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      Five key projects by interior designer and Dezeen Awards China judge Alex Mok

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      Shanghai-based interior designer Alex Mok has joined Dezeen Awards China 2023 as a judge. Here she selects five projects that best reflect her work.

      Mok and Briar Hickling are the co-founders of architecture and interior design practice Linehouse. The female duo’s work has been recognised internationally and won a number of international design awards, including Emerging interior designers of the tear at Dezeen Awards 2019.
      “Linehouse’s approach is purposeful, creating poetic concepts through research of cultural, urban and historic contexts that respond to the program, site and function,” Mok told Dezeen.
      “Each project has a strong narrative, a focus on craft and unique spatial experience with a dynamic intersection between disciplines,” she continued.
      Currently, Mok is working on hotel projects in Hangzhou and Hong Kong, a food market in Shanghai, and a series of retail projects in Bangkok.

      Alex Mok among Dezeen Awards China 2023 judges
      Dezeen Awards China 2023 launched in June in partnership with Bentley Motors. It is the first regional edition of Dezeen Awards, celebrating the best architecture, interiors and design in China.
      We have announced 10 out of the 15 Dezeen Awards China judges, including architects Ma Yansong and Rossana Hu, furniture designer Frank Chou and interior designer Andre Fu, who will be joining Mok on the interior design judging panel.
      Entries close on Thursday 24 August. Submit your entry before midnight Beijing time on 24 August to avoid late entry fees.
      Read on to find Mok’s views on the five projects that best represent her work.
      Photo is by Jonathan LeijonhufvudWework Weihai Road, Shanghai, 2016
      “Linehouse worked with Wework in 2016 to create their headquarters in a spectacular turn of the century brick building in Shanghai. Linehouse celebrated the grandeur of the former opium factory and artist residence, encapsulating the feeling of a grand hotel, transporting guests and members on an unexpected journey of whimsy, voyeurism and festivity.
      “The heritage facade surrounds the central atrium. A curved terrazzo tray was inserted to define the space, and pastel diagonal strips in blue, green, pink and grey wrap the floor and wall, creating a hardscape carpet.
      “A bespoke lighting installation is suspended in the triple-height space. A new sculptural staircase was inserted to connect all three levels of the main public areas.”
      Photo is by Dirk WeiblenTingtai Teahouse, Shanghai, 2018
      “Tingtai Teahouse was completed in 2018 in a former factory space and art gallery in Shanghai’s Moganshan Road art district. We stripped the space completely to reveal the beautiful patina of the original factory with concrete beams and columns as well as the brick walls.
      “The teahouses are modern architectural responses to the raw factory interior. They read as singular insertions that contrast with the rough brick and concrete interior and reflect the surroundings. The upper rooms in particular have strong relationships with the existing building in the way they connect to the original clerestory windows.
      “With each of these rooms bookended with full-height glazing, guests become spectators to the activities below. Each room has a different roofline, which forms modern architectural puzzle spaces where tea drinkers can enjoy this age old drink with a new perspective. ”
      Find out more about Tingtai Teahouse ›
      Photo is by Wen StudioCoast, Shanghai, 2022
      “The Coast restaurant in Shanghai recalls a deep connection with coastal elements and Mediterranean soul. Linehouse transformed a three-storey building into a vertical journey of refined rusticity.
      “Colours and materials across the three floors change, telling different parts of the story. Green earthy tones on the ground floor link the garden to the open cafe space, while the red fire tones on the first floor reflect the dining room centred on the parrilla grill. On the second floor black yakisugi wood contrasts against the whitewashed flanked stone walls and the existing traditional timber trussed ceiling.”
      Find out more about Coast ›
      Photo is by DOF Sky|GroundCentral World, Bangkok, 2023
      “Central World is our largest architectural project to date; a renovation project of an existing shopping centre called Isetan in Bangkok. Linehouse was commissioned to design the exterior facade and seven floors of retail space including a food court.
      “The project was located in an area once abundant in lily pads. Linehouse examined the stemming, radiating and circular profile of the lily pads, translating this into a spatial narrative of the exterior and interior condition.
      “The exterior is a double-layered, arched facade. The front layer was defined by concrete form and the back layer rendered in black. The arches stem in various heights and widths shifting on the two planes, creating interesting intersections which operate as framed views through to the interior.
      “Linehouse punctuated the arches to allow green terraces, providing a depth to an otherwise flat elevation, and blurring the exteriors and interiors.”
      Photo is by Jonathan LeijonhufvudYing’n Flo, Hong Kong, 2023
      “Aiming to break the traditional hotel narrative of serious spaces and strict boundaries, Ying’n Flo is a lifestyle guesthouse for modern day travellers in Hong Kong.
      “The spaces were designed to have a warm, welcoming and familiar feel, emphasising functionality and quality. Against this backdrop of curated simplicity is an edge of youthful attitude and local context, with vibrant elements giving the hotel its own unique flavour.”
      Find out more about Ying’n Flo ›
      Dezeen Awards China 2023
      Dezeen Awards China is the first regional edition of Dezeen Awards, to celebrate the best architecture, interiors and design in China. 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 in China.

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      Snøhetta creates Holzweiler store informed by Norwegian coastline

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      Architecture studio Snøhetta has completed a shop for fashion and lifestyle brand Holzweiler in Chengdu, China, informed by its Norwegian heritage.

      Located in Taikoo Li mall in central Chengdu, the 130-square-metre store is Norwegian brand Holzweiler’s first outpost outside of Scandinavia.
      The exterior of the store is covered with LED screen”The store features recurring themes of currents, reflections and contrasts inspired by landscapes and coastal movements, a bespoke concept of the forces of norwegian nature playing on our shared heritage,” Snøhetta explained.
      “With the aim of transporting Holzweiler’s love and deep respect for its origins, there is an immediate and consistent reference to the natural world that harks to the brand’s home country.”
      The interiors nod to the Norwegian coastal linesThe exterior of the store features a full-size LED screen, which will be used to display campaigns that showcase that brand’s connection to nature.

      A glass wall framed with wavy lines divides the LED screen into two parts, revealing the store’s warm clay-toned interiors to visitors.
      The reflective surface of the ceiling resembles sky and oceanThe entrance of the store was crafted from floor-to-ceiling sand-blasted stone that extend to the product display area where mechanical arms present Holzweiler’s signature silk, lambswool and cashmere scarf designs.
      Wavy lines were widely adopted inside the store, as a nod to to the shorelines along Norway’s extensive coastline. A series of hanging lights were suspended from the reflective surface of the ceiling, which was clad in steel with a sandblasted finish.

      Snøhetta combines clay and oak in minimalist Holzweiler store

      The clothing racks made with the same steal material run along the curved wall, while the forms of the display tables placed in the centre of the space were designed to evoke coastal rock formations.
      Natural materials were used throughout the store, sourced locally from China. Meanwhile, all fixtures within the store were designed to be flexibly dissembled and repurposed in the future.
      A hero wall with mechanical arms is used to present Holzweiler’s signature productsThe point of sale area is tucked away at the back of the store separated from the main shopping area to provide privacy for customers.
      Snøhetta is a long-term collaborator of Holzweiler’s, having designed the company’s flagship store and showroom in Oslo, as well as its first international outpost in Copenhagen.
      The Studio has recently completed a planetarium in France, featuring two domes surrounded by sweeping wooden walls and a shingle-clad viewing tower in Austria.
      The photography is courtesy of Holzweiler.

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      Chinese architects and designers can “bring something different to the world” say Dezeen Awards China judges

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      Architects and designers in China are poised to have a greater global influence as the country emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, according to Dezeen Awards China judges at a talk at Design Shanghai.

      Hosted by Dezeen’s co-CEO Benedict Hobson, the panel discussion marked the launch of Dezeen’s new regional edition of Dezeen Awards to celebrate architecture and design in China, which is open for entries now.
      It featured Dezeen Awards China judges Alex Mok and Frank Chou, alongside Neri&Hu managing director Jerry del Fierro, who stood in for Dezeen Awards China judge Rossana Hu, who had to pull out due to illness.
      Frank Chou is a product designer and Dezeen Awards China judgeAccording to Chou, who is one of the most established product designers in China, the country has a huge amount of untapped design potential.
      “In Europe, there are so many design firms,” he said.

      “In China, we have a population of 1.4 billion, but how many designers are there? There’s really a huge potential for Chinese designers to bring something different to the world.”
      Frank Chou designs furniture under his own brandChou believes that emerging Chinese designers are cultivating a unique, contemporary design language that draws from China’s rich history without being overly deferential to it.
      “We need to shape the real modern Chinese culture,” he said.
      “When we talk about culture, many people equate this to history, to something in the past. But we should also be thinking about the culture of the future. What will be China’s future culture?”
      Jerry del Fierro is managing director of Neri&HuOne firm that has successfully created a contemporary Chinese design identity is Neri&Hu, one of China’s best-known architecture and design studios.
      According to managing director Del Fierro, the practice’s co-founders Hu and Lyndon Neri have been highly influenced by cultural theorist Svetlana Boym and her concept of “reflective nostalgia”.
      “Reflective nostalgia is not a nostalgia that recreates the old, it respects the old but projects something new, something inspiring,” he said.
      “It’s not about feeling sad about something that’s lost, but rather to taking elements from the past and making them fresh and new.”
      Recent Neri&Hu projects include The Relic Shelter teahouse in Fuzhou, ChinaHe believes that the conditions are right in China for architects and designers to push boundaries.
      “If you work in America, and I worked in America for many years, some of the developers are very conservative,” he said.
      “A lot of the Chinese developers are actually ready to try something more innovative. I think there’s something to be said about the culture here that allows for innovation.”
      Alex Mok is co-founder of Linehouse and a Dezeen Awards China judgeMok, who is co-founder of Shanghai- and Hong Kong-based architecture and interior design studio Linehouse, agreed.
      “Transitioning from working in the UK to China was a revelation,” she said.
      “At first, I was a bit shocked. But very quickly I just embraced how fluid and fast it is here. We now have the opportunity to be working globally, but our heart is still in China.”
      Taking place as part of the Forum programme of talks at Design Shanghai 2023, the first edition of the annual trade show that has taken place since China relaxed international travel restrictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic, the panel discussion explored how China’s architecture and design scene has been impacted by the pandemic.
      Recent Linehouse projects in China include the Coast restaurant in ShanghaiAccording to Mok, Covid-19 forced many architecture and design firms in China who previously relied on foreign workers to nurture and cultivate local talent instead.
      “Everything had to be more local, which I think was a positive thing,” she said.
      “It became a bit more about Chinese creativity. When we were hiring, we kept getting all these CVs from foreign architects, but it was impossible [to hire them]. This meant we ended up fostering more local Chinese talent.”
      Del Fierro said that Neri&Hu experienced something similar, with many of the firm’s foreign workers returning to Europe or the US and working remotely. According to Fierro, this had the unexpected but welcome consequence of increasing the practice’s international projects.
      Covid-19 pandemic created “new opportunities” for architects and designers
      “Our practice is very different from three years ago,” he said.
      “When the pandemic happened, there were a number of our staff who wanted to return to Europe. We now have about 50 per cent of our projects diversified. Fifty per cent of them are still in China, but 50 per cent are now outside of China.”
      According to Del Fierro, the global acceptance of remote working will provide more opportunities for firms based in China to work on projects abroad.
      “The concept of remote working is now very commonplace and we are not limited by physical travel anymore,” he said.
      “So suddenly, we have all these new opportunities. We are based in Shanghai, can we work in Cape Town? Absolutely! And we don’t have to go there every month. So I think the pandemic caused an interesting situation to create new opportunities.”

      Dezeen Awards China open for entries until 24 August
      Chou, Mok and Neri&Hu co-founder Hu are among the first judges to be announced for Dezeen Awards China, which launched in Shanghai on 8 June in partnership with Bentley. Further judges will be announced in the coming weeks.
      Dezeen Awards China is open for entries now until 24 August 2023, but studios can save money on their entry if they enter before 13 July 2023.
      There are 17 project categories to enter across architecture, interiors and design. The winners of these project categories will go head to head for the chance to be crowned one of three project of the year winners across architecture, interiors and design.

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      Dezeen launches China edition of Dezeen Awards in partnership with Bentley

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      Dezeen has launched a new edition of Dezeen Awards to celebrate the best architecture, interiors and design in China. Start your entry today!

      Dezeen Awards China is the first regional edition of Dezeen Awards, which has grown rapidly to become one of the most entered awards programmes on the planet and is a benchmark for international design excellence.
      Dezeen Awards China to spotlight Chinese design talent
      Launched in partnership with Bentley Motors, Dezeen Awards China will shine a spotlight on the best Chinese architecture, interiors and design, providing international recognition from around the globe.
      Dezeen Awards China will be a celebration of Chinese design talent. It is therefore for architects, designers and studios based in China, rather than for projects by international firms that are built in China.

      Multinational firms that have an office in China are free to enter, as long as the majority of the work on the project was completed by the Chinese office.
      Just like the international edition, Dezeen Awards China is open to studios large and small and will celebrate both established names and emerging studios working in China today.
      Judges include Rossana Hu, Alex Mok and Michael Young
      Dezeen Awards China will be judged by a stellar jury made up of the top Chinese architects and designers, as well as high-profile international names with experience working in China.
      Judges confirmed so far include architect Rossana Hu, interior designer Alex Mok and designer Michael Young. More names will be announced in the coming weeks.
      Seventeen categories spanning architecture, interiors and design
      There are 17 project categories to enter across architecture, interiors and design. The winners of these project categories will go head to head for the chance to be crowned one of three project of the year winners across architecture, interiors and design.
      In addition, six China Designers of the Year awards will celebrate the leading emerging and established names working in China across architecture, interiors and design.
      However, these awards are nomination-only and our judges will shortlist names – it is not possible to enter these awards.
      Dezeen Awards China is open for entries now until 24 August 2023, but studios can save money on their entry if they enter before 13 July 2023.
      Scan the code above using WeChat to download entry formsGo to dezeen.com/awards/china to find out more about Dezeen Awards China, including how to enter and information on the categories and entry prices and deadlines.
      Or, scan the code above using WeChat to access the WeChat mini app for all the information about Dezeen Awards China in Chinese and to download entry forms.
      Dezeen Awards China launches in partnership with Bentley
      Dezeen Awards China launched in partnership with Bentley, as part of a wider three-year collaboration that also includes headline sponsorship of the international edition of Dezeen Awards, which closed for entries last week, and a design competition to redefine the future of luxury retail that launched last month.
      “We are thrilled to be working with Bentley to launch Dezeen Awards China, our first regional awards programme,” said head of Dezeen Awards Claire Barrett.
      “We are looking forward to discovering a wealth of design talent and promoting it both locally and on a global stage, showcasing the country’s rising position as a design powerhouse.”
      “We are delighted to be working with Dezeen to deliver a new global platform that will celebrate both new Chinese design talent and established names,” added Steven De Ploey, Bentley’s global head of marketing.
      “Partnering with Dezeen in this way enables us to reward and support cutting-edge innovators in the design industry who strive to deliver transformational experiences and best solve the design challenges of our age.”
      Winners to be announced in December 2023
      Dezeen Awards China is open for entries until 24 August 2023
      Shortlists will be announced in October and the winners will be revealed at a ceremony in December 2023.
      Sign up to our Dezeen Awards China newsletter
      Join our mailing list to get updates about Dezeen Awards China 2023! Subscribe here.
      Questions?
      If you have any questions about Dezeen Awards China, please email [email protected] or send a message to our WeChat account DezeenCN and someone from the team will get back to you.
      Good luck with your entries!

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      Cliffside hotel in China features cave-like pool with sea views

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      Chinese interior studio GS Design has created the nature-informed Miyue Blue and White Island Pool Homestay near Shenzhen, China.

      Located in Nan’ao Subdistrict, the Miyue Blue and White Island Pool Homestay was designed to reference its surrounding environment.
      Miyue Blue and White Island Pool Homestay is located near ShenzhenThe exterior of the five-storey building is punctuated by a series of arched windows, inviting the surrounding natural landscape of the cliffside hotel into the building. Each storey was stacked above one another, creating balconies and terrace pool areas on the upper three floors.
      The Shenzhen-based studio used white as the base tone of the interiors to contrast the rich blues of the surrounding sea and sky.
      Wood and bamboo were used in the hotel restaurant to reference the natural environment”Elegant vacation is the core idea of this space,” explained GS Design.

      “The whole building takes pure white as the basic tone, combined with blue sea and sky, expressed the relaxation of the exotic vacation, as if people immersed in nature
      A cave-like pool features in one guest roomThe entrance of the hotel on the third floor where a public restaurant is also located. A bamboo ceiling painted in white and wooden furniture add to the overall nature-informed interiors of the hotel. GS Design cladded the bar in black bamboo to create a sense of mystery.
      Other public spaces of the hotel include a water bar, reading recreation area and a conference room. GS Design created 25 different guest rooms spread throughout all floors, each with a unique view framed by various shaped windows.

      GS Design repeats arch motifs throughout Sumei Skyline Coast hotel on Hainan Island

      One room features a cave-like pool that extends from within the inside of the room to the outside. The polished rugged surface of the cave envelopes the bath, protecting the privacy of the guests as well as connecting them directly to the outdoor nature.
      “The natural scenery corresponding to different caves and pools has become the core of space,” said GS Design. “Through the visual, tactile, auditory sensory experience , we create a more delicate appropriate sense of vacation for travellers.”
      The base tone of white contrasts the blues of surrounding sea and skyThe top attic rooms were designed specifically for family with children.
      According to the studio, triangle oblique top modelling and window framing evoke the memory of childhood corner, as they discovered in a survey a huge demand for parent-child serviced rooms for urban hotels.
      GS Design was established in 2014 and is based in Shenzhen. Previously it has designed a similar hotel on the beachside of Sanya, China, with arched windows and sculptural vaulted corridors.
      The photography is by Aoxiang.
      Project credits:
      Design director: Li Liangchao, Huang YuanmanSoft outfitting design director: Feng YuDesign team: Fu Qixin, Xu Zuohua, Zheng Yong, Zhong Zhige

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      Kooo Architects creates Shanghai Freitag store in 1970s textile factory

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      Japanese studio Kooo Architects has converted a 1970s textile factory in Shanghai into a store that aims to capture the ethos of messenger bag manufacturer Freitag.

      Located on an alley in the Xian-Suo district in central Shanghai, the store was designed to retain elements of the former state-run factory while incorporating reused material.
      Kooo Architects aimed to create a pared-back aesthetic utilising few finishes to reduce the fit-out’s carbon impact. Like its previous Kyoto store, the look was partly informed by Freitag’s Zurich warehouse.
      Freitag has opened a store in Shanghai”In order to reduce CO2 emission as much as possible, the building interior does not use any decorational material, and all surfaces and conduits are exposed,” Kooo Architects told Dezeen.
      “In order to achieve a connected, inclusive and transparent environment, nothing is hidden, and there are no interior partition walls either,” it said.

      “Even the storage space is positioned in front of the visitors across all three floors. These spatial characters are highly relevant to the factory spirit of Freitag, and the space is a natural reflection of that.”
      It has a pared-back aesthetic enlivened with pops of yellowWithin the three-storey store, the upper floors contain display areas featuring industrial-looking units and storage spaces, while a large repair shop occupies the entire ground floor.
      The raw atheistic was broken by pops of bright yellow – one of the brand’s signature colours, which was used for the feature stair as well as ladders and a gantry.
      “In order to create an interior space fit for retail purposes, we adopted the white colour for the walls and ceiling and introduced a new skylight above the void space,” said Kooo Architects.

      Freitag store in Kyoto is designed to resemble the brand’s own warehouse

      “Traffic yellow was used for elements related to vertical movement, including staircases, the cargo lift and the ladder,” it continued.
      “The bright factory color not only introduces some playfulness to the architecture but also simply reminds visitors and staff of safety when using these elements.”
      The ground floor was opened up to the alleyTo create the store, the studio opened up the ground and part of the first floor by removing the walls, which are supported on a steel structure.
      While the studio retained many of the bricks, the rest of the waste was ground up to make “rebirth bricks”, which were used for the ground floor paving.
      The store was overclad in steel, which was also used as the hoarding required to enclose the building during the demolition phase of the works.
      The construction hoarding was reused as cladding”We saw the material similarity between the hoarding and our designed deck plate facade, so we decided to use the deck plate as the hoarding material,” said Kooo Architects.
      “In later stages of construction, the deck plate was removed from the hoarding, trimmed to size and reinstalled as a permanent facade material,” it continued.
      “The steel deck plate was galvanised to protect the building against the weather and with a matte finish to avoid harsh reflection of sunlight.”
      A repair shop occupies the entire ground floorThroughout, the design studio and Freitag aimed to reduce carbon emissions by reusing materials and sourcing new materials from within a 100 kilometre radius of the store.
      In total, Freitag and the architects estimated that the measures they undertook reduced its carbon impact by 144 tonnes of CO2 equivalent compared to a standard redevelopment.
      Founded in 1993, Swiss brand Freitag started by creating bags from reused tarpaulins. It recently opened a “micro-factory” where customers could help make their own bags out of recycled tarpaulins.
      The photography is by Studio Fang.
      Project credits:
      Store design: Freitag / Kooo ArchitectsDeveloper: Chengjun FanConstructor: HengpinConcept rooftop: Jody WongGreening rooftop: Forest City StudioFreitag bench design: Leandro Destefani (Zauber Aller Art)

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      Linehouse creates tactile restaurant with “Mediterranean soul” in Shanghai

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      Design studio Linehouse has used natural, tactile materials for the interiors of the Coast restaurant in Shanghai for China’s casual dining brand Gaga.

      The restaurant is set inside a traditional mid-century Shikumen house – a blend of Western and Chinese architecture – with a renovated interior informed by its Mediterranean menu.
      “We aimed to create a deep connection with coastal elements and Mediterranean soul,” said Linehouse co-founder Alex Mok.
      Linehouse has completed the Coast restaurant in ShanghaiAccording to the studio, the restaurant’s aesthetic is one of “refined rusticity” – a contemporary reframing of rough-hewn vernacular styles, that creates a laid-back and tranquil atmosphere.
      Throughout the scheme, Linehouse was informed by the idea of coastal terrain, including earthy and fired elements.

      Linehouse chose a natural material palette, which in turn informed the colour scheme that flows throughout the interior of the three-storey restaurant.
      Green-glazed lava stone surrounds the ground-floor cafe and barThe aim was to take the visitor on a “vertical journey” by giving each of the three floors its own unique identity.
      “The colours and materials shift on each floor, telling a different part of the story,” Mok said.
      The bar is finished in the same tilesOn the ground floor, where a daytime cafe transitions into an evening bar, green and earthy tones link to the leafy garden beyond. Walls are wrapped in a green-glazed lava stone, with a deliberately hand-made patina, “representing the earth element”.
      Custom furniture pieces designed by Linehouse were used throughout the restaurant, while lighting was chosen for its intriguing, sculptural forms from designers including Santa & Cole and Studio KAE.
      Natural timbers were used for the centrepiece bar counter, while the timber-framed windows open up to the silver-grey of the olive trees outside.
      An open-hearth grill features on the first floorAbove this on the first floor is an intimate dining space lined with white-washed stone and timber panelling. Layered oak panels hung horizontally from the ceiling create intimate dining nooks, with taupe-toned banquette sofas and oak dining tables.
      The focal point of this room is the parrilla – an open-hearth grill – and a chef’s table.
      “The concept of the open parrilla grill captures the quintessence of Mediterranean cuisine,” Mok told Dezeen.

      Linehouse designs space-themed cafe in Shanghai for creator of “Australia’s most Instagrammed dessert”

      On this level, fire-informed red and brown tones punctuate the space including the tiles that line the kitchen, which were repurposed from used coffee grounds.
      Finally, on the top floor under the exposed timber beams of the pitched roof, Linehouse created a string-wrapped wine room and a lofty private dining space.
      Panels of string line the staircase structureThe walls were again clad in white-washed stone. But here, it is contrasted with the intense black of yakisugi, or fire-preserved wood, which serves as a backdrop to a chef’s table.
      The space also features a generously-sized balcony, providing views out across this bustling neighbourhood.
      Linehouse created a string-wrapped wine room on the top floorThe spaces are linked by a staircase that weaves up through the centre of the building. Its chalky-white outer walls are patterned with a sculptural relief of sea creature exoskeletons, echoed by collections of shells displayed in glass jars nearby.
      Panels of string, woven into simple grids, line the staircase structure, allowing natural light to flow into the heart of the building.
      “We chose materials that tell the story of the coastal journey, while the exoskeleton wall is a modern representation of the sea,” said Mok.
      The top floor also houses a private dining roomLinehouse was founded by Mok and Briar Hickling in 2013 and the duo went on to win emerging interior designer of the year at the 2019 Dezeen Awards.
      The studio has completed a number of other projects in Shanghai, including a space-themed cafe decorated with real meteorites and an office housed in a former swimming pool.
      The photography is by Wen Studio, courtesy of Linehouse.

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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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