Architecture articles from across Nature Portfolio

Urban heritage embodies the tension between preservation and dynamism. Focusing on historic sections of Singapore and using archives, fieldwork and machine learning, this study finds that color is an evolving part of the sociocultural ecology of a city and its heritage.

Biodeterioration of stone monuments and buildings can lead to a loss of world cultural heritage. This Review discusses the role of microbes in the deterioration processes, the biochemical mechanisms involved and possible strategies for sustainable conservation of stone monuments and buildings.

Lidar survey of the Maya lowlands uncovers the monumental site of Aguada Fénix, which dates to around 1000–800 bc and points to the role of communal construction in the development of Maya civilization.

The most comprehensive architectural model to date of the nuclear pore complex reveals previously unknown local interactions, and a role for nucleoporin 358 in Y-complex oligomerization.

The color of cities is a striking feature of their culture, heritage and built environment. By examining the chromatic reconstruction of 3,103 heritage buildings over 40 years in Singapore, we note dynamic changes in local color in the city and suggest that color should be preserved as part of the sociocultural ecology.

Juan Ramón Fernández Cardenete tends the Alhambra’s many water features and gardens.

Jakub Cech creates digital versions of materials for use in the virtual world.

New design - inspired by lizard tails - could save lives by isolating collapsing sections of damaged buildings

How knocking down a building helped researchers design a safer structure, and a sustainable 3D printing resin made from a bodybuilding supplement.