Dezeen Magazine

This week, the world's best new buildings were revealed in WAF 2017 shortlist

This week on Dezeen, projects from 68 countries including work by BIG, Heatherwick Studio and Zaha Hadid Architects were shortlisted for awards at this year's World Architecture Festival.

Zaha Hadid's faceted glass structure for Antwerp's Port Authority (pictured), a plant-covered hotel in Vietnam and a sprawling museum in Palestine are among buildings shortlisted in over 30 categories at this year's World Architecture Festival awards.

Also this week, MAD's Ma Yansong called for architecture to "be more critical and visionary" and Zaha Hadid Architects unveiled new visuals for a "stacked vases" hotel tower in Melbourne.

Zaha Hadid Architects unveils new visuals for "stacked vases" hotel tower in Melbourne

In the UK, the Design Museum added the Rainbow Flag and a Frisbee to its permanent collection and the Royal Academy of Arts announced plans for a new architecture centre and awards programme as part of its renovation by David Chipperfield.

And cultural institutions including the V&A and the British Museum urged the UK government to support them in Brexit negotiations on issues such as the free movement of workers.

Royal Academy announces new "permanent home" for architecture as part of Chipperfield renovation

Anish Kapoor joined Ai Weiwei and other artists in creating magazine covers dedicated to recent London tragedies and was embroiled in another colour war with bitter rival Stuart Semple.

And Dezeen reported on graduate design highlights from the Royal College of Art, including pleated clothing that expands to fit kids as they grow and a connected plant pot that encourages its user to exercise.

Tadao Ando to convert Paris stock exchange into art gallery
Tadao Ando to convert Paris stock exchange into art gallery

In France, Tadao Ando announced plans to convert Paris' Bourse de Commerce building into an art gallery and SelgasCano unveiled an undulating pavilion made from sheets of corrugated plastic in a Cognac courtyard.

Yves Behar defends Juicero juice machine after internet backlash

In tech news, Yves Behar defended the widely ridiculed juicer he designed for Silicon Valley start-up Juicero after it became the subject of a social media backlash in April.

And Swedish auto manufacturer Volvo announced it will switch to all electric and hybrid vehicles from 2019.

Casa Malca Hotel, Mexico
Pablo Escobar's Tulum mansion becomes art-filled boutique hotel

Popular projects this week included a glazed toilet on a Norwegian tourist route, a mansion-turned-hotel formerly owned by Pablo Escobar and a Bangkok house topped with a marble "sculpture".