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    Space Popular reinterprets Aldo Rossi's architectural theories for the metaverse

    Architecture and design studio Space Popular has unveiled Search History, an exhibition at the MAXXI museum in Rome that applies the writings of Italian architect Aldo Rossi to virtual worlds.

    The installation features bold and colourful images envisioning a metaverse city, with doorways that appear to be gateways between different virtual spaces.
    Search History features a physical installation exploring virtual architectureThe aim of Space Popular founders Lara Lesmes and Fredrik Hellberg was to show how Rossi’s ideas about the experience of real-world cities can be reflected in the immersive spaces of the metaverse.
    “The project Search History began as part of our research on issues of the virtual city,” says Lesmes in a video about the project.
    The project draws parallels with the urbanism theories of Italian architect Aldo Rossi”We have been studying how we move between virtual environments, basically places on the internet that are three-dimensional,” Lesmes said.

    “We found a lot of connections to theories of Aldo Rossi,” she added. “Even though he didn’t develop them thinking about the virtual realm or virtual worlds, we feel they are extremely applicable.”
    Multilayered images of virtual environments are printed on overlapping curtainsSearch History is the fifth edition of MAXXI’s Studio Visit, a programme that invites contemporary designers to reinterpret the work of iconic architects from the museum’s collections.
    The starting point for the project was Rossi’s seminal text The Architecture of the City, which describes urban areas as a multilayered sequence of spatial experiences.
    The colourful imagery suggests gateways between different virtual spacesSpace Popular believes that virtual environments should be equally multilayered, and that special attention should be paid to the way people move from one space to another.
    “What does it mean to click on a hyperlink? Do we open a door or do we slide something up?” Hellberg says in the video.
    A lamp within the installation is reflected in the printed imageryThe exhibition comprises a doughnut-shaped pavilion formed of overlapping curtains, each printed with multilayered imagery.
    Inside, Space Popular created the feeling of standing in a city plaza by adding a circular bench topped by what looks like a street light.
    A similar lamp is depicted on one of the curtains, alongside other pieces of street furniture that include a litter bin and a drain cover.

    Space Popular sets out its vision for digital portals made of virtual textiles

    The curtains also depict architectural elements like roof profiles and columns, as well as references to computing such as a keyboard and a search window.
    “This piece is a sort of simulator, a representation of what it could be like, the experience of browsing through immersive, digital environments,” said Lesmes.
    The images also depict architectural elements like roof profiles and columnsThe project builds on the manifesto that Space Popular presented for the Dezeen 15 online festival, which proposed using portals made of digital textiles to navigate virtual worlds.
    The duo have also created other works that explore the design of the metaverse, which they call the immersive internet. These include Value in the Virtual at ArkDes and The Venn Room at the Tallinn Architecture Biennale.
    The images also show virtual interfaces like search windowsSpace Popular: Search History is curated by Domitilla Dardi, senior design curator at MAXXI, and is sponsored by textile manufacturer Alcantara, which provided the material for the curtains.
    Previous editions of Studio Visit have seen Neri&Hu explore the world of Carlo Scarpa and Formafantasma examine Pier Luigi Nervi.
    The exhibition photography is by Matthew Blunderfield.
    Space Popular: Search History is on show at MAXXI from 7 December 2022 to 15 January 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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    Dezeen Debate features a “clean” and “simple” revamp of a 1920s house in Prague

    The latest edition of our weekly Dezeen Debate newsletter features No Architects’ “seamless” renovation and extension of a 1920s house in Prague. Subscribe to Dezeen Debate now.

    No Architects’ extensive revamp aimed to retain the character of the house, which was built in the 1920s in a romantic style that references arts and crafts-style English villas.
    “Our addition refers to the original facade details and is hardly recognisable as separate to the original house,” the studio’s co-founder Jakub Filip Novák told Dezeen.
    Commenters had nothing but praise for the project.

    “Love the clean lines, the simple gestures, the quiet flourishes,” wrote one. “With the historic muted greens and blues complementing the wood, it reminds me of Shaker modernism here in the States. Really beautiful spaces.”
    Sumu Yakushima is a co-operative housing project that supports humans and nature Other stories in this week’s newsletter include a “superbly configured” co-operative housing project in Japan, a roundup of the architecture projects not to miss in 2023 and a Zaha Hadid Architects-designed modular tent classroom for refugees.
    Dezeen Debate
    Dezeen Debate is a curated newsletter sent every Thursday containing highlights from Dezeen. Read the latest edition of Dezeen Debate or subscribe here.
    You can also subscribe to Dezeen Agenda, which is sent every Tuesday and contains a selection of the most important news highlights from the week, as well as Dezeen Daily, our daily bulletin that contains every story published in the preceding 24 hours.

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    Interior design trends for 2023 reflect “anger in the world” and post-covid community focus

    Interiors will get weirder in 2023 with bolder colours, mushroom materials and less birch plywood, designers have told Dezeen.

    As the new year begins, Dezeen asked 12 interior designers and architects about their predictions for the interior design trends that will dominate in 2023.
    Interiors to feature maximalism and weirdness
    British interior designers Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead of 2LG Studio believe interior design this year will be wilder and weirder.
    “It’s a violent time we are living in,” the duo told Dezeen. “There is anger in the world and design needs to reflect that dynamism and not shy away from it. The deco period has been important to design for several years and we are now looking to expressionism and cubism for bold inspiration.”

    “Weirdness has always been there and we’ve always been here for it. Think Haas Brothers. But now it feels like we are in such a wild historical moment that weird is becoming the norm. See Nicolas Devlin and Charlotte Kingsnorth.”
    “When the world gets too weird to comprehend, the designs of the moment reflect that. Let’s all get weird and express our wonderfulness.”
    2LG Studio believes we’ll see more weirdness in design, such as in this Haas Brothers project. Top image of Hotel Les Deux Gares by Luke Edward HallOne of the overarching design trends this year looks to be maximalism, as the world gradually moves on from the more pared-back interior designs that have been popular over the past two years.
    “Last year saw a shift towards maximalism, experimenting with patterns and rich colour schemes,” Sanchit Arora of New Delhi studio Renesa told Dezeen.
    “This year will continue this trend with a fresher fervor. There will be bold and forward designs that give increased personality to the space. For both commercial and residential areas, clients are opting for customized patterns and colours rather than going for conformable products that suit just any space but compromise on standing out.”
    Bolder colours and prints will take centre stage
    While interiors last year often bore a discrete, natural colour palette – as evidenced by the homes in our list of top 10 home interiors of 2022 – 2023 looks set to be colour-drenched.
    “I think I am seeing, after a few years of mostly conservative approach to colour, a more fresh and daring use of colour,” Raúl Sánchez, founder of Barcelona studio Raúl Sánchez Architects, told Dezeen.
    “We are leaving the haven of neutrals and stepping into a rainbow!” added interior designer Pallavi Dean of Roar.
    “The safe beige, grey and white walls are on their way out and we are experimenting with bold hues and darker tones to add depth to the space,” she added.
    “Tread with caution when you choose your shade; it can impact your mood and change your perception of the size of your space.”
    Different colours contrast each other in Adi Goodrich’s design for the Dreams store in Los AngelesSpatial designer Adi Goodrich thinks the use of colour will be especially prominent in kitchen interiors.
    “I think people are finally embracing colour and will choose to redesign their kitchens in a wash of colour,” she told Dezeen.
    According to interior designer Kelly Hoppen, neutrals will still be going strong but will be increasingly complemented by bold prints.
    “The way we use our homes has evolved over the last few years as we appreciate the comfort and warmth of our own spaces, especially as many people are still in part working remotely or hybrid working,” she told Dezeen.

    Dezeen’s top 10 home interiors of 2022

    “This will continue to reflect our colour choices and so for multifunctional yet homey rooms, calming neutrals will be favoured including cosy greys to classic beiges and taupes,” Hoppen added.
    “That said, bold prints are making a resurgence and the asymmetrical feel in rooms is going to be huge. Wallpaper, which is also having a comeback, will be used through 2023 decor. For example – textural walls being used as a backdrop for artwork or asymmetrical wallpaper borders being used to add contrast.”
    Rich and tactile materials to dominate
    Tactile, rich materials will be especially popular in the coming year, according to the designers.
    “We are craving a ‘multi-sensory palette’,” said Dean.
    “The recent pandemic deprived us of one of our most ‘human’ senses: touch. In response to that, I feel it will become increasingly important for designers to make use of materials that bring tactility to the interior scheme and to devise spaces that provoke an emotion in its users.”
    “In the post-pandemic space, the wellbeing of the end user is considered more than ever,” agreed interior designer Tola Ojuolape.
    “Humble materials and finishes that give rise to a relaxed sophistication will continue to dominate the interiors landscape. Lime plaster walls and finish, brick, natural wool will be visible.”
    Humble materials such as lime plaster will be popular. Image is of a London extension by Emil Eve ArchitectsMeanwhile, an increasing appetite for bold designs could lead to some currently popular materials falling out of favour.
    “I think the era of birch plywood might be coming to an end,” Goodrich said. “I believe richer woods like walnut, cherry and red oak will be seen more in interiors moving forward.”
    “Bold, colourful marbles balanced with neutrals will be particularly trendy,” predicted Hoppen. “People will be eating in a lot more in 2023, so table tops (especially marble) and dining spaces will make a huge comeback–perfect for those looking to entertain.”
    Studios are also open to working with new materials this year as they strive for more sustainable designs.
    “Materiality excites us as a studio,” 2LG said. “Mushrooms are going to become more important. Brands like Mylo Unleather are making waves and getting us excited about the possibilities mushrooms offer as an ethical and sustainable alternative to animal skin.”
    Designers think interior brands will follow fashion houses in using mushroom leather from brands such as MyloInterior designer Kelly Wearstler agreed, saying: “Sustainability will continue to live at the forefront of all design conversations and innovations. I have been very interested in the rise of mushroom leather.”
    “This fabric innovation has already been revolutionary for the fashion industry, offering a sustainable alternative,” she added. “I expect we will continue to see its presence grow within interiors and design.”
    Sustainability becoming a “necessity”
    Designers are also more focused on sustainability than ever before and wary of greenwashing.
    “Sustainability is an evolving subject in the interiors space; this will continue in 2023,” Ojuolape predicted.
    “Designers will continue to find ways to ensure it is considered and adapted into the life cycle of an interiors project from the onset.”
    “Intentional and deliberate education will continue to ensure resourceful materials selections, upcycling and reuse of furniture and smart reduction of plastics and waste,” she added.
    “Sustainability is an evolving subject” says Tola Ojuolape, who worked on the interior of the Africa Centre”As we confront ourselves with the ever-increasing issues of energy consumption and global warming, interior design projects will be greatly affected in many aspects,” Japanese designer Keiji Ashizawa predicted.
    “I believe projects that trace the context of sustainability will become a necessity, and it will no longer be something that is merely spoken about as an idealized concept,” he added.

    “Maximalism is a manifestation of a desire for a different world”

    “I think it’s safe to say we are all sensitised to greenwashing,” Dean said.
    “Designers and clients are both better educated about the impact their work will have on the environment and are steering clear from box-ticking certification goals. Instead, the focus is on long-term strategies – waste disposal, efficient MEP systems and better construction methodologies.”
    Human connection important after pandemic
    The importance of working together as a community was also highlighted by many of the designers Dezeen spoke to.
    “Due to the pandemic we have all been more or less isolated – so what we see is a longing for truly connecting and interacting with the world around us again,” said Norm Architects partner Frederik Werner.
    “Translate that into the field of interior design – and we see how we as humans seek tactility, sensibility and natural materials in the constant pursuit of wellbeing.”
    Australia-based designer Danielle Brustman agreed, saying: “There seems to be a sculptural and more organic design trend growing in interior design. There is a return to the soft curve and using more organic materials. We have all been rocked by the Covid pandemic and I think people are in need of some nurturing.”
    Organic and collaborative design is set to grow after the pandemic. Image is of Forest Retreat by Norm ArchitectsThis theme of community will also play out in the production of design projects, predicts Ashizawa.
    “After experiencing the Covid-19 pandemic, I believe that there will be more opportunity to reflect on the community – along with the cost of import and logistics leading to a slower progression of projects,” he said.
    “This would spur the expansion of community-based projects that focus on cultural values of local production for local consumption.”
    Similarly, Alex Mok of interior design studio Linehouse believes the difficulty of the past year will enhance the need for collaboration.
    “2022 was a difficult year for many countries and cultures so we look towards 2023 with a focus to human connection, authenticity and social interaction,” she told Dezeen.
    “We’re seeing a greater consideration on the use and purpose of spaces beyond form and instead activating communities. We hope to see more projects that revitalise existing buildings or connection to local crafts.”

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    Renesa completes “grotto-like” interior for Tin Tin restaurant

    Indian architecture and interiors studio Renesa has completed a restaurant in Chandigarh with curving walls, ceilings and countertops blanketed in mosaic tiles.

    Tin Tin is a pan-Asian dining venue with an experimental menu, which New Delhi-based Renesa was asked to reflect in its design for the restaurant’s interior.
    The Tin Tin restaurant features curved walls and countertopsThe studio aimed to create a rich and engaging experience for guests, unfolding gradually as they move around the space.
    This is achieved by breaking up Tin Tin’s floor plan with curved walls and built-in furnishings that combine to from various different seating nooks and zones.
    A gridded mosaic covers surfaces across the restaurant”Sweeping arches, contoured ceilings and a juxtaposition amidst solid and voided structures dot the layout,” Renesa said.

    “These conjure focal nodes and morphing vistas as one lets the eye take in the space, only to reveal that no two sights within the interior volume can be identical.”
    Renesa designed the restaurant interior to reflect Tin Tin’s experimental menuThe fluidity of the restaurant’s internal surfaces is accentuated by the mosaic tiles that are arranged into a rough grid pattern across its walls, floors and openings.
    The surfaces were cast on site using terrazzo combined with slices of Indian stone in shades of jade, umber brown, veined white and greige.
    Renesa says Tin Tin’s “minimalist grotto-like feel” is a result of this homogenous materiality, which took a team of stonemasons and plasterers more than six months to complete.

    Renesa uses contrasting terracotta and terrazzo materials to create all-day cafe in New Delhi

    The built-in elements are complemented by a range of custom-made furniture featuring similar curvilinear silhouettes and a matching colour palette.
    The restaurant’s entrance flows into an open space containing a range of freestanding high tables and communal seating areas, offering an array of dining experiences.
    Custom-made furniture separates different dining zonesTin Tin also provides varying degrees of privacy, allowing it to be transformed from a fine dining space during the day to a lively lounge in the evening.
    A large terrace featuring the same decor as the internal dining space provides additional seating in the daytime, while at night the tabletops and bar areas are illuminated by spotlights from above to create an intimate atmosphere.
    The curved elements contrast with their gridded surface patternRenesa was founded in 2006 and is led by architect Sanjay Arora and his son Sanchit.
    Previous projects from the studio include an all-day cafe in New Delhi that juxtaposes terracotta and terrazzo surfaces, and a brick manufacturer’s showroom in the same city that is clad entirely in earthy-hued masonry.
    The photography is by Niveditaa Gupta.

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    Norm Architects creates warm yet minimalist interior for Y9 sailing yacht

    Wood-lined walls meet supple suede furnishings inside this restrained interior, designed by Danish studio Norm Architects for a luxury yacht.

    Manufactured by German shipyard Y Yachts, the Y9 sailing yacht is almost 30 metres long and designed to be used by families and bigger groups, leading Norm Architects to strip the interior down to its essential features.
    Norm Architects has applied its signature minimalist aesthetic to the Y9 yacht”This way, the pared-back interior has room for the life lived within – a simplified space, yet still rich in details and thoughtful in terms of material choices,” the practice explained.
    The starboard side of the Y9 houses an intimate lounge, which has a built-in corner sofa topped with oatmeal-coloured cushions.
    The yacht’s lounge has a comfy corner sofaAdjacently lies the dining area, anchored by a large wooden table that can host up to eight guests.

    This is accompanied by a bench seat and a series of slender black-framed chairs which, when waters are rough, can be discreetly secured to the table with leather clips.
    Up to eight guests can gather to eat around the dining tableLeather handles were also fixed to the ceiling above so that passing guests and crew can steady themselves.
    “The security requirements are met in style through elegant, built-in furniture that appears unfixed to create a homely feel, ultimately accomplishing an understated luxury,” the practice explained.
    A short flight of steps leads up to a small study, separated from the dining area by a low wooden partition.

    Zaha Hadid Architects designs sinuous solar-powered catamaran

    The bow of the yacht accommodates the principal bedroom.
    Its bed is framed by a headboard upholstered in beige suede that extends to form a band around the lower half of the room, concealing built-in storage cupboards. The same suede was also used to cover the bed’s chunky base.
    A small study is tucked away behind the dining areaWhere possible, corners throughout the boat were curved or rounded off in order to create what the practice describes as “simpler, more coherent spaces with fluent transitions”.
    The walls of the Y9 are also lined with vertical wooden beams to make the rooms onboard appear loftier.
    Beige suede wraps around the yacht’s principal bedroomThis is the second time that Norm Architects has worked on the fit-out of a yacht, having completed another minimalist boat for Y Yachts back in 2019.
    The practice isn’t alone in turning its hand to boat design. Zaha Hadid Architects recently unveiled plans to create the sinuous solar-powered yacht Oneiric.
    Vertical wooden panels line the wallsAdam Richards Architects also built a 20-metre-long barge to accommodate a floating restaurant in London’s Little Venice, finishing it with a patinated aluminium roof.
    The photography is by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of Norm Architects.

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    JamesPlumb fuses bulrush and hemp elements at Cambridge Aesop store

    London design studio JamesPlumb blended handwoven bulrush shelves with earthy hemp accents to create the interiors for this Aesop store in Cambridge, which takes cues from the nearby River Cam.

    Located on the city’s Trinity Street, the Aesop outlet was conceived as a “woven reading room” that provides a place to shop and leaf through books, according to the Australian skincare and cosmetics brand.
    The JamesPlumb-designed shopfront features a facade informed by leatherThe store’s understated shopfront is painted a dark brown hue informed by well-worn leather, which nods to antique book bindings in reference to Cambridge’s history of academia.
    Inside, a curved and slatted window seat doubles as a plinth for potted pelargoniums that frame the store’s light-filled, street-facing room featuring earthy-toned walls.
    Potted pelargoniums line a street-facing window seatThis space is defined by oversized, textured shelves created from freshwater bulrush plants – locally sourced and handwoven by rush weaver Felicity Irons of Rush Matters.

    “The city itself and the surrounding landscape were the starting point for our design,” studio founders Hannah Plumb and James Russel told Dezeen.
    “The River Cam plays a huge part in that – we were increasingly drawn to it and felt strongly that it sets the pace and the pulse of the city of Cambridge.”
    Hemp and bulrush form shelving and other cabinetryOther shelving in this room is made from hemp grown on the nearby Margent Farm, which was combined with bio-resin to form geometric slabs of cabinetry that display various Aesop products, as well as a large sink.
    “[The hemp] absorbs a huge amount of carbon as it grows, and to be so local to the project was wonderful,” acknowledged Plumb and Russel.
    “We wanted to use materials that were as local as possible, and bulrush being literally of the local waters made sense – both because of its beauty and tactility, and also because of the chance to use a material that would travel so few miles, and use so little energy in production,” they added.

    Aesop’s London store takes its colour from the red sandstone of Glamis Castle

    At the back of the store, another room features walls painted in a darker hue than the street-facing space, which takes cues from the brown flowers of bulrush plants.
    Visitors are invited to sit in a low-slung antique armchair upholstered in floral fabric or browse the various books displayed on the same hemp and bulrush cabinetry that exists throughout the store.
    The back room is dressed in darker huesOriginal nineteenth-century polished wooden floorboards also feature in both rooms and intend to echo the outlet’s emphasis on local history.
    “Each Aesop store has its own character, and for this one, we responded specifically to its location in the heart of Cambridge,” concluded Plumb and Russel.
    Similar shelving found in the front room features various books on displayThis Cambridge branch is not the first Aesop store designed by JamesPlumb. The studio also created one in London’s Bloomsbury where water runs from shelf to shelf and a stone-based store in Bath that celebrates the city’s architectural landscape.
    Other Aesop outlets worldwide include a Tokyo branch defined by plaster and steel and a Toronto store featuring Victorian balustrades.
    The photography is by Oskar Proctor. 

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    Atelier Fréderic Louis adds new curves to art-deco house in Antwerp

    The rounded details of an art-deco-style facade are repeated throughout the interior of this house in Antwerp, which has been renovated by Atelier Fréderic Louis.

    Belgian architect Fréderic Louis has modernised the layout of House Mellinet, replacing the previously separate kitchen and living room with a large, open family room that opens out to the rear garden.
    The design – created in collaboration with interior designer Sarah De Pauw – celebrates the building’s existing curved details.
    The art-deco house has a brick facade with various curved detailsAccording to Louis, it was these details that first attracted the owners to the 145-square-metre property.
    “They bought the home because they fell in love with the original art-deco-style elements,” he told Dezeen.

    Extra curved details have also been added in, including a new fireplace and two focal staircase treads.
    The renovation created a more open layout for the ground floorThe ambition behind the renovation was to create a more open-plan ground floor layout, increasing natural light and making the living spaces feel more generous in size.
    Achieving this layout involved stripping the building back to its structure and installing new steelwork.
    An original arched opening was reinstated”Our starting point was trying to figure out how we could open the rooms to each other, as these were all closed off from each other by thick load-bearing walls,” explained Louis.
    “The structural elements we used for this were key for the design of the house, as they stayed partly visible.”
    New steelwork was required, although only some of the beams are left exposedWhen builders started stripping the interior back to its structure, they discovered hidden details such as a large arched wall frame. This fuelled Louis’ decision to make curves the key design motif.
    The new layout creates a circular route through the ground-floor spaces, defining a lobby space, a lounge area, a dining area and a kitchen, while a small office sits off to one side.
    The junction between floor surfaces is one of many new curved detailsTwo different floor surfaces feature here: a chevron-patterned oak parquet, and a speckled white terrazzo.
    The junction between these surfaces integrates another curved detail.

    Graux & Baeyens designs three brick volumes to form Belgian house with wetland views

    This is echoed by the shape of the kitchen island counter, which is made from a marble that matches the tones of the terrazzo floor.
    “The end of the wall was also curved, not only as a reference to the original style elements, but also to ease the circulation around the kitchen island and the spaces next to it,” said Louis.
    Other curves feature on the kitchen counter and the fireplaceNew windows were installed in place of the previous PVC frames, with slender aluminium details that look more akin to the steel designs that would have been on the building originally.
    Heating, plumbing and electrical systems have also been upgraded to bring them up to modern standards.
    Focal staircase treads repeat the curve themeGhent-based Louis has run his own studio since 2014, but he also works for Graux & Baeyens Architecten, where he has led projects including the blocky House J-VC.
    House Mellinet is one of several historically sensitive renovations the architect has undertaken. He believes the design has returned the building “to its former grandeur”.
    The renovated first-floor bathroom features a similar terrazzo to the kitchen”The living areas have evolved from closed, dark spaces, to a vivid, daylight-rich living space with a great view over the green garden,” he said.
    “The kitchen has become a point of attraction, while the new and restored art-deco elements have restored the original feel of the house.”
    The photography is by Tim Van de Velde.

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    Earthy colours bring warmth to clifftop Aethos Ericeira hotel in Portugal

    Lisbon-based Pedra Silva Arquitectos has teamed up with Spanish design studio Astet to convert a former clifftop farmstead on Portugal’s west coast into a destination for surfers.

    Aethos Ericeira is a 50-room hotel positioned high up on sandstone cliffs, overlooking the beach on a stretch of coastline known to offer some of the best waves in Portugal.
    Aethos Ericeira occupies a converted farmhouse. Photo is by Francisco NogueiraPedra Silva Arquitectos oversaw the building work, which included reworking the facades, while Astet replanned the spatial flow and designed the visual aesthetic of the interiors.
    Their design draws from its setting, combining references to the rural landscape with elements of surf culture, and also taking advantage of the elevated view.
    The original facade is updated with protruding box windows. Photo is by Francisco NogueiraGrand windows, simple furnishings and an earthy colour palette help to create an environment where visitors can feel relaxed and connected with the setting.

    “When we came across the property, we immediately knew it was a unique opportunity – a secluded destination on top of a 40-metre cliff, surrounded by lush fields with unrivalled ocean views,” said CEO and co-founder Benjamin Habbel.
    “The building, a former farmhouse turned into a rehab centre, had been abandoned for many years,” he told Dezeen. “Despite its bad shape, we saw huge potential.”
    Arched windows are a key feature in the lobby. Photo is by PION StudioThe venue is one of five properties under the Aethos brand, along with locations in France and Italy.
    Like its sister venues, the ethos behind Aethos Ericeira is to promote mindfulness among guests, by offering wellbeing-focused spaces and experiences.
    The materials palette includes wood, rattan and soft-green tiles. Photo is by PION StudioFor Pedra Silva Arquitectos, this meant bringing a greater sense of cohesion to the existing buildings and the various extensions that had been added over the years.
    The old farmhouse was kept simple, with light-rendered walls, a clay tile roof, arched recesses and protruding box windows. Meanwhile other parts of the building were updated with timber slats and metal panelling.

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    “We felt the solution was to establish a clear distinction between old and new, restoring the existing building to something closer to its original state, and giving recent extensions and new construction their own distinct character,” said studio founder Luís Pedra Silva.
    “For the areas of more recent expansion, the challenge was to achieve a contemporary look and feel that was well integrated,” added architect Bernardo Nadais.
    “We achieved this by combining a strong materiality with surgical instances of demolition – removing some sloped roofs, opening up the balconies – allowing us to reinterpret the facades into clearer shapes and volumes.”
    Timber slats clad one of the newer buildings. Photo by PION StudioAstet’s interior design strategy centred around the year-round experience.
    The materials palette incorporates warm natural materials like wood, velvet and rattan, but also brings in cooler surfaces that include marble and stone.
    A swimming pool is framed by the buildings. Photo by PION Studio”Ericeira can be great and sunny but there are a few months where it’s windy and rainy, so the number one goal was for rooms and common spaces to function in the summer and be cosy in the winter,” said Astet’s Ala Zureikat.
    “Yet we didn’t want to be too literal and use Portuguese tiles, because I think that’s the first thing that everyone associates with Portugal,” he told Dezeen. “We wanted to achieve a more sophisticated twist.”
    The hotel is designed for surfing enthusiasts. Photo is by PION StudioThe most distinctive space is the hotel reception, which is characterised by the original arched windows, soft-green tiles and large louvre screens.
    The bedrooms are more minimal, with custom headboards, muted fabrics and wooden flooring.
    “The door of the room is a full-size mirror, so wherever you are, you always have a view of the ocean,” said Zureikat.
    Onda is the hotel restaurant. Photo is by PION StudioAethos Ericeira facilities include a restaurant, a gym, a heated saltwater pool, a meditation and yoga deck, and a spa with hammam, hot slab and treatment rooms.
    Landscape works help to create easy flow between these spaces, and link up with pathways leading to the beach.
    Other recent beach hotels to open include Ethos Vegan Suites in Santorini, Villa W in Saint-Tropez, and Patina Maldives.
    The photography is by Francisco Nogueira and PION Studio.

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