IKEA was a prominent fixture in the news this week as it released its first skateboard, while reports emerged that the Swedish furniture company was considering converting a Brutalist building in Connecticut into a hotel. 

Released as part of the Spänst furniture collection, IKEA's first skateboard was among 32 limited-edition SoCal-inspired pieces designed by Chris Stamp and Maja Ganszyniec.

Also this week, local newspaper the New Haven Independent reported that IKEA was in talks to convert the empty brutalist Pirelli Tire Building, designed by Marcel Breuer, into a hotel. IKEA has neither confirmed, nor denied, the reports.

Kohn Pedersen Fox's 400-metre supertall skyscraper in Shenzen, known locally as Spring Bamboo, neared competition this week. The bullet-shaped tower is set to become the city's third tallest building.

BIG released renderings showing a pair of asymmetrical towers set to be built beside New York's High Line, which architect Bjarke Ingels says are shaped out of "mutual courtesy" for one another's views.

In British news the Turner Prize shortlist was revealed, with investigative agency Forensic Architecture among the nominated artists. The group was recognised for its use of spatial analysis to reveal human rights violations.

Developer Barratt Homes promised to cover the £2 million cost of replacing cladding of a high-rise block in Croydon that had failed post-Grenfell fire safety tests. Residents feared they would have to pay after the owners refused to pay to update the building.

In the US, it was announced that a memorial and museum dedicated to the legacy of American racial violence and injustice was set to open in Alabama, designed by Boston-based Mass Design Group.

Architect Elizabeth Diller reacted to her inclusion on this year's Time 100 list, citing it as "a sign of a dramatic change in the profile of what an architect looks like", in reference to the lack of gender parity in the industry.

In technology news, a new 1.2-mile-long road that recharges the batteries of electric vehicles as they drive along it opened near Stockholm's Arlanda airport.

Amazon announced a partnership with car companies Volvo and General Motor to allow their packages to be delivered directly to customers' vehicles via a keyless entry and remote locking system.

Popular projects on Dezeen this week included a twisted tower in Milan by Zaha Hadid Architects, Neri Oxman's latest collection of death masks that explore the concept of rebirth, and a Belgian lawyer's office featuring a steel and green marble interior.