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    Great White Melrose in LA offers outdoor dining on a pink-plaster patio

    Pink plastered columns and fireplaces surround this open-concept restaurant on Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue, which co-founder and creative director Sam Cooper coloured to match his childhood home.

    Cooper and his business partner Sam Trude recently opened Great White Melrose as their third and largest location in the city, following outposts in Venice Beach and Larchmont Village.
    Fireplaces face each other across the patio dining area at Great White MelroseOn the site of a former laundromat, the 5,000-square-foot (465-square-metre) restaurant was designed by Cooper and his in-house team. Along with its casual menu by chef Juan Ferreiro, the space combines influences from coastal cultures in Australia, Mexico and Europe.
    Dining is available on a partially open patio facing the street, beneath a roof of slatted panels between weathered timber beams.
    The pink-toned plasterwork was chosen to match the colour of co-founder Sam Cooper’s childhood homePink fireplaces face each other across this area, which is lit with a soft glow from large woven pendants found in Pakistan.

    “Completely visible from the street, the open concept was developed very intentionally to create a relationship with the neighborhood, the antithesis of the way so many Los Angeles – and specifically West Hollywood – hospitality venues operate,” said the restaurant team.
    Reclaimed cobblestones sourced from Germany cover the floors inside and outGuests arrive via a ramped cobblestone walkway that passes through a procession of pink arches, each draped in greenery and featuring sconces built into the plasterwork.
    The colour was chosen to match the home where Cooper grew up in Australia, adding “a sentimental touch” to the project.
    The interior space swaps pink for neutral tonesThe reclaimed cobblestone flooring sourced from Germany continues inside, where pink is swapped for neutral tones and a focus is placed on craft.
    A bar made from Portuguese limestone runs along the back of the space, with arched niches behind displaying wine bottles on wooden shelves.
    A bar made from Portuguese limestone runs along the back of the roomOn the main wall hangs a large painting by Berlin-based artist Danny Gretscher that brings hints of the colours found outside into the room.
    Glazed doors with black metal frames concertina open to connect the indoor and outdoor areas.

    Six of the best restaurant interiors in California

    Rattan chairs and brown-toned seat cushions found across both echo the laid-back style typically found at hospitality venues in the Mexican resort of Tulum.
    “Our West Hollywood location is an extension of what we’ve found to be a successful formula that considers all of the necessary elements for an unforgettable dining experience,” said Trude.
    Lighting is integrated into the plasterworkGreat White Melrose combines “interesting art, design, architecture, music, and a variety of options as it pertains to both food and beverage that feature the best ingredients and an ever-growing list of talented makers”, he added.
    Melrose Avenue is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike, thanks to its wealth of boutique shops like Forte Forte, eateries such as the now-shuttered Auburn and design galleries including Francis Gallery LA.
    Great White Melrose is the third outpost from Cooper and business partner Sam Trude, following locations in Venice Beach and Larchmont Village”I have always enjoyed this part of West Hollywood, which seems to seamlessly connect all of the different worlds within it such as entertainment, nightlife, tourism, etc,” said Cooper.
    “There is a real energy about this space and the surrounding area and we are excited to tap into that with Great White Melrose.”
    Other hospitality projects to open recently in LA include Hotel Per La, designed by Jaqui Seerman in a neoclassical building.
    Last year, we rounded up six of the best restaurant designs in California.

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    Ten contemporary interiors with innovative stone furniture

    Spinning top-shaped granite chairs, marble shelves and a candy-coloured onyx counter are among the stone furniture pieces used for the interiors in our latest lookbook.

    Stone, especially marble, has long been used for dining and coffee tables, as well as for countertops. But a number of contemporary designers are now experimenting with bolder and more unusual stone furnishings.
    The examples in this lookbook range from a stone seat in a rural home built for an older couple to a striking granite counter in a Finnish clothing store and multicoloured swivelling marble chairs.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring ten interiors that make use of the colour of the year, homes with sliding doors and lounge areas with suspended fireplaces.
    Photo is by Margarita NikitakiEsperinos, Greece, by Stamos Michael

    Greek designer Stamos Michael designed the Esperinos guesthouse in Athens with a mix of furniture classics and his own designs. These include a small stool the designer made from two blocks of stone found in a quarry in Tinos, a Greek island in the Aegean sea.
    The stool’s rough texture matches the house’s structural stone shell, which Michael has displayed by carving out small sections of the walls.
    Find out more about Esperinos ›
    Photo is by Rory GardinerArmadillo showroom, Australia, by Studio Goss
    This Sydney showroom has a sparse, simple material palette of concrete, plaster and tiled surfaces that designers Studio Goss created to function as a backdrop to the rugs on show.
    In front of a tiled wall, a chunky stone table is surrounded by graphic black chairs, while an oversized paper lantern adds another geometric touch to the interior design.
    Find out more about Armadillo showroom ›
    Photo is by Ed ReeveSwivel, UK, by Sabine Marcelis
    Rotating chairs made from natural stone including granite, quartzite, marble and travertine make up the Swivel furniture installation by designer Sabine Marcelis.
    The colourful chairs were installed in St Giles Square as part of this year’s London Design Festival. “The main concept was to inject some colour, fun, lightheartedness and liveliness into the square – in an adult playground way,” Marcelis said.
    Find out more about Swivel ›
    Photo is by Simone BossiMA House, France, by Timothee Mercier
    A ruined farmhouse in France was turned into an “intimate refuge” named MA House by architect Timothee Mercier for his parents.
    In the peaceful white living room, white cushions were inserted into a blocky stone plinth to form a minimalist sofa with an angular shape.
    Find out more about MA House ›
    Photo is by Thibault De Schepper&C office, the Netherlands, by Anne Claus Interiors
    Pastel-hued onyx slabs decorate the stripy bar counter in Dutch media company &C’s hybrid office, store and cafe in Amsterdam, which was created by designer Anne Claus Interiors.
    The studio also used the material for display plinths in the shop, round tabletops in the cafe and for the boardroom’s table. The colours of the joyful stone furniture were chosen as they suit the &C brand.
    Find out more about &C office ›

    The Audo, Denmark, by Menu and Norm Architects
    The interior of Danish boutique hotel The Audo, designed by local studio Norm Architects as the headquarters for design brand Menu, features multiple elegant coffee tables made from black and white marble slabs.
    These veiny marble tables complement tactile white boucle sofas and the terracotta plaster walls in the earth-coloured bedrooms.
    Find out more about The Audo ›
    Photography is by Mikko RyhänenNanso, Finland, by Studio Joanna Laajisto
    Studio Joanna Laajisto’s interior design for the Nanso womenswear store in Helsinki, Finland, features plenty of natural materials, including a chunky service counter made from red granite from the nearby town of Mäntsälä.
    The studio also used the same stone to create a display stand, placing a slab atop a small metal box to form a sculptural and practical furniture piece.
    Find out more about Nanso ›

    Casa Salvatori, Italy, by Elissa Ossino Studio
    This Milanese apartment, filled with marble artworks and furniture, is fittingly owned by the head of Italian stone brand Salvatori. Designer Elissa Ossino Studio transformed the white apartment by using the brand’s own marble collection in creative ways.
    A Colonnata oak bookshelf features veiny marble shelf dividers in different colours, creating a sculptural piece that is as eye-catching when it’s empty as when it’s filled with books.
    Find out more about Casa Salvatori ›

    Spun chair, Singapore, by Heatherwick Studio
    London-based Heatherwick Studio reproduced its spinning top-shaped Spun chairs in marble for the garden of the brand’s EDEN skyscraper in Singapore.
    “As gardens are places for rest and contemplation, a seat seemed like a natural solution that would encourage people to either sit for a moment of quiet contemplation or to perhaps engage in a conversation with a neighbour,” Tom Glover, project leader at Heatherwick Studio, told Dezeen.
    Find out more about Spun chair ›

    Glogauer apartment, Germany, by White Arrow
    A circular travertine table in a decorative beige hue is matched with cane dining chairs inside the Glogauer apartment in Berlin, which New York studio White Arrow renovated for a young family.
    The flat was gutted to create more living space, though the designers preserved its existing high ceilings, ornate doorframes and coving. Vintage furnishings were used to decorate the new interior.
    Find out more about Glogauer apartment ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring ten interiors that make use of the colour of the year, homes with sliding doors and lounge areas with suspended fireplaces.

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    Shimmering crystals decorate National Museum of Qatar restaurant by Koichi Takada Architects

    Australian studio Koichi Takada Architects drew on Qatar’s pearl-diving history when creating the interior of Jiwan, a restaurant in the Jean Nouvel-designed National Museum of Qatar.

    More than four million Swarovski crystals form an undulating ceiling installation resembling the northern lights at the Doha restaurant, which was designed by Koichi Takada Architects and serves food by French chef Alain Ducasse.
    Above: Swarovski crystals decorate Jiwan’s ceiling. Top image: the restaurant’s terrace has rounded dining booths. Photo is by Victor Bellot.The interior of Jiwan was informed by Qatar’s history of pearl diving and by the architecture of the museum, which Atelier Jean Nouvel designed as a series of colliding disks.
    “The palette of materials that we drew from was very much about paying homage to the unique Qatari landscape – where the desert meets the sea – as well as the iconic architecture,” studio founder Koichi Takada told Dezeen.
    Qatar’s history of pearl diving informed the restaurant interior”We chose a mirrored finish for the ceiling to draw the reflection of the Persian Gulf deep into the space, as well as to reflect the gentle movement of the four million Swarovski crystals that dance from the ceiling,” he added.

    “The curvature of the crystal paths on the ceiling and the organic-shaped leather dining booths respond to the curvilinear architecture, with a luxury silk carpet underfoot.”
    Its carpet was designed with sand and sea coloursJiwan, which seats 130 guests inside and another 130 on its terrace, has pale pink walls that were designed to curve like the shell of an oyster, providing another nod to the pearl-diving theme.
    The interior also features a carpet with both orange and blue tones, which were informed by the sand and sea surrounding the museum.

    Cave-like gift shops created by Koichi Takada Architects inside National Museum of Qatar

    “The interior colour palette was in keeping with the pale desert-rose hues of the architecture and Qatar’s expansive desert landscape,” Takada explained.
    “We designed a silk carpet to integrate the impressive colours of the Persian Gulf – transitioning from deep aquamarine through turquoise to a lighter desert-sand colour inspired by the Qatari inland sea Khor Al Adaid. At its edges, the flooring blends almost seamlessly into the architecture.”
    The terrace was designed to reflect the building’s architecture. Photo is by Victor BellotFor Jiwan’s terrace, which overlooks the “desert rose” shape of Nouvel’s building, the studio created circular dining pods. Set within curved cream walls, these have burgundy booths and bronzed tables.
    “We designed the space to sit carefully within and yet not touch the architecture,” Takada said. “In effect, the interiors are designed so that if one day they are removed, the architecture will remain untouched.”
    Visitors have views of Doha BayKoichi Takada Architects has designed six interior spaces in total for the National Museum of Qatar, including two cave-like gift shops with undulating wooden walls.
    The museum is among a number of cultural projects and architectural landmarks that have been completed in time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which is currently taking place in Qatar.
    The country was heavily criticised for its treatment of migrant workers in the lead-up to the World Cup, which saw the country build numerous new stadiums to house the games.
    The photography is by Julien Lanoo unless otherwise stated.

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    Functional Creative Design refreshes NeueHouse co-working space in New York

    Functional Creative Design founder Sarah A Abdallah has revamped the interiors of members’ club NeueHouse in Manhattan, turning the front of the space into a restaurant that can easily become a stage for events.

    The New York-based designer and consultant returned to refresh NeueHouse, having first worked on the project with Rockwell Group in 2014.
    A circular bar serves NeueHouse members throughout the dayA member of the creative co-working space herself, Abdallah used her knowledge of the place and extensive experience in hospitality design to renovate the interior as it approached its 10-year mark.
    Conversations about the project began pre-pandemic, and the restrictions enacted as a result ended up guiding portions of the design.
    Various seating options are offered to the side of the Spanish stepsMajor changes to the space included converting the front area into a restaurant, which is used for dining, informal meetings and as a workspace during the day.

    At night, this spot becomes a stage for speakers or performers, who form part of a robust events program.
    A new cafe and retail space features walnut millwork”Space planning for this particular area was very key to insuring people felt safe, also I had to be sure we were compliant with NYC regulations that were changing weekly,” Abdallah told Dezeen.
    With this need for flexibility in mind, the designers installed lightweight banquettes from Danish brand Menu that can be unclipped and easily moved by staff.
    Furniture like marble-topped tables is easily moveable so that the space can be transformed for eventsThese are accompanied by two-top tables with violet-hued marble surfaces, where members can “grab a tea and laptop and have their own morning ritual”.
    The restaurant faces a set of Spanish steps, which form areas for casual work and act as an amphitheatre of seats during events.
    The bathrooms are designed as elevated spaces for hand-washing ritualsThese were updated with new metal details, walnut veneer, custom pillows and tables for laptops or drinks.
    “We added small round tables by Bernhardt Design at the bottom steps and cluster stools by Suite NY so this could also be an extension of the restaurant as well,” said Abdallah. “Two people could sit together for a drink and small plates.”
    Floor-to-ceiling marble was added to bathroom areasTo the left is further seating that serves as a cafe during the day and a wine bar at night, including a custom banquette built into the side of the steps.
    The circular bar, designed as a freestanding sculptural element, is faced in leather padding and topped with a green marble counter.
    Two matching high-top tables in front allow members to gather and circulate as they wish, while a variety of seating options are available beyond.

    NeueHouse opens Los Angeles co-working space inside landmarked Bradbury Building

    Behind the Spanish steps is a new cafe and retail area, organized around a walnut island.
    In the bathrooms, floor-to-ceiling marble was added in the stalls and behind the urinals, and wood panelling also creates an elevated residential-like environment.
    “Hand washing became an essential ritual to our health during the pandemic and so we wanted to also elevate the bathrooms to allow members to take more time to look in the mirror, be in gratitude and also take in the design details,” Abdallah said.
    Abdallah used her experience in hospitality design to give all spaces a welcoming feelThe designer previously worked on projects including the Park Hyatt in Washington DC, the Intercontinental Hotels in Cairo and Geneva, and 15 Hudson Yards in NYC before founding Functional Creative Design.
    NeueHouse also operates three locations in Los Angeles, including one inside the landmarked Bradbury Building, while a fifth has been announced for Miami.
    Dezeen hosted a series of talks with the company in 2022, including a conversation about the metaverse and another focused on Afrofuturism.
    The photography is by Ball & Albanese.

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    Neri&Hu inserts shed into old lane house for Blue Bottle Coffee shop in Shanghai

    Chinese studio Neri&Hu has inserted a stainless-steel shed into a Shanghainese lane house for Blue Bottle Coffee’s latest cafe in Shanghai, which opened to the public last week.

    Located in Zhangyuan in one of the area’s 140-year-old traditional Shikumen mansions, Neri&Hu’s design for the coffee shop aims to evoke “an intimate and nostalgic experience and bring back the memories of ‘home’.”
    The Blue Bottle coffee shop is located in an old Shanghainese lane houseShikumen, also known as lane houses, is a traditional type of Shanghainese house that was popularised during the 19th century. They usually feature high brick walls that enclose a small front yard, with residential units arranged close to one another in narrow alleys.
    For this project, Shanghai-based Neri&Hu kept the existing brick walls, wooden doors and windows of the original architectural facades but replaced the interior wooden structure with concrete.
    A shed made of stainless steel at the centre of the cafe is used as a coffee barThe formerly separate units in the building were removed to form a large open space for the cafe. A stainless-steel shed was erected at the centre of the space to serve as the main coffee bar area.

    The structure of the shed was built with brushed, perforated and bent stainless steel to maximise the transparency of the space and contrast the heavy palette of the existing architecture.

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    The areas around the bar hold seating arrangements including long benches, low stone tables, wooden stools, and vintage walnut furniture, which were chosen to reflect the traditional lifestyle in Shikumen.
    Neri&Hu also nodded to the informal constructions that people living in Shikumen houses used to extend their private spaces into the alleys, by adding metal rods and small platforms to existing structural columns.
    The steel span of the coffee shop shed and its integrated lighting design came from the clothes-hanging-rods and street lamps commonly seen in the old Shikumen homes.
    The seating area features a range of vintage furnitureBlue Bottle Coffee was founded as a small roastery in Oakland, California, in 2002 and has since grown into a chain of cafes across United States and Asia.
    This is the third Blue Bottle Coffee shop in mainland China. The first one was opened in February this year, designed by Schemata Architects, followed by the second one designed by Keiji Ashizawa Design in August, all located in Shanghai.
    Neri&Hu also recently turned an old textile factory in Beijing into the headquarters of a Chinese pastry brand.
    The photography is by Zhu Runzi.
    Project credits:
    Partners-in-charge: Lyndon Neri, Rossana HuAssociate-in-charge: Qiucheng LiDesign team: Jiaxin Zhang, Xi Chen, Peizheng Zou, Shangyun Zhou, Greg Wu, Luna HongFF&E design and procurement: Design RepublicGeneral contractor: Blue Peak Image Producing Co.,Ltd
    Dezeen is on WeChat!
    Click here to read the Chinese version of this article on Dezeen’s official WeChat account, where we publish daily architecture and design news and projects in Simplified Chinese.

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    Wabi-sabi philosophy leads revamp of Palau apartment in Barcelona

    Local studio Colombo and Serboli Architecture has completed a clean and contemporary renovation of an apartment in Barcelona, spotlighting some of its “imperfect” original features.

    The Palau apartment is situated a stone’s throw from the city’s Palau de la Música concert hall and backs onto a cluster of secluded courtyards.
    Colombo and Serboli Architecture has completed the Palau apartment in BarcelonaIts owner, an Italian fashion designer, had initially asked Colombo and Serboli Architecture to upgrade only the bathroom and closet storage. But the practice suggested carrying out a more extensive renovation that indulged the apartment’s lofty proportions.
    The practice also wanted to place greater emphasis on the home’s existing quirks in the spirit of wabi-sabi – the Japanese philosophy that celebrates the beauty of imperfections and the changes that come with the passage of time.
    The hallway still boasts the apartment’s original stucco walls”We decided to face the project through a wabi-sabi approach that could easily incorporate original features and imperfections while retaining the charm of the apartment,” the studio explained.

    “Shapes are kept simple and bold with recurring basic forms – squares, circles, spheres – while sturdy solid surfaces were used to combine the monumental language of existing elements.”
    Hollow steps in the new staircase hold cooking paraphernaliaThe apartment is entered via a narrow hallway, where the practice left much of the original stucco walls exposed to reveal “layers of history”.
    At the heart of the floor plan is a new multi-part staircase. It begins with a few suspended steps crafted from pale timber, followed by a micro-cement landing and a couple more timber steps.
    White cabinetry was installed in the kitchenThe bottom block of steps is painted white and dog-legs around the wall to form a planted backrest for a white boucle sofa.
    This small sitting area is dressed with a spherical paper lamp and a glass coffee table supported by terracotta orbs. Another large weathered patch of the apartment’s original stucco walls was preserved at the rear of the space.
    A 3.5-metre bookshelf towers over the living roomThe bottom section of the staircase also extends in the other direction to form a bench seat for the arched travertine table in the dining area. Steps facing this part of the home were hollowed out to accommodate crockery, recipe books and cooking ingredients.
    Nearby, an all-white kitchen suite is finished with a porcelain countertop and backsplash. A bespoke boxy kitchen hood made from brushed steel was installed above the stove.

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    Just opposite the apartment’s sitting area is a larger double-height living room, illuminated by a tall corner window.
    At its base, Colombo and Serboli Architecture created a chunky micro-cement platform where the owner can perch and take in views across the courtyards.
    On the opposite side of the room, a 3.5-metre-high gridded shelf provides space for the owner to display his ever-growing collection of books and art objects.
    The bedroom i up on the mezzanine levelThe bedroom can be found on the apartment’s mezzanine level. One side of the room is taken over by a closet, which the studio fronted with wicker doors to turn it into a “warm monolith”.
    LED lighting fitted on top of the storage draws attention to the apartment’s time-worn wooden ceiling beams.
    Wicker doors front the lengthy closetOne door of the closet has a diagonal cut-out that functions as a handrail for the stairs, while another can be pulled back to reveal a small nook containing a mirror and washbasin.
    A third door hides the apartment’s bathroom, which is clad entirely in iridescent mother-of-pearl tiles.
    “We played with different finishes, from glossy to rough, against the otherwise neutral palette,” explained the practice.
    The bed’s wicker headboard doubles as a balustrade for the mezzanineThe same wicker used for the closet was wrapped around the bed’s headboard, which doubles as a balustrade for the mezzanine. Surrounding the headboard is a thick wooden ledge that forms two bedside tables.
    The space was otherwise modestly decorated with a vintage orange leather chair and a wobbly-edged mirror.
    The bathroom is concealed behind a closet doorColombo and Serboli Architecture, which is run by Italian architects Matteo Colombo and Andrea Serboli, has revamped a number of homes around Barcelona in recent years.
    Among them is the Klinker Apartment, which features brightly-coloured paintwork, and the Font 6 flat where a porthole window peeps through from the kitchen to the bathroom.
    The photography is by Roberto Ruiz.
    Project credits:
    Architecture: Colombo and Serboli ArchitectureStyling and art direction: CaSA

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    Christ & Gantenbein adds “techno-futuristic” lobby to Oxford Street office

    Swiss studio Christ & Gantenbein has completed its upgrade of UK House on Oxford Street, adding a baroque-influenced lobby informed by the building’s history.

    The renovation of the Grade II-listed building aims to respond to the need for communicative corporate architecture. Designed to be a welcoming “place of arrival”, the new lobby combines the baroque themes from the existing building with modern elements.
    Christ & Gantenbein has upgraded UK House on Oxford Street”We conceived this lobby as a location full of hospitality, with a unique mix of baroque and techno-futuristic elements,” said Christ & Gantenbein’s founding partner Emanuel Christ.
    “The result is a creative spatial identity and generous sequence of rooms that offer high-quality experiences for the tenants and visitors alike.”
    The studio has added a baroque-influenced lobbyChrist & Gantenbein’s renovation expands upon the building’s conversion into an office block during the 1970s.  The structure still features two of its original baroque facades, which partially inspired the design of the new lobby.

    “We worked with this history to generate our vision of corporate architecture in the 21st century: bold, futuristic, open, communicative, yet steeped with history,” said the studio.
    Its design references the building’s historyLarge windows framed by bronzed metal at the front of the building draw upon the surrounding retail facades of Oxford Street. The lobby is accessed through a pair of revolving glass doors with frames of chromed stainless steel, which offer views of the mirrored columns inside.
    Inside the lobby Christ & Gantenbein placed a front desk and a coffee point, along with an ancillary space that can be used for meetings. A work by artist Wolfgang Tilmans features on the right wall of the space.

    Christ & Gantenbein designs Roche office to give staff “a reason to come to work”

    A marbled floor made from black and white stone spans the space, forming a checkered pattern which references the history of the building.
    A metal grill ceiling divided into a more subtle grid mirrors the checkered pattern of the floor, spanned by linear lighting elements that illuminate the lobby.
    There is a metal grill ceilingWith “apse-like” endings that project slightly into the lobby, the walls mimic the original baroque forms of the building. The walls are covered in neutral ceramic tiles which act as a subtle backdrop to the space.
    Mirrored columns reflect the patterns from the floor through the lobby, while polished chrome elements, including the elevator doors, feature throughout the space.
    A marbled floor forms a checkered patternBeyond the lobby, the addition of new staircases and elevators has connected the entry hall to a basement space featuring a separate lobby for cyclists and a multi-level bike storage space. Black and white patterns on the epoxy floor mark the route to the bike store, transitioning into a circular pattern to mark the entry to the changing space.
    Other facilities on the level include showers and lockers, along with hyper-modern elements designed by the studio which have been arranged throughout the functional space.
    Other facilities include showers and lockersFounded by Emanuel Christ and Christoph Gantenbein in 1998, architecture studio Christ & Gantenbein was named Architect of the Year in Dezeen Awards 2018.
    Other projects recently completed by the studio include a multifunctional workspace in Germany and a museum for chocolate brand Lindt.
    The photography is by Thomas Adank.

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    Kengo Kuma and Edition hotels create “oasis at the heart of the city” in Tokyo

    Hospitality brand Edition has teamed up with Japanese architect Kengo Kuma to create a luxury hotel filled with plants in the Toranomon district of Tokyo, Japan.

    Occupying the upper floors of a high-rise building in the Tokyo business district of Toranomon, the 206-room hotel is the first outpost in Japan for the Edition brand, which partnered with architect Kuma on the interior design.
    The Tokyo Edition, Toranomon, features a lobby filled with plantsThe heart of the hotel is a two-storey lobby space bursting with plants, which guests arrive at after taking the elevator up to the 31st floor.
    “I wanted to prove that it was possible to create a real oasis at the heart of the big city,” Kuma told Dezeen.
    The hotel lobby features large beams covered with wooden slatsThe large, open atrium, which draws from the layout of Buddhist temples, contains a bar, restaurant and numerous different seating areas.

    The double-height space is broken up by several large beams covered with wooden slats, which also adorn the ceiling of the space.
    Wood is used throughout the hotel suites”The beams are primarily parts of the structure, but we didn’t treat them in a way that might disturb the interior,” Kuma said.
    “Rather, we took advantage of the beams, covered them with wooden louvres and elevated their existence to a symbol of the hotel.”
    Sliding partitions separate sleeping and living areas in the bedrooms and suitesThe abundant use of wood continues throughout the hotel, including the bedrooms and 22 suites, where Kuma also introduced sliding screens.
    “In traditional Japanese houses, movable partitions are often applied to enhance flexibility in the interior, and we extended the idea to the rooms at Edition,” he said.
    The Blue Room restaurant features deep blue upholsteryThe hotel largely sticks to the neutral colour palette and natural materials such as marble and wood that are characteristic of the Edition brand.
    Vibrant pops of colour have been introduced in the two restaurants, which are helmed by Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens.
    The Jade Room restaurant features green upholsteryThe aptly named Blue Room, which occupies one side of the lobby space, features upholstery in deep hues of sapphire.
    The Jade Room, which adjoins the lobby, swaps the blue for vibrant shades of green and opens onto a verdant terrace overlooking the red-and-white Tokyo Tower landmark.
    A terrace overlooks the Tokyo Tower”It’s unusual to provide a green terrace on top of a high-rise building, but we dared to do so in order to connect the indoor and outdoor in a most natural way,” Kuma said.
    Other hotel amenities include a swimming pool, spa and conference spaces.
    The less aptly named Gold Bar, which is situated on the ground floor of the building that houses the hotel, combines black walls, floors, curtains and furniture with a white vaulted ceiling. An artwork hung above a fireplace on one side of the room is the only significant golden addition to the space.
    The Gold Bar features black walls and a white vaulted ceilingThe hotel, which opened last year, is the first of two Edition hotels planned for Tokyo, with a second hotel in the Ginza district of the city set to open soon.
    Previous Edition hotels include the West Hollywood Edition in Los Angeles designed in partnership with John Pawson and the Times Square Edition in New York City created with Yabu Pushelberg. Both hotels feature similarly plant-filled spaces.

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    The Edition brand is a partnership between Marriot International and renowned hotelier Ian Schrager, who is best known for co-founding the infamous nightclub Studio 54 in New York City in the late 1970s and 1980s.
    “I became acquainted with Ian in the 80s when I was studying in New York, and have admired his philosophy and sensitivity ever since,” Kuma said. “I believe our chemistry worked well and we could work together without much talking.”
    Black furniture and gold decorations feature in the Gold BarWhile the Tokyo Edition in Toranomon is the first Edition hotel in Japan, Japanese design has had a significant influence on Schrager’s work, according to the hotelier.
    “I have always had a spiritual connection with the approach and aesthetics of Japan,” Schrager said. “Their rationality, their simplicity, and their restraint has been the foundation of everything I’ve done.”
    “They are truly original thinkers but execute their ideas in such a humble and modest fashion,” he continued. “The end results are bold yet refined and shouts in a quiet way. It’s a sweet spot that is completely seductive for me.”

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