Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

Learn from past Buildner architecture competition participants through our extensive project library, curated over more than 15 years!

Cypress-Focused Rest Area with Reflective Water Mirror and Personal Niches

Author:
Anton Orlovic
Cypress-Focused Rest Area with Reflective Water Mirror and Personal Niches
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
An inverted dome filled with greenery crowns a pathway of 512 personalized niches, complemented by a reflective water mirror and cypress tree, creating a serene environment for remembrance.
5 key facts about this project
01
The complex includes an inverted dome filled with greenery as a focal point.
02
Personalization options allow visitors to place mementos in 15 cm gaps between niches.
03
Abstract sculptures resembling angelic forms end each row of niches.
04
Water features include narrow canals that symbolize tears.
05
A circular water mirror surrounds a centrally planted cypress tree.

The design presents a small complex oriented on a northwest-southeast axis, set in a peaceful area that encourages reflection. Covering 351 square meters, the space serves as a place for remembrance with a layout that includes a total of 512 niches. The overall concept highlights order through symmetry, creating an environment that is both calming and personal for visitors.

Niche Arrangement

The complex includes 496 niches, with the option to add 16 more for better symmetry. These niches are arranged into four rows, each containing 31 columns with four niches per column. Each niche measures 45 by 45 centimeters, accommodating urns that are 18 by 27 centimeters in size. This thoughtful arrangement allows individuals to personalize each niche in a meaningful way.

Entrance and Pathways

Visitors enter through a prominent gate made up of six wall planes that are symmetrically placed. Above it is an inverted dome filled with greenery and flowers, making the entrance a welcoming focal point. After entering, pathways branch out, each 225 centimeters wide, guiding visitors past rows of niches and to benches positioned for quiet reflection. The lack of canopies sets the complex apart, creating a direct connection between the visitors and the space around them.

Sculptural and Water Features

At the end of each row of niches, abstract sculptures gracefully rise from the ground. These forms resemble angelic figures and are created from intersecting planes that look like flower petals or pages from a book. They add depth to the design and support the theme of remembrance. In addition, fountains are strategically placed at corners, providing peaceful spots for visitors. Narrow, shallow canals for stormwater drainage run alongside, symbolically representing the tears shed in moments of loss.

Rest Area Design

The complex includes a special rest area designed like an oasis. Here, a circular water mirror lies at the center, surrounding a semicircular bench where visitors can sit and reflect. A cypress tree, planted in the middle, symbolizes life and memory. The shallow water allows its roots to grow freely, highlighting the blend of nature and design. The lighting throughout the complex is gentle and warm, enhancing the intimate atmosphere and allowing each visitor to find a space for personal thoughts and memories.

Noticed a mistake?
Highlight the text and click on
Noticed a mistake

Enter an open architecture
competition now

Kingspan MICROHOME 2026: Building Less to Create More

`
Competition organisers

The Kingspan MICROHOME 2026 competition invites architects and designers worldwide to rethink small-scale living by creating an off-grid, modular micro dwelling under 25 m². Now in its 11th edition, the contest emphasizes sustainable, innovative, and human-centered design that demonstrates how compact living can have a big impact.

With a €100,000 prize fund, entries will be evaluated for originality, efficiency, and their response to contemporary environmental and social challenges. The competition is open to everyone, with submissions allowed individually or in teams of up to four. Registration closes on 30 September 2026, and winners will be announced on 15 December 2026.

By celebrating creativity within strict limits, MICROHOME 2026 continues to push the boundaries of compact architecture and sustainable living.

MICROHOME 2026

Design a new concept of small-scale home and share a prize fund of 100,000€

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #11 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 30 September 2026

Open architecture competitions

  • Closest deadline first
  • Project competitions first
    Selected winning projects have the potential to be constructed
  • Ideas competitions
    Experimental competitions with the focus on pushing the boundaries of creativity
New York High Falls 
Riverfront Market

Design a New Riverfront Market in Rochester, New York

ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 7 October 2026
Valli Wine 
Tasting Room

Design a wine tasting room in Italy

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 8 October 2026
The 
Quiet 
Tower

Design an observation tower in Latvia

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 15 October 2026
Vancouver 
Tall Challenge

Design the future of Vancouver’s skyline

Building higher downtown ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 29 October 2026
The Oak 
Moon 
Pavilion

Design a yoga pavilion in Italy

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 5 November 2026
Portugal Long Table 
Restaurant

Design a slow-living restaurant in Portugal

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 9 December 2026

Recurring architecture competitions

MICROHOME 2026

Design a new concept of small-scale home and share a prize fund of 100,000€

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #11 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 30 September 2026
Kinderspace

Design a kindergarten of tomorrow

Architecture for Children’s Development #4 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 28 October 2026
Museum of 
Emotions

Use architecture to create different emotional states

Edition #9 ideas COMPETITION SILENT CONTEST For this competition, NO DESCRIPTION TEXT is allowed. The architecture ideas must be communicated strictly with visuals.
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 12 November 2026
The 
Architect's 
Chair

Take a seat and make a statement!

Stockholm Furniture Fair Edition #6 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award + Exhibition at Stockholm Furniture Fair
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 3 December 2026
new
Buildner's Unbuilt Award

Celebrating your unbuilt architecture visions with a 50,000€ prize

50,000€ Prize / 2027 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 50,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 4 February 2027

Media, partners and clients

To view this project in detail,
please log in with your
Architects’ Network Plus account.
Subscription instantly unlocks all the architecture projects plus other member-only benefits:
  • Access the 17,725 Concept Library
  • Professional tools including file transfer, email, portfolio management, and more
Register now
Already a member? Log in