Hovenring, a circular cycle bridge above the traffic
The Hovenring’s circular cycle bridge sits above a lowered junction, a design decision that made its approach slopes gentler.
Architecture
How New York’s abandoned elevated railway became a park
An elevated freight line that began operating in 1934 reopened as a park in 2009. New York’s High Line places paths, benches and planting alongside the old rails.
The Falkirk Wheel, a rotating lift for boats
A boat stays afloat while its tank moves to another level. Balance is central to the Falkirk Wheel’s enormous rotation.
City maps that recorded how fire might spread
Sanborn fire insurance maps used colors and symbols to record construction materials as well as addresses and streets.
Paris’s green fountains were built for thirsty passersby
Behind the sculpture and flowing water was a practical purpose: making drinking water available on the street.
Amsterdam Central’s underwater bicycle park has room for 7,000 bikes
Beneath the water in front of Amsterdam Central Station is space for 7,000 bicycles. We follow the short journey from parking a bike to catching a train.
A walk across the roof of Oslo Opera House
The sloping roof of Oslo Opera House is somewhere people can walk. Snøhetta’s design makes a route through the city part of a performance venue.
The Hive turns activity in a beehive into light and sound
At London’s Kew Gardens, The Hive responds to vibrations detected in a real beehive, bringing the activity of a bee colony into a space people can enter.
A kitchen-table welcome at Maggie’s Leeds
Maggie’s Leeds offers support to people with cancer and their families. Heatherwick Studio brought counselling rooms, a kitchen and gardens together beside the hospital.
Park ’n’ Play turns a parking garage roof into a playground
The railings of an exterior stairway continue onto the roof as play and exercise structures. Copenhagen’s Park ’n’ Play invites people onto a parking garage even when they have no car to park.
The 40-meter waterfall inside Jewel Changi
Glass walls and a recirculation system sit below Jewel Changi’s 40-meter waterfall. The visible cascade depends on a hidden route that carries the water back up.
Al Bahr Towers fold their sunshades with the sun
Abu Dhabi’s Al Bahr Towers regulate daylight with folding shades outside the glazing. A traditional lattice screen inspired the moving façade.