The George Lindemann Journal by George Lindemann

GC Prostho Museum Research Center, Japan

In the early 1900s, the competition to build the tallest skyscraper was intense. Today, with innovative new materials and design tools on hand, architects are going beyond mere size and focusing on sculptural forms.

"The Sky's the Limit: Applying Radical Architecture" (Gestalten, $78) features 135 cutting-edge projects completed in recent years, broken into categories like organic flow, sharp structures and smarter surfaces. The ultimate aim of these buildings, writes Sofia Borges in the preface, is to evoke "pure, immersive sensation."

Kengo Kuma & Associates

GC Prostho Museum Research Center, Japan

GC Prostho Museum Research Center, Japan

This entire building, in the small mountain town of Kasugai-shi, is made of interlocking wood poles with uniquely shaped joints—no nails or metal fittings required.

 
from The Sky's the Limit: Applying Radical Architecture, Gestalten

Moses Bridge, Netherlands

Moses Bridge, Netherlands

At Fort de Roovere, this sunken bridge (made out of waterproof wood) crosses a 17th-century moat—with the waterline coming right up to the edge. From afar, the bridge blends in with the moat. Up close, the waters appear to part.

Takeshi Hosaka

Hoto Fudo, Japan

Hoto Fudo, Japan

The design of this restaurant, at the base of Mount Fuji, mirrors the clouds that surround the peak. The interior contains a large, interconnected dining space that is open to the air most seasons—no closed doors here.

SelgasCano/Jose Selgas & Lucia Cano

Merida Factory Youth Movement, Spain

Merida Factory Youth Movement, Spain

Completed in 2011, this multipurpose recreation space includes ramps for skateboarding and biking, as well as a vertical climbing wall. A long canopy over the complex blocks the rain and sun.

BNKR Arquitectura, from The Sky's the Limit: Applying Radical Architecture, Gestalten

Sunset Chapel, Acapulco, Mexico, 2011

Sunset Chapel, Acapulco, Mexico, 2011

This bunker-like concrete chapel looks like a giant boulder perched atop a mountain. It is angled to take advantage of spectacular views.

BNKR Arquitectura, from The Sky's the Limit: Applying Radical Architecture, Gestalten

Interior of Sunset Chapel

 
from The Sky's the Limit: Applying Radical Architecture, Gestalten

Office of Ryue Nishizawa, Tokyo, Japan, 2011

Office of Ryue Nishizawa, Tokyo, Japan, 2011

Squeezed into a high density Tokyo neighborhood on a narrow 32 square meter site, these unusual stacked home provides a series of spaces that blur the inside and outside. Vertical layers of horizontal slabs that create a building without walls, bringing light and ventilation to the dark site.

Tomas Saraceno, from The Sky's the Limit: Applying Radical Architecture, Gestalten

Biosphere, Staens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2009

Biosphere, Staens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2009

Part ecological bounce house and part gravity-defying mind-bender, this anamorphic project fills a corridor connecting the old and new buildings of a Danish art museum. The hovering biospheres are made of plastics and some house unusual plant based ecosystems, while others are filled with water. Visitors can step inside the largest one.