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    GSL Gallery takes over disused Parisian factory with “punk” interiors

    Weathered walls and concrete floors feature in this design gallery that creative collective The Guild of Saint Luke and architecture firm Studio ECOA have set up inside a former factory in Paris.

    Spread across one storey and two mezzanines, GSL Gallery provides a mixture of studio and exhibition space for the group of architects, artists and artisans that make up The Guild of Saint Luke.
    GSL Gallery sits inside an old factoryThe gallery occupies a disused factory in Pantin, a neighbourhood in northeastern Paris with a growing arts and culture scene.
    In recent years, the building operated as a classic car garage but was purchased by art dealer and gallerist Hadrien de Montferrand during the pandemic with the aim of transforming the site into a gallery.
    The building’s concrete floors were retainedDe Montferrand enlisted locally based Studio ECOA to carry out all the necessary architectural changes and asked The Guild of Saint Luke (GSL) to steer the building’s design and become its first tenant.

    “We were charmed by the space and found the patina and raw walls to be punk and accidentally on-point,” GSL’s creative director John Whelan told Dezeen.
    Clean white panelling was added to give the space the look of a typical gallery”Working in close collaboration with Studio ECOA, we proposed a project that retained all of the rawness of the spaces with very minimal design interventions,” he continued.
    “We felt that it would be criminal to interfere with the existing mood, which is melancholic and eerily beautiful.”
    Studio ECOA restored the building’s facade and aluminium roof, as well as preserving its original concrete flooring.
    A live-work space can be found on GSL Gallery’s first mezzanineBoxy storage units were built on either side of the front door to form a corridor-like entrance to the ground floor, where white panelling was added across the lower half of the patchy, time-worn walls to emulate the look of a typical gallery.
    This ground-floor space will be used to display a changing roster of avant-garde installations, which GSL hopes to finance by using the gallery’s workspaces to produce more commercial projects for design brands.

    Maison François brasserie in London takes cues from Ricardo Bofill’s architecture

    “Commercial endeavours will help to fund more proactive ‘passion projects’, where we will exhibit GSL’s own designs along with designers and artists that we admire,” Whelan said.
    “Our chief motivation is creative freedom, as we hope to produce installations that do not necessarily adhere to a commercial brief.”
    Bathroom facilities are contained in a mirrored volumeThe building’s two existing mezzanines were cut back to create a central atrium, which draws natural light into the gallery’s interior.
    The lower mezzanine now houses a hybrid live-work space where GSL members or visiting artists can stay the night.
    This space is centred by a large Donald Judd-style wooden table and also accommodates a bed, kitchenette and a bathroom concealed within a mirrored volume.
    Metal sanitary ware reflects the light in the bathroomExtra exhibition space is provided on the secondary mezzanine that sits beneath the building’s roof, directly under a series of expansive skylights.
    Prior to now, GSL has largely specialised in hospitality interiors – restoring historic brasseries across Paris and devising opulent restaurants such as Nolinski near the Musée du Louvre and Maison Francois in London.
    The lower mezzanine also houses a bed and a large table”We hope that the gallery will be an extension of the aesthetic that we are trying to develop, embracing new ideas but never abandoning the pursuit of beauty,” Whelan explained.
    “It feels like a good time to do so, as Covid has cleared and a mood of optimism in design has emerged. This bracing, minimal space feels almost like a clean slate and invites a multitude of possibilities.”
    The second mezzanine sits directly underneath the building’s skylightsOther recent additions to Paris’s cultural landscape include a major extension of the Musée Albert Kahn by Kengo Kuma and Associates, which made room for a historic collection of 72,000 photographs.
    Elsewhere in the French capital, Bruno Gaudin Architectes just completed a 15-year renovation of the National Library of France, incorporating a number of new circulation routes and public spaces.
    The photography is by Oskar Proctor. 

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    Celine recalls “vintage spirit” at Rue Saint-Honoré boutique

    Celine creative director Hedi Slimane channelled “French elegance” when designing the latest Celine boutique in central Paris, which features expanses of brass and marble as well as Slimane-designed furniture.

    Located on Paris’ Rue Saint-Honoré, known for its luxury shopping, the store sits within a 19th-century Haussmann building and connects to a Celine Haute Parfumerie store that was opened in 2019 and references old art deco perfumeries.
    The store was designed by Hedi SlimaneSet over two floors, the 137-square-metre store is dedicated to the brand’s leather goods, accessories and fine jewellery. Its interior was designed by Celine’s creative director, Slimane, who has helmed the fashion house since 2018.
    The Rue Saint Honoré store continues Slimane’s vision for Celine’s global store interior identity, which the brand explained recalls a vintage spirit and ideas of French elegance – much like its recently opened Bond Street store.
    It references French modernism”Conceived as a timeless setting, the architecture of the boutique gives a sense of intimacy, precisely recalling old art deco perfumers’ designs,” said Celine.

    “The ground floor, dedicated to leather goods, fine jewellery and women’s accessories, is structured around the ideas of French elegance and ‘vintage’ spirit.”
    Slimane also referenced French modernism through the choice of materials and furniture for the store.
    Brass, wood, marble and glass were used throughout the storeIn a nod to the neighbouring perfume store, whose walls were clad in sheets of imposing black and white marble, identical sheets of antique marble were used for the floors of the accessories and jewellery store.
    A jewel-like, golden brass, semi-helicoidal staircase tops the white-veined marble floor and leads visitors up to a mezzanine level and Parisian-style salon used to display artisanal bags from Celine’s Haute Maroquinerie collection.

    Hedi Slimane uses “French elegance” to define Celine store in London

    The upper level of the store is host to an antique marble fireplace, zigzagging walls of mirrored panels and wooden furniture wrapped in leather and shaggy fur designed by Slimane.
    Oxidised metal panels clad the walls of the ground floor between backlit, ribbed glass louvres, while vitrine-style shelving and cabinetry recall opulent modernist interiors.
    The store will stock accessories and jewelleryArt pieces selected from the Celine Art Project are displayed throughout the store, including a totem by Ian LC Swordy, a painting by Will Boone and a suspended glass and golden brass mobile by Virginia Overton that was personally commissioned by Slimane.
    Earlier in December, Slimane showcased his 17th collection for Celine which saw the creative director return to Los Angeles to present his Autumn Winter 2023 womenswear show at the Wiltern Theatre – an art deco landmark built in 1931.
    Following Slimane’s appointment as Celine’s creative director, he began carrying out renovations of Celine stores worldwide developing signature design codes for the brand’s store interiors.
    The photography is courtesy of Celine.

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    RtA NYC store by Dan Brunn features broken crystal and red fitting rooms

    Pieces of broken crystal fill a display case that runs the length of this Manhattan boutique, completed by Los Angeles-based architect Dan Brunn for streetwear brand Road to Awe.

    The store on Mercer Street in SoHo is both the third location for Road to Awe, also known as RtA, and the third designed by Dan Brunn Architecture.
    Road to Awe’s third store by Dan Brunn is divided by a central displayFollowing outposts in West Hollywood and Las Vegas, the new 2,152-square-foot (200-square-metre) space occupies the ground floor of a historic landmarked building.
    “Honoring the more industrial nature of its surroundings, RtA Soho takes on a streamlined and contemporary approach with a raw edge directly opposing the more playful and ostentatious style of the Vegas location and serene nature of its West Coast counterpart,” said Brunn’s studio.
    The row of vitrines is filled with pieces of broken Baccarat crystalThe open floor plan is divided along the centre by a line of mirrored chrome vitrines.

    Created in collaboration with crystal brand Baccarat, the display contains 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) of broken crystal that would have otherwise been discarded.
    Clothing is hung from suspended steel beamsEach case has an angled top to create a faceted surface, while a red glow surrounds the base of the structure.
    The crystal pieces are also back-lit, “casting rays of light throughout the store like a reverse disco ball” according to the brand.
    At the rear, a fitting room area is entirely red and illuminated with neon stripsMenswear and womenswear are displayed either side of this central axis, hung from floating horizontal blackened steel beams that help to divide the space.
    Brunn retained the original wooden flooring, but painted it in a gradient that blends from white to black towards the rear of the store.

    Delicate glass shelves illuminate Las Vegas boutique by Dan Brunn Architecture

    At the back is an entirely red area that provides access to the fitting rooms.
    A velvet-covered seating module runs down the middle of this space, flanked by repeated arches that puncture the side walls and are outlined by neon lights.
    Areas of missing brick in the fitting rooms are lined with gold leafNeon strips also traverse horizontally across the ceiling, while an LED display on the back wall plays RtA’s merchandising videos and fashion shows.
    Inside the fitting rooms, “valleys” in the existing brick wall “were sporadically filled with gold leaf paint employing the Japanese kintsugi method of embracing the beauty in imperfection”, said the studio.
    The RtA NYC store is located in a historic building on Mercer StreetBrunn’s first store for RtA opened on Melrose Avenue in 2017, followed by his boutique at the Wynn resort in Las Vegas in 2019.
    The architect has also renovated a Frank Gehry-designed house for an illustrator and designed a long slender home spanning a brook for himself.
    The photography is by Brandon Shigeta.

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    Ten modern homes with interiors informed by biophilic design

    Biophilic design, which aims to create spaces in which humans are more connected to nature, is becoming increasingly popular. In this lookbook, we’ve gathered 10 interiors with soothing biophilic designs.

    The design principle can be used in architecture and interior design through the use of natural materials, as well as the integration of more natural light and green plants.
    The 10 projects in this lookbook, which range from a Japanese home with decorative scaffolding to an Italian house with an indoor Ficus tree, show how biophilic design has been used in projects all over the globe.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring colorful 1970s interiors, innovative stone furniture and interiors designed using the Color of the Year.
    Photo by Murray FredericksWelcome to the Jungle, Australia, by CplusC Architectural Workshop 

    The Welcome to the Jungle house in Sydney was designed by architecture studio CplusC Architectural Workshop for its director, Clinton Cole.
    Made partly from recycled materials, the building was designed as an experiment in sustainable urban living and has a rooftop vegetable garden as well as an aquaponics system containing edible fish, allowing its inhabitants to live in close connection to nature even in the city.
    Find out more about Welcome to the Jungle ›
    Photo courtesy of Suzuko YamadaDaita2019, Japan, by Suzuko Yamada
    This Japanese home may look industrial with its unusual permanent scaffolding. But designer Suzuko Yamada effectively brought its inhabitants closer to the environment by creating the steel structure, which allows them to step straight out to the garden on the first floor.
    On the second floor, two steel platforms form balconies filled with green plants, while the house’s 34 windows in different sizes let in plenty of natural light.
    Find out more about Daita2019 ›
    Photo by Hiroyuki OkiWall House, Vietnam, by CTA
    Vietnam’s Wall House was made from hole-punctured bricks and has a central atrium that gives the home a courtyard-like feel. Ho Chi Minh City-based CTA added leafy green plants and trees around the periphery of the room to make it feel almost like a garden.
    By using the hole-punctured bricks and adding plenty of light and green plants, the studio hoped to create a house that would be able to “‘breathe’ 24/7 by itself”, it said, thereby improving the home’s air quality.
    Find out more about Wall House ›
    Photo by Leonardo FinottiRibeirão Preto residence, Brazil, by Perkins+Will
    Perkins+Will’s drew on biophilic design principles when creating this house in Ribeirão Preto, a city in southeastern Brazil.
    It features retractable glass walls that open the interior up to the outside, as well as tactile wooden screens and a verdant green roof.
    Find out more about Ribeirão Preto residence ›
    Photo by ​Hiroyuki OkiBat Trang House, Vietnam, by Vo Trong Nghia Architects
    A series of elevated gardens function as a natural cooling system in Bat Trang House, which has an exterior made from ceramic bricks that was designed to function as a perforated skin.
    Gaps in the ceramic shell function as air vents. These circulate air thorough the home, which also has trees, bushes and other plants peeking out through the gaps and creating a second layer “buffer zone” that cools the interior.
    Find out more about Bat Trang House ›
    Photo courtesy of Tsukasa OnoSumu Yakushima, Japan, by Tsukasa Ono
    This co-operative housing project was designed by architect Tsukasa Ono to have a positive impact on its natural setting. Ono used a principle that he calls “regenerative architecture” to reframe the relationship between human habitation and nature.
    Sumu Yakushima was built using wooden piles with charred surfaces that promote the growth of mycelium (fungal threads), encouraging tree root growth and helping to strengthen the soil.
    Find out more about Sumu Yakushima ›
    Photo by Delfino Sisto Legnani and Alessandro Saletta from DSL StudioThe Greenary, Italy, by Carlo Ratti Associati and Italo Rota
    The Greenary’s living space centres around a 10-metre-tall Ficus tree, which designers Carlo Ratti and Italo Rota added to help “blur the boundaries between the natural and artificial”.
    The home, located in the countryside outside Parma, was designed as a “forever home” in a farmhouse and granary. A fully-glazed southern wall lets plenty of light into the interior and showcases the tree from the outside.
    Find out more about The Greenary ›
    Photo by Barton TaylorPepper Tree Passive House, Australia, by Alexander Symes
    This home in Unanderra, Australia, was given an angular addition by architect Alexander Symes. Featuring wood-lined living spaces, it opens onto a terrace that is perched in the canopy of a large tree.
    Green plants and a brown and tan colour palette enhance the feeling of being close to nature in the living area.
    “Sustainability is at the core of the project – embodied between the natural material palette, high performance design and strong biophilic connection,” said Symes.
    Find out more about Pepper Tree Passive House ›
    Photo by Hirouyki OkiThe Drawers House, Vietnam, by MIA Design Studio
    The Drawers House was designed to maximise the connection to the outdoors while maintaining privacy for its inhabitants and features multiple plant-lined courtyards.
    Its white rendered walls have also been covered in plants to enhance the feel of being immersed in nature, while a hallway was decorated with a wall of creeper plants that extend the length of the site.
    Find out more about The Drawers House ›
    Photo by Lenny CoddThe Cork Studio, UK, by Studio Bark
    Studio Bark constructed The Cork Studio almost entirely from cork, a natural material that can be completely recycled, reused or composted.
    Made using discarded granules from a wine cork manufacturer, the building was erected around an existing sycamore tree that was growing on the site, giving its interior a cosy treehouse-feel.
    Find out more about The Cork Studio ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring colorful 1970s interiors, innovative stone furniture and interiors designed using the Color of the Year.

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    Falken Reynolds applies beach-toned palette to Cadboro Bay House interiors

    Bringing the ocean inside was the primary goal of interiors studio Falken Reynolds when designing this waterfront home on Vancouver Island.

    The modern house at the southern tip of the island in British Columbia, Canada was completed by architect Chris Foyd of local firm Bo Form for an active couple with three sons.
    Maximising views of the ocean was Falken Reynold’s principal focus for the interiorsThe family relocated to Cadboro Bay from prairie city Edmonton, and wanted to maximise their coastal location after living so far from the sea.
    “The client had a clear vision for the house – a very pared back, durable and minimalist interior but with warmth and subtle sophistication,” said Falken Reynolds principal Chad Falkenberg, who led the design of the interiors.
    Low furniture helps to prevent blocking sightlines to the outdoorsMeasuring 5,400 square feet (501 square metres), the house appears like a bungalow from the street, while its lower level is tucked underneath and faces the ocean.

    Upstairs is an open-plan kitchen, dining and living room, a primary suite and two more bedrooms, as well as a study, powder room and mudroom.
    A selection of Danish and Italian midcentury pieces are placed throughout the homeDownstairs, at pool and beach level, are two further bedrooms, a large home gym, a media room and a rec room.
    The expansive views of the bay through huge floor-to-ceiling windows on both floors are the focus of every space.
    The neutral colours and materials echo the tones of the beach”We wanted to bring the peacefulness of the natural environment inside,” Falkenberg said. “When it came to the detailing we drew a lot of inspiration from modern Belgian architects who are masters at warm minimalism.”
    Low furniture, neutral tones and natural textures together create a casual and serene mood in harmony with the scenery outside.
    The primary suite is located on the upper level and overlooks the water”The palette is an extension of the beach: grays, whites and wood – light and desaturated for the oak millwork and hemlock ceilings – including the oak furniture in the dining room, living room and bedroom,” said Falkenberg.
    The pared-back materials, most of which were sourced locally, also help to highlight the family’s collection of mid-century Canadian art.

    Falken Reynolds gives Saint George House in Vancouver a “Canadian Nordic” feel

    Paintings displayed throughout the home add bold splashes of colour, along with pieces like a glass chandelier by Bocci over the dining table and green marble in the bathroom.
    Along with a selection of Danish and Italian modernist furniture designs, these details help to give the spacious home a more intimate feel.
    Green marble adds colour in the bathroom”The large open spaces and expansive views could easily have felt vacuous with the minimalist approach,” Falkenberg said.
    “The trick was to balance the clean lines with subtle details that add just the right layer of warmth to the spaces.”
    The house was designed by Bo Form and is positioned on the southern tip of Vancouver IslandBased in Vancouver, Falken Reynolds has completed several minimal residential interiors in and around its home city.
    They include a historic townhouse renovation, a house with 11 skylights and a loft apartment with a hidden sleeping nook.
    The photography is by Ema Peter Photography.
    Project credits:
    Interior design: Falken ReynoldsArchitect: Bo Form Architecture, Christian FoydLandscape design: Demitasse Garden Design

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    Ten pop-up shop interiors featuring memorable designs

    Our first lookbook of 2023 collects 10 pop-up shop interiors from around the world, from a swimming-pool-style store by fashion brand Jacquemus to a playful supermarket stocked with groceries made of felt.

    Pop-up shops are temporary retail spaces created as locations for brands to sell their products, generally installed for only a matter of weeks or months.
    Due to their fleeting nature, these stores often feature statement interior designs to capture the attention of their audiences, especially if their aim is to promote new or limited-edition goods.
    Showcasing a variety of material and colour palettes, here are 10 pop-up shops featured on Dezeen.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring suspended fireplaces, homes with sliding doors and interiors informed by Bauhaus principles.

    Image courtesy of SelfridgesLe Bleu, UK, by Random Studio and Simon Jacquemus
    Experience design firm Random Studio created a series of pop-up installations at London’s Selfridges department store that served as temporary shops for French fashion label Jacquemus between May and June last year.
    Titled Le Bleu, the surrealist installations included a pale blue tiled space that was informed by swimming pool changing rooms, complete with dark blue lockers and cubicles holding a series of smaller installations within them.
    Find out more about Le Bleu ›
    Photo by Calle HuthA Better Place to Think, Norway, by Snøhetta
    A Better Place to Think was an Oslo pop-up store designed by architecture studio Snøhetta for tablet brand reMarkable, which looked to the tranquility of libraries for its interior design.
    Warm-hued reading lamps positioned on divided wooden desks illuminated curved leather banquettes where visitors were invited to sit and read. A squiggly neon overhead light took cues from the shape and energy of handwriting.
    Find out more about A Better Place to Think ›
    Image courtesy of Lucy SparrowThe Sparrow Mart, USA, by Lucy Sparrow
    Sushi rolls, pork chops and a playful ATM machine all made entirely out of felt featured in a makeshift supermarket installation in Downtown Los Angeles by British artist Lucy Sparrow.
    The Sparrow Mart was stocked with 31,000 purchasable plush renditions of grocery staples, which were arranged along aisles in colourful rows that took cues from 1980s American supermarkets.
    “As a child, I was obsessed with the exotic, turbo-charged technicolour glow emanating from across the Atlantic,” the artist told Dezeen.
    Find out more about The Sparrow Mart ›
    Photo by Gray HamnerSKKN pop-up shop, USA, by Perron-Roettinger
    Design studio Perron-Roettinger adopted a minimalist colour and material palette when creating the first pop-up shop for SKKN, Kim Kardashian’s skincare and homeware brand.
    Located in a Los Angeles shopping mall until the end of last year, the store’s curved alcoves and sculptural counters were clad in raw plaster and cement, which acted as shelving for the reality TV star’s pared-back products.
    Kardashian opened another pop-up shop in 2021 to promote her underwear brand SKIMS, featuring glossy display units designed by Willo Perron.
    Find out more about this SKKN pop-up store ›
    Photo by Jasper FryMugler Bodyscape, UK, by Random Studio
    Random Studio recently dressed the interior of Corner Shop, Selfridges’ ever-changing retail space, with chrome-effect fragments designed to mimic women’s body parts. The pieces formed an installation celebrating 30 years of fashion brand Mugler’s fragrances.
    Called Bodyscape, the striking large-scale fragments were made from painted wood, while a drop-shaped sculptural centrepiece dispensed Mugler scent intermittently, and also produced undulating lighting when visitors approached it.
    “Seen from the street, the sculptural installation forms an abstract side view of a woman elegantly reclining,” said Random Studio.
    Find out more about Bodyscape ›
    Photo by Benoit FlorençonTiffany & Co pop-up shop, France, by OMA
    Pieces from jeweller Tiffany & Co’s 185-year history are currently on display at a pop-up shop in Paris designed by architecture studio OMA, which will be edited throughout this year until its dismantling in May.
    The labyrinthine store includes a dramatic blue rotunda showcasing designs from Tiffany’s extensive archive, which are encased within pyramidal glass plinths mirrored by gigantic images of the jewellery – blown up to give visitors a closer look at the pieces’ delicate features.
    Find out more about this Tiffany & Co pop-up shop ›
    Photo by Jonathan HökkloSelf-Portrait pop-up shop, USA, by Storey Studio
    Luxury fashion brand Self-Portrait showcased its ready-to-wear Autumn Winter 2019 collection at a New York pop-up store in the city’s SoHo neighbourhood designed by Storey Studio.
    An immersive setting was created by hanging drapes of translucent pink-and-white lace that the studio attached to a concentric circular wooden structure, while suspended tubes of LED lighting illuminated the interior.
    Find out more about this Self-Portrait pop-up store ›
    Photo courtesy of Axel Arigato”Upside-down” Axel Arigato pop-up shop, UK, by Avoir
    Axel Arigato footwear is currently for sale at this “upside-down” pop-up shop in Selfridges, designed for the streetwear brand by French studio Avoir to recall an inverted office.
    Trainers fitted with magnets stick to the walls of the space, which features familiar polystyrene grid ceilings and other office-like materials such as strip lighting and exposed wires.
    “The concept was to flip the script both physically and figuratively on what customers expect from a pop-up, turning all elements upside down through an industrial office lens in which the ceiling becomes the floor and vice versa,” said Axel Arigato.
    Find out more about this “upside-down” pop-up shop ›
    Photo by GlossierGlossier pop-up shop, USA, by Studio Lily Kwong
    Landscape designer Lily Kwong looked to the topography of Capitol Hill, Seattle, to create a local pop-up shop for beauty brand Glossier.
    Conceived in collaboration with Glossier, the store contained moss-topped mounds referencing rolling hills and covered with the region’s native plants.
    Pink and purple accents featured throughout the space and nodded to the brand’s brightly coloured make-up collection, which was displayed on white plinths.
    Find out more about this Glossier pop-up shop ›
    Photo by Topia VisionFatface Coffee, China, by Baicai
    Fatface Coffee was a pop-up coffee shop designed by architecture studio Baicai and presented for a month at Shenyang’s Window Gallery in China.
    The focal point was 300 forest-green beer crates forming a central rectilinear bar and cork-seated stools – an installation that intended to blend the city’s fondness for beer with a local coffee culture that is emerging.
    Bacicai opted for this central seating area to create an open space encouraging free circulation and challenged the conventional floor plan of a cafe.
    Find out more about Fatface Coffee ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring suspended fireplaces, homes with sliding doors and interiors informed by Bauhaus principles.

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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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