Markus Andrews

More stories

  • 125 Shares169 Views

    in Rooms

    Norm Architects creates inside-out greenhouse restaurant in a Swedish meadow

    Danish studio Norm Architects has completed Äng, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Sweden that features a glasshouse entrance and a subterranean wine cellar.

    The restaurant is located in the middle of a meadow in Ästad Vingård – one of Sweden’s largest vineyards.
    Norm Architects has added the Äng restaurant to a Swedish vineyardThe main component of the restaurant is a minimal glass building supported by a steel structure. Its design resembles an inside-out greenhouse, with the steel structure on the inside and a smooth exterior that reflects its meadow surroundings.
    Accessed via a stone pathway that winds through the grasses and crops, guests enter Äng through a glass door, where the stone flooring continues inside.
    The restaurant has a steel structure surrounded by glass panelsThe entrance takes guests past an open kitchen with a stone counter and bespoke artworks of organic forms.

    Inside, the glass building is designed to give diners the feeling that they are sitting in the middle of the field with nothing but clear skies overhead.
    “With inspiration found in both the unspoiled Nordic nature surrounding the premises of Äng and Japanese sensibilities in design aesthetics and craftsmanship, the interior provides a holistic, sensory experience,” said Frederik Werner, partner at Norm Architects.
    A stone counter and oak furniture features in the open dining spaceThe interiors are furnished with oak furniture by Japanese brand Karimoku, for which Werner is the creative director, and wood and stone sculptures made by Norwegian artist Anders Pfeffer Gjengedal .
    The furniture include the Äng lounge table, which was designed exclusively for the restaurant and constructed from solid oak.
    Other bespoke pieces include an oak serving tray by Keiji Ashizawa and a solid wood trolley inspired by the umbrella and shoe racks by the entrance of Japanese temples.
    Solid oak furniture by Karimoku fills the spaceA range of tableware designed to complement the restaurant’s atmosphere was created in collaboration with Sweden-based design studio Bonni Bonne.
    The collection of plates and bowls are made from green wood, an ancient woodworking method that creates natural silhouettes and raw textures.
    A grey cube-shaped volume is surrounded by further seatingArtworks by Danish designer Sara Martinsen made from materials found in the forest are also displayed.
    Norm Architects said its aim was to carefully balance every element of the design from architecture to design, lighting, taste, smell, and sound.

    Blue Bottle Coffee cafe in Yokohama spotlights natural materials

    “The fundamental ambition behind the Michelin-starred Restaurang Äng is in many ways in line with Norm Architects’ design philosophy of striking a delicate balance between all the sensory experiences that make up a space to create a harmonious setting, where all elements support one another,” explained Norm Architects partner Peter Eland.
    A series of stone sculptures from a quarry in Växjö, Sweden, reference the Japanese Karesansui gardens of raked sand and stone. These dry landscape gardens celebrate yohaku-no-bi, meaning the beauty of blank space.
    Stone sculptures from a Växjö quarry sit in the spaceThe interior also features discrete acoustic walls. Constructed from canvas, the studio specified the panels be made in a shade reminiscent of the jute sacks that are used to store grain.
    Bespoke cabinetry is filled with sculptures and ceramics by Viki Weiland and Ulla Bang, both artists who work with curved, simple forms.

    Ceramic pieces are on display in the restaurantAs well as the main restaurant spaces, Äng also has a hidden elevator that transports guests underground to a catacomb-like wine cellar with a dark lounge setting in its centre.
    “With the changing of light, we play on the phenomenon of chiaroscuro; a technique from visual arts used to represent light and shadow as they define objects in order to achieve a sense of volume,” said Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen, architect and founding partner at Norm Architects.
    “When stepping into the shadows, the vision weakens while the remaining senses intensify. One automatically pays more attention to sounds, smells, tastes and touch and even the intuition and instinct are strengthened.”
    The cave-like wine cellar was inspired by the visual arts technique chiaroscuroTo emphasize the transitions from one atmosphere to another, the floor tiles in the wine cellar recall a brick floor to enhance the cave-like feel, while the main dining room has a wooden floor.
    Founded in 2008, Norm Architects says its work builds on the traditions of Scandinavian design. Other recent projects by the Danish studio include a spa-like dental clinic modelled on art galleries, and a Swedish forest retreat “designed for a simple life”.
    The photography is by Jonas Bjerre Poulson.

    Read more: More

  • 100 Shares189 Views

    in Rooms

    Mutuus Studio designs inclusive Supernova nightclub in Seattle

    A giant disco ball holds the DJ booth at this nightclub in Seattle, designed by local firm Mutuus Studio to be a “safe and welcoming environment for women, BIPOC, and all members of the LGBTQIA+ community”.

    Supernova was established by DJ Zac Levine with Mutuus Studio, GMD Custom and several artists as an inclusive art and entertainment space.
    The Supernova nightclub is centred around a DJ booth inside a hemispherical disco ballThe nightclub occupies a 6,500-square-foot (604-square-metre) timber warehouse building built in 1937 in Seattle’s SoDo neighbourhood, which was transformed by the team into a two-floor venue.
    “Supernova’s guiding principle was to create a safe and welcoming environment for women, BIPOC, and all members of the LGBTQIA+ community as employees, patrons, and entertainers,” said Mutuus Studio. “Catering to diverse audiences, and self-expression, Supernova welcomes everyone to enjoy a night of dancing, music, and art.”
    The club occupies a former warehouse in Seattle’s SoDo neighbourhoodPatrons enter past graffitied walls and a neon-lit hall of mirrors onto a mezzanine on the upper level, which overlooks the main dance floor below.

    The DJ booth is housed within a huge disco ball, covered in small mirrored tiles and measuring eight feet (2.4 metres) in diameter.
    Rows of disco balls scatter light across the VIP areaThe hemispherical booth sits in the centre of a 30-foot-long (9.1-metre) stage, used by entertainers for performances of all kinds.
    These are accompanied by lighting arranged in diamond patterns behind the booth and other audiovisual equipment suspended from the roof.
    The venue is entered via a hall of mirrors illuminated with neonsA variety of installations can be found throughout the club’s many smaller spaces.
    A VIP area is demarcated by classic red velvet ropes and golden stanchions, beneath a ceiling of more disco balls that scatter light fractals across the dark space below the mezzanine.

    Mutuus Studio converts industrial artefact into Acid Ball installation in Washington park

    In another lounge area, fluorescent panels cut into wavy shapes frame sofas and a pink neon mounted on the back wall.
    Some of the panels swoop down from the ceiling to create additional seating, while the first spans the room’s full height and is punctured by an amorphous shape that forms the doorway.
    Spaces within the club include a lounge framed with wavy fluorescent panelsDrinks are served from a metallic bar, as well as through the front of a vintage Volkswagen van – its windscreen missing but headlights still functioning.
    Supernova currently hosts weekly events, including house music and disco-themed parties on Fridays and Saturdays.
    A vintage Volkswagen van forms a barThe project was completed in July 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when many nightlife venues were hit hard by lockdowns and restrictions.
    In response, creative studio Production Club designed a personal protective suit for clubbing in the time of social distancing, which includes features for phone integration and beverage and vape consumption
    The space is filled with a variety of sculptures and installationsBased in Seattle, Mutuus Studio has completed a wide range of projects in the Pacific Northwest – from designing a cosy farm-to-table restaurant, to turning a large, steel sphere into an installation in a waterfront park.
    The photography is by James Gerde, unless stated otherwise.
    Project credits:
    Mutuus Studio design team: Kristen Becker, Saul Becker, Jim Friesz, Jorge Gomez

    Read more: More

  • 125 Shares179 Views

    in Rooms

    Ten steely kitchens that use metal as their primary material

    A black steel island fitted between original cast-iron columns, a gleaming stainless-steel kitchen and one with reclaimed metal cabinetry are among the kitchen interiors featured in our latest lookbook.

    Metal kitchens can make for a stylish addition to a residential interior, often lending the heart of the home an industrial and restaurant-style look.
    These types of kitchens are said to have risen to popularity during the 1950s, after the steel factories that were formerly used to manufacture weapons pivoted to produce domestic goods.
    Though they went out of favour in the 1960s, by the turn of the millennium sleek, stainless steel kitchens were popularised in residential homes as the result of a futuristic, technology-driven outlook.
    They have since come to represent a modern kitchen look. Here, Dezeen has spotlighted ten homes that make use of metal in residential kitchens in different ways.

    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing relaxing hammocks, white bathrooms and minimalist interiors with natural palettes.
    Photo is by Ioana MarinescuFrame House, UK, by Jonathan Tuckey Design
    British studio Jonathan Tuckey Design renovated this Grade-II listed building in west London, creating a two-storey home that features open-plan living solutions and skeletal partitions.
    Its kitchen, which was positioned behind an intentionally incomplete wall, was clad in stainless steel to provide the home with a cool metallic distinction against the exposed brick walls and plywood carpentry that surround it.
    Find out more about Frame House ›
    Photo is by Ralph FeinerFarmhouse, Switzerland by Baumhauer
    Set within a vaulted room in a traditional barn house in the Swiss hamlet of Florins, architecture studio Baumhauer used clean lines and modern finishes to juxtapose against the home’s farmhouse look.
    An L-shaped kitchen, comprised of two stainless steel counters and rows of cabinetry, was placed beneath the curving ceiling. The metal countertop has a seamless look and features a built-in sink and electric hob, with appliances incorporated within the steel cupboards below.
    Find out more about the farmhouse ›
    Photo is by Nieve, Productora AudiovisualCasa Roc, Spain, by Nook Architects
    Fitted along the edge of an open-plan living and dining room, a glossy metal-lined kitchen adds a modern look to the interior of this Barcelona apartment, which was renovated by Spanish studio Nook Architects.
    The renovation saw the studio maintain the Gothic Quarter apartment’s original mosaic floors and wooden beams while applying shades of grey and white across the walls and ceiling.
    Find out more about Casa Roc ›
    Photo is by Salva LópezBarcelona apartment, Spain, by Isabel López Vilalta
    Several partition walls were removed in architecture and interior design studio Isabel López Vilalta’s overhaul of this penthouse apartment in Barcelona’s Sarrià-Sant Gervasi.
    Afterward, the studio fitted a black iron island that anchored the kitchen, and its appliances, within the now open-plan kitchen, dining and living area.
    “Life in the kitchen was very important to the family, they felt more comfortable in a lively, gathering space than in a strictly traditional and functional kitchen,” said Vilalta.
    Find out more about Barcelona apartment ›
    Photo is by Paul WarcholThe Photographer’s Loft, US, by Desai Chia Architecture
    Aptly named The Photographer’s Loft, this minimal loft apartment in New York was renovated by US studio Desai Chia Architecture for a photographer local to the city. It occupies a 5,000-square-foot former industrial space and is complete with cast iron columns that line the interior.
    Within the home’s main living space, the studio fitted a long black steel kitchen island that runs parallel to a stark white row of kitchen cabinetry and also a dining table.
    The island’s dark steel construction ties to the apartment’s existing iron columns, creating the impression that it existed alongside its original industrial features.
    Find out more about The Photographer’s Loft ›
    Photo is by Justin Clemons and Robert TsaiCCR1 Residence, US, by Wernerfield
    With a material palette consisting of concrete, steel, teak and glass, this kitchen has a stainless-steel finish that covers its worktops, appliances and below- and overhead cabinetry.
    The kitchen has a U-shaped design that backs onto its living and dining area, creating a social yet practical space. The home was designed by Dallas studio Wernerfield and occupies a lakefront setting in a rural location 60 miles southeast of Dallas.
    Find out more about CCR1 Residence ›
    Photo is by Claudia Muñoz KarigCasa Ocal, Ecuador, by Jorge Ramón Giacometti Taller de Arquitectura
    Reclaimed metal was used across the kitchen of this home designed by architecture studio Jorge Ramón Giacometti Taller de Arquitectura in northern Ecuador.
    The textural weathered material was used across its cupboards, countertops and splashback and contrasts against the home’s light timber walls. Positioned above the single row of cabinets, and with a sink at its middle, a rectangular window provides views across the hilly surroundings.
    Find out more about Casa Ocal ›

    House in Tokushima, Japan, by FujiwaraMuro Architects
    Fitted in a home in Tokushima, a city on the Japanese island of Shikoku, a metallic kitchen flanks a living and dining room between its split-level living arrangement.
    Designed by Japanese studio FujiwaraMuro Architects, the kitchen comprises an open-plan design, with its countertops and sink looking out to an adjoining breakfast bar that lines the border of the home’s dining room.
    Find out more about House in Tokushima ›
    Photo is by French+TyeEast Dulwich house extension, UK, by Alexander Owen Architecture
    London studio Alexander Owen Architecture added a marble-clad extension to this Victorian mid-terrace in East Dulwich, London, which houses a kitchen fitted with poured concrete floors, shot-blaster pewter brick walls, a timber ceiling and a stainless steel kitchen.
    The L-shaped kitchen stretches the width of the home and extends across the adjoining length of the extensions pewter brick walls. Stainless steel clads the tops of the kitchen’s worksurfaces and the sides of an island placed at the centre of the space.
    Find out more about East Dulwich house extension ›
    Photo is by Anton GorlenkoShakespeare Tower apartment, UK, by Takero Shimazaki Architects
    Metal countertops top wooden cabinetry at this Japanese-style apartment located within London’s Barbican Estate by London-based studio Takero Shimazaki Architects.
    The apartment comprises a primarily wooden interior that is complemented with cooler materials, such as glossy-black subway tiles organised across the floors of the kitchen, steel worksurfaces and appliances that run parallel in the galley-style space. An exposed concrete ceiling provides a finishing touch.
    Find out more about Shakespeare Tower apartment ›
    This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing relaxing hammocks, white bathrooms and minimalist interiors with natural palettes.

    Read more: More

  • 100 Shares189 Views

    in Rooms

    Konishi Gaffney repurposes church into versatile community hub

    Timber cladding features in this church in Edinburgh, which has been converted into a community centre by Scottish architecture firm Konishi Gaffney.

    The Greyfriars Charteris Centre now contains a flexible workspace, community hub, events spaces and a non-denominational sanctuary.
    The new link building unifies the complex of early 20th century buildingsThe church was used a place of worship from its opening in 1912 until 2013, reopening in 2016 as the Greyfriars Charteris Centre. With its change of use came the need for an overhaul of its circulation and accessibility, as well as a clear point of entry.
    Konishi Gaffney was challenged with transforming the perception of the church from a closed-off, imposing historic building to an inclusive space to be used by all members of the surrounding area’s diverse community.
    The new entryway provides a definite point of access for usersThe studio’s design aims to physically and aesthetically unify the collection of buildings that had been gradually acquired over time while being sensitive to the historic fabric of the buildings.

    The structure was opened up at street level by extending the length of the existing lancet windows, allowing passers-by to see the activities going on inside and encourage participation.
    The use of terrazzo and timber fins provides contrast to existing stone buildingsA rational entryway was created by slotting a timber link building between the church and the neighbouring office building.
    This is distinguished from the original stone buildings by its facade, which features terrazzo slabs on the ground floor level as a contemporary reference to the rusticated bases of the city’s Georgian buildings.
    The geometric motif is visible throughout the interiorRelief patterns provide further texture to the white terrazzo and were designed in collaboration with artist Steven Blench of local plastering company Chalk Plaster.
    Higher up the frontage, overlaid grids of timber fins add a linear dimension to the terrazzo and, on the second floor, contain a floor-to-ceiling window.
    The atrium creates circulation between all areasThe triple-height, top-lit atrium contains reception and lobby areas and houses a lift for easy access to all areas of the complex.
    An open-plan co-working area, punctuated by structural columns, and two screened-off meeting rooms occupy the lower floor.

    Max Lamb crafts minimalist altar for St John Chrysostom Church

    A wide staggered staircase with integrated seating allows users to sit and collaborate and connects the lower floor co-working areas with the lobby, as well as providing access to the main church hall above.
    The former nave acts as a function room, facilitated by its open floor and unobstructed high ceiling. Original features including ceiling details, crucifix and masonry work remain.
    A wide staircase facilitates easy movement between floorsA six-metre-tall screen inserted into an existing pointed arch sections off the main hall from the ‘all faiths and none’ contemplation area above the stairway, which is lit by a large pointed arch window at the end of the space.
    The Greyfriars Charteris Centre’s interior is unified by the use of American maple and birch plywood joinery combined with white plaster.
    The original church hall is lit by natural and energy saving lightingThis neutral palette ties in with features of the existing structure, such as the main hall’s vaulted ceiling, which was stripped back to its original pine colour from a dark mahogany stain using a soda blasting technique.
    The materials were chosen to keep the interior light and easy to navigate while tying in the new subdivided areas with the original building. Double glazing and new interior lighting was added throughout.
    Bespoke joinery is harmonious with historic featuresImprovements were also made to the building’s environmental performance, with insulation fitted throughout as well as the installation of a more efficient heating system, double glazing, low-energy LED lights and solar panels.
    Other church conversions featured on Dezeen include a church in Los Angeles that was transformed into an events and co-working space by by Francesca de la Fuente and Working Holiday Studio, and a restaurant in London that sits inside a former church by Michaelis Boyd.
    The photography is by Nanne Springer.
    Project credits:
    Client: Greyfriars Charteris CentreArchitect: Konishi Gaffney Architects: Kieran Gaffney, Adam Williams, Ivan Fraile-Gisbert, Dana Cherepkova and Dee FarrellStructural engineer: Entuitive / Forshaw GauldM&E: Irons Foulner Consulting EngineersQS: Thomson GrayOther design consultants: Francis Milloy (lighting design), Chalk Plaster (sculptural collaboration) and Old School Fabrications (joinery)Main contractor: SJS Property ServicesSpecialist subcontractors: Gray & Dick (glazing), Cambridge Architectural Precast (cladding) and Hall & Tawse (windows and doors)

    Read more: More

  • 150 Shares189 Views

    in Rooms

    Buero Wagner makes inventive use of industrial materials in Munich office extension

    Curtains made from aluminium foil and furniture made from galvanised-steel gratings are just some of the novel uses of industrial materials featured in this silver-coloured office extension in Munich.

    Designed by local studio Buero Wagner, the extension was created by opening up the basement of an existing office in the backyard of a turn-of-the-century building near the Isar River in the Au district.
    Buero Wagner has extended an office in MunichNow spread across two stories, the revamped studio measures 140 square metres and is illuminated by windows that Buero Wagner extended down to the basement level.
    The revamped interior makes use of light reflective materials, such as galvanised-steel grating and aluminium foil, which would more typically be found in an industrial setting.
    The studio used industrial materials throughout. Photo is by Kim Fohmann”
The interventions were implemented from a canon of industrial materials,” said Buero Wagner.

    “These conventional, banal materials take on a new value through their processing and use in a context that is alien to them, and lend the interior an abstract, temporary character that deliberately leaves open the questions of use, appropriation, and the 
completion of the construction measure.”

    Studio Four23’s self-designed office inside former metal workshop is inspired by a toolbox

    Gratings have been used to make floors, a staircase and furniture, while the silver foil is used as a curtain that hides a kitchen, storage shelves and passages to the toilet and storage rooms.
    Other curtains are made out of bubble wrap to provide privacy while allowing light through.
    It features curtains made from silver foil. Photo is by Kim FohmannThe architects preserved the existing building’s materials as far as possible. In the basement, the concrete floor slab was exposed and on the ground floor, the oak parquet was refinished.
    The majority of the furniture is made from welded steel gratings while shelves and lighting are built from galvanized cable trays.
    The office also contains space for livingThe project is complete with an apartment unit, which the studio said was informed by the Covid-19 pandemic and is designed to make living and working in one place possible.
    Other interior projects finished with industrial materials include the office that Four23 created inside a former metal workshop and an apartment by Arhitektura d.o.o with metallic moveable furniture that allows the layout to be easily adapted.
    The photography is by Florian Holzherr unless stated otherwise.

    Read more: More

  • 138 Shares159 Views

    in Rooms

    Studio McW transforms London warehouse into live-work space for Earthrise Studio

    London-based architecture practice Studio McW has converted an east London warehouse into an office and living space for climate activists and filmmakers Jack Harries and Alice Aedy.

    The live-work space was renovated from a century-old shoe factory featuring steel windows, exposed concrete beams, and a double-height pitched roof. The studio took a minimalistic approach to the renovation, aiming to enhance the 1924 building’s original features.
    Studio McW converted an existing warehouse into a home office for Earthrise Studio”It was key for us to not only retain, but also celebrate the existing suspended slabs and concrete beams which tell the story of how the building was originally built,” studio co-founders Greg Walton and David McGahon told Dezeen.
    “By exposing the rawness of the existing brickwork and imperfect concrete, we were able to contrast this with softer tones and textures, be that the clay finish to the walls or the reclaimed timber boards on the floor, whilst mirroring the variation and depth inherent in such finishes.”
    The studio exposed existing textures and balanced them with soft clay-finished wallsHarries and Aedy wanted a space where they could both live and work on their media company Earthrise, which has a focus on communicating the climate crisis. The duo briefed the studio to design a multi-purpose space suitable for recording podcasts and hosting social gatherings, work meetings, and photoshoots.

    While the 100-square-metre space was made to serve various different functions, the studio wanted to maintain a sense of continuity throughout the building by keeping the design as simple as possible in all spaces.
    The existing large steel windows let light into the main office space”Whilst the joinery is highly specific to the needs of Jack and Alice, it is in essence a very simple intervention that ties together the entirety of the upper floor, and blurs the intersection between the functions required by a kitchen space, dining space, work space, and living space,” said Walton and McGahon.
    “This element of the scheme remained consistent from concept to completion and is integral to ensuring a continuity within the space.”
    A bedroom located behind a glazed wall occupies the lower floorStudio McW redesigned the entrance level, opening up the existing partitioned bedroom and dressing room to create a large aperture to draw light through the new glazed internal wall to the bathroom and utility space.
    Above, an open-plan living space is accessed by a staircase made from reclaimed Georgian pine floor boards, beside which runs a black steel balustrade.

    GRT Architects divides Brooklyn townhouse into live-work space for artist couple

    Prior to the renovation, this floor was constricted by redundant overhead services and an unused concrete doorway. The studio removed these to open up the space both vertically and horizontally.
    A new concrete sideboard spans the length of the room, acting as seating and storage as well as displaying the clients’ collection of artwork, photography, and cameras. A matching concrete island sits in the centre of the kitchen.
    A staircase made from reclaimed timber leads to the main floorThe main space also features custom oak joinery, including a table, a shelving unit, and additional floating shelves. Both levels of the building were finished with toxin-absorbing matte clay walls.
    “Greg and David created a space that feels very much in the spirit of Earthrise. The apartment is a natural, flexible, and beautiful backdrop to our work and lives, and the design allows it to oscillate between functions accordingly,” Alice Aedy commented.
    Shelving units and a concrete bench offer storage and display space at the side of the kitchenAccording to the studio, the apartment remains well protected from the potential of overheating despite the age of the structure.
    “The open stair, tall ceilings to the living space and openable windows all contribute to passive stack ventilation which assist in keeping the space cool,” said McGahon and Walton. “The apartment has glazing that opens on both the east and west faces, allowing for cross-ventilation during the warmer summer months.”
    A lounge area fills the other end of the open spaceThe studio hopes additional recent and future refurbishments will improve the levels of thermal comfort.
    “The roof of the building had recently been refurbished with vast improvements made to the thermal performance,” Walton and McGahon commented.
    “All of the building occupants have contributed towards the replacement of the existing single-glazed steel Crittal windows throughout,” they continued.
    “This will provide vast improvements to the thermal performance of the glazing, whilst retaining the style akin to the original building. These works are due to take place over the next year.”
    Founded by David McGahon and Greg Walton, Studio McW is an architecture practice operating across the UK whose recent projects include a London home extension with oak joinery.
    The photography is by Lorenzo Zandri.

    Read more: More

  • 150 Shares119 Views

    in Rooms

    The Africa Centre finds new home inside former office building in London

    A lacklustre office building in Southwark has undergone a vibrant makeover to become The Africa Centre, designed by architecture studio Freehaus.

    The Africa Centre first opened in Covent Garden in 1964 as a “home-away-from-home” for the African diaspora in London, where people could meet, connect and enjoy cultural events together.
    After closing its doors to the public in 2013, the institution now occupies a former office building on Southwark’s Great Suffolk Street.
    The Africa Centre takes over a former office blockThe redesign of the building was appointed to Shoreditch-based studio Freehaus, which sought to create an interior that reflects the African continent’s rich array of cultures and traditions.
    To establish the key ideas and themes that would underpin the centre’s interior scheme, Freehaus embarked on a thorough research process.

    A reception was created at ground level to welcome guestsKey points of reference were the work of British-Ghanian architect David Adjaye, Burkinabé architect Diébédo Francis Kére, as well as projects by Niger-based studio Atelier Masōmī.
    The studio also visited other cultural buildings and members clubs around London to pick up inspiration.
    There’s also a pan-African restaurant called Tatale on the ground floor”The key to the brief was for The Africa Centre’s new headquarters to be unmistakably African,” explained Jonathan Hagos, co-director of Freehaus.
    “Given the breadth of diversity on the continent and among the diaspora, we were keen to avoid stereotypes and well-trodden aesthetic tropes.”

    Sam Jacob Studio adds glass-tube entrance to London’s V&A museum

    “At the same time, we wanted to avoid continent-sweeping generalisations – ‘Africa isn’t a country’ is a familiar response, often born of frustration at the dismissive understanding of the breadth in peoples, cultures and traditions that span the African continent,” he added.
    “We wanted to turn this misnomer into a strength,” he continued, “and envisage what an embassy for a continent might look like in the 21st century; a space that demonstrates what connects us and binds us to one another, while celebrating the dynamism of the continent.”
    Latticed banquettes and wooden tables decorate the restaurant’s interiorWith the help of engineers Price & Myers, Freehaus opened up the ground floor of the building to make way for two new entrances.
    One of the doorways opens onto the buzzy Great Suffolk Street, while the other connects the rear of the building to a couple of converted railway arches that The Africa Centre already used for events.
    Clay-plaster walls feature throughout the building, including the barThe ground floor also now accommodates a reception and pan-African restaurant Tatale. The dining space has been decked out with lattice-back banquettes, wooden tables and vibrant pendant lamps that contrast the neutral clay-plaster walls.
    Upstairs on the first floor is a bar and lounge that features patterned armchairs and a large, curved drinks counter clad with relief tiles. The following second floor contains an event space and a gallery.
    The bar is dressed with clusters of patterned furnitureThere are a further two floors in the building that, once funding is obtained, will be transformed into a learning facility and incubator for budding Afro-centric businesses.
    The extra funding will also go towards adding an ornamental screen to the centre’s black-painted facade, which will echo the ornate mashrabiya screens seen in north African architecture.
    A gallery can be found on the building’s second floorA few London cultural spots have recently undergone an update; architecture practice Sam Jacobs Studio has added a contemporary ribbed-glass entrance to the Grade I-listed V&A museum.
    Haworth Tompkins has also created a chainmail-shrouded pavilion to connect two performance spaces belonging to immersive theatre company Punchdrunk.
    The photography is by Taran Wilkhu.

    Read more: More

  • 125 Shares179 Views

    in Rooms

    Concrete infrastructure informs Acne Studios' limestone-clad Rue Saint Honoré store

    Fashion brand Acne Studios has opened a “monolithic” store on Paris’ Rue Saint Honoré, designed in collaboration with architecture studio Arquitectura-G, that references a Stockholm skatepark and its Parisian setting.

    Located on Rue Saint Honoré, a historic street and renowned shopping destination in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, the store was created by Acne Studios founder Jonny Johansson in collaboration with architecture studio Arquitectura-G.
    Acne Studios Rue Saint Honoré store was created in collaboration with Arquitectura-GJohansson explained that after spending time in a skate park situated beneath a concrete bridge in Stockholm, he wanted to replicate the look and feel of sitting under a piece of concrete infrastructure within its Paris store.
    “It’s finding these poetic spots – under a bridge, where you have sort of like a beautiful concrete wave motion, and this whole idea of being under a bridge where nobody wants to be, where it’s beautiful, I thought was quite a beautiful idea,” he said.
    “I want it to feel like you’re sitting under the bridge. So that’s when the whole idea – because I like that, sort of like a secret society – I thought it was good for us as a brand on the big fashion street.”

    The design was informed by skateparks and concrete infrastructureThe interior of the store can be characterised by Arquitectura-G’s use of Saint Maximin stone, a French limestone sourced from a nearby quarry that is synonymous with Parisian buildings as a result of Napoleon III and Baron Haussmann’s radical reimagining of Paris, which was built from the stone.
    Rectangular slabs of the golden-hued stone cover the walls, floors and ceiling of the store blending the 19th-century, Saint Maximin stone-clad exterior with the now similarly clad interior.

    Acne Studios taps into fashion-school cool for interiors of Stockholm HQ

    Arquitectura-G opened up the ground floor of the store incorporating a double-height space that is connected to its first floor through glass balustrades lined between stone columns.
    Black, amorphous-shaped furniture and dyed-fabric display units by long-time collaborator Max Lamb were positioned throughout the store like soft, quarry boulders.
    It used Saint Maximin stone throughout”If you look at [Paris] as a whole, it’s beige. If you squint you see this stone, this pale colour,” Johansson said.
    “Then you have these dots of black which are like cars. And they’re moving fast, and sort of shiny and black, quite scary in one way. That’s Max’s work.”
    Furniture and display units were designed by Max LambLighting by designer Benoit Lalloz was organised throughout the store and placed across its stone-lined ceilings to mimic the effect of daylight.
    Acne’s West Hollywood store, which was opened in 2018,  features a bright yellow interior that was designed by London-based firm Geoff Crowther Architects.
    In 2019, the fashion brand relocated its headquarters to a 1970s brutalist-style building, that belonged to the former Czechoslovakian embassy, in Stockholm.
    Photography is courtesy of Acne Studios.

    Read more: More