New images document the Snøhetta–led Shanghai Grand Opera House as it approaches completion along the Huangpu River, with an opening anticipated in the second half of 2026. Following its winning proposal in the 2017 international competition, Snøhetta joined forces with East China Architectural Design & Research Institute, Theatre Projects, and Nagata Acoustics in 2019 to deliver the project as a consortium from concept through construction.

Positioned on the convex bank of the river, the opera house occupies a prominent site within Shanghai’s emerging cultural masterplan. Its spiraling, climbable rooftop traces a continuous sweep around the perimeter, rising from the ground in a broad arc that draws visitors upward. The gesture echoes the movement of water along the Huangpu while establishing a civic presence visible from across the waterfront.

images © Tian Fangfang, Honne Dang

snøhetta’s contextual design motifs

The roof is conceived by the architects at Snøhetta as an accessible public landscape. A helical stair links plaza and skyline to guide visitors along a steady ascent toward elevated platforms overlooking the city and riverbanks. Open throughout the day and night across the year, the roof operates as an urban stage and gathering ground, and extends the institution’s reach beyond ticketed events.

Inside, the building pairs monumentality with motion. Glazed facades introduce daylight deep into the public halls, while sculptural volumes finished in deep red curve through the interior. These forms define circulation routes and shape the sequence of arrival, framing views between foyers, stairs, and auditoriums. The experience begins well before any performance, with the dynamic architecture setting the tempo.

the Shanghai Grand Opera House rises along the bank of the Huangpu River as construction nears completion

a translucent and white material palette

The program accommodates a wide spectrum of productions, from traditional opera and orchestral repertoire to contemporary and experimental work. Multiple auditoriums of varying scale allow the institution to address different audiences and formats, reinforcing its ambition as a cultural destination across genres.

Landscape design mirrors the building’s geometry. A radial layout radiates outward from the opera house, reinforcing visual continuity between structure and site. Planting and surface treatments align with broader ecological goals within the district, contributing to a low-carbon development strategy that supports Shanghai’s long-term urban ambitions.

a spiraling roofline sweeps around the site as a continuous public promenade above the waterfront

the helical stair connects plaza and skyline to guide visitors toward elevated river views

a radial landscape layout mirrors the building’s geometry and supports low carbon goals

deep, red sculptural volumes shape circulation routes through the interior

soaring glazed facades draw daylight deep into the public halls

multiple auditoriums accommodate opera, orchestral, and experimental performances

project info:

name: Shanghai Grand Opera Hall

architect: Snøhetta | @snohetta

location: Shanghai, China
collaborators: East China Architectural Design & Research Institute (ECADI), Theatre Projects, Nagata Acoustics, schlaich bergermann partner, Meiss Architecture & Engineering Office
area: 146,786 square meters

previous coverage: April 2019, November 2023, July 2025

photography: © Tian Fangfang, © Honne Dang

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The Qasr AlHokm metro station in Riyadh, designed by Snøhetta, brings a vast reflective canopy and a shaded underground garden to the city’s historic center. Conceived as one of four primary hubs within the new network, the station connects two major lines while functioning as an open urban plaza within walking distance of the old palace grounds and the Al Daho district.

From the plaza, a 360-degree stainless steel canopy hovers above the main entrance, its underside polished to a mirror finish. The structure operates as an urban periscope, drawing the city into its surface while casting shade across the terrazzo plane below. The gesture establishes the metro station as both infrastructure and civic ground, a place of arrival and gathering in central Riyadh.

the Qasr AlHokm metro station brings a reflective canopy to the historic center of Riyadh | image © Iwan Baan

snøhetta drops a monumental mirror over a saudi metro station

The team at Snøhetta developed the competition-winning concept in 2012, imagining a transit space where orientation begins with reflection.

‘When you come off the train and look up, you see a 360-degree view of the city reflected on the underside of the canopy. So, you get an immediate picture of where you are in the city,’ Robert Greenwood, Partner and Project Lead, explains. ‘Likewise, if you’re coming from the city, you look up into the canopy, and it mirrors everything that happens below.’

The canopy’s outer skin is formed from 8 millimeter double-curved stainless steel panels, fully welded and polished to achieve a continuous surface. A lightweight steel spaceframe with adjustable tie rods supports the skin, allowing the form to extend beyond a massive concrete cone that houses the vertical circulation below. On its upper surface, photovoltaic panels contribute to on-site energy production.

a polished stainless steel overhang mirrors the city in a 360 degree surface | image © Iwan Baan

glass-enclosed platforms view an underground garden

Below ground, the two lines traverse the atrium within glazed tubes that project into the open void. Each platform is encapsulated in glass, creating a clear visual connection between moving trains and the broader interior. For passengers waiting inside the atrium, the trains appear suspended within transparent volumes; for those passing through, the station reads as a luminous landmark embedded in the historic fabric of Riyadh.

The sloping interior walls are finished with rendered surfaces inspired by local architectural traditions, lending texture to the expansive volume carved beneath the plaza. Light filtered from above washes these surfaces, guiding movement toward escalators and transfer levels. The visual continuity between levels reinforces legibility across the large subterranean space.

At the base of the atrium, around 35 meters below city level, a garden offers a shaded retreat for travelers, with plantings and seating at the heart of the infrastructure. Even during peak summer heat, the depth of the station maintains a stable environment. Water collected from the plaza and canopy is even reused for irrigation.

a terrazzo civic plaza connects the station with a reconstructed mosque and Eid field | image © Iwan Baan

architecture drawing from its context

The station sits beside an important Eid prayer field capable of accommodating thousands of worshippers. The terrazzo plaza extends to the edges of the site to create a unified surface shared by the metro entrance and a reconstructed mosque. This way, the space functions as an outdoor extension of the mosque during large gatherings.

Within the atrium, patterned openings inspired by Najdi motifs puncture the inner walls. Formed from hundreds of triangular carvings in varying sizes, the apertures filter light and create controlled visual connections between levels. Outside the concrete cone, a media wall stretching more than 100 meters incorporates acoustic, lighting, and video panels. Its evolving light sequences provide a measured counterpoint to the movement of trains and passengers, reinforcing orientation within the main circulation space.

the canopy extends from a concrete cone that houses circulation below the plaza | image © Iwan Baan

collected water from the plaza and canopy irrigates the shaded planting below | image © Iwan Baan

an underground garden sits 35 meters below ground | image © Iwan Baan

rendered interior walls draw on traditional Najdi architectural motifs | image © Iwan Baan

the architecture stands as a mirrored bowl | image © Iwan Baan

project info:

name: Qasr AlHokm Metro Station

architect: Snøhetta | @snohetta

location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

completion: 2025

photography: © Iwan Baan | @iwanbaan

client: Royal Commission Riyadh City (RCRC)
executing consortium: ArRiyadh New Mobility (ANM)
collaborators: Cremonesi Workshop (Crew), One Works
structure: Akt
services: Hilson Moran
lighting consultants: dpa lighting consultants

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Snøhetta has released new footage documenting construction progress at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota. The video captures the building as it rises along the northeast edge of a butte bordering Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Here, the building’s rammed earth walls and living green roof begin to define the project’s presence within the vast and scenic Badlands.

Set across 93 acres, the site remains legible throughout construction. The camera follows graded footpaths leading toward the slowly sloping roof plane, which appears as a continuation of the land rather than a separate object dropped onto it. The building’s relationship with the landscape will be more than just formal as it is designed to be regenerative and self-sufficient, aiming toward carbon neutrality. See more visualizations of the project from its 2020 unveiling here!

Still under construction, the library is set to open on for the 250th anniversary of the United States, July 4th, 2026.

construction advances outside Theodore Roosevelt National Park | visualization courtesy Snøhetta

snøhetta’s living roof of native landscaping

Snøhetta‘s newly unveiled video offers a closer look at the living green roof, a central component of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. Layers of reused on-site soil are already being positioned to support a Native Plant Project developed with Resource Environmental Solutions and North Dakota State University. More than sixty native species will eventually occupy this surface, reconstructing a prairie ecology of grasses, sedges, forbs, and shrubs that once defined the region.

From an architectural perspective, the roof reads as both structure and landscape. Its thickness and gentle curvature suggest insulation, water management, and plantings working together. Construction activity reveals how the roof mediates between interior spaces and the long views across the Badlands.

Snøhetta’s latest footage reveals the library emerging from graded terrain | image © Chad Ziemendorf

inside the self-sufficient structure

Inside, Snøhetta’s video shows the emerging scale of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library’s galleries and circulation spaces. Structural bays frame future exhibition zones designed for immersive storytelling and digital archives, with careful attention to sound control, light modulation, and climate stability for artifacts.

The project’s regenerative ambitions include passive strategies and low-carbon materials which point toward targets of zero energy, zero emissions, zero water, and zero waste. At this phase, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library reads as a building assembled through systems that support long-term performance and seasonal use, shaped by the environmental pressures of the North Dakota plains and guided by a measured architectural logic.

native prairie plant systems are prepared as part of the roof assembly | image © Chad Ziemendorf

the project’s regenerative ambitions include passive strategies and low-carbon materials | image © Chad Ziemendorf

project info:

name: Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library 

architect: Snøhetta | @snohetta

location: Medora, North Dakota, USA

client: Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation (TRPLF) | @trlibrary

completion: expected July 4th, 2026

photography, video: © Chad Ziemendorf 

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Developed in collaboration with Beijing Institute of Architectural Design, the project marks Snøhetta’s second major cultural commission in the Chinese capital after the Beijing Library. Set within the rapidly developing eastern district, the museum takes shape as a large-scale civic building positioned to support Beijing’s expanding cultural infrastructure while addressing the everyday rhythms of the surrounding neighborhood.

The program spans more than 110,000 square meters and accommodates fine art, contemporary practice, design, and forms of intangible cultural heritage. Alongside exhibition spaces, the building includes areas for research, storage, education, and public gathering. The ambition centers on a museum that operates as a civic interior capable of both hosting large audiences and supporting quieter forms of study.

Snøhetta and BIAD are selected to design the Beijing Art Museum | visualization © Proloog

a design driven by the concept of ‘vision’

Snøhetta, together with BIAD, frames its proposed Beijing Art Museum around the idea of ‘vision,’ understood as both the act of looking and the responsibility of stewardship. This concept guides spatial organization as collections are gathered inward while views are opened outward, This way, art is displayed in dialogue with the surrounding city.

The museum sits directly above an active metro line and incorporates a transit node at its base. From this infrastructural core, spaces expand outward in a radial composition. Curved, layered facades introduce a soft edge to the volume to mediate between interior galleries and exterior public space. The surface articulation encourages movement around the building and supports a continuous relationship between architecture and landscape.

galleries spiral outward to frame views of the surrounding district | visualization © Proloog

a large circular atrium

At the center of Snøhetta’s Beijing Art Museum, a large circular atrium organizes circulation and orientation. The space rises through multiple levels, drawing daylight deep into the plan and establishing visual connections across floors. Semi-open exhibition zones and social areas line the atrium, creating moments for pause and encounter alongside more controlled gallery environments.

Primary galleries, storage, and support spaces wrap the atrium in a gradual spiral, extending into outward-facing volumes that frame views across Tongzhou. These projecting forms allow visitors to alternate between focused engagement with artworks and broader awareness of the city beyond the walls. The experience emphasizes movement, orientation, and shared visibility across the building.

a radial massing strategy organizes the building around a central atrium | visualization © Proloog

landscaping connects the museum with the city

The surrounding landscape continues the radial geometry of the architecture, shaping plazas, planted areas, and outdoor exhibition zones. Paths and open spaces support informal gathering and public use throughout the day. Architecture, interior, and landscape read as a continuous spatial field that extends the museum’s presence into the district.

Environmental strategies include rooftop photovoltaic panels and an integrated water management system aligned with sponge city principles. These measures support energy generation and seasonal water control while contributing to long-term resilience.

Construction began on December 31st, 2025, with completion planned for 2029.

the museum builds on Snøhetta’s previously built Beijing Library | visualization © Snøhetta

project info:

name: Beijing Art Museum

architect: Snøhetta | @snohetta

location: Beijing, China

collaborator: BIAD 

status: ongoing

area: 118,861 square meters

visualizations: © Snøhetta, © Proloog | @proloog.tv

client: Beijing Fine Art Academy
construction management: Beijing Investment Group Co.,Ltd,
concept, schematic design: Snøhetta, BIAD
construction design: BIAD

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The 8th edition of Tanween, held at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in Dhahran in 2025, returns with the theme ‘Design the Unspoken.’ Ithra’s annual celebration of design includes workshops, challenges, exhibitions and a grad show, to design markets, panels, and immersive two-day programs with global experts, Tanween gathers designers, artists, researchers, and enthusiasts from around the world. With contributions from entities such as Snøhetta, Concéntrico, calligraffiti pioneer elSeed, award-winning Saudi designer Lujain Abulfaraj, and top international universities, the annual program (17-22 November) reinforces Ithra’s growing position as a global platform for design dialogue, and cultural exchange.

To see the full program overview, follow the link here!

Tanween is back at Ithra with workshops, challenges, exhibitions and a grad show, to design markets, panels, and immersive two-day programs with global experts | all images courtesy of Ithra

workshops, panels, and full days spent with global experts

The Tanween Workshops offer eight interactive sessions designed to spark experimentation and broaden creative practice. Open to both professionals and amateurs, the workshops immerse participants in new design perspectives, encourage unconventional thinking, and strengthen technical and conceptual skills. Each session blends hands-on activities with guided exploration, enabling participants to test new materials, processes, and ideation methods that stretch the boundaries of their existing practice.

Another core element of the event is the fast-paced design hackathon, known as the Tanween Challenges that bring together 90 shortlisted participants from across the MENA region and the world for six intensive days of design investigation. Divided into four tracks — the Global Impact Challenge, Urban Spaces Challenge, Product Design Challenge, and Visual Communication Challenge — each sprint invites multidisciplinary teams to propose original, resource-conscious solutions rooted in design. Winners are recognized at the closing ceremony, after which their projects move into development with production partners and are featured in the 2026 Tanween Challenges Exhibition.

open to both professionals and amateurs, the workshops immerse participants in new design perspectives

Each challenge narrows its focus to a pressing issue or context, beginning with the program’s most socially driven track. Addressing severe educational disparities in marginalized areas, the Global Impact Challenge welcomes 30 participants to reimagine equitable access to learning. Designers, educators, researchers, and innovators develop early-stage concepts supported by expert mentorship, focusing on sustainable, entrepreneurial models that empower both students and schools. The challenge encourages turning infrastructural limitations into platforms for opportunity, reshaping education into a transformative force for underserved communities.

The Global Impact Challenge leads the program, inviting 30 participants to rethink educational access in marginalized communities by transforming infrastructural gaps into opportunities for sustainable learning solutions. Meanwhile, the Visual Communication Challenge celebrates Saudi Arabia’s multicultural landscape, tasking designers with creating campaigns that highlight cultural overlap, strengthen community identity, and build inclusive narratives through digital and physical storytelling. Both tracks emphasize empathy, research, and creative strategies that connect design with everyday social realities.

a core element of the event is the fast-paced hackathon known as the Tanween Challenges that bring together 90 shortlisted participants from across the MENA region and the world for six intensive days of design investigation

Building on this people-first approach, the Product Design Challenge turns toward regional heritage by asking designers to develop a functional gadget inspired by the date palm. Participants explore tools that ease agricultural workloads, respond to harsh environmental conditions, and honor the deep relationship between farmers, land, and palm. In parallel, the Urban Spaces Challenge addresses rising social isolation by reimagining shade as a catalyst for connection. Teams design pavilions that encourage presence, interaction, and shared experience, drawing on global research that positions loneliness as a growing public health concern.

Across all four tracks, participants prototype ideas, test concepts, and refine their solutions with expert support. Winning projects are celebrated at the closing ceremony and then move into development with production partners before being showcased in the 2026 Tanween Challenges Exhibition.

Eli Synnevåg and Mayur Mehta from Snøhetta  during their Tanween Majlis panel discussion

a day with Snøhetta 

Another major highlight of Tanween’s 8th edition is the ‘Day with an Expert’ program, which goes beyond conventional instruction, offering three intimate, two-day mentorships with leaders in the global creative field. Participants shadow experts, join site visits, engage in advisory sessions, prototype ideas, and share a networking dinner. Each experience is framed around professional growth, reflective practice, and transformative dialogue.

Led by Eli Synnevåg and Mayur Mehta, ‘Think the Snøhetta Way’ immerses participants in the studio’s distinctive approach to architecture and landscape through conceptual mapping, sensory exploration, and speculative interventions on the architectural landmark Snøhetta originally envisioned for Ithra. Alongside this, Saudi designer Lujain Abulfaraj offers a two-day creative reset focused on intuition and childhood imagination, supported by drawing exercises, moodboarding, and a discovery visit to Bait Barq Studio. Completing the trio, artist elSeed guides participants through the creative and strategic foundations of large-scale public work, including a field visit to observe a mural coming to life in Al Khobar. Across all sessions, dialogue, mentorship, and hands-on exploration help participants connect design thinking with personal growth and community impact.

the Tanween Majlis hosts 10 panel discussions featuring thinkers and innovators from around the world. from left to right: Shahad Alwazani (Tanween Program Lead), Natasha Carellais, Gabriele Cavallaro, Fahad Al Obaidly, Bisher Tabaa, and Mariana Wehbe

Other activities include The Tanween Majlis, which hosts 10 panel discussions featuring thinkers and innovators, as well as international design week leaders such as Natasha Carellais – Director of Dubai Design Week, Gabriele Cavallaro – CEO and Co-founder Isola Design Group, Fahad Al Obaidly – Director of Design Doha Biennial, Bisher Tabaa – Co-director Amman Design Week, and Mariana Wehbe – Director of Public Relations and Creative Events at We Design Beirut. Through these conversations that examine evolving landscapes across design disciplines, visitors are given the space to ask questions, debate ideas, and gain insight into emerging practices. In addition, Tanween’s six exhibitions guide visitors through a multifaceted exploration of contemporary design.

Additionally, set as a global launchpad for emerging talent, the Grad Show presents standout work by graduates in graphic, fashion, interior, product, and architectural design. Nominated by top universities worldwide, these emerging talents enter the professional landscape through Tanween’s platform, connecting with industry stakeholders and expanding networks across the region’s rapidly growing creative economy. The showcase shines a light on new design vocabularies, experimental research, and the next generation of innovators.

Last but not least, the Design Market brings together a curated selection of objects, from 3D-printed pieces and contemporary jewelry to fashion, graphic prints, and collectible décor. Designed as an immersive marketplace, it celebrates craftsmanship and experimentation while offering visitors a place to discover statement pieces, shop limited editions, and experience the region’s expanding design culture.

the workshops encourage unconventional thinking, and strengthen technical and conceptual skill

participants get to test new materials, processes, and ideation methods

each session blends hands-on activities with guided exploration

the Design Market brings together a curated selection of objects, from 3D-printed pieces to collectible décor

Tanween reinforces Ithra’s growing position as a global platform for design dialogue, and cultural exchange

designed as an immersive marketplace, it celebrates craftsmanship and experimentation

project info:

name: Tanween | @ithra

dates: 17-22 November, 2025

location: 8386 Ring Rd, Gharb Al Dhahran, Dhahran 34461

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This competition-winning opera house has been designed by Snøhetta as the future home of the Oper am Rhein at the center of Düsseldorf. The building is organized into three trapezium-shaped volumes placed on a compact urban plot, creating varied passages at grade and allowing daylight to reach deep into the interior. The roofs tilt in opposing directions, adjusting to the scale of neighboring structures while lifting upward to frame key views across the German city.

Across the ground floor, the architects draw from the Rhine’s long geological influence on the region. The base of the building reads as an eroded cavern carved through time, an open and continuous space that welcomes movement from every side. This porous level becomes a public arena for Düsseldorf, where entrances, gathering areas, and glimpses of rehearsal activity contribute to a sense of shared cultural territory.

‘This forum, filling the entire ground floor, will become a large, open, and accessible space in the heart of the city,‘ says Snøhetta founding partner Kjetil Trædal Thorsen.

the new opera is a densification within a triangular block bound by three streets | illustrations © Mir/Snøhetta

snøhetta composes a massing of three sloping volumes

The Düsseldorf opera house is designed by the team at Snøhetta as a constellation of rooms that guides visitors inward from the sidewalk and toward performance spaces within. The openness of the ground plane establishes a gradual threshold between the city and the world of the opera house. Visitors are encouraged to enter this public area even when no performance is underway.

The tripartite massing symbolizes the union of three institutions — the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, the Clara Schumann Music School, and the Music Library — brought together within one architectural frame.

The positioning of the building’s three volumes shapes pockets of space at the ground level that double as informal stages or quiet resting points. Meanwhile, sloping roofs accentuate these relationships and create terraces recessed into the upper levels.

the public ground floor opens out through generous glazing in all facades

the architecture draws from the region’s geology

The opera house’s facade uses a light natural stone cladding chosen by Snøhetta for its thermal performance and its ability to align with Düsseldorf’s muted palette. Stone modules in a variety of formats reduce waste and support a surface expression defined by subtle shifts in texture. Rough and finely ground finishes appear in horizontal bands, evoking the layers of sediment that shaped the region and linking the outer skin to the carved quality of the ground floor.

Two window systems support the building’s environmental and spatial aims. Larger openings frame the foyer, bar, and select rehearsal spaces, drawing attention to areas where public life is most visible. Smaller filtered openings provide consistent light and ventilation, helping regulate the interior without interrupting the facade’s calm rhythm.

Together, the rough stone, pixelated apertures, and stepped terraces create a profile that responds to its context but still maintain a monumental presence.

the sidewalk extends fluidly into a terraced, cave-like interior landscape

‘eroded’ interiors

Inside, Snøhetta’s theme of erosion continues through mineral surfaces with a muted flow of texture and tone. Circulation spaces maintain a sense of calm, guiding visitors toward the 1,300-seat main auditorium. Here, smoked oak paneling and red upholstery draw from the palette of Düsseldorf’s existing opera house, a decisions which establishes continuity as the institution transitions into its next chapter.

Above the stepped volumes, the roof forms a biosolar landscape composed of photovoltaics, green terraces, and integrated skylights. Plantings native to the Lower Rhine floodplains occupy bands between PV arrays and technical strips, creating a layered system that supports biodiversity and energy production.

For the competition jury, the design offered a convincing vision for a cultural building at the heart of the city. ‘The building, which is cleverly divided into three segments, skilfully reacts to its surroundings, opens up a variety of views of the city and shows a design of high sophistication,‘ says Heiner Farwick, architect and chairman of the jury.

the studio stage shows neutral, warm gray tones and dark green seating

interiors follow the logic of the facade and the theme of erosion

the main auditorium is designed to provide visual and acoustic intimacy for all 1,300 seats

the Rhine river is the central source of inspiration for the building

project info:

name: Düsseldorf Opera House

architect: Snøhetta | @snohetta

location: Düsseldorf, Germany

client: Deutsche Oper am Rhein | @operamrhein

status: competition winner

visualizations: © Mir/Snøhetta

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In Hangzhou’s Xiaoshan District, Snøhetta has won the international competition to design the Qiantang Bay Art Museum, the cultural center of the city’s new Future Headquarters development. The project sits at the meeting point of the Qiantang River and the Central Water Axis, where the city’s expanding downtown begins to open toward the water. Framed by this convergence, the 18,000-square-meter museum will serve as both civic anchor and threshold.

The scheme interprets the museum’s setting as a study of time and flow. The rhythm of the tides and the layered histories of the river become spatial motifs. Snøhetta’s design translates these influences into a sequence of fluid volumes and open rooftop terraces to create a building that’s embedded in the earth and feels to be in motion.

visualizations © ATCHAIN, Snøhetta

a continuous landscape by snøhetta

Two wave-like forms define Snøhetta’s Hangzhou Art Museum, rising and dipping across the site to link all public routes into a central gateway. From the ground plane, a series of paths meander upward, drawing the landscape into the architecture. Visitors can walk along shaded promenades or follow gentle ramps that ascend toward the rooftop terrace, where sweeping views extend from the cultural corridor to the river’s wide expanse.

This landscape approach by the architects transforms the museum into a civic terrain. The movement between indoors and outdoors blurs at key points, allowing light, sound, and breeze to filter into the experience. Each turn offers a new visual alignment — toward the water, the skyline, or the artworks inside — reminding visitors of their place between the two.

Snøhetta wins the competition to design the Qiantang Bay Art Museum in Hangzhou

a Gateway and Gathering Place

At the heart of the Hangzhou Art Museum, Snøhetta designs a central gateway which frames a direct view to the Qiantang River. This gateway is more than just an entrance. It functions as a spatial link between the urban edge and the waterfront, and a place to slow down and observe the landscape. The gateway’s ceiling and walls curve subtly, modulating the acoustics and light as visitors transition from open air to enclosure.

Inside, the galleries occupy the core, while social and educational spaces line the periphery. Spacious circulation areas invite pauses and informal gatherings. The architecture ensures that movement throughout the building remains intuitive, implying an echo of the waterways that inspired its form.

The material palette reinforces this sense of continuity. Smooth concrete, local stone, and glass are composed in layers that catch and diffuse light throughout the day. The surfaces shift with the weather, sometimes reflective, sometimes opaque, echoing the tidal variations of the Qiantang River.

two flowing volumes shape the architecture as a continuous landscape

paths and terraces invite movement between the river and the city

the design turns circulation into an experience inspired by tidal flows

a central gateway aligns sightlines toward the Qiantang River

concrete, stone and glass reflect the shifting light of Hangzhou

project info:

name: Hangzhou Qiantang Bay Art Museum

architect: Snøhetta | @snohetta

location: Hangzhou, China

client: Hangzhou Xiaoshan Qianjiang Century Development and Construction Co., Ltd.
collaborators: The Architectural Design & Research Institute of Zhejiang University Co., Ltd., Buro Happold

size: 18,000 square meters
status: Competition Win
visualizations: © ATCHAIN | @atchain, Snøhetta

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Along the northern coast of Norway, the Lofoten archipelago extends into the sea, looking outward to the peaks, fjords, and inlets shaped by ice and wind. On Storemolla island, Danish design brand Vipp has unveiled its latest guesthouse — a timber structure designed by LOGG ARKITEKTER that perches lightly atop an array of stilts above the shoreline.

Part of the new True North Lofoten Village, the cabin joins a series of contemporary lodgings masterplanned by Snøhetta, where architecture and landscape coexist in deliberate balance. The project gathers a small constellation of buildings by Norwegian studios, creating a community that rethinks how visitors engage with the region’s raw and exposed environment.

images courtesy Vipp

a timber vipp guesthouse on the norwegian coast

The Vipp guesthouse continues a lineage of simple wooden structures that once supported the fishing culture of Lofoten, Norway. For centuries, Storemolla’s skippers anchored their boats beside modest one-story rorbuer cottages raised on stilts above the tide. LOGG ARKITEKTER extends that vernacular logic with a structure that reads as both cabin and boathouse, resting on slender stilts anchored in the rock.

‘The intention was to dissolve the boundary between shelter and seascape,’ explains Diederik Advocaat Clausen of LOGG ARKITEKTER. ‘Each unit is a precise timber structure, designed with minimal expression and a strong directional focus toward the sea.’ The cabin’s weathered wood exterior and sharp geometry make it appear at once transient and in place — an architecture that respects the vastness of its setting.

Vipp opens a new guesthouse by LOGG ARKITEKTER on Norway’s Storemolla island

arctic hospitality in Lofoten

True North Lofoten Village emerged from a shared ambition to create a responsible model of Arctic hospitality. Snøhetta’s Kjetil Trædal Thorsen describes the challenge as one of quiet integration: ‘Working in a place as breathtaking and ecologically sensitive as Lofoten demands a meaningful response. True North Village honors the region’s heritage by engaging in dialogue with the landscape and the local community.’

This measured approach extends to the project’s rhythm of built and unbuilt space. Between each cabin, the terrain remains untouched — moss, stone, and seaweed forming the connective tissue of the village. The architecture, intentionally sparse, acts as an invitation to inhabit the environment rather than frame it.

For Vipp, the Lofoten guesthouse represents the thirteenth entry in its growing portfolio of bookable retreats. ‘Our palette of guesthouses explores different architectural typologies,’ says Kasper Egelund, CEO and third-generation owner. ‘The products remain constant, but the surroundings transform the experience. Lofoten stands as one of the most striking natural settings in the north.’

the project is part of True North Lofoten Village masterplanned by Snøhetta

the timber cabin stands on slender legs above rock formations extending into the sea

LOGG ARKITEKTER shapes the structure as a contemporary interpretation of fishermen cottages

Vipp’s dark toned interior highlights craftsmanship through restrained design

large windows frame uninterrupted views of the shifting Arctic light and sea

the project emphasizes minimal intervention and deep respect for Lofoten’s natural landscape

project info:

name: Vipp Guesthouse

brand: Vipp | @vipp

cabin architect: LOGG ARKITEKTER | @loggarkitekter

masterplan architect: Snøhetta | @snohetta

location: Lofoten, Norway 

completion: October 2025

photography: © Vipp

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Snøhetta’s Lascaux IV, the International Centre for Parietal Art in Montignac, France, becomes the setting for a contemporary dance performance that seeks to reawaken the prehistoric imagination. Conceived by choreographer and dancer Daniel Proietto in collaboration with the Norwegian National Ballet, Know Nation, and Snøhetta, Hidden unfolds across the monumental spaces of the museum and its surrounding landscape, where the memory of cave art still lingers.

For Snøhetta, the project was an extension of longstanding concerns. ‘To honor the history and myths of Lascaux, we invited the Norwegian National Ballet and choreographer Daniel Proietto to interpret the spaces through dance,’ describes founding partner Kjetil Trædal Thorsen. ‘The result is a magnificent artistic performance… adding a completely new dimension to experiencing the wonder and history of Lascaux and the stories painted on its walls.’

all images and video by OiOiOi

proietto’s hidden Unfolds in the Shadows of Prehistoric Art

Hidden was shaped specifically for the labyrinthine architecture of Lascaux IV center, designed by the international architecture firm Snøhetta with SRA Architectes and scenographers Casson Mann. Since opening in 2016, the building has been recognized as both an immersive reconstruction of the caves discovered in 1940 and as a landmark of contemporary museography. 

The performance was led by Daniel Proietto and principal dancer Yolanda Correa, who moved through flickering light and shadow guided by the spectral presence of a Minotaur figure. Their choreography drew on echoes of prehistoric rites, reframing cave painting as an early cinematic act. ‘Around 17,000 years ago, humans gathered at Lascaux in reverence, not to conquer, but to carve their dreams into stone,’ Proietto reflects. ‘They understood something we are still trying to remember: that making a mark is not an act of power, but an act of belonging. Hidden honors their efforts and asks what kind of ancestors we are becoming.’

The work resists spectacle, positioning dance instead as an act of remembrance and presence. Correa and Proietto’s movements, accompanied by Belgian composer Jean-Paul Dessy’s score performed live by Tana Quartet, explore mortality, continuity, and the fragile threads of cultural memory. ‘Bringing dance to Lascaux IV, at the heart of prehistoric art, is a profound honor,’ notes Ingrid Lorentzen, artistic director of the Norwegian National Ballet. ‘In the meeting between the ancient and the contemporary, a deep resonance emerges.’

Snøhetta’s Lascaux IV becomes the setting for a contemporary dance performance

conceived by Daniel Proietto in collaboration with the Norwegian National Ballet, Know Nation, and Snøhetta

the performance was led by Daniel Proietto and principal dancer Yolanda Correa

the dancers moved through flickering light and shadow guided by the spectral presence of a Minotaur figure

reframing cave painting as an early cinematic act

the choreography draws on echoes of prehistoric rites

the memory of cave art still lingers inside the museum

the building has been recognized as an immersive reconstruction of the caves discovered in 1940

Hidden was shaped specifically for the labyrinthine architecture of Lascaux IV center

positioning dance instead as an act of remembrance and presence

Correa and Proietto’s movements are accompanied by Belgian composer Jean-Paul Dessy’s score

project info:

name: Hidden

collaborators: Snøhetta | @snohetta, Norwegian National Ballet | @norwegiannationalballet, Know Nation 

location: Lascaux IV | @lascauxofficiel, International Centre for Parietal Art, Montignac, France

choreographer: Daniel Proietto | @danielproietto

performers: Daniel Proietto, Yolanda Correa | @yolanda_correa_frias

music: Jean-Paul Dessy, performed by Tana Quartet | @tanaquartet

photography & film: OiOiOi | @oioioi.no

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The renovation of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s Powell Hall by Snøhetta brings a balance of heritage and contemporary design to one of the American city’s most cherished landmarks. Located on St. Louis’ Grand Boulevard, the project expands and reimagines the 1925-built theater building while preserving its architectural character and acoustic qualites.

The global architecture firm worked alongside Christner Architects, Schuler Shook, BSI Constructors, and Kirkegaard to create a 64,000-square-foot addition in time to celebrate the hall’s centennial in 2025. The expansion improves accessibility and introduces new public spaces, educational spaces, and backstage areas to support the full scope of the Symphony’s programs and community events.

images © Sam Fentress

snøhetta’s arching addition

Visitors to the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra now approach a series of canted masonry shells and arched openings, which the team at Snøhetta designs as the new front-of-house addition. These inclined surfaces and generous windows create a sense of openness, inviting passersby to glimpse the activity within. Inside, a triple-height lobby holds terraces and gathering areas that visually connect different levels, encouraging interaction before and after performances.

Outside, Snøhetta has shaped a public plaza at Grand Boulevard and Samuel Shepard Drive to extend the vitality of the Symphony into the city. The sunlit square offers flexible space for gathering, integrates vehicle drop-off zones, and introduces lush planting beds that soften the urban setting while providing accessible routes from multiple directions.

the expansion by Snøhetta adds 64,000 square feet to historic Powell Hall

a fluid connection between old and new

Snøhetta plans circulation paths to flow easily through the site, allowing visitors to the St. Louis Symphony Hall to move easily between indoor and outdoor spaces. Towering groves frame the entryways, and a network of pathways ensures that the plaza is welcoming and functional, whether for pre-concert mingling or quiet daytime use.

Behind the scenes, the eastern expansion delivers state-of-the-art rehearsal rooms, recording suites, and storage areas. These upgrades provide musicians and staff with modern facilities for practice and collaboration, while community programming strengthens the project’s role as a creative hub.

a new entry sequence features canted masonry shells and arched openings

a triple height lobby creates visual connections across terraces

visitors ascend by way of a sculptural spiral stair

the renovation infuses contemporary design and preserves architectural heritage

back-of-house areas gain modern rehearsal rooms and recording suites

project info:

name: St. Louis Symphony Orchestra | @stlsymphony

project lead, design architect: Snøhetta | @snohetta

location: St. Louis, Missouri, USA

completion: September 2025

previous coverage: March 2022

photography: © Sam Fentress | @samuelfentress

architect of record: Christner Architects | @christnerarchitects

theater-planning consultant: Schuler Shook
construction manager: BSI Constructors
acoustics design: Kirkegaard

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