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    Fourteen homes where exposed cross-laminated timber creates cosy interiors

    Our latest lookbook features cross-laminated timber interiors, including a colourful German vacation home and a tenement-style housing development in Edinburgh, and is part of Dezeen’s Timber Revolution series.

    Architects looking to offset the carbon emissions of a building often choose cross-laminated timber (CLT), a type of mass-timber made from laminated timber sections that can be used as structural building materials.
    The material, which is normally made from larch, spruce or pine, absorbs atmospheric carbon as it grows and subsequently retains it during its life in a building.
    In interiors, CLT can create a luxurious effect even for projects with a tight budget and gives rooms a light, modern feel.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with split-level living areas, mix-and-match flooring and homes with cleverly hidden lifts.

    Photo is by Jeremy Bitterman / JBSAOctothorpe House, US, by Mork-Ulnes Architects
    The natural forms, custom furniture and organic colours and textures that appear throughout Octothorpe House were selected by studio Mork-Ulnes Architects for their resemblance to the surrounding Oregon desert landscape.
    The cabin-cum-house was built using American-made CLT for a client that wanted an “environmentally progressive” and flexible design.
    Find out more about Octothorpe House ›
    Photo is by Christian FlatscherBert, Austria, by Precht
    Hidden in the woodland surrounding the Steirereck am Pogusch restaurant in the rural village of Pogusch, this playful tubular guest dwelling was informed by cartoon characters.
    It was designed by Austrian architecture studio Precht to feel dark and cosy inside, with the structural CLT walls providing contrast against the black flooring and dark textiles.
    Find out more about Bert ›
    Photo is by Rasmus NorlanderHaus am Hang, Germany, by AMUNT
    German architecture office AMUNT was drawn in particular to CLT’s sustainability credentials when creating this hillside vacation home in the Black Forest.
    Designed for a client who wanted to promote sustainable travel, the home features surfaces and joinery finished in shades of green inspired by local tree species and its layout was organised to make the most of natural light.
    Find out more about Haus am Hang ›
    Photo is by Marc GoodwinKynttilä, Finland, by Ortraum Architects
    Structural CLT was used to form the floor walls and angled roof of this 15-square-metre cabin on Lake Saimaa in Finland.
    Its gabled form encloses a bedroom and a small kitchen, which feature natural CLT walls. A large bedroom window provides views of the forest outside the cabin.
    Find out more about Kynttilä ›
    Photo is courtesy of Unknown WorksCLT House, UK, by Unknown Works
    Named after its spruce CLT structure, CLT House is a semi-detached house in east London that architecture studio Unknown Works remodelled and extended to open up and improve its connection to the back garden.
    On the ground floor, the timber walls, storage and seating areas create a minimal backdrop for the family’s musical and creative pursuits, parties and family gatherings.
    A combined kitchen and dining space are housed in a bright yellow rear extension that opens onto the garden’s brick-paved patio.
    Find out more about CLT House ›
    Photo is by Jack HobhouseRye Apartments, UK, by Tikari Works
    The four-storey Rye Apartments block in south London was designed by local studio Tikari Works, which used CLT for the structure and left it exposed across the majority of the apartments’ gabled walls and ceilings.
    This was combined with spruce wood kitchen cabinetry, storage units and shelving. Terrazzo-style flooring with amber and cream-coloured flecks was added to compliment the timber finishes.
    Find out more about Rye Appartments ›
    Photo is by Brigida GonzálezR11 loft extension, Germany, by Pool Leber Architekten
    The R11 loft extension is a two-storey CLT extension that Pool Leber Architekten added to a 1980s housing block in Munich, creating a series of loft spaces.
    Inside the lofts, the structural timber was left visible on the walls, ceilings and floors. The material was also used to create sculptural storage cabinets that double as window seating.
    Find out more about Pool Leber Architekten ›
    Photo is by Tim SoarBarretts Grove, UK, Amin Taha Architects
    Amin Taha Architects created this six-storey CLT block, which contains six apartments, between a pair of detached brick buildings in Stoke Newington, London.
    “The ability of the CLT to serve as structure and finish removed the need for plaster-boarded walls, suspended ceilings, cornices, skirtings, tiling and paint; reducing by 15 per cent the embodied carbon of the building, its construction cost and time on site,” the studio said.
    Find out more about Barretts Grove ›
    Photo is by Markus LinderothTwelve Houses, Sweden, by Förstberg Ling
    The CLT structure that forms the foundations of Twelve Houses by Förstberg Ling has been left exposed throughout the walls, floors and ceilings of the interior living areas, giving the space a warm and inviting feel.
    A back bedroom on the first floor overlooks a double-height area of the living room, which has a concrete floor and reddish-brown wall panelling.
    Find out more about Twelve Houses ›
    Photo is by Gabrielle GualdiVilla Korup, Denmark, by Jan Henrik Jansen Arkitekter
    A CLT structure made from Baltic fir was used to construct this home on the Danish island of Fyn, which features exposed CLT panels throughout the interiors.
    Designers Jan Henrik Jansen Arkitekter, Marshall Blecher and Einrum Arkitekter treated the material with soap and lye to lighten and protect the timber inside.
    Find out more about Villa Korup ›
    Photo is by Fredrik FrendinSimon Square, UK, by Fraser/Livingstone
    Comprised of six flats set within a mass-timber tenement-style housing development in Edinburgh, Simon Square has a structural timber frame that has been left exposed internally.
    Architecture studio Fraser/Livingstone hoped that the presence of CLT indoors would improve the residents’ well-being. Potted plants and a neutral interior colour scheme provide an added sense of calm.
    “When solid timber is exposed internally, the D-limonene the timber gives out has been shown to produce calm environments, with occupants’ hearts beating slower, and stress reduced,” project architect Ayla Riom told Dezeen.
    Find out more about Simon Square ›
    Photo is by Nancy ZhouBiv Punakaiki, New Zealand, by Fabric
    In an attempt to balance the high carbon levels of the cabin’s concrete floor and aluminium cladding, architecture studio Fabric chose to use CLT for the cabin’s structure, which was left exposed inside.
    From the double-height living room, the residents can look up through large skylights that punctuate the ceiling and gaze at the stars above.
    Find out more about Biv Punakaiki ›
    Photo is by José HeviaMAS JEC, Spain, by Aixopluc
    Catalan architecture office Aixopluc used lightweight materials for this CLT extension, which it added to a traditional Catalan house in the city of Reus.
    The building was prepared off-site and erected in just two weeks. Another advantage of using CLT is that the thermal mass of the exposed CLT interiors helps to ensure a comfortable internal temperature when the afternoon sun hits the building.
    Find out more about MAS JEC ›

    IJburg Townhouse the Netherlands, by MAATworks
    This Amsterdam townhouse was designed to reference wooden Scandinavian homes.
    Architecture studio MAATworks arranged it around an angular staircase made from cross-laminated pine wood, which was also used to create the wall and ceilings of the home.
    Find out more about IJburg Townhouse ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with split-level living areas, mix-and-match flooring and homes with cleverly hidden lifts.
    Illustration by Yo HosoyamadaTimber Revolution
    This article is part of Dezeen’s Timber Revolution series, which explores the potential of mass timber and asks whether going back to wood as our primary construction material can lead the world to a more sustainable future.

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    Tampa “about to explode” as a destination, says Edition hotels founder Ian Schrager

    American entrepreneur Ian Schrager’s hospitality group The Edition has opened the first five-star hotel in Tampa, Florida, which includes a “jungle” lobby and a party room with 350 disco balls.

    The Tampa Edition, which started taking bookings in October 2022, is housed in a new 26-storey building that includes 172 rooms and 38 private residences.
    A focal point in the lobby of The Tampa Edition is a snaking marble staircaseIt forms part of the Water Street development, a huge urban mixed-use expansion project just south of Downtown and a couple of blocks from the waterfront.
    “[Tampa] has established its time is now, and I think it’s about to explode on the scene,” said Schrager, the hospitality mastermind who co-founded the legendary New York nightclub Studio 54, and is also behind the Public hotels chain.
    Between the tropical plants, the tall lobby features a custom travertine pool table“It’s got a good quality of life and a great food scene,” he continued.

    “It’s a city in the sun, but it’s not a vacation-only spot, it’s a real living breathing city and that’s what I think is so special about it.”
    Bright yellow carpet and seating contrast the greenerySchrager’s team at ISC Design Studio designed the new Edition property, along with Morris Adjmi Architects, Nichols Architects, Bonetti Kozerski Architects, and Roman and Williams.
    The white and glass building features art deco-influenced curves, which wrap the hotel on the larger lower floors and the residences in the tower portion above.
    A scalloped walnut bar serves Mediterranean-influenced cocktails and light bitesThe hotel’s lobby features 20-foot ceilings and full-height glazing along the front facade.
    A large stainless-steel lilac orb greets guests as they enter the travertine-clad space, which is filled with tropical plants.
    The Lilac restaurant features bright green seating that matches the tiles lining the semi-open kitchen”I put the landscaping in the lobby,” Schrager told Dezeen. “I wanted to have a jungle, and I kept saying ‘more, more’ plants. At night they’re lit from below and you get the shadows of the leaves on the ceiling. It’s almost all green.”
    Among the greenery are areas of lounge seating and a custom travertine pool table with a bright yellow top.
    Entertainment spaces on the second floor include the Punch Room, decorated with walnut panelling and jewel-toned sofasThe same colour is repeated in the carpet and seat upholstery in the bar area, which is arranged around a scalloped walnut counter from which Mediterranean-influenced cocktails and small plates are served.
    “Using really bright colors – the yellows and blues and greens – or putting plants in the lobby, were not additive,” said Schrager. “Those things will surprise you.”
    A party room with 350 disco balls on the ceiling forms part of the Arts ClubThe restaurant, Lilac, features bright green seating that matches the tiles lining the semi-open kitchen, which offers a Mediterranean menu from chef John Fraser.
    At the other end of the lobby, a white marble staircase provides a focal point as it snakes up to several more entertainment spaces.
    The Arts Club also includes an entirely black room with lounge seatingThese include the Punch Room, a cosy walnut-panelled space with chartreuse sofas, and royal blue velvet banquettes and curtains.
    The Arts Club, intended for late-night events, comprises a series of rooms – one is completely black, while 350 disco balls cover the entire ceiling in another.
    The guest bedrooms are designed to look understated, with a focus on materialsThe spa is also located on the second floor, while another bar and restaurant can be found on the ninth, which opens onto a roof terrace where guests can also enjoy an outdoor pool, sun loungers and cabanas.
    Guest rooms and suites have an understated aesthetic, with particular attention paid to lighting and materials, including marble bathrooms, walnut panelling and white oak furniture.

    The secret to creating a great hotel is “one plus one equals three” says Ian Schrager

    “The design is simple and pure,” said Schrager. “There isn’t anything superfluous or gratuitous, nor a wasted gesture.”
    “Leonardo da Vinci said ‘simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’. It’s supposed to be restful and peaceful,” he added.
    A bar and restaurant on the ninth floor, named Azure, opens onto a roof terraceThe Edition now has 15 locations around the world, with West Hollywood, Tokyo and Madrid – which was longlisted for the Dezeen Awards 2022.
    “I’m selling a visceral emotional experience, and it’s hard to pull that off,” Schrager said of the Edition as a brand. “Because you can’t take it out of a brand book or a rule book. It’s got to be balanced between refinement and being raw and edgy, so it can all come together in some mystical way.”
    The roof terrace includes a swimming pool, loungers and cabanas for guests to relax inThe Tampa Edition is a major draw for the $3.5 billion Water Street development project, which encompasses nine million square feet and will form a new neighbourhood in a previously neglected corner of the city.
    Tampa, as with other Floridian urban centres, has seen a boom in interest from tourists and new residents over the past few years, and therefore a need has grown for more homes, hotels and restaurants.
    The photography is by Nikolas Koenig.

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    Emily Sandstrom builds Sydney home extension from recycled materials

    Australian architect Emily Sandstrom has transformed a run-down 1930s bungalow in Sydney by adding an extension that was partly built from demolition materials.

    Sandstrom aimed to restore the home, which had been left untouched for decades, and celebrate its original features including picture rails and ceiling mouldings.
    The extension has a U shape with glass doors that let in lightThe architect demolished a small rear kitchen, outhouse and sunroom and reused the bricks and materials from the demolition to construct a 45-square-metre U-shaped extension, which accommodates an open-plan kitchen and dining space.
    Two large sliding glass doors open out to a courtyard and let natural light into the kitchen extension.
    Demolished bricks were reused to build the extensionThe U-shaped extension and courtyard were designed to provide a connection between indoor and outdoor entertainment areas.

    According to Sandstrom, concrete flooring and overhanging eaves help to passively heat the home in winter and cool it in summer. Solar panels were also added to the home, meaning no additional heating or cooling systems were needed.
    Sandstrom aimed to create a connection between indoor and outdoor entertainment spaces”The U shape in combination with the wide and curved eaves provides passive heating to the home during the winter months and shade during the summer,” Sandstrom told Dezeen.
    “This in combination with a concrete floor for thermal mass, double glazing and high windows located for cross ventilation, means there is no need for additional heating and cooling systems.”

    Brave New Eco applies cosy colours and materials to Melbourne “forever home”

    A large island with a countertop made from recycled Australian hardwood is the focal point of the kitchen, where a step down in floor level separates the “work zone” on one side of the island from the rest of the room.
    “The kitchen was a particular focus in the design, and a strong central point of the home,” said Sandstrom.
    A change in floor level separates the kitchen from the dining spaceInformed by Japanese design and bathing rituals, the bathroom features a sunken bathtub that sits below floor level.
    Timber decking covers the floors and conceals the drainage points for an overhead shower. Glass sliding doors lead to a small garden with an additional outdoor shower.
    “[The bathroom] was designed to achieve an atmosphere of calm and seclusion, and the design captures many different outlooks into the garden and directs the eye away from the less ideal views,” said Sandstrom.
    The bathroom features a sunken bathtub that overlooks a gardenThroughout the home, the architect removed carpets to uncover the original floorboards and restored original features, including stained glass windows, ornate ceiling mouldings, dark timber doors, trims and architraves.
    Newly added joinery was designed to preserve the home’s skirting boards, picture rails and ceiling mouldings, as well as maintain the original scale and layout of the rooms.
    The home’s original features such as ceiling mouldings and picture rails were maintainedOther homes recently completed in Australia that have been featured on Dezeen include an oceanside residence in Sydney that was transformed to suit a family of five and a home in Melbourne with interiors finished in timber, terracotta and rich jewel tones.
    The photography is by Rohan Venn.

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    Pihlmann Architects creates sleek brewery in former Copenhagen slaughterhouse

    Bulbous steel tanks hang from where carcasses used to be suspended at the ÅBEN brewery in Copenhagen, which local studio Pihlmann Architects transformed from a slaughterhouse into a restaurant and bar.

    Located in Copenhagen’s Meatpacking District, the brewery is housed in a 1932 butchery that has been used for various commercial activities since the early 1990s.
    Visitors enter ÅBEN through the building’s original blue-rimmed doorsPihlmann Architects maintained and restored many of the slaughterhouse’s original features as part of the renovation for Danish beer company ÅBEN.
    “Turning the space back into a food production facility, with all the pragmatic measures we had to keep in mind, generated our ideas from the very beginning,” studio founder Søren Pihlmann told Dezeen. “Bringing back the authentic character of the space was key.”
    Conical steel fermentation vessels were suspended where carcasses used to hangArranged across one open-plan level, the brewery features the original gridded rail system from which 980 carcasses used to hang when the space was a slaughterhouse.

    Pihlmann Architects replaced the carcasses with conical fermentation tanks that are reached via a low-hanging galvanised steel walkway – also suspended from the listed building’s original sawtooth roof.
    Pihlmann Architects was led by the building’s industrial historyGeometric clusters of white wall tiles that have been preserved since the 1930s were also kept in place, echoing the brewery’s original purpose.
    “Bringing the key elements back to a worthy condition was more of a task than deciding on which [elements] to keep,” noted Pihlmann.
    Semitransparent curtains divide spaces and control acousticsSpaces are delineated by slaughterhouse-style semitransparent curtains, which cloak various dining areas that are positioned around the restaurant’s central open kitchen where visitors can experience the brewing process up close.
    Furniture was kept simple and “unfussy” in order to emphasise the restaurant’s industrial elements, including angular chairs and bar stools finished in aluminium and wood.
    “The [material and colour] palettes are true to function on the one hand and [true to] history on the other,” said Pihlmann.

    Crimson red flooring runs throughout the brewery, which was in place when the building was purchased. It was maintained to add warmth to the otherwise clinical interiors.
    At night, the restaurant’s electric light absorbs this colour and reflects from the fermentation tanks, creating a more intimate environment.
    A central open kitchen is flanked by bar stoolsMaking the food production processes visible was at the core of the design concept, according to the architecture studio.
    “It’s not only about the preparation of the food, it’s more about the brewing taking place,” continued Pihlmann.
    “The space which produces thousands of litres every day is open for everyone to step into, and actually see how and where the product they consume is produced.”

    Óscar Miguel Ares Álvarez converts Spanish slaughterhouse into community centre

    “Today, we are so detached from what we consume, we just go to the supermarket and pick it up from the cold counter having no clue where it’s coming from,” he added.
    “I’m not that naive to think that ÅBEN alone will change anything, but I’m convinced that it’s important to change this detachment.”
    The slaughterhouse’s original white tiles were preservedPihlmann described his favourite aspect of the project as “how the elements we’ve added both submit to and utilise the existing space, not just visually but also through their structural function”.
    “The building is built to carry a huge load,” he reflected. “Back then, it was tonnes of dead meat. Today, it’s enormous serving tanks from the ceiling.”
    Founded in 2021, Pihlmann Architects was included in our list of 15 up-and-coming Copenhagen architecture studios compiled to mark the city being named UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture for 2023.
    Previous slaughterhouse conversions include a training school for chefs in Spain that was once used to butcher meat and a cultural centre in Portugal that is currently being developed by Kengo Kuma and OODA.
    The photography is by Hampus Berndtson.

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    Ma Yansong picks six highlights from his Blueprint Beijing exhibition

    Architect Ma Yansong, the curator of Blueprint Beijing, a feature exhibition exploring the future of the Chinese capital at the 2022 Beijing Biennial, shares six of his highlight installations from the show.

    Ma, the founding partner of Chinese architecture studio MAD, invited 20 architects and artists of different generations from around the world to present their visions for the future of the city of Beijing in a variety of mediums including architectural models, installations, photography and videos.
    Blueprint Beijing is the feature exhibition at the inaugural 2022 Beijing Biennial curated by MAD’s founding partner Ma Yansong”Blueprint Beijing is a comparative study of history and the future of Beijing and the world,” Ma told Dezeen.
    “We compiled a compendium of seminal events, people and ideologies from around the world that have vividly explored the theme of ‘the future’, such as Archigram, Oscar Niemeyer and many more, that have had a significant impact on current architects, and have influenced changes in Beijing’s urban planning in relation to major events.”
    “The works of several creators selected here traverse the dimensions of time, space and geography, and their personal creative imagination has brought distinct significance to the exhibition,” he added.

    Twenty architects and artists from around the world are invited to re-imagine the future of the cityThe exhibition also presents material taken from historic archives about eight architects and collectives that have showcased visionary ideas, as well as four Chinese science fiction films with historic significance.
    Here, Ma has selected six of his highlights from Blueprint Beijing for Dezeen:

    Restaurant Inside the Wall, by Drawing Architecture Studio, 2023
    “The Restaurant Inside the Wall installation is presented as a graphic novel, with a restaurant hidden inside the wall as the protagonist. Drawing Architecture Studio (DAS) transformed the graphic novel into a spatial experience in order to strengthen the absurd and suspenseful atmosphere of the story, by collaging and connecting the real elements of various street stalls.
    “Drawing from the observation of urban spaces in China, DAS has discovered a lot of unexpected pockets of wisdom embedded in everyday urban scenes, and roadside ‘holes in the wall’ are an example of this. This installation adds a microscopic daily footnote to the grand avant-garde urban blueprint for the future.”

    Filter City & City as a Room, by Peter Cook from Cook Haffner Architecture Platform, 2020-2022
    “In this installation, Peter Cook dissects two of his drawings – Filter City (2020) and City as a Room (2022) – into elements that concentrate on sequences.
    “Cook utilizes his signature strategy of creating concept drawings that remain connected to the built environment, while also moving towards a new future-looking ‘hybrid’, particularly interiors, that can be created from fragments of drawing and images.
    “As a result, viewers can transcend from distant observers into participants.”

    Liminal Beijing, by He Zhe, James Shen and Zang Feng from People’s Architecture Office, 2022
    “The installation of Liminal Beijing, created by People’s Architecture Office, connects the city of Beijing in different time and space. It features a knot of radiant, winding, and rotating tubes that can be interpreted as pneumatic tubes transporting documents in the 19th century or the hyperloops developed today, representing the link between the future and the past.
    “Modern life would not be possible without the hidden system of ducts that deliver heating, cooling, and clean air. Air ducts in Liminal Beijing are made visible so they can be explored and occupied, and are presented as missing fragments of space and time.”
    Photo is by Jerry ChenAstro Balloon 1969 Revisited x Feedback Space, 2008, by Wolf D Prix from Coop Himmelb(l)au, 2022 edition
    “This installation was realized by combining two of Coop Himmelb(l)au’s previous works: Heart Space – Astro Balloon in 1969 and Feedback Vibration City in 1971, which were first shown in this form at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2008.
    “The resulting installation is a cloud-like, semi-transparent and reflective floating space that translates visitors’ heartbeats into a lighting installation.
    “Throughout its practice, Coop Himmelb(l)au has presented numerous futuristic ‘architectural’ prototypes of dwellings which are responsive to the sensibilities and activities of their inhabitants.”

    Beijing In Imagination, by Wang Zigeng, 2023
    “Chinese architect Wang Zigeng illustrates two city models that were informed by visual imagery of mandalas on the floor and ceiling of the exhibition space, expressing the tension between the ideal city and the chaos of the real world — a parallel reality of both the present and the future.
    “He believes Beijing is the embodiment of ancient cosmologies and an ideal city prototype through the ritualization of urban space – the establishment of political and moral order as a highly metaphorical correspondence between human behavior and nature.”

    Pao: A Dwelling for Tokyo Nomad Women II, by Toyo Ito, 2022 Beijing edition
    “This installation explores what living means for city dwellers in a consumerist society. Even today, half of the population living in Tokyo are living alone, and having a place to sleep is all one needs. Pao is a light and temporary structure that can be dissolved in the buzz of the metropolis.
    “This is a new edition of Toyo Ito’s previous work Pao: A Dwelling for Tokyo Nomad Women. By recreating the installation in Beijing while coming out of a global pandemic, Ito hopes to provide a space for visitors to reflect on the excessive consumerism that has continued to dominate the present.”
    The Photography is by Zhu Yumeng unless otherwise stated.
    Blueprint Beijing is on show at the 2022 Beijing Biennial Architecture Section at M WOODS Hutong in Beijing until 12 March 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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    MEE Studio creates wood-and-copper interior for cafe in former church in Copenhagen

    Architecture firm MEE Studio has designed the interiors and bespoke wooden furniture for a cafe and boutique in the Nikolaj Kunsthal art gallery within an old church.

    The municipality-run gallery, which is set in a deconsecrated church in central Copenhagen, asked MEE Studio to design a “lively and functional” space.
    Before designing the interior spaces, which feature warm and tactile materials such as copper and wood, the rooms in Nikolaj Kunsthal first had to be restored.
    The gallery is located in a former church”The spaces had been used for various purposes since the 1980s including art installations and other changing uses,” MEE Studio founder Morten Emil Engel told Dezeen.
    “This has left the spaces with remnants of ad-hoc electrical wiring, bricked-up arches, blocked-off windows and arbitrary lighting. Additionally, there was no water supply or plumbing in the spaces that now have the cafe.”

    The studio reestablished the grand door and window openings in the space and replaced the old acrylic paint with breathable lime-based paint, while also adding acoustic plaster to improve the acoustics of the spaces.
    Untreated copper was used as a backsplash for the barAt the centre of the cafe, Engel created a long bar that also functions as a ticket counter and is made from solid oak wood.
    Wood was also used for all the other furniture, including benches, tables and sculptural shelves, which Engel designed specifically for the project using European oak from sustainable forestry.
    “I wanted the benches to reference church benches – a bit chunky and heavy,” he said. “The church architecture is very robust with the church tower having two-metre thick walls. So the furniture had to have some substance to them.”
    The furniture complements the “robust” church architectureEngel also aimed to give the pieces a contemporary feel by fusing their “heavy look” with more contemporary elements.
    “All the furniture has visible joinery and tectonics in fumed oak, which allows the user to see how they are made and assembled,” he said.
    “I added some decorative inlays in the bar counter and boutique shelves. Inlays were traditionally used as a way of repairing wood and I wanted to symbolise that repair can be beautiful and sustainable,” he added.
    “In this way, it is sending the message that the furniture should have a long life and be repaired if it ages.”
    Artworks decorate the walls, here Pull by Martha HviidBehind the central bar, a copper backsplash adds an eyecatching material detail together with the matching sink and worktops, which were designed in reference to the roof of the old church.
    “As many traditional buildings in Copenhagen, the roof of St Nikolaj Church is made with traditional copper roofing, which has aged to a rich green patina over time,” Engel said.
    “I wanted to reference the existing material palate of the church but use it in a new way. So the kitchen features worktops, sinks and backsplash in raw untreated copper, which will evolve beautifully with time.”
    Lime-based paint was used for the wallsThe white walls of the cafe and store were contrasted with not just the copper and wood but also a burgundy red fabric designed by fashion designer Raf Simons for Kvadrat, which was used for the cushions and backs of the sofas and chairs.
    The colour was a nod to some of the space’s original colour but could also help disguise red wine spills in the cafe.
    “Oakwood was already used throughout the church so it seemed natural to use oak as a material,” Engel explained.

    OEO Studio uses materials in a “playful way” for Designmuseum Denmark cafe and shop

    “There was also the burgundy red paint which had been used originally for some woodwork, for instance, the stairs in the tower and the ceiling in what is now the cafe,” he added.
    “So it seems natural to work with an interpretation of the burgundy red for the color of the cushions. I matched the burgundy red to a fantastic Kvadrat textile designed by Raf Simons and it worked in providing vibrancy, but also as a practical colour in a cafe where red wine is served.”
    Red fabric was used for the seating, with the artwork Mercury (socks) hanging aboveAs well as the bespoke furniture pieces, the space was also decorated with carefully chosen artworks that have ties to the city of Copenhagen.
    “Mercury (socks) is a photograph by the famous Danish/Norwegian artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset from a series of classical sculptures by the world-famous Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen,” Engel explained.
    “The Thorvaldsen Museum is located only a few minutes away from Nikolaj Kunsthal, so the work relates both to art from the 19th century and contemporary art from the 21st century which is what you find in Nikolaj Kunsthal.”
    Other recent interior projects in Copenhagen include Space10’s headquarters, which has a kiosk-like design library, and the cafe and shop design for Designmuseum Denmark by OEO Studio.
    The photography is by Paolo Galgani.

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    WGNB completes colourless interior for golf supply store PXG

    South Korean spatial design studio WGNB has completed a flagship shop for golf brand PXG in Seoul, featuring an achromatic material palette and a graphite-covered wall that leaves smudges on visitors’ clothing.

    The store is located in Seoul’s Gangnam district and was designed by WGNB to reference the graphite used to produce PXG’s golf clubs.
    WGNB has designed PXG’s Seoul flagship store”Rather than merely applying the material to every plane, we studied the characteristics of graphite itself,” the studio told Dezeen.
    “It is lighter than it appears and is an allotrope of carbon, like diamond. The graphite embeds calmness and humbleness. And, most importantly, it smudges.”
    A graphite-covered wall greets visitors near the entranceWGNB interpreted these characteristics in the pared-back forms and materials chosen for the shop’s internal surfaces and display furniture.

    At the entrances, visitors are greeted by a sculpturally engineered graphite block and a wall covered with graphite squiggles that will transfer onto hands and clothing on contact.
    Volumes of slatted steel are suspended from the ceilingA series of orthogonal volumes are suspended from the ceiling throughout the store to define various areas within the open-plan space and incorporate suspended rails for hanging apparel.
    Made using powder-coated steel slats, the volumes help to create a sense of lightness and buoyancy within the interior that is further enhanced by the cantilevered display unit at the centre of the store.
    An abstract animation that ties in with the shop’s visual language is displayed on the store’s prominent media wall instead of commercial images.

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    The project brief called for a black interior in keeping with PXG’s visual identity. Instead of creating a monochromatic black-and-white interior, WGNB developed an achromatic design using shades of black and grey.
    “While monochromatic materials are limited to similar tones and hues, an achromatic scheme dismisses colour altogether, leaving materiality only,” the studio said.
    “We used various achromatic materials with unique textures and materiality, believing that these would emphasise the idea of shedding light on the essence of the material.”
    An abstract graphic is displayed on the central media screenThe limited material palette includes a micro-cement finish that was applied to walls and floors. These textured surfaces are complemented by engineered wood flooring, which is also used on some of the walls.
    The staircase leading up the mezzanine is finished in marble and cold-rolled steel while upstairs, a grey carpet and upholstered furniture introduce softness to the space.
    Grey carpet and upholstered furniture bring softness to the mezzaninePXG approached WGNB to design its flagship store after seeing some of the studio’s previous projects, including the all-black shop it created for fashion brand Juun.J in Seoul.
    The spatial design studio was established in 2015 and named emerging interior design studio of the year at the 2021 Dezeen Awards, with the judges commending its “interesting and different approach to retail design”.
    The photography is by Yongjoon Choi.

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    Supreme's Los Angeles flagship features its first fully floating skate bowl

    A team of architects and designers has mixed retail with a skateboard facility for clothing brand Supreme’s Los Angeles flagship store, sited in the building that was once home to the iconic record store Tower Records.

    The overall design of the he 8,500-square-foot (790-square-metre) store was carried out through a collaboration of London interiors studios Brinkworth and The Wilson Brothers – and New York architect Neil Logan.
    The Supreme store features its first fully floating skate bowlSupreme, a Manhattan streetwear brand catering to skaters, collaborated with Steve Badgett of SIMPARCH, a New Mexico to outfit, for a fully floating skate bowl.
    SIMPARCH previously constructed four skate bowls for Supreme, including a small peanut-shaped skate bowl in the previous Los Angeles store in 2004.
    Inside, light bounces off the polished concrete walls”We had a much bigger area to work with at this location, so the design process with Supreme’s circle of experienced pool skaters took more time to nail down the final form,” Badgett told Dezeen.

    The clover-leafed sculpted wooden skate bowl has three depths and a pale surface bordered by a darker rim.
    “The previous four bowls we built for Supreme were all considerable challenges but this one was a whole different animal with its greater size and structural complexity,” Badgett said. 
    The white box store sports a red logo on the renovated billboard fascia”Our engineer, Paul Endres, figured out how to eliminate columns anywhere near the bowl so it hung from the deck structure. He was able to do that without compromising the lean, fluid, aesthetic we wanted, and it allows the bowl’s organic form to be seen unimpeded,” he continued.
    Located in the site of the former Tower Record’s West Coast store, the one-storey white box store sports a blocky red logo on the renovated billboard fascia.
    “It was such an honour to take loving care of the historic Tower Records structure while literally raising the roof to accommodate the huge levitating skate bowl,” said Brinkworth founder Adam Brinkworth.
    “The site has gone from the world’s largest record store to the world’s largest Supreme.”
    SIMPARCH created the wooden skate bowlStorefront windows between triangular columns wrap the street corner, turning the sales floor into a display case.
    Inside, steel trusses raise the original roof and open the space with skylights for an illuminated interior. Light bounces off the elevated, wooden bottom of the skate bowl, which hovers on the far side of the store.

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    A metal wall was installed around the bowl to produce blurry reflection of the skaters. The wall also features a jagged black-hole art piece by Nate Lowman.
    On the main floor, clothing racks and product displays wrap around two walls. Sandstone benches were placed on the polished concrete flooring to reference a LA skatespot called the Santa Monica Sand Gaps.
    A Mark Gonzales go-kart is parked in the centre of the roomThe reserved white and grey material palette defers to art installations for colour and texture. A full-size F1 car by Mark Gonzales was parked in the centre of the room, and a colourful grim reaper mural by Josh Smith is splayed across a wall.
    The skate-in-the-store concept has become a signature for Supreme, who works with other architects to install the feature in locations across the country – such as the stilted platform in the Brooklyn store designed by Neil Logan Architect and the elevated reverberating bowl by Brinkwork in the renovated San Francisco store.
    In advance of the new opening, the Fairfax Avenue location in LA closed earlier this month after 19 years in business.
    The photography is by Blaine Davis.
    Project credits:
    Architecture: Brinkworth, The Wilson Brothers, Neil LoganDesign: Steve Badgett of SIMPARCHEngineering: Paul EndresFabrication: Steve Badget, Chris Vorhees, Clay MahnComputer modelling: Peter Eng

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