Unbuilt Works by Gautam Bhatia
The collection of select unbuilt works by Gautam Bhatia is an exploration by him to propose elastic ideas of architecture that explore different approaches to public and living spaces.
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Essays on Unbuilt Architecture
In the Shadow Light of Unbuilt – and Lost – Cinema
Godavar, in his essay about the unfinished and lost films, focusses on how these incomplete works offer glimpses into unrealised creative visions and possibilities. While digital restoration and AI present new opportunities, he presents the beauty and the ability of unfinished cinema to inspire imagination and alternative storytelling.
An Un-built Project Is Reborn In The Desert
Sanjay Prakash, Managing Principal of SHiFt, writes about his unbuilt project that shaped SHiFt’s design philosophy, serving as prototype that informed future work. Decades later, IIT Jodhpur embodied these evolved ideas, highlighting unbuilt designs’ enduring role in architectural innovation.
Meditations on the Unbuilt as Refuge
Architects Anupama Kundoo and Shimul Javeri Kadri, in conversation with Khushru Irani, converse about how visionary architectural projects often remain unbuilt due to resistance and constraints, yet these “unbuilt” works serve as vital repositories of future possibility, requiring architects to practice patience and maintain transformative vision across generations.
![Dune (unreleased film) H. R. Giger - [the strange power of unseen films]. Source Wikifandom](https://unbuiltideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Dune-unreleased-film-H.-R.-Giger-the-strange-power-of-unseen-films-300x213.jpg)
The Strange Power of Unseen Films
With the relevancy of unbuilt expanding to other arts forms, Saachi D’Souza ventures into “Unseen Films” that have either been banned, lost, or unfinished, and yet continue to profoundly influence cinema through and in their absence, define cultural boundaries more powerfully than many released films.
The Unbuilt as Future Collectives — A Conversation with Rupali Gupte, Bijoy Ramachandran, and Ruturaj Parikh
Curators Rupali Gupte, Bijoy Ramachandran, and Ruturaj Parikh, of the book “Unbuilt 2.0: Architecture of Future Collectives”, explore cooperative spatial alternatives that challenge individualistic design, emphasizing ecological repair, temporal flexibility, and architecture as social infrastructure for emerging collective forms of living. through this conversation.
Unbuilt Works
Friedrichstrasse Skyscraper, Berlin, Germany, by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
In 1921, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe proposed the Friedrichstrasse Skyscraper, a radical glass-and-steel tower that was never built. Its bold geometry and transparent structure went on to influence modern skyscraper design for decades.
Gelephu ‘Mindfulness City’, Bhutan, by Bjarke Ingels Group, Arup, and Cistri.
Gelephu ‘Mindfulness City’ by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), Arup, and Cistri, envisions a new economic hub in southern Bhutan, rooted in nature and culture. Shaped by rivers, forests, paddy fields, and mountains, the masterplan brings together neighbourhoods, public spaces, sustainable infrastructure, and Bhutanese architectural traditions to create a city where development and the natural landscape can grow together.
The Plug-In City by Archigram
In the 1960s, Archigram imagined Plug-In City — a city where homes could be added, removed, and changed as people’s lives evolved. Never built, the idea remains a fascinating vision of a city designed to grow and adapt with its people.
Inhabit the staircase, Barcelona, Spain, by Laura Bravo & Silvia Prujà
Set in Barcelona, this housing proposal uses the ladder as the main idea behind everyday living. A series of interconnected homes are linked by cascading staircases that act not only as paths between spaces, but also as places to meet, relax, and connect. By turning changes in level into shared experiences and blending indoor and outdoor life, the project offers a more social and human approach to co-living.
Nested Walls, Spain, by Anama Studio
Designed by Anama Studio, the Brickwall Refuge rethinks shelter across Spain’s diverse landscapes. Inspired by termite mounds, it uses thick ceramic walls and carefully placed openings to naturally regulate temperature, creating a refuge that feels both protective and closely connected to its surroundings.
Anubhav Stambh by Samvad Design Studio
Anubhav Stambh Complex, designed by Samvad Studio, commemorates 75 years of independent India through a 30-metre rammed earth tower that brings together the nation’s diverse soils, cultures, and histories. Conceived as a sustainable public space and cultural complex, the project combines layered pathways, exhibition spaces, galleries, and an amphitheatre to create a monumental yet inclusive landmark rooted in India’s architectural heritage.
