In retrospect, 2016 was a rollercoaster year for architecture. The field hit some lows with the untimely loss of Zaha Hadid and the fallout of a contentious presidential election.

But the year also was one of milestones: the AIA awarded its highest honor to an African-American architect for the first time, while the Pritzker Prize and other awards honored architects committed to improving communities. RECORD also reached a landmark this year, celebrating its 125th anniversary this fall.

And, of course, 2016 brought an abundance of notable architecture—from a humble salt shed in New York, to a show-stopping concert hall in Hamburg.  With the year nearly behind us, RECORD looks back on some of the best projects we published in our pages, in no particular order.