all

Subterms

    More stories

    • 125 Shares119 Views

      Xiaoxi Xiong designs greyscale interiors for Fnji office in Beijing

      by

      The “warm sense of the future” depicted in sci-fi movie Her informed the soft grey workspaces that designer Xiaoxi Xiong has created in the Beijing office of furniture brand Fnji.The 1000-square-metre Fnji office is located northeast of central Beijing in the city’s Shunyi district.
      Chinese designer Xiaoxi Xiong was tasked with developing a striking aesthetic for the new office.

      “As the urban planning policy is tightened in Beijing, the resource of distinctive office space is rare now,” explained Xiaoxi Xiong, who leads Tra & Xi Studio alongside designer Lin Yitong. “After long term research, we chose this space in the end.”

      “Its attractive spatial advantages are the top-floor views, daylight, and the two floors which could be constructed freely.”

      Xiong wanted to imbue the office with the same “blurry and warm sense of the future” they saw in the 2013 sci-fi romance film Her, which chronicles how a shy writer gradually falls in love with an artificial intelligence system.

      Precht creates monochromatic interiors for RayData office in Beijing

      Almost every surface in the office – including the floors – has been washed with pale-grey gypsum plaster, selected for its ultra-matte surface finish.

      The plaster has also been made to cover the balustrade and treads of the curving staircase that leads up to the office’s upper level.
      Towards the back of the lower level are a couple of textural feature walls, which Xiong created by pouring semi-solidified gypsum over jumbled piles of broken bricks.

      “It’s such an interesting process to recreate an installation with recycled materials,” Xiong told Dezeen.
      “This work has a new life and exists in the space naturally.”
      Furnishings throughout the office, from the work desks to the cushioned chairs in the glass-fronted meeting rooms, are also grey.

      Two huge slate-coloured planters are installed on the lower level, and a sheer dark-grey curtain extends down from the office’s ceiling to the lower level.
      Sections of the floor are also covered by striped or checkerboard-pattern grey carpet.

      Translucent paper-like blinds hang in front of the windows to lend a soft and hazy light quality to the office interior.
      Some dark-coloured elements, like the rough black stone counter that sits towards Fnji office’s entrance, have been incorporated to “strike out the softness”.

      Much like Xiaoxi Xiong, architecture practice Precht referenced the film Her for its design of a data office in Chaoyang, Beijing.
      The floor, desks and work booths in the office are upholstered in soft grey fabric, which the practice hoped would emulate the way the film “connects technology with a very warm and tactile atmosphere”.
      Dezeen also included Her in its roundup of 10 films with striking interior design to watch under lockdown.
      Photography is by Mobai except for head image by Yu Ling.
      Project credits:
      Lead designer: Xiaoxi XiongArt director: Guqi GaoDetailed design: Juan LiSoft loading design: Yu LiEngineering manager: Mingyu ZhangEngineering execution: Jiahuan Liu

      Read more: More

    • 150 Shares109 Views

      Pale woodwork updates 1920s Riverside Apartment in New York’s Upper West Side

      by

      New York practice Format Architecture Office has reorganised a 1920s apartment with custom millwork in the city’s Upper West Side.The renovated apartment by Format Architecture Office is in a Gothic Revival building on Riverside Drive, giving the project its name, Riverside Apartment.

      Completed before the second world war, the original apartment building had large residences that were later converted into smaller homes, which the studio said formed “a series of unconventional layouts”.

      “The building was originally constructed in 1926 and arranged around opulently scaled residences with multiple bedrooms and gallery spaces,” Format Architecture Office added.

      “It was converted to cooperative ownership in 1968, which created a large variety of accessible unit types, but also a series of unconventional layouts, as formerly single apartments were subdivided into two or even three different units,” it said.
      The renovation reorganised the existing one-bedroom unit to include another bedroom that doubles as an office, as well as a powder room and a reorganised galley-style kitchen. The decor was updated with custom cabinets and enlarged wood-clad corridors across the 1,000-square-foot (92-square-metre) space.

      “The primary goals for the project were to create flexible connections between spaces, enhance access to natural light and maximise storage,” the studio continued.
      Upon entering is a foyer with a coat closet, and a cabinet with a glass portion above that pulls natural light in from windows in a home office. A bedroom adjacent is complete with an ensuite and walk-in closet.

      A sliding wood door separates the office from a living and dining room. The pocket door is in one of the home’s corridors, which are intended to mark different areas.
      “Large thresholds between public spaces celebrate transitions and become extensions of different wood-clad storage solutions that complement the myriad needs of a small domestic space,” said the studio.

      All of the millwork at Riverside Apartment, including the corridors and custom cabinets, are made from Anigre wood – an African hardwood commonly used for furniture and cabinetry.
      Other corridors are in the entry and kitchen, while built-in bookshelves are prominent in the living room and office.

      Format Architecture Office imbues Manhattan office with “boutique sensibility” and cafe seating

      Contemporary details are accompanied by the apartment’s existing elements, like original wood-panelled doors with the glass transoms.
      Format Architecture Office aimed to emulate the early 20th-century style through other details to create “a mixture of clean lines and pre-war inspired details to celebrate the eclectic tastes of its owner”.

      The glass wall in the entry is a reinterpretation of existing glazing, which bring light through the home. Another ribbed glass detail partially conceals the dining room from the kitchen.
      A wood table, 1950s Eames Wire Chairs and a minimal white light fixture furnish the dining room, while the living room has a blue sofa and an Eames moulded plywood lounge chair from the second world war.
      Off-white walls are paired with white moulding and new oak flooring for a pared-down aesthetic, while an orange-painted front door adds another pop of colour that complements teal accents.

      Format Architecture Office founded in 2017 by architects Andrew McGee and Matthew Hettler, who met as undergraduates at the University of Michigan. The studio is based in Brooklyn and has also designed an office for a tech company in New York’s Midtown area with cafe-style seating and muted interiors.
      Other renovated homes in the Upper West Side are an apartment with a built-in bed by Stadt Architecture and a townhouse by Space4Architecture with a white spiral staircase.
      Photography is by Nick Glimenakis.

      Read more: More

    • 163 Shares159 Views

      Aesop's London store takes its colour from the red sandstone of Glamis Castle

      by

      Precast stone blocks coloured with red sandstone from Glamis Castle in Scotland form the walls of this refuge-style Aesop store that architecture studio Al-Jawad Pike has created in a west London shopping centre.The studio designed the small store for skincare brand Aesop to be a retreat from the bustling aisles of Westfield shopping centre in Sheperd’s Bush.
      “We wanted the store to be a refuge from the busy mall environment, it is a sort of building within a building – using genuine masonry construction rather than applied finishes or surfaces,” Al-Jawad Pike co-founder Jessam Al-Jawad told Dezeen.

      Al-Jawad Pike chose to build the walls of the store from precast stone blocks, which enclose the space and create a feeling akin to a walled garden. The curved form of the walls is also meant to reference the undulating brickwork of Uruguayan engineer Eladio Dieste.

      “The concept was to create a kind of walled garden within the mall,” said Al-Jawad.
      “It was inspired by the ‘crinkle crankle’ wall of the English countryside as well as the structures of Eladio Dieste, which both use an undulating waveform to give rigidity to a single skin of masonry.”

      Earthy tones have been applied throughout the store. Powder from the same red sandstone that was used to make the 17th-century Glamis Castle in Scotland has been used to colour the precast stone blocks.
      The resulting red blockwork walls, which were built using two standard shapes of precast blocks, have been paired with red concrete-tile flooring and a clay plaster ceiling.

      Frida Escobedo segments Aesop Park Slope with rammed-earth brickwork

      “We wanted to use a warm colour to provide a sense of natural earthiness that reflected the red bricks of typical masonry walled gardens, said Al-Jawad.
      “The colour is called Glamis red named after the red sandstone of Glamis Castle in Scotland.”

      Set against the earthy red backdrop, Aesop’s products are displayed on stainless steel shelves. While the main space is broken up by three cast resin sinks that were produced by Sabine Marcelis.
      “We hope we created a calm ambience that enables customers to engage with the Aesop products,” Al-Jawad explained.
      “The hand-washing sinks which are a big part of the customers’ interaction with the product and the sales people are also given centre stage – being made out of honey-coloured resin they also look a bit like big bars of sculpted soap.”

      Aesop often allows its designers to create monotonal stores. For its Sydney store, architecture studio Snøhetta used granite to covers almost every surface, while Frida Escobedo used rammed-earth brickwork throughout its store in Brooklyn. Bernard Dubois also clad the walls of the brand’s Brussels store in distinctive yellow Belgian bricks.
      London-based Al-Jawad Pike was established by Al-Jawad and Dean Pike in 2014. The studio has previously used pigmented concrete blockwork for the exterior and interior of a south London home extension and combined brick, concrete and timber for an extension to a home in Stoke Newington.
      Photography is by Ståle Eriksen.

      Read more: More

    • 188 Shares189 Views

      Stéphanie Livée's interiors for Hotel Le Sud are an homage to the south of France

      by

      White walls, stripey furnishings and colourful ceramics feature in this hotel on France’s Côte d’Azur, which interior architect Stéphanie Livée has designed to reflect the region’s laid-back ambience.Hotel Le Sud is situated in Juan Les Pins, a charming town on the Côte d’Azur recognised for its sandy beaches and seafront promenades lined with eateries and boutiques.
      This setting became a key point of reference for Paris-based interior architect Stéphanie Lizée, who was tasked with designing the hotel’s 29 guest rooms, bar and terrace.

      “I am native to the region, southern blood runs in my veins,” Livée told Dezeen.

      “We have revisited the stylistic codes of the south with subtlety: the sandstone, the terracotta, the stripes, the rattan, interact with objects found in the surroundings and custom-designed furniture, mostly made by local craftsmen,” she continued.
      “The spirit of the South is here both revisited and modernized, without ostentation or caricature.”

      Paved flooring inlaid with jagged offcuts of stone has been paired with white-painted walls in the hotel’s bar.
      Wicker chairs run down one side of the room, while on the other is a series of ornate wire-frame seats dressed with floral yellow seat cushions.

      A stripey orange seating banquette has been set against one peripheral wall, where French artist Franck Lebraly has created a small mural.
      It depicts a trio of arched windows looking out across the ocean, with summer-themed paraphernalia like lemons, wine bottles and plant pots nestled on their ledges.

      Hoy hotel is designed to be a calming refuge at the heart of Paris

      Other surfaces in the bar have been punctuated with rounded niches which display an array of second-hand ceramics found in the local area.

      Stripey and cane furnishings appear again on the hotel’s outdoor terrace, where guests can sit and enjoy their breakfasts.
      A pair of chunky, orange-striped chairs also feature in the lobby, which is anchored by a grooved timber concierge counter.

      The colours applied in the guest rooms upstairs take cues from the wider cultural context of southern France.
      Stéphanie Livée became particularly interested in hues used by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, who spent several summers creating portraits and ceramics in French Riviera towns like Juan Les Pins, Antibes and Cannes.

      “The series of plates exhibited at the Picasso museum in Antibes guided me in choosing and matching the colours of the rooms – terracotta, Klein blue, pine green, yellow,” explained Livée.
      “The spirits of Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, Jean Cocteau, Matisse and the ceramists of Vallauris are still very much present in this radiant and amazing part of the country, which has so inspired grand artists in the mid 20th century.”

      Bands of yellow, orange, emerald and pine-green paint have been created just beneath the rooms’ ceilings, matching the stripey throws that have been laid across the beds.
      Terracotta tiles have then been used to line the vaulted doorways that lead through to the rooms’ showers, which are screened off by blue-striped curtains.

      Paint-splattered or fish-print plates have been used as decor, as well as earth-toned vases. Some of the pieces in the rooms were designed by Livée herself, including the wavy-edged wooden side tables.
      More illustrative details by Franck Lebraly also pop up – streaks of paint have been applied around the curvy headboards and the signs that denote room numbers have also been hand-painted.

      Stéphanie Lizée set up her eponymous studio in 2017. Her Hotel Le Sud project joins a roster of design-focused hotels across France – others include Hoy, which is designed to be a calming “hideaway” from the hustle and bustle of Paris’ city streets, and Le Coucou, a ski-in-ski-out hotel nestled amongst the snow-capped peaks of Meribel.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares119 Views

      Renovated Montreal house by Atelier Barda contrasts black and white

      by

      Black furniture provides a stark contrast to the white interior of this Montreal residence, which has been overhauled by local architecture studio Atelier Barda.Atelier Barda’s Portland Residence project involved adding an extension to the rear of a historic stone house located in Montreal suburb Mount-Royal, and reconfiguring the floor plan to improve the flow between spaces.

      “This innovative redesign has freed the building’s spirit from its original constraints, giving it fresh expression in a setting that is both classic and resolutely contemporary,” the studio said.

      Architectural details like rounded walls and simple mouldings were preserved and then painted white to offer a contemporary update.
      The team then installed a box clad with black anthracite oak to span all three levels.

      The volume includes storage, a bathroom, kitchen appliances and a staircase, and forms a passageway between the main living space and the bedrooms.
      Its black hue stands out against the white backdrop and chevron-patterned oak parquet floor, defining the material palette throughout the interiors.

      Black steel mullions also frame the glass curtain wall of the extension, which the studio said it chose to protect the house from harsh climatic conditions.
      The windows wrap the kitchen, living and dining room, offering views of the garden and natural light.

      Atelier Barda renovates Montreal apartment with minimalist finishes and custom furniture

      In the living room, translucent white drapes cover the space’s large windows matching the colour of the walls. A circular, plush sofa from de Sede and a grand piano provide touches of black, while the fireplace is grey stone.
      Foraine par Atelier Barda, the firm’s design studio, designed a number of furnishings in the house.

      Many are built with solid black anthracite oak like the rectangular dining table and bench, which have wide legs detailed with thin grooves, and a circular coffee table.

      Smaller round tables for the bedrooms are wrapped in the oak panelling and fronted with drawers.
      The bedrooms and a private office are located on the upper levels of a house. A skylight is situated above the stairwell to bring natural light into the space.

      In the bathrooms, white vanities are finished with a lime and tadelakt plaster and topped with marble, which is used to cover the floors as well.

      Atelier Barda was founded by Antonio Di Bacco and Cécile Combelle, it has completed a number of renovations in Montreal including a loft apartment with black and white interiors and custom furniture and the conversion of a shop into a two-storey residence with pastel accents.
      Photography is by Alex Lesage.

      Read more: More

    • 150 Shares139 Views

      Oft Interiors “bring a new zest to the Hong Kong design industry”

      by

      VDF studio profile: Oft Interiors is a Hong Kong-based design studio that specialises in cultural spaces and has overhauled the interiors of more than 50 different cinemas.It was founded in 2013 by CM Jao and Ken Cheung, two graduates from Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
      Jao, who has previously designed interiors for a global architecture firm, brings his experience in leisure spaces to the table, while Cheung contributes his knowledge of architectural design and environmental planning.

      K11 ArtHouse is another one of Oft Interiors’ cinema projects
      “Our team devotes its full efforts and passions to developing innovative work,” explained Cheung. “We aim to bring a new zest to the Hong Kong design industry.”

      In particular, the studio has made a name for itself by creating the interior design and brand positioning for cinemas and theatres across both Hong Kong and mainland China, often based on conceptual themes such as “water” or “deconstruction”.

      Palace Cinema in LCMall features undulating walls and ceilings
      One example of this is the Palace Cinema in Shanghai’s LCMall, which features a bright white lobby with undulating walls and ceilings, to represent the ripple effect that movies can have on their audiences.
      The ticket counters are fitted subtly into these curves while reflective glass panelling on the walls creates the appearance of looking at the still, mirrored surface of a lake.

      Hong Kong’s Emperor cinema uses an inky palette of materials to suggest pencil marks
      Another project, Hong Kong’s Emperor cinema, is located in a building that had undergone three major renovations.
      In order to bring this history to life, the studio decided to visualise the iterative process of drafting and redrafting by using materials of different textures such as inky black wallpaper, wood veneer, and nickel-plated countertops to evoke pencil marks of different strengths.
      The approach for another Shanghai movie theatre, the UA Cinema in West Gate Mall, was based on the idea of deconstructing the interior using irregular lines and patterns.
      In the lobby, the ceiling lacks a stable plane and instead features an asymmetrical beam that juts out at visitors from above to create a sense of surrealism.

      The studio has received various international awards for its interiors, including two German Design Awards in 2017, two International Property Awards and various A’ Design Awards throughout the years.
      Studio: Oft InteriorsWebsite: oftinteriors.comContact address: admin@oftinteriors.com
      About Virtual Design Festival
      Virtual Design Festival is the world’s first online design festival, taking place from 15 April to 30 June. For more information, or to be added to the mailing list, contact us at vdf@dezeen.com.
      A studio profile on Virtual Design Festival could expose your work to Dezeen’s three million monthly website visitors. Each studio profile will be featured on the VDF homepage and included in Dezeen’s daily newsletter, which has 170,000 subscribers

      Read more: More

    • 163 Shares129 Views

      Live talk with Henrybuilt founder Scott Hudson as part of Virtual Design Festival

      by

      [embedded content]
      Henrybuilt founder Scott Hudson speaks to Dezeen in a live Screentime conversation as part of Virtual Design Festival’s collaboration with the interior fittings brand.

      Hudson spoke to Dezeen’s founder and editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs about the flexible interior design systems that Henrybuilt offers, and more broadly about the importance of designing entire systems that can create solutions adapted to the needs of different users.
      Henrybuilt was founded in 2001 when Hudson, wanting to redesign his kitchen, found himself dismayed at the incompatibility between the various components available on the market.

      Henrybuilt develops flexible interior design systems for the entire home
      The brand offers interior design solutions for the entire home, but is best known for designing bespoke kitchens for clients using its integrated systems of fittings.

      These solutions include Henrybuilt’s reconfigurable Opencase storage system, which comprises wall panelling onto which customers can mount drawers, shelves or racks to suit their needs.

      Color Box Bar by Henrybuilt

      The talk follows a product listing in VDF’s products fair for Henrybuilt’s Colour Box Bar, a flexible shelving unit compatible with the Opencase system that allows users to display homeware and personal trinkets in a variety of compositions.
      Henrybuilt recently branched out from designing custom projects and living spaces for clients with the launch of a collection of customisable furniture named Primary Objects.

      Scott Hudson founded Henrybuilt in 2001
      The collection incorporates the systems the company developed in its bespoke projects, and features over 50 pieces including rearrangeable shelving, bathroom cabinets and kitchen islands.
      Henrybuilt’s products are designed and made at its headquarters in Seattle and the company has design showrooms in New York, the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles, as well as in its home city.

      Henrybuilt’s Opencase system comprises wall panelling onto which drawers, shelves or racks can be mounted
      About Virtual Design Festival
      Virtual Design Festival runs from 15 April to 10 July 2020. It brings the architecture and design world together to celebrate the culture and commerce of our industry, and explore how it can adapt and respond to extraordinary circumstances.
      For more information or to join the mailing list, email vdf@dezeen.com

      Read more: More

    • 175 Shares169 Views

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

      by

      With coronavirus confining people to their homes and rising fears over environmental destruction, a new breed of visual artists is creating utopian landscapes, buildings and interiors for armchair escapists. Here are nine of the best practitioners. Renderings depicting ethereal seaside homes to surreal, pastel-hued dreamscapes have become popular in recent months as people in lockdown
      The post “The desire for escapism is at an all-time high” say visualisers creating fantasy renderings appeared first on Dezeen. More