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    Cavernous restaurant by Spacemen feels like “stepping into a giant pot”

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    Architecture studio Spacemen has designed the Bar Kar restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to resemble the earth ovens historically used to cook and smoke food in the ground.

    Based between Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur, Spacemen conceived the interiors for Bar Kar “around the concept of primordial community cooking”.
    Bar Kar is entered via a pathway lined with firewoodGuests enter the eatery through a winding pathway lined with the same firewood used in the restaurant’s kitchen.
    This immersive hall was bookended with mirrored walls to give the illusion of an infinite space.
    Cavernous walls were designed to evoke ancient cooking pitsA bespoke yellow onyx welcome desk with a timber base was positioned at the end of the pathway, which leads to the main dining hall through a stucco-clad tunnel illuminated by a rounded skylight.

    Cavernous, terracotta-hued walls were designed to evoke ancient cooking pits.
    The central “chef’s table” was finished in veiny grey travertine”It’s as if patrons are actually stepping into a giant pot,” Spacemen founder Edward Tan told Dezeen.
    This geometry is echoed in curved tables and banquettes as well as a U-shaped central “chef’s table” finished in veiny grey travertine.
    Arranged around an open, terracotta tile-clad kitchen, the back-lit table provides a space for guests to sit and watch their meals take shape.
    Brown slate flooring was chosen to emulate rocks”All of the elements and finishes are inspired by primordial times,” said Tan, noting the locally sourced brown slate flooring, which was chosen to resemble rocks.
    Crumpled mesh sculptures reminiscent of flames were suspended from curved holes in the undulating ceiling.

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    Bar Kar also features a private dining room informed by “the organic contours of a cave”. For this space, Spacemen chose cream-coloured stucco, stacked in ridged layers to mimic the inside of a cocoon.
    Another gold mesh sculpture hangs over the room’s central red travertine table.
    The private stucco-clad dining room mimics a cocoon”We deconstructed the elements of primordial living in ancient times and put them into an abstract composition,” Tan said. “We wanted to make the restaurant familiar but with a fun and contemporary approach.”
    Known for its bold application of colour and texture, Spacemen previously inserted an “otherworldly” moss-covered installation in a luxury bag store in Putrajaya.
    Other earthy interiors include Studio Wok’s cavernous pizzeria in Sardinia, with sandy pink plaster walls designed to reflect the island’s wind-swept granite rocks.
    The photography is by Su Ping. 

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      Biophilic design informs “otherworldly” moss-covered installation at luxury bag store

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      Creative studio Spacemen looked to biophilic design principles to construct a tree-like installation covered in moss, which forms the centrepiece of a flagship outlet for luxury leather brand Braun Büffel in Malaysia.

      Described by Shanghai-based Spacemen as a store that straddles an art gallery and a laboratory, the studio wanted to create an interior that would attract a younger audience and serve as “an abstract oasis” in Putrajaya’s IOI Mall.
      Spacemen designed the store interior for bag brand Braun BüffelCentral to this design is an oversized, organic-shaped sculpture clad in preserved flat moss, ball moss and lichen that is suspended from an illuminated disc in the middle of the shop.
      A rounded table clad in the same plants was positioned directly below to complete the installation. It also doubles as a plinth for Braun Büffel leather bags, which are displayed sparsely across the store like museum artefacts.
      It is characterised by a central moss-covered sculptureThe sculpture takes cues from biophilic design – a concept that encourages a closer connection between humans and nature when creating interior spaces.

      “The form was designed to seem as though it is sprouting from the ground towards the ceiling – towards the sun – hence why we integrated the membrane lighting ceiling above it, just like how it would grow out of a beaker in a mad scientist’s lab towards natural light,” explained Spacemen founder Edward Tan.
      “We envisioned an otherworldly concept akin to something out of a Hollywood sci-fi movie,” he told Dezeen.
      A green onyx feature wall was placed at the back of the storeTan said that Spacemen adopted a “maximal minimalism” approach when creating the store interiors, in an attempt to challenge the neutral shapes and colours often associated with luxury.
      Throughout the shop, lime plaster walls and bright white terrazzo floors are interrupted by various ornate display units and shelves magnified by floor-to-ceiling mirrors.

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      This cabinetry is made from decadent slabs of swirly orange onyx and jade marble, some of which are topped with glass vitrines that reveal small leather goods.
      Spacemen placed a green onyx feature wall at the back of the store, which sits behind furniture including a bespoke curved bench created from the same material as well as a custom oak armchair.
      Bespoke seating creates a waiting area for customersExplaining the decision to incorporate biophilic design into the Braun Büffel outlet, Tan said, “I think with the pandemic, people have taken to appreciating nature a lot more than before.”
      “This is especially true for people living in big cities where they live in apartments and are confined to office cubicles all the time, and do not have access to nature and greenery as much as they should.”
      “Therefore it has become a new form of luxury to be able to afford lush greenery and gardens indoors,” he concluded.
      Green and orange hues add colourful accents to the spaceOther retailers featuring similar designs include a store in Seattle for beauty brand Glossier with a mossy mushroom-covered mound and a Celine boutique in Paris that is characterised by large expanses of brass and marble.
      The photography is by David Yeow Photography.
      Project credits:
      Interior design: SpacemenMoss artist: Ohsum Mossum

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      Ministry of Design creates shared office spaces in Kuala Lumpur skyscraper

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      Marble-clad columns and bronze detailing line the soaring entrance lobby that Ministry of Design has created for the YTL Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.It is one of several shared areas created by Ministry of Design in the Malaysian construction company YTL’s new office skyscraper by Kohn Pedersen Fox, which combines all of its staff departments in one place for the first time.
      Alongside the giant entrance area, the studio has created an oak-lined cafe and three storeys of varied meeting spaces shared by 1,000 YTL employees.

      Above: the YTL Headquarters skyscraper. Top image: the office’s entrance lobby

      “The brief for Ministry of Design was to design the public areas shared by these departments,” the studio explained.
      “As such, Ministry of Design sought to create a series of choreographed spatial experiences which aim to balance YTL’s legacy of corporate professionalism with a future-forward attitude that embraces change.”

      Marble-clad columns and cushioned benches line the entrance lobby
      The YTL Headquarters’ entrance lobby is positioned at ground level and measures 25 metres in height.
      Ministry of Design’s goal was to enhance the “majestic” quality of this vast space while ensuring it was welcoming and human in scale.

      The marble is offset by bronze accents throughout
      To achieve this, the studio developed a restrained material palette, dominated by the soaring, white columns clad in Bugatsa marble that run the length of the lobby.
      Floor-to-ceiling windows are positioned behind the columns to illuminate them and maximise natural light throughout the day, while making the space “glow like a lantern in the evening”.

      The lift lobby is highly symmetrical
      To obscure the height of the columns, each one is punctured by rectangular insets and bronze accents, while a cloud-like installation hangs between them.
      Cushioned benches that mimic Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chairs have also been slotted between the columns at floor level, framed by tall, gridded structures made from bronze.

      The cafe features a rough grey-granite counter
      The lobby is complete with a deliberately symmetrical lift area at its rear, accessed through turnstiles and framed by a statement bronze doorway.
      This provides private access to YTL Headquarter’s upper levels, including the office cafe, various meeting spaces and a function room by Ministry of Design.

      A central spiral staircase is enclosed by slatted bronze
      Ministry of Design’s development of the cafe and meeting spaces are intended as an extension of the lobby area, featuring a complementary material palette but with warmer tones.
      In the cafe, this includes a rough, grey-granite counter with a polished black-granite worktop, set against a backdrop of bronze wall-mounted shelves and oak-lined walls.

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      Oak has also been used to line the walls and ceilings of the meeting spaces, which cater for small and large, private to non-private gatherings.
      Ministry of Design achieved this through the combination of communal tables and open areas, alongside enclosed meeting rooms and acoustically-private spaces.

      The staircase connects the cafe to the office spaces
      In the open, shared meeting areas, the oak walls form a backdrop to black powder-coated lighting fixtures and seating upholstered with neutral Saum & Viebahn textiles.
      Silver mink marble flooring lines the floor, while black Nero Marquina and elegant white Calacatta marble are used across the tabletops.

      Oak lines the walls of the shared meeting spaces
      The private meeting areas are complete with softer furnishings and finishes, including brown-leather chairs, carpet floors and timber tables.
      The meeting spaces are complete with a statement spiral stair at their heart, which connects them to the cafe. It is lined with leather handrails that are enveloped by slats of powder-coated bronze and positioned on top of a bed of black gravel.

      The private meeting spaces feature softer furnishings and carpeted floors
      Ministry of Design is an architecture and interior design studio that was founded in 2004 by Colin Seah. Its headquarters are in Singapore, and it has two more offices in Beijing and Kuala Lumpur.
      Other recent projects by the firm include an all-white co-living space called Canvas House, a futuristic sports store in Singapore Airport and a robot training facility lined with metal and tube lights.
      Photography is by David Yeow.
      Project credits:
      Ministry of Design team: Colin Seah, Joyce Low, Ruth Chong, Kevin Leong , Damien Saive, Namrata Mehta, Fai Suvisith, Justin Lu, Zhang Hang, Maggie Lek, Kaye Mojica, Richard Herman, Rais Rahman, Tasminah Ali and Azilawanti WatiArchitectural design: Kohn Pedersen FoxAssociates design: Syarikat Pembenaan Yeoh Tiong Lay Sdn BhdArchitect of record: Veritas Design GroupLobby art: Leaves by Studio Sawada Design Co Ltd

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