There are mysterious and maybe slightly creepy black buildings, and then there are the blackest of black buildings made from the light-absorbing pigment known as Vantablack. Architect Asif Khan designed a pavilion for the PyeongChang 2018 Opening Ceremony coated in the highly coveted pigment, which consists of carbon nanotubes that absorb 99% of light, making it difficult to make out shapes and textures on its surface. Khan creates a starry sky effect with the addition of thousands of illuminated rods extending from the facade.

The experience of standing in front of the building is said to be the closest any of us will ever get to seeing what outer space looks like while grounded firmly on Earth. The rods further confuse the effect, making it difficult to tell where the building’s parabolic facade begins and ends.

Inside, visitors find a “narrative” of five themed interiors: water, solar, electrolysis, hydrogen fuel stack and recreation of water. Walking through the tunnel-like entrance, you feel like you’re being enveloped by a black cloud before emerging into another world. The concept was created to highlight Hyundai’s research in hydrogen fuel cells without being too literal, highlighting outer space as the birthplace of hydrogen during the Big Bang.

Vantablack is perhaps most famous for being licensed exclusively to the sculptor of Anish Kapoor, a controversial designation that hasn’t made Kapoor too popular with his fellow artists and spawned some passive-aggressive sparring. Ben Jensen of Surrey Nanosystems, which created the material, says Vantablack will never be a retail product because it has to be applied by specialist contractors using a technique that forms a consistent nanostructure.

“The level of interest really took us aback,” says Jensen. “We were inundated by architects and designers asking how they could use Vantablack, with ideas for everything from museum interiors to hiding unsightly cabling runs in the ceiling.”

For a deeper explanation of each of the five interiors and their meanings, check out an interview with Jang Young of Hyundai Creative Works at Archdaily.

Black is a divisive color; either you see it as dramatic, mysterious and elegant or as somber and oppressive, to be used in small quantities. But you have to admit that, beside a bevy of brightly-colored competitors, products that are boldly black stand out. These unapologetically dark package designs put the focus on form, typography and minimalist embellishment to catch your eye on the shelf.

Coarse False Friends Blackout Box

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What’s subtler than black-on-black? Coarse Toys designed this sleek custom box specifically for the Blackout version of its ‘Cloacked Noop’ and ‘Pitch-Black Paw!’ toy set, stamping the box with a barely-there hint of gold foil.

Auténtico Tequila Alacrán Bottle

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It’s rebellious packaging for a rebellious brand of tequila, made by a group of friends in Mexico City. Matte black and inspired by the shape of a canteen crossed with a liquor flask, this bottle has a soft ‘velvety’ feel to it.

‘400 Costumes to Die For’ Tube

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As a promo piece, this definitely works: cross funny cartoons with a distinctly adult black-and-white color scheme and stamp the word ‘freakshow’ on the top, and you’re going to get some attention. GS Designs released this set of two custom-made 20-sided dice, one printed with modifiers and the other with nouns, as a fun way to help people come up with a unique costume idea. Who could resist a kung fu gnome, or Biker Jesus?

Timberland & Concepts Shoe Box

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When Timberland collaborated with shoe store Concepts on an all-black boot, run-of-the-mill packaging wasn’t even an option. The hexagonal black box designed by Creative Pilot definitely gives you a feel for what’s inside.

Back&Forth – Unavoidable Casualty CD Sleeve

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Physical music media will never disappear altogether if more record labels put out packaging this beautiful. The black DVD-format case, with its graphic white print, just begs you to pick it up and take a closer look.

Rubyy Energy Drink Can

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If you saw this can sitting next to a Red Bull in a cooler case, which would you choose? The Rubyy Blood Orange Energy Drink packaging is more visually interesting by far, and as “the first ultra-premium luxury energy drink”, it aims to be seen – high on the shelf beside top-quality liquor.

Black Pop-Up Popcorn Packages

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Popcorn is kind of a ‘fun’ snack, so why not put it in a fun package? This origami pop-up popcorn packaging is a concept by Anni Nykänen of Packlab Design in Finland.

Doritos ‘The End’ Special Edition Bags/

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For its campaign ‘The End’, featuring two new special flavors – onion rings n’ ketchup and buffalo wings n’ ranch – Doritos commissioned designer Shikatani Lacroix to create these bold eye-catching bags in black and white, which undoubtedly stood out from the crowd of bright colors during its brief time on the shelf in Canada.

Meteor Wine Bottles

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A black sky is the perfect backdrop for a full white moon, constellations and meteors, so it only makes sense as the base of this concept for White Fences Vineyards by WORK labs. “We like to think this bottle is a nice example of ‘less is more,’” say the designers.

Box for the Kindle 2 E-Reader

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The second version of Amazon’s Kindle e-reader got a sleek redesign – and so did the packaging. Both have black-on-black designs, the matte backgrounds sprinkled with glossy letters.

Marseille Soap Company

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Marseille Soap Company keeps things simple with black-on-black packaging; perfect for those who care about every little design detail in the bathroom.

Renova Black Toilet Paper

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And if you’re going to have an all-black soap dispenser in your bathroom, why not go all out and match the toilet paper, too? Renova black toilet paper even comes in a decorative black tin. This Amazon.com review says it all: “As a loyal minion to the Commander-in-Chief of the Galactic Empire, I can attest to the sweet fragrance, strength and absorbency of this product: the Dark Lord of the Sith will countenance no other luxury bath tissue in his personal toilet chamber. “

Floating Mountain Wine Bottles

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Concrete Creative gave Floating Mountain wines a dramatic new look with matte black printed paper labels, embellished with black gloss foil.

Acushla Olive Oil Tin

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This design concept elevates a bottle of olive oil on your kitchen counter to décor. Black is definitely a flattering color for Acushla Organic Olive Oil, especially combined with a shade of green appropriately borrowed from the color of an olive leaf.

Skullcandy Headphones Package

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All-black headphones get matte black packaging enhanced with debossed texture and gloss varnish graphics in this set by Skullcandy.

Cocoa Absolute Chocolate Bar Packaging

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Black packaging, with an emphasis on typography and just a hint of color in a beige-and-pink band, somehow makes this chocolate bar by Cocoa Absolute seem even more tempting.