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    Gachot Studios refreshes lounge at The Metropolitan Opera in New York

    New York-based Gachot Studios has redesigned the patrons lounge at The Metropolitan Opera, imbuing the space with rich materials like textured wallpaper, black granite and brass accents.

    Gachot Studios transformed the Keebler J Straz Lounge while keeping the 1,861-square-foot space aligned with its ornate surroundings.
    The bar at the refreshed Keebler J Straz Lounge features a matte brass front and black stone topStudio founders and opera lovers John and Christine Gachot have a personal connection to the venue, which is part of the Lincoln Center complex designed by American architect Wallace K Harrison and opened in 1966.
    “Our son, who attended LaGuardia High School, would walk past The Met Opera every day on his way to school,” said the couple. “As New Yorkers, we value city institutions like The Met with its incredible history and cultural influence.”
    Wall-to-wall carpet in a rust hue complements the palette chosen for furnitureThe lounge was originally designed by late American decorator Billy Baldwin, and Gachot Studios referenced his layout and some of the furnishings as part of the redesign.

    “It had an intimate residential feel with various deep sofas defining seating areas,” said Gachot Studios. “The new furniture layout draws inspiration from Baldwin’s thoughtful arrangement with four lounge seating groups.”
    Brass accents including bar-top lighting are found throughout the patron’s loungeA series of upholstered screens that were once used to delineate the different lounge areas were reinterpreted as walnut-framed panels that direct guest flow from the entrance and conceal the back-of-house door.
    The arc-shaped bar is fronted by matte brass panels and topped with a curved slab of black granite.
    Seating and tables from Roche Bobois were customised to accommodate guests of all agesBronze-tinted mirrors in the back bar area reflect the room’s gold-painted ceiling and provide a mount surface for delicate shelving and a vintage clock.
    Sheer drapes are hung across the windows, and the wall are covered in textured wallpaper between vertical bands of polished brass.

    Gachot Studios creates cosy New York neighbourhood bar

    Rust-coloured wall-to-wall carpet provides a plush finish underfoot, and complements the palette of furniture pieces in cream, blush, caramel, oxblood, and various brown and black tones.
    The seating and tables from French brand Roche Bobois were customised “to accommodate for patrons of all ages” Gachot Studios said.
    Textured wallpaper sits between vertical strips of polished brassA dining area behind the bar is also provided for those wanting to sit more formally or use the space for meetings.
    Architectural lighting is kept to a minimum so as not to detract from the ceiling, while sconces, floor lamps and table lamps by Hudson Valley Lighting offer a warm glow.
    Black and white photos from The Metropolitan Opera’s history adorn the wallsThe majority of the furniture and decor can be rearranged to accommodate events beyond the use of the space before performances or during intermissions.
    “In a building that requires a balance between grandeur and practicality, the lounge is no different,” said the studio.
    Gachot Studios reinterpreted the screens originally designed for the lounge by Billy BaldwinElle Décor magazine collaborated with the opera and the studio to secure furnishings and fittings for the project.
    Founded in 2012, Gachot Studios has completed several hospitality and commercial projects across the US.
    These range from boutique hotels in Detroit and Washington DC, to the New York flagship store for cosmetics brand Glossier.
    The photography is by William Jess Laird.

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    Shaw Contract spotlights its top “sustainable and inclusive” interiors of 2024

    Promotion: the interiors of a pet-friendly office and a wood-fired restaurant are among the five winning projects in this year’s Shaw Contract Design Awards.

    The winners of the 19th edition of the award programme, hosted by flooring manufacturer Shaw Contract, feature entries from around the world, also including a minimalist workplace in China to a nature-inspired apartment block in Canada.
    Top image: a wood-fired restaurant is among the winners of this year’s Shaw Contract Design Awards. Above: it features a corridor lined with firewoodThe Shaw Contract Design Awards programme takes place annually to “celebrate the optimism of design and its ability to positively impact our communities and our planet”.
    It focuses specifically on interiors that make use of Shaw Contract’s products and services, as well as those the brand believes embody its own ethos and sustainability focus.
    Another is a pet-friendly office in the US”These projects showcase the pinnacle of regional design excellence and align with Shaw Contract’s four core People Together Planet Forever ambitions: material health, circular economy, carbon impact, and diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Shaw Contract.

    “These criteria reflect our commitment to creating spaces that are not only beautiful and functional, but also sustainable and inclusive.”
    It was celebrated by Shaw Contract for its “unique pet-first amenities”This year’s top projects have each been awarded a prize called Best of Globe Winner. They were selected from almost 700 entries from 36 countries, whittled down to a shortlist of 43, each of which was named Best of Region Winners.
    The first winning project is the workspace of pet food company Hill’s Pet Nutrition in the US, designed by Perspective Architecture + Design for employees to enjoy with their furry companions.
    It was celebrated by Shaw Contract for its “unique pet-first amenities”, including an indoor dog park and snack stations, as well as its range of workspaces designed to cater to the different work styles of its employees.
    The office also participated in the Shaw Contract Reclamation programme, which involved removing the building’s existing carpet and sending it to the company for recycling.
    A minimalist office in China was another winnerNext is Kasian Architecture’s workplace in Calgary for Canadian law firm Stikeman Elliott, designed to encourage its employees back to the office after the pandemic.
    It was hailed by Shaw Contract for its “focus on sophistication” but also the use of durable finishes, reflecting a desire to adopt the principles of a circular economy. This included the use of the brand’s flooring ranges, including its carpet tiles.
    Another winning project in Canada is Upper West Side Condos, a 14-storey residential building designed by II By IV Design.
    Shaw Contract said it was selected for the way it seeks to blend “nature with contemporary luxury”, and for the use of the brand’s Mist carpet, which it described as being “reminiscent of a country lane on a rainy day”.
    Shaw Contract also recognised Upper West Side Condos in CanadaBar Kar is a small wood-fired restaurant in Malaysia by Spacemen, awarded for its cave-like interior that is dominated by warm terracotta tones and finished with wooden, metallic and stone details.
    In particular, the brand enjoyed a corridor lined with firewood, which the chef uses as storage for the wood that they use to cook inside the kitchen.
    “Its a locally natural material which can be replenished and reused at all times, which we have turned into a building material,” said Shaw Contract.
    Another Canadian winner was a workplace for law firm Stikeman ElliottThe last project is a small workplace interior in China by Guangzhou Jenmehome Design, selected for its clean-cut minimalist design.
    Guangzhou Jenmehome Design was praised for its use of “eco-friendly” materials, which Shaw Contract said included its carpet ranges.
    Each Best of Globe Winner is awarded a $2,000 (£1,497) donation in their name to the organisation of their choice in addition to a handmade trophy by Singapore crochet artist Kelly Limerick.
    To find out more about Shaw Contract and its design awards, visit its website.
    Partnership content
    This article was written by Dezeen for Shaw Contract as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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    Japanese food replicas “trigger your memory and stimulate your appetite”

    Gleaming sushi and an “earthquake-proof burger” are among the hyperrealistic food models on display at Japan House London as part of the exhibition Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s Food Replica Culture.

    Opening today, the show documents Japan’s history of food replicas, known as food samples or shokuhin sampuru in Japanese, which dates back to 1923 and continues as a contemporary trend.
    Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s Food Replica Culture opens today at Japan House LondonThe bespoke replicas are scale models of dishes from the country’s 1.4 million restaurants, produced by craftspeople for eateries wishing to advertise hyperrealistic versions of their menu items to prospective diners.
    Simon Wright, director of programming at Japan House London, explained that the meticulous detailing and bright colours synonymous with the world-famous replicas intend to “stimulate how delicious the food actually is”.
    The exhibition explores the country’s many food replicas”There’s a slight exaggeration to trigger your memory and stimulate your appetite,” he told Dezeen at the gallery.

    Among the works is a dedicated section revealing how the replicas are made, including moulds and stencils such as a screenprint stencil used to create fish scales, arranged in a factory-style layout atop colourful crates.
    Early replicas were cast from coloured candle waxThe display examines the shift from early replicas cast from coloured candle wax, which was historically poured into a box of agar jelly, to the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) replicas cast in silicon moulds that emerged in the 1970s and continue to be used today.
    “Even though the materials are different, ultimately, it hasn’t really changed,” said Wright.
    A contemporary “earthquake-proof burger” is included in the show”The process is exactly the same,” he continued, explaining that real food has always been used to create the moulds. “It’s quite analogue. It’s all handcrafted – there are no conveyor belts and automation.”
    “That means that there’s a versatility to making food replicas,” he continued. “Any restaurant or food establishment can have what it wants. So maybe your hamburger is just a little bit fatter than the one next door – you can give the craftspeople your fat hamburger, and they will make an exact replica of that.”
    Each of Japan’s 47 prefectures is represented by a replica of a local dish”Colours are also made according to actual food substances,” acknowledged Wright, referring to the selection of paints on display that are used to finish each replica, featuring names including pumpkin peel and croissant.
    Another section explores the evolution of food displays, highlighting how the introduction of heat-resistant materials allowed for more dynamic compositions – such as noodles being lifted from a handless fork or cheese oozing from a piece of airborne toast.
    The exhibition features a range of replicas displayed in myriad waysA playful, “earthquake-proof burger” formed from towering piles of artificial meat, relish and onions stands tall on one of the plinths.
    “When you display wax, it has to be flat, because it either melts in the heat or fades in the sunlight, which isn’t very effective as a marketing tool,” said Wright.
    “When PVC was introduced, you were able to tilt the dish by 45 to 60 degrees, therefore giving more exposure and more visibility to the outside of the model.”
    Applications of replicas beyond restaurant settings are also included in the exhibitionIn the centre of the gallery, a banquette-style table presents 47 models commissioned for the exhibition, created by leading food replica manufacturer Iwasaki.
    Arranged like a map, each model represents a dish from one of Japan’s 47 prefectures. There is zuwai-gani, shimmering orange snow crab served in the winter in Tottori, and “scattered sushi” from Okayama known as bara-zushi, arranged in a circular timber box.
    “We chose them for their variety, size, colour and shape,” said Wright, who explained that they consulted people across Japan when selecting the delicacies.

    Taste-Adjusting Chopsticks makes food taste saltier without adding salt

    Elsewhere, the first known food replica created for commercial purposes is on display. Completed in 1931 by Iwasaki Group founder Iwasaki Takizō, the model is a wrinkly yellow omelette topped with a dollop of red sauce and a replica of a dish that Iwasaki’s wife had just prepared in the kitchen at home.
    Applications of replicas beyond restaurant settings are also included in the exhibition, highlighting the expanding ways that people are using food models.
    Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s Food Replica Culture runs until 16 February 2025Mounted to one wall is a 3D chart produced for the Japan Diabetes Society classifying food groups according to their primary nutrients, while a “carrot preparation guide” for family caregivers and nursing home staff features a gradient of consistency – from finely cut vegetable rounds to a smooth paste.
    Visitors can also create their own bento box of replica food on a dedicated food assembly table covered with a red and white gingham tablecloth.
    Wright explained that wax food models were originally created in the early 20th century to introduce Japanese diners to less familiar cuisines imported from China and Europe, before restaurants began to commission replicas of local dishes.
    Today, the Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s Food Replica Culture is the first UK exhibition of its kind, and offers London audiences the chance to see handcrafted Japanese models up close.
    “In Japan, you’ll see exhibitions of competition pieces, but they only exist within a context of what people understand food replicates to be,” said Wright. “Whereas this kind of thing doesn’t really exist, and has never been shown before.”
    Elsewhere in London, social enterprise POOR Collective exhibited a collection of work by emerging local designers. Design studio Wax Atelier also presented an exhibition revealing how living trees can provide materials for design objects.
    The photography is courtesy of Japan House London.
    Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s Food Replica Culture takes place from 2 October 2024 to 16 February 2025 at Japan House London, 101-111 Kensington High Street, London W8 5SA.Visit Dezeen Events Guide for a guide to the festival and other architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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    Birdhouses informed by skyscrapers and modernism feature in Dwellings exhibition

    Andu Masebo and Rio Kobayashi are among 23 designers who have created birdhouses for an exhibition held at South London Gallery that aimed to unpack “what it means to build a house for a bird”.

    Conceived by design studio Computer Room and birdwatching collective Flock Together, the Dwellings project focused on shared themes of sanctuary and exploring our relationship with nature.
    The Dwellings exhibition was held at the South London GalleryThe exhibition held in the Orozco Garden and Clore Studio at South London Gallery from 31 August to 1 September 2024 comprised an eclectic series of 22 objects and images, ranging from practical solutions to expressive conceptual responses.
    The varied contributions encapsulated the unique thought processes and skills of makers including ceramicists, glassmakers, architects and photographers.
    It aimed to unpack “what it means to build a house for a bird”Many of the designers created their own takes on conventional birdhouses, which are typically made from wood and feature a hole just large enough to provide an entrance for the nesting birds.

    Other participants opted for a more abstract approach, such as artist and designer Moe Asari’s site-specific project exploring the attempts to reintroduce black kites to a Dutch nature reserve.
    Various materials were usedThe show’s co-curator Masebo, who runs the Computer Room design collective alongside Jesse Butterfield and Charlie Humble-Thomas, developed a birdhouse via a remote collaboration with his uncle Dan O’Conell – a trained carpenter based in Ireland.
    Without conversing throughout the process, Masebo and O’Connell sent materials back and forth between London and Ireland, each making their own alterations until an object with the form of a birdhouse emerged.
    Each design was “chosen to be good for birds”Butterfield’s contribution to the exhibition is a wooden structure informed by skyscrapers and modernist architecture. Bird Metropolis provides space for eight nesting house sparrow couples within a tower carved into organic, tree-like forms.
    London and Copenhagen-based designer Daniel Schofield’s birdhouse uses renewable cork bark as an alternative to wood, which he suggested is an odd choice of material as it requires cutting down a bird’s natural home to create an artificial one.
    “The form and proportions were chosen to be good for birds,” said Schofield, “but also simple to produce industrially and locally, hopefully giving more chance of these being made en-masse, and giving the best opportunity of making more homes for birds in our urban landscape.”
    Timber featured throughoutKobayashi’s playful response to the brief called The Guest House For An Ostrich is elevated to an appropriate height so an ostrich could hide its head inside rather than burying it in the ground.
    The birdhouse features an aerodynamic form and details that reflect the ostrich’s ability to run at great speeds. Its front surface is scorched to give the impression that aerodynamic friction has set the wood alight.

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    Ceramicist George Baggaley created a birdhouse in his signature organic style, which is embellished with glazes that accentuate its undulating surfaces.
    Ovulo by Jaclyn Pappalardo features a welded form reminiscent of shapes found in nature. The curved profile with a hook at one end for suspending it from a tree branch was produced using a process that involves inflating metal using water.
    Dwellings focussed on shared themes of sanctuary and exploring our relationship with natureOliver Hawkes worked with a charity called Global Generation to build birdhouses using material offcuts donated by eyewear brand Cubitts. The project aimed to engage young people in the making process and educate them about issues relating to the environment and bird cohabitation.
    Many of the pieces created for the exhibition were available to purchase, with all proceeds helping to support South London Gallery’s communities and learning programmes.
    The photography is courtesy of Computer Room and South London Gallery.

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    Paris apartment merges “minimalism with the grandeur of Napoleon-era architecture”

    French architect Joris Poggioli has renovated his Paris apartment, aiming to preserve its historic features while integrating modern design elements.

    Poggioli sought to renovate the apartment located in a mansion that was once Napoleon Bonaparte’s office, while preserving its “historic soul”.
    Joris Poggiolio has renovated his apartment in Paris”It was an opportunity to merge my passion for minimalism with the grandeur of Napoleon-era architecture,” Poggioli told Dezeen.
    “The goal was not just to restore but to allow these historical elements to shine once more in a contemporary context, while also bringing forth the voice of our generation, our era, through my intervention.”
    The apartment is located in a mansion where Napoleon Bonaparte had an officePoggioli aimed to restore the 90-square-meter apartment’s original features, which had been obscured by years of modifications.

    “When I first stepped inside, it was like entering a fortress with layers of flooring, insulation, and makeshift walls,” explained Poggioli.
    “Slowly, I peeled away these layers, revealing original parquet, mouldings, and architectural details that had been hidden for decades”.

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    Influenced by Napoleon’s historical connection to the building, he sought to honour its heritage while introducing a modern touch.
    To achieve this, Poggioli focused on subtly highlighting features of the apartment, including the grand proportions, the flow of light through large windows, and the overall sense of space.
    “I wanted my design to feel like it was embracing the historical skeleton of the building, enhancing its spirit rather than competing with it”.
    It has high ceilingsThe 4.2-metre-high ceiling, a focal point of the apartment, heavily influenced his design choices.
    Elements like an oversized headboard in the bedroom and a mezzanine-like upper floor were introduced to accentuate the tall ceiling.
    “The soaring ceiling height was one of the most striking features of the apartment,” explained Poggioli. “It immediately influenced how I approached the design, giving me room to think on a grander scale”.
    “The void, the space itself, became necessary for thought—it allows mental images to escape and flow freely,” he continued.
    The bedroom features an oversized headboardThe apartment also features sculptures borrowed from a client, a collector of Amerindian art, whose pieces have been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
    Puiforcat also lent a series of bowls designed by American artist Donald Judd, while the other pieces come from Joris’ collection.
    “These pieces were selected because they represent a bridge between tradition and modernity, much like the apartment itself,” said Poggioli.
    “Amerindian art brings a sense of deep-rooted culture and craftsmanship, while the Puiforcat bowls, with their sleek, timeless design, add a layer of refinement,” he continued.
    “Together, they create a balance that reflects the overall philosophy of the space—a harmonious coexistence of the past and the present, each enhancing the other.”
    Various sculptures can be found in the apartmentOther apartment renovations recently featured on Dezeen include an apartment in Barcelona by architect Raúl Sánchez and a brutalist apartment in Canada by architect Jean Verville.
    The photography is by Alice Mesguich.

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    Neri Oxman launches New York practice in Foster + Partners-designed studio

    Designer Neri Oxman has unveiled a studio in Midtown Manhattan designed with architecture studio Foster + Partners that houses a production workshop and wet lab.

    Oxman unveiled the lab for her studio, Oxman, in a building originally designed by American architect Albert Kahn as a car manufacturing plant and renovated by Rafael Viñoly Architects to house shops and offices.
    Neri Oxman has unveiled a studio designed with British architecture studio Foster + PartnersOxman’s team worked with Foster + Partners to design a two-storey studio on the 9th and 10th floors of the building.
    The 36,000-square-foot space (3,345 square metres) is characterised by white-painted walls and columns, and is largely open – most of the dividing walls are glass. The lower floor features design offices, a library, kitchen and lounge, while the upper floor holds the wet lab and production studio.
    “Every detail of this project has been developed in conjunction with Neri and her team, reflecting Oxman’s holistic approach that spans scales and disciplines,” said Foster + Partners founder Norman Foster.

    “Both levels of the new studio have their own distinctive characters and contain a range of highly adaptable workspaces and labs, which enhance creativity and will become an epicenter of world-leading research.”
    The studio is located in a building designed by Louis Kahn and renovated by Rafael Viñoly ArchitectsOxman said that the design of the studio was meant to be open, flexible and technical to enable collaboration between the designers, scientists, architects and other employees who work there.
    She said that the space was meant to facilitate the actualisation of her The Krebs Cycle of Creativity – a rendition of German-British scientist Hans Krebs’ diagram depicting stages of energy generation in organisms.
    It is two storeys and contains a wet lab and central glass staircase”The dream for this building, this lab was to embody the diagram,” said Oxman.
    “The lab looks clean and nice on the inside, but inside, packed in the ceiling and in the ground, are conduits that are embedded for insert allowing access to data, to power, to gasses that feed the workstations – there’s 70 miles worth of Ethernet and an optical cable for cloud computing.”
    It is characterised by white-painted walls, glass dividers and wooden furnitureThe entrance space for the studio is a central atrium lit from above by panel lights in the ceiling that conceal the complex mechanical systems, including over 100 miles of colour-coded cabling to enable high-speed data.
    One side of the first floor holds the design studio where rows of custom-produced wooden desks run perpendicular to the floor-to-ceiling glass windows that overlook the high-rises of Hell’s Kitchen. A garden terrace with walkways and plants runs outside the windows.
    Conduits in the walls allow for access to data, power and gasses according to OxmanOpposite the windows run a series of private offices, completely lined in glass, with vitrines featuring samples of Oxman’s work, serving as visible dividers between each wood-backed space.
    On the other side of the first level, past a central stair, is a long conference table used for displaying work and models, and behind that a series of enclosed spaces for respite.
    It is meant to foster collaboration between employeesThe floating staircase was custom-designed for the space and has a single stringer at the top of the space and interlocking glass panels.
    The second storey holds a production workshop with robotic arms and 3D printers to fabricate shoes made from polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) – plastic-like molecules derived from bacteria.
    The interior is largely openAcross an atrium is a wet lab with custom Krion benches. Opposite the windows are a series of “capsules” that are heavily mechanized and can be used to simulate natural environments.
    According to Oxman, the studio is currently working on three primary areas: urban design and architecture, product design and molecular biology.
    The space was meant to facilitate the actualisation of The Krebs Cycle of CreativityOne of the biology products is a device called ALEF, which uses sensors to monitor biodiversity by training it to intake biogenic volatile organic compounds – described as “smells” – to provide data about environments.
    “From a biodiversity chamber designed to study and heal a struggling ecosystem to a ‘scent computer’ designed to concoct a functionalized fragrance with no harm to the environment, we seek to advance our understanding of the natural world while offering alternatives to methods of designing molecular goods that rely on monocropping,” said Oxman.
    “In fact, one of the most ecologically biodiverse environments in New York City currently thrives in our lab.”

    Neri Oxman and Bill Ackman told to alter Norman Foster design for their New York penthouse

    The opening of the studio corresponds with the announcement of this endeavor, as well as the bioplastic shoes and a series of modelling systems for urban design based on what Oxman calls “ecological programming” – AI-driven modelling programs used to make planning decisions to optimise for nonhuman, as well as human, life.
    “The Lab’s organizational ‘parti sketch’ perfectly mirrors the organizational and operational logic of the company, enabling tight physical and visual connectivity across zones dedicated to hardware, software, and wetware design,” said Oxman. “In other words, one can design, build, and deploy a bioreactor in a matter of hours.”
    “We are a design and innovation company,” she said. “We operate across scales, across disciplines and application domains, to target and to heal three broken industries.”
    The opening corresponds with a biology product called ALEFOxman, who is a former tenured professor at MIT and led The Mediated Matter Research Group, is known for her experiments in novel materials for construction such as melanin and silk.
    Earlier this year Oxman was caught up in an academic plagiarism row with Business Insider reporting that her dissertation was “marred by plagiarism”. She responded to allegations in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, saying she “omitted quotation marks for certain work that I used”.
    The photography is by Nicholas Calcott
    Project credits: 
    Collaborators: Foster + Partners, Adamson Associates Architects, Sciame HomesConsultants: Benchmark Woodworking, Cosentini Associates, Front Inc., Hollander Design, Jacobs Associates, Pentagram, Percival Scientific, Inc., Persak & Wurmfeld, Shen Milsom & Wilke, LLC, Silman, Spiralis, Syzygy 3, Inc., Tillotson & Associates, TKO Project Management

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    Futurestudio designs New York bathhouse to be both transportive and grounding

    Canada’s Futurestudio has designed the interiors for wellness space Othership’s first location in New York City, employing a deep, earthy palette and atmospheric lighting to heighten the experience for guests.

    The 9,550-square-foot (887 square metres) sauna and ice bath experience in Manhattan’s Flatiron District is Othership’s third outpost, following those in Toronto’s Adelaide and Yorkville areas.
    At the entrance to Othership, a patchwork curtain blocks views from the streetAt Flatiron, “journeyers” have access to a spacious 640-square-foot (59-square-metre) performance sauna and ice baths for up to 16 people in a private cold sanctuary room.
    There’s also an amphitheatre-style tea lounge, where guests can gather around a central fireplace to socialise.
    Cedar panelling along the corridors visually extends the sauna experience into public areasFuturestudio, led by founding principal Ali McQuaid Mitchell, designed the interiors to feel equally transportive and grounding.

    In the reception area, a curtain of custom-designed patchwork textile softens the entry and blocks views from the street.
    Atmospheric lighting is used throughout, including around the plunge poolsCedar panelling behind the counter and along the corridors visually extends the sauna experience into public areas.
    Narrow ceramic tiles stacked in a variety of bonds and pebbled river-stone flooring installed in the wet zones both add pattern and texture.
    River stones are used for flooring in the wet areasThe saunas are designed to provide heat up to 190 degrees Fahrenheit (88 degrees Celsius), with aromatic snowballs providing humidity that feels like 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius). The custom-designed ice baths are kept as low as 32 degrees Fahrenheit (zero degrees Celsius).
    Between sessions, guests are encouraged to relax and converse in the 700-square-foot (65-square-metre) tea lounge on bleacher-style seating around a full-height central fireplace.
    Performance saunas are designed to reach up to 190 degrees Fahrenheit (88 degrees Celsius)A halo-shaped light, custom-designed by Futurestudio and Anony, circles the stack and shifts colours to mimic sunrise, sunset and moonlight.
    “At Othership, every element harmonises to support the founders’ vision of redefining wellness through immersive and connecting experiences,” said McQuaid Mitchell.

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    The tradition of hot and cold bathing dates back to the Roman period, and is said to bring about an array of health benefits.
    “As a society, we’re starting to think much more about how much our emotional state impacts not only our physical health, but day-to-day life,” said Robert Bent, co-founder and CEO of Othership. “Othership’s unique take on hot and cold therapy has helped over 200,000 people de-stress and transform their relationships.”
    Guests can relax and socialise around a fireplace illuminated by a custom light fixtureSpa and bathing experiences are gaining popular as social spaces in New York City, offering an alternative to bars and restaurants.
    “People are tired of going to a bar or restaurant in order to have a social night out; there needs to be a better way,” said Amanda Laine, Othership co-founder and lead facilitator. “People want to reconnect with themselves, relax, drop their guard, and feel safe.”
    Lighting plays an important role in setting the mood throughout the bathhouseAnother brand, Bathhouse, recently opened a second location – also in the Flatiron District – following its Brooklyn venue in a converted soda factory that was shortlisted for leisure and wellness interior of the year at Dezeen Awards 2020.
    In other parts of the world, bathhouses with notable interiors include a space in Tokyo designed as a contemporary take on a traditional sento, and a white marble mikveh used by Mexico City’s Orthodox Jewish community.
    The photography is by Ian Patterson.

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    Eight interiors that show the versatility of futons and daybeds

    Our latest lookbook explores how futons and daybeds can offer a tempting spot for relaxation in different residential interior settings.

    By providing a place to sit, lie down or take a nap with a compact footprint, the humble futon, and its more sophisticated cousin the daybed, can be a useful tool for interior designers.
    Our selection of projects below includes various ideas for how they can be deployed, from corridors and cosy reading nooks to living-room centrepieces.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring sculptural coffee tables, statement rugs and oversized sofas.
    Photography by Shantanu StarickLonghouse, Australia, by Partners Hill

    A plushy daybed next to a woodburning stove provides a warm spot to rest in the living room of this sprawling home and restaurant in the Victorian bush, designed by architecture studio Partners Hill.
    The base is made from Australian cypress pine, while the cushion’s pale blue is intended to invoke summery blue skies even in the depths of winter.
    Find out more about Longhouse ›
    Photo by Jill TateNorth Bank, UK, by Elliot Architects
    A futon languidly festooned with sheepskin rugs, throws and cushions occupies a corner of the double-height living, dining and kitchen area of this barn-like house in north-east England’s Tyne Valley designed by Elliot Architects.
    It is nestled in the crook of a large square window, providing views of the surrounding countryside and ample natural light for reading.
    Find out more about North Bank ›
    Photo by Bryan W FerryDaunt’s Albatross, USA, by Home Studios
    In the Koda Suite of the Daunt’s Albatross boutique hotel in Montauk, New York, a chunky daybed hides behind a linen curtain.
    It forms part of Brooklyn-based Home Studios’s attempt to create the feeling of a “remote family home” through its overhaul of the former motel.
    Find out more about Daunt’s Albatross ›
    Photo by Tom BirdPoirot’s Bijou Apartment, UK, by Intervention Architecture
    Poirot’s Bijou Apartment – named because it occupies a space in the London building in which Agatha Christie’s fictional moustachioed detective lived – demonstrates how the daybed can be a space-saving device.
    Intervention Architecture created a bespoke plywood piece that can double up as a sofa, store flatpack stools and even wheel forwards to support the bottom end of a fold-down double bed.
    Find out more about Poirot’s Bijou Apartment ›
    Photo by Piet-Albert GoethalsApartment A, Belgium, by Atelier Dialect
    Designed by Belgian studio Atelier Dialect, this ultra-luxe Antwerp apartment features two daybeds. In the living room, a black leather De Sede DS-80 contrasts with the room’s cool, hard, cement-washed surfaces.
    Another huge, grooved daybed upholstered in brown velvet, designed by Jonas Van Put, occupies a raised platform behind a gauzy white curtain in the snug.
    Find out more about Apartment A ›
    Photo by Eric PetschekMount Tobias holiday home, USA, by IDSR Architecture
    ISDR Architecture founders Todd Rouhe and Maria Ibañez de Sendadiano designed their own custom daybeds for their holiday home in the Catskills.
    The daybeds occupy a brightly lit mezzanine loft space and are dressed with cushions and rugs from Danish brand Vipp.
    Find out more about this Mount Tobias holiday home ›
    Photo by Keith IsaacsNova Residence, USA, by Harding Huebner
    Nova Residence, a hillside house in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains designed by local architecture studio Harding Huebner, contains possibly the most famous daybed of all time.
    Set among several other modernist and mid-century furniture pieces in the open-plan living area is a Mies van der Rohe Barcelona daybed, whose tan colour contributes to a palette intended to mirror the terrain outside.
    Find out more about Nova Residence ›
    Photo by Michael SinclairTelevision Centre Penthouse, UK, by Waldo Works
    Design studio Waldo Works pursued a retro aesthetic with the interiors for this penthouse apartment in London’s 1960s Television Centre.
    In one section of the corridor, a tall shelving unit carrying leafy plants screens two pixel-print daybeds, forming an unexpected reading nook or children’s play area.
    Find out more about Television Centre Penthouse ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring sculptural coffee tables, statement rugs and oversized sofas.

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