The designer behind David Bowie's Blackstar album artwork reveals its true meaning in our latest issue of Dezeen Mail, which also features images of Rafael Viñoly's 432 Park Avenue in Manhattan and a Tadao Ando-designed retreat in Mexico.
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More about Dezeen Mail issue 289 features this week's biggest stories in architecture and design
Inside Festival 2015: Rob Backhouse of Hassell explains how the architecture firm's office building for insurance company Medibank is designed to promote a healthy lifestyle amongst staff (+ movie). More about Hassell's office building for Medibank is designed to "get people moving"
Christ & Gantenbein has unveiled its new wing for the National Museum Zurich – an angular concrete edifice conceived by the Swiss architects as a robust and spacious "museum factory" (+ slideshow). More about Christ & Gantenbein adds raw concrete extension to National Museum Zurich
OMA has renovated and expanded the New York studio of famed Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang, creating a subterranean library and tea room and enlarging a courtyard at the heart of the space (+ slideshow). More about OMA creates a light-filled New York studio for artist Cai Guo-Qiang
The two floors of this Kyiv apartment are connected by a long slide, which KI Design Studio added to make being at home more fun (+ slideshow). More about KI Design Studio adds slide and plant-covered wall to Ukraine apartment
Paddleboarders receive a boost on the water with this jet-propelled board that also self-inflates by Slovenian company SipaBoards (+ movie). More about SipaBoards unveils self-inflating electric paddleboard
A group of students from the Bartlett School of Architecture has developed a method of 3D printing concrete to create structural elements and large furniture pieces. More about Amalgamma develops 3D printing concrete technique for building structures
Colourful glass discs are embedded in the clay-tile facade of this school hall near Valencia, so on sunny days colourful shadow patterns are cast across the floor inside (+ slideshow). More about Sports hall for Escola Gavina school in Spain features multi-hued clay and glass tiles
The wooden desk accessories in this collection by Russian designers Nasya Kopteva and Sasha Braulov are based on architectural landmarks in their home country, including Melnikov House and the Red Banner Textile Factory (+ slideshow). More about Russian Avant-Garde architecture influences wooden desk accessories
The faceted volume of this concrete mixed-use block in Tokyo is punctured by a series of holes that form windows, balconies and open-air stairwells (+ slideshow). More about Tomoyuki Kurokawa Architects completes Tokyo building covered in holes
Exclusive interview: the cover of David Bowie's Blackstar album, released just days before his death, was designed to reflect the musician's mortality according to his long-time graphic design collaborator Jonathan Barnbrook. More about David Bowie was "facing his own mortality" with Blackstar album says cover designer
From billowing pink bus stops to a bombastic market hall and a smog-eating tower, a barrage of new projects are helping turn Rotterdam into "the city of the future". Dezeen rounds up 17 of the city's most interesting recent additions. More about 17 of the architecture projects helping to transform Rotterdam
Work has completed on the UK's "first amphibious house" by Baca Architects, which rises in its dock-like foundations to avoid flood water (+ slideshow). More about Baca Architects completes buoyant house on the River Thames
Business news: British designer Jasper Conran has resigned from his position as head of the family business, less than two years after taking over Conran Holdings from his father Terence. More about Jasper Conran steps down as Conran Holdings chairman
A turquoise staircase runs diagonally across the facade of this cube-shaped home in rural Quebec, designed by Montreal studio Architecturama (+ slideshow). More about Turquoise staircase creates diagonal stripes across Quebec home by Architecturama
Interior designer Kelly Hoppen and celebrity magician Dynamo have teamed up to launch a collection of 3D-effect wall coverings, designed to create optical illusions of more space in the home. More about Dynamo and Kelly Hoppen collaborate to create illusions with trompe l'oeil wallpaper
Maison&Objet 2016: misshapen glass bubbles appear to be sprouting from this chandelier by Brazilian design duo Humberto and Fernando Campana, which will be shown at Paris trade fair Maison&Objet this week. More about Campana brothers to present mushroom-like Fungo chandelier for Lasvit at Maison&Objet
A record-breaking total of 106 skyscrapers over 200 metres tall were completed in 2015, and even more are predicted for 2016, according to new industry research. More about Record number of skyscrapers completed in 2015
Four house-shaped blocks enclose a courtyard in the centre of this hilltop holiday home on the Danish coast by Lenschow & Pihlmann (+ slideshow). More about Danish summer house by Lenschow & Pihlmann is fragmented into house-shaped blocks
Landmark buildings and experimental construction are transforming the Netherlands' second city into a world-class destination for architectural innovation, outstripping other European centres and turning Amsterdam into "the city of the past". More about Rotterdam is "the city of the future" say architects