As 2025 draws to a close and we look ahead to the year to come, this annual review reflects on a period marked by significant milestones, project completions, and continued progress across Mecanoo’s global portfolio. From cultural buildings and public institutions to urban developments and campuses, 2025 brought moments of opening, recognition, and advancement.
Following last year’s outlook, several major projects reached completion and entered public use in 2025. From the Netherlands to the United States and Abu Dhabi, these openings brought Mecanoo’s core design values, People, Place, Purpose and Poetry to life.
Major completions in 2025
The year began with a significant homecoming as De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) welcomed over 2,300 employees back to its transformed headquarters in Amsterdam. In March, the building’s public spaces opened to the city, transforming the former fortress into an accessible environment that functions as a new urban living room. Visitors are invited to explore exhibitions, attend events, and engage with the bank’s core activities and art collections. Throughout 2025, the project received further recognition, including the Gulden Feniks and the Geurt Brinkgreve Bokaal, alongside BREEAM Outstanding and WELL Platinum certifications, acknowledging its approach to adaptive reuse, sustainability, and public value.
In July, the Doris Duke Theatre at Jacob’s Pillow officially opened in Massachusetts. Replacing the studio theatre lost to fire in 2020, the new venue maintains its predecessor's intimacy while introducing a flexible spatial layout and a robust digital backbone. Deeply informed by Indigenous cultures and an extensive artist engagement process, the design seamlessly integrates performance, education, and the surrounding landscape into a resilient, inclusive environment. Following its completion, the project received the Archello Awards 2025 Public Vote Winner in the Theatre Building of the Year.
In November, the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi opened its doors to the public in the Saadiyat Cultural District. Mecanoo is honoured to be part of this world-class architectural ensemble. Our 35,000 m² Natural History Museum presents an immersive journey through 13.8 billion years of history, from the origins of the universe to the evolution of life on Earth, all framed through an Arabian perspective. Developed in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi and Miral, the Natural History Museum strengthens Abu Dhabi’s growing cultural landscape and its role as an international centre for knowledge and creativity.
A Year of Accolades
Throughout 2025, Mecanoo projects also received wide recognition for architectural quality, sustainability, and cultural impact. In addition to De Nederlandsche Bank, our work at Perth Museum continued its winning streak, securing the Supreme Award, Best Regeneration Award, and Best Use of Timber Award from the Dundee Institute of Architects, as well as honours from the Scottish Property Awards, World Architecture News Awards, Designverse Awards, and the Architizer A+Awards. These accolades reflect the project’s civic, cultural, and architectural value. The Lawson Centre for Sustainability received the Holcim Foundation Award 2025 (North America), while projects such as Ede–Wageningen Train Station and Kaohsiung Station also garnered public and professional recognition, underscoring the diversity of Mecanoo’s work across cultures and scales.
Ongoing Project Going Strong
Alongside completions and awards, 2025 saw steady momentum across our portfolio of ongoing work. Development advanced on the transformation of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, further shaping the museum ensemble and its surrounding public spaces. Work on Brink Tower progressed as a model for sustainable and inclusive urban living, while projects at Utrecht Science Park moved forward towards a future-oriented campus. In Delft, vision updates for the Campus Station Area continued to explore the integration of innovation, housing, and mobility.
Looking Forward to 2026
Looking ahead, 2025 has been a year of momentum and continuity, celebrating what has been achieved while laying the groundwork for the years to come. Mecanoo remains committed to architecture that is contextual, responsible, and enduring, shaping environments that support people, culture, and the future.
Thank you for being part of our journey.