This week, critics slammed China's "mediocre" museums and praised floating architecture
This week on Dezeen: critics spoke to Dezeen about how China's museum boom has resulted in cultural buildings with "no vision", while other industry experts told us that rising sea levels are sparking interest in amphibious architecture.
China's rush to build thousands of new museums is leading to cultural buildings "with no vision and mediocre collections", said architects and curators in the country.
"The desire to buy culture is quite rampant in China today," Shanghai-based architect Lyndon Neri told Dezeen. "Money can buy a lot of things but definitely not culture."
As world leaders worked to hammer out a deal in Paris to limit the effects of global warming, urbanism expert Tracy Metz said architects and urban designers are finally responding to the threat of rising sea levels.
We also reported on the shortage of development sites in major cities, which is driving people to set up floating residences on rivers and the sea.
In other news, London collective Assemble became the first architecture or design studio to receive the prestigious Turner Prize for art.
Eric Parry Architects unveiled designs for the tallest building in London's financial district, while flower-like ice rinks were proposed for the city's River Thames.
Studio Egret West released images showcasing a "revolutionary new design vision" for London Underground stations.
Spanish architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava designed three bridges for the growing Chinese city of Huashan, while the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles reopened.
OMA completed a mixed-use building in Rotterdam featuring a pixellated steel and glass structure, and plans that would see New York's iconic Broadway converted into a linear park were published.
Apple released a gadget to increase iPhone 6 battery life and Daisy Ginsberg explained why she thinks synthetic biology is turning into a form of industrial design.
A Lego set designed for architects went viral on our Facebook page this week as readers browsed our guide for gift ideas in the run up to Christmas. Dezeen Watch Store also created a timepiece-dedicated gift guide.
Popular projects included a family home in Toronto featuring a brise-soleil made of aluminium louvres, a concrete primary school extension with tiny windows and a chair designed to force sitters into an uncomfortable position.
Main image: Yinchuan Art Museum by WAA
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