Architect Changiz Tehrani of Dutch firm Attika Architekten has designed a building in Amersfoot adorned with emoji-inspired concrete tiles. The icons look out into a square that houses a 150-year-old oak tree. Local students who eat their lunches in the square have been seen taking photos of the facade. Ironically, the same students were one of Tehrani’s main inspirations for the building’s 21st-century theme.

”When we start a project, we analyze the context and use that in our architecture. These analyses help us to set up a concept for the whole design process. One of the things that played a role in this case was the young audience. Next to the building is a school with a lot of teenagers,” Tehrani told Dornob. Other than its emoji motif, the building predominantly features straight lines and dark bricks, allowing it to maintain a clean, professional aesthetic. Changiz Tehrani With Concrete Emoji
The building, part of a larger complex called “Plein rond de eik,” incorporates 22 emoticons originally designed by Willem Van Lancker for Apple iPhones. Upon discovering these emojis on WhatsApp, Tehrani felt their round shapes were “perfect, iconic, and subtle” enough to fit nicely into his design.  While these modern symbols do have the potential to confuse older generations, they will be instantly recognizable to anyone who has ever owned a smartphone. Tehrani adds, “Emojis are the fastest growing international langu...