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    Home Studios refreshes The Wren pub on New York’s Bowery

    Brooklyn-based Home Studios has remodelled a bar and restaurant in New York’s East Village, using dark wood and velvet seating to retain a “worn-in and aged appearance”.

    The Wren on the busy Bowery thoroughfare has become a neighbourhood staple since opening in 2012, but was ready for an interior revamp.
    The Wren has been remodelled in a way that retains its rustic charmHome Studios refreshed both levels of the upscale pub, including the upper-floor dining and drinking area, and private lounge downstairs.
    “Despite the changes in the city and the evolution of the neighbourhood, The Wren has maintained its timeless appeal, offering visitors a glimpse into the past and an authentic pub experience,” said Home Studios, led by founder Oliver Halsegrave.
    The L-shaped bar has a marble counter and is surrounded by GAR Products stoolsAcross the main level, dark and moody materials have been used to retain the pub-like quality of the spaces, assisted by the exposed wooden ceiling beams and columns, and hardwood floors.

    Either side of the entrance, black-painted, booth-style benches are installed against the walnut wall panelling, creating cosy nooks for pairs or small groups to occupy.
    Towards the back, a chocolate-coloured velvet banquette features ribbed cushionsThe bar area features an L-shaped marble counter surrounded by GAR Products stools, opposite black wainscoting that runs below vintage-looking wallpaper.
    Towards the back, a long banquette is dressed in ribbed cushions that form the seating and backrests, all wrapped in brown velvet.
    Custom mirrors alternate with disk-shaped sconces by In Common WithCustom arched shaped mirrors mounted on the walls alternate with disk-shaped sconces by In Common With, against a beige textured plaster backdrop.
    A variety of other sconces throughout were sourced from lighting brands including O’Lampia, Shades of Light, Allied Maker and Rejuvenation.
    Guests can choose from a variety of booths, two-tops or standing areas”With a worn-in and aged appearance, the space now exudes a moody winter-like atmosphere,” said Home Studios.
    Downstairs, the mood is even more “sultry” and intimate, thanks to darker surfaces and a variety of dim, warm lighting sources.

    Home Studios utilises reclaimed timber for Montauk restaurant renovation

    The bar counter is made from Black Portoro marble and the wood floors are also stained black, while the banquette upholstery is a lighter tone than found on the upper level.
    Between the two floors, guests can choose from a variety of seating or standing spots for enjoying their beers, cocktails and bar food.
    In the private area downstairs, the mood is more sultry and the banquette upholstery is lighter in colour”Home Studios has seamlessly blended nostalgic and rustic charm throughout The Wren’s interior, creating an inviting and distinctive ambiance that pays homage to the bar’s storied history,” said the team.
    Home Studios is no stranger to refreshing beloved establishments, having completed interiors for The Bird in Montauk and The Pearl in Nantucket.
    The downstairs area features dark-stained floors and a black marble bar counterThe firm also recently turned a conference centre in Northern California back into a luxury hotel, as originally intended by the property’s founder: the inventor of the radio.
    The photography is by Brian W Ferry.

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    Eight interiors illuminated by sculptural aesthetic lamps

    For our latest lookbook, we’ve collected eight interiors enhanced by aesthetic lamps including a 19th-century house in Stockholm and a retro-futuristic clothing store in Hangzhou.

    There is a growing trend for unusually sculptural and innovative lighting designs that don’t just light up an interior but also function as a piece of art.
    The examples below show characterful lamps used in commercial, hospitality and cultural interiors. But the same principle can also be applied to residential interiors for a similarly striking effect.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring inviting breakfast nooks, homes with central courtyards and tranquil interiors with oversized windows.
    Photo by Franziska KrieckFilips Van Marnix House, Belgium, by Koen Van Guijze

    Belgian designer Koen Van Guijze showcased his characterful lighting designs inside the centuries-old Filips Van Marnix house in Antwerp.
    The exhibition included his ribbon-like Circuit lamp, above, which was on show in the main staircase where its modern, graphic shape contrasted against a marble statue.
    Find out more about Filips Van Marnix house ›
    Photo by Shao FengAudrey boutique, China, by Liang Architecture Studio
    The Audrey boutique in Hangzhou, China, has an industrial interior made from steel and micro cement. But large pyramidal lights add a striking futuristic touch to the austere surroundings.
    The lighting fixtures, which appear to pierce through the ceiling, are made from acrylic and change their colours regularly to light up the space, which Liang Architecture Studio designed to have a retro-futuristic feel.
    Find out more about Audrey boutique ›
    Photo by Alexandra Svärdh and Bosse LindSoft Serve lamp, Sweden, by Crème Atelier
    Stockholm design studio Crème Atelier created its Soft Serve lamp, which was shortlisted in the lighting design category of the Dezeen Awards last year, to resemble “swirly ice cream”.
    “We were very intrigued by the creamy organic shapes of meringue and soft serve ice cream,” co-founder Jacqueline Kessidis told Dezeen.
    The 3D-printed lamp comes in a variety of sorbet colours and is made from a bioplastic made from recycled food packaging.
    Find out more about the Soft Serve lamp ›
    Photo by Laure JolietWine and Eggs, US, by Adi Goodrich
    Located in the Atwater Village neighbourhood of Los Angeles, the Wine and Eggs grocery has an interior that nods to Parisian cafes and Italian tobacconists and features multiple fun and colourful details, such as a blue-and-green checkerboard floor.
    Custom-made lamps by designer Adi Goodrich reference the name of the store.
    “At the beginning of the project I knew I wanted the lights to look like a sunny-side-up egg,” Goodrich told Dezeen. “After designing some wiggly shapes, I landed at the stacked circle.”
    Find out more about Wine and Eggs ›

    Bakers House, Sweden, by Färg & Blanche
    A residence built in 1889, which belongs to the family of one of the Färg & Blanche founders, formed the background for this exhibition by the Swedish studio.
    Among the pieces showcased were bulbous lights that appear to be bound in brass strips. These were scattered over the home’s patterned parquet floors, creating a well-lit path up a winding staircase.
    Find out more about Bakers House ›

    Cafe Mollien, France, by Mathieu Lehanneur
    The cafe of the Louvre museum in Paris was given a renovation by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, who decorated the interior with pink acrylic light fixtures.
    The translucent lights create a modern contrast to the museum’s historic halls and were designed by Lehanneur as “three large pale-pink eggs” floating in space.
    Find out more about Cafe Mollien ›

    The Sensory Society, Denmark, by Helle Mardahl
    Bulbous glassware defines the work of Helle Mardahl, who started her career creating pastel-coloured glass objects.
    Since then, the Danish designer has expanded into lighting design, creating candy-like aesthetic lamps that were first showcased during design festival 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen, where they lit up a warm red hallway.
    Find out more about The Sensory Society ›

    Knuckle light, Sweden, by David Taylor
    Made by forcibly bending aluminium tubing, designer David Taylor’s Knuckle light has an industrial frame that is juxtaposed with oversized round white lightbulbs.
    “No two bends in the Knuckle series are alike,” the designer said. “Coercing metal into a form that it is specifically designed to resist is challenging at best.”
    Find out more about Knuckle light ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring inviting breakfast nooks, homes with central courtyards and tranquil interiors with oversized windows.

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    Dezeen Debate features rural Belgian home that achieves “such a clean result”

    The latest edition of our Dezeen Debate newsletter features House in the Fields, a rural home in the Belgian countryside. Subscribe to Dezeen Debate now.

    Geneva-based architect Stef Claes looked to mid-century and local architecture to create the low-lying home in Belgium. The residence, named House in the Fields, features white-painted walls and black accents.
    Readers discussed the project, with one commending the architects for achieving “such a clean result” and another agreeing, claiming that they “could quite happily live there”.
    “Forty-one per cent of architects now using AI” says RIBA reportOther stories in this week’s newsletter that fired up the comments section included the findings of a report by the Royal Insitute of British Architects which found that close to half of UK architects are now using AI for their projects, the announcement that Foster + Partners is designing a two-kilometre-high skyscraper in Saudi Arabia and an opinion piece by Catherine Slessor about architects working into their older years.
    Dezeen Debate

    Dezeen Debate is sent every Thursday and features a selection of the best reader comments and most talked-about stories. Read the latest edition of Dezeen Debate or subscribe here.
    You can also subscribe to our other newsletters; Dezeen Agenda is sent every Tuesday containing a selection of the most important news highlights from the week, Dezeen Daily is our daily bulletin that contains every story published in the preceding 24 hours and Dezeen In Depth is sent on the last Friday of every month and delves deeper into the major stories shaping architecture and design.

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    Erik Bratsberg fills Persona restaurant with tactile materials and own artworks

    Interior designer Erik Bratsberg has created unique artwork for the interior of the Persona restaurant in Stockholm, which also features asymmetrical terrazzo and patinated brass details.

    Bratsberg, who worked in finance before moving into interior design, wanted the fine dining restaurant in Stockholm’s upmarket Östermalm neighbourhood to have a warm and welcoming feel.
    Persona is located in Stockholm’s Östermalm area”The inspiration is drawn from a mix of personal experiences, subconscious imprints from admired styles, particularly mid-century Italian design, and a desire to integrate a homely warmth into a hospitality environment,” he told Dezeen.
    “The design philosophy centres around creating a timeless, inviting space that enhances the dining experience while maintaining a sense of personal touch and intimacy.”
    Green tones feature throughout the interiorGreen hues are used throughout Persona’s 120-square-metre interior, complementing its cream-coloured walls and numerous wooden furniture pieces and panelling.

    “Green is my go-to when I want to arouse a sense of calmness and comfort,” Bratsberg explained.
    Designer Erik Bratsberg used furniture pieces with rounded and organic shapes”It’s a tertiary colour, a mix of a cold and a warm colour, which allows it to go well with both warmer and colder hues and materials – a yin and yang of colours somehow,” he added.
    “Green also brings the mind to nature and I guess my love for green relates to the joy of seeing the leaves back on the trees after a long Swedish winter.”
    “Honey-tinted” oak shelving is filled with crockery and artThe restaurant, which feels more like a living room than an eatery in parts, also features plenty of natural materials such as stone and wood, which are interspersed with terrazzo and brass to create tactile interest.
    This material mix was chosen to evoke a sense of “casual elegance”, Bratsberg said.
    “For the floor I played around with the possibilities of terrazzo, using shades of green and warm greys and whites forming an asymmetrical pattern,” the designer explained.

    Note Design Studio creates “unexpected” restaurant in historic Stockholm food hall

    Bratsberg clad the walls of the Persona restaurant in an off-white plaster with a mottled surface, designed to contrast the “silky honey-tinted oak” used for the wall shelving and tables.
    “Patinated brass together with details in yellow ochre acts as an accent,” Bratsberg added. “Sheer curtains, patinated leather and textured textiles round it all off.”
    Bratsberg created his own artworks for the restaurantCustom-made abstract artworks also decorate the interior. Bratsberg made these himself from watercolour paintings that he had made, which were then screen-printed onto acoustic panels.
    “In my multidisciplinary practice I strive to interrelate my art, design and interior work – why not make a lamp into sculpture, or a bar front as a painting, or a plain wall a relief?” Bratsberg said.
    Cut-out geometric details add extra interest to the barAlso notable in the interior is the variation of shapes, with the angular tables and counters contrasting against round and jagged lamps, cut-out geometric details and smaller tables made from organically shaped burl wood and stone.
    “Perfectly straight lines and symmetry bring order and calmness for the eye, but never have I been particularly intrigued by squares and straight lines,” Bratsberg said.
    “On the other hand, too much asymmetrical geometries and organic shapes can bring the feeling of disorder. But balancing the two – as with many opposites or contrasts – can create an interesting harmony,” he added.
    The bathroom features undulating mirrors and a mix of different shapesIn the bathroom, undulating mirrors match a wavy sink and are juxtaposed against square wall niches and angled, jagged cut-out wall decorations.
    “Forms, lines, colours and materiality speak to us in mysterious ways, but an interior without any sculptural form and asymmetries is like a language without exclamation marks, gestures or emotional expression to me,” Bratsberg concluded.
    Other Stockholm restaurants with interesting interiors featured on Dezeen include an “unexpected” restaurant in a historic food hall and a decadent Italian restaurant located in a former cinema.
    The photography is by Erik Lefvander.

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    Kingston Lafferty Design includes “sensual” red quartzite kitchen in townhouse renovation

    Dublin studio Kingston Lafferty Design has transformed the architecture and interiors of this family home in Cork, Ireland, which features 1970s-style shapes and colours informed by the work of designer Verner Panton.

    Positioned on Lovers Walk hill overlooking the city of Cork, the townhouse – called Lovers Walk – was renovated by Kingston Lafferty Design.
    Kingston Lafferty Design completed the renovation in CorkThe studio originally planned to just update the interiors, but decided that a more extensive architectural transformation was needed after discovering structural instabilities in the home.
    Kingston Lafferty Design removed all of the floors, which lacked foundations and insulation in their concrete slab, and completely reconfigured the two-storey property’s layout.
    Rooms on the ground floor were designed around an oak-lined hallway”As the building was originally built in the 1970s, we wanted to return to its roots,” studio founder Róisín Lafferty told Dezeen.

    “We thrived on inspiration from Verner Panton with his use of strong clashing colour, playful shapes and oversized elements,” she added.
    One of these spaces is a “sensual” red kitchenThe ground floor was adapted to include an open-plan kitchen defined by a counter, island and splashback finished in veiny red quartzite.
    Ruby-toned timber was used to create the geometric cabinets. When layered with the quartzite, “it sounds like a disaster, but it’s a delight,” said the designer.
    The living room follows a similar design to the kitchenThe space, described by the studio as a “sensual red-toned jewel kitchen”, is one of several rooms on the ground floor of Lovers Walk that were designed around the central, oak-lined hallway.
    “We used the hallway as the core of the house, which grounded the space with pops of colour stemming from it. Each room leading from the core appears like a framed view or window of colour,” explained Lafferty.
    It includes a green feature wall that takes cues from Mies van der Rohe’s iconic Barcelona PavilionThe living room includes blue velvet sofas and a green feature wall clad in swirly book-matched marble, which was fitted with an alcove reserved for a subtle fireplace.
    When creating the polished stone wall, the studio took cues from the seminal Barcelona Pavilion, completed in 1929 by modernist architect Mies van der Rohe.
    A floor-to-ceiling headboard takes centre stage in the main bedroom”We used green as an overall thread throughout the house, inspired by the surrounding landscape,” added Lafferty.
    “Although depending on the time of year, the colours tend to change and so we were able to add in other rich colours that anchor the green such as burgundies and bright oranges,” she added.
    Stonework also defines the en-suite bathroom”One would assume this mix of colours would clash, but we choose the tones and textures of each to ensure that all of them would blend harmoniously,” Lafferty said.
    Upstairs, the main bedroom and en-suite bathroom were dressed in the same eclectic interiors as the communal spaces. A floor-to-ceiling headboard, finished in diamond-shaped green tiles originally designed by 20th-century architect Gio Ponti, frames the bed.
    A playful bed was added to the bedroom created for the occupants’ childBalloon-like coloured glass vases were positioned on two bedside tables, which were topped with the same slabs of Rosso Levanto marble as the geometric vanity desk.
    The bedroom designed for the occupants’ child features an alternative bed – a playful green structure with two stacked levels and half-moon openings that reveal a cosy sleeping area on the bottom level.

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    Other accents featured throughout the home include burl wood, terrazzo, plaster and brass. The repetition of 1970s-style thick pile carpets emphasises the dwelling’s textured material palette.
    Lovers Walk is the studio’s “closest nod” to the work of Panton, explained Lafferty – “down to the selection of every tile, light fitting and exquisite piece of designer furniture”.
    Deep blues characterise the guest bedroom”Although there is such an array of materiality, it is balanced by repeated colour, shape and form,” she said.
    “Every space in this house is an assault on the senses, in the best way possible.”
    Lovers Walk was informed by the work of Verner PantonFounded in 2010, Kingston Lafferty Design has completed projects ranging from a Dublin restaurant with oversized lollipop-like lamps and a co-working office in Belfast that includes a yoga studio.
    The photography is by Ruth Maria Murphy. 
    Project credits:
    Interior architecture and design: Kingston Lafferty DesignWoodwork: DFLStonework: Miller Brothers

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    Suspended bridges connect round cabin hotels in Mexico

    Mexican architect María José Gutiérrez has placed a series of round, pine-clad cabins connected by suspended bridges onto a vineyard in Mexico to serve as vacation rentals.

    Located in Valle de Guadalupe, Ensenada on the Baja Peninsula, Zeuhary Hospedaje Campestre includes a community lounge and four vacation rental cabins.
    Top: photo by Martin Acevedo. Above: the cabins are located in Baja California, Mexico. Photo by Jonatan Ruvalcaba Maciel”Beyond creating spaces we aim to create experiences, where nature and human beings integrate and recognize each other,” María José Gutiérrez, who leads Mexican studio Arqos Arquitectura Arte Y Diseño, told Dezeen.
    “The architecture and interior design were focused on connecting with the environment and maintaining harmony with it.”
    Central bedrooms feature in the round buildingsCompleted in June 2022, the 250 square metres (2,690 square feet) of built area is divided into five 40-square metre (430-square foot) structures that look outward to the surrounding wine region.

    The ground floor of each cabin is divided orthogonally, splitting off a portion for a partially covered exterior porch that leads into the sleeping space through a glass sliding door.
    Their interiors are sectioned into bathrooms along one sideThe interiors were sectioned into a bathroom along one side, a central bedroom and a kitchenette tucked behind the headboard wall.
    “In the furniture and interior decoration, we used organic materials from the region and different areas of the country, earth tones and grey contrasts, crafts, natural fibers, textiles, local wood and stone, recognizing Mexican handicraft talent and tradition,” the studio said.
    “The chukum finish on the interior walls gives an organic texture and helps keep the interiors cool in summer, while the exterior coating of recycled pine wood allows the cabins to be thermally insulated in both winter and summer for greater energy efficiency.”
    Small private gardens feature round jacuzzisThe cabins are all rotated to face a particular northern or eastern view without compromising privacy for the occupants.
    A small planted garden protected by a grey wall rings a quarter of each plan, terminated by a private in-ground jacuzzi, connected to the cabin by a wooden deck with planks that align with the vertical cladding boards as if the facade radiates down the wall and along the ground.
    Rooftop terraces are included atop each cabinUp a delicate metal spiral staircase with wooden treads, the round plan becomes a rooftop terrace complete with a rope net set into the roof of the porch like an integrated hammock.
    A free-swinging wooden bridge with rope netting guard rails is suspended from the roof of each cabin and leads to the roof of the common area, allowing guests to congregate in a central location.

    Dezeen’s top 10 cabins of 2023

    “The circular floor plan of the cabins, together with their transition spaces such as the hanging bridges, wooden paths and spiral staircases generate fluid and dynamic routes which allow us to reconnect with ourselves and awaken our inner child through play and movement,” the studio said.
    In addition to the material selection that responds thermally to the environment, the design works to preserve what little water the agricultural region has, reusing grey water for the irrigation of the vineyards.
    Zeuhary Hospedaje Campestre is positioned within a vineyardOther cabins recently completed in Mexico include a house deconstructed and separated for glamping within a forest in Nuevo León by S-AR and a brutalist cube-shaped holiday home tucked into a pine forest in Alférez by Ludwig Godefroy.
    The photography is by Jonatan Ruvalcaba Maciel unless otherwise stated. 
    Project credits:
    Architect: María José GutiérrezEngineering and construction: Specialized Urban Services

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    Interior designer Iris Apfel dies aged 102

    American interior designer, fashion influencer and “geriatric starlet” Iris Apfel has passed away at the age of 102.

    The death of the multidisciplinary creative, who was recognised for her flamboyant personal style, was announced on her Instagram account with an image of Apfel in her trademark oversized glasses.
    Apfel, who worked in the interiors and fashion industries throughout her career, shot to international fame in her 80s and 90s after New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibited a show of her eclectic clothes and accessories in 2005.
    Titled Rara Avis: Selections From the Iris Apfel Collection, it was the first time the museum had dedicated an exhibition to someone’s wardrobe.
    Born Iris Barrel in 1921 in Queens, Apfel studied art history at New York University and art at the University of Wisconsin.

    After graduating, she worked for fashion magazine Women’s Wear Daily before interning for interior designer Elinor Johnson.
    Together with her late husband Carl Apfel, whom she married in 1948, she set up the brand Old World Weavers – a company that specialised in striking textiles informed by things found on the Apfels’ travels.
    Under Old World Weavers, the duo completed high-profile projects such as restoring the White House interiors for nine presidents including Harry Truman and Bill Clinton.

    Remembering the architects and designers we lost in 2023

    The designer became a visiting lecturer at the University of Texas in 2011, where she taught fashion students about textiles and crafts.
    In later life, Apfel became a staple of the fashion industry.  In 2018, toy manufacturer Mattel created a Barbie doll in the designer’s image, although it was not for sale. At the age of 97, she signed a modelling contract with IMG Models.
    Apfel playfully called herself a “geriatric starlet” and described the prospect of retirement as “a fate worse than death” shortly after turning 100.
    Following the news of her passing, designers around the world paid tribute to Apfel’s legacy. “Iris Apfel has become a world-famous fashion icon because of her incredible talent not only as an artist but as an influencer,” said fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger.
    The photography is by Ron Adar courtesy of Shutterstock.

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    Lucas y Hernández Gil adds multi-use greenhouse to Madrid bungalow

    A renovated 1970s bungalow with “kitsch character” and a greenhouse that doubles as a living room feature in Casamontesa – a weekend home designed by Spanish studio Lucas y Hernández Gil.

    The project began when a couple asked the studio to overhaul a single-storey house that was once part of a hotel complex on the outskirts of Madrid.
    The renovated bungalow and a multifunctional greenhouse (above) make up CasamontesaThe brief later expanded to include a multifunctional greenhouse that can be used as a workspace, a guest bedroom, a gym or simply as a garden room.
    Lucas y Hernández Gil, led by architects Cristina Domínguez Lucas and Fernando Hernández-Gil Ruano, developed a distinct character for each building.
    The main house is a bungalow built in the 1970sCasamontesa’s renovated bungalow has a warm, playful style that draws on the 1970s aesthetic while the garden pavilion has a more utilitarian feel.

    “The owners, a young urban couple who love design and live and work in the centre of Madrid, were looking for a functional and compact getaway within a fantastic garden,” Lucas told Dezeen.
    “They wanted a very comfortable and flexible home that would be useful for both working and getting together with friends.”
    The interior centres around a new kitchen islandThe bungalow renovation involved simplifying the interior layout to create a combined kitchen, dining room and living room, with a bedroom and bathroom off to one side.
    “The house, in addition to being small, was very compartmentalised,” explained Lucas.
    The materials palette includes pink marble and handmade tilesTo unify the newly open-plan living space, the designers installed an island that serves as a worktop, dining table and social gathering place.
    This island features a countertop made from Portuguese pink marble while its sides are covered in the same handmade burgundy tiles that line an adjacent window recess.
    An arched fireplace provides a focal point in the living room”The rest of the surfaces – Campaspero stone floors and waxed tinted plaster walls – establish a dialogue by contrast with the colourful and shiny surface of the tiles,” added Lucas.
    Key details in the living room include an arched fireplace and a tadelakt plaster coffee table, while the bedroom features semi-circular marble nightstands.

    McCloy + Muchemwa adds timber-framed “orangery” to renovated garage

    For Casamontesa’s garden room, the design team customised a prefabricated greenhouse.
    A pergola extends the building volume outwards in a bid to blur the boundary between inside and out, and is topped with wooden blinds to provide shade.
    A pergola extends the width of the greenhouseA wooden box on wheels provides an additional bedroom, described as a “small Shigeru Ban-style mobile room”.
    Other additions include thermal curtains and an automatic shading and ventilation system, which allow for versatile use of the space throughout the year.
    A “Shigeru Ban-style mobile room” provides an additional sleeping space”By complementing the programme of the original bungalow, a more complete and flexible program is achieved, overcoming the limitations of a weekend house,” added Lucas.
    Other recent projects by Lucas y Hernández Gil include a bar featuring extreme colour blocking and an apartment with a hidden closet.
    The photography is by José Hevia.

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