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    Apparatus updates Los Angeles showroom to include a “modernist grotto”

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    New York-based studio Apparatus has redesigned its Hollywood showroom with multiple material schemas and a range of its lighting and furniture products to evoke a feeling of “discovery” for visitors.

    The 5,000-square-foot (464 square metres) Hollywood showroom first opened in 2018 in a former warehouse. Apparatus redesigned the interiors – which previously consisted of bold geometric and neoclassical elements – opting for an experience featuring a progression of materials that create distinct experiences for each room.
    Apparatus has redesigned the interiors of its LA showroomIts three adjoining rooms were transformed with distinct finishes and reconfigured displays.
    The first room’s walls and adjoining archways were covered in a coarse rock aggregate. Beds of similar stones fill small recessed gaps between the floor and the walls and a large circular mirror sits behind an installation of the Trapeze light configured as a mobile.
    The entry program features wall with a rough texture”Upon entering, you find yourself in our version of a modernist grotto,” said Apparatus.

    “Here lights are relatively low, allowing you to experience our collections with slightly subterranean undertones.”
    The “grotto”-like room features an installation of the Trapeze chandelierThe pre-existing archways were left intact and lead into the next space, which was finished in a silver-toned plaster custom produced by New York outift Kamp Studios. This surface treatment has a reflective quality meant to contrast the first space.
    It has an installation featuring multiple of Appratatus’ iconic Cloud chandeliers that give the space an airiness when contrasted with the earthy textures of the first.
    The second room has a smooth, silvery finish on the walls”Silvered walls reflect without revealing, giving the impression of being inside a Renaissance coffer,” said the studio. “After the grounding of the first space, this functions as a release.”
    A third room is lined with cork wall panels with intricate grain patterning and includes an unattributed bird-themed tapestry.
    Natural light comes in from overhead windows casting shadows on the double-height room, and includes several products arranged sparsely across the room.

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    “It’s about feeling discovery and moving through layers,” said Apparatus founder Gabriel Hendifar.
    Throughout, light fixtures are hung low to emphasize a dream-like characteristic of the reimagined space.
    As in Apparatus’s other showrooms in New York and London, the gallery’s interior design resembles the composition of famous paintings and historical architectural styles. Italian artist Giorgio De Chirico’s Surrealist works were referenced for this room.
    The third space features cork-lined walls and a double-height ceilingAccording to the company, the space was also redesigned based on a creative narrative of a hypothetical person: a woman living in New York City during the 1960s.
    The hypothetical person in this case experiences the cultural tensions of the time, between old world conventions and big changes in society, such as the moon landing, embodying the “tension between modernity and the arcane”.
    “What would happen if this woman moved to Los Angeles a decade later to find herself? Our Los Angeles gallery is the answer,” said the studio.
    The rooms were ordered to evoke a sense of discoveryApparatus has displayed its full suite of products in this immersive setting. Collections on view include the Cloud pendant lamp and the Episode Settee sofa.
    Other recent showroom designs include the London Camper store by James Shaw and Malbon Golf Coconut Grove store by 22RE.
    The photography is by Matthew Placek.

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      Crosby Studios creates office-themed installation in LA for The Frankie Shop

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      New York-based Crosby Studios has piled office equipment around a long metallic table as part of a pop-up installation for fashion brand The Frankie Shop in Los Angeles.

      The month-long installation titled The Office was launched to coincide with LA Art Week and the Sag-Aftra film festival and marked the New York label The Frankie Shop’s first presence in the Californian city.
      A long, metallic conference table formed part of The Office installation created by Crosby StudiosThe brand’s founder Gaëlle Drevet and Crosby Studios creative director Harry Nuriev met at his studio, talked for 2.5 hours and decided to work together.
      The resulting installation occupies a trapezoidal building on Sunset Boulevard wrapped in metallic film on all sides.
      Equipment like printers, office chairs and water coolers were arranged around the perimeter of the spaceInside, the warehouse-like space features a long table also covered in a reflective material, with matching cube-shaped stools set along either side.

      Articulated desk lamps, microphones and bottles of water were arranged on the table as if set up for delegates at a convention.
      The central table featured microphones and water bottles as if set up for a meetingAround the perimeter, Nuriev placed recycled office equipment, such as a large printer, a stack of binders and a pile of plastic-wrapped office chairs.
      A row of water coolers was lined up along one end of the room, encircled with glowing light boxes to create sharp silhouettes of the equipment in front.
      Light boxes that encircle the space create sharp silhouettes of the office furniture placed in front”It’s not really about the office, it’s more about what happens after the office,” Nuriev told Dezeen. “I was thinking it’s time to officially move on from the office and consider the future. However, in this project, we’re uncertain about what the future holds exactly.”
      A selection of apparel by The Frankie Shop is interspersed among the vignettes, while a “storage” area in the back serves as a fitting room.
      Some of the furniture is plastic-wrapped, appearing as though just installed or ready to be shipped awayTogether, the industrial style of the building, the silvery materials, the lighting and the equipment served to highlight the brand’s reinterpretation of businesswear.
      “The pop-up design blends a dynamic combination of fashion and nostalgia, where the power suits of the past seamlessly align with the modern attitude of The Frankie Shop,” said the team.

      Crosby Studios looks to the “signature red” of David Lynch for Silencio New York

      Metallics are commonplace in Nuriev’s interior projects, appearing prominently in a Berlin jewellery store, a Moscow restaurant and his own New York apartment amongst others.
      However, he is vague about the reasons or intentionality behind this recurring theme.
      The exterior of the building on Sunset Boulevard is also covered in reflective film”I don’t really think about ‘why’; it’s just my instincts, and I prefer to follow my feelings,” said Nuriev. “For this project, I had a vision of silver, and I think it works perfectly.”
      Originally from Russia, the designer founded Crosby Studios in 2014 and is now based between New York and Paris.
      The month-long installation marks The Frankie Shop’s first presence in LA and was timed to coincide with the city’s art weekHe recently completed the interiors for New York nightclub Silencio, based on the original location in Paris designed by film director David Lynch.
      Nuriev frequently collaborates with fashion brands, on projects ranging from a virtual sofa upholstered with green Nike jackets to a transparent vinyl couch filled with old Balenciaga clothing.
      The photography is by Josh Cho.
      The Office is on show in Los Angeles from 23 February to 24 March. For more events, talks and exhibitions in architecture and design visit Dezeen Events Guide.

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      Gensler redesigns its own LA office to have “warmth and comfort” of home

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      The team at global architecture firm Gensler’s Los Angeles office has redesigned a floor of its workspace with a hospitality approach, as a pilot for the remaining spaces.

      The Gensler LA team’s renovated its space to give it more of the “warmth and comfort” that its staff became used to during its time working from home.
      The team at Gensler LA redesigned the third floor of their offices to better suit their current workplace needsThe studio’s return to the office post-pandemic came seven years into a 15-year lease of its spaces in Downtown Los Angeles, the firm had converted from an empty bank building in 2011 then expanded to two floors in an adjacent, connected structure.
      With a growing workforce and a desire to rethink the layout, functionality and appearance of the office, a group of the studio’s “next generation” of designers and strategists led an effort to redesign the interiors of the third floor.
      The pilot project incorporates several products from Gensler collaborations, including open shelving and communal tables”The look and feel of our space, though contemporary, lacked the warmth and comfort of the hospitality touches we integrate for our clients’ workspaces and that we had become accustomed to while working from home,” Gensler senior strategist Sarah Koos told Dezeen.

      “Coupled with the changing nature of hybrid work, the space necessitated a transformation that would support a renewed sense of a work-lifestyle.”
      A warm aesthetic that captures the essence of Los Angeles was chosen for the interiorsThe group spent a year listening and learning from surveys, workshops and feedback sessions in which each of the 500-plus employees was able to have a say about their future work environment.
      Many team members had been highly mobile even before hybrid working became popular, so the previous dedicated desk system seemed redundant.
      “Working from home for two years effectively rewired peoples’ expectations of their work environments, a sterile, single-use corporate office no longer spoke to the warmth, variety, and comfort they were afforded in their own homes,” said Koos.
      Plenty of lounge areas with comfy seating were created for employees to useThey therefore set about redesigning the offices with a focus on flexibility, communal work areas and presentation spaces.
      “Rather than confine our designers to a desk or a conference room, we developed a kit-of-parts inclusive of typical sit-stand workstations, communal tables, focus pods, booths, material layout islands, and more,” said Gensler senior designer Kirk Bairian.
      “Gensler is built on a studio system which is critical to our design culture, and each studio was able to use this kit-of-parts to customise their space to reflect the specific ways in which they work.”
      The team devised a “kit of parts” for the different studios to customise their own workspacesA warm, hospitality-forward aesthetic that mirrors the “informal but elevated, casual but curated” essence of Los Angeles was chosen.
      Materials including maple plywood, blackened metal and subtle textiles provide a backdrop for more colourful additions in the form of ever-changing pin-up display boards, styled shelving, artwork by local students and books from local creative businesses.

      Eight interiors and architecture projects by Gensler

      Lounge-style furniture and jewel-toned textiles are placed in the co-working areas to evoke a hotel lobby or coffee shop vibe.
      Several of Gensler’s furniture and fixture collaborations were also introduced, among them the communal tables and open shelcves from a product line created with Fantoni and custom focus pods from a partnership with Tangram’s Studio Other.
      Traditional conference rooms are available alongside more flexible spaces for group workSince the project completed in 2023, the data from badges suggest that employee office attendance has increased by 35 per cent for the studios located in the renovated pilot space, according to the firm.
      “Studios in the new space shared that they felt that working in the renovated space made them more productive, enabled more effective collaboration, and overall, greatly improved their in-office experience,” the team added.
      Maple plywood and blackened metal were among the materials chosen to give the space more of a hospitality feelGensler is the world’s largest architecture firm and has locations 53 locations globally. Its European head offices in Wapping, London, was longlisted in the business building category of Dezeen Awards 2020.
      In 2022, co-CEO Andy Cohen told Dezeen in an exclusive interview that architecture should abandon “top-down” management to improve working conditions.

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      LG OLED and Shepard Fairey present digital street art at Frieze Los Angeles

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      Electronics brand LG OLED has collaborated with American street artist Shepard Fairey to exhibit digital versions of his artworks in this exclusive video produced by Dezeen.

      Called Peace and Justice, the installation is being presented at Frieze art fair in Los Angeles and features select works by Fairey that address global issues while advocating for positive change.

      Dezeen has produced an exclusive video for LG OLED
      Fairey was directly involved in the design of the installation space, which features a reimagined version of his 2018 piece Damaged Wrong Path Mural.
      Other works presented at the exhibition include Fairey’s 2023 Swan Song print, a reflection on the state of the environment, as well as a piece titled Make Art Not War, echoing the 1960s anti-war slogan “make love, not war.”
      The video explores artworks reimagined by Shepard Fairey for Frieze Los AngelesFairey is the founder of OBEY Clothing and is widely known for his Hope portrait of Barack Obama – which was widely circulated during the 2008 US presidential election campaign – as well as a series of posters called We the People that were released the day before the inauguration of Donald Trump in 2017.
      The LG OLED Art initiative invites artists to exhibit digital versions of their works using LG OLED TVs.
      The exhibit includes Fairey’s Damaged Wrong Path Mural with added digital elementsEach pixel in the OLED TVs emits its own light and can be controlled individually, creating an emissive display that was designed to produce accurate colour reproduction.
      The LG OLED TVs currently on show at Frieze Los Angeles aim to accurately express the prominent red tones in Fairey’s artwork.
      The LG OLED Art installation is on display at Frieze Los Angeles until 3 MarchLG OLED Art has collaborated with over 27 artists from around the world, including Anish Kapoor, Barry X Ball, Damien Hirst, the late Kim Whanki and Kevin McCoy.
      The photography is by LG Electronics.
      Frieze Los Angeles takes place from 29 February to 3 March 2024 at Santa Monica Airport. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
      Partnership content
      This article was written by Dezeen as part of a partnership with LG OLED. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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      Standard Architecture refreshes interiors of pink Paul Smith store in LA

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      British fashion label Paul Smith’s iconic pink store in Los Angeles has received an interior makeover from Standard Architecture.

      Standard Architecture collaborated with the Paul Smith design team to reimagine the 4,740-square-foot (440 square metres) store on Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood.
      Standard Architecture and the Paul Smith team reorganised the LA store to better define the brand’s different collectionsThe studios also created a new VIP entrance patio for the building, which is notorious for its bright pink exterior that has become a pilgrimage spot for amateur photoshoots.
      “The primary goal was to enhance the overall customer experience within the store, which was achieved by creating a more cohesive and immersive shopping environment across the different brand departments,” said Standard Architecture.
      Stone-clad partitions help to define areas, but don’t reach the exposed timber ceilingThe entrance to the store – the only opening in the giant pink wall that faces the parking lot – leads shoppers through a glossy red metal vestibule into the main retail space.

      Clearly defined yet interconnected areas for the menswear, womenswear and homeware collections help with navigation around the store.
      Long brass rails are used to present tailoringPartitions clad in dappled beige stone frame these zones, but don’t reach the exposed timber ceiling, to retain the sense of openness.
      In places, the stone walls are inlaid with mosaic-style artworks depicting abstract flora, which add splashes of colour to the warm-toned surfaces.
      Paul Smith’s collaborations with Gufram and Anglepoise are among the pieces on showBlack track lighting is suspended from the rafters, spotlighting the various clothing displays and lounge areas furnished with midcentury-style sofas and armchairs that are dotted around the store.
      Long brass rails that appear to be suspended in midair are used to display suit jackets, which are carefully arranged by colour.
      Shoes are presented on stepped white ledges that resemble bleacher seatingIn an area dedicated to accessories, the shoes and bags are lined up on stepped white ledges that resemble bleacher seating.
      Walnut is used for accents including shelving, door frames, and podiums, as well as for a large open storage system with compartments for presenting individual products and a row of sculptures by Alexander Calder.

      Standard Architecture creates minimal Hollywood showroom for Helmut Lang

      Founded by fashion designer Paul Smith in 1970, his eponymous brand is synonymous with the brightly coloured stripes applied to many of its apparel products and other collaborations.
      Many of these appear throughout the store, including a colour-tinted Anglepoise desk lamp and a striped version of Gufram’s cactus-shaped coat stand.
      Entry to the store is via a vestibule wrapped in glossy red metal”Overall, the design reflects a deep understanding of the brand’s identity, which places a strong emphasis on the use of colour and attention to detail,” Standard Architecture said.
      Paul Smith retail spaces around the world are equally playful. On London’s Albemarle Street, its boutique has a patterned cast-iron facade by 6a Architects, while the shop in Seoul is encased in a curving concrete shell by System Lab.
      The store on Melrose Avenue is an icon in Los Angeles thanks to its bright pink facadesStandard Architecture was founded by Silvia Kuhle and Jeffrey Allsbrook, who discussed their work with Dezeen during our Virtual Design Festival in 2020.
      Past projects by the firm include a Hollywood Hills residence with a cantilevered swimming pool and a minimal showroom for fashion brand Helmut Lang – which was located just a few blocks from the Paul Smith store before it shuttered.
      The photography is by Genevieve Garruppo.

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      Lovers Unite revives interiors of mid-century Silver Lake home

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      California design studio Lovers Unite has reinvigorated a 1950s home with sweeping views of the Los Angeles hills, turning an unused balcony into an extension of the indoor social space.

      The wooden dwelling in LA’s Silver Lake neighbourhood belongs to production designer James Chinlund and artist Clare Crespo.
      Lovers Unite renovated the home for a creative couple in Los AngelesA “previously a boring, nondescript mid-century house”, according to Lovers Unite, the property required some imagination to bring its interiors up to par with its setting.
      Therefore, the studio “introduced a few carefully plotted architectural interventions and material shifts to completely reimagine the interior of the home and take full advantage of its prime site”.
      The house has expansive views over the city’s hillsThe most impactful of these interventions was to bring an underutilised balcony at the back of the house into the envelope, extending the open-plan living and dining area by several feet.

      Beneath the large windows that were installed to fill the gap, Lovers Unite placed built-in seating with teal-upholstered cushions for relaxing and enjoying the panoramic vista.
      Plenty of wood was used throughout the home, particularly in the kitchen”With a large window wall and generous built-in banquette, the room finally celebrates the expansive views that had always been there,” the studio said.
      In the kitchen, dark green soapstone used for counters and the backsplash contrasts with the honey-toned cabinetry, and a shiny copper range hood matches a panel installed at the back of a bar area on the opposite side of the room.
      The honey-toned wood contrasts with soapstone surfaces and a copper range hoodElsewhere, colourful furnishings, collectible design pieces and bold artworks stand out against the predominantly wood interiors.
      A timber-lined lounge area features the classic modular Togo sofa system by Michael Ducaroy, which is wrapped in yellow corduroy fabric.

      And And And Studio lifts Silver Lake Tree House above Los Angeles site

      Meanwhile, in the den, a purple armchair is positioned beside a giant chair that Chinlund used as a prop for a shoot by Italian fashion outfit Roberto Cavalli.
      Wood slats were employed to partially screen the staircase opening on the upper level, next to a central fireplace with a raised hearth.
      As part of the renovation, an unused balcony was incorporated into the social space and a long window seat was installed in its placeOther decor items like vintage rugs, embroidered cushions and plenty of art and design books add even more character to the spaces.
      “Ultimately, the mood of the home reflects the spirit and talents of the estimable homeowner,” said Lovers Unite, noting that Chinlund has worked as a production designer for the Avengers movie franchise.
      Colourful furniture and set props are scattered through the different roomsSilver Lake is home to a variety of architectural gems, many built on dramatically sloping sites, including residences designed by notable mid-century architects like Richard Neutra and Rudolph Schindler.
      Led by Karen Spector and Alan Koch, Lovers Unite is based close to the neighbourhood, and has previously wrapped a bar and restaurant in Pasadena with expressive drapery.
      The photography is by Chris Mottalini.

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      Cafe Kitsuné Los Angeles features Parisian-style interiors with “Japanese twist”

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      Paris-based lifestyle brand Kitsuné has opened a cafe next to its boutique in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, both with minimalist interiors featuring white oak and stainless steel.

      The interiors of the new Cafe Kitsuné and the renovated Maison Kitsuné store were designed by co-founder Masaya Kuroki to reflect the brand’s French-Japanese culture as well as the West Coast setting.
      The Cafe Kitsuné interior includes a mural by Jeffrey Sinich that imagines the space as an old-school marketFacing Sunset Boulevard on the east side of the city, this is the brand’s fourth cafe in North America – following locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Vancouver – and its first in LA.
      “A sprawling city of diverse findings, from cutting-edge restaurants to pockets of art and architecture second to none, LA has lent design inspiration and a backdrop to several campaigns for the fashion house,” said the Kitsuné team.
      White oak tables and surfaces are set against stainless steel counters and panelling for a minimalist look”Now, it’s the perfect setting for Café Kitsuné, a physical extension of the brand’s Franco-Japanese DNA, and reinvention of the classic Parisian cafe and wine bar experience with a Japanese twist,” they added.

      The building’s red-tile exterior and poured concrete flooring were preserved, and hand-painted signage by Californian artist Jeffrey Sincich was added over the large street-facing windows.
      Burnt orange dining chairs and upholstered benches highlight the colours of the muralInside the 700-square-foot (65-square-metre) cafe, white oak tables and brushed stainless-steel counters feature alongside burnt orange dining chairs and upholstered benches.
      Another Sincich mural covers the full length of a wall, offering “a whimsical take on Café Kitsuné’s standard appearance” and presenting the space as an “old-school market”.

      Mathieu Lehanneur snakes metal rails through Maison Kitsuné boutique in New York

      A speaker system by Japanese audio company Rotel was installed in the cafe “to provide a top-notch sound experience for customers”, according to Kitsuné.
      Next door in the boutique, a similar material palette is used for elements including a built-in storage and display unit across the back wall.
      The existing Maison Kitsuné boutique next door has also received a refreshWhite oak forms the framing, shelves and doors that lead to the stock and fitting rooms, while ribbed stainless-steel sheets provide a backdrop for the items on show.
      More oak was used for the minimalist service counter and panelling behind, and a bright blue table sits in the centre to add a pop of colour.
      White oak and stainless steel are repeated in this space to create a visual connection with the cafeKitsuné was founded by 2002 by Kuroki and Gildas Loaëc and encompasses the fashion brand, Maison Kitsuné; a music label, Kitsuné Musique; and its line of cafes, bars and restaurants.
      Back in 2017, French designer Mathieu Lehanneur designed the Kitsuné store interior in New York’s Soho, adding snaking metal rails for displaying garments.
      The photography is by David Kitz.

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      Jialun Xiong highlights “intricacies and textures” at Sichuanese restaurant in LA

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      Subtle nods to traditional Chinese architecture can be found throughout this restaurant in California, designed by LA-based Jialun Xiong.

      Sichuan Impression’s third outpost, located in Alhambra, occupies a 2,000-square-foot (186-square-metre) space that “takes an elegantly pared-down approach to family-style dining”.
      Jialun Xiong chose a pared-back palette for the Sichuan Impression interiors, creating a relaxed atmosphereJialun Xiong took an equally relaxed approach to the interiors, combining warm and soft colours with walnut furniture and metal accents.
      “For Sichuan Impression, I chose a muted palette and natural materials to encourage guests to look a little longer and see the intricacies and textures that aren’t so obvious at first glance,” said Xiong.
      A free-seating area beside the bar features walnut furniture and floating metal cabinetsThe restaurant is roughly divided into four dining areas, each open to one another but defined by the style of seating.

      To the left of the entrance is a sequence of partitions that alternate between heavy grey plaster and delicate metal mesh screens supported by antique brass frames.
      Plaster partitions separate the various sections of the restaurantEach has a circular opening, which align to provide a continuous view along the minimalist walnut tables and benches that run along the same axis.
      One table extends through an opening, accommodating larger parties when needed, and each compartment features an oversized, raw silk cloth light shade suspended above.
      Walls and screens of different heights and thickness create a hierarchy of spaces”The custom chandeliers nod to traditional Chinese lanterns and reflect Xiong’s skeletal furniture designs,” said the restaurant team.
      In front of the bar is a free-seating space furnished with more wooden tables and chairs, which match the cabinetry against the far wall, while glass-fronted metal cabinets are mounted above.

      Jialun Xiong balances contrasts at “retro-futurist” restaurant in Los Angeles

      A pair of chunky plaster-wrapped columns and low partitions separate a collection of booths with leather seats and upholstered cushioned backs on the other side.
      The green fabric was chosen to resemble bamboo – a common material used in Sichuanese design.
      Booth seating is upholstered with a green fabric chosen to evoke bambooAt the back of the restaurant is the private dining area, which can accommodate 16 guests altogether, or two groups of eight when a sliding partition is closed.
      A circular window offers a glimpse into the private space, where the pared-back material palette is continued.
      A private dining room at the back has an intimate feel and can be spied through a circular window”The secluded space is designed to feel like home with its bespoke circular dining table and ambient lighting,” said Xiong. “I believe good design doesn’t always have to be instantly recognisable, it can simply blend in.”
      Xiong, who is originally from Chongqing, has also completed the retro-futuristic Chinese restaurant 19 Town close to Downtown LA. The designer recently showed her furniture and lighting pieces as part of the INTRO/LA showcase in November 2023, and at the Alcova exhibition during Art Basel in Miami in December.

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      PlayLab Inc centres “space for conversation” in Los Angeles retail store

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      LA studio PlayLab Inc has created a flagship store that contains a sky blue conversation pit at its centre for local clothing brand MadHappy.

      PlayLab Inc split the West Hollywood store into two distinct zones – one for retail space and the other for “intimate gathering spaces”, including a cafe and a courtyard.
      PlayLab Inc has created a flagship store for LA clothing brand MadHappy”Our collective goal with the design was to put space for conversation at the heart of the retail experience, creating a place that is equal parts for community dialogue and product,” PlayLab Inc co-founder Jeff Franklin told Dezeen.
      “To do this we split the space down the middle, making one half a clear utility for shopping and the other a collection of intimate gathering spaces.”
      The space was divided into separate zones for gathering and retailVisitors enter the 2,800-square-foot (260-square-metre) store through a glass facade, which leads into a large open space with powder blue concrete flooring running throughout.

      At the entrance, a blue bench emerges from a small exterior porch, while a boulder sits opposite.
      A cafe and courtyard were placed at the back of the storeTowards one side, the store contains a 70’s style conversation pit underneath a large skylight. Plush, sky-blue couches line the seating area, with satin aluminium side tables by Berlin-based studio New Tendency placed alongside them.
      Along an adjacent limewashed wall, the studio installed built-in shelving flanked by large custom wooden speakers by New York music studio designer Danny Keith Taylor of House Under Magic.
      The courtyard was populated with a single tree and green-stained plywood stools by Waka WakaThe social area leads into a small open-air courtyard populated by a single Tree Aloe installed by Cactus Store and green-stained plywood stools by LA studio Waka Waka.
      The same green plywood was used to line the takeout window of the store’s Pantry cafe, which sits in an enclosed corner and serves local and global cuisines from brands including Japanese-based café Hotel Drugs and LA bakery Courage Bagels.
      Custom signage was installed along the cafe’s takeout windowA custom lightbox and a large standing menu were installed next to the takeout window to display the cafe’s signage and goods.
      In the remaining interior, PlayLab Inc created a large metallic “retail bar” that spans the shop’s length for “open views of the product”, according to Franklin. The studio also dispersed custom Lego-like benches around the space, which were covered in a candy apple red gloss.
      The store will act as a retail space and venueFaux-stone stools and a bench were installed throughout the space.
      The store also contains a multimedia room, called the Local Optimist Space, a creative venue that will host audio and visual artwork.

      PlayLab Inc creates plexiglass skatepark for Vans during Paris Fashion Week

      “The design was inspired by the concept of conversation between things – a balance of scales, materials and textures,” said Franklin.
      This is the first flagship store for the clothing brand MadHappy, which previously operated from a host of pop-up concepts and stores.
      Local designers worked on furniture and other pieces for the store”From the beginning, physical retail has been essential to Madhappy and its success. We’ve always viewed our shops as spaces that go beyond something purely transactional – we want them to allow our community to engage with Madhappy beyond what’s possible digitally,” MadHappy co-founder Mason Spector said in a statement.
      Other recent projects by PlayLab Inc also include a plexiglass skatepark for Vans and a lifesize toy racetrack set for a Louis Vuitton menswear show.
      The photography is by Sean Davidson.

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