Architectural Cases

Gerwyn Davies, a Sydney-based artist, redefines the boundaries of photographic portraiture through his captivating work. He masterfully crafts intricate, sculptural costumes that transform the human form, turning the act of being photographed into a performance of deliberate concealment. His vibrant creations, often dazzling with sequins, vinyl, and vivid textiles, act as visual screens, allowing the artist to control how his presence is perceived without revealing his face. This innovative approach shifts the power dynamics typically found in traditional portraiture, granting the subject complete autonomy over their visual representation and challenging the viewer's expectation to fully comprehend the individual beneath the elaborate facade.

Davies' artistic journey began with impromptu photography sessions in a shared house, where everyday items were repurposed for imaginative fashion shoots. These early experiments, which he humorously describes as "Vogue on a B horror film budget," unveiled photography's inherent ability to construct fantastical realities from mundane surroundings. This foundational spirit of playfulness and resourcefulness continues to influence his current multidisciplinary practice, demonstrating a consistent thread from his formative years to his established artistic methodology.

The artist's distinctive visual language is deeply influenced by the aesthetic of camp. Davies meticulously constructs his costumes from an array of glossy and reflective materials, often discovered through serendipitous fabric store explorations. These materials are then sculpted to envelop and distort the body, rendering the underlying human shape ambiguous and unidentifiable. During his self-portraits, Davies operates "blind" within these elaborate structures, capturing a multitude of shots as the camera fires continuously. Later, he carefully sifts through these images to find the singular frame where the character he embodies achieves perfect coherence. Subsequent post-production processes further refine and enhance the images, creating an intentionally synthetic, hyper-glossy, and almost implausible visual space. This technique pushes the viewer's focus directly onto the photograph's surface, minimizing any sense of spatial depth.

Camp serves as the core mechanism driving Davies' aesthetic. He employs it as a deliberate strategy characterized by exaggeration, delightful incongruity, humor, and seductive allure. His works initially captivate the observer with their spectacular visual display, only to then subtly disorient them through the deliberate absence of a discernible face, direct access to the subject, or a clear-cut resolution. This calculated approach ensures that the art engages profoundly, prompting reflection on identity, visibility, and the constructed nature of perception.

Ultimately, Gerwyn Davies' work challenges conventional notions of portraiture by emphasizing artistic control and the transformative potential of costume. His self-portraits, characterized by their sculptural forms and vibrant surfaces, invite viewers into a world where identity is fluid and carefully curated, urging them to contemplate what it means to truly "see" a subject when their essence is both present and strategically obscured.

Innovating Public Spaces for a Connected Future

Herzog & de Meuron Revitalizes Breuer Building in New York

In New York City, a landmark of Brutalist architecture, the Breuer Building, was meticulously restored by Herzog & de Meuron and reopened as the global headquarters for Sotheby's. Originally designed by Marcel Breuer in 1966, this structure on Madison Avenue has housed various esteemed art institutions. The recent transformation ensures the preservation of its architectural integrity while preparing it for a vibrant new purpose centered around art. The architects aimed to honor its legacy as a beloved New York landmark, integrating modern functionality without compromising its distinct beauty and enduring significance.

MAD Architects Unveil Fenix Museum of Migration in Rotterdam

Rotterdam celebrated the opening of Fenix, a new museum by MAD Architects dedicated to exploring the rich history and diverse narratives of migration. This project, MAD's first cultural endeavor in Europe, activates a 1923 port warehouse in the historic Katendrecht district. It symbolizes a pivotal moment in the revitalization of Rotterdam's waterfront, acknowledging the site's past as a crucial departure point for millions of emigrants. A striking double-helix staircase, known as The Tornado, forms the museum's centerpiece, rising through the old warehouse to a rooftop platform that offers panoramic city views, creating an interactive and immersive experience for visitors.

SANAA's Translucent Taichung Art Museum in Taiwan

SANAA introduced the Taichung Art Museum, an integral component of the new Taichung Green Museumbrary in Taiwan. Set to open in December 2025, this innovative facility merges a metropolitan art museum with the city's central library, establishing a novel model for cultural institutions. Located at the edge of Central Park, the design draws inspiration from its verdant surroundings, creating "a library in a park and an art museum in a forest." The building is elevated, allowing natural light and breezes to permeate its shaded plazas, offering open and inviting access from all directions and seamlessly blending architecture with nature.

Diller Scofidio + Renfro Design First Contemporary Women's Mosque in Doha

Doha's Education City became home to the Al-Mujadilah Center and Mosque for Women, an pioneering creation by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R). This 4,600-square-meter complex is the first purpose-built mosque specifically for women in the Muslim world, designed to foster empowerment through worship, education, and community. The architecture thoughtfully combines traditional elements with a forward-thinking spatial language, embodying Islamic values while addressing the evolving needs of women in religious, educational, and social contexts, providing an unprecedented space for discourse and learning.

Zaha Hadid Architects' Sinuous Shenzhen Science & Technology Museum

The Guangming District of Shenzhen welcomed the new Science & Technology Museum, a major cultural and civic institution designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. Positioned at the southeastern edge of the city’s Science Park, this landmark building aims to showcase scientific achievements and innovation. Its design features a solid, spherical form facing the city, while the western side opens into undulating terraces overlooking the park. The museum is encased in a dual-colored stainless-steel skin, the first large-scale application of INCO technology in China, creating a subtle gradient from deep blue to gray that evokes the movement of celestial bodies.

Gentle Monster's 'Haus Nowhere' in Seoul with Giant Dachshund Installation

In Seoul, Gentle Monster's parent company, IICOMBINED, launched Haus Nowhere, an experimental venue that blends art, design, and commerce. Described as "a space found nowhere," it redefines retail with an immersive environment. Visitors can explore Max Siedentopf's 'More Is More' installation, a surreal landscape of animated plastic bags, and encounter Sunshine, a monumental dachshund that transforms between fairytale scenes and futuristic forms. This kinetic installation, developed with Tamburins, features an AI-powered photo booth, allowing visitors to interact with the dachshund and experience a unique blend of art, technology, and sensory performance.

Giant Pool Unveiled in New York's Central Park

Central Park in New York City saw a significant enhancement with the opening of the Davis Center at Harlem Meer. Designed by Susan T Rodriguez in collaboration with Mitchell Giurgola, this renovation replaces the former Lasker Rink and pool, integrating a recreational facility seamlessly into the natural landscape. The project restores natural elements, reconfigures pathways, and provides a year-round community space. A transformative water feature at its core shifts with the seasons, serving as a skating rink in winter, a lush lawn in spring and fall, and a swimming pool in summer, enhancing the park's northeast corner.

Jean Nouvel's Fondation Cartier Reopens in Paris

The Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain inaugurated its new building in Paris, designed by Jean Nouvel, at 2 Place du Palais-Royal. This architectural endeavor reimagines the 19th-century Grands Magasins du Louvre into a dynamic and adaptable space. The inaugural exhibition, "Exposition Générale," curated by Formafantasma, brings together over 600 works by more than 100 artists. Nouvel's design introduces a system of five monumental movable platforms within the restored shell, capable of rising and descending to continuously reshape the exhibition spaces, thus reactivating the very concept of a museum.

First Look Inside LACMA's Peter Zumthor-Designed Galleries

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) unveiled the David Geffen Galleries, the architectural centerpiece of Peter Zumthor’s long-awaited redesign. Ahead of its grand public opening in April 2026, Iwan Baan's images provided a first glimpse into the museum’s 10,220-square-meter exhibition level. LACMA gradually activated select areas throughout summer 2025, marking the most ambitious architectural transformation in its history. The museum now proudly hosts Jeff Koons’ "Split-Rocker," a colossal 37-foot-tall sculpture adorned with over 50,000 living plants, adding a vibrant new dimension to its expanded campus.

Wutopia Lab Transforms Factory into Theater with Green Facade

Wutopia Lab's "Verdant Ridges" project revitalized the concrete ruins of the historic Xinguang Silk Weaving Factory in Suzhou, China, transforming it into a contemporary theater. This adaptive reuse project offers a fresh perspective on architectural restoration, reinterpreting its industrial past through symbolic references and diverse stylistic narratives. The exterior, with its sculptural and layered landscape, features a perforated metal mesh foreground resembling an abstracted mountain silhouette, complemented by solid cladding. Inside, a theatrical palette of black, white, and gray ensures that performances take visual precedence, creating a unique cultural space.