The long-awaited fifth volume of the complete works of Herzog & de Meuron presents the sixty projects from the years 2002 to 2004 with characteristic care. This includes buildings that have already become architectural icons of the present, such as the Olympic Stadium in Beijing and the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, as well as projects that, although unrealized, have shaped architectural discourse, like the residential tower for the Hotel Schatzalp above Davos, which provided new impulses for construction in the Alps.

During this period, urban planning receives particular attention from the architectural firm. The architectural boom in China during those years has led to plans for entire neighborhoods. This is evidenced by the master plans for the Jindong New Development Area in China, for Jerez de la Frontera in Spain, or for the Olympic Games in London, which opened up entire urban regions for the future.