Oslo · Norway
The world, through architecture
A wider view
of architecture.
GAD stands for Global Architecture Discovery, an independent architecture media and reference platform at gad.design. Explore architecture practices, buildings, architects, awards, AI design workflows and free calculators in English and Chinese.
A growing reference.
A considered selection.
1907Architecture practices
1117Projects & references
8Award programmes
66Countries & regions
GAD / WORKPLACE FOCUS
How work takes shape.
Read office buildings, landscapes and interiors together. Follow the designers and explore projects through illustrated studies and source-backed records.
1000 source-linked projects · 10 illustrated studies · 989 with known completion in 2023–2026
Explore workplace projectsGAD / AI & ARCHITECTURE
Beyond the
beautiful image.
Where does AI help an architect make a better decision? Explore tools, real workflow questions and dated developments—with the limits in view.
Explore AI in architecture01 / SELECTED WORKS
Places worth a closer look.
Singapore · Singapore
Shanghai · China
02 / THE PRACTICES
Meet the minds behind the work.
GAD / THE READING ROOM
Read across the projects.
GAD / DESIGN READING
Museum daylight: three ways to shape an encounter
Compare Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Menil Collection and Chichu Art Museum through light, circulation and the relationship between art and public space.
GAD / DESIGN READING
Beyond the reading room: libraries as shared space
Read Sendai Mediatheque, TU Delft Library and Musashino Art University Library as three different relationships between structure, landscape and books.
GAD / DESIGN READING
Arrival, landscape and privacy in hotel design
Compare the Waterhouse at South Bund, Tsingpu Yangzhou Retreat and Soori Bali through thresholds, retained fabric and routes shared with a wider setting.
GAD / DESIGN READING
Public roofs and the conditions of shared space
Compare three public roof landscapes through access, building section and operation, from Oslo Opera House to Moesgaard Museum and CopenHill.
GAD / DESIGN READING
Adaptive reuse and what a project chooses to retain
Read Neues Museum, Battersea Power Station and the High Line through retained fabric, new uses and the public experience of architectural history.
GAD / PROJECT FILEQuinta Monroy HousingIquique · 2004Project reference · photography at source
GAD / DESIGN READING
Housing capacity beyond the first completed plan
Compare Quinta Monroy, Villa Verde and the Interlace through household change, shared space and the responsibilities behind long-term housing capacity.
GAD / DESIGN READING
Climate responsive envelopes and the mechanisms behind their appearance
Compare Gando Primary School, Al Bahr Towers and Oasia Hotel Downtown by their climate response, occupied spaces and ongoing maintenance requirements.
102 / ARCHITECT PROFILES
An idea has a history.
GAD / STUDY INDEX 2026
A considered view.
An open method.
Our first scored editorial selection: ten practices, thirty case studies and three dimensions of comparative reading value. Explore the reasoning behind each assessment.
Read the GAD index01Tadao Ando Architect & Associates94study score / 10002Neri&Hu93study score / 10002Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects93study score / 10004Steven Holl Architects87study score / 10005Renzo Piano Building Workshop86study score / 100Selected-sample editorial pilot · not a global design-quality league table · ties share rank
04 / ARCHITECTURE, RECOGNISED
Understand what an award stands for.
01
Individual
Pritzker Architecture Prize
An annual distinction for a living architect or architects and their contribution through built work.
Understand the award02
Building
RIBA Stirling Prize
RIBA’s annual prize for an outstanding contribution to architecture in the United Kingdom.
Understand the award03
Project
Aga Khan Award for Architecture
A triennial programme recognizing projects that serve communities with a significant Muslim presence.
Understand the award04
Building
EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture — Mies van der Rohe Awards
A European award programme examining contemporary architecture through built works.
Understand the award