ZAO sculpts xiaofeng art museum as cluster of floating galleries in nature

Embedded in the Mountain Landscape

The Xiao Feng Art Museum by ZAO / standardarchitecture sits at the foot of Daci Mountain in Hangzhou’s Xihu District, where the dense forest opens to a concrete courtyard. Conceived as a tribute to painters Xiao Feng and Song Ren, the museum unfolds as a continuous architectural loop. It’s an introverted structure whose massing and voids trace the contours of the surrounding hills. From above, it reads as a gentle incision in the green terrain, its form threading between slopes like a line of thought carried through stone and shadow.

Approached from a forest road, the entrance is revealed gradually. Visitors walk beneath a cantilevered bridge that frames a still courtyard at the center of the composition. This inner garden defines the museum’s orientation, its water surface mirroring the faceted underbelly of the concrete volumes above. The experience is buffered by the mountain’s canopy and the cool air rising from the shaded voids below the structure.

the museum sits quietly at the base of a mountain in Hangzhou | images © DONG image

zao maps Circulation as a Continuous Sequence

Inside, movement follows a circular route which the architects at ZAO curate to mirror the XiaoFeng Art Museum’s organic plan. The galleries expand and contract as one progresses, forming a rhythm of compression and release. Narrow passageways lead to larger chambers, while sloped ramps connect the shifting floor levels. The transitions are smooth and deliberate, guiding visitors through a changing sequence of light, texture, and framed views of the landscape beyond.

The polygonal geometry of the building allows the galleries to project outward toward the courtyard. These extensions, sharp-edged volumes with large panoramic glazing, create visual exchanges between interior and exterior. From within, the forest becomes a suspended backdrop to the artworks. From the courtyard, the galleries appear as floating rooms in conversation with one another.

its form follows the contours of the hills, creating a continuous architectural loop

xiaofeng art museum’s Material Weight and Lightness

The entire structure is cast in concrete mixed with black ink pigment, giving the surface a muted, graphite-like tonality that deepens under varying light conditions. The texture, left exposed, bears the imprint of timber formwork, lending warmth to the otherwise monolithic material. The play between light and concrete defines the atmosphere: daylight entering through angular apertures shifts across the rough walls, while at dusk, interior illumination casts faint glows into the courtyard.

This material uniformity heightens the museum’s relationship with its setting. Against the lush green of the mountain, the dark concrete reads as a man-made strata within a geological landscape. The architecture of ZAO / standardarchitecture remains grounded in this contrast, where solid and void, enclosure and view, are held in careful balance.

the entrance is reached by walking beneath a cantilevered bridge into a still courtyard

In the courtyard, the mirrored pools and exposed concrete planes evoke the character of a scholar’s garden reinterpreted through modern form. The reflections create a sense of depth that doubles the surrounding environment, while the sound of water softens the building’s angularity. Small trees grow within the interstitial spaces, their foliage brushing against the walls and glass, bringing a living counterpart to the mineral composition.

the galleries expand and contract as visitors move through the building

a reflecting pool mirrors the faceted concrete planes and frames the forest

black ink pigmented concrete anchors the museum to the terrain with restrained intensity

project info:

name: CCA XiaoFeng Art Museum

architect: ZAO (ZhangKe Architecture Office) / standardarchitecture

location: Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

floor area: 1,298 square meters (13,970 square feet)
completion: 2025

photography: © DONG image | @rudy_dong96

project architect: Zhang Ke

design team: Roberto Caputo. Dai Haifei, Yu Ge, Simon Persson, Virginia Chiappa Nunez, Paolo Failla, Niccoló Calabrese De Feo, Stefano Di Daniel, Jesper Rieter, Qian Yiru, Sofia Chebotareva, Wang Liying, Huang Tanyu, Zhang Mingming, Ouyang Yanquan, Fang Shujun, He Kuang, Zhang Yifan, Lu Juncong, Wang Simiao, Yu Yihua

collaborator: Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd.

collaborator team: Wang Xiang, Chen Yixin, Li Xiang, Chen Xi, Xi Jiakai, You Bolin, Geng Junjun, Zhu Weichang, Zhang Hua, Wu Pan

exhibition design: Hangzhou GMAID Architecture Design Co,.LTD

exhibition design team: Qian Qi, Yu Xiaoying, Yan Jiafan, Shan Jiale, Dong Xiaoyu

client: China Academy of Art, Qianjiang Management Committee of West Lake Scenic Area

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vintage experimental racing cars inspire shape of concept vehicle mantis X99

mantis X99 draws design from vintage experimental racing cars

Vintage experimental racing cars give shape to the silhouettes of the concept vehicle Mantis X99 by Sachin Sing Tensing. Drawing influences from the 1968 race car prototype named the Mantis XP, the concept car is built as a futuristic track vehicle, not made for roads but for testing ideas about shape and movement, with its expressive and pointed forms. The designer, always looking at the Mantis XP’s structure, has revamped its proportions to modernize the vintage experimental racing car and fit the new systems and rules of modern track racing. 

The project aims to reimagine the Mantis XP for the future. The designer tries to combine two elements for the concept vehicle: the mechanical look of the vintage experimental racing cars and the clean technical features of Formula 1 rides these days. The front keeps a forward-leaning stance similar to the original Mantis XP, which helps with airflow and gives space for a central air intake. The nose section is stretched and thin, guiding air over the body and into the side channels. These channels bring air to the cooling system and rear motors, and the body panels are shaped to direct air efficiently while keeping the structure simple and light.

all images courtesy of Sachin Sing Tensing

Ode to the 1968 prototype racing car, mantis XP

The cockpit of the concept vehicle Mantis X99 is made for one driver. It sits low between the front and rear wheels, with a narrow glass canopy that can open upward. The steering position is centered, like in Formula 1 cars, giving better balance and visibility. The inside design focuses on basic controls, including the steering, pedals, and a digital screen showing speed, battery, and track data. At the rear, the vehicle inspired by vintage experimental racing cars has an open section with visible mechanical parts. This part houses the power unit and suspension system. 

The rear wing extends out from two vertical supports to give stability at high speed. The exhaust outlets or cooling vents are placed between these supports. The structure is designed to handle pressure and airflow from the front to the back without adding weight. Designer Sachin Sing Tensing worked on the visual balance of the concept ride to connect the past and future. The Mantis XP from the past had a very experimental look, so this new concept keeps that energy but updates it with sharp silhouettes, straight lines, and elements taken from Formula 1 technology. The front splitter, air channels, and rear diffuser all come from racing design, making up the form of the Mantis X99.

vintage experimental racing cars give shape to the silhouettes of the concept vehicle Mantis X99

it draws influences from the 1968 race car prototype named the Mantis XP

the concept car is built as a futuristic track vehicle

view of the vehicle on track

the designer has revamped its proportions to modernize the vintage experimental racing car

the cockpit of the car is made for one driver

side profile of the vehicle

the ride sits low between the front and rear wheels, with a narrow glass canopy that can open upward

project info:

name: Mantis X99

design: Sachin Sing Tensing | @sachin_sing_t

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modular bamboo houses by blue temple stand firm after 7.7 earthquake in myanmar

Blue Temple’s bamboo housing survives Mandalay earthquake

In the heart of Mandalay, Myanmar, a cluster of 26 bamboo houses designed by Yangon-based studio Blue Temple has become an unexpected emblem of resilience. When a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar in March 2025, leveling much of the region, the lightweight Housing NOW units, built for families displaced by conflict, stood firm. Not a single home collapsed. What began as an experimental effort to provide dignified, low-cost shelter in one of the world’s most fragile contexts has now proven itself as a field-tested, earthquake-resistant housing system.

all images by Aung Htay Hlaing and Raphaël Ascoli

Housing NOW’s units are built alongside their tenants

Each modular home by Blue Temple can be assembled in under a week using a bundled small-diameter bamboo system. The technique transforms an overlooked, abundantly available material into a structurally interlocking frame that absorbs seismic shocks. Families participate in the assembly alongside the technical team of the Yangon-based practice, learning construction techniques that strengthen community resilience while reducing dependency on external aid.

The earthquake became the ultimate proof of concept for Housing NOW, a socially driven construction project that has been developing quietly since 2019 across conflict-affected regions of Myanmar. In total, 79 units have been built to date, with 500 printed DIY Bamboo Manuals distributed nationwide to empower communities to construct safe homes with local tools and materials. The initiative also experiments with cash-for-shelter upgrades, providing technical advice to improve existing self-built homes.

the resistant cluster of 26 bamboo houses designed by studio Blue Temple

the lightweight Housing NOW units are built from bamboo

families participate in the assembly alongside Blue Temple’s technical team

the housing units are built for families displaced by conflict

when a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar, the units stood firm

the construction uses an overlooked, abundantly available material

bamboo is transformed into a structurally interlocking frame that absorbs seismic shocks

project info: 

name: Housing NOW | @housingnow.designs
architects: Blue Temple | @bluetempledesigns
location: Mandalay, Myanmar
construction manager: Ko Zin
unit cost: USD $1,000–$1,300
photography: Aung Htay Hlaing, Raphaël Ascoli

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white traffic lights can help self-driving cars ‘talk’ to each other on the road, engineers say

Self-driving cars know where to move with white traffic lights

North Carolina State University engineers suggest the idea of adding white traffic lights to allow self-driving cars to communicate with each other while cruising on busy roads. The proposal, led by Professor Ali Hajbabaie, is a traffic system that allows these autonomous vehicles to organize their movement through the intersection without stopping too often. In the normal system, traffic lights have three colors: red means stop, green means go, and yellow means prepare to stop. In the new system, there is an additional white light. 

This light activates when there are enough autonomous cars near the intersection. When the white light turns on, it signals that self-driving cars are taking control of the traffic flow. Human drivers just have to follow the car in front. If that car moves, they move. If it stops, they stop. When there are not enough autonomous vehicles, the traffic light switches back to the normal red-yellow-green pattern, meaning this system depends on the number of automated cars present at a given time.

image by of Timo Wielink, via Unsplash

Autonomous vehicles stop less with white light

The researchers call this method the mobile control paradigm. Each autonomous vehicle has a built-in computer that can calculate its speed, distance, and position, and together, these vehicles create a network of moving controllers that can organize traffic more efficiently than a fixed traffic light system. In earlier work from 2020, the researchers used a centralized control system, where one main computer at the intersection made all the decisions. The new version is distributed, meaning every self-driving car contributes its own computing power. To test the concept, the engineers used microscopic traffic simulators and compared intersections with and without the white phase to see how traffic, fuel use, and waiting time changed. 

The results showed that when self-driving cars were present, traffic always moved better than when all cars were human-driven. When the white phase system was added, there was a noticeable improvement because cars spent less time stopping and starting, which also saved fuel. The researchers note that the color of the white light is not important. It could be any color, as long as it clearly tells drivers to follow the car ahead. Although the concept is still being tested in simulations, the engineers believe it can be adapted gradually and that some parts could be added to existing intersections and self-driving cars without redesigning the entire roads and systems.

image courtesy of North Carolina State University | photo by Siyuan

image by Eliobed Suarez, via Unsplash

image generated on ChatGPT with the prompt asking to add a fourth light colored white on a stoplight

image by Birk Enwald, via Unsplash

project info:

name: White Phase Intersection Control Through Distributed Coordination: A Mobile Controller Paradigm in a Mixed Traffic Stream

team: Ramin Niroumand, Leila Hajibabai, Ali Hajbabaie

institution: North Carolina State University | @ncstate

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‘orbit’ kinetic turntable translates sound into motion through flipping wooden tiles

lillian brown’s turntable translates sound into motion

Lillian Brown’s Orbit reimagines the record player as a performative object that makes music visible. What began as her senior thesis at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) evolved into a hybrid that turns listening into an active sensory experience, where rhythm becomes motion.

The design centers around a sculptural turntable topped with thirty-nine individual wooden tiles that flip and shift in real time as music plays. These movements, in sync with the beat, translate audio frequencies into a tactile visual field that unfolds in a clockwise motion, echoing the rotation of the record itself. Brown describes Orbit as a way to ‘make music visible,’ transforming familiar listening rituals into performances.

the wooden tiles are paired with stainless steel insets | images courtesy of Lillian Brown

wooden tiles of orbit dance to the rhythm

Fabricated through a meticulous process, Orbit combines CNC-milled cherry wood, thin stainless steel insets, and 3D printed components. Brown collaborated with machinist Jake Harding of Forsyth Metal Works to produce the cherry wood top, which underwent several complex CNC operations. The rich natural figure of the wooden surface contrasts with the steel inlays, while bent stainless steel legs recall mid-century modern record players.

Underneath its refined form lies a direct-drive motor and a hidden linear-tracking tonearm, an engineering approach inspired by Miniot’s Wheel. By inverting the record so it plays upside down, the industrial designer frees the kinetic tile system to occupy the center stage. Developed through a custom framework in Grasshopper, a parametric design tool, the tile system demonstrates how computational design can intersect with emotional experience. Over two months of concept exploration and another two months of fabrication resulted in this object, which stands one meter tall and is charged with potential energy. Orbit slows down the act of listening, asking the user to watch and feel the rhythm.

CNC-milled cherry wood, a 3D printed housing, and stainless steel legs come together

Orbit presents a sleek silhouette

echoing the elegance of vintage turntables

a custom parametric framework in Grasshopper was used to create the tile pattern

the motion unfolds in a synchronized, clockwise rotation that echoes the record’s spin

bent metal legs nod to mid-century design

project info:

name: Orbit
designer: Lillian Brown

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: thomai tsimpou | designboom

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tadao ando plans monolithic museum of curving concrete to float over dubai

A sculpted form by the water

Iconic Japanese architect Tadao Ando unveils plans for the upcoming Dubai Museum of Art, a new cultural institution floating at the edge of Dubai Creek. The rounded, monolithic structure will hover above the saltwater inlet on a circular platform, its fluid concrete surface folding and twisting toward a glazed opening that catches the desert light.

Viewed from across the bay, the museum reads as both grounded and in motion. Its curved body evoking the hydrodynamic precision of a vessel. The facade, clad in smooth white panels, is punctured by triangular apertures that taper upward with measured rhythm, filtering daylight into the interiors. At sunset, the building’s surface absorbs the shifting amber tones of the sky, softening its engineered geometry into something quietly atmospheric.

Within the surrounding landscape, a procession of palms lines the approach, their shadows repeating the rhythm of the facade. The structure’s base meets the water through a subtle overhang, giving the impression that the museum floats.

Tadao Ando designs a new art museum rising over Dubai Creek | visualizations © Al-Futtaim Group

tadao ando designs with sunlight

Inside, Tadao Ando’s design language of restraint and precision becomes clear through the treatment of concrete and light. The galleries occupy the first two levels, organized around a central oculus that channels daylight downward in a pearlescent glow. The play between curved concrete walls and the circular skylight produces a calm, shifting brightness that defines the visitor’s path without the need for overt boundaries.

The upper level houses a lounge and restaurant framed by full-height glazing. From here, views extend across the creek toward the city’s skyline. With this framing, the architect situates the art and the architecture which surrounds it within the broader context of an evolving Dubai. The museum also includes a library and study areas dedicated to supporting the next generation of artists and designers.

triangular openings filter light across the curved facade

a museum of curving voids to frame views of dubai

Commissioned by the Al-Futtaim Group, the museum is developed as a public amenity and a platform for creative exchange. Its design speaks to Ando’s enduring interest in geometry, and light. Here, these elements converge within a distinctly urban and maritime setting. The building’s outer shell is smooth and continuous, and conceals an interior landscape of concrete volumes and curving voids that guide movement and frame sightlines.

When complete, the Dubai Museum of Art will become a new focal point in Dubai. It will host exhibitions, discussions, and educational programs. Backdropped by Dubai’s skyline, Tadao Ando’s upcoming work will distill his enduring design philosophy into a single gesture.

the rounded structure twists upward with a calm white surface

sunlight glows through the oculus, casting a pearlescent hue

the museum rests on a circular platform surrounded by palms

project info:

name: Dubai Museum of Art (DUMA)

architect: Tadao Ando

location: Dubai, UAE

visualizations: © Al-Futtaim Group

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fisherman’s shelter becomes a meditative retreat in façade’s renovation on milos island

Façade revives the spirit of the sirma on Milos

In the coastal landscape of Milos, Façade studio’s Siridi transforms a traditional fisherman’s shelter, known locally as a sirma, into a meditative space. The project engages the vernacular architecture of the Cyclades with quiet sensitivity, preserving the carved rock form of the shelter while introducing minimal interventions.

Sirmas, the brightly painted boat shelters that dot the coastline of the Greek island, once served as winter refuges for fishermen and their vessels. Carved partly into the rock, their rear portions formed natural caves, while their constructed facades opened directly to the sea. Over time, many were converted into living spaces, their utilitarian origins softened by domestic life. In Siridi, Façade returns to this duality between protection and exposure using the sirma’s anatomy to explore how traditional Cycladic architecture can be redefined through contemporary means without losing its essence.

all images courtesy of Façade

the boat becomes an adjustable table

The Greek architects describe the Siridi project as ‘living in the in-between.’ Guided by the etymology of sirma, derived from the Greek word for ‘to drag’ or ‘to pull’, the intervention celebrates the motion and temporality embedded in these dwellings. 

Façade honors each element, maintaining the integrity of the original form. The sleeping area remains carved into the rock, the rough stone left visible beneath a veil of white limewash.  Near the entrance, the kitchen and shower mark the rhythm of summer life, connecting the acts of bathing, cooking, and gathering to the landscape beyond. Light filters through the narrow openings, tracing the passage of the day across stone surfaces that hold the memory of salt and wind.

A single movable object, a long wooden table that slides along the length of the space, recalls the motion of the boat once pulled ashore. Its mobility allows it to shift roles throughout the day, becoming a work surface, a dining table, or a resting point. Painted in the same shade of blue as the sirma’s door, the table mirrors the boat’s presence, maintaining a symbolic link to the fisherman’s craft. 

Siridi transforms a traditional fisherman’s shelter, known locally as a sirma, into a meditative space

metallic net and blue door as living memory

Behind the kitchen, a delicate stainless-steel grid defines the auxiliary spaces, echoing the fisherman’s metallic net, known locally as siridi. This mesh-like partition allows air and light to move freely while delineating zones. 

Externally, the facade remains almost untouched. The wooden blue door, a recurring motif across the fishing villages of the Milos island is preserved, embodying the continuity of Cycladic vernacular and serving as a reminder of the sirma’s origins. Façade resists the pressures of touristic transformation that have reshaped many island dwellings, instead proposing a model of adaptive reuse.

the wooden blue door, a recurring motif across the fishing villages of the Milos island is preserved

the sleeping area remains carved into the rock

connecting the acts of bathing, cooking, and gathering to the landscape

a delicate stainless-steel grid defines the auxiliary spaces

this mesh-like partition allows air and light to move freely

project info:

name: Siridi
architect Façade | @facade_studio

location: Milos, Cyclades, Greece

lead architect: Haris Oikonomou

design team: Maria Roumelioti, Marousa-Nektaria Korontzi

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: thomai tsimpou | designboom

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former swimming pool converts into multi-use timber education space for london college

Studio DERA Transforms former Swimming Pool into Learning Hub

Studio DERA has repurposed a former school swimming pool into a sustainable multi-purpose learning and wellbeing space for Waltham Forest College in London. With the college rapidly expanding its student body, finding new ways to accommodate educational and extracurricular needs was a priority. Studio DERA had already run a sustainable materials workshop for WFC students, while building a hempcrete and timber community center and nursery in nearby Higham Hill. College Principal & CEO Janet Gardner, invited Studio DERA directors Max Dewdney and Marcel Rahm to reimagine the long disused swimming pool site and do a feasibility study. The architects decided that retrofitting the original structure and utilising natural materials was the most sustainable and efficient way to transform the space into an attractive and inspiring hub for students and staff. A RIBA Stage 2 Report and a strong design narrative that aligned with the college’s estate strategy resulted in a successful funding bid to the Department for Education.

From the outset, Studio DERA’s work was shaped by ongoing consultations with educators, curriculum leaders, facilities managers, and students. The architects ran a series of workshops and engagement sessions to test spatial strategies, technical requirements, and user priorities. This informed key elements of the final design, including the subdivision of the Pool into zones, the use of biophilic and acoustic elements, and the inclusion of a stage and IT suite. Balancing architectural ambition with operational need, Studio DERA worked closely with the college to coordinate infrastructure upgrades and ensure long-term adaptability and maintainability with the installation of a new renewable energy system. The project was completed in 48 weeks, but fine-tuning continues post-completion, based on real-time user feedback from students and staff. The result is a versatile, welcoming, and light-filled space of 994 sqm.

all images courtesy of Studio DERA

Light, Material, and Adaptability Anchor Pool’s Adaptive Redesign

The Pool has five learning zones, each tailored to support a range of teaching styles and group sizes. A raised stage positioned at the former pool’s deep end creates a focal point for lectures, performances, and assemblies. Beneath it, a new IT room cleverly uses the original pool depth to deliver a high-performance digital learning infrastructure. The original high-level windows were cut down to the external floor level, dramatically increasing the natural light. Studio DERA installed integrated window seating along the old pool concourse, and fixed desks around the perimeter of the former pool tank for study and small group work. To increase thermal performance to meet DfE standards, triple-glazed windows were installed, along with insulation of both external and internal walls, and new insulated pipework. Operational energy use is expected to fall significantly thanks to air source heat pumps, mixed-mode ventilation, and LED lighting.

Material choices were guided by principles of low embodied carbon, durability, and circularity, and include FSC-certified timber, recycled acoustic panels, and low-VOC finishes. ‘We wanted the Pool to be an inspiring and practical space that elevates student learning and staff functionality, and, above all, brings joy. We were really keen to show just what is architecturally possible in the education sector, which is so often sadly under-funded and under-prioritized. Janet Gardner at Waltham Forest College was a visionary leader for this project, and together with our great contractors, we’ve delivered an ambitious, design-led and sustainable hub which puts the user experience front and center,’ shares Max Dewdney, Studio DERA’s director architect.

Studio DERA transforms a disused school swimming pool into a multi-purpose learning space in London

the design prioritizes natural materials and low embodied carbon construction methods

retrofitting the original pool structure minimized waste and preserved the site’s existing framework

integrated seating along the pool’s former edge encourages informal study and collaboration

a raised stage at the pool’s deep end forms a focal point for lectures, assemblies, and performances

fixed desks line the perimeter, offering flexible spaces for group and individual work

the project features FSC-certified timber, recycled acoustic panels, and low-VOC finishes

the project supports Waltham Forest College’s expanding educational and wellbeing programs

The Pool stands as an example of how adaptive reuse can renew educational architecture sustainably

project info:

name: The Pool
architect: Studio DERA

location: London, UK

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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foldable cinema-style seats let users fit their bike and bags in modern škoda 1000 MBX car

cinema-style seats inside modern škoda 1000 MBX car

The modern concept Škoda 1000 MBX car comes with foldable cinema-style seats that allow users to fit their bike, gears, and luggage in the passenger seat. A modern twist from the automobile’s interior designer, David Stingl, the 2+2 seating setup in the cabin makes the space inside flexible. The front seats can merge and become a bench, so there’s nothing hindering between the driver and the front passenger, while the riders at the back can feel as if they were in a theater with the cinema-style tip-up chairs. The upgraded Škoda 1000 MBX car can then easily transform from a two-seater coupe into a cargo vehicle without adding or removing anything from the ride.

David Stingl explains that when the rear seats are folded upwards, there’s sufficient space for luggage, or even a bicycle or other sports equipment. ‘The concept car even features air suspension, allowing the ground clearance to be adjusted: low for a sporty stance or high for tackling rough paths and easier cargo loading,’ he adds. If the passengers look around, they can notice that the side panels at the door have plus and minus buttons. When pressed, the windows ascend and descend, a design element that steers away from the typical push button.

all images courtesy of Škoda

dashboard with glass-covered oval module and projection

Still inside the Škoda 1000 MBX car, the dashboard comes with a glass-covered oval module into which images are projected, courtesy of the interior designer David Stingl. The oval shape appears throughout the cabin, from the steering wheel to the headrests. It is a direct reference to the company’s original sedan, 1000 MB, which was produced briefly in the 1960s. In the upgraded one, the central console is still absent, but the chrome accents, which were alive in the original model, now come through as clean graphics highlighted by ambient lighting. The silhouettes inside the vehicle are reminiscent of the sharp lines found in brutalist architecture.

That is, in fact, an influential visual element for the design team, more visible on the exterior designed by Antti Mikael Savio. Here, the designer admits to studying several buildings and objects in that style and incorporating it whenever he can. The vehicle subtly nods at some of the features from the previous model, including the raised headlamps above the bonnet line, the character crease along the flanks halfway up the sides, and the distinctive C-pillar treatment. The rear seat, however, has no windows to make extra cargo space and give the vehicle a sportier and more compact look. Instead of a window, there’s a rearview camera replacing it. 

instead of a rear window, there’s a rearview camera replacing it

A brief design recap of the 1960s Škoda 1000 MB

Revisiting the 1960s Škoda 1000 MB, the sedan that the designers based their Škoda 1000 MBX car on, was the first Škoda car with a self-supporting body and a new aluminum engine block made by pressure casting. The two-door version, called the 1000 MBX, started production in 1966 and had frameless doors and no B-pillar, which gave the vehicle a more open look. In 1968, Škoda released another model, the 1100 MBX, with a 1,107-cc engine producing 52 horsepower. Production was small, with only a few cars built each day. In total, Škoda made 2,517 units before production ended in 1969, making the 1000 MBX and especially the 1100 MBX version rare to find.

Fast forward to today, Škoda designers Antti Mikael Savio (exterior) and David Stingl (interior) create a modern and conceptual version of the Škoda 1000 MBX car. It forms part of a series called Icons Get a Makeover, where Škoda designers reimagine classic cars from the company’s history. It is a collection of design studies that are not meant for production, and for the 1000 MBX model, the designers worked on it for about a month: Antti focused on the exterior, starting with sketches made on paper, while David worked on the digital 3D model, shaping the car’s inside first and then adding details to the overall structure. The resulting concept car has the look of a modern crossover, combining a strong structure with usable space. Antti wanted the new version to look sporty but still friendly, while David focused on keeping the car’s original meaning: a stylish, functional car for everyday life.

the 2+2 seating setup in the modern Škoda 1000 MBX car makes the space inside flexible

there are foldable cinema-style seats for the back passengers

when the back seats are folded up, users can fit their bikes and other equipment there

the dashboard comes with glass-covered oval module and projection

the upgraded vehicle has a sportier and more compact look

project info:

name: 1000 MBX

company: Škoda | @skodagram

interior design and architecture: David Stingl | @davidstingl

exterior design: Antti Mikael Savio

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iris ceramica group transitions to water-based printing technology for ceramic surfaces

ECOLOGICAL TRANSITION with WATER-BASED PRINTING TECHNOLOGY  

At Cersaie 2025, Iris Ceramica Group introduced a revolutionary water-based printing technology applied to its high-end ceramic surfaces. This technological advancement, utilizing water-based inks and materials for both creating and decorating the ceramic surface structures, achieves superior aesthetic and structural performance. Not only is the development an industry novelty, but it also marks a significant step in the Group’s ecological transition while exalting textures, colors, and depth to create ceramic surfaces with extraordinary visual intensity. It is already applied to two product lines of the brands Ariostea, Fiandre, FMG, and Sapienstone in thicknesses of 6, 12, and 20 mm.

Iris Ceramica Group at Cersaie 2025 | all images courtesy of Iris Ceramica Group

BLENDING SUSTAINABLE CERAMIC SURFACES  WITH TECHNOLOGY

Driven by a strong pioneering spirit and constant attention to environmental sustainability, Iris Ceramica Group acts as a trailblazer in the ceramic world. Sustainable innovation is one of the pillars of their applied technological research, applying to both the re-engineering of the production process and the materials used to manufacture ceramic surfaces. Further expanding this material-meets-technology approach is the integration of Alchimia. 

Through an exclusive collaboration with VBH, this cutting-edge technology is flawlessly integrated with the Group’s ceramic surfaces. Alchimia conceals screens and audio-video systems beneath a continuous ceramic surface, allowing them to appear and disappear on command. The metamorphosis transforms surfaces into invisible displays and speakers, transmitting visuals and sound while preserving the elegance and continuous aesthetic of the ceramics, bridging the worlds of high-end technology and timeless design.

Alchimia conceals screens and audio-video systems beneath a continuous ceramic surface

IRIS CERAMICA GROUP’S IMMERSIVE JOURNEY AT CERSAIE 2025

The powerful synthesis of technical innovation and environmental commitment forms the material core of Iris Ceramica Group’s immersive exhibition space at Cersaie 2025. Titled ‘The Magical Journey,’ the exhibition guided visitors through various stages that interpret the transformation of ceramics as an alchemical process. The work of visual artist Lorenza Liguori, specialized in 3D graphics, demonstrated how the ceramic surfaces become an active, dynamic part of the architectural display, using light, texture, and indefinite forms to fully immerse the spectator.

The transformative journey was conceptualized through the exhibition space — a step-by-step exploration divided into three stages. The first stage, Breaking, represents the moment that triggers growth and transformation. The second stage, Glowing, marks a shift in perspective — a process of renewal that distances itself from conventional concepts. The journey culminates in Revealing: the moment of awareness, when we recognize the transformation we have undergone and discover a new way of perceiving and interpreting matter — and, more broadly, reality itself. This evolution was brought to life through the digital morphing of visual artist Lorenza Liguori, who interpreted the first two stages — Breaking and Glowing. The final stage, Revealing, took shape through the ‘ceramic skin’ (classical architectural elements turned upside down), the installations, and the applied technologies such as Alchimia, which together created the unexpected space of revelation.

Iris Ceramica Group’s immersive exhibition, titled ‘The Magical Journey’

advanced technology is used to elevate the aesthetic and functional value of the ceramic surfaces

the immersive journey revealed a powerful synthesis of technical innovation and environmental commitment

the exhibition space was designed to interpret ceramics as an alchemical process

project info:

name: The Magical Journey

company: Iris Ceramica Group | @irisceramicagroup
event: Cersaie 2025

location: Bologna, Italy

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