role as a central hub for the community. The process begins with the submission of the Document of Feasibility of Project Alternatives (DOCFAP), a key step in evaluating potential design approaches. The approval process is expected to conclude by May 2026, marking the completion of the project's first stage.
