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    Frederick Tang Architecture transforms New York loft into light-filled wellness studio

    Interior architecture and design studio Frederick Tang Architecture (FTA) has updated Moxi, a wellness studio and acupuncture centre in Soho, New York by re-arranging its interiors around an expansive oval skylight.

    Frederick Tang Architecture, based in Brooklyn, was tasked with reordering and redesigning the open-plan, top-floor studio into a space that accommodates a reception area, six treatment rooms, offices, bathrooms, herb dispensary and pantry.
    Frederick Tang Architecture wanted to capture natural lightThe studio took the 1901 mercantile building’s skylight as the starting point for the refurbishment of the rectangular-shaped space.
    Its dense urban context required an innovative solution to increase the floor area while introducing natural light throughout.
    Moxi is arranged around a central skylight”Architecturally we wanted to organise the many different components in a plan that felt logical and complete which was difficult with space constraints,” said Frederick Tang, director of design and principal architect at Frederick Tang Architecture (FTA).

    “We started by organizing the plan around the sources of natural light,” he told Dezeen.
    An office space has been added to the interiorVisitors enter the wellness studio and arrive at a reception area framed by four arched windows overlooking Broadway.
    Here, a custom bench crafted from white oak slats and copper detailing curves along two walls while sculptural pendant lights hang from the ceiling.
    To maximise space and take full advantage of the natural light, this area doubles as a site for gatherings and classes.
    The reception is flanked by four arched windowsFTA reconfigured Moxi’s rooms as well as softened corners and created arches that echo some of the existing architecture of the space for the client who wanted the interior to feel “holistic, natural, calm and inspiring”.
    A single corridor leads to all six treatment rooms, which were also coloured in shades of green.
    The walls were lime-washed in a soft cypress green, with wainscotting wooden panels painted in a darker shade of the same hue.

    Rose Ink Workshop designs membership club for wellness in New York City

    FTA wanted the colour to contrast traditional wellness studios which are often white and feel more clinical.
    “The predominant colour was green –lime washed in a cypress and deep forest – chosen for its property to heal, critical at the front where the patron first experiences the space,” said the architects.
    Each acupuncture treatment room has a different wallpaperThe treatment rooms, which are the most intimate sections in the studio, contain two bedrooms and a bathroom arranged around the lightwell.
    The green was offset by hints of pale peach throughout the interior and natural finishes including terrazzo, concrete, boucle and ribbed glass add depth and texture.
    A kitchenette is located at the end of the central corridorAt the end of the corridor, a second archway opens into a back-of-house area, where FTA has inserted a new office, herb dispensary, staff pantry, and bath.
    Other design-focused wellness spaces include the Shelter wellness centre in Sydney, which is located in a former restaurant and Yoko Kitahara spa in Israel, which was transformed from an Ottoman-era home.
    The photography is by Gieves Anderson.

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    Ten tranquil garden studios designed for work and play

    As the start of summer in the northern hemisphere promises warmer days and longer evenings, our latest lookbook features 10 garden studios that provide extra space for work or relaxation.

    For homes with large gardens, a small studio can be a practical way to create a separate hideaway for working from home – which has become commonplace in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic – or simply to retreat to for privacy.
    From a timber-clad prefabricated cabin in Spain to architects’ self-designed home offices in London and the US, we round up 10 garden studios as the summer season begins.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks including green living rooms, mezzanine-level bedrooms and winding staircases.
    Photo is by ImagenSubliminalTini, Spain, by Delavegacanolasso

    Architecture studio Delavegacanolasso created a modular, prefabricated cabin called Tini that can be inserted into a garden and used as a peaceful home office.
    Clad in poplar OSB panels, Tini’s interior provides space for minimal furniture, including geometric desks and glowing table lamps framed by floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows.
    Find out more about Tini ›
    Photo is by French+TyeGarden room, UK, by Alexander Owen Architecture
    Yellow Valchromat MDF and birch plywood line the walls of this London garden room by Alexander Owen Architecture, which is defined by internal timber cladding.
    The small building offers a place to entertain guests while it is also used as a minimal home office during the week, featuring a built-in desk designed with the same wood as its boxy cupboards and alcoves.
    Find out more about this garden room ›
    Photo is by Gillian HayeWriter’s Studio, UK, by WT Architecture
    Designed to create the “sense of being almost outdoors”, Scottish firm WT Architecture added a glass writer’s studio to the garden of a Victorian villa in Edinburgh.
    Inside, the space was curated to provide an uncluttered working environment defined by serene blue accents and a petite wood-burner that nod to the idea of a peaceful retreat.
    A minimal wooden desk cantilevers over the studio’s lower wall, which is located next to a raised plinth that creates additional seating.
    Find out more about this writer’s studio ›
    Photo is by Rafael SoldiShed-O-Vation, USA, by Best Practice Architecture
    Best Practice Architecture transformed a storage shed into a backyard studio at a house in Seattle after the pandemic prompted increased working from home.
    Called Shed-O-Vation, the project features its original wooden black siding that mirrors the black synthetic rubber used to cover the floors and a portion of the walls inside.
    There is space for both working and exercising, with both a built-in green desk and a designated area to hang bikes.
    Find out more about Shed-O-Vation ›
    Photo is by Trent BellLong Studio, USA, by 30X40 Design Workshop
    30X40 Design Workshop founder Eric Reinholdt placed a barn-style home office on the grounds of his residence on Mount Desert Island, off the coast of New England in America.
    The interiors of the Douglas fir-lined architects’ studio are designed to be flexible, with an Ergonofis sit-stand desk and space for tables that can be moved around according to the day’s work.
    A gabled roof frames the space, which includes cosy loft-like platforms that can be accessed by ladders.
    Find out more about Long Studio ›
    Photo is by Simon KennedyGreenhouse extension, UK, by McCloy + Muchemwa
    A formerly dilapidated garage in Norwich, England, was transformed into a timber-framed greenhouse extension by architecture studio McCloy + Muchemwa.
    Designed to accommodate DIY and other hobbies during national lockdowns, the “orangery” has polycarbonate cladding and houses various amenities including a workbench and storage for power tools.
    The eye-catching orange framework that lines the extension’s exterior is repeated in its interior details such as a bright orange clock and table legs.
    Find out more about this extension ›
    Photo is by Chris SnookThe Light Shed, UK, by Richard John Andrews
    London-based architect Richard John Andrews designed the Light Shed to house his own studio, with black corrugated fibreglass cladding and a gabled roof.
    Built in just 21 days, the volume’s interior opens out onto Andrews’ garden with sliding doors that reveal space for two to three people to work below a utilitarian shelving unit.
    “The studio aims to create a flexible approach to work and play, flipping its function to become an entertaining space for summer gatherings and more intimate functions,” explained the architect.
    Find out more about The Light Shed ›
    Photo is by Andreas BuchbergerThe Enchanted Shed, Austria, by Sue Architekten
    A trapdoor leads visitors to a writer’s studio and playroom in The Enchanted Shed, a black-timber converted 1930s outhouse designed for a property near Vienna.
    Arranged over two storeys, the upstairs gable is glazed to provide treetop views, which mirror the varnished grey fir ceilings and walls. Spotlights illuminate the shed’s interior throughout, creating a tranquil hideaway for working or relaxing.
    Find out more about The Enchanted Shed ›
    Photo is by Tim Van de VeldeGarden Room, Belgium, by Indra Janda
    Simply called the Garden Room, this small building was designed by architect Indra Janda for the garden of her parents’ house in northern Belgium.
    Scale-like shapes formed from translucent polycarbonate shingles clad the volume and create playful shadows that are reflected in its interior. The furniture in the space includes a deep-red butterfly chair and a wooden table.
    “The material is semi-transparent, which is nice in summer and winter, and gives a totally different feeling from day to night,” Janda said of the structure’s statement cladding.
    Find out more about Garden Room ›
    Photo is by Wai Ming NgCork Study, UK, by Surmon Weston
    Local architecture office Surmon Weston created a cork-clad shared workspace for a musician and a seamstress in the garden of their north London home.
    The cubic structure features birch plywood furniture that cantilevers off the walls and forms twin desks for the couple, which are framed by playfully colour-coded chairs.
    A skylight throws natural light on the interior, diminishing the boundary between inside and outside space.
    Find out more about Cork Study ›
    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 basement conversions, open-plan studies and residential interiors illuminated by skylights.

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    Natuzzi's Fabio Novembre-designed concept store celebrates the brand's Puglian roots

    Promotion: designer Fabio Novembre’s concept store for Italian furniture brand Natuzzi celebrates the brand’s Puglian roots with an interior that reflects the culture, colours and traditions of the southern Italian region.

    Novembre, who was born in the Puglian city of Lecce, has created a “new retail concept” for Natuzzi at its Milan flagship store that will be launched during Milan design week next month.
    Designed to make the furnishings stand out, the renovated store interior is anchored by a square-shaped central lounge area that sits at its heart. This piazza-like space is lined with lights and arches that recall traditional Apulian architecture.
    Natuzzi is an Italian furniture brandThe central space is used for meetings with customers and also provides an area where they can try out the brand’s virtual 3D shopping experience.
    Arranged around the central space, various room sets can be accessed through the arches, creating easy and free-flowing pathways through the space.

    Four of the room sets are dedicated to the living area while another three spaces set out total living proposals. The Apulian landscape – which is characterised by farms, olive trees and a particular warm light – is conveyed through the soft colour choices and tactile materials that create a relaxed mood.
    Natuzzi creates a range of high quality furniture”There is a deep connection between Fabio and Natuzzi: we share the love for our roots, for what Apulia taught us,” said chief creative officer of Natuzzi Italia, Pasquale Junior Natuzzi.
    “When we decided to rethink the concept of our showrooms we immediately thought he would be the right choice, as he has a unique ability to translate into architecture those values we share: hospitality, warmth, Mediterranean beauty.”
    “Natuzzi is the perfect interpreter to narrate Apulia to an international audience,” commented Novembre. “Places have a soul, and Apulia has always been a crossroads of different cultures that live together in harmony. We are a symbolic bridge over the Mediterranean.”
    The concept will be launched during Milan design week next monthDuring Milan design week, the courtyard spaces adjacent to the showroom in Palazzo Durini Caproni di Taliedo will host an installation called Germogli, which translates as sprouts or shoots in English.
    Conceived by Italian artist and designer Marcantonio, a series of gigantic golden olive tree sprouts, almost four metres tall, will appear as if they are emerging from the earth.
    The golden olive tree sprouts intended to explore humanity’s connection to natureThe installation explores the idea of rebirth and our connection to nature.
    “The sprouts I have represented are the olive, the symbolic tree of Puglia,” said Marcantonio. “Its wood is precious, it is strong, its fruit is an emblem of fertility and memory for all towns dotted across the Mediterranean, and it provides a unique cultural connection between them”.
    Giampaolo Sgura’s photographic exhibition called TRE(E)PIDATION will also be on showThe brand hopes that the installation will also throw the spotlight on an urgent problem facing olive groves in Puglia where a bacterial disease called Xylella is causing substantial problems in the olive groves and risks compromising crops across Europe.
    Also on show is Giampaolo Sgura’s photographic exhibition called TRE(E)PIDATION.
    The exhibition will present three photographs of olive trees that showcase a landscape that “risks disappearing forever” due to the Xylella epidemic and was created to promote public awareness of the issue and support scientific research.
    Fabio Novembre has collaborated with Pj NatuzziIn 2019, the Italian furniture brand embarked on what it called “a new era of advanced, white-glove customer service” by launching a virtual-reality shopping experience.
    Natuzzi’s showroom takes place from 10 am to 8.30 pm from 7 to 12 June 2022.
    To learn more about the brand, visit its website.
    Partnership content
    This article was written by Dezeen for Natuzzi as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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    Doméstico uses “habitable artifact” to organize micro apartment in Quito

    Ecuadorian architects Juan Alberto Andrade and María José Váscones have made the most of the limited space in a micro apartment located within a new residential tower by Safdie Architects.

    Doméstico is located within the Qorner building in Quito, near La Carolina Park. The apartment tower was designed by Safdie Architects and developed by local firm Uribe Schwarzkopf. The lower portion opened this year while work continues on the upper levels.
    The micro apartment is located within the Qorner building in QuitoArchitects Juan Alberto Andrade and María José Váscones – who are based in the city of Guayaquil –were tasked with designing a 27.5-squre-metre studio apartment for an active, middle-aged woman.
    The goal was to create open space within the compact studio without sacrificing basic living amenities.
    It features a versatile, floor-to-ceiling unit”The project is born from the need to solve, through architectural strategies, the spatial and formal limitations of this new way of living, in a way that relates directly to urban and social mobility,” the team said.

    The team ended up inserting a floor-to-ceiling unit with built-in, space-saving furniture and storage. This “habitable artifact” enables living functions to be condensed into a single organizing element that “transforms easily and does not sacrifice comfort”.
    The unit is made of water-resistant melamine boardsThe unit – made of water-resistant melamine boards – stretches along several walls and allows for an open area along the studio’s large window.
    Its placement, shape and functions were determined by the studio’s geometry and sightlines, along with the location of the building’s infrastructure.
    A compact galley kitchen contains basic amenitiesThe upper portion holds storage space and is accessed via a wheeled, metal ladder that can be moved around. The lower part accommodates everyday activities.
    Upon entering the studio, one steps into a compact galley kitchen with a fridge, stove, sink and cabinetry. A backsplash is lined with a mineral surfacing material from the company Silestone.

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    Just beyond is the main room, which features an open space with a sitting area.
    Lining one side of the room is the organizing unit, which contains a bed and desk/table, both of which fold up. A door in the corner leads to a bathroom with a sink, shower and toilet.
    The main room includes a sitting areaUp high, green metal shelves add a pop of colour to the austere apartment. Additional elements in the unit include aluminium door pulls and ceramic flooring.
    “Doméstico presents itself as a connection between architecture and furniture design, in which the space is created in relation to the new needs, and the constant reduction of space,” the architects said.
    Green metal shelves add a pop of colour”This premise questions the traditional dwelling limits, and puts in evidence the new parameters of contemporary domestic living.”
    Other projects by Juan Alberto Andrade and María José Váscones include the conversion of a 1990s van into a mobile home for an Ecuadorian couple, and a tech office in Guayaquil with a patchwork of windows and shelves.
    The photography is by JAG Studio.
    Project credits:
    Architects: Juan Alberto Andrade, María José Váscones.Team: Cuqui RodríguezContractor: Paola Cañón, Uribe SchwarzkopfManufacturers: Área UIO, Aglomerados Cotopaxi, Novopan

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    Omar Gandhi designs a “light-filled wood cathedral” for Toronto restaurant

    Canadian studio Omar Gandhi Architect has created a vaulted-wood interior inside a non-descript brick building for chef Matty Matheson’s restaurant in Toronto.

    Prime Seafood Palace is located in West Queen West and was a collaborative effort between Omar Gandhi Architect (OGA) and the restaurant’s chef, Matheson, who has developed an internet following.
    OGA designed a restaurant in the West Queen West neighbourhood of TorontoThe space was imagined as “a light-filled wood cathedral, lining an otherwise inconspicuous existing brick-clad building that blends into the city’s urban fabric,” the studio said.
    “I think that all of us brought different ideas to the table, but for our design team we wanted the space to be a surprise inside of a fairly unassuming new urban building on a very busy street,” Omar Gandhi, principal of OGA, told Dezeen.
    The restaurant has vaulted wooden ceilingsThe primary entrance to the restaurant is separated from the street by a courtyard next to the adjacent building. The facade of the building – an earlier brick building, similar to many others in that area of Toronto – was painted white.

    OGA placed a vaulted wood structure within the brick envelope so that the main dining room of the restaurant nests within. In order to achieve this, the architects suspended the wooden vault from the ceiling.
    Natural leather was used for the upholsteryThe principal goal was to create a “timeless space, free of trends, with local, natural materials that develop a patina and continue to enrich the restaurant over time,” said OGA.
    “Designing with wood and light was the starting point for the design,” the studio added.
    Brass detailing was used throughout the main dining roomThe vaulted room hosts the main dining room, where the white maple louvres that make up the ceiling extend over the windows.
    Here, OGA upholstered the booths that line the space with natural leather, based on ones used in Matheson’s grandfather’s restaurant on Prince Edward Island, the Blue Goose.
    Above the space, a “wood-clad cloud” runs the length of the peak of the vault and filters natural light from a skylight in the roof of the exterior envelope.
    The bar is covered by a wooden canopyNear the servers’ station is an accessible restroom with concrete walls, which has a double-height volume that allows the space to be lit by a skylight above.
    In this restroom, a custom concrete sink by Brandon Gore was cast in the shape of Canada’s Lake Erie, with a brass marker indicating the location of Matheson’s Ontario farm.
    The wood extends into the open kitchenMore louvres form the railing that separates the different sections of the main dining room, which feature brass detailing and lamps.
    A full bar covered by a cantilevered wood canopy stretches the length of the space, while a passage next to the bar leads into a private dining room.

    Omar Gandhi creates accessible viewpoint at Peggy’s Cove lighthouse

    At the end of the bar is the elevated slope that leads to an open concept kitchen.
    The restaurant also has a secondary dining space in the backroom, which has slightly different detailing – such as a wood-burning stove and wooden walls – that makes it “reminiscent of Ontario’s cabin country,” according to the designers.
    The backroom opens up onto the courtyardThis dining area also has glass doors on one side that lead out into the courtyard.
    Throughout the restaurant, OGA worked with Coolican & Company to conceive custom furniture both for the kitchen and the dining space. A standout feature was the inclusion of drawers in the booths that hold the restaurant’s custom knife sets.
    The custom tables have drawers for steak knivesOmar Gandhi Architects is based in Novia Scotia. Other projects include a home near Lake Ontario with a winding wood staircase as well as a cedar-clad home in Halifax.
    The photography is by Adrian Ozimek and Doublespace. 
    Project credits:
    Design team: Omar Gandhi, Stephanie Hosein, Jeff Walker, John Gray Thompson, Chad Jamieson, LaurenMcCrimmon, Kris MacDonald, Liam ThornewellRestaurant team: Matty Matheson, Gary Quinto, Coulson Armstrong, and Our House Hospitality CompanyPhysical model: Mary MaStructural: Diomis EngineeringMechanical & electrical: Spline GroupCode: LMDG Building Code Consultants Ltd.Lighting controls & dimming: OneLXCustom furniture: Coolican & CompanyMillworker (primary): Canara Woodworking Inc.Additional millwork: CNC Cung Inc.Custom concrete sinks: Brandon Gore (Hard Goods)Custom booth pendants: Concord Custom LightingCustom signage: Filo TimoArt: Darby MilbraithSpecialty paint finish: Handsome PaintersUniforms: Rosa RugosaContractor: Mazenga Building Group (primary), Bootstrap Design/BuildManufacturers/Suppliers: Moncer (engineered hardwood flooring), Baro Klaus (selected furniture & specialty lighting), Stone Tile (tile), KOL (fiber cement cladding), Vaughan Electrical Supply (lighting), Nella (equipment), Stovemaster (brick hearth), MBH (Steel/glass doors), Sørensen Leather

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    Bunn Studio designs Garde Hvalsøe showroom to resemble grand apartment

    New York practice Bunn Studio has revamped a furniture showroom set in a Renaissance building in Aarhus, Denmark, to look more like an apartment than a store.

    Designed for Danish cabinet maker Garde Hvalsøe, the showroom houses the brand’s signature handcrafted kitchens and walk-in wardrobes alongside a selection of furnishings.
    Garde Hvalsøe’s Aarhus showroom is set in a Renaissance buildingThe 600-square-metre space is split over two levels and six different rooms, including a bathroom and a kitchen set-up much like a real residence.
    Although not typically included in a cabinet maker’s showroom, these spaces are designed to help customers visualise the furniture in their own homes.
    The store is split across six rooms including a kitchen”The layout is built with elements from a classic American high-end apartment including an entrance slash kitchen, lounge area, and a bedroom slash self-care area,” Bunn Studio explained.

    The Renaissance building dates back to 1898 and features high ceilings, slender proportions and large windows that admit a warm ambient light.
    Modern furnishings are contrasted against hand-painted glass ceilingsBunn Studio, led by Louise Sigvardt and Marcus Hannibal, wanted to create a mellow and laid-back atmosphere in the space using this natural light as the starting point.
    “The aim of the design was to create a place where visitors can spend their entire day comfortably and that invites guests to slow down and become aware of the details that characterise Garde Hvalsøe furniture,” the practice said.
    A large vanity mirror sits at the end of the first floorNo doors separate the different rooms, enabling visitors to see straight from the first-floor entrance to the mirror at the opposite end of the showroom in one long, unbroken line.
    Garde Hvalsøe’s minimalist and contemporary designs, including beds and bathtubs, sit in contrast with the building’s original features such as ornamented columns, mouldings and hand-painted glass ceilings.

    Brdr Krüger’s first showroom features soft colours and rococo references

    Bunn Studio selected a colour scheme to honour the existing features of the space, with the top of the walls painted in a dark chocolate brown.
    This makes the ceilings seem lower and creates a more intimate, cosy and domestic atmosphere, according to the practice.
    The top of the walls is painted in a dark chocolate brownThe earthy, natural colours of the columns and the walls are contrasted with lighter hues such as the shirting blue pinstripe of the bedding, the red Verona Rossa stone on the vanity table and the bright yellow lampshade that tops the floor lamp in the lounge.
    “We launched our first flagship showroom in Copenhagen in 2019 and opening our redesigned secondary space in Aarhus is an exciting progression for us,” commented Garde Hvalsøe founder Søren Hvalsøe Garde.
    “Bunn Studio has designed a bright and beautiful space where we can truly showcase our craftsmanship, our holistic approach to design and our quest for exquisite quality.”
    The showroom also features a bathroom set-upBunn Studio was also responsible for the design of the first standalone Copenhagen showroom from Danish furniture brand Brdr Krüger, which references the history of both the company and the location.
    The photography is by Michael Rygaard.

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    Hadi Teherani designs Middle East-inspired bathroom under a cupola for Axor

    Promotion: architect Hadi Teherani has designed a bathroom concept for Axor based on Middle Eastern bathhouses, imagining the room as a place of retreat and holistic cleansing.

    Teherani designed the concept as part of Axor’s Distinctive project, which presents bathroom ideas from renowned architects as a way of exploring the trend of individualisation.
    Teherani was asked to create a personal “bathroom with personality” for the project and answered the brief by creating a circular, cupola-topped room meant to provide a sense of security and serenity.
    Hadi Teherani’s concept bathroom for Axor has a central tub that sits under a cupola”I see the bathroom as a space where I can clean myself – in a metaphorical sense as well,” said Teherani. “Here is where I arm myself for the day. This space protects me, offers me security, but at the same time, it doesn’t restrict me but rather gives me a feeling of space and infinity.”
    The concept takes the form of a cupola, which is Teherani’s way of conjuring those seemingly contradictory feelings of safety and liberation, security and freedom. It is “enveloping but not narrowing”.

    The cupola would sit at the centre of a home or hotel suite and be accessible from several points. It is inspired by Middle Eastern public baths, which would typically have several individual cupolas accommodating different functions.
    An oval double washbasin is located along the wallIn Teherani’s design, an organically shaped bathtub sits directly under the cupola, with a spacious shower area and oval double washbasin around it.
    “For me the cupola symbolises openness and secureness,” said Teherani. “The vastness comes from the high arched ceiling with a glass mosaic that stretches across the room like the sky.”
    “When you lay here in the bathtub placed in the centre of the room you get the feeling of looking into the vastness of the starry sky.”
    The circular room can be accessed from several pointsThis effect is enhanced by the chosen materials, which include glass mirror mosaic tiles that stretch from the floor to the cupola overhead. These reflect the light marble surfaces below, creating a glittering panorama of silvers and golds.
    Teherani’s bathroom concept is completed with Axor fittings in matt black: Axor Citterio E lever-handle and pin-handle faucets, Axor overhead and handheld showers, as well as Axor Universal Softsquare Accessories. He sees them as fulfilling the role of “functional jewellery”.
    “The faucets crown the bathroom concept with their timeless elegance and transport the water to the washbasin,” said Teherani. “The overhead shower is a recharging area for new energy, the bathtub faucet the water source at the bathtub.”
    The bathroom is finished with Axor fittings in matt blackThe bathroom demonstrates how linear fittings can be made to work in a round space, which Teherani said he accomplished by making “little cuts into the walls” and planning the positioning carefully.
    “The good thing about Axor is that the brand offers so many individual product variants so that it’s always possible to find a solution,” he added.
    Axor’s Distinctive project explores the trend of individualisation in personal living spaces through interviews and conversations with experts and Axor design partners, as well as bathroom concepts designed by leading architects.
    To view more of Axor’s products, visit its website.
    Partnership content
    This article was written by Dezeen for Axor as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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    Mim Design conceives Melbourne's Au79 cafe as “greenhouse sanctuary”

    Australian studio Mim Design has demarcated the Au79 cafe and bar in Melbourne’s Chadstone shopping centre from the surrounding stores using an arched framework instead of solid walls.

    Set in a corridor between shopfronts, Au79 was designed as a “greenhouse sanctuary” that could offer shoppers a slice of serenity and respite within the bustling retail complex.
    Melbourne’s Au79 cafe is set in a corridor between shopfrontsMim Design, which was also responsible for creating Au79’s first outpost in the nearby city of Abbotsford, wanted the space to fit into its surroundings while also bearing resemblance to the company’s original cafe.
    The Chadstone mall has a vaulted glass ceiling, which the studio decided to mirror by encasing the cafe in an arched framework topped with a gridded metal canopy and cascading plants.
    One side of the pill-shaped plan is taken over by a cafeThis frame surrounds a pill-shaped plan, which is divided into two distinct zones by a central servery.

    On one side is a neutral-toned cafe and on the other a bar organised around a curved counter made of figured stone and flanked by brass-edged display cabinets.
    The other side houses a bar”The cafe addresses the main retail thoroughfare while the bar offers a more intimate and exclusive experience facing the luxury retailers,” said Kieren Guerrero, Mim Design’s lead designer on the project.
    “The resulting open floor plate sensitively maintains visibility across the cafe to the shopfronts beyond while the arched outlines produce a theatrical colonnade effect and subtle sense of privacy.”
    Huge spherical pendants hang along the centreThe sense of formality and grandeur created by the framework is enhanced by the overall symmetry of the space.
    A row of huge custom-made spherical pendant lights is hung along the length of the plan, fitting neatly into the central arches.

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    “At night, we wanted to create the atmosphere of sitting under the glow of the moon,” said Guerrero. “The gentle illumination allows the space to transition and hold presence from day to night, bringing a new dimension to Au79’s organic forms and natural materials.”
    Mim Design employed a tonal palette of brick, terrazzo, natural leather and stone within the interior. Brass details, lush scalloped profiles and tactile finishes echo Au79’s Abbotsford cafe.
    Banquette seating runs along the perimeter of the cafeFixed banquette seating runs along the perimeter of the cafe to maintain a sense of spaciousness while seating as many people as possible.
    Loose furniture settings enable flexibility and moveable joinery on the cafe’s frontage allows the space to transform in order to accommodate different events.
    Tiles and terrazzo are contrasted against flesh-coloured leather”The project crafts a textural, gilded oasis in the Chadstone shopping complex,” said Miriam Fanning, founder and principal of Mim Design.
    “We sought to create a destination that redefined the expectation of what a kiosk is, a place considered to be built form that held ideas of permanence and presence.”
    Other projects by the Melbourne studio include a delicatessen with a counter that looks like sliced salami and an office filled with perforated metal screens.
    The photography is by Timothy Kaye.

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