Twelve buildings to look forward to in 2021
From a coastal library by MAD to an adaptive reuse project by Tadao Ando, we've rounded up 12 of the most interesting architecture projects that are slated for completion in 2021.
Wormhole Library, China, by MAD
Next year will see the opening of the coastal Wormhole Library that MAD is constructing on the Chinese island of Hainan.
It will have a sinuous, white-concrete form punctured by large circular cut-outs, intended to evoke "a wormhole that transcends time and space".
Find out more about Wormhole Library ›
Le Mémorial des Martyrs, Niger, by Adjaye Associates
In Niger, Adjaye Associates will complete a memorial to the people who lost their lives fighting terrorists on the borders of the West African country.
It will be distinguished by a grid of 56 star-shaped concrete columns that extend 20 metres into the air and are raised on a large room for civic events.
Find out more about The Martys Memorial ›
La Samaritaine, France, by SANAA
After much anticipation, SANAA's revival of the iconic La Samaritaine department store will open its doors in Paris.
As part of the project, the studio has replaced some of the building's 19th-century facades with a new transparent skin, which it describes as "a set of etched glass waves".
It was originally expected to open in 2013, but construction has halted several times due to various court cases and campaigns opposing the alterations.
Find out more about La Samaritaine ›
Little Island, USA, by Heatherwick Studio
One of the more unusual projects that will conclude next year is Thomas Heatherwick's Little Island, a park elevated over New York's Hudson River.
Formerly known as Pier 55, the project consists of 132 mushroom-shaped columns that will support an undulating green landscape. Nestled within it will be areas for community events and viewing platforms.
Find out more about Little Island ›
Bourse de Commerce, France, by Tadao Ando
Another revamped historic building in Paris that will open in 2021 is the Bourse de Commerce – an 18th-century stock exchange that Tadao Ando is converting into a contemporary art gallery with Niney et Marca Architectes, Pierre-Antoine Gatier and Setec Bâtiment.
All of its exhibition spaces will be contained within a circular concrete structure, positioned directly below the building's original painted dome.
Find out more about Bourse de Commerce ›
The construction of the world's largest waste-to-energy plant will reach completion in a mountainous area in the outskirts of Shenzhen, and begin the incineration of up to 5,000 tonnes of rubbish per day.
Two-thirds of the huge circular building's roof will be covered with photovoltaic panels to ensure the building can also generate its own sustainable supply of energy.
Find out more about Shenzhen East Waste-to-Energy Plant ›
Le Dôme, France, by Fosters + Partners
One of the smallest projects on the list is Le Dôme, a winery that Fosters + Partners is developing in Saint-Émilion.
It will have a distinctive domed form, which mimics its gently sloped site, and a textured material palette that includes terracotta roof tiles and walls crafted from rammed earth and concrete.
Ordrupgaard, Denmark, by Snøhetta
Snøhetta has a number of projects completing in 2021, but one of the most intriguing is its subterranean extension of the Ordrupgaard art museum in Denmark.
The understated building, which will link to a gallery built by Zaha Hadid in 2005, is designed so that only its steel roof is visible from the outside, resembling an abstract sculpture within the museum's garden.
MVRDV first unveiled its design for this mixed-use high-rise in Amsterdam back in 2015, and it is finally due to open in 2021.
Named Valley, it will comprise three peaks, each lined with greenery and angular bay windows that jut out from all angles.
The "world's first" purpose-built multi-storey skatepark is set to be unveiled in the British seaside town of Folkestone, Kent.
It will contain three floors of billowing concrete surfaces that function as ramps, moguls and ledges for skateboarders and BMX riders, with the goal of preventing young people from moving away from the area.
Museum Küppersmühle extension, Germany, by Herzog & de Meuron
In Germany, Herzog & de Meuron is expected to finish its extension of the Museum Küppersmühle, which the studio built within a warehouse in 1999, based on a masterplan by Norman Foster.
The extension will introduce three brick galleries to the end of the row of industrial buildings and link to them via bridges that pass through original silo towers. It is the second extension planned for the museum after the studio's first design, which involved an illuminated cube balanced on top the silos, was never realised.
Bee'ah Headquarters, UAE, by Zaha Hadid Architects
Another late arrival in 2021 will be the Bee'ah Headquarters in the United Arab Emirates, which also featured on our projects to look forward to in 2020.
Conceptualised by late architect Zaha Hadid, the building has a curvaceous shell to complement its desert setting and help it withstand extreme weather conditions
Find out more about Bee'ah Headquarters ›