Frauenkirche Expert on Devastating Fire 'Notre Dame Reconstruction Will Take Years' The damage to Notre Dame cathedral is massive: The roof was destroyed, a spire collapsed and the stone was exposed to immense heat. What will efforts to rebuild look like? We asked one of the engineers behind the reconstruction of Dresden's Frauenkirche church. Von Julia Merlot
Priced Out Rising Rents Are Putting the Squeeze on Germans Housing shortages have become a serious issue in many German cities, where there is a shortfall around 2 million affordable apartments. A new study shows that the problem is hitting low-earners hard. Von Markus Dettmer und Hannah Knuth
SPIEGEL Interview with Architect Herzog The Striking New Face of Hamburg Architect Jacques Herzog has designed dozens of buildings together with his partner Pierre de Meuron. But his most controversial project to date, the Elbphilharmonie, is about to open in Hamburg. SPIEGEL spoke with Herzog about what the building's importance to the city. Von Ulrike Knöfel
Chinese Billionaire Zhang Xin 'The Old Model Doesn't Work Anymore' In a SPIEGEL interview, billionaire real estate mogul Zhang Xin discusses the recent market crash, the end of China's building boom and why she views Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg as a role model for the wealthy. Von Bernhard Zand
Rem Koolhaas Interview 'We Shouldn't Tear Down Buildings We Can Still Use' Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas talks to SPIEGEL about the new Fondazione Prada museum he designed in Milan, the danger of turning cities into historical Disneylands and his desire to raze an entire neighborhood of Paris. Von Marianne Wellershoff
Interview with Architect Albert Speer The Search for Sustainability at the Qatar World Cup Does it make sense for Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup? German architect Albert Speer, whose office is in charge of the project, says yes -- and is doing all he can to ensure sustainability. In a SPIEGEL interview, he says how. Von Maik Großekathöfer und Juan Moreno
Hipster Village Berlin Nightlife Grows Up For a decade, Bar 25 was one of Berlin's wildest clubs. Now, its founders want to create a new development on the site. It is to cater to former clubbers and preserve an element of 1990s Berlin. But the hurdles are high. Von Philipp Oehmke
Social Design Made In Turkey Feeding Istanbul's Stray Dogs, a Bottle at a Time The city of Istanbul is home to a special invention that is the manifestation of social design. A special vending machine dispenses food for stray dogs when people insert recyclable bottles and cans. Von Vivien Timmler
Resurrecting Königsberg Russian City Looks to German Roots The Allies bombed the Prussian city of Königsberg into the ground in 1944. Residents of what is today the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, a desolate Soviet landscape, are considering rebuilding the city center to reflect some of its historical German architecture. Von Susanne Beyer
Bach to the Future Fans Want to Rebuild Composer's House In the city of Goethe and Schiller, classical music fans want another famous former resident to be honored in Weimar. They're seeking to rebuild the home of Johann Sebastian Bach, who composed some of his most important works in the city. Von Karoline Kuhla
Jailhouse Chic Investors Remake Germany's Disused Prisons As inmate numbers in Germany steadily decline, some states are selling off unneeded correctional facilities to private investors. The result is a new brand of high-end apartments, hotels and event centers housed in renovated former prisons. Von Stephan Degenhardt
From Apple to Amazon The New Monuments to Digital Domination Technology giants in the United States are building bombastic new headquarters to immortalize their grandiose ambitions, while inside they plan to turn traditional office culture on its head. Von Thomas Schulz
Macedonian Makeover Europe's Flailing Capital of Kitsch The Macedonian government has spent huge sums turning its capital, Skopje, into a neo-baroque architectural nightmare. The project's gaudy excesses camouflage a disastrous economy and troubling record on human rights. Von Till Mayer
ECB Headquarters Skyrocketing Costs for Skyscraper Project Estimated costs for the European Central Bank's new headquarters in Frankfurt have more than doubled. As has been happening with so many major projects in Germany, its construction has been plagued by poor planning, oversight and execution -- and endless delays. Von Andreas Wassermann
Sitting Pretty Austrian Bus Stops Get High-Design Makeover A tiny Austrian village has put itself on the design map by commissioning international architects to create local bus stops. The sophisticated structures are proving popular with locals.
Depot Domiciles Train Stations Become Hip German Homes Converting old train stations into living spaces is all the rage in Germany. They're charming and, often, affordable -- but making these buildings livable can be more difficult than people anticipate. Von Michael Kröger
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Germany's Architectural Atrocities Germany is famous for its architectural transgressions. But according to a historian who has compiled a photo collection celebrating the country's ugliest edifices, it's time we learn to embrace them. Von Kristin Haug
Made in China The Green Futurism of Architect Ma Yansong Chinese architect Ma Yansong has taken the West by storm with his organic, futuristic creations. With proposals to cover Tiananmen Square in thick forest and build a floating city over Ground Zero, no one can accuse him of playing it safe. Von Kevin Holden Platt
Container Park Craze Hipsters Create Oases in Urban Wastelands Welcome to "Frau Gerold's Garden," a leafy urban oasis in Zurich made out of shipping containers. Such temporary hipstervilles, which combine trendy shops with food, music and urban gardening, are popping up all over the world -- but also priming the areas for development and gentrification. Von Antje Blinda
Stairway to Hell A Spanish Skyscraper's Elevator Disaster The 47-story luxury In Tempo tower in Benidorm, Spain was hyped as the tallest residential building in the European Union. Now a series of construction snafus -- including an inadequate elevator shaft -- have turned it into a national embarrassment. Von Frank Patalong