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    Traditional Korean pavilions inform open-sided Aesop store in Seoul

    Skincare brand Aesop has collaborated with designer Samuso Hyojadong to create a store in Seochon, Seoul, that features an open facade and an oversized stone plinth.

    Positioned in one of the oldest neighbourhoods of Seoul’s Jongno-gu district, the Seochon outlet was created to “fit harmoniously within its local context”, according to Aesop’s design team.
    Aesop designed the Seochon store with Samuso HyojadongWhen designing the store, Aesop and Hyojadong took cues from the architecture of jeongjas – traditional Korean pavilions with no walls, which serve as spaces for resting and taking in the surrounding views.
    The street-facing facade was created with mesh metal screens that can open out entirely to create a storefront with no walls. Once closed, the woven metal backing creates translucent windows through which passersby observe the softly lit silhouettes of uniform rows of bottles.
    Reclaimed timber features on the interior”Samuso extended the floorplate outwards to create a threshold that conveys a generous sense of hospitality,” the Aesop design team told Dezeen.

    “One [jeongja] in particular that inspired us was the Soswaewon in the Damyang region, which was built in the sixteenth century and is surrounded by a verdant garden.”
    An oversized stone plinth displays Aesop productsFor the store’s material palette, the designers referenced the timber and stone that are typically used to build traditional Korean houses known as hanoks.
    A large, rough-edged stone plinth displaying clusters of products was positioned at the entrance while various wooden accents were created with timber reclaimed from salvage yards and an abandoned house.
    Copper was used to create geometric cabinetsThe store was also built on a raised stone platform, which nods to the traditional architecture.
    Hanji paper created from mulberry tree bark sourced from South Korea’s Gyeongnam province features on the store’s walls, which frame central geometric cabinetry and sleek taps made of locally produced aged copper.

    Aesop store in south Seoul is a cosy red-brick retreat

    The designers were restrained in their use of sanding, sealants and coatings when treating the materials, opting to embrace their “natural imperfections”.
    “Sensitivity to texture in this store is superlative,” reflected the design team. “Samuso wanted each material to express itself directly, without too much human intervention,” it continued, referencing the roughness of the stone and the reclaimed timber’s undulating texture.
    The metal was also used to design sleek tapsRosewood was used to create the store’s signature fragrance armoire, which is hidden from view until opened out and was conceived as a traditional Korean jewellery box, according to the design team.
    “Throughout the store, we were compelled by a desire to dissolve the boundaries between inside and outside, between the naturally occurring and the human-made,” concluded the designers.
    The store’s signature fragrance armoire was informed by Korean jewellery boxesKnown for stores that pay homage to their varied locations, Aesop has an outlet in Cambridge defined by handwoven bulrush shelves that nod to the nearby River Cam and a Sydney store furnished with domestic items to evoke 1960s Australian homes.
    The photography is courtesy of Aesop.

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    Last chance to be listed on Dezeen’s digital guide for London Design Festival 2023

    This is the last opportunity to be featured in the Dezeen Events Guide for London Design Festival 2023, which highlights the key events taking place in the UK’s capital city in September.

    The guide includes a range of exhibitions, installations, talks, workshops, open showrooms, product launches, pop-up shops and design fairs taking place across London.
    This year’s edition of London Design Festival takes place from 16 to 24 September 2023, with the 21st edition spanning across 13 districts in the city.
    Dezeen Events Guide’s live digital guide showcases events that explore a variety of design mediums, including architecture, biodesign, furniture, lighting, interior accessories, fashion and materials and textiles design.
    Last chance to get listed in Dezeen’s digital guide to London Design Festival

    Get in touch with the Dezeen Events Guide team at [email protected] to book in your listing or to discuss a wider partnership with Dezeen. There are three types of listings:
    Standard listing: for only £100, we can include the event name, date and location details plus a website link. These listings will also feature up to 50 words of text about the event. Standard listings are included at the discretion of the Dezeen Events Guide team.
    Enhanced listing: for £150, you will receive all of the above plus an image at the top of the listing’s page and an image in the listing preview on the London Design Festival festival guide page. These listings will also feature up to 100 words of text about the event.
    Featured listing: for £300, your listing will feature everything as part of an enhanced listing plus inclusion in the featured events carousel and social media posts on our @dezeenguide channels. This includes one post per channel: Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and up to 150 words of text about the event. This text can include commercial information such as ticket prices and offers, and can feature additional links to website pages such as ticket sales, newsletter signups etc.
    About Dezeen Events Guide
    Dezeen Events Guide is our guide to the best architecture and design events taking place across the world each year. The guide is updated weekly and includes virtual events, conferences, trade fairs, major exhibitions and design weeks.
    Inclusion in the guide is free for basic listings, with events selected at Dezeen’s discretion. Organisers can get standard, enhanced or featured listings for their events, including images, additional text and links, by paying a modest fee.
    In addition, events can ensure inclusion by partnering with Dezeen. For more details on inclusion in Dezeen Events Guide and media partnerships with Dezeen, email [email protected].
    The illustration is by Justyna Green.

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    Giulio Cappellini and Sabine Marcelis among judges to decide Dezeen Awards 2023 winners

    Twenty-three leading architects and designers from more than 10 countries met last week in a final round of judging to decide the winners of the Dezeen Awards 2023.

    The Dezeen Awards master jury took place at hotel One Hundred Shoreditch in London and included architect Sanjay Puri and designers Giulio Cappellini and Sabine Marcelis, among others.
    Interior designers Colin King and Tola Ojuolape, designer Patrizia Moroso and architect Andrea Cesarman also joined to finalise the 50 award winners.
    They include the winners of the inaugural Bentley Lighthouse Award, a special award supported by Bentley Motors that rewards an individual whose work has had an overwhelmingly beneficial impact on social and environmental sustainability.
    Winners will be announced in November

    Winners will be announced at the end of November at the winners’ party in London. Longlist announcements will be revealed next week, followed by the shortlist in October.
    Dezeen Awards 2023 architecture master jury (L-R): Andrea Cesarman, Sanjay Puri, Sumele Adelana, Lara Lesmes, Cristóbal Palma, Kevin CarmodyThe master jury discussed 235 shortlisted entries selected from 4,800 projects from over 90 countries around the globe.
    Judges also included Kevin Carmody and Titi Ogufere
    Joining Cesarman and Puri on the architecture master jury panel were Lara Lesmes, co-founder of architecture and art studio Space Popular, Chilean-based photographer Cristóbal Palma, SketchUp architectural designer Sumele Adelana and Kevin Carmody, co-founder of London-based studio Carmody Groarke.
    Dezeen Awards 2023 interiors master jury (L-R): Eny Lee Parker, Philippe Brocart, Patrizia Moroso, Tola Ojuolape, Colin KingEny Lee Parker and managing director and head of Material Bank Europe Philippe Brocart joined King and Moroso on the interiors master jury.
    Dezeen Awards 2023 design master jury (L-R): Sabine Marcelis, Giulio Cappellini, Erwan Bouroullec, Titi Ogufere, Chris Cooke, Rossana OrlandiThe design master jury panel included the founder of Design Week Lagos Titi Ogufere, Spazio Rossana Orlandi founder and curator Rossana Orlandi, Paris-based designer Erwan Bouroullec and head of design collaborations at Bentley Motors Chris Cooke.
    They joined art director and founder Cappellini and artist and designer Marcelis.
    Dezeen Awards 2023 sustainability master jury (L-R): Pragya Adukia, Piet Hein Eek, Siân Sutherland, Kate Goldsworthy, Kelly Alvarez Doran, Maurizio MontaltiDesigner Piet Hein Eek, MASS Design Group senior director Kelly Alvarez Doran and A Plastic Planet co-founder Siân Sutherland were on the sustainability panel.
    They were joined by professor of circular design and innovation Kate Goldsworthy, founder and creative director of Officina Corpuscoli Maurizio Montalti and director of design at Brookfield Properties Pragya Adukia.
    An exclusive judges’ dinner took place on the night of the master jury day in the One Hundred Room at One Hundred Shoreditch, where the master jury was joined by other Dezeen Awards 2023 judges.
    These included Jayden Ali, co-curator of the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2023, CEO of the Design Council Minnie Moll and Raw Edges co-founders Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay. The dinner featured glassware by Nude Glass.
    Dezeen Awards winners’ party
    Following the longlist and shortlist announcements, the next big date in the Dezeen Awards calendar is the culmination of this year’s programme – the Dezeen Awards winners’ party, which will take place on Tuesday 28 November in London.
    Dezeen Awards winners will be able to collect their unique trophy at the event and it is a chance for everyone who was shortlisted for Dezeen Awards, or who judged the entries, to celebrate and network.
    Tickets will be available to purchase later this year. Subscribe to the Dezeen Awards newsletter to keep up to date with the latest announcements.
    The photography is by Mark Cocksedge.
    Dezeen Awards 2023
    Dezeen Awards celebrates the world’s best architecture, interiors and design. Now in its sixth year, it has become the ultimate accolade for architects and designers across the globe. The annual awards are in partnership with Bentley Motors, as part of a wider collaboration that will see the brand work with Dezeen to support and inspire the next generation of design talent. More

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    Arent & Pyke designs Sydney hair salon to be “best appreciated from seated height”

    Triangular slabs of terrazzo and a vintage chandelier frame Sydney’s Koda hair salon, which local studio Arent & Pyke has conceived as an eclectic mishmash of old and new.

    Located on the upper mezzanine level of the city’s George McRae-designed Queen Victoria Building, the salon was created for Australian hairdresser Koda.
    Arent & Pyke created terrazzo tiling for the floorArent & Pyke created the interiors to “be best appreciated from seated height”, placing wide quartzite-rimmed mirrors at angles in front of the curved black styling chairs to offer a contrast with the salon’s tall ceilings.
    The move was made “given that clients are accustomed to looking up and down” when getting their hair done, the studio explained.
    The studio painted the ceilings in an “energising” gold hueTriangular slabs of dusty pink and forest green terrazzo line Koda’s floors, which Arent & Pyke chose to mimic the marble flooring of Villa Planchart – a house in Caracas, Venezuela, completed by architect Gio Ponti in 1956.

    Ceilings were painted an “energising” shade of gold and fitted with delicate timber battens that conceal various services while in one corner, a geometric 1970s chandelier illuminates the space from above.
    Koda’s interior was designed to “be best appreciated from seated height””Both nostalgic and futuristic, Koda is a majestic work of sculpt fiction,” Arent & Pyke said.
    “Four elongated windows crowned with coloured glass pool light from within, so the built spine intentionally reaches approximately half of the rear salon’s 4.5-metre ceiling height, enabling appreciation of their beauty from every vantage point.”

    Danielle Brustman creates yellow highlights in sunny Melbourne hair salon

    Brightly coloured accents were paired with burlwood mid-century furniture including a low-slung credenza topped with glossy cobalt-blue display shelving.
    The studio aimed to rid the space of “transactional” clutter, replacing traditional tool trolleys with cylindrical styling stands with aged brass details designed by Arent & Pyke.
    Arent & Pyke aimed to rid the salon of “transactional” clutterCurving light-hued timber cabinetry was also mounted to the blush-toned walls to create eclectic storage.
    A translucent pale pink curtain was suspended from a rail to create a layer of privacy for the wash bay, which was positioned on a raised platform.
    A translucent pale pink curtain creates a layer of privacy for the wash bay”Koda is a crafted tale of artisanal vision balancing angled poise with organic shapes and undulating forms,” said Arent & Pyke.
    Founded by Juliette Arent and Sarah-Jane Pyke in 2007, the studio previously renovated a 1930s Sydney home with a monochromatic interior.
    Other notable hair salon interiors include a minimalist Swedish outlet finished in pastel colours and a US barbershop with a cavernous cork lounge.
    The photography is by Prue Ruscoe. 

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    Kitchen Remodel, Butler’s Pantry & Murphy Door?

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    Remember back in May when I posted that we were seriously thinking about gutting our kitchen and making the space over? Well, after having 3 different kitchen designers look at it over the summer and design layouts to consider, we decided it doesn’t make sense at this time.

    The main reason being is that it wouldn’t look that different since the footprint and cabinet placement and color would be the same.

    We would also have to totally gut the kitchen floor to ceiling which would mean we would have to replace the flooring not only in the kitchen, but most of the first floor since it is open concept.

    To get a cabinet layout that I wanted, we would have to go with custom cabinetry where they could be made with less depth so an island would fit. With stock size base cabinets – the design programs the kitchen designer’s used won’t even allow an island to be placed in the floor plans.

    So no kitchen remodel for the time being, if we win the lottery, then we would like to add an addition to the house to double the size of the kitchen. But I am content with what I have and will keep enjoying making the space the best it can be.

    Even though the remodel is a no go, I am happy that I went through the kitchen designing process to see what could be. One designer I met with told me how to look at my current kitchen with new eyes. She said what we could do is add space, not size. I had to repeat this a few times in my head until I understood what she was saying.

    Basically, find a way to use the existing space you have better. OK – I am pretty good at doing this, for instance when I found a small rolling cart to use as a kitchen island. It is used constantly. I needed to look harder at ways to create more space. So over the last few weeks that is exactly what I did and then some.

    I have been going through every cabinet, closet and drawer, not only in the kitchen, but the entire house. I have been donating what we no longer use or need, which in turn opened up space for new energy and opportunities.

    I have taken car loads of stuff to the local thrift shop. After a few trips, the volunteers there asked me if we were moving! 🙂

    Nope, I just want less, less stuff, less items sitting around getting in the way simply because I can’t make a decision about any of it.

    I have even donated the coffee table that was in my living room. It got picked up last week along with other furniture pieces I know I will no longer use. The decluttering process was therapeutic – I feel liberated!

    I have decluttered the contents of my house and kitchen cabinets many times before this, but this time, I was ruthless. If we hadn’t used something in the past few years, out to the thrift store it went. My husband, Ed was all on board which made the process pretty painless.

    For More Space: Embracing the Murphy Door Concept

    A while back I read an article about Murphy doors and was intrigued. It gave me the idea to create a room for kitchen storage or if I want to be fancy, a butler’s pantry of sorts that would be in a room of its own, but easily accessed from the kitchen.

    My studioffice is behind this pocket door.

    Much like Murphy beds, Murphy doors conceal a surprise—but the surprise isn’t simply an unexpected sleeping space or nook. With Murphy doors, the secret is often an entire hidden room. In addition to their hidden pathway—making them great space-saving solutions for smaller homes like mine.

    My food pantry is next to this pocket door.

    The Murphy door idea is becoming popular with homeowners now as it is a fix for one of the most common homeowner woes—a shortage of storage.

    I could implement the concept in my studioffice using one half of the room as a butler’s pantry. I however, don’t need to add an actual Murphy door as the room already has the next best thing – an existing pocket door that can act like a Murphy Door.

    The door does not have a doorknob and when closed it can resemble a paneled wall especially if I paint it or do some sort of trompe l’oeil art on the door.

    Creating More Storage Spaces for the Kitchen

    Using one half of my studioffice made so much sense to turn into a sort of butler’s pantry since it is right next to the kitchen and pantry closet, plus I no longer did computer work at the worktable I created in the room. I prefer working at my kitchen table where there is a better view of the lake.

    Without needing a sit down work area in the room anymore, creating a new function on one side of the room for larger and less used kitchen items, as well as bulk foods we get at Costco was a no brainer.

    We initially thought building a wall of cabinets with a counter using stock cabinets would be the way to go, but then I decided before we spend time and money, lets use something we already own first to see if having less-used kitchen items adjacent to the kitchen functions as we think it will day to day.

    What we used instead of custom building a butler’s pantry was a forgotten and now vintage IKEA wall unit that we used in the basement of our previous house.

    When we first moved to the lake house, the wall units didn’t fit anywhere, so we took them apart and stored it all in the attic thinking we may give it to one of our daughters one day. I am glad we saved it.

    Luckily when we took it apart, we organized all the screws, nails and shelf brackets into baggies, as well as labeled every piece and documented it all with photos.

    After bringing all the pieces down from the attic, it went together pretty fast.

    Where the two file cabinet are placed, was a space with a turntable for a TV. We threw the turntable out and found the two file cabinets fit well in the space.

    Now we have more storage space for kitchen items that we want to keep handy, like my heavy Dutch ovens. In the kitchen cabinet I had them in they had to be stacked on top of each other to fit in the cabinet.

    I use these a lot, and it was a lot of work getting to the one I needed to use. Now there is enough space for me to simply grab the one I need, no more stacking and unstacking needed.

    I am still organizing the shelves and making labels for everything to help me keep it organized.

    So far, both Ed and I are loving how our new storage area/Butler’s pantry has given us more space in the kitchen cabinets.

    Ideas to Make The Most of Kitchen Space

    For the kitchen itself, I will keep tweaking and embracing the positive aspects of the space. Where it lacks features, I will continually try to come up with creative solutions to make the kitchen work better for the way we live and move around in the room.

    For instance, we can retrofit the cabinets under the cooktop with sliding shelves, pull-outs or baskets. Doing this will give us two levels of space in each cabinet which will double what we can store in them.

    I can also style areas of the kitchen differently to give new life to the space seasonally or on a whim.

    I would like to find more rectangular and square baskets to organize the contents in all the drawers – not only a few.

    And adding a surprise pop of color in the way of a DIY Drawer Liner where you don’t expect it always turns what looks unattractive, look so much better.

    Now that we have opened up storage space in the kitchen, I have restyled the open shelves as well as added something new on the wall in the kitchen. Both turned out even better than I thought they would. I can’t wait to show you in my next post. Stay tuned.

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    COS unveils “most sustainable store concept to date”

    COS architectural creative lead Marcus Cole explains how more sustainable design principles were used in its recently opened concept stores, in this exclusive video produced by Dezeen for the brand.

    The brand recently opened two stores, located in Stockholm and Mexico City, which according to COS exemplify its commitment to sustainable building and circular design. Cole talked to Dezeen about the brand’s approach when creating the new retail spaces.
    “This flagship store in Stockholm is the first in Europe to adopt the most sustainable store concept from COS to date,” he said.
    The Stockholm flagship store reflects the brand’s promise to lower CO2 emissions. Photograph by Åke LindmanAt 566 metres square and spread over two floors, the store, located on Biblioteksgatan, is also the brand’s largest concept store.
    When creating the space, COS wanted to address their existing waste flows, finding ways in which byproducts that would traditionally be categorised as waste could be reused and repurposed.

    “The design focuses on circularity in both our material selection and our design strategy,” explained Cole.
    “The floor throughout our sales area is a terrazzo tile that has been made from 90 per cent quarry waste from our own suppliers’ production line. The majority of the rugs are a collaboration using waste yarn from our suppliers’ chain, each bespoke in their own way.”
    “We prioritised materials that can be easily repaired, and are designed for disassembly by avoiding mixing materials that are hard to decouple later down the line,” Cole added.
    The Stockholm store uses 66 per cent more recycled materials than the original store design. Photograph by Åke LindmanThe brand also took the same approach when creating the furniture and fixtures used in the store, choosing to prioritise more sustainable and recycled materials.
    “Our vitrines and wardrobes are made from a combination of recycled acrylic and bamboo,” said Cole.

    COS reflects 18th-century frescoes in Bolzano store with mirrors and mesh

    “Bamboo is a more renewable choice than traditional hardwoods, because of the speed at which it grows, its carbon storage capacity, and also its durability,” he continued.
    “If we look to our fitting rooms and some of the softer fixtures in our stores, the panels are made from 60 per cent recycled plastic bottles that have been spun into felt, [and] the floor consists of a PVC free linoleum, which is made from a mixture of recycled and natural materials.”
    Sustainable and recycled materials were prioritised during the design process. Photograph by Åke LindmanOther changes include 30 per cent recycled aluminium rails, 100 per cent recycled mannequins and the removal of all concrete fittings.
    The brand also found it important to make use of the existing building where possible to reduce unnecessary CO2 emissions and to give new life to unused materials.
    “This concept store is actually a rebuild of an existing store,” Cole explained. “We were able to reallocate and reuse 50 per cent of our interior elsewhere in our portfolio, making sure we have as much emphasis on what we’re taking out of the store as what we’re putting in it as well.”
    A selection of paintings and sculptures by visual artist Liselotte Watkins decorate the store interior. Photograph by Åke LindmanFollowing on from the Stockholm store, the brand also unveiled another sustainable concept store in Mexico City. The store is located in the Polanco neighbourhood, and the interior references Mexico’s artisan craft traditions.
    In addition to operating as a fashion store, the shop also exhibits artworks by local creators, such as Caralarga, a female-led enterprise which focuses on sustainability and female empowerment.
    The Mexico City store is the first in the Americas to embrace COS’s sustainable store concept. Photograph by Fernando Marroquin”We have very ambitious plans to bring this sustainable approach and all of our learnings from it to more stores in the future,” Cole said.
    “The stores that have adopted our new concept now have an average of 68 per cent recycled materials. And this is a percentage that we’re both really proud of because of how far we’ve come, but also challenged by because of where we want to get to,” he continued.
    “Whether it’s a flagship store or a smaller activation, we worked hard to embed agility into the core of our interiors so that we’re not wasteful in the future.”
    COS is a London-based fashion brand. The brand has 252 stores, spanning 47 physical markets.
    Partnership content
    This video is produced by Dezeen for COS as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen’s partnership content here.

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    Chicago exhibition by Norman Kelley includes Frank Lloyd Wright building fragments

    Fragments of buildings by American architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan have been displayed at a new exhibition in Chicago by US design studio Norman Kelley

    A variety of fragments from iconic buildings are on display at the Art Institute of Chicago as part of a permanent exhibition called Architectural Fragments from Chicago.
    Norman Kelley has created an exhibit of architectural fragmentsNorman Kelley mounted multiple pieces of demolished or renovated Chicagoan buildings onto square grey panels measuring eight feet by eight feet (2.4 metres by 2.4 metres) with stainless steel, mirrored trim in the museum’s Henry Crown Gallery.
    The exhibition includes approximately 27 architectural fragments and three lightboxes.
    The exhibit features pieces of notable Chicago buildingsThe pieces displayed are sourced from local, architecturally significant buildings in order to illustrate and preserve Chicago’s built history.

    “Architectural fragments are part of a material history that speaks to past building practices, changing neighbourhoods, and evolving ways of life,” said the studio.
    “Recuperated from demolished or renovated buildings, these pieces of facades or interiors help preserve the memory of architecturally or culturally significant structures long after their physical presence has been erased.”
    Cornices, gates and other architectural stone and ironwork were mounted on grey panelsArchitectural elements such as sections of cornices, wall panels, an elevator grille and a column are displayed.
    The fragments were mounted across the space from a large stained glass window that is a part of the same exhibit.

    Norman Kelley remodels Chicago apartment to showcase chair collection

    Also among the pieces are an ornate circular ventilator grille and entrance door from Frank Lloyd Wright’s four-storey Francis Apartments, built in 1895 and demolished in 1971.
    Both fragments display Wright’s early use of organic forms, informed by his mentor Louis Sullivan.
    The displays include work by Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan. Top right: Facade Panel from the National Pythian Temple by Walter T. Bailey. Top left: Facade Panel from the Jordan Building by John N Coleman. Bottom right: Floor Tiles from the Mecca Apartment Building by Edbrooke and Burnham. Bottom left: Balcony Railing Section from the Mecca Apartment Building by Edbrooke and BurnhamA cast iron cornice section and spandrel panel from Sullivan’s Gage Building, one of his last to be commissioned in Chicago, are also included. Both feature plant shapes and organic, curving lines.
    Works from other architects include a facade panel from the National Pythian Temple by Walter T Bailey and a colourful section of floor tiles from the Mecca Apartments by Edbrooke and Burnham.
    The fragments were “recuperated” from historical buildings. Top left: Frieze Section from the Rothschild Store by Adler and Sullivan. Top Right: Newel Post from the Morris Selz House by Adler and Sullivan. Bottom left: Spandrel Panel from the Rosenfeld Building by Alder and Sullivan.Lightbox installations include a geometric stained glass window from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Coonley Playhouse and the Tiffany Studios 1917 Hartwell Memorial Window that depicts a sprawling landscape of over 48 panels.
    “While this installation represents many works by Chicago’s celebrated modern architects, other fragments come from buildings by lesser-known designers who were equally important in shaping spaces of activism, community, creativity and labor in our dynamic metropolis,” said the studio.
    The fragments have been catalogued as part of the museum’s permanent collection.
    An iron gate and ventilator grille from Wright’s Francis Apartments were includedNorman Kelley is based in Chicago and New Orleans and was founded by Thomas Kelley and Carrie Norman in 2012.
    Elsewhere in Chicago, the studio recently completed an apartment renovation for a diverse collection of chairs and refreshed the lobby of a postmodern skyscraper.
    The photography is by Nathan Keay.
    Architectural Fragments from Chicago is on show at the Art Institute of Chicago permanently. For more exhibitions, events and talks in architecture and design, visit Dezeen Events Guide.

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    Mid-century Zero House in London imbued with “Kubrick feel”

    Timber ceilings and a fireplace clad in mahogany tiles feature in this London house, which its owners have renovated to honour the dwelling’s mid-century roots and nod to the colour palette of Stanley Kubrick films.

    Located in north London’s Stanmore, Zero House belongs to recording artists Ben Garrett and Rae Morris, whose former home in Primrose Hill is the Dezeen Award-winning Canyon House designed by Studio Hagen Hall.
    Zero House in Stanmore was built between 1959 and 1961Unlike their previous dwelling, Garrett and Morris updated Zero House themselves but adopted the same mid-century palette when creating its interiors.
    “The house was built between 1959 and 1961 by a Hungarian architect,” said Garrett, who explained that the original design was informed by Californian Case Study Houses such as Charles and Ray Eames’s 1949 home and design studio.
    The two-storey dwelling was renovated by its owners”It’s a great example of a number of imaginative mid-century domestic houses dotted around metro-land,” he told Dezeen. “Our main aim was to freshen it up relatively in keeping with the time but not to feel like we were living in a total time capsule.”

    The pair maintained the matchbox timber ceilings that run throughout the two-storey home, which were stained with a dark reddish tone alongside stained wooden doors.
    Slim mahogany tiles clad the floor-to-ceiling fireplaceSlim mahogany tiles clad the floor-to-ceiling fireplace in the living room, which features the same micro-cement flooring found at Canyon House and opens out onto a lush garden.
    Garrett and Morris also maintained the home’s many exposed brick walls and inserted geometric timber shelving that displays eclectic ornaments including amorphous vases and a colourful set of nesting dolls.
    The kitchen was panelled in light-hued timberReeded 1970s-style glass was used to form various windows including a rectilinear opening in the kitchen that illuminates minimal timber cabinetry topped with grainy surfaces.
    The pair transferred the tubular Marcel Breuer chairs and Tulip dining table by Eero Saarinen from their former home, as well as the same “heinous digital artwork” that decorated their previous living space.
    Darker tones create a “horror film” feel upstairsUpstairs, a moody mahogany carpet darkens the main bedroom, which features the same timber wall and ceiling panels as the communal areas.
    “There’s a lot of dark reds and browns in the house,” said Garrett.
    “We leaned into the horror film slash Kubrick feel of the upstairs and made a few more austere choices this time,” he added, referencing the late filmmaker, whose credits include the 1980 supernatural horror movie The Shining.

    PW Architecture Office brings “a little excitement” back into mid-century Australian home

    Coffee-hued cork was chosen to clad the exterior of the bathtub and the surrounding walls while another walk-in shower interrupts the dark wooden theme with bright orange tiles and deep white basins.
    Zero House also holds a timber-panelled recording studio, which is located in a separate low-slung volume at the end of the garden and can be reached via a few stepping stones.
    Bright orange tiles were chosen for a walk-in showerGarrett and Morris left the structure of the property largely untouched. Instead, the duo chose to focus on dressing its mid-century interior.
    “We didn’t have to be clever with this house as the space is abundant and the flow and design were incredibly well thought out in the early 60s,” he said. “So it was more of a cosmetic thing.”
    There is a standalone recording studio in a shed at the back of the gardenOther recent mid-century renovation projects saw Design Theory update a coastal home in Perth from the 1960s while Woods + Dangaran added a koi pond among other elements to a Los Angeles dwelling built by architect Craig Ellwood during the same decade.
    The photography is by Mariell Lind Hansen.

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