Dezeen Magazine

Self-repairing trainers 3D-printed from biological cells by Shamees Aden

Dezeen's review of the year: December 2013

We wrap up our review of this year's architecture and design news with December, when our top stories were all about wearable technology including 3D-printed shoes that could repair themselves overnight.

Clothes that change colour according to climate by Lauren Bowker
Clothes that change colour according to climate by Lauren Bowker

Wearable Futures

At the Wearable Futures event in London we picked out inks that change colour in different climatic conditions, and accessories that would deceive neuroimaging devices by diverting thoughts using electric shocks and flashing lights.

Fashion collection features solar panels for charging a mobile phone
Fashion collection features solar panels for charging a mobile phone

Also presented were clothes with built-in solar panels for charging mobile phones and devices that cause unpleasant sensations when the wearer becomes inactive or stops concentrating.

Garden flat in Lyon photographed before and after a party
Garden flat in Lyon photographed before and after a party

Most popular

Photographs depicting a flat in Lyon after a messy party were most popular in December.

Ecological house in a glass box raised above the landscape by Paul de Ruiter Architects
Ecological house in a glass box raised above the landscape by Paul de Ruiter Architects

An energy-efficient home in a glazed box raised above the Dutch landscape came in second place.

Timber-clad seaside house with wood-textured concrete interior by Ultra Architects
Timber-clad seaside house with wood-textured concrete interior by Ultra Architects

Number three was a timber-clad seaside house with concrete interior walls formed against wooden boards.

Herzog & de Meuron design skyscraper for east London
Herzog & de Meuron design skyscraper for east London

Herzog & de Meuron's skyscraper proposed for east London was fourth most clicked.

Signage system designed for hospitals
Signage system designed for hospitals "reduces violence by 50 percent"

Finally, PearsonLloyd's signage system for hospitals that was found to "reduce violence by 50 percent" rounded off our top five.

Jacques Herzog: The Pérez Art Museum
Jacques Herzog: The Pérez Art Museum "is a naked structure"

Dezeen's month

Our final Dezeen and MINI World Tour stop was Miami, where Jacques Herzog spoke to us about his firm's Pérez Art Museum and the work the studio is doing to deconstruct the city's "stupid architecture".

Louis Vuitton realises unbuilt Charlotte Perriand beach house in Miami
Louis Vuitton realises unbuilt Charlotte Perriand beach house in Miami

Also on show during the Design Miami exhibition was a series of hand-blown glass vessels that turn data from wind movement into projected patterns of light and a previously unrealised beach house by Modernist architect Charlotte Perriand.

Dezeen's A-Zdvent calendar: David Adjaye
Dezeen's A-Zdvent calendar: David Adjaye

Throughout December we featured an architect or firm every day as part of our A-Zdvent calendar, which started with A for David Adjaye and ended with Z for Zaha Hadid.

Before the year finished we were delighted to announce that we topped 100,000,000 pageviews in 2013!

See all our stories from December 2013 »