Every architectural project is the result of deliberate choices. Beyond form and function, buildings embody technical, political, and cultural decisions that shape their relationship with both their surroundings and the people who inhabit them. ArchDaily’s AD Narratives series explores these processes by bringing together accounts that trace projects from initial conception to built realization. In parallel, the AD Classics series turns to works of historical significance, presenting not only the stories behind these buildings but also technical drawings that allow for a deeper, more informed reading of their architecture.
Throughout 2025, dozens of stories published on ArchDaily came together to form a selection that spans multiple scales, geographic contexts, and historical periods. From Syria to Brazil, from European modernist classics to structures embedded in agricultural landscapes in Peru, the projects stand out for their capacity to transcend time and inspire successive generations. Together, they underscore architecture’s dual role as both a reflection of its context and an active force shaping how spaces are lived and understood.
Below, we present 20 projects published in 2025, each demonstrating how architecture can move beyond practical function to become an active part of the cultural and historical fabric of a place and its people.
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Farewell to Masters: Remembering the Architects We Lost in 2025From Ruin to Cultural Hub: The Transformation of Zanzibar's Majestic Cinema
An Ancestral Legacy with Modern Concerns: The Story Behind the Waru Waru Agricultural Fields in Peru
Van Nelle Factory: The Story Behind a Modernist Icon in Rotterdam
Group 91: The Dublin Competition That Became a Turning Point for Irish Architecture
An Epic of Fire and Stone: The Story Behind the Intervention at the Benedictine Monastery of Catania, Sicily
Between Fantasy and Reality: Aldo Rossi's Floating Teatro del Mundo for the First Venice Architecture Biennale
Following Oscar Niemeyer's Legacy: The Story Behind the Araras State Theater in Brazil
AD Classics: Olivetti Showroom / Carlo Scarpa
Narratives of Syrian Modernism: Rediscovering the Center for Marine Research
Maison Guiette: Le Corbusier’s Modernist Outpost in Antwerp, Belgium
AD Classics: Finnish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale / Alvar Aalto + Elissa Aalto
Quiet Hope: Frank Gehry’s Maggie’s Centre Hong Kong
Järva Burial Ground: Creating a Natural Landscape of Remembrance from Stockholm's Urban Discard
Healing Through Design: The Story Behind Alvar Aalto’s Paimio Sanatorium
AD Classics: Nordic Pavilion, Venice / Sverre Fehn
The Transposed Monument: Murray House and the Paradox of Preservation
Khudi Bari: Architecture for Climate Displacement
Beyond Disaster Relief: The Evolution of Super-Adobe Into Permanent Structures in Hormuz, Iran
AD Classics: Maison Hermès / Renzo Piano Building Workshop
The Story of Miyashita Park: Resistance, Partnership, and Publicness
This article is part of the ArchDaily Topic: Year in Review, proudly presented by GIRA.
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Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and architecture projects. We invite you to learn more about our ArchDaily Topics. And, as always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us.
