The first-ever global architectural design competition, the Creatorverse Buildathon, was recently concluded. This event was co-hosted by Decentraland, the world’s largest metaverse platform, and Parcel, a virtual real estate trading platform. Liu Haowei and the CAA LAB Metaverse Planning Bureau earned awards for all five of their virtual architectural artworks.
Unlike typical metaverse-themed architectural design contests, this competition leveraged blockchain technology throughout—from registration to the final selection process. Winning projects are now showcased and utilized on the Decentraland platform.
As the leading metaverse platform globally, Decentraland invites architects worldwide to collaborate with technologists in creating parallel virtual worlds. The goal is to explore innovative models for metaverse development and construction, enhancing virtual land value and expanding urban functionalities through professional spatial understanding and design.
Among the winners, CAA LAB’s Metaverse Planning Bureau distinguished itself by having five projects recognized: Original Rock, Beehive Tower, Transformed Cube, A Growing Egg, and Flotage. This makes them the only virtual architectural team to receive multiple honors simultaneously.
Original Rock
Base area: 4 PARCELS (32M × 32M)
Building height: 45M
*Note: A PARCEL is Decentraland’s basic land unit, equivalent to 16M × 16M in the real world.
The building resembles a smooth raw stone, suspended in midair, evoking a primitive yet transcendent natural essence. Its expansive canopy serves multiple purposes: as an electronic screen, a natural backdrop for stage performances, and a holographic dry board for projections. A ladder leads into the interior, invoking a sense of fate reminiscent of Greek drama and poetic cinematic elements.
△ Dynamic visualization of Original Rock’s function and airflow analysis
Beehive Tower
Base area: 4 PARCELS (32M × 32M)
Building height: 45M
*Note: A PARCEL is Decentraland’s basic land unit, equivalent to 16M × 16M in the real world.
The tower features a honeycomb structure made up of several floating islands arranged systematically in the air. A spiral staircase forms a complex maze connecting the islands. Beyond stairs, the building includes a central hexagonal lift platform that floats and moves within the matrix, offering users exceptional freedom of movement.
△ Functional and flow analysis diagram of Beehive Tower
Transformed Cube
Base area: 4 PARCELS (32M × 32M)
Building height: 32M
*Note: A PARCEL is Decentraland’s basic land unit, equivalent to 16M × 16M in the real world.
This architecture dissolves traditional distinctions between top and bottom, inside and outside. It appears as a transparent cube with internal spaces folded by curved surfaces. Visitors can freely navigate across connected surfaces, blending vertical and horizontal, indoor and outdoor spaces into a novel, immersive spatial experience.
△ Functional and airflow analysis of Transformed Cube
A Growing Egg
Base area: 4 PARCELS (32M × 32M)
Building height: 13M
*Note: A PARCEL is Decentraland’s basic land unit, equivalent to 16M × 16M in the real world.
The design follows a flowing, natural growth pattern, rotating upward from the ground level through steps to an observation deck and activity spaces. The spatial scale increases along this flow, with activity areas enclosing a central performance space. Although the interior is entirely composed of steps, it forms distinct zones that adapt to user interactions and functions.
△ Dynamic function and flow analysis diagram of A Growing Egg
Floating Flotage
Base area: 4 PARCELS (32M × 32M)
Building height: 20M
*Note: A PARCEL is Decentraland’s basic land unit, equivalent to 16M × 16M in the real world.
The diamond-shaped structure hovers quietly over the grassland, with transparent staircases extending from all sides. The interplay of light and shadow evokes a spiritual atmosphere. The building’s interior remains partially concealed, adding a mystical allure. Inside, a rotating staircase contrasts the exterior’s rigidity, resembling a soft matrix enveloping the space. This semi-transparent staircase changes colors according to the performance requirements.
△ Dynamic function and flow analysis diagram of Floating Flotage
Decentraland hosted 30 shortlisted award-winning projects worldwide. Watch the video below to see them in action!
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