Surprising images of floating feathers help a California courthouse balance the scales of architecture and art. The striking new Governor Deukmejian Courthouse in Long Beach, Calif. spans two city blocks in downtown Long Beach and replaces a functionally obsolete courthouse one block away. In keeping with the cityscape, the courthouse design features a low-rise scheme in an L-shape—with one section of four stories, the other of five stories—surrounding a secure courtyard, a spacious lobby, and 31 courtrooms with access to natural light. Clad in deeply-articulated curtainwall and stone elements, the courthouse also features a stunning frieze at its entrance. American new media artist and UCLA

At the MUMUTH Music Theatre in Graz, Austria, a shimmering metal façade is the perfect complement to the building’s combination of movement and music. Located in Austria’s student-based city, the MUMUTH Music Theatre at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz combines a unit-based volume—the black box of the theater—and a series of movement-based volumes—the foyer and public circulation areas. The multipurpose auditorium can seat up to 450, and is adaptable to a wide variety of performances. A spiraling constructive element connects the entrance to the auditorium and to the music rooms above. This “twist” forms a 3D interpretation of the repetitive pattern, executed in the muted ton