A barn in rural England and a lakeside cottage in Poland feature in this roundup of homes with highly textured facades, finished with scaly-looking shingles. More about Seven scaly-looking houses that are sheathed in shingles
The "dynamic nature of the sea" prompted the flowing, scaly forms of The National Institute of Water Sports in India, completed by architecture practice MOFA Studios. More about MOFA Studios creates wave-like forms for Indian water sports centre
Brazilian designer Oskar Metsavaht has repurposed the skins from the pirarucu fish found in Amazonian rivers and lakes by transforming it into sustainable scaly garments and fashion accessories. More about Oskar Metsavaht makes sustainable fashion garments from Amazonian fish skin
Dezeen archive: to welcome in the Chinese year of the snake we've compiled an archive full of scaly architecture and design. See all our stories about scaly design »
More about Dezeen archive: scaly design
Rounded shingles create wooden scales across the walls of this small house in Hackney that architect Laura Dewe Mathews has built for herself (+ slideshow). More about Gingerbread House by Laura Dewe Mathews
Architect Frank Gehry has presented a new collection of his glowing Fish Lamps made of jagged plastic scales. More about Fish Lamps by Frank Gehry
This university building in Melbourne by Australian architects Lyons is covered in brightly coloured scales (+ slideshow). More about RMIT Swanston Academic Building by Lyons
This scale-covered cabinet by Swedish designer Jenny Ekdahl is intended to help victims of natural disasters to recover from their traumatic experiences. More about Dear Disaster by Jenny Ekdahl
Skyscrapers in Seoul: a pair of 450 metre-high towers with glass scales by Chicago firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture are the latest of fifteen skyscrapers commissioned for the Yongsan International Business District in Seoul, South Korea, following recently released designs by BIG and MVRDV. More about Dancing Dragons by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
Slideshow: a wall of wooden scales folds through the glazed facade of this house and studio that Korean architects AND designed for an artist in South Korea. More about Skinspace by AND
This scaly apartment block in alpine Slovenia appears to have had its corners sliced away to create triangular balconies. More about Alpine Ski Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti
Couples visiting the British seaside town of Blackpool can tie the knot inside a shimmering golden wedding chapel by London architects de Rijke Marsh Morgan (dRMM). More about Tower of Love by dRMM
Architects Herzog & de Meuron have positioned a scaly crown over the top of this Basel museum (photographs by Roland Halbe). More about Museum der Kulturen by Herzog & de Meuron
Plywood shingles create fish scales on the walls of a clothes store at Bondi Beach, Sydney, while spherical lights hang from the ceiling inside fishermen’s nets. More about Little Joe Woman at The Beach House by MAKE Creative
Show RCA 2011: Royal College of Art graduate Erik de Laurens has made a pair of swimming goggles, spectacles and beakers out of fish scales. More about The Fish Feast by Erik de Laurens
Aluminium shingles resembling shiny fish scales cover this office and apartment block in Vienna by Austrian architects Superblock. More about NEU 31 by Superblock
Amsterdam designer Camille Cortet created these snake-like leggings by cutting triangular apertures into the fabric. More about Snake&Molting legwear by Camille Cortet
This temporary pavilion with reflective purple scales that shimmer in the breeze has been installed in Beijing by New York architects SO-IL. More about Flockr by SO-IL
This house by Spanish architects Subarquitectura spirals down a sloping site in Madrid. More about 360 House by Subarquitectura
Italian architect Gaetano Pesce has designed this pair of shoes made of plastic discs for Brazilian brand Melissa. More about Gaetano Pesce for Melissa
