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      Ten designers create products from a single dying ash tree for SCP

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      Furniture company SCP has tasked a group of British designers including Faye Toogood and Sebastian Cox to craft objects from the wood of a tree infected with ash dieback disease for this year’s London Design Festival.

      The resulting pieces, ranging from furniture and lighting to decorative objects, are currently on display as part of the One Tree exhibition the brand is hosting in its Shoreditch showroom.
      One Tree includes works by Moe Redish (above) and Wilkinson & Rivera (top)The project saw ten designers make use of a tree on SCP founder Sheridan Coakley’s property, which had to be felled after being infected with a highly destructive fungal disease called ash dieback. Eventually, this is expected to kill around 80 per cent of ash trees in the UK.
      “Most fallen ash trees are getting just cut down and used for firewood,” Coakley told Dezeen. “But rather than burning the tree or letting it rot, we wanted to capture the carbon that’s in the wood by making something out of it.”
      Faye Toogood made an organic love seat from a tree forkA group of ten designers and makers, including Cox and Toogood alongside industrial designer Matthew Hilton, carpenter Poppy Booth and design duo Wilkinson & Rivera, was invited to observe the tree being felled in April 2022 and to select the pieces of timber they wanted to use.

      Toogood created a stool from the fork of the tree, which forms a natural love seat. This effect was highlighted by stripping off the bark of the wood but leaving its shape largely unadulterated.
      Flat facets allow the wood grain to become decoration in Sarah Kay’s piecesAlso making use of the thick, solid parts of the tree was designer and maker Sarah Kay, who chose to bisect a log to create a series of geometric side tables.
      The logs were given flat facets to highlight the gnarled grain of the wood. This swirling, almost psychedelic graining is also apparent in Wilkinson & Rivera’s three-seater bench.
      Poppy Booth’s cupboard is based on an abstract paintingHusband-and-wife duo Grant Wilkinson and Teresa River used rudimentary forms to construct the bench, allowing the grain of the wood to serve as decoration.
      Another furniture piece in the exhibition is a corner cupboard designed by Poppy Booth based on Black Square – an abstract painting by Russian-Ukrainian artist Kazimir Malevich from 1915.
      Mirroring the painting, the cupboard front features a square of blackened ash surrounded by a non-burnt frame. The piece is intended sit high up in the corner of a room to act as a kind of memorial for all the ash trees killed by the dieback.
      Max Bainbridge created a bench, vessels and wall pieceEast London designer Moe Redish created a series of glass vases and vessels, which were mouth-blown into natural voids in the wood made by birds, insects, weather damage and the fungus that causes ash dieback.
      Taking a similar approach, artist and craftsman Max Bainbridge chose to work with pieces of the tree that had apparent fissures, splits and raw edges, and turned them into a series of organically shaped vessels, a bench and a wall piece called Portrait of Ash.

      Two Kettles, No Sofa installation playfully explores tensions between cohabiting couples

      A number of designers took a more sculptural approach, with Oscar Coakley creating a giant wall fixture in the shape of an acid-house smiley while Hilton designed a helical Jenga-like sculpture made from repeating elements of carved wood.
      Cox, who took charge of cutting up the ash tree using his portable sawmill and dried all of the wood for the exhibition in his South London studio, created two lights using the branches that were left behind after all the other designers had made their selections.
      Long sections from the tree’s branches were used for Sebastian Cox’s lightsThe branches were cut into thin, raw-edge slivers and fashioned into triangular prisms to act as shades for a pendant and standing lamp.
      The pieces are being presented as part of SCP’s Almost Instinct showcase at LDF and are all for sale, with the aim of putting a selection of the items into production in the future.
      Oscar Coakley created a wall fixture in the shape of a smiley”I think this is a project that might continue,” Sheridan Coakley said. “There are other trees that have got to come down, why not make something with them?”
      This year’s LDF saw a slew of brands open their showrooms and run events, many returning for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
      All the pieces in SCP’s show were made using wood from this ash treeOther projects on show as part of the festival include an installation by architecture studio Stanton Williams that was informed by Stonehenge and Shakespearian theatres, and an exhibition of furniture by James Shaw that pokes fun at the tensions that arise between cohabiting couples.
      Photography is by Robbie Wallace.
      One Tree is on show between 17 and 25 September as part of London Design Festival. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      Ten homes with walk-in wardrobes that store clothes in interesting ways

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      In this lookbook, we pick out 10 home interiors that feature walk-in closets designed to provide bedroom storage that is both practical and appealing.

      Walk-in wardrobes create a bespoke storage solution that is hard to achieve with standard furniture.
      Often they are considered a luxurious feature used to declutter the bedroom in large houses, but as the 10 examples below demonstrate, they can also be a sleek solution for utilising dead space in smaller homes.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing well-organised bedrooms, interiors with built-in furniture and homes that make a feature of their corridors.
      Photo is by Jack LovelMarine, Australia, by David Barr Architects

      This walk-through wardrobe sits in a corridor between a bathroom and the master bedroom of a cottage near Perth.
      Birch-plywood storage units and concrete flooring define the wardrobe, a continuation of the materials used throughout the light and airy extension designed by David Barr architects.
      Find out more about Marine ›
      Photo is by Roehner + RyanO-asis, USA, by The Ranch Mine
      Warm-toned wood shelving and cabinetry was combined with terrazzo flooring in this enormous walk-in closet that sets out clothes like a boutique fashion store.
      It flows right off from the bathroom of a large house in Arizona designed for a musician by architecture studio The Ranch Mine.
      Find out more about O-asis ›
      Photo is by Pion StudioBotaniczna Apartment, Poland, by Agnieszka Owsiany Studio
      A linen-curtain screen tidily obscures the walk-in wardrobe in this Poznań apartment designed by Agnieszka Owsiany Studio.
      The elegant and delicate aesthetic of the curtains contributes to the calming atmosphere the studio sought to create, as well as helping to offset the adjacent burl-wood vanity desk that acts as the bedroom’s feature element.
      Find out more about Botaniczna Apartment ›
      Photo is by Studio NojuCasa Triana, Spain, by Studio Noju
      Studio Noju used a floor-to-ceiling curtain to create a walk-in wardrobe in the main bedroom of this renovated apartment in Seville.
      The studio used a bright yellow paint for the wardrobe that contrasts with the monochrome curtain and surrounding walls, adding to the sense of theatre and surprise when the drape is drawn back.
      Find out more about Casa Triana ›
      Photo by Do Mal o MenosApartment in Estrela, Portugal, by Aurora Arquitectos
      A small, triangular room in this old Lisbon apartment was converted into a walk-in closet as part of a revamp by Aurora Arquitectos.
      White curtains cover a storage unit that runs along the longest wall of the wardrobe, which is provided with natural light by glazing above an arched doorway.
      Find out more about Apartment in Estrela ›
      Photo is by Hey! CheeseHouse H, Taiwan, by KC Design Studio
      This basement apartment in Taipei was given a moody colour palette and raw textures in an overhaul by KC Design Studio.
      That theme was continued in the walk-in wardrobe off the master bedroom, which acts as a dressing area between an en-suite bathroom and a private lounge.
      Find out more about House H ›
      Photo is by David FoesselHubert, France, by Septembre
      Embedded within a modestly sized Paris apartment renovated by architecture studio Septembre, this walk-in closet is an example of clever utilisation of space.
      A wall behind the bed forms a partial division, allowing for generous clothing storage while retaining the room’s overall proportions.
      Find out more about Hubert ›
      Photo is by José HeviaThe Magic Box Apartment, Spain, by Raúl Sánchez Architects
      This apartment near Barcelona, designed by Raúl Sánchez Architects, takes the concept of a walk-in wardrobe to a new level.
      Aptly called The Magic Box Apartment, it features a shiny brass wardrobe that divides two bedrooms instead of a traditional partition wall, which can be passed through like a secret passageway.
      Find out more about The Magic Box Apartment ›
      Photo is by Pablo PachecoRL House Renovation, Spain, by Diego López Fuster Arquitectura
      Diego López Fuster Arquitectura opted to give the bedroom of this Alicante a generous walk-in wardrobe that acts as a full dressing area.
      Rather than being hidden or tucked away, its wide proportions help to make the relatively long and narrow bedroom feel more spacious.
      Find out more about RL House Renovation ›
      Photo is by José HeviaCasp21, Spain, by Bonba Studio
      Green-panelled wood boxing encloses a sizeable walk-in wardrobe in the corner of this bedroom in a converted office building in Barcelona.
      Through this intervention, Bonba Studio maximised the feeling of brightness and spaciousness in the room, as well as ensuring that the full impact of the traditional vaulted ceiling was maintained.
      Find out more about Casp21 ›
      This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing well-organised bedrooms, interiors with built-in furniture and homes that make a feature of their corridors.

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      Jan Hendzel tracks down “super special” London timbers to overhaul Town Hall Hotel suites

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      Reclaimed architectural timber and wood from a felled street tree form the furnishings of two hotel suites that designer Jan Hendzel has revamped for London’s Town Hall Hotel in time for London Design Festival.

      Suites 109 and 111 are set on the first floor of the Town Hall Hotel, which is housed in a converted Grade II-listed town hall in Bethnal Green dating back to 1910.
      Each of the apartment-style suites features a living room with a kitchen alongside a bedroom and en-suite, which Hendzel has outfitted with bespoke furnishings. Like all of the furniture maker’s pieces, these are crafted exclusively from British timbers.
      Jan Hendzel has overhauled suites 109 (top) and 111 (above) of the Town Hall HotelBut for his first interiors project, Hendzel took an even more hyper-local approach with the aim of finding all of the necessary products inside the M25 – the motorway that encircles the British capital.
      “We started out with the idea that we could source everything within London,” he told Dezeen during a tour of the suites.

      “Some timbers have come from Denmark Hill, some are reclaimed from Shoreditch. And we used Pickleson Paint, which is a company just around the corner, literally two minutes from here.”
      The living area of suite 111 features green upholstery by Yarn CollectiveThe reclaimed timber came in the form of pinewood roof joists and columns, which Hendzel found at an architectural salvage yard.
      These had to be scanned with a metal detector to remove any nails or screws so they could be machined into side tables and tactile wire-brushed domes used to decorate the suites’ coffee tables.
      Rippled wooden fronts finish the kitchen in both suitesIn Suite 111, both the dining table and the rippled kitchen fronts are made from one of the many plane trees that line the capital’s streets, giving them the nickname London plane.
      “This London plane is super special because it has come from a tree that was taken up outside Denmark Hill train station in Camberwell,” Hendzel explained. “We couldn’t find timber from Bethnal Green but it’s the closest we could get.”
      The dining table in suite 111 is made from London planeFor other pieces, materials had to be sourced from further afield – although all are either made in the UK or by UK-based brands.
      Hendzel used British ash and elm to craft mirrors and benches with intricate hand-carved grooves for the suites, while the patterned rugs in the living areas come from West London studio A Rum Fellow via Nepal.
      “People in the UK don’t make rugs, so you have to go further afield,” Hendzel said. “Same with the upholstery fabrics. You could get them here but if they are quadruple your budget, it’s inaccessible.”

      Jan Hendzel explores potential of British hardwood in Bowater furniture collection

      Hendzel’s aim for the interior scheme was to create a calm, pared-back version of a hotel room, stripping away all of the “extra stuff” and instead creating interest through rich textural contrasts.
      This is especially evident in the bespoke furniture pieces, which will now become part of his studio’s permanent collection.
      Among them is the Wharf coffee table with its reclaimed wooden domes, worked with a wire brush to expose the intricate graining of the old-growth timber and offset against a naturally rippled tabletop.
      “It’s a genetic defect of the timber, but it makes it extra special and catches your eye,” Hendzel said.
      Grooves were hand-carved into the surfaces of mirrors and benches featured throughout the suitesThe coffee table, much like the nearby Peng dining chair, is finished with faceted knife-drawn edges reminiscent of traditional stone carving techniques. But while the table has a matt finish, the chair is finished with beeswax so its facets will reflect the light.
      Unexpected details such as loose-tongue joints, typically used to make tables, distinguish the Mowlavi sofa and armchair, while circular dowels draw attention to the wedge joint holding together their frames.
      Reclaimed architectural timber was used to bedside tables in room 109Alongside the bespoke pieces, Hendzel incorporated existing furniture pieces such as the dresser from his Bowater collection, presented at LDF in 2020. Its distinctive undulating exterior was also translated into headboards for the bedrooms and cabinet fronts for the kitchens.
      These are paired with crinoid marble worktops from the Mandale quarry in Derby, with roughly-hewn edges offset against a perfectly smooth surface that reveals the fossils calcified within.
      “It’s a kajillion years old and it’s got all these creatures from many moons ago that have fallen into the mud and died,” Hendzel said. “But then, when they get polished up, they look kind of like Ren and Stimpy.”
      A rippled headboard features in both suitesGoing forwards, the Town Hall Hotel plans to recruit other local designers to overhaul its remaining 94 rooms.
      Other installations on show as part of LDF this year include a collection of rotating public seating made from blocks of granite by designer Sabine Marcelis and an exhibition featuring “sympathetic repairs” of sentimental objects as the V&A museum.
      The photography is by Fergus Coyle.
      London Design Festival 2022 takes place from 17-25 September 2022. See our London Design Festival 2022 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

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      Chzon studio designs airport departure hall to reference Parisian life

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      French design agency Chzon studio has added archways and fountains that reference iconic Parisian monuments to a departure lounge at the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.

      Chzon studio redesigned the boarding gate area in Terminal 2G with the aim of creating a dynamic representation of Paris’ design and history in a typically utilitarian area of the airport.
      The vast space is punctuated by white columns and sculptural installationsThe 1,300-square-meter space is populated by rounded seating in dark blue and green upholstery, which takes aesthetic cues from the 1960s and 1970s, arranged in benches, booths and pairs.
      To zone the space and instill privacy, the studio added partitions and expressive white sculptures by artist studio Les Simonnets, which double as alternative bench seating.
      References to Paris are made at varying scales throughout the spaceThe studio made reference to iconic Parisian monuments by installing archways that nod to the Arc de Triomphe, as well as a fountain that is reminiscent of the water feature in the Jardin du Luxembourg and surrounded by green metal chairs similar to those found in Paris’ parks.

      Rows of wooden tables have been inlaid with chess boards in another reference to the parks of Paris. Passengers can use these as workspaces, to eat at, or to play games on while waiting for flights.
      The miniature fountain is a focal point within the terminalAs well as designing some of the lighting for the interior in-house, the studio also sourced and installed antique lighting and other decorative objects from the city’s St Ouen flea market, including giant wall lights and aluminium sunshades.
      To keep the space relevant to its function, Chzon also made references to aeroplane design by employing metallic details, patterned finishes and reclining plane-style seats designed by Italian architect and furniture designer Osvaldo Borsani.

      Marcel Wanders draws on Dutch history for overhaul of Schiphol airport lounge

      “[The design] dramatises the boarding lounge while keeping the passenger informed,” Dorothée Meilichzon, founder of Chzon studio, said of the interior design.
      “The departure lounge becomes a smooth transition between the Paris that we are leaving and the plane that is going to take off.”
      The mural is applied to perforated sheets and wraps around the walls above the windowsThe space also features a mural inspired by the work of French painter Sonia Delaunay that sits above the windows, which overlook the runways and allow views of planes taking off and landing.
      This fresco also references symbols used in airport signage and carries similar rounded motifs to the ones present in the retro-style seating and lighting.
      Rounded elements in furniture, lighting and decor reference the design of the 1960s and 1970sCharles de Gaulle Airport, also known as Roissy Airport, is the French capital’s principle airport.
      Other airport-related projects published on Dezeen include the cosy remodelling of an airport in Colorado, USA by Gensler and an airport that contains the world’s tallest indoor waterfall by Safdie architects.
      Images are courtesy of Chzon studio

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      University of the Arts London spotlights six interior and spatial design projects

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      Dezeen School Shows: an app that makes use of disused car parks and a community cafe feature in Dezeen’s latest school show by students at the University of the Arts London.

      Also included is a museum that examines the role of female workers in the industrial revolution and a scheme that aims to integrate the physical and digital worlds to connect people to their surroundings.

      Institution: University of the Arts LondonSchool: Camberwell College of ArtsCourse: BA Interior and Spatial Design
      School statement:
      “Camberwell College of Arts is a renowned art and design college. We give students the space to explore their creativity. Staff will support and challenge you to rethink current practices. Our facilities embrace both traditional craftsmanship and digital technology.

      “Our design and fine art courses will make you think about your social responsibility, as well as develop your critical and making skills.
      “View our recent graduate’s work online at the Graduate Showcase website.
      “Join our online and on-site open days to learn more about Camberwell College of Arts and our courses. Click here for more information.
      “For the following projects, Camberwell’s BA Interior and Spatial Design students collaborated with students at IED Kunsthal, a design university located in Bilbao, Spain.
      “Students focused on the regeneration of Zorrotzaurre, a post-industrial area of Bilbao built on an artificial island.
      “The project’s aim was to design proposals for a former biscuit factory site, which required remote online working with students at IED Kunsthal as they researched and explored the area together.
      “Each student created a map of the urban landscape through a variety of media including textiles, projection and interaction.
      “Some Camberwell students also visited the site in Bilbao, where they exhibited their urban fabric mappings of the current condition of Zorrotzaurre and design proposals for the future of the island.
      “They also took part in a show at the university, as well as delivered presentations and workshops as part of the DRS2022.”

      Community and the Vernacular: Physical and Virtual by Lea Fakhouri
      “Community and the Vernacular is an expansion of my thesis around the idea that people in today’s society are considered inert consumers that only use the spaces that they inhabit, and are not actually part of the process of designing them.
      “My project explores the merging of the physical and digital world to help revitalise the connection between people and space.
      “The physical world houses six separate pavilions suspended across the site of the Artiach Cookie Factory in Bilbao, Spain.
      “The virtual world houses the united pavilions suspended together to represent the capabilities of the community to inform and transform its topography.”
      Student: Lea FakhouriCourse: BA Interior and Spatial Design

      Mobile Community Repair Cafes by Mia Bizard
      “Using my research on themes exploring accessibility, connection and communities, this project continues my investigation into the architecture of connection – connecting people, city, and environment.
      “Proposing a series of workshops and gallery spaces that essentially become repair cafes, all connected with foldable canopies, this project promotes the reduction of waste and sustainable, social community-focused lifestyles.
      “The idea is to bridge and connect these places – located around the island of Zorrotzaurre in Bilbao, Spain – as well as the local community through this fragmented series of spaces.
      “It aims to empower residents to take an active part in shaping their communities, as well as building on the legacy of the site by adding a participatory and engaging design that will help promote and attract people to the area.”
      Student: Mia BizardCourse: BA Interior and Spatial Design

      Zorrotzaurre’s Art District by Maya Mammoud
      “The project offers a unique experience to its visitors by taking them through a ‘designed walk’ across three spaces: a gallery, an auditorium and a multi-purpose social space.
      “The project is aimed at the local community and those with a common interest in Bilbao’s growing art scene.
      “The spatial layout explores the act of observing, using thresholds and viewports to make visitors see, experience and question their surroundings.
      “The aim of using viewports as a tool for observing fragments of other spaces, allowing sudden interactions to happen between visitors.
      “It also forms a deeper understanding of visitor experiences and how it is influenced by the creation of space.”
      Student: Maya MammoudCourse: BA Interior and Spatial Design

      Time Traveller by Qiao Wang
      “I created a temporary exhibition to promote local cultural heritage in Zorrotzaurre, Bilbao, Spain.
      “This solar-powered installation is based on the simplified shape of Zorrotzaurre, which is intended to provide visitors with a quick tour of the island.
      “To arouse the interest of visitors, they will feel as if they are exploring the maze while walking inside the installation, just like they are discovering and seeking knowledge in an unfamiliar city.
      “This project promotes the industrial heritage culture of the region to visitors from all over the world while boosting the local tourism economy and providing educational cultural dissemination.
      “In the installation, I used the pulley structure of the factory and woven fabric, which was inspired by my map. All materials used are sustainable.”
      Student: Qiao WangCourse: BA Interior and Spatial Design

      Fabric-Women-Museum by Shiyuan Liu
      “Fabric-Women-Museum aims to spatialise the inequalities suffered by women in the workplace during the industrial revolution.
      “The project is based on research into the history of Artiach during the industrial revolution when approximately 80 per cent of the workers were women.
      “Although Artiach offered work opportunities for women, their working conditions and treatment were poor.
      “The design translates the inequality of women in the workplace into four thematic rooms: control, inconvenience, isolation and vulnerability.
      “The interactive exhibition helps visitors understand the conditions suffered by women workers in workspaces during the industrial revolution.”
      Student: Shiyuan LiuCourse: BA Interior and Spatial Design

      (Junk)scape – Rethinking and Recycling Non-Places by Kiwi Chan
      “This project represents creative ways to transform car parks from non-place, anonymous spaces to ones with urban character.
      “The (Junk)scape app is a system and service that proposes efficient uses for ‘wasted’ spaces and energy around ‘non-places’ i.e. car parks.
      “This app rethinks and recycles underutilised parking lots by using a renting and scheduling system.
      “My primary design proposal for my rented ‘non- place’ explores ‘placeless’ people, in hopes to provide support for the local homeless community and raise awareness around this ‘invisible class’ through film.
      “This proposal also aims to incorporate responsible involvement with Bizitegi, a non-profit organisation that contributed to the construction of services for individuals from the worlds of exclusion and mental illness in Bilbao.”
      Student:Kiwi ChanCourse: BA Interior and Spatial Design
      Partnership content
      This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the University of the Arts London. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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      R for Repair London exhibition features “sympathetic” repairs to sentimental objects

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      A rattan cast created to protect the damaged wing of a toy puffin and a fractured plate held together with steel staples feature in R for Repair, an exhibition of repaired objects presented at the V&A museum as part of London Design Festival.

      Curated by Jane Withers and Hans Tan, the exhibition is the second edition of R for Repair, and follows the first iteration of the show that was held in Singapore last year.
      R for Repair is on display at the V&A in LondonThe show presented at London’s V&A museum includes 10 damaged objects repaired by 10 different designers from Singapore or the UK. They are displayed alongside three repaired objects from the original exhibition.
      Responding to an open call, members of the public were invited to contribute sentimental but broken objects to the project. Designers chosen by Withers and Tan then repaired the objects in various creative ways.
      Ng Si Ying repaired a toy puffin by creating a rattan cast for its wingDesigner Ng Si Ying created a cast and belt out of rattan and thread for Graham Secrets, a toy puffin owned by UK-based Oli Stratford, which was a gift from the owner’s parents on his 30th birthday.

      Originally made by Danish silversmith and designer Kay Bojesen in 1954, the object was damaged by Stratford’s cat. Ying created a cast for the puffin’s wing in Singapore using an intricate weaving technique.
      Rio Kobayashi used Japanese joinery to adapt an antique sewing chest”We wanted to pair designers who would be sympathetic to the owner’s emotional attachment and what are often quite moving stories behind the objects and why the owners treasure them, but might also have an unexpected take on the object and add new layers of meaning, enriching this evolving narrative of ownership,” Withers told Dezeen.
      “We also looked for designers who might bring interesting techniques and unexpected experimentation to the repairs.”
      The chest now has space to display drawings and paintingsAnother object repaired for the 2022 edition of the exhibition is an 18th-century antique sewing chest owned by Eleanor Suggett Stephens in the UK, which she inherited from her grandmother.
      Suggett Stephens discovered that the chest contained previously unseen sketches and watercolour paintings by her grandmother, who wanted to be an artist but never achieved her dream.
      Other objects include a repaired doll’s house by StudiomamaLondon-based designer Rio Kobayashi used traditional Japanese joinery techniques to raise the furniture’s feet, and also created a large tabletop designed to display and celebrate the secret artwork.
      Kobayashi used walnut, ash, cherry, sapele, paint and glass to repair the chest, which Suggett Stephens said “represents that creative dream which never happened for [my grandma] and reminds me how fortunate I am to have a career in the arts.”
      Studio Dam put a broken plate back together with staplesOther objects in the exhibition include a porcelain dinner plate that broke down the middle and was repaired with steel staples and epoxy glue by Studio Dam in Singapore.
      British owners Karen Birkin and screenwriter Andrew Birkin, brother of actor Jane Birkin, submitted the plate for repair with an entirely open brief. Andrew Birkin quipped that Studio Dam could make a spaceship out of it.

      Ten must-see installations at London Design Festival 2022

      In response, the multidisciplinary studio took visual cues from Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey, which Andrew Birkin worked on early in his career.
      Studio Dam was informed by juci, a traditional Chinese porcelain repair technique that involves the use of metal staples.
      At the V&A, the objects are presented on bright yellow boxes”On one hand, the primary motivation was to bring creativity to repair through design,” explained Tan, discussing the exhibition.
      “At the same time, we thought having designers and objects from two countries would add a dimension to the project as a design and cultural exchange.”
      Tzen Chia playfully repaired a glass bottle for an anonymous ownerWithers also added that the exhibition intends to celebrate the process of repair and encourage the idea of giving possessions a second life.
      “I think it is important to broaden the discussion around repair and explore the psychological as well as functional dimension,” concluded Withers.
      “To understand why we keep things and how that can inform the design of products. How can things be designed with repair in mind so they improve with age?”
      As London Design Festival kicks off in the capital, see other installations that are part of the event, such as a collection of rotating stone chairs by Sabine Marcelis.
      The photography is by Zuketa Film Production. 
      R for Repair is on display at the V&A in London from 17 September to 2 November. 
      London Design Festival 2022 takes place from 17-25 September 2022. See our London Design Festival 2022 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

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      Neri&Hu creates “nomadic” office interiors for Shanghai media company

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      Chinese architecture studio Neri&Hu has designed a flexible office space in Shanghai for the changing needs of media company Red+Plus Studio’s employees.

      The Shanghai-based studio stripped back the 529-square-metre space, located on the second floor of a factory building within a former industrial campus, by removing numerous layers of previous renovations.
      The concrete structure is exposed in the office’s central spaceThe concrete structure of the building was left exposed throughout with a number of columns breaking up a large multi-use space at the centre of the office.
      Large steps within this space can be used as seating for presentations with a hidden projector placed in the roof.
      The existing skylights were used to light the desksTwo stainless-steel structures enclose meeting rooms alongside this main space, while private offices are arranged alongside it.

      A room with stainless-steel desks, which is lit by six pre-existing skylights in the sloping roof, stretches along one edge of the room.
      “With the strength of the building’s original character revealed, any additions to the space were carefully applied in layers that allow what is behind to coexist, inhabiting the liminal space between past and present,” explained the studio.
      A hidden projector can be lowered to create a screening roomThe studio used “nomad” as the design concept, based on the client’s request for flexible working spaces.
      Spaces were designed so that they can serve multiple functions, with several sliding doors created to provide flexibility and allow the company to alter the workspace dependent on future needs.

      Neri&Hu embody ethos of “reflective nostalgia” with own architecture studio in Shanghai

      “Much like the itinerant populations that move between cities to offer specialized services, the people working for and with this agency needed their spaces to transform according to various scenarios,” said the studio.
      Stainless steel and frosted glass were widely used throughout the space to contrast the concrete structure and reflect the changing usage. Galvanized steel and mesh were selected as they will change colour over time.
      Various office rooms are placed at the edge of the main spaceNeri&Hu’s other recent projects include a courtyard house in Singapore and a guesthouse wrapped in metal mesh in Shenzhen.
      The photography is by Zhu Runzi.
      Project credits:
      Partners-in-charge: Lyndon Neri, Rossana HuAssociate: Siyu ChenDesign team: Jerry Guo, Kenneth Qiao, Jinghan Li, Ath Supornchai, Kany Liu, Greg WuFF&E design and procurement: Design RepublicContractor: Shanghai Idea Mechanics Interior Designers Contractors

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      Play Architecture tops restaurant in India with undulating tiled roof

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      A wavy, tiled roof formed by intersecting catenary vaults shelters this lakeside restaurant, designed by Bangalore-based Play Architecture for the Deva Dhare Resort in Karnataka, India.

      Perched above a narrow stream on recycled steel stilts the structure, which has been shortlisted in the hospitality building category of Dezeen awards 2022, provides both internal and external dining areas for the 10-acre resort.
      The Deva Dhare Restaurant is topped with a vaulted tiled roofNestled in the forests of Sakleshpur with expansive views of the Western Ghats mountain range, Play Architecture sought to create a form that would “weave and integrate seamlessly” into the landscape, making use of local materials and labour.
      “The dining space is located on an extremely ecologically sensitive zone, where one needs to touch the ground gently,” explained the studio.
      “The design approach is bottom-up, where the construction process and choice of materials address the local climate, ground conditions, flora and available local labour.”

      The restaurant sits over a small stream in a Sakleshpur forestTo create a column-free interior, a dramatic, unreinforced catenary vaulted roof spanning 16 metres was created, using five layers of 15-millimetre clay tiles typical to the area.
      This roof sits atop a granite and steel deck slab, supported by the structure of thin, green-painted steel columns beneath and accessed via two stone staircases at either side.

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      “The form shows how the forces flow through the structure, and the resistance of the form allows large spans to be built with small thicknesses, saving on materials and labour,” said the studio.
      “More over, the focus of this research was to stay away from sophisticated software solutions and find geometric, logical means and hands-on methods, empowering unskilled labour to apply the idea on a day-to-day basis.”
      Four glass-covered openings under the wavy roof offer views of the surroundingsFour arched openings at either side of the restaurant are filled with full-height glazing framed with black steel, providing views out in every direction.
      To the east and west, glass doors provide access out onto two terraces for overlooking the lake and stream, and to the north a short corridor leads to a standalone bathroom block.
      The curved roof is formed of intersecting catenary vaultsThe granite slabs of the platform have been left exposed throughout, creating a continuity between the interior and exterior, and some have been replaced with glass to provide views of the stream below.
      “The project is a simple, straightforward demonstration of the strength of an idea…with a sincere effort to express the material and construction tectonics truthfully,” said the practice.
      Other projects shortlisted in the hospitality building category of Dezeen awards 2022 include a copper-clad shelter for a teahouse in China by Neri&Hu Design and Research Office, and a boutique hotel in Mexico by Alberto Kalach topped by barrel vault roofs.
      The photography is by Bharath Ramamrutham.

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