
Wooran Cultural Foundation by The System Lab
Seoul, South Korea
Situated in Seungsu-dong, an area which used to be filled with warehouses but is now quickly transforming into a creative hub, this building combines the Wooran Foundation’s main activities - involving culture and art - with office space. The architects, The System Lab, developed a design that links past and present, mixing archetypal imagery of factories and industrial buildings with modern workspace. To ensure the large structure fits well within its context, the architects created a design that appears to be broken down into several smaller volumes. ‘When I took on the project, I recommended that we embrace the texture of Seongsu-dong, which my client agreed,’ said practice founder Chanjoong Kim. Upon completion, The System Lab put their money where their mouth is by moving their headquarters into the building’s office floors. Photography: Kim Yong Kwan

The Marine Drive Toilet by Serie Architects
Mumbai, India
Mumbai’s Marine Drive is one of the Indian metropolis’ most popular promenades, stretching some 3.6km by the Arabian Sea. Led by one of the country’s largest conglomerates, JSW, and designed by Serie Architects, this new public bathroom facility on the promenade aims to combine sustainable design and technology. Two round forms host the male and female toilets respectively, all wrapped up in weather-proof corten steel sheets. These are topped by a curved roof, which is fitted with solar panels, sponsored by JSW Energy. These will power the structure, promoting both an eco senstive approach and sanitation through this small but perfectly formed project.

Clara-Wieck-Gymnasium Zwickau by Atelier ST
Zwickau, Germany
Embedding a new building into existing surroundings is always a challenge, and navigating scale and a relationship with the environment is a big part of that. In their latest project, a sports centre in a German town of Saxony, Leipzig based Atelier ST had to place a fairly large structure within a number of smaller ones and wider, green surrounds. The architecture studio tackled the problem head on and devised a low, clean, orthogonal, stepped volume that feels peaceful and settled in its place. Working with a grid plan and lightweight construction steel, the structure feels elegant and weightless despite its size, while serving its main function as an important sports hub for the local community. Photography: Simon Menges

Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts by KieranTimberlake
Washington University, St. Louis, USA
The Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, has undergone a major $280 million transformation to the East End of its Danforth Campus. Among the striking additions is this the elegant glass design for the Anabeth and John Weil Hall. Part of the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, the scheme, designed by KieranTimberlake, houses state-of-the-art graduate studios, classrooms and digital fabrication spaces. The structure features flexible, open plan workspaces with high ceilings and abundant natural light. The design is about fostering ‘scholarship, creative research and bold experimentation’, says James Timberlake. Pictured here is also the reinstalled Florence Steinberg Weil Sculpture Garden, created by Michael Vergason Landscape Architects. Photography: James Ewing

Providence Park Stadium by Allied Works
Portland, OR, USA
Portland based architecture studio Allied Works has just revealed its completed design for the city’s stadium for Timbers and Thorns FC. Led by Brad Cloepfil, the practice, which encompasses work spanning residential, commercial and cultural projects, such as the Clyfford Still Museum, adopted a holistic approach, which sought to bridge the venue’s history and legacy with modern day sports requirements. Photography: Jeremy Bittermann

Providence Park Stadium by Allied Works
Portland, OR, USA
The clubs’ 93-year-old home is now renovated and expanded, providing some 4,000-seats within a contemporary three-level structure. Inspiration was drawn from beloved sports facilities and open air venues of all kinds, such as Buenos Aires’ La Bombonera in Argentina and London’s original Globe Theater. For the new design, Allied Works employed a structure of open steel lacework that emphasizes activity, people and a sense of lightness. Photography: Jeremy Bittermann