A massive landscape intervention near Sapporo, Japan by architect Tadao Ando both conceals and reveals a 40-foot statue of the Buddha in the midst of a rural cemetery.

The designer was tasked with highlighting the scale of the figure — rather than setting it against something smaller, though, he surrounded the sculpture with a gently sloped and plant-populated hillside.

Thus enclosed, only the head is visible from the outside. Visitors have to make their way through a 120-foot tunnel to get the full effect, looking up at the statue from below. An arched concrete rotunda is revealed, and natural light casts down through a void above.

The design intention was to create a vivid spatial sequence,” says Ando, “beginning with the long approach through the tunnel in order to heighten anticipation of the statue, which is invisible from the outside.” Then, “when the hall is reached, visitors look up at the buddha, whose head is encircled by a halo of sky at the end of the tunnel.”

The greenery draped along the new landscape is designed to change with the seasons, blooming in spring and summer, thinning out in the fall then covered with snow in the winter. Visitors coming at different times of year will thus also experience the sculpture in different ways each time.

Designed for Astana, the cold capital city of Kazakhstan, this ‘white roof’ 1,000-foot ski run wraps around an apartment tower, bringing winter sports right to residents’ doorsteps.

Despite the length of winters, this urban setting offers little by way of local options, forcing citizens to drive for hours to the closest ski destinations, at least until now.

The slope is designed to wrap around the roof of the building, taking advantage of curves and grade changes all the way down and potentially usable with Snoflex (artificial snow) all year round.

Incorporating 421 domestic units, this 21-floor design by Shokhan Mataibekov Architects was recognized as a finalist in the 2015 World Architecture Festival and is now seeking funding.  Additional shops and restaurants on the ground floor would serve both skiers and apartment dwellers. Upon completion, it would be the first such mixed-use skiing center of its kind in the world.

Far more exciting than a walking treadmill or elliptical machine, this infinite rock wall brings the challenges (and hard exercise) of scaling sheer cliffs right into your local gym or living room.

The Climbstation can be rotated between a slope of 15 degrees and negative 49 degrees, simulating everything from relatively generous slopes or dizzying upside-down climbing experiences.

The device can also rotate through different slopes, speeds and durations on demand, in response to programmatic difficulty levels or in a pre-selected sequence. As in typical bouldering rooms at climbing wall centers, a mat placed below the device will cushion any fall.

Between climbs, users can swap out 90 holds that come with each machine between 600 potential positions, dynamically changing the landscape from one session to the next to keep things interesting and challenging.

The mid-five-figure price tag will be enough to put off casual users, but could also be sufficiently low for these to start showing up not just at the homes of the rich and famous but also at regional fitness centers – a great way for recreational climbers or professionals located far from mountains to train or simply stay in shape.