Its the second day of CES 2025, and Im sure youve spent the whole day with your eyes pointed to our liveblog containing all the news of the day. But Im sure there are a few folks who might have sneezed, or blinked, and missed something important. Which is why weve made this lovely list of all the biggest news from this day of the show, just for those folks who sneezed.Lenovo blesses us with its presence at CESThere was plenty more PC-flavored news broadcast to the world, including Lenovos turn in the spotlight. Most notably, it showed off the ThinkBook Plus, a real version of its flexible OLED laptop from a few years back. At the touch of a button, that 14-inch display will expand to a bit more productivity-friendly 16.7-inches, which might justify the $3,500 starting price.Lenovo also showed off a dummy prototype of its Legion Go 2 gaming handheld, and hints as to what specs itll be carrying. Alongside that, it announced the Legion Go S, the first third-party SteamOS gaming handheld thatll offer a legitimate alternative to the Steam Deck. If youd rather play games in a more traditional way, by which I mean with one leg as an ersatz table while you sit awkwardly on a crowded bus, then you can opt for Lenovos new Legion Pro 7i gaming laptop which can be specced with NVIDIAs RTX 5090 graphics.Of course, Lenovo also released some normal laptops, including the Yoga Slim 9i, the first laptop to launch with an under-display camera. The tweak enables it to boast a 98 percent screen to body ratio, which should get all of your friends and enemies feeling jealous. The ThinkPad X9, meanwhile, will likely break hearts of longstanding ThinkPad fans, since it has no aluminum chassis and no Trackpoint. Yes, we can hardly believe it too.Qualcomm brings new chips, while Maingear, ASUS and Razer bring the PC goodiesQualcomm, with less to prove than Intel right now, has announced its Snapdragon X chips will land in more Windows Copilot + PCs in the near future. A plethora of models are currently in development, with a focus on affordability rather than bells and whistles. Qualcomm and its partners, which include Acer, Dell, HP and Lenovo are targeting a base price of $600. Which should be affordable enough for plenty of entry-level buyers to update their ageing hardware to take advantage of whatever we work out what AI is actually good for.ASUS new ZenBook A14 made its debut in the desert, showing off some pretty lovely industrial design and a spec sheet to match. Engadgets Devindra Hardawar was delighted with the premium materials used in its construction, and the look and feel. The one downside is that its equipped / blighted (delete as appropriate) with Qualcomms X or Elite chips, limiting backwards compatibility with older Windows apps.Maingear, meanwhile, went to town on its fancy-looking water-cooled desktops as it attempts to reassert its dominance in the custom PC space. The range comes with heavy-duty plumbing and a whole bunch of fans and radiators to help keep your planet-burning GPUs cool.One permanent fixture of CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada is gaming company Razer showing off its latest lighting-infused hardware. First up, it debuted its new Blade 16 laptop, which it says is its thinnest gaming laptop ever made. It also showed off Project Arielle, an RGB-clad gaming chair thatll glow red as it warms you up and blue as it cools you down. And, to round things out, the company also showed off a fancypants monitor stand that, surprise surprise, was also RGB.Smart Glasses at CES 2025Smart glasses have always been something of a technological cul-de-sac, but the signs are that the technology is quickly maturing. Weve seen plenty of specs at this years CES that arent just a faddy gimmick with a too-expensive price tag. For instance, RayNeos new X3 AR Pro frames comes with a built-in camera and the ability to interact with a ChatGPT-powered assistant. Then theres Even Realities, which brought the G1A and G1B to the show, which impressed me no end. Theyre far lower tech than some of the products on offer, but with a more robust feature set that includes real-time translation, teleprompting and turn-by-turn directions. Xreal, too, was able to show off its latest personal cinema-style AR glasses that didnt make me want to throw up the second I put them on.The CES Auto Show: New Honda EVs and BMWs Panoramic iDrive turn headsHonda rocked up in Nevada to talk up prototype models of the concept vehicles it showed off last year. The 0 Series Saloon sedan, which 100% looks like the car Inspector Gadget would drive, and the 0 Series SUV, which also looks like a car Inspector Gadget would drive. The auto maker said both models will be available to buy at some point next year, harnessing Hondas brand-spanking new EV architecture.And BMW was also here, showing off its new Panoramic iDrive system thatll come to every new BMW. That includes a display running the width of the dashboard with key statistics on your drive, rather than sticking it in an instrument binnacle like a normal person is used to. Of course, the idea here is to give you so many places to stick useful information its impossible for you to miss whats going on. Unless you spend so much time staring at the raft of digital displays that you forget your eyes should really be pointed toward the road.The rest of the best at CES 2025Day two of CES is where the focus pivots from the biggest names to everyone else, and there was plenty of interesting stuff on show. For instance, InkPoster uses color e-paper displays as a canvas upon which you can hang digital art on your walls. MCON by OhSnap is a neat magnetic game controller for your smartphone with high-class features like Hall Effect Joysticks. Anker built a solar umbrella that lets you re-juice your gadgets while catching some rays. And, not one to be outdone, EcoFlow showed off a solar hat thatll do the same thing, but goofier.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-best-tech-and-gadgets-we-found-on-ces-2025-day-two-110005772.html?src=rss

ASUS is leaning even harder into Copilot+PCs with it's new Vivobook 14 and 16 at CES 2025. And unlike the laptops the company introduced last fall, this time ASUS is going all in on Qualcomm chips.Just like the new ultralight Zenbook A14, both the Vivobook 14 and Vivobook 16 come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X chip, and in the case of both sizes of Vivobook, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. ASUS claims these new internals mean both laptops are 44 percent more performant than last generation Vivobooks and should last longer too, with a battery life of up to 19.8 hours.Regardless of whether you buy the 14-inch or 16-inch laptop, you'll get a 60Hz, 1,920 x 1,200 resolution display. Like past ASUS laptops, both Vivobooks will also use the company's "AI Camera" which can detect when you're not sitting in front of your screen and automatically dim the display to stretch battery life further, or lock your computer for added security. You'll have plenty of options if you need to plug something in, including two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port and an audio jack.ASUS imagines the draw of all this new hardware will be the AI features they enable, like Generative Fill and Erase for editing photos or Live Captions for automatically adding subtitles to the audio on your computer. A more powerful laptop that lasts longer is more immediately appealing, though.Alongside the new Vivobooks, ASUS is announcing two new enterprise-focused laptops, the ExpertBook B5 and B3. Both laptops come with up to an Intel Core Ultra Series 2, up to 64GB of RAM and plenty of security features to keep your data safe.ASUS hasn't shared the availability or price of the new ExpertBooks. The ASUS Vivobook 14 and Vivobook 16 are available to pre-order now for $700 and $750, respectively.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/asus-brings-qualcomms-latest-chip-to-the-vivobook-14-and-16-173007085.html?src=rss

Panasonic has debuted several sets of earbuds under its Technics brand at this point. At CES 2025, the company is adding one more, but this one has some more interesting tech inside than the others. The new Technics flagship earbuds, the EAH-AZ100, have newly-developed magnetic fluid drivers that the company says allowed it to significantly improve audio quality. The previous model, the EAH-AZ80, already sounded great, so Technics really had it work cut out for it in order to improve things even further. But after hearing them for myself, I can confirm the company managed to make yet another sonic leap. Technics says the 10mm magnetic fluid drivers inside the AZ100 produce "clean, high-resolution, low-vibration and low-distortion sounds," which it further describes as "the most authentic, balanced audio thats true to the original source." The drivers utilize technology that has be miniaturized from the company's EAH-TZ700 wired in-ear monitors. That magnetic fluid is an oil-like liquid that's filled with magnetic particles before Technics injects it between the driver magnet and coil. The driver also has a free edge that enables 3Hz of deep bass, plus there's an aluminum diaphragm that produces natural sound separation and details at high resolution. Spatial audio is in play as well. The AZ100 supports Dolby Atmos and Dolby Head Tracking for a full 360-degree listening setup. You can also listen to LDAC content on these earbuds, but battery life takes a hit when you do. Robust adaptive active noise cancellation (ANC), Voice Focus AI for calls, touch controls and three-device multipoint connectivity are all on the spec sheet. There's a one-touch Conversation Mode too, allowing users to instantly pause content and activate transparency mode when needed. Auracast and Google Fast Pair made the cut as well. You can expect up to 10 hours of ANC use on a charge, with another 18 hours worth of power in the case. That accessory supports wireless charging with Qi-certified devices and a 15-minute quick charge is enough for 90 minutes of playback with noise cancellation enabled. The AZ100's updates also include a refined shape as well as size and weight reductions, all of which should lead to a more comfortable fit for the IPX4-rated earbuds. Panasonic's preview event was in a dark Vegas nightclub, so apologies for the image quality. Billy Steele for Engadget I was able to try the AZ100 for a few minutes at Panasonic's preview event at CES. When doing a direct comparison with a set of AZ80 earbuds that were also available, the difference in sound quality was striking. The AZ80 was well-reviewed, and some outlets even picked them as the best option in terms of pure audio performance. The AZ100 blows them out of the water. The first thing I noticed was how much louder the AZ100 is at the same volume level. What's more, all of the claims Technics made about the detail, clarity and deep bass from the new fluid drivers holds true. Across songs from Lewis Capaldi, Dua Lipa, Train and The Eagles (I didn't pick the playlist), there was a wide, immersive sound stage that enveloped my ears with guitars, drums, beats and vocals. There was driving low-end tone when a dance track like "Don't Start Now" called for it, and there was also pristine detail in softer acoustic guitar in "Hotel California." I'll note that Technics offered FLAC files for the demo, so I'll be interested to see how the AZ100 fares with "regular" quality tunes from a streaming service. ANC performance was also quite good during my short introduction. The noise-blocking tech was robust enough to silence most of the clamor from the showroom in a Vegas nightclub, though it struggled with the voices of the people closest to me. Transparency mode sounded pleasantly natural as well, but I'd like to test it in a less-crowded environment before I can say for sure how good it really is. The AZ100 is available today for $300 is silver and black color options. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/technics-az100-earbuds-hands-on-ces-2025-173004465.html?src=rss

Disney Plus has ordered a pilot for a reboot of the '90s novel 'Holes', but this time a female lead will take center stage.

Satya Nadella confirms $3 billion Microsoft investment to help equip India with artificial intelligence skills.

Accessory maker Genki shows off Nintendo Switch 2 mockup at CES 2025 - and apparently it's very close to the real thing.

In the wide spectrum of home improvement projects, from winging it with a roll of duct tape to definitely hiring a licensed contractor, theres an expanding middle zone of semi-complex projects people want to do on their own. Some, like hanging shelves, are straightforward. Others, like putting up an accent wall or repairing damaged baseboards, require a bit more know-how. But even these projects are being tackled by relative home improvement novices, and social media is awash with beginners documenting DIY home improvement projects and decoration jobs, racking up tens of millions of views on the way.The dirty secret of these viral videos is that while the person doing the project may not have much experience, they definitely have the tools for the jobtools most beginners either dont have, cant afford, or cant cram into their small apartments. So while a 30-second video might make replacing a countertop look manageable, it cant get done without a fair amount of equipment.[Photo: Dremel]Dremel, the brand known for its craft-centric rotary tools, has a new line of affordable and compact tools designed specifically for the DIY home improvement beginner. Reverse engineered by analyzing the steps involved in finishing hundreds of the most common home DIY projects, Dremels new Blueprint system of compact tools aims to enable users to do projects with as few tools as possible.The first two tools in the Blueprint line, now on sale, are a $99 handheld drill with a built-in stud finder and laser level, and a surprisingly compact $149 portable saw station with a battery-operated miniature circular saw. Like hyper-optimized contractors gear, these tools cram functionality into tiny packages that dont need a workshops worth of space to store.Like a miter saw, but less terrifyingThe idea for these tools came from seeing just how popular DIY home improvement has become on social media, but also how misleading some of these videos can be. Jeremy Rubens, Dremels business innovation manager, says hes encountered too many videos of DIY influencers advising their viewers to invest in equipment not meant for beginners. A repeated suggestion is a miter saw, a hulking tabletop machine with a 10-inch blade thats most often seen slicing two-by-fours on construction sites. These are really big tools that I would never recommend a beginner buying, Rubens says. That was a little bit of a spark to say, how could we do it better? How could we actually design tools for these people that want to be creative and do core projects but that wouldnt need to have all these crazy pro tools?Dremels product team dove deep into what exactly beginners were doing with their tools, and how those projects might be better handled. Rubens, along with Dremel global product director Saad Alam, launched an analysis of the most common DIY projects around a house or apartment, encountering everything from hanging a gallery of frames on a wall to refinishing dressers to building headboards. They had DIYers create video diaries of their projects, logging what they were doing step-by-step. Then the Dremel team broke each project down into its nine main steps and identified the tools used on those important parts of each project. What they found was a lot of cuttingchopping boards in half, ripping long pieces of wood to narrower bands, sawing angles. The jobs are all the same, Alam says.The miter saw, it turns out, is the kind of tool a lot of projects need. But with its massive blade, large size, and general danger, the miter saw is a tool most beginners probably shouldnt be using.[Photo: Dremel]A miter saws designed around a two-by-four [inch] capacity, which is why it has a huge blade. And what we realized is a lot of these projects are actually done with one-by type wood. A lot of them have to do with trim and decorating, taking furniture and putting accent details around it, or taking Ikea furniture and doing Ikea hacks, Rubens says.People dont really want to deal with giant saw blades, Alam adds. So that was a focus: How do we actually design these from an industrial design standpoint to be much more approachable and actually fit in the hands of a wide variety of users and genders.[Photo: Dremel]Compact-tool form factorThe result is Blueprint, the new line of compact Dremel tools. One is a kind of miniature circular saw, with a blade just 3 and three-quarters of an inch in diameter and able to cut straight through a standard 1-inch board. The saw is accompanied by an expanding case that doubles as a sawing station, allowing frame- and laser-guided straight cuts, diagonal miters, and angled bevels. Detaching the saw from the station and clamping on a guide, it can also be used to rip longer lengths of wood. [Photo: Dremel]Using a Blueprint saw station lent by Dremel, I found that each of these cuts was easy to accomplish, and far less intimidating that firing up a bigger saw. Crouched in my laundry room on a recent frigid winter day, I was able to use the saw, its station, and its guides and clamps to cut through several 1-inch boards, and to rip plywood into multiple pieces. With a 12-volt battery, the saw is not a heavy-duty machine, and encountered a little kickback going through some of the last cuts, but it eventually made its way through. One limitation is that the blade is not long enough to perform a full 45-degree bevel cut on a nominal 1-inch board, which would be useful for, say, cutting wood to redo baseboards around a corner.Another shortcoming is that the saw cant cut through a two-by-four in one go; A board would have to be cut once, flipped, then cut again. If youre not framing a house where you need 100 two-by-four cuts, its good enough, says Alam. Itll get you through the project.The Blueprint systems focus on smaller home improvement and home decoration projects means that it doesnt have to boast the power nor, importantly, the size of a typical tool. Rubens says Dremels industrial designers worked through prototype after prototype to squeeze down the size, making the system small enough for people who may live in apartments or condos, or who may lack workshop space in a basement or garage. Thats evident in the Blueprint multi-drill tool, which is a shrunken version of the standard electric drill, more akin to a garden hose nozzle than the gun-shaped drills of professional workshops. An extra bit of shielding in front of the handle looks like some kind of finger protector but actually holds the tools built-in stud finder, which quickens the pace of common uses like hanging frames or shelves. There was a lot of work done to try to figure out how to pack that stud finder in the front without it getting in the way, Rubens says.Dremels research on common DIY projects helped to identify which tools can do double or triple duty, tackling major elements of a project without the time it takes to switch toolsor go back over to the utility closet to find another piece of equipment. Were not expecting our users to buy a tool that only does one thing, Rubens says.Aside from the multi-drill and the saw station, other tools will soon follow, though Dremel declined to identify them. The product teams approach is to narrow in on the tasks people need to get done most often, and then build the tool capacity that fits as many of those needs as possible. The goal for us is to have a platform of somewhere around six to eight core products that can do hundreds of different DIY projects, Alam says. We joke around that its strange that were a power tool company that wants to sell you the least amount of tools.

The world is experiencing ariseindestructiveleaders, from politicians in democratic countries extolling the virtues of dictatorship to business executives whosedestructiveappetites overshadow their economic success. Theseleadersseem to reflect the worst, rather than the best, of us. On top of that, more and more qualified people are reluctant to take onleadershiproles. Our currentleadershipmodel is broken.Over the past two decades, Ive studied why wefollowdestructiveleaders. Many organizations have overlooked critical factors in how we select, judge, and trainleaders, and we need new methods to train and new measures to judgeleaders.The answer to our brokenleadershipmodel is improvedleadershipliteracy, but first, we need to reckon with why wefollowdestructiveleaders.Why wefollowdestructiveleadersFirst, wefollowdestructiveleadersbecause we arent that good at judging what goodleadershiprequires. A growing body ofresearchsays we must become better judges of goodleadership. We unconsciously selectleadersthat we deem attractive, not because they demonstrateleadershipskills. We also trust and attribute (undeserved) competence to potentialleaderswho behave in ways that elicit strong emotional responses. We often selectleadersbecause they indulge our fears, or exploit our insecurities and natural desires for self-preservation. These tendencies were first discussed by German sociologist Max Weber over 100 years ago.We also set unrealistic expectations about whatleaderscan achieve. Several years ago, Ianalyzedthe 1996 Mt. Everest disaster chronicled in John Krakauers best-seller Into Thin Air. In these events, inexperienced climbers sought theleadershipof two charismatic but overly optimisticleaders. The expectations of getting to the summit, no matter the cost, contributed to eight deaths. Wefollowdestructiveleadersbecause they tell us what we want to hear. And you can see this exact scenario play out beyond the mountain. I worked with physicians, businessleaders, and government officials whosawthe samedestructiveleadershippractices.The importance of succession andleadershipdevelopmentEffectiveleadershipdevelopment relies not only on how we prepareleadersfor new jobs, but how we move them out. One of the most popular TV dramas is the King Learian drama, Succession, whichfollowsa dysfunctional family in the times before and after the death of the patriarch. Who will be the successor to the billion-dollar kingdom? Or consider the non-fiction public dethroning of President Joe Biden in the aftermath of a challenging debate or the extended dramas playing out in entertainment and media.Leadersthemselves will hold onto power well past their prime. Without formal succession planning to replace aging or ineffectiveleaders, many organizations are doomed to replace newleadershastily and not conduct the necessary due diligence.The key to effectiveleadershippreparationHow we prepareleadersmay be the most critical change we need to make. People analytics firm Visierdiscoveredthat many millennials and Gen Z have avoided becomingleaders. Of course, the reasons for this are varied. But when we followed several hundredleaderson crucialleadershipdevelopment measures, we found that only about25 %of theleaderswe studied had the emotional regulation skills to lead successfully. High-potential workers shy away from becomingleadersbecause they havent developed the skills to succeed, and organizations arent helping them learn.I propose a threefold remedy. First, we must prepare the next generation ofleadersfor the emotional challenges of leading.A comprehensive programwould helpleadersunderstand how they can manage competing demands and competing stakeholder interests. Emergingleaderswould focus on developing resilience in tough emotional times by drawing on their personal strengths.Second, organizations need to reconsider succession planning,leadershipselection, and preparation programs. Goodleadershipstarts with self-awareness.Finally, a program ofleadershipliteracy would go a long way in educating those of us who depend onleaders. This kind of program should mirror how we improve decision-making errors and perceptual biases by showing how we make suboptimal decisions about ourleaders, while clarifying the limits of whatleaderscan do by setting realistic expectations.We can blame ourleadersfor current problems, butleadersget their power and legitimacy from followers. If we want to stopdestructiveleadersfrom taking power, we need to improveleadershipliteracy by equipping potentialleaderswith the necessary skills, and setting the right expectations about what it actually takes to lead.

There are few branding assignments more fraught than designing a logo for someones hometown. Unlike consumer brands, cities, towns, and counties are an intrinsic part of peoples identities. So when those places get a new logo that doesnt communicate that identity in a way they recognize, you can bet local governments are going to hear about it.[Images: Westchester County]Look no further than to the Facebook page of Westchester County, New York, where commenters panned the new county logoits first new logo in more than 20 years. The uninspiring new mark has been roundly criticized, with many of its detractors pointing out that its letter H looks like the H from the logo of the dating app Hinge.[Image: Hinge]The county says the design is meant to convey connection. The residents of Westchester County are linked, Westchester County Executive George Latimer said in a statement. This connection is symbolized by the hook that seamlessly joins the C and H in our logo. Were linked by rail, road, and air. By culture. And most importantly, by choice.But not everyone is feeling that connection, and its not just graphic designers. This is so bad that its made me care about something I didnt think I cared about, one person wrote.The rebrand was part of a transition away from a county website with a .com domain and accompanying logo that featured the web address to a new .gov domain. Westchester County communications director Catherine Cioffi tells Fast Company the reaction hasnt been all bad.When a decision involves style, opinions will always vary, she says. While we have received a very positive response overall, a few negative social media comments have garnered attention.For some communities, the blowback to a botched rebrand job can be so harsh it inspires change. The response last year to a rebrand for Visalia, California, was so intense that the city walked it back. While the citys old logo needed an overhaul, the new minimalist logo to mark the citys 150th anniversary was condemned for being boring and sterile. View this post on Instagram A post shared by City of Visalia (@cityofvisalia)The negative reaction to the new mark surprised even Visalias mayor, who assumed a ballot initiative taxing marijuana would be more controversial than the rebrand. The city went back to the drawing board and ended up going with a new logo created by a local designer that the city said it will use alongside its old legacy logo.For residents, civic rebrands are deeply personal, but its more than just the design of it all. Theyre also paying for it, too. Negative comments on the Westchester County page inevitably complain about the rebrand as a waste of taxpayer dollars.From left: Visalias legacy logo (left), the briefly used new logo, and the current companion version. [Images: City of Visalia]Rebranding cities, towns, and counties requires major buy-in from the community. While corporate rebrands have a business imperative behind them, municipalities would do well to communicate the why behind their new logos, be it the need to update an aging brand for a new generation or making their locale more compelling to attract new businesses, families, or tourists. In Pocatello, Idaho, city leaders earmarked $83,000 to rebrand the city this year for the first time in 30 years and they said the goal is to attract business. People will see us as a unified force for the community and it will actually draw businesses to Pocatello, Pocatello spokeswoman Marlise Irby-Facer told East Idaho News. Its going to market the the city of Pocatello, and the community.Municipalities should also know that pricey rebrands by out-of-town creative agencies are more likely to draw more scrutiny than work made by locals. Designers deserve to be compensated for their work, and in graphic design, you often get what you pay for, but some municipalities have found creative solutions to stay under budget. Flagstaff, Arizona is seeking input on three new logo options created in collaboration between the city and Northern Arizona Universitys VisualDESIGN Lab, so the city could engage professional designers at no cost.Luis Fitch, an artist and designer who chaired Minnesotas State Emblems Redesign Commission to redesign the state flag last year, told Fast Company ensuring community buy-in starts with inclusive engagement from the outset.Municipalities must actively involve residents throughout the process, from gathering input on the designs themes and symbols to hosting open forums or surveys that reflect the diverse voices in the community, he says in an email.Fitch says a comprehensive creative brief that outlined all those points for their flag and seal redesign process became their blueprint to guide the entire redesign process, ensuring alignment with community values and providing a clear framework for decisions. Celebrating the finished product with a story that connects it to the people was also essential.The more residents see themselves and their values reflected in the design, the stronger the support and pride in the finished work, he says.Even when communities try to do everything right, a new logo rollout might not go smoothly. In Westchester County, the new logo was made with input from focus groups of county residents, employees, and thought leaders, plus a public survey that was open to all residents, says Cioffi, the county communications director. The top theme that came out of those conversations was how the county connects a diverse population to a wide variety of experiences, cultures, and opportunities. Residents said a new logo needed to be simple yet bold.Engaging with the public was not just importantit was essential to creating a new brand that resonates with our community, she says. After thorough review and voting, this logo was selected. We are proud of it, as it embodies many elements that make Westchester County unique.Its true that rebrands never please everyone. Still, by clearly communicating to and with residents throughout the rebrand process, municipalities can end up with a logo that engages their communities in a positive way.

Architecture studio Serie Architects has used interlocking walls cloaked in hand-chiselled bricks to outline Raj Sabhagruh, a complex dedicated to Jainism in Dharampur, India.Raj Sabhagruh comprises 16,000 square metres of space for discourse, study, rest and meditation, and takes visual cues from the architecture of India's Jain temples.Described by Serie Architects as "an ambitious complex", the building forms the centrepiece building in Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram a 100-hectare monastery on top of a hill in Dharampur in India's Gujarat state.Serie Architects has created a complex dedicated to Jainism in DharampurRaj Sabhagruh was designed for followers of Jainism, an Indian religion, and centres around a central auditorium with a capacity of 5,000 people. There is also a 1,000-square-metre museum, a 300-seater meditation hall and a number of classrooms."The architecture that emerges can accommodate a wide range of uses and continues to evolve with the spiritual mission it serves," said Serie Architects."It acts as a backdrop where Ashram life can unfold, anchoring it as a place for the acquisition of knowledge and inner spiritual experience."It forms part of Shrimad Rajchandra AshramSerie Architects won a competition to design Raj Sabhagruh in 2012 and worked with the Ashram and spiritual leader Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji throughout its development.The building's key visual reference is the stepped structure of the mythical temple Jain Samavasaran and how this represents knowledge acquisition bringing worshippers closer to enlightenment, Serie Architects said.The building is formed of interlocking walls"We worked very closely with Ashram and the Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, listening to their needs and aspirations, responding with architectural ideas, and discursively refining them over a two-year-long design period," the studio explained."We tested several iterations exploring typologies of sacred form. There was a deep desire to find an architecture that was contemporary, memorable and timeless, that could serve as a signifier for a young, growing Ashram."They are clad in small hand-chiselled bricksOutside, the Raj Sabhagruh is formed of gently curving and interlocking concrete walls, lending the building the appearance of a series of stacked boxes.They are unified by hand-laid and hand-cut brick cladding, which took two years to position across the building's 36 elevations, and punctured by circular windows.There are a total 800,000 bricks across the walls, each formed from white marble off-cuts sourced nearby in in Makrana. They are deliberately small in size to accommodate the curves of the building and have textured surfaces intended to create playful patterns of light and shadow.Read: Babnimnim Design Studio encloses Kuwait mosque within rotated square forms"The rough cuts expose the crystalline structure of the marble, which refracts and disperses light in numerous luminous tones and hues across the building's surfaces, changing with the sun's movement throughout the day," said Serie Architects."Deep-set circular windows bring daylight deep into the interior, adding a layer of visual depth and animating the monolithic form."The building centres around a large auditoriumInside, the main 5,000 seater auditorium, or "discourse hall", is a 54-metre-wide and 20-metre-tall concrete space. Thanks to four curved arches that enclose the space, it is entirely column-free.The hall was positioned at ground level and accessed by a large foyer with eight entrances. Its concrete structure is warmed by wooden acoustic baffles, arranged concentrically to evoke the ceilings of Maha-mandapa gathering halls in Jain temples.There are eight entrances to the auditoriumTo one side of the auditorium is a stage for the Guru, while a mezzanine level with additional seating sits at the other.The floors above the auditorium include a 20-metre tall meditation hall, located on the top level with a capacity for 300 worshippers."The 300-seater meditation hall, placed above the auditorium rises 20 metres to cap the building composition as a glowing lantern, with over 1000 glowing pins of light etched into its marbled surface, visible afar from the streets of Dharampur," said the studio.A meditation hall occupies the top floorRaj Sabhagruh is complete with classrooms, a museum that celebrates the life of Shrimad Rajchandra a Jain saint and a library containing rare Jain texts."Programmatically, one ascends upwards from spaces of the discourse hall at the ground level, to experiential learning within the museum at the second level, deep study within classrooms at the third and finally to introspection within the meditation hall at the apex tier," said Serie Architects.Classrooms feature in the upper levelsOutside the Raj Sabhagruh, the plinth on which it is raised links to a large plaza, which incorporates a large dining hall to the north and a 5,000-seat open-air amphitheatre to the west. To the south is Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram.The plaza is laid in white marble that matches the brick cladding and is dotted with ficus trees designed to reflect heat in the summer.Other religious buildings recently featured on Dezeen include the red-brick Bait Ur Raiyan Mosque in Bangladesh and the "open and free" Frihamnskyrkan church in Sweden.The photography is by Rory Gardiner.Project credits:Architect: Serie ArchitectsClient: Shrimad Rajchandra MissionStructural design: LeraAuditorium consultant: RMM DesignsMEP consultant: Arkk ConsultingAcoustical consultant: Andy MunroeLighting consultant: ClarityDrawing manager: GleedsThe post Serie Architects adds "memorable and timeless" hall to Indian monastery appeared first on Dezeen.