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      Alexander Owen Architecture wraps London house extension in two types of marble

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      Alexander Owen Architecture has added a marble-clad extension and garden room to this Victorian mid-terrace in East Dulwich, London, to accommodate a home office and a well-stocked bar.The owners, a couple with three young sons, wanted a place to entertain and ample space to spend time together as a family.

      Top image: the garden room houses a bar and home office. Above: the kitchen extension looks out at the garden and annexe
      In response to the brief, the architects created a single-storey rear extension that adds 13.3 square metres and accommodates an open-plan kitchen, utility room and toilet, plus a 16-square-metre annexe that serves as a work and social space.
      Separated by a paved garden, the facade of the extension and garden room are clad in two types of precision-cut marble – a lighter version with hazier veining called Arabescato and a dark grey Bardiglio marble with a more structured finish.

      Alexander Owen Architecture clad the kitchen extension in different kinds of marble

      “We wanted to create a holistic flow to the house and garden and a certain mimicry between the extension and garden room as new interventions,” Richard Bridges and James Webster, founders of Alexander Owen Architecture, told Dezeen.
      “The marble cladding on the extension and garden room has been designed to have similar cut lines and panel formations but the arrangement of the two marble types is reversed.”

      The marble is cut so that it wraps seamlessly around the glazing frames
      The marble has been mitred around the doors and windows and digitally cut to create precise, 90-degree junctions between the individual slabs. This allows the cladding and the cut lines to seamlessly wrap themselves around the glazing frames.
      “The wider site context provides an abundance of trees and greenery, which as the day progresses cast an ever-changing array of light and shadow across the site,” said the architects, who both previously worked at Foster + Partners.
      “The final selection of marble was informed by this layering of dappled light on top of the veining, colouration and movement inherent to each type.”

      The kitchen is finished with stainless steel worktops
      A set of sliding doors with Accoya wood frames opens the kitchen and dining space up to the outside, while the garden room is glazed with a set of bi-folding windows and a pivoting door.
      Alexander Owen Architecture chose robust, low-maintenance surfaces for the kitchen extension, including a poured concrete floor, stainless steel island unit, shot-blasted pewter brick walls and a timber ceiling.

      Pewter brick walls are contrasted with timber ceilings
      “Each material was selected based on how it would sit against the other materials and its ability to sit in an almost ‘raw’ state – the very engineered precision and sheen of the stainless steel and geometric texture of the pewter blocks versus the natural, organic strength of the marble and warmth of the timber,” Bridges and Webster explained.
      “The palette tries to create a very calming balance between the organic and the engineered.”

      Dallas Pierce Quintero arranges small London home around four courtyards

      The steel island unit also incorporates a bench seat for the dining area while a linear skylight lets in sunshine from above.
      The same black, wire-cut bricks that pave the garden are used on the floor of the annexe to create a seamless connection between indoors and outdoors. In the garden room, walls are clad in yellow Valchromat MDF and birch ply, as are the built-in desk, bar and storage cupboards.

      The garden room offers a “grown-up” space for entertaining
      According to the architects, who established their studio in 2013, the home’s layout is carefully divided into various zones tailored to the family’s daily routine.
      The utility room and toilet are located in the mid-section of the property so that the kitchen and garden room at the back can function as a peaceful, “grown-up” area that can be kept tidy for dinners with friends.

      It also houses a home office
      “The rest of the house can effectively be shut off, with the utility space playing a key role in storage,” said Bridges and Webster. “The family snug in the front part of the house means the owners can read books and listen to music on their record player while their children can watch TV or play in the other end of the space.”
      The garden room serves as a home office during the week and helps the couple maintain a boundary between work and family life. It also has an expansive bar that can be used for small gatherings.

      Bar seating runs along the bi-folding windows
      According to Alexander Owen Architecture, there has been a marked increase in clients wanting to create an office space in their home.
      “We have had a lot of interest in garden rooms since the start of the pandemic, with some new clients even prioritising this ahead of developing the main house due to the need for home working, schooling and simply more space,” explained the architects.
      “It’s undeniable the impact that the last 12 months have had, not only on how much time we spend in our homes but on how we use them as live-work accommodation.”
      Covid-19 has forced companies around the world to embrace remote working, with many predicting that working from home will be here to stay long after the virus has been brought under control. Last month Dezeen rounded up 10 products to improve your home-office setup.
      Contractors for this project were Create Bespoke and photography is by French+Tye.

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      Cheng Chung Design creates restaurant within brick art installation in China

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      Hong Kong architecture studio Cheng Chung Design has created a restaurant and exhibition space within the cavernous interiors of a brick art installation in Mile City, China.The restaurant, named 50% Cloud Artists Lounge, occupies one of several distinctive structures in Dongfengyun Town that evoke a giant cluster of termite mounds.
      Cheng Chung Design’s (CCD) interior is deliberately pared-back to retain focus on this unusual building, while also forming a backdrop to the artwork that is exhibited throughout it.

      Top image: the restaurant occupies a cavernous brick building. Above: it resembles a giant cluster of termite mounds

      “It was to be not only a restaurant but also an art space with an exhibition area,” said CCD’s founder, Joe Cheng.
      “It aims to serve as an exhibition hall for various cultures and arts, providing a space for the public to get close to and enjoy art,” he told Dezeen. “You can see original art throughout the entire space.”

      The entrance is marked by a curving steel doorway
      The brick structure within which the restaurant is located was created by local artist Luo Xu and made without any steel reinforcements or nails.
      The interiors of the other buildings in the cluster, also designed by CCD, have been transformed into a multi-functional hall, an art gallery and a hotel.

      Steel panels guide visitors inside
      CCD marked the entrance to the restaurant by a trail of curving steps that lead to an arched door and a series of curving steel panels.
      This is modelled on the nearby Honghe Hani Rice Terraces – a system of historic terraces used to grow rice – and designed to add an “artistic touch” that is complementary to the colours and sinuous form of the building.

      The restaurant layout responds to overhead skylights
      Inside, the layout of the restaurant’s bar, chairs and tables responds to the curves of the structure and the positions of round openings carved into its roof.
      As the walls of the building could not be decorated, this is intended to draw visitors’ attention to the light that filters in through the skylights and onto the bricks and creates patterns throughout the course of the day.

      Patterns of light across the brick walls are the focal point
      “Light is an essential element in the space,” said CCD. “Guests can experience the change of light in every minute.”
      “All design elements are arranged based on light and under skylights. Natural light tells the passage of time throughout the day, and creates diversified spatial experiences,” the studio added.

      Woven lampshades help softly filter light
      Furniture is kept simple throughout, with cool colours and curved bodies that complement the form of the building.

      Cavernous brick vaults define Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum in China

      These are teamed with large woven lampshades that softly light the room, alongside art-deco style partitions that were used to loosely divide the space.

      Furniture is kept simple throughout
      The artwork throughout the restaurant ranges from bespoke furniture to larger sculptures designed by CCD and produced by an artist called Qi Songtao.
      This includes an abstract, cloud-like piece and a metallic, woven artwork that mimics a human head.

      A cloud-like sculpture is among the featured artwork
      Elsewhere in China, Studio Zhu-Pei also created a series of sweeping, red-brick structures to house the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum.
      Located in the city of Jingdezhen, the museum’s cavernous buildings are all unique in size and are designed to recall the forms of traditional brick kilns.

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      Studio Anne Holtrop creates gypsum walls that look like fabric for Maison Margiela store

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      Dutch architect Anne Holtrop has remodelled Maison Margiela’s concept store in London adding walls cast in textile moulds to reflect the brand’s garment construction techniques.Located at 22 Bruton Street, the boutique is laid out across 190-square-metres and displays Maison Margiela’s Co-Ed collections, with men’s and women’s ready-to-wear alongside accessories such as shoes, jewellery and eyewear.

      Gypsum partition walls separate the retail space
      The store features a pale, tonal colour palette in keeping with the Parisian label’s all-white studio, with the plaster walls and ceilings retained in their natural finish and floors and fixtures made from travertine.
      A number of the store’s walls and columns were individually hand-cast in textile moulds, leaving behind folds and dents to create the illusion of fabric billowing in the wind.

      Floors tables and shelving are made from carved travertine

      This unconventional casting method is intended to reflect a garment construction technique used by the fashion house that is designed to disrupt the “anonymity of the lining” and reveal the inner workings of a garment.

      Wooden curtain drapes around a lift inside Maison Margiela’s Milan store

      “The gypsum casts in textile formwork translate the ‘anonymity of the lining’ concept into an architectural element,” explained Maison Margiela.
      “After removing the textile formwork, the imprint of the textile remains visible on the surface of the walls and columns, together with the pleats of the textile and volume of the gypsum that pushed the formwork out. The walls and columns are turned inside out – we look at the lining, the interior of the wall.”

      The Bruton Street store houses clothing as well as accessories
      Holtrop, who founded Amsterdam-based Studio Anne Holtrop in 2009, installed items of “misfit” furniture throughout the space. Featuring familiar forms that have been warped and skewed, these were designed to lean and fold around the interior.
      To lighten the store’s travertine floor and carved fixtures – including shelves, display tables and seats – Anne Holstrop Studio developed a technique that involves filling the stone’s natural indentations with colour-contrasting epoxy resin in optical white.

      The gypsum walls are cast in fabric moulds
      “Normally the porosity of travertine is carefully filled with an epoxy in exactly the same colour as the stone,” explained the studio. “With an infill of white epoxy, the porosity of the stone adds an accurate drawing, a staining of the material itself.”
      The finish was inspired by another of Maison Margiela’s characteristic techniques called décortiqué, where haute couture technicians cut through the layers of a garment in order to reveal its construction.
      “All that remains is the skeleton, the core components, which enable you to recognise what the item once was,” explained Maison Margiela. “It entails cutting around the seams to emphasise the structure and detailing.”

      Indentations in the travertine were filled with white resin
      In contrast to the rest of the store, the walls and ceilings of the fitting rooms are coated in layers of hand-brushed, high gloss paint reminiscent of Japanese lacquer cabinets.
      According to Maison Margiela, the store reflects its “evolved visual language” which was developed by John Galliano after taking the helm as creative director in 2014.

      Changing room doors are finished with a high-gloss lacquer
      Holstrop’s gypsum-cast design was first introduced during the label’s Artisanal AW 2018 show, in which Galliano revealed the structures, interlinings and inner padding of clothes that would normally be concealed.
      Photography is by Henry Bourne.

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      Brazilian designers imagine relaxing interiors for Patagonian eco-lodge

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      Designers from Brazil have created renderings that imagine the interiors of an eco-lodge in Patagonia for the design show Casa NaToca.The theme for this year’s Casa NaToca was “refuge” with participating designer asked to design rooms for Mapu, a sustainable house and guest lodges being built in the Chilean part of Patagonia by a couple named Pati Beck and Gustavo Zylbersztajn.
      Designers including Bel Lobo, Leila Bittencourt, Paula Neder and Paola Ribeiro each contributed digitally rendered interiors of the lodge.

      Top: living room by MRC Arq. Design. Above: dining room by Isabela Fraia Arquitetura

      Mapu is being built in the city of Futaleufú next to Lake Lonconao.
      Along with a home for the pair and their children, Mapu will include loft-style accommodation for guests, extra accommodation in the form of an Airstream trailer and a restaurant in a greenhouse.

      Reading room by Marcella Reynol Arquitetura
      Participating designers imagined all of these places with timber walls, natural textures and wide windows with sweeping views of the landscape.
      MRC Arq Design created a living room with a hanging swing and a built-in desk in front of giant windows with views of the mountains, while Isabela Fraia Arquitetura designed a timber-lined dining room filled with art and bookshelves.

      Playroom by Estudio Minca and Hauzz Estudio Criativo
      A kitchen by Rodrigo Ferreira Arquitetura features an island covered in a blackboard for the children to draw on.
      There are cute bedrooms for both of the children along with a room for their cousins, and an attic playroom by Estudio Minca and Hauzz Estudio Criativo with a diorama of the planets suspended from the ceiling and a net floor.

      Children’s bedroom by Quarto das Primas, Muito Mais Arquitetura and Nina Moraes Design
      Marcella Reynol Arquitetura’s reading room features cheerful framed prints on the walls.
      A deck for barbecues designed by Leila Bittencourt, Cynthia Bento, and Flávia-Lauzana features a sunken conversation pit overlooking the scenery.

      Airstream guest house by Cajoo Studio

      “The desire for escapism is at an all-time high” say visualisers creating fantasy renderings

      Cajoo Studio visualised a compact and cheerful guest apartment in a trailer, and there are a wide variety of guest lofts designed for couples or families.
      All of the renderings share a sunshine-saturated palette, with pale timber walls and plenty of houseplants and woven pendant lampshades.

      Barbeque spot by Leila Bittencourt, Cynthia Bento and Flávia-Lauzana
      Previously held in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, this year’s Casa NaToca show is being held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.
      Visitors to the online show can explore a 360-degree virtual tour and listen to audio recordings from the designers.

      Guest studio by Ana Hygino and Cau Gonçalves
      More dreamy fictional interiors renderings by architects and designers include a rock-formation hotel in Russia, an idealised holiday villa by the sea, and a hotel with a spa in Ukraine.
      Casa NaToca is online until 11 April 2021. 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 living rooms with statement shelving that is both practical and beautiful

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      For our latest lookbook, we’ve rounded up ten living rooms that have solved the storage dilemma with bespoke shelving that define the room. This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbook series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series showcased designer bathrooms, colourful kitchens and living rooms with calm interiors.
      Whether they’re used as room dividers, to show off the owners’ book collection or as a hiding place for shy pets, built-in or custom-made shelves create a design statement.
      Read on for our round up of the ten best from Dezeen’s archives (plus a bonus eleventh one, above, which features the spectacular floor-to-ceiling bookcases at Olson Kundig’s Wasatch House in Salt Lake City):

      Mermaid Beach Residence, Australia, by B.E. Architecture
      The living room of Mermaid Beach Residence in Queensland’s Gold Coast region is a study in clever material use, with its concrete surfaces and timber flooring.
      The monolithic built-in wooden shelving that fills one wall creates a decorative grid-effect on top of the concrete. It rests on a stone slab above wooden storage units at floor level.
      Find out more about Mermaid Beach Residence ›

      Artist’s studio, Russia, by Ruetemple
      Architecture studio Ruetemple looked to “drawing and architecture” when designing this artist’s studio in Moscow, which is dominated by a large plywood partition that incorporates both furniture and shelving.
      As well as separating the lounge area from a workspace, the partition works as both storage space and furniture. It has a built-in sofa, shelving, and a set of steps that lead up to a suspended sleeping platform.
      Find out more about Artist’s studio ›

      Spear Building Loft, US, by Ravi Raj and Evan Watts
      This former factory in New York was renovated to create a bright, open living space. In the living room, simple built-in shelves were painted in a creamy pastel-yellow hue that harmonises with the white storage units and the fireplace.
      Rather than building the shelves into a separate wall panel, they have been attached to the white wall on one side, which creates an airy feel and helps open up the room.
      Find out more about Spear Building Loft ›

      Sierra Negra, Mexico, by Hemaa
      Two built-in shelves with wooden panelling serve a decorative function in this Mexico City living room, which has matching wooden floorboards and wood-clad walls.
      Its minimalist interior and simple colour palette, which blends beige, brown and grey hues, means the books in the shelves stand out as a splash of colour. The shelves also hold speakers and picture frames, helping to keep the rest of the room free from clutter.
      Find out more about Sierra Negra ›

      Sausalito Outlook, USA, by Feldman Architecture
      In the living room of this hillside home in Sausalito, California, Feldman Architecture added plenty of storage space for the owners’ book collection, while the white panelling in the middle hides the TV from sight.
      The walls and kitchen space next to the storage wall have been painted a matching glossy white, complemented by more natural hues such as a beige rug and brown Ligne Roset Togo seating.
      Find out more about Sausalito Outlook ›

      Mayfair apartment, UK, by MWAI
      In small apartments, built-in shelving can be the perfect space-saving solution. For MWAI’s design of a 37-square-metre home in London’s Mayfair area, it covered one wall of the open-plan kitchen and living area in a pale-wood storage unit that also includes a desk.
      Colours were kept neutral to reinforce the studio’s idea to look at the design as that of a hotel room where “all functions are carefully and discreetly planned to provide a functional response.”
      Find out more about Mayfair apartment ›

      Kew Residence, Australia, by John Wardle
      Architect John Wardle renovated his own Kew Residence home to make its wood-lined first-floor study the focal point of the house. Built-in shelves hold books and bric-a-brac on one side of the room and the architect’s art collection on another.
      Neutral wood colours were used for the shelves and the built-in reading nook in the room, where the architect said he spends “just about all his daylight hours.”
      Find out more about Kew Residence ›

      House for Booklovers and Cats, USA, by BFDO Architects
      The built-in storage in this colourful home lives up to the project name – it doesn’t just have space for books and art, but also for the owners’ two cats to hide away from visitors.
      The custom-made shelf has dozens of cubby holes while projecting shelves form a staircase for the cats to ascend to the ledge at the top, where they can sit and observe the goings-on below.
      Find out more about House for Booklovers and Cats ›

      The Hide Out, US, by Dan Brunn Architecture
      Dan Brunn Architecture renovated The Hide Out, which was originally designed by Frank Gehry in the 1970s, to pay homage to its initial simple material palette.
      In this living room and bedroom overlooking a meditation garden, the lush walnut seating nook is complemented by a built-in white bookshelf that also hides a fold-out bed.
      Find out more about The Hide Out ›

      Fin House, UK, by RA Projects
      The blue steel staircase in the middle of the living space in this home designed for fashion designer Roksanda Ilincic was designed to look “like a sculpture in a gallery.”
      As well as a staircase, the piece functions as a shelving system with multiple shelves in different sizes. Its back wall is broken up rather than solid, which lets light pass through and stops the colourful piece from feeling too solid.
      Find out more about Fin House ›
      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 peaceful bedrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.

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      Note Design Studio creates colourful interiors to “break the grid” of 1930s office building

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      Stockholm-based Note Design Studio used neutral colours and contrasting bright hues to reinvigorate the interiors of the Douglas House office building in London.Note Design Studio designed the Douglas House office space, which has 700 desks spread over six floors, for office developer The Office Group (TOG). It had previously designed the Summit House property for the company.

      Note Design Studio used natural materials and bright colours for the interiors of Douglas House
      The Swedish studio aimed to “break the grid” of the 14,235-square-metre 1930s office building, which has a vertical layout and red brick-facade.
      “As a building, Douglas House is very ‘rational’ in its architecture,” designer Johannes Carlström told Dezeen. “Even though it stretches quite far horizontally, it was vertical in its structure and spatial program.”

      Pieces by contemporary design brands are used throughout the space

      “We realised early that we wanted to ‘break the grid’ of the building and deliver an interior less predictable than what is expected from the industrial appearance of the facade,” he added.
      “That also related to a more abstract idea about breaking the conformity of our everyday lives, to design a place that actually shakes you up a bit when entering for your workday.”

      The studio focused on how the space would make users feel
      While many office spaces are designed to enhance productivity, Note Design Studio said its focus for Douglas House was more on creating the right feeling and mood.
      To create a space that would, in the words of the studio, bring a “gentle punch” to office design, it used contrasting colours and materials throughout the space.
      “The palette ranges from deep ochres to brisk light blues, calm chalk tones, popping reds and vivid blues,” Carlström said.

      Meeting rooms are painted in calm blue nuances
      The studio aimed to keep as much of the original details as possible but had to replace a lot of materials that were in poor condition. The original wooden floors, however, were lifted, renovated and put back into place.
      “We have worked with giving the building a more defined character by using materials that will live long together with the building itself,” Carlström said.

      A curvilinear glass wall connects the main spaces and adds privacy to meeting rooms
      A curvilinear wall made from glass blocks has been added to the ground floor to connects its three main public spaces.

      Note Design Studio includes recharge room in central London co-working space for TOG

      “It stretches through the whole building giving spatial richness to the promenade between different functions of the ground floor as well as a vivid backdrop enhanced by the activity of the meeting rooms that are blurred through the glass blocks,” Carlström explained.
      “The curve also creates unique footprints for the meeting rooms and the three communal spaces, which with a straight wall would have been more or less identical to one another in terms of space.”

      Materials such as ceramic tiles were chosen for their durability
      Other materials used for the project were chosen for their durability, as office buildings experience extensive wear and tear, and their reusability. They include steel, glass and ceramic tiles, as well as 100 per cent recyclable Tarkett IQ plastic wall and floor coverings.
      Douglas House was also given solar panels and a green biodiverse roof to further enhance its sustainability credentials.

      The Douglas House reception features a desk clad in Ettore Sottsass’ veneer
      Note Design Studio also added a number of design touches to the interior, including a reception desk in Ettore Sottsass veneer for Alpi in a striking blue-grey colour, and pieces from brands including Artrex and Muller van Severen in bright hues.
      Newly commissioned pieces from artists and designers including Jenny Nordberg, Jochen Holz, Wang & Söderström, Philipp Schenk-Mischke, James Shaw, Mijo Studio and Studio Furthermore also fill the building.

      Pale blue chairs contrast beige tiles and dark wood
      Douglas House also includes an “oxygen room” – a plant-filled space where the idea is that workers can relax and connect with nature, the “recharge room”, gym, cafe and a mothers’ room which is dedicated to nursing mothers.
      “We have worked with the whole building and designed small or big things on every square metre basically,” Carlström said. “A lot of the office spaces are done in the same manner, but the public and communal spaces all have their unique design attributes.”

      Earthy, warm hues create a welcoming feel
      Douglas House has 700 desks for over 1,000 employees and opened in November 2020. Note Design Studio thinks the final design has succeeded in creating a different kind of office space.
      “From our point of view it differs on many levels – it has a lot more expression than you normally see in an office space, a diversity of tempos and functions allowing people to choose what suits them best that specific day,” Carlström said.
      Among the studio’s other recent projects are the pastel-coloured Mantelpiece Loft interiors in Stockholm and a reusable trade fair stand for Vestre.
      Photography is courtesy of The Office Group.

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      ASKA creates escapist TV set for Stockholm Design Week interviews

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      Swedish architecture studio ASKA designed a set with terracotta colours, architectural shapes and real sand to create a sense of escapism for live interviews conducted during Stockholm Design Week.The backdrop was created for PR company Trendgruppen’s Design TV initiative, which was shown as a part of the Swedish capital’s annual design week.
      The 15-minute daily live episodes were conceived as a way of reaching an audience that, due to the coronavirus pandemic, were unable to attend the fair this year.

      A sculptural, terracotta-coloured sofa stands out against the peach background colour

      Reflecting the fact the much of the audience may be stuck at home, ASKA aimed to envoke a sense of escapism for the Design TV viewers.
      “Since we haven’t been able to travel for a while now we believe that the longing for exotic atmospheres is getting stronger – and we wanted to respond to this desire,” ASKA co-founder Polina Sandström told Dezeen.
      “The choice of colour therefore goes in tones such as peach, beige and terracotta, and the soft forms are inspired by the organic curves found in the Mediterranean area.”

      Linnea Legerfors and Polina Sandström of ASKA were interviewed by Stefan Nilsson for the live show
      The set also featured architectural shapes and a curated selection of glass, steel and ceramic accessories, as well as a pile of sand to underline the travel theme.
      The studio started the project by deciding on an angle and frame for the digital recording, and then designed and styled the setting from that one camera perspective.

      A variety of different materials including steel and glass created visual interest
      “By working with objects in different heights and placing details in different places – such as the sand pile, the folded fabrics and the vault backdrop – we were trying to create different focus points and thereby a more lively setting,” Sandström explained.
      “While placing interior objects with different distances from the wall and working with shadows we wanted to add a sense of ‘depth’ to the picture.”

      Architectural shapes were used to create a sense of stability
      ASKA chose a rich peach background colour, as digital settings require a lot of artificial light which can make the backdrop disappear.
      It also designed its own furniture, including a backdrop with vault-shaped openings, a coffee table and decorative pedestals to be used for the set. This was in an attempt to create a set design that would feel recognisable and safe.

      Tom Dixon finds “more inventive ways of reaching people” by visiting Stockholm Design Week as a hologram

      “We believe that being part of a very fast everyday rhythm while tangling unpredictable life scenarios has created a desire for stability and that people are drawn to a design language that is recognisable and familiar,” Sandström said.
      “Fundamental architectural elements such as vaults and columns provide this sense of safety and stability. In this setting we chose to reuse some of these large scale elements and show them in a small-scale context, as interior decorations.”

      Trendgruppen PR’s Karin Sköldberg interviewed by Stefan Nilsson
      With the coronavirus having severely affected physical attendance at design fairs, a number of organisers and brands have turned to digital solutions, such as livestreamed interviews, to showcase their events and products.
      Trendgruppen’s aim was for the Design TV broadcasts to share its design news with the media as well as architects, interior decorators and a design-interested audience.
      “The fair was closed, and we couldn’t arrange any press meetings or VIP cocktails – like we usually do – due to the pandemic,” Trendgruppen CEO Karin Sköldberg said.
      “The design companies had news to introduce, and we wanted to do something attractive, digital.”

      Beckmans students create furniture for the work-from-home era

      Though she thinks virtual talks will replace real-life conferences to some extent, Sköldberg still believes physical meetings will remain important.
      “There will still be live meetings and conferences,” she said. “We are humans and need to meet, and see each other. There is a lack of interaction when you only meet virtually.”
      Many other events have gone fully digital this year to reach people during the pandemic, including The World Around, while brands have also come up with innovative solutions – Tom Dixon’s eponymous founder attended Stockholm Design Week as a hologram.
      As part of Dezeen’s Virtual Design Festival, we livestreamed numerous Screentime interviews and events.
      Photography is by David Thunander.
      Trendgruppen Design TV took place during Stockholm Design Week on 8 February – 12 February. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      Hugo McCloud’s artworks use plastic bags instead of paint

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      New York artist Hugo McCloud has created a series of artworks that contain no paint or glue, only thousands of small plastic pieces cut from single-use bags and melted together to form a motif.The series, called Burdened, is on view at Sean Kelly Gallery in Hudson Yards, New York until 27 February and spans 31 original pieces created by McCloud while quarantining in his Mexico studio.

      Together shows women carrying goods across the border of Ceuta, a Spanish autonomous city in Morocco
      To create the collages, which mainly depict scenes of labour, McCloud first traces them onto a wood panel before filling them in with the multicoloured plastic scraps.
      These are individually cut from plastic bags and layered on top of each other, much like individual brush strokes, before being fused together with an iron.

      Burdened is on show at Sean Kelly Gallery

      “Due to the nature of the material and its thinness, you can always see underneath, so one colour applied on top of another creates a third colour,” McCloud told Dezeen.
      “There has to be a lot of forethought and planning before starting. The plastic is fused onto the panel with an iron, there is no removal or covering up, you must know what you’re trying to achieve. With paint, there is more freedom for chance and emotions. I do miss some of that but working with the plastic is very meditative, with an understood direction.”

      Several of the artworks show refugees crossing the Mediterranean Sea from Libya
      The bags come from recycling yards and waste management companies, or else the artist picks them up off the street himself or reuses ones that were given to him while shopping.
      Often, their branding remains visible in the final art piece, acting as a reminder of the material’s former life and reinforcing its familiarity.

      Each piece is a collage of hundreds or thousands of small plastic shreds
      Based on photographs found on the internet, the collages depict the movement of people and goods around the world, from workers transporting wares on their backs and bikes to refugees attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea by boat.
      In this way, the Burdened series is not just a commentary on the environmental impact of single-use plastic but also an exploration of how this ubiquitous material transcends class and geography.

      Sweet Sneak Studio’s photo series puts focus on microplastics in the food chain

      “Traveling in India, I saw multi-colour plastic sacks everywhere and started to understand their downcycle, from the companies that purchased and used them to distribute their products, down to the trash pickers in Dharavi slums,” the artist explained.
      “The idea that these plastic bags would always be around – never biodegrade – interested me, and made me curious about the hands and lives of the many people they would pass through.”

      With all your Might is one of several pieces that show goods being transported by labourers
      The exhibition also includes a mini-series of collages showing flower arrangements, which McCloud made to offer the show’s visitors and himself a moment of respite from the dispiriting news cycles and monotony of lockdown.
      McCloud, who has a background in industrial design, is known for creating “paintings” from unusual, often three-dimensional materials like bitumen or aluminium sheeting.

      The exhibition features 31 artworks
      To mark New York City’s ban on plastic bags, local artist Robin Frohardt created a grocery store installation last March that was stocked with produce like tomatoes and berries, all formed from discarded single-use carriers he had collected from the city’s streets.
      Dutch food design studio Sweet Sneak has previously explored pollution and its environmental impact through a photo series, in which common foods and drinks such as beer and sushi were topped with styrofoam bubbles and wrapped in plastic bags.
      Installation view photographs are by Jason Wyche.
      Burdened is on view at Sean Kelly Gallery until 27 February 2021. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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