A design “grandmaster” was chosen by the Persian Gulf emirate to create an institution that celebrates its cultural heritage and landscape: the National Museum of Qatar in Doha. For this project, Pritzker prize-winner Jean Nouvel produced an avant-garde building inspired by the desert rose, an ornate formation of crystal clusters with overlapping discs primarily found in dry desert regions. And architect Koichi Takada continued this analogy with nature for the interior design of the gift shop.

Spectacular architecture coupled with sustainable building is usually at home in urban settings. But Norway’s towering mountains are now the backdrop for contemporary architecture that is a welcome retreat after a long hike. Tungestølen is found on a plateau at the foot of Jostedalsbreen, Europe’s highest mainland glacier. These mountain cabins have far more to offer than the usual food and lodgings with a dormitory full of mattresses. And so it is no coincidence that the project was designed by Snøhetta, one of the world’s most prestigious architectural firms. Their client was Luster Turlag, a local branch of the Norwegian National Trekking Association.

Situated deep in the Swedish forests, close to a tiny winter sport area, a small traditional wooden retreat sits on top of a ridge formed millions of years ago. Besides the pine forest covering the fault, the surrounding landscape is a low undulating region of heaths and ridges that rise above gently sloping sandy beaches and small beach towns. Now completely remodeled, the space feels entirely intertwined with nature – both in terms of materiality and outlook …