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Changiz Tehrani, the architect behind this Dutch building adorned with 22 concrete cast Emoji has described his motivation as a desire to design a building that reflects 21st century culture and iconography. The Emoji are set up in a grid pattern on the façade of the multi-purpose building which houses shops, residential units, a theatre and a school. The choice of Emoji was based on those that were the most expressive and recognisable, resulting in all our classic favourites like the heart eyes and kissy face greeting us at the front of the building.

Responding to criticism that the design will soon become outdated, Tehrani explains that buildings are always designed with elements that are relevant to their time period. Historically, these architectural embellishments have been portraits of kings, queens or mythical creatures relevant to the era. Tehrani justifies the use of Emoji by saying that “in 10 or 20 years you can say ‘Hey this is from that year!’”. Despite criticism that the design is tacky or that its significance is short-lived, Tehrani’s design is creative and playful and presents a design that truly reflects the era.

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