Architectural Cases

Artist Monster Chetwynd's “A Friends Making Machine” exhibition at the Middelheim Museum in Antwerp presents a captivating collection of monumental sculptures that invite interaction and contemplation. This immersive display transforms the museum's outdoor space into a dynamic arena for storytelling and engagement, featuring a series of fantastical installations. Among the highlights are the striking “Salamander Portal” and the enigmatic “Proscenium Arches,” each designed to spark conversation and connection among visitors. The exhibition runs from May 16th to October 11th, 2026, offering a unique blend of art, performance, and community interaction.

A focal point of the exhibition is Chetwynd's “Salamander Portal” (2026), a grand arch adorned with three colossal, fuchsia-colored salamanders. These creatures, with their large, dark eyes, seem to guard the entrance, their padded toes gripping a stone-like ring that appears ancient and weathered. The artwork evokes a sense of timelessness, reminiscent of archaeological discoveries or scenes from adventure films. This portal serves as a symbolic gateway for visitors entering the Middelheim Museum's sculpture park, one of the world's oldest open-air museums located in Antwerp, Belgium. The installation connects the artistic works within the park to a broader audience, including local residents, hospital patients, and university students, fostering a sense of shared experience.

Beyond the “Salamander Portal,” the exhibition also features “Proscenium Arches” (2026), a series of arches constructed in a distinctive collage style that reflects Chetwynd's background in theater and performance. These arches create an array of myth-making scenes, inviting viewers to ponder their meaning. One segment of “Proscenium Arch” showcases a glossy, red salamander with black spots, contrasting sharply with the pink salamanders of the portal. This creature, more menacing in appearance, is positioned beneath a bust of a woman with a hollowed-out nose, resembling a skull-like cavity. Another headless woman in lace-adorned robes stands nearby, and above this dismembered tableau, a grainy, full-color image of writhing, eyeless baby moles adds to the unsettling atmosphere, highlighting the artist's exploration of the grotesque and the absurd.

Another notable piece is “Hellmouth 5” (2026), a towering, turquoise, anthropomorphic arch through which visitors can pass. This sculpture, resembling the gaping mouth of a beast, features a padded upper lip like a lion's and large, spherical eyes. Inspired by Ingmar Bergman's 1975 film adaptation of Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute,” “Hellmouth 5” explores the boundary between good and menace. Despite its threatening V-shaped eyebrows and alert, upright ears, the work possesses a cartoonish quality, making it appear as a whimsical, almost silly antagonist from a fable, blending fear with playful absurdity.

Completing the exhibition is “Tears” (2021), an installation of Zorbs—inflatable, human-sized hamster balls. Visitors can choose to enter these transparent spheres and spin within them, or simply observe the playful commotion. The Zorbs are intended to symbolize tears, prompting a dialogue about human emotions and how individuals confront or avoid them. Collectively, “A Friends Making Machine” acts as a threshold to the sprawling Antwerp garden, blurring the lines between reality and imagination. When experienced with friends, or new acquaintances, it cultivates a unique magic, scattering seeds of creativity across the museum's grounds.

Monster Chetwynd's exhibition offers a profound artistic journey through an array of vibrant and thought-provoking sculptures. Her works, from the sentinel-like salamanders of the portal to the theatricality of the proscenium arches and the emotional depth of the 'Tears' installation, create an engaging and interactive environment. This collection encourages visitors to delve into themes of connection, myth-making, and emotional exploration, transforming the Middelheim Museum into a space where art inspires dialogue and fosters a sense of shared human experience, leaving a lasting impression long after the visit.

At the recent Milan Design Week 2026, three prominent architectural figures – Ma Yansong, Carlo Ratti, and Stefano Boeri – engaged in a thought-provoking discussion at designboom’s “ROOM FOR DREAMS” event. Their dialogue centered on the evolving role of architecture, moving beyond conventional building practices towards a more visionary and proactive approach to urban development. The architects collectively underscored the importance of integrating advanced technology, profound human emotion, and ecological sustainability into the very fabric of future cities.

Architectural Visionaries Converge at Milan Design Week

On May 22, 2026, at Milan Design Week, architectural maestros Ma Yansong, Carlo Ratti, and Stefano Boeri shared a stage for the first time. Moderated by designboom’s Managing Editor Claire Brodka, the conversation took place within the immersive “ROOM FOR DREAMS” installation. Each architect, a leader in their respective fields of organic urbanism, smart-city technology, and urban forestry, presented their unique perspectives on how design can anticipate and mold the future rather than simply respond to the present.

Carlo Ratti, head of Carlo Ratti Associati and MIT’s Senseable City Lab, initiated the discussion by advocating for architecture as a data-driven projection of possibilities. He highlighted how technology facilitates a continuous feedback loop between urban inhabitants and their environment, enabling cities to adapt and evolve in real-time. He articulated that the future is not about static masterplans but about dynamic, evolving systems shaped by data. “We are moving toward a senseable architecture that reacts to our presence before we even realize we need it,” Ratti stated, underscoring the shift towards responsive design.

Ma Yansong, principal of MAD Architects and Guest Editor of Domus 2026, expanded on this by focusing on the emotional and spiritual dimensions of space. He posited that buildings should serve as conduits for the human spirit, reflecting and enriching our internal landscapes. Yansong emphasized that architecture must encapsulate cultural and emotional histories, transforming structures into “dream machines” that inspire inhabitants and preserve their capacity for imagination. He believes that without such a profound connection, people risk losing their ability to dream within their urban environments.

Stefano Boeri, founding partner of Stefano Boeri Architetti and pioneer of the “Bosco Verticale” concept, steered the discussion towards ecological imperative. He argued for the urgent need to reforest urban areas, envisioning cities as living forests where buildings actively contribute to the planet’s survival. Boeri stressed that biodiversity is not merely an aesthetic choice but a fundamental requirement for urban life, advocating for designs that integrate nature and respect the agency of non-human elements like plants, insects, and birds. He urged designers to project “green dreams” that align human aspirations with biological realities.

The architects universally agreed that the era of the “Master Architect” is giving way to that of the “Facilitator of Ecosystems.” They stressed the need for empathy in design, urging practitioners to consider the needs and trajectories of all co-inhabiting species. Yansong also touched upon the inherent “desire” of materials to revert to organic forms, suggesting that future architecture should allow materials to follow their natural inclinations, creating structures that feel organically shaped by environmental forces. This collaborative vision underlines a profound shift towards an architecture that is not only functional and beautiful but also deeply conscious of its environmental and social impact.

This illuminating discussion at Milan Design Week provided a powerful blueprint for the future of urban design. The insights shared by Ma Yansong, Carlo Ratti, and Stefano Boeri inspire a re-evaluation of how we conceive and construct our living environments. Their collective vision challenges architects to become dream-weavers and ecosystem facilitators, pushing the boundaries of traditional practice to create cities that are intelligent, emotionally resonant, and biologically rich. It encourages all stakeholders – from designers to city planners and residents – to embrace a more empathetic and forward-thinking approach, ensuring that our urban landscapes not only serve humanity but also thrive in harmony with the natural world.