Cool Design News

Cool Design News featuring great design, architecture, fashion, graphics and innovation from across the globe.

 
Flowers of Clouds Observation Tower and Coffee

Vu Van Hai Observation Tower and Coffee Architecture Tuesday, 2 September 2025

Flowers of Clouds

Flowers of Clouds is an observation tower with a coffee space, located in Da Lat City, Vietnam. The tower is formed by 27 steel modules, 12 meters high, shaped like a lotus flower. Corten steel covers the outer surface, and the foundations are made of reinforced concrete. The coffee space of 600 square meters is raised to a height of 8 meters and includes an internal well hole. A continuous ramp between two rows of columns leads visitors gradually upward. The roof is a garden and an outdoor coffee area with panoramic views of the landscape.

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The Fifth Element Residence

Materia 174 Architecture Office Residence Architecture Monday, 1 September 2025

The Fifth Element

The house consists of five parallel rectangles. Garage and Spa blocks are displaced to the living volume. They protect it from prying eyes and form a compact field for the entrance and recreation areas, resp. Spa hangs on the console above the ground and is opened to nature by its glazing. The facades facing the forest feature full-size windows that fill the living spaces with light and air. Water installation of the terrace creates a microclimate in the summer heat. The two-storied tower of living room forms vertical axis, which subordinates all the elements of the building and landscape.

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Shenzhen Lianhua Peak Restroom Public Space

Cheng Xiao Public Space Architecture Sunday, 31 August 2025

Shenzhen Lianhua Peak Restroom

Shenzhen Lianhua Peak Restroom is a public restroom building on the hilltop of Lianhua Hill in Shenzhen. The design seeks harmony between architecture and nature. A resting corridor connects the men's and women's toilets and opens a visual link between the square and the mountain forest. The main walls are fully open, so the scenery and the natural wind enter the interior. A perforated aluminum plate on the square side works as a visual barrier that protects privacy. Concrete, steel and stone are the main materials.

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Don Majestic Hotel

Natalia Ottonello Hotel Architecture Saturday, 30 August 2025

Don Majestic

Don Majestic is a hotel in Punta del Este, Uruguay. The building has a sculptural curved form inspired by the curves of nature. Two curved volumes shape the design. The vertical main volume has an elliptical plan that changes in size at each level and holds the rooms. The horizontal volume holds the hall and the cafeteria. The hotel is 54 metres tall and has 19 floors and 52 rooms. A single central pillar in the core supports the structure and allows open views. Curved glass covers the whole facade.

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Cobogos House Residential Project

Cibelle Costa Barbosa Residential Project Architecture Friday, 29 August 2025

Cobogos House

Cobogos House is a private residence built in reinforced concrete and masonry. The facade is composed of straight lines and volumes at different heights. The main feature is a set of decorative concrete blocks, called Cobogos, which allow the wind to pass freely through their open spaces. Aluminum slats with a wood pattern add a warm look and need little maintenance. A large asymmetrical concrete canopy covers the main entrance. At the rear, a swimming pool on three levels is surrounded by tropical planting and a century-old olive tree.

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Wuhan Liantou Tower Office

Shihi Chou Office Architecture Thursday, 28 August 2025

Wuhan Liantou Tower

Wuhan Liantou Tower is an office building located in Wuhan, China. The design concept is inspired by the phoenix, and the tower top and podium massing recall the crown and tail of the bird. Eight corner offices give the tower a slender form. The main tower is 150 metres high and the podium is 24 metres high. A folded canopy and large transparent glass surfaces mark the main entrance. Internal atriums, sky gardens, an auditorium, exhibition space and a roof garden support communication among users. Stone, steel, concrete, glass, metal and wood are the main materials.

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