textron aviation’s I. P. proximus cabin reimagines private jet as luxurious digital loft

THE INNOVATION PROTOTYPE PROXIMUS CABIN FOR PRIVATE JETS

Textron Aviation unveils the Innovation Prototype Proximus cabin, offering a first glimpse into their vision for the future of private jet design. This prototype invites passengers into an airplane interior where zero-gravity ergonomics and advanced engineering dissolve into exquisite luxury. From the moment passengers step inside Textron Aviation’s Proximus cabin, the interplay of space saving design and multifunctional screens fosters an atmosphere that redefines expectations, marking a significant step in human-centric aviation.

Textron Aviation reveals the Innovation Prototype Proximus cabin | all images courtesy of Textron Aviation

TEXTRON AVIATION TRANSFORMS FLIGHT WITH LUXURY

For nine decades, Textron Aviation has inspired the journey of flight. As a global leader and the proud home to brands like Beechcraft, Cessna, and Hawker, their legacy is one of empowering customers with smart, reliable solutions for every mission across more than 170 countries. 

Their enduring passion for aviation and unwavering commitment to the freedom of flight forms the bedrock upon which forward-thinking concepts like Proximus are brought to life. It’s this rich history of pioneering performance and customer-centric design that positions Textron Aviation at the forefront of shaping maximum comfort in tomorrow’s skies.

at the heart of Proximus’ concept is a customer-centric design

ZERO-GRAVITY SEATING, DIGITAL WINDOWS, AND AN INTUITIVE COCKPIT

The I. P. Proximus cabin’s ambiance is dynamically shaped by its digital architecture. The windows shift from immersive cinematic experiences to critical informational displays or expansive panoramic views, creating ever-changing patterns of light and imagery. Complementing this is the expansive Sky View OLED overhead panel. Acting as a lightweight, eco-conscious alternative to traditional skylights, this advanced digital ceiling envelops passengers in serene visions of the sky or any desired scene, immersing them in a sensory journey. Responsive lighting elements are sculpted to accentuate the rich textures and contours of the surrounding architecture, turning every moment into an artistic composition.

Central to the Proximus cabin is the zero-gravity seat technology. Far from conventional seating, these slim-profile seats are the result of careful study into the body’s natural posture. The sculptural forms and rhythmic curves in armrests and bolsters precisely target pressure points to achieve a long-lasting comfort. Cantilevered and floating panel architecture visually opens the cabin, creating an unprecedented sense of airiness. The design ethos extends seamlessly into the cockpit, where a patent-secured, wrap-around touchscreen instrument panel marries visual elegance with technical mastery. Its fluid contours and intuitive interface redefine the pilot’s workspace, underscoring Textron Aviation’s belief that superior design truly empowers both performance and peace of mind.

the cabin’s ambiance is dynamically shaped by its digital architecture

central to the Proximus cabin is the zero-gravity seat technology

the design ethos extends into the cockpit, featuring a patented wrap-around touchscreen

project info:

name: Innovation Prototype Proximus Cabin

brand: Textron Aviation | @textronaviation

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layered wood and copper forms wrap compact residence by shin aoki and partners in tokyo

shin aoki and partners shapes green house in tokyo

Shin Aoki and Partners’ Green House in Tokyo’s Nerima Ward is a compact, nature-infused residence that steps back from the street, forming a tranquil garden and terrace that flow into the public planting beyond. The architecture is composed of soft, three-dimensional forms that bulge and recede, clad in warm wood and copper that will deepen in tone over time. These natural materials are chosen for their ability to age gracefully, allowing the facade of the house to evolve with the passing seasons. From the street, the layered volumes resemble an assemblage of shells or tree trunks, suggesting a calm exchange with the flowing lines of the surrounding plants.

all images courtesy of Shin Aoki and Partners

a continuous living space in sync with its surroundings

Inside Green House, the spatial experience unfolds as a single continuous room, a flowing volume punctuated by niches and varied ceiling heights. The Japanese research and design studio Shin Aoki and Partners connects spaces vertically and horizontally, inviting movement and new ways of using them. Windows positioned at multiple heights and orientations filter in changing patterns of natural light, framing fragments of sky, foliage, and neighboring life along the greenway. Throughout the day and year, the interior shifts in tone and atmosphere, reflecting the rhythm of time outside. The architects conceive Green House as a living organism, a structure that invites its residents to continually discover ways to inhabit it.

a compact, nature-infused residence by Shin Aoki and Partners

clad in warm wood and copper

the materials will deepen in tone over time

natural materials were chosen for their ability to age gracefully

allowing the facade of the house to evolve with the passing seasons

a dialogue with the organic shapes of the surrounding vegetation

the spatial experience unfolds as a single continuous room

a central column anchors the interior, supporting a circular wooden table

organic forms and natural materials define the home’s interior

slanted beams and openings create a dynamic, light-filled space across multiple levels

the concrete basement introduces a contrasting atmosphere of stillness and raw texture

project info:

name: Green House
architect: Shin Aoki and Partners | @saap.design
location: Nerima Ward, Tokyo, Japan

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urban concrete home in indonesia opens between four green gardens

Omah Manyar: Spatial Balance Between Built Form and Garden

Situated on an alley named Manyar (an Indonesian term for weaver bird) in a densely populated area of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, this 98 sqm ‘omah,’ or house, is designed by pulezstudio to connect with nature. Four concrete masses are placed between four gardens, allowing every room to have natural ventilation and daylight. In this way, the circulation space becomes part of the outdoor area, resembling the concept of a ‘kampung,’ or village, with its narrow alleys. To minimize direct sunlight, glass windows and doors are strategically placed on the south and north facades. The west facade, in contrast, is designed with breeze blocks for the bathroom and service area, which effectively serves as a buffer.

Densely populated neighbourhood/ image ©Kurniadi Widodo

Optimizing Space and Resources in Compact Urban Living

Embracing a sustainable approach, most of the windows and doors were salvaged from an old house, while the old roof tiles were repurposed as a fence. By dedicating almost half of the area to outdoor space, the design by architectural practice pulezstudio reduces the functions of the house to the essentials. The first floor is for public use, where family and friends usually gather, while the second floor is intended for private functions such as bedrooms and bathrooms. The staircase serves as a transitional area and can be folded to close off the second floor when needed.

South facade with old rooftiles fence/ image ©Kurniadi Widodo

Facing two alleys/ image ©Kurniadi Widodo

Breeze blocks on the west facade/ image ©Kurniadi Widodo

Fish pond/ image ©Kurniadi Widodo

Terrace/ image ©Kurniadi Widodo

Living area/ image ©Kurniadi Widodo

The garden connecting living and dining area/ image ©Kurniadi Widodo

The asymmetrical staircase as a space-saving solution/ image ©Kurniadi Widodo

A steel grating bridge allows sun and rain to pass through to the garden below/ image ©Kurniadi Widodo

Bedroom/ image ©Kurniadi Widodo

Roof garden/ image ©Kurniadi Widodo

project info:

name: Omah Manyar
architect: pulezstudio | @pulezstudio

lead architect: Titik Puji Lestari

location: Yogyakarta, Indonesia

area: 98 sqm

photographer: Kurniadi Widodo

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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bars, cafés, and restaurants all over the world by designboom guest readers

designboom guest readers from around the world

designboom guest readers from around the world take the opportunity to share their projects with an international audience. Take a look at some fascinating bars and restaurants submitted that contribute to our community of architects, designers, students, and makers, where cultural conversations are developed and nurtured.

every submission receives its own article 

Every submission receives its own article on our readers page, and standout projects are selected by our editorial team for broader promotion. With over 3.5 million monthly readers, including professionals, students, and design enthusiasts, it’s a unique opportunity to gain global visibility.

Submit now and join a growing creative network or simply scroll through our curated selection of guest reader projects, featuring furniture, homes, studios, bars, and villas from around the globe.

Restaurant Frivole by Maison Malapert in Paris

name: Restaurant Frivole – Paris

designer Maison Malapert | @michael_malapert

photographer: Nicolas Anetson | @nicolasanetson

location: Paris, France

Situated within the Maison des Champs Elysées hotel, Frivole is a restaurant designed by Maison Malapert in the heart of Paris’ Golden Triangle, close to the Champs Elysées, Avenue Montaigne, and the Grand Palais. The project integrates the hotel’s discreet green courtyard with references to couture, creating an environment that bridges natural elements and the surrounding fashion context.

Captain George Flavor Museum by Some Thoughts in China

name: Captain George Flavor Museum
designer: Some Thoughts / @somethoughts_official

location: Shanghai, China

In Shanghai, China, a new kind of coffee experience has emerged: the Captain George Flavor Museum, designed by spatial design studio Some Thoughts. This project is more than a coffee shop; it is a singular ecosystem centered on flavor, masterfully blending taste, design, and aesthetics. The museum’s entrance, designed as a recessed portal, prepares visitors for a journey ahead.

Ugaoo Store by Concept by Sowe in India

name: Ugaoo Store

design studio: Concept by Sowe
designer: Shamna Stranc / Rujuta Killedar / Wojciech Stranc

location: Pune, India

As India’s largest plant nursery and gardening brand, Ugaoo commissioned a flagship retail space in Pune, India to embody their biophilic values and create an immersive experience. The result, designed by Concept by Sowe, is a vibrant, evocative destination that forges a deeper connection between people and plants. The biophilic design approach for the store focused on a seamless dialogue between nature and architecture, where organic materials, spatial flow, and lush plant displays converge into a cohesive environment.

SHELL Libreria Bistrot by Schiattarella Associati in Italy

name: SHELL Libreria Bistrot
designer: Schiattarella Associati / @shell_libreria_bistrot

location: Rome, Italy

A former neighborhood workshop in Rome, Italy has been reimagined by Schiattarella Associati, renovating a 250-square-meters space into SHELL Libreria Bistrot, a contemporary hub that blurs the lines between work and public life. The design is a study in openness, where the boundaries between inside and out dissolve. More than just a bookstore, gallery, or restaurant, the dynamic space is a place to serve the community, creating a dialogue between its past and its future.

Blue Rock Swim Club by Way of Normal in Canada

name: Blue Rock Swim Club
interior designer: Way of Normal | @wayofnormal

location: Canada

Way of Normal transforms a long-dormant brewing space beneath a popular local restaurant in Canada into the Blue Rock Swim Club, a bar whose conceptual history is set within the scene of a forgotten underground bathhouse, long abandoned and slowly reclaimed. More than a spatial renovation, the challenge of creation lay in crafting a compelling historical narrative within a context — and a city — that prioritizes new-build construction over historical preservation.

La Chinesca by JJ Acuna in Philippines

name: La Chinesca
architecture: JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio | @jjabespoke

location: Manila, the Philippines

In the heart of Bonifacio Global City in Manila, the Philippines, La Chinesca’s newest outpost boldly redefines what a contemporary Mexican dining experience can be. Designed by JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio for Chef Bruce Ricketts and restauranteur Jae Ricketts, the space reflects an urban, multicultural edge with deliberate nods to various visual culture elements.

Inspired by these innovative submissions? We’re always on the lookout for exciting new work. Don’t wait to share your project with our global audience – submit your project today to become a designboom guest reader!

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industrial modules and organic soil build architectural installation that grows with the forest

Lighthouse by JXY Studio integrates architecture and ecology

JXY Studio’s Lighthouse installation integrates industrial materials with the living components of the forest, creating a structure that operates as both a built system and an ecological habitat. The project investigates how artificial and natural environments can coexist through shared spatial and material frameworks.

Set within a primeval forest, the installation references the fundamental elements that sustain life, like soil, vegetation, sunlight, air, and rainfall. These elements form the basis of complex ecological networks that support species across scales, from microorganisms to larger fauna. Drawing a parallel between these systems and human-made infrastructures, the project considers how both depend on structural, energetic, and material flows that enable survival and continuity.

all images courtesy of JXY Studio

Industrial modules and forest soil combine to form living system

The design team at JXY Studio constructs Lighthouse using modular industrial materials combined with forest soil containing humus and microorganisms. This integration allows the structure to sustain various forms of life, including insects, birds, and plants, effectively functioning as a shared habitat. Its open configuration facilitates the movement of air, light, and moisture, promoting interaction between natural processes and architectural form.

Spatially, the installation is composed of stratified layers that organize growth and habitation vertically. These layers create permeability within the structure, allowing environmental conditions such as sunlight and rain to pass through while providing niches for ecological occupation. By aligning human construction methods with natural growth patterns, The Lighthouse proposes a model of interdependence where architecture becomes an active participant in ecological cycles. The project redefines infrastructure as a medium of coexistence—one that supports not only human needs but also the broader continuity of living systems.

the Lighthouse by JXY Studio merges industrial material with the living systems of the forest

the installation functions as both architecture and ecological habitat

designed to explore coexistence between artificial and natural environments

layers of industrial material become a platform for natural growth

forest soil and humus are integrated within the structure to sustain life

the design references soil, sunlight, air, and rainfall as essential life elements

light and air circulate freely through the open, porous framework

industrial modules and organic matter coexist in a single architectural form

the Lighthouse blurs the boundary between construction and environment

project info:

name: The Lighthouse

architect: JXY Studio | @jxy_studio

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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cai guo-qiang marks centre pompidou’s farewell with colossal fireworks painting

A Closing Moment at centre pompidou

The Centre Pompidou in Paris closed on September 22nd for a five-year renovation. Before construction began, the museum invited artist Cai Guo-Qiang to create a final gesture across its facade. His public artwork, The Last Carnival, unfolded as a daylight fireworks event that turned the building’s exposed structure into a temporary canvas.

From the plaza at Beaubourg, the familiar tangle of ducts, glass, and steel served as both backdrop and participant. Smoke curled around the colored pipes. Powdered pigments hung in the air. The museum that had always revealed its inner workings — its escalators, its vents, its public spine — became for a brief time a surface for painting with fire.

atmospheric artwork by Cai Guo-Qiang

Cai Guo-Qiang’s fireworks were designed to respond to the geometry of the Centre Pompidou rather than the open sky. The horizontal grids and cantilevered walkways shaped the rhythm of the explosions, each burst aligning with the structure’s industrial cadence. Instead of distant bursts, the firework trails seemed to breathe through the building’s framework, tracing its contours in light and smoke.

Seen from the forecourt, the architecture and atmosphere folded together. The clouds of color softened the hard edges of the steel frame. Shifting tones of red, gold, and violet drifted through the transparent facade, momentarily altering how daylight filtered into the plaza.

image © Centre Pompidou / Pierre Malherbet

The Role of Technology

For this project, Cai worked with his custom artificial intelligence model, cAI, to generate the visual sequences. The software produced layered compositions that the artist translated into hand-laid charges of gunpowder. This dialogue between digital code and physical combustion gave the fireworks a quiet structure — an unseen logic guiding the choreography of light and form across the Pompidou’s surface.

Curator Jérôme Neutres described the event as the first time the museum’s facade became ‘a monumental painting.’ The description felt apt. The building, long a symbol of transparency and mechanical order, momentarily became an instrument of transformation, its familiar outlines animated by color and motion.

image © Centre Pompidou / Pierre Malherbet

image © Centre Pompidou / Pierre Malherbet

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nano version of G-SHOCK continues the series of fully functional watch rings by casio

Casio g-shock nano carries on watch ring series

Casio continues its series of functional watch rings with the release of the downsized G-SHOCK Nano made of bio-based resin. A miniature model of the DW-5600 digital watch, it reproduces the shape and functions of the full-size G-SHOCK at about one-tenth of its scale. It is designed to fit on a finger like a ring, just like the first functional watch ring of Casio following its toy version.

Every part of the Nano version, including the buttons, buckle, and LCD display, is replicated using stainless steel and resin components, similar to the materials used in the full-size watch. The strap includes multiple holes to adjust the fit for different finger sizes, ranging from about 48 to 82 millimeters in circumference. The case and bezel are produced from bio-based resin, a material derived partly from renewable organic sources, and this material still makes the model robust while reducing environmental impact compared to conventional petroleum-based resin.

all images courtesy of Casio

Functional LCD display with calendar and dual time

The inner structure of the Casio G-SHOCK Nano watch ring follows the same construction principles that define the series’ identity. A miniature case made of glass fiber-reinforced resin provides the core strength, and around this, a urethane bezel completely covers the case to absorb shocks from external impacts. Tight sealing is achieved with internal gaskets and a reinforced backplate, allowing the Nano to achieve 20 bar water resistance. It is a digital watch after all, so even if the LCD display is miniaturized, it is still functional and shows hours, minutes, and seconds, along with secondary information such as a calendar, dual time, and stopwatch. The display uses a 6-digit format, identical to that found on the DW-5600. Although the digits are smaller, contrast and clarity are maintained through adjustments in the segment layout and reflective layer. 

Three functional side buttons are integrated into the miniature body, and each performs specific tasks such as changing display modes, activating the stopwatch, or turning on the light. The light function is achieved through a miniature LED system that emits a soft, flashing glow, and it can be scheduled to activate at a chosen time. The frame keeps the classic shape of the DW-5600 series, with its square case, recessed screen, and segmented strap structure. Each Nano is produced with accurate reproduction of the bezel edges, strap texture, and buckle details. Even the buckle is made of stainless steel, consistent with the metal used in the full-size version. Casio offers the G-SHOCK Nano watch ring in three color versions: black, yellow, and red. These colors are among the most recognized from the DW-5600 line and connect the miniature watch to the brand’s long history.

Casio continues its series of functional watch rings with the release of the downsized G-SHOCK Nano

it is a miniature model of the DW-5600 digital watch

detailed view of the model

every part of the Nano version is replicated using stainless steel and resin components

project info:

name: G-SHOCK Nano

company: Casio | @casiowatches_official, @gshock_casio_official

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yào original packaging design reinterprets traditional chinese pantry aesthetics

Yào Original reinterprets traditional Chinese pantry aesthetics

Yào Original is a contemporary food brand that reinterprets the aesthetics of traditional Chinese pantry goods through minimal, tactile design. Created by designer Carla (Yu) Pan, the brand aims to preserve cultural authenticity while speaking to a new generation of global consumers. The visual identity centers on restraint and material honesty. Simple forms, balanced typography, and a limited color palette evoke the calm rhythm of home cooking. Each package is designed as a quiet container for daily rituals, one that respects the ingredients inside as much as the traditions they come from.

all images courtesy of Carla Pan

Tactile minimalism defines Yào Original packaging by Carla Pan

The packaging system uses natural paper textures, recyclable materials, and subtle embossing to create a sensory connection between product and user. Every detail, from grid layout to type weight, reflects a dialogue between precision and warmth. Yào Original’s concept by designer Carla (Yu) Pan emerged from an exploration of how culture can be distilled, not decorated. By reducing visual noise, the brand allows heritage and craftsmanship to speak for themselves, transforming ordinary pantry staples into design objects that carry memory and meaning.

Yào Original reimagines traditional Chinese pantry goods through contemporary design

the brand balances cultural heritage with modern minimalism

a restrained design language defines the brand’s visual identity

simple forms and balanced typography create visual calm

created by designer Carla Pan, Yào Original connects tradition and global sensibility

project info:

name: Yào Original

designer: Carla Pan

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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masterpiece in motion rolls-royce phantom centenary private collection 100 years in making

rolls-royce debuts phantom centenary private collection

A moving manifestation of a century of design and engineering excellence, the Rolls-Royce Phantom Centenary Private Collection is an ode to the nameplate’s 100th anniversary. The Phantom model has captivated the world’s most influential figures since its inception in 1925, spanning eight generations. The Private Collection edition, limited to just 25 examples, sees the marque’s team of bespoke designers, engineers, and craft artisans embark on a meticulous research journey, culminating in a master artwork that captures the identity and history of every generation of Phantom. Unveiled to designboom in an exclusive preview at Goodwood, the complete car is a bold statement that honors the past – particularly the 1926 Phantom of Love and 1930 Phantom II Continental – and highlights the principles that will guide the legendary nameplate into its next century.

the Rolls-Royce Phantom Centenary Private Collection is an ode to the nameplate’s 100th anniversary

all images courtesy of Rolls-Royce

century of phantoms distilled through archives and craft

The Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective – a team of skilled designers, engineers, and artisans – immersed themselves in the Phantom’s legacy, meticulously studying its identity, pivotal figures, and defining events from the 1920s to the present day. This deep dive generated a master artwork including 77 hand-sketched motifs, which are now exquisitely woven into the marque‘s Phantom Centenary Private Collection. These influences tell the storied history of the Phantom, incorporating everything from pioneering woodcraft and laser-etched leather to couturier-designed textiles and sketch-like embroidery.

Super Champagne Crystal coating achieves a deep metallic shimmer through iridescent particles of crushed glass

black, white and gold exterior design

The exterior of the Phantom Centenary sparkles in the spotlight, evoking the golden age of Hollywood and the flowing silhouette of 1930 Phantom II Continental. A two-tone of Arctic White for the side body, and Black for the upper body is finished with the specially developed Super Champagne Crystal, which achieves a deep metallic shimmer through iridescent particles of crushed glass infused into the clear coat. Crowning its bonnet, a solid-cast 18-carat gold Spirit of Ecstasy bears a specially developed ‘Phantom Centenary’ hallmark. The ‘RR’ Badge of Honour is also presented in 24-carat gold and white enamel for the first time. Special disc wheels complete the exterior, each engraved with 25 lines, totaling 100 lines to celebrate the centenary.

special disc wheels complete the exterior, each engraved with 25 lines – one for each year of the centenary

interior design unfolds bespoke canvases

Inside, the driver and passengers are immersed in a century of Phantom stories that unfold across various canvases. Recalling the marque’s chauffeur years, the car returns to when the driver’s front seat was finished in durable leather while the rear cabin offered luxurious fabrics. The rear seats take inspiration from the 1926 Phantom of Love with its handwoven Aubusson tapestries. The seat artwork is a three-layered story: a high-resolution printed background of historical places, a second layer of finely drawn past Phantoms, and a third, uppermost layer of abstract embroidery representing seven significant owners. Specially adapted ink printing, 16,000 irregular-stitched embroidery, and laser-etched artwork combine to realize the most intricate seat composition ever created by Rolls-Royce.

a century of Phantom stories unfold across various canvases in the interior design

The Anthology Gallery, the cockpit’s centerpiece, sits in the fascia and dramatically frames the view from the windshield. It features 50 3D-printed, vertically brushed aluminium ‘fins’ interlaced like book pages. Each fin is sculpted with letters forming quotes drawn from a century of press acclaim, subtly lit by shifting illuminations.

the Anthology Gallery features 50 3D-printed, vertically brushed aluminium ‘fins’ that interlace like book pages

As another superlative, the Phantom Centenary Private Collection’s interior also showcases the most intricate woodwork ever created for a Rolls-Royce. Rendered in stained Blackwood, the door panels depict the nameplate’s most significant voyages: both Sir Henry Royce’s winter and summer residences, and the first Goodwood-era Phantom’s 4,500-mile cross-Australian journey. Each composition combines 3D multi-directional marquetry, laser etching, 3D ink layering, and gold-leafing to create dimension. The journey routes gleam in 24-carat gold leaf, painstakingly cut and placed, with the exact locations of Royce’s homes marked with a single 2.76 mm gold-leaf dot. The wooden surfaces are completed with etchings of the original 1925 Phantom I and the current Phantom VIII on the rear picnic tables.

wood etchings of the original 1925 Phantom I and the current Phantom VIII adorn the rear picnic tables

the driver’s front seat is finished in durable leather while the rear cabin offers luxurious fabrics

3D multi-directional marquetry and gold-leafing depict Phantom voyages on the stained Blackwood door panels

Starlight Headliner’s 440,000 stitches reference a photograph of Henry Royce under his garden’s mulberry tree

a solid-cast 18-carat gold Spirit of Ecstasy bears a specially developed ‘Phantom Centenary’ hallmark

the ‘RR’ Badge of Honour is presented in 24-carat gold and white enamel for the first time

only 25 examples will be manufactured for the centenary celebration

project info:

brand: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

model: Phantom Centenary Private Collection

examples: 25

year: 2025

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MVRDV breaks ground on innovation park in germany, ‘the global home of human AI’

‘innovation park artificial intelligence’ now underway

Construction has begun on the MVRDV-designed campus of the Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence (IPAI) in Heilbronn, Germany. The Dutch practice designed the masterplan for the IPAI Konsortium, the 30-hectare development will accommodate over 5,000 researchers and students dedicated to advancing responsible AI technologies.

At the heart of MVRDV’s masterplan is a large circular form, defined by two offset axes that organize the site into distinct yet connected zones. The geometry establishes a sense of cohesion across the campus while maintaining openness to the surrounding landscape. Within this framework, MVRDV envisions a network of laboratories, housing, and a cultural building that bridges the scientific community with the public.

The first construction phase defines the campus core. Buildings extend from the western edge toward a central plaza anchored by the communications centre and restaurant. Around this public space, the architects have arranged key functions: a mobility hub, start-up and innovation centre, living lab, and a ten-story office building. Together they form a legible foundation for future expansion.

MVRDV designs the masterplan with a distinctive circular shape | visualizations © IPAI / MVRDV / Vivid

mvrdv’s Human-Centric space for ‘responsible AI’ research

‘Working in AI is very technical; people spend a lot of time tied to their screens,’ MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs says, describing the spirit of the Innovation Park campus. ‘We designed the IPAI CAMPUS as a counterweight to this, with a focus on wellbeing.’

This intent is evident in the site’s pedestrian character and extensive green landscape. Wind studies informed the arrangement of open spaces to create comfortable microclimates, encouraging outdoor work and recreation. Sports facilities, shaded paths, and tactile materials bring a rhythm of movement and rest uncommon in technology campuses.

Across the site, buildings incorporate organic surfaces and visible timber structures. The tactile quality of facades, together with breezy interiors flooded with sunlight, demonstrates MVRDV’s aims toward human-scale design within a tech-driven environment.

the mobility hub serves as a central hub for logistics and infrastructure | visualization © IPAI / MVRDV / Vivid

A Family of Buildings with Distinct Identities

Each structure within the Innovation Park reveals a specific spatial logic tied to its program. The cylindrical communication centre, clad in a reflective facade, will serve as the public heart of the campus with exhibition and seminar spaces. Across the plaza, a cream-colored restaurant is carved by orange recesses that form sheltered terraces for social gatherings. The mobility hub introduces visitors through a light-filled atrium, while the living lab opens outward with panoramic glazing that allows passersby a glimpse of ongoing experiments.

The start-up and innovation centre, defined by its bright red volume and pitched roof, invites informal collaborations around a central green courtyard. Nearby, the ten-story office building’s pleated facade integrates photovoltaics and creates a shifting play of light across its surface. Inside, double-height communal ‘living rooms’ punctuate the work floors, offering moments of pause and exchange.

the communication centre will serve as the public heart of the campus | visualization © IPAI / MVRDV / Vivid

Since winning the IPAI CAMPUS competition in 2023 (see designboom’s coverage here), MVRDV has refined the masterplan through close collaboration with the IPAI Konsortium. Sustainable principals have been embedded in each design decision through the use of MVRDV’s CarbonSpace tool, which quantifies the embodied carbon of materials and guides the selection of low-impact alternatives.

As a result, several of the campus buildings employ hybrid timber construction, including the start-up and innovation centre, the living lab, and the office building. Each aims for a reduced carbon footprint without sacrificing spatial ambition. The communications centre, start-up and innovation centre, and office building are all pursuing DGNB certification from the German Sustainable Building Council.

the mobility hub introduces visitors through a light-filled atrium | visualization © IPAI / MVRDV

a restaurant is carved by orange recesses that form sheltered terraces | visualization © IPAI / MVRDV / Vivid

a start-up and innovation centre shows bright red volumes and pitched roofs | visualization © IPAI / MVRDV

project info:

name: Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence (IPAI)

architect: MVRDV | @mvrdv

location: Heilbronn, Germany

client: IPAI Konsortium (State of Baden-Württemberg, the Dieter Schwarz Foundation, Schwarz Gruppe, the City of Heilbronn)

in collaboration with: LOLA Landscape Architects alongside Thornton Tomasetti, Studio
Animal-Aided Design, REALACE, Peutz Consult, and Gruner Deutschland

previous coverage: March 2023

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