At Axalta we love seeing striking new facades from around the world. Here we take a look at some that have just been completed, a project in the pipeline and a couple of our all-time favourites.

On the Horizon in Morocco

A facade not easy to miss is the recently completed 250m 55-storey Mohammed VI Tower in Salé near Rabat in Morocco, which is now visible from 50km all around. The torpedo-like design from Rafael de La-Hoz Arquitectos incorporates solar panels into its powder-coated facade. “The white metallic colour we chose has given a totally uniform effect and because the building has curves, the colour changes according to the light levels,” says architect Jesús Román from the studio’s Madrid office.

Shipping Up to Boston

The copper tones of Handel Architects’ inventive facades at 2 Harbor make a striking addition to the South Boston waterfront. Targeting LEED Platinum and WELL Gold, the life sciences research HQ features torqued facade fins coated in liquid PVDF in a custom-matched shade based on the colour of copper mica. “Our design references existing warehouses and materiality, but also leans to the dynamic movement of expressively folded metal,” says Handel Senior Associate David Woshinsky, who has likened the facade design process to origami.

China Vibes

In Shanghai, Axalta’s Alesta® AD metallic coatings will be employed to great effect in the organic and sinuous forms of the Hongqi Village redevelopment project, a comprehensive sustainable regeneration of the city’s Zhenru district. The development encompasses a pair of 200-metre towers, an underground club and landscaping to protect natural ecosystems. The facade seamlessly blends the interplay of light and shade, contributing to the vibrant urban landscape of one the largest cities in the world.

And not forgetting some old friends…

We’ll never tire of the joyful exuberance of this abstracted facade in Ghent, Belgium – an unexpectedly vibrant headquarter in the old town for the region’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Another old-time favourite is the upbeat Orange Cube design showroom in Lyon by Jakob + Macfarlane, featuring a colourful metal mesh facade punched with giant circles. Architecture has the power to make people smile, so why not?