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    Jacquemus creates surrealist interpretation of his own bathroom for Selfridges pop-up

    French fashion designer Simon Jacquemus has opened a series of surrealist pop-up installations at London department store Selfridges, including a luxury-bag vending machine and a swimming-pool changing room.

    Titled Le Bleu, the installation occupies a number of locations across the store, including its creative retail space The Corner Shop and the Old Selfridges Hotel, a former hotel space that is now being used as a pop-up venue.
    The pop-up installations are located in and around Selfridges on Oxford StreetThe Corner Shop, which functions as the installation’s main retail space, features pale blue tiles blanketed across its interior. In its window, a large transparent tube of toothpaste spills ribbons of red and white gel.
    An oversized bathtub, sponges, shower facilities and sinks were also installed in the space, where they function as display areas for a selection of exclusive Jacquemus products and pieces from the brand’s Spring Summer 2022 collection.
    An oversized glass with a fizzing tablet is among the designsThe pop-up spaces were designed as a “surrealist reimagining of Jacquemus founder Simon Jacquemus’ very own bathroom,” Selfridges said.

    “I wanted to create crazy and unrealistic installations, all related to water and bathroom imagery,” said Jacquemus, founder of the eponymous brand.
    The designer was inspired to create one of the installations, an oversized glass, after seeing a tablet fizzing in a glass of water.
    “I also love how the giant tablet glass would also be very ‘eye calming’, a kind of visual ASMR installation in the middle of the Corner Shop,” he said.
    A 24-hour vending titled 24/24 is located behind the storeOn Edwards Mews behind Selfridges, a life-sized vending machine stocked with exclusive editions of the brand’s Chiquito and Bambino bags can be accessed for shopping 24 hours a day.
    A large circular opening marks the entrance to the space, a square room lined with five-by-five rows of bags and accessories displayed in oversized, deep blue-hued vending machines.
    Le Bleu includes three installationsAt the Old Selfridges Hotel, the final pop-up – a sensory installation titled Le Vestiaire – references swimming-pool changing rooms.
    Visitors are greeted by the now-familiar blue tiles, which cover the walls, floor and furniture of the space.

    Balenciaga wraps London store in pink faux fur to celebrate its Le Cagole “it-bag”

    A curved welcome desk was positioned in front of a tile-clad wall that holds a collection of rolled-up towels.
    Blue lockers and changing cubicles line the walls at the rear of the space and include “3D experiences” that draw on the iconography of surrealist French filmmaker Jacques Tati.
    It follows a number of installations that have taken place across Europe’s fashion capitals”Each experience is very different and playful, but my favourite would be Le Vestiaire, as it’s the first time we have invested in a space like this, with 3D experiences and crazy installations with our Jacquemus products,” said Jacquemus.
    “I wanted to recreate an accumulation of lockers with different 3D experiences inside, inspired by Jacques Tati movies.”
    Smaller installations were incorporated within the interior of lockers and behind cubicle doorsThe three pop-up installations are open from 3 May until 4 June 2022.
    The installation is the latest edition of a series of Jacquemus’ vending machine pop-ups located across Europe’s fashion capitals, including Milan and Paris.
    It was inspired by Jacques Tati filmsIn 2019, Jacquemus designed a Parisian restaurant named Oursin that featured whitewashed walls, colourful ceramics and rattan furnishings in an effort to “perpetuate summer”.
    French fashion brand Balenciaga recently transformed its Mount Street store into a temporary faux fur lined pop-up dedicated to its Le Cagole line.
    Images are courtesy of Selfridges.

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    Urselmann Interior renovates own office using recycled and biodegradable materials

    Düsseldorf studio Urselmann Interior has renovated its own office interiors using biodegradable, recycled or upcycled materials, including glueless joinery and a cellulose-based wall cladding.

    The interior design studio said that it renovated its self-described “circular” office in the German city to only feature materials that are either recycled, upcycled or biodegradable.
    Urselmann Interior’s office is in DüsseldorfThese include existing wooden and terrazzo flooring that was salvaged during the renovation, as well as heaters obtained from resource-efficient building material platform Concular.
    Spread over one main workspace, a kitchen and a meeting room, the single-level office features clay paint walls and is designed to be used as both a co-working space and a showroom.
    The renovation includes a kitchen”The office also serves us as a laboratory in that we can [use it to] test new qualities, materials and construction methods,” project manager Liz Theißen told Dezeen.

    A solid wooden frame was used to create simple kitchen cabinets, which were constructed without glue so that the structure is fully demountable.
    Joinery was created without glue in much of the projectThe frame was fitted with panels formed from recycled strips of fabric supplied by textile brand Kvadrat from its Really collection.
    For its walls, the studio used Honext wall cladding – a cellulose-based material that is produced using paper sludge and cardboard waste.

    Honext develops recyclable construction material made of cellulose fibres from waste paper

    Poplar wood from a tree felled in the nearby city of Krefeld was chosen for the ceiling, which was also assembled without glue.
    Throughout the office, neutral and minimal colour and material palettes were applied to the interior design, which also includes clusters of carefully arranged potted plants and books.
    Second-hand lighting encased in wiggly orange felt from Hey-Sign adds a splash of colour to the otherwise sandy-hued atmosphere.
    Wiggly orange lighting adds a splash of colourTheißen explained that all of the components that Urselmann Interior used for the renovation have been listed in a published “material passport” that can be referred to for future projects.
    “We want to develop a new design language for ourselves, in which we smartly combine high-quality materials such as solid wood with ecological building materials as well as reusable components [to achieve] a positive footprint in the construction industry,” she concluded.
    Honext panels line the clay paint wallsUrselmann Interior is a Düsseldorf-based interiors studio founded by Sven Urselmann.
    Similar projects to the studio’s office renovation include a Madrid restaurant by Lucas Muñoz with furniture formed from site construction waste and a bar made out of recycled stereos, bottle crates and fridges by Michael Marriott.
    The photography is by Magdalena Gruber. 
    Project credits:
    Design and build: Urselmann InteriorFounder and designer: Sven UrselmannDesigner: Petra JablonickáProject manager: Liz Theißen

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    Park Slope condo becomes New York City's “largest mass-timber building”

    Local studio Mesh Architectures has completed Timber House, a condominium in Brooklyn that developer The Brooklyn Home Company claims is “the largest mass timber building in New York City.”

    Timber House is made of glue-laminated timber, a type of structurally engineered wood used to make mass timber structures, and is the largest mass-timber project in New York City in terms of square footage and height, according to The Brooklyn Home Company.
    It is also the first condominium project in the city to be built using mass timber, the developer said.
    The building has 14 condos”Timber House started with the simple notion of creating a sense of life in a building, which engages, stimulates, and at the same time, calms us,” said Eric Lifton, founder and principal of Mesh Architectures.
    “The way we do that here is by using a plant as the primary building material.”

    The building’s columns, beams and floor plates are all mass timber, while the core had to be made of concrete masonry because of city restrictions, the studio said.
    The apartments stretch across the length of the structureTimber House is located in the residential Park Slope neighbourhood in Brooklyn and comprises 14 condos that stretch from the street-side to the back of the building.
    According to Mesh Architectures, the building was “constructed with passive house principles”.
    While not passive-house certified, it was built with solar photovoltaic panels on the roof to provide energy, and mineral wool and polyisocyanurate insulation to reduce the need for air conditioning.
    Heating and air conditioning is provided by air-source heat pumps.
    The building was developed in collaboration with The Brooklyn Home CompanyIt also features passive house-quality windows with triple glazing, and the 10 parking spaces in its ground-floor garage each have an electric charging station.
    The building’s facade is characterized by a flat face made with Danish brick that, according to the team, was chosen to integrate the building into the mostly brownstone neighbourhood.
    On the upper levels, the envelope is sculpted into jutting windows and recessed balconies with glass railings. The balconies’ undersides are wooden, giving the exterior palette a touch of the timber within.
    The floors are also made of woodA rooftop terrace provides views of Downtown Brooklyn and Manhattan.
    Inside, wooden walls and ceilings line the corridors, which have hexagonal tiling on the floor that was designed custom by Mesh and produced in Turkey.
    The condos have 11-feet-tall (3.3 metres-tall) ceilings and feature exposed timber beams with LED lights that are integrated directly into the wood.

    The Dezeen guide to mass timber in architecture

    The timber beams also extend down from the ceiling to frame some of the walls and windows, providing insight into the building’s structural makeup.
    “The exposed wooden beams present in the home create a style reminiscent of city living in the 1960s and ’70s when we picture those large loft-style residences, which is really special,” said Bill Caleo of The Brooklyn Home Company.
    “As a city, if we want to lower our carbon footprint we need to prioritize mass timber.”
    In addition to the ceiling and beams the condos have wooden accentsFlooring in the living areas is wood, while the kitchen is floored with white tile to match the white cabinetry – accented with natural wood tones – and a long, white island.
    Other recently-announced designs for mass timber structures include the world’s tallest timber building designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen and a Henning Larsen-designed Volvo experience centre in Sweden.
    The photography is by Travis Mark. 

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    Ten wet rooms with a serene and relaxing feel

    A wet room in an off-grid home in a former stable and a stark white wet room that frames views across Hollywood feature in our latest lookbook, which highlights this type of bathroom.

    A wet room is a fully waterproofed bathroom, which typically also includes a shower that is completely flush with the room’s main floor.
    As they’re completely waterproof, wet rooms remove the need for shower trays and even shower screens or curtains, since water can drain directly into the floor.
    Wet rooms can maximise the floor area in smaller bathrooms by providing an open-plan arrangement. This style of bathroom can also provide people with mobility issues ease of use, as all amenities are typically organised across the same level.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks including living rooms with floor-to-ceiling glazing, statement skylights and kids’ bedrooms with loft and bunk-beds.

    Regent’s Park Loft, UK, by Originate
    This renovated loft in central London by architecture studio Originate serves as a pied-a-terre for a family that frequently travels to the UK.
    Originate created minimal, monochromatic interiors to serve as a backdrop for the client’s art collection. A wet room, located in the turret of the building, was blanketed in dark tiling that contrasts against a freestanding, tubular marble basin.
    Find out more about Regent’s Park Loft ›

    Myrtle Cottage Garden Studio, UK, by Stonewood Design
    Located in the garden of an English countryside cottage, Bath-based Stonewood Design fitted Myrtle Cottage Garden Studio with a copper and concrete wet room.
    Distressed copper panelling was used across the rear wall of the space, which holds the wet room’s floating concrete sink and shower. The shower and faucet were formed from singular copper pipes that protrude horizontally from the copper focal wall.
    Find out more about Myrtle Cottage Garden Studio ›

    Ghent house, Belgium, by Atelier Vens Vanbelle
    Exposed earth-coloured render was used across the interior of a primary bathroom and wet room at a home in Ghent that was designed by Atelier Vens Vanbelle.
    Unlike typical wet rooms, the primary bathroom was divided in two to separate its toilet and sink from its shower and bathtub. The shower and bath occupy the rear area of the bathroom, which was completely covered in a salmon-pink render.
    Find out more about Ghent house ›

    House and studio, Spain, by Enrique Jerez and Jesús Alonso
    Mint green and white were incorporated throughout the interior of this home by architects Enrique Jerez and Jesús Alonso to tie the living spaces with the exterior finishes.
    The wet room includes a toilet, shower and sink, which were organised along the corridor-style space and fitted against minty sage-green tiles. The shower, which is located at the rear, was divided from the toilet and sink by a glass shower screen in order to prevent water from spilling over.
    Find out more about the house and studio ›

    Nobu Ryokan Malibu, US, by Studio PCH and Montalba Architects
    Nobu Ryokan Malibu is located within a former 1950s beachfront hotel. It was converted by Studio PCH and Montalba Architects, who created the Japanese restaurant and luxury hotel chain’s first of a line of Japanese-inspired retreats.
    The interiors take cues from Japanese design and boast clean, sharp lines mixed with natural materials. A suite’s wet room features a wooden, freestanding tub and an overhead shower – both of which are set below a wooden, beam-lined skylight.
    Find out more about Nobu Ryokan Malibu ›

    Kiritoshi House, Japan, by Sugawaradaisuke
    An all-white wet room is punctuated by a square-shaped window at this Japanese home that was designed by Tokyo-based architecture studio Sugawaradaisuke.
    A shower and built-in bench were fitted beside a white tub, which is oriented so that its user can bathe and look out of the window located at the foot of the unit.
    Find out more about Kiritoshi House ›

    Off Grid Home, Spain, by Ábaton
    Limestone floors, as well as rough stone and concrete, extend throughout this formerly crumbling stone stable in the countryside of western Spain.
    It was converted into an off-grid home by Madrid studio Ábaton, which looked to complement the existing stone and timber structure when designing its interiors.
    The wet room features a full-height window that overlooks the home’s surrounding greenery. A rugged stone sink was fitted beside an overhead shower and links the interior with the home’s stone exterior walls.
    Find out more about Off Grid Home ›

    Nakahouse, US, by XTEN Architecture
    An all-white interior serves as a backdrop to frame views across the hills of Hollywood’s Beachwood Canyon and the Hollywood sign.
    The home’s wet room-cum-bathroom continues the stark white theme. Sharp lines are formed from floating cabinetry, mirrored wall units and a free-standing tub that was placed in front of a full-height square window.
    Find out more about Nakahouse ›

    Vibo Tværveh, Denmark, by Valbæk Brørup Architects
    Valbæk Brørup Architects designed this summer cabin near the town of Nykøbing Sjælland, Denmark.
    The interior of the cabin features an almost completely pine finish, except for a tiled wet room at the northern end of the home. In keeping with the pine-clad interior, Valbæk Brørup Architects used wooden-hued tiles across the walls and floors.
    A glass sliding door divides the wet room from an outdoor bathing area that can be opened up to create an extension of the space.
    Find out more about Vibo Tværveh ›

    Stockholm apartment, Sweden, by Studiomama
    Marble tiles clad the walls floor and ceiling of this wet room located in one of two apartments in a converted 1720s loft, which was revamped by Studiomama.
    A bathtub and shower were tucked within an alcove, below a sloping ceiling and behind a glass screen. Golden faucets, showerheads and fixtures were incorporated throughout the room to contrast against the marble.
    Find out more about the Stockholm apartment ›
    This is the latest in our series of lookbooks, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing kitchens with social seating nooks, living rooms with floor-to-ceiling glazing and living rooms with sculptural furniture.

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    Sculptural partitions shape blue-tinged interior of Taste of Dadong restaurant in Shanghai

    Huge curving walls divide the blue-lit dining spaces inside this restaurant in Shanghai, designed by Chinese studio AD Architecture.

    Conceived by AD Architecture to deliver an “emotional”, dream-like dining experience, Taste of Dadong is steeped in an inky-blue light that seeps from LED panels in the walls and hidden strip lighting in the ceiling.
    Curving partitions separate seating areas inside the Taste of Dadong restaurantCarving up the restaurant’s floor plan are several tall curving partitions, amongst which intimate seating areas have been created for small groups of guests. Each one features a circular dining table and leather armchairs, all cast in a blueish hue.
    Alternatively, diners have the option of sitting at one of the booths that have been dotted around the restaurant’s periphery.
    Behind the bar is a luminescent fuchsia-pink drinks shelfSections of the ceiling have been clad with mirrored panels that show warped, upside-down reflections of diners and staff wandering the room, adding to the dreamy quality of the space.

    Meals are also accompanied by what the studio describes as a “psychedelic” soundtrack of songs.
    A pink faux skylight shines down on one of the dining tablesA contrasting pop of colour washes over the restaurant’s bar, where the AD Architecture has installed a drinks shelf that emits a fuschia-pink glow.
    Pink lighting has also been fitted behind an amorphous faux skylight that sits directly above one of the eating areas, as well as in small square openings that have been punctuated above the seating booths.
    Seating booths have been placed at the edges of the restaurantAD Architecture is led by Xie Peihe and has offices in Shenzhen and Shantou. The studio’s Taste of Dadong project is one of many visually-striking restaurants and bars that can be found across the city of Shanghai.
    Others include J Boroski, where the walls are decorated with thousands of preserved insects, and Bar Lotus, which features dramatic arched doorways and a rippled gold ceiling.
    The photography is by yuuuunstudio.
    Project credits:
    Design firm: AD ArchitectureChief designer: Xie PeiheClient team: Da Dong, Yuan Yufang, Tang Mingji, Si Xi, Shi Xiusong, Taste of Dadong Shanghai BranchConstruction team: Beijing Huakai Construction Decoration Engineering CoMechanical/electrical team: Beijing Zhitong Siyuan Mechanical & Electrical Design ConsultingLighting consulting: Beijing Guangshe Lighting DesignFixtures team: Beijing Hezhong Youye Hotel SuppliesKitchen team: Beijing HEC Hotel Supplies

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    Ten wood-clad kitchens with warm and natural interiors

    For our latest lookbook, we showcase ten kitchens where wood panelling and wooden cabinetry create a cosy, homely feel that is more often associated with living rooms.

    These homes are all clad in various types of wood, from pale plywood and birch plywood to warmer-coloured materials such as cypress, oak and pine.
    By using generous amounts of wood, designers and architects have created inviting spaces that also have a more laidback atmosphere than the sometimes sterile feeling that kitchens can evoke.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks including living rooms with floor-to-ceiling glazing, statement skylights and kids’ bedrooms with loft and bunk-beds.
    Photography is by Sebastian van DammeHoliday home, the Netherlands, by Orange Architects

    Dutch office Orange Architects’ wooden holiday cabin on the island of Texel in the Netherlands is clad in black-stained timber on the outside. Inside, its open layout showcases a kitchen clad in light-coloured birch panelling.
    The home also features moveable wooden panels that can be used to divide the interior into different zones as needed.
    Find out more about the holiday home ›
    Photography is by Lorenzo Zandri and Christian BraileyMuswell Hill house, UK, by Architecture for London
    Local studio Architecture for London transformed a run-down Edwardian house in Muswell Hill, London, into an energy-saving home that features materials such as wood, stone and lime plaster, all of which come together in its light, airy kitchen.
    Here, pale oak cabinetry contrasts with grey limestone fixtures. The studio also left the original timber roof exposed to celebrate the house’s “modest beauty”.
    Find out more about the Muswell Hill house ›
    Photography is by Joe FletcherSurf House, US, by Feldman Architecture
    The Surf House in Santa Cruz, California, has an exterior clad in salvaged wood and a wood-panelled kitchen overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
    Designed to fit “naturally and sustainably” into its surroundings, the home’s interior is clad in cypress wood, which becomes a focal point of the design
    In the kitchen, the workspaces, splashback and wooden kitchen island have been covered in black marble, creating a striking contrast against the wood.
    Find out more about Surf House ›
    Photography is by Megan TaylorCurve Appeal, UK, by Nimtim Architects
    Named after its curvy interiors, this 1920s London house was renovated by Nimtim Architects using multifunctional partitions built from plywood joinery.
    These feature decorative arches that open the kitchen up towards the dining room and are complemented by lamps shaped like globes and half-moons.
    Find out more about Curve Appeal ›
    Photography is by Andrew PogueHood Cliff Retreat, US, by Wittman Estes
    Hood Cliff Retreat’s wooden interior matches its surroundings – the holiday home is tucked into a coastal forest in the Pacific Northwest.
    US studio Wittman Estes designed the interior using simple details and a restrained material palette that utilizes pine plywood.
    In the kitchen, countertops were constructed using wood salvaged from an old cabin that used to sit on the plot.
    Find out more about Curve Appeal ›
    Photography is by Dianna SnapeCoopworth farmhouse, Australia, by FMD Architects
    This large farmhouse in Tasmania was designed to resemble rural vernacular buildings and has a dramatic plywood-lined interior. Its sloped ceilings follow the angled roofline and show off wool insulation sourced from the farm’s sheep.
    In the kitchen and living area, wood was also used for the cabinetry and kitchen island, as well as for a low table next to the woodburning stove that holds a trio of sculptural vases.
    Find out more about Coopworth farmhouse ›
    Photography is by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of Norm ArchitectsFjord Boat House, Denmark, by Norm Architects
    The interior of the black-timber-clad Fjord Boat House features a warm material palette, with gleaming oak-lined walls and cabinets and a floor made from handmade ceramic bricks.
    The oak panelling matches the room’s wooden dining table and woven chairs, while a large washi-paper pendant lamp that Norm Architects made in collaboration with Japanese brand Kojima Shouten hangs over the table and adds to the organic feel of the room.
    Find out more about Fjord Boat House ›
    Photography is by Katherine LuVikki’s Place, Australia, by Curious Practice
    Named after its owner, Vikki’s Place is a multigenerational home in Australia that has an open-space living and dining area, where birch-plywood kitchen cabinets match the simple plywood walls.
    The house’s simple materials were deliberately chosen by local studio Curious Practice. “An interior of craft and honesty is prioritised over style or glamour,” the studio explained.
    “It is this elemental, almost primitive construction of space coupled with the raw material treatment which on visiting the house, makes one feel instantly at home.”
    Find out more about Vikki’s Place ›
    Photography is by José Campos Ti Clara, Portugal, by Atelier Espaço P2
    The combination of the stone floor and countertops and a wooden wall in this Portuguese kitchen creates a fun material contrast and gives the kitchen a more luxurious feel.
    The kitchen, which sits in a deep wooden reveal that was created beneath a gable ceiling, was clad in wood and stone to create a comfortable and welcoming experience, according to architecture studio Atelier Espaço P2.
    Find out more about Vikki’s Place ›
    Photography is by Ben HoskingPoint Lonsdale House, Australia, by Edition Office
    The kitchen and living area of Point Lonsdale House features a monolithic, four-metre-wide timber pivot wall that rotates to join the room with an outdoor terrace.
    While the structure of the house is dramatic, its materials are subtle and refined, with dark timber boards used to line the living room. Grey stone, green plants and decorative metallic vases underline the room’s discreetly opulent feel.
    Find out more about Point Lonsdale House ›
    This is the latest in our series of lookbooks, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing living rooms with floor-to-ceiling glazing, statement skylights and kid’s bedrooms with loft and bunk-beds.

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    New Practice brings warmth and colour to Glasgow's century-old Kinning Park Complex

    A historic community centre that was saved from demolition by activists – including Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon – has been given a new lease of life by architecture studio New Practice.

    New Practice founders Becca Thomas and Marc Cairns opted for a light-touch approach in the renovation of Kinning Park Complex, a century-old former school building in the southwest of Glasgow.
    A new roof dotted with skylights makes the building weather-proof againAlthough the building was in a poor state, with an extremely leaking roof, faulty electrics and a broken heating system, the Glasgow-based architects’ approach was to save as much of the existing structure and interior as possible.
    They adopted a reuse and recycle strategy, while also making subtle changes that improve the building’s functionality and accessibility.
    Pink denotes the community space on the first floorThe revamped interiors are animated by a system of colour-blocking, which helps to ensure the building can be easily navigated by people of all literacy levels.

    “One of our key aims was to keep the building feeling familiar,” explains Thomas in a video about the project.
    First-floor workspaces are picked out in yellow”Lots of people have hugely strong memories and love for the building and we didn’t want to change that too much. By taking this adaptive reuse approach, we just kept the building feeling like itself and tried to elevate that,” she said.
    “Every choice to remove something original has been taken only where we absolutely needed to remove that, for the safety and for the future of the building.”
    Kinning Park Complex was originally a school buildingKinning Park Complex first became a community centre after the school closed down in 1976, but looked set for demolition when the council announced plans to close it in 1996.
    Local residents and campaigners, including a then-25-year old Nicola Sturgeon, staged a sit-in to protest the closure. After 55 days, the council agreed to let the community take over the building’s running.
    The building stayed in use for another two decades, but over time its problems became hard to ignore.
    A reconfigured ground floor features a large community kitchenThe trustees, led by local resident Helen Kyle, approached New Practice after seeing Many Studios, a creative hub that the architects created in a converted Glasgow market hall.
    The challenge was not only to refurbish the building but also to help support the community’s ambition to buy the property, by improving opportunities for income generation.

    RCKa designs Nourish Hub to tackle food poverty in London

    Thanks to government and lottery funding, the architects were able to plan a full overhaul of the interior in collaboration with engineering firm Max Fordham.
    The roof was replaced as sensitively as possible, while the interior layout was gently adjusted to make room for a lift.
    A double-helix staircase, originally sub-divided, has been opened upThe atrium, which was once subdivided to separate boys and girls, is now opened up. The result is a space that feels generous and bright, thanks to the skylight overhead.
    Three floors of classroom and office spaces have been adapted for a range of uses. A community kitchen can be found on the ground floor, while the second level has become a co-working space.
    The building was taken over by the community following a sit-in in 1996″A key decision that we had to make was to ensure that the work that we were doing in the building didn’t sanitise this rich, abrasive history of activism and community-led dialogues and debates,” said Cairns.
    “We really tried to keep that at the forefront of our thinking.”
    Original wood floors have been rejuvenatedFlexible partitions allows the ground- and first-floor halls to be easily subdivided if required.
    Other spaces include a quiet room that could be used for anything from prayer to breast-feeding, and a series of small studios and workshops.
    The restored handrails are painted in the same burgundy they were in the pastRealising the project in the context of the pandemic proved a challenge. With the architects unable to be on site all the time, they found it difficult to fully realise their ambition to reuse as much as possible.
    Thomas and Cairns recall coming to site to find elements such as doors and balustrade railings had been thrown away by builders, despite their instructions.
    Nonetheless there are still plenty of recycled details to be found, including a framed patch of original wallpaper and a series of storage cabinets built into the walls.
    Original details, like a patch of ageing wallpaper, are celebratedThey hope the building can help to become a positive example of adaptive reuse, particularly in light of the COP26 environmental conference that recently took place in Glasgow.
    This sentiment is echoed by Sturgeon: “The challenge of refurbishing and imagining a building like this, for decades to come, is fantastically dynamic for the architecture and design industries,” she said.
    “We just took it for granted that buildings would reach the end of their natural life and then they would sort of fall into dereliction, and thankfully communities decided that that wasn’t going to happen. So we’ve learned how to reimagine things for the future and preserve for the future.”
    Photography is by Will Scott. Video is by Pretend Lovers.

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    Ten outlandish shop interiors that reimagine the retail experience

    A pink furry fashion boutique, a cosmetics store styled like a 1970s office and a streetwear outlet adorned with a chandelier of Nike trainers feature in this roundup of weird and wonderful retail interiors.

    The past year has seen a growing trend for over-the-top shop interiors, from stores containing surreal sculptures and installations to those masquerading as something else entirely.
    Below are 10 unusual retail spaces recently covered on Dezeen:
    Photo courtesy of BalenciagaBalenciaga Mount Street, UK
    Designer fashion label Balenciaga has temporarily covered its Mount Street store in London with fluffy bright pink faux fur to celebrate its Le Cagole bag and launch a collection of accessories and shoes.

    The maximalist look is intended to match the Le Cagole identity, which takes its name from French slang for an “over-the-top attitude”.
    Find out more about Balenciaga’s Mount Street store ›
    Photo is by Anna MorgowiczBala SoHo, USA, by Ringo Studio
    Brooklyn-based Ringo Studio designed this retail space in New York City for fitness brand Bala as a pastel-coloured “playground” containing giant replicas of its products.
    These include a 12-foot version of the Bala Beam weight propped against a mirrored wall and an oversized ankle weight forming a squishy leather seat.
    Find out more about Bala’s SoHo store ›
    Photo is by Alex LysakowskiSuperette Toronto, Canada
    Marijuana store chain Superette bases its shops on nostalgic retail environments, and for this outlet in the Annex neighbourhood of Toronto its in-house design team took cues from a classic Italian deli.
    The cannabis dispensary’s lime-green walls, tomato-red stools and checkerboard floor were intended to create a “convivial spirit” in a bid to appeal to the area’s student population.
    Find out more about Suprette’s Toronto store ›
    Photo courtesy of HarmayHarmay Hangzhou, China, by AIM Architecture
    Shanghai studio AIM Architecture transformed the second floor of a business park in the Chinese city of Hangzhou into a cosmetics store resembling a 1970s office for Harmay.
    The brand’s perfumes and make-up products are displayed in rows of yellow desks, on phoney bookshelves and on boardroom tables hidden behind frosted-glass “meeting room” doors.
    Find out more about Harmay’s Hangzhou store ›
    Photo courtesy of FormoralFormoral Hangzhou, China, by Lialawlab
    This skincare store, also in Hangzhou, was designed for Formoral by interiors studio Lialawlab on a theme of retro-futurism – meaning the future as envisioned in the past.
    With its spherical gateway, limited palette and otherworldly lighting, the space was likened to a “desert planet” by Lialawlab’s chief designer, Liya Xing.
    Find out more about Formoral’s Hangzhou store ›
    Photo is by Ye Rin MokDreams, USA, by Adi Goodrich
    Spatial designer and artist Adi Goodrich filled the Dreams lifestyle store in Los Angeles’ Atwater Village with surrealist details such as a lobster phone that references a Salvador Dalí artwork.
    A large Klein-blue rock sculpture covered in non-reflective paint provides the focal point and adds to the interior’s dreamlike feel.
    Find about more about the Dreams store in Los Angeles ›
    Photo courtesy of KithKith Paris, France, by Snarkitecture
    New York-based design studio Snarkitecture created a flagship store for American streetwear brand Kith inside a 19th-century Parisian mansion.
    It added two ceiling installations made with casts of white Nike sneakers, one lining the barrel-vaulted ceiling at the shop’s entrance and the other arranged to replicate a teardrop chandelier.
    Find out more about Kith’s Paris store ›
    Photo is by InspaceToSummer Beijing, China, by F.O.G. Architecture
    With curved walls, mirrored surfaces and faux stone, this flagship store in Beijing for aromatherapy brand ToSummer was designed to be reminiscent of a cave.
    “We chose not to directly create the natural appearance of caves but, instead, present the characteristic elements of material textures to inspire the sensory experience,” explained Chinese studio F.O.G. Architecture, which created the space.
    Find out more about ToSummer’s Beijing store ›
    Photo courtesy of Forte ForteForte Forte, USA, by Forte Forte 
    Italian fashion label Forte Forte’s art director Robert Vattilana designed its Los Angeles boutique based on the “volumes and lines of Californian modernism”.
    The shop features light fixtures inspired by James Turrell artworks, a circular golden changing room and two giant stones taken from the Palm Springs desert balanced on top of one another in front of full-height muslin curtains.
    Find out more about Forte Forte’s Los Angeles store ›
    Photo courtesy of GlossierGlossier Seattle, USA
    Beauty brand Glossier is known for the playful, pastel-coloured interiors created by its in-house design team at its physical outlets.
    At the centre of this store in Seattle is a sculpture of a large boulder covered in moss and colourful mushrooms, surrounded by contrasting pale-pink furniture.
    Find out more about Glossier’s Seattle store ›

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