Dezeen's top 10 biggest architecture and design stories of 2017
In the final instalment from our review of 2017, editor Amy Frearson recaps the 10 most-read stories of the year, including a bullied robot, a house of splayed shipping containers and a chair that you wear.
Splayed shipping containers form Joshua Tree Residence conceived by James Whitaker
The most popular story on Dezeen this year was a radical proposal for a house of shipping containers arranged in a starburst – a property that architect James Whitaker actually plans to build in the California desert.
Find out more about Joshua Tree Residence ›
"Chairless chair" designed to provide support for active factory workers
The biggest design story on Dezeen this year featured a chair that could be worn, allowing factory workers to rest weary legs at any given moment.
Find out more about Chairless Chair ›
Anish Kapoor flaunts use of "world's pinkest pink" despite personal ban from its creator
The biggest news at the start of 2017 was the row between artists Anish Kapoor and Stuart Semple. After Kapoor was granted sole rights to use the blackest shade of paint ever created, Semple retaliated by creating the "world's pinkest pink". Kapoor's response was this Instagram post.
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IKEA and Hay reveal full collaborative Ypperlig collection
IKEA was responsible for three of the top 10 stories on Dezeen in 2017. First up was its collaboration with popular Danish brand Hay, full of designs that Dezeen readers could not wait to get their hands on.
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IKEA Börder Wåll provides Trump with affordable construction option
The Swedish homeware giant also made big news with its response to Donald Trump's plan to build a new wall between the USA and Mexico. Its spoof of an IKEA flat-pack furniture kit suggested the structure could be built very easily.
Find out more about IKEA Börder Wåll ›
IKEA switches to furniture that snaps together in minutes without requiring tools
The third IKEA story to attract attention from Dezeen readers was the announcement that assembling the company's flat-packed furniture was about to get a lot easier. The brand developed a new type of joint, called a wedge dowel, that makes it much quicker and simpler to assemble wooden products.
Find out more about IKEA's wedge dowel ›
Zaha Hadid Architects unveils 666 Fifth Avenue skyscraper for Kushner Companies
In March, Zaha Hadid Architects unveiled its plans to build a Fifth Avenue skyscraper for the family of Donald Trump's son-in-law. The design was described by Twitter users as a huge glass dildo, among other things – which is one of the reasons why so many Dezeen readers were interested.
Find out more about 666 Fifth Avenue ›
Muji to sell tiny blackened timber prefab huts for £21,000
Another big architecture story of 2017 was the news that Muji planned to start selling micro cabins in its Japanese stores. The nine-square-metre huts are designed with charred timber exteriors and sloping roofs and are intended for use as residences or holiday homes.
Find out more about The Muji Hut ›
Security robot bullied and forced off the street in San Francisco
A robot was the hottest story of December after it was reportedly knocked over and smeared with faeces. The Knightscope K5 security robot was designed to deter homeless people away from a building, but it didn't go down well with locals.
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"Apple's new campus sucks" according to Wired magazine
The 10th biggest story of 2017 came via Wired, the first magazine to write a review of the Apple Park office campus. According to Wired deputy editor Adam Rogers, the building "sucks".
Find out more about Apple Park ›