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      Game On's neon-filled exhibition design paid homage to 80s video games

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      Spanish practice Smart & Green Design re-designed the Barbican’s touring Game On exhibition for a former underground cistern in Madrid, using more than 150 LED arches to evoke the neon colours of the 1980s.The retrospective, which is reportedly the largest international exhibition to explore the history of video games, spans more than 400 collector’s objects and drawings covering the birth of the technology in the 1960s to the present day.

      Visitors to the exhibition can play 150 video games
      Alongside this, 150 original video games can be played as part of the show, including early games like Space Invaders and Tetris, classics like Rock Band, Pokemon and The Sims as well as more recent games like Fifa and Wii Sports.
      After touring more than 30 countries including China, the US and Australia, the exhibition came to Madrid between November 2019 and May 2020 courtesy of arts and culture foundation Fundación Canal.

      The LEDs are arranged into colour-coded arches

      Game On’s revamped set-up, which won Smart & Green Design the public vote at this year’s Dezeen Awards in the exhibition design category, relied heavily on multicoloured LED tubes suspended throughout the exhibition space.
      Set against an otherwise dimly lit interior, these nodded to the vector graphics of early video games such as Battle Zone, in which simple lines and curves on a black backdrop were used to create the illusion of three-dimensional spaces.
      LEDs were arranged into colour-coded arches and tunnels to create the impression of architectural elements, demarcating 15 distinct sections and guiding visitors through the exhibition.

      V&A curator Marie Foulston describes five pioneering designs in Videogames exhibition

      “The design follows simple geometries and repetitions as some of the most famous video games did,” Smart & Green Design’s founder Fernando Muñoz told Dezeen.
      “These lines created perspectives and the illusion of a 3D space, despite all the elements being two dimensional.”
      Each section was also signposted through a neon sign proclaiming its theme, which was suspended in the air in a nod to the floating score numbers often found in the top corner of a game’s screen.

      Neon signs read the names of the different sections
      The main challenge for the studio was to balance the buzz and excitement of an arcade with the kind of quiet, contemplative spaces needed to take in the archival objects, sketches and the stories behind them.
      For this purpose, Muñoz developed two distinct spatial typologies.
      While stations for playing the games were placed inside of the cistern’s existing 7.5-metre tall brick arches, each illuminated by an LED frame, the remaining exhibits were housed in “lights tunnels”, running perpendicularly to the arches.

      Stations for playing the video games are integrated into the cistern’s existing brick arches
      “We designed several tunnels using rectangular timber frames with lights integrated into them,” said Muñoz.
      “The rhythm of these structures created the feeling of being inside a separate space and they also hold either walls or vitrines to show the contents.”

      The light tunnels run perpendicularly to the existing brick arches (marked in black above)
      To create these walls, the studio opted for sound-absorbing panels, which had the dual benefit of muffling the noise coming from the gaming area outside as well as being easier to reuse for future exhibitions.
      “We try not to use heavy resources like MDF or drywall, which cannot be reused without generating waste and need a lot of energy both in the assembly and disassembly,” said Muñoz.
      “We try to create lightweight systems that are easily assembled and stored and with standardised dimensions so that they can be reused and adapted to any space or design.”

      Walls are integrated into the light tunnels to house information
      In order to offset the high embodied energy of the LEDs, Muñoz designed the lighting system to be modular, with tubes that are either half a metre, one metre or two metres long, so that they can be efficiently stored and repurposed again and again in different constellations.
      This is part of the studio’s wider strategy to try and cut down the amount of waste produced through temporary installations.

      The walls are made of sound-absorbent panels
      “The exhibitions industry is responsible for a huge amount of waste due to the ephemeral condition of its products,” Muñoz explained.
      “We believe that through design and longterm strategies of collaborating with exhibition organisers, waste can be reduced. We have designed our own carbon calculator and tailored protocols to interact with the administration and coordinators in the exhibitions world.”

      The exhibition was on show until May 2020
      Aside from Game On, other exhibition designs shortlisted for Dezeen Awards 2020 include a memorial filled with items that belonged to victims of gun violence and an installation at Fondazione Prada with 1,400 porcelain plates suspended from the walls of a golden room.
      Although the recipients of the public vote have already been determined, the winners of the official Dezeen Awards, judged by a panel of experts including Norman Foster, Michelle Ogundehin and Konstantin Grcic, will not be announced until the end of November.
      The Game On exhibition took place from 29 November 2019 to 31 May 2020 at Madrid’s Castellana 214. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      Fashion meets art inside Dries Van Noten's inaugural US store

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      Luxury fashion label Dries Van Noten has opened its first US store in Los Angeles, which boasts interiors filled with artworks from creatives across the globe.Dries Van Noten’s LA store takes over two buildings that sit on a huge parking lot along La Cienega Boulevard. The first building is a two-floor property that has been dubbed Big House, the second, called Little House, is a 1950s-era bungalow completely shrouded by ivy.
      Together the buildings measure 8,500 square feet (790 square meters), making this the Belgian fashion brand’s largest retail space to date.

      Dries Van Noten’s LA store is split into Big House and Little House

      Clothing collections are presented inside Big House, with womenswear on the ground floor and menswear up on the first floor.
      The brand’s in-house design team took charge of the interiors – founder Dries van Noten, who was stuck outside the US due to coronavirus travel restrictions, would “visit” the space every evening via FaceTime calls with staff members.
      Simple white-painted walls and concrete flooring appears throughout. A few elements in the store, like the accessory display plinths and chesterfield-style sofas, are a sunny shade of yellow – a colour deemed synonymous with Dries Van Noten’s brand identity.

      Big House displays the brand’s fashion collections
      Decor is provided by striking artworks from a roster of local and international creatives. Some pieces, such as the mixed-media collages by LA-based artist Jan Gatewood, have been executed directly on the store’s walls as murals.
      “I didn’t want to have that gallery feeling where everything is mercantile…it’s more like graffiti,” Van Noten explained.

      Artwork and musical instruments have been dotted throughout
      “While showcasing the Dries Van Noten collections this place will be a haven for creative encounters and gathering experiences that embraces the creative pulse of Los Angeles and its creative and fashion community” added the brand explained in a statement.
      “These experiences can be as light-hearted as they can be profound, yet they will always be welcoming to all and informal.”
      Sculptural furnishings by Rotterdam-based designer Johan Viladrich are also on display, as well as busts of tattooed human heads by Czech artist Richard Stipl.

      Big House includes an archive room that presents pieces from old Dries Van Noten collections. Photo by Jeff Forney
      Big House additionally includes archive rooms which are haphazardly plastered with old catwalk and campaign imagery of Dries Van Noten designs.
      Here customers are able to purchase pieces from past collections – some of which date back to the 1990s – and once health and safety restrictions have been lifted post-pandemic, re-sell garments from the brand that they no longer want.
      “It’s not only about sustainability reasons, but it’s the whole idea that a beautiful garment stays beautiful even if other people have been wearing it – and I like the idea that you have new clothes and old clothes all together in the same store,” added Van Noten.

      Foliage-filled plant beds line the outside of the store. Photo by Gareth Kantner
      To access Little House, shoppers must walk past a series of plant beds overspilling with tropical foliage, which were included in homage to Van Noten’s passion for gardening and the brand’s frequent use of botanical prints.
      The bungalow acts as an exhibition space which, going forward, will showcase different furniture, textiles, ceramics and photography from both established and emerging creatives.
      Currently on display is a collection of porcelain tableware created by Van Noten’s longtime friend, fashion designer Ann Demeulemeester, and Belgian brand Serax.

      Dries Van Noten pays homage to Verner Panton with colourful SS19 collection

      The brand also hopes that, in time, the parking lot can host large-scale events, and has plans to transform it into everything from a drive-in cinema to a food-tasting space.

      Little House will serve as an exhibition space. Photo by Jeff Forney
      Dries Van Noten’s Los Angeles store joins branches in Tokyo, Osaka, Singapore, Paris and a flagship in Antwerp – but the brand’s founder already has his sights set on opening the doors to a store over on the east coast of the US.
      “Of course the space is very important, it really has to be the right building – the moment we find that, we’ll be in New York.”
      Photography is by Jim Mangan unless stated otherwise.

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    • 188 Shares149 Views

      Interiors by Esrawe Studio, Adjaye Associates and Freitag among Dezeen Awards 2020 public vote winners

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      Projects by Adjaye Associates, OHLAB and 10 other studios have been chosen by Dezeen readers as winners of the Dezeen Awards 2020 public vote for interiors.Other winners include Robbert de Goede for a former gymnasium that has been converted into an apartment, Koning Eizenberg Architecture for a museum that offers experimental art and technology programs for youth and Eric J Smith for a poet’s studio on a forested Connecticut property.
      A total of 62,447 votes were cast and verified across all categories. The results of the public votes for the Dezeen Awards 2020 interiors categories are listed below.
      All public vote winners announced this week
      Dezeen Awards 2020 public vote winners in the architecture categories were announced yesterday. Design winners will be announced tomorrow followed by the studio winners on Thursday.
      Dezeen Awards winners announced in November
      The public vote is separate from the main Dezeen Awards 2020 judging process, in which entries are assessed by professional judges. We’ll be announcing the Dezeen Awards 2020 winners online at the end of November.
      Subscribe for updates
      To receive regular updates about Dezeen Awards, including details of how to enter next year, subscribe to our newsletter.
      Below are the public vote results for interiors:

      Breezeway House by David Boyle Architect has won the Dezeen Awards 2020 public vote for house interior
      House interior

      28% – Breezeway House by David Boyle Architect (winner)27% – Kew Residence by John Wardle Architects19% – Art villa, Puntarenas by Formafatal18% – House in Kyoto by 07BEACH8% – Bismarck House by Andrew Burges Architects

      The Gymnasium by Robbert de Goede won the Dezeen Awards 2020 public vote for apartment interior
      Apartment interior
      39% – The Gymnasium by Robbert de Goede (winner)28% – Jaffa House 4 by Pitsou Kedem Architects16% – The Melburnian Apartment by Edition Office11% – La Nave by NOMOS6% – Apartment Block by Coffey Architects

      Tori Tori Santa Fe, a Japanese restaurant in Mexico, won the public vote for restaurant interior
      Restaurant interior
      41% – Tori Tori Santa Fe by Esrawe Studio (winner)22% – Voisin Organique by Various Associates13% – DooSooGoBang by Studio Lim12% – %Arabica Coffee by B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio12% – Embers Restaurant by Curvink Architects

      Dongshang by Imafuku Architects won the Dezeen Awards 2020 public vote for bar interior
      Bar interior
      35% – Dongshang by Imafuku Architects (winner)27% – The Berkeley Bar & Terrace by Bryan O’Sullivan Studio15% – The Flow of Ecstatic by Daosheng Design13% – Mercantile Wine Bar by Islyn Studio10% – A secret bar by Atelier Xy

      Casa Palerm by OHLAB won the Dezeen Awards public vote for hotel and short-stay interior
      Hotel and short-stay interior
      42% – Casa Palerm by OHLAB (winner)22% – Maana Kamo by Maana Homes17% – Capsule hostel in a rural library by Atelier Tao+C13% – Escondido Oaxaca Hotel by Decada Muebles6% – Trunk House by Trunk

      Office In Cardboard by Studio_VDGA has won the Dezeen Awards 2020 public vote for large workspace interior
      Large workspace interior
      32% – Office In Cardboard by Studio_VDGA (winner)30% – Les Capucins by ATELIER L221% – Weinmanufaktur Clemens Strobl by Destilat Design Studio13% – The Audo by Norm Architects4% – KCC Office by KCC – Design

      Grain loft studio by Richard Parr Associates has won the Dezeen Awards 2020 public vote for small workspace interior
      Small workspace interior
      47% – Grain loft studio by Richard Parr Associates (winner)18% – Tiny Offices by Dutch Invertuals14% – 12 by ORTRAUM Architects12% – Office for creative advertising agency DDB Prague  by B² Architecture9% – CODO by Loftwork and Shuhei Goto Architects

      The Webster, a flagship store in Los Angeles by Adjaye Associates, has won the Dezeen Awards 2020 public vote for large retail interior
      Large retail interior
      36% – The Webster by Adjaye Associates (winner)23% – Grupo Arca Design Center by Esrawe Studio17% – Supreme San Francisco by Brinkworth16% – PSLab London by PSLab5% – Reigning Champ by Peter Cardew Architects3% – Issey Miyake Semba by NOMA

      FREITAG Sweat-Yourself-Shop by FREITAG lab won the public vote for small retail interior
      Small retail interior
      38% –FREITAG Sweat-Yourself-Shop by FREITAG lab (winner)30% –Glossier Seattle by Glossier13% – AESOP Shinjuku by CASE-REAL12% – small ICON by I IN7% – FREITAG Store Kyoto by FREITAG lab

      Vikasa by Enter Projects Asia won the public vote for leisure and wellness interior
      Leisure and wellness interior
      36% – Vikasa by Enter Projects Asia (winner)35% – En skincare by ARCHIEE16% – EKH Children’s Hospital by IF9% – Bathhouse by Verona Carpenter Architects4% – Domstate Zorghotel by Van Eijk & Van der Lubbe

      MuseumLab by Koning Eizenberg Architecture won the Dezeen Awards 2020 public vote for civic and cultural interior
      Civic and cultural interior
      32% – MuseumLab by Koning Eizenberg Architecture (winner)25% – Church of Pope John Paul II by Robert Gutowski Architects18% – Coca-Cola Stage at the Alliance Theatre by Trahan Architects14% – Crematorium Siesegem by KAAN Architecten11% – Models in Model by Wutopia Lab

      Writer’s Studio by Eric J Smith Architect has won the Dezeen Awards 2020 public vote for small interior
      Small interior
      35% – Writer’s Studio by Eric J Smith Architect (winner)18% – Basic Coffee by Office AIO17% – Single Person Gallery by Offhand Practice17% – PROJECT #13 by Studio Wills + Architects13% – Smart Zendo by Sim-Plex Design Studio More

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      Richard Parr Associates expands own office by converting 19th-century barn in the Cotswolds

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      A run-down barn that was once used for storing grain now houses additional office space for the Cotswolds-based staff of architecture practice Richard Parr Associates.The 95-square-metre workspace, which Richard Parr Associates has monikered Grain Loft Studio, is shortlisted in the small workspace interior of the year category in the 2020 Dezeen Awards.
      It’s situated amongst the green fields of Easter Park Farm in the Cotswolds, which was created as part of the Woodchester Park Estate in the middle of the 19th century.

      Top image: the Grain Loft Studio includes a wood burner. Above: Richard Parr’s office features a pitched Douglas fir roof
      An old hayloft, cowshed, bullpen and dairy barn on the farm had already been converted into office space for the practice, but as the number of employees has begun to steadily increase, they realised they were in need of extra room.

      The practice’s eponymous founder, Richard Parr, decided to make use of an abandoned barn.

      Parr’s office looks through to a laidback workroom for staff
      Parr’s office is up on the barn’s first floor in what was formerly a loft store for grain.
      After years of dilapidation, the practice could only save one of the room’s original Cotswold stone walls – the rest have been replaced with expansive panels of glazing that offer views of a nearby National Trust park and Parr’s own family home, which is also on the farm.

      The workroom boasts rubber flooring and black leather furnishings
      “It’s been a joy to extend our studio space, providing much needed flexible workspace for our team,” explained Parr, who has found using the Grain Loft Studio particularly handy during the coronavirus pandemic when many have been forced to work from home.
      “With views out onto the surrounding valleys, the new studio has provided solace whilst working remotely from the team.”

      Richard Parr Associates remodels Edwardian house for Rapha founder Simon Mottram

      The room is topped by a pitched roof constructed from lime-washed beams of Douglas fir.
      Directly beneath is a 2.5-metre-wide glass table surrounded by aluminium-frame chairs, where team members can sit and work with Parr throughout the day.

      At the back of the workroom is a timber volume that houses a kitchenette
      A doorway looks through to an informal workroom that’s meant to have a darker, cosier feel.
      The floor is clad with black recycled-rubber tiles, while the ceiling is clad with textured wood-wool panels.
      One wall has been panelled with timber salvaged from a farmhouse in a neighbouring village that was once occupied by Soviet architect Berthold Lubetkin, which Parr hopes will act as a small homage to “the pioneer of British modernism”.
      In the corner of the room is a wood burner, in front of which a black leather sofa and armchairs have been placed. A kitchenette and small shower room are contained within a grooved timber volume towards the rear of the room.

      There’s a meeting area downstairs in the barn
      An industrial steel staircase leads down to the barn’s ground floor, which was previously just used as a cart bay but can now serve as a meeting room or breakout area.
      It’s simply dressed with a couple of curved bench seats that were carved from a single tree, and a white version of Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen’s signature Tulip table.
      The practice preserved the space’s existing cobbled walls but has covered the floor in stable-block pavers rescued from another building on the farm.

      The exterior of the converted barn
      Richard Parr Associates was established in 2012 and works between offices in the Cotswolds and west London.
      The practice’s Grain Loft Studio will go head-to-head in the Dezeen Awards against projects such as 12 by Ortraum Architects, a music and ceramics studio that’s nestled in the back garden of a house in Helsinki.
      Photography is by Gilbert McCarragher.
      Project credits:
      Architect: Richard Parr AssociatesInteriors: Richard Parr AssociatesContractor: JM WestonFire engineer: Oculus

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      Case-Real contrasts plaster and steel inside Aesop store in Shinjuku

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      Coarse plaster walls offset glinting stainless-steel display fixtures in this restrained store that architecture studio Case-Real has designed for Aesop in Shinjuku, Tokyo.The Aesop store occupies a glass-fronted retail unit in Shinjuku, a buzzing, tourist-heavy ward of Tokyo populated with bars, eateries and neon-lit billboards.

      Case-Real used just two materials to create the store’s simple interior
      When it came to designing the store’s interiors, Case-Real wanted to capture both what it describes as a sense of “artificial chaos” that permeates Shinjuku and the natural quality of Aesop’s skincare products.

      The locally based studio decided to use two contrasting materials that it felt reflected the dichotomy of natural and artificial – plaster and steel.

      Plaster covers the store’s walls, while steel has been used for display fixtures
      All of the store’s gently curving walls are coated with coarse beige plaster, which leaves behind a textured surface finish.
      The same plaster has been applied to a section of the store’s facade, creating a simple backdrop for Aesop’s logo.

      Aesop’s creative director selects significant moments from the brand’s first book

      Paint in the same beige hue has been washed across the ceiling and floor.

      A counter where customers can test products is also made from steel
      Shiny stainless steel has then been used to craft a series of lengthy display shelves that bend in line with the walls and several low-lying cabinets where extra stock can be hidden away, complete with steel handles.
      The metal has additionally been used to make the store’s service desk, as well as a long counter inbuilt with round washbasins where customers are invited to test out products or observe demonstrations from staff.
      A border of steel has also been created around the entrance doorway.

      Plaster gives the walls a rough surface finish
      The only other feature that Case-Real has incorporated in the store is a chunky plaster bench seat supported by cylindrical steel legs.
      It has been placed directly in front of a window that looks onto the busy streets of Shinjuku, allowing customers to quietly sit and people-watch.

      Plaster also appears on the store’s facade
      Case-Real was established in the year 2000 and is led by designer Koichi Futatsumata. Four years ago, the studio designed the interiors of another Aesop store in the Japanese city of Sapporo, covering its walls with locally-sourced volcanic stone.
      The studio’s Aesop Shinjuku store is shortlisted in the small retail interior category of this year’s Dezeen Awards. It will compete against projects such as the Pinocchio, a tiny 4.5-metre-wide bakery in Yokohama, and the Glossier pop-up in Seattle, where products are displayed amongst grassy mounds covered in wildflowers.
      Photography is by Daisuke Shima.
      Project credits:
      Design: Koichi Futatusmata, Yuki Onita (Case-Real)Construction: &SLighting plan: BRANCH lighting design (Tatsuki Nakamura)

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      Rockwell Group completes luxury residents-only leisure club for New York's Waterline Square

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      A sinuous wooden walkway connects different amenities in this private leisure club that architecture and design firm Rockwell Group has created for residents of New York’s Waterline Square development.The Waterline Club by Rockwell Group links together the trio of skyscrapers that make up Waterline Square, a five-acre residential development located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side between West 59th and 61st streets.
      Each of the three buildings was designed by a different architect – Rafael Viñoly, Richard Meier and KPF – and together accommodates 263 luxury apartments.

      An elevated wooden walkway crosses over Nexus, the club’s central gathering spot
      Residents now have exclusive access to 77,000 square feet (7,153 square metres) of leisure amenities available in The Waterline Club, which occupies three subterranean levels beneath the development.

      When devising the interiors, Rockwell Group made sure to make room for activities that “appeal to both left and right-brain thinking”.

      Residents can use The Waterline Club’s fitness centre
      “Our research led to a major observation: New Yorkers have diverse, dynamic interests,” the firm explained.
      “Rather than offer only the typical athletic facilities, we wanted to appeal to New Yorkers’ balanced approach to life, which includes art, music, community, and play,” it continued.
      “We grouped active amenities together, and social and cultural amenities together, establishing a micro-community and an oasis within the city.”

      The club also includes a basketball court
      The central hub of the club is a vast travertine-lined room, dubbed Nexus, which is located down on the third, lowest level. Dotted with an array of plush leather sofas and sculptural armchairs, the room has sightlines through to activity rooms at this level like the gym and tennis court.

      David Rockwell and Joyce Wang team up for first Equinox Hotel in New York

      At this level there’s also a 30-foot-tall (nine-metre-tall) rock climbing wall, a half-pipe skate park, a golf simulation room, a music recording studio and an indoor greenhouse where residents can do gardening.

      Musical residents can make use of the club’s recording studio
      Winding up and across the Nexus is a sinuous wooden bridge that connects visitors to amenities on the club’s upper floors.
      Rockwell Group, which describes the structure as a “circulation ribbon”, took cues from other notable pedestrian paths in New York such as the spiralling walkway inside the Guggenheim Museum and the looping running track that goes around Central Park’s reservoir.
      “The bridge inspires guests to seek out new adventures,” added the firm. “It dips down in the centre, which gives the illusion of tension or stretching and also evokes speed and movement.”

      There’s additionally a series of playrooms for residents’ children
      Among the selection of amenities on the club’s second floor are children’s playrooms, a games arcade, a pets area and a variety of fitness spaces including a basketball court, kickboxing studio and mini athletics field which is fit-out with astroturf.
      This is followed by a sauna, spa treatment rooms and two swimming pools – one of which is Olympic-sized – up on the club’s first floor.

      One of the two swimming pools which can be found on the club’s first floor
      The Waterline Club is a short distance from the high-end hotel that Rockwell Group and Joyce Wang Studio designed for fitness brand Equinox.
      Opened to the public at the end of the last year, the hotel includes 212 guest rooms, a state-of-the-art gym and a rooftop pool that directly overlooks Thomas Heatherwick’s Vessel project.
      Photography is by Evan Joseph, excluding top image by Scott Frances.

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      Seven bedrooms with eye-catching statement walls

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      From graphic tilework to hand-painted wallpaper, architects and designers have found a myriad of ways to create striking surfaces in the bedroom. Here are seven standout examples.

      Duplex in NYC, USA, by Crosby Studios

      Crosby Studios founder Harry Nuriev and his partner Tyler Billinger combined white tilework with a gold-lame headboard to create a statement wall in the bedroom of their New York apartment.
      Nuriev and Billinger didn’t hold back when it came to designing the rest of the room, which boasts ultraviolet side tables and throw cushions, as well as a hand-shaped light.
      Find out more about Duplex in NYC ›

      Hygge Studio, Brazil, by Melina Romano
      Tan-coloured bricks that feature in the communal living spaces of this Sao Paulo apartment continue through to the bedroom to form a rustic feature wall, finished with a lengthy headboard upholstered in terracotta-red fabric.
      Interior designer Melina Romano explained that the warm medley of materials and colours are meant to channel a sense of hygge – a Danish term for a feeling of cosiness or contentment.
      Find out more about Hygge Studio ›

      Chelsea Pied-à-Terre, USA, by Stadt Architecture
      Gold paint seems to ooze down the painterly, deep-green statement wall that features in the bedroom of this New York apartment.
      The owners, who originally hail from southwest Canada, had wanted to bring the lush verdancy of the landscapes in their hometown into the apartment’s interior.
      “We couldn’t literally accommodate a green living wall into the living areas,” Stadt Architecture explained. “However, we reconsidered ‘landscape’ as a custom hand-painted wall covering.”
      Find out more about Chelsea Pied-à-Terre ›

      Apartment A, Belgium, by Atelier Dialect
      The unusual open-plan bedroom and bathroom inside this Antwerp apartment includes a statement wall clad in contrasting black and white subway tiles.
      It serves as a graphic backdrop to the room’s freestanding tub, wrapped in shiny panels of mirrored steel.
      Find out more about Apartment A ›

      Heat 360, Ukraine, by Azovskiy & Pahomova Architects
      Blotches of rust colour the dark slate-tile wall that extends across the back of this master bedroom, which is set inside a family home in Ukraine’s Dnipro region.
      The floor-to-ceiling windows that run along the front the bedroom act as another statement wall, providing uninterrupted views out towards the landscaped garden and a nearby river.
      Find out more about Heat 360 ›

      Shkrub, Ukraine, by Sergey Makhno
      Rows of rounded ceramic tiles create an almost scaly surface finish on the wall of the guest bedroom in architect Sergey Makhno’s family home.
      This is one of several statement walls Makhno has incorporated in the property – a plaster wall in his own master bedroom has been sculpted to resemble the craggy face of a cliff.
      Find out more about Shkrub ›

      Casa A12, Spain, by Lucas y Hernández-Gil
      A large cobalt-blue circle forms a simple but striking feature wall in the bedroom of this Madrid duplex apartment.
      This shade of blue and coral orange have been applied across the rest of the home in homage to the colours used in Number 14, a painting by 20th-century abstract artist Mark Rothko.
      Find out more about Casa A12 ›

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      Agnieszka Owsiany Studio creates tranquil apartment in Poznań for couple working in medicine

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      The high-pressure medical jobs of the couple living in this Poznań apartment led Agnieszka Owsiany Studio to apply a calming mix of wood and pale marble throughout the interiors.Set inside a newly built residential block that overlooks a botanical garden, the Botaniczna Apartment is home to a surgeon and his wife who runs a medical clinic.

      Above: the living area. Top image: a wood-lined hallway leads to the apartment’s master bedroom
      The couple had purchased the 90-square-metre apartment as an empty shell but soon brought Agnieszka Owsiany Studio on board to develop the interiors.

      They requested that the studio compose a calming home environment where they could unwind at the end of their often stressful workdays.

      The couple’s personal trinkets can be displayed in a long walnut sideboard
      “My clients asked for a high quality, almost hotel-like space as they were in need of everyday comfort,” the studio’s founder, Agnieszka Owsiany, told Dezeen.
      “I really wanted to create something timeless, hence the idea to use the materials such as wood and travertine which age beautifully and hopefully won’t be replaced within many years,” she continued.
      “All the kinds of wood and stone I chose, they have these nice, soothing warm tones.”

      A black dining table contrast the neutral colours elsewhere in the room
      Wooden chevron flooring runs throughout the home’s open-plan living and dining room, at the centre of which sits a plump sofa upholstered in brown leather.
      A coffee table perches on a fluffy rug just in front. It runs alongside a four-metre-long walnut sideboard where the couple can tuck books and magazines, or display small ornaments.

      The kitchen boasts oak cabinetry and a travertine marble island
      The kitchen is placed in the corner of the room, finished with oak cabinetry. Slim slabs of creamy travertine marble have been used to make the splashback behind the stove and the breakfast island.

      Nadzieja restaurant in Poznań features understated Bauhaus-style interiors

      There’s additionally a console made from burl wood – specifically chosen by the studio for its distinctive grain pattern – and a jet-black dining table fashion from bogwood, which is meant to stand in stark contrast to the otherwise neutral shades in the room.

      Burl wood has been used to make a distinctive vanity desk in the bedroom
      A cosy, wood-panelled hallway leads to the apartment’s other rooms, which lie behind floor-to-ceiling doors.
      Agnieszka Owsiany Studio has continued using much the same material palette – for example, burl wood has been used to create a vanity desk in the master bedroom. Oak storage units feature in the adjacent walk-in-wardrobe, which is neatly obscured by a linen-curtain screen.

      Travertine marble also covers surfaces in the bathroom
      The same travertine marble that features in the kitchen has been used to line surfaces in the bathroom and to make the washbasins.
      In the home office, oak lines the back wall and a full-height gridded shelf.

      The home office includes a full-height oak shelving unit
      This isn’t the first project that Agnieszka Owsiany Studio has completed in the Polish city of Poznań.
      At the end of last year, the studio designed the interiors of restaurant Nadzieja, filling it with Bauhaus-inspired details like tubular steel-frame chairs and pale partition walls that echo the buildings seen in Tel Aviv’s White City.
      Photography is by Pion Studio.

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