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    JEB acoustic partitions and furniture create modern campus for UOW College Hong Kong

    Promotion: acoustic partitions and furniture brand JEB have provided interior solutions for the University of Wollongong’s new Tai Wai campus in Hong Kong, which aims to create an adaptable learning environment.

    The University of Wollongong (UOW) College Hong Kong campus in Tai Wai covers 15,000 square metres and supports 3,300 students with modern facilities including an auditorium, library and maritime laboratory.
    Hong Kong-based brand JEB was engaged to provide acoustic partitions and furniture solutions that could be adapted to support different styles of learning and encourage student interaction.
    The UOW College Hong Kong campus in Tai Wai is designed to be flexible and adaptableAt the same time, the team had to meet a design brief that sought to bring a taste of Australia to Hong Kong, with each floor of the building bringing to life a different element of the Wollongong landscape: the Pacific Ocean on the first floor, the urban environment on the second, and the mountains on the third.
    JEB’s Integra Operable Wall system is critical to the functional aspect of the design says the company, as it empowers educators to swiftly alter room sizes and layouts by unlocking the wall panels and moving them.

    The system operates on a door track and roller that allow panels to be turned around corners and stored out of sight, keeping the environment clutter-free and maximising available space.
    The space supports different styles of teaching and learningThe product “is a testament to JEB’s commitment to revolutionising the educational landscape and providing cutting-edge solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern learning environments,” said the brand.
    JEB made ample use of glass in its choice of partitions, to avoid closing off areas when there is limited natural light and to create an open-feeling atmosphere.
    For furnishings, JEB mixed custom solutions with a range of office products from leading local and international brands such as Vitra, Humanscale and Andreu World.
    JEB provided acoustic and furniture solutions for the University of Wollongong’s new Tai Wai campus in Hong KongWorkstations, cabinets and lecture tables were custom-made for the UOW College Hong Kong campus in Tai Wai. Movable desks were placed in tutorial rooms so that they could be easily reconfigured for group or individual work.
    In lounge areas, JEB sourced chairs suited to relaxation, while areas of open staircase seating were created to encourage casual interaction between students.
    “The deliberate use of partitions and furniture in the UOW College campus project in Tai Wai not only addressed the practical aspects of spatial flexibility and lighting challenges but also contributed to the creation of a modern, adaptable and student-centred learning environment,” said JEB.
    “The thoughtful integration of these elements has positively impacted the educational experience and reflects the commitment to innovative pedagogical approaches in higher education.”
    Partitions and furniture are key to the interior designJEB aims to deliver one-stop solutions to interior design, offering acoustic partitions, office furniture, bespoke facades and circular hygiene products.
    It also endeavours to act sustainably, operating a takeback programme that finds new homes for unwanted furniture.
    To find out more about JEB, visit the company’s website.
    Photography courtesy of JEB Group.
    Partnership content
    This article was written by Dezeen for JEB as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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    Rafael Prieto creates “secret garden” for Gohar World store in New York

    Designer Rafael Prieto has lined tableware store in New York City with wallpaper made from photos taken in the south of France and antique furniture.

    Located at 181 Lafayette Street in SoHo, the Gohar World store showcases tableware products designed by sisters Laila and Nadia Gohar.
    The Gohar World store is lined with wallpaper created using designer Rafael Prieto’s photos”Gohar World is a tableware universe that embraces tradition, time, craft, and humour,” said the duo, who founded their brand in 2020.
    The space was designed by Rafael Prieto, founder and creative director of Savvy Studio, to capture the varied cultures and crafts involved in making the tableware.
    The wallpaper features peel-away elements that represent the “secret world” that Laila and Nadia Gohar have created”Because Laila and Nadia work with ateliers all over the world, from Egypt to Italy, Gohar World is inherently a brand that transports you to different places,” said Prieto. “Sometimes, even to your grandmother’s living room.”

    “So my idea when designing the store was to transport visitors to another world,” he added.
    An eclectic mix of antique domestic furniture and objects decorate the storeUsing photos he took in the south of France, the designer created a custom layered wallpaper with Wallpaper Projects to cover the walls.
    The imagery of crumbling and weathered stonework mixed with scenes from fields and woodland lends an otherworldly atmosphere to the store.
    Gohar World products are displayed in a variety of ways throughout the store”The outer layer shows monumental stone archways which are torn away to reveal a secret garden, representing Laila and Nadia’s secret Gohar World, which everyone is now invited to step into,” said the brand.
    An eclectic mix of antique domestic furniture pieces adds to the surreality of the space, with fabric ruffles surrounding table bases, and sections of Grecian-style columns supporting surfaces and acting as pedestals.

    “My work is a universe that I’ve created for myself” says Laila Gohar

    Some of the Gohar World tableware is presented in open cabinets or glass vitrines, while other pieces are laid out as table settings as if ready for dinner.
    The storefront is painted a warm cream colour, and white fabric is hung in the lower halves of the windows and glass doors.
    Laila and Nadia Gohar founded their brand to collaborate with global artisans and help preserve “dying and disappearing” craftsLaila is known for her creative food installations and projects that blend design, food and art, which she catalogues via her Instagram account Lailacooks.
    Partnering with Nadia to move into homeware design, the aim is to work with global artisans to help preserve “dying and disappearing” crafts, she told Dezeen in a recent interview.
    The store is located on Lafayette Street in New York’s SoHo neighbourhoodRecently, several brands have opted for a more surreal, eclectic aesthetic for their stores compared to the cohesive, monochrome approach that’s pervaded retail design over the past few years.
    The Awake NY store by Rafael de Cárdenas, the Boyy flagship in Milan by Thomas Poulsen and the Tons boutique in Pittsburgh by NWDS are all examples of this.
    The photography is by Clement Pascal.

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    Tara Bernerd fills Maroma hotel in Mexico with artisanal elements

    Interior designer Tara Bernerd worked with local artisans when dressing the cavernous rooms at the Maroma hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico, which were renovated to reflect hacienda-style living.

    Housed within white stucco volumes arranged on a coastal plot between lush jungle and the Caribbean sea, the longstanding Belmond hotel was renovated earlier this year but retained much of its traditional-style architecture.
    The Maroma hotel is housed within rounded stucco, palapa-topped volumesBernerd and a team of local artisans conceived the eclectic interiors to reflect the palapa-topped structures, creating a range of bespoke curved furniture and ornaments.
    “The buildings themselves are organic in shape and form and were originally positioned in response to the sacred Mayan geometry,” she told Dezeen.
    “We sought to retain and enhance the beauty of the hotel’s original character.”

    Tara Bernerd sought to reflect this “Mayan geometry” in the interior designAmong the custom pieces are over 700,000 tiles hand-painted and crafted by ceramicist José Noé Suro using clay from Mexico’s Jalisco region.
    The tiles cover the floors in all of the 72 guest rooms, which are characterised by rattan wardrobes and amorphous timber furniture pieces – 80 per cent of which were hand-carved.
    The guest rooms are characterised by rattan accents and blown glassArtisan Max Kublailan blew bulbous glass sconce lights, which feature throughout the rooms and are reminiscent of glowing gemstones.
    “We built up the layers of design within the spaces, with rich pops of colour being brought in through the tiled or mosaic floors, the use of decorative tiles in the walls and dado rail as well as cushions and fabrics,” explained Bernerd.
    An open kitchen clad in glazed ceramic tiles features in one restaurantMaroma’s two restaurants follow a similar design, with accents such as rattan pendant lights and tables featuring textured legs that give the appearance of tree trunks.
    An open kitchen clad entirely in caramel-hued glazed ceramic tiles was tucked into a corner of the Woodend eatery while Casa Mayor includes clusters of hand-painted plant pots.
    The other restaurant includes painted potted plants and oversized rattan lampshadesThroughout the hotel, cavernous alcoves were also dressed with custom interiors made up of stone, clay, wood and natural fibres.
    “Location and layout were key and I am especially proud of how we have managed to reimagine previously under-utilised areas and have created a balance between unique, dramatic spaces and cosier, slightly hidden areas,” said Bernerd.

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    Traditional Yucatán doors with dense timber frames and chandeliers made from clusters of seashells were chosen to respond to Maroma’s setting.
    The hotel’s central swimming pool was renovated with Sukabumi turquoise tiles handmade from volcanic stone to emulate the cenotes – water-filled sinkholes formed by the collapse of limestone – found in the Yucatán Peninsula.
    Cavernous corridors reflect the hotel’s architecture”In essence, we wanted to create something that was effortlessly serene and had the feeling of a chic home,” said the designer.
    “So we also drew inspiration from traditional hacienda-style living to create a relaxed, almost residential vibe throughout the resort and evoke a sense of connection, unity and flow between all of the public area buildings,” she concluded.
    The central swimming pool was informed by cenotesThe British designer is the founder of the London-based architecture and interiors office Tara Bernerd & Partners.
    Elsewhere in Mexico, local firms Productora and Esrawe Studio designed a San Miguel de Allende hotel with planes of green tile. Architect Alberto Kalach added a series of vaulted, brick arches to a resort in Oaxaca.
    The photography is courtesy of Belmond. 

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    De Durgerdam hotel takes over 17th-century sailor’s inn on dyke outside Amsterdam

    Dutch hospitality company Aedes has pushed Amsterdam’s building restrictions to their limit to convert a heritage-listed tavern into an all-electric hotel.

    De Durgerdam hotel occupies one in a row of almost identical gabled buildings perched on a seawall on lake IJmeer, which together make up the small village of Durgerdam near Amsterdam.
    Constructed in 1664, the building originally served as an inn for sailors and fishermen, its white-painted clapboard facade acting as a beacon for boats that could pull right up to its deck in the Zuiderzee bay of the North Sea.
    De Durgerdam hotel is set on a seawall outside AmsterdamDue to recurring flooding, the village was cut off from the sea with the construction of a dam in 1932, turning the bay into a freshwater lake while the inn became a ferry terminal and later a cafe and restaurant.
    Following a five-year restoration led by Aedes, the building reopened this year as a boutique hotel with 14 rooms and interiors designed by material research studio Buro Belén.

    De Durgerdam, the first hotel to be owned and operated by the Aedes, provided an opportunity to see how far heritage restrictions could be stretched to make the building as sustainable as possible.
    The hotel occupies a former inn with a white-painted clapboard facade”What we have done in terms of sustainability is fairly innovative for a historic building of this kind,” said founder Paul Geertman. “We have pushed the boundaries as far as we could to reduce its environmental impact.”
    The 17th-century building now runs on renewable energy – provided by 32 rooftop solar panels and a green energy supplier – and its operations are entirely gas-free.
    This was made possible via meticulous insulation and four separate heat pumps, which cover all of the building’s heating and cooling needs in lieu of a traditional boiler.
    The ground-floor restaurant integrates a small lounge areaWith limited space in the old inn, the heat pumps are dotted across the garden where they are hidden in tiny outbuildings complete with gables and clapboards, which Aedes constructed especially to work around local building codes.
    “A heat pump in Amsterdam normally has to be inside of your building, otherwise you just don’t get the licence,” Aedes head of sustainability Esther Mouwen told Dezeen. “So we had to build a house around them.”
    The windows posed a similar struggle, as the municipality rarely allows the distinctive hand-blown glazing of heritage buildings to be changed.
    But Aedes was able to source an energy-efficient triple-glazed model with a pattern of tiny dots across its surface, which creates the optical illusion of looking at rippled glass.
    An Ingo Maurer chandelier hangs above a vintage sharing table in the restaurantThe renovation itself was a balancing act between changing as little as possible about the building while ensuring that it could survive for another 500 years.
    Although from the outside, the three-storey building looks almost exactly like it did when it was first constructed, large parts of its structure had to be carefully dismantled and reconstructed.
    “The building had deteriorated over time and the structural integrity had been compromised in some areas,” said Aedes marketing manager Monica Hanlo.
    “The interiors had to be carefully renovated and restructured, with beams and stones disassembled, inspected and either reused or replaced.”
    The bedrooms are finished in a moody colour paletteWhere timber could no longer serve a structural function, it was converted into floorboards alongside reclaimed wood sourced from old church pews and demolished timber houses from Austria.
    This wood was smoked for 18 hours to create a rich colour that permeates the timber rather than sitting on top like a stain, which would wear down over time and need re-upping.
    “Normally, they do not smoke it that long,” explained Buro Belén co-founder Lenneke Langenhuijsen. “Now it will patina super beautifully because all throughout, it became this really dark wood.”
    “It was important to us to make well-based decisions, maybe invest a bit more but it’s a long-lasting product that ages with the hotel and makes it even nicer over time.”

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    De Durgerdam marks the first time that Buro Belén has applied its material research approach to an entire hotel interior.
    “We did a lot of research so that the hotel also feels very grounded in what it once was, in its place,” Langenhuijsen said. “And if you look at the Zuiderzee, it was a very important part of the Netherlands, all the villages around made their living from it.”
    Layered throughout the hotel’s interior are references to this seafaring history, delivered via an eclectic mix of new, vintage and bespoke elements created by Buro Belén.
    A rusty red colour was used to highlight the building’s beamsIn the ground-floor restaurant De Mark, framed photos provide a glimpse of the inn’s evolution over the years.
    A shaggy curtain frames the lounge area near the entrance, made from traditional flax rope and raw flax fibres that were once used by local fishermen to make their nets.
    Weather permitting, patrons can dine outside on the jetty atop lake IJmeer or sit at a long sharing table that forms the centrepiece of the restaurant.
    The same colour dominates the guest bathroomsOverhead, Buro Belén suspended Ingo Maurer’s chandelier Lacrime del Pescatore – or “fisherman’s tears” – made of sparkling crystals that droop from a nylon net.
    Its name, according to Langenhuijsen, acts as a subtle reference to the plight of the local fishers, who lost their livelihoods as the village was cut off from the sea.
    Upstairs, the inn accommodates three suites and one room, accessed via the building’s untouched original staircase, which still shows the deep grooves that were worn into the wood by thousands of shoes over the centuries.
    Ten of the hotel’s 14 rooms are housed in a garden annexe added in 2006De Durgerdam’s remaining 10 rooms are housed in a garden annexe that was added to the building in 2006. All share a moody colour palette that was drawn from the craft and building traditions of the Zuiderzee.
    A rusty red colour – reminiscent of sails treated with tree-bark tannins to prevent rot – was used to highlight key architectural features like the building’s timber beams and the monochrome bathrooms.
    Similarly, the inside of the bedrooms’ Shaker-style built-in wardrobes was painted in a sky blue colour that nods to a traditional paint made from buttermilk, chalk and a particular blue pigment, historically used by locals across cupboards and box beds to repel insects.
    The hotel’s heat pumps are hidden in tiny gabled outbuildingsEven though construction is complete, Aedes is still working on reducing the hotel’s operational footprint, with the aim of getting 80 per cent of the way towards being zero waste by the end of next year.
    The company is also looking into a reliable way of offsetting the building’s whole-life carbon emissions via a reforestation scheme but has so far struggled to find a reliable company that can guarantee measurable, traceable carbon removals.
    “We’re not fans of offsetting, because we think we have to make sure we don’t create emissions,” Mouwensaid. “But it’s not possible yet.”
    Aedes has previously converted Amsterdam’s art deco Bungehuis building into a Soho House members’ club.
    The photography is by Chantal Arnts and Studio Unfolded.

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    Neuhäusl Hunal divides Sculptor’s Apartment in Prague using curved glass partitions

    Czech architecture studio Neuhäusl Hunal has renovated a prefabricated apartment in Prague, turning it into an open-plan home and workspace for sculptor and glassworker Vladimír Bachorík.

    Neuhäusl Hunal opted for curved translucent glass partitions in place of doors to divide the interior spaces and create a sense of openness and fluidity.
    U-profiled glass partitions divide the interior spacesIn order to maximise floor space, the studio removed all non-load-bearing elements, leaving just a single load-bearing concrete wall that cuts through the living and workspaces.
    Three U-profiled glass partitions were then used to enclose a cloakroom, storage space and kitchen, while the remaining floor space can be used flexibly.
    An existing load-bearing concrete wall separates the living and work spacesA centralised, curved bathroom, raised by a small platform for waste management, is similarly enclosed by translucent glass panels and protrudes into the main space.

    The bathroom interior was lined extensively with white ceramic tiles and features a walk-in shower.
    Meanwhile, matching ceramic tiles were also used in the kitchen, which doubles as a work area for the artist.
    White mosaic tiles line the kitchen and bathroom”To design the maximally open and flowing space without doors, infrastructure, besides statics, was a key constraint, which defines the location of the single-almost-enclosed space: the bathroom,” studio architect and founder David Neuhäusl told Dezeen.
    “Therefore we emphasized [the bathroom] as the most prominent element in the apartment to create a strong spatial experience,” Neuhäusl continued.

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    The interior material palette was defined by the stripped concrete wall as well as the translucent panels and ceramic tiles, set on a background of white plaster walls and grey-toned rubber flooring.
    Metal furniture and shelving was used throughout the minimalist interior, with cubic plinths used to display Bachorík’s glasswork around the space.
    Existing windows draw daylight into the interior spacesDaylight shines through the existing windows at either end of the apartment and penetrates the glass partitions to create a brightly lit interior, while carefully positioned strip lights and spotlights provide artificial lighting.
    “These translucent glass blocks of high order ensure the penetration of light and create identity of the apartment,” Neuhäusl explained.
    “Their materiality and character naturally refer to the client’s lifelong work. They can be naturally composed in curves to formulate the softly shaped partitions.”
    Metal furniture is used throughout the spaceNeuhäusl Hunal is an architecture studio founded by David Neuhäusl and Matěj Hunal in the Czech Republic.
    Other projects recently completed in the Czech Republic include a winery topped with a sweeping concrete roof and an angular black extension to a neo-gothic church.
    The photography is by Radek Úlehla.

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    Video reveals Michael Hsu’s organic approach to interiors of Austin high-rise

    Texas studio Michael Hsu Office of Architecture has designed the common areas for a 50-storey residential high-rise building in Austin, as shown in this exclusive video captured by Dezeen.

    Called 44 East, the building is located east of downtown Austin in the Rainey Street Historic district. The firm designed the interiors of the building’s common areas, which take cues from its natural surroundings, particularly the neighbouring Colorado River.

    Michael Hsu Office of Architecture has designed the interiors of 44 East
    The practice enhanced the space using colour and texture, layering vintage and custom furnishings to create a relaxed and inviting ambience.
    Curved surfaces and light colours are incorporated throughout the space, with poured concrete terrazzo floors incorporated to pay homage to the gravel of the nearby riverside trail.
    Curved surfaces and light colours are incorporated into the lobby area of 44 EastThe interior is characterised by the use of soft shapes and natural materials throughout the various spaces, including on the eleventh floor, where pastel hues complement subtle architectural details.
    The outdoor swimming pool features a series of pebble-shaped islands, with a partially-covered patio inviting guests to relax outside and enjoy the views of the river.
    The eleventh floor features a circular outdoor swimming poolOn the thirty-seventh floor, a large moon-like pendant light is suspended above a plush circular sofa.
    The higher vantage point offers scenic views of downtown Austin, and features jewel tones and darker materials intended to complement the Texas skyline at dusk.
    The thirty-seventh floor features darker tones to complement views of the Texas skyline44 East was developed by Intracorp, while the tower and unit interiors were designed by Page and landscapes designed by DWG.
    The interior design of the common spaces is one of the latest projects by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, which is based in Austin and Houston.
    The company recently completed its self-designed Austin studio, which is adorned in wood-and-fabric lined walls and industrial details, to accommodate its growing team.
    The photography is by Chase Daniel.
    Partnership content
    This video was produced by Dezeen for Michael Hsu Office of Architecture as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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    Cake Architecture draws on Bauhaus principles for Hoxton bar

    Cake Architecture has renovated A Bar with Shapes for a Name, an east London cocktail bar featuring “utilitarian” interiors.

    A Bar with Shapes for a Name owes its title to the yellow triangle, red square and blue circle that are emblazoned on its facade in a nod to the primary colours and understated geometry commonly associated with the Bauhaus.
    Tall tubular chairs feature on the ground floorWhen creating the bar’s minimalist interiors, Dalston-based Cake Architecture took cues from the influential German art and design school that was established in 1919 and advocated for an emphasis on functionality, among other similar principles.
    Located at 232 Kingsland Road in Hoxton, the cocktail bar was renovated by the studio to serve as a multipurpose venue.
    Cake Architecture created a smooth ground-floor bar from reddish plywoodCake Architecture doubled the bar’s capacity by adding a basement, which acts as a “kitchen-bar” room, and refurbished the ground floor’s existing seating area as well as a classroom-style space that offers a location for rotating events or workshops.

    “These spaces have specific functional requirements and we selected colours and materials to suit,” studio director Hugh Scott Moncrieff told Dezeen.
    It was positioned opposite a rectilinear light installationUpon entering the bar, visitors are greeted by the main seating area or “showroom”, which was designed to be warm and inviting.
    Tall tubular chairs finished with neutral rattan were positioned around chunky geometric tables made from birch ply stained to a rich, reddish-brown hue.
    The renovation included the addition of a new basementThe team also used the same timber to create the space’s curving bar, which is illuminated by a squat, cordless table lamp by lighting brand Flos.
    Opposite the bar, a glowing rectilinear light installation by photographer Steve Braiden was fitted to the wall underneath bench-style seating reminiscent of early Bauhaus furniture designs.
    A steel, glass-topped table sets an industrial tone”We looked in particular at projects by the Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius,” reflected Scott Moncrieff.
    “Gropius is a master of this elegant zoning through the application of colour and form,” he added.
    The “classroom” includes steel-framed tablesDownstairs, the low-lit basement was created to house additional seating as well as “all of the crazy machinery they use to prepare the drinks,” the designer said.
    The basement is characterised by a bespoke central table by Cake Architecture and furniture designer Eddie Olin.
    Red, yellow and blue accents define a sculptural lampConsisting of a steel frame that “floats” over a central leg, the table was topped with a glass surface and its base was clad in phenolic-coated plywood to match the floor and walls.
    “This new basement is predominantly a production space – so the palette reflects this with hardwearing, utilitarian and industrial materials,” said Scott Moncrieff.

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    A thick, felt curtain in ultramarine adds a pop of colour to the otherwise pared-back space.
    With its pale blue walls and Valchromat-topped, steel-framed tables, the ground-floor “classroom” pays homage to the Bauhaus as an educational institution.
    A tall blackboard provides space to learn in the classroomBrighter blue vinyl covers the floors while a sculptural lamp featuring red, yellow and blue circles echoes the bar’s logo.
    A tall blackboard and overhead strip lighting add to the classroom feel of the space, which is used for various group events.
    Thin vertical lights frame the bathroom sinkCake Architecture worked closely with the bar’s founders Remy Savage and Paul Lougrat when creating the interiors, which were primarily informed by the duo’s way of working.
    “The team has a conceptually driven ethos drawn from the theory and practice of Bauhaus embedded in everything they are doing. We found that incredibly exciting,” explained Scott Moncrieff.
    A Bar with Shapes for a Name is located on London’s Kingsland Road”The Bauhaus phrase ‘party, work, play’ was pertinent to some early ideas and this carried through all our design discussions,” noted the designer.
    “The space enables these three things. Separately as individual functions and simultaneously as a representation of the overall atmosphere of a bar!”
    Cake Architecture previously worked with interior designer Max Radford to create a curtain-wrapped speakeasy in London’s Soho. The studio also designed a workspace for London agency Ask Us For Ideas in the same part of the city.
    The photography is by Felix Speller. 

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    Neri&Hu highlights simplicity and functionality at Shanghai art gallery

    Chinese studio Neri&Hu has designed a contemporary art gallery for Ota Fine Arts in Shanghai with a focus on the “sublime beauty of the banal”.

    The gallery sits on the ground floor of a mixed-use tower at Rockbund, a development amidst the historical Bund in Shanghai along the Huangpu River, where a series of restored colonial art deco buildings are located.
    The entrance of the gallery features an oversized sliding door”The primary design challenge was to utilise the areas along the facade for both storage and display, blurring the distinction between functional and experiential space,” explained Neri&Hu.
    “This deepened threshold condition found on both facades defines the visitor’s arrival sequence and journey within.”
    The facade of the gallery is framed in aged steel to contrast the contemporary galleryThe facade of the gallery was framed in aged steel, with portions of solid metal and large glass panels arranged to form a window display for the artworks.

    Handmade ivory tiles line the inner side of the window in a subtle woven pattern, serving as a neutral backdrop for the art pieces.
    A warehouse-sized door can be fully open on the west facade for easy transport of large art piecesAn oversized sliding door marks the entry to the gallery on the eastern facade. When opened, the entrance of the gallery is revealed, with the outer sliding door framing the window display next to it.
    When closed, the door slides back to its original position and allows the full-height glazed window to be exposed.
    The western facade features a warehouse-sized door that can be fully opened using a custom-designed handle. This allows large artworks to be delivered directly from a designated parking area into the gallery.

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    Neri&Hu also added fluted glass to the exterior, which glows in the evening to illuminate the adjacent Rockbund courtyard and add elegance to the functional facade.
    Inside the gallery, the 350 square-metre space is divided into two zones – a 150-square-metre main public viewing gallery and a private zone that houses VIP rooms and office space.
    The pared-back, white VIP rooms feature contemporary furniture pieces with custom-made white tiles and a stained oak floor and were designed to create a relaxing environment, in which the attention can be focused on the art itself.
    The interior of the gallery has a neutral and simplistic tone”The project’s understated material palette and overall conceptual underpinning lies in the juxtaposition of old and new, raw and refined, ordinary and spectacular,” said Neri&Hu.
    “We hope one can appreciate the sublime beauty of the banal, as much as the brilliance of contemporary art,” it added.
    Clean white rooms are intended to highlight the art pieceNeri&Hu was founded by architects Lyndon Neri and Rosanna Hu in 2004 in Shanghai.
    Other recent projects completed by the studio include the Sanya Wellness Retreat hotel on the Chinese island of Hainan and a fashion boutique with fabrics and marble screens.
    The photography is by Zhu Runzi.
    Project credits:
    Partners-in-charge: Lyndon Neri, Rossana HuAssociate-in-charge: Jacqueline MinSenior interior designer-in-charge: Phil WangDesign team: Rovi QuFF&E procurement: Design RepublicContractors: ETQ Project (Shanghai) Limited

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