álvaro siza vieira has built the capela do monte, a small hillside chapel in algarve, portugal, without electricity, heat or running water. the beige-colored structure has a footprint of 10.34 by 6.34 meters and relies on natural ventilation and materials such as insulated brick, limestone and tiles to keep it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. capela do monte, documented by joão morgado, is described by the architect as ‘a pure architectural project’ and marks his first building in this particular part of portugal.

 

meanwhile, bjarke ingels group (BIG) has completed a new harbour bath in the danish city of aarhus. designed for up to 650 bathers, the complex features a 50-meter-long pool, a children’s pool, a diving pool, and two saunas. the aarhus harbour bath is believed the be the largest seawater structure of its kind. photographed here by rasmus hjortshøj, the facility will remain open until the end of the summer.

the bauhaus — the legendary cultural institution with a surprising present-day relevance — is now open for visitors to stay overnight. recreating an atmosphere of unrivaled creativity, everything from the floor plan and the materials, to the original furniture, has been returned to its original state. inside, its walls guard the secrets and stories of some of its most renowned students, including josef albers, herbert beyer, marcel breuer, anni albers, and bertrand goldberg, among many others. on a recent trip to the bauhaus in dessau, germany, designboom joined thonet to discover how together they forged a totally different design aesthetic from which we all benefit from today.

 

also this week, the fiat 500 spiaggina has been revealed in a new, modernized configuration 60 years since its first debut. to celebrate the model’s birthday, garage italia and pininfarina have worked together on a showcar, fitted with some retro wheels, to be released in a limited edition of 1958 cars — symbolizing the year of spiaggina’s creation.

following designboom’s incredible trip and ‘studio visit’ to the sirru fen fushi island in the maldives, environmentalist and artist jason decaires taylor has officially completed the installation phase of his latest underwater art museum – the coralarium. the project is the island’s first coral regeneration project and comprises a stainless steel semi-submerged tidal gallery space that exhibits a series of sculptural artworks on the skyline, inter-tidal waterline and seabed. 

 

an artwork, ecological innovation and statement on the environment combined, the coralarium is in part an address of the one-degree rise in ocean temperature that is causing devastation to the coral. it features statues formed above ground that incorporate endemic environmental elements: some sculptures have tree trunks for limbs whilst others are embedded with the patterns of corals. elsewhere a series of children looking up towards the surface of the sea pose questions about rising sea levels.

in copenhagen, a city full of bicycles, designboom exclusively experienced the imminent yet still unrevealed AUDI ‘e-tron‘. the SUV, which, for the first time, introduces full electrification to a production vehicle of the brand, is as quiet as the cyclists, letting its cabin space and sound take center stage. on our journey, we experienced how the interior, as well as the still mostly disguised exterior design, has created a unique, concert-like performance when driving.

los angeles-and shanghai-based studio ATAH’s design concept for the china textile center involves a spiral form, blurring the boundary between floors, therefore connecting the exterior space with the interior and creating a continuous exhibition space. in order to achieve this visual effect, a geometric web fuses onto a helical surface. see the project in more detail here.

 

in other news, dutch start-up 'bagtag' proposes a modern solution of the constant overcrowding of the airports — the new device, which connects to your smartphone with bluetooth, lets you check in your luggage online. bagtag replaces the loose paper labels and shows your luggage information, saving your time usually spent in queue.

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