As we marvel at the brilliant new buildings that were completed in 2025, we can't help but wonder what lies ahead for the world's most spectacular cityscapes. It seems 2026 and 2027 will bring even more amazing structures.

Click through this gallery to discover the most eye-catching, boundary-pushing buildings about to alter our skylines forever...

A fish market might sound like a utilitarian, less-than-inspiring space. But Sydney Fish Market, set open on 19 January 2026, is likely to become a unique addition to the city's skyline. Designed by Danish architects 3XN, the 860,000-square-foot (79,896sqm) space will integrate a working market with public food and dining spaces.

The New South Wales government hopes the impressive new building will become a major new tourist destination, attracting an estimated six million visitors a year. One thing's for sure – the design is lightyears away from the damp, pungent fish markets of years gone by.

The building's wave-like roof isn't purely decorative. According to 3XN, it harvests rainwater for reuse and uses prevailing winds to extract hot air. Meanwhile, the timber and aluminium canopy is designed to be as permeable as possible, minimising the need for air conditioning and deflecting direct sunlight.

The project has so far cost £395 million (AUS$750m/US$497m), a massive £263 million (AUS$500m/US$331m) over the initial 2017 estimate. Price aside, the Fish Market will become the most significant harbourside complex since 1973, when the Sydney Opera House opened.

Nearly 20 years in the making, the long-awaited Guggenheim art museum in Abu Dhabi is finally set to open in 2026. The museum is yet another groundbreaking addition to Saadiyat Island, the city’s luxury cultural and leisure destination.

Designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry, it will be the largest of the four Guggenheims around the world. It will be home to a varied collection of global modern and contemporary art, with a particular focus on works from West Asia, North Africa and South Asia.

Construction is well underway on the new permanent collections building at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The new two-storey David Geffen Galleries building has been designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, replacing four older buildings by William Pereira and Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates, which had serious structural issues.

The new 347,500-square-foot (32,283sqm) design bridges Wilshire Boulevard and promises to be a "place of reflection, expression and empathy", according to the museum. 

Aiming to provide a more egalitarian viewing experience, the museum will avoid giving more prominence to any one culture or era across the new 110,000 square feet (10,200sqm) of exhibition space. Almost unbelievably, the £511 million ($650m) build is Peter Zumthor's first in the US.

A former winner of the Pritzker Prize, Zumthor is noted for having no single style, but his work is often described as minimalist. The building is due for completion sometime in 2026.

This elegant building will be gracing Shenzhen sometime this year, as one of the city's '10 Cultural Facilities of the New Era'. Designed by 3XN, B+H Architects and Zhubo Design, Shenzhen's new Natural History Museum will "rise seamlessly from the river delta", according to B+H, its walls echoing the undulating curves of the city waterfront.

The green roof will be a public park, with every turn framing "a new spectacular view over the surrounding park, hills and lake" from dedicated viewing terraces.

A meandering path will spiral down from the rooftop park, like the inside of a shell, to lead visitors to the heart of the building, where a range of specimens will be displayed across 365,000 square feet (33,909sqm) of exhibition space. Visitors will also be able to enjoy multiple cafés and public areas inside the futuristic building.

The project is set to cost £386 million (¥3.5bn/$486m), which doesn't include the acquisition of the exhibits. We can't wait to see how the completed construction compares to these amazing concept images. 

Another epic creation set to alter a big-city skyline is The One, a skyscraper designed by Foster + Partners. Once completed, the 91-storey, 1,004-foot-high (306m) skyscraper will become Canada's tallest building, and its second tallest man-made structure after the CN Tower.

The One will sit between downtown Toronto and trendy Yorkville, in an area that's seen rapid transformation over the past decade. The distinctive exterior frame of the building is clad in champagne bronze, making The One look like a shard of light.

A fusion of old and new, the structure will incorporate the historic William Luke Buildings, which date to 1883 and occupy part of the site. However, this potential structure has suffered some bumps in the road.

The One went into receivership in October 2023 after the owners, developer Sam Mizrahi and investor Jenny Coco, defaulted on nearly £999 million (CA$1.7bn/US$1.2bn) of debt. The build is expected to be complete by early 2028, when commercial units will fill the lower levels, with apartments above. This includes duplex penthouses with sweeping views of Lake Ontario.

Wood City in Stockholm’s Sickla district is intended to be an urban environment infused with the natural serenity of a forest. Designed by the Scandinavian studios Henning Larsen and White Arkitekter, it will ultimately have 7,000 office spaces and 2,000 homes while covering 2,691,000 square feet (250,000sqm), making it the world’s largest mass timber development. 

Combining the minimalist and functional elements of Scandinavian design with natural elements incorporated into the structures – such as green roofs for better insulation and large windows to let in light – it embodies the designers’ vision of a city in harmony with nature.

Three residential buildings known as Kvarter 7 are set to be the first part of Wood City to be completed in early 2026. Containing 80 apartments with a total floor area of approximately 95,800 square feet (8,900sqm), the buildings’ façades and roof angles deliberately differ to give a pleasingly distinctive and welcoming feel to the development. 

A child-centred perspective has also guided the design process. Children’s bedrooms are larger than the norm and practical utility spaces feature ample storage space for bike helmets, boots and rain gear. The block’s secluded location and varied topography also offers a stimulating and safe play environment.

Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s new performing arts venue (NPAV) is yet to open (scheduled for early 2026), but has already been making waves in the world of architecture having been shortlisted in the Future Projects – Culture category of the 2024 World Architecture Festival Awards.  

The mesmerising new building, a collaboration between the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta and Brisbane based partner Blight Rayer, will serve the QPAC for ballet, opera, drama and major musicals. It will also have flexibility to cater for new and emerging theatre styles and trends.  

The undulating design of the building is intended to honour the original Aboriginal inhabitants of Brisbane, the Turrbal and Yuggera peoples. Arranged in layers, the NPAV has the auditorium at its heart, encased in a concrete shell that builds on the legacy of the pre-existing 1986 modernist building. Rippled glass is wrapped around this core, inspired by the movement and flow of the Brisbane River. 

A short prose poem by Indigenous artist Aunty Lilla Watson conveying the spirit of the river was a key reference. Inside, the theatre’s warm timber, deep green seating and carpet, and black timber battens and panels celebrate the lush forests of Queensland. 

Now discover the world's most beautiful buildings – and how to see them