WEEK IN REVIEW

after over 15 years of construction, paris retail institution 'la samaritaine' is set to reopen its doors to the public. led by SANAA, édouard françois, and françois brugel, the renovation sees the 19th-century building transformed into a complex that includes a department store, a 5-star 72 room-hotel, 96 social housing units, offices, and a children’s nursery. learn more about the project and see the latest images here.

meanwhile, santiago calatrava's greek orthodox church is taking shape at the world trade center in new york. these new photos, taken by designboom, show that the building's first marble slabs have already been secured in place.

this week we spoke with japanese artist motoi yamamoto about the process behind his meticulously created landscapes of salt. in this exclusive interview, yamamoto talks about his widely celebrated archive of installations across the world, how his upbringing has shaped his creative philosophies, and shares a preview of his upcoming work. discover more recent interviews, including one with belgian architect vincent callebaut, and another with pace gallery curatorial director oliver shultz, here.

in tech news, a team of designers from the CAPTN initiative have developed two autonomous ferry concepts powered by electricity. the team has developed the alternative modes of transport for the german port city of kiel.

last, french studio constance guisset has topped its first perfume bottle for japanese company shiseido with a monolith-like cap. see more submissions by our readers here, and find out here how to upload your own project here.