Noteworthy Architectural Projects Around the World

Lithium is two things at once: the metal behind Europe's battery boom, and one of psychiatry's oldest mood stabilizers. Bigert & Bergström built a sauna that holds both meanings. Completed in 2026 on the bank of the Skellefte River, the Swedish artist duo's fully functional public sauna takes the form of a giant asymmetrical lithium crystal, clad in titanium-coated pink mirror steel that gives back the water and the regenerating birch around it. Inside, the same geometry repeats in pale wood, with faceted walls, a hexagonal tiled floor, and a stove caged in river stone. Billed as the world's first battery-powered sauna, running on standalone batteries and electric vehicles, it anchors WasteLand, a climate action park laid out on the former Scharins industrial site in Ursviken, where a long industrial history left the ground heavily contaminated. Commissioned by Skellefteå Municipality for Society Expo 2026, it takes a region being remade by battery manufacturing and sets it down inside the mineral's quieter meaning.

After 140 years and a £1.3 billion transformation, London's Olympia is being reborn as one of the city's most exciting destinations. The historic West London exhibition hall, which once hosted Vivienne Westwood's debut fashion show and one of the capital's first cinemas, is reopening in stages through 2026 as a full day-to-night neighborhood of culture, dining, and entertainment. Already open are the British Airways ARC, a 3,800-capacity live music venue with acts like Van Morrison and Khalid, alongside new hotels, rooftop public spaces, and restored heritage rooms like the Grade II*-listed Pillar Hall. The finale arrives in 2027 with the British Airways Theatre, a 1,575-seat stage set to become London's largest permanent new theatre in more than 50 years.

Only in Copenhagen could a power plant become one of the city's most beloved playgrounds. CopenHill, also known as Amager Bakke, is a waste-to-energy plant on the city's waterfront that doubles as a year-round urban mountain, designed by Danish architecture firm BIG and topped with a 400-meter artificial ski slope that runs from its 90-meter summit to the base. Beyond skiing, visitors can hike tree-lined trails, take in sweeping views of Copenhagen, and scale the world's tallest artificial climbing wall on its facade, all atop a facility that converts roughly 440,000 tons of waste into clean energy each year. Named World Building of the Year in 2021, it is proof that infrastructure can be sustainable, beautiful, and genuinely fun to visit.

One of the Middle East's most iconic stadiums is being reborn for football's biggest stage. King Fahd Sports City Stadium in Riyadh, opened in 1987 and nicknamed "The Tent" for its distinctive Arabian tent-inspired roof, is undergoing a major renovation by architecture firm Populous ahead of the 2034 FIFA World Cup. The project will expand capacity to around 70,000 seats, replace the aging roof canopy with a new 36,000-square-meter cable-net structure while preserving the stadium's beloved silhouette, and convert it into a football-specific venue by removing the original athletics track. Set to serve as the centerpiece of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup before the World Cup arrives, the revamped stadium is being reimagined not just as a match-day venue but as a year-round community hub surrounded by parkland, training facilities, and green space.

The Basílica de la Sagrada Família stands as one of the world's most extraordinary architectural achievements, a living work of genius where Gaudí's visionary redesign transformed a traditional neo-Gothic commission into something entirely unprecedented. Every element speaks to his revolutionary philosophy: soaring columns modeled after plant stems, 18 symbolically significant towers representing biblical figures, and facades-the Nativity, Passion, and Glory-that narrate Christian stories through stone and light. More than 140 years after the cornerstone was laid in 1882, construction continues, inviting visitors to witness an evolving masterpiece that blends nature-inspired forms with profound spiritual symbolism. The basilica's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site reflects its status as not merely a building, but a philosophical statement about the relationship between divine creation and human craftsmanship.

Copenhagen is about to get one of its most exciting new waterfront landmarks. The Water Culture House, designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma in collaboration with Vilhelm Lauritzen Arkitekter, is set to open in the second half of 2026 on Paper Island, a former industrial site in the heart of the inner harbor, near the Opera House and Nyhavn. Spanning 5,000 square meters, the striking building is composed of cone-shaped brick volumes that appear to rest on a delicate ribbon of glass, with a heated outdoor pool tucked into a "valley" between its sculpted rooflines for year-round bathing. Inside, swimmers, locals, and travelers will find a harbor bath with pools of varying depths, community spaces, club rooms, meeting facilities, and a promenade overlooking the water, making it as much a new social anchor for the city as it is a destination for design lovers.

Paris's skyline just got a new geometric silhouette. The Tour Triangle, designed by Swiss studio Herzog & de Meuron, has officially topped out at 180 metres and 42 storeys, becoming the third-tallest building within Paris city limits behind only the Eiffel Tower and Tour Montparnasse. The trapezoidal tower is designed to appear slim and almost blade-like when viewed from central Paris, while revealing its full triangular form from the east and west, an approach intended to maximize interior views and minimize shadows on neighboring buildings. Inside, the building will house offices, a hotel, restaurants, shops, and a panoramic belvedere at the summit open to the public, with photovoltaic panels lining its entire south-facing facade.

Brisbane just got one of the most stunning new performance venues in the world. The Glasshouse Theatre, a $184 million addition to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre designed by Blight Rayner Architecture in partnership with Snøhetta, opened in March 2026 with a breathtaking rippled glass facade inspired by the Brisbane River as a traditional gathering place for First Nations peoples. Inside, the 1,500-seat auditorium is lined with locally sourced Queensland grey ironbark timber for superior acoustics, green carpet referencing the state's rainforests, and gold-carpeted foyers that glow with natural light filtering through the undulating glass exterior.

Amangiri has long been considered one of the most extraordinary places on earth to stay. Now, for the first time, you can actually own a piece of it. Aman Residences, Amangiri is a collection of 12 private homes set among 900 unspoiled acres of Utah desert, designed by Marwan Al-Sayed, the original architect behind the resort itself. The first to debut is a six-bedroom villa on nine acres with views of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, a 36-metre pool, a private spa, and a dedicated personal chef, making it about as close to a desert fantasy as real estate gets.

Set in the heart of Aarhus, ARoS is not just a museum but an architectural marvel—a ten-story temple to modern and contemporary art crowned by Ólafur Elíasson’s iconic Your Rainbow Panorama, a luminous skywalk that bathes the city in shifting color and offers breathtaking 360-degree views. Inside, visitors are immersed in a dynamic collection of over 8,000 works, spanning from Danish Golden Age masterpieces to bold contemporary installations, all within soaring, light-filled galleries designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen. Now joined by James Turrell’s monumental Skyspace, As Seen Below—a partly underground installation that opens outside the museum in 2026—ARoS deepens its dialogue between art, architecture, and perception. With its ever-evolving exhibitions, landmark commissions, inviting café, and beautifully curated museum shop, ARoS continues to redefine what a museum can be: a place where art is not merely viewed, but profoundly experienced.

Designed by acclaimed architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, this sprawling four-level sanctuary-larger than 30 basketball courts-transforms the former Olympic Media Centre into a radical celebration of creativity, offering unprecedented access to the V&A's vast collections without the barriers of glass cases. Wander open shelves brimming with Dior haute couture, Samurai swords, Roman frescoes, and Mid-Century furniture, while peeking into conservation labs alive with expert craftsmanship, and anticipate the David Bowie Centre's rotating installations honoring musical legend. Rooted in east London's vibrant heritage, it invites serendipitous discoveries through "Order an Object" bookings and daily expert-led encounters, making every visit a personal journey into the heart of global design and culture.

The Flatiron Building, one of New York City’s most enduring architectural icons since its completion in 1902, is entering a bold new chapter as its historic office floors are being transformed into 38 luxury private residences. This landmarked Beaux-Arts tower at 175 Fifth Avenue, long recognized for its distinctive wedge silhouette and ornate terra-cotta, limestone and brick façade, has been meticulously restored with a focus on preserving historic ornamentation while introducing modern systems and refined interiors. Designed by Studio Sofield, the residential conversion reveals light-filled great rooms and tailored layouts that respond to the building’s unique triangular geometry, offering a rare chance to live within a piece of architectural history. With sales underway and a planned completion in the coming years, the Flatiron Building is poised to redefine luxury living in Manhattan while celebrating more than a century of urban legacy.

Manhattan's only dedicated contemporary art museum just got a whole lot bigger. After two years of closure for construction, the New Museum reopened on March 21, 2026, with an $82 million OMA-designed expansion, adding a striking seven-story glass building alongside its original SANAA-designed home on the Bowery, effectively doubling the museum's total footprint. The expansion brings a new ground-floor plaza for public art installations, a full-service restaurant, a 74-seat forum, and an enlarged Sky Room with panoramic views of downtown Manhattan.

Set amid lush gardens within the illustrious One Beverly Hills development, Aman Beverly Hills offers an oasis of tranquility and sophistication, where the legendary Aman service ethos elevates every moment. Architectural inspiration draws from American mid-century culture, brought to life by globally sourced materials and bespoke details that flow seamlessly from private suites to spa-like bathrooms and expansive terraces overlooking the cityscape. Guests and residents enjoy privileged membership to the Aman Club, a private sanctuary spanning 100,000 square feet devoted to wellness, fine dining, and holistic rejuvenation. Here, privacy, design excellence, and tailored experiences converge, making Aman Beverly Hills a destination for those who cherish both exceptional luxury and a refined sense of place.