This book presents innovative examples of hidden architecture: buildings that are designed to disappear into their surroundings or hide in plain sight. In the city, hidden buildings are often designed to provide the occupants with privacy and protection from the busy world outside or they can be incorporated into the streetscape to free up space for public use. In the countryside, buildings should not spoil a scenic landscape, so they can be designed to become a part of it. Buildings can be buried underground, hidden amongst trees, covered with greenery or even sunk into the sea. They can be clad in mirrors to reflect their surroundings, disappear beneath an urban plaza or be hidden from view on top of another building. Each of these imaginative solutions offers a way for architecture to blend in rather than stand out. Hidden Architecture tells the stories of projects from around the world that are cleverly disguised but still beautifully detailed and outstanding in their execution.

What might the city of the future look like and how might it meet the needs of future generations while limiting damage to our planet's fragile ecosystem? This book introduces pioneering architects, designers and planners whose visions for an alternative urban future address issues such as climate change, population density, infrastructure, transportation and digital culture. It includes over 40 radical projects grouped into five key categories: master planning and megacities, transportation and infrastructure, new habitats, green cities/ urban farming, and smart cities. Each category summarises trends that will drive the development of future cities, with each project representing a unique approach to urban development in the 21st century and beyond.