Sheets of plywood were layered on top of each other to create the ceiling of this Parisian salon, which local architect Joshua Florquin designed to represent sunny forests and natural environments (+ slideshow). More about Joshua Florquin adds hexagonal-patterned ceiling to Paris hair salon
Galvanised metal cladding gives this housing development in Bordeaux a factory-like aesthetic that references its setting in a once industrial neighbourhood (+ slideshow). More about Fabre/deMarien's Tirepois apartments feature metal cladding and recessed windows
Set between two plateaus, this Alpine aquatic centre by German firm Auer Weber features wide crescent-shaped windows overlooking the piste of popular ski resort Courchevel (+ slideshow). More about Auer Weber completes aquatic centre with a sloping roof in the French Alps
Triangular facets of perforated red metal frame the entrance to this cultural centre, completed by Paris studio Périphériques for a town in northwest France (+ slideshow). More about Faceted red metal creates sculptural facade for music centre by Périphériques
Artist Ai Weiwei has used traditional Chinese kite-making techniques to create mythological characters and creatures for windows, atriums and the gallery at Paris department store Le Bon Marché (+ slideshow). More about Ai Weiwei installs monstrous sculptures at Le Bon Marché to "speak to our inner child"
Giant illustrated boards depicting parrots, bears and leopards are among the oversized animal costumes that children can try on at a New York exhibition. More about Illustrated animal-skin costumes created for Le Bestiaire exhibition in New York
Anne Rolland Architecte has transformed a ground-floor space in a 17th-century Parisian townhouse into a studio apartment with a secret underground room. More about Studio apartment in Paris by Anne Rolland Architecte has a hidden converted slurry pit
Rounded windows and skylights allow daylight to filter into this Parisian swimming pool by Mikou Studio, which features a grassy rooftop solarium (+ slideshow). More about Mikou Studio completes Paris swimming pool designed using Feng Shui philosophy
Folded tiles of perforated metal envelop this dance school in Paris by Lankry Architectes, creating a pattern of triangular facets (+ slideshow). More about Parisian dance school by Lankry Architectes features faceted metal walls
Grass blankets the roof of this low-energy community centre by Guillaume Ramillien Architecture, which is set in the centre of a new development to the south-east of Paris (+ slideshow). More about Passivhaus community centre by Guillaume Ramillien Architecture is clad in grass and timber
Photo essay: French photographer Laurent Kronental has spent four years capturing the "grands ensembles" housing projects in Paris, juxtaposing the huge buildings with their elderly occupants (+ slideshow). More about Laurent Kronental's Souvenir d'un Futur photos show Paris' monumental housing estates
This house near the French town of Caen spirals around an internal courtyard to provide privacy for the owners in an area surrounded by new homes (+ slideshow). More about Maison Spirale wraps around a central courtyard to offer residents privacy and light
A swimming pool with a glass bottom spans the void between two Parisian tower blocks in this proposal by architect Tommaso Bernabò Silorata, which aims to give swimmers a "vertiginous diving experience". More about Vertiginous pool proposed by Tommaso Bernabò Silorata between two matching skyscrapers
Paris studio Atelier 37.2 has added a multifaceted wooden volume to an apartment in the French capital to house two shower rooms. More about Atelier 37.2 installs sculptural wooden bathroom inside Haussmann-era apartment
Banksy has graffitied an image of Apple founder Steve Jobs as a refugee at a camp in Calais, which was added to with materials left over from the street artist's temporary theme park Dismaland. More about Banksy adds Steve Jobs mural to refugee camp made from Dismaland remains
Architecture studio Encore Heureux has built a pavilion outside Paris' city hall featuring a facade made out of reclaimed doors and insulation recycled from an old supermarket roof (+ slideshow). More about Encore Heureux uses recycled materials to build Circular Pavilion in Paris
Paint was thrown at the walls of this concrete music, drama and dance school in eastern France by Dominique Coulon & Associés, creating a veined pattern based on the paintings of abstract artist Jackson Pollock (+ slideshow). More about Splattered paintwork inspired by Jackson Pollock covers concrete music school in France
These new images by photographer Danica O Kus provide a tour around the exterior of Philharmonie de Paris, the concert hall designed and disowned by French architect Jean Nouvel (+ slideshow). More about New photos offer a closer look around Jean Nouvel's Philharmonie de Paris
Argentinian artist Tomás Saraceno has created a pair of air-filled globes that he eventually plans to sail across the sky. More about Tomás Saraceno installs Aerocene metallic orbs in Paris' Grand Palais
French studio Atelier Fernandez & Serres has completed a cultural centre outside Nantes featuring pale stone walls and sloping roof planes that echo the forms of neighbouring houses (+ slideshow). More about Pale travertine walls frame Cour et Jardin cultural centre by Atelier Fernandez & Serres