News: Rafael Viñoly's Walkie Talkie skyscraper in London is reflecting a beam of light intense enough to melt cars, according to a series of recent reports. Update: a CGI artist predicted the effect a year ago - read more in our latest story. More about Rafael Viñoly's Walkie Talkie "melts cars"
Dutch office UNStudio has developed a concept for a giant Ferris wheel in Japan that could rival the London Eye and the Singapore Flyer. More about GOW Nippon Moon by UNStudio
German studio J Mayer H Architekten has unveiled images of a temporary gallery made from scaffolding at a modern art museum in Munich (+ slideshow). More about Schaustelle by J Mayer H
This brick courtyard house by Auckland studio Glamuzina Paterson Architects sits at the foot of a mountain in New Zealand's Otago region (+ slideshow). More about Lake Hawea Courtyard House by Glamuzina Paterson Architects
This bright white house in Toyokawa, Japan, was designed by architects Studio Velocity with a squashed diamond shape to maximise space without overlooking the neighbours (+ slideshow). More about Forest House in the City by Studio Velocity
A concrete house designed to balance over the edge of a hillside in Kazakhstan is the latest addition to our series of stories featuring photo-realistic renderings (+ slideshow). More about ImagineHouse by A.Masow Design Studio
This timber structure clad in recycled food packaging houses a temporary library and book exchange and was designed and built by architecture students in Cēsis, Latvia (+ slideshow). More about Story Tower by RTU International Architecture Summer School
Following our interview with Ström Architects about the value of photo-realistic visualisations, the firm sent us a set of images by rendering guru Peter Guthrie showing a house proposed for Suffolk, England (+ slideshow). More about Private House in Suffolk by Ström Architects
News: Austrian firm Coop Himmelb(l)au has landed a commission to design a winter sports resort and water park across an abandoned cement-mining quarry and lake near Changsha, China (+ slideshow). More about Coop Himmelb(l)au plans sports resort for abandoned Chinese quarry
Our second story this week from New York studio Asymptote features a silver pillow-clad pavilion that was installed on an artificial river peninsula in South Korea as part of the World Expo 2012 (+ slideshow). More about ARC River Culture Pavilion by Asymptote
Wooden furniture forms sections of staircases at this house in Japan by Tato Architects (+ slideshow). More about House in Itami by Tato Architects
New York studio Asymptote has designed a faceted performing arts centre for South Korea that references the curved rooftops of ancient Buddhist temples and pavilions (+ slideshow). More about Sejong Center for Performing Arts by Asymptote
Interview: after completing Europe's largest public library in Birmingham, architect Francine Houben of Dutch studio Mecanoo spoke to Dezeen about the role of the library in the digital age and claims libraries are as central to society as cathedrals once were. More about "Libraries are the most important public buildings" - Francine Houben
News: a student housing block in London with a retained brick warehouse facade has been named Britain's worst building of the year. More about "Prison-like" student housing wins Carbuncle Cup 2013
News: architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox has unveiled plans to surround the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles in a cloak of steel ribbons as part of major refurbishment. More about KPF to wrap steel ribbons around LA's Petersen Automotive Museum
Japanese firm Naruse Inokuma Architects has designed a shared occupancy house in Nagoya with communal areas for eating, cooking and relaxing that encourage the residents to interact in different ways (+ slideshow). More about Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects
Dutch studio Mecanoo has completed Europe's largest public library in Birmingham, England, with a sunken amphitheatre, rooftop gardens and a shimmering facade clad with interlocking metal rings (+ slideshow). More about Library of Birmingham by Mecanoo
Spanish architecture studio Ábaton has developed a micro home that can be transported on the back of a lorry and placed almost anywhere (+ slideshow). More about Casa Transportable ÁPH80 by Ábaton
A series of new cultural venues has sprung up along the waterfront in Marseille, including the contemporary art centre by Kengo Kuma we featured yesterday and a mirrored pavilion by Foster + Partners (+ slideshow). More about Special feature: Marseille Capital of Culture 2013
The MuSe Museum by Italian architect Renzo Piano has opened to the public in Trento, Italy, and features angled profiles that echo the shapes of the nearby Dolomites mountains (+ slideshow). More about MuSe Museum by Renzo Piano Building Workshop