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      Gonzalez Haase AAS evokes Iceland's volcanic landscape at 66º North store

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      Architecture studio Gonzalez Haase AAS has completed a store on London’s Regent Street for Icelandic clothing brand 66º North, featuring curved walls and freestanding plinths made from rammed earth.

      The Berlin-based studio headed by Pierre Jorge Gonzalez and Judith Haase set out to create a holistic concept for the store that represents Iceland in an original way, rather than relying on stereotypes.
      The shop interior was informed by Iceland’s volcanic landscapesGonzalez Haase AAS let the natural elements and the country’s geology inform key design features such as curved grey walls that evoke the shifting weather and rammed-earth islands that represent the earth.
      “The weather in Iceland is a very real and prominent feature in the land and we classified this as static (the island) and forever changing (the weather),” the studio explained. “The static island of Iceland stands still in comparison to the constantly evolving and adapting weather, but this influences the perception of the island.”
      Rammed-earth islands add colour and texture to the shop’s interiorUpon entering the space, visitors encounter a series of curved walls rendered in natural pigmented clay sourced from Cornwall in the south of England.

      The designers said the use of different grey tones represents the changing weather: “the immaterial, movement, changing, blurry and informal”.
      Grey walls represent Iceland’s shifting weatherThe curved walls vary in height and frame different views within the store. At the entrance, one of the walls stretches back 18 metres, drawing the viewer’s gaze into the space and offering a tactile introduction to the experiential interior.
      “These curved walls create different perspectives and atmospheres,” the design team added. “They sit in front of the existing white walls to create a dramatic foreground of rolling soft curves.”

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      A series of monumental rammed-earth islands are inserted throughout the floor plan, adding colour and texture that evokes the earth and magma of Iceland’s volcanic landscape.
      The islands were created by artist Lennart Frank, who cast and sculpted them from an aggregate mix of different lava rocks to create a layered effect.
      The islands were made from an aggregate mix containing different lava rocksA combination of pigmented aggregate and sand gives the islands their reddish-brown hue, while the rugged texture brings a tactile element to the space that complements the brand’s clothing.
      The earthy tones are echoed in the metal clothes rails, as well as in the colour of a carpet applied to the surfaces within a more intimate space at the rear of the store.
      Earth-toned carpet was used in parts of the shopA custom-made mesh ceiling was designed to evoke a misty white sky, while also concealing lights and technical equipment.
      Mirrors and screens displaying films of the Icelandic landscape help to define the flow of movement through the space and add a playful dimension to the shopping experience.
      The shop is located on Regent Street in LondonGonzalez and Haase founded their Berlin-based studio in 1999. The firm works on commercial, residential and cultural projects, developing spatial concepts and experiences that foreground the interplay between light and architecture.
      Previous interiors designed by Gonzalez Haase AAS include a minimal office for a Berlin communications firm and a sparse, white-walled concept store in Lisbon that occupies a disused warehouse.
      The photography is by Thomas Meyer, Ostkreuz Photography.

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      Traditional Hong Kong diners inform interior of Bao Express in Paris

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      Design studio Atelieramo has completed a retro interior for a Chinese restaurant in Paris, featuring celadon-green walls and curvaceous wooden booths modelled on those found in Hong Kong diners from the 1970s.

      Architect Tala Gharagozlou and designer Virginie de Graveron oversaw the interior concept for Bao Express, a restaurant near Bastille in the 11th arrondissement that serves dim sum and bao buns.
      Bao Express is a Chinese restaurant in Paris. Top photo by Géraldine MartensHoused in a former button factory, the 500-square-metre space is divided into three areas: a bakery, a diner and a basement bar.
      Atelieramo set out to create a series of distinct yet connected spaces that evoke the architecture and pop culture of 1970s Hong Kong – in particular its greasy spoon cafes, locally known as cha chaan tengs.
      Diners can sit in the eatery’s cosy wood-lined booths”We reinterpreted snippets of that vibrant Hong Kong urban atmosphere with its coloured pavings, pastel colours, neon lights and dense mix of patterns and motifs,” said the studio.

      “The aim was not to create a decor but rather, with a playful nod to these references, create a new atmosphere distinct to Bao’s new space.”
      A larger skylit dining area is located in the rear. Photo by Géraldine MartensThe adaptation of the existing abandoned building involved significant alterations to the floor plates and structure, along with the addition of a new staircase and circulation.
      From the street, customers enter a small bakery and cafe serving sweet and savoury snacks to eat in or take away. What appears as a simple neighbourhood cafe conceals the presence of the larger dining areas, which are set back in the building’s plan.
      A new staircase leads down to the basement bar. Photo by Bérénice BonnotThe kitchens are visible from the street and guests walk past colourful crates of raw produce before passing through a metal curtain to reach the main Bao Express diner.
      The long dining space features cosy booths with sinuous wooden frames. The pastel-green walls are contrasted with bespoke bright-red sconces and simple mosaic panels that echo the materials of the central bar.

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      Towards the rear of the building is a larger dining area topped with an expansive skylight. This bright and airy space is filled with plants that create the feeling of dining in a winter garden.
      Exposed masonry walls painted in celadon-green form the basis for a playful colour palette featuring contrasting peach and pink elements as seen in the glossy tabletops.
      A hammered-metal artwork by SupaKitch decorates the ceiling in the barThe studio’s eclectic use of colour and pattern extends to the geometric tiled floors and punchy black-and-white stripes that are painted on the walls of the staircase leading down to the basement bar Underpool.
      This bar area features a hammered-metal ceiling installation by French artist SupaKitch, with a rippled surface that reflects the blue-green interior and creates the impression of looking up at an upside-down swimming pool.
      The artwork creates the impression of looking up at a swimming poolBao Express is part of a family of eateries in Paris owned by restaurateurs Céline Chung and Billy Pham. Atelieramo was responsible for designing several of the duo’s restaurants, each of which has a unique character inspired by different aspects of Chinese culture.
      Another eatery informed by traditional cha chaan tengs is The Astor restaurant in Hong Kong’s Eaton hotel, designed by New York studio AvroKO, which mixes elements of the city’s diners and street food stalls with nods to the arthouse films of Wong Kar-Wai.
      The photography is by Carole Cheung unless otherwise stated.

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      Hello Sunshine features “unlikely juxtaposition” of Japanese psychedelia and cabins

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      A “psychedelic inverted cabin” provided Canadian studio Frank Architecture with the design narrative for this Japanese casual bar and restaurant in Banff, Alberta.

      Located in the mountains of Alberta, Hello Sunshine offers barbecue, sushi and karaoke in a retro-influenced space by Frank Architecture.
      Fireplaces sit at the centre of special tables at Hello SunshineThe team imagined an alternate reality, in which Japanese graphic designer Tadanori Yokoo ventured into the mountains and holed up in a cabin for years, and based the interiors on what the result might have been.
      “Taking cues from the unlikely juxtaposition of Japanese psychedelia meets spaghetti western meets mountain cabin, Hello Sunshine is bold, playful, and distinct,” said Frank Architecture, which has an office in Banff.
      The wood-panelled restaurant features a rounded bar at the backThe eatery is located in the middle of the town, which is a popular destination for tourists and winter sports enthusiasts and is laid out to offer a sense of discovery.

      “The spatial planning is intended to feel organic and meandering,” the team said. “Upon entry, the restaurant isn’t immediately visible but is slowly revealed as one moves through space.”
      Japanese elements like paper lanterns and textile artworks and paired with plaid curtains and plenty of woodThe restaurant occupies a tall open space lined almost entirely in wood, with the rounded bar located at the back and a variety of table seating options scattered around.
      Diners can choose between communal benches, four-tops, booths, bar stools, or sit at one of two special tables.
      Booth seating is lined up against angled, shingle-covered wallsThis pair of large circular counters both feature a raised fire pit at their centre, below fluid-shaped flues clad in glossy, glazed ceramic tiles.
      Japanese design staples like paper lanterns and ceiling-hung textile artworks are combined with mountain tropes such as plaid curtains, exposed stone and plenty of wood.

      Frank Architecture creates intimate setting for Calgary’s Lonely Mouth noodle bar

      Blue corduroy fabric is used to cover banquettes, while the booth seating is tucked into a niche formed by angled walls covered with timber shingles.
      In the karaoke rooms tucked away at the back, patterned carpet, lava lamps and disco balls add colour and sparkle to the wood-panelled spaces.
      Karaoke rooms are enlivened by disco balls and lava lampsThere’s also a concealed tiny bar based on those crammed into the alleyways of Golden Gai in Shinjuku, Tokyo.
      “The result is a bold and encapsulating space that surprises and delights guests with unexpected moments and distinctive style,” said the team.
      A tiny concealed bar is based on those found in Golden Gai, ShinjukuThis isn’t Frank Architecture’s only Japanese restaurant – the studio also created an intimate setting for the Lonely Mouth noodle bar in its other home city of Calgary.
      For another spot in the Western Canada metropolis, the team drew inspiration from author Truman Capote to set a 1960s vibe at Major Tom on the 40th floor of a downtown skyscraper.
      The photography is by Chris Amat.

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      Eight neutral home interiors that prove beige doesn't have to be boring

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      A residence for retirees in Tel Aviv and a stripped-back Barbican apartment by minimalist architect John Pawson feature in this lookbook of beige interiors designed to bring a sense of calm into the home.

      To compensate for their desaturated colour palette, these spaces rely on a varied material palette – ranging from pale timbers and limestone to textured plaster – in order to add visual and tactile interest.
      Accompanied by plenty of storage, this helps to create peaceful, decluttered spaces even in tight urban areas.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring cosy cabins, save-saving pocket doors and Spanish apartment renovations with eclectic tiles.
      Photo by Ståle EriksenDollis Hill Avenue, UK, by Thomas-McBrien

      British architecture firm Thomas-McBrien used pale bricks and whitewashed oak joinery to create a “calm and relaxing” atmosphere inside this house extension in London’s Dollis Hill.
      In the pursuit of continuity, the timber was used to line everything from the kitchen cupboards and the floors to a newly added partition wall, which conceals a hidden utility room on one side and forms a cosy reading nook on the other.
      Find out more about Dollis Hill Avenue ›
      Photo courtesy of Makhno StudioMureli House, Ukraine, by Makhno Studio
      Completed just two months before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, this home near Kyiv was designed to celebrate Ukrainian craft traditions and is finished almost entirely in beige.
      “All materials in the home are natural,” architect Serhii Makhno told Dezeen. “The team used almost all Ukrainian brands and worked with several local contractors to minimise the distance and logistics.”
      Find out more about Mureli House ›
      Photo by Mikaela BurstowIceberg apartment, Israel, by Laila Architecture
      Israeli architect Talia Davidi of Laila Architecture used only pale, muted colours when designing this apartment in Tel Aviv, with the aim of turning it into a calm refuge for its retired owners.
      To form a brighter, more open floor plan, almost all of the home’s partition walls were removed, while many of the surfaces – including the kitchen and the storage volume-cum-room divider in the living room – were finished in light birch plywood.
      Find out more about Iceberg apartment ›
      Barbican apartment designed by John PawsonBarbican apartment, UK, by John Pawson
      In keeping with his typically minimalist style, British designer John Pawson stripped this Barbican apartment back to its bare bones, adding only a smattering of furnishings and pale surfaces all around.
      Full-height cupboards were integrated into a central timber volume made of bleached maple wood so that all belongings can be stowed away rather than cluttering the space.
      Find out more about the Barbican apartment ›
      Photo by Jonas Bjerre-PoulsenForest Retreat, Sweden, by Norm Architects
      Sandy-hued Dolomite plaster, plump greige sofas and a sheepskin-covered lounge chair were used to dress the living room of this traditional timber cabin in a Swedish forest, which Danish studio Norm Architects has converted into a pared-back holiday home.
      “Creating homes is often an exercise in restraint,” explained co-founder Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen. “And while the creation of a simple, authentic and welcoming space might seem effortless and natural once completed, the journey to simplicity and the exercise of finding essence is often rather complex and not an easy task.”
      Find out more about Forest Retreat ›
      Photo by Lorenzo Zandri and Christian BraileyLow Energy House, UK, by Architecture for London
      Architecture for London founder Ben Ridley aimed to celebrate the “modest beauty” of this three-floor Edwardian house in Muswell Hill when turning the neglected building into his own home.
      Instead of cement-based products, natural materials including limestone, lime plaster and timber were used throughout the scheme to emphasise the home’s original details while also lowering its embodied carbon footprint.
      Find out more about A Brutalist Tropical Home ›
      Photo by Do SyBrown Box apartment, Vietnam, by Limdim House Studio
      Creamy terrazzo features not just on the kitchen counters but spills out across all of the floors of this apartment in the Vietnamese port city of Huế, designed by local practice Limdim House Studio.
      Curving walls covered in textural plaster provide a backdrop for the interior’s restrained colour palette, which is warmed up with a handful of wooden furnishings to evoke a sense of quiet sophistication.
      Find out more about Brown Box apartment ›
      Photo by Salem MostefaouiWood Ribbon apartment, France, by Toledano + Architects
      A sinuous plywood wall snakes its way through this Haussmann-era apartment in Paris, forming integrated shelves in the sitting room and storage cupboards in the kitchen that can be pushed back to reveal the sink and appliances.
      The pale wood complements the apartment’s original parquet flooring and ornate plasterwork, paired with tonal furnishings including an oatmeal-coloured sofa in one room and a travertine island in the other.
      Find out more about Wood Ribbon apartment ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring cosy cabins, save-saving pocket doors and Spanish apartment renovations with eclectic tiles.

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      Pink-tinged paint store Lick pays homage to London's art deco buildings

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      Dusky pink surfaces appear throughout the Lick store in southwest London, which local practice Oskar Kohnen Studio has designed as a “deliberate celebration of paint”.

      Lick’s store is nestled among a parade of boutiques on Northcote Road and is the first brick-and-mortar outpost opened by the paint brand since its launch in 2020.
      Lick has opened its first physical store in LondonTo honour the occasion, Oskar Kohnen Studio wanted to design the 55-square-metre store as a “deliberate celebration of paint”, which he describes as “one of the most immediate and most intuitive ways to create a space”.
      “We live in a time where interiors are full of marble and precious finishes and I wanted to do the opposite,” said the studio’s titular founder.
      Pink paint was applied to the store’s ceiling and part of the wallsPink-tinged paint store Lick pays homage to London’s art deco buildings

      Lick’s facade, ceiling and a majority of its walls were therefore painted a bespoke dusky pink hue called Northcote 65 that the brand created specifically for the opening.
      Walnut wood trims run around the central tableKohnen says this largely monochromatic colour scheme is a nod to the Northcote Road of the past.
      “Looking at old pictures of the high street shops from the 1950s, every one of those stores used their own simple colour combination to give identity,” he explained. “It’s so beautiful how colour was used back then.”
      The store’s floor has white and grey tilingIn the store’s central room, the lower half of the walls was painted off-white to create a contrast with the ceiling and in turn draw more attention to the loftiness of the space.
      This room was designed to have a distinctly art deco feel with the help of a handful of clean, shapely details. At its centre is a white oval table with walnut wood trims and a curved metal pendant lamp suspended directly above.
      “Northcote Road pretty much ends at the iconic Battersea Power Station, which has exactly those deco elements,” said Kohnen. “I’ve always been a fan of London art deco, which is somehow less fancy and simple, quite often just painted simple ornaments.”

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      Lick’s paint tins are showcased on a custom shelving unit, with one side finished in pegboard panels for mounting brushes, rollers, finishing tape and other handy tools.
      “I wanted to create the feeling of a workshop or atelier,” added Kohnen. “I wanted to stay true to the Lick DNA, making sure the store was a place one could not only pick colours but also try them out and get creative.”
      In this spirit, the store’s grey-and-white tiled flooring mimics that seen in the Atelier Martel – an art studio that architect Robert Mallet-Stevens completed for sculptors Jan and Joël Martel in Paris in 1927.
      Products are mounted on pegboard panellingShould customers want a more in-depth consultation with one of the Lick team, they can head to the back of the store. This area is centred on a vintage steel-legged table by Danish designer Nanna Ditzel and black editions of the curved 3300 chair by Swiss designer Bruno Rey.
      Another small seating area located near the storefront features a duo of sage-green velvet armchairs.
      Vintage furnishings feature throughout the interiorAnother striking paint store to be featured on Dezeen is Helsinki’s Cover Story, in which a number of unfinished details are meant to evoke thoughts of renovation and home improvement.
      Previous colour-focused retail projects by Oskar Kohnen Studio include a mint-green eyewear store in Berlin with towering floor-to-ceiling cabinets.
      The photography is by Alexander Edwards.

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      Studio Vural reinterprets Japanese interiors for Warren Street Townhouse

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      New York City architecture firm Studio Vural used Kyoto merchant houses as a reference point when renovating the interiors of this Brooklyn townhouse for a couple.

      A trip to the Japanese city in 2009 left such an impact on the clients that Studio Vural decided to adapt and update elements of the traditional minimalist architecture for the interiors of the Warren Street Townhouse.
      The townhouse renovation involved adding plenty of storage using European oak”Our design is the embodiment of an early memory our clients experienced as a young couple in Kyoto, an experience so powerful and authentic, that it found its way to a new reality in Brooklyn through our imagination,” said studio founder Selim Vural.
      The four-storey building was overhauled to create a rental apartment at the garden level, leaving the upper three floors for the clients to live in.
      A dining nook was created at the back of the parlour level, behind the staircaseWith a total of 3,200 square feet (300 square metres), the project involved reorganising rooms while bringing in contemporary renditions of traditional Japanese home features, such as a sunken hearth, folding and sliding screens, and undulating soffits.

      “[We] studied Kyoto houses’ serene interior emptiness, flow of asymmetrical spaces, rhythm of tatami mats and the placement of courtyards to make that interpretation possible,” Vural said.
      The nook is based on a recessed space in Japanese reception rooms known as a tokonomaAt parlour level, where the main entrance is located, the plan was opened up so the living and kitchen spaces flow together.
      Exposed brick walls were painted white, creating a blank canvas onto which a variety of light-toned European oak elements were placed.
      Traditional Japanese home features like a sunken hearth, folding and sliding screens, and undulating soffits were interpreted with a contemporary twistThe custom wooden furniture includes a window seat and a sofa. Both feature built-in storage, as well as a range of cabinets and shelves that run along one wall and incorporate a bar.
      Oak boards wer also laid across the floor to create homogeneity throughout the open-plan space.
      The staircase is enclosed by wooden slats and incorporates limestone platforms for displaying objectsAt the back of this level, the kitchen area is framed by a concrete-topped breakfast bar and includes a dining nook – based on a recessed space in Japanese reception rooms known as a tokonoma – tucked in behind the staircase.
      The stairs are enclosed by slatted oak screens, and the first seven treads are widened thanks to beige limestone slabs that act as platforms for displaying objects.
      The simple white and oak palette is continued in the bedroomsThree bedrooms and two bathrooms can be found on the storey above, while a further two bedrooms and a bathroom are located on the top floor.
      All of these rooms continue the same simple white and oak palette, and character is added by exposing the original wood ceiling beams.

      Civilian reorganises Bed-Stuy Townhouse to create family-friendly layout

      The upper level also includes a lounge area, where the historic vertical columns are also made a feature.
      Skylights were added to bring more natural light into the centre of the long, narrow space, which reaches the windowless hallway below through a glass panel in the floor.
      A glass partition between the primary bedroom and bathroom helps the spaces to feel larger”Our work at the Warren House Townhouse powerfully demonstrates architecture’s capacity to cast distant memories into contemporary forms, revitalise historic typologies,” said Vural. “It is a prime example of a historic building’s rebirth for a new family in the history of Brooklyn.”
      Much of Brooklyn’s townhouse stock has been bought up and renovated over the past few years, after homeowners jumped at the opportunity for extra space compared to nearby Manhattan.
      Sklylights bring natural light into a lounge on the upper level and down through a glass panel in the floor to a windowless hallwayRecently completed examples include a passive house that features a dramatic cedar screen and a project that took its architect owners 17 years to complete.
      Studio Vural, which is based in the borough, has previously released images of a speculative off-grid house in the dunes of Cape Cod and a vision for a mixed-use Manhattan skyscraper covered with Asian lilies.
      The photography is by Kate Glicksberg.
      Project credits:
      Principal architect: Selim VuralProject architect: Rima AskinDesign team member: Angela TsaveskaEngineering: Ilya VeldshteynConstruction: David Nahm

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      Eight tidy kitchens with slick storage solutions

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      As people’s interest in ultra-organised homes shows no signs of abating, we’ve collected eight clutter-free kitchens with smart storage solutions in our latest lookbook.

      Spearheaded by Japanese organisational guru Marie Kondo, well-organised interiors have become a global trend. In no room is this more evident than in the kitchen, where pantries are stocked up with decanted jam jars, spice racks are labelled and shelving units are customised to house specific utensils.
      The following projects, which range from compact apartments to home extensions, use hooks, nooks, racks, shelves, cubby holes and display units to create tidy kitchens where not a grain is out of place.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring Spanish apartment renovations, cosy cabins and interiors with statement carpets.
      Photo is by Edmund SumnerMap House, UK, by SAM Architects

      Paolo Vimercati and Melanie Schubert of SAM Architects demolished a garage hidden behind several listed buildings in south London in order to create this mews house for themselves.
      Designed to accommodate their “modern lifestyles”, the home’s interior is clad in vertical planks of charred larch and has plenty of open-plan spaces.
      The kitchen has pink, blue and orange plywood units that are filled with cooking books and glassware, while a pegboard display area is used to hang crockery.
      Find out more about Map House ›
      Photo is by Perry E HallFifth Avenue Kitchen, US, by Handwerk Art and Design
      Space-saving storage solutions can be found in Fifth Avenue Kitchen, a compact New York apartment created by interior design studio Handwerk Art and Design for a client who works in the film industry.
      Aiming to make the most of the 160-square-foot (15 square-metre) space, Handwerk retrofitted the kitchen with features including a pegboard wall for hanging mugs, aprons and other items.
      “Starting with a study of their cooking habits and spatial needs, we designed a set of custom cabinets for the whole kitchen that placed everything specifically and precisely,” said the studio.
      Find out more about Fifth Avenue Kitchen ›
      Photo is by Megan TaylorFruit Box, UK, by Nimtim Architects
      Plywood and planed softwood structures with square tiles characterise this playful galley kitchen designed by Nimtim Architects for a home extension project in Forest Hill, London.
      A kitchen island features a tiled waterfall countertop above a sink and shelving. The kitchen walls were designed to be filled in to increase privacy, or easily removed to maximise open space depending on the family’s future needs.
      Find out more about Fruit Box ›
      Photo is by Hey CheeseThe Family Playground, Taiwan, by HAO Design
      This family home in Taiwan was reorganised by studio HAO Design so that its occupants could spend more time with each other. In the kitchen, the parents are able to watch their children play games or listen to them play the piano while they are making dinner.
      High ceilings in the kitchen meant there was room for a large black steel storage rack to be hung above a white-tiled island. The cage-like storage system serves as a “visual focus” and can also be used to hold plants or kitchenware.
      Find out more about The Family Playground ›
      Photo is courtesy of Position CollectiveAir-BnP, Hungary, by Position Collective
      This former studio flat in Budapest was reorganised by Hungarian studio Position Collective to create an Airbnb property suitable for two guests. Rather than rearranging the layout – and mindful of the small budget – the studio installed a plywood furniture and storage system that caters to temporary occupants’ needs.
      In the kitchen, it features a modular pegboard storage wall with adjustable shelves to showcase different pieces of local Hungarian art books, home accessories and cooking equipment.
      Find out more about Air-BnP ›
      Photo is by Megan TaylorCurve Appeal, UK, by Nimtim Architects
      London studio Nimtim Architects transformed a 1920s semi-detached house in Southwark using multifunctional plywood partitions with arched openings and alcoves for storing belongings.
      A limited, neutral-toned material palette was employed in the kitchen, comprised of handmade terracotta floor tiles, laminated countertops and sustainably sourced plywood.
      Find out more about Curve Appeal ›
      Photo is by Richard ChiversMaison Pour Dodo, UK, by Studio Merlin
      For the revamp of a flat in Stoke Newington, British interior firm Studio Merlin added an abundance of storage to form serene, clutter-free living spaces.
      An opening in the living room connects the kitchen, where there’s a wall of deep-set IKEA cabinets with smokey blue door fronts and a seating nook. Above this, a series of pantry-style shelves means the owner can easily access jars of cooking ingredients.
      Find out more about Maison Pour Dodo ›
      Photo is by Cristobal PalmaPunta Chilen, Chile, by Guillermo Acuña Arquitectos Asociados
      Named after the peninsula of land that the residential complex sits on, this red home extension was constructed by Santiago-based architecture studio Guillermo Acuña Arquitectos Asociados using pine stilts.
      An open-plan room in the heart of the home is a communal space designed for cooking and eating. Large pine shelves filled with ornaments and tableware line the walls.
      Find out more about Punta Chilen ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with sliding doors, earthy bedrooms with natural colours and kitchens with marble surfaces.

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      Rotating fluorescent panels define zones in “co-being space” by Ab Rogers Design

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      Ab Rogers Design has completed an artist’s studio and residence in Kanazawa, Japan, featuring a series of fluorescent partition walls that can be rotated to transform how the space is used.

      Called Fishmarket, the multipurpose creative and living space was designed for Japanese artist Hiraki Sawa, who lives in London but regularly visits his home city of Kanazawa.
      Ab Rogers Design introduced rotating walls that define spacesSawa met Ab Rogers in 2019 when the pair were both working on projects for the Wonderfruit music festival in Thailand.
      At the time, they were both living in east London and over the course of several conversations decided to work together on what Rogers calls the “co-being space” in Kanazawa.
      The interior was stripped back to its shellNamed after the duo’s shared love of fish, the former commercial space was converted into a place for Sawa to stay while in Kanazawa, as well as a place to host workshops around design, culture and food.

      Rogers’ studio stripped the interior back to its industrial shell before adding foil-backed insulation to some of the walls and introducing interventions including the rotating plywood walls.
      The fluorescent partition walls are made from plywood”We didn’t want to make it cosy or glossy, we wanted to work with the bones of what was there,” Rogers told Dezeen.
      “We tried to let the light in as much as possible while keeping it raw and creating these interventions, these objects in space.”
      The walls were painted in different colours to add characterThe insertion of the four movable partitions on the building’s second floor allows this open space to be transformed into three smaller multipurpose zones.
      Pivoting doors conceal the bathroom and enable the bedroom to become a workshop for making art, a place for viewing it or a social space for gatherings.

      Edgardo Giménez creates colourful artist residency in Uruguay

      Each panel is painted in a different fluorescent highlighter hue to bring a sense of vibrancy and character to the otherwise pared-back space.
      “I love fluorescent colours because they’re really alive and dynamic,” Rogers explained. “When daylight hits them they become electrified and they transform into something else.”
      The kitchen is located on the upper floorA concrete staircase ascends to another open space where a monolithic nine-metre-long workbench functions as a kitchen, a worktop and a table for cooking, eating and sharing.
      “The kitchen can be used as a kitchen but it’s also adaptable depending on what actions are being performed in the space,” Rogers explained.
      “If you put a plate on it, it becomes a restaurant,” he added. “If you put a computer on it then it’s an office and if you put a sewing machine on it then it becomes a workshop for designing or making textiles.”
      A long tiled bench provides space for food preparation and diningAll of the materials used in the project were sourced locally and chosen for their affordability. Building regulations also dictated some of the design decisions, such as the need to line certain walls with plywood panels.
      Rogers never visited Kanazawa, so Sawa was responsible for solving problems on-site and finding materials to turn his ideas into reality.
      Some walls were lined with plywood panelsThe project evolved over time with lots of back and forth between the client and designer. According to Rogers, this organic process produced an outcome that embodies both of their visions.
      “I love these small projects where you have a strong affiliation with the client,” said the designer. “This symbiotic way of designing through a conversation is really fluent and means you’re always building ambition.”
      The studio was previously a commercial spaceRogers works across fields such as health, culture, retail, hospitality and housing.
      Previous projects by the multidisciplinary design studio include a cancer treatment hospital clad in glazed red terracotta and a space-efficient apartment with a floor area of just 19 square metres.
      The photography is by Takumi Ota.

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