The simple form of a cube is a popular shape for architects. Following the news that Saudi Arabia is planning a cuboid skyscraper in Riyadh, we have rounded up 10 of the most interesting cube-shaped buildings.
Berlin Cube, Berlin, Germany, by 3XN (2020)
Aptly named Berlin Cube, this office block designed by Danish architecture studio 3XN stands alongside the River Spree near the central railway station.
Clad in reflective glass on all sides, the 10-storey office block measures 42.5 metres in all directions.
The Orange Cube, Lyon, France, by Jakob + Macfarlane (2011)
Another building named after the geometric shape, this time the Orange Cube, stands in Lyon, France.
Designed by French studio Jakob + Macfarlane as a design showroom, the distinctive, six-storey building was wrapped in a metal skin perforated with circles of various different sizes. A large conical hole punched in the facade exposes internal offices and balconies.
“The project is designed as a simple orthogonal cube into which a giant hole is carved, responding to necessities of light, air movement and views,” said the studio.
Kube, by OMA, Hong Kong (2019)
On a smaller scale, this golden cube-shaped kiosk designed by OMA was built outside the K11 Musea retail development in Hong Kong.
Named Kube, as a nod to its shape, the kiosk aims to be “a distinctive and intimate place for encounters and happenings”.
Cube House, Westhampton Beach, USA, by Leroy Street Studio (2017)
Another project named after its geometric shape, Cube House was designed by American studio Leroy Street Studio as a beach house in the Hamptons.
The almost-cube-shaped house, which measures 12 by nine by nine metres, was raised on 3.4-metre-high stilts to protect it from flooding.
Blloku Cube, Tirana, Albania, by Stefano Boeri Architetti
Currently under construction in the Albanian capital, Tirana, the seven-storey Blloku Cube will measure approximately 30 metres by 30 metres by 30 metres when it is complete.
It will contain a shopping centre on its two lowest floors, with five stories of office space above all wrapped in a facade made from three-dimensional aluminium triangles.
Planned as part of a wider addition to Riyadh‘s downtown area, the cube-shaped Mukaab skyscraper is set to be 400 metres high and 400 metres along its facade.
The golden-coloured building will be enclosed in overlapping triangular forms, which according to the developers were informed by the modern Najdi architectural style.
AgriNesture house, Mao Khe, Vietnam, by H&P Architects (2020)
Designed as a “cube of earth” by H&P Architects, the AgriNesture house in Vietnam is topped with a large space for growing food that includes a system for rainwater collection.
“The house is like a cube of earth cut out from a field,” the studio said. “Inside this cube are many nooks of the nest connected to a section of field at the top roof.”
Museumplein Limburg, Kerkrade, the Netherlands, by Shift Architecture Urbanism (2015)
Created as part of the Museumplein Limburg science and technology museum in the Netherlands, this cube-shaped gallery stands next to a spherical cinema and elongated walkway.
The trio of geometric forms were created as an extension to the existing museum complex. The cube-shaped building, which is clad in reflective steel sheeting, houses the country’s first design museum.
“Their pure geometry and omnidirectional orientation counteracts the amorphous and introvert character of the existing museum,” said the studio.
Paddington Cube, London, UK, Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Scheduled to complete later this year, the Paddington Cube is set to be an 18-storey office block in London designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop.
Wrapped in glass on all sides, the office block occupies a site that was originally earmarked for a 72-storey skyscraper. The controversial plans were scrapped after four months.
House of Kubogaoka, Japan, by Kichi Architectural Design
Designed by Japanese studio Kichi Architectural Design, this timber-framed house has plaster-covered facades to create the impression that it was built from a solid block of concrete.
The small square windows dotted around its exterior draw attention to the square facade.
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