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    Ibiza Interiors turns dry-stone stables into flexible guesthouse Campo Atelier

    A 200-year-old stable building in the mountains of Ibiza has been converted into a vacation home by local studio Ibiza Interiors.

    The Atelier is one of four dwellings that make up Campo – a group of rentable guesthouses set in a finca, or farmstead, in the island’s Morna Valley.
    Campo Atelier is located in a renovated dry-stone stable buildingIbiza Interiors founder Jurjen Van Hulzen has renovated these buildings one by one to enhance their original features and create a series of tranquil getaway spots.
    “Nestled between carob and orange trees, the Atelier […] appears at the end of the path as a haven of peace,” said the Dutch architect, who founded the studio in 2014.
    The main space is designed for flexible useThe single-storey dry-stone structure is typical of the local vernacular but now features a large retractable glass wall across its front.

    A polished concrete patio continues inside, where exposed timber ceiling beams and wooden doors complement the neutral colour palette.
    “Textures and styles are not afraid to cohabit and the emphasis is on the interplay between old and contemporary, elegant and rustic,” said Van Hulzen.
    A small kitchenette with wood-panelled cupboards matches the doors on either sideThe main space contains a small kitchenette on one side and a dining table that doubles as a workspace on the other.
    A seating area comprising low, comfy sofas is positioned towards the back.
    The minimally furnished bedroom includes built-in storageThe interior is designed to be as flexible as possible, with all of the furniture except the kitchen counters moveable to provide space for exercise or meditation.
    Equally, the linen curtains can be drawn and the sofas reoriented for watching movies on a projected screen.

    Five hotels in Ibiza that combine farmhouse living with contemporary design

    The bedroom is minimally furnished but guests can store their belongings within built-in closets while another glass door opens to the exterior.
    In the bathroom, lit from above by a skylight, a large tub made of dark stone is accented with matte black hardware.
    In the bathroom, a grey stone tub is illuminated by a skylightThe landscaping around the Atelier was designed by Ibiza Exteriors, a new offshoot of Ibiza Interiors created by Van Hulzen and Alicia Uldall.
    The pair chose local flora attuned to the island’s climate that requires minimal maintenance such as stipa grasses, aloe, rosemary and mastic trees.
    The 200-year-old building sits on a hillside, with its flat roof accessible via stairsDeep steps lead up to the flat roof that serves as a picnic or sunbathing spot overlooking the valley. The dining table and chairs can also be brought outside for al fresco dining among the vegetation.
    “Like the Atelier, the garden preserves the wild essence of this land and its genuine beauty,” Van Hulzen said.
    The dining table can be brought outdoors for al fresco mealsBetter known for its party scene, Ibiza is becoming ever more popular as a wellness and relaxation destination – particularly away from its coast.
    Many of the island’s historic fincas have been converted into secluded accommodations including the remote Aguamadera resort and the members-only retreat La Granja.
    The photography is by Ariadna Puigdomenech.

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    Cox Architecture celebrates heritage features of its own Sydney studio

    A brick, steel and timber structure is left exposed in this office interior in Sydney, which local firm Cox Architecture has revamped to house its own studio.

    Cox Architecture removed previous alterations to the structure, which occupies five floors of the heritage-listed Metcalfe Bond Stores warehouse in Tallawoladah, to highlight its original features and complement them with pared-back, flexible workspaces.
    Cox Architecture has designed its own studio in a Sydney warehouse”Our objective was to do more with less, balancing the poetic with the pragmatic,” explained the studio.
    “Restrained interventions allow the heritage to be the hero and minimise the project’s embodied energy,” it continued. “Our starting point was a process of reduction, removing non-heritage elements to create clarity.”
    The studio exposed its existing structureThe interior is defined by the original steel and timber structure’s columns and beams that have been painted white, and the brickwork of the outer walls that are left exposed.

    New elements such as glass doors and walls, room dividers, curtains and furniture were chosen to touch the existing structure “as lightly as possible”, and feature alongside dark-wood carpentry and gallery-style lighting tracks.
    Dark-wood carpentry features throughoutThe workspaces themselves are designed to be flexible and “hackable”, allowing areas to be reconfigured and subdivided easily by staff.
    This includes a forum space on the fifth level of the building, which has a wall lined with magnetic whiteboards and can be used as anything from a collaborative workshop space to a presentation area for 200 people.

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    Alongside it is a kitchen with a backdrop of exposed brickwork and two long counters topped with unsealed brass that will patinate over time.
    A black-steel stair leads up to a mezzanine level above containing further desk spaces. This sits at the top of the building, lit by skylights in the apex of the pitched roof.
    The workspaces are designed to be flexible”Anchored by a generous kitchen, a flexible forum space is a magnet for serendipitous exchange between Cox’s own people and the wider design community,” said the studio.
    “The majority of elements within the space are movable, creating an experimental, nimble workspace allowing teams the autonomy to control their space and future-proofing the studio as the workplace evolves,” it continued.
    The presentation space is lined with magnetic whiteboardsFacing the street, Cox Architecture created a “shopfront window”, giving staff the opportunity to populate vitrines with the studio’s work.
    Cox Sydney Studio has recently been shortlisted in the large workplace interior category of Dezeen Awards 2023. Another office interior completed by the studio is the Midtown Workplace in Brisbane, which features a large, plant-filled atrium with by a weathered-steel staircase.
    The photography is by Nicole England and Cameron Hallam.

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    Terroir revamps 1960s Tasmanian office “using no new resources at all”

    Architecture studio Terroir has turned an abandoned 1960s office into its own workspace in Hobart, Australia, reusing the existing structure and timber framework.

    Terroir designed the office as “a small experiment that challenges the paradox of sustainable architecture”, adding as little as possible – with the only new elements being electrical cabling for power and internet.
    The office workspaces are organised around a central corridorThe 192-square-metre offices is divided by wooden framework retained from the previous fit out, which was revealed by stripping away old wall finishes.
    Some existing walls and partitions were removed and reconfigured into a desired layout, instead of acquiring new materials.
    Windows create social connections between adjacent workspaces”We asked whether we could produce a workspace that is driven by Terroir’s commitment to supporting the interactions of people in place, but in a way that uses less resources than ever before – by using no new resources at all,” Terroir’s founding director Scott Balmforth told Dezeen.

    “By re-using everything, we had to be open to some wit and humour in some of the unconventional staging of work activities, with the peek holes and nooks and windows adding a layer that we would likely not have explored in a conventional fit out.”
    The office fit out by Terroir features existing timber frameworkSpread across one level, meeting rooms and office spaces were organised around a central corridor, with a communal work area located at the rear and a waiting area at the entrance.
    Windows and cubby holes within the framework were designed as playful connections between adjacent work spaces, while glass panels were used to separate the communal area and meeting rooms.

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    Terroir complemented the timber floors and partitions with lightly coloured walls featuring paint strips that highlight cracked plaster as a celebration of the buildings previous life.
    The lack of decorative finishes and rough surfaces was designed to character and charm to the office interior.
    Office shelving and a bench are made from recycled timberThe studio’s low carbon approach extended to the furniture, with waste timber reused to create an office bench as well as shelving units.
    Terroir is a collective of architects and urbanists operating between Australia and Denmark. The project has been shortlisted in the workplace interior (small) category of Dezeen Awards 2023.
    The photography is by Brett Boardman.

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    PLY+ and MPR Arquitectos convert historic Detroit building into colourful school

    PLY+ and MPR Arquitectos have transformed a building at a former Catholic college into the School at Marygrove Elementary, filling it with colours and shapes that help spark “experimentation and exploration” among children.

    Located in northwest Detroit, the building is part of the School at Marygrove, a new educational institution that will eventually serve students in kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12). The curriculum has a special focus on engineering and social justice.
    PLY+ and MPR Arquitectos converted a Catholic college in Detroit into an elementary schoolThe school occupies the site of a former religious college, Marygrove College, that closed in 2019. The campus – which is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places – is now owned and managed by a nonprofit organization, the Marygrove Conservancy.
    Several buildings on the 53-acre (21-hectare) campus are being converted into facilities for the School at Marygrove.
    The school is on a historic campusThis project involved transforming a brick-faced, concrete building that first opened in 1941 into a public elementary school for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.

    The design was led by PLY+, a studio based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and MPR Arquitectos, which is based in Ann Arbor and Murcia, Spain.
    It was led by firms run by Michigan architecture professorsBoth firms are led by professors at the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan.
    The architects aimed to preserve original features in the 65,000-square-foot (6,039-square-metre) building while integrating a host of new elements.
    Features of the original architecture were maintainedThe goal was to “establish a foundational, collaborative educational environment” while preserving the historic components.
    The building’s exterior was kept intact, the only change being the addition of an accessible entrance.
    Plywood millwork was addedWithin the building, the team modified rooms and added new finishes and plywood millwork. The decor was carefully selected, and special details – such as visually dynamic ceiling baffles – were incorporated.
    The building’s original layout was mostly retained, as the double-loaded corridor layout was deemed historically significant and kept in place.
    The brick of the original building was kept exposed for some of the interiorsThe corridor received new storage nooks with spots for bags, coats and shoes. In the classrooms, the team inserted counters, sinks, benches, chalkboards and storage space.
    “Custom millwork elements provide design flexibility without impinging on historic elements,” the team said.
    Colourful patterns adorn the walls and floorsThe project also called for the creation of maker spaces, reading rooms, a media centre and a restorative justice centre. An existing gymnasium was renovated.
    Throughout the facility, the team used a mix of soft and bold colours, ranging from bright peach to pale yellow-green.

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    The palette was informed by historic hues and the desire to introduce colours that signal “the new use of the building and the new model of pedagogy being fostered”, the team said.
    “Colour and form play an important role in establishing unique identities for individual classrooms and signal the vibrancy and joy of collaborative learning,” the team added.
    The design is meant to encourage exploration for the childrenOverall, the design is meant to speak to its young users.
    “The design engages children’s sense of curiosity and encourages experimentation and exploration,” the team said.
    The project was a collaboration between Detroit Public Schools Community District, which operates the school, and the University of Michigan’s School of Education.
    Other school projects include an athletic centre at an Oregon school that features trellises laced with climbing vines and a boarding school in southern California that has buildings with jagged rooflines.
    The photography is by Jason Keen.
    Project credits:
    Architect: PLY+ and MPR ArquitectosPly+ team: Craig Borum, Jen Maigret, Andrew Wolking, Yusi Zha, Olaia Chivite Amigo, Yibo Jiao, Masataka YoshikawaMPR Arquitectos team: Ana Morcillo-Pallares, Jon RuleArchitect of record: Integrated Design SolutionsClient: Marygrove ConservancyCollaborators: Detroit Public Schools, University of Michigan School of Education

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    Xokol restaurant by ODAmx and Rubén Valdez celebrates “collective ritual” of eating

    Mexican architects ODAmx and Rubén Valdez have designed a restaurant with an ash-coloured interior inside a former mechanic’s workshop in Guadalajara.

    Now located in the Mexican city’s Santa Tere neighbourhood, Xokol began in 2017 within a small space that housed just four tables and room for 16 diners.
    Xokol occupies a former mechanic’s workshop that has been converted into a restaurantIn 2020, the restaurant relocated to this larger building, where the aim was to preserve as much of the intimacy and connection between the diners and chefs as possible.
    “Xokol is a restaurant in which the act of eating becomes a collective ritual,” said ODAmx and Rubén Valdez in a joint statement. “The architecture of the space acts a catalyst for the reinterpretation of Mexican culinary traditions and a communal dining experience in which the boundaries between diners, staff and food preparation are non-existent.”
    The interior is lined with dark grey stucco to create an intimate atmosphere, while corn cobs suspended above add the only colourThe restaurant’s interior has a minimalist, monastic quality thanks to the dark grey stucco covering the walls and ceiling, and the black clay comal ovens on full display in the open kitchen.

    “These muted tones foreground the naturally rich colour palettes of the dishes,” the architects said.
    The 15-metre-long dining table creates a communal setting for guests to share the experienceThe concrete workshop building’s exterior was left largely unchanged, aside from the layers of tall panels of steel added across the garage-door entrance to guide guests inside.
    A 15-metre-long oak table runs the length of the double-height interior, enabling 48 covers to be seated at once and share the experience.
    Traditional comal ovens made from black clay are on full display in the open kitchenSuspended above the table is an industrial pendant light that stretches its entice length, emitting a soft glow over the place settings.
    Over the centre of the dining area, a large skylight is covered by a metal grill from which hundreds of corn cobs hang – providing the only hint of colour in the otherwise monochrome restaurant, besides the dishes served.
    At the back, a grid of shelves hold glass jars for fermenting ingredientsThe kitchen runs alongside the table on the other side of the building, towards the back where a grid of shelves contains jars for fermenting ingredients.
    A staircase winds around a totemic stone sculpture by local artist José Dávila, up to a mezzanine level that overlooks the dining area.

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    All of the materials used for the project were sourced locally, and the dining table, pendant light and shelving were fabricated by Guadalajaran artisans.
    “Since its beginnings, Xokol has aimed to conserve and recover the Mazahua culinary traditions and share them with a broader public in a contemporary manner,” said the architects.
    The dark, minimalist interior has a monastic quality”The architectural project acts as an enabler for such goal where every design decision has been thought to achieve it,” they added.
    Xokol is shortlisted in the restaurant and bar interior category of Dezeen Awards 2023, along with a Toronto seafood restaurant by Omar Gandhi Architects, a vaulted brick brewery taproom in Poland by Projekt Praga and three more projects.
    A staircase up to a mezzanine level winds around a totemic sculpture by José DávilaGuadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city, is a hotbed for architectural talent and has a thriving food scene.
    Other restaurants with impressive interiors in the city include Veneno, designed by Monteon Arquitectos Asociados to resemble an archeological site, and Hueso, which Cadena + Asociados lined with thousands of animal bones.
    The photography is by Rafael Palacios.
    Project credits:
    Architecture: ODAmx and Rubén ValdezCarpenter: Joselo MaderistaArtwork: José Dávila

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    Renovated Ibizan finca retains rustic charm as Aguamadera hotel

    A 19th-century farmhouse hidden away in the mountains of Ibiza has been converted into a hotel, where guests stay inside earthy, minimalist suites with interiors conceived by creative director Carlota Sarda Caralps.

    The remote Aguamadera resort opened earlier this year and was designed as “a secluded hideaway home” with a focus on nature, wellness and food.
    A 19th-century farmhouse has been converted into a boutique hotelThe brainchild of Pacha Group co-founder Iria Urgell and hospitality entrepreneur Pablo Fernández-Valdés, the hotel was designed under the creative direction of Sarda Caralps.
    Positioned atop a hill near the beach resort of Cala Llonga, the finca – or farmhouse – and its outbuildings constructed in 1888 were converted to accommodate seven guest rooms and four suites.
    The pink flowers of a large bougainvillea tree contrast the whitewashed buildingThe renovated whitewashed structures sit among 27 acres of pine forests, olive groves and terraced agricultural land, from which much of the produce used in the hotel’s restaurant is sourced.

    The name Aguamadera is derived from the Spanish words for water and wood, in a nod to the fact that the hotel hopes to promote healing through nature in its rural setting.
    A covered porch features built-in seating for loungingThis translates into the design through the use of natural materials like clay plaster walls, wooden furniture, linen textiles and jute carpets.
    Simplicity reigns throughout the resort. The textured plasterwork forms organically shaped surfaces and the cement floors complement the neutral palette.
    Small pendant lights hang from the exposed ceiling beams in the casual dining areaThe main building is minimally decorated with locally crafted furniture, objects and a rotating series of works by Ibizan artists.
    “Our venue serves as a vessel between artists and guests,” said the operators.
    “Aguamadera presents pieces of art for a limited time only where paintings, sculptures, environmental art and rare objects are integrated within the hotel experience.”
    Furniture, objects and works by local artists and artisans are displayed throughoutTowards the back is the restaurant, where the kitchen and its wood-fired oven are completely open to the casual dining area.
    Small pendant lights suspended from the exposed wooden ceiling beams softly illuminate the tables, which are set with tableware by British artisan and artist Sarah Jerath.
    The old farmhouse accommodates seven guest rooms”Cosy, easy-going and fresh, the space allows you to explore the valley from within with sunset views,” the team said.
    “In the essence of the winter season, a colossal fireplace evokes nostalgic charm.”
    The rooms have a monastic quality and are furnished with only the essentialsSpread over two floors, the guest rooms in the farmhouse have a monastic quality, with the earth-toned furnishings and decor elements reduced to only what’s necessary.
    Larger multi-room suites are located in corrals – the outbuildings that formerly housed livestock – and have the same visual language as the other spaces.
    Cushioned loungers surround the swimming pool, which overlooks the valley beyond”Rustic wood finishes, built-in furniture, quality materials and soft textures are highlighted through sculptural silhouettes, the cornerstone of our design,” said the team.
    Across the site, several terraces facing the surrounding valleys offer outdoor spaces for guests to eat, drink and relax.

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    A covered porch is lined with built-in seats for lounging and is further shaded by a bougainvillaea tree, whose pink flowers starkly contrast the building’s white walls.
    The pool terrace below features chunky cushioned loungers placed on terracotta tiles and is wrapped by a low dry-stone wall.
    The hotel’s larger suites are housed in the outbuildings formerly used for livestockSunset is best enjoyed from cushions and mats placed under a huge tree on the opposite side of the building to the pool, where a large al fresco dining area is also located.
    Details include hollow bricks with patterned faces embedded into the walls, which glow softly at night to help guests navigate around the site.
    The suites have their own outdoor areasAguamadera hosts a variety of activities for guests and the local community, from exhibitions and workshops to wellness offerings such as sound meditations, rituals and ceremonies.
    Ibiza is renowned the world over as a party destination but visitors are beginning to appreciate its natural beauty and rural charm, too.
    Multiple terraces wrapped by dry-stone walls can be used by guestsSeveral of the island’s old farmhouses have been converted into hotels or private villas, including a 200-year-old stone building that was turned into the members-only retreat La Granja.
    The historic port city of Eivissa has also seen a recent renaissance, with locations from international groups The Standard and Experimental both opening within the past couple of years.
    The photography is by Lekuona Studio. The main image is by Mateo Sánchez Garcia De La Cruz.

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    Alp Bozkurt creates “calming” interior for Brooklyn tattoo parlour

    Arched niches provide stations for tattoo artists at Atelier Eva, located in a former Brooklyn hardware store transformed by designer Alp Bozkurt.

    The Atelier Eva Grand Street parlour is the second in Brooklyn run by tattoo artist Eva Karabuda, who is renowned for her detailed, micro-realism tattoos.
    Polycarbonate panels punctured by arched niches line the interior of Atelier Eva’s Grand Street studio”Created with an ambitious vision to reimagine tattoo culture following Eva’s own experiences feeling uncomfortable and unsafe as a woman in her early work environments, Atelier Eva offers a new kind of tattooing experience with the goal of providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all people,” said the studio.
    While her first location on Havemeyer Street was designed in house, Karabudak turned to Alp Bozkurt for the Grand Street space – which at 3,000 square feet (280 square metres) is almost twice the size.
    The arches reveal details of the original building, which was formerly a hardware storeThe building dates back to 1895 and was originally constructed as a hardware store, occupying a single story space that extends 115 feet back from the street facade.

    Original features such as large roof trusses, skylights and brick walls were all restored and highlighted during the renovation work.
    A pink-concrete table used for tattoo consultations is shrouded by a sheer curtainThe trusses are painted black, drawing the eye up to the ceiling, while the remaining structural elements are whitewashed for a clean look.
    “A distilled material palette is deployed to create a warm and calming environment from otherwise industrial materials retaining the building’s original ethos,” said Bozkurt.
    In the main space, the arched niches provide areas for the tattoo artists to store their equipmentWrapping the perimeter of the interior are translucent polycarbonate panels that sit a few inches in front of the brickwork, unifying the sequence of spaces.
    All the way around, arches puncture the panels to frame original corbeling, and reveal other historic elements.
    A planter is positioned in the centre of the otherwise sparsely populated spaceIn the front of the studio, beside the floor-to-ceiling glass facade, one arch provides a backdrop for a seating area with boucle-covered chairs, and pendant lights by Apparatus above.
    Behind a pink-concrete reception counter is a consultation area, shrouded by a sheer curtain suspended from a curved metal track.

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    “Visitors are offered glimpses of activity in the studio flooded by natural light while the artists and their clients maintain privacy,” Bozkurt said.
    The group of artists offering a range of tattoo styles and piercings work in the large space beyond, where each is allocated a station aligned with an arch.
    Pink concrete is also used for the reception counter and other furnitureFoldable padded tables for clients to lay on, stools for the artists and cabinets for storing equipment all tuck neatly into these niches when not in use.
    The open space – which also hosts creative gatherings and events – is sparsely populated, other than a central pink-concrete planter that matches the consultation table and the counter.
    The location on Grand Street is Atelier Eva’s second in BrooklynTogether, Bozkurt’s interventions create “a carefully choreographed sequence of experiences through varying degrees of transparency offered by various design elements”.
    Other tattoo parlours with unconventional interiors include a minimalist space in Kyiv with holes slashed through its walls, a stark monochromatic space in New York and a studio in Paris featuring curtains printed with Hieronymus Bosch paintings.
    The photography is by Atticus Radley.

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    Mesura furnishes Casa Vasto apartment and gallery with “constellation of objects”

    Local studio Mesura has designed a live-work home for a gallery owner that combines exhibition space with living quarters in a former factory in Barcelona.

    Casa Vasto is situated in the city’s seaside neighbourhood El Poblenou, characterised by its 18th-century industrial buildings that were deindustrialised in the 1960s and 70s.
    Unfurnished areas serve as exhibition spaceThe apartment is located in one of these former factories and comprises two spaces – the public living and kitchen area that also houses gallery exhibitions, and the private bedroom and bathroom that are reserved solely for the owner’s use.
    A service core made from birch wood divides the space without being attached to the walls or to the ceiling, which has an unusual vaulted design characteristic of factories built in Barcelona in the 19th century. This channels services to the kitchen and bathroom components and contains a toilet, shower and storage.
    Bespoke furniture sits alongside design classicsOn one side of the core is the living and gallery space. This has plenty of space to hold exhibitions and is filled with monolithic furnishings that create functional zones, including a long dining table with cylindrical legs and a blocky stainless-steel kitchen island.

    A low, sprawling sofa defines the lounge area, which centres around a coffee table fashioned from waste material created during the apartment’s construction by designer Sara Regal.
    Low-lying furnishings underline the height of the space and the unique ceilingArtworks and furniture have been arranged throughout the space, which was curated in collaboration between the owners and Mesura.
    “The project’s interior design is reinterpreted as a constellation of unique objects detached from the apartment’s limits,” said Mesura.
    “These elements contrast with the white-washed walls and light-wood furnishings to emerge as accents of colour and form, weaving a cohesive and contemporary identity throughout the project, drawing focus to the pieces and artwork.”
    The minimalistic kitchen unit shares the central core’s oblong profileBespoke pieces custom-made for Casa Vasto are flanked by iconic design classics, such as architect Mies van der Rohe’s MR10 Chair and architect Mario Botta’s Seconda Chai.
    “Some of the interior pieces were specifically designed for the space – kitchen, dining table, service core, bathtub – and the others – sofas, chairs, lighting – were more of a process with the clients, who had their own preferences and interests,” Mesura told Dezeen.

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    Frames are hung on the walls in the bedroom, which also contains two sinks and a bathtub encased in blocky concrete volumes.
    As in the rest of the space, rectangular windows extend from floor level to let natural light into the space.
    The bed, bath and sink unit are all custom-made for the project”We think the pieces selected for the interiors create a comfortable and unique atmosphere when in touch with the bespoke furniture we designed for the project,” the studio told Dezeen.
    Other adaptive reuse apartment projects on Dezeen include an apartment in a converted bank office by Puntofilipino and a flat in a former chocolate factory by SSdH.
    The photography is by Salva López.

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