I have a new candidate for coolest research institute architecture. HKUST's Institute for Advanced Study is housed in an amazing building with a view of Clearwater Bay in HK. The members of the institute will be mostly theoretical physicists and mathematicians :-)
Stiff competition from Benasque's Center and the Perimeter Institute, however. Also Caltech's IQIM!
Click for larger images.
Compare to Dr. No's interrogation chamber :-)