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glowing glass block facades front arkana architects’ ‘villa sipat & sauh’ in bali

arkana architects’ interiors open toward garden and sky

Villa Sipat & Sauh by Arkana Architects sits within a compact site in Bali behind a luminous facade of glass blocks. The project responds to a brief that sought a rental villa with the warmth and familiarity of a private dwelling, expressed through quiet spatial cues and measured material choices.

A small foyer framed by glass blocks introduces this tone. The space opens to the sky, allowing shifting light and occasional rain to shape the atmosphere. This transitional zone leads directly into a kitchen with a modest island counter, an arrangement that places daily rituals at the center of arrival and gives the villa an immediate sense of ease.

images © Thomas Irsyad

‘Villa Sipat & Sauh’ is organized around luminous courtyards

Past the kitchen, Villa Sipat & Sauh’s dining and living areas unfold in a sequence which Arkana Architects defines by a timber and fluted-glass partition. The screen diffuses light while keeping sightlines fluid, creating a gentle gradient between one room and the next.

At the heart of the plan, a pool courtyard provides a pause in the circulation. This open-air core brings brightness and fresh air deep into the interior and anchors movement through the villa, including the stair rising beside the water toward the upper level.

The architects organize the home to balance intimacy with a strong architectural frame. The courtyard mediates between social spaces at the front of the plan and the more secluded sleeping areas toward the rear and above.

Views across the house carry through glass, timber, and curated gaps, giving each room a sense of connection while maintaining clarity of purpose. Light shifts throughout the day, sliding across edges and surfaces, shaping the interior with steady rhythm.

Villa Sipat & Sauh introduces a domestic scale to a rental setting

a home of glowing volumes

The exterior presents a geometric volume defined by expanses of glass blocks. The material lends a soft glow to the facade and filters silhouettes within, offering privacy while inviting curiosity from the street.

This approach gives the villa a distinct identity within its neighborhood. The design leans toward restraint, expressed through controlled openings, firm lines, and a consistent palette that underscores the building’s quiet presence.

Glass blocks play a central role in the project’s character, serving both practical and expressive aims. Their diffuse light complements the interior’s timber elements and the gentle shimmer of the pool, heightening the villa’s calm atmosphere.

The rest of the palette remains measured, allowing texture and proportion to guide the experience. Each material serves its purpose without excess, contributing to the villa’s steady, composed quality.

glass blocks shape the entry with shifting daylight and open sky

Arkana organizes the plan around a calm procession from foyer to kitchen

a restrained palette emphasizes proportion and texture over ornament

a timber and fluted glass screen creates a gentle gradient between rooms

upper and lower levels stay connected through framed views across the house

the exterior volume uses glass blocks to give privacy and soft luminosity

project info:

name: Villa Sipat & Sauh

architect: Arkana Architects | @arkanaarchitects

location: Bali, Indonesia

area: 250 square meters (2,690 square feet)

completion: 2025

photography: © Thomas Irsyad | @thomasirsyad

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five interconnected timber volumes shape off-grid house on japanese island

Sakai Architects designs self-sufficient residence on AMAMI ISLAND

Located in the center of Amami Island, Japan, Off-Grid House by Sakai Architects is a self-sufficient family residence designed to operate entirely independent of the national power grid. The project explores architecture as a model for circular living in response to environmental change and regional depopulation, integrating spatial, climatic, and social systems within a subtropical island context. The design originates from a research process into local vernacular building methods and contemporary strategies for self-reliance. Following feasibility studies on renewable energy options, including solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal, solar generation was identified as the most viable energy source despite limited regional irradiation. The residence functions autonomously through a combination of photovoltaic power, composting systems, and wood fuel recycled from construction offcuts.

Rooted in the island’s buntō (multi-volume) layout tradition, the plan consists of five interconnected structures, each dedicated to a specific function, such as bathing, sleeping, and storage. These volumes are arranged geometrically to create intermediary outdoor and semi-enclosed zones that serve as shared living and gathering areas. The resulting spatial configuration allows continuous airflow and natural ventilation while establishing fluid transitions between interior and exterior environments. The roof design draws from Amami’s vernacular irimoya (hip-and-gable) and corrugated-metal forms, reinterpreted with layered insulation and ventilation cavities for climatic adaptability. Deep eaves mitigate direct solar exposure and tropical rainfall, while the raised structure references takakura granaries, enabling cross-ventilation and resilience to humidity.

Off-Grid House by Sakai Architects is located in the center of Amami Island, Japan | all images by Toshihisa Ishii

OFF-GRID HOME models ecological autonomy and collective living

Locally sourced and recycled materials are employed throughout. A wood-fired sauna utilizes offcuts from the building process as fuel, reinforcing the project’s closed-loop approach to resources. Organic waste is composted and reused in the adjoining vegetable garden, forming a self-sustaining ecosystem in which household production and consumption coexist. Studio Sakai Architects draws from Amami Island’s cultural identity, often described as the ‘Island of Ties,’ to inform the project’s social dimension. The flexible spatial organization accommodates both daily family life and larger community gatherings, reflecting the island’s cooperative traditions of yui (collective effort).

Through its integration of traditional planning logic, material efficiency, and ecological autonomy, Off-Grid House demonstrates an alternative model for domestic architecture in subtropical climates. The project situates habitation within a broader network of environmental and cultural continuity, proposing a resilient framework for living beyond conventional infrastructural systems.

photovoltaic panels, composting systems, and recycled wood fuel support full autonomy

the residence operates entirely independent of the national power grid

the design draws from local vernacular construction and self-sufficient living systems

intermediary zones create fluid transitions between interior and exterior environments

continuous airflow and natural ventilation define the open spatial configuration

the plan consists of five interconnected structures with distinct household functions

elevated structures recall traditional takakura granaries, promoting cross-ventilation

locally sourced and recycled materials establish a closed-loop resource cycle

a wood-fired sauna uses leftover timber from the construction process

the roof form references Amami’s traditional irimoya and corrugated-metal profiles

project info:

name: Amami House

architects: Sakai Architects | @sakaiarchitects

lead architect: Kazunori Sakai

location: Amami Island, Japan

photographer: Toshihisa Ishii

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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unfinished brutalist structure in ghana home to newly opened limbo museum

limbo museum: a space for artistic production and exhibition

The Limbo Museum has opened in Accra, Ghana, within the concrete frame of an unfinished brutalist structure that now serves as an active site for cultural production. Its launch aligns with Accra Cultural Week and introduces a Visiting Artist Program influenced by artistic practice as well as the architecture surrounding it.

The museum presents its debut exhibition, ‘On the Other Side of Languish’ by Reginald Sylvester II, created during an extended residency that placed the artist directly within the building’s raw shell. The program is organized with Gallery 1957 and curated by Diallo Simon-Ponte, who situates each new work in relation to the museum’s evolving spatial character.

the Limbo Museum opens in Accra within an unfinished brutalist structure | image © Erica Aryee

an unfinished ruin with a new life in ghana

The building that houses the Limbo Museum holds an unusual presence in Ghana’s cultural landscape. Its unfinished concrete frame rises with a sense of measured weight, marked by exposed surfaces, shifting light, and wide structural spans that open toward the sky. The absence of polished finishes allows every material gesture to register with clarity, from the rough aggregate underfoot to the rhythm of vertical supports that anchor each level.

This spatial condition shapes the experience of the exhibition. Sylvester’s steel gates and painted panels feel fused to the architecture, responding to its height, mass, and lingering traces of construction. The Limbo Museum uses this openness to form a dialogue between architecture and artistic production, allowing each intervention to influence how visitors read the building.

the Limbo Museum opens in Accra within an unfinished brutalist structure

a museum activated by the artwork of Reginald Sylvester II

Sylvester’s work engages directly with the unfinished surfaces of the Limbo Museum in Ghana. The gates, forged from steel and rubber, carry a strong physical charge, their scale mirroring the verticality of the structure. Installed within circulation zones and threshold-like passages, they guide movement through the building in a deliberate way, turning the museum’s skeletal layout into an active partner in the exhibition.

The paintings behave differently. Hung within recesses or against wide planes of concrete, they introduce shifts in color and density that register slowly as the viewer adapts to the subdued light. This pairing of heavy sculptural forms with quieter pictorial fields heightens the building’s layered character, revealing new patterns of shadow, texture, and proportion within the Limbo Museum.

Reginald Sylvester II debuts new work shaped by the building’s raw concrete frame

Simon-Ponte frames the museum as a place where the unfinished yields new modes of learning and production. The idea of a structure suspended in partial completion guides the approach to exhibitions, inviting artists to work inside a building that resists fixed definitions. This architectural stance aligns closely with Ghana’s growing commitment to contemporary culture and positions the museum as a responsive institution shaped by its environment.

Sylvester’s residency reflects this ambition. His time in Accra allowed him to assemble a body of work that grows from direct encounters with the city’s materials and makers. Steel fabrication yards, local workshops, and urban rhythms influence each piece, grounding the exhibition in the wider fabric of Accra.

the Visiting Artist Program launches in partnership with Gallery 1957

steel gates and paintings respond directly to the museum’s height and material presence

the architecture allows for movement through thresholds and open spans

Accra’s fabric and local artisans influence the scale and character of Sylvester’s works

project info:

name: Limbo Museum | @limbomuseum

location: Accra, Ghana

program: Visiting Artist Program in partnership with Gallery 1957 | @gallery1957

inaugural exhibition: On the Other Side of Languish by Reginald Sylvester II | @reginaldsylvester2

curator: Diallo Simon-Ponte, Director of Exhibitions and Programs

opening: October 31st, 2025

photography: © Limbo Museum

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hexagonal wooden canopy crowns villa within moss garden in japan

Kokeniwa House merges with Karuizawa’s moss garden landscape

Located in a long-established villa district in Karuizawa, Japan, known for its carefully maintained moss gardens, Kokeniwa House by Cell Space Architects, led by Mutsue Hayakusa, is designed to coexist with its dense natural surroundings while minimizing environmental impact. The site is characterized by a rich canopy of native broadleaf trees such as Japanese oak and mizunara, and a continuous layer of moss cultivated through long-term human care. In response to this context, the residence adopts a mushroom-like form that lightly touches the ground, reducing its footprint and harmonizing with the surrounding vegetation.

The plan evolved into a hexagonal configuration, derived from close observation of nearby trees, their root systems, branch spread, and growth patterns. The geometry ensures adequate clearance from existing vegetation, allowing the structure to integrate into the forest without disturbance. To further balance the building with the surrounding trees and reduce its visual mass, the floor and roof planes are divided into three levels. This creates subtle changes in elevation that define independent corners within the otherwise open, single-room space. Internally, the gently curved ceiling produces an organic sense of expansion while maintaining a continuous spatial flow.

all images by Koichi Torimura

Cell Space Architects brings nature indoors with wooden tones

The roof form follows the natural curvature of tree trunks and branches, and its underside features finely ribbed oak panels that enhance the spatial rhythm and light quality. From each opening, views of the moss garden and forest extend outward, merging with the soft green light reflected on the wooden surfaces. The result is an interior that conveys immersion within the surrounding landscape while maintaining the comfort of enclosure.

Studio Cell Space Architects’ material selection was guided by considerations of sustainability and texture. The ceiling panels were fabricated from offcuts of Hokkaido-grown oak, a byproduct of lumber processing. To minimize warping, thin sapwood boards were slit on both sides, producing a material that retains flexibility and dimensional stability. This approach highlights the wood’s inherent pliability rather than its linear strength, reflecting the natural bending behavior of trees.

Color variation among the offcuts and sapwood produces subtle gradations across the interior surface, mirroring the layered hues of tree bark and forest light. Through this material strategy, the architecture conveys the dynamic qualities of the natural environment, variation, adaptation, and continuity, within a restrained, single-room structure that blends seamlessly with its setting.

Kokeniwa House by Cell Space Architects sits quietly within Karuizawa’s moss-covered forest

the hexagonal plan responds to the natural spread of roots and branches on site

geometry and layout ensure the house coexists with existing vegetation without disruption

floor and roof planes are divided into three levels to soften the building’s visual volume

subtle changes in elevation define private and open zones within a single-room plan

a gently curved ceiling creates a sense of organic openness and spatial continuity

openings frame views of the moss garden, drawing in filtered green light

the roof follows the natural curvature of surrounding trunks and branches

finely ribbed oak panels line the ceiling, enhancing rhythm and light diffusion

the interior evokes immersion in nature while preserving a quiet sense of shelter

soft reflections from the wooden ceiling connect interior and exterior atmospheres

the color palette draws from the surrounding nature’s earthy tones

ceiling panels are made from offcuts of Hokkaido-grown oak, minimizing waste

thin sapwood boards are slit on both sides to enhance flexibility and stability

material treatment emphasizes the pliability of wood rather than its structural rigidity

varied tones of oak and sapwood create subtle gradations across the ceiling

the house embodies continuity between architecture and nature through form and material

the residence integrates architecture and landscape in a long-established villa district

the building’s mushroom-like form minimizes its footprint among native trees

Japanese oak and mizunara trees form a dense canopy above the hexagonal structure

project info:

name: Kokeniwa House
architect: Cell Space Architects | @cellspacearchitects
lead architect: Mutsue Hayakusa

location: Nagano, Japan

photographer: Koichi Torimura

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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take a new look behind the expressive facade of the 2000s-era ‘blue house’ in london

‘a house within a house’ in london

In London, FAT Architecture‘s Blue House sits along the steady line of Hackney Road in Bethnal Green, where its vivid facade disrupts the rhythm of the streetscape. Designed by Sean Griffiths, now founder of English studio ModernArchitect, the house is now listed for sale. Now, design lovers can take a fresh look at a work that has long held its place as a marker of early-2000s design.

From the sidewalk, its blue cladding and crenellated parapet create a confident silhouette against the muted tones of the street. The building’s profile expresses a studied sense of play, an approach that gives the home its distinctive presence while maintaining a sense of composure. Griffiths once described the project as ‘a house within a house,’ an idea expressed through layers of enclosure and a facade that wraps the living spaces in a kind of protective shell.

images courtesy Hemingway+K

Interiors shaped for flexibility

Inside, FAT Architecture‘s Blue House (listed here) unfolds as a sequence of linked spaces arranged around slender columns and generous openings. Parquet flooring runs across the ground level, giving the interior a warm tone that anchors the cooler colors of the walls and fitted elements. A log-burning stove rests in the corner of the living space, adding to the sense of calm that underpins the architecture’s more expressive moments.

The organization of the upper floors follows a structure that encourages adaptability. Two staircases sit at opposite ends of the plan, creating separate routes through the home and enabling varied configurations over time. Curved edges replace sharp intersections, guiding circulation through softened thresholds and shaping two of the bedrooms with gentle, irregular perimeters. Materials shift as well: moss-green carpet on the stairs yields to cork flooring on the upper levels, signaling transitions between zones.

Blue House in London presents a vivid facade along Hackney Road

the blue house for an evolving lifestyle

The Blue House accommodates three bedrooms, an office with its own kitchenette and street access, and a top-floor studio looking out toward London. The layout also supports a five-bedroom configuration, illustrating how the architecture sustains adjustment as domestic or work needs evolve. This flexibility reflects the intentions embedded in FAT Architecture’s original design, which approached the home as a setting for overlapping forms of living.

At the rear, the kitchen opens directly to a sheltered courtyard garden planted with lush tree ferns and small tetrapanax trees. Large bi-fold glazing draws the garden into daily life, allowing light and foliage to settle into the interior. The interaction between these spaces brings a grounded quality to a home often framed through its expressive exterior.

the home was designed by Sean Griffiths under FAT Architecture

the modernarchitect’s rooftop addition

Atop the main Blue House, a later addition by Griffiths’ current practice, ModernArchitect, introduces a rooftop studio and terrace. Pebbledash clads the volume, edged in yellow and cut by a green-framed pivot door that sets a bold datum against the sky. Inside, a deep portal window aligns with this frame, giving the studio a strong outward focus and a sense of orientation within the wider streetscape.

This upper level references the family’s time on the coast and brings a textured contrast to the smooth blue facade below. The combination of these elements reinforces the home’s layered identity, shaped by phases of personal history and architectural experimentation.

its blue cladding and crenellations frame a composed interior

parquet floors and curved edges guide movement through the ground level

dual staircases allow the upper floors to shift between layouts

bedrooms and workspaces are shaped by softened perimeters and changing materials

a rooftop studio by Modern Architect introduces pebbledash and bold framing

project info:

name: Blue House

architect: FAT Architecture

location: London, UK

agency: Hemingway+K | @hemingwayandk

lead architect: Sean Griffiths

photography: courtesy Hemingway+K

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el departamento’s pink marble-clad HOFF flagship reinterprets historic madrid boulevard

El Departamento Reinterprets Madrid’s Historic Promenade

El Departamento, led by Marina Martín and Alberto Eltini, designs HOFF’s new flagship store on Velázquez Street in Madrid, drawing from the avenue’s 19th-century origins as a planned promenade comparable to the Champs-Élysées. Conceived during the city’s Ensanche expansion, the boulevard was intended as a space for strolling and social encounters. This historical reference becomes the basis for a contemporary interior architecture that translates the idea of the civic promenade into a 600 sqm retail environment.

El Departamento organizes the store as a series of connected spatial atmospheres, each tied to varying degrees of activity and program. The entrance opens into the SNEAKS café, defined by pink olivillo marble and hand-crafted clay tiles selected for their material depth and chromatic warmth. The café can be reconfigured to accommodate events or music sessions, reflecting the project’s emphasis on adaptable layouts.

all images by Javier Bravo

a sequence of Artisanal Display Systems shapes HOFF’s flagship

At the center of the store, creative studio El Departamento organizes The Stage area, displaying HOFF’s collections on three elongated travertine shelves. A custom terrazzo flooring, designed specifically for the brand, establishes a visual and chromatic continuity throughout the interior. Adjustable lighting calibrates the ambience in response to natural light and program requirements. Sculptural works by Sara Regal, Casa Antillón, and Elisabeth Blumen introduce additional layers of material and spatial dialogue.

Beyond this zone, The Sneaker Lab functions as a workshop dedicated to restoration and customization, foregrounding craft and product care. The Gallery, conceived as a contemporary amphitheater, integrates a sculptural piece made of wicker and metal produced by artisans from Alicante. On the upper level, The Work–Shop provides a multipurpose space for cultural programming, while a mirrored wall leads to The Attic, a private, apartment-like setting for meetings and smaller gatherings.

HOFF’s Velázquez flagship reinterprets the 19th-century boulevard as a contemporary retail space

El Departamento Uses Material Contrast to Define Interior Zones

Materiality forms a key structural and experiential framework for the project. Natural lime mortar, local stone, and solid wood establish a connection to traditional craftsmanship, while stainless steel components and technical lighting introduce a more contemporary dimension. Together, these materials create a balanced palette that allows each zone to maintain its own identity within a coherent overall system.

With the Velázquez flagship, HOFF presents a retail model that integrates hospitality, cultural activity, and product display. For El Departamento, the project extends an ongoing exploration of design’s relationship to the urban context and its capacity to shape daily experience.

the store layout follows a sequence of connected spatial atmospheres

natural lime mortar, local stone, and solid wood connect the store to traditional craftsmanship

custom terrazzo flooring unifies the store’s chromatic identity

stainless steel and technical lighting introduce contemporary architectural elements

the material palette balances historical and modern references across the store

each zone maintains its own identity within a coherent spatial system

the flagship integrates retail, hospitality, and cultural activity

diverse materials and textures converse within the interior

HOFF’s new flagship store organizes a private apartment-like meeting space

architectural design emphasizes adaptability and interaction between spaces

El Departamento translates Madrid’s historic promenade into a 600 sqm interior environment

project info:

name: HOFF Flagship Store Velázquez

architect: El Departamento | @eldepartamento.estudio

location: 37 Velázquez Street, 28001 Madrid, Spain

area: 600 sqm

lead architects: Alberto Eltini & Marina Martín

client: HOFF | @thehoffbrand

construction: Triangular

furniture design: El Departamento
furniture manufacturing: Moinsa

textiles: Deco & You

flooring: Maora, Mosaic Factory

lighting: Ilumisa

decorative lighting: Santa & Cole

speakers: Light Sound

rugs: Habana Home, Nordic Knots, Ege

tiles: La Pietra Compattata

palm tree: Cestería Marcilla
photographer: Javier Bravo | @javierbravofotografia

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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denim wraps workout equipment within sutura sculptural gym in mexico

Sutura Turns Gym Equipment into a Unified Denim Landscape

For Sutura, studios Sulkin Askenazi and Alterego apply a single material strategy to reframe the spatial and functional identity of a gym environment. The project introduces denim as a continuous surface treatment, covering all equipment and architectural elements in a uniform indigo textile. Through this intervention, the gym is reinterpreted as a spatial installation rather than a conventional fitness interior.

The use of denim draws on its cultural and material associations while repositioning it within an unexpected program. By enveloping machines, pads, and structural components, the design transforms standard workout equipment into a cohesive sculptural landscape. The space, located in Mexico City, operates at the intersection of utility and visual composition, merging daily exercise routines with a heightened awareness of form, texture, and movement.

all images by Ricardo de la Concha

Monochrome textile Interior Reinterprets the Gym Environment

References to the work of James Turrell, Harry Nuriev, and Glenn Martens inform the project’s approach to color, surface, and spatial perception. Light interacts with the monochromatic textile in a way that emphasizes volume and silhouette, allowing the gym to function simultaneously as an environment for physical activity and as a controlled visual field.

Within this setting, repetition and movement are framed as part of the spatial experience. The design, developed by the collaborative team between architectural practice Sulkin Askenazi and interior design studio Alterego, integrates bodily motion into its conceptual structure, positioning exercise as a sequence of interactions with a continuous textile environment. Sutura – Design House 2025, therefore, presents a reinterpretation of the gym typology, where material consistency, sculptural treatment, and programmed activity operate as a unified architectural statement.

denim wraps every surface, redefining the gym as a single-material environment

indigo textile covers equipment and architecture in a continuous field

the gym interior is reinterpreted as a spatial installation rather than a functional room

a uniform denim treatment transforms workout machines into sculptural forms

the design shifts denim from its cultural context into an unexpected program

the gym features Sutura’s identity graphic detail on the mirror

the space blends utility with a strong emphasis on form and texture

pads, frames, and structures merge into a cohesive textile landscape

denim unifies Sutura gym into a controlled visual composition

project info:

name: Sutura
architect: Sulkin Askenazi | @sulkinaskenazi

lead designers: Gabriel Askenazi, Jack Sulkin

interior design: Alterego | @alterego_mexico

lighting design: Bandido Studio

location: Mexico City, Mexico

area: 45 sqm

photographer: Ricardo de la Concha | @ricardodelaconcha

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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BIG designs new hamburg state opera as island of concentric terraced gardens

HafenCity waterfront to see new Hamburg State Opera

The new Hamburg State Opera by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) will establish a contemporary home for the State Opera and Hamburg Ballet. The project is set to be located on the Baakenhöft peninsula in HafenCity — a sprawling waterfront development — and will replace the company’s mid-century house on Dammtorstraße. It will extend the German city’s long tradition of pairing cultural architecture with the harbor’s open horizon.

Imagined as both a working opera house and a civic landscape, the 45,000-square-meter building combines production, rehearsal, and performance spaces with a new public park that reaches to the river’s edge.

BIG’s proposal was selected by unanimous jury decision, recognizing its ability to synthesize the demands of a major cultural institution with the fluid urban fabric of HafenCity. The opera is envisioned as an island structure of terraced green roofs and a new hinge in Hamburg’s waterfront transformation.

BIG’s landscape of concentric terraces

Architect Bjarke Ingels describes the design as ‘a landscape of concentric terraces,’ expanding outward from the main hall like ripples on the surface of the water. The building’s roofline forms a continuous, circular geometry that opens toward the harbor, creating a sequence of terraces accessible from multiple directions.

These landscaped paths weave between gardens, plazas, and lookout points, turning the entire site into a three-dimensional park open to residents and visitors throughout the day.

The transition from exterior to interior is fluid. Stone pavements from the park extend into the foyer, unifying ground and building. This large, timber-lined hall functions as an urban living room, animated by two central staircases that rise toward upper levels. Every main floor connects directly to outdoor terraces, which can host events or serve as informal gathering spaces overlooking the Elbe and the city skyline.

a continuous circular roofline shapes a walkable topography across the building

an auditorium of sculptural wooden layers

At the heart of the Hamburg State Opera, the main auditorium is enveloped in bands of horizontally layered timber that modulate both sightlines and sound. The wood surfaces create a warm tonal register, visually linking balconies and walls into a single flowing form.

BIG partner Jakob Sand says: ‘The main hall is the heart of the project – — space with state-of-the-art acoustics and perfect sightlines to the stage.’ Concentric wooden rings shape the hall and its balconies and dissolve the divide between performers and audience.

the foyer acts as an urban living room animated by central timber staircases

Landscape as infrastructure

Supporting spaces — including a smaller studio stage, rehearsal rooms, and workshops — are organized directly behind the main hall, enabling seamless movement between preparation and performance. The plan reflects BIG’s ongoing exploration of buildings as networks of connected activity rather than fixed hierarchies of front and back.

Partner David Zahle emphasizes this openness: ‘Visitors can move along the facades and glimpse into the foyer, rehearsal rooms, backstage areas and offices, revealing the complexity behind a working opera house.’

BIG Landscape’s design extends the opera’s design language into the surrounding park. Flood management is integrated through a system of terraces, planted dunes, and wetlands that absorb and slow water flow. Rain basins collect and filter runoff, creating habitats for local flora and fauna. This way, a resilient ecological zone is created which responds to the tides of the Elbe while framing the opera as a living landscape shaped by natural movement.

the main hall features layered timber surfaces that guide acoustics and sightlines

visitors can move along the facades and see into working areas of the opera

wetlands, terraces, and rain basins form a resilient landscape that adapts to the tides of the Elbe

stone paths from the waterfront park flow directly into the foyer to create a unified ground plane

project info:

name: Hamburg State Opera

architect: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) | @big_builds

location: Hamburg, Germany
client: Kühne Foundation, The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg represented by the Ministry of Culture and Media, Hamburgische Staatsoper GmbH

collaborators: Theatre Projects, Bollinger + Grohmann, Transsolar, K+H, Duschl, Yanis Amasri

size: 45,000 square meters

project team:
partner-in-charge: Bjarke Ingels, Jakob Sand, David Zahle
design lead: Sarkis Sarkisyan, Michael Leef
team: Mariia Nakonechnaia, Carlos Ramos Tenorio, David Benjamin Wilden, Jianuo Xuan, Jacob Engelbrecht Ødum, Celia de la Osa Muñoz, Gilana Antonova, Giovanni Vergantini, Mathis Paul Gebauer, Hou Ming Ng, Martino Hutz, Veronica Hamilton
BIG landscape: Giulia Frittoli, Ulla Hornsyld, Gaspard Del Marmol, Lucia Ayala

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MAD’s lucas museum of narrative art in los angeles prepares for september 2026 opening

mad’s Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in los angeles takes shape

Construction continues to surge ahead at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles’s Exposition Park, as the MAD-designed landmark prepares to open its doors in 2026. Envisioned by filmmaker George Lucas, who also serves as the museum’s curator, this futuristic civic space is shaped like a sculptural canopy, hovering lightly above a revitalized, pedestrian-friendly parkland.

UPDATE November 13th, 2025: The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art sets its public opening for September 22nd, 2026, debuting Ma Yansong’s futuristic building in Los Angeles’s Exposition Park. Co-founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the institution focuses on storytelling across classic illustration, muralism, comic art, science fiction imagery, and cinematic artifacts. Its 9290 square meters of galleries will draw from a collection of more than 40,000 works exploring themes such as love, family, community, childhood, and adventure. ‘Stories are mythology, and when illustrated, they help humans understand the mysteries of life,’ says George Lucas. Hobson adds that the museum seeks to be ‘a museum of the people’s art,’ reflecting visitors’ own experiences.

all images by LA TIMES – Chun Myung & Jason Armond, via MAD, unless stated otherwise

a floating landmark

Led by Ma Yansong, the team at MAD replaces right angles with fluid, organic geometries in the Lucas Museum’s design, shaping its sculptural form with over 1,500 uniquely molded fiberglass-reinforced polymer (FRP) panels. As it arches across the site with cloud-like massing and deep cantilevers, the building contrasts with its more conventional neighbors in Exposition Park. A 56-meter-long central archway spans a public plaza and forms the entry point of the museum, while above it, a four-story elliptical oculus cuts through the volume and gallery spaces, visually linking the park and sky.

In many ways, the Los Angeles museum seems to levitate, with its form touching the ground at just a few strategic points, allowing for openness and lightness despite its massive scale. This illusion of floating is engineered with seismic resilience in mind, with one meter of lateral space allowing it to ‘roll’ during an earthquake, what the former CEO of the museum, Sandra Jackson-Dumont, once described as ‘a giant roller skate’ built for the realities of LA’s tectonic landscape.

image courtesy of The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

Mia Lehrer creates an urban public oasis

Surrounding the museum, landscape architect Mia Lehrer is transforming what was once a sea of parking lots into a shaded public oasis, planting over 200 trees and creating a green, walkable environment. This shift from car-dominant infrastructure to community-oriented parkland aligns with the museum’s broader mission to be a place for people, not just artifacts.

Inside, the programming reflects this same democratic spirit. Beyond galleries spanning 9290 square meters, the museum will house two state-of-the-art theaters, ten education studios, a library, a restaurant, a museum shop, and even a rooftop event space beneath its ribbed ‘cloud’ ceiling.

the MAD-designed landmark prepares to open its doors in 2026

storytelling across media drives the institution’s evolving vision

The Lucas Museum is built around the idea of storytelling as a global cultural force. The collection spans everything from Norman Rockwell’s illustrations to Frida Kahlo’s iconic work, alongside film models, props, and concept art from the Star Wars creator’s own archive. With this expansive approach to narrative art, the museum positions itself as a one-of-a-kind institution dedicated to visual storytelling across cultures and media.

Sandra Jackson-Dumont, who has been overseeing the museum’s development for the past five years, left her post in April 2025 following the introduction of a new organizational structure. The change splits the roles of director and CEO; Lucas steers the museum’s artistic content, while former Paramount and Fox CEO Jim Gianopulos serves as interim CEO.

As Los Angeles grows and reshapes its identity as a global center for arts and culture, the Lucas Museum wants to be an everyday destination in the heart of South LA, where people can gather, learn, and connect.

the building contrasts with its more conventional neighbors in Exposition Park

MAD replaces right angles with fluid, organic geometries

the building hovers lightly above a revitalized, pedestrian-friendly parkland

landscape architect Mia Lehrer is transforming what was once a sea of parking lots into a shaded public oasis

a green, walkable environment planted with over 200 trees

project info:

project title: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art | @lucasmuseum

architecture: MAD architects | @madarchitects

location: Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California

previous coverage: March 2018, February 2020, September 2022, March 2024, March 2025

MAD Architects team: Ma Yansong (founder, principal partner), Lu Junliang (Dixon) (associate partner), Lee Flora (associate partner)
architect of record: Stantec (Michael Siegel) | @stantec
landscape architect: Studio-MLA (Mia Lehrer) | @studio_mla
construction manager: JLL (Cory Langer, Dustin Worland)
general contractor: Hathaway Dinwiddie (Rick Cridland)
structural engineer: LERA
mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire life safety: Alfa Tech

MAD Architects partners: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano

competition and design team: Kin Li, Tiffany Dahlen, Daniel Weber, Jordan Kanter, Daniel Gillen, Wu Kaicong, Zhao Wei, Flora Lee, Jonathan Kontuly, Carmen Carrasco, Jacob Hu, Satoko Narishige, Zhu Yuhao, Casey Kell, Matthew Pugh, Kazushi Miyamoto, Ben Yuqiang, Hiroki Fujino, Chris Nolop, Kek Seow, Younjin Park, Brecht Van Acker, Andrea D’antrassi, Zhang Yiran, Pouya Goshayeshi, Dora Lam, Victor Tung, Steven Park Chaffer, Sean Tan, Sheenam Mujoo, Dookee Chung, Cesar D. Pena Del Rey, Valeria Pestereva, Wang Yiqi, Dmitry Seregin, Lin Yuyang, Che-hung Chien, Zhang Lu, Zeng Hao, Young Koo Kang, Shen Han

The post MAD’s lucas museum of narrative art in los angeles prepares for september 2026 opening appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

ring-shaped residence by alexis dornier wraps around verdant inner courtyard in bali

alexis dornier embeds circular residence in bali’s forested slopes

Villa Omah Prana by Alexis Dornier unfolds as a circular retreat that feels absorbed into the landscape of Payangan’s forested slopes, just north of Ubud, Bali. The 475-square-meter residence adopts a compound-like arrangement organized around a lush internal courtyard. Its low, continuous timber roofline and radial plan echo local vernacular geometries.

The project sits like a ring placed over the terrain, with the broad, funnel-like roof forming a shaded perimeter walkway and an introverted core. The shingle texture and earthy tonality of the roof make the building blend with its tropical context, while the inner void admits daylight and natural ventilation.

all images by KIE

curving interiors and crescent pool shape Villa Omah Prana

For the interior of Villa Omah Prana, Alexis Dornier picks herringbone brickwork and deep-toned timber ceilings sitting atop curving circulation routes that mirror the form of the building. Sliding openings allow entrance to the garden, while the central planted disk becomes a meditative anchor, echoing Bali’s traditional compounds, reinterpreted through the German architect’s design. Moments of transparency toward the valley merge the sheltered interior with the expansive forest canopy.

Along the outer arc, a crescent-shaped infinity pool slips between the edge of the villa and the descending landscape, framing the view while preserving the circular geometry. The roof, courtyard, and pool generate a sense of retreat, a house that bends with the land and gathers its volumes under one unifying roof.

the circular residence sits low against the forested hillside