While the Sichuan earthquake of May 2008 killed more than 80,000 people and left more than 4.8 million homeless, it created the chance to rethink development in some parts of the devastated province.

The Shoe Box, flagship store for chic Pedder Red shoes, was designed to captivate the brand’s image through interior architecture.

In a place like Beijing, where anything goes, designers often bring in art installations or bold flower arrangements to add verve to upscale interiors.

First came the reconstruction. Jianfu Palace Garden (Garden of the Palace of Established Happiness), a compound in the northwest corner of the Forbidden City in Beijing, burned down in 1923.

A library in China adopts a minimalist design plan and embodies the ideals of the region.

Only in China, perhaps, is it possible for a private academy serving grades pre-kindergarten through 12 to construct an innovative 64,600-square-foot elementary school and a richly appointed 24,000-square-foot performing arts center in 18 months and for a scant $15 million.