Peter Smisek News

The world's climate emergency, as well as rocketing energy costs, means more sustainable and energy-efficient approaches to building are no longer just an option but rather a necessity.

Water, whether river, lake or pool, not only adds playful potential to public-space architecture, it also offers numerous other aesthetic, practical and environmental benefits.

Even ordinarily plain buildings can benefit from modern manufacturing techniques and technologies which enable the creation of more intricate, unique and characterful facades.

Today's lighting trends go beyond simple fixtures and create sculptural pieces in their own right, lighting exterior spaces in a multitude of exciting ways.

Dutch company Dataflex has been supporting the health of office users for 40 years, but the carbon-neutral ergonomic specialists are equally dedicated to the wellbeing of the planet, too.

This year's Decorex interior design show from 9 to 12 October at Olympia London puts a strong emphasis on the joys of physical interaction and the immersive experience…

Merging a long manufacturing tradition with cutting-edge technology while working with some of the industry's leading designers, locates Italian brand Falmec at the forefront of kitchen extractor hood evolution.

Dutch sleep specialist Auping has been manufacturing mattresses and beds since 1888 and is now on a mission to realise its dream of a sustainable world.

Craftwand's sustainable, modular system allows office planners to create and recreate versatile working spaces that bring benefits to users as well as to the environment.

Wherever it is applied, thoughtfully implemented lighting design holds the power to dramatically enhance our experience of architectural spaces – not least in our selection of recent cultural venue projects.

In a feature first published by Architonic in late 2020, we showcase once again – in solidarity with Ukraine – just some of the country's rich architectural creativity.

It's not for nothing that the humble brick has remained such a favourite with architects over the centuries, with its robust, versatile and sustainable qualities offering broad scope for creativity.

The longevity, versatility and sustainability of wood make it an excellent material for building in harsh climates. Add to that its natural beauty, and it’s easy to understand why timber is experiencing a renaissance in European mountain resorts.

Larger spaces can pose a specific set of challenges to the architects tasked with designing for them, but equally, they of course open up rich scope for creativity, too.

We may have moved on from a structural reliance on brick to keep our buildings up, but the traditional material’s natural aesthetic and texture is still standing strong in modern architecture.

The latest retail projects reveal how the textures and materials of industry have been elevated and combined to create an otherworldly, often hard-edged, yet alluring aesthetic.

For interior architects and designers, colour represents a powerful tool for not only shaping physical spaces, but also shaping the atmosphere and mood of the people who work in them.

With Covid encouraging many people to rethink how living spaces can best be used, open-plan kitchens offer us multiple options for using a single area of the home for different purposes.

Whether bold colours or interesting textures, these stylish fixtures and finishes offer the latest in luxury wellness for the home.

When it comes to the renovation of existing spaces, architects can find the optimal flooring solutions by merging existing features with contemporary new elements.

Following a fully digital edition in 2020, this year Decorex returns to London’s Olympia as a live event from 10-13 October.

The pandemic has forced many holidaymakers to eschew foreign travel this year, but it has also allowed for the discovery of new, rustic architectural gems a little closer to home.

How to make office spaces more inviting to workers used to the comforts of home? For increasing numbers of interior architects and designers, textiles provide a compelling answer.

Concrete packs a powerful architectural punch, not least when serving as a scene-setter in contemporary commercial spaces.

Dramatic coastal locations can make for dramatic architectural results – topographic and logistical challenges notwithstanding.

In the right hands, building-renewal projects help us tackle modern environmental issues while at the same time breathing new life into existing architectural spaces.

With a gradual easing of lockdown restrictions, wellness facilities might soon be inviting people back into the water again – among them, our nature-embracing selection from across Europe.

The exponential growth of LED and other technologies has made light even more biddable as an architectural element, as the latest crop of restaurants and museums demonstrate.

With third-level education booming globally, universities are in a fight to attract the brightest and the best – and to ensure their financial sustainability. Enter some of the brightest and best architects to help provide a competitive edge.

I want to be alone. Well, almost. Check out our global survey of cabin projects, where contemporary architecture becomes something akin to a sculpture park.

In private homes and hotels alike, bathrooms are increasingly bringing the outside in, providing an unparalleled sense of well-being for the user.

Parks have always provided urban dwellers with a respite from city stress, but now, as we begin to emerge from extended periods of lockdown, the puristic pleasure they offer becomes more inviting than ever.

Design is one of the tools that retailers in China are utilising to coax customers back offline – offering engaging, unique, analogue experiences that really speak to consumers.

Can architecture help heal the body and mind? These projects take a holistic approach to the patient experience.

What future the office? If these projects are anything to go by, tomorrow’s communal workplace will be more about social interaction than interacting with spreadsheets.

Getting away from it all has never been so appealing. Check out our edit of some of the latest cabin builds out there.

Advances in software provide architects today with virtually unlimited possibilities for designing fantastical facades, but the deployment of simpler geometric forms can pack an equally powerful visual punch.

Adaptive reuse projects may come with their own set of challenges, but, thoughtfully approached, they allow architects and designers to capitalise on a space’s pre-existing charms while breathing new life and purpose into it – as here, in our

Showrooms represent an ideal setting for a brand to present its products to the public, but, with the right design team on board, they can also create longer-lasting, more meaningful consumer experiences.

It has never been more important to pay attention to the sustainable credentials of the materials we use in our buildings – and companies such as LG Hausys, manufacturer of HI-MACS®, are leading the way.

Lighting plays a crucial role in modern office design, where smart, thoughtful approaches help create the holistic, dynamic, creative atmospheres demanded of these spaces.

You only get one chance to make a good first impression, they say. The latest office facades do just that.

Given the kitchen’s association with creativity and warmth, it’s no surprise to see a trend in colour-blocking bubble up. 

Light in all senses of the word. Illan, from Italian lighting manufacturer LUCEPLAN, responds to the slightest of air currents. Pure poetry.

Lighting design not only shapes interior spaces, it can also be deployed to lend form and narrative to external, architectural landscapes.

With the continued growth of the restaurant industry in China, diners are increasingly finding the architectural value of these new eateries easily a match for the gastronomical creativity coming from their kitchens.

Can we live without culture? Or is it simply a nice-to-have? The recent lockdown and its attendant closing of venues has demonstrated how critical it is to who we are as a society. And the extent to which architecture mediates it.

Across a broad range of projects, whether office, retail space or school, interior designers and architects recognise textiles as a flexible, viable alternative to concrete, plaster and wood.

In creating the dome of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ museum in Los Angeles, aesthetic and structural considerations were of paramount importance. For the designers, the choice was clear: SAFLEX® STRUCTURAL

Build the wall! Build the wall! But, hang on. What’s to stop architects retaining some of the old walls of existing structure when rebuilding or adapting it? They certainly provide visual and haptic texture, while delivering intriguing

The coast presents architects with a particular set of situational, topographical challenges and, at the same time, opportunities, when it comes to designing beach-side residences. How to hunker down while embracing the elements?

Large multinational companies are increasingly using architecture as a powerful tool both to express their individual brand identities, as well as to engage, motivate and excite employees.

Creative, innovative and outside-the-box thinking in education architecture serves not only to build schools that optimise learning conditions, it also drives architects and designers to find solutions that work for the environment.

There’s more to wellness than warm pools and hot-stone massages – the spa experience can be significantly enhanced via considered architectural choices when it comes to materiality, colour and context.

It’s undeniable that the online retail environment offers a multitude of advantages to consumers, particularly in the current climate. However, thoughtful and engaging design will always hold power to attract consumers out of internet stores and

Repurposing an existing structure in architecture generally signals good news for the environment. When it comes to hotels, where architects get to celebrate, rediscover and reinterpret a building’s story, it also means creating added value for

In an increasingly urbanised world, the issue of how to create green spaces in any meaningful way is a pressing one for planners and architects. The renaissance of the roof garden might be one answer.

As kitchens become more sociable spaces, functionally flexible and open, the island unit ceases to serve simply as furniture, taking on a more central, architecturally meaningful, space-defining role.

When it comes to hotel bathrooms, designers are increasingly blurring the lines between where the bedroom ends and the bathroom starts – resulting in a richer, more joined-up experience for the user. 

The capacity of architecture to influence wellbeing finds perhaps its greatest utility in the area of healthcare, where thoughtful, empathetic design choices can have a profoundly positive effect on patients – and health professionals, too.

Architects are adding value to the world of work via adapted workspaces that are small on carbon liability and big on creative solutions.

The landscape of third-level education is changing and, with it, its literal architectural landscape. Flexible learning requires flexible spatial solutions.

Mountain-home architecture is aiming high. Structures pitted against the elements have evolved into residences that embrace both smart design as well as their often dramatic surroundings.

With the drinks market offering ever more specialist and niche products, bar owners are also increasingly trying to create unique and memorable design experiences for their customers.

Schoolchildren have a greater chance of excelling in architecture that excels. Our latest survey of school projects from around the globe shows how it's done.

Textiles and fabrics represent one of the earliest forms of human technology, as well as an effective, and not to mention sustainable, architectural element. And we’re not talking curtains.

Public architecture comes in many different shapes, sizes and forms – ranging from the grandiose, through the dull and functional, to the unwelcoming and even intimidating. At its best, however, it should reflect the place and people it was

With urban space at more of a premium than ever, architects have to look skyward for solutions. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of room for creativity up there.

Museum architecture was built for showing off. Spectacular projects that exhibit themselves as much as the objects they house.

Same chair, same desk, same office – not anymore. Today's office workers are increasingly demanding more from their workspaces and designers, as well as manufacturers, are responding. 

The global skincare brand that’s long recognised how exemplary interior design can function as a powerful marketing device shows off the latest cohort of its architecturally expressive stores.

The latest restaurant interiors are as much about the metaphoric consumption of design-led, experience-delivering spaces, as they are the literal consumption of food. Let's order!

It’s not only Poland’s public building projects that are garnering praise these days – residential projects from a new generation of architects are also getting deserved attention.

As the trend for open-plan living/dining/cooking spaces continues apace, kitchen design becomes increasingly unfettered. It's a creative buffet where everyone's invited.

Not just hubs of industry and knowledge exchange, the latest cohort of coworking spaces serve as social platforms, too. And all gloriously analogue.

Summer time, and the livin’ is easy. Architects flex their athletic creativity in the pursuit of the perfect pool house.

Polish architects and designers are serving up restaurant designs with a real depth of colour and texture.

Contemporary beach homes are embracing designs that aim for sustainability and a seamless integration into their surrounding landscapes.

Naked bodies call for natural materials, as an international survey of the latest spa projects demonstrates.

Super-small architectural spaces for living are having a big impact on the way we think about need, comfort and sustainability. Move a bit closer.

The bathroom experience is becoming an indispensable part of the hotel experience, as the latest survey of projects from around the globe shows.

Rapid economic growth in Poland has seen a concomitant boom in bold architectural activity. Witamy (as the locals say)!

Taking the pulse on new health clinics demonstrates a further move toward designing facilities that holistically support patients’ wellbeing.

Through their design-led, social-mediatised interiors, retail projects are getting out there.

Staying active isn’t always easy, but a little motivation can go a long way. Architecturally expressive, multi-programme sports centres are helping users score some vital health goals.

Design-led kindergartens aren't just places for storing kids. They're cleverly conceived spaces that support development through play and interaction.

'Don't move. Improve!' So goes the saying. And why not? What with increasing property prices and a greater need to think sustainably. Never was the home extension on such fertile ground.

Far from the madding crowds and blanketed in nature, the bedrooms of these recently built, secluded retreats are the stuff dreams are made of.

In-air travel might have lost some of its lustre, but newly designed airport lounges are changing the course with ultra-modern and luxurious settings that invite travellers to unwind or keep working in total comfort.

Whether it’s extra elbow room or a place to rub shoulders you’re looking for, new architect-designed public spaces give city dwellers a chance to choose their own adventure.

With their bold and expressive forms, textured facades, and sustainable-design features, new office blocks around the globe are showing that they mean business – now and in the future.

Not sleeping on the demands of today’s travellers, the latest hotel projects offer guests more experiential stays without skimping on amenities.

As cleverly adapted spaces, lofts projects provide toothy creative fodder for architects and aspirational living for their users.

A shift in the classic classroom dynamic has occurred and architects have taken note, designing schools that are ready to respond to the future with a mind toward sustainability and more room for creativity.

As bricks-and-mortar retail continues to suffer heavy losses, pop-up stores are stepping in – design-led, temporary spaces that are as much about a curated brand experience as they are about shifting stock.

How do you keep the masses on the move while making the passenger experience as efficient and pleasurable as possible? A number of recently completed metro stations show how. All aboard!

As the number of relatively healthy older adults entering their golden years increases, architects are responding to their needs, designing care homes that offer residents more self-sufficiency and ways to stay active.

The saying 'It's not just a job, it's a lifestyle' takes on a whole new meaning with our latest survey of co-working spaces from around the globe.

Equipped with intelligent technologies, the latest cohort of smart homes are opening the door to easier and more efficient living.

With the ability to live more sustainably, and just about anywhere, micro homes might just be the solution to really living large.

Pavilion projects are like catnip for architects. These often impermanent structures provide the ideal testing ground for new concepts, forms and material expression.

Urban greening projects are breathing new life into global cities by opening up public access to previously underused civic spaces.

Recently completed pool projects around the globe provide more than a just quick dip. Their bold designs make for an altogether more atmospheric and immersive swim experience.

With design concepts integrating environmental factors, multi-use function and strong aesthetics, today’s car parks are bringing man and machine into better coexistence.

Design-led store concepts are turning shopping into a resolutely aesthetic experience, with highly curated, supremely Instagrammable interiors.

Old buildings are changing. Be it for reasons of historical preservation or land conservation, demolition is giving way to creative adaptation. It’s a whole new you.

The rise of Airbnb may have been a blessing in disguise for some architects as hotels must now compete even harder for their guests. The need for outstanding design and a strong sense of place means a new, more characterful and more interesting breed

Award-winning Polish architectural office Medusagroup is on a roll. From large-scale commercial builds through to more intimate, poetic projects, their work never shys from bold formal expression and sensitive material consideration.

Look East! A burgeoning market and ever-increasing connectivity has provided fertile ground for architecture and design in Poland, with little sign of a slow-down.

With innovation his watchword, Polish designer Oskar Zięta takes the road less-travelled.

We've learned that learning itself, when it's made enjoyable, produces better results. And architects have learned how to respond to this shift by displacing the battery-farm model of countless, characterless classrooms with altogether more dynamic

A healthy mind in a healthy body, goes the old aphorism. Add to that: in a healthy building. Successful clinics and medical centres prescribe architecture as part of the treatment.

The museum has traditionally enjoyed a privileged, almost sacrosanct status in the cultural landscape. When it comes to the design of a new one, the stakes are high – with its architecture as much on show as its contents.

Bold, geometric forms and compelling facades characterise a new cohort of office buildings internationally, whose cool, professional dress signals the fact that they definitely mean business.

New power stations around the globe are wielding the rhetorical power of architecture. Confident, sculptural forms, signifying the confident, new world of cleaner technologies.

In a raft of new residential projects, architects find breathtaking solutions to stage mountains' great natural capital, namely the magnificent views, without skimping on comfort.

A healthy mind in a healthy body. In a healthy bit of architecture. A raft of new sports halls are serving as a shot in the arm for their users – and for their urban, physical contexts.