The project for the Laje Football Field is, in short, a retaining wall. A precise "L" shaped wall that defines and enables a flat football pitch on a steep slope, creating an arcade that gives access to the support facilities located underground.
VUILD has presented the design for a wooden soccer stadium planned for Fukushima, Japan, as the future home of Fukushima United FC. Commissioned by SportX, the proposal combines community participation, an innovative timber structure, and sustainable strategies, positioning the stadium as both a functional sports venue and a potential symbol of renewal. Inspired by the Japanese tradition of Shikinen Sengu, the periodic rebuilding of shrines, the concept introduces three cycles: resources, community, and craftsmanship.
As cities and communities adapt to new cultural, environmental, and social realities, architecture is taking on an expanded role in shaping spaces of resilience, gathering, and imagination. This edition of Architecture Now highlights six recent projects that span continents and typologies, from the redevelopment of post-industrial landscapes to sacred architecture, cultural pavilions, and civic hubs. Whether through mass timber innovation in Vancouver and Jülich, adaptive reuse in Ostrava, a children's pavilion in London, a spiritual centre in India, or a parametric church in Kyiv, each project demonstrates how design can bridge heritage and innovation while fostering connection, care, and community.
Nestled in a quiet stretch of Manhattan Beach, California, this bright coastal home strikes the perfect balance between sophisticated contemporary aesthetics and relaxed indoor-outdoor living. This expansive three-story home and private ADU combine generous living space to host the owner's large multi-generational family, panoramic glazing to capture views, and a modern exterior massing.
In an era marked by rapid urbanisation and greenfield development, India's cities are grappling with the challenge of vehicle-centric planning and a critical scarcity of genuine communal spaces. Against this backdrop, a cluster of defunct cotton mills has been given new life—and a new purpose. Formerly home to Lakshmi Mills, one of India's oldest yarn and fabric manufacturing companies, the iconic site at a major urban node is now the focal point of a massive redevelopment initiative. This project exemplifies the potential of adaptive reuse and placemaking, revitalising underutilised urban areas and fostering a deeper sense of connection between people and their cities.
Located 100km from Shanghai, Suzhou is both a first-class metropolis and an ancient city renowned for its flourishing garden culture. This project is situated in a newly developed suburban area approximately 30 minutes by subway from the city center that serves as a population hub.
We designed and constructed a new vacation home in Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture. The site is located in the mountainous region of Yamagata Prefecture, a place rich in nature surrounded by mountains. The client resides in Miami, USA, and planned this building as a base for stays during visits to Japan.
The concept of the project emerged from the challenge of rethinking social integration in high-density buildings, exploring new forms of vertical community living. Prior to its development, there were few Chilean precedents addressing this issue, especially regarding the use of the elevator as an organizing axis for community life. The key question was how to foster closeness and a sense of community within a vertical structure without allowing density to translate into anonymity.
The development of tourism in the Demänovská Valley (Liptov, Low Tatras) is closely tied to the year 1924, when the first section of the Demänovská Cave of Liberty, discovered in August 1921, was opened to the public. A century later, together with the client, we began working on the architectural design of a new residence. We arrived at its final form after two years and countless iterations, a process that, from today's perspective, proved to be a meaningful investment of time.
In Berlin, Am Zoo, next to Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche on Breitscheidplatz, stands a 118.8-meter-high tower with 33 floors. Upper West, as it is known, is owned and operated by Signa Holding Company. The project was completed between 2021 and 2023 in two construction phases. In 2021, Signa invested in a sports-affiliated start-up, using its 30th floor for its flagship office headquarters.
Architecture has always been more than bricks and mortar. It is equally constructed through words, ideas, and narratives. From ancient treatises to radical manifestos, from technical manuals to poetic essays, the written word has served as a spatial, pedagogical, and political tool within the field. Writing shapes how architecture is conceptualized, communicated, and critiqued — often long before, or even in the absence of, physical construction.
Ethereal Whisper is a home designed for Minoy and Liji, who returned to Kerala after years in Canada seeking a quieter, more grounded life. Located in Karimannoor, Idukki, the house sits at the natural high point of a two-acre rubber plantation, an untouched clearing at the centre of the land. Elevated just enough to catch light, breeze, and views of the surrounding groves, the dwelling does not dominate its site but settles into it, like a soft pause within the landscape.
Does architecture alone define how we inhabit a space? It's becoming increasingly clear that it does not. The objects within a space—particularly furniture and other design pieces—not only serve functional purposes but actively shape the spatial and human experience. As schools, homes, and offices evolve to accommodate new ways of working, living, and socializing, furniture accompanies these transitions, prompting conversations that extend beyond functionality and engage the corporeal dimension implied in its use.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has revealed the six shortlisted projects for the 2025 RIBA Stirling Prize. Since its establishment in 1996, the prize has recognized works that respond to contemporary challenges while shaping more inclusive futures. This year's shortlist spans a diverse range of scales and programs, including the restoration of one of the nation's most iconic landmarks, a pioneering medical research facility, a contemporary almshouse designed to reduce isolation among older residents, a university's "factory for fashion," a fully accessible home, and a creative house extension. The winner of the award will be announced live at the Stirling Prize ceremony on 16 October in the Roundhouse, London.
The project brief was to create a meeting point for talks on the environment and on the biodiversity within Tramore Valley Park. Conceptually, the building seeks to frame a view of Carroll's Bog and draw the park visitor closer to observe and contemplate the beauty of this unique landscape within Cork city.
The Philippines' Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia presents Soil-beings (Lamánlupa), an exhibition curated by artistic director Renan Laru-an. Through interdisciplinary collaborations, the Pavilion brings together architects, technical experts, indigenous leaders, artists, policymakers, and local communities to explore the cultural, ecological, and technological dimensions of soil. Its objective is to challenge conventional architectural paradigms by shifting the focus from structure to soil, not as a passive material, but as a living force with agency, history, and power.
Intersection of two green axes - The project Lion-Feuchtwanger-Strasse marks the intersection of two green axes that cut through the large GDR housing estate Kaulsdorf Nord in a north-south and east-west direction. Two six-story residential blocks frame an elevated garden plateau, which is designed as a central communal area with recreational, play, and meeting zones for the housing community. Below this plateau, there is the day-lit mobility level with further sports facilities, parking for bicycles and cars, charging stations for e-mobility, and a packing station for residents. The client is a real estate developer, Euroboden.
Adorn, a home filled with the laughter of a family of four, is nestled in the peaceful neighborhood of Selvapuram, Coimbatore. On one side, it shares boundaries with cosy family homes, while the other side opens to expansive fields dotted with tall trees. The fresh air scented with greenery sets a calming atmosphere in this residence.
Selected as part of SMACH 2025, the international open-air art biennale in the Italian Dolomites, the installation Trace of Land, designed by ELSE, imagine a large, round hay bale traversing the slopes of Armentara, climbing, descending, leaping, and leaving a trail of dry grass behind. This poetic vision materializes in the landscape as a meandering canopy that follows the terrain, inviting reflection on labor, landscape, and renewal.
The site is in a residential area that has been rezoned. The client's requests included the following: