A large white box is raised on stilts to create the upper floor of this house in Japan, sheltering a smaller ground floor and entrance from the heavy snowfalls that Hokkaido Prefecture experiences in winter (+ slideshow). More
Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava's science museum with a skeletal roof that projects over a public plaza has opened in Rio de Janeiro (+ slideshow). More
A 101-metre slide winds down through this coiling structure by Fránek Architects, perched on a mountain in the Czech Republic (+ slideshow). More
Concrete tables and atmospheric lighting feature inside this Hong Kong branch of McDonald's, designed by branding consultancy Landini Associates as an alternative to bright and colourful fast-food restaurants (+ slideshow). More
This week's Dezeen Mail includes MAD's sinuous opera house in China (pictured), Kengo Kuma and Toyo Ito's rival proposals for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic stadium and Lego's latest offering for architecture lovers.
The letter Q in the Dezeen A-Zdvent calendar is another design by Spanish architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava: the fourth bridge to be built in Venice since the 16th century. More
Glasgow designer Fraser Ross has created a collection of seven conceptual human organs that would perform extra functions like squirting ink and spinning silk (+ movie). More
The Royal College of Art has announced Adrian Lahoud will be the new dean of the school's architecture department, replacing Alex de Rijke. More
Canadian firm Bourgeois Lechasseur Architects has completed a gabled family home in rural Quebec featuring a facade of cedar tiles (+ slideshow). More
A team of Canadian designers and artists has created an installation in Montreal consisting of 30 illuminated seesaws. More
Batons of charred timber and layers of turf help this pair of holiday cottages by PK Arkitektar settle into the rugged landscape of south-west Iceland (+ slideshow). More
Stockholm studio Form Us With Love has added a collection of colourful square sound-absorbing tiles to its Baux range of architectural products (+ slideshow). More
Brazilian studio Epicentro has overhauled an old building in São Paulo to create a space for a florist, adding second-hand cabinets and tables to display plants and flowers (+ slideshow). More