The last year in architecture will be remembered as one of firsts, from the world's first "upcycled" skyscraper winning World Building of the Year to Burkina Faso-born Francis Kéré becoming the first African architect to win the coveted Pritzker Prize.
It was also a year in which we lost industry giants like Ricardo Bofill and Meinhard von Gerkan, while gaining long-awaited new landmarks like the Taipei Performing Arts Center and New York's Steinway Tower.
With construction projects often taking years to complete, delays caused by Covid-19 are still being felt. But 2023 nonetheless promises to be a year of remarkable new openings, whether it's the world's second-tallest tower or an interfaith religious complex in Abu Dhabi.
Here are 10 of the architectural projects set to shape the world in 2023:
National Library of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel
Having outgrown its longtime home, the National Library of Israel — and its vast archive of books, manuscripts and photographs — is relocating to a brand new building next to the country's parliament, the Knesset.
The building's distinctive upper volume resembles a huge block of carved rock, with local limestone mixed into the cement as a nod to Jerusalem's historic color palette. Inside, facilities including an auditorium, a youth center and various exhibition spaces, are configured around the 50,500-square-foot reading hall.
Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron's design is intended to reflect the institution's values of openness and accessibility, from a soaring circular skylight to the ground-level display cases that make items from the library's collection visible to passersby.
Nordø, Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen has been designated UNESCO's World Capital of Architecture for 2023, and the Danish capital is brimming with examples of sustainable design.
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Chief among them is the ongoing redevelopment of the once-industrial Nordhavn (or Northern Harbor) into a pedestrian-friendly "smart" district complete with green energy supplies and a "super bikeway" link to the city center. Recent years have seen abandoned grain and cement silos converted into offices and apartment blocks, while a sprawling United Nations campus, UN City, opened there in 2013.
Danish architecture firm Henning Larsen's latest addition to the neighborhood, Nordø, is emblematic of the transformation taking place. With a redbrick facade that honors to the site's industrial past, sizable public gardens and a rooftop terrace, the 115-home development promises residents an "island oasis" with easy access to the district's growing collection of restaurants and public spaces.
Lola Mora Cultural Center, San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina
The late Argentine architect César Pelli may be best known for landmark skyscrapers like the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and New York's World Financial Center, but his firm's first new project in South America since 2018 is an altogether humbler pursuit.
Nestled in a forest overlooking the city of San Salvador de Jujuy, northwest Argentina, the Lola Mora Cultural Center is dedicated to its namesake sculptor, one of the early 20th century's pioneering female artists. In addition to a selection of her works, the institution will house an interpretation center, restaurant, library and atelier for visiting artists.
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The building, whose form was inspired by a sculptor's chisel, is described by architects Pelli Clarke & Partners as being "net-zero energy," though it may go further still: With the help of on-site wind turbines and solar energy production, the center is expected to generate 20% more energy than it consumes.
