Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

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

Translucent Shell with Flexible Openings for Meditation Retreat

Author:
可月 司
Translucent Shell with Flexible Openings for Meditation Retreat
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
The design integrates a translucent shell with adjustable openings to create a serene environment that invites users to engage in meditation and self-reflection.
5 key facts about this project
01
The structure is designed as a flexible retreat that adapts to various user needs.
02
Adjustable openings allow for personalized views of the surrounding environment.
03
A white translucent shell contributes to a calm and diffused lighting effect.
04
Removable cushions enhance comfort during meditation sessions.
05
Integration of LED strip lighting provides adjustable ambiance for differing activities.

The design presents a space known as a "shell," where individuals can find solitude and peace amidst a busy environment. Located in a context that encourages personal reflection, the space serves as a quiet retreat for meditation and introspection. The overall design focuses on the balance between inner tranquility and the connection to the surrounding natural world.

Sphere Geometry

The shape of the structure is spherical, representing continuity and endless possibility. This geometric choice allows users to feel centered within their experience. The smooth curves invite movement and curiosity, encouraging exploration. Inside, the design creates an environment that promotes reflection and a sense of calm.

Adaptable Openings

One of the key features is an opening that users can adjust, allowing them to connect with the outside world in different ways. Whether viewing the sky, observing trees, or noticing the ground, this flexibility enables a customized experience. Users can engage with nature at their own pace, building a sense of harmony between the sheltering space and the expansive environment around it.

Material Selection

Material choices are significant in shaping the feel of the design. A white translucent material forms the shell, letting soft light filter through and creating a tranquil ambiance. This choice helps dissolve the barriers between inside and outside, fostering a spacious, airy feeling. Additionally, a removable seat cushion adds comfort, while LED lighting and sconces with easy-to-reach switches allow users to control the room's mood.

Functional Versatility

The versatility of the design allows it to serve multiple purposes, fitting the needs of various activities and group sizes. This aspect emphasizes the importance of creating spaces that can adapt. Structural elements like the gray surface and supporting features ensure durability while maintaining functional flexibility, providing a reliable space for reflection and connection.

Within the shell, the soft glow of light creates a warm atmosphere that changes throughout the day, casting gentle shadows that enhance the experience of calm and contemplation.

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

Enter an open architecture
competition now

The Architect’s 
Stair
The Architect’s Stair
Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3
Kinderspace
Kinderspace
Architecture for Children’s Development #3
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
100,000€ Prize / 2025
The Home of 
Shadows
The Home of Shadows
The light studies. Edition #4

The Buildner’s Unbuilt Award 2025: Celebrating Architectural Creativity and Visionary Unbuilt Designs with a Total Prize Fund of €100,000

`
Competition organisers

The Buildner’s Unbuilt Award 2025 is an international architecture competition dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the value of unrealized architectural designs. It invites architects, designers, and students worldwide to submit visionary projects that have not yet been constructed, highlighting the power of ideas and the creativity behind the design process. By focusing on unbuilt work, the competition aims to bring forward concepts that shape the future of architecture and push the boundaries of the profession. 

Participants can compete in three categories based on project scale: Small Wonders (up to 100 m²), Medium Marvels (101–999 m²), and Large Visions (over 1,000 m²). Each category winner will receive €20,000, and additional prizes include honorable mentions, student awards, and a special Best Presentation Award. Winning projects will gain significant international exposure through Buildner’s publicity campaign and a feature article on ArchDaily, providing a unique opportunity to showcase creative ideas to a global audience. 

The Buildner’s Unbuilt Award 2025 encourages entrants to submit any type of unbuilt project, from conceptual visions to detailed designs, celebrating bold innovation without the constraints of realization. Important deadlines: registration closes on October 30, 2025; submissions are due by November 20, 2025; winners will be announced on December 17, 2025.

Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025

Celebrating your unbuilt architecture visions with a €100,000 prize

100,000€ Prize / 2025 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 30 October 2025

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
Concrete 
Pavilion

Design a concrete pavilion

Edition #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 27 November 2025
new
Pavilion Atlas 2026

Design a story of your country

ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 21 January 2026

Recurring architecture competitions

new
Re:Form - 
New Life 
for Old Spaces

Choose a site—used, abandoned, or forgotten—anywhere in the world, and give it a new purpose

Edition #2 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 2 October 2025
Hospice - 
Home for the 
Terminally ill

Design a safe and supportive space to those struggling with a terminal illness

Edition #5 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 10,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 9 October 2025
new
The Architect’s 
Stair

Take a step and make a statement!

Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 15 October 2025
Kinderspace

Design a kindergarten of tomorrow

Architecture for Children’s Development #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 16 October 2025
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025

Celebrating your unbuilt architecture visions with a €100,000 prize

100,000€ Prize / 2025 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 30 October 2025
new
The Home of 
Shadows

Design a home with no artificial lighting

The light studies. Edition #4 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility OPEN TO ALL
Early bird registration deadline 5 November 2025
The Last 
Nuclear Bomb Memorial

Design a memorial that speaks to the cause of ending all nuclear weapons programs

Edition #6 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
Final registration deadline 13 November 2025
Museum of 
Emotions

Use architecture to create different emotional states

Edition #7 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
Final registration deadline 27 November 2025

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

This website uses cookies to improve user experience and gather usage statistics.

More information is available in our Privacy & Cookie policy