This week Stefano Boeri Architetti unveiled plans to build Vertical Forest skyscrapers in Dubai

This week on Dezeen, we revealed Italian studio Stefano Boeri Architetti’s plans to design a pair of tree-clad skyscrapers in Dubai.

The studio designed two tapering towers that will rise to a height of 190 and 150 metres, which were unveiled at the COP27 climate conference currently being held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

Stefano Boeri Architetti said that the towers will integrate 2,640 trees and 27,600 shrubs on their facades, along with “a system of greenhouses and hydroponic gardens”.

As COP27 commenced in Egypt, The French Senate has approved a bill that dictates that all large car parks across France should be topped with solar canopies over the next six years.

Parking lots with 80 or more parking spaces will require photovoltaics covering at least half of their surface area. The bill will come into effect in July 2023.

In London, architect Peter Barber was awarded this year’s prestigious Soane Medal for his commitment to tackling the UK’s housing crisis.

“I am so thrilled to have been awarded this year’s Soane Medal,” Barber said before receiving the prize on Tuesday evening. “[John] Soane was an inventive architect, and I hope that we continue to build on his legacy of experimenting with classical ideas and styles. At a time of such uncertainty, it’s really great to see social housing centre stage.”

In other architecture news, following the stir caused by Norman Foster’s Foster Retreat holiday home last week, we rounded up 12 other residences designed by extremely famous architects including Zaha Hadid, David Adjaye and Richard Rogers.

Among the projects is Frank Gehry’s eponymous Santa Monica home, which features a series of striking interlocking structures made from inexpensive materials such as chainlink fence and corrugated steel.

“The neighbours got really pissed off,” Gehry later told Dezeen. “Two doors south of me was a lawyer. She complained to the city and filed a lawsuit.”

With the World Cup set to kick off next week, we looked at the renovation of Qatar’s national stadium by its original architect Dar Al-Handasah.

Changes to the architecture include the addition of a large canopy designed to keep players and spectators cool during football matches, while the building’s facade will be animated by digital lights after dark.

In design news, Dubai Design Week began in the UAE with its annual trade show and a series of exhibitions in the Emirati city.

Highlights from this year’s sustainability-themed edition include an exhibition by emerging designers organised by local collective Tashkeel, which presented a console table made from “datecrete”.

This week also saw British fashion brand Burberry collaborate with video game Minecraft to create a digital 15-piece clothing collection that can be worn by in-game avatars.

“Bridging the digital and physical worlds, Burberry and Minecraft encourage communities to showcase their self-expression and equip the modern explorer with in-game skins and character creator items,” said Burberry.

This week, popular projects on Dezeen included the No.6 Sydney Street apartment block in Melbourne by Wood Marsh, architect Michael Dillon’s self-designed low-cost and low-carbon garden studio and a Victorian warehouse in London that has been transformed into a contemporary office.

Our most recent lookbooks showcased living rooms with warm neutrals and bedrooms with wardrobes that are disguised as walls.

This week on Dezeen

This week on Dezeen is our regular roundup of the week’s top news stories. Subscribe to our newsletters to be sure you don’t miss anything.