Swedish fashion label Acne Studios has given its new stores a signature look in stainless steel. The store in Milan is a bit of an exception.

What bored literary critics, is something architects to this day love and praise: Uwe Bresan sheds light on the exciting history of the reception of Adalbert Stifter’s Biedermeier novel “Indian Summer” and the Rosenhaus described in it.

The store furnishings of Berlin-based architecture studio Gonzalez Haase break with conventions. This is demonstrated by a pop-up store for Birkenstock and is the talk of the town – even in Parisian haute couture circles.

Alfredo Häberli insists on perfect detailing even in the bathroom of his “Haussicht” concept house – in the shape of Dallmer’s “CeraWall Individual Duo”.

A good dozen high-rises are set to be built in Frankfurt/Main over the next five years. An overview of the high-rise architecture of tomorrow: some of it exciting or strident, some less so.

C.F. Møller Architects chose Petersen Tegl bricks for the façade of a student dorm.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of only judging a building by its façade. Especially if it is as eye-catching as "Silo" in Copenhagen, designed by Cobe Architects.

Allmann Sattler Wappner Architekten have won the competition for the new “Hochhaus am Europaplatz" (High-Rise on Europaplatz) in Berlin. Their proposal centers on an ingenious and yet seemingly straightforward façade consisting of glass and ceramic rods.

In retrospect everything looks clearer. A column by Michael Erlhoff.

Its superb acoustics make the Roman amphitheater in Verona an ideal venue for operas and concerts. Were it not for the rain. Schlaich Bergermann Partner together with GMP Architekten have now devised an extremely smart and mobile roof structure to keep out bad weather.

The patio of a purist villa morphs on request into a world of a cool pool – thanks also to Mosa tiles.

DIY superstores, furniture stores, fast-food restaurants. In commercial zones, the horrendous lurks. Can things be done differently? Here are five current examples.

It took an architect from Burkina Faso such as Francis Kéré to create a Serpentine Pavilion that celebrates the infamous English weather in all its glory. This year’s pavilion looks set to be a great success.

What will be the house technology of the future can be experienced im "Energy Campus" by HHS Planer + Architekten for Stiebel Eltron.

Schindler has outfitted the new "Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC)" building in Melbourne with an custom elevator system.

The new "Bonechina" bar in Frankfurt relies on a shiny black drinking culture.

On an idyllic peninsula near Kassel 20 houses are set to provide new ideas for contemporary country living. And 20 international architects have now presented their ideas, a few developers are still to be found.

Around four hours’ drive north of Santiago de Chile, Cristián Izquierdo has erected an extremely unusual holiday home.

Working with Modernism: Interface has re-energized a building by Mies van der Rohe in Krefeld.

BIG and Thomas Heatherwick have together designed the new London offices of Google – the form is a flowing spatial cascade.

Imagine an arcade or a park without benches. Impossible. The parkbench is as important in urban spaces as salt is in soup. The most exciting models in an overview.

With the Place de la Concorde, Jakob Ignaz Hittorff created not only one of the world’s most famous squares, but also revolutionized how they were designed. This still has bearing today.

Martin Gepp of Novaron Architekten created the central eyecatcher in a home using the refined Leicht Küchen solutions.

Real gems by Oscar Niemeyer: After having stood empty for decades and gradually becoming dilapidated two hotels by the Brazilian architect have been modernized and are accessible again.

In the rooms at the Parisian Le Cinq Codet hotel a bathtub by Bette plays the main role.

The open kitchen space in a loft in Prague was outfitted with “Merano” by Ton.

The theories of Patrik Schumacher, which explain why parametrism is the architectural language of the 21st century, are controversial. Here we put them up for discussion on the basis of a lecture he originally gave in Munich.

The name Otto Bartning may not immediately come to mind to someone compiling a list of the most important German architects of the 20th century. A major exhibition in Berlin shows that this is a mistake.

The Fondation Beyeler in Basel is extended by a historic park, Peter Zumthor has designed here three new buildings. They form a strong contrast to the 20-year-old Renzo Piano Museum.