Record Interiors 2008: Our annual survey of remarkable interiors includes 14 projects for which materials matter: A downtown Milwaukee bar by Johnsen Schmaling Architects, a minimalist Beijing restaurant by CL3, one of Tokyo’s latest Bathing Ape (BAPE) boutiques by Wonderwall, and a list of other projects that pair striking details with impeccable execution.

Pictured: The Shoe Box, flagship store for chic Pedder Red shoes; Photo © Steve Mok

Quarterly Lighting Section: Whether they're at street level or underground, public spaces are transformed by lighting design. These eight projects lend as much poetry to gathering places, pedestrian conduits, and cultural facilities as they do darkness-smashing functionality.

Plus much more in our lighting archive.

Pictured: Underground; Photo Scott Mcdonald, Shimer © Hedrich Blessing

We spotlight four standout projects including an iceberg-like opera house by Snøhetta, a fabric-wrapped concert by Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas, a sanctum-oriented synagogue by Stanley Saitowitz/Natoma Architects, and a boldly sculptural graduate study center by José Cruz Ovalle and Partners.

Plus, view past Project Portfolios, with multimedia features including videos and interactive walk-throughs, and links to the people and products behind the projects.

Pictured: Zenith de Strasbourg; Photo © Philippe Ruault

Health Care: Twelve innovative health-care facilities show how architects are designing for patient comfort and community growth through flexible designs that incorporate natural light, indoor/outdoor connections, and an easy flow.

Pictured: Southwest Washington Medical Center, E.W. and Mary Firstenburg Tower; Photo © Benjamin Benschneider

Engineering News-Record, RECORD’s sister publication, recently published a special feature on “Progressive Project Delivery,” including an opinion piece observing that “Architects Move Belatedly to the Light” and another column, “Could Big Change Happen here?” that warns: “new methods of project acquisition [in Britain]… should send shudders down the spines of American architects and engineers.”