Artificial hills are alive with the sound of music at this performing arts center in Taiwan.

Mecanoo designs a swooping performing arts center in Taiwan.

The architectural team of Mecanoo and Beyer Blinder Belle has been hard at work on the New York Public Library’s master plan for more than a year.

Modesty is rare amongst global architectural practices, yet Dutch firm Mecanoo is an exception. With major projects under way from New York to Taiwan, Mecanoo has recently completed a surprisingly understated railway station and municipal offices in its hometown of Delft that also helps repair a torn urban fabric.

A sign on the door of Dudley Dough, a soon-to-be opened caf' on the ground floor of Boston's recently inaugurated Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building, advertises 'pizza, coffee, and economic justice.' This improbable menu gives a clue to the larger goals behind the construction of the 215,000-square-foot, six-story structure completed this past spring.