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      Alice D'Andrea creates industrial coffee roastery in Vancouver steel foundry

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      Coffee roasting and tasting takes place in this industrial-style coffee shop in Vancouver, which local studio Alice D’Andrea has designed inside a historic factory building. Located in Vancouver’s Railtown neighbourhood, the space was built in 1923 as the Settlement Building, a steel foundry for manufacturing machinery parts, and then later used as a warehouse for lighting company Bocci.

      The roastery features existing industrial windows and ceiling beams
      It now forms the headquarters for speciality coffee company Pallet Coffee Roasters with space for team training, a tasting area, roastery operations, seating and merchandise.

      Douglas fir beams punctuate the ceiling, large, industrial-style windows bring natural light to the back of the building, and exposed concrete runs throughout, providing a nod to its history.

      Seating is set under a large skylight
      “The main goal for this project was to design a ‘destination’ for coffee lovers,” said Alice D’Andrea. “A place where customers could enjoy their coffee while being educated on the process and the passion that goes behind their product.”

      Williamson Williamson places office above Pilot Coffee roasting warehouse in Toronto

      The 7000-square-foot (650-square-metre) open space has been separated into different areas. To the rear of the space the roastery is furnished with a long table made of reclaimed fir, which is used for coffee tasting and team training.

      An L-shaped counter divides the open space
      An L-shaped coffee counter, patterned with black-stained oak planks in a herringbone pattern, forms the centre of the space. A gridded glass partition that echoes the former foundry’s industrial windows rises from the middle of the counter to offer glimpses of the production area at the rear.
      “The glass partition between the counter and the production leaves the view open on the production, on the machinery and the people working behind the scenes,” the studio said.

      Black-stained wood patterns the counter
      “Customers can enjoy their beverage while watching how raw beans from around the world turn into their favourite drink; a truly unique customer experience,” the studio added.
      The black volume is broken up by glass volumes that form display cabinets for pieces on sale and nooks for seating.

      The roastery occupies the rear
      Large copper pendant lights hang overheard to complement the warm hues of the wooden ceiling beams. Other copper detailing can be found in the counter kick and shelving.
      Customers can sip their coffee on a seating alcove under a huge skylight, or on wooden benches either side of large planters and stools. Decorative elements are provided by coffee bags piled atop pallets, and pops of greenery.

      Copper details add warmth
      Pallet Coffee Roasters HQ’s entrance has white-painted walls, greenery and pendant lights from Bocci – the building’s previous owner.
      Other coffee roasteries on Dezeen include Pilot Coffee roasting warehouse in Toronto that Williamson Williamson recently extended with offices and the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Tokyo designed by Kengo Kuma.
      Photography is by Andrew Fyfe.

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      Robert Gutowski Architects designs minimal church interior in response to changes in modern worship

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      The Church of Pope John Paul II in Páty, Hungary, is a crescent-shaped building featuring skewed angles and whitewashed concrete that aims to turn “passive observers” into active participants of worship.Local practice Robert Gutowski Architects filled the church in the village of Páty in Budapest with modern takes on traditional aspects of Medieval, ecclesiastical architecture.
      The intention was to shift the emphasis towards the altar and the congregation to make the act of worship more engaging.

      The Church of Pope John Paul II features an elliptical layout
      Traditional churches typically have a rectangular floor plan and are made up of a nave – the central part of the church – and an apse – the semicircular or polygonal area at the end of the aisle, usually located behind the altar.

      The Church of Pope John Paul II, however, has an elliptical layout, made up of the crescent-shaped building of worship that wraps around an adjoining oval-shaped outdoor space.
      Therefore what would typically be the nave of a conventional church functions as the churchyard or garden, while the liturgical space is situated where the apse would be.

      The church interior features whitewashed reinforced concrete ceilings and walls
      As studio founder Robert Gutowski explains, this layout was designed to place more emphasis on the communal experience of the Eucharist and to “invite people closer to the holy act” at the altar.
      “If you like, we invite people into the apse, surrounding the altar, forming a community,” the architect explained. “It is also similar to the liturgy of early times, when Paleochristians simply surrounded a table in their own home – what is known as Domus Ecclesiae.”

      The design aims to place more emphasis on the Eucharist and the altar
      “The church clearly defines its purpose: while the Creator and the almighty God are at the centre of traditional liturgy, modern liturgical efforts have shifted emphasis to the recreator God, the image of a perpetually redeeming Christ,” Gutowski added.
      “The Church of Pope John Paul II represents a conscious response to liturgical changes in recent decades, rendering it a model church experiment in contemporary church architecture,” he continued.
      “Emphasis is shifted toward the active involvement of worshippers.The community is not a passive observer of events in a sanctuary, but rather actively experiences the holy act.”

      The church building itself has a crescent-like shape
      Several rooms lead off of the central, liturgical space, including a communal room, a service room and an office on the ground floor, and an educational room, guest room, the priest’s living quarters, and access to the bell tower on the first floor.
      Each of these rooms are enclosed in one, whole elliptical floor plan – a form chosen to symbolise “perpetuity” and to create a holistic space.
      “The concept is that when we say ‘church’, this does not refer only to the part of the chapel, but rather to the whole community building in one singular form,” explained Gutowski.

      Angled walls and off-centre details represent the broken body of Christ
      The two ellipses formed by the crescent-shaped church and the adjoining yard have been set at different axes. This is following the historically “inaccurate” layout of traditional churches, wherein the nave and the apse tend to be slightly off-centre of each other.
      “We cannot name one single church that sits on the same axis, because pretty much all of the historical churches in Europe have this tiny ‘mistake’, which actually became a symbol of the broken body of Christ,” added Gutowski.
      This symbol of Christ’s broken body has been extended to the church interior, which features walls set at slanted, uneven angles.

      Spotlights and skylights illuminate significant spaces in the church
      The domed ceiling, made from reinforced concrete, is lined with spotlights that illuminate various sacral functions such as the area of the altar and surrounding alcoves filled with religious artworks.
      A rectangular cutout in the ceiling also fills the room with natural light, which is directed particularly at the centre towards the altar.

      The altar is carved from a single block of deep green stone
      While the majority of the interior has been painted white – bar the natural-wood pews – the altar is carved from a single block of deep green onyx stone, standing out from its surroundings to serve as the focal point of the space.
      The structure itself is symmetrical but every detail is asymmetrical, such as the alcoves. The altar is the only element that sits on the main axis of the building.
      Steps made of white Carrara marble lead up to the altar, which have trapezoid-shaped surfaces with rounded corners to allow gathering around the sanctuary space.

      A curved staircase leads up to the first floor
      The design and construction of The Church of Pope John Paul II was carried out with the help of the local community. The church was built mainly using donations, and was consecrated in 2019.
      The church has been shortlisted in the civic and cultural interior project category of this year’s Dezeen Awards.

      Crematorium Siesegem by Kaan Architecten rejects “pompous monumentalism”

      Other projects in this category include a crematorium in Belgium designed by Rotterdam-based studio Kaan Architecten, which is made up of one rectilinear volume made from blocks of unfinished concrete.
      A museum for children in Pittsburgh has also been shortlisted in the civic and cultural interior project category, which US firm KoningEizenberg Architecture renovated from the remains of a historic library that was struck by lightning.
      Project credits:
      Architect: Robert GutowskiDesign team: Ákos Boczkó, Gáspár Bollók, Barnabás Dely-Steindl, Hunor László Kovács, István Kövér, Attila Révai, Béla Ákos SzokolayArtworks: Csaba Ozsvári, István Böjte HorváthLandscape design: Attila PállEngineering: Zoltán Klopka, András Lantos, Gáspár Sándor, Gellért Mérő, János MészárosPhotography: Tamás Bujnovszky

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      Maison François brasserie in London takes cues from Ricardo Bofill's architecture

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      Soaring arches reminiscent of those seen in Ricardo Bofill’s La Fabrica feature in this decadent restaurant in St James, London designed by creative director John Whelan.Whelan – who leads artist collective The Guild of Saint Luke – told Dezeen that, prior to his intervention, Maison François simply looked like “one giant concrete cube”.
      The materiality of the space immediately encouraged Whelan to base his interiors scheme around La Fabrica – an abandoned cement factory just outside of Barcelona that Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill transformed into offices for his practice in 1973.

      The interiors of the restaurant are inspired by Ricardo Bofill’s La Fabrica
      “I always try and find a creative route that respects the DNA of the building, and this felt appropriate,” said Whelan.

      “Furthermore, the client wanted to reference historic brasseries but create a contemporary version – also reflected in the food.”

      Arched recesses have been made in the restaurant’s terracotta walls
      The exterior of Bofill’s La Fabrica is notably punctuated with soaring arched windows. These have been reinterpreted inside Maison François, which boasts terracotta-coloured stucco walls inset with shallow arch-shaped recesses.
      “La Fabrica is probably the greatest home that I will probably never visit, and so the arches were a sort of ‘homage’ to that wonderful creation,” explained Whelan.

      Tubular chandeliers hang from the restaurant’s ceiling
      Walnut has been used to craft the restaurant’s seating banquettes – their latticed backs are inspired by the pews in Germany’s modernist Maria Heimsuchung church, which Whelan came across in a photography series by Robert Goetzfried.
      Chairs have been upholstered in creamy linen to match the colour of the lacquered-wood dining tables. Tubular chandeliers have also been suspended from the ceiling, which has been finished with a faux-cement patina.

      The seating banquettes are crafted from walnut wood
      Mahogany has been used to craft a latticed hood above the open kitchen, where dishes that draw upon traditional French cuisine will be prepared.
      Food will be served by both chefs and waiters, an attempt by the restaurant to diffuse the typical boundaries between front and back-of-house operations.
      “Maison François will be everything a brasserie should be – welcoming, fun and hospitable, with classic dishes made with the best seasonal produce we can get our hands on – whilst also ripping up the rulebook when it comes to service,” said the restaurant’s founder, François O’Neill.

      A huge clock sits above the restaurant’s open kitchen
      At the centre of the hood is a huge clock that Whelan had made bespoke from patinated nickel and bronze.
      Weighing half a ton, the grills on the side of the clock are meant to subtly mirror those that feature on the front of vintage Rolls Royce cars, often seen outside the restaurant on the affluent streets of St James.

      John Whelan adorns Paris’ Nolinski restaurant with art-deco details

      “The clock is a classic of historic brasserie design, and can be found around the world from Bouillon Julien in Paris to Fischer’s in London,” added Whelan.
      “We wanted to have this iconic focal point but with our own style.”

      Underneath the restaurant is a wine bar called Frank’s
      Stairs lead down to Maison François’ adjoining wine bar, called Frank’s. This space is intended to have a slightly more industrial feel, so has been completed with exposed white-brick walls, polished concrete flooring and black-leather seating.
      Bofill’s La Fabrica is referenced again at this level but this time in the form of arched mirror wall panels.

      White-brick walls give the wine bar a more industrial look
      John Whelan established The Guild of Saint Luke in 2017, working with artists, artisans and architects to restore and revive historic French brasseries.
      Earlier this year Whelan overhauled Parisian eatery Nolinski, filling its interiors with art deco-inspired details like gold-leaf “sunburst” columns.
      Photography is by Oskar Proctor.

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      Rapt Studio fashions soothing interiors for Goop HQ in Santa Monica

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      Design agency Rapt Studio has used curved furnishings and soft colours to create a calming ambience inside the Santa Monica headquarters of lifestyle and wellness brand Goop.The two-floor HQ measures 55,000 square feet (5,109 square metres) and provides a unified workspace for Goop, which was founded by actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Prior to this team members had been scattered between different buildings.

      The lobby of Goop’s Santa Monica headquarters
      “We designed their new, light-filled headquarters in Santa Monica to preserve the buzz they’d maintained in close quarters, while giving big ideas room to roam,” explained Rapt Studio.

      “[Staff] needed a place to concentrate their energy and efforts to propel the brand into its next phase of development.”

      A corner of the lobby is dominated by a sculptural metal desk
      Employees enter the head office via a spacious lobby. One corner of the room is dominated by a custom-made desk made by Los Angeles-based studio Artcrafters.
      The desk comprises four bulky metal blocks which are meant to mimic the rounded shape of the letters that feature in Goop’s company logo.

      The headquarters includes a kitchen where staff can test recipes
      Curved forms go on to feature in the adjacent waiting area where a pink, crescent-shaped sofa and bench seat perch on a woven circular rug. An oversized white pendant light is suspended overhead, while behind stands a golden wire-frame screen.
      The lobby leads through to a sequence of work areas – this includes a lab for developing new products, a podcast-recording studio and a fashion workshop where designs for Goop’s clothing line, G Label, will be drawn up.

      There is also a product showroom on-site
      A test kitchen finished with jet-black joinery offers a spot for staff to experiment with recipes and film cooking tutorials for Goop’s YouTube channel.
      There is also a small showroom on-site. At its centre is a chunky stone-topped counter inbuilt with a sink where the beauty and skincare products on display can be trialled out.

      Goop staff work around bespoke desks
      Staff have been given bespoke workstations. For formal meetings they can head to one of the conference rooms, which are decorated with past and present examples of Goop merchandise.

      Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop brand launches first home collection with CB2

      Expansive floor-to-ceiling panels of glazing flood spaces throughout the HQ in natural light.
      This is seen best in what employees refer to as the “All Hands” area, which boasts views of the palm tree-lined LA skyline.

      Conference rooms are decorated with framed Goop merchandise
      The room is used for casual catch-ups or large-scale staff gatherings. It includes a light-hued timber kitchen and a trio of arched niches that accommodate tan-leather seating banquettes.
      There are also a couple of grey modular sofas that can be rearranged to suit different-sized workgroups.

      Light-hued timber lines the staff kitchen
      “The intent of the material palette was to evoke a sense of calming familiarity,” said Rapt Studio’s president and creative director, Sam Farhang.
      “Natural, warm materials and soft tones create a welcoming environment, allowing the Goop team to feel at home within the space,” he told Dezeen.

      This light-filled room can be used for informal meetings
      Tapping into Goop’s wellness-focused ethos, Rapt Studio also made sure to incorporate a yoga room and a number of secluded lounge spots and private booths for staff.
      “These spaces – cocooned and concealed – are designed for reflecting, replenishing, and recharging,” added the studio.

      It features arched niches with tan-leather seating banquettes
      Goop was launched by Paltrow in 2008, starting life as a weekly newsletter before growing into a brand that offers wellness, beauty and style advice.
      Its trendy HQ is one of several that Rapt Studio has designed – back in 2017 it completed head offices for streetwear brand Vans, including meeting rooms lined with skateboards and huge graffiti wall murals.
      In 2014 it also created headquarters for e-ticketing company Eventbrite, which has break-out areas with stadium-style seating.
      Photography is by Madeline Tolle.

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      Sella Concept brings retro feel to Sister Jane Townhouse in London

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      Fringed furnishings and velvet walls feature inside the west London headquarters that design studio Sella Concept has created for fashion brand Sister Jane, which includes a showroom, restaurant and roof terrace.Sella Concept said it drew upon “untapped maximalist style” to design Sister Jane Townhouse, which takes over a prominent corner property on Golborne Road in the affluent neighbourhood of Notting Hill.
      Having outgrown their old studio on the nearby Portobello Road, the fashion brand had been keen to move into a larger space that could offer a more immersive retail experience.

      The ground floor of Sister Jane Townhouse has a restaurant called Cha Cha’s
      The three-storey townhouse incorporates a restaurant, a showroom and an office where employees can plan and design future clothing collections. On the roof there is also an outdoor terrace where visitors can gather for drinks.

      When it came to developing the interiors, Sella Concept sought to reflect the retro style of Sister Jane’s billowy blouses and dresses. The studio’s co-founder, Tatjana Von Stein, particularly found herself referencing the aesthetics of the 1970s.

      Furnishings in the restaurant feature fringed detailing
      “I must admit that I am always inspired by the ’70s forms, shapes and use of space,” Von Stein told Dezeen.
      “There is a movement and warmth in its design history that I love to employ with a contemporary twist.”

      A collage wall in the restaurant displays campaign photos by Sister Jane
      On the ground floor of Sister Jane Townhouse is the restaurant, called Cha Cha’s, which serves up a roster of Latin-fusion brunch dishes.
      The space has peach-coloured walls and is dominated by a huge hexagonal, brass-edged bar counter. It’s surrounded by a series of Deja Vu stools by Masquespacio that boast tiers of mauve, cream and beige fringing.

      Sister Jane’s clothing showroom is on the townhouse’s first floor
      Fringing also skirts the burnt-orange seating banquette that winds around a corner of the room, and runs along the edge of the six-sided dining tables. Mustard-yellow lamps with fringed shades have additionally been dotted throughout as decor.
      Cha Cha’s includes a collage wall which will be plastered with different striking images from Sister Jane’s fashion campaigns.
      The wall runs directly beside a brass-tread staircase – the steps had previously been closed in by a partition wall, but Von Stein knocked this down to encourage diners to explore the showroom on the first floor.

      Garments hang from bespoke walnut rails in the showroom
      Upstairs in the showroom, surfaces take on a pinkish hue.
      Some clothes are displayed within a veiled pod that sits at the centre of the room, enclosed by sheer white curtains. Other garments hang from custom-made walnut rails or are presented on mannequins which perch on a curvaceous platform covered in teal-blue carpet.

      An adjacent showroom will display Sister Jane’s Ghospell clothing line
      A short walkway leads through to a room that showcases Sister Jane’s Ghospell line, which offers pared-back clothes with sculptural silhouettes.
      This space has aptly been given a slightly more minimal finish – walls here are either clad in steel or upholstered with buttery yellow velvet, while the changing room is entirely lined with mirrored panels.
      Wooden flooring that runs throughout the rest of the townhouse has also been replaced here by micro cement.

      Walls in this showroom are clad in steel and yellow velvet
      Above the showrooms are the offices for Sister Jane staff, followed by the roof terrace dressed with comfy cushioned benches and green wire-frame chairs.
      Guests can alternatively relax in the secret ground-floor garden room, which is accessed via a door disguised as an antique armoire.

      The customer changing room is entirely lined with mirrored panels
      “We have a true inclination for concept spaces which indulge in all the senses and offer the design challenge to seam together a variety of experiences and brands,” explained Von Stein.
      “But it was tricky – in essence, we had 2-3 clients on one building.”

      An antique armoire hides a door leading to Sister Jane Townhouse’s secret garden room
      Sella Concept was established by Tatjana Von Stein and Gayle Noonan. Previous projects by the studio include Public Hall, a plush co-working space that occupies the former office of the UK secret intelligence service, and Night Tales, a pink-tinged cocktail bar.
      At the end of last year the studio also debuted its first furniture collection, which comprises a series of curvaceous stool seats.
      Photography is by Genevieve Lutkin.

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      Dreamscapes & Artificial Architecture book editor selects five favourite 3D artists

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      Berlin-based publisher Gestalten has released a book that showcases whimsical architectural and interiors renderings. The book’s editor, Elli Stuhler, highlights five artists that feature inside.Comprising just over 200 pages, Dreamscapes & Artificial Architecture shows off the fanciful landscapes, structures and interiors imagined by 3D artists “working at the intersection of architecture, interior design, and technology”.
      Gestalten says the hardback book comes at a time when spatial modelling software “has the potential to be immensely liberating”.
      “We have never before had such capacity to render the world as we would like it to be,” explained the publishers.
      “Modeling software is not industry-specific; you don’t have to be an architect to design a building, or an interior designer to render a space,” it continued.
      “In recent years it has become increasingly popular among artists, who take the visual language of traditional CGI and apply it in new and interesting ways. In this book, this is exemplified by renders of impossible spaces that cannot – and will not – be built.”
      A total of 44 3D artists are featured in the title, whose work depicts everything from pastel-pink seaside homes to desolate, post-apocalyptic wastelands.
      Gestalten editor Elli Stuhler talks through five of her favourite artists – see below for the full selection.

      Paul Milinski

      “Australian artist Paul Milinski is featured right at the outset of the book because his work does a really good job of encapsulating the book’s overall mood.
      “His work combines several disciplines: 3D, of course, but he also weaves in architecture, interiors, still-life and landscaping. These spaces don’t always need to make sense – escalators leading down to the edge of a glassy pond, for instance – and that’s what I personally like most about them.”

      Filip Hodas
      “Filip Hodas is a Czech 3D artist with a huge online following, no small part of which will have been garnered by his Pop Culture Dystopia series.
      “Mickey Mouse heads and Poke Balls lie forgotten, overgrown as if they’re remnants of some bygone world. My favourite of his works in the book show hulking brutalist concrete structures surrounded by water, as though emerging from the depths.”

      Hayden Clay
      “Hayden Clay is an American photographer and 3D artist. We’ve included works that look a lot like a flooded version of the New York subway.
      “He contrasts the foreboding subject matter with beautiful, warm lighting, like the next morning after a storm.”

      Notoo Studio
      “Referring to many of the works in this book as ‘surreal’ is a very apt parallel to draw, but I like how this studio takes it a step further and has created a series of vignettes that are contemporary reinterpretations of artists René Magritte, Giorgio de Chirico or Maurits Cornelis Escher.
      “This series expands the 2D world of these artists and fills it with contemporary furniture.”

      Andres Reisinger
      “I love the pastel colour palette of Andres Reisinger’s work. One of the works we show in the book is a pool with a deck made entirely from what appears to be white pink ostrich feathers.
      “In real life, what could possibly be less practical? After a single swim, the feathers would be damp and matted – completely miserable. But that’s what I think makes this so appealing, it doesn’t need to be practical. Nothing about these spaces are in any way tied to reality. That’s the joy of it.”
      All images courtesy of Gestalten.

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      Integrated Field decorates children's hospital in Thailand with slides and a pool

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      Design studio Integrated Field has created colourful arched interiors filled with animals and clouds to provide an enjoyable experience for children at a hospital in Samut Sakhon, Thailand.Playful touches in EKH Children’s Hospital include a bright yellow slide that spirals through the reception and animal shapes above hospital beds and light-up constellations that act as night lights.

      A yellow slide spirals through the entrance
      EKH Children’s Hospital has been shortlisted for leisure and wellness interior of the year at Dezeen Awards 2020.

      Integrated Field wanted the young visitors to the medical facility to be put at ease in what can be a scary and unfamiliar place.

      Waiting rooms have play areas and soft benches
      The designers put fun elements, such as clouds above an indoor swimming pool and soft play areas in the waiting rooms, to help distract children who could be nervous or feeling unwell.
      “Imagine being a kid dreading going into the hospital, the slide will definitely make you stop crying,” said the studio.
      “The waiting area of each clinic is designed into a playground, which becomes something of a burden for the parents when having to convince the kids to leave the hospital.”

      Slides make hospital visits so fun sometimes children don’t want to leave
      An indoor swimming pool adds to the fun, with arched windows that form circular reflections in the water and white clouds decorating the walls against a sky-blue backdrop.
      In the pharmacy, the play area is designed so that parents can easily keep an eye on their charges when they’re waiting at the counter.

      The rooms are themed around animals such as rabbits
      Arches above doorways and alcoves and rounded seating areas were all designed with a child’s perspective in mind, and these architectural elements were scaled to their height.
      Rooms are painted in soft pastel tones, including pink, blue and yellow.

      Ater Architects creates friendly interior for a children’s clinic in Kyiv

      “The pastel colour tone encourages the children’s use of imagination,” Integrated Field told Dezeen.
      “As a kid, we all create our own imaginary world when we are experiencing a space for the first time,” it added. “Each specific colour refers to a specific animal representing each zone, such as sky blue for whales.”

      Ceiling decorations double as nightlights
      Rooms for overnight stays are given animal themes to make them more appealing – Whale, Turtle, Lion and Rabbit Constellation.
      The animal’s outline is picked out on the ceiling so that it is visible during the day. At night, soft lightbulbs and glow in the dark strips pick out a constellation of stars that acts as a comforting nightlight.

      Arches feature in the hospital’s bathrooms
      Lighting in all of the hospital rooms and corridors is also designed to be soft, rather than the harsh fluorescent lights usually found in hospital settings.
      In the hospital bathrooms, the girls’ toilets are tiled pink and the boys’ yellow. Sinks and urinals are set into arched alcoves, with half of the facilities placed at a child’s height for easy access.

      The facade is also decorated with animals
      On the exterior facade, pastel-coloured metal screens have perforations that form the shape of animals.
      “As adults, we find ourselves amazed if not a bit jealous by the mesmerising variety and development of children’s toys or even snacks these days,” said the studio.
      “EKH Children Hospital will change everyone’s perception about what the space of a children’s hospital can be.”
      Integrated Field was founded in 2011 and is based in Bangkok.
      Other colourful children’s hospitals include a hospital in Brisbane with a colourful facade and a layout inspired by trees, and a brightly coloured children’s outpatient clinic in Kyiv that is also designed to be deliberately un-threatening.
      Photography is by Ketsiree Wongwan.
      Project credits:
      Owner: Ekachai HospitalInterior architect: Integrated FieldArchitect: S:CSBLandscape architect: S:CSBLighting designer: Nopporn SakulwigitsinthuEnvironmental graphics: Integrated FieldStructural engineer: S:CSBElectrical engineer: S:CSBSanitary engineer: S:CSBMain contractor: Adisorn ConstructionInterior contractor: Open Interior, PansinSignage contractor: D.R. Advertising

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      Birch hotel by Red Deer takes over an 18th-century English mansion

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      Architecture studio Red Deer carried out an understated overhaul of a centuries-old mansion near Hertfordshire, England to form the Birch hotel, which is designed to challenge the idea of luxury.Birch is set on a 55-acre estate in the English town of Cheshunt, occupying a heritage-listed brick mansion that dates back to 1763.

      Red Deer has designed the Birch hotel in Cheshunt with slightly stripped back guest rooms
      The 140-room hotel is the brainchild of entrepreneur Chris King and former managing director of London’s Ace Hotel, Chris Penn, with interiors by architecture studio Red Deer.

      While respecting the grandiose nature of the mansion, the studio wanted Birch to shift perceptions of luxury hotels.

      Each bedroom contains a bespoke valet stand. Photo by Fergus Coyle
      “[We] consider the term ‘luxury’ as degraded through overuse, and the parameters of what constitutes a ‘luxury hotel’ can be tricky to define,” said Red Deer.
      “For [us], luxury comes from the creation of a meaningful emotional connection between the hotel guest and the space they inhabit.”

      The cinema room has striped deck chairs
      “As the landscape for luxury hospitality has evolved, the onus is now focused on creating a unique and personalised one-to-one experience for guests,” it continued.
      “Hotels aren’t just bedrooms with smart technology, but memory-making experiences that create value and loyalty.”

      Birch has a spacious coworking area
      The guest rooms of the Birch hotel are therefore slightly stripped back in appearance, finished with white-painted walls, exposed-wire lights and simple rattan headboards.
      TVs and work desks have also been purposefully omitted so that guests can completely detach from the stresses of everyday life.

      The coworking space has patchy plaster walls
      Each room includes a bespoke valet stand that Red Deer commissioned London-based designer Jan Hendzel to make alongside designer Charlotte Kidger, ceramicist Emma Louise Payne and metalsmith Lucie Naujalis.
      The stands are anchored by colourful orb or pill-shaped bases that Kidger has crafted from waste plastic, held in by sycamore and ash wood frames made by Hendzel.

      Red Deer commissioned local artists to create a series of unique spaces
      Spokes of the frame extend up to form clothes hooks, balance flower vases by Payne or support hand-beaten copper bowls by Naujalis that can hold knick-knacks like keys or cash.

      Red Deer and Jan Hendzel Studio combine ceramics, beaten copper and recycled plastic for hotel valet stands

      “It felt crucial to bring local artists and makers on-board to work on the interior projects and create some truly unique pieces to be enjoyed by the guests, challenging the idea that uniformity was essential for large batch runs of furniture,” added the studio.

      Original details were retained in the hotel where possible
      Throughout the rest of the hotel Red Deer has tried to “only intervene where it counted”, contradicting the typical “wastefulness” associated with luxury spaces.
      Several spaces still boast the building’s original panelled walls and ornate cornicing. This includes the mint-green cinema room, where guests are invited to sit and watch the latest films or documentaries from striped deck chairs.

      The communal spaces contain original panelling
      The spacious coworking area has patchy plaster walls, while the reception room features elaborate wooden boiserie and floorboards marked with white-painted numbers left behind by builders from the building’s last renovation.
      Rather than trying to cover them up, Red Deer instead decided to keep them as a quirky design feature.
      The central concierge desk, which has a faceted blue-metal base, brings a modern touch to the room.

      The Gun Room is a private dining area
      “We wanted to take a light touch on the existing features and celebrate the Georgian building,” said ​Ciarán O’Brien, co-founder of Red Deer. ​
      “The building created a really strong backdrop, so we looked at each space from the point of what already existed,” he continued. “Any intervention within a space needed to work with that, and once you build that design story it allows us to imagine how that room will operate.”

      The Zebra Riding Club is one of three restaurants
      Other on-site experiences that guests can enjoy include an interactive bakery, a pottery workshop, fitness studios and an open-air swimming pool.
      There are also three restaurants: Zebra Riding Club, which will serve “unfussy” dishes made with ingredients from Birch’s farm, The Gun Room, a wood-lined private dining room that seats just eight guests and Valeries, an all-day eatery that features sky-blue walls and chandeliers dangling from the ceiling.
      Red Deer is based between London and Barcelona and was founded by Lionel Real de Azúa, Ciarán O’Brien and Lucas Che Tizard.
      Previous projects by the studio include a pastel-green pasta restaurant and a virtual reality arcade which has neon interiors inspired by the work of artist James Turrell.
      Photography is by Adam Firman unless stated otherwise.

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