Delugan Meissl Architects has completed a striking, angular concert hall in the Austrian Alps that contains the world’s largest orchestra pit.

As payment becomes more convenient, coins seem increasingly cumbersome, so some streamlining is necessary if we are to continue using them. Here is Studio Thomson's set of coins for the digital age.

This Eindhoven-based design duo’s musings on the sun have yielded a series of mesmerising lights that mimic celestial movements.

Ryue Nishizawa has used plants, stairs and windows to create the illusion of privacy and space in this tall, narrow urban home.

The giant animated roof of Coop Himmelb(l)au’s cultural building in South Korea harks back to the data-bubbles and inflatables of an idealistic age.

An elaborate sand-timer for Laikingland and an introspective model of a thinker for Swarovski, reflect the Dutch designer’s present state of mind.

The world’s leading design conference, which brings together speakers from different disciplines and from all over the world, runs from 27 February to 1 March this year.

Despite years of success at home and abroad, Kengo Kuma has resisted the lure of architectural showmanship and devoted his career to the quest for simplicity, combining tradition materials with technical virtuosity.

We’re delighted to be a media partner of Ventura Lambrate at Milan this year. Now in its third year, the cutting-edge showcase for emerging and established design talent runs alongside the Salone del Mobile from 9th to 14th April.

In this issue Icon talks to Adrian Smith, chief architect of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. Smith has been designing skyscrapers for 44 years and is working on an even taller tower in Saudi Arabia. Winy Maas of MVRDV tells us about his pixel towers project, and we take in the view from Renzo Piano’s Shard in London. Plus: the latest Scandinavian designs in this month’s design report.