One of the most inventive projects yet from Bangkok-based designer and A&D Awards judge Bill Bensley, oft-celebrated for his highly original hotel designs, is set to be unveiled next month: a luxurious boutique hotel in central Thailand repurposed from heritage train cars!

A carpark is not the easiest canvas upon which architects and designers can weave their creative magic. But for local practice, 4N Design Studio, rising to the challenge of revitalising a six-level carpark in an A-grade commercial building in Hong Kong made it all the more rewarding.

Pandemic-enforced bouts of isolation have not only driven a global surge in online streaming services, they have also triggered an awakening in consumer awareness of home entertainment systems. Discover how HKT Premier and Bang & Olufsen are making it easier for designers and consumers alike to create home theatres.

A dramatic lattice façade and an iconic mural from the early 1950s will be two of the more striking features of a planned expansion of the Macau Central Library, jointly designed by established Hong Kong practice Leigh and Orange, which has recently opened an office in the enclave as part of a strategic expansion in the Greater Bay Area.

Apartments in Australia’s newest architectural landmark, the twin-tower STH BNK By Beulah, are now on sale, five years ahead of the scheduled completion date. The mixed-use complex in Melbourne’s Southbank district will be the tallest, and potentially one of the greenest, in the southern hemisphere when completed in 2027.

Bangkok’s Museum of Modern Aluminum is a remarkable structure that pays homage to the city’s urban and natural landscapes, thanks to innovative local studio HAS design and research. Clad almost entirely in aluminum, it cuts a striking profile, resembling a sparkle of fireflies, amidst the billboards and commercial buildings lining the city’s bustling Ratchaphruek Road.

Famed for its canals, bridges and classical gardens, Suzhou has long been home to generations of artists, scholars and writers, drawn by its poetic beauty. By the end of this year, it will also be home to the Shangfeng Academy, which will serve as the campus for a new K-12 international school as well as a cultural hub for the local community.

Striking a balance between calmness and stimulation was how leading Hong Kong design studio Bean Buro delivered on a challenging brief to create a retail academy in bustling Tsim Sha Tsui for one of the world’s leading luxury goods brands.

Lonely Planet describes Chueca, the funky neighbourhood of central Madrid, as “extravagantly gay, lively, young and always inclusive”. The same could be said about one of Hong Kong’s hippest new eateries named after the Spanish precinct and designed by the equally cool studio Design East.

Designers are increasingly being asked by clients to create more flexible office environments – and now one of Hong Kong’s leading practices, Benoy, has tackled the task for its own studio. The result is a stunning new workplace in Causeway Bay, which could well be a blueprint for more agile office solutions.