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    Supreme's Los Angeles flagship features its first fully floating skate bowl

    A team of architects and designers has mixed retail with a skateboard facility for clothing brand Supreme’s Los Angeles flagship store, sited in the building that was once home to the iconic record store Tower Records.

    The overall design of the he 8,500-square-foot (790-square-metre) store was carried out through a collaboration of London interiors studios Brinkworth and The Wilson Brothers – and New York architect Neil Logan.
    The Supreme store features its first fully floating skate bowlSupreme, a Manhattan streetwear brand catering to skaters, collaborated with Steve Badgett of SIMPARCH, a New Mexico to outfit, for a fully floating skate bowl.
    SIMPARCH previously constructed four skate bowls for Supreme, including a small peanut-shaped skate bowl in the previous Los Angeles store in 2004.
    Inside, light bounces off the polished concrete walls”We had a much bigger area to work with at this location, so the design process with Supreme’s circle of experienced pool skaters took more time to nail down the final form,” Badgett told Dezeen.

    The clover-leafed sculpted wooden skate bowl has three depths and a pale surface bordered by a darker rim.
    “The previous four bowls we built for Supreme were all considerable challenges but this one was a whole different animal with its greater size and structural complexity,” Badgett said. 
    The white box store sports a red logo on the renovated billboard fascia”Our engineer, Paul Endres, figured out how to eliminate columns anywhere near the bowl so it hung from the deck structure. He was able to do that without compromising the lean, fluid, aesthetic we wanted, and it allows the bowl’s organic form to be seen unimpeded,” he continued.
    Located in the site of the former Tower Record’s West Coast store, the one-storey white box store sports a blocky red logo on the renovated billboard fascia.
    “It was such an honour to take loving care of the historic Tower Records structure while literally raising the roof to accommodate the huge levitating skate bowl,” said Brinkworth founder Adam Brinkworth.
    “The site has gone from the world’s largest record store to the world’s largest Supreme.”
    SIMPARCH created the wooden skate bowlStorefront windows between triangular columns wrap the street corner, turning the sales floor into a display case.
    Inside, steel trusses raise the original roof and open the space with skylights for an illuminated interior. Light bounces off the elevated, wooden bottom of the skate bowl, which hovers on the far side of the store.

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    A metal wall was installed around the bowl to produce blurry reflection of the skaters. The wall also features a jagged black-hole art piece by Nate Lowman.
    On the main floor, clothing racks and product displays wrap around two walls. Sandstone benches were placed on the polished concrete flooring to reference a LA skatespot called the Santa Monica Sand Gaps.
    A Mark Gonzales go-kart is parked in the centre of the roomThe reserved white and grey material palette defers to art installations for colour and texture. A full-size F1 car by Mark Gonzales was parked in the centre of the room, and a colourful grim reaper mural by Josh Smith is splayed across a wall.
    The skate-in-the-store concept has become a signature for Supreme, who works with other architects to install the feature in locations across the country – such as the stilted platform in the Brooklyn store designed by Neil Logan Architect and the elevated reverberating bowl by Brinkwork in the renovated San Francisco store.
    In advance of the new opening, the Fairfax Avenue location in LA closed earlier this month after 19 years in business.
    The photography is by Blaine Davis.
    Project credits:
    Architecture: Brinkworth, The Wilson Brothers, Neil LoganDesign: Steve Badgett of SIMPARCHEngineering: Paul EndresFabrication: Steve Badget, Chris Vorhees, Clay MahnComputer modelling: Peter Eng

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

    LA-based furniture designer Jialun Xiong has completed her first restaurant interior in the city for 19 Town, achieving a retro-futurist look by pairing soft hues and metallic surfaces.

    Serving Chinese fusion food, the 19 Town restaurant is located in an industrial area close to Downtown LA.
    Upon entry to 19 Town, diners are met at a stainless steel and Formica counterThe name is a play on words from a phrase in Mandarin, signifying a venue that has food and wine according to Xiong, who is originally from Chongqing.
    She used a variety of materials and her own furniture designs to give the space a sense of “lavish restraint”, through the combination of minimal forms and rich details.
    Designer Jialun Xiong aimed to create “high-drama interiors” through the use of contrasting materials”Crafted with rigorously minimal forms balanced by rich materials like Venetian plaster, silver, and leather, the restaurant’s high-drama interiors create an elevated dining experience where connection around food takes centre stage,” said a statement on behalf of Xiong.

    The 4,200-square-foot (390-square-metre) restaurant is divided into five areas, which include the main dining space, a bar and lounge, and three private rooms.
    Glass block partitions define the spacesEach space is designed with its own identity, including the entry, featuring a custom brushed stainless steel and Formica reception desk.
    Behind, the wall is covered in Venetian plaster and plywood cabinets offer storage, while a series of circular Vibia pendant lights hang above.
    Xiong used multiple pieces from her Building Blocks collection to furnish the restaurantGlass block partitions define the perimeter of the main dining area, comprising a central seating area with round tables, and custom banquettes made from brushed stainless, green leather and vinyl.
    “Overlooking an open kitchen, the main dining space evokes an aura of retro-futurism,” said the team.
    The main dining room features custom stainless steel banquettesThe lounge is located on one side and the screened bar is situated on the other – both continuing the same design language as the central room, but with their own twist.
    Xiong used multiple pieces from her Building Blocks collection to furnish these spaces, such as a silver powder-coated metal bench with off-white leather upholstered seats.

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    Other items also combine industrial and natural materials, creating a balance between soft and hard, shiny and matte, and heavy and light.
    A variety of lighting designs with disc-shaped elements are installed throughout, adding to the retro-futurist appearance.
    The restaurant has three private dining rooms, all with a restrained aestheticThe private dining spaces are decorated using a monochromatic palette and a restrained approach, with green providing a subtle injection of muted colour.
    The overall result is a series of “balanced spaces where furnishings, lighting, and spatial volumes are considered together as a total composition”.
    The bar also features custom furnishingsMinimalism has become an increasingly popular style choice for Chinese restaurants, both in China and around the globe.
    Others include a hotpot restaurant with thick stucco walls in Qinhuangdao, a muted monochrome space in Ontario, and an eatery featuring stainless steel, brass and polycarbonate in Manhattan.
    The photography is by Ye Rin Mok.

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    Hollywood puppet theatre becomes Chief LA members' club

    A clubhouse for women in business now occupies a 1940s theatre in Los Angeles, following renovation work by JM|A+D and TAP Studio, with interiors by AvroKO.

    The three studios collaborated to rehabilitate the former Hollywood puppet theatre to create the Los Angeles flagship for Chief, which offers memberships to women in leadership roles.
    Like Chief’s other locations, the LA flagship clubhouse is designed to have a residential feel”Designed as a space for the most powerful women in business to connect and find community, we re-conceptualized the historic structure as a modern pied-a-terre, reinterpreting the best elements of traditional member’s club environments with a bold, lush palette,” said the team in a joint statement.
    JM|A+D and TAP Studio – both based in California – worked on restoring the theatre building while updating the spaces for their new purposes.
    The former theatre was converted to include two bars, five conference rooms and multiple lounges”From scattered wet bars and mothers’ rooms to carefully scaled seating and meeting areas, our goal was to develop a female-focused environment that brings the membership network’s mission to life,” the team said.

    “We dovetailed original building elements with new millwork, pathways, and technology to create an enfilade of communal and enclosed zones designed to host large events, lingering, chance encounters and focused work.”
    Conference rooms are each identified by a different colourThe interiors incorporate some of the design elements in Chief’s New York and Chicago locations, the latter of which was also designed by AvroKO and was named Large Workspace of the Year at the Dezeen Awards 2021.
    The visual threads between the different outposts include the use of rich colours and mix of furniture styles to create a residential feel, and incorporating many pieces by female artists and designers among custom millwork and vintage finds.
    Nods to the building’s former use include framed signatures of those who performed thereThe 14,000-square-foot (1,300-square-metre) LA clubhouse is split over two levels and includes two bars, five conference rooms, multiple lounge areas, and smaller private rooms for meetings or focused work.
    An outdoor patio is also available for members to sit among the trees or around a fire pit.

    AvroKO creates residential feel inside Chief members club in Chicago

    Inside, another fireplace is clad in narrow, glossy ceramic tiles and forms a focal point at the end of the bar.
    Each of the conference rooms is identified by a different colour, such as a large room with a sienna-hued ceiling and another that’s painted dark blue.
    A mix of furniture styles includes custom pieces, vintage finds and many designs by womenOchre yellow, dusty rose and various shades of green can also be found in upholstery, rugs, artwork and styled accessories.
    Nods to the building’s previous use are also scattered throughout. “We integrated a wall with celebrity signatures from roasts hosted at the theatre into the design,” said the team.
    Chief LA also has an outdoor patio for members to enjoyJM|A+D was founded by architect Jeffrey Miller and also has an office in Oregon. The studio has previously collaborated with TAP principal Tanya Paz on several residential projects.
    AvroKO is best known for hospitality projects and also designed the Mortimer House members’ club in London.
    The photography is by Aubrie Pick.
    Project credits:
    Architecture: JM|A+D and TAPInterior design: AvroKOCivil engineer: KPFFMEP consultant: Interface EngineeringAudiovisual consultant: VanWert Technology DesignLighting consultant: Focus LightingFood and beverage consultant: Sam Tell

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    NeueHouse opens third members' club in Los Angeles

    Workspace brand NeueHouse has opened a work and social space in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, which is revealed in this video created for the brand by Dezeen.

    The club is the third community and co-working space that the brand has opened in Los Angeles, California, with other locations in Hollywood and in Downtown’s historic Bradbury Building.

    Workspace brand @NeueHouse has opened a work and social space in Venice Beach, Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/IzJQMvbV0g
    — Dezeen (@dezeen) January 31, 2023

    NeueHouse Venice Beach is located at 73 Market Street, in an area of Los Angeles known for its arts scene in the 70s and 80s.
    The interiors of the club were designed by Canadian studio DesignAgency, who were strongly informed by southern California’s history as a centre of modernism.
    The agency chose to use light, organic materials to reflect the Californian climate. Spaces are designed to be open-plan, in order to foster a feeling of informality and comfort.
    Spaces were designed to reflect the oceanfront locationThe building includes private and public workspaces, as well as a podcast recording studio, wellness room and social spaces.
    As with Neuehouse’s other venues, the club will host a regular cultural programme including exhibitions, screenings and events.
    The clubhouse is home to a collection of artwork curated by Caroline Brennan of design studio Silent Volume and Pamela Auchincloss of curatorial agency Eleven+. The collection combines the work of established artists with emerging talent from southern California.
    The clubhouse contains co-working spaces and creative production facilitiesThe Venice Beach club also houses Reunion, the first in-house restaurant and bar in a Neuehouse location. The restaurant is situated on a private rooftop space with indoor and outdoor seating.

    NeueHouse opens Los Angeles co-working space inside landmarked Bradbury Building

    “Our latest House is a response to a historic demand from the local Venice creative community,” said chief marketing officer Jon Goss.
    “We want to reimagine and pay homage to the block’s historic past, while offering a warm, design-first experience”.
    You can apply for membership at NeueHouse Venice Beach at its website.
    Last year, Dezeen and NeueHouse teamed up to host a series of events, including a panel discussion on Afrofuturism in art and design and a live talk on the metaverse featuring Liam Young, Refik Anadol and Space Popular.
    Partnership content
    This article was written as part of a partnership with NeueHouse. Find out more about our partnership content here.

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    Maison Lune gallery in California showcases art and design in residential setting

    This art and design gallery in Venice, California occupies a former private house where interiors by designer Gabriella Kuti provide a warm, neutral backdrop for the works on show.

    Maison Lune was co-founded by French artist and designer Sandrine Abessera and Ukrainian fashion designer Lubov Azria, who set about creating a “dream home, where beauty rules”.
    Maison Lune is presented as a collector’s house, where all the art and design pieces are for sale”We want to build an alternative to traditional galleries, which are often perceived as too elitist and intimidating,” said Abessera and Azria.
    The duo worked closely with interior designer Gabriella Kuti to turn what was a private house in a protected historical building into a space to showcase a rotating series of exhibitions.
    The house has various terraces and balconies used to display works outdoorsThe gallery is organised like a collector’s home, with artworks and design pieces spread across multiple rooms that total 4,000 square feet (371 square metres).

    Their intention was to allow visitors to journey through the different rooms and floors, which are designed to exude a warm atmosphere.
    The interiors were designed to provide a warm and neutral backdropThe team didn’t need to alter too much of the existing interiors but added storage and lighting to help better display the works.
    “The space was already an amazing canvas for this purpose: high ceilings, lots of lights and skylight, white limestone floors,” the co-founders told Dezeen. “We created more shelving with LA artisans and added more lights.”
    The gallery’s debut exhibition is titled Transcendence and is curated by Gaia Jacquet MatisseArchitectural features like circular windows, spiral staircases and marble bathrooms all bring character to the gallery.
    The house also has a terrace with a small swimming pool and balconies for displaying pieces outdoors.
    The team added shelving created by LA-based artisans for displaying smaller objectsEverything displayed through the various styled vignettes, from artworks to collectible design pieces, is for sale.
    The aim is to spotlight a wide range of both established and emerging artists and designers, who work across mediums and techniques including painting, sculpture, photography, furnishings, ceramics, lighting, textiles and objects.

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    “The pieces showcased represent the varied and changing cultural landscape of identities, values and beliefs,” the pair said.
    Inaugurating the gallery is a group exhibition titled Transcendence, curated by Gaia Jacquet Matisse and including work by her mother, Sophie Matisse, along with artists Bobbie Olivier, Jeannie Weissglass, Edson Fernandes, James Fischetti, Angela Damman and Santiago Martinez Peral.
    Existing architectural features like a circular bathroom window add character to the galleryTogether, the show aims to “examine the concept of duality within our existence as humans inhabiting the earth, alongside nature” according to the team.
    This debut exhibition will continue until the Frieze Los Angeles 2023 art fair, which takes place 16-19 February, then the gallery is scheduled to host four showcases per year.
    Maison Lune is located in a historic part of Venice, California, next to one of the city’s canalsPresenting art and collectible design in a residential setting has become a popular way for gallerists and fairs to contextualise the objects, and make them more appealing to potential buyers.
    Galleries like The Future Perfect, which operates showrooms in LA and New York under the moniker Casa Perfect, and the Nomad Circle series of travelling design fairs are among those that have found success through this format.

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    Great White Melrose in LA offers outdoor dining on a pink-plaster patio

    Pink plastered columns and fireplaces surround this open-concept restaurant on Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue, which co-founder and creative director Sam Cooper coloured to match his childhood home.

    Cooper and his business partner Sam Trude recently opened Great White Melrose as their third and largest location in the city, following outposts in Venice Beach and Larchmont Village.
    Fireplaces face each other across the patio dining area at Great White MelroseOn the site of a former laundromat, the 5,000-square-foot (465-square-metre) restaurant was designed by Cooper and his in-house team. Along with its casual menu by chef Juan Ferreiro, the space combines influences from coastal cultures in Australia, Mexico and Europe.
    Dining is available on a partially open patio facing the street, beneath a roof of slatted panels between weathered timber beams.
    The pink-toned plasterwork was chosen to match the colour of co-founder Sam Cooper’s childhood homePink fireplaces face each other across this area, which is lit with a soft glow from large woven pendants found in Pakistan.

    “Completely visible from the street, the open concept was developed very intentionally to create a relationship with the neighborhood, the antithesis of the way so many Los Angeles – and specifically West Hollywood – hospitality venues operate,” said the restaurant team.
    Reclaimed cobblestones sourced from Germany cover the floors inside and outGuests arrive via a ramped cobblestone walkway that passes through a procession of pink arches, each draped in greenery and featuring sconces built into the plasterwork.
    The colour was chosen to match the home where Cooper grew up in Australia, adding “a sentimental touch” to the project.
    The interior space swaps pink for neutral tonesThe reclaimed cobblestone flooring sourced from Germany continues inside, where pink is swapped for neutral tones and a focus is placed on craft.
    A bar made from Portuguese limestone runs along the back of the space, with arched niches behind displaying wine bottles on wooden shelves.
    A bar made from Portuguese limestone runs along the back of the roomOn the main wall hangs a large painting by Berlin-based artist Danny Gretscher that brings hints of the colours found outside into the room.
    Glazed doors with black metal frames concertina open to connect the indoor and outdoor areas.

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    Rattan chairs and brown-toned seat cushions found across both echo the laid-back style typically found at hospitality venues in the Mexican resort of Tulum.
    “Our West Hollywood location is an extension of what we’ve found to be a successful formula that considers all of the necessary elements for an unforgettable dining experience,” said Trude.
    Lighting is integrated into the plasterworkGreat White Melrose combines “interesting art, design, architecture, music, and a variety of options as it pertains to both food and beverage that feature the best ingredients and an ever-growing list of talented makers”, he added.
    Melrose Avenue is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike, thanks to its wealth of boutique shops like Forte Forte, eateries such as the now-shuttered Auburn and design galleries including Francis Gallery LA.
    Great White Melrose is the third outpost from Cooper and business partner Sam Trude, following locations in Venice Beach and Larchmont Village”I have always enjoyed this part of West Hollywood, which seems to seamlessly connect all of the different worlds within it such as entertainment, nightlife, tourism, etc,” said Cooper.
    “There is a real energy about this space and the surrounding area and we are excited to tap into that with Great White Melrose.”
    Other hospitality projects to open recently in LA include Hotel Per La, designed by Jaqui Seerman in a neoclassical building.
    Last year, we rounded up six of the best restaurant designs in California.

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    Jaqui Seerman updates interiors of LA bank building for Hotel Per La

    A new hotel occupies 1920s bank headquarters in Downtown LA, where Jaqui Seerman refreshed public spaces to include a botanical-themed lounge and a mirror-lined arched gallery.

    Hotel Per La is housed in the neoclassical Giannini Building, built in 1922 as the headquarters for the Bank of Italy, and takes the place of the NoMad Los Angeles which closed its doors in March 2021.
    Hotel Per La replaces the Nomad Los Angeles in the 1920s bank headquartersIts 10,000 square feet (930 square metres) of public and event spaces have been refreshed by local interior designer Jaqui Seerman, who used the 12-storey property’s Italian connection to inform her updates.
    “A nod to the building’s storied beginning as a bank for the people, the ‘Per La’ name translates to ‘for the’ in Italian,” said the hotel.
    “[The bank’s] founder, Amadeo Pietro Giannini, believed in the dignity and abilities of those commonly overlooked, signifying the hotel’s inclusive spirit and name, essentially meaning ‘for Los Angeles, and people like you’.”

    A mirror-lined arched gallery opens into the main lobbyDemarcated by a pale blue awning, the hotel’s entrance has been relocated from 7th Street to Olive Street, leaving the doric columns across the grand facade fully visible.
    Through the doors, guests find themselves in a double-height lounge filled with plants and comfy chairs covered in botanical patterns.
    The custom front desk is by Voila Creative Studio and the hand-painted tapestry behind is by Jessalyn BrooksAn arched gallery lined with mirrors leads to the lobby, situated in what was once the main banking hall.
    In the reception area, a custom-made curved plaster front desk influenced by linen fabric was designed by Voila Creative Studio, while a hand-painted tapestry that hangs in the niches behind was produced by LA muralist Jessalyn Brooks.
    A purple games room features commissioned art and furniture from local artisansA rich purple lounge features a new game cabinet, as well as commissioned art and furniture sourced from local artisans.
    Event spaces range from a second-floor courtyard for private outdoor dinners, to larger spaces for up to 850 people.
    A second-floor courtyard hosts private outdoor dinnersDining options within the hotel include Per L’Ora, which serves Italian cuisine and features a light colour palette across curvaceous design elements influenced by the early 2000s.
    “The bar of the restaurant acts as a dramatic centerpiece, with a custom-made marble top in shades of green, grey, and white, and globe-shaped light fixtures, while custom white plasterwork on the front of the bar offers a new sense of texture,” said the hotel operators.

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    Adjacent to the restaurant is a casual cafe modelled on a Venetian coffee shop, serving beverages, pastries and snacks.
    On the rooftop, Bar Clara offers cocktails for poolside lounging and hosts live performances with the LA skyline as a backdrop.
    Guest rooms are decorated to echo the ornate blue and gold ceiling in lobbyThe 241 guest rooms and suites have retained much of the aesthetic created by French architect Jacques Garcia for the NoMad, referencing the restored gold and blue ceiling in the lobby.
    Downtown LA, the city’s most walkable neighbourhood, has experienced a cultural renaissance over the past decade.
    The hotel occupies the neoclassical Giannini Building in Downtown LAThe area is now home to several design-forward hotels including Kelly Wearstler’s Proper – which was just named hotel and short-stay interior of the year at the 2022 Dezeen Awards – a Soho House, and an Ace Hotel.
    Per La is the latest hotel in the US to open in a converted bank building, following the likes of The Durham in North Carolina and The Quoin in Wilmington, Delaware.
    The photography is by The Ingalls.

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    Perron-Roettinger clads Kim Kardashian SKKN pop-up store in raw plaster and cement

    Design studio Perron-Roettinger has created a pop-up shop for Kim Kardashian’s skincare and homeware brand SKKN in Los Angeles that showcases its products in a physical space for the first time.

    The minimalist pop-up store, which is located inside Los Angeles shopping mall Westfield Century City, was designed using a limited material palette in a nod to the brand’s pared-back design.
    Perron-Roettinger has created a pop-up shop for Skkn”The SKKN [store] is about raw materials – bold, big blocks of stacked raw material – which is inspired from an inactive quarry that I visited once,” Perron-Roettinger cofounder Willo Perron told Dezeen.
    “All different plaster and cement finishes echo the emphasis on the raw natural materials.”
    The walls and counters are made from concrete and plasterIn the 1,330-square-foot (123 square-metre) space, homeware and skincare products are presented within curved wall alcoves or on top of sculptural counters made from grey concrete and plaster. The room is framed by two large portrait photos of reality television star Kardashian.

    “Just in time for the holiday season, the pop-up will offer customers a luxurious in-person shopping experience with the entire SKKN By Kim collection – from skincare to home decor,” said the brand.
    Skincare items are displayed in alcovesThe use of raw materials references Perron’s partner Brian Roettinger’s packaging for SKKN products, as well as Kardashian’s recently launched concrete homeware collection called Home Accessories Collection.
    All the materials come in varying shades of Kardashian’s signature beige and grey colour palette, which she has used in her home and her shapewear collections.

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    According to Perron, the brand’s packaging and the store interior are united in their reliance on simple shapes and raw materials.
    “The throughline idea is materials untouched, most primary and elemental state,” he explained. “Simple geometry is important to add a recognizable component to both the space and the packaging.”
    Perron–Roettinger was also responsible for SKKN’s creative direction, brand identity and art direction.
    The store mirrors the brand’s minimalist packagingThe SKKN pop-up shop is open until the end of the year in Westfield Century City, Los Angeles.
    The longtime collaboration between designer Willo Perron and Kim Kardashian has seen Perron design other pop-up stores for the American reality star’s brands.
    For Kardashian’s shapewear company Skims, Perron created a beige coloured pop-up shop in Paris with chunky display units and partitions.
    Los-Angeles based Perron-Roettinger has also completed other pop-up shops for brands including Stüssy.
    The photography is by Gray Hamner.

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