Markus Andrews

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    La Firme reorganises centuries-old Montreal loft with contemporary finishes

    Montreal architecture studio La Firme has reorganised an apartment in a 1800s textile mill, using cabinetry to shape the new interior configuration.

    The Elmire Condo was completed for a young couple in Montreal’s Plateau Mont-Royal area.
    “This project took a space in a mid-19th century building that’s been a textile mill, a Campbell’s soup factory, and finally a condo complex,” said La Firme, a local studio whose name means simply The Firm.
    The apartment is located Montreal’s Plateau Mont-Royal areaLa Firme left much of the original structure exposed, including tall, rough-hewn timber beams and brick walls with structural arches as passages between rooms.
    According to the studio, these original elements serve as a “counterpoint” to their intervention, which consists of a series of white oak cabinets that delineate that redefine the rooms, while offering an abundance of storage for the owners.

    La Firme left structural arches and brickwork exposed”These contrasting elements organise the space into a rectangular area for the kitchen and salon, and an L-shaped loft for the master bedroom and bath, with a combination gallery, conservatory and meditative space,” said La Firme.
    The studio was able to include two bathrooms as part of the renovation: one for guests and the other within the primary bedroom. Plenty of stone is used throughout the apartment, reflecting the owner’s passion for geology.
    The apartment features a raised salonWithin the ensuite bathroom, a wall is finished in Calcatta marble that was bookmatched to create a subtle geometric pattern with the veins of the stone. “Natural light comes in from the gallery space through a band of glass blocks, in a wink to 1980s condo design,” La Firme explained.
    The long kitchen countertop sits partially at bar-height, then transitions to table height due to a step in the apartment floor. “The kitchen embodies [the client’s] love of minerals and culinary passion,” said La Firme.

    Talo Studios introduces Japandi elements to historic Montreal house

    “Quebec’s geological richness is brought inside with the island countertop, a slab of Labradorite granite that extends into a table on a raised platform,” they added.
    Beyond the kitchen is the salon, which is raised a few steps higher, and enjoys clear views of the city’s Mont Royal. Within these steps, the architects included a concealed pull-out bed for guests.
    Contemporary elements contrast with the centuries-old buildingOpposite the kitchen is a counter with drawers offering flexible storage or a place to work from home.
    Through the brick arches is the conservatory, a secondary living area separated from the combined living room and kitchen.
    Two bathrooms are included in the renovation”The gallery/conservatory is the loft area’s raison d’être,” La Firme explained. “Bright and open, it puts on display the clients’ other great loves: an impressive collection of contemporary art and a space for playing music.”
    Besides the white oak cabinets and occasional stone accents, the architects kept to a relatively limited palette for the intervention.
    Other apartment renovations in Montreal include a 1920s unit that Naturehumaine renovated with curved walls and pale green cabinetry, and a residential extension wrapped in galvanised metal.
    The photography is by Ulysse Lemerise Bouchard.

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    Vipp sets up one-room hotel inside ex-pencil factory in Copenhagen

    A factory that once made Denmark’s classic Viking school pencils now contains a one-room hotel conceived by homeware brand Vipp.

    The 90-square-metre hotel – which is aptly called Vipp Pencil Case – is situated on the factory’s ground floor and accessed via a sun-dappled courtyard.
    The hotel room is arranged around an open living and dining areaThis is one of six hospitality spaces that Vipp has established for design-conscious travellers – others include Vipp Shelter, a pre-fab cabin nestled along the shores of Lake Immeln in Sweden, and Vipp Farmhouse, an 18th-century dwelling located in a rural pocket of Denmark’s Lolland island.
    The interiors of Vipp Pencil Case is the work of Danish designer Julie Cloos Mølsgaard, who spent a year curating a neutral yet warm space that she felt sat comfortably within the industrial setting.
    Guests can gather around a large oak and stone dining tableAt the heart of the hotel room is a light-filled living and dining area. To one side lies a powder-grey edition of Vipp’s V1 kitchen suite, where guests are invited to rustle up their own meals.

    To the other side of the space is a large oak dining table with a Jura stone countertop, and a number of storage cabinets that hold extra crockery and cookware.
    The bedroom lies behind sliding doorsWoven baskets, ceramic vases and contemporary artworks have been dotted throughout as decoration.
    “Vipp Pencil Case is not your average hotel room – more like a studio or atelier, it elicits an artistic ambience and holds a rare quietude in the heart of the Danish capital”, explained Mølsgaard.
    Paintings on the walls give the hotel an artsy studio feelA set of tall sliding doors can be pushed back to reveal the bedroom, which has been dressed with a couple of marble-topped side tables and a plump white seating pouf.
    Light streaming through the building’s expansive crittal-style windows is dampened by floor-to-ceiling Kvadrat curtains.

    Vipp converts former pencil factory in Copenhagen into supper club venue

    The wooden floorboards that feature here and throughout the rest of the hotel room are meant to nod to the materiality of Viking pencils, and the fact that the building also once served as a showroom for wooden flooring brand Dinesen.
    The room also includes a sleek shower room that’s been almost entirely clad with jet-black tiles.
    A bathroom is clad in jet-black tilesViking’s former factory is located across the water from central Copenhagen on Island Brygge. This is not Vipp’s first intervention on site – late last year, the brand transformed another part of the factory into a supper club where chefs from around the world can host intimate dining experiences.
    Its interiors were also designed by Mølsgaard, who filled the space with wooden furnishings and tactile rugs and cushions.
    The photography is by Rasmus Hjortshøj.

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    Marcel Wanders draws on Dutch history for overhaul of Schiphol airport lounge

    References to Dutch culture and history are woven throughout the VIP centre of Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, which has undergone a maximalist revamp by designer Marcel Wanders.

    The airport lounge comprises a sequence of rooms including a library, drinks bar and smoking room, all designed by Marcel Wanders and his studio to have a distinct theme.
    “We wanted each room to be able to exist on its own,” explained Gabriele Chiave, the studio’s creative director.
    Replicas of famous Dutch paintings are displayed in Schiphol’s VIP centre”Of course, the main thread throughout is Dutch heritage and culture,” he continued. “But we decided on main themes like art and innovation that inspired generations of designers.”
    “This travellers’ lounge offered an opportunity to share Dutch culture with the world,” Wanders added. “It introduces people to our history and our masterpieces.”

    As travellers enter the VIP centre, they come into a relaxed lounge area designed to loosely resemble the national Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
    The workroom features trompe l’oeil wallsDisplayed on the walls are replicas of paintings by different Dutch masters, set against backlit glass walls that were installed a decade ago during the last renovation of the lounge by local practice Concrete Architects.
    Across the room are banks of coffee-coloured sofas, which like the rest of the furnishings throughout the centre were selected in collaboration with Dutch design brand Lensvelt.
    One of the seating areas was designed as a celebration of Deft Blue potteryMore reproductions of significant Dutch artworks are found in the centre’s workroom, where travellers can sit down with their laptops or take private phone calls.
    Here, a trompe l’oeil effect on the walls creates the impression that the room is finished with traditional boiserie, half-varnished in a rich yellow ochre hue.
    Another lounge area showcases digital portraits of famous Dutch cultural figures – both real and fictional – including artist Vincent Van Gogh, violinist Andre Rieu and cartoon bunny Miffy.

    Marcel Wanders uses mismatched patterns and oversized furnishings for Doha hotel

    Guests can also retreat to the VIP centre’s Deft Blue Salon, which takes its name from a style of Dutch tin-glazed pottery that’s typically adorned with intricate blue-and-white designs.
    Living up to its name, the room was fitted with patterned blue wallpaper panels and dotted with a few Deft Blue vases.
    The smoking room hints at the Netherlands’ connection to the tobacco tradeElsewhere in the VIP centre, there’s a smoking room that nods to the Netherlands’ historical ties to the tobacco trade and a seating area designed to reference Amsterdam’s canal houses, with a streetlamp-style light and fake stained-glass windows.
    Other amenities include a library, drinks bar, games room and a serene sleeping room.
    Amsterdam’s canal houses informed the look of this loungeWanders is known for his striking maximalist aesthetic, which can also be seen in his interior design for Doha’s Mandarin hotel with its mismatched patterns and oversized furnishings.
    Stateside, the designer has previously created a diamond-patterned facade for the Louis Vuitton store in Miami, referencing the brand’s iconic monogram logo.

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    Jorge Almazán creates minimal broken-plan interior for House in Honjo

    Suspended ceilings and unnecessary partition walls were removed in this minimalist revamp of a house in Japan’s Saitama Prefecture, designed by Jorge Almazán Architects.

    House in Honjo was previously divided into rooms and corridors, which made it feel small and cramped.
    Removing walls created a more open ground floorArchitect Jorge Almazán and his team designed a new ground-floor layout that removed as many partition walls as possible, creating a continuous living space that offers a greater feeling of spaciousness.
    The new layout is broken-plan rather than open-plan; the space is loosely divided up into different zones by the few remaining partition walls, and a few custom furniture pieces.
    The remaining partition walls create a broken-plan layoutAs well as creating extra head height, the removal of the suspended ceiling boards reveals the steel structural beams and wooden joists, giving the home a more utilitarian feel.

    House in Honjo is home to a fashion critic who recently relocated from Tokyo for work.
    Although the 163-square-metre property did not meet her requirements, the location was convenient for her job. She asked Almazán to redesign the 97-square-metre ground floor, leaving the rest of the building intact.
    A suspended ceiling was removed to reveal structural beams”Her home had to be spacious and filled with natural light, as well as a place where she could hold family and friend gatherings,” explained Jorge Almazán Architects.
    The new broken-plan living space incorporates an entrance hall, a lounge, a dining space and a kitchen organised around an island.
    Privacy can be created by placing more items on the shelvesInformed by the client’s interest in fashion, Almazán added different material textures to each space. The kitchen features a stainless steel worktop, the dining area centres around a marble table, and the lounge features white leather upholstery.
    “Each element is ‘dressed’ with a distinctive tactile and visual experience,” said the studio.
    A new window was added in the loungeWood features heavily throughout. The flooring is birch wood, while plywood lines the walls and provides furniture, including shelves and sideboards that act as space dividers.
    More or less privacy can be created by adding or removing elements from the shelving that separates the lounge and the dining area from the entrance hall.

    Nanometer Architecture takes advantage of extra space in Nagoya flat

    Flexibility was considered throughout. The lounge furniture can be easily moved to create room for exercise or, in the future, children’s play space, while the dining table is designed to also function as a workspace.
    Underfloor heating ensures that the space will stay comfortable during Saitama’s notoriously cold winters, while the more open layout creates more opportunities for cross ventilation in the warmer summer months.
    A plywood sideboard creates a natural space dividerA new window was installed to increase the volume of natural light in the lounge space, with a window sill that is deep enough to allow space for pot plants, while a skylight was added in the hallway.
    A new toilet and utility room was also created as part of the renovation, which helps to rationalise the layout at the rear of the ground floor.
    Plywood also lines the walls of the renovated living spacesHouse in Honjo “has proved to be especially suited for the new domestic conditions imposed by the pandemic,” noted Jorge Almazán Architects.
    “The comfort of natural light and ventilation, the rich tactility of its surfaces, and the spatial openness and versatility have allowed this renovated house to become an enjoyable interior oasis.”
    Plants can be displayed on the deep window sillsHome renovations are less common in Japan than other countries, as rebuilding is usually the preferred option.
    Japanese real estate firm Goodlife recently set out to change this, with the renovation of a compact apartment in Tokyo. Other recent examples include a minimally furnished flat in Nagoya.
    Photography is by Montse Zamorano.
    Project credits
    Architect: Jorge Almazán ArchitectsDesign team: Jorge Almazán, Javier Celaya, Gaku Inoue, Rumi Okazaki.Contractor (interior and furniture): Shibata Kenchiku Design RoomElectricity: Uchimura DenkiKitchen manufacturer: Kitazawa Kitchen

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    Ten sleek co-working spaces that provide an escape from home working

    As the world starts emerging from coronavirus lockdowns and many people begin returning to offices and shared workplaces, we have rounded up 10 co-working spaces for our latest lookbook.

    Whether a freelancer, small start-up or larger business, co-working offices can be a convenient and flexible solution for those looking to work in a collaborative environment.
    These 10 co-working sites combine domestic features such as cosy armchairs and sofas with sophisticated work areas furnished with modern desks, private partitions and well-equipped facilities.
    The co-working spaces also provide employees with networking opportunities, spots to socialise in, places to dine and even areas to exercise.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing bedrooms with smart storage solutions, residences with vaulted ceilings, and peaceful holiday home interiors.

    Photo is by Nikolas KoenigNeueHouse Bradbury, US, by DesignAgency
    Canadian studio DesignAgency added “graceful flourishes” such as linen drapes, soft furnishings and rose-coloured stools to NeueHouse’s co-working location in Downtown Los Angeles (above and top).
    While a number of the building’s existing elements were preserved including the brick fireplaces and large oak-framed windows, the studio added Versailles parquet flooring to give the workspaces a more contemporary look.
    Find out more about NeueHouse Bradbury ›
    Photo is by Jeroen VerrechtFosbury & Sons Boitsfort, Belgium, by Going East
    Belgian interior design studio Going East took cues from the original building’s modernist style to create this space for co-working provider Fosbury & Sons.
    Designed to look more like a residential home than an office, the 7,000 square-metre workplace in Brussels has comfortable leather seating, marble tables and a statement chandelier that hangs above the central staircase.
    Find out more about Fosbury & Sons Boitsfort ›
    Image is courtesy of The WingThe Wing Brooklyn, US, by Chiara De Rege
    The third site created by female co-working club The Wing, this cosy space in the Dumbo area of New York was designed by Chiara De Rege.
    De Rege designed the social areas to feel like living rooms, complete with an eclectic range of chairs and sofas in contrasting pastel and bold tones. The walls of the office spaces were tinted with the company’s “wing pink” colour while pale oak flooring was used to add warmth.
    Find out more about The Wing Brooklyn ›
    Photo is by Francisco NoguieraFosbury & Sons Amsterdam, the Netherlands, by Going East
    Designed by Belgian studio Going East, this Fosbury & Sons co-working space is set within a converted 19th-century hospital overlooking Amsterdam’s Prinsengracht canal.
    The studio aimed to create an upscale ambience throughout the space, while one of the building’s operating theatres was transformed into a dramatic boardroom with a marble-topped table surrounded by puffy, tan-coloured chairs.
    Find out more about Fosbury & Sons Amsterdam ›
    Photo is by Luis BeltranCabinette, Spain, by Masquespacio
    Retro furniture and pastel colours were used to create a Wes Anderson-like feel in this whimsical co-working office designed by Spanish studio Masquespacio in Valencia.
    Aimed at creative millennials, Cabinette has quirky elements such as silver curtains and chintzy stools. The studio used a light blue colour throughout the different office areas to add a sense of cohesion.
    Find out more about Cabinette ›
    Photo is courtesy of The Office GroupDouglas House, UK, by Note Design Studio
    Stockholm-based firm Note Design Studio contrasted neutral colours like ochre with bright furniture including armchairs in royal blue hues to to create invigorating spaces for  the Douglas House co-working members club.
    Spanning six floors, Douglas House by The Office Group has space for 700 to work along side a plant-filled chill out room, gym, cafe and a special room for nursing mothers.
    Find out more about Douglas House ›
    Photo is by Wai Ming NgReplica House Studios, UK, by Weston, Surman & Deane
    British studio Weston, Surman & Deane transformed a Victorian church in north London into a bright and colourful open-plan workspace that doubles as the architecture studio’s own office.
    To reference the church’s original use, the studio added diamond-patterned panes of stained glass in muted green, blue, orange and red colours above the main staircase and between the beams of the gabled roof.
    Find out more about Replica House Studios ›
    Photo is by Mariell Lind HansenUrban HQ, Ireland, by Kingston Lafferty Design
    Interiors studio Kingston Lafferty Design aimed to create warm and welcoming interiors for this eight-storey co-working office in Dublin.
    The studio used a palette of inviting materials, including stone, leather, slatted wood, velvet and brass, to create the homely atmosphere, with each floor designed to have a distinctive feel.
    Find out more about Urban HQ ›
    Photo is by Joe FletcherCanopy Jackson Square, US, by Yves Behar, Amir Mortazavi and Steve Mohebi
    Located in San Francisco’s downtown area, Canopy Jackson Square is a shared workspace created by designers Yves Behar, Amir Mortazavi and Steve Mohebi.
    A dark green colour palette and blackened wood flooring was used to create a decadent atmosphere in the private rooms while the public spaces are adorned with lighter green and pink tones.
    Find out more about Canopy Jackson Square ›
    Photo is by Nacasa & PartnersDigital Garage, Japan, by Snøhetta
    Lengthy ribbons of cedarwood form the desk surfaces and benches of this co-working space in Tokyo, which was created for a Japanese technology company by architecture firm Snøhetta.
    Above the desk, the studio added 534 pendant lights that create dazzling patterns when switched on. Chairs and stools in the same dark tone of the floor make up the rest of the furnishing in the stripped-back space.
    Find out more about Digital Garage ›
    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 homes centred around interior courtyards, kitchen extensions and interiors by Ukranian designers.

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    Cara Mela by Casa Antillón is a dual-colour pastry shop in Madrid

    Two rooms – one white and one green – make up this striking colour-block pastry shop that architecture and interiors studio Casa Antillón has completed in Madrid.

    The layout of Cara Mela naturally lends itself to having distinctly different coloured rooms, according to local studio Casa Antillón.
    Cara Mela’s first room is finished completely in white”From the beginning, we had a vision of a spatial cascade of rooms separated by colour-contrasted openings on the walls,” the studio told Dezeen.
    “It was very suitable with the architecture of the existing building, since the floor goes down from the entrance to the back of the shop.”
    A stainless steel unit accommodates different functional elementsUpon entering the pastry shop, which is located in Madrid’s Chamberi neighbourhood, customers are welcomed into an all-white room.

    The space is dominated by an angular stainless steel unit, incorporating a high counter where customers can stand and eat, a handwashing station and a glass display case that shows off Cara Mela’s sweet treats.
    The back room features sea-green surfacesThis front room narrows slightly before opening up to reveal a seating area at the back of the shop. Casa Antillón nicknamed the two spaces after the different phases of a heartbeat – systole and diastole.
    “Systole and diastole are the heart’s movements of contraction and expansion,” explained the studio. “For us, it refers to this spatial game where one space contracts and drags the visitor in, while the other expands letting the same visitor relax in the lounge.”

    Six bakeries and sweets shops with delectable interiors

    The rear room was finished entirely in a rich sea-green hue save for the steps leading down into the space, which are clad in white tiles to create the impression of the front room “spilling” into the back of the shop.
    Dotted throughout the space are a few wriggly-edged tables balanced on slim metal legs, which are also sea green.
    Furniture and fixtures have wriggly edgesRight at the back of the room is a small window that looks through to the kitchen. Its ledge and inner frame are coated in a glossy, bright-red paint reminiscent of caramelised apples – one of the most popular offerings on Cara Mela’s menu.
    The same shade of red was also applied to the shop’s front door.
    A red window offers views of the staff kitchenFounded in 2019, Casa Antillón is led by architects Marta Ochoa, Ismael López, Emmanuel Álvarez and Yosi Negrín.
    Cara Mela isn’t the first project the studio has completed in its hometown of Madrid. Elsewhere in the Spanish capital, the studio has designed Mood, a trendy hair salon with a galvanised steel facade.
    The photography is by Imagen Subliminal.

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    Roz Barr designs co-working club Bureau in Greenwich Design District

    Roz Barr Architects has designed a co-working members’ club for London’s new design district, featuring a bright red salon, stairs you can sit on, and a workspace that doubles as a dinner table.

    Bureau offers a range of co-working and social spaces designed specifically for those working in the creative industries.
    It occupies two buildings in the recently opened Greenwich Design District: the concrete-framed D1 designed by Architecture 00 and the ripple-facaded C3 designed by HNNA.
    The ground-floor restaurant functions as a meeting space. Photo is by Ruth WardArchitect Roz Barr and her London-based team designed a series of playful interiors for Bureau, hoping to create a distinct identity that extends across both buildings.
    The buildings’ raw structures are left exposed but contrasted by bold flashes of colour, so that spaces feel characterful but open to adaptation. Bureau describes them as “elegantly utilitarian”.

    “The brief we developed was about offering a home for creatives, which allowed them to bring their own identity to how they occupied the spaces,” said Barr.
    “A language of elements and materials form a rhythm between both buildings,” she told Dezeen.
    Members have access to shared facilities including meeting rooms and phone booths. Photo is by Ruth WardThe C3 spaces were the first to open, as part of the Greenwich Design District’s official launch in September.
    Occupying four floors, the offer here includes private studios, a mix of fixed and hot-desk workspaces, plus a range of shared facilities that include a restaurant, a lounge, meeting rooms and phone booths.
    The salon is a red-toned lounge that doubles as an events space. Photo is by Joe HowardThe recent addition of D1 broadens the variety of space available. Its five floors include both indoor and outdoor workspaces, plus flexible spaces that can be used for a variety of events and group activities.
    In both buildings, the ground floor is designed to offer spaces where members can come together and share ideas.
    C3’s all-red salon can host talks and film screenings, while the restaurant functions as a gathering space.
    A long table offers opportunities for group collaboration or dining events. Photo is by Alex UptonMeanwhile, D1’s ground floor contains a 14-metre-long table that can be used for group collaboration or dining events.
    D1 also includes a space known as the forum, a lounge that can also be used for presentations. A staircase-like furniture element made from recycled plastic creates casual tiered seating.

    London’s Design District officially opens to the public

    “We understood we were creating a place for the creative industries to work, meet and relax,” said Barr.
    “Bureau is the centre of design district, so it was seen as a place where members of the community would join and form a sort of collective.”
    Felt screens help to improve the acoustics. Photo is by Alex UptonMaterial finishes throughout the interiors would be more typically be found in industrial workshops than offices, emphasising the creative nature of Bureau’s members.
    Floors are either bare concrete or covered in colourful marmoleum, while wall finishes include cement boards and corrugated metal, and perforated metal screens function as space dividers.
    Perforated metal screens allow light to filter through. Photo is by Ruth WardThese details are softened by textiles and lighting. Recurring elements includes globe lighting pendants, floor-to-ceiling curtains and digitally printed carpets and rugs.
    “We used a palette of materials that worked across both buildings, using metal stud walls that were clad in perforated metal sheets, acoustic felt, and doors and tables clad in furniture linoleum,” said Barr.
    “This language offers a soft backdrop for users to personalise however they want.”
    The terraces of D1 allow for outdoor working. Photo is by Alex UptonBarr chose contemporary furniture designs to accompany the custom elements, with designs from the likes of Richard Lampert and Philippe Malouin.
    With so many external terraces in D1, Hay’s Palissade outdoor furniture, designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, features both inside and out.
    “As ever, flexibility is key,” added Barr. “For larger events, rugs can be rolled up and furniture moved out onto the terraces.”
    Bureau occupies two buildings in the Greenwich Design District. Photo is by Taran WilkhuGreenwich Design District is London’s first dedicated design district.
    It includes 16 new buildings, including a transparent bubble-shaped canteen designed by Selgacano and an entrance building by David Kohn Architects with the words “design district” spelled out on the roof.
    Created by developer Knight Dragon, the district offers workspace for up to 1,800 people and a range of specialist facilities.
    Bureau members have access to other facilities in the design district, including photography studios, post-production suites, a sound studio and a pottery workshop.
    Photography is by Alex Upton, Joe Howard, Ruth Ward and Taran Wilkhu.

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    Snarkitecture designs Manifest “self-care” club in Washington DC

    Design studio Snarkitecture incorporated tiled walls and arches into a club in the US capital that offers a barbershop, a coffee bar, a boutique and a speakeasy.

    Open to the public, the Manifest club occupies a slender, four-story building in Washington DC’s Adams Morgan neighbourhood.
    Manifest is entered through a courtyard lined with wooden wallsMeant to put “a sophisticated spin on self-care”, the club was conceived by the entrepreneur KJ Hughes, along with his partners Brian Merritt and Susan Morgan.
    The aim was to create a distinctive location where people could get a haircut or beard trim, grab an espresso, buy upscale streetwear and enjoy a cocktail.
    Tiled walls and arches were incorporated into the clubThe owners turned to New York’s Snarkitecture to design the project.

    “When we set out to design Manifest, it needed to be a new kind of barbershop, inviting to all people,” said Alex Mustonen, a firm partner.
    Snarkitecture added a barbershop to the project”Simultaneously, we wanted to create a sanctuary, a community space, an institution, a one-of-a-kind experience that still feels like home,” he said.
    Set back from the street, the Manifest building is entered through a courtyard lined with wooden walls.
    The studio used a largely restrained palette of materialsThe outdoor space is adorned with pockets of greenery and curved concrete benches. At the base of the benches are illuminated reveals made of LED strips with an acrylic diffuser.
    Inside, walls are clad in white tiles, and the floor is covered in large-format cement squares. For the millwork, the team used white oak with a natural finish.
    White oak was used for the millworkThe barbershop – which encompasses four stations and an area for washing hair – is fitted with chairs wrapped in buttery leather. The coffee bar features a counter with a fluted wooden base and a terrazzo top.
    In the retail zone, clothing by brands such as Engineered Garments and Homme Pliseé is displayed within arched, wooden niches. The store also sells apparel from Manifest’s own line, Of US.
    Chairs wrapped in leather feature in the barbershopStretching across the ceiling are wooden beams with embedded LED strips – a design element that contributes to the interplay of straight and curved lines in the space.
    “Unifying details throughout the space include archways – which are meant to represent the sloughing off of the old and moving into a new phase of life – while linear elements symbolise a sense of community and connection,” the designers said.

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    A “secret staircase” leads up to the speakeasy, which seats up to 30 guests. In contrast with the lower-level space, the bar has a moody atmosphere.
    Walls are sheathed in a custom green plaster, and floors are finished with dark-stained oak. Seating areas are adorned with green velvet banquettes and leather chairs from Nikari.
    The speakeasy has a moody atmosphereOverhead are arched forms that help create a sense of intimacy while also drawing a visual connection to the arches in the lower level. The arches are finished with mosaic green tile and safety glass with wire mesh.
    Throughout the club, Snarkitecture aspired to create an environment that was both comfortable and stimulating.
    Walls are sheathed in a custom green plaster”Every single element was designed to create a welcoming, intimate atmosphere that will invoke conversation and appeal to all the senses,” the team said.
    Later this spring, Manifest will expand to include a rentable apartment with a retractable glass roof and a terrace.
    Throughout the club, the atmosphere was designed to be both comfortable and stimulatingThis is not the first project in Washington DC by Snarkitecture. In 2018, the firm created a Fun House installation in the National Building Museum’s great hall that featured a white gabled house and a kidney-shaped ball pit.
    Other projects by the studio include a shop for streetwear brand Kith within a Parisian mansion, and an installation in a Manhattan gallery that consisted of 168 white spherical orbs that changed colours when touched.
    The photography is by Michael Grant.

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