Architects love staircases, and this year we've seen all kinds – from smooth concrete curves and twisting corkscrews, to structures built from reclaimed wood and rusty steel. Dezeen's architecture editor Amy Frearson has selected 10 of the best. More about Dezeen's top 10 staircases of 2014
News: a company has been set up to work on and deliver Elon Musk's high-speed Hyperloop transport system, which uses magnets and fans to propel passenger capsules through a network of pipes. More about Elon Musk’s supersonic Hyperloop could be built "within the decade"
News: hackers could exploit wireless and internet-based technologies already being used in new car designs to take control of vehicles – creating the potential for a "terrorist-type threat". More about Connected cars face hacking threat thanks to wireless safety features
German design studio Fifti-fifti has created a simple clothing storage solution using a wooden beam mounted on brackets that look like springs. More about Fifti-fifti's Spring simplifies the wardrobe into a wall-mounted clothes rail
News: Michael Graves' seminal Portland Public Services Building will be spared from demolition, despite being described as a "white elephant" and requiring an estimated $95 million for renovation. More about Postmodern Portland Building will be saved, says architect Michael Graves
Solar panels provide all the energy needed to power this colourful brick dormitory designed by architect Louise Braverman to house medical staff at a rural village in Burundi. More about Solar-powered housing by Louise Braverman accommodates medical staff in an African village
German industrial designer Veronika Gombert has created a suspension light for illuminating parts of the room that aren't directly below the electricity point. More about Veronika Gombert's Umleiter lamp hangs offset from its ceiling rose
A Tel Aviv flat that was once the home of Israel's first prime minster has been renovated and extended by local firm Pitsou Kedem Architects to create a new basement level with industrial-style fittings (+ slideshow). More about David Ben-Gurion's former home renovated by Pitsou Kedem Architects
We've published hundreds of weird and wonderful residences on Dezeen over the past year, from super-skinny city houses to wintery chalets, underground bunkers and revamped farmhouses. Architecture editor Amy Frearson picks her favourites. More about Dezeen's top 10 houses of 2014
Vintage tiles are showcased across simple pine shelves inside this new shop for a specialist tile seller in Lisbon, designed by the four brothers who run the business (+ slideshow). More about Lisbon tile trader Cortiço & Netos uses vintage stock to pattern shop walls
This concert hall in Poland by Spanish studio Barozzi Veiga features ribbed glass cladding and a spiky roof, giving it the appearance of an icy crown (+ slideshow). More about Translucent glass concert hall designed by Barozzi Veiga with a jagged roofline
Speakers that form an "eight-channel robotic choir" bob up and down in response to a singer's voice in a setup by Polish studio Pangenerator (+ movie). More about Pangenerator creates troop of robotic backing singers and dancers
Mountains of foam, fields of poppies and clouds of fog are among Dezeen design editor Dan Howarth's 10 favourite installations from the past 12 months. More about Dezeen's top 10 installations of 2014
Dezeen editor Anna Winston chooses her top design quotes of 2014, including Jonathan Ive on the "tragic" state of education and Marcel Wanders on the problem with "virtual design". More about Dezeen's top design quotes of 2014
A white spiral staircase that contrasts with the surrounding stone walls is one of several modern interventions that architect Elisabete Saldanha has added to this converted farmhouse in Portugal (+ slideshow). More about Elisabete Saldanha combines historical features with contemporary details at House in Guimarães
German design studio Ding3000 has created a cast-iron candle holder for Danish brand QDO that holds six coasters within its base. More about Ding3000's Coasterlight holds drink mats beneath a candle
With Rem Koolhaas curating the Venice Biennale and Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry and Moshe Safdie pulling no punches, 2014 was a busy year for opinionated architects. Dezeen's editor Anna Winston chooses her architecture quotes of the year. More about Dezeen's top architecture quotes of 2014
Dezeen's design editor Dan Howarth picks 10 of his favourite gadgets from this year, including a fish that steers its own tank and a vaginal activity monitor. More about Dezeen's top 10 gadgets of 2014
An elevated bicycle highway for London, a "bike in a bag", and a glow-in-the-dark cycle path were among Dezeen editor Anna Winston's favourite cycling-related designs on Dezeen this year. More about Dezeen's top 10 cycling designs of 2014
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all our readers! More about Merry Christmas from Dezeen