Toronto architecture studio Partisans has used parametric modelling to create an undulating stone storefront for luxury watch brand Rolex.

Partisans' latest application of its digital modelling and fabrication technique resulted in a sculptural facade that wraps the ground floor of a high-rise on Bloor Street in Downtown Toronto.

The studio worked with Italian architect Arturo Tedeschi on the project, which is intended to give the store presence and allow it to stand out from others in the busy shopping district, as well as reflect the high-precision of Rolex timepieces.

Limestone panels affixed to the building's exterior are shaped to echo the forms and textures of the brand's watches.

The material was chosen for its luxurious appearance and longevity, according to Partisans founder Josephson, who said: "Stone is future heritage, it's having a renaissance."

The panels continue the geometry of the existing building features, such as the rigid vertical mullions, but flow into softer shapes that curve around large windows and over the entrance awning.

"Each stone bay was cut according to measurements found through 3D scans of the existing building," said Partisans designer Ian Pica-Limbaseanu.

Niches are integrated into the stonework to house cove lighting that washes over the curvaceous forms at night, yet the junctions between the stone and the glass were trickiest to detail, according to Pica-Limbaseanu.

"The window detailing, specifically, had a tall order of requirements to satisfy," he said.

"Not only did it need to meet the exterior stonework at exact locations accurate to within a quarter of an inch, but it also needed to allow for easy maintenance and proper energy performance for what was otherwise an utterly unprecedented look to glazing on Bloor Street."

Tedeschi applied his computational design skills to create an algorithm for the parametric compositions etched into the limestone across the east facade.

These forms follow the geometries of engravings seen on watch-face dials while also responding to the unique qualities of the structure's elevation.

The store interiors feature plenty more stone, whose creamy tone is contrasted with dark walnut panelling and furniture.

Dark green seating matches a glass wall artwork that bears the Rolex logo, which separates the main shop floor with a more intimate lounge area tucked behind.

Partisans has previously used parametric design tools to create a rolling, pixellated brick facade for a single-family home, and a high-rise informed by architectural "revision clouds" – both in Toronto.

The firm was founded by Josephson in 2012, and has since completed a pool house in Ontario with an undulating timber roof and a lakeside sauna designed as a cavernous wooden grotto.

The photography is by Doublespace Photography, unless stated otherwise.

The post Partisans sculpts limestone facade for Rolex boutique in Toronto appeared first on Dezeen.

Scottish practices Loader Monteith and Studio SJM have completed The Harmeny Learning Hub outside Edinburgh, which is clad in larch to blend in with its woodland surroundings.

The teaching space is located on the 35-acre estate of the charity Harmeny Education Trust, which provides specialist education for children who have experienced severe trauma.

Loader Monteith and Studio SJM won a competition to design it with their proposal to "embrace the students and the landscape" with a low-slung, L-shaped building that hugs the site's trees.

"Sited between two Category-A listed buildings and within a dense, mature woodland, the learning centre is rooted firmly in the principle of wellbeing," explained the studios.

"At the very core of the project is a desire to provide a safe place in which the children can explore, discover and reflect on their experiences in order to heal and develop skills that will support them into and throughout their adult life."

The Harmeny Learning Hub comprises two buildings set atop a paved patio. To the north, the classrooms, meditation spaces and two art workshops are housed in the main timber-framed, larch-clad structure that will silver over time to "camouflage" with the trees.

Perpendicular to this is a slightly smaller brick-clad volume, containing further teaching spaces and workshops along with offices and a reception area.

These two blocks are linked by paved walkways that wrap around and between them, dotted with areas of planting.

"This crucial access to nature – readily available from all rooms – offers students a diverse set of spaces to engage with their education and importantly, places of respite should activities become overwhelming," explained the studios.

"High-level windows and sections of overhead glazing offer a constant, relaxing visual connection to the outdoors."

The interiors of The Harmeny Learning Hub, designed by Studio SJM, prioritise both views of and access to the surrounding natural landscape.

In the classrooms, large skylights and glazed doors open onto the external patio, while the fittings and finishes have been kept deliberately simple with a neutral palette of pastel colours.

"Thresholds were carefully considered to offer a sense of welcome and create an informal, safe atmosphere from first entry," said the studios.

"The vocational spaces have been designed to mimic workshop or creative environments to familiarise the students with potential types of future workplaces," they added.

Loader Monteith is an architecture practice based in Scotland founded in 2016 by Matt Loader and Iain Monteith, and Studio SJM was established by Sarah Jane Storrie and Marianne Partyka in 2020.

Previous projects by Loader Monteith include an office for a bike tour operator in Inverness and an "invisible" restoration of Peter Womersley's High Sunderland house.

The photography is by Jim Stephenson.

Project credits:

Architects: Loader Monteith and Studio SJM
Client: Harmeny Education Trust
Main contractor: Thomas Johnstone
Project management: Faithful & Gould
Landscape architect: Wardell Armstrong
Structural engineer: Harley Haddow
M&E consultant: Harley Haddow
CDM coordinator: Principal CDM

The post Loader Monteith and Studio SJM create woodland school in Scotland appeared first on Dezeen.

Japanese studio Tono Mirai Architects has used soil and wood to create Toiletowa, a curving structure in Saitama prefecture containing a public toilet that reuses wastewater.

Located in a park in the town of Miyoshi, the building has a wooden frame covered with rammed earth made with soil sourced from construction sites and mixed with hydrated lime.

Tono Mirai Architects aimed to create a building that exemplifies waste-free construction, working with engineering firm IS Engineering and industrial waste treatment company Ishizaka Corp to develop its rammed-earth walls.

The material covers the wooden frames of the two curving walls that enclose the public toilet, which is topped by a gently curving timber roof with skylights.

"Two semicircular rammed-earth walls made of recycled earth placed in a staggered manner create a gentle movement and circulation within the forest, and the entire building acts as a well of light, connecting heaven and earth with light coming from the skylights," said the studio's founder Tono Mirai.

"A mixture of gypsum board and soil brought to Ishizaka Corp from demolished homes by house builders were separated and purified at the company's factory," he continued.

"Until now, it had only been used as a roadbed material for pavement, but this is the first time it has been used as a building material."

Mirai explained that a wooden frame was used for Toiletowa because the rammed earth alone did not have the required compressive strength.

"Due to the lack of compressive strength, the rammed-earth structure was not used as a stand-alone structure but instead was used as a finishing touch for the wooden framework, and slaked lime was mixed and rammed together to create this rammed-earth wall," he said.

"Not only that but it was also used as plaster mixed with lime for partitions and as hard-packed earthen floor."

Neighbouring the toilet is a semicircular timber structure containing wastewater tanks, designed to display how water is circulated and reused for watering crops in the surrounding gardens.

"A biotechnology called combined fermentation (EMBC) developed by doctor Yasuhide Takashima is used to treat and regenerate this toilet wastewater," said Mirai.

"By allowing aerobic bacteria and anaerobic bacteria to coexist, changes in fermentation, decomposition, fermentation synthesis and fusion occur, and the water is purified and contains zero bacteria, malignant bacteria, and E.coli, making it odourless – clear enough to drink," Mirai continued.

"The enzyme water created in this process circulates endlessly, and the water containing enzyme-bound crystals activates the soil and has the effect of improving crop productivity."

Most of the timber elements in the two structures are made from reclaimed wood, and the foundations are made from crushed stone instead of concrete.

The basins and toilet bowls are also made from recycled wood chips.

"Most of the building is made from recycled materials and materials that return to the earth without using concrete," said Mirai.

"More than just a toilet, it was built as an environmental education space that recycles industrial waste and serves as a model for a future waste-free, recycling-oriented society."

In the landscaping, crushed stone tiles are married with wood chips and lava stones, laid to make pathways that allow rainwater to drain into the earth.

Other public toilets in Japan include a circular building wrapped with metal louvres by Tadao Ando and a cedar-clad restroom in a park by Kengo Kuma, created as part of the Tokyo Toilet project that sw architects and designers create 17 public toilets across the capital city.

The photography is by Takeshi Noguchi.

The post Tono Mirai Architects encloses toilet in Japanese park with rammed earth appeared first on Dezeen.

Rental platform Airbnb has announced the addition of its Icons program, a category that provides a range of experiences including a stay in the house from Pixar's Up and an overnight stay in the Musee D'Orsay in Paris.

The first 11 Icons experiences include recreations of houses from popular culture, such as the floating house from Pixar's film Up, and visits with celebrities, such as a night out with comic Kevin Hart.

The 11 Icons include a full-scale model of the house from Pixar's Up, which will be suspended by a crane – though not when guests are inside it – to a stay in the clock tower of Paris's Musee D' Orsay.

This was transformed into a bedroom by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur and will be available for the opening of the upcoming summer Olympics.

The experiences will be awarded to guests through a selection process, with approximately eight additional Icon experiences being rolled out throughout the year to join the first batch. Each Icon is free or under $100 (£80).

"Icons take you inside worlds that only existed in your imagination – until now," said Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky. "As life becomes increasingly digital, we're focused on bringing more magic into the real world. With Icons, we've created the most extraordinary experiences on Earth."

The launch follows the platform's release of recreations of Barbie's Malibu Dreamhouse and Shrek's swampland cottage, as well as previous overnight experiences in an Ikea showroom and the last remaining Blockbuster.

"These experiences captured people's imagination and they allowed people to step into someone else's world," said Chesky. "And at its best, this is what Airbnb does. And what it's always been about."

To create the spaces, the brand employed a variety of strategies. In the case of the Up house, it was built from scratch, while other properties were renovated or outfitted with a particular theme such as the X-Mansion from the X-Men movie series or Prince's Purple Rain house.

"The Up house is one of the most iconic homes in any film ever," said Chesky. "You're gonna be able to stay in Carl and Ellie's home and it will feel like you're stepping inside the movie."

"This is a real house we built from scratch. We had to literally paint every detail in the home to match the exact Pantone colours used in the film, from the roof tiles to the siding," he continued.

For the X-Mansion, the team searched for a home in Upstate New York that looked like an approximation of the house from the movie series and then covered the interior in comic-strip style illustrations by artist Joshua Vides.

According to Airbnb VP of design Teo Connor, it took approximately two weeks for Vides and his team to hand-paint each room.

"Each Icon has a different timeline because they're all so unique, so different," Connor told Dezeen. "[There was] a huge amount of effort to bring these things to life and I think it really shows."

"With these types of things, we're really wanting to immerse you in a world and for it to feel authentic," she continued.

Other Icons include a stay at the Ferrari museum in a custom-made circular bed that is surrounded by various Ferrari models and a visit to Bollywood star Janhvi Kapoor's "childhood oasis" in India.

To visit the various experiences, travellers must submit a written entry through Airbnb during a timed submission period. 4,000 guests will be selected and awarded a "golden ticket" to attend the experiences over the coming year.

The brand also released several updates in order to make booking and organizing group trips easier for travellers, including multiple users being able to message the host and a ranking system when selecting a rental together.

Last year, Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky warned against designers failing to embrace AI and announced a program that called to designers and creatives to rent out their spaces for supplemental income.

The photography is courtesy of Airbnb.

The post Airbnb creates rentals from films including Up house suspended from crane appeared first on Dezeen.

British automotive manufacturer Aston Martin and Argentinian architecture studio Bodas Mian Anger have completed a skyscraper in Miami with a curved, flat form and a cantilevered pool deck near its top.

Located in Downtown Miami, the 66-storey skyscraper was designed through a collaboration between the British car manufacturer and Bodus Mian Anger (BMA) and developed by local firm G&G Business Developments. It is the first residential skyscraper to be branded by Aston Martin.

The skyscraper stands 818 feet tall (249 metres) beside the mouth of the Miami river and features a flat, curved envelope that the architecture studio likened to a boat's sail – a common sight off the Floridian coast.

Aston Martin claims that the new skyscraper is the tallest residential structure in Florida, though it may soon be surpassed by one of the other towers going up in Miami. These include the supertall Waldorf Astoria skyscraper designed by Sieger Suarez Architects and Carlos Ott.

Beyond the symbolic relevance, BMA said that the sail also has some practical purposes, shoring the structure up against high-force winds and also allowing for ventilation.

"Airflow and wind and the understanding of Florida being susceptible to hurricanes was important," BMA director of projects Martin Freyre told Dezeen.

"We worked closely with engineers during the initial phase, and part of the inspiration shows what Aston Martin is about, which is as much about aerodynamics and power as it is about beauty."

"With the waterfront facade curving gently like a sail, the building is being built to meticulous tolerances and environmental regulations in a part of the world where architecture is coming under ever-increasing scrutiny."

Freyre added that the water-side location of the property presented some challenges during construction, and a foundation had to be massive in order to support the skyscraper.

"The Aston Martin building was a challenge in relation to the proximity of the water," he said.

"[It] sits on one of the largest foundations in South Florida that had over 14,000 cubic yards of concrete poured, which equates to over 1,400 full drum loads of a cement truck mixer."

The structure's solid foundation and sail-like form also tie it to the design of Aston Martin, according to BMA, who said that its glass facade and curving form also reference the aerodynamic shape of the vehicles.

"The emphasis is in the close relationship with Aston Martin's design DNA and the graceful lines and curves of the building that reflect the elegance that Aston Martin is known for," Freyre said.

"You wouldn't think that millimetres should matter in a building, but they do."

Additional details on the interior also recall the design of Aston Martin vehicles.

Carbon fiber was used for the fixtures in many of the 391 condominiums and amenity spaces, which include an art gallery, movie theatres, conference rooms, a spa, and a barber shop. Bespoke Aston Martin handles were placed on the doors of the residences.

Near the top of the structure is a cantilevered form that juts like a lip from the 55th floor and holds an infinity pool and lounge.

Above the pool, crowning the structure, is a three-storey penthouse that Aston Martin calls its Unique Triplex Penthouse, which boasts 27,191 square feet (2,526 square metres) of living space.

"Melding a captivating design aesthetic with one of the city's most idyllic locations, on one of the last parcels of the Miami waterfront, the ultra-luxury Aston Martin Residence adds further distinction to the already expressive Miami skyline," said Aston Martin executive vice president and chief creative officer Marek Reichman.

"We think this project firmly sets the mark for luxury residential design around the world."

According to Aston Martin, the residences, which include customizable interior schemes, are 99 per cent sold.

Other branded skyscrapers in the city include the upcoming Dolce & Gabbana supertall skyscraper and a Bentley-branded skyscraper with an internal car elevator.

The construction comes despite indications that sea-level rises could affect the infrastructure of the city.

The photography is courtesy of Aston Martin. 

Project credits: 

Architect and interior design: Bodas Mian Anger, Aston Martin
Structural engineer: DiSimone Consulting Engineering - Miami
Architect of record: Revuelta Architects International
Contractor: Coastal Construction/Miami

The post Cars and hurricanes inform "sail-shape" of Aston Martin's first residential skyscraper appeared first on Dezeen.

A mix of faculty, students and non-affiliated practitioners in the fields of architecture and design have signed a petition calling for a boycott of Columbia University after its treatment of students protesting the war in Gaza.

The petition was launched under the moniker Architects and Planners Against Apartheid and calls "to boycott all academic events at Columbia University as a whole" and particularly Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP) and Barnard Architecture, the liberal arts college that shares the campus.

The petition was launched after the New York City university called in police in response to student protests, which began in mid-April, and have since spread to universities all over the United States.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kabage Karanja (@kabage_karanja)

Kabage Karanja shared the petition on Instagram

The architect-specific petition follows a general one signed by thousands of sympathetic academics.

A week after the petition was signed and sent to Columbia, the protests culminated in the NYPD clearing the campus of protest encampments and clearing an academic building that had been "seized" by the protestors, according to the New York Times, leading to dozens of arrests early Wednesday morning.

"Many faculty within the department are extremely supportive of the course and the students with the encampment and initiatives that are ongoing," Nairobi-based architect and adjunct assistant professor at GSAPP Kabage Karanja told Dezeen.

Kabage, who is a signatory on the petition, which includes more than 180 names, shared a post promoting the petition on Instagram after Wednesday morning's police actions. He said that Architects and Planners Against Apartheid is a group that has come together to "express our solidarity with the cause to free Palestine".

Concern over brutality towards students

"We are only emphasizing this deep concern of the extent of brutality that's being put forward against those students," he continued.

"I think the key request was for a sit down to discuss these matters," said Karanja, referring to the students' request that Columbia divest from companies profiting from the war in Gaza.

He believes that the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza is the key concern of students, and said that architects have a key role to play in protesting the war.

"We, beyond any profession, are front and centre within the conflict, because more often than not architectural buildings, from universities to hospitals to homes, are the targets and the people within those, most of whom are innocent," said Karanja.

He added that many of the professors at the university were signatories on a 2021 petition that called for "supporting student, faculty and staff activism for justice in Palestine" – a petition that was signed by now-dean of GSAPP Andres Jacques.

Destruction and disruption says Columbia

Columbia has maintained that its decision to call on the police was justified, citing damage to property to structures in the private institution and anti-semitic sentiments among the protestors.

"Today's protesters are also fighting for an important cause, for the rights of Palestinians and against the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza. They have many supporters in our community and have a right to express their views and engage in peaceful protest," said university president Minouche Shafik in a statement yesterday.

"But students and outside activists breaking Hamilton Hall doors, mistreating our Public Safety officers and maintenance staff, and damaging property are acts of destruction, not political speech. Many students have also felt uncomfortable and unwelcome because of the disruption and antisemitic comments made by some individuals, especially in the protests that have persistently mobilized outside our gates."

Dezeen has reached out to Columbia University for comment on the Architects and Planners Against Apartheid petition.

The top photograph is via Shutterstock. Comments have been turned off on this story due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter.

The post Architects and planners call for boycott of Columbia University after protests appeared first on Dezeen.

Belgian studio Mamout has extended a townhouse in Brussels, adding a small garden room built from a prefabricated shell of pastel green-coloured steel.

Aiming to improve the connection between the home and its garden, Mamout drew on the form of an existing bow window on the rear facade to create a glazed seating area for the existing kitchen.

"The aim is to create the smallest possible extension, but one that offers a radically new perception of space from the inside," Mamout architect Sarah Avni told Dezeen.

"We imagine the extension as a response to the existing bow window, which is a typical element of Belgian architecture," she added.

The garden room sits slightly elevated off the ground to avoid covering the home's basement windows and is accessed from the garden patio by a small concrete stair.

While mimicking the existing windows form, Mamout opted for a steel structure that would provide a contrasting "thin and light look". This was manufactured as a single piece by a shipbuilding workshop in Liège, allowing it to be craned into place and "plugged into" the existing building.

"The intervention is integrated into the facade as a bow window should be, like a floating element, allowing the fabulous wisteria to continue spreading," said Avni.

"The tolerance for possible mistakes was very low – everything was settled and designed before it was brought on site," she added.

Inside, a full-height opening leads from the kitchen into the extension, where a contrasting stone floor finish subtly sets it apart from the rest of the room.

A built-in window bench follows the curve of the steel form, with a small table providing an area to have breakfast overlooking the garden, both finished with matching fluted wood bases.

A minimal, white finish has been given to the walls and full-height window frames, matching those already in the home while helping to focus attention towards the garden.

"We proposed a very calm and peaceful atmosphere punctuated by a curved bench that follows the steel shell," said Avni. "The position of the bench allows you to be seated in the garden."

Mamout was founded in Brussels in 2014 by Matthieu Busana and Sébastien Dachy.

Previous projects by the studio include the refurbishment of another Brussels townhouse that "makes the most of what already exists" and a courtyard house built using materials from a dismantled warehouse.

The photography is by Séverin Malaud.

Project credits:

Architect: Mamout
Structure: JZH & Partners
Energy: Earth&Bee
Furniture designer: Sébastien Caporusso
Decoration: Aurore de Borchgrave
Contractor: G-Line Construct
Steelwork: Ateliers Melens & Dejardin

The post Mamout adds "smallest possible extension" to townhouse in Brussels appeared first on Dezeen.

Swiss studio Kosmos Architects has designed Dice, a multifaceted piece of oak furniture that can be used as a stool, a coffee table, a lamp or a footrest.

The five-pronged furniture piece weighs 10.5 kilograms and has a "warm" oak wood frame characterised by subtle chequerboard patterns.

"Throw the dice, and this project will take a new shape depending on how the user rotates it," said Kosmos Architects, which named Dice after the numbered cube often used in games of chance.

Two of the furniture's legs are wide enough to support it, while two others are slimmer and rounded. The fifth leg features a triangular lamp at its tip made of plastic and protected frosted glass, which can be removed via a small button and charged using a USB socket.

When tipped on its various sides, Dice can function as a stool, a coffee table or a footrest.

The furniture can be attached to a rope or similar hanging material and suspended from the ceiling to provide lighting or simply positioned as a floor lamp.

Kosmos Architects chose this asymmetric design to "unite the qualities of four different basic furniture typologies".

"We made the lamp removable so that there are no electrical cords and to make the object independent," architect Leonid Slonimskiy told Dezeen.

Dice was CNC-milled from a stack of solid oak pieces with a multi-axis milling machine.

"The robotic arm cut away pieces of wood with a rotating drill until the shape got smoother, and then we manually sanded and oiled the piece," he explained.

"Dice combines new technologies and handcraft."

"The furniture has a clear purpose but is supposed to be interpreted by the owner," continued Kosmos Architects.

"It is a sculpture and at the same time a pragmatic piece of furniture."

Kosmos Architects has also created a silver "carry-on bag" for Dice, which mimics the shape of the furniture and helps to make it portable.

Dice was unveiled during last month's Milan design week at Fake/Authentic Gallery. Dezeen has rounded up 10 other projects presented at the festival that explored the future of furniture design.

Previously, Japanese studio Torafu Architects created multifunctional furniture – also called Dice – for both children and adults.

The photography is by Maxim Cherepanov. 

Milan design week took place from 15 to 21 April 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

The post Dice furniture changes function depending on how you "throw" it appeared first on Dezeen.

American studio Walker Warner Architects has completed Hale Kiawe, a family retreat with simple, gabled forms that are set within an undulating landscape dotted with chunky lava rocks.

Located along the Kona Coast on the island of Hawaii, the house was designed for a family who wanted a functional and beautiful retreat that was minimalist in spirit.

"The homeowners, who come from a cross-cultural Indian background, believe that minimalism is about possessing only what is truly essential, and thus aimed to under-design their space," said San Francisco's Walker Warner.

The team was influenced by a traditional Hindu system of architecture called Vastu Shastra – particularly its emphasis on "harmonious living".

For a 4.7 (1.9-hectare) site with tall grasses, kiawe trees – also known as the American carob – and lava rocks, the team conceived a main dwelling and two guesthouses, along with a detached garage and swimming pool.

The project is called Hale Kiawe, a term combining the name of the trees and the Hawaiian word for house.

Informed by the agrarian buildings once found in the area, the buildings are clad in wood siding and are topped with corrugated metal roofs.

"Simple lines and geometries create a striking contrast with the undulating landscape and stunning coastline in the distance," the team said.

"The home is elegant but spare, exhibiting a spiritual existence that adapts to the environment with ease and comfort."

Totalling 5,600 square feet (520 square metres), the buildings are set around outdoor spaces and are connected by pathways.

The main entrance is hidden from the road and faces east to align with Indian cultural practices. A walkway and water feature lead to the entrance within an enclosed porch, or lanai.

"This tranquil, open-air pavilion serves as the heart of the home and transitions you from the busyness of the outside world to the calm and quiet within," the studio said.

The main dwelling contains a primary bedroom suite and an open-concept kitchen, dining area and living room. Each guest dwelling contains a pair of bedrooms.

"Rooms are open and large in scale, offering depth of tranquillity and renewal while still maintaining a sense of minimalism and restraint," the team said.

The team incorporated large windows and full-height glass doors to capitalise on the views and pleasant climate. The house can be opened up to the outdoors for most of the year.

Interior finishes include oak millwork, granite countertops, and flooring made of oak and stone.

Neutral colours mimic those found in the natural environment and help keep the focus on the landscape. The homeowner's love for Indian textiles and tapestries also informed the colour palette.

Rooms are fitted with custom decor from places such as Bali, Mexico and India. Kiawe wood was used for certain pieces, such as side tables and a desk in the main bedroom.

The interior was designed by local firm Philpotts Interiors.

Outside the home, landscape interventions were intended to strengthen the connection between architecture and nature.

"The plantings are thoughtfully integrated into the site, weaving together the built environment and the natural surroundings, and restoring a sense of unity between the two," the team said.

Established in 1989, Walker Warner Architects has an extensive portfolio of buildings focused on the outdoors.

Others include a barn-inspired guesthouse in northern California that is wrapped in reclaimed wood and a wood- and zinc-clad house in Santa Monica that hugs a spacious courtyard.

In Hawaii, the firm designed a residence called Hale Nukumoi, which features pigmented concrete, dark timber and deep roof overhangs.

The photography is by Matthew Millman.

Project credits:

Architect: Walker Warner
Walker Warner team: Greg Warner (principal), Sharon Okada (senior project manager), Matthew Marsten (job captain), Vivi Lowery (designer)
Interior design: Philpotts Interiors
Philpotts team: Marion Philpotts-Miller (principal)
Construction: Metzler Contracting Co
Landscape: David Y Tamura Associates
Lighting: Eric Johnson Associates, Inc
Structural: GFDS Engineers
Civil: Aina Engineers, Inc
Mechanical: Mark Morrison Mechanical Engineering
Plumbing: Mark Morrison Mechanical Engineering
Electrical: Morikawa & Associates
Geotechnical: Geolabs, Inc
Millwork: Wick Rice Cabinetry

The post Hawaii house by Walker Warner Architects designed to be "elegant but spare" appeared first on Dezeen.

Design thinking should be substituted for "food thinking" to enable humans to create properly holistic systems that no longer cause ecological chaos, writes Sophie Lovell.

Design has become unfit for purpose. Humanity shares one small planet with a large number of other lifeforms and catastrophes happen to everything and everyone on it. From the destruction of ecosystems and climate to the chronic effects of the exploitation of people and resources, design has been complicit in creating the state the world now finds itself in.

The majority of what passes for design doesn't so much solve problems as cause a whole load of new ones. Can it be that the universal model of design thinking, so embraced by capitalism, is not the right approach at this watershed moment in the planet's history?

What if there was another, more relational way of approaching the design process?

Taking a problem-solving approach, as designers are mostly taught to do, implies something is "wrong" and that the designer's job is to fix or improve it. The difficulty with looking at the world like this is it puts the designer and the user on a closed-loop binary seesaw. It is not contextually aware.

A human-centred, iterative approach like design thinking heavily echoes the traditional Western science model: empirical observation, systematic experimentation and the formulation of hypotheses and theories based on evidence. It's all about conquering a "problem" through a mindset of experimentation and rational discussion until the "right" answer is arrived at.

What if there was another, more relational way of approaching the design process? One that is based not on things or problems but on building and maintaining healthy relationships instead? A non-binary approach that is adaptive, and embraces context, equity and equality, allowing for even contradictory interests of myriad stakeholders. One that is less causal, more entangled.

Spatial practitioners radically rethinking "architecture after architecture" have been working in this direction for some time. Spatial Agency, for example, is founded by architects who have shifted their focus from "matter of fact" to "matter of concern" and "making stuff to making policy". And the collaborative design studio Forty Five Degrees considers the built environment "across multiple scales, analysing its physical, social, and economic entanglements".

Both practices, however, predominantly use the (human) built environment and (human) social interactions and spatial use and occupation as the framework for their endeavours. In other words, they still, as architects, tend to put communities of humans and their structures at the centre of their focus. Human-centred approaches to design, no matter how inspiring, still carry vestigial baggage from the mindset of (human) dominion over every other life form (resource) – and look where that has got us.

What about everything else – the vast realm of the "non-human", on which humans are utterly dependent and connected to, from climate and soils to flora and fauna, minerals, macro- and microorganisms? Where does one find a more planet-conscious design approach that is human-related but with a stronger emphasis on the non-human and flexible enough to incorporate the enormous complexity such a holistic perspective would involve?

The diversity of non-extractive agriculture and food-related practices should make ideal learning tools for designers

The answer could be surprisingly simple: food. "Food is everything," says chef José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen. "Food is national security. Food is economy. It is employment, energy, history… If we approached many of today's issues understanding this importance, we'd be making much better decisions."

Food production and agriculture are the oldest industries known to humankind. They are filled with knowledge stemming from millennia of experimentation, adaptation and cohabitation with all the world's constantly changing ecologies.

I'm not talking about the majority of extractive industrial agriculture and food production monocultures that belong to the "them and us" system of dominion and ownership. I'm talking about the many thousands of other, niche-specific forms of agriculture and food production that are not – the practices and practitioners that modern industrial industries have mostly ignored when they weren't trying to exploit or eradicate them.

Chef Andrés is right: the perspectives and values of all human cultures are deeply embedded in their food production practices, which means this embodied knowledge is per se contextual and holistic. Therefore, the diversity of non-extractive agriculture and food-related practices (from seasonal dishes to fermentation, crop diversity, community/ecology-appropriate planting and so on) should make ideal learning tools for designers addressing the many failing and dated human-generated systems that need to change.

Please note: I am not advocating yet more cultural exploitation of indigenous knowledge here, I am advocating respect for non-material value, learning how to ask better questions and really, properly, listen.

Back in 1962, Rachel Carson's Silent Spring tried to remind the world that all living things are part of a web of life and if you touch, change or move anything you should do so with care, not just for the obvious consequences but for the unforeseen ones as well. The world may have heard, but it did not listen.

Designers should not be working within manufacturing environments

In 2015, Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing argued in her book The Mushroom at the End of the World that "staying alive – for every species – requires livable collaborations. Collaboration means working across difference, which leads to contamination. Without collaborations, we all die."

Is the world going to continue making the same mistake? We need to disentangle ourselves from notions of "progress" and fully embrace existing entanglements with nature, with other living beings, with cultural wisdom, our bodies, our technologies and our planet.

Investigative, cross-disciplinary practice in design is, of course, not new, but the increasing focus on food systems has been noticeable. Another set of spatial practitioners, Cooking Sections, for example, have been working in an investigative manner on food-related topics for the past decade as part of their ongoing Climavore project.

This is a research platform working with marine biologists, botanists, farmers, chefs, herders, fisherfolk, anthropologists, geneticists and many others to ask "how to eat as humans change climates." The Cooking Sections collaborative completely gets that asking better, more inclusive questions and striving for an extensively collaborative practice is the way forward. And it is no accident that they chose food systems to work with.

Agricultural and food-production practices are an ideal place to start rethinking how we design because they are the result of people working in partnership with their contexts. To establish environments where enough nourishing food can be produced regeneratively, people need to work within their ecosystems.

Likewise, designers should not be working within manufacturing environments but within multidisciplinary and multi-representative knowledge environments.

Humans need to stop treating the planet as a for-profit industrial farm owned by a handful of people

In a bleak recent lecture, the highly respected Dark Matter Labs architect Indy Johar pointed out that the extent of land under food production is now so vast that Earth is now essentially "a global farm with a small zoo for wild animals." The ramifications are terrifying when put into the context (as he goes on to do) of the current dramatically accelerated level of planetary destruction.

Humans need to stop treating the planet as a for-profit industrial farm owned by a handful of people – not at some speculative time in the future, but right now.

Stepping away from the toxic system in which design has hitherto been complicit by embracing food thinking not only facilitates an accessible, inclusive path for designers to help nurture thriving ecologies by building and maintaining healthy relationships, it is essential to survival.

Sophie Lovell is a design and architecture writer and the co-founder of The Common Table, a platform for food thinking and systemic change, together with her daughter Orlando Lovell. She has written and edited several books on design and architecture, including David Thulstrup: A Sense of Place and Dieter Rams: As Little Design as Possible (Phaidon).

The photo is by Nick Fewings via Unsplash.

Dezeen In Depth
If you enjoy reading Dezeen's interviews, opinions and features, subscribe to Dezeen In Depth. Sent on the last Friday of each month, this newsletter provides a single place to read about the design and architecture stories behind the headlines.

The post "Food production is an ideal place to start rethinking how we design" appeared first on Dezeen.

The first and only skyscraper designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen in New York City has undergone a renovation by Vocon Architects and MdeAS Architects to help it "meet the expectations of today".

At the behest of developer HGI, local architecture studios Vocon Architects and MdeAS Architects renovated and restored the 51W52 skyscraper, also known as Black Rock, which was completed as a headquarters for American media giant CBS in 1964.

CBS moved all of its facilities out in late 2023 and Black Rock now contains offices for a variety of companies, including HGI itself.

Designed by modernist architect Saarinen as his first and only skyscraper, 51W52's original symmetrical facade of granite, bronze and travertine has survived, with the bronze fins updated by the renovation team.

At the time, Saarinen called it the "simplest skyscraper statement in New York".

The original design was mostly maintained, and the developer, which purchased the landmarked building in 2021, said that the relatively column-less floor plans made it a perfect candidate for a contemporary office, though the interiors needed an update.

"From the beginning, we understood the immense potential of 51W52 given its architectural significance, desirable floor plans, and central location in Midtown," said HGI president T Richard Litton Jr.

"The structure of the building was optimal, we just needed to make subtle enhancements to reflect and appreciate its original design."

Most of the structural elements in the building were left intact. The architectural team completely renovated two lobbies on the ground floor, including a revamp of the finishes and the elevators. They also redid the building's rooftop garden.

The project also included the renovation of key amenities spaces including a lounge, fitness centre and a private cafe.

The studios said that instead of completely rethinking the aesthetics of the 900,000-square-foot (83,600 square-metre) building, they aimed to "let the significant architecture speak for itself".

The wide, long walls of the lobby were finished in detailing that echoes those used for the original facade. Some of the walls were covered in brass-tipped wooden slats, while others feature monolithic granite slabs.

Back-lit stone clads the reception desk, above which was placed a modernist fresco that incorporates the CBS logo to call attention to the history of the building.

This artwork, by artist Vincent Ashbahian, was originally displayed in the building in the 1970s and willed back to the building after his death.

Toronto outfit Viso created a massive lighting fixture made of dangling lights on strands to cover a large swath of the lobby.

"By conceptualizing the experience from the outside in, we were able to restore the fundamental beauty of his design and apply the principles of form, light, and even water to new elements such as the feature stair and water feature that meet the preferences of contemporary office users," said MdeAS Architects managing partner Dan Shannon.

From the lobby, a glass-lined stairwell leads down to lounge areas. The stairwell shaft is clad in stainless steel rendered in an undulating pattern.

Models of furniture originally designed by Saarinen and architect Florence Knoll were placed throughout the renovated spaces.

As it leads to lounge areas below, it passes over a small, still water feature: a small pool of water retained by black-painted metal.

"The creation of private lounges, a conference center, and fitness studios help the building meet the expectations of today's best corporate talent, while their designs maintain the integrity of Saarinen’s original architecture," said Vocon Architects principal Tom Vecchione.

Saarinen is known for his modernist architecture, with built work across the United States and Europe. Recently, a number of his buildings have been undergoing renovation, including his TWA terminal at JFK, which was repurposed into a hotel.

Other modernist skyscrapers that have undergone restorations and renovations in New York City include the famous Lever House skyscraper, which was restored by SOM, its original architects.

The photography is by Colin Miller.

The post Eero Saarinen's Black Rock skyscraper refurbished in New York appeared first on Dezeen.

Architecture studio Unknown Works has renovated a terraced London house called Oasis, adding a side and rear extension to create a flexible interior and maximise natural light.

The Victorian home in Kentish Town is owned by Unknown Works' co-founder Theo Games Petrohilos, who wanted to update its interior with a large open-plan living area suitable for cooking, working and entertaining guests.

Extensions to the side and rear mean that the home now occupies the site's full width, with large sliding glass doors opening directly onto the rear courtyard garden.

This maximises light and space while establishing a better connection with the garden where large fig and bay trees have been retained.

"The old spaces were dark and didn't make anything of the connection to the garden," Petrohilos told Dezeen.

"I think the previous owners weren't big cooks because they left the kitchen in a cramped setup as a galley with the dining table set to the end," he explained.

"You couldn't feed more than two or three in that space, while the main living space prioritised a big sofa and a TV, which seemed a little sad," added Petrohilos. "I swapped it up with a massive dining table in the main space."

To the front of Oasis, the original bedroom and ensuite bathroom have been updated with bespoke birch-plywood furniture. This includes a bed with integrated storage and floor-to-ceiling wardrobes on wheels that double as adaptable partitions.

At the centre of the plan, Unknown Works has placed a small internal courtyard inspired by Japanese stone gardens to provide cross ventilation through the home and access to natural light for the reconfigured bedroom.

The stainless steel and plywood kitchen is complemented by concrete flooring that runs into the garden, designed to "give a feeling of al fresco dining experience year-round".

Bespoke timber joinery and custom-made furniture feature throughout Oasis, including a 16-seater, stainless-steel dining table set on castor wheels to maximise adaptability.

"I want to allow for the different possibilities in terms of the way we live," said Petrohilos.

"In the kitchen, the flexibility in the space allows the big stainless steel table to be spun around, moved to each side of the room or rolled outside into the garden."

With the client for Oasis being the studio's co-founder, the project was also used as an opportunity for Unknown Works to develop and test new ideas.

"This project seeks to maximise light, space and a connection to nature – we've done this with a materiality that expresses the way things are made," concluded Petrohilos.

"For most architects, the opportunity to live in one of our own buildings is a real privilege, after the design and making process, every day you're able to learn so much."

Unknown Works is a London studio founded by Ben Hayes, Kaowen Ho and Petrohilos in 2017.

Its other recent projects include CLT House, which also features modular furniture on wheels, and an "otherworldly" music studio in a garden.

The photography is by Lorenzo Zandri unless stated otherwise.

The post Unknown Works revamps co-founder's "cramped" Victorian home in London appeared first on Dezeen.

Architecture studio dMFK Architects has restored and renovated the Voysey House office in Chiswick, London, which was originally designed as a wallpaper factory by architect CFA Voysey.

The studio renovated the Grade-II listed building – the only factory designed by the architect – into a "premium workspace" for property developer Dorrington. It will be occupied by wallpaper company Sanderson Design Group, which originally commissioned the building as an extension to its main factory more than a century ago.

The team aimed to revive the structure's original character reversing a series of renovations over the past 100 years following its conversion into offices after a fire in 1928.

Built with white glazed bricks, painted Staffordshire blue bricks and Portland stone, the building has a striking facade that was carefully repaired to its "former glory". This included replacing the non-original windows with steel reproductions of the original frames.

"The main concept for the project was to deliver a holistic restoration that refocuses attention on the quality of CFA Voysey's original building," dMFK Architects director Joshua Scott told Dezeen.

"We've embraced the opportunity to unravel the story of the Voysey House, which had lost its way after being subjected to a series of functional changes over the past century that significantly diluted its impact."

The studio reorganised the building's layout with a four-metre-high wallpaper showroom placed on the ground floor, which had contained a garage and entrance lobby.

Throughout, dMFK Architects aimed to draw attention to the building's original structure including its iron columns and shallow, barrel-vaulted concrete ceilings enclosed in corrugated iron shuttering.

New doors and joinery added throughout the interior also reference original detailing by Voysey, while Staffordshire blue quarry tiles were used on some floors and to line the main staircase.

"Whilst retaining the original bones and structure of the building, we've introduced new elements to create a modern and sustainable workplace that pays homage to Voysey's original design," said Dorrington head of development and regeneration Bruce Thompson.

Office spaces occupy the first, second and fourth floors and are lit by an internal light-well, with large openings leading out to terraces. A historic archive is hosted on the third floor.

Oxidised copper cladding was used to wrap around the light-well and is complemented by metal railings and window frames coloured in "Voysey bottle green" chosen to pay homage to the original paintwork.

In restoring the historic factory, the building's U-Value has been reduced by more than 50 per cent along with it achieving an EPC rating of A, according to the studios.

"The non-original existing windows were replaced with ultra-thin 7.7mm double glazing set within steel reproductions of the original frames," Scott said.

"These look like they've always been there to a passerby, but they're brand new – a change which has vastly improved Voysey House's energy efficiency."

Voysey was a British Arts and Crafts architect and designer who was awarded the RIBA Gold Medal in 1940. Voysey House stands as the only commercial building designed by the renowned architect. Recently, Voysey's Winsford Cottage Hospital in Devon was converted into a holiday home by Benjamin + Beauchamp Architects.

Elsewhere, other restorations of historic buildings include the renovation of the Grand Palais by Chatillon Architectes which is set to host olympic games in Paris and the reconstruction of the Notre-Dame cathedral's spire following a devastating fire in 2019.

The photography is by Jack Hobhouse.

Project credits:

Architect: dMFK Architects
Client: Dorrington
Occupier: Sanderson Design Group
Main contractor: Ambit
Heritage and planning advisors: Turley
Structural engineer: Heyne Tillett Steel
MEP engineer: DSA Engineering
Fire engineer: Trigon Fire
Steel windows specialist: West Leigh
Brick specialist: Paye
Project manager: Pillar
Quantity surveyor: CHP

The post dMFK Architects restores CFA Voysey's Arts and Crafts factory to its "former glory" appeared first on Dezeen.

Architecture studio Snøhetta has completed the Vertikal Nydalen office and apartment building in Oslo, with two angular towers designed to encourage air flow through the building.

Located near the river Akerselva in the city's Nydalen neighbourhood, the building was designed by Snøhetta to offer views of the surroundings and provide natural ventilation to minimise energy consumption.

"The angled facade is designed to create pressure differences that enable air to move through the building," said Snøhetta.

"The air enters through valves in the facade, which open and close as needed," it added. "When two windows open on different sides of the building, the pressure difference forces the air to move through the premises, so the air circulates."

The 18-storey building has restaurants on the street level, offices on the five floors above and apartments on the top levels of the tallest tower.

"To maintain certain sightlines and gain a lighter impression, the building is divided into two volumes of different heights, where only one part exploits the plot's maximum potential of 18 storeys," said Snøhetta.

Angled steel balconies with perforated railings jut out from the building, animating the pine-clad facades.

According to Snøhetta, the building does not need to purchase energy for heating, cooling or ventilation, which it calls a "triple zero solution".

Instead, the building uses geothermal wells, photovoltaic panels, natural ventilation and a low-energy system for heating and cooling, the studio said.

The building's concrete core was mostly left exposed to slowly release heat and cold in the interior.

"Water from geo-wells in the ground circulates in the clay walls and concrete slabs when heating or cooling is needed," said Snøhetta.

"The heat absorbed into the concrete walls during the day is released at night and contributes to stable temperatures in the building," it continued. "The photovoltaic panels on the roof power the heat pump that controls the heating and cooling system."

Public space around the building was designed as a "new town square" for the local area, aiming to create sunlit plazas and pathways with minimal wind.

According to Snøhetta, feedback will be collected on the thermal comfort and air quality of the building, and programmed vents can be adjusted to best suit the users.

"We are proud to finally be able to showcase the whole of Vertikal Nydalen and the work that has gone into designing a multi-use building with natural and balanced ventilation and minimal energy consumption," said Snøhetta founding partner Kjetil Trædal Thorsen.

"I encourage all to challenge the framework and existing regulations and explore opportunities to solve things in new and unconventional ways," he continued. "This is the only way to evolve and improve."

Other recent projects by the studio include a glulam extension to a ski museum in Oslo and its progress on a geometric skyscraper on the perimeter of Central Park in New York, which topped out last month.

The photography is by Lars Petter Pettersen.

Project credits:

Architect, interior architect and roof terrace landscape architect: Snøhetta
Client: Avantor
Landscape architect street level: LALA Tøyen ​
​Consulting building engineer: Skanska Teknikk
​HVAC consulting engineer: Multiconsult ​
Electrical​ consulting engineer: Heiberg og Tveter ​
​Acoustics consulting engineer: Brekke and Strand
​Fire consulting engineer: Fokus Rådgiving ​
​What consulting engineer: COWI

The post Snøhetta unveils angled office and apartment high-rises in Oslo appeared first on Dezeen.

British furniture retailer Habitat has revealed its 60th-anniversary collection, which features collaborations with emerging designers alongside revived archive pieces like the chicken brick.

Furniture and homeware by established designers including Sebastian Conran, Margo Selby and Tord Boontje populate Habitat's colourful 60 Years of Design collection, as well as work by newer talent such as furnituremaker Planq, ceramicist Silvia Kamodyová and artist Simone Brewster.

Novel designs rub shoulders with re-released classics in the collection from Habitat, which is an icon of British affordable design but has had a tumultuous recent history of buy-outs and store closures.

Among the revived archive products is the chicken brick from 1964 –  a ceramic oven dish for steam cooking and a classic from Habitat's first year in business – updated with a matte black glaze.

Also back on the roster are the modernist-inspired 1970s Scoop chair and 2004's Ribbon light – a table lamp made of folded and powder-coated sheet steel, which according to Habitat has become a collectible.

Some of the new designs also nod to Habitat's past.

Kamodyová referenced the 1980s Graffiti sofa in the colourful markings of her ceramics while the Lattice wire chair by Habitat designer Will Hudson is based on the wicker cone chairs of the 1970s and his bright red Akari four-poster bed was inspired by early Habitat catalogues.

Other highlights include the metal Lucinda garden furniture, which has precise cut-outs intended to cast captivating shadows, and Planq's XY60 coffee and side tables with surfaces made from recycled denim waste and legs in bright pops of blue or yellow.

Habitat designer D'arby Mawson's Cayan salt and pepper grinders look like a sculptural version of a wooden stacking game, while Brewster's bold-hued rugs are based on her own hand-paintings of the female form.

Sebastian Conran's contribution is a series of four lighting designs – including one inspired by the bulbous shapes of the Michelin Man – while Felix Conran designed mirrors with the gently contoured lines of river stones and Selby applied her graphic pattern designs to a range of textiles and bedding.

Habitat's head of design Andrew Tanner said that the brand's 60th anniversary offered an opportunity for the team to "look back and celebrate the last sixty years of Habitat's rich heritage".

"It's allowed us to reimagine classics from decades past for how we live now, as well as conceive new and thoughtful pieces that we hope will become collectables and represent the next generation of design," he said.

Habitat was founded in 1964 by Terence Conran, the highly influential British designer and retailer who also founded The Conran Shop, Benchmark Furniture and London's Design Museum.

In its first three decades, it helped to revolutionise British home decor tastes with its modern, clean-lined and European-inspired furniture and homewares.

But since then, the company has struggled and was sold three times over – first to IKEA in 1992, then to restructuring company Hilco in 2009 and finally to the Home Retail Group in 2011, which now largely sells the brand's products through its Sainsbury's and Argos stores and online.

However, contrary to Elle Decoration editor Michelle Ogundehin's proclamation that the brand was "as good as dead" after the last sale and Conran's own observation that his "love child, Habitat, appears to be dying", the company has persevered.

Tanner expressed optimism for Habitat's future and said that the company is in a better position now than ever before to create products that are true to its vision.

"Habitat has always championed great design and was founded on the concept of quality homeware that turns heads," Tanner told Dezeen. "We want to continue to be known for this moving forward. We are able, like never before, to create design-led products that are accessible and affordable to all."

Other highlights from Habitat's past include the first collection of former creative director Polly Dickens in 2012, which aimed to take the brand back to its "original Conran days" after the takeovers, and a VIP for Kids range that touted designs by the likes of actors Kate Winslet and Daniel Radcliffe.

The post Habitat brings back archive "classics" for 60th anniversary collection appeared first on Dezeen.

Biodegradable stools and a dining table that discretely turns into a desk are among Dezeen editor-at-large Amy Frearson's picks of the most progressive furniture launches at this year's Milan design week.

Furniture brands were launching new products and collections all over Milan, with some exhibiting at the Salone del Mobile furniture fair and others in showrooms and venues dotted around the city.

A few stood out for how they addressed sustainability challenges, with newly developed materials and innovative assembly methods resulting in products with a reduced carbon footprint.

Some addressed challenges relating to diversity within the design industry, while others explored how advances in technology are changing our relationships with objects.

Read on to discover 10 key examples:

A discretely height-adjustable table
Nastro by Daniel Rybakken for Alias

With remote working still the norm for many, Norwegian designer Daniel Rybakken has devised a dining table that can be easily adjusted to instead function as a seated or standing desk.

Launched at the Salone del Mobile by Italian brand Alias, the Nastro table features a concealed belt-and-pulley mechanism that allows the surface to be raised or lowered by hand without any need for electricity.

A video posted on Instagram by Rybakken reveals how easy it is to adjust.

"At the lowest height, the table's unique features are not revealed at all, making it ideal for the home – from dining at the lowest height, to cooking food and drinks at medium height, to working with a laptop at the highest height," said the designer.

Biodegradable furniture in an array of colours
Alder by Patricia Urquiola for Mater

Danish brand Mater has become known for its patented material, Matek, which combines waste plastic with biomaterials such as sawdust and coffee bean shells.

The brand has now developed a biodegradable blend of this heat-pressed material, thanks to the use of a bioplastic made from sugarcane. Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola has turned this into a collection of tables and stools that come in colours including terracotta and sandy yellow.

"Biodegradable plastic, in this case sugar cane, is a rapidly renewable source that can be harvested 1-2 times a year," said Ketil Årdal, CEO of Mater.

"It naturally absorbs carbon dioxide while growing and can be decomposed by living organisms in the same way as wood or any other natural material."

Rugs that embrace female identity
Rude Collection by Faye Toogood for CC-Tapis

Of the many products that British designer Faye Toogood unveiled in Milan, the most provocative was a range of rugs she unveiled with Italian brand CC-Tapis in her Rude Arts Club exhibition.

Featuring abstract images of male and female body parts, alongside blood-red blobs, these multi-textural carpets celebrate sex and the human form from a female perspective.

Toogood told Dezeen that she wanted to celebrate female energy and womanhood in a way that is seldom seen in the design industry.

"It's a kind of expression of the human body – male, female, everyone – but also the sexual energy that is a big part of being human," she said.

Lamps containing an innovative LED strip
Superwire by Formafantasma for Flos

Italian lighting brand Flos has developed a new type of LED light source, a thin and flexible strip that emits warm and homogeneous light across lengths of up to one metre.

By encasing this strip inside hexagonal glass tubes, Italian design duo Formafantasma has produced a collection of lamps featuring flawless light stripes of different widths.

Andea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin of Formafantasma said the project "represents a change of pace in LED lighting".

"The filament obtained is, to all intents and purposes, a new light source with great potential which we will certainly use in the future," said the pair.

A stool referencing West African culture
Euclid Stool by Limbo Accra

At a time when diversity is still sorely lacking in the design industry, New York- and Ghana-based studio Limbo Accra brought a West African perspective to Milan as part of the Prada Frames symposium.

The polished and lacquered plywood Euclid Stool combines references to unfinished architecture with Euclidean geometry, exploring notions of what it means to be "in limbo". Limbo Accra is self-producing the stool in a limited edition.

"We are always searching, pushing forward towards the unknown and the unseen," said studio founders Dominique Petit-Frère and Emil Grip.

"The stool represents explorations that allow us to think about the realm of limbo in new ways and inspire us to continue searching."

Seating that explores a new approach to radical design
Morphologica by Misha Kahn for Meritalia

American artist Misha Kahn has pushed furniture manufacturing to the limit with this design for Meritalia, an Italian brand best known for producing the irreverent designs of figures such as Gaetano Pesce and Mario Bellini.

Exploring what it means to be radical today, Kahn developed a sofa and armchair combining an assortment of irregular bulbous shapes, all based on forms found inside the human body.

Kahn describes it as a "shocking coach", while Meritalia calls it "sexy more than playful".

Furniture produced with a fabric-first approach
Hana-arashi by Nendo for Paola Lenti

Leftover fabrics and offcuts from Paola Lenti's outdoor furniture products provided the starting point for this range of furniture designed by Japanese studio Nendo.

The project represents a departure for Nendo founder Oki Sato, who is more used to working with an object brief than experimenting with a recycled material.

The resulting collection is more colourful than Nendo's typically pared-back, monochromatic aesthetic. The recyclable polypropylene textiles are steam-bent to create objects with playful curves, colours and overlap details.

"We sandwiched the material in wax paper and then ironed it," Sato told Dezeen. "By controlling the pressure and heat, we noticed that it became a semi-solid fabric. That was the 'aha'-moment."

A sofa that nods to 1990s streetwear
Parka by Draga & Aurel for Poltrona Frau

While many designs in Milan this year paid tribute to the glamour and excess of the 1970s, Italian studio Draga & Aurel showed how furniture could lean into the casual-cool aesthetic of the 1990s.

Produced by Italian manufacturer Poltrona Frau, the sofa reinterprets the squishy padding and hooded shape of the ubiquitous jacket in soft cushion-like leather upholstery.

"The unusual elliptical shape of the backrest, which inclines to become an armrest and then a seamless seat, creates a concave or convex space that is both audacious and welcoming," said the brand.

An intuitive table lamp made from aluminium
Set Lamp by Jamie Wolfond for Muuto

There were many examples of aluminium products on show in Milan this year, as the material becomes increasingly popular as a more recycle-friendly alternative to plastic. One of the most well-resolved was a table lamp by emerging Toronto-based designer Jamie Wolfond, for Danish homeware brand Muuto.

Designed as a giant screw, the lamp effectively communicates how to adjust the height of its shade. You simply spin this circular element to move it up or down.

"I think you need recognisable elements to communicate with people in the same way that if you’re verbalising something to someone, you have to use language they can understand," said Wolfond.

Furniture stuffed with recycled plastic
ZA:ZA by Zaven for Zanotta

Italian brand Zanotta is one of many furniture producers exploring ways of manufacturing sofas without upholstery foam or glue, to make them more eco-friendly.

This solution, developed with Venetian studio Zaven, is instead formed of cushions that are stuffed with recycled polyester balls and strapped in place over a metal frame.

Following the launch of the initial ZA:ZA sofa in 2023, Zanotta has expanded the range with modular elements that allow for multiple configurations. A ZA:ZA bed was also introduced.

Milan Design Week took place from 16 to 21 April. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

The post Ten launches from Milan that explore the future of furniture design appeared first on Dezeen.

Six interweaving "petals" encase the facade of Dior's store in Geneva, Switzerland, which has been designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winner Christian de Portzamparc.

The Dior store's expressive facade elements echo those of its Seoul flagship store – also designed by French architect De Portzamparc – that similarly draws on fabrics used for Dior's creations.

"The voids between the petal-shaped shells let in natural light and sculpt the space," De Portzamparc told Dezeen.

"This circulation of light creates a dialogue between inside and outside," he added. "At night, the flagship becomes a great urban lantern, with interior lighting filtered through the petals."

The facade elements rise up from the building's base widening at their centres before tapering towards the building's roof.

Behind them, floor to ceiling openings wrap around the building – revealing the building's six floors and providing views into the interiors. Additionally, a series of display cases decorate the facade at street level.

Inside, the spaces were finished with neutral-toned surfaces and wood panelling, which is set off by the colours and patterns of Dior's spring-summer 2024 collection.

Built in display cases fitted with sleek shelves and glass cabinets line the interior spaces and are illuminated by gallery-style lighting fixtures.

Plush seating decorates the boutique's interior and is coupled with consoles made by Berlin-based Stefan Leo Atelier and tables by Anglo-Brazilian designer Hamrei.

"The boutique offers a contrast worthy of European Baroque, with a pure, rounded exterior and an interior of quasi-artistic profusion," De Portzamparc said.

"The aim was to bring as much natural light as possible to the interior of the boutique, but also a certain light to the city of Geneva."

De Portzamparc was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 1994 and became the first French architect to receive the prestigious architecture award.

Other recently completed flagship stores include a marble "immersive experience" for APL's flagship store in New York City and Huawei's store in Shanghai with a "petal-like" facade.

Other fashion brand stores that have recently opened include a "sensual" boutique in Milan designed by Vincent Van Duysen for fashion house Ferragamo and a boutique decorated with hand-painted murals by Cúpla for fashion brand Rixo in central London.

The photography is by Jonathan Taylor unless otherwise stated.

The post Christian de Portzamparc wraps Dior flagship store with "resin shells" in Geneva appeared first on Dezeen.

Mono-material metal furniture was one of the most prominent trends at Milan design week, where designers created striking pieces from aluminium and stainless steel. Here, we round up eight of the best.

This year's edition of Milan design week showcased not just interesting individual installations and projects, but also gave an insight into wider trends within the industry.

Mono-material pieces – designed using just one type of material – were seen everywhere this year, with mono-material metal furniture especially popular.

Designers used aluminium and stainless steel to create sculptural lights, playful storage furniture and practical seating.

Below, we've rounded up eight of the most innovative and fun mono-material metal pieces from the annual design festival:

Moment table lamp by Kotaro Usugami

The Salone Satellite showcase of designers under the age of 35 had numerous fun metal designs on display, with Japanese designer Kotaro Usugami providing some of the most eye-catching examples.

His stand showcased four mono-material metal pieces – three lights and a stool – all with different surface finishes that create a variety of impressions, despite all being made from stainless steel and aluminium.

"This project is called Ordinary Material / Extraordinary Pieces, and it aims to shed new light on ordinary materials using industrial products such as aluminium and stainless steel," Usugami told Dezeen via translator Yuto Ogihara.

Usugami's background as a watch designer made him interested in working with stainless steel.

"Stainless steel is a highly durable material, and that's connected with the theme of sustainability," Usugami said. "It's also not difficult to manage; it's easy to produce. The finishes are all created by Japanese artisans."

Chair by Kiki Goti

The historical modernist Villa Borsani in Varedo, north of Milan, provided the backdrop for some of the most interesting products at Milan design week as part of the nomadic Alcova showcase.

Among them was designer Kiki Goti's sculptural chair made entirely out of aluminium, which contrasts a sharp angular back with a curved, rounded seat.

"What I love about aluminium is the concept of it being the softest of the metals; it has a kind of contradiction in itself," Goti, who created the piece for Vetralia Collectible, told Dezeen.

"My work works with a lot of contrast and I like the inherent duality that exists in aluminium," she added. "I find it pretty poetic, this kind of soft metal. It's stiff, it's soft; it's matt and shiny, it has a little bit of roughness and a bit of luxury. "

Cabinet and watering can by Dirk Duif

At Spazio Rossana Orlandi, a number of emerging designers were showcasing their works in the design gallery's labyrinthine spaces.

Dutch designer Dirk Duif's oversized cabinet and watering can, both made from stainless steel, could be found on the lower-ground floor.

Working with a single material is preferable because it makes it easier to recycle the furniture at the end of its life, the designer said.

"If it ever needs to be recycled, it's just one thing," Duif told Dezeen. "Metal is a very nice material to work with because you can make every shape that you want with it, and it's very durable and strong."

Tube collection by Tim Teven

Also at Rossana Orlandi, Dutch designer Tim Teven who comes from a family of blacksmiths used a hydraulic press machine to create the shapes of his furniture pieces.

"I'm always fascinated by the deformation of material, and I mostly use metal and aluminium," he told Dezeen.

By "deforming" his pieces, Teven aims to create useable, functional details, as seen in the steel-tube furniture he showed at Rossana Orlandi, where the metal is bent to form armrests and table legs.

"It's all about knowing what the material does when you process it in that way," Teven said. "You find out tricks to influence how the material bends and how you can do this assembly from it."

SPC Chair by Thomas Serruys

Belgian designer Thomas Serruys showed his SPC furniture as part of the Baranzate Ateliers exhibition in Milan. Made from hot-dipped galvanized steel, his outdoor furniture has a simple, sculptural shape.

"We love to work in metal, that's the core material we use in our atelier," Serruys told Dezeen. "We love to work with this material and finish because the pieces become very resistant and can remain outside year in, year out."

"Also, the galvanised finish patinates lovely over time. In our opinion, the chair only gets more beautiful over time and use."

Hako Cabinet by 56 Hours

Among the pieces presented by Rotterdam design studio 56 Hours at Salone Satellite was the Hako Cabinet, which marked the studio's first time working with aluminium.

Its clever design features clothes hanger-shaped cutouts that ended up forming the hangers themselves.

"We didn't use any finishing on it, so it's very easy to repair or recycle if necessary in the future," 56 Hours co-founder Viki Nagy told Dezeen. "And it's a really durable material."

The studio aims to make conscious decisions on materials, co-founder Mate Olah added, saying they always question the source of the material used.

"It's our responsibility to go a bit further and collect this information," he added.

Stedelijk Chair by Sabine Marcelis

Created by designer Sabine Marcelis for the contemporary Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Stedelijk Chair was produced by furniture brand BD Barcelona in aluminium – a material chosen by Marcelis because of its recyclability.

Shown as part of the Capsule Plaza showcase at Spazio Maiocchi, it's the first-ever chair from Marcelis, who says she wanted to use just one material to create a timeless design.

"I feel that stripping a design down to the essentials and working with a single material creates a simplicity that allows the design to be implemented in many different settings throughout different eras hopefully," Marcelis told Dezeen.

"The challenge was to create something with a strong identity yet complimentary to the surroundings it will inhabit," she added. "The chair needed to be functional, of course, comfortable, stackable, lightweight, responsibly produced, durable and recyclable – aluminium proved to be the perfect material to meet these demands."

Aluminium Formwork by Niceworkshop

An exhibition of steel pieces created by South Korean design studio Niceworkshop for recycling brand Format was one of the most interesting things on show as part of the Capsule Plaza exhibition at 10 Corso Como.

The studio creates furniture from salvaged metal formwork used to pour concrete in the construction of skyscrapers as well as from more conventional recycled aluminium. The resulting mono-material pieces were bolted together for an industrial feel.

"My family has been making formwork in Korea for more than 50 years," Format co-founder Phillip Lee told Dezeen. "And instead of throwing it away, I thought we should recreate it into something else."

Milan design week took place from 15 to 21 April 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

The post Steely mono-material metal furniture takes centre stage at Milan design week appeared first on Dezeen.

The steel-framed Study Pavilion by architects Gustav Düsing and Max Hacke has been named Europe's best new building, winning the Mies van der Rohe Award.

Düsing and Hacke, who founded their eponymous studios in 2015 and 2016 respectively, are the youngest people to have ever received the biennial accolade, also known as the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture or EUmies Award.

The gridded Study Pavilion was created for the Technical University of Braunschweig in Germany as a campus building containing flexible spaces for studying and socialising.

It won the prize for "its ability to challenge the constraints and imagery of sustainability, creating a welcoming and playful environment for study, collaboration and community gathering through an uncompromising and carefully detailed structure," according to the award announcement.

"It has taken a clear architectural idea, scrutinised it and pushed it to the limit," the announcement continued. "More than being a building, it could be understood as a versatile system, merging technological inventions with a flexible and reusable principle."

The Study Pavilion has a hybrid steel-wood structure organised in a three-by-three metre grid of columns and beams, wrapped with fully glazed facades.

Study spaces are spread across an open-plan ground floor and a mezzanine level, with sound-absorbing yellow curtains that can be drawn to create separated zones.

The university building was selected as the winner from a list of 362 nominated projects. Among the finalists were a school in Spain with zigzagging shapes animating the facade, a renovated 15th-century convent and a slaughterhouse that was transformed into an art gallery.

The Mies van der Rohe Award also announced Spanish studio SUMA Arquitectura as the winner of the Emerging Architecture prize for its design of the Gabriel García Márquez Library in Barcelona.

The library has a geometric form with chamfered edges and an interior organised around a triangular atrium.

"The library acts at the scale of the city, contributing to the transformation of the neighbourhood by opening up as a new exterior and interior public space," said the award announcement.

"This wooden structure unfolds as a rich sequence of monumental and domestic spaces that welcome neighbours and citizens, providing them with comfortable atmospheres for learning, teamwork, and community engagement," it continued.

"With meticulous attention to detail, the authors have thoroughly examined and pushed the library programme to its fullest potential."

Founded in Barcelona in 1988, the biennial Mies van der Rohe Award seeks to recognise the best architecture projects in Europe.

This year's jury wanted to emphasise "the significance of architecture that explores the potential to shift mindsets and policies, as well as the importance of fostering inclusivity," according to the organisers.

Irish studio Grafton Architects was the recipient of the 2022 Mies van der Rohe Award for a university building named Town House. It was the last-ever UK-based project to win the award since the country is no longer eligible to enter after Brexit.

Past winners also include a 1960s social housing renovation in France, which received the prize in 2019, and the 2017 winner was a renovated apartment block in Amsterdam.

The photography is by Leonhard Clemens unless stated.

The post Study Pavilion by Gustav Düsing and Max Hacke wins Mies van der Rohe Award 2024 appeared first on Dezeen.

US studio Rafael Viñoly Architects has designed four skyscrapers and a series of public spaces in Toronto, which will be the studio's first built project in Canada.

Developed by Madison Group and totalling two million square feet (185,806 square metres) the project will consist of two individual properties holding two skyscrapers each, which will host a mix of residential, retail, and office spaces. Studio founder Rafael Viñoly died last year, and the studio said he played a role in the design before his passing.

"This will be the only Canadian project that the visionary architect Rafael Viñoly contributed to himself, and the firm's first-ever project in Canada," said the team.

"Viñoly was truly a champion of this project to ensure the public space was designed with families and the community in mind, applying his extensive expertise to provide a high-quality pedestrian experience."

Renderings show four stepped towers grouped as couples and distributed along a Toronto block, with tall, open plazas between them.

The pair of towers located at 90-110 Eglinton Avenue will be 58 storeys, connected by a six-storey cubic skybridge at the fifth level, while the neighbouring pair at 150-164 Eglinton Ave will top out at 61 storeys each.

Each tower will be approximately the same height at 776 feet (236 metres) high, according to the team.

90-110 Eglinton Ave will include a projected 1,035 residential units across 1,002,085 square feet (93,097 square metres) and 25,565 square feet (2,375 square metres) of public area, while 150-164 Eglinton Ave will offer 1,329 residential units and 28,850 square feet (2,680 square metres) of open space.

"We are privileged that our first project in Canada should be so transformative and focused on contributing to Toronto's public realm," said Rafael Viñoly Architects partner Román Viñoly.

"Buildings in dense environments are so capital-intensive, unignorable, and enduring that they inevitably impact the lives of every individual in their host communities. Our design ethos is thus rooted in leveraging these enormous commitments of time, capital and passion, to create spaces that inspire and connect people," he said.

Each tower is clad in a red-hued cage-like facade, with glazing in between. The same red carries into the columns at the bases, which enclose double-height lobbies.

The towers will host a majority of residential spaces, but will also include office and ground-level retail.

Public plazas surrounding and between the towers will be outfitted with landscaping by New York studio MPFP Landscape Architecture and will include an amphitheatre and playground.

"We are honoured to bring the late Rafael Viñoly's vision to life, serving as a poignant testament to his enduring legacy," said Madison Group vice president Josh Zagdanski. "Featuring four striking towers, a multitude of amenities, and intricately crafted public spaces, this development is set to redefine urban living in Toronto."

Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly, who passed away at age 78 in 2023, is known for numerous buildings around the world including 432 Park Avenue in New York and the Walkie Talkie in London.

Recently, the studio unveiled images of the architect's "last" project located in Uruguay and a vineyard-covered airport in Italy

The images are by Binyan and Madison Group.

The post Rafael Viñoly Architects designs four skyscrapers for first Canada project appeared first on Dezeen.

Ahead of this summer's Olympic Games in Paris, design offices Concepto and Studio 5.5 have installed 350 street lights made from salvaged scaffolding poles and lampposts in the athletes' village.

The lighting project is part of a scheme overseen by the Olympic Games delivery authority Solideo with the aim to reduce carbon emissions by 47 per cent compared to a conventional project.

Landscape architecture firm Agence TER, which was responsible for master planning the public areas, collaborated with Studio 5.5 to create a low-carbon materials charter for these spaces that includes lighting and street furniture.

Putting this sustainable design agenda into practice, the street lighting was designed to be manufactured using decommissioned lampposts and components sourced from building sites.

"We had to persuade policymakers and local authorities that these reused lampposts represented future aesthetics and strong sustainable development policies," Studio 5.5 co-founder and partner Anthony Lebossé told Dezeen.

"It's easier to opt for novelty from catalogues but as we were creating the Olympic Village, we wanted to set an example of designing differently."

Lighting design firm Concepto was tasked with creating a plan for illuminating the village, which involved defining the locations and orientation of each of the 350 street lampposts to ensure they provide light where it is needed.

Lebossé and his colleagues worked with Concepto to develop a proposal for lights that could be produced at scale using salvaged parts whilst being easy to maintain.

"Lampposts usually require heavy investment for moulds and custom manufacturing, making maintenance costly," Lebossé pointed out.

"We aimed to maximise reuse while ensuring maintainability by local authorities. The assemblies are mechanical and reversible to allow for economical and long-lasting maintenance."

The old lampposts, with their generic and standardised shapes, have been phased out by many local authorities in favour of more architecturally innovative designs that are produced in a wide range of colours and materials, Lebossé explained.

The lampposts created for the Olympic Village vary in shape, size and construction, with the tallest examples being made entirely from reused galvanised steel lampposts and the shorter ones featuring laminated wood poles.

Each street lamp has a crosspiece comprising a salvaged scaffolding pole, supporting either one or two energy-efficient LED light sources.

The crosspieces are angled to direct illumination onto the road while rising high enough to avoid trees and allow tall vehicles such as buses and fire engines to pass underneath.

In places requiring additional illumination for pedestrians, a second light source is placed at the lower end of the crosspiece. This allowed the studios to reduce the overall number of fixtures that had to be produced.

The 350 lampposts will remain in place following the Olympic Games, forming part of the legacy phase that will see the new neighbourhoods incorporated into the towns of Saint-Denis and Saint-Ouen.

The Paris Olympics' organizing committee has committed to halving the emissions of this year's summer games compared with recent editions of the event in London and Rio.

With this goal, the timber aquatics centre by VenhoevenCS and Ateliers 2/3/4 is the only permanent venue constructed for the games, which will largely take place in temporary venues across the city and existing buildings such as the newly renovated Grand Palais.

The post Paris 2024 Olympic Village features street lamps made from salvaged building materials appeared first on Dezeen.

Photographer Jamie McGregor Smith has spent the last five years capturing brutalist and modernist churches across Europe. Here, he picks his 12 favourites from his Sacred Modernity book.

With 139 photographs of 100 churches, McGregor Smith created the book to showcase the sculptural and unique forms of some of the churches built in the post-war period in countries including Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland and the UK.

Published by Hatje Cantz with essays by writers Jonathan Meades and Ivica Brnic, Sacred Modernity: The Holy Embrace of Modernist Architecture aims to bring attention to the unconventional buildings.

"Many are surprised to discover the thought-provoking nature of brutalist architecture and are drawn to its challenging and unconventional qualities," McGregor Smith told Dezeen.

"In essence, the experience of encountering brutalist churches often involves a transformation from scepticism to appreciation, as individuals are confronted with the unique beauty and architectural innovation that these structures represent."

McGregor Smith recalled that his work on the book began when he visited the brutalist Wotruba Church in Vienna, which sparked his interest in modernist church architecture. Since then, he has been driven to discover more churches like it.

"One of the driving forces behind my project was the realisation that many of these remarkable spaces were not fully appreciated within the architectural community and often remained unknown to their local populations," said McGregor Smith.

"I felt a sense of excitement and purpose in rediscovering these hidden gems that so freely express creativity," he continued. "These architectural marvels evoke within me a profound sense of awe and curiosity, thanks to the architects' masterful use of form and light."

The churches in Sacred Modernity have sculptural concrete forms that break away from the mould of conventional churches, which typically have a floor plan in the shape of a cross.

McGregor Smith claimed this was part of a trend after the second world war, which sought new styles separated from traditional architecture of the past.

"While traditional churches evoke a sense of familiarity and reverence through their classic designs, brutalist and modernist churches challenge these norms with their bold, austere and provocative aesthetic," he said.

"These architectural styles emerged in the post-war period as a rejection of the past's orthodoxy and a pursuit of a new social order free from associations with opulence, authority and war."

"In response to the reformed liturgy following the Second Vatican Council, church commissioners were granted unprecedented freedom to depart from traditional church typology," McGregor Smith continued.

"They eschewed nostalgic replication, resulting in spaces that excluded functional areas and symbols prevalent since medieval times, retaining only the essential elements of the altar, cross, and font."

He explained that while early modernist churches adopted familiar rectangular or cross shapes, they quickly evolved to incorporate different geometries such as squares, circles and octagons. Many relocated the positions of altars, which would usually be situated at the top of the cross-shaped church, to the centre of the building.

McGregor Smith also described that modernist and brutalist churches exhibited a move away from traditional forms of religious symbolism in decorative elements, and instead used the material and shape of the building to recall the same feelings.

"Traditional mediums of painting, craft, and sculpture, which once adorned medieval and baroque churches to elevate divine power and beauty, gave way to weightless abstract forms made possible by steel and reinforced concrete," he said.

"This departure from traditional symbolism shifted creative expression away from supernatural narratives of heaven and hell, embracing instead earthly qualities of materiality," McGregor Smith added.

"Sanctuaries assumed primordial cavern-like forms, reflecting the inherent qualities of earth and stone, while industrial and military architectural influences transformed church interiors into bunker-like shelters."

Below, McGregor Smith highlights 12 of his favourite churches from Sacred Modernity:

St Reinold Kirche in Düsseldorf, Germany, by Josef Lehmbrock (1957)

"This small unassuming church has an austere yet majestic beauty that defines how simple design and materials can create subtle elegance.

"Although narrow, the shuttered windows create depth and volume providing a calming soft light that hints at the vastness of space beyond its walls."

Santuario della Beata Vergine della Consolazione in San Marino, Italy, by Giovanni Michelucci (1967)

"Giovanni Michelucci has sculptured a splendidly creative and joyful interior that celebrates simultaneously the organic and supernatural.

"The form nods to the sanctuary cave and the symbolism of new life represented by the egg. The unreachable windows and walkways invite visitors' eyes to explore and contemplate mysteries."

St Mauritius Kirche in Munich, Germany, by Herbert Groethuysen (1967)

"Germany's post-war churches are often brutal and austere. Their designs reflect a rejection of the opulence and pride of the pre-war period and serve as a place of sanctuary and reflection.

"Stripped of their symbology and place in time, they are spaces to forget the horrors of history, war and shame and focus on the hope and light of the future."

St Paulus Kirche in Neuss-Weckhoven, Germany, by Fritz Schaller, Christian Schaller and Stefan Polónyil (1968)

"Here the concept of incarnation is integrated through the abstraction of organic forms and geometry as a sacred message. The omnipresent roof structure serves as a conduit, forging a connection between the celestial and physical realms.

"Working with his father, this was Christian Schaller's first commission after qualifying, and I had the pleasure of asking him personally for permission to include this image as the book cover."

Osterkirche in Oberwart, Austria, by Gunther Domenig and Eilfried Huth (1969)

"Perhaps the most radical church in Austria, the building shows all the signs of a culture excited and influenced by the science fiction of the day.

"It is at once ancient and futuristic, a medieval cavern furnished for the space age. This was an unexpected discovery early in the project – a beautifully serene sanctuary and a personal favourite."

St Matthäus Kirche in Düsseldorf, Germany, by Gottfried Böhm (1970)

"A lesser-known work of Gottfried Böhm's, this church's cavernous interior cascades above you, interspersed with interjections of sculpturing light.

"Symbols of industrial architecture, such as the rounded ovens, represent the Ruhr region's manufacturing heritage and of the furnaces that reside at the base of humanity."

Chiesa di San Nicolao della Flue in Milan, Italy, by Ignazio Gardella (1970)

"Like the skeleton of a whale or Christ's embodiment, the ribbed ceiling appears to hold the weight of the world above you.

"While the artwork and organ appear teleported from a previous century, the basilica's traditional frame is given a futurist interpretation using novel engineering."

Chiesa di Santa Maria della Visitazione in Rome, Italy, by Saverio Busiri Vici (1971)

"Perched high up amongst the alpine hills, the winding journey through Austria and Italy made the visit to this church evermore special.

"It was built as a memorial church to commemorate the loss of over 2,000 local people and their parish church, who were killed and swept away when a landslide breached the dam in the mountains above the town. The shape of the church emulates the curve of the damn wall, the flow of water and perhaps a stairway to heaven."

L'église Saint-Nicolas in Heremence, Switzerland, by Walter Maria Förderer (1971)

"Maria Förderer's chaotic and abstract expressionism illustrates an ethereal reality beyond our earthly experiences.

"The theological idea of the apathetic is considered here, where divinity cannot truly be considered with the known language or ideas of human existence."

Cathedral Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Bristol, UK, by Ronald Weeks, Frederick Jennett and Antoni Poremba (1973)

"Perhaps the UK's finest example of modernist sacred architecture, Ronald Weeks has created an extraordinarily rich atmosphere in the Cathedral Church of Saints Peter and Paul, choosing form over liturgical function.

"Architecture critic Jonathan Meades described the church thus: 'The last of the [UK] mega-churches, Clifton Cathedral seems embarrassed by its function, but the building would rather be the national theatre. Its brute, board-marked concrete and jagged discords come straight off the Southbank.'"

Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche in Vienna, Austria, by Hannes Lintl (1975)

"Hannes Lintl adopts an overbearing mix of structural form and light design to reflect the power and omnipresence of the divine.

"This concrete 'bunker' offers visitors sanctuary and security, guiding visitors along a clear path towards spiritual enlightenment."

Kościół świętego Dominika in Warsaw, Poland by Władysław Pieńkowski (1994)

"Too recent to be described as post-war, this Polish church can rather be considered post-soviet. Church construction during the Russian occupation of Warsaw was almost entirely banned, influencing the flourishing of sacred architecture that followed independence.

"This church reminds one of the vaulted medieval churches of France and Britain, yet its geometry and tunnelling light give it a timeless energy."

The photography is by Jamie McGregor Smith.

The post Sacred Modernity showcases "unique beauty and architectural innovation" of brutalist churches appeared first on Dezeen.

Researchers from Swiss design school ÉCAL have unveiled a range of flat-pack furniture at Milan design week that needs to be soaked in water to reach its final form.

The collection, called Under Pressure Solutions or UPS, is constructed from thin, compressed sheets of cellulose sponge, allowing the objects to fit into flat parcels – some small enough to squeeze through a letterbox – for more efficient shipping.

On arrival, the grow-at-home products must then be drenched in the bath or the shower, causing them to blow up to around 10 times their original size in a matter of seconds.

Once wrung out, the sponge is left to dry and harden, creating sturdy, self-supporting furniture that can carry the weight of a person and outperform conventional plastic foam in terms of durability, according to the researchers.

The sponge is derived from wood offcuts and gains its strength from the very same cellulose fibres that a tree uses to reinforce its trunk and branches.

"Cellulose is a part of nature so, like a tree, it can be flexible and strong at the same time," ÉCAL researcher and industrial designer Christophe Guberan told Dezeen.

With a small spritz of water, the pieces become flexible once more, allowing them to be remoulded or repaired by smoothing out any dents.

And, once the furnishings have reached the end of their life, they can be either recycled or backyard composted, breaking down in soil within a matter of months.

UPS is the result of a two-year research project by Guberan and fellow ÉCAL professors Anthony Guex and Camille Blin, focused on exploring different inflatable and compressible materials that could push flat-pack furniture to new, more efficient limits.

Out of the many materials considered – including cork, latex and luffa – cellulose sponge crystallised itself as both "the most surprising and most promising", according to the researchers.

First developed in the 1940s, the material is commonly used to make household, makeup and medical sponges, although its use in furniture is "virtually unheard of" according to Guberan.

To make the sponge, cellulose was extracted from wood offcuts, chemically dissolved and ultimately regenerated in the form of sheets using the same process developed to make viscose and other cellulose textiles.

In this case, Glauber's salt is added into the mixture to give the sponge its many pores and supercharge cellulose's natural ability to absorb water.

The resulting material is generally sold in the form of standardised sheets that are compressed and dehydrated for easy transport.

Using these off-the-shelf building blocks, ÉCAL's research team trialled various methods of cutting, milling and joining to encourage the sponge to expand in different ways and worked with a group of graduate product design students to produce prototype products using these techniques.

The Milan showcase highlights the fruits of this labour and features 16 pieces of furniture and homeware alongside their flat-packed counterparts, including a chair, several tables and stools, plus smaller pieces such as a wine rack.

The aim was to keep interventions as minimal as possible to explore the possibilities of the material and allow its natural expansion to dictate the shape.

Several of the products were created by CNC milling barely perceptible grooves into the sponge that are dramatically exaggerated once wet, as seen in Guberan's paper bin and a tiered ikebana vase by designer Chris Kabel that sits in a shallow pool of water to stay moist.

"A very slight change in thickness results in a completely different change in the expansion," said ÉCAL graduate Maxwell Ashford. "So you're able to create very unique 3D objects from this 2D profile."

Guex contributed a star-shaped stool and coffee table, constructed by stacking three sponge sheets on top of each other and tying them together with a black cord at the centre, causing them to fan out into a circle as they expand.

Graduate student Brice Tempier harnessed the pliability of the sponge to create a customisable shelf that can be moulded into different shapes while wet.

"You can decide the shape you want for the shelf and when it's dry, it will stay like that," Guberan said. "And if you move somewhere else where you have another setup, you can re-wet it and remould it."

Two other stools in the collection, created by Blin and Kabel, use laser-cut perforations to help these denser pieces to harden more quickly.

The actual drying time of the furniture varies based on size and the local climate, ranging anywhere from a few hours to several days.

Rather than being an inconvenience, the hope is that the furniture's elaborate unfurling process will form an "integral part of the owner's experience", much like it did with Gaetano Pesce's iconic UP5 chair made from self-expanding polyurethane, which the Italian designer debuted in Milan in 1969.

"Every 20 minutes, we unveiled a new chair," Pesce told the ÉCAL team shortly before his death. "We tore open the bag, and people lined up just to witness the sight: a chair rising like dough."

Although ÉCAL's prototypes are not yet ready for industrial production, Guberan says they can provide a roadmap for how to make furniture delivery more sustainable.

"Our goal was never to put this on the market tomorrow," he said. "We know how complicated it is to bring a new material and new research into the industry."

"But I think it's the role of a school to dream a little bit and to have the liberty to offer something different."

The Dezeen team reported live from Milan last week, where an exhibition of new works by Pesce opened in the wake of the maestro's death earlier this month.

The video is by Marvin Merkel and the photography by Jasmine Deporta unless otherwise stated.

Milan design week took place from 15 to 21 April 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

The post ÉCAL's grow-at-home sponge furniture expands to ten times its size appeared first on Dezeen.

American firm Lake Flato Architects has completed a family retreat on Long Island that consists of three barn-like structures wrapped in cedar and constructed using prefabricated timber elements.

The project, called North Fork, sits within the quiet town of Peconic and is named after its location on Long Island's North Fork.

Located about two hours by car from New York City, the agrarian area is known for its family farms and vineyards, along with its strong connection to the sea.

"The North Fork is a place of simple barns, farms and quaint harbors, and it is from there that we drew our inspiration for the buildings of the house," said Texas-based Lake Flato Architects, the founders of which recently received the AIA Gold Medal.

Perched on a sand dune, the residence consists of three basic structures – a main dwelling, a utility/studio building and a guest house – all casually arranged around a central open space.

"The three buildings create a loosely defined central farm courtyard out of the soft, tree-covered sand dune," the team said.

All of the buildings feature barn-like forms, dark-stained cedar siding, and gabled roofs covered in metal.

For interior finishes, the team used an abundance of wood, including white-washed pine, ebonised oak, reclaimed heart pine and plywood.

Timber was used for the structural framing, and many components were fabricated off-site.

"To reduce construction time and to create a well-crafted wood structure, we had the bones of the house prefabricated in New Hampshire – a wood construction mecca – and shipped across the channel to Orient Point," the team said.

"This arrival by barge of the bulk of the house seemed especially fitting for a place that is so intimately tied to the water."

Designed to be used during all seasons, the house serves as a nature retreat for a Brooklyn family.

The main dwelling, called the "living barn", is long and rectangular in plan and totals 4,206 square feet (391 square metres).

One side holds the kitchen, dining area and living room, while the other encompasses the bedrooms.

The public area features a concrete hearth with a plaster finish. The kitchen is fitted with oak millwork and soapstone countertops.

During the summer, windows can be opened up to bring in cool breezes from the bay. In the winter, the house can be buttoned up and protected from harsh coastal weather.

"In the winter, the cosy compact house – with its efficient kitchen and adjacent living area – is a great place to enjoy the storms rising up from the bay," the team said.

A walkway connects the main house to the utility/studio barn, which contains a garage and an exercise area on the ground floor and a workspace up above.

Situated farther away is the guest house, which was created from a pre-existing building that originally was a carriage house. It now contains three bedrooms and a living area.

The property also features a swimming pool.

Lake Flato is based in Texas. In an exclusive interview with the Dezeen, the founders, Ted Flato and David Lake, espoused the need to focus on regionalism to make buildings more sustainable.

Its other residential projects include a house in the Texas Hill Country consisting of pyramidal forms wrapped in large-format Corten shingles and a ranch house in the rural town of Marfa made of rammed earth.

The photography is by Joe Fletcher and Dean Kaufman.

Project credits:

Architecture and interiors: Lake|Flato Architects

The post Lake Flato Architects looks to barns for design of North Fork house appeared first on Dezeen.

Kelly Wearstler is often hailed as contemporary interior design's most recognisable name. In this interview, she tells Dezeen about crafting her textured and eclectic style.

American interior designer Wearstler has been dressing rooms since her mid-twenties, rising to become one of the discipline's most significant names.

"I'm obsessed with nuance," she told Dezeen. "I view design as boundless and undefined, but if I had to choose a single word to describe my approach it would be 'mixology'."

High-end interior design has been dominated by minimalism and sleekness in recent years, but Wearstler's projects are known for their eclectic grandeur.

Her studio is responsible for the interiors at a slew of luxury hotels, including four locations across North America for the Proper Hotel Group.

For example, she created an Austin branch with a sculptural oak staircase that doubles as a ziggurat of plinths for individual ceramic pots. Meanwhile, The Downtown LA Proper features 136 unique types of vintage or custom-made tile.

"Luxury is more of a feeling than a specific quality"

"To me, luxury is more of a feeling than a specific, tangible quality," Wearstler said. "It's all about texture and sensation, but also storytelling and considered curation."

"The most luxurious spaces bring together unique objects that each have their own history, essence and character, and encourage an elegant conversation between them," she added.

"A technique I always like to use when pursuing a sense of luxury is mixing vintage and antique items with more contemporary pieces. The history and character that come with vintage furniture help to create a 'luxurious' experience."

This approach is also reflected in Wearstler's residential and retail projects, which she tends to fill with unlikely combinations of pieces – a habit she traces back to visiting antique shows and auctions with her mother, who was an antique dealer, as a young girl.

Among these projects is the designer's own 1950s beachfront cottage in Malibu, California, furnished with objects chosen to be "hand-crafted, rustic and raw".

Wearstler also replaced the home's existing shag carpet with seagrass as a nod to the surrounding coastal setting.

"My design philosophy is rooted in a firm commitment to juxtaposition and contrast, whether this be in relation to textures and colourways, materials or even eras in time," said Wearstler.

"For me, contrast is what brings a sense of soul to a space. It creates interest, lets the space take on a life of its own and imbues it with a feeling of genuine authenticity."

"AI has exponentially enriched our creative process"

Wearstler says her design philosophy was partly shaped by working in the film industry early on in her career.

Before forming her eponymous studio in California in 1995, she worked in various roles including set decoration and art direction – an experience she claims shaped her appreciation of the "emotion and atmosphere" of a space.

"My time working as a set designer definitely impacted my approach to interior design," Wearstler told Dezeen.

"Working on film sets taught me the importance of dramatic intent, and that's remained a key element of my work throughout my career."

Despite her penchant for vintage pieces, Wearstler stressed the importance of rising to contemporary challenges – not least artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on design.

Wearstler's studio has been using generative AI – which she calls an "ally" – since 2021, citing image-generating platforms including DALL-E and Midjourney as tools to generate ideas.

The same year, the designer created a virtual garage, playfully imagined as a home for basketball player LeBron James's electric Hummer, decked out with renderings of Wearstler-designed furniture including the studio's Echo bench and Monolith side table.

"Many people see the introduction of AI as a challenge, but I think of it as one of the greatest tools for growth," said Wearstler. "AI has exponentially enriched our creative process."

"As designers, it's our responsibility to push the boundaries of our craft and to create spaces that elegantly and artistically reflect the world around us," she added. "AI is a vital tool in allowing us to do this in new and extraordinary ways."

Wearstler has published six books and with 2.2 million Instagram followers, she is often considered interior design's most recognisable name.

"I think my work stands out because I follow my gut," she reflected. "Whether I'm designing a hotel, a private residence or a product, I give its emotional and physical attributes equal consideration."

"Most importantly, I strive to bring my clients and customers joy through my designs. I'm not sure if that's what makes me the 'most recognisable name', but if you design with the person who will be living in a space, or with a light fixture or chair, in mind, your work will resonate."

Dezeen In Depth
If you enjoy reading Dezeen's interviews, opinions and features, subscribe to Dezeen In Depth. Sent on the last Friday of each month, this newsletter provides a single place to read about the design and architecture stories behind the headlines.

The post "I think my work stands out because I follow my gut" says Kelly Wearstler appeared first on Dezeen.

Architect Peter Markos has designed the Monocoque Cabin, an off-grid timber cabin defined by an organic, cocoon-like form, on a farm in Shropshire, UK.

Nestled beside the surrounding woodland, the cabin is wrapped by an external skin or 'monocoque' – similar to an eggshell – that draws on structural systems used within the aerospace and automotive industries.

"The idea behind the Monocoque Cabin was inspired by the construction techniques used in the aerospace and automotive industries, which are renowned for their efficient material utilization," Markos told Dezeen.

"Drawing inspiration from the monocoque design of the world war two de Havilland Mosquito fighter planes, which stand out as prime examples of monocoque construction, the Monocoque Cabin seeks to bring this level of ingenuity and efficiency to architecture and domestic spaces."

Measuring 3.3-metres-wide, 3.5-metres-tall and nine-metres-long, the cabin's structure is made up of a structural timber rib built from birch plywood. This was then encased by an exterior shell clad with decorative cedar shingles.

Raised external decking, accessed via stainless steel steps, wraps around the cabin's front and edge to provide outdoor space overlooking the neighbouring woodland.

The cabin was constructed as a self-build project undertaken by Markos, along with help from prefabrication specialists at BlokBuild and Price & Myers.

Its careful detailing includes a hand-carved ornament and door handle made from walnut that is fixed to the aluminium door frame.

Additionally, a wind turbine and solar panels are installed on the site to provide energy for the off-grid structure.

Inside, the cabin houses a sequence of compact spaces connected by a corridor, opening up to a living and kitchen space equipped with a wood-burning stove, followed by a bathroom and bedroom.

The cabin's structural timber frame is punctured with translucent polycarbonate openings that draw daylight into the interior, which is lined with timber flooring and furnished with wooden furniture throughout.

"Monocoque systems are unique because they distribute loads across the external skin of the structure, resulting in a design that is simultaneously rigid, strong, and lightweight, akin to the shell of an egg," Markos said.

"The choice of timber materials for the cabin not only pays homage to these historical designs but also ensures the building harmonizes with its rural surroundings," he continued.

"Over time, these materials naturally age and grey, enhancing the structure's beauty and blending it further with the landscape, much like the enduring designs found in aerospace and automotive constructions that are designed to last and evolve over time."

Markos developed the project following funding from rental website Airbnb after winning its global competition for unique accommodations, and has since founded his architectural practice Markos Design Workshop.

Following the completion of the first Monocoque Cabin, Markos intends to replicate the project in different locations – making improvements to advance the design and offering bespoke internal layouts that can be tailored to a client's needs.

Other recently completed cabins include a cabin in Arizona clad with Corten steel and a beachside cabin with a slanted roof in Canada.

The photography is by Peter Markos and Efe Onikinci.

Project credits: 

Architect: Peter Markos
Key Subcontractor/ Prefabricator: BlokBuild
Structural Engineers: Price & Myers
Carpenters: Stuart Beagle

The post Peter Markos models timber Monocoque Cabin on world war two fighter plane appeared first on Dezeen.

Zaha Hadid Design, Heatherwick Studio and Foster + Partners were among the studios taking part in this year's Milan design week, with starchitecture product designs including a plastic-waste chair and mesh furniture.

This year's edition of Milan design week felt like a return to form, with big brands sharing space with emerging designers and more experimental studios. Among the well-known names taking part in last week's event were a number of architectural heavy-hitters who launched new furniture pieces in Milan.

While some chose to introduce their pieces at Salone del Mobile, the world's largest furniture fair, others took part in creative showcases around the city – including furniture hidden in an underground stone building and a large-scale glass installation.

Read on to find out more about seven notable Milan design week products made by architects:

H&dM Objects by Herzog & de Meuron 

Upscale fashion store 10 Corso Como played host to the Capsule Plaza Radical Sensations showcase, which featured numerous design and furniture installations.

Among these were pieces from architecture studio Herzog & de Meuron's H&dM Objects. Six sculptural chairs and stools made from milled wood, were assembled without screws and covered in a glossy lacquer, represented the studio's contribution to Capsule.

The pieces were among over six hundred objects that Herzog & de Meuron has made for its architecture projects and which will be sold by the studio.

In-Side by Heatherwick Studio for Magis

British designer Thomas Heatherwick's studio partnered with Italian furniture brand Magis to create In-Side, a collection that features a sofa, a table, cushions and a curvy chair made from recycled plastic that was on display at Salone del Mobile.

Magis used "a blend of part post-consumer recycled polyethylene and part post-industrial recycled polyethylene in multi-coloured flakes" for the construction of the chair, which Heatherwick designed so that it appears to have been turned inside-out.

Its white seat, dotted with colourful spots, opens up on the sides to reveal a paint-spattered design.

"In a world grappling with the consequences of plastic pollution, the idea behind this new collection is to use waste materials and reveal their inner beauty in an unexpected way," Heatherwick said.

Osuu by Foster + Partners for Walter Knoll

In the airy Walter Knoll showroom in the Milan city centre, British architecture studio Foster + Partners unveiled its seventh chair design for the German furniture brand.

Here, its new Osuu chair was displayed in a variety of different natural colours. The chair, made from steam-bent dowels and molded plywood seating, has a streamlined shape with curving armrests.

Seat covers in different leather hues can be added to create more comfort, as well as colour contrast.

Seyun by Zaha Hadid Design for Karimoku

Japanese wood brand Karimoku continued its collaboration with Zaha Hadid Design this Milan design week. A dedicated space in the city's lively Tortona area was home to the Hybridisation exhibition of Zaha Hadid Design's Seyun pieces for Karimoku.

Among these were the Seyun chair, table and armchair, which was first introduced in Milan last year, as well as several new smaller pieces. These included a serving tray and a barstool.

The furniture and accessories come in natural wood colours and metallic hues and are decorated with distinctive openings.

"A crossbreed between Japanese woodworking techniques and contemporary design, items from the collection are distinguished by the materiality of wood and the distinctive design idiom of ZHD," Karimoku said.

Junya Ishigami collection for Maniera gallery

Japanese architect Junya Ishigami showed his designs for Brussel-based Maniera gallery in the gardens of Villa Bagatti Alsecchi, a historic villa north of Milan that played host to the nomadic Alcova exhibition space this year.

The architect's delicate mesh furniture was displayed in an unusual setting, with visitors entering an underground building, where the furniture stood on ivy-covered ground between narrow brick walls.

Ishigami's collection for Maniera was made from stainless steel, leather, rattan, glass and wood, and comprises dining chairs and rocking chairs as well as tables and lamps. Some of the pieces were originally designed for his House and Restaurant project, with other pieces conceived for his mother's house, currently under construction.

Array by Snøhetta for MDF Italia

A playful modular design that aims to "reimagine the conventional sofa", Array was one of the product designs that Norwegian studio Snøhetta showed in Milan.

Made from an injection-moulded base and with a biofoam covering partly made from recycled materials, the comfy sofa also has elastic ropes that make it easier to replace the cover.

Snøhetta showed Array at the MDF Italia stand at Salone del Mobile, where plenty of visitors lounged on its snaking form.

Milan design week took place from 15 to 21 April 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

The post Six architect-designed furniture pieces at Milan design week appeared first on Dezeen.

Walls of exposed concrete define this skinny house in Saitama, Japan, which local studio IGArchitects designed with a width of just 2.7 metres.

Named 2700, the home is designed for a young couple on a long and thin site left over following a road expansion in the city, which is close to Tokyo.

To maximise usable space, IGArchitects created a series of layered living spaces across two storeys, with flexible spaces on the ground floor and private spaces on the first floor.

"Land in Tokyo and surrounding cities is very expensive," IGArchitects founder Masato Igarashi told Dezeen.

"We thought we could shape the possibility of living in the city by directly forming the idea of living in Tokyo with the readiness to live on a small piece of land that most people would not even look at," he continued.

IGArchitects described 2700 as a "concrete box" with eight chunky concrete columns rising through it to support the upper storey.

The site is open to the north, south and west. Taking advantage of this, IGArchitects placed windows on all four facades of the home, allowing natural light to pour in.

On the ground floor, windows are placed at a clerestory height to provide privacy. Upstairs, smaller slot windows punctuate the concrete to provide light to the bedroom, bathroom and hallway.

"[The] building is composed of simple geometry, yet with a floating heavy-looking mass that creates a seemingly uneasy appearance," said Igarashi.

"The intention was to create a state in which these two spaces correspond and complement each other," he explained.

Wooden double doors lead into the home's open-plan living space, where wooden platforms step up and down to define different areas. A small kitchenette is followed by a dining area, with a seating area to the rear.

A compact staircase at the centre of the plan leads from the dining room up to the first-floor landing, connecting the bathroom and bedroom that are positioned to the north and south respectively.

"The space feels like the inside of a cave, with tall walls and large pillars," explained Igarashi. "However, as it goes further inside, windows get closer, and the space feels closer to outside."

The interior spaces of 2700 are finished in a pared-back palette of just four materials, allowing the client's furniture and belongings space to take centre stage.

Many residential projects by IGArchitects have focused on creating similarly flexible and deliberately simple living spaces.

Previous examples include a pair of family homes with open-plan living spaces framed by slender timber columns and a lantern-like dwelling with translucent windows.

The photography is by Ooki Jingu.

Project credits:

Architect: IGArchitects
Lead architect: Masato Igarashi
Engineering: Yousuke Misaki, EQSD
Collaborators: Susumu Murata, Kamo Craft
Construction: Toru Inagaki, Yasugoro Inagaki Inc.

The post IGArchitects slots skinny 2700 house into narrow plot in Japan appeared first on Dezeen.

Architecture studio Renzo Piano Building Workshop has unveiled renderings of its concept for a three-storey cultural centre in south Florida, USA.

Located in downtown Boca Raton, The Center for Arts & Innovation will contain public event and education spaces and have a capacity of 6,000 guests.

Plans for the center were announced late last year and the building is one of just two to three new commissions accepted by Renzo Piano annually, according to the studio.

The design phase for the project will continue over the next 18 months, allowing the project "to transcend its impact far beyond South Florida".

"When you're designing a conceptual plan as an architect, you're often designing something that you don't know, yet, exactly what it will be," said Renzo Piano Building Workshop founder Renzo Piano.

"It's about inventing. It's about starting and working and seeing," he continued. "We're at the beginning and so what you see in these early designs – it's not printed in stone. Rather, it's the beginning of what we're inventing and of something really unique."

The building's programming will take place across three storeys, with one section of the building dedicated to a large multi-purpose event and performance space that will "merge seamlessly" with an outdoor piazza.

The remaining space will contain a public lobby, working spaces, a maker space, creator residences, a startup incubator, food services and social areas.

Renderings show a wedge-shaped building wrapped in a glass facade with a large plaza at its centre, protected by sunshades that span its width.

A third floor, clad in an opaque material, sits on top. In some areas, it is affixed to the glass base while in others it is hovering just above it, supported by thin pillars.

This third-floor space will host food and beverage services, along with 100,000 square feet (9,290 square metres) of solar panels to provide electricity and hot water.

A red, rectangular viewing box will be suspended above the third-floor roof, accessed by a staircase, and will be used  as an additional space for events.

"Above the roof, there will be a special 100-person capacity panoramic space, known as the Belvedere, dedicated to both public and special events with 360-degree views of the city, ocean, and beyond," said the team.

Interior renders show a textured ceiling, with floor-to-ceiling glass enclosing a double-height lobby that is outfitted with brightly-coloured furniture and an exposed, skeletal staircase.

Based on the "four societal pillars" of arts, education, business and community, the project aims "to pioneer a new approach to how the world designs, imagines, programs, utilizes and embraces its cultural infrastructure" according to the team.

"Innovation is like beauty – you don't just say someone is beautiful for their exterior, they're also beautiful because of their mind," said Piano.

"The same sentiment will apply to the center. It's not about being a beautiful building; the beauty is in what will be created and invented inside the building."

As of last year, groundbreaking is scheduled for 2025, with a date still to be determined for a finalized design.

The studio recently completed a Toronto justice building to house criminal courtrooms and a museum in Turkey wrapped in a "fish-scale" facade.

The images are by Renzo Piano Building Workshop

The post Renzo Piano unveils Boca Raton cultural centre topped with viewing box appeared first on Dezeen.

A dwelling with a "tin hat" by Nimtim Architects and a colourful extension by Charles Holland are among the 16 London homes named on the shortlist for this year's Don't Move, Improve! competition.

A triangular house in a former garage by studio Brown Urbanism is also on the shortlist, alongside an extension by Cairn that is the first structure in the UK to be built from a low-carbon cement called LC3.

It is the fourteenth edition of the annual awards programme, hosted by New London Architecture (NLA), which aims to celebrate "the diversity of homes across the capital" – specifically those that have been renovated or extended.

NLA's head of content Federico Ortiz hopes that the 2024 shortlist will become a useful resource for people in the city looking to improve their homes.

"The shortlist for Don't Move, Improve! 2024 is an extraordinary showcase of innovation and creativity, offering a unique resource for Londoners who want to reimagine their living spaces and keep calling their neighbourhoods home," said Ortiz.

Other projects on the list include the pink-hued Aden Grove by Emil Eve, the light-filled Apartment with a Mezzanine by Office Ten Architecture and the renovation of the 1960s Chelsea Brut by Pricegore.

Whittaker Parsons' wood-lined Flitch Cottage extension also made the cut, alongside The Green Machine by Suprblk Studio and Heyford Avenue by Manuel Urbina Studio.

Other extensions up for the prize include one in Stoke Newington by VATRAA and the Perforated House by Novak Hiles Architects in Wandsworth, which is named after its perforated brickwork.

The final four projects competing this year are Two-Up Two-Down House by Khan Bonshek, Wimbledon Villa by Gundry + Ducker, Jacob's Flat by Paul Archer Design and Hillside House by Mike Tuck Studio.

The projects were shortlisted from over 150 entries by a jury made up of urban design manager at London Borough of Camden Ed Jarvis, architecture director of Wallpaper* magazine Ellie Stathaki, David Kohn Architects associate Jennifer Dyne and Hilson Moran sustainability director Marie-Louise Schembri.

The jury highlighted the standout trends for 2024 as the use of sustainable materials, bold colour palettes and cost-efficient solutions.

This year's overall winner will be revealed at a ceremony on 14 May at The London Centre, alongside other prizes including the People's Choice Award, which is now open for voting.

Last year's overall winner was The Secret Garden Flat, designed by Nic Howett Architect to feel "like an oasis" in the city.

Other winners included Low Energy House by Architecture for London, which took home the Environmental Leadership Prize, and CLT House by Unknown Works, which received the Unique Character Prize.

Scroll down to see all 16 shortlisted projects:

Aden Grove by Emil Eve

Apartment with a Mezzanine by Office Ten Architecture

Chelsea Brut by Pricegore

Flitch Cottage by Whittaker Parsons

The Green Machine by Suprblk Studio

Heyford Avenue by Manuel Urbina Studio

Hillside House by Mike Tuck Studio

House extension in Stoke Newington by VATRAA

A House in East London by Charles Holland Architects

House Made by Many Hands by Cairn

Jacob's Flat by Paul Archer Design

Perforated House by Novak Hiles Architects

Tin Hat by Nimtim Architects

Triangle House by Brown Urbanism

Two-Up Two-Down House by Khan Bonshek

Wimbledon Villa by Gundry + Ducker

The post Don't Move, Improve! unveils London's best house renovations of 2024 appeared first on Dezeen.

Architects Lesley Lokko and Marina Tabassum have been named on the list of the 100 most influential people of 2024 by Time magazine.

The architects are included alongside world leaders, artists and sports stars in the annually published list of people the US magazine judges as the world's most influential.

Called a "force of nature" in her citation, Lokko is listed in the pioneers section of the list, while Tabassum, who is described as an architect who "cares for her creations", is included in the innovators section.

"Her extraordinary trajectory eviscerates the old world"

Ghanaian-Scottish architect Lokko curated last year's Venice Architecture Biennale and recently won the RIBA Royal Gold Medal. American filmmaker Ava DuVernay, who wrote her citation, said she was "dazzled by her brilliance and focus" when she met the architect.

In DuVernay's citation, she drew attention to the impact that Lokko was having on the architecture world.

"Her extraordinary trajectory eviscerates the old world that had maintained a dominant perspective in architecture – one that she calls 'a singular, exclusive voice, whose reach and power ignores huge swathes of humanity... as though we have been listening and speaking in one tongue only'," wrote DuVernay.

"Now, we hear hers. Lesley creates new landscapes to reimagine access and impact and vision and vibrant futures," she continued. "Her presence in the world of architecture is the very foundation upon which fresh perspectives and passions will flourish. She is indeed a force of nature. A force for change. A force for good."

Tabassum "prioritizes local cultures and values"

Bangladeshi architect Tabassum, who recently won the Soane Medal for architecture, was praised for her altruistic attitude to her work.

"Altruism isn't typically a term attributed to award-winning architects – a profession where signature has become a common adjective – but Marina Tabassum isn't typical," wrote Harvard Graduate School of Design dean Sarah Whiting in her citation.

"She has developed a practice and a way of being that prioritizes local cultures and values, as well as the perils faced by our shared planet."

She drew attention to her Bait Ur Rouf Mosque in Dhaka, which was one of the winners of the Aga Khan Award, as well as her work developing moveable prefabricated houses.

"She has developed houses that are cost-effective and easy to move – clearly, buildings shouldn't just breathe; they should avoid getting their feet wet," wrote Whiting. "While she practices very locally, she teaches, lectures, and is recognized internationally, modeling architecture not as an individual signature but as a collective Esperanto."

Lokko and Tabassum are the latest architects to be named on the Time 100 list, following Japanese architect Kengo Kuma in 2021, Jeanne Gang in 2019, Elizabeth Diller in 2018 and David Adjaye in 2017.

Last year the magazine named Burkinabè architect Diébédo Francis Kéré on its list of 100 most influential climate leaders.

The post Lesley Lokko and Marina Tabassum named world's most influential architects appeared first on Dezeen.

Dezeen has teamed up with Hydro to make a video documenting its exhibition at this year's Milan design week, in which seven designers have created objects made from aluminium scrap.

Titled 100R, the exhibition takes place at Spazio Maiocchi in Milan and features designs made from the Norwegian brand's Hydro Circal 100R recycled aluminium product.

Hydro unveiled objects at this year's Milan design week

According to the brand, Hydro Circal 100R is the first aluminium product made entirely from post-consumer scrap that can be mass-produced on an industrial scale.

The product was designed to have a carbon footprint that is 97 per cent lower than the global average for primary-grade aluminium.

Hydro enlisted the artistic direction of Norwegian designer Lars Beller Fjetland to lead concept development and strategy for the exhibition.

Designed in collaboration with Shapes by Hydro – a knowledge hub created by Hydro – the challenge assigned to the seven designers was to create a product made purely from extruded aluminium that can be mass-produced on demand.

Amongst the designs featured in the exhibition are the Grotte Lamp by Inga Sempé and the Billet Chair by product designer John Tree.

Other designs include the Prøve Light by Max Lamb, a coat hanger called Tsuba by Andreas Engesvik, a series of containers named Nave 1, 2, & 3 by Shane Schneck, a partition called Serial by Rachel Griffin and a system used for constructing shelving called T-Slot Board by Philippe Malouin. 

Hydro claims that Circal 100R can be endlessly recycled without any loss of quality, with hopes that the material will still be used a hundred years from now.

The 100R exhibition takes place at Spazio Maiocchi during Milan Design Week from 15-21 April 2024.

The photography is by Einar Aslaksen.

Milan design week takes place from 16 April to 21 April 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen as part of a partnership with Hydro. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

The post Hydro unveils objects made from recycled aluminium at Milan design week appeared first on Dezeen.

As Milan design week continues, we have rounded up the key installations from the year's biggest design event,  featuring some of the world's best-known brands and designers.

With this year's event seemingly returning to pre-pandemic levels of activity, Milan has been packed with installations created by some of the world's best-known designers and architects for leading brands.

The Dezeen team, which has been reporting live from the event, has selected 12 of the most impactful and intriguing installation from the event.

They are works created by Sabine Marcelis, India Mahdavi and MAD for brands including Google, Kohler, Amazon and Porsche, along with a debut from film director David Lynch and even a bright orange toilet.

Read on for the 12 key installations from this year's Milan design week:

Making Sense of Color by Chromasonic and Google

Technology brand Google collaborated with research studio Chromasonic to create a kaleidoscopic maze of semi-transparent screens lit from above.

The installation was designed to simulate the experience of having synesthesia – a perceptual phenomenon where people experience one sense through another, for example hearing colours.

Read more about Making Sense of Color ›

Re/Creation by Lasvit

Monumental glass portals, some as tall as 4.8 metres, have been erected in the 15th-century Palazzo Isimbardi as part of an installation by Czech glassmaker Lasvit, designed to mirror the surrounding architecture.

Each pane is embossed with a different abstract pattern created via a range of eclectic mediums including bubble wrap, crumpled pieces of paper and the fingers of art director Maxim Velcovsky, who designed the installation.

They were realised using the company's fused glass technique, which involves imprinting the desired pattern on a bed of sand, which according to Velcovsky is then fired in a custom-built "jumbo kiln", effectively turning the glass into a "canvas that you can draw on".

Read more about Re/Creation ›

Terminal 02 by Samuel Ross for Kohler

Much like a throne, Samuel Ross's bright-orange brutalist Formation 02 toilet takes pride of place at the centre of this installation, created in collaboration with bathroom brand Kohler.

To reach it, visitors make their way through a network of giant industrial pipes that snake their way across the courtyard of the Palazzo Del Senato – sometimes closed and sometimes open to reveal the water they carry.

It hopes to draw attention to the incredible yet often under appreciated feats of industrial engineering necessary to deliver water across vast bodies of land. "It's such a novelty that we take for granted now," Ross told Dezeen.

Read more about Terminal 02 ›

Design Space AlUla by Paul Cournet and Sabine Marcelis

Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis and architect Paul Cournet have created a lounge celebrating the culture and design of Saudi Arabian region AlUla at the Mediateca di Santa Teresa in Brera.

The scenography includes a massive overhead light based on the lights in AlUla, which face down to prevent light pollution and a massive seating area designed by Hall Haus.

It also includes a series of collectible design pieces curated by Samer Yamani that use materials found locally in the Saudi Arabian region.

A Thinking Room by David Lynch

Film director David Lynch has revealed a talent for furniture design at tradeshow Salone del Mobile, where he created the A Thinking Room installation, two identical rooms within pavilions hung with red velvet drapes.

Inside the rooms, a central wooden chair with mystical metal rods coming out of it takes centre stage. It is surrounded by photos and videos in specially designed frames and sits on a floor with a wave pattern.

A Thinking Room was designed to be a relaxing space for visitors to Salone del Mobile, who can immersive themselves in its Lynchian atmosphere to escape the hustle and bustle of the tradeshow.

Read more about A Thinking Room ›

DIURNO by Panter & Tourron and Davide Rapp

Lausanne based design studio Panter & Tourron has transformed the interior of a Milanese apartment into a "speakeasy-style secret lounge” that aims to question both the past and future of the living room.

Visitors are invited to lounge on a modular yellow sofa-bed hybrid, in a room surrounded by purple curtains and other experimental furniture and lighting designs.

From here, they can watch a series of motage-style video works by artist Davide Rapp, including one featuring hundreds of clips from Italian movies where the sofa has a key role in the narrative.

The Imperfect Home by Inga Sempé and Studio A/C

A standout installation at the Triennale Milano takes the form of an entire home, filled almost entirely with furniture, lighting and homeware designed by French designer Inga Sempé and designed in collaboration with Milan-based Studio A/C.

As the title, The Imperfect Home, suggests, this is no show home. It is instead filled with the mess of everyday life; there are personal objects everywhere, hair on the sink, dirty coffee cups and hanging laundry.

The aim was to create the sense that the house had been "lived in right up until moments before the exhibition opened".

Amazing Walk by MAD for Amazon

Installed in the Cortile della Farmacia courtyard of the University of Milan, the 7.5-metre-tall pavilion, which has no internal column, was designed by MAD founder Ma Yansong to recall the shape of a mountain.

Clad in a semi-reflective, transparent skin, the pavilion was designed "as a space of connection" and is surrounded by mist at night.

The Art of Dreams by Numen/For Use for Porsche

Design collective Numen/For Use created a netted installation for automobile brand Porsche, which was informed by the brand's 1960s black and white houndstooth pattern.

Described as "an inhabitable utopia", visitors to the installation were invited to "climb inside and investigate the suspended landscape".

Read more about The Art of Dreams ›

The Fireplace by Diébédo Francis Kéré for Next125

Burkinabè architect Diébédo Francis Kéré collaborated with German kitchen brand Next125 to design a circular pavilion made from spruce logs at this year's Milan design week.

Exhibited at Superstudio Events, the installation features arched openings and a dome-like structure that is organised around a sleek kitchen island from Next125's collection.

Read more about The Fireplace ›

The Topography of Material by Hermès

Fashion brand Hermès went to the ground with its exhibition The Topography of Material – a patterned floor made up of different reclaimed materials including stone, clay and volcanic rocks.

The brand also showcased pieces from its archive next to new pieces that were made using the same material or otherwise had a connection to the older designs.

Read more about The Topography of Material ›

Archaeology of Tiles by India Mahdavi for Alternative Artefacts Danto

French designer India Mahdavi has created eight 3D ladders wrapped in tiles in this installation for newly launched Japanese brand Alternative Artefacts Danto.

As a spin-off of Danto, one of Japan's oldest mass-produced tile manufactuers, the brand has taken over a series of room inside an eighth-century former residence in the 5VIE design district.

Leaned up against walls and extending out to the terrace, Mahdavi's tile-covered ladders feature bold colours and contemporary patterns that playfully contrast with the period details.

The post Twelve key installations from Milan design week 2024 appeared first on Dezeen.

Film director David Lynch revealed his furniture design skills at tradeshow Salone del Mobile during Milan design week, where he created a large wooden chair in a room with an ocean-like pattern floor.

Known for his dark Americana films, including Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive, as well as cult TV series Twin Peaks, the filmmaker was chosen to design the installation after curator Antonio Monda found out he makes furniture in his free time.

"Last summer, Salone asked me if I could find the personality who wasn't from the field of design to create an event," Monda  told Dezeen.

"And I remembered when I was in Rome as artistic director for the Rome Film Festival, I visited David Lynch because I presented him with the Lifetime Achievement Award," he continued. "When I went to visit him he was polishing a desk and I said what are you doing? And he said, 'I do furniture. I build furniture.'"

After taking a couple of weeks to come up with an idea, Lynch came back with a sketch for A Thinking Room that was sent to the famous theatre Piccolo Teatro in Milan.

Because of the anticipated popularity, two identical rooms were created and sit in two pavilions, hung with dramatic red-velvet curtains, at the entrance of hall 5 and 7 at the tradeshow.

The deep-blue rooms, which were intended to be a relaxing space for visitors to the tradeshow, each surround a large wooden chair in which visitors can sit and write or draw using a fold-out desk.

"Lynch practices transcendental meditation, and he said 'this [room] is for meditation, but those who don't do meditation can just think and relax," Monda said. "His idea is [for it] to be a renovation or revolution of our souls."

Lynch went over the design on Zoom calls with a team from Piccolo Teatro, which built the room itself, as well as the large wooden chair and a series of frames that hold photos and videos.

The room also features a floor with a pattern of abstract waves and textured, tubular walls painted in a dark blue colour.

"The blue immediately connects with Blue Velvet; Lynch doesn't want to put the installation together with the films at all, but it's impossible not to," Monda added.

Piccolo Teatro worked closely with Lynch to make sure all the details of the room were in line with the director's concept.

"We started from a few sketches that Lynch sent to us and we developed everything, plans, sections, renderings – the most important things thing was to create a lot of samples of all the things that you can see inside this room," Piccolo Teatro's project leader Paolo di Benedetto said.

"We sent everything to David in Los Angeles to check," he added. "The most important thing for David was to create this kind of atmosphere inside the room; the possibility to see the images, sit on the chair and write and connect with the energy."

Lynch had a clear vision for the space from the beginning, taking an interest in the materials and colours used and even creating a small decorative sculpture that sits at the top of the picture frames that hang on its walls.

"We sent him twelve samples for the walls, with more texture and less texture and many different blue shades," di Benedetto said. "He was happy like a child when he received all of the samples in LA."

On top of the large chair, seven metal rods connect it to the ceiling, where they branch out. Like the often ambiguous images in his films, the design was left unexplained by Lynch.

"The only thing that we know is that these are the connections between something like the soul and the absolute; a flow of energy from your soul," Monda said.

Other exhibitions and installations currently on show at Milan design week include a show by designer Faye Toogood that explores "sexuality and the body" and furniture made from reused skyscraper formwork.

The photography is courtesy of Salone del Mobile.

A Thinking Room is on show at Salone del Mobile 10 from 16 to 21 April during See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

The post David Lynch designs gigantic wooden chair within meditative A Thinking Room appeared first on Dezeen.

Dutch beer brand Heineken and US clothing company Bodega have launched The Boring Phone at Milan design week, a "dumb" phone designed to prevent young adults from scrolling on smartphones.

Produced by Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Human Mobile Devices (HMD), which manufactures Nokia phones, The Boring Phone has been stripped of the "distractions" seen in today's smartphones and is used primarily for phone calls and text messages.

Most notable feature is the absence of internet access and social media, which was intended to encourage young adults to "disconnect with their tech" and have social interactions in person rather than scrolling on smartphones.

Reminiscent of the mobile phone technology available in the early 2000s, the flip phone has a transparent casing that users can cover in holographic stickers and a monochromatic sub-screen displaying two Heineken beer bottles.

Its design was informed by Newtro culture, retro aesthetics interpreted in a modern context, aiming to appeal to a Gen Z and Millennial audience.

In keeping with its old-school design, the phone has a long battery life of a week in standby time. It also has a 0.3-megapixel camera, FM radio and a snake game.

"Smartphones can be too interesting, so we wanted to design a boring one," said Bodega co-founder Oliver Mak.

"We were really inspired by the rise of Newtro and wanted to reinterpret a past cultural icon that some younger Zillennials may not have experienced before."

By limiting the phone's technology, Heineken and Bodega hope young adults will be encouraged to make more meaningful social connections without being distracted by the pull of social media.

"With smartphones becoming so advanced and interesting to the user, it's easier than ever to connect to the online world but harder to stay in the moment," said the brands.

"With modern-day frills removed, the phone is unable to download social media or other apps that take away from being present."

The Boring Phone concept resulted from research commissioned by Heineken on smartphone use among Gen Z and Millennials in the UK and US.

According to the brand, 90 per cent of those in the study admitted to "doom scrolling" in social scenarios and checked their phones an average of seven times on a night out.

Heineken claims that attitudes towards mobile phone use are changing. Its research found that 37 per cent of Gen Z and Millennials claim they think they check their phones too often in social situations, and 32 per cent said they would prefer to be able to "switch off" from their phones on nights out.

While HMD has produced just 5,000 Boring Phones, none of which are available for purchase, an app will be launched in June that will turn smartphones "boring" to help people disconnect from their technology.

Also informed by phone of the past, US start-up Clicks Technology recently unveiled a keyboard attachment for iPhones, which features raised buttons reminiscent of Blackberry phones in the early 2000s.

In other mobile phone news, Nokia partnered with repair specialists iFixit to create a smartphone with a DIY repair kit, aiming to make it easier for people to fix their phones themselves.

The post Heineken and Bodega unveil nostalgic Boring Phone for Gen Z and Millennials appeared first on Dezeen.

Arab Design Now and Enzo Mari are among the current design exhibitions taking place across the world featured in Dezeen Events Guide.

Other design-related events taking place at the moment include Life Cycles: The Materials of Contemporary Design, Christien Meindertsma: Re-forming Waste and I Will Follow the Ship.

Life Cycles: The Materials of Contemporary Design
2 September 2023 to 7 July 2024, USA

Objects intended to illustrate the circularity of materials feature in the Life Cycles: The Materials of Contemporary Design exhibition by New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

Pioneering methods for using overlooked materials such as fungi and manure are on display.

Each piece encourages visitors to rethink the ways in which naturally occurring and waste materials are utilised in design.

Christien Meindertsma: Re-forming Waste
22 November 2023 to 19 October 2024, UK

The work of Dutch designer and artist Christien Meindertsma is celebrated in this exhibition at the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in London.

Meindertsma's work utilises wool and linoleum, among other materials, and every piece aims to demonstrate innovation and well-honed craft techniques.

The exhibition follows the designer's research into the materials, exploring how they can be used in creative ways.

Arab Design Now
24 February to 5 August 2024, Qatar

Middle Eastern, Asian and North African design is spotlighted in Arab Design Now, the headline exhibition at Design Doha 2024.

Pieces on display include furniture, accessories and textiles, all of which are informed by local regional and cultural crafts.

As well as spotlighting both contemporary and conventional techniques, the pieces aim to address climate-related concerns and themes of sustainability.

Enzo Mari
29 March to 8 September 2024, UK

London's Design Museum is running a retrospective exhibition on the work of Italian artist and furniture designer Enzo Mari.

The eponymous show displays Mari's wide-ranging body of work, from furniture and installations to books and graphic design projects.

Curators Hans Ulrich Obrist and Francesca Giacomelli aimed to encapsulate Mari's 60 years of practice, combining existing works with purpose-commissioned projects.

I Will Follow the Ship
20 April to 24 November 2024, Italy

The 2024 edition of the Venice Art Biennale includes an exhibition by Maltese artist Matthew Attard.

The installation is the basis for Malta's designated pavilion during the biennale and blurs the line between artificial intelligence and time-honoured cultural heritage.

Physical and virtual settings are layered into a complex experience that explores the ways in which humans and digital forces interact.

About Dezeen Events Guide

Dezeen Events Guide is our guide to the best architecture and design events taking place across the world each year. The guide is updated weekly and includes virtual events, conferences, trade fairs, major exhibitions and design weeks.

Inclusion in the guide is free for basic listings, with events selected at Dezeen's discretion. Organisers can get standard, enhanced or featured listings for their events, including images, additional text and links, by paying a modest fee.

In addition, events can ensure inclusion by partnering with Dezeen. For more details on inclusion in Dezeen Events Guide and media partnerships with Dezeen, email eventsguide@dezeen.com.

The post Five art and design exhibitions on Dezeen Events Guide appeared first on Dezeen.

Burkinabè architect Diébédo Francis Kéré has created a circular pavilion made from spruce logs for German kitchen brand Next125, which is being exhibited at Superstudio for Milan design week.

Named The Fireplace, the pavilion aims to explore the concept of a kitchen as a place for communal gathering and sharing through its rounded structure and centralised kitchen unit.

"Circularity is always about how you – in a democratic way – gather alongside around the fire, like our ancestor has done always around the fireplace," Kéré told Dezeen in Milan.

"The fireplace is then the idea where we really will come together and gather around the fire," he continued. "But what is modern fire? It is a kitchen."

Aiming to contrast a "modern sophisticated kitchen" with the "archaic" wooden shelter, the pavilion is centred by a sleek kitchen island from Next 125's collection that features mirrored units topped with a marbled surface.

Behind it, a matching fridge unit is integrated into the wooden structure serving as a backdrop to the island. A circular table adjoined to the island is held up by two metal legs and creates an additional shared surface.

Two arched openings appear as if carved into the structure and enable a flow of movement in and around the centralised kitchen unit.

Emphasising an element of communal gathering, wooden seating seemingly extends from the structure's walls and wraps around the base of the pavilion.

The roof, which was constructed from 600 logs arranged into bundles, forms a dome – giving the space a sense of grandeur.

Small, hidden openings in the roof, which are likened by Kéré to natural openings within a cave, create pockets of light that shine into the interior.

"If you think about [a cave], you relate to the light from outside to little openings," Kéré said.

"This is what brought us to think about using these logs and let gaps in between so that light can come through. That was [going to] create a warm place; a welcoming place."

The pine used for the project was sourced locally to Next125's base in Germany, where the structure was manufactured by a local carpenter before being shipped in six sections and installed in Milan.

Following its display during Milan Design Week, the pavilion will be relocated elsewhere – although its next home is not yet confirmed.

Other installations on show at this year's Milan design week include a sculptural interpretation of a boat made of stainless steel by Nfemi Marcus-Bello and a patterned stone-and-clay-floor showcased by fashion house Hermès.

The photography is courtesy of Next125.

The Fireplace is open from 15 to 21 April at Superstudio during Milan design week. See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

The post Francis Kéré arranges spruce log pavilion around communal kitchen in Milan appeared first on Dezeen.

Japanese architect Shigeru Ban has created a pavilion from paper tubes, wood and milk crates to mark the 75th anniversary of US architect Philip Johnson's Glass House in Connecticut, USA.

Created in collaboration with students from New York university Cooper Union, the 13.5 foot by 13.5 foot (4.1 meters by 4.1 metres) structure was built within the site of Johnson's historic house.

Built in 1949, the house in New Canaan, Connecticut, was designed by Johnson as his own home and is considered one of the most significant buildings of the 20th century.

The Paper Log House was created to contrast the original house, which as its name suggests has entirely glass walls set within a charcoal-coloured steel frame.

The structure was constructed with walls made from 156 paper tubes, which sit within a frame made from plywood on a foundation made of 39 milk crates.

All of the building's components were fabricated at Cooper Union in Manhattan before being transported to the site and assembled in 15 hours by 17 students, faculty and Shigeru Ban Architects staff.

The trust that runs the house commissioned Ban to continue the legacy of innovation on the Glass House estate, where Johnson designed a series of galleries, event spaces and follies throughout the second half of the 20th century.

"We are thrilled to present the work of Shigeru Ban Architects at The Glass House on our 75th anniversary," said The Glass House executive director Kirsten Reoch.

"When the Glass House and Brick House were completed in 1949, Philip Johnson was just at the beginning of what would become an expansive campus filled with structures that continually pushed boundaries in design and materials over the course of more than 50 years," she continued.

"The Paper Log House continues this ethos of experimentation and innovation, turning Ban's creative energy toward the solution of urgent social problems with recyclable and easily available materials."

Ban is known for his work with cardboard and has designed a series of structures in response to natural disasters for over 30 years.

He originally created the Paper Log House model in the wake of the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995 in Kobe, Japan. Versions were recently constructed following last year's earthquake in Morocco and installed in Antakya for use as a school building after the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake.

The model was also used as temporary shelters in Europe to house Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion.

Johnson, who passed away in 2005, was one of the best-known architects of the 20th century. Along with Glass House, he designed numerous modernist and postmodern buildings including the AT&T building in New York, which was recently overhauled by Snøhetta.

The photography is by Michael Biondo.

The post Shigeru Ban unveils Paper Log House at Philip Johnson's Glass House appeared first on Dezeen.

Pillowy lamps, daybeds that look like stacked mattresses and rugs featuring abstract renderings of private body parts feature in an exhibition of new launches from Faye Toogood at Milan design week.

The Rude Arts Club showcase brings together products created by the British designer for rug company CC-Tapis and furniture brand Tacchini that explore sex and the human form from a female perspective.

"This is my take on embracing all that comes with being a woman," Toogood told Dezeen. "I'm a couple of years off being 50 and I spent the last 20-30 years in design not really drawing attention to being female."

"I'm a second-wave feminist," she added. "We were much more like: being female is not part of the conversation. We don't want to talk about it. We're just designers."

The collection of Rude rugs was born from impromptu paintings made by Toogood after visiting an exhibition of work by artist Francis Bacon, who made the human body his central subject.

"It got me thinking about the male interpretation of sexuality and the body," Toogood said. "And I thought, I'll have a go at doing that myself."

The designer initially suggested half as a joke that CC-Tapis should turn her "mischievous" paintings into rugs for their latest collaboration.

But co-founder Fabrizio Cantoni ran with the idea and produced one rug for each of the seven paintings, featuring abstract shapes reminiscent of breasts, ovaries and a three-pronged phallus.

"It's a kind of expression of the human body – male, female, everyone – but also the sexual energy that is a big part of being human," Toogood said.

Each rug was made using a different technique and different yarns, helping to translate the textural qualities of the different brush strokes.

"Normally when you do a collection, you pick your technique and then you run it across the five different designs," the designer said. "So this is pretty mega in terms of the amount of work and the amount of master craftsmanship it's taken to do this."

At the Rude Arts Club exhibition, the rugs are hung on the walls alonside the paintings themselves.

They provide a backdrop for Toogood's designs for Tacchini – the Solar daybeds and sofas, which are so plush they "feel like a cloud", and the Lunar lights and mirrors made of "scrunchable" white artists' canvas.

These offer a more subtle take on the theme, with soft curves and textures suggesting piles of pillows and mattresses as in the fairytale of the Princess and the Pea.

"Celebrating female energy and womanhood in design – and acknowledging it – is not something that personally I have done," Toogood said. "And I feel it's not something that the design industry has done either."

"There are still very few female designers that we all know about, talk about, write about," she added. "And there's not enough acknowledgement of female designers right at the top level."

This is despite the fact that female designers bring a unique perspective to the table, according to Toogood, and can sometimes even be better at capturing that elusive emotional quality that helps an object resonate with people.

"The industrial designers have realised sales are showing that it pays when you create something that connects with other human beings," Toogood said. "We don't need more chairs, more rugs. So how can you make something that's actually going to connect with people?

"It has to hold something other than the rigour of design and proportion and perfection of material, it has to have something else," she added. "What's that magic ingredient that connects people to that object? That's what I'm really trying to discover."

"I achieve it on some things and I don't on others, and I don't always know why."

Other highlights from this year's edition of Milan design week include an inflatable gaming chair from IKEA and lighting sculptures by Leo Maher that reference "queer legends".

Rude Arts Club is on display at the CC-Tapis showroom from 16 to 21 April. See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

The post Faye Toogood explores "sexuality and the body" in Rude Arts Club exhibition appeared first on Dezeen.

Design studio Niceworkshop has created furniture for recycling brand Format made from aluminium formwork used for pouring the concrete on large-scale buildings, which is on show at Milan design week.

Showcased at the Capsule showcase at Corso Como 10, the collection includes chairs, benches and tables made from slabs of aluminium fastened together by industrial bolts.

Niceworkshop worked with Format, the design and recycling arm of Korean construction company Sungji Alfex, to reuse the large metal panels used in the pouring of concrete in the construction of large buildings.

"My family has been making formwork in Korea for more than 50 years," Format co-founder Phillip Lee told Dezeen.

"And instead of throwing it away, I thought we should recreate it into something else."

Because the company doesn't have a design background, Format looked to Hyunseog Oh of Niceworkshop to take the industrial materials and create collectible design objects.

The installation included two collections with similar forms. Called Aged Form Line, the first collection was made with formwork directly reused from construction and "captures the enduring texture of concrete on the surface event after the repair process".

These pieces have a darker hue with slight imperfections on the surfaces of the furniture.

The other series is called New Form Line and features furniture created with aluminium that has been recycled. These have a much more lustrous hue and smoother surfaces.

Niceworkshop showed chairs, benches and tables created with both materials. The design of both pieces is almost identical, with the rivet holes from the original formwork used as the points of connection between the different pieces of furniture.

The New Form Line pieces were presented as a group, set up as they might look in a space, while the Aged Form Line was presented on aluminium plinths, separately.

In the centre of the space, an example of how the material looks as it is used in the construction process, rebar and all, was shown to let visitors understand better where the material comes from.

"Our use of the materials was inspired by the circulation of the process of aluminium," said Oh, noting how similar the final product looks to the actual formwork.

The collection is the first collaboration between Format and Niceworkshop and is the debut collection of Niceworkshop during Milan design week.

The photography is courtesy of T-Space at 10 Corso Como unless otherwise stated.

The Aluminum Formwork Series is on show at Corso Como 10 from 15 to 21 April during See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

The post Niceworkshop presents furniture made from reused skyscraper formwork appeared first on Dezeen.

Google has returned to Milan design week with a kaleidoscopic installation by research studio Chromasonic, designed to simulate the experience of having synesthesia.

Stretching across 600 square metres inside a redeveloped industrial building near Porta Venezia, Making Sense of Color takes visitors on a "sensorial journey" through a maze of semi-transparent screens.

Changing patterns of coloured light are projected onto these screens, accompanied by sound in frequencies equivalent to the real wavelengths of the various shades.

Red light has the longest wavelengths and therefore generates the lowest sound while yellow, green and blue have progressively shorter wavelengths that result in higher-pitched sounds.

This effectively allows visitors to experience the colours through two different senses simultaneously, leading Chromasonic co-founder Johannes Girardoni to describe the experience as an "artificial state" of synesthesia – a perceptual phenomenon where people experience one sense through another, for example hearing colours.

"We make light audible and sound visible so it's this cross-pollination, this merging of the senses," he told Dezeen.

By augmenting people's natural sensory perception without relying on a device like AR goggles, Girardoni says the installation can help visitors feel more present and grounded in their bodies.

It approximates the experience of mindfulness meditation, which involves honing an awareness of feelings and bodily sensations in the here and now, rather than ruminating about the past or the future.

"It's a way to connect to your senses, but also just to connect to yourself and feel very present, which can be hard to find sometimes in a very busy and distracted world," said Chromasonic co-founder Harriet Girardoni. "It's a bit like a meditation practice, although it's sort of effortless."

The installation's three-metre-high fabric screens were arranged to form 21 volumes, each illuminated by a single LED square from above.

A matrix of 24 speakers were positioned to provide localised sound that changes based on the colour that is being projected in a given area at a given time.

"We algorithmically link light and sound so we can move them together through that space as a linked object," Johannes Girardoni said.

"So when you see colour moving, you also are hearing or feeling that colour in your body and in your ears," his partner added. "Because the sound is really a physical expression of the light."

To achieve this, the studio developed a "refrequencing" software that can take any waveform – whether light, sound or even the frequencies of our bodies – and translate it into another.

This technology also forms the basis of Chromasonic's permanent Satellite One installation in Venice, California. The studio is currently working on a study with a scientist from the University of Southern California (USC) to gain more concrete data about how the experience impacts visitors.

"We've had thousands of people through our site," Harriet Girardoni said. "And we know from the research that we've done that there are quote unquote benefits to this, everything from reducing stress and anxiety to just becoming more joyful."

"Participants feel a momentary sense of awe much like what happens out in nature when you're standing in front of a mountain range or on the ocean," Johannes Girardoni added. "It's these moments of awe that connect us to our own senses and our own sense of presence."

"You can get this through meditation, you can get this in nature but for a lot of people, these things are not so accessible."

The Making Sense of Color installation was co-created by Google's vice president of hardware design Ivy Ross and culminates in a series of rooms exploring how her design team uses colour to shape users' perceptions and experiences.

"Each color gives off a different vibration and has a biological and psychological effect on people," Ross said.

"We are conscious of always having a range of colours that feel right for the moment in time. For example this year we have a particular tone of blue in our products that is very calming."

Google is a regular figure on the Milan design week circuit, with previous contributions including giant water-covered speakers and a string of interiors designed using the principles of neuroaesthetics.

Making Sense of Color is on display at Garage 21 as part of Milan design week 2024. See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

The post Chromasonic makes "light audible and sound visible" for Google's Milan installation appeared first on Dezeen.

A fire has broken out at the 17th-century Børsen building in Copenhagen, Denmark, causing its iconic dragon tail-shaped spire to collapse.

The fire at the building, which was once the city's stock exchange, began early this morning with the 56-metre-tall spire collapsing around 8:30am local time.

Built in 1615, the Renaissance-style building is one of the most famous buildings in the Danish capital. The fire was described by the country's deputy prime minister Troels Lund Poulsen as "our own Notre-Dame moment".

The structure, which was topped by a spire resembling the tails of four dragons intertwined, is currently surrounded by scaffolding due to ongoing renovation work.

Børsen i København er i flammer.

Følg udviklingen her: https://t.co/KUXg6JjCZP pic.twitter.com/jdSlhvKLwi

— Berlingske (@berlingske) April 16, 2024

A fire has engulfed Copenhagen's old stock exchange

Culture minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said "400 years of Danish cultural heritage [are] in flames".

While the building no longer houses the stock exchange, it is currently the headquarters of the Danish Chamber of Commerce.

"We are met by a terrible sight," the Chamber of Commerce wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "The stock market is on fire. Everyone is asked to stay away from the area around Slotsholmen. The fire authorities are on the scene," it said.

Frygtelige billeder fra Børsen. Så trist. En ikonisk bygning, der betyder meget for os alle, tror jeg. Vores eget Notre Dame-øjeblik. pic.twitter.com/X0jWjfUFVc

— Troels Lund Poulsen (@troelslundp) April 16, 2024

The event has been described as Copenhagen's "own Notre Dame moment"

There are currently no reports of injuries but the nearby square is said to have been evacuated as thick smoke continues to rise from the structure. People have also been seen saving large paintings from the building, reported the Guardian.

Deputy prime minister Poulsen's comparison to Notre-Dame harks back to the fire that broke out there in 2019, causing the landmark cathedral's spire to collapse.

The news made international headlines and widespread speculation about the future of the building and its spire, with a flurry of designers offering proposals for a replacement.

However, French president Emmanuel Macron said he would ensure the building was rebuilt "identically" to how it was before the event. It is expected to reopen in 2025.

The event is also reminiscent of the second fire at Mackintosh's Glasgow School of Art in 2018, which came as a major restoration led by architects Page\Park was underway. The works were being carried out to repair damage from the previous fire in 2014.

Four years later, the inquiry into the cause of the fire that destroyed the building failed to reach a conclusion due to insufficient evidence.

The main photo is by Dan Lundberg via Wikimedia Commons. 

The post Fire engulfs Copenhagen's old stock exchange causing spire to collapse appeared first on Dezeen.

Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect Eduardo Souto de Moura has designed a watch for LeBond with its face rotated by 30 degrees to optimise viewing.

The timepiece has a minimalist design with a circular face and was created for the watch brand LeBond, which described it as "an architect's take on a driver's watch".

To create a "new spin on familiar things" Portuguese architect Souto de Moura rotated the watch's dial, movement and crown 30 degrees clockwise. According to the architect, placing 12 where the 1 would traditionally be gives the wearer the optimal viewing angle.

"The 12 is the reference, and we rotate 30 degrees for optimal visibility on the wrist," said Souto de Moura.

As Souto de Moura wanted the watch to be as slim as possible, it has a 38.5-millimetre case made from grade-five titanium. The face of the watch, which has matte black hands, is protected by domed sapphire crystal.

There are two variants of the watch. The first has a matte beige dial and a navy blue leather strap, while the other has a matte grey dial with a black leather strap.

"I want the watch to be and feel as slim as possible," said Souto de Moura.

"I arrived at the office feeling bored, but when I saw the latest pictures of the watch, I became excited," he continued.

One of the world's best-known architects, Souto de Moura won the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2011.

His projects include the Casa das Histórias Paula Rego gallery, which is topped by pyramid-like chimneys, the Braga stadium and the Burgo Towers, in front of which the watch was photographed.

Souto de Moura is the latest Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect to design a watch, with fellow laureates Frank Gehry recently creating a transparent watch for luxury brand Louis Vuitton and Tadao Ando designing a serpent-informed watch for Bulgari.

Other watches designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architects include a piece by Rafael Moneo for Cauny and a square watch informed by a swimming pool by Álvaro Siza.

The photography is by Fernando Guerra.

The post Eduardo Souto de Moura creates watch with face rotated "for optimal visibility on the wrist" appeared first on Dezeen.

The New York Jets NFL team has brought back a jet aircraft to its logo as part of its latest rebrand, which is a nod to its 1980s Sack Exchange era.

Designed to combine "coolness and nostalgia, the rebrand reintroduces a jet – the American football team's namesake – to the logo for the first time since 1997.

The design is a modernised update of a logo originally designed by Jim Pons, the team's former video director and former bass guitarist for Frank Zappa's band, The Mothers of Invention. The original logo was used during the 1970s, '80s and '90s and is connected to the team's fondly-remembered New York Sack Exchange era.

"We've modernised it, I think it's an improvement," said New York Jets vice president of fan commerce Chris Pierce.

"It is a piece of iconic architecture in our history and certainly a moment in time for New York," he told Dezeen.

"It feels like we are taking an asset from this great movie on this amazing stage – there was buzz about the '70s and '80s in New York City – and bringing it back to life."

While the logo is a clear nod to the club's history, the design team aimed to ensure that the team's rebrand also looks to the future.

"There's an element of coolness and an element of nostalgia," said Pierce. "As much as this feels like a look backward and honouring the history and legacy, there's something so optimistic and forward thinking and part of that is the design of the logo."

"It's italicised, the plane is moving. So you get this notion of a forward-thinking logo as much as it's something from our history," he continued.

The team neatened up the original design, which was hand-drawn by Pons in the late 1970s and used as the team's primary logo from 1978 until 1997, to make it "stronger and slightly bolder".

The spacing between the letters has been adjusted to be more consistent, while the tail of the J is taller and thicker and the jet itself is more pointed.

"We put that logo under the microscope and asked is this perfect for applications that exist in 2024 that did not exist in 1978," explained Pierce.

"We then made some modernisations and tweaks to the logo – things like the spacing between the letters, because it was a hand-drawn logo, there was some lack of consistency," he continued.

"The tail of the aircraft and the nose, they're more pointed. And we feel like give this element of more speed, versus the more rounded tail, the more rounded nose of the plane."

According to Pierce, returning to the previous logo was driven by the team's fans, particularly their reaction to the Jets using the logo last season.

"It became evident that there was a desire amongst our fans to bring back a logo that they really identified with," he said. "And they had this deep emotional connection with, right, that they just they call for it right in terms of their response to it."

"So for us, it was very obvious that this screams our identity, why should we not bring it back?" he added.

Adding the jet back to the logo also helps to explain the name of the team, which was changed from the Titans of New York in 1963 to the Jets due to its stadium's proximity to LaGuardia Airport.

"I do think bringing the jet back and making that connection is a really important one," explained Pierce.

"I think, in many ways, it's even more important to the more casual fan, or the fan that doesn't know they're a Jets fan yet and hasn't picked an NFL allegiance yet. I think that's really somewhat critical."

The redesigned logo forms part of a wider rebrand of the team including the launch of the Legacy Collection of uniforms, which players will wear for the next five seasons.

The three uniforms – green, white and black – will all have double-striped sleeves and single-striped legs, which match the uniforms worn in the Sack Exchange era.

While the New York Jets are updating its brand, several other NFL teams have recently announced plans to refresh their stadiums. Architecture studio Populous is designing an "intimate yet intimidating" stadium for Buffalo Bills while HOK is designing a mirrored "stadium of the future" for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The post New York Jets reintroduces jet to team logo in nostalgic rebrand appeared first on Dezeen.

Designer Maria Vittoria Paggini has used colourful wallpaper and murals depicting nude bodies concealed behind peepholes to transform her home for Milan design week.

Located in the 5vie design district in the heart of the city, Casa Ornella is annually redesigned by Vittoria Paggini who presents the project during Milan design week.

This year, the property – which is also partly an art gallery, is themed "porno-chic".

"Casa Ornella is a maximalist house" said the designer, who is opening up her home to the public during the week.

"Porno-chic stems from a strong need for rediscovery and self-awareness. To achieve this, I felt the need to bare myself and decided to use the metaphor of the naked body, pushing it to the extreme to make it invisible to the eyes," she told Dezeen.

"Going beyond that, porno-chic aims to be a style of 'rebirth,' a recognition of oneself through the home or any place to inhabit."

The interiors feature a living space characterised by artist Tatiana Brodatch's striking wallpaper. Oversized spots and stripes in pink and purple hues form the backdrop for images of faceless, nude male sculptures touching themselves.

Finished in Brodatch's signature lumpy plasticine, the figures look like they are flying through space.

Two boothlike, art deco armchairs with burl wood casing were positioned next to this feature wall, as well as a translucent table designed by Vittoria Paggini and topped with twisting, marble and Murano glass candelabras by Aina Kari.

Visitors can see Brodatch's wallpaper through a circular peephole on one of the corridors, which adds to the "sensual" atmosphere of the home, according to the designer.

Elsewhere, brown curtains illustrated with naked female bodies and a small but suggestive figurative sculpture sitting on a silver tray are reflected in a swollen gold mirror.

One corridor is characterised by a large-scale floor mural of a nude woman, created as a set of abstract brown and pink shapes.

The only room not open to the public is the bedroom, which is decorated with a graphic, floor-to-ceiling mural of naked men surrounded by decadent architecture, influenced by 13th-century paintings.

Visitors can view the bedroom mural, created by Milanese illustrator Damiano Groppi, through another peephole.

Sugary pink walls, striped and chequerboard accents and multiple mirrored surfaces throughout the home add to its maximalist design.

Casa Ornella also includes two more Vittoria Paggini-designed products, which are being debuted for the design week and take cues from "the world of jewellery".

These are bulbous gold taps created for Milanese brand Manoli – positioned above veiny Gio Ponti basins in the bathroom – and slender light switches designed for Officine Morelli.

According to Vittoria Paggini, these pieces are "what is most characteristic of the porno-chic style".

"They serve two different functions but have the same language that aims to communicate sensuality and timeless elegance."

The annual Milan design week has kicked off in the Italian city, with projects on display ranging from a collection of everyday objects designed using algae and sculptural lights by Leo Maher that reference "a hot-pot of queer culture".

The photography is courtesy of Maria Vittoria Paggini.

Casa Ornella is on display at Via Conca di Naviglio 10, Milan, during Milan Design Week from 15 to 21 April 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

The post Maria Vittoria Paggini gives her home "porno-chic" makeover for Milan design week appeared first on Dezeen.

From guest rooms filled with fashion designer Christian Louboutin's personal antique collection to Ibiza's oldest hotel where handmade masks are mounted on the walls, our latest lookbook features eight eclectic hotel interiors.

Eclectic design brings together objects and styles from a range of sources – often mixing contemporary and vintage pieces.

While many hotels are characterised by uniform luxury, others celebrate unlikely combinations of furniture, colours and patterns.

Here are eight eclectic hotel interiors from around the world defined by contrasts and clashes.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring residential mezzanines, Mexican holiday homes and minimalist bathrooms.

Downtown LA Proper, USA, by Kelly Wearstler

American designer Kelly Wearstler has created the interiors for all four of the Proper Hotel Group's branches across North America.

The Downtown LA Proper is anchored by "bold and eclectic choices", including a chunky graphite reception desk and a hand-painted archway flanked by leaning column-like cacti in rustic pots.

Find out more about Downtown LA Proper ›

Montesol Experimental, Ibiza, by Dorothée Meilichzon

Dorothée Meilichzon of French interior design studio Chzon renovated Montesol – the oldest hotel in Ibiza, originally built in the 1930s.

Meilichzon transformed the renamed Montesol Experimental with "a bohemian overtone" that draws on the hotel's rich history. Among its interior elements are lumpy Playdough Stools by artist Diego Faivre, hand-crafted masks and an abundance of tassels.

Find out more about Montesol Experimental ›

Vermelho, Portugal, by Christian Louboutin and Madalena Caiado

Louboutin filled his first hospitality project with furniture and materials from his personal antique collection.

The fashion designer worked with architect Madalena Caiado to create the Vermelho boutique hotel in the Portuguese village of Melides. The guest rooms feature unexpected elements such as a rattan monkey-shaped side table and striking hand-painted frescoes.

Find out more about Vermelho ›

Palm Heights, Grand Cayman, by Gabriella Khalil

Collectible design pieces characterise Palm Heights in Grand Cayman, the island's first boutique hotel.

Creative director Gabriella Khalil sought to style the project like a 1970s Caribbean mansion, selecting sandy yellows and bold blue hues to complement the many original artworks that adorn the walls.

Find out more about Palm Heights ›

Austin Proper Hotel and Residences, USA, by Kelly Wearstler

Among the Proper Hotel Group's other locations is an Austin branch. Wearstler inserted a sculptural oak staircase into the lobby that doubles as a plinth for a varied collection of glazed earthenware pots and vases.

Locally sourced art and textiles characterise the hotel, which has cypress wood walls that were charred using the traditional Japanese technique of Shou Sugi Ban to create a tiger-striped effect.

Find out more about Austin Proper Hotel ›

Hôtel de la Boétie, France, by Beata Heuman

Swedish designer Beata Heuman created the Hôtel de la Boétie in Paris to be "a bit like a stage set".

Heuman chose contrasting elements for the colour-drenched interiors. Bedrooms feature a mixture of dark-hued woven headboards and pale pink sheets, while downstairs, the reception area's jumbo flower lamps balance the steely silver of the lounge walls.

Find out more about Hôtel de la Boétie ›

Château Royal, Germany, by Irina Kromayer

A series of eclectic spaces make up the Château Royal in Berlin, which references the heyday of the German capital at the turn of the 20th century.

Interior architect Irina Kromayer designed the hotel to be "authentic" rather than retro, choosing art noveau tiles and brass and nickel hardware in a nod to the finishes commonly found in Berlin's historic buildings.

Find out more about Château Royal ›

Esme Hotel, USA, by Jessica Schuster Design

Plush velvet flooring, textural tassels and plants in wicker pots come together at the Esme Hotel in Miami, renovated by New York studio Jessica Schuster Design.

The interiors draw on the "bohemian grandeur" of the hotel's 1920s history, with decadent alcoves clad with contrasting patterns.

Find out more about Esme Hotel ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring residential mezzanines, Mexican holiday homes and minimalist bathrooms.

The post Eight hotel interiors characterised by eclectic designs appeared first on Dezeen.

Creative agency Uncommon Creative Studio has made "boring" versions of UK landmarks including Buckingham Palace and Edinburgh Castle for Thomas Heatherwick's Humanise campaign.

Created to demonstrate how UK landmarks would look if designed in modernist styles, the agency used artificial intelligence to reimagine the landmarks. Along with Buckingham Palace and Edinburgh Castle, Uncommon Creative Studio created alternative versions of the Tower of London, Royal Liver Building, Palace of Westminster and Hovis hill.

"The series of images shows six of the most loved and quintessentially British landmarks stripped of their personality to reveal their boring alter-egos," said Uncommon Creative Studio, which is a Humanise campaign founding partner.

"Using artificial intelligence, fed with 75 years of soulless development data, UnLandmarks reimagines Britain's most beloved buildings through the eyes of its most boring architectural trends."

Uncommon Creative Studio created the visuals for the Humanise campaign, which was launched last year by UK designer Heatherwick, as it believes that images are the best way of conveying the campaign's message.

"We wanted to bring public attention to bear, to create a conversation around the importance of our built environments and the power of design to do more than inspire but to improve our human health," Uncommon Creative Studio founder Nils Leonard told Dezeen.

"People are visual though, despite all of the articles, white papers and data on a subject the best way to move people is with something they can see, and then feel," he continued.

"Taking our most sacred spaces and making them as boring as the rest of our environments is the start of the conversation, the way to bring everyone to the Humanise cause."

Uncommon Creative Studio aimed to select buildings from across the country that would prompt an emotional response.

"We wanted to find sacred buildings – immortal and untouchable," explained Leonard. "Then viscerally mutate them with 75 years of bland design."

"The soul had to leave the building," he continued. "The buildings we chose are the ones that define our country in the minds of every citizen and visitor – making this point with the icons of our nation felt the only way to get people to look again."

The neo-classical Buckingham Palace, the main facade of which was designed by architect John Nash, was transformed into an international-style block, while the Charles Barry-designed, gothic revival Palace of Westminster was given a brutalist makeover.

The Tower of London and Edinburgh Castle were given modernist makeovers, while the Royal Liver Building in Liverpool was reimagined with glass and steel facades.

Finally, the studio transformed the housing on Gold Hill in Dorset, which is best known as the location for Hovis bread adverts.

The visualisations were made with a combination of AI graphic tools including Stable Diffusion, ComfyUI, MidJourney and Photoshop Generative Fill, with 200 variations created of each landmark.

"Taking cues from 75 years of soulless building data, we created a database of materials such as clapboard, stone cladding, concrete, glass and steel," explained Leonard.

"The fittings, trends and familiar design tricks," he continued. "These were then paired with architectural styles like contemporary international, volume house building and communist monumentalism – this combination built the foundation for our AI prompts."

To draw attention to the "boring" landmarks, Uncommon Creative Studio created a range of souvenirs featuring the visualisations, which they placed at stalls outside London landmarks.

"Initially people reacted with disgust, which is great, and shock, fascination," said Leonard. "A bit of outrage that we'd tampered with iconic, beloved landmarks."

"Then a worry these were real plans for redevelopment," he continued. "Most people got what we were trying to do."

Overall, Leonard hopes that the visuals can serve as a "dystopian warning to the future".

"We hope people realise what we're taking for granted – that beautiful buildings are not just a luxury, but something that's at the core of who we are as a nation," he said.

"The UnLandmarks project spotlights a century-old global issue: how most new buildings have become increasingly soulless, worsening our health and contributing to the climate crisis."

The visuals form part of the wider Humanise campaign, which was launched last year alongside a book named Humanise written by Heatherwick and a Radio 4 series led by the designer in which he takes aim at boring buildings.

In an interview with Dezeen, the director of the team leading the initiative, Matt Bell, explained what it aims to achieve, while Heatherwick selected 10 "humanised" buildings to explain its ideals.

The post Thomas Heatherwick's Humanise campaign creates "boring alter-egos" of UK landmarks appeared first on Dezeen.

This Dezeen video shows the restoration progress of Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, including its reconstructed spire that is crowned by a golden rooster.

In the video, viewers can see the 96-metre-tall spire without its scaffolding, with a design replicating the 1859 version designed by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Dezeen (@dezeen)

The Dezeen video reveals the reconstructed spire at Notre-Dame

The reconstructed spire is topped with a recreation of the original cross and a golden rooster designed by architect Philippe Villeneuve who is leading the renovation works.

Villeneuve said the rooster's "wings of fire" are intended as a reminder that "the cathedral can be reborn from the ashes, like a phoenix", the BBC reported.

While the spire marks a major milestone in the restoration of the cathedral after the devastating fire in 2019, scaffolding remains around much of the rest of the building.

Works were originally hoped to be completed in time to reopen for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, but it will now remain closed until December 2024. However, scaffolding is expected to remain around the building until 2028.

The fire that engulfed Notre-Dame cathedral in 2019 gutted its interior and destroyed its roof and spire, making headlines around the world.

It prompted a flurry of designers to offer proposals for a replacement spire, but speculation about its future ended when president Emmanuel Macron said he would ensure the building was rebuilt "identically" to how it was before the event.

As part of the restoration project, the forecourt and the surroundings of Notre-Dame cathedral are also being revamped.

This will see Belgian architect Bas Smets revive the square facing the cathedral and transform an abandoned underground car park beneath it into a visitor centre.

The photography is by Lizzie Crook.

The post Dezeen video captures reconstructed spire at Notre-Dame appeared first on Dezeen.

Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama collaborated with hundreds of craftspeople to create Purple Hibiscus, a handsewn installation of bespoke pink cloth covering the brutalist lakeside terrace of London's Barbican Centre.

Purple Hibiscus is Mahama's first bright-coloured installation, finished in pink to contrast with London's "grey weather".

"Why not pink?" he told Dezeen at the Barbican. "The building itself is grey and the Barbican is quite grey. And I have never made a work with this kind of colour before, so I thought why not use something quite strong."

"I've never had the courage to use colours like this in public on a large-scale work, but I've been collecting these materials for quite a long time," he added.

Purple Hibiscus, which opens today, is named after Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's 2003 debut novel of the same name, set in postcolonial Nigeria.

The site-specific installation consists of around 2,000 square metres of bespoke woven cloth, which was hand-stitched together by hundreds of local craftspeople – including students – across the pitch of the Alui Mahama Sports Stadium in Tamale, Ghana.

Mahama and his team then transported the textiles to London, where they currently wrap the facade of the Barbican Centre's lakeside terrace.

"The basic idea was to see what happens when this soft material envelopes the Barbican," said the artist.

Embroidered into the cloth are around 130 colourful batakaris – traditional Northern Ghanaian robes worn by people ranging from royals to ordinary communities, passed down by families over generations.

The striking batakaris were sewn across the textiles like decorative polka dots, embellishing the work with "traditional materials that have histories," explained Mahama.

The artist acquired the robes over time from various people across Northern Ghana, through exchanges or bartering.

"Collecting the individual smocks from communities can be quite challenging, but also opens up a portal of new formal aesthetics," said Mahama.

Mahama's work is often compared to the late artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, known for their site-specific installations sheathed in industrially produced fabrics.

While the duo has been a significant influence on Mahama for "the quality and the courage that they brought to art forms," the artist's key focus is the historical memories embedded in textiles, he explained.

"I'm more interested in the material history – I'm not interested in industrial machines. Everything is done by hand," said Mahama.

The Purple Hibiscus installation forms part of the Barbican Art Gallery's current exhibition Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art.

Last month, a group of artists and collectors pulled their work from the show following the Barbican's decision not to host a lecture series that would have included a talk about the Israel-Hamas conflict by the Indian novelist Pankaj Mishra, criticising the Barbican for "censorship".

Explaining the decision to go ahead with Purple Hibiscus, Mahama said, "I wasn't making the work for myself. It was being produced for the building."

"A lot of labour went into it," he continued, referencing the many weavers and makers in Ghana and the UK who collaborated on the project. "The work was made by a lot of hands."

"I'm coming from a place where we have nothing, and I have always relied on the residual capital of my work to be able to exercise justice in the spaces that I come from," he continued.

Rather than excluding himself from the conversation, Mahama said his interest lies in the contradictions found within art.

"For me, it's not that simple. I'm very interested in the continuation of art and the contradictions that are embedded within it and what it produces," he said.

"I've never really thought to exclude myself from something in order to make a statement. I've always thought to bury myself within it, and then through the contradictions, we can make further statements," the artist added.

"But certainly, I think that freedom of all kinds should be guaranteed everywhere across the world, whether you're from Ghana in a rural area where you don't have access to clean drinking water, or you're in a war-torn zone, where acts of genocide are committed."

Mahama was one of 16 artists who contributed an installation to the Force Majeure exhibition at last year's Venice Architecture Biennale. He was also a part of the Waste Age show at London's Design Museum, which explored how design has contributed to the rise of throwaway culture.

The photography is courtesy of the Barbican.

Purple Hibiscus will be installed at the Barbican from 10 April to 18 August 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

The post Ibrahim Mahama wraps Barbican Centre in swathes of pink fabric "made by a lot of hands" appeared first on Dezeen.

Italian jewellery company Bulgari has reclaimed the record for making the world's thinnest mechanical watch with the release of its Octo Finissimo Ultra Cosc, which has a thickness of just 1.7 millimetres.

It beat the previous record holder, Richard Mille's RM UP-01 Ferrari, by just 0.05 millimetres – about the breadth of a human hair.

The design is an evolution of Bulgari's Octo Finissimo Ultra, which held the record for four months in 2022 before the release of Ferrari's collaboration with watchmaker Richard Mille.

"The Octo Finissimo is a vast playground of innovation and design — and a source of unprecedented challenges — for Bulgari's R&D department," said the director of Bulgari's watchmaking division Antoine Pin.

All 170 components that make up the movement of the Octo Finissimo Ultra Cosc are fixed directly onto the back of the watch's case rather than onto a separate mainplate, just like in its predecessor.

To protect the mechanism in lieu of this additional layer, the case back is made of tungsten carbide – an ultra-durable metal alloy – while the front of the case and the matching strap are made of sandblasted titanium.

The new thinness was achieved by "optimising" the sapphire crystal front, according to Bulgari.

"Through patient, meticulous incremental steps, the engineers were able to shave off that critical tenth of a millimetre," the company said.

The final design is 1.7 millimetres thick or about the width of a five-pence coin.

The Octo Finissimo Ultra Cosc also presents an advance in terms of accuracy.

It is the thinnest watch to ever receive the chronometer mark by Switzerland's independent Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC), which requires a timepiece to lose no more than four seconds and gain no more than six seconds a day.

The watch will be produced in a limited edition of 20, with a QR code on the back linking to an online product manual specific to the individual watch.

Each will also come with a case that will automatically set and wind the watch at the push of a button.

The release marks Bulgari's ninth world record for the thinness of its watches, as it is locked in a race with watchmakers including Richard Mille, Audemars Piguet and Piaget.

Other recent releases aimed at pushing traditional watch design include Frank Gehry's transparent Louis Vuitton timepiece and Formafantasma's Rado watch, which was designed to have a sense of secrecy.

The post Bulgari unveils world's thinnest watch as skinny as a five-pence coin appeared first on Dezeen.