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      Daytrip creates calm broken-plan interior for Edwardian home in west London

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      Warm, tactile materials and rich colours are balanced with a newfound sense of openness in this early 20th-century house that architecture studio Daytrip has renovated and extended in London.

      Queen’s Park House is a double-fronted Edwardian property – set in the titular west London neighbourhood – which Daytrip has taken from a series of run-down and characterless bedsits to a calm, contemporary home for a TV producer and his family.
      An understated foyer leads into Queen’s Park HouseAs the house had lost many of its Edwardian features, the studio devised contemporary takes on these details.
      Among them are the cherry wood “portals” by London carpenter Studio Manolo, which have replaced the architraves that once surrounded doors throughout the house.
      Daytrip extended the home with a bold new double-height volume to the rear, accommodating a hybrid kitchen-dining-living space and an open gallery housing a small study. In addition, the studio created a new principal bedroom suite at loft level.

      Steps lead down into the bespoke kitchen designed by Edward CollinsonDaytrip’s approach to the layout focused on maximising the feeling of space by opening up the connection points between previously discrete rooms.
      Stepping away from the traditional idea of a central corridor, the studio shifted the main route through the house to take in each room in turn.
      The spaces are differentiated by a drop in levels, as part of the semi-open broken-plan layout devised by Daytrip.
      A clerestory window provides views out from the living roomWhile these spaces retain their own individual functions and character, there is now a closer relationship between the individual rooms.
      “Traditional homes are full of dead ends where rooms feel secluded and separated,” Daytrip told Dezeen. “We wanted to create more connections.
      “It felt appropriate for a modern family lifestyle to create an easy and accessible route, from arrival down through the social spaces.”
      The living area also opens out onto a small gardenThe “arrival room” with its central table by local furniture maker Edward Collinson was designed to create a sense of calm to reframe the family’s mindset as they return home.
      On a practical level, this room also provides storage for all of the family’s coats, shoes and bags, concealed behind panelling that’s an inverted version of the typical period panelling found in Edwardian homes.
      Throughout the house, cherry timber was used in combination with the darker tones of the fumed oak floors.
      A gallery-level study sits above the kitchen”We enjoy the smoky effect of the fumed oak and used the warmer tones of the cherry as a counterpoint to that,” the practice said. “We like to use timber to create a tonal background, as it brings more depth to a room than paint alone.”
      From the foyer, steps descend into a more intimate snug, which is lined with umber-toned textured wallpaper and cherry timber shelving. This creates a darker, more cosy atmosphere that contrasts with the previous space.
      More steps link the snug to the newly extended kitchen, dining and living room.

      Daytrip transforms east London terrace house into understated apartments

      Here, floor-to-ceiling glass doors open the space up to the minimalist courtyard garden beyond – designed by regular Daytrip collaborator Tyler Gold Finch Gardens.
      Above this area, a clerestory window creates a dual-aspect outlook and frames views of the surrounding tree canopy.
      The kitchen, also made by Edward Collinson, features cherry wood panelling and Fior Di Pesco marble splashbacks, while the island is topped with a solid piece of lava stone in a glazed finish.
      The study is furnished with an Ekstrem chair by Terje Ekstrøm”We build palettes that reflect the mood and character of the property, often introducing both harmony and contrast,” Daytrip said.
      A poured concrete floor that was polished to a soft sheen continues out into the garden, creating a sense of seamlessness between the two spaces.
      Above the kitchen floats an open gallery, decorated in shades of russet with a rust-coloured carpet by Swedish brand Kasthall.
      Bathrooms provide an unexpected splash of colourFor the home’s colour palette, Daytrip referenced its red brick front and the greenery of the nearby park with an earthy mix of rusty-reddish tones, balanced by shades of bronze and bright mossy green.
      Beyond the study, the first floor is family-focused with children’s bedrooms and bathrooms, while the principal bedroom suite resides at the top of the house, benefitting from views of the London skyline.
      The bedroom was designed as a comfortable retreat, enveloped by tactile grasscloth wallpaper, in a warm amber tone. There’s an emphasis on softness here, with an off-white pure wool carpet as well as floor-to-ceiling diaphanous linen curtains.
      The principal bedroom was designed as a calming retreatLondon design consultancy Monument Store was chosen to furnish and style the house.
      “We liked Monument Store’s contrast of abstract and brutalist sculptural objét alongside post-modernist pieces such as the cult iconic Ekstrem chair in the gallery space, or the Tito Agnoli cane chairs in the kitchen-lounge,” Daytrip said.
      Linen curtains hide views of the London skylineThe studio has completed a number of London home extensions in recent years.
      Among them are two properties in east London’s Clapton – a townhouse with a newly excavated basement level and a Victorian terrace, which is now home to three separate apartments.
      The photography is by Pierce Scourfield.

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      Farrell Centre opens with exhibition showcasing mycelium and fake fur

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      An architecture centre founded by British architect Terry Farrell has opened in Newcastle, England, with an exhibition exploring building materials of the future and “urban rooms” for local residents.

      The Farrell Centre is an exhibition gallery, research centre and community space that aims to provoke conversation about architecture and planning, both in the city and at a global scale.
      The project was instigated by Farrell, who donated his architectural archive and put £1 million towards the build.
      The Farrell Centre occupies a former department store building in NewcastleThe inaugural exhibition, More with Less: Reimagining Architecture for a Changing World, looks at how buildings might adapt to the climate crisis.
      Fake fur, mycelium and wool insulation feature in a series of installations designed to challenge traditional methods of producing architecture.

      Elsewhere, three urban rooms host workshops and other events where locals can learn about the past and future of Newcastle and voice their opinions on development plans.
      The ground floor is designed to encourage people in, with glazed facades on two sides”The centre is here to bring about a better, more inclusive and more sustainable built environment,” said Farrell Centre director and Dezeen columnist Owen Hopkins during a tour of the building.
      “The belief that underpins everything we do is that we need to engage people with architecture and planning, and the transformative roles that they can have,” he told Dezeen.
      “Architecture and planning are often seen as something that’s imposed from above. We need to shift that perception.”
      Seating bleachers create an informal space for talks and presentationsForming part of Newcastle University, the Farrell Centre occupies a four-storey former department store building in the heart of the city.
      Local studios Space Architects and Elliott Architects oversaw a renovation that aims to make the building feel as open and welcoming as possible.
      The exhibition More with Less includes an installation by HBBE made from mycelium, sawdust and woolThe ground floor has the feel of a public thoroughfare, thanks to glazed facades on two sides, while bleacher-style steps create a sunken seating area for talks and presentations.
      A colourful new staircase leads up to the exhibition galleries on the first floor and the urban rooms on the second floor, while the uppermost level houses the staff offices.
      McCloy + Muchemwa’s installation is a table filled with plantsAccording to Hopkins, the launch exhibition sets the tone for the type of content that visitors can expect from the Farrell Centre.
      The show features installations by four UK architecture studios, each exploring a different proposition for future buildings.
      “We wanted to create something that expands people’s understanding of what architecture is, beyond building an expensive house on Grand Designs,” Hopkins said, referencing the popular television show.
      Dress for the Weather has created a mini maze of insulationNewcastle University’s Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment (HBBE) has created Living Room, a cave-like structure made by cultivating a mixture of mycelium and sawdust over a giant wool blanket.
      Next, a mini maze created by Glasgow studio Dress for the Weather aims to showcase the thermal and experiential qualities of building insulation, with varieties made from low-grade wool and plastic bottles.
      Office S&M’s installations include a silhouette of the head of Michelangelo’s David made from pink fur and a chaise longue covered in expanding foamLondon-based Office S&M proposes low-tech but fun solutions for making buildings more comfortable.
      These are represented by a silhouette of the head of Michelangelo’s David made from pink fur, a metallic space blanket, a chaise longue topped covered in expanding foam and a dichroic-film window covering that casts colourful reflections onto the floor.

      OMA stacks green glass boxes to create BLOX architecture centre on Copenhagen waterfront

      “This whole room is about actually doing really simple mundane stuff, but in a way that is joyful and tells a story,” said Hopkins.
      In the final room, an installation by London-based McCloy + Muchemwa brings nature indoors with a boardroom table covered in plants.
      The urban rooms host events where people can learn about the development of the cityOn the floor above, the three urban rooms have been fitted out by Mat Barnes of architecture studio CAN with custom elements that make playful references to building sites.
      They are filled with historic maps, interactive models, informal furniture, display stands made from scaffolding poles, and architecture toys that include building-shaped soft play and Lego.
      In one of the rooms, planning proposals are displayed on stands made from scaffolding polesThe idea of setting up an urban room in Newcastle was the starting point for the creation of the Farrell Centre.
      A decade ago, Farrell was commissioned by the UK government to produce a report on the state of the UK’s architecture and planning system.
      One of the key recommendations in the Farrell Review, published in 2014, was to create an urban room in every major city, giving local people of all ages and backgrounds a place to engage with how the city is planned and developed.
      One urban room contains a model of a Terry Farrell-designed masterplan for NewcastleAs Farrell grew up in the Newcastle area and studied architecture at the university, he became keen to make this concept a reality in this city.
      Although the Farrell Centre is named in his honour, Hopkins said that Farrell is happy for the facility to forge its own path in terms of programme and approach.
      “He established the idea and vision for the centre, but he is happy for us to build out that vision in the way that we think is best,” added Hopkins.
      The Farrell Centre forms part of Newcastle UniversityThe director is optimistic about the centre’s potential to engage with the community.
      “Newcastle is a city like no other,” he said. “The civic pride here is off the scale. People have such a deep-rooted love of where they live.”
      “It’s amazing to be able to tap into that as a way of creating a better built environment.”
      More with Less: Reimagining Architecture for a Changing World is on show at the Farrell Centre from 22 April to 10 September 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

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      Of Architecture builds beachside home for surfer-and-artist couple in Cornwall

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      London practice Of Architecture has used a fuss-free colour and material palette to create this understated home for a young couple in the town of Newquay in Cornwall.

      House by the Sea belongs to an artist and a surfer, who told Of Architecture that they wanted a home without extravagant finishes, instead preferring a living space that appears “simple, robust and utilitarian”.
      Of Architecture has designed House by the Sea for a couple in CornwallThough the brief was relatively straightforward, erecting the home proved tricky for the practice.
      “The house is located by the cliff side of Pentire peninsula and has a very steep driveway, so transporting material was a big challenge for everyone on site,” the Of Architecture co-founder James Mak told Dezeen.
      “We had to work with materials that could be carried by a small vehicle or by hand.”

      One of the sitting areas has uninterrupted views of Pentire Steps beachOnce the framework was in place, the house was finished with a “monolithic and modest” lime plaster facade.
      Key rooms were dispersed across the home’s open-plan first floor, where walls are almost exclusively painted an off-white shade.
      Prefabricated steps grant access to a cosy mezzanineIn one corner is the kitchen, which features black melamine plywood cabinetry and a large breakfast island topped with stainless steel.
      Overhead hangs a couple of industrial-style pendant lamps.
      The space is filled with artworks and other trinketsAdjacently lies a sitting area that directly overlooks Newquay’s picturesque Pentire Steps beach.
      Fronted by expansive sliding windows, the space is dressed with a classic Eames lounge chair and an L-shaped sofa upholstered in beige marl fabric.

      Jubilee Pool in Penzance reinvented as UK’s first geothermal seawater lido

      Another sitting area lies towards the rear of the first floor, facing a concrete blockwork wall.
      Backed against the wall is a wood burner with a tall slender flue that stretches up to meet the four-metre-high ceiling.
      A skylight in the beam-lined roof helps brighten the mezzaninePrefabricated plywood steps lead up to a mezzanine level tucked beneath the home’s sloping roof, which is held up by steel beams.
      Intended to serve as a cosy retreat, the space is illuminated by a single skylight while artworks are casually leaned up against its walls and books are showcased on a wrap-around gridded shelf.
      The minimalist aesthetic of the first floor then carries over onto the home’s ground floor, which accommodates two guest bedrooms – complete with their own en suites – a cloakroom and a utility room.
      Rooms on the home’s ground floor are also pared backA number of other architecturally striking homes can be found along the British coast.
      Examples include RX Architects’ Seabreeze in East Sussex, which is coated in smooth pink concrete, and Mole Architects’ Marsh Hill House in Suffolk, which is shaped like a seagull’s wing.
      The photography is by Lorenzo Zandri.

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      Yabu Pushelberg references multi-faceted LA culture in conjoined hotels

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      Canadian design studio Yabu Pushelberg has created the Moxy and AC Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles to encapsulate a variety of references to the surrounding city.

      The two hotels were placed side by side within a Gensler-designed building in central Los Angeles, with Yabu Pushelberg carrying out the design for both hotels.
      The designers used a variety of LA-oriented references across both hotels, referencing local artist culture, streetlife, the desert, as well as the imagery of movies from Hollywood.
      The Moxy Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles was designed based on deserts and cinema”Moving making and the California Dream are all mashed up together to create this atmosphere,” studio co-founder George Yabu told Dezeen.
      “We also captured the grittiness,” added co-founder Glenn Pushelberg. 

      The hotels were designed to complement each other, providing various experiences for guests, who the team hopes can be staying in one while visiting the bars and restaurants of the others.
      Yabu Pushelberg wanted to challenge guests with a sense of “grittiness”According to the duo, the hotels are meant to be the day and nighttime versions of the same person or “like the same person in different movies”.
      AC Hotel provides a more work-oriented vision and the Moxy representing a more dimly lit atmosphere.
      The Moxy includes lounge areas with plush furnitureUsing desert themes and references to the 1969 film Easy Rider starring Peter Fonda, the Moxy has rammed earth walls, woven wall hangings and homages to motorcycle culture with a custom pouf designed with Harley Davidson in mind. It even has a motorcycle in the lobby lounge.
      “If you look at the materialities and colors and textures, it is kind of off-off, which makes it on,” said Pushelberg. 
      AC Hotel is more restrainedAlso in the Moxy’s lobby is a snakeskin-like carpet with a graphic of a snake.
      The hotel includes studio spaces above the lobby with neon lights and plush furniture; minimal rooms with tile and stone walls; and a bar inspired by the “roadside gas station” with mottled stone countertops, metal mesh liquor cabinets and “cocoon-like” chairs.
      The AC Hotel is meant to evoke the artist’s loftThe AC Hotel is more restrained. The lobby is on the 34th floor and was designed to evoke the “artist’s loft” with views of the city below. Materials were inspired by Spanish architecture – such as textured plaster and stucco.
      These details continue throughout the bars, guestrooms and library lounge, with the addition of wooden sculptures and dark black tile.
      Yabu Pushelberg designed the carpets in the guest rooms to “reflect the geometric pattern and color story found throughout the hotel” and contrast the birch wood flooring.

      Ibiza’s first hotel gets bohemian refresh from Dorothée Meilichzon

      According to the team, the hotels together are meant to bring together a variety of local influences to attract people to the downtown core.
      “It’s a ​​perfect time for the hotels to be there because all these different types of people have never ever had a reason to go downtown,” said Pushelberg, who referenced the growing gallery scene in the area as an additional inspiration.
      The AC’s lobby is on the 34th floor of the buildingThe design follows a slew of other hotels designed for LA’s downtown, including Hotel Per La designed by Jaqui Seerman, which occupies a 1920s bank building.
      A division of Marriot, Moxy has dozens of hotels around the world, including a recent addition in New York’s Lower East Side designed by Michaelis Boyd and Rockwell Group.

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      Five key projects by architect and Dezeen Awards judge David Rockwell

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      New York architect David Rockwell has joined Dezeen Awards 2023 as a judge. Here, he selects five projects that best reflect his studio’s work.

      Architect and designer Rockwell is the founder of US practice Rockwell Group. He aims for his work to “help facilitate storytelling, community-building and memory-making”.
      “The core value I try to bring to all my work is empathy,” Rockwell told Dezeen.”I approach each decision from the perspective of those who will inhabit the spaces.”
      Projects spanning “theatre, hospitality and the public realm”
      “Working in the theatre has been an incredible training ground for strengthening my own capacity for empathy,” said Rockwell.

      “Our work falls into three main categories: theatre, hospitality and the public realm,” he continued. “Rockwell Group has been fortunate to work across a diverse range of project types, from restaurants, hotels, schools and offices to museum installations, Broadway sets and theatres.”
      The New York-based office is currently working alongside architectural firms Ennead Architects and SmithGroup to convert a museum at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC into an academic building for Johns Hopkins University,.
      Rockwell Group is also designing several restaurants in New York City, including collaborations with Ethiopian-born Swedish-American chef Marcus Samuelsson and French restauranteur Daniel Boulud, as well as an outpost for the international Taiwanese restaurant group Din Tai Fung.
      Rockwell among Dezeen Awards 2023 judges
      Dezeen Awards 2023 launched last month in partnership with Bentley Motors. On Tuesday we announced five more Dezeen Awards judges, including interior designers Kelly Behun and Martin Brudnizki and architects Lara Lesmes, Jayden Ali and Rooshad Shroff.
      Submit your entry before the standard entry deadline on Thursday 1 June. Click here for more entry information.
      Read on to find Rockwell’s views on the five projects that best represent the work of his studio.
      Nobu Hotel in Barcelona, SpainNobu
      “Our work with Chef Nobu Matsuhisa started 29 years ago when we designed his now iconic restaurant in Tribeca.
      “Chef Nobu’s innovative cooking, as well as his origins in the Japanese countryside, inspired an irresistible narrative we got to weave into our design.
      “All these years later, we are still reinventing Nobu – as both a restaurant and hotel brand – in cities worldwide. It is, without question, one of the most significant collaborations of my career. ”

      DineOut NYC, New York City, USA
      “We conceived our pro-bono project DineOut NYC at the height of the pandemic. Covid-19 had completely devastated our restaurant industry.
      “In addition to providing over 300 thousand jobs for New Yorkers, I have always had a strong personal attachment to this sector.
      “Designed in collaboration with the NYC Hospitality Alliance, DineOut is an adaptable, modular outdoor dining system. The project helped end our era of isolation by bringing people together again and getting restaurants back on their feet.
      “Design is most meaningful to me when it fosters community and I feel like we made a real impact doing just that with DineOut NYC.”
      Read more about DineOut NYC ›
      Photo by Paul WarcholHayes Theater and Take Me Out, New York City, USA
      “In 2018 we renovated the 100-year-old Hayes Theater, Broadway’s most intimate venue with only 600 seats.
      “In addition to instilling the historic space with a modern, approachable design vocabulary, we also needed to accommodate the staggering technical demands of modern productions.
      “Last year we had the chance to put our work to the test when we designed the sets for the revival of Take Me Out at the Hayes. Had the theatre been unable to meet our technical needs, I’d have had no one to blame but myself. Thankfully, I was a very satisfied customer.”

      NeueHouse Madison Square, New York City, USA
      “When it opened 10 years ago, NeueHouse Madison Square was a groundbreaking workspace collective that helped usher in a new typology in which art, life, culture, food, and work converge seamlessly.
      “This kind of convergence has taken on profound new meaning in our late-stage pandemic era, in which people are craving bespoke, communal experiences.”
      Read more about NeueHouse Madison Square ›

      TED Theater
      “Our portable TED Theater [for nonprofit foundation TED Talks] is approaching its 10th anniversary this year and it remains a great experiment in the power of ephemeral, shared experiences.
      “The attention to detail recalls permanent works of architecture but its flexibility allows it to adapt and evolve as TED does.”
      All images courtesy of Rockwell Group unless stated otherwise.
      Dezeen Awards 2023
      Dezeen Awards celebrates the world’s best architecture, interiors and design. Now in its sixth year, it has become the ultimate accolade for architects and designers across the globe. The annual awards are in partnership with Bentley Motors, as part of a wider collaboration that will see the brand work with Dezeen to support and inspire the next generation of design talent. More

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      Five key projects by Italian architect and Dezeen Awards judge Paola Navone

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      Italian architect Paola Navone has joined Dezeen Awards 2023 as a judge. Here she selects five projects that best reflect her studio’s work.

      Navone says she has “a free and nomadic nature”, which informs her practice, ranging from interior, furniture, graphic and accessory design to creative direction.
      “I’m a dreamer, instinctive and always curious about the world,” she told Dezeen. “Somehow all of these things spontaneously flow in my way of being a designer.”
      Navone is founder of Milan-based multi-disciplinary design office OTTO Studio, which is currently working on a project for Como Hotels in Burgundy as well as an interiors project in Athens, amongst others.
      Paola Navone among Dezeen Awards 2023 judges

      Dezeen Awards 2023 launched on 15 February in partnership with Bentley Motors. On Tuesday we announced five more Dezeen Awards judges including interiors stylist Colin King and design gallerist Rossana Orlandi, who will be joining architect Navone on the judging panel.
      Submit your entry before Wednesday 29 March to save 20 per cent on entry fees. Click here to log in or create an account.
      Read on to find Navone’s views on the five projects that best represent the work of her studio.
      Photo by Dario GarofaloHotel 25hours Piazza San Paolino, Florence, Italy
      “We enjoy interiors projects because it’s a bit like writing a new movie script – we are always the same authors but each new movie is unique.
      “25hours Hotel Piazza San Paolino in Florence takes cues from Dante’s symbolism of hell and paradise.
      “The theme has allowed us to set a sequence of amazing scenography that involves the guests in an immersive and imaginative experience.”
      Photo by Delfino Sisto LegnaniBiMstrò, Milan, Italy
      “BiMstrò communicates our passion for ephemeral design, upcycling and reuse.
      “The concept behind this temporary bar in Milan is upcycling. We used existing, raw and poor materials, hand-made finishes as well as recycled objects and furniture in an unexpected way.”

      Azul Sofa by Turri
      “All our projects are born from unexpected alchemies that always make them a little special.
      “Azul Sofa by Turri is a blue velvet sofa characterised by macro weaving. The fabric allows you to discover a unique handmade weaving technique which gives the sofa a special softness.”

      Baxter
      “At OTTO Studio we enjoy mixing the perfection of the industrial process with something imperfect like craft.
      “The singular Baxter leather furniture works the leather as a fabric. The extensive research on colours and touch makes these sofas particularly comfortable and cocooning.”

      Hybrid
      “Hybrid is an eclectic collection of indoor and outdoor fabrics with strong graphics and patterns.
      “The collection was designed for the extraordinary manufacturing excellence of the brand Mariaflora.”
      All images courtesy of Paola Navone.
      Dezeen Awards 2023
      Dezeen Awards celebrates the world’s best architecture, interiors and design. Now in its sixth year, it has become the ultimate accolade for architects and designers across the globe. The annual awards are in partnership with Bentley Motors, as part of a wider collaboration that will see the brand work with Dezeen to support and inspire the next generation of design talent. More

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      Ma Yansong picks six highlights from his Blueprint Beijing exhibition

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      Architect Ma Yansong, the curator of Blueprint Beijing, a feature exhibition exploring the future of the Chinese capital at the 2022 Beijing Biennial, shares six of his highlight installations from the show.

      Ma, the founding partner of Chinese architecture studio MAD, invited 20 architects and artists of different generations from around the world to present their visions for the future of the city of Beijing in a variety of mediums including architectural models, installations, photography and videos.
      Blueprint Beijing is the feature exhibition at the inaugural 2022 Beijing Biennial curated by MAD’s founding partner Ma Yansong”Blueprint Beijing is a comparative study of history and the future of Beijing and the world,” Ma told Dezeen.
      “We compiled a compendium of seminal events, people and ideologies from around the world that have vividly explored the theme of ‘the future’, such as Archigram, Oscar Niemeyer and many more, that have had a significant impact on current architects, and have influenced changes in Beijing’s urban planning in relation to major events.”
      “The works of several creators selected here traverse the dimensions of time, space and geography, and their personal creative imagination has brought distinct significance to the exhibition,” he added.

      Twenty architects and artists from around the world are invited to re-imagine the future of the cityThe exhibition also presents material taken from historic archives about eight architects and collectives that have showcased visionary ideas, as well as four Chinese science fiction films with historic significance.
      Here, Ma has selected six of his highlights from Blueprint Beijing for Dezeen:

      Restaurant Inside the Wall, by Drawing Architecture Studio, 2023
      “The Restaurant Inside the Wall installation is presented as a graphic novel, with a restaurant hidden inside the wall as the protagonist. Drawing Architecture Studio (DAS) transformed the graphic novel into a spatial experience in order to strengthen the absurd and suspenseful atmosphere of the story, by collaging and connecting the real elements of various street stalls.
      “Drawing from the observation of urban spaces in China, DAS has discovered a lot of unexpected pockets of wisdom embedded in everyday urban scenes, and roadside ‘holes in the wall’ are an example of this. This installation adds a microscopic daily footnote to the grand avant-garde urban blueprint for the future.”

      Filter City & City as a Room, by Peter Cook from Cook Haffner Architecture Platform, 2020-2022
      “In this installation, Peter Cook dissects two of his drawings – Filter City (2020) and City as a Room (2022) – into elements that concentrate on sequences.
      “Cook utilizes his signature strategy of creating concept drawings that remain connected to the built environment, while also moving towards a new future-looking ‘hybrid’, particularly interiors, that can be created from fragments of drawing and images.
      “As a result, viewers can transcend from distant observers into participants.”

      Liminal Beijing, by He Zhe, James Shen and Zang Feng from People’s Architecture Office, 2022
      “The installation of Liminal Beijing, created by People’s Architecture Office, connects the city of Beijing in different time and space. It features a knot of radiant, winding, and rotating tubes that can be interpreted as pneumatic tubes transporting documents in the 19th century or the hyperloops developed today, representing the link between the future and the past.
      “Modern life would not be possible without the hidden system of ducts that deliver heating, cooling, and clean air. Air ducts in Liminal Beijing are made visible so they can be explored and occupied, and are presented as missing fragments of space and time.”
      Photo is by Jerry ChenAstro Balloon 1969 Revisited x Feedback Space, 2008, by Wolf D Prix from Coop Himmelb(l)au, 2022 edition
      “This installation was realized by combining two of Coop Himmelb(l)au’s previous works: Heart Space – Astro Balloon in 1969 and Feedback Vibration City in 1971, which were first shown in this form at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2008.
      “The resulting installation is a cloud-like, semi-transparent and reflective floating space that translates visitors’ heartbeats into a lighting installation.
      “Throughout its practice, Coop Himmelb(l)au has presented numerous futuristic ‘architectural’ prototypes of dwellings which are responsive to the sensibilities and activities of their inhabitants.”

      Beijing In Imagination, by Wang Zigeng, 2023
      “Chinese architect Wang Zigeng illustrates two city models that were informed by visual imagery of mandalas on the floor and ceiling of the exhibition space, expressing the tension between the ideal city and the chaos of the real world — a parallel reality of both the present and the future.
      “He believes Beijing is the embodiment of ancient cosmologies and an ideal city prototype through the ritualization of urban space – the establishment of political and moral order as a highly metaphorical correspondence between human behavior and nature.”

      Pao: A Dwelling for Tokyo Nomad Women II, by Toyo Ito, 2022 Beijing edition
      “This installation explores what living means for city dwellers in a consumerist society. Even today, half of the population living in Tokyo are living alone, and having a place to sleep is all one needs. Pao is a light and temporary structure that can be dissolved in the buzz of the metropolis.
      “This is a new edition of Toyo Ito’s previous work Pao: A Dwelling for Tokyo Nomad Women. By recreating the installation in Beijing while coming out of a global pandemic, Ito hopes to provide a space for visitors to reflect on the excessive consumerism that has continued to dominate the present.”
      The Photography is by Zhu Yumeng unless otherwise stated.
      Blueprint Beijing is on show at the 2022 Beijing Biennial Architecture Section at M WOODS Hutong in Beijing until 12 March 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      Recompose human composting facility “transforms your loved one's body into soil”

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      American startup Recompose has opened a funeral home in Seattle designed by architecture firm Olson Kundig, where human remains are composted and turned into a nutrient-rich soil that can nurture new plant life.

      Set in a converted warehouse in the city’s SoDo district, the facility is one of the first to make use of a burgeoning practice known as natural organic reduction  – or human composting, which was legalised in the state of Washington in 2019.
      This sees the body of the deceased placed on a bed of plant materials inside a stainless steel vessel, purpose-built to accelerate the natural process of decomposition.
      Recompose has opened a human composting facility in Seattle. Above photo by Austin WilsonOver the course of 60 days, their remains are converted into one cubic yard of fertile soil – enough to fill the bed of a pickup truck. Loved ones can then take this compost home and use it to nourish their garden, plant trees in memory of the deceased or donate it to a local conservation area.
      The aim is to offer a less polluting alternative to cremation or burial, which are hugely emissions and resource intensive, and instead create a meaningful funeral practice that allows people to give back to nature.

      “Clients have shared with us that the idea of their person becoming soil is comforting,” Recompose founder Katrina Spade told Dezeen.
      “Growing new life out of that soil is profound and the small ritual of planting, using soil created from a loved one’s body, is so tangible.”
      Remains are left to decompose in cylindrical stainless steel vesselsRecompose’s 19,500-square-foot flagship facility in Seattle accommodates an array of 31 cylindrical composting vessels, stacked inside a hexagonal steel framework.
      This vertical construction helps to conserve space in a bid to overcome the land-use issue associated with traditional burial and make human composting feasible even in dense urban areas.
      “Recompose can be thought of as the urban equivalent to natural burial – returning us to the earth without requiring lots of land,” said Spade, a trained architect who developed the vessels as part of a residency at Olson Kundig’s Seattle studio.
      The building’s lobby brings in elements of nature including plants and woodThe building itself was designed in collaboration with the architecture studio to reimagine the experience of being in a funeral home, making the process more transparent and bringing in elements of nature instead of overt religious iconography.
      In the spirit of regeneration, much of the warehouse’s original shell was preserved. Warm wooden flooring and a planted wall enliven the central lobby, while strips of green glass are inset into the walls to provide glimpses of the intimate ceremony space beyond.
      Here, loved ones can participate in a “laying-in ceremony”, similar to a traditional funeral service.
      Green glazing provides glimpses into the main ceremony room”The Gathering Space has floor-to-ceiling coloured glass windows that let light in, similar to the way light filters between trees in a forest,” said Olson Kundig design principal Alan Maskin.
      “In a way, Recompose is a funeral home turned inside-out. There’s a suggestion of transparency and openness about death – including the ability to see and understand the entire process – that’s very different from a traditional funeral home experience.”
      At the end of the funeral service, the body is moved through a transitional vessel. Photo by Austin WilsonDuring the ceremony, a simple wooden lectern allows the bereaved to share words about their loved ones while the body of the deceased is draped in a cotton shroud and presented on a dark green bed called a cradle.
      Mimicking the ritual of throwing dirt on a casket, guests can place flowers and plant materials on their person, which will help their transformation into soil.
      The funeral home also has dedicated rooms for those who want to perform more hands-on care for their deceased ahead of the ceremony by bathing the body or reciting prayers and songs.

      Bob Hendrikx designs “living coffin” from mushroom mycelium

      At the end of the service, the cradle is moved through a so-called threshold vessel embedded into the wall and into the Greenhouse, where it will join the other vessels in the array.
      “A tremendous amount of care was taken to consider the experience of the body,” Maskin said. “There’s even a bit of poetry inscribed along the inside of the transitional vessel used during ceremonies.”
      “That poem isn’t for the living; it’s only visible inside the vessel.”
      On the other side is the Greenhouse – home to an array of 31 vesselsEach vessel in the array contains a mix of plant materials developed by Recompose that includes wood chips, straw and a cloverlike plant called alfalfa, with ratios adapted based on the person’s body and weight.
      Over the course of 30 days, the natural microbes found in the plants and the body will break down the remains, with any unpleasant odours filtered out and fresh air – and sometimes moisture – pumped into the vessel, which is intermittently rotated to speed up decomposition.
      At the end of this process, any remaining bone fragments are ground down using a cremulator and any medical implants are removed for recycling.
      The remaining soil is placed in a curing bin to dry out for another two to six weeks before it can be collected by friends or family.
      The body is deposited inside one of these vessels along with different plant materialsUnlike cremation, this process does not require huge amounts of energy and fossil fuels, Recompose says, while the carbon contained in the human body is sequestered in the soil rather than released into the atmosphere.
      The process also forgoes the vast amounts of embalming chemicals and emissions-intensive materials like steel and concrete that are needed for burials.
      In total, the process to “transform your loved one’s body into soil” saves around one metric ton of CO2 emissions per person compared to burial or cremation, Recompose claims.
      Friends and family can collect the soil and use it as they wish. Photo by Austin WilsonSince 2019, a number of US states have followed in Washington’s footsteps and legalised natural organic reduction, with New York joining Colorado, Oregon, Vermont and California in the last month.
      This comes as people are increasingly becoming aware of the hidden environmental impact of the deathcare industry and moving towards alternative funeral practices from liquid cremation to burial pods that grow into trees.
      “Members of the baby boomer generation have started experiencing the deaths of their parents and I think many are asking: was that the best we can do,” Spade said.
      The facility is housed inside a converted warehouse in SoDo. Photo by Austin Wilson”But what’s interesting is that it’s not only older folks,” she added.
      “Over 25 per cent of our Precompose [prepayment plan] members are under 49. I think this is because the climate crisis has played a role, too. People are wondering why our funeral practices haven’t been considered when it comes to our carbon footprint.”
      Recompose plans to expand into Colorado in 2023 and California in 2027, while rival company Earth Funeral has set its sights on Oregon.
      The photography is by Mat Hayward unless otherwise stated.

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