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    Plantea Estudio creates cosy cave-like room within bar Gota

    A red “cave” hides behind the main dining space of this wine and small plates bar in Madrid designed by interiors studio Plantea Estudio.

    Located on the ground floor of a neoclassical building in Madrid’s buzzy Justicia neighbourhood, Plantea Estudio designed Gota to appear “dark, stony and secluded”.
    Gota sits on the ground floor of a neoclassical building in the Justicia neighbourhoodGuests ring a bell to enter the 70-square-metre bar, and are then welcomed into a dining room enclosed by thickset granite ashlar walls. While some of the walls were left exposed, others have been smoothly plastered over and washed with grey lime paint.
    The floor was overlaid with black volcanic stone tiles that the studio thought were suggestive of a “newly discovered terrain”.
    A counter in the first dining space is inbuilt with a record playerA bench seat runs down the left-hand side of the bar, accompanied by lustrous aluminium tables and square birchwood stools from Danish design brand Frama.

    Guests can alternatively perch on high stools at the peripheries of the room, where lies a slender stone ledge for drinks to be set down on.
    Shelving displays wine bottles, vinyls, and other objectsMore seating was created around a bespoke chestnut counter at the room’s centre; its surfacetop has an in-built turntable on which the Gota team plays a curated selection of music.
    Behind the counter is a storage wall where wine bottles, vintage vinyl records and other music-related paraphernalia are displayed.
    A cave-like dining room hides at the bar’s rearAn open doorway takes guests down a short corridor to a secondary cave-like dining space, which boasts a dramatic vaulted ceiling and craggy brick walls. It has been almost entirely painted red.
    “It’s relatively common to find this kind of vaulted brick space in the basements of old buildings in Madrid – this case was special because it’s on the ground floor with small openings to a garden,” the studio told Dezeen.

    Plantea Estudio casts minimalist Madrid restaurant in shades of beige

    “It was perfect for a more quiet and private area of the bar,” it continued.
    “The red colour is an abstract reference to the brick of which the cave is really made, and also a reference to wine.”
    The space is arranged around a huge granite tableAt the room’s heart is a huge 10-centimetre-thick granite table that’s meant to look as if it has “been there forever”, surrounded by aluminium chairs also from Frama. Smaller birch tables and chairs custom-designed by the studio have been tucked into the rooms corners.
    To enhance the cosy, intimate feel of the bar, lighting has been kept to a minimum – there are a handful of candles, reclaimed sconces and an alabaster lamp by Spanish brand Santa & Cole.
    Red paint covers the space’s vaulted ceiling and brick wallsEstablished in 2008, Plantea Estudio is responsible for a number of hospitality projects in Madrid.
    Others include Hermosilla, a Mediterranean restaurant decked out in earthy tones, and Sala Equis, a multi-purpose entertainment space that occupies a former erotic cinema.
    The photography is by Salva López.

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    Pihlmann Architects creates sleek brewery in former Copenhagen slaughterhouse

    Bulbous steel tanks hang from where carcasses used to be suspended at the ÅBEN brewery in Copenhagen, which local studio Pihlmann Architects transformed from a slaughterhouse into a restaurant and bar.

    Located in Copenhagen’s Meatpacking District, the brewery is housed in a 1932 butchery that has been used for various commercial activities since the early 1990s.
    Visitors enter ÅBEN through the building’s original blue-rimmed doorsPihlmann Architects maintained and restored many of the slaughterhouse’s original features as part of the renovation for Danish beer company ÅBEN.
    “Turning the space back into a food production facility, with all the pragmatic measures we had to keep in mind, generated our ideas from the very beginning,” studio founder Søren Pihlmann told Dezeen. “Bringing back the authentic character of the space was key.”
    Conical steel fermentation vessels were suspended where carcasses used to hangArranged across one open-plan level, the brewery features the original gridded rail system from which 980 carcasses used to hang when the space was a slaughterhouse.

    Pihlmann Architects replaced the carcasses with conical fermentation tanks that are reached via a low-hanging galvanised steel walkway – also suspended from the listed building’s original sawtooth roof.
    Pihlmann Architects was led by the building’s industrial historyGeometric clusters of white wall tiles that have been preserved since the 1930s were also kept in place, echoing the brewery’s original purpose.
    “Bringing the key elements back to a worthy condition was more of a task than deciding on which [elements] to keep,” noted Pihlmann.
    Semitransparent curtains divide spaces and control acousticsSpaces are delineated by slaughterhouse-style semitransparent curtains, which cloak various dining areas that are positioned around the restaurant’s central open kitchen where visitors can experience the brewing process up close.
    Furniture was kept simple and “unfussy” in order to emphasise the restaurant’s industrial elements, including angular chairs and bar stools finished in aluminium and wood.
    “The [material and colour] palettes are true to function on the one hand and [true to] history on the other,” said Pihlmann.

    Crimson red flooring runs throughout the brewery, which was in place when the building was purchased. It was maintained to add warmth to the otherwise clinical interiors.
    At night, the restaurant’s electric light absorbs this colour and reflects from the fermentation tanks, creating a more intimate environment.
    A central open kitchen is flanked by bar stoolsMaking the food production processes visible was at the core of the design concept, according to the architecture studio.
    “It’s not only about the preparation of the food, it’s more about the brewing taking place,” continued Pihlmann.
    “The space which produces thousands of litres every day is open for everyone to step into, and actually see how and where the product they consume is produced.”

    Óscar Miguel Ares Álvarez converts Spanish slaughterhouse into community centre

    “Today, we are so detached from what we consume, we just go to the supermarket and pick it up from the cold counter having no clue where it’s coming from,” he added.
    “I’m not that naive to think that ÅBEN alone will change anything, but I’m convinced that it’s important to change this detachment.”
    The slaughterhouse’s original white tiles were preservedPihlmann described his favourite aspect of the project as “how the elements we’ve added both submit to and utilise the existing space, not just visually but also through their structural function”.
    “The building is built to carry a huge load,” he reflected. “Back then, it was tonnes of dead meat. Today, it’s enormous serving tanks from the ceiling.”
    Founded in 2021, Pihlmann Architects was included in our list of 15 up-and-coming Copenhagen architecture studios compiled to mark the city being named UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture for 2023.
    Previous slaughterhouse conversions include a training school for chefs in Spain that was once used to butcher meat and a cultural centre in Portugal that is currently being developed by Kengo Kuma and OODA.
    The photography is by Hampus Berndtson.

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    Space Copenhagen pays homage to historic features in Mammertsberg renovation

    A sculptural spiral staircase, floor-to-ceiling windows and panelled walls have been paired with contemporary furnishings in Space Copenhagen’s renovation of a restaurant and hotel in Switzerland.

    Called Mammertsberg, the combined hotel and restaurant is housed within a 1911 villa that overlooks the Alps mountain range in Freidorf, Switzerland.
    Top: a spiral staircase takes centre stage in Mammertsberg. Above: Space Copenhagen has renovated the Swiss hotel and restaurantDanish design studio Space Copenhagen focused on the restaurant and lounge, which were totally refurbished to transform the interior from its previous status as a Swiss-food restaurant.
    Meanwhile, the adjacent six hotel guest rooms were given a light refresh.
    Contemporary furniture was added to the lounge”We embraced the idea of keeping key historic, listed, and structural features, defining for the building and its architectural heritage,” Space Copenhagen told Dezeen.

    “For the transformation towards something new, it felt important to add a diverse mix of furniture, lighting, materials, art and books, all of which could have been collected slowly over time,” the studio added.
    Linen curtains frame the large windowsDue to the building’s historic status, Space Copenhagen faced certain refurbishment restrictions, which resulted in the studio adapting its design around existing features within the property.
    These included a large central staircase by architect Tilla Theus that connects the restaurant on the ground floor to the bar and lounge on the first floor.
    Natural materials were used throughout the interiorIn the 42-seat fine-dining restaurant, which serves up locally sourced dishes, the studio embraced the high ceilings and large windows by adding floor-to-ceiling curtains in tactile, heavy linen.
    “The building overlooks the impressive landscape and alpine scenery that characterises Switzerland and this inspired our design choices and approach,” said Space Copenhagen.
    “It felt natural to treat the house as a large country home from which to enjoy the surrounding nature; offering guests the opportunity to contemplate and recharge.”
    The restaurant has a walnut and linen colour paletteThe surrounding nature was referenced in the material and colour choices, with solid oak tables in varying shapes and sizes dotted throughout the restaurant and lounge.
    Elsewhere in the Mammertsberg restaurant, Scandinavian chairs were upholstered in subdued colour tones such as walnut and light linen, while petrol blue leather was added for contrast.

    Space Copenhagen renovates landmark Arne Jacobsen hotel using updated classic furniture

    “We wanted to create a warm and inviting scene to balance the vibrant dishes while simultaneously seeking a high level of detailing, quality, and refinement in the curation of materials and furniture pieces,” explained Space Copenhagen.
    “We worked with a new approach to solve the layout for the restaurant. Being a small restaurant allowed us to create a sense of familiarity with a variety of different tables – round, square and longer styles – all with different configurations and possibilities.”
    Six guest rooms were given a light refreshThe project also involved updating Mammertsberg’s guest rooms. Each of the six rooms was individually decorated to feel like someone’s private residence, with sculptural lighting and soft furniture to encourage rest and relaxation.
    According to the designers, the limited time frame meant that finer details such as adding new finishes were prioritised over a larger overhaul.
    Each hotel suite is individually furnished”We couldn’t change the polished stone floors in certain public areas such as the restrooms, bathrooms and guestrooms,” Space Copenhagen said.
    “We solved this by applying a different finish which honed them as much as possible towards a more matt and subdued hue, settling into the overall colour and material palette.”
    Space Copenhagen was established in Denmark in 2005 and is best known for its restaurant interior design projects.
    Among them is the Blueness restaurant in Antwerp, which is decorated with bespoke furnishings and Le Pristine, a restaurant that the company renovated with a moody aesthetic.
    The photography is by Joachim Wichmann.

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    Hello Sunshine features “unlikely juxtaposition” of Japanese psychedelia and cabins

    A “psychedelic inverted cabin” provided Canadian studio Frank Architecture with the design narrative for this Japanese casual bar and restaurant in Banff, Alberta.

    Located in the mountains of Alberta, Hello Sunshine offers barbecue, sushi and karaoke in a retro-influenced space by Frank Architecture.
    Fireplaces sit at the centre of special tables at Hello SunshineThe team imagined an alternate reality, in which Japanese graphic designer Tadanori Yokoo ventured into the mountains and holed up in a cabin for years, and based the interiors on what the result might have been.
    “Taking cues from the unlikely juxtaposition of Japanese psychedelia meets spaghetti western meets mountain cabin, Hello Sunshine is bold, playful, and distinct,” said Frank Architecture, which has an office in Banff.
    The wood-panelled restaurant features a rounded bar at the backThe eatery is located in the middle of the town, which is a popular destination for tourists and winter sports enthusiasts and is laid out to offer a sense of discovery.

    “The spatial planning is intended to feel organic and meandering,” the team said. “Upon entry, the restaurant isn’t immediately visible but is slowly revealed as one moves through space.”
    Japanese elements like paper lanterns and textile artworks and paired with plaid curtains and plenty of woodThe restaurant occupies a tall open space lined almost entirely in wood, with the rounded bar located at the back and a variety of table seating options scattered around.
    Diners can choose between communal benches, four-tops, booths, bar stools, or sit at one of two special tables.
    Booth seating is lined up against angled, shingle-covered wallsThis pair of large circular counters both feature a raised fire pit at their centre, below fluid-shaped flues clad in glossy, glazed ceramic tiles.
    Japanese design staples like paper lanterns and ceiling-hung textile artworks are combined with mountain tropes such as plaid curtains, exposed stone and plenty of wood.

    Frank Architecture creates intimate setting for Calgary’s Lonely Mouth noodle bar

    Blue corduroy fabric is used to cover banquettes, while the booth seating is tucked into a niche formed by angled walls covered with timber shingles.
    In the karaoke rooms tucked away at the back, patterned carpet, lava lamps and disco balls add colour and sparkle to the wood-panelled spaces.
    Karaoke rooms are enlivened by disco balls and lava lampsThere’s also a concealed tiny bar based on those crammed into the alleyways of Golden Gai in Shinjuku, Tokyo.
    “The result is a bold and encapsulating space that surprises and delights guests with unexpected moments and distinctive style,” said the team.
    A tiny concealed bar is based on those found in Golden Gai, ShinjukuThis isn’t Frank Architecture’s only Japanese restaurant – the studio also created an intimate setting for the Lonely Mouth noodle bar in its other home city of Calgary.
    For another spot in the Western Canada metropolis, the team drew inspiration from author Truman Capote to set a 1960s vibe at Major Tom on the 40th floor of a downtown skyscraper.
    The photography is by Chris Amat.

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    Studio8 transforms 1930s Hangzhou villa into hotpot restaurant

    Promotion: Chinese architecture practice Studio8 has renovated the interior of a 1930s villa in Hangzhou, China, transforming it into a hotpot restaurant and cocktail bar that celebrates the building’s history.

    The Gud restaurant and bar includes a roof terrace, dining space on the upper floors and bar on the ground floor.
    The 496-square-metre space occupies a three-storey building that was built in 1939, as well as a later-built extension and the ground floor of an adjacent property.
    Antique hotpots are displayed throughout the interiorAlthough the villa had previously undergone a number of renovations, when designing the restaurant Studio8 aimed to maintain the building’s original features, including the street-facing facade.
    Service areas, including the kitchen, restroom and staircase, are located in the extension and adjacent building, leaving the full space of the historic villa for restaurant dining and the cocktail bar.

    The cocktail bar features red velvet seatingThe Gud restaurant specialises in hotpots, which lead Studio8 to study the culture of the cuisine and introduce aspects of it into the interior design, creating a “museum-like experience”.
    The project’s design was informed by three stages of making and experiencing hotpots – the heat from the fire that cooks it, water as the main medium of the food, and the elevation of the flavour coming from the steam.
    Studio8 used the themes of “heat, medium and elevation of flavour” to influence the function, materials, textures and light used in each space.
    The restaurant interior was informed by hotpot cuisineThe cocktail bar on the ground floor of the historic villa was designed to be a lively space. It features a red floor, a fireplace, structural columns that display antique hotpots and red velvet sofas.
    Part of the original brick wall was left exposed and a recessed mirrored ceiling at the perimeter of the room makes the space feel larger and more luxurious.
    The interior nods to the building’s history”As the first element, heat is a fundamental design factor on the first floor, where human interactions were planned out accordingly,” said Studio8.
    “The aim was to create a warmer and more welcoming space at the beginning of the hotpot experience, where people and friends meet first, have a cocktail and wait for everyone to arrive.”
    The restaurant features glass-brick nichesOn the upper floor is the restaurant’s main dining area, which features glass-brick niches in the walls where windows used to be.
    At the sides of the dining area, Studio8 opened up the ceiling to expose the wooden roof structure.
    The third floor includes a private dining room”After passing through the heated cocktail bar, comes the second element, water – the medium that reunites all elements,” said Studio8.
    “Family and friends are seated together in groups around the round tables on the second floor for the food experience, a process that the architects relate to water reconstructing the atoms of the ingredients.”
    A roof terrace overlooks the cityThe building’s original timber staircase was removed and a new enclosed staircase that connects the three floor levels was added in the patio area.
    The staircase has double glazed U-shaped glass partitions along its floors with a “lighting system to represent the continuous energy flow transition”.
    A terrace and private dining room are located on the third floor of the villa.
    A new enclosed staircase that connects the three floor levels was added in the patio area.”Here, the customers are reconnected with the city and able to look at it from different heights and angles, corresponding to the last element, steam, the elevation of taste,” said Studio8.
    “The simply designed interior shows off the geometric shape of the attic, while benches on the roof allow customers to have a more exclusive interaction with the city.”
    The staircase has double glazed U-shaped glass partitions along its floorsStudio8 is currently working on a number of renovation projects that aim to respect the history of the building, including the transformation of hotels and restaurants.
    The photography is by Sven Zhang.
    Partnership content
    This article was written by Dezeen for Studio8 as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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    Space Exploration Design gives Bar Americano in Brooklyn a time-worn feel

    Distressed plaster, exposed brick and mahogany millwork at this cocktail bar in Greenpoint were chosen by Space Exploration Design to “give the impression that it’s always been there”.

    Bar Americano opened recently on the corner of a landmarked residential building on Franklin Avenue – a bustling yet not overrun thoroughfare in north Brooklyn.
    The U-shaped counter at Bar Americano provides seating on three sidesServing cocktails, aperitifs and small plates, the bar is designed with an intentionally worn-in appearance to integrate with the fabric of the neighbourhood.
    “The directive that the ownership team of Bar Americano gave to Space Exploration Design was to create a neighborhood bar that gives the impression that it’s always been there,” said the studio, run by designer Kevin Greenberg. “[We] chose a palette of mostly warm, neutral materials with natural finishes that will patina gracefully over time.”
    Mahogany millwork forms the back bar, which incorporates sconces decorated with abstract floral patternsThe bar itself is located in the centre of the space, with a U-shaped counter surrounded by wooden stools on three sides.

    Behind, a mahogany cabinet displays a wide range of liquor bottles, and a vintage clock is affixed near the top.
    Seating nooks are tucked into corners away from the standing roomAlso embedded into the millwork are a pair of gilded sconces decorated with abstract floral patterns, created by Blaser Finishing, which also completed the plasterwork across the walls.
    Tight tambour panels clad the front of the bar counter and the lower half of partitions, and fluted glass continues the same vertical accentuation above.

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    “To emphasise the simple, honest approach to the cocktails, Space Exploration employed a restrained detailing language throughout. A strong sense of verticality provides the perfect complement to Bar Americano’s delicate glassware,” the studio said.
    Cosy seating nooks with leather upholstery of different sizes are snuggled into corners and window bays, away from the standing room.
    A raised seating area is set against an exposed brick wallA larger area with two-top tables is raised a few steps up, set against an exposed brick wall.
    Decorative tin tiles covering the ceiling were painted matte white, while brass was chosen for lighting fixtures, coat hooks and other hardware details.
    Distressed plaster walls and tin ceiling tiles add to the bar’s worn-in appearanceBar Americano joins several design-forward food and drink spaces in Greenpoint, including the Sereneco restaurant informed by Usonian architecture and the plant-filled Vietnamese eatery Di An Di.
    Other cocktail bars in NYC that have recently opened include the Upstairs lounge at Public Records in Gowanus and the rooftop bar at the Moxy Lower East Side hotel.
    The photography is by Alice Gao.

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    Lucas y Hernández-Gil uses extreme colour blocking in Naked and Famous bar

    Madrid-based studio Lucas y Hernández-Gil has used reflective materials, neon lighting and sunset colours to create intense interiors for a bar in Seville.

    Called Naked and Famous, the bar contains a series of rooms that explore extremely different moods, thanks to varying colours, materials and lighting conditions.
    The bar features three distinctively different roomsAccording to architect Cristina Domínguez Lucas, co-founder of Lucas y Hernández-Gil, the aim was create to a visual experience that echoes the taste sensations of the various cocktails on offer.
    “We hope to intensify the experience of cocktail drinking by achieving an atmosphere of saturated tones where visual perception establishes connections with the sense of taste,” she told Dezeen.
    The design aims to intensify the experience of drinking cocktailsNaked and Famous is the latest venture from the team behind the popular Seville restaurant Casaplata, which opened in the Spanish city in 2018.

    While the cocktail bar has a similarly contemporary feel, with industrial-style materials and bold forms, the design is much more immersive.
    The entrance lobby is framed by mirror surfacesYou arrive via a mirror-lined lobby, intended to play with your perception of space.
    From here, a tall arched doorway leads through to a room where everything is a vivid shade of pink.
    The central room is a vivid shade of pinkThere are two more spaces to discover.
    One is a softly lit room coloured in midnight blue, described by Lucas as a space of  “silence and shadows”.

    Pastel furnishings contrast against concrete walls in Seville’s Casaplata restaurant

    The other is a laboratory-inspired room featuring a cocktail bar framed by metallic surfaces. Argon-blue lighting gives the room a turquoise glow.
    “Here we find ourselves surrounded by metalised tones and reflections, just as in a great cocktail shaker,” said Lucas.
    Another of the rooms is coloured in a midnight-blue toneThe design takes inspiration from the light artworks of Dan Flavin and James Turrell, as well as the paintings of Milton Avery. The colour palette is based on the colours of the sky during sunset hours.
    The lighting effects are amplified by the combination of multi-textural and see-through materials, particularly the corrugated and perforated metal that forms internal walls, and the acoustic foam on the ceiling.
    The bar is designed with a laboratory feelThe rooms have been furnished with bespoke tables and chairs designed by Lucas y Hernández-Gil’s furniture studio, Kresta Design.
    Based on the forms of kitchen utensils, these designs feature cone shapes, splayed legs, high-gloss surfaces and velvet upholstery.
    Argon-blue lighting is reflected around the spaceLucas and partner Fernando Hernández-Gil Ruano founded their studio in 2007.
    Other completed projects include the La Hermandad de Villalba guesthouse and the Juana Limón cafe in Madrid.
    The photography is by Juan Delgado.

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    Upstairs lounge with “DIY” design approach opens at Public Records

    Public Records co-founders Shane Davis and Francis Harris have added a bar and lounge on an upper floor of their multi-purpose creative venue in Brooklyn.

    Upstairs is the latest addition to Public Records, which was opened in 2019 by musician Harris and creative consultant Davis, who led the design of both the original spaces and the new lounge.
    The Upstairs lounge at Public Records is anchored by a dark marble bar and glossy black floorThe extension joins a variety of programmed areas in the industrial brick building, including a cafe and record store, a plant-based bar and restaurant, an outdoor garden and a Sound Room for live performances.
    For Upstairs, Davis collaborated with DSLV Studio on the interiors, Arup for the acoustics, and a cast of makers to renovate the upper-level space – once occupied by Retrofret Vintage Guitars.
    A “DIY approach” was taken to the design of the space, which involved multiple collaborators”We felt that people would value a space that inspires more intimate connection than our other spaces,” said David. “This framework then provides opportunities to explore our ideas and showcase those of our collaborators on various scales, whether it be a sound system, a chair, an event series, or a cocktail.”

    The room is anchored by a dark, patterned marble bar, which together with the glossy black floor contrasts the mostly white walls and furniture.
    Particular attention was paid to the sound quality in the space, which includes large subwoofer speakers by OJASParticular attention was paid to the sound quality in the space, where walls are furred out and undulated to bounce music around the room from large subwoofer speakers.
    These are housed in cabinets by Devon Turnbull of OJAS and positioned against the back wall, with either side of the cabinets containing a diverse array of equipment including a reel-to-reel tape player.
    Custom furniture pieces include the PR Lounge Chair, designed with local fabricator Joe CauvelPatrons will be able to choose from a curated selection of records and CDs available to play during gatherings, events and parties.
    “Intentional listening on an audio system that showcases the practices of production in the music space allows for a deeper understanding and appreciation of the cultural significance of musicians and producers who are an integral part of how we shape our perception of the world,” said Harris.

    Public Records in historic Brooklyn building pairs vegan cafe with nightclub

    Wrapping the room are cream leather banquettes, accompanied by circular glass tables, and black ceramic and foam stools commissioned from Zurich-based artist Cristian Anderson that are reminiscent of used paint buckets.
    Also scattered through the space is the custom PR Lounge Chair, designed with local fabricator Joe Cauvel and constructed of plywood and steel with exposed joinery.
    Exposed ductwork and services found throughout the old industrial building are also present in UpstairsExposed ductwork and services found throughout the building are also present in Upstairs, which continues the same “DIY approach” taken to all of Public Records’ spaces.
    Brooklyn has no end of venues that act as community hubs, workspaces and nightlife spots geared towards its thriving creative population.
    Black ceramic and foam stools by artist Cristian Anderson are reminiscent of used paint bucketsAmong others are The Mercury Store performing arts centre in Dumbo and the 77 Washington artist studios in the Navy Yard.
    Elsewhere in New York City, creative co-working space Neuehouse recently updated its hospitality areas.
    The photography is by Ill Gander.

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