Architecture and design publication Dezeen has unveiled its editorial team's favorite buildings of 2025, showcasing a diverse collection of projects spanning from massive wooden structures in Japan to innovative kindergartens in Puerto Rico. The annual review highlights the year's most impressive architectural achievements across multiple categories including cultural institutions, residential projects, educational facilities, and commercial buildings.
Leading the selection is The Grand Ring in Japan by Sou Fujimoto Architects, chosen by Deputy Editor Cajsa Carlson. This breathtaking wooden structure served as the centerpiece for Expo 2025 Osaka and holds the distinction of being the world's largest wooden structure. With a circumference of two kilometers and a diameter of 700 meters, The Grand Ring encircled the exhibition space and allowed visitors to walk along its perimeter to view the pavilions from above. Carlson described standing in front of the immense structure as "a breathtaking experience" and praised its "beautifully intricate wooden construction."
Editor Tom Ravenscroft selected the Fondation Cartier in France by Jean Nouvel, highlighting its truly kinetic architecture that goes beyond typical moveable elements. Hidden within a traditional Haussmann-era block facade lies an unexpected and dynamic interior featuring five massive moving floors in the central gallery. Each floor spans approximately 300 square meters, weighs around 200 tons, and can be raised and lowered into 11 different positions on massive columns. This innovative system allows the institution to be configured into over 150,000 different arrangements, making it "a great addition to Paris and a modern art foil to the neighboring Musée du Louvre."
Architecture Editor Lizzie Crook chose the Anthony Timberlands Center in the USA by Grafton Architects, describing it as her most revisited project of 2025 despite being "somewhat surprised" that her favorite was an architecture school. She praised the bold positioning of a workshop at the building's heart with a suspended viewing gallery overhead, which "embraces the dynamic, collaborative nature of studio culture while affirming the importance of making." The building prominently features mass timber construction, with its exposed framework described as "a new professor for the university."
US Reporter Ellen Eberhardt selected the Ciales Kindergarten in Puerto Rico by Toro Arquitectos, calling it "unusual in the best way." The project embraces playful, simple volumes including circular and rectangular forms that reflect the building's educational purpose. Eberhardt noted that "the use of color is considered and fun," and highlighted how the central green space and play structures create an almost surreal contrast to the surrounding concrete, demonstrating "how architecture can guide humans, even if they're little."
Design and Environment Editor Jennifer Hahn chose Maison Heler in France by Philippe Starck, praising the designer's whimsical approach of placing "a facsimile of a 19th-century mansion complete with multiple turrets on top of a nondescript high-rise in Metz, France." Despite describing the entire concept as "surreal and frivolous," Hahn noted that it somehow avoids being tacky, possibly due to its complete metal cladding, and "makes a very convincing case for more whimsical architecture."
US Editor Ben Dreith selected the JPMorgan Chase headquarters at 270 Park Avenue by Foster + Partners, describing the 1,388-foot-tall skyscraper as one of the most anticipated buildings in the US. He characterized it as "both a dystopian citadel and a beacon for New York's continued skyscraper culture and financial prowess." The building features massive steel supports that fan from the street level and represents exceptional engineering and material usage, though it raises questions about building excess and preservation, having been constructed on the site of one of history's most extensive skyscraper demolitions.
Architecture Reporter Amy Peacock chose Thoravej 29 in Denmark by Pihlmann Architects, celebrating it as an exemplary project in building reuse. The former 1960s factory was transformed into an arts space and community hub, with the architects achieving the remarkable feat of repurposing 95 percent of waste materials produced during reconstruction, including all waste concrete. Concrete floors were refashioned into staircases and furniture, discarded bricks became paving materials, and wooden doors were shredded to form particle boards for shelving and tables.
Features Editor Nat Barker selected Lesní Koupaliště in the Czech Republic by Mjölk Architekti and Marie Vondráková, describing the public pool house as "strangely uplifting." After being destroyed by fire in 2010, the facility was restored through the volunteer efforts of the architects who secured funding from city government. The design combines cross-laminated timber, corrugated aluminum, and turquoise-painted steelwork while prioritizing cost minimization and build simplicity, ultimately creating "an excellent public resource" and demonstrating "the potential for architects to make a positive difference in their communities."
Editorial Assistant Starr Charles chose Bridge House in India by Wallmakers, an organic, bridge-shaped home designed to span a seven-meter-deep gorge in rural Karjat. The minimal steel structure is camouflaged with a mixture of mud and local grass thatch, creating a distinctive scale-like texture that decorates both the exterior and interior surfaces.
Design and Interiors Reporter Jane Englefield selected Casa Plaj in Portugal by Extrastudio, which the architects defined as "radically simple." The gabled building is clad in earth-toned lime plaster and features cantilevered terraces that position it invitingly on the edge of its hillside site.
China Editor Christina Yao chose the Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art in China by BIG, noting how it reflects the trend of Western architects increasingly recognizing local culture in their Chinese projects. The design captures traditional Chinese architectural aesthetics combined with the Danish studio's signature roof design obsession. Traditional tiled eaves are translated into flowing rooflines in an abstract and modern interpretation, while courtyard gardens are arranged between gallery pavilions and connected by corridors sheltered under a continuous roof, paying homage to the centuries-old Suzhou gardens.
The comprehensive selection demonstrates the global scope and diverse approaches in contemporary architecture, ranging from massive public installations to intimate residential projects, each representing innovative solutions to unique design challenges while reflecting local contexts and cultural considerations.
