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mercedes-AMG unveils concept GT XX with speakers in headlamps and animated light panel

Mercedes-AMG concept GT XX creates moving images

Mercedes-AMG reveals its concept GT XX electric sports car with loudspeakers embedded into the headlights and an animated panel at the rear of the vehicle. The audio devices first: the front lights then double as a speaker box so it’s easier for the passersby to hear the incoming vehicle. Inside this sound system, there’s a part called a passive membrane, helping the Mercedes-AMG concept GT XX produce deeper and stronger bass sounds without needing a bigger speaker. Then, the animated rear panel called the MBUX Fluid Light Panel. It uses over 700 small RGB LED lights that can change color and create moving images and symbols. When this panel is off, the still image has a 3D look. When it turns on, the light panel projects animations, even custom ones. 

The design team uses sandblasting for the surface of the panel to make the lights look sharper and brighter. Other than animations, users can also flash writings onto the Mercedes-AMG concept GT XX light panel. In fact, when the electric sports car is plugged in, it shows the word ‘charging’ so other vehicles know whether the car is ready for a drive or is still charging. Outside the vehicle, the design team adds electroluminescent paint made from layers of materials that conduct electricity. Because of this, some parts of the Mercedes-AMG concept GT XX glow in the dark. Then during charging, these glowing parts turn off one by one, and once they’re all turned off, it means that the vehicle is fully charged. So far, the team has already tested it on a racing car at the 24-hour Nürburgring race.

all images courtesy of Mercedes-Benz

Biomaterials used inside the concept vehicle

Inside the Mercedes-AMG concept GT XX, recycled materials take center stage. The black seat cushions are made with LABFIBER Biotech by Modern Meadow, which is a leather alternative that looks and feels like real leather. The car manufacturer and biotechnology company team up to produce it using a mix of recycled rubber, plant-based proteins, and biopolymers. Since the design is for closed recycling loops, this leather is reusable during repair or maintenance. The biomaterials mixed in it also allow it to be breathable, waterproof, and lighter than real leather. Then, the duo also creates a silk alternative, which they’ve used for the door handles in the same orange color as the vehicle’s exterior to match it. As for the carbon-fiber-made front bucket seats, they have openings for ventilation and fixed headrests. They also have seat pads that have an open 3D structure, made using 3D printing.

Black is the main color of the interiors, allowing the silver and orange accents to stand out. There are two large screens on the dashboard: one is a 10.25-inch display showing the driving and battery information of the Mercedes-AMG concept GT XX, while the other is a 14-inch multimedia screen for controls and entertainment. Both screens are slightly turned toward the driver. The steering wheel looks more rectangular and comes with two horizontal grips similar to the ones found in racing cars. Behind the wheel, there are paddles the driver can use to control how the car uses or stores electric power, and there’s also a small LED display projecting the battery health of the vehicle. The two round AMG buttons on the steering wheel let the driver change car settings, too.

Mercedes-AMG reveals its concept GT XX electric sports car with loudspeakers embedded into the headlights

sunset beam orange paint for the car’s exterior

A glance at the center console, the driver and front passenger can see the actual structure of the Mercedes-AMG concept GT XX, illuminated by a series of orange pipes that look like electric cables. The armrests share a similar style, and the door panels also come with small holes for soft lighting. Passengers can also see some parts of the car’s body from the inside, including design elements that look like high-voltage cables, connecting it visually to its electric power and to AMG’s racing roots. Outside, the Mercedes-AMG concept GT XX has a long, sloped roof, a low front part, and an angled windscreen to give the body an aggressive look.

The sunset beam orange paint shines, giving the vehicle a bright look. At the front, there’s an AMG grille with ten vertical bars, and while this is a common AMG design, the grille in this concept car has a more curved and oval shape, with the Mercedes-Benz star emblem placed right in the center. On each side of the grille, there are slim, rectangular extra lights. The front hood has two openings with fins to let the hot air out from the cooling system, a design borrowed from racing cars. The middle part of the vehicle, called the greenhouse, has a double-bubble roof and three side windows, while the side mirrors are placed higher on the front doors, just like in classic sports cars. When viewed from above, the middle of the car narrows as it goes toward the back, which makes the rear of the car look wide. At the back, the car has six round taillights in a deep red color, set inside long, angled shapes with sloping sides. At the present time, there’s no news yet to the commercial production of the Mercedes-AMG concept GT XX.

there are also light panels on the side of the vehicle

the side light panels turn off one by one when charging to let the driver know when it is fully charged

the roof slopes down from the middle to the back for an aggresive look

view of the rear

the panel projects moving images, texts, and symbols

view inside the vehicle with a rectangular-shaped steering wheel

passengers can see the structure of the car from the center console

project info:

name: Concept GT XX
car manufacturer: Mercedes-AMG | @mercedesamg

leather: Modern Meadow

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historic industrial chimney becomes roaming sculpture by team B/O in south korea

Team B/O reimagines Janghang smokestack as moving sculpture

In the quiet town of Janghang, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea, an unlikely transformation is unfolding. The old chimney of the Janghang Smelter — a major copper refining facility established in 1936 under Japanese colonial rule — has been reimagined as a moving sculpture that rekindles human connection and collective memory. Once a towering emblem of Korea’s rapid industrial growth, the smelter left a complex legacy: while it fueled national development, it also polluted the surrounding environment with heavy metals and dust. The Roaming Chimney, a conceptual project by Seoul-based Team B/O, breathes life into this decommissioned structure, transforming it from a static industrial relic into a living, roaming symbol of shared history and intergenerational dialogue.

all images courtesy of Team B/O

the roaming chimney revives legacy through local memory

Team B/O, led by Jooyong Baek and Seyoung Ok, spent time in Janghang engaging with the local community, especially elders who have lived through the town’s changing landscape. The Korean collective gathered stories in places like Nil Café, the local town office, and Lamp Café, compiling vivid recollections that paint the chimney as more than mere infrastructure. According to residents, it once served as a familiar backdrop to daily life: children played nearby, and some even danced atop its wide rim. These testimonies, carefully documented by the design team, underscore the deep emotional and cultural imprint left by the structure, casting the chimney not only as an industrial artifact, but as a character in its own right.

Yet in the eyes of the younger generation, the chimney has faded into obscurity, becoming an alien monument of a bygone era. In response, The Roaming Chimney envisions the smokestack as a playful, sentient presence. No longer upright or inert, it pauses after decades of nonstop labor, then begins to move — not to pollute, but to reconnect. As it rolls gently through the village of Songrimdonghwa, its curved body becomes both sculpture and storyteller, inviting new encounters with old memories. Through this poetic transformation, Team B/O offers a powerful metaphor for healing, remembrance, and continuity, encouraging viewers to see industrial remnants not as static ruins, but as dynamic vessels of living history.

The Roaming Chimney, a conceptual project by Seoul-based Team B/O

the static industrial relic turns into a living, roaming symbol

the curved body of the structure becomes both sculpture and storyteller

Team B/O offers a powerful metaphor for healing, remembrance, and continuity

project info:

name: The Roaming Chimney
designer: team B/O (Jooyong Baek & Seyoung Ok)
author site: team B/O (Jooyong Baek & Seyoung Ok)

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NAS architecture revives 17th-century chapel in southern france as third-place library

NAS architecture links chapel to library extension in france

In the small Provencal village of Rochefort-du-Gard, France, NAS architecture reclaims a forgotten corner of the historic center with La Source, a third-place library that transforms the long-abandoned Saint-Joseph Chapel into a cultural space. Framing a modest square at the intersection of Rue de l’Église and Rue du Grand Pont, the hybrid project weaves together a contemporary library extension with the restored 17th-century chapel, now home to a digital museum. With folding glass doors that fully open onto the square and a new footbridge reconnecting the two structures, La Source aims to revitalize the heart of the village through architecture and access to culture.

all images by Severin Malaud

accordion-style folding glass doors link inside and out

Originally built between 1638 and 1734 using salvaged stones from the ruined Castellas Castle, the Saint-Joseph Chapel has played many roles over the centuries, from hermitage to town hall, school, and administrative office. But after its closure in 2017 due to structural risks, it stood vacant, flanked by a derelict barn and facing an underused public space. Montpellier-based NAS architecture’s intervention turns this previously neglected site into a welcoming cultural ensemble, using preservation and contemporary design to support the ongoing transformation of Rochefort-du-Gard’s historic center.

The team conceives the ground floor of the library as an extension of the public square. Its north-facing facade is equipped with accordion-style folding glass doors that, when opened, enable open-air events and informal community gatherings. This gesture is supported structurally by a concrete base that spans more than 15 meters without interruption, demonstrating how material decisions enable civic openness. Bush-hammered to develop a stony texture that resonates with local masonry, the concrete also recalls the historical architecture of the French village. On the upper floor, a wooden post-and-beam structure introduces warmth and lightness. Here, a sloping metal roof lowers toward the square, aligning the new volume with the scale and geometry of the adjacent chapel while subtly framing the urban void.

NAS architecture reclaims a forgotten corner of the historic center with La Source

wood panels clad the interior of La Source

From the square, a pedestrian footbridge leads visitors across to the rehabilitated Saint-Joseph Chapel. Reinforced with new tension rods and treated with a soft patina wash, the chapel retains its raw stone textures while integrating new wood furnishings that house digital equipment and define an open director’s office. A single pendant light marks the center of the space, offering a minimal but deliberate intervention that respects the chapel’s vaulted character while supporting its new function as a digital museum.

At ground level, the same stone-like paving from the square flows indoors, anchoring a central service spine with concrete columns. These support a modular layout, where utility spaces, like restrooms, reception, and circulation, are discreetly enclosed in timber. The upper level offers a distinct atmosphere, where pine rafters and panels form a calm ceiling for reading and study. Timber portals guide sightlines toward the square, subtly aligning built form with human experience. Throughout the building, NAS architecture uses wood paneling to provide a unified, warm backdrop, allowing books and cultural programming to capture the eye.

Beyond its material choices and careful detailing, La Source embodies a larger civic ambition. By integrating heritage preservation with new cultural programming, like the year-round educational workshops planned in the digital museum, the project actively responds to a local context marked by demographic shifts and a fading town center. 

the third-place library transforms the long-abandoned Saint-Joseph Chapel into a cultural space

framing a modest square at the intersection of Rue de l’Église and Rue du Grand Pont

the hybrid project weaves together a contemporary library extension with the restored 17th-century chapel

a footbridge reconnects the two structures

NAS architecture’s intervention turns this previously neglected site into a welcoming cultural ensemble

now home to a digital museum, the chapel was built between 1638 and 1734

throughout the building, NAS architecture uses wood paneling

the upper level offers a distinct atmosphere

project info:

name: Third-Place Library ‘La Source’
architect: NAS architecture | @nas_architecture
location: Rochefort-du-Gard, France

photographer: Severin Malaud | @severinmalaud

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

The post NAS architecture revives 17th-century chapel in southern france as third-place library appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

first look inside LACMA’s new zumthor-designed galleries through the lens of iwan baan

lacma reveals david geffen galleries, designed by peter zumthor

Peter Zumthor’s long-awaited redesign of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art takes a step forward as LACMA reveals the David Geffen Galleries, its new architectural centerpiece, before art installation begins ahead of the grand public opening in April 2026 (find designboom’s previous coverage here). Capturing the horizontal, elevated structure in glass and concrete, images by Iwan Baan offer the first interior look at the museum’s 10,220-square-meter exhibition level. LACMA is now preparing to welcome the public to select areas of the new building starting summer 2025, signaling a gradual activation of the most ambitious architectural transformation in its history.

Before the galleries are filled with thousands of artworks from LACMA’s encyclopedic collection, the museum offers a series of ‘sonic previews’ to animate the raw architecture. Acclaimed saxophonist and composer Kamasi Washington led a more than 100-person ensemble in a performance of his work Harmony of Difference, spread across the full breadth of the empty exhibition spaces. 

all images by Iwan Baan

iwan baan’s images offer a preview of the museum’s new era

Floating over Wilshire Boulevard like a contemporary bridge, Zumthor’s building replaces four aging museum structures with a single, unified gallery space. In newly released photographs by Dutch photographer Iwan Baan, the architecture’s flowing form is captured in its raw state, offering a first glimpse into the expansive, unoccupied interiors before art installation begins. The David Geffen Galleries are named after the media magnate whose contribution marked the campaign’s largest gift, while the north wing honors LACMA trustee and board co-chair Elaine Wynn, whose pledge helped launch the building initiative. A new state-of-the-art performance space, the Steve Tisch Theater, anchors the southern plaza level. 

Major construction of the Zumthor-designed structure was completed in late 2024, allowing key operational functions to move in. In summer 2025, the public will begin to access parts of the plaza level, including new dining and retail spaces. Ray’s and Stark Bar will reopen in a redesigned location, while a new LACMA Store, funded by trustee Kelvin Davis and his wife, Hana, will also debut. Across the boulevard, a second restaurant and a café will open in 2026, their spaces shaped by campaign gifts from Ann Colgin and Joe Wender, Ryan Seacrest, Ashley Merrill, and Marc Merrill.

LACMA reveals the David Geffen Galleries

outdoor sculptures to be installed in the following months

Below the gallery floor, shaded public spaces on both sides of Wilshire Boulevard are designed for outdoor dining, programming, and art. A highlight is the East West Bank Commons, an outdoor plaza with capacity for 500-person events. The W.M. Keck Plaza will also become home to a new education center and a full-scale commissioned artwork by Mariana Castillo Deball titled Feathered Changes, which spans the north and south sides of the building.

The new structure reconnects LACMA with the city through architecture and landscape to offer over 14,160 square meters of accessible public space. Outdoor sculptures by artists including Liz Glynn, Thomas Houseago, Shio Kusaka, Pedro Reyes, and Diana Thater will be installed in the coming months. Longtime favorites will also return, including Tony Smith’s Smoke (1967), Alexander Calder’s Three Quintains (Hello Girls) (1964), and a newly designed 743-square-meter Rodin garden, funded by the Cantor Foundation, showcasing some of the artist’s most iconic bronze works.

As the museum ramps up toward its 2026 opening, more previews will be announced, and the installation of LACMA’s permanent collection will begin later this year. 

images by Iwan Baan offer the first interior look at the museum’s 10,220-square-meter exhibition level

capturing the horizontal, elevated structure in glass and concrete

LACMA is now preparing to welcome the public to select areas of the new building

Zumthor’s building replaces four aging museum structures with a single, unified gallery space

major construction of the Zumthor-designed structure was completed in late 2024

the installation of LACMA’s permanent collection will begin later this year

the new structure reconnects LACMA with the city through architecture and landscape

Peter Zumthor’s long-awaited redesign of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art

project info:

name: LACMA | @lacma

architect: Peter Zumthor

location: Los Angeles, California, US

photographer: Iwan Baan | @iwanbaan

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UFaudiO speaker uses ferrofluid to transform music into hypnotic visual performance

UFaudiO speaker translates sound into ferrofluid movement

Taiwan-based design studio Fusion Lab presents UFaudiO, a 2.1-channel speaker that combines sound, material science, and visual interaction. The project explores how sound frequencies can be expressed as a dynamic visual form using ferrofluid technology.

At the center of UFaudiO is a sealed chamber containing ferrofluid, a black magnetic liquid originally developed for aerospace applications by NASA. The speaker integrates concealed electromagnetic coils that respond to audio signals, composing a real-time choreography. As music plays, the ferrofluid reacts to the changing frequencies, creating fluid, spike-like patterns that visually correspond with the sound.

metal and wood unite in a meditative listening object | all images courtesy of Fusion Lab

Fusion Lab encases UFaudiO speaker in futuristic aluminum body

The speaker’s outer casing is machined from CNC-anodized aluminum, providing a minimal, futuristic aesthetic. Solid maple wood feet support the structure, chosen for their material contrast and acoustic dampening properties. The design also incorporates an ambient LED backlight positioned behind the fluid chamber, enhancing visibility of the ferrofluid’s movement while adding a subtle layer of lighting control. A single aluminum dial serves as the primary user interface, allowing manual adjustment of both volume and light intensity. UFaudiO supports Bluetooth 5.1 and AUX input, with an integrated subwoofer included to deliver low-frequency depth for a full-range listening experience.

By combining sound reproduction with real-time material response, UFaudiO by Fusion Lab design studio offers a multi-sensory approach to music playback. The result is a product that operates simultaneously as a speaker and as a kinetic visual installation suitable for domestic, studio, or exhibition contexts.

UFaudiO blends into interiors with its sculptural form and maple wood feet

capturing the hypnotic spikes of magnetic ferrofluid liquid in real-time sound response

designed to complement creative and calming environments

the ferrofluid chamber glows during music playback

UFaudiO’s ambient glow adds atmosphere even in silence

anodized aluminum meets solid maple in a floating silhouette

UFaudiO fits naturally into analog and digital sound spaces

the sculptural object is designed to be seen even when not in use

a single dial controls both sound and light

natural light reveals the speaker’s form and detail

project info:

name: UFaudiO
designer: Fusion Lab | @fusionlab_tech

lead designer: Mike Lee

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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