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      Plantea Estudio casts minimalist Madrid restaurant in shades of beige

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      Spanish firm Plantea Estudio has layered “light and warm” materials such as plywood and chipboard to create the interior of this Madrid street food restaurant.Called Zuppa, the eaterie is located on one of the city centre’s main streets, the Calle de Atocha, and occupies a commercial space that was previously home to an Indian takeaway.

      The informal dining area features steel frame furniture (above) and a central oak table (top image)
      The 127-square-metre restaurant offers a menu of street food and homemade soups, which can be taken to go or eaten inside of a small, informal dining area.
      Plantea Estudio restored the original storefront, which had been altered by the previous owners, and installed bespoke pivoting doors with frames made of plywood and iron, and topped with marble handles.

      Built-in benches are paired with wooden stools and steel tables

      For the interior, the firm said it selected materials in “light and warm tones” to create a feeling of continuity and make the space appear larger.
      Although similar in colouring, the materials were chosen for their different textural qualities, with micro-cement and plywood boards forming the walls and floors while chipboard was used to panel the ceiling.

      Plantea Estudio transforms defunct erotic cinema into contemporary art-nouveau theatre

      “The light from the outside envelops them in such a way, that the limits between one and the other blur and the space is expanded to the maximum,” explained the architects.

      The space is anchored by a large communal table
      In contrast to the soft beige tones of the walls and floors, the studio installed furniture and fittings made from black lacquered steel with “geometric and precise” forms.
      Much of this was designed specifically for the project, including a large communal table made from solid oak and finished with a sanded steel top.
      Placed in the centre of the space, it helps to channel the flow of customers between the two entrance doors.

      High tables in front of the counter feature marble tops
      Two built-in, upholstered benches run along the walls on either side, paired with rows of lacquered steel tables and oak stools.
      In the space beyond, two high tables with a steel base and grey Ruivina marble top sit in front of a serving counter made from these same materials and illuminated through integrated lighting.
      Here, customers can eat their food either standing or seated on one of the bar stools with their oak veneer seats.

      A soap dispenser and marble sink are mounted to the bathroom walls
      “All of these elements are introduced into a space where the floor and walls are finished in the same colour, so it looks like they are ‘floating’ in a warm atmosphere,” Plantea Estudio director Luis Gill told Dezeen.
      “The materials that are touched by hand are kind and solid, always pleasant.”
      The illusion of objects levitating in space is carried through to the toilets, where a marble sink and soap dispenser are suspended from the walls.

      Plantea Estudio built custom plywood doors with marble handles
      The interior’s neutral colour scheme chimes with paint brand Dulux’s choice of colour of the year for 2021 – a “reassuring” earthy beige called Brave Gound.
      Dulux argued that this “elemental” shade reflects “our growing desire to align more with the planet and looking towards the future”.
      Plantea Estudio, which was shortlisted for emerging interior design practice of the year at the 2019 Dezeen Awards, has previously transformed a defunct erotic cinema into an art-nouveau theatre.

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      The Brooklyn Home Company designs Passivhaus in Brooklyn

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      American studio The Brooklyn Home Company has designed a Brooklyn townhouse using Passivhaus principles in New York’s Carroll Gardens neighbourhood.The Sackett Street townhouse comprises four storeys as well as a rooftop with views of the Manhattan skyline, along with a basement and a drive-in garage.

      The four-storey townhouse has views of the Manhattan skyline
      Stairs from an outside decking area lead to a back garden, and a private terrace is accessed from the main bedroom.
      Passivhaus is a recognised European energy standard for homes that require minimal energy to heat or cool and promote high indoor air quality.

      The Sackett Street townhouse’s back garden

      For the townhouse project, The Brooklyn Home Company used an energy recovery ventilation (ERV) filtration system.
      “The air quality brings health and cognitive benefits that the developer believes will become the new standard for home building in New York City,” co-founder of The Brooklyn Home Company William Caleo told Dezeen.
      “The homes also maintain humidity levels to prevent virus spread, which is common in both dry and cold weather. In short, our opinion is it’s the best way to build new homes,” he said.

      A living room leads to the back garden
      Adopting Passivhaus principles addresses two of society’s greatest threats, argued William Caleo.
      “As society grapples with not only the current public-health crisis but the reality of climate change, builders and home designers are using Passivhaus design as an alternative technique in the wake of Covid-19.”

      The house’s walls are painted in white Farrow and Ball paint
      William Caleo and his sister Lyndsay Caleo Karol worked closely with his sister’s husband, Fitzhugh Karol, the studio’s in-house artist, to design the interiors.
      Madera white oak hardwood floors and walls painted with white Farrow and Ball paint were chosen to create a “bright and airy” home.

      A hand-crafted bed by Fitzhugh Karol in the main bedroom
      Hand-crafted pieces of furniture designed by Fitzhugh Karol include the wooden four-poster bed in the main bedroom.

      VonDalwig Architecture brightens Brooklyn townhouse House 22

      Other one-of-a-kind pieces include a bespoke dining table and a dresser, and the elegant twin beds in the children’s room were also made bespoke for the property.

      The twin beds in the children’s bedroom were made especially for the house
      The townhouse’s open-plan kitchen is a mixture of exposed beams and custom built-in wood, also designed by Fitzhugh Karol. A reclaimed ceiling by The Brooklyn Home Company hangs overhead.
      These rustic features are offset with sleek Pietra Cardosa countertops and a range cooker by La Cornue. Hardware fixtures by Waterworks and Restoration Hardware tie the space together.

      The property’s kitchen is a mix of rustic and polished features
      Selected artwork is also integral to the townhouse’s interior atmosphere. A notable piece is Tyler Hays of BDDW’s painting of a woman, made of puzzle pieces, which hangs in the dining room.
      Artistworks by Jen Wink Hays, Paule Morrot and Caleb Marcus Cain also decorate townhouse’s light and open rooms.

      Artist Tyler Hays’ puzzle painting adds depth to the dining room’s white walls
      The Brooklyn Home Company has recently launched 25 new homes also built according to Passivhaus principles across two Brooklyn developments in South Slope and Greenwood Heights.

      More Passivhaus projects outside of Europe include the upcoming 1075 Nelson Street skyscraper in Vancouver, designed by UK studio WKK Architects. When completed, it will be the world’s tallest Passivhaus building to date.
      Photography is by Matthew Williams and Travis Mark.

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      Ten contemporary living rooms with calm interiors

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      In our latest Dezeen Lookbook, we’ve rounded up 10 living rooms with calm, relaxing interiors, including rooms with soothing colours and natural materials that create a peaceful environment. This is the latest roundup in a series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series showcased peaceful bedrooms, dining rooms in American homes, and kitchens and domestic bathrooms designed by architects.

      Budge Over Dover house, Australia, by YSG
      Interior design studio YSG opened up the kitchen and living room into one large, open-plan space that connects to the garden to create a “fluid” sense of space in the Budge Over Dover House in Sydney.
      The studio used warm, deep colours to create a sense of calm, including dark wood detailing and aubergine hues. Marble surfaces add a luxury touch and look intriguing next to the simple brick floor.
      Find out more about Budge Over Dover house ›

      Esperinos Guesthouse, Greece, by Michael Stamos
      Greek designer Michael Stamos used a moss-green colour for the living room walls in the Esperinos guesthouse in Greece. The colour gives the room a relaxing feel and picks up the green from the plants that are dotted around the space.
      A nearby staircase has been painted black as a contrast, creating a moody atmosphere that’s contrasted by the colourful cushions on the large sofa.
      Find out more about Esperinos Guesthouse ›

      Whidbey Island Farm, USA, by MW Works
      MW Works wisely designed Whidbey Island Farm to make the most of the surrounding nature, with large windows and a pared-back interior design that lets the view speak for itself.
      Simple wooden furniture sits both inside the living room and on the connected terrace, while woven blankets and a furry throw adding a cosy touch. The open fire means the owners can enjoy the view of the surrounding forest in comfort even in the depths of winter.
      Find out more about Whidbey Island Farm ›

      VS House, India, by Sãrãnsh
      Architecture studio Sārānsh used local Kota tiles in the living room of the VS House in Ahmedabad to create a sense of tactility. The interior was kept minimalist, but the studio created interest by combining a range of different natural materials.
      The discrete grey hues of the plush furniture cushions work well against the rattan armrests and wooden furniture bases, while a decorative wall in dark wood adds a refined touch.
      Find out more about VS House ›

      Nithurst Farm, UK, by Adam Richards
      Nithurst Farm might have been inspired by both Roman architecture and Soviet-era science fiction, but its living room has a more traditional look.
      Architect Adam Richards, who designed Nithurst Farm as his own home, took advantage of the high, concrete ceilings as a calm background onto which he’s projected bright splashes of colour in the form of paintings and curtains. A baroque-style chair and a fabric-clad footstool help soften the space.
      Find out more about Nithurst Farm ›

      Williamsburg schoolhouse, US, by White Arrow
      The living room of this schoolhouse in Brooklyn, which studio White Arrow’s founders designed for their own home, has plenty of patterned textiles, but their creamy pastel hues means the space still doesn’t feel busy.
      A large palm tree is a fun detail and picks up the dark wood of a small sideboard and a floating TV-bench. Clean, white walls and a selection of modernist white lamps, as well as glass sofa table, create a restful atmosphere.
      Find out more about Williamsburg schoolhouse ›

      Bismarck House, Australia, by Andrew Burges Architects
      With its floor-to-ceiling glass walls that open out onto a garden in Bondi, Sydney, the living room of Bismarck House has the feel of a terrace. Andrew Burges Architects kept the details simple, adding galvanised steel columns and a concrete floor to “reinforce a robust outdoor character.”
      Furniture is in the same laid-back style with wooden chairs and a daybed creating comfortable resting spots. A terracotta-coloured wall lends the space more privacy and adds to the comfortable holiday-vibe of this inviting living room.
      Find out more about Bismarck House ›

      Riverside Apartment, US, by Format Architecture Office
      The living room of Riverside Apartment, set within a 1920s building on New York’s Upper West Side, owes much of its quiet charm to the beautiful wooden floorboards. The theme was taken up in both furniture in various types of wood and a woodclad doorway.
      Crisp white walls are decorated with graphic art that perfectly matches the mid-century modern furniture to create a soothing environment.
      Find out more about Riverside Apartment ›

      Casa Meco, Portugal, by Atelier Rua
      The enormous sitting room in Casa Meco, a holiday home south of Lisbon, Portugal, has three different vistas surrounding it and plenty of space for socialising and relaxing.
      Earthy colours were used for the interiors, which work well with the exposed-concrete ceiling and floor and make for a laid-back space. Glazed panels can be slid open for easy outdoor access.
      Find out more about Casa Meco ›

      Residence for Two Collectors, US, by Wheeler Kearns Architects
      The living room of this Chicago penthouse is filled with art, collected by its owners, and features a striking view of the city skyline.
      In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, a sofa group in pale colours is combined with a matching rug in calm grey and white hues, while a seagreen glass coffee table picks up the light from the windows.
      A Georg Nakashima bench from the owners’ collection adds an organic touch to the elegant space.
      Find out more about Residence for Two Collectors ›
      This roundup is part of our interior inspirations series that aims to provide ideas for people renovating or decorating their homes. For more inspiration read our pieces focused on bathrooms, bedrooms, dining rooms and home offices.

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      Enrique Jerez and Blanca Leal transform mid-century garage into music school

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      Located in a former garage space at the base of a residential block, this school for music in the Spanish city of Burgos makes a feature of the building’s existing concrete structure.Local architect Enrique Jerez and interior designer Blanca Leal were commissioned to create the Yoglar school by a client, who wanted to create a “home” for early music and piano education.

      Classrooms in the open-plan extension are demarcated through orange vinyl flooring
      The original trapezoidal plot in which the school is located was built in 1947 along with the adjacent residential building.
      The garage faces the street while an extension with a mezzanine, which was added in 1952 to increase storage space, is located at the back. Supported by pillars, this features a barrel-vaulted concrete ceiling and covers the building’s original courtyard.

      The reception features built-in birch furniture

      Instead of dismantling this “disorganised” structure, the architects decided to leave the irregular, concrete shell almost untouched.
      As such, the 205-square-metre school is divided into two areas. The original, trapezoidal garage space is home to an entrance hall, reception desk and toilets alongside a manager’s office and the school’s largest classroom.

      The extension is nicknamed “the forest” and houses a menagerie of plants
      The former courtyard area is now nicknamed “the forest” and houses two irregularly-shaped classrooms. One of these is enclosed within a house-shaped volume, which was sound-proofed with the help of three-centimetre-thick cork panels.
      The second classroom is located within the larger open-plan space and is delineated by its orange vinyl flooring.
      A spiral staircase made from blackened steel leads up to the mezzanine level, which has retained its original function as a storage space.

      The spiral staircase is made from blackened steel
      Natural light is funnelled into the school through two sets of glass doors at the back of the space that open onto a small patio.
      The floors, walls and ceilings throughout are finished in polished concrete to bring a cohesive feel to the different spaces while enhancing the acoustics.
      The designers also added built-in birch furniture to bring some warmth to the otherwise cool concrete space.

      Primary school children create Mega Maker Lab in former London fire station

      “Our aim was to design a place both unique and functional, which could foster children’s creativity while achieving clear results in their music development from zero to 12 years,” said Jerez and Leal.

      The floors and walls are finished in polished concrete
      In the Czech Republic, architecture studios FUUZE and Public Atelier recently converted a series of old church buildings into a modern primary school with the help of brightly coloured interventions.
      The project involved building new classrooms and restoring the decaying roof trusses of the original church complex back to its former glory.
      Images are courtesy of Javier Bravo.

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      Clayworks natural clay plasters offer a variety of interior finishes

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      Dezeen promotion: UK brand Clayworks has created a range of natural clay plasters to achieve a smooth, rustic, or rammed earth appearance across interior surfaces.Presented as part of Dezeen Showroom last year, the Clayworks series of natural and sustainable products can be used to add visual intrigue for residential or commercial interiors.

      Clayworks’ range of natural plaster finishes includes Smooth, used in this London house extension by Magri Williams Architects
      All of the Cornwall-based company’s plasters are created by mixing unfired clays with minerals and pigments, resulting in a variety of breathable finishes for interior walls and ceilings.
      The high-performance clay plasters offer an alternative to gypsum plasters or paints, and help to regulate humidity, and absorb toxins and odours.

      The Smooth finish has a cloudy tone and seamless appearance, available in neutral and earthy hues

      Among the brand’s selection of Classic finish options is Smooth, which has a cloudy tone and seamless appearance available in neutral and earthy hues.
      It was used in a London house extension by Magri Williams Architects, which was shortlisted for the 2019 Don’t Move, Improve! award.

      The high-performance clay plasters are suitable for residential and commercial interiors
      Clayworks’ Rustic finish has a rugged texture that adds depth to surfaces and varies depending on the application method.
      Using the right tools, the plaster can be applied to mimic different types of stone or concrete.

      Clayworks’ Rustic finish has a more rugged texture, as seen in this UAE cafe
      The Rustic finish can be seen in Snøhetta’s Aesop store in London’s Chelsea neighbourhood and at the skincare brand’s White City outpost, as well as inside a cafe in the UAE.

      Among the company’s Custom finish range is Rammed Earth, which covers walls at London’s Gaucho restaurant
      Clayworks also offers a range of Custom finishes, including Rammed Earth. This recreates the effect of an ancient building technique, with textured layers stacked to form bands of different hues.
      Rammed Earth wall coverings feature in London’s Gaucho restaurant, adding rich tonal variation to the bar areas.

      The Rammed Earth finish is applied to recreate the layers formed by an ancient building technique
      Clayworks is committed to ensuring that its products are environmentally friendly, with low embodied carbon, and the ability to recycle or compost the plasters if necessary.
      The company was founded by Adam Weismann and Katy Bryce, who have travelled the world researching different applications of clay as a building material, and published two books that explore the topic in detail.
      More information about the company and its products can be found on the Clayworks website.
      Partnership content
      This article was written by Dezeen for Clayworks as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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      Ménard Dworkind creates retro coffee bar in downtown Montreal

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      Canadian studio Ménard Dworkind has unveiled a retro-themed coffee bar featuring Rubik’s Cube mirrors and a floor tiled to look like checkerboard Vans shoes.Situated in downtown Montreal, Caffettiera Caffé Bar features a monolithic black terrazzo bar that welcomes people into the open space.

      Visitors are greeted with the terrazzo bar upon entering the cafe
      Combining refreshments and a retail display, this main bar emphasises Caffettiera Caffé Bar’s social focus and curves down to meet the checkerboard mosaic floor.
      “The checkered floor was inspired by Vans checkered shoes,” Ménard Dworkind co-founder David Dworkind told Dezeen. “As Guillaume Ménard and I both grew up in the 90s we tapped into our own personal nostalgia.”

      The checkerboard mosaic floor is influenced by Vans shoes

      The cafe’s owner wanted to bring Italian coffee culture for Caffettiera Caffé Bar, where customers are encouraged to linger over a cup.
      “We placed a footrest at the coffee bar so clients can stand there and have a chat with the barista,” said Dworkind.
      “We included a long, standing bar in the middle of the space to increase the density of people with spots in the cafe, which helps to encourage socialising”.

      A standing bar encourages socialising
      Curved mirrors are mounted onto faux-wood plastic laminate panels, a retro material that aims to connect customers through a sense of nostalgia.
      “The 90s theme was the driving force for the colour palette”, explained Dworkind. “The use of plastic laminate fake wood panels on the wall and bright colours were all popular in the 90s. The Rubik’s Cubes to frame the mirrors in the bathrooms is another example of something from our personal memories of the 90s”.

      Rubik’s Cube mirrors feature in the cafe’s bathrooms
      Circular tables boast a variation of five coloured laminates in graphic shapes and framed photographs of iconic fashion models from the decade embellish the walls.
      Tables sit alongside two comfortable tan leather banquettes that face the main bar, making use of the small but open space to create a sociable atmosphere.

      90s nostalgia is emphasised by photographs from the decade
      All of Caffettiera Caffé Bar’s available space offers a chance for customer interaction. The banquettes intersect at a self-service station, behind which a backlit planter is enhanced by the mirrors’ reflection.
      “The long shared banquettes provide the option of sticking the round tables together, and since it’s linear people are actually all seated together”, explained Dworkind.

      Reupholstered vintage chairs match tan leather banquettes in the seating area

      Batay-Csorba designs Milky’s coffee bar in Toronto without furniture

      Curving furniture echoes the shape of the mirrors. Rounded vintage chairs sourced from classified ads have been reupholstered in the same tan leather as the banquettes.
      Continuing the cafe’s curving lines, the ceiling’s exaggerated cornicing is another retro visual element. As with the main bar and the checkerboard floor, the cornicing seamlessly blends the walls and the ceiling together.

      Dynamic blue cornicing brings the ceiling to life
      Lambert & Fils pendant lights are suspended from yellow telephone wire above the seating area, bathing the tables in a warm glow.
      Traditional Italian food products are displayed on a long shelf behind the main bar, where a selection of sandwiches and pastries are served. Cafe merchandise is also for sale.

      The products stocked on the large shelf behind the main bar
      Italian signs illustrating where to pay and order slide along an orange painted steel beam above the bar. Their locations can be rearranged by staff depending on each day’s flow of customers.
      Various 90s books, toys and stickers feature in Caffettiera Caffé Bar’s windows, and around the space, making it a wholly nostalgic experience.
      A similarly retro feel can be found at Baseball, a food court in Hong Kong designed by studio Linehouse, influenced by 70s films.
      Co-founded by Ménard and Dworkind in 2017, previous projects from the Montreal-based studio include a kitsch Chinatown-themed pan-Asian restaurant and a recreation of a 1970s New York pizza parlour.
      Photography is by David Dworkind and Alison Slattery.

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      House of Grey designs Highgate home using natural tones and materials

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      The furnishings and finishes in this London home, designed by interiors studio House of Grey, were chosen for the health of its occupants as well as the health of the planet.Set in Highgate, London, the three-storey townhouse features custom timber furniture, a carbon-absorbing bathroom finish and a mattress made using natural, biodegradable latex.

      The living room is painted a deep sage green
      According to House of Grey, the design of the interior, with its palette of natural colours and soft textures, was guided by “circular salutogenic design principles”.
      This means it hopes to cut out waste and pollution, as a way of working towards a circular economic system. Salutogesis, meanwhile, refers to a medical approach focused on facilitating health rather than simply fighting sickness and disease.

      A clay plaster wall finish by Clayworks features in the WC

      In keeping with this, each material and resource the studio has used was researched for its impact on human and ecological health while in production, in use and once it has been discarded.
      “We are no longer simply finding design solutions, our work is now focused on eliminating the problem altogether,” said the studio’s founder Louisa Grey.
      “We have evolved to a place where we choose to work with materials and resources that are good for human health and have a positive ‘cradle to cradle’ impact on the planet.”

      A plush white sofa anchors the living room
      Finding herself unable to source “beautiful, contemporary” furniture made using sustainable manufacturing processes and natural materials, Grey commissioned artists and makers such as British furniture designer Sebastian Cox to produce bespoke pieces for the project.
      “I can never really find what I’m looking for, so at House of Grey we have started creating things for ourselves and for people that feel there is an inherent lack of choice when it comes to finding interior pieces with integrity that represent both their style and values,” she said.

      A custom wardrobe was designed by Sebastian Cox
      Cox’s pieces include a master bed with matching side tables, as well as a wardrobe and vanity unit made from materials such as ebonised oak and blackened ash, which the designer claims are able to moderate humidity and improve indoor air quality.
      The wardrobe interiors are made from cedar wood– a natural pesticide that can repel moths.

      Plaster walls of Jaffa Roofhouse imbue apartment with history and warmth

      “Thought-through details such as these culminate in an ongoing contentment in a space that improves human health with day-to-day use,” said the studio.

      The master bed features green velvet upholstery
      The bedding and mattress were supplied by UK manufacturer NaturalMat and, according to the brand, are made entirely from biodegradable materials.
      The master bed is upholstered using coconut husk fibres, also known as coir, which are coated in natural latex to create a springy padding.

      The mattress by NaturalMat is made using natural and biodegradable materials
      The bedroom also features natural lime paint by German brand Bauwerk in a colour that was developed in collaboration with House of Grey as part of a new collection that will launch later this month.
      It is made using a variety of natural bases including clay, stone, chalk, slate and limestone, and coloured using natural pigments such as ochre.

      Inbuilt shelving offers extra storage space
      “This natural lime paint provides a healthy alternative to widely available, chemical-based paints,” said the studio.
      “It is free of toxins and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), allowing your walls to breathe when combined with other natural building materials such as clay.”

      The bathroom walls are finished in Tadelakt
      The bathroom walls are made from a lime-based plaster surface called Tadelakt, which is waterproofed using a soap solution.
      Traditionally found in Moroccan architecture, it releases 80 per cent less CO2 during its production than similar cement-based finishes and most CO2 that is generated gets re-absorbed by the lime as it cures.

      The sink is made of natural plaster made from sand and unfired clay
      The bath and sink consist of a natural plaster made from sands, unfired clays, pigments and minerals, while in the toilet House of Grey used a two-tone clay plaster wall finish by Clayworks in the shades Moon Tonal and Buff.
      According to the brand, the natural clay has zero VOC emissions, low embodied carbon and is entirely recyclable.
      Gitai Architects has recently renovated an apartment in Israel, covering its walls in plaster to give the space a natural tactility.
      Similarly, Spacon & X drew on natural materials and plants to imbue Noma’s burger-focused spinoff POPL with a warm and relaxed atmosphere.
      Photography is by Michael Sinclair.

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      Asylum in Ratched designed to look like “a beautiful person with a really dark secret”

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      Production designer Judy Becker treated Lucia State Hospital like a character in its own right to ensure that the gruesome psychiatric institution takes centre stage in Netflix thriller Ratched.The asylum is rich with unexpected architectural details – undulating glass-block walls or vast panoramic windows hidden behind floor-to-ceiling curtains – that are begging to be noticed.
      This is a stark contrast to much of Becker’s Oscar-nominated work, in which sets generally act as backdrops that merely complement the characters and action on screen.
      “I haven’t done this often but in the case of Ratched, I really wanted the building to draw attention to itself as a character,” Becker told Dezeen. “It’s a bit of a misdirect when you see this gorgeous building and the well-dressed patients but then the most horrible things are happening in this place.”
      “It’s like a beautiful person that’s got a really dark secret,” she added.

      Above: Doctor Hanover’s office has panoramic windows. Top image: The hydrotherapy room has a glass-block wall

      The show tells the origin story of Mildred Ratched, the antagonist of Ken Kesey’s classic American novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and head nurse at Salem State Hospital.
      But while the book and subsequent 1975 film adaptation depict their setting as a bleak, clinical place with whitewashed walls, Ratched’s Lucia State Hospital tells a very different story.

      The asylum’s lobby is an almost exact replica of that at Arrowhead Springs Hotel
      That’s because Ryan Murphy, the series’ creator who is known for spearheading hyper-stylised shows such as American Horror Story, Scream Queens and The Politician, wanted the set to look less like an institution and more like a fancy resort that had been converted into a hospital.
      “I threw away all my research on the grim asylums of the 1940s,” said Becker. “Sometimes it’s really warranted to do a very frightening-looking set design for a very frightening story. But the horror in Ratched is a little over the top, so you can balance it with all this beauty and that dichotomy works really well.”
      The show went on to become one of the most successful Netflix shows of the last year and was watched by 48 million people within the first month.
      Ratched’s set replicates a real grand hotel
      Set in northern California in 1947, the series follows young Mildred Ratched as she weasels her way into working at Lucia State Hospital.
      Through her story, the series explores some of the questionable approaches to mental healthcare at the time – from lobotomising patients by drilling a hole into their skull, to “curing” their homosexuality by locking them in a near-boiling bathtub in the name of hydrotherapy.

      Dorothy Draper often incorporated white stucco features and black and white checked flooring into her interiors
      To ground the show in reality despite its stylised depiction of these horrors, Becker originally planned to shoot on location at Arrowhead Springs Hotel near San Bernadino, California.
      Designed by Los Angeles architect Paul Williams in 1939, the complex features sprawling rooms and Hollywood Regency-style interiors by Dorothy Draper – one of the period’s most notable designers.

      Less exclusive buildings “are actually some of the most interesting” says Devs production designer

      But the hotel’s owners refused to allow any filming to take place on-site, so Becker and her team ended up erecting a near replica of its interiors on the Fox Studio Lot in Los Angles.
      Over the course of three months, the team reproduced Draper’s trademark stucco features and checked, monochrome flooring, as well as entire rooms based photos and measurements.

      Lucia State Hospital’s exterior was filmed at the Gillette Ranch near Malibu
      The lobby with its thick columns and chandelier reflected in the lacquered, black flooring was replicated almost entirely, while the inbuilt hexagonal shelves and sinuous fireplace mantel Draper designed for the hotel lounge were transposed into the patients’ recreational area (below).
      “It was a huge set,” explained Becker. “It looks like one place on screen but we had to build it over two different sound stages, which are these big hangars. There were so many rooms and so many elements and we would keep adding new ones as new episodes got filmed,” she continued.
      “Finally, there was no more space to build anything and we had to move the paint shop and some of the little dressing rooms outside to make more space because we just needed every inch of it.”
      “I like to work with a very deliberate colour palette”
      Since the set had to be furnished from the ground up, Becker worked with decorator Matthew Ferguson to source real period pieces from the time. To fill the huge rooms, these were bought in multiples where possible or otherwise, matching pieces were fabricated from scratch.
      “Everything was custom upholstered. I tend to do that because I like to work with a very deliberate colour palette and it’s impossible to find exactly what you need just lying around,” said Becker.

      The patients’ lounge features inbuilt shelves and a sinuous fireplace inspired by Draper’s interiors
      Green is perhaps the most prominent colour in the show and features liberally throughout the asylum, as well as in the cliffside motel where Mildred Ratched makes her temporary home while working at the hospital.
      “Green is a great colour because it’s very period-correct of the late 40s. And it can be a very unsettling colour or a pleasant one, depending on the shade,” said Becker.
      “If you use a green with more yellow in it, it tends to feel anxiety-inducing while one with blue undertones is more relaxing and makes you think of swimming pools.”
      Each shade that made it into the final show was painstakingly tested on different furniture pieces and in various lighting conditions, to ensure that it was conveying the right effect.

      Each patient’s room features different floral wallpaper
      Becker also added warm hues of coral and peach to keep the hospital feeling inviting and deceptively “non-horrific”, while the tiled floors and walls were held in neutral black and white so as not to clash with the costumes.
      “I think if you had green walls and green nurses uniforms and this and that, it just would have just been too much,” said Becker. “It probably would have won an Oscar if it was eligible because too much design tends to.”
      Fake foliage and curtains made windows look real
      According to Becker, perhaps the biggest downside to shooting on a set is the fact that the view out of the windows has to be created completely artificially.
      Often, directors will work with a Translight – a transparent polyester sheet that is printed with an image of the desired setting and lit from behind to create the appearance of a real exterior scene. But Murphy and Becker agreed that this fell short of the realism they were hoping to accomplish.
      “They pretty much always look fake,” she said. “Nothing is moving and the lighting doesn’t change like it would in real life.”

      Curtains and fake foliage created the impression of real windows
      Instead, she hid most of the windows behind semi-translucent curtains and set up a veritable greenhouse of real and fake plants on the other side to create the appearance of foliage.
      “We had someone on set tweaking them to camera so that the shadows and reflections looked real and not always the same,” Becker remembered.
      “There were fans blowing on the foliage and fans blowing on the curtains, so it was a very elaborate process to get the light coming through the window to look appropriate on camera. I designated an art director to be in charge of just this process because it was so important to Ryan.”
      All images are courtesy of Netflix.

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