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    Perron-Roettinger clads Kim Kardashian SKKN pop-up store in raw plaster and cement

    Design studio Perron-Roettinger has created a pop-up shop for Kim Kardashian’s skincare and homeware brand SKKN in Los Angeles that showcases its products in a physical space for the first time.

    The minimalist pop-up store, which is located inside Los Angeles shopping mall Westfield Century City, was designed using a limited material palette in a nod to the brand’s pared-back design.
    Perron-Roettinger has created a pop-up shop for Skkn”The SKKN [store] is about raw materials – bold, big blocks of stacked raw material – which is inspired from an inactive quarry that I visited once,” Perron-Roettinger cofounder Willo Perron told Dezeen.
    “All different plaster and cement finishes echo the emphasis on the raw natural materials.”
    The walls and counters are made from concrete and plasterIn the 1,330-square-foot (123 square-metre) space, homeware and skincare products are presented within curved wall alcoves or on top of sculptural counters made from grey concrete and plaster. The room is framed by two large portrait photos of reality television star Kardashian.

    “Just in time for the holiday season, the pop-up will offer customers a luxurious in-person shopping experience with the entire SKKN By Kim collection – from skincare to home decor,” said the brand.
    Skincare items are displayed in alcovesThe use of raw materials references Perron’s partner Brian Roettinger’s packaging for SKKN products, as well as Kardashian’s recently launched concrete homeware collection called Home Accessories Collection.
    All the materials come in varying shades of Kardashian’s signature beige and grey colour palette, which she has used in her home and her shapewear collections.

    Kim Kardashian launches first pop-up SKIMS store in Paris

    According to Perron, the brand’s packaging and the store interior are united in their reliance on simple shapes and raw materials.
    “The throughline idea is materials untouched, most primary and elemental state,” he explained. “Simple geometry is important to add a recognizable component to both the space and the packaging.”
    Perron–Roettinger was also responsible for SKKN’s creative direction, brand identity and art direction.
    The store mirrors the brand’s minimalist packagingThe SKKN pop-up shop is open until the end of the year in Westfield Century City, Los Angeles.
    The longtime collaboration between designer Willo Perron and Kim Kardashian has seen Perron design other pop-up stores for the American reality star’s brands.
    For Kardashian’s shapewear company Skims, Perron created a beige coloured pop-up shop in Paris with chunky display units and partitions.
    Los-Angeles based Perron-Roettinger has also completed other pop-up shops for brands including Stüssy.
    The photography is by Gray Hamner.

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    Nickolas Gurtler brings 1970s Italian glamour to Youth Lab clinic in Perth

    Australian designer Nickolas Gurtler has drawn from the nightclubs of 1970s Milan and Florence to create the interior for a cosmetic clinic in Perth, Australia.

    It is the third interior that Gurtler has created for Youth Lab, a clinic that offers a range of non-surgical cosmetic treatments that include anti-ageing procedures, hair removal and skin rejuvenation.
    The waiting area features a mirror wall, gold lights and a green silk carpetLocated in Joondalup, Youth Lab 3.0 is the brand’s most experimental space so far.
    While the two other locations – in Claremont and West Perth – occupy heritage buildings, this one is set inside a commercial block from the 1990s. This meant Gurtler could be more daring in his approach.
    A Dina Broadhurst artwork provides a focal pointWhile the design was partly informed by the brand’s minimalist identity, it also features playful details that include mirror walls and a grand geometric reception desk.

    “There were some really outrageous and glamorous concepts that I really responded to and had filed away for the right project,” said Gurtler.
    “When Youth Lab approached us again for their third clinic, I knew that this was the right time to bring them to life.”
    The reception desk is formed of Arabescato marble and Venetian plasterThe starting point was the palette of forms and materials that Gurtler has worked with previously for the brand, which includes decorative marble, plush velvet and metal cabinetry.
    While the Claremont space that Gurtler designed for the brand has a New York loft vibe, here these elements are paired with shades of olive green and gold to create a more retro Italian feel.
    “This language is a kind of style guide for us on each project,” said Gurtler.
    “Common elements such as mixed metals, monolithic forms, plush textures and rich colour are used in each of the clinics, but we translate these elements completely differently each time.”
    The colour palette centres around olive green and goldArabescato marble is combined with Venetian plaster and polished aluminium to create the cuboidal forms of the reception desk, which sits beneath a custom glass and brass lighting pendant by designer Lost Profile Studio.
    A large gridded mirror installation provides the backdrop to a waiting area furnished with a green silk carpet, a blocky marble coffee table and sculptural white armchairs.
    A sculpture by American potter Jonathan Adler sits in front of a second mirror wallRows of golden-hued ceiling lights are reflected in the mirrors, doubling their visual impact, and an artwork by Dina Broadhurst creates another focal point.
    As customers are led through for treatment, they also encounter a second mirror wall, a ceramic by American potter Jonathan Adler, custom wall lights and brass door numbers.
    Custom lighting scones embellish the wallsYouth Lab 3.0 was longlisted for Dezeen Awards 2022 in the leisure and wellness interior category, along another of Gurtler’s designs, the Cole Hair Studio.
    The designer hopes the space offers “an immersive and sensorial experience which is as much invigorating as it is calming”.
    “The Youth Lab experience is a luxury and the interior reflects that,” he added.
    The photography is by Timothy Kaye.

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    Studio Sofield completes interiors on world's skinniest supertall skyscraper in New York

    Studio Sofield has completed the interiors of 111 West 57th Street, also known as Steinway Tower – a supertall skyscraper designed by SHoP Architects in New York City.

    The interiors mark the full completion of the 1,428-foot-tall (435-metre) skyscraper, which is the second tallest in the Western Hemisphere, and the skinniest in the world with a height-to-width ratio of 24:1.
    Studio Sofield completed interiors for Steinway Tower in ManhattanSited on a street bordering Central Park in Midtown that has come to be known as Billionaire’s Row, the skyscraper has views looking north and south.
    New York-based Studio Sofield designed the interiors for the skyscraper as well as the adjacent Steinway Hall, which is connected to the tower.
    The 91-storey skyscraper has 46 residences, with an additional 14 held in Steinway Hall, as well as a variety of amenities, and was developed by JDS Development Group and Property Markets Group.

    The design included interiors for the lobby spaces that connect the tower and Steinway Hall”With 111 West 57th Street, I set out to create interior architecture that was unmistakably and quintessentially New York,” said Studio Sofield founder William Sofield.
    “While celebrating the vibrancy of today, I am a historian by nature and sought to honor and evoke the splendor of our city’s gilded age.”
    Studio Sofield wanted the public interiors to reflect the “gilded age” of New York CityInteriors designed by Sofield includes the “block-long lobby sequence” that connects the two aspects of the tower. Here, the studio restored the original flooring of the Steinway Hall and used limestone, marble, blackened steel and velvet accents.
    Murals in bas-reliefs of gold and silver leaves depict architectural landmarks of New York, and elephants were depicted elephants roaming through the city as a”tribute to the history of pianos”.
    The swimming pool room has full-height windowsAnother room in the lobby sequence was outfitted with bronze mirror cladding that leads to a “domed salon” lined with banquet seating.
    On 58th street, a residence entrance featuring a granite porte-cochere with grillwork doors inspired by “the bronze filigree on the building’s exterior”.
    Steinway Hall was renovated using themes from the original buildingThe bar area and the swimming pool are also in the hall structure. According to the studio, the bar was based on the “legendary King Cole Bar with its chic bar” with an ornamental balcony and skylights that further the material references to the original building.
    Elevator vestibules for the tower were completed using custom-made doors by artist Nancy Lorenz. The swimming pool is 82 feet long (25 metres) and is housed in a double-height room with floor-to-ceiling windows.

    Seven super-skinny skyscrapers changing New York City’s skyline

    In the skyscraper, the residences each occupy at least a single floor. Each home has a central room where the views to the north and south are prioritised, and these rooms lead to a “signature great hall, which often spans the full width of the tower,” according to the studio.
    Grey oak and macauba stone were used for the flooring and nine-foot-tall doors separate the room.
    The skyscraper’s residences have wooden and stone floorHardware for the doors as well as other features like the freestanding bathtubs and the fixtures were sourced from long-standing US manufacturers such as PE Guerin, which, according to the studio, is the “country’s oldest architectural hardware firm”.
    Other supertall skyscrapers – defined as one between 984 and 1,969 feet (300 and 600 metres) – designed by SHoP Architects include the Brooklyn Tower in Downtown Brooklyn, which is nearing its way to completion, having topped out earlier this year.
    Billionare’s Row – the name for the luxury skyscrapers on 57th Street near Central Park in Manhattan, continues to see new developments, with New York studio ODA announcing the construction of a “fractal” skyscraper on the street.
    The interior photography is by Adrian Gaut with exterior photography by David Sundberg.

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    Td-Atelier and Endo Shorijo Design transform interior of traditional machiya house in Kyoto

    Japanese design studios Td-Atelier and Endo Shorijo Design have renovated a century-old machiya townhouse in Kyoto with minimal interiors that intend to honour the home’s existing architecture.

    Called House in Marutamachi, the Japanese house was built over 120 years ago and is arranged across two floors on a long and narrow site.
    House in Marutamachi is a traditional machiya house in KyotoTucked between two other residential properties, the house is an example of the wooden machiya townhouses that were once common in Japan’s historical capital Kyoto but are now at risk of going extinct.
    “Traditional Kyoto townhouses are being destroyed at a pace of 800 houses a year,” Td-Atelier explained.
    “Old buildings don’t match modern life. However, we want to stop the decline of Kyoto townhouses by fusing tradition, design and new life.”

    The kitchen is encased in a white volumeTd-Atelier and Endo Shorijo Design dressed House in Marutamachi’s interior with new components including sleek tiles and geometric furniture alongside materials reused from the original house, as seen in the traditional team room.
    The studios retained the building’s wooden columns and beams but added white volumes to house rooms including the kitchen and study to avoid disturbing the existing architecture with harsh structural materials.
    The tea room was constructed using materials reused from the original buildingThese variously sized cubes were designed to mimic the contrasting heights of buildings in a cityscape.
    “The gaps and omissions created between the volume group and the existing columns, beams, walls and floors create continuity in the space,” Td-Atelier said.

    Naoto Fukasawa inserts Issey Miyake store into 132-year-old Kyoto townhouse

    Throughout the house, Td-Atelier and Endo Shorijo Design adopted a minimal material and colour palette including a combination of light and dark woods alongside smooth concrete.
    A thin, sculptural light is suspended above the timber breakfast bar on the second floor, where occupants can sit on clusters of subtle-coloured stools.
    Original features were maintained in the gardenOutside, a plant-filled garden features elements from the building’s original architecture such as sandy-hued lanterns and a chōzubachi – a traditional stone water bowl historically used for washing hands before a tea ceremony.
    House in Marutamachi was shortlisted for house interior of the year at the 2022 Dezeen Awards.
    Dezeen recently announced the winners of this year’s interiors categories, who are now competing to win the overall interiors project of the year award.
    The photography is by Matsumura Kohei.

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    Dezeen announces interiors winners for Dezeen Awards 2022

    Dezeen has revealed the winners of this year’s Dezeen Awards interiors categories, which include interiors by Proctor and Shaw, Kelly Wearstler and Woods + Dangaran.

    The 11 winners awarded in Dezeen’s annual awards programme are located across nine different countries including Denmark, Taiwan, USA, Belgium and Canada.
    Three interiors that feature various reclaimed materials have been awarded this year, including a supermarket-style secondhand bookshop in China, a design school with mobile furniture in the south of France and a flexible retail interior for Italian eyewear brand Monc on London’s Chiltern Street.
    Other winners this year include Atelier Boter for its glass-fronted community hub in a Taiwanese fishing village and Hariri Pontarini Architects for its warm wood-toned clinic in Canada.
    Danish studio Tableau and Australian designer Ari Prasetya collaborated to design Connie-Connie Cafe at the Copenhagen Contemporary, winning them restaurant and bar interior of the year.

    Entries were initially scored by our jury of 25 leading international interior designers before the winners were decided by a master jury that met at One Hundred Shoreditch in September and was made up of Lore Group creative director Jacu Strauss, Studiopepe co-founder Chiara Di Pinto and London-based fashion designer Mary Katrantzou.
    They were joined by Design Haus Liberty founder Dara Huang and French architect and designer India Mahdavi.
    The 11 project winners will now compete to win overall interiors project of the year award, which will be unveiled at the Dezeen Awards 2022 party in London on 29 November.
    Find out more about the winning interiors projects on the Dezeen Awards website or read on below:
    Photo by Joe FletcherHouse interior of the year: Twentieth by Woods + Dangaran
    Twentieth is a three-storey house designed for a couple and their three young children in Santa Monica. Living spaces are organised around a courtyard with a decade-old olive tree with a U-shape ground floor, creating space for living rooms on both sides of the courtyard.
    The kitchen and bathrooms designed by Los Angeles studio Woods + Dangaran feature dark grey marble surfaces with streaks of white.
    “This project demonstrates a nice interplay between inside and outside and a good mix of different finishes and textures,” said the interiors master jury panel.
    Read more about Twentieth by Woods + Dangaran ›
    Photo by Stale EriksenApartment interior of the year: Shoji Apartment by Proctor and Shaw
    Shoji Apartment is a 29-square-metre micro-apartment in London that features birch plywood joinery throughout its interior.
    The apartment has an elevated sleeping area enclosed in translucent panels, which reference Japanese shoji screens and lend the project its name.
    “This is a highly innovative solution to the treatment of a challenging space that retains all the functionality of a normal apartment,” said the judges. “We would definitely accept an invitation to dinner!”
    Read more about Shoji Apartment by Proctor and Shaw ›
    Photo by Michael RygaardRestaurant and bar interior of the year: Connie-Connie at Copenhagen Contemporary by Tableau and Ari Prasetya
    Connie-Connie is a 150-square-metre cafe located within the Copenhagen Contemporary art gallery, an international art centre in a former welding facility. Tableau created the overall spatial design while Prasetya was in charge of the design and manufacturing of the bar as well as several other furniture pieces.
    The cafe explores how furniture can also be art and features chairs made by 25 designers from offcut wood.
    “The project addresses everything we expect from an interior design today, not only does it connect on a physical level, it connects with the community,” said the interiors panel. “There is also an impressive sobriety and humility to the design.”
    Read more about Connie-Connie at Copenhagen Contemporary by Tableau and Ari Prasetya ›
    Photo by The IngallsHotel and short-stay interior of the year: Downtown LA Proper Hotel by Kelly Wearstler Studio
    American designer Kelly Wearstler transformed the interior of the Proper Hotel group chain’s new hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Wearstler stripped out alterations made to the 1930s building to reveal existing grand ceilings, checkered tiled floors and wood panelling.
    The interiors are furnished with custom furniture as well as vintage furniture and artwork.
    “This project exudes a sense of joyfulness that needs to be rewarded!” said the judges. “The interior design evokes an experience that subverts the formality of conventional hotel design through its sense of identity and integrity throughout.”
    Read more about Downtown LA Proper Hotel by Kelly Wearstler Studio ›
    Photo courtesy of DysonLarge workspace interior of the year: Dyson Global HQ, St James Power Station by M Moser Associates
    M Moser Associates reconditioned the interiors of a power station in Singapore to create the global headquarters for multinational technology company Dyson. The interiors feature amphitheatre-style seating to encourage informal gatherings and a sculptural spiral staircase in the former turbine hall.
    The judges valued using an existing building to house a leading global enterprise such as Dyson.
    “We were pleasantly surprised that Dyson, a bleeding-edge company in innovation and technology, have opted for a refurbishment rather than a new build,” they said. “We were impressed with how they took an old shell and modernised it.”
    Read more about Dyson Global HQ, St James Power Station by M Moser Associates ›
    Photo by James LinSmall workspace interior of the year: The F.Forest Office by Atelier Boter
    The community centre situated in a fishing village in Taiwan was designed by Atelier Boter as a hybrid dining, working and event space, loosely divided by a curtain.
    The 53-square-metre venue is almost entirely lined with warm-hued plywood. A plywood partition wall at the end of the workspace is fitted with bookshelves and a small hatch, which connects to the kitchen.
    “This project is very well embedded in its cultural context and, despite a small budget, the designers were able to create something beautiful and modern – a small jewel within an old fishing village,” said the interiors panel.
    Read more about The F.Forest Office by Atelier Boter ›
    Photo by Hu YanyunLarge retail interior of the year: Deja Vu Recycle Store by Offhand Practice
    Deja Vu Recycle Store is a second-hand bookshop located on the first and second floors of a three-storey building in Shanghai. Local studio Offhand Practice aimed to create a relaxed shopping environment by mimicking the experience of grocery shopping. The clothes and books are displayed on shelves that resemble fruit and vegetable crates.
    Green mosaic tiles made from stone off-cuts were used to frame the building’s windows and accentuate other architectural details.
    “This is food for the mind!” said the judges. “It’s stripped back but in a confident way, exuding calmness and thoughtful simplicity.”
    Read more about Deja Vu Recycle Store by Offhand Practice ›
    Photo courtesy of Nina+CoSmall retail interior of the year: Monc by Nina + Co
    London-based Nina + Co incorporated biomaterials throughout the interior of eyewear brand Monc’s debut store.
    The glasses made from bio-acetate rest on cornstarch-foam shelves and mycelium display plinths. Long mirrors lean on blocks of local salvaged concrete.
    “This project demonstrates integrity between the finishes used and the product they are selling,” said the jury. “It is a very well-executed retail interior with an encouraging use of sustainable materials.”
    Read more about Monc by Nina + Co ›
    Photo by A-Frame PhotographyLeisure and wellness interior of the year: Barlo MS Centre by Hariri Pontarini Architects
    The clinic was designed by Canadian practice Hariri Pontarini Architects for patients who suffer from multiple sclerosis (MS), a complex autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system.
    As some MS patients experience vision and cognitive loss, as well as fatigue and decreased coordination, durability and accessibility were present throughout the design process. Barlo MS Centre features atypical colours, materials, textures and lighting to rethink sterile-looking healthcare spaces.
    “We were impressed by the fusion of the spa and the medical facilities, introducing a wellness element into something that would not traditionally have such an emphasis,” said the judges.
    “It is a more holistic approach to healthcare design, which is considerate to the mental aspects of healthcare environments.”
    Read more about Barlo MS Centre by Hariri Pontarini Architects ›
    Photo by Antoine HuotCivic and cultural interior of the year: Ecole Camondo Méditerranée by Émilieu Studio
    Émilieu Studio designed the interior of Camondo Méditerranée design school in Toulon, France. The studio aimed to create a large-scale flexible learning space, only furnished with reused local materials.
    The project features a mobile furniture system that can be easily compiled, transported and deployed outdoors. The furniture is made from locally sourced construction offcuts.
    “This school sets a new example of how to approach design education, creating a sense of openness and mobility, which is what a school should be all about,” said the interiors master jury panel.
    Read more about Ecole Camondo Méditerranée by Émilieu Studio ›
    Photo by Jochen VerghoteSmall interior of the year: Relaxing Geometry with Pops of Yellow by Van Staeyen Interieur Architecten
    Arched portals, curvy furniture and yellow decor accents feature in Van Staeyen Interieur Architecten’s revamped attic in Antwerp.
    The local studio refurbished a neglected attic in a family home, turning the area into a multi-functional space.
    “This is a good example of how design can be joyful and whimsical,” said the judges. “Accessible in many different aspects, financially and physically, it’s not just a playground for kids but a playground for everyone.”
    Read more about Relaxing Geometry with Pops of Yellow by Van Staeyen Interieur Architecten › More

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

    Timber, terracotta and rich jewel tones feature throughout this home in Melbourne that Australian studio Brave New Eco has designed for a family of five.

    Occupied by a couple and their three teenage children, West Bend House sits on a leafy plot overlooking the greenery-lined banks of Melbourne’s Merri Creek.
    The building itself was designed by local studio MRTN Architects but Brave New Eco was brought on board to do the interiors for the “forever home”, having already worked with the studio twice before on other projects.
    West Bend House is a Melbourne residence by Brave New Eco”The owners of the house were well known to us,” Brave New Eco explained.
    “They had been clients in the early days of the studio, so the mutual trust and respect levels were high, allowing us to create a highly responsive and intimately resolved outcome that the dynamic family will inhabit for many years to come,” the studio added.

    “Our challenge was to configure the interior elements so that each space feels settled and cohesive, with a sense of discovery to the distinct spaces as you move through the home.”
    A khaki-green sofa contrasts the blue carpet in the living roomCustom wooden cabinetry was installed in the home’s galley kitchen and kept handleless so that it “reads like a piece of furniture”, according to Brave New Eco.
    A wooden screen was also added behind the sink area to keep the washing-up out of view.
    Custom timber shelving was created for the studySlender green tiles that pick up on the home’s verdant surroundings line the island counter, as well as a strip of wall behind the stove.
    Above, a handy timber shelf for storing cooking paraphernalia is fronted with sliding brass-mesh screens.
    To the side of the kitchen lies an expansive picture window, beneath which the studio built a “bedroom repatriation drawer” where family members can store any belongings that stray from their sleeping quarters.
    The principal bedroom was rendered calming shades of greyThe colour green pops up again in the home’s laundry room, where the cupboards are coated with emerald-coloured Marmoleum.
    An L-shaped khaki-green sofa dominates one corner of the living room, contrasting with the plush teal carpet.

    Woods + Dangaran organises Twentieth house around olive tree

    At the centre of the home’s ground floor is a sunken courtyard with a study housed on the other side. This was finished with full-height timber bookshelves, a lengthy desk and a pinboard panel where the owners can tack up anything from reminders to artwork by the kids.
    The floor, like much of the rest of the home, was inlaid with red bricks.
    Sapphire-coloured tiles clad the main bedroom’s ensuiteSoothing grey shades were applied in the principal bedroom upstairs, which adjoins a moody ensuite bathroom almost entirely clad in sapphire-blue tiles.
    Two types of terracotta tile – one plain, one grooved – were used to create textured walls in the bathroom shared by the owners’ daughters.
    Terracotta tiling creates textural interest in the daughters’ bathroomWest Bend House is one of five projects shortlisted in the house interior category of this year’s Dezeen Awards.
    It will go up against residences such as Twentieth by Wood + Dangaran, which is arranged around a decades-old olive tree, and Barwon Heads House by Adam Kane Architects, which adjoins a barn-like extension.
    The photography is by Peter Bennetts.

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    Studio N highlights textured materials with lighting at Dubai spa

    Dubai-based Studio N has created a lighting scheme to emphasise the natural materials used in the Sensasia Stories Spa designed by interiors studio Roar in the Kempinski Hotel Mall in the UAE.

    As the spa has no natural light, Studio N focussed on highlighting the variety of materials used in the space, which includes grey slate, stone, wood and hessian wallpaper.
    “We were very conscious of how we illuminated each of the different surfaces and how light could help emphasise the natural characteristics of materials”, the studio told Dezeen.
    The central space features illuminated archesOverall the studio aimed to meet spa lighting guidelines while maintaining a calm and peaceful atmosphere in the space.
    As the Sensasia Stories Spa is located in a busy mall, the lighting designers wanted the entrance space and reception area to act as a calm area of transition from retail to spa environment.

    Concealed low-power and high-lumen LED lights were used to create a soothing environment, with under-counter lighting used for soft, ambient light in the the reception.
    Strip lights illuminate stairs at the spa poolThe 270-square-metre spa contains eight treatment rooms, along with an ice fountain, herb saunas, steam rooms, and pool, that are arranged around a central courtyard.
    In this central space interiors studio Roar and Studio N created a large arched structure that contains illuminated arches. “We used linear grazers to pick out the texture of stone walls,” said Studio N.
    Concealed low-power lights are used in treatment roomsStrip lights were integrated into the pool’s stairs and, in other areas, smaller lights and decorative light fixtures were used to create illuminated accent walls.
    A recessed gobo projector was used to replicate the movement of water, which the studio said was “a subtle reference to the natural world”.

    Beer-filled baths and straw beds feature in Brussels’ Bath & Barley spa

    The studio used recessed wide-beam pinhole downlights to provide general lighting to the space in a minimal style.
    The lighting of each area of the spa can be controlled via a DALI lighting control system which allows lighting to be changed between lighting scenes. Treatment rooms can be changed between ‘mood lighting’, ‘treatment’ and ‘cleaning scenes’.
    Studio N used LED lights throughout the spaStudio N is shortlisted in the architectural lighting design category at the Dezeen awards 2022 alongside Liftshutz Davidson Sandiland and Leo Villareal’s Illuminated River installation and a theatre venue clad in luminous tiles in China, by Brandston Partnership.
    The photography is by The Oculis Project.

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    StudioX4 designs cavernous meditation space in downtown Taipei

    A dark, canopy-like ceiling and an LED-lit oculus are among the features that are meant to enhance the experience of this meditation space in Taiwan.

    Situated on the second floor of a residential building in Taipei, the space was created by local design company StudioX4 to provide a quiet sanctuary in which urban citizens can practice mindfulness, meditation and yoga.
    The space can be used for meditation, yoga and mindfulness practicesThe interior consists of a semi-circular space with chamfered walls and ceiling that flow into each other, known as a Bezier surface – a term used in computer graphics to describe a curved volume that has no set central point, unlike a circle or ball.
    The structure was built using planes of plywood planks built up in layers to create a smooth, flowing surface. A  straight wall at one side of the room is a line with mirrors, which create the illusion of the space being double its actual size.
    It is characterised by its curved ceiling and wallsThe reflection is meant to symbolise a sense of balance gained in meditation, according to the studio.

    “Via mirror reflection, the interior area completes its whole entity,” said the studio. “Combining the two halves implies the meditation path of seeking balance for both sides.”
    Sliding doors lead out onto a balcony overlooking the cityDark greys and blacks were chosen for the colour palette.
    “We were thinking of finding a way to reach inner peace – as a result we chose the colour of natural rock,” Lynch Cheng, lead architect of StudioX4, told Dezeen.
    Rounded forms are found throughoutThe walls and ceiling have a subtle, dappled finish that complements the softness of the rounded edges and corners.
    Circular recessions are punched out of the surface of the ceiling to increase the emphasis on rounded forms.

    Hilarchitects completes contemplative meditation hall in eastern China

    One of these voids contains a 150-centimetre diameter oculus, which acts as a focal point for class instructors and is a bright visual anchor in the middle of the dark space.
    It is lit by cool-toned LED lights to give the illusion of being lit from above by natural light.
    The oculus is a focal point within the interiorFurther light sources include large windows that filter natural light into the space, through sliding doors leading to a balcony that overlooks the city.
    In addition to the oculus, accent lighting is present in the form of backlit skirting boards, which delineate the line between the floor and walls.
    It is lit by LED lightsThe low, smooth ceiling and integrated walls also help to create an acoustically complex environment in which users can speak and hear their voices echo.
    “Normally in acoustic design, we try to avoid reverberation. But in this case, we tried to control it so that it goes back to the origin point, so humans can talk to themselves,” said Cheng.
    Tapered edges create softnessStudioX4 drew on the Buddhist idea that “form does not differ from emptiness; therefore, emptiness does not differ from form” for the treatment of the interior.
    “This project is a meditation hideaway for urbanites to explore their minds, to enlighten self-awareness, and to undergo the practice of mindfulness.”
    Self Revealing is among five projects shortlisted in the leisure and wellness interior category of this year’s Dezeen Awards.
    Other projects in the running include a cinema that uses dramatic stage lighting by One Plus Partnership Limited and a beer spa in Belgium by WeWantMore.
    All images are courtesy of StudioX4.

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