Dezeen Magazine

This week, Pritzker Prize announced a surprise winner for 2017

This week on Dezeen, little-known Catalan firm RCR Arquitectes won this Pritzker Prize 2017 and we rounded up the firm's key projects

Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta of Catalan studio RCR Arquitectes were named as laureates of the Pritzker Prize 2017. Following the news, we showcased some of the firm's more important buildings, including the Soulages Museum in France and El Petit Comte Kindergarten in Spain.

In US news, BIG and Thomas Heatherwick released new images of Google's new California HQ.

Also, Donald Trump set a short deadline for proposals for his controversial Mexican border wall and a New York design gallery founder described the "dehumanising and degrading" ordeal of being denied entry into America.

CN Tower architect Roger du Toit wins RAIC 2017 Gold Medal

Elsewhere, Canadian architect Roger du Toit was posthumously awarded the RAIC 2017 Gold Medal.

In the UK, British engineer James Dyson announced he is increasing his brand's UK presence tenfold with the opening of a second campus, and Paris unveiled seven skyscraper designs in an attempt to woo French Londoners back to the city after Brexit.

Paris announces seven skyscrapers to boost post-Brexit business

A UK government report revealed that the charity set up to deliver Thomas Heatherwick's £185 million Garden Bridge has acted legally and responsibly.

Italian architect Renzo Piano's proposed Paddington Cube hit a hurdle in London as he unveiled a skyscraper for San Francisco.

Nokia revealed its revamped 3310 mobile phone and Sony launched a projector that can turn any surface into a touch screen.

New-look Nokia 3310 mobile phone revealed

We reported on the Shakers to find out why the religious group's austere furniture is having a revival and revealed the best packaging design from the last year as media partners for the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards.

In other design news, Heal's launched a bespoke service to "counteract flat-pack, off-the-shelf culture" and the world's first driverless race car was unveiled at this year's Mobile World Congress.

British passport design makes national identity
New UK passport "likely to become a defining symbol of Britain's new identity"

Following the launch of our Brexit passport design competition we spoke to Julian Payne, creative director at the world's biggest producer of passports and banknotes, about the process behind designing a travel document.

2 Houses in Puertecillo by 2DM
Stacked and rotated blocks ensure multiple sea views from Chilean beach house

Popular projects this week included a Chilean beach house, a mirrored desert cabin in California and a mountain cabin created by Jon Danielsen Aarhus for himself.

And in a big week for Dezeen's social media, we reached one million followers on Instagram and 750,000 likes on Facebook.