Jesolo Magica, Jesolo, Italy

From different angles, Zaha Hadid's Jesolo Magica resembles a giant rosebud lying on the ground—or a coiled python. Either way, the complex, slated for completion in 2014, is a radical response to the architecture of Venice, which lies across an adjoining lagoon. Serving as a gateway to the popular Jesolo resort town, the Magica has impeccable eco cred: With an interplay of solar cells, insulated shady canopies, and strategically angled windows, the enormous retail and hotel complex aims to provide a light-flooded yet naturally cool series of interconnected spaces. Hot water for the whole shebang is powered by those solar cells, and geothermal sources will help fill in for other needs. What's more, it's all presented in typical Hadid style—half sci-fi and half organic inspiration. No provision has been made for gondoliers.

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