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    Norm Architects devises understated HQ for children's lifestyle brand Liewood

    A refined palette of oak, plaster and steel defines the interior of the Liewood headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, designed by local practice Norm Architects.

    The pared-back 2,200-square-metre office was conceived to give prominence to Liewood’s colourful, Scandi-style children’s clothes, toys and homeware.
    Norm Architects has completed Liewood’s Copenhagen headquarters”With the ambition to create a comfortable space with a somewhat understated character, we worked to let the space obtain its significance through the thoughtful use of tactile elements such as textured plaster walls and contrasting elements like oakwood and steel,” explained Sofie Bak, an architect at the practice.
    Staff enter the five-floor office via an airy light-filled lobby that is anchored by a rounded counter, roughly washed with sandy-beige plaster.
    Plaster podiums provide display space on the first floorCone-shaped pendant lights are strung along the ceiling while oversized stone tiles are laid across the floor, helping to “emphasise the grandeur” of the space.

    A pre-existing staircase curves up to the first floor, which accommodates a showroom. This part of the building formerly served as a production hall, with a vast scale that could easily feel empty and unwelcoming, according to Norm Architects.
    At mealtimes, staff can gather in The ParlourTo counter this, the practice constructed what it describes as a “warm wooden core” – a house-shaped oakwood volume with built-in shelves for showcasing Liewood’s products.
    Large, plaster-coated display plinths are dotted across the rest of the room. At the back is a short flight of wide, wooden stairs where staff can sit and chat throughout the day.

    Norm Architects creates warm yet minimalist interior for Y9 sailing yacht

    More products can also be presented here on bespoke podiums that, thanks to cut-outs at their base, are able to slot onto the steps.
    The building’s first floor also contains The Parlour – a kitchen and dining area where Liewood employees can enjoy meals together. It features a large travertine table, a series of plump grey sofas and graphic art pieces by the Danish designer Sara Martinsen.
    Traditional work areas can be found across the rest of the HQWork areas throughout the rest of the HQ are furnished with practical desks and storage units that match the off-white walls, while meeting rooms are fronted with panes of glass to foster a sense of openness.
    As the building’s original staircase didn’t extend all the way to the fifth floor, Norm Architects installed a spiralling set of white-steel steps.
    These grant access to a space the practice refers to as The Apartment: a secondary showroom designed to have a more intimate, homely feel.
    The top floor accommodates The Apartment, a more intimate showroomElsewhere, Norm Architects recently took its minimalist aesthetic off-shore when designing the interiors of the Y9 sailing yacht, decked out with supple suede furnishings and wood-panelled surfaces.
    The photography is by Jonas Bjerre Poulsen of Norm Architects.

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    BoND uses pink scaffolding at New York “embassy” for fashion brand PatBo

    Architecture studio BoND has designed the New York headquarters for Brazilian fashion brand PatBo, which features pink scaffolding and rugs based on drawings by Roberto Burle Marx.

    The office and showroom for PatBo occupies a 7,000-square-foot (650-square-metre) loft, which spans the entire seventh floor of a historic building on Fifth Avenue.
    The PatBo showroom is located in a light-filled loft in New York’s Flatiron DistrictAs the brand’s global headquarters, this space serves multiple purposes: showcasing the brand’s apparel; providing office space for staff; hosting buyers and events.
    “Our biggest challenge was to divide the space according to the showroom’s new program while keeping its loft-like openness,” said BoND co-founder Noam Dvir.
    To divide the open space, BoND used pink-painted scaffolding that doubles as clothing railsTo create partitions that double as displays, the designers chose scaffolding elements on which clothing can be hung and shelving can be installed.

    “They are so readily available, so New York in their character, and very easy to adapt to different conditions,” said Daniel Rauchwerger, BoND’s other co-founder. “Moreover, they’re inexpensive and have a younger, fresher feel that works so well with the spirit of a PatBo studio.”
    The showroom also serves as an office space for the PatBo teamScaffolding has been used in a variety of retail environments for its versatility and ease of installation, including a bright yellow Calvin Klein store transformed by Raf Simons and Sterling Ruby, and a boutique for Wardrobe NYC designed by Jordana Maisie.
    Painted pale pink in the PatBo showroom, the industrial scaffolding takes on a more feminine appearance, which sets the tone for the rest of the showroom.
    Feminine touches like pleated pendant lights align with the brand’s aestheticCurved couches, pleated pendant lamps and tambour panelling all add to the soft aesthetic and further align with PatBo’s brand expression.
    Circular fitting rooms surrounded by curtains allow clients to try on the colourful clothing in the main showrooom.
    Private offices feature tambour panelling and a mix of furnitureA second showroom area for hosting buyer appointments and casting calls includes minimal clothing racks with brass rails and oak frames.
    This space is closed off from the reception, but still visible through large glass panels that allow light from the exterior windows to pass through.
    The historic building overlooks Fifth AvenuePrivate offices along the far side of the loft also feature glass doors for the same purpose, and add to the feeling of openness and transparency throughout the showroom.
    “It’s not meant to be too precious or delicate, but rather a place where a group of creative professionals can feel encouraged to move things around and make it their own,” said Dvir.

    Raf Simons and Sterling Ruby transform Calvin Klein store with yellow scaffolding

    Atop the wooden floors are rugs based on the drawings of Brazilian modernist and landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, designed in collaboration with São Paulo-based Punto e Filo.
    Colourful furniture and potted plants also contribute to the Brazilian vibe in the space, and complement PatBo’s vibrant garments.
    Rugs throughout the space are based on the drawings of Brazilian modernist Roberto Burle MarxAt the back of the showroom is a bar area, featuring a pink stone counter with rounded corners, and a sink placed within a curved niche that has mirrored sides.
    “This is a space that combines elements of office, retail, and hospitality,” said Rauchwerger. “With that, it is able to serve as a real embassy for PatBo as a brand.”
    A bar area with pink stone counters is used for hosting eventsRauchwerger and Dvir, both former journalists, founded BoND in 2019 after working as architects at OMA, WeWork and more.
    Their studio’s previous projects have included the renovation of a dark Chelsea apartment into a light-filled home.
    The photography is by Blaine Davis.
    Project credits:
    Project team: Daniel Rauchwerger, Noam Dvir, Liza Tedeschi

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    KOT Architects creates “cosy and inviting” showroom for Dior

    Architecture studio KOT Architects has designed a creamy showroom-cum-office inside a new building in Tel Aviv for French fashion house Dior.

    Situated on the 17th floor of a newly built office block, the showroom, which features a large birch plywood bookcase and neutral colours, was designed to simulate the comforting feeling of a home.
    KOT Architects has designed the interiors of Dior’s showroom”The raw and rugged urban surroundings amplify the contrast between the various materials used and accentuate the cosy and inviting ambience within the space,” KOT Architects founder Kfir Galatia-Azulay said.
    “The approach was to conceptualize the space as a home with distinct zones to create a welcoming and secluded environment, distinct from that of a conventional office or store,” Galatia-Azulay told Dezeen.
    The studio used light woods and a muted colour paletteKOT Architects employed a colour scheme consisting of off-whites and beiges with brass accents to create a warm and cosy atmosphere.

    These work together with white travertine stone, polished white marble, raw concrete and natural birch wood materials to create a clean and sophisticated look, which the studio said embodies the “elegance” associated with the Dior brand.
    Beauty products are displayed on shelves around the spaceThe studio arranged the showroom and the employee rooms – which include a kitchenette and a private office – as a series of multi-functional “versatile spaces” across the L-shaped space.
    A wooden bookcase was used to create a partition in the middle of the floor plan, with one side providing employees with room for events and networking and the other for clients to try on clothes.

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    “The challenge was to optimize an L-shaped area with two wings – one for the company’s offices and another added wing for the showroom space,” Galatia-Azulay said.
    “The objective was to establish a versatile space that accommodates various commercial activities while upholding the brand’s values.”
    An open-plan kitchen has been merged with the show spaceElsewhere, KOT Architects added a spherical light fixture into the ceiling above a travertine table, which was custom-made in its Tel Aviv studio.
    Meanwhile, perfume bottles, candles and mannequins sporting Dior garments are displayed on in-built shelving units and on chunky, beige plinths.
    Seating is provided by bleaker-style benches which employees can sit on during presentations, armchairs clad in creamy fabrics and matching plump ottomans.
    The Tel Aviv showroom has plenty of wooden detailsDior is one of the most well-known fashion brands in the world. According to the curator of the V&A museum’s exhibition Dior: Designer of Dreams Oriole Cullen, Dior’s founder “helped to define an era”.
    The fashion house’s most recent runway show at Paris Fashion Week took place beneath a hanging kaleidoscopic installation by artist Joana Vasconcelos, which was decorated with fabrics from the collection.
    The photography is by Amit Geron.

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    Black staircases link SC Workplace by Behnisch Architekten

    A variety of black staircases dogleg and spiral between the levels of this office in Southern California, designed by global firm Behnisch Architekten.

    Tasked with bringing personality to a four-storey “developer box”, Behnisch Architekten 110,000 square feet (10,220 square metres) for an undisclosed client.
    Hairpin staircases rise through an atrium to link offices on different levels”We had the opportunity to work with a great client to transform this ubiquitous building type into a dynamic work environment, which promotes connection and collaboration,” said the studio.
    The building shell, measuring 120 by 240 feet (37 by 74 metres), features glass facades and an elevator core at its centre.
    Behnisch Architekten carved the atria from the floor plates to bring in light and create visual connectionsThe team began by carving up the continuous floor plates to open up the levels to one another – allowing in more light and creating visual connections between multiple spaces.

    On opposite sides of the core, they created two “eccentrically-shaped atriums” by staggering the walls of meeting rooms on the different storeys.
    The staircases are wrapped in solid black on three sides”A pair of hairpin-shaped stairs are situated in each atrium and connect users between office levels two to four, promoting inter-level exchange, but also serving as a sculptural element within the space,” said the studio.
    Voids were also created in opposing corners, each containing a spiral staircase treated with the same solid black balustrades and light wooden treads as the doglegged ones.
    More voids were formed at the building’s corners, which are used as lounge areas”The multitude of options between levels allows users to move freely from floor to floor,” Behnisch Architekten said. “These voids also add communication and transparency between previously disconnected floor plates.”
    Lounge areas also occupy the corner voids, which offer social spaces for employees and are flooded with light from the dual-aspect glazing.
    Spiral staircases provide alternatives vertical routes through the buildingPrivate offices are situated around the building’s perimeter so that users are afforded light and views.
    Closer to the elevator lobbies, conference and meeting rooms feature glass walls, allowing some to overlook the atria.
    Meeting and conference rooms are located in the centre of the buildingFor wayfinding and booking, every meeting room is named after a river, while lounges are represented by lakes.
    Each floor corresponds with two continental regions, which are identified through custom-designed wood artworks and photography.

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    Amenities for staff at ground level include a bouldering wall that wraps the core and is connected to a gym and a game room.
    A large dining hall features pale materials and a slatted wood ceiling also found in other areas of the building.
    On the ground floor, the core is wrapped with a bouldering wallStefan Behnisch established Behnisch Architekten in Stuttgart in 1989 with his late father Günter Behnisch. The firm now has additional offices in Los Angeles, Boston and Munich.
    It has completed a variety of different building typologies over the years, from kindergartens, schools and laboratories, to offices for Adidas and an academic building at Harvard University.
    Staff amenities include a large dining hallBehnisch was interviewed about his firm’s projects as part of Dezeen’s Virtual Design Festival in 2020.
    The photography is by Brad Feinknopf and Nephew.
    Project credits:
    Project team: Kristi Paulson (Partner in Charge), Daniel Poei (Director/Project Lead), Tony Gonzalez, Vera Tian, Laura Fox, Eric Hegre Apurva Ravi, Victoria OakesConsultants: John A. Martin & Associates (Structural), Loisos + Ubbelohde (Lighting/Daylighting), ARUP (Fire/Life Safety, Acoustical, Audio/Visual), ACCO Engineered Systems (Design-Build – Mechanical/Plumbing), Morrow Meadows (Design- Build – Electrical), Pinnacle (Design-Build – Audio/Visual), Ockert and Partners (Graphics), SPMDesign (Custom-fabricated Artwork)General contractor: DPR Construction

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    The Mint List fits out London office with mid-century-style movable furniture

    Bespoke furniture with a mid-century feel can be rearranged to alter the use of this office space in north London, which interior design studio The Mint List has created for a music management company.

    Camilla Kelly and Lucy Tudhope of The Mint List designed the headquarters for management company Everybody’s, which recently upgraded to larger premises on the ground floor of a former shipping depot.
    Everybody’s office is located in a former shipping depotArchitect Duncan Woodburn developed plans to reconfigure the large, light-filled unit as an open-plan workspace including a high-ceilinged entrance along with a kitchen and dining area.
    For the interior scheme, The Mint List focused on retaining the building’s existing character and creating a flexible workspace with a midcentury feel.
    The Mint List designed custom joinery to divvy up the interior”We wanted to ensure that we respected the modernist nature of this industrial site, whilst integrating a sense of creativity that was absolutely key for the client,” Kelly said.

    One of the main challenges was zoning the large space to create different functional areas. This was achieved using custom-built joinery to separate self-contained yet open-plan spaces.
    Modular furniture features throughout the office interiorMuch of the joinery is modular, allowing the space to be reconfigured if required. Large storage units at the entrance are accessible from both sides and completely movable so they can be rolled away to create an open event space.
    Most of the time, the units serve to separate the office from the entrance area and provide staff with a degree of privacy from visitors.
    The office also houses a lounge for playing musicThe main workspace is flooded with light that enters through the building’s glazed frontage. It contains desks and bespoke oak credenzas that can also be easily moved to completely clear the open-plan room.
    At one end of the office is a kitchen with built-in storage, including coloured drawers and cupboard fronts that complement the African sapele wood joinery.

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    The kitchen contains bar seating next to the windows and a dining space arranged around a three-metre-long leather-topped artist’s table.
    A full-height glazed wall specified by the client separates the workspace from private offices and a cloakroom on the ground floor, as well as a mezzanine that houses an acoustically sealed meeting room and a lounge for playing music.
    Glossy tiles feature in the stairwell”The brief was a seamless, vertical grid of glass,” explained Kelly. “So we helped to translate that in terms of the finishes – textured glass to obscure vision through to the office and a beautifully finished oak frame that complements the midcentury scheme.”
    Throughout the project, The Mint List applied a palette of tactile and honest materials including sapele wood, oak, concrete and burnished brass.
    The Mint List added wood surfaces and brass detailsA colour scheme based on natural hues including greens, creams and earthy browns adds visual richness to the spaces.
    The office’s Marmoleum flooring is a custom design that subtly separates the space into different zones. The renewable material was chosen for its excellent acoustic properties in order to help absorb sound within the open spaces.
    The bathrooms are playfully decorated with colourful tilesBathrooms located on the ground floor feature retro sanitary- and brassware complemented by playful tiles, with each wall laid in different patterns and colours.
    Other recent office makeovers in London include Office S&M’s self-designed studio inside a former paint-making workshop and creative agency Ask Us For Ideas’ Soho office, which is split across two diametrically opposed floors.
    The photography is by Dave Watts.

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    TPG Architecture creates “memorable moments” within NHL Headquarters in Manhattan

    Bold graphics and a tall media wall are among the features in the TPG Architecture-designed home office for North America’s National Hockey League, which spans five floors in a new skyscraper.

    The project is located in One Manhattan West, a glazed, 67-storey tower designed by SOM. The building is part of an emerging mixed-use development atop railroad tracks in the city’s Far West Side district.
    Bold graphics define the office interior by TPG ArchitectureThe NHL occupies floors 23 through 27, encompassing a total of 160,000 square feet (14,864 square metres). About 600 employees work in the office.
    Local firm TPG Architecture – which has designed several NHL projects since the 1990s – aimed to create a flexible and high-functioning work environment that captures the spirit of the professional ice hockey league.
    The project intends to capture the spirit of the ice hockey league”We set out to develop a connected, tech-enabled workplace that showcases the NHL’s commitment to its players, fans and employees,” the architecture studio said.

    “The result is an inspiring office that features memorable moments throughout, immersing both staff members and their guests into the League’s culture.”
    One Manhattan West skyscraper provides the setting for the headquartersThe league was started in 1917 and consists of 32 member clubs – 25 in the US and seven in Canada. The organisation was formerly based in a tower on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan.
    The new headquarters encompasses a range of spaces, including private offices, open workspaces, meeting rooms, media suites, social areas and a cafeteria that doubles as a “town hall”. The main entry and executive suite are on the 27th level.
    Interior finishes include concrete flooring and beige carpetingTo unify the different areas, the team used a black-and-white scheme with pops of colour – a move inspired by the NHL’s logo, which consists of a monochromatic shield.
    Interior finishes include concrete flooring, beige carpeting and warm-toned wood.
    Floors are connected by a feature staircaseFloors are connected by a feature staircase lined with an 18-foot-tall (5.5-metre) media wall. Games, graphics, social media feeds and staff announcements are showcased on the wall.
    NHL memorabilia is found throughout the headquarters, including a wall with pucks signed by players, a partition made of hockey sticks, and a corridor lined with uniforms from the league’s member clubs.
    An etching of the Stanley Cup features within the buildingOne area features a freestanding glass pane with an etching of the Stanley Cup trophy.
    “This area is great for visiting players to come in and take part in media interviews and other content-capturing activities,” the team said.

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    The work zones offer plenty of opportunities for group activities, which was somewhat lacking in the league’s former headquarters.
    “We interspersed more collaborative environments to boost productivity,” the team said.
    “Huddle booths, whiteboards with tabletop seating, and informal lounge areas are found throughout the office.”
    Various other spaces are included within the headquartersOther spaces in the headquarters include a Player Safety Area, where games are monitored in real-time and video clips are created for disciplinary review. The office also has a newsroom, broadcasting studio and editing suites.
    TPG Architecture was founded in 1979 and is based in New York City. Its extensive portfolio of office projects includes the conversion of a former tobacco factory in North Carolina into an advertising agency.
    The photography is by Eric Laignel.

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    Office S&M unveils its own colourful office with plastic-bottle-wall enclosed meeting room

    Architecture practice Office S&M has completed its own office inside a former paint-making workshop in Hackney, London.

    With an entire wall of material samples and areas for modelling and sketching, Office S&M’s workspace aims to act as a laboratory to support its ongoing exploration of materials “that are both practical and fun.”
    Material samples are loosely placed to allow experimentation in the officeThe studio, headed by architects Catrina Stewart and Hugh McEwen, frequently experiments with materials and colour.
    For its own office, complementary shades such as electric blue, yellow, red and green, were combined.
    The office combines bold colours”For this workspace, we particularly used an electric blue and a bright yellow to contrast with each other and make the space larger,” McEwen told Dezeen.

    “At the same time, because the workspace is south facing, we used the blue to cool the light and even out the warmth of the sun when looking at samples or drawings.”
    The space has been broken into spaces for different usesThe office features a separate meeting room acoustically isolated with sheets of recycled plastic bottles.
    The plastic-bottle wall also works as a point of light thanks to the bulbs it contains inside.
    According to the architects, the recycled-plastic-bottle “provides excellent acoustic insulation””For our own office, we decided to use another common waste material, plastic bottles, but reimagined, to build a soundproofed meeting room,” said Stewart.
    “The recycled plastic insulation is easy to work with, and irritation free, compared to traditional insulation.”
    The studio also includes ergonomic workstationsThe space was divided into areas focused on collaboration, discussion and making to reflect Office S&M’s commitment to community-led design.
    “We live in east London, and do much of our work in the areas near where we live and work,” said McEwen. “This gives us really local knowledge, so we can make sure projects have the most impact and can give back to the area.”
    The building is owned by Bootstrap, a charity that supports emerging businesses in HackneyAdditionally, Office S&M added plants, air purifiers and ergonomic workstations that intend to maintain the well-being of its occupants.
    Other projects by the studio include a rental home for a young property developer that aims to offer a solution to London’s rental market, and the renovation of the Mo-tel House, a residence that features pale colours and bathroom counters made of discarded milk bottles and chopping boards.
    The photography is by Ellen Christina Hancock.

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    Isern Serra creates pared-back office “with seemingly surreal details” for Andrés Reisinger

    Spanish architecture and interior design studio Isern Serra kept to a material palette of concrete, quartz and stainless steel to create this pared-back office for Reisinger Studio

    Located in the Poblenou neighbourhood in Barcelona, digital artist Andrés Reisinger’s studio is surrounded by several other creative’s offices and is designed to reflect the artist’s minimalist, dreamlike style.
    The Studio Reisinger office is designed to reflect the artist’s minimalist aesthetic”The concept behind the interiors of my studio was to create a space that complements and doesn’t compete with the uplifting spirit of my work,” Reisinger told Dezeen.
    “I wanted the studio to be like a canvas, with a kind of identity that I could play with,” he added. “The space is inspired by my work’s aesthetic, with seemingly surreal details amidst the light and bright studio.”
    Isern Serra left its raw concrete pillars intactPurchased as an empty shell, the Barcelona-based team decided to leave parts of the original space intact such as the concrete pillars while the ceiling was left exposed.

    Natural tones and textures were introduced through paint and flooring to create an airy and monochromatic yet soothing feel.
    A stainless steel kitchen is on the ground floor”First the colour and texture of the walls were chosen,” Isern Serra told Dezeen. “They are finished with a quartz-based paint in the form of a paste,” he added.
    “A natural finishing of micro-cement for the flooring was chosen to have the same tone and textured effect,” Serra said.
    A concrete table can be used for dining and workingThe team then went about filling the space with office equipment and furnishings, paying close attention to sourcing locally made items that reflect the sculptural work of Reisinger Studio.
    A large concrete table, which functions as a workspace and dining table was made on-site and stands in the middle of the studio.
    It was produced in a hue that sits between millennial pink and beige – a colour that has become synonymous with Reisinger’s work. A similar shade can be seen throughtout Reisinger and architect Alba de la Fuente’s virtual residence Winter House.

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    Around the table is a set of chrome metal stools custom-made by designer Julia Esque that complement the stainless steel staircase which curls up the floor above.
    Also in the area below the mezzanine, is a kitchen made entirely of stainless steel that features an integrated hydraulic push-to-open storage system.
    A millennial pink colour palette was used throughoutOn the upper floor, which is fronted by glass, Andrés Reisinger has a private office with a wooden desk for meetings. Plush pink seating here adds a touch of warmth. A separate shower and toilet are also situated on this floor.
    “The goal was to create a space that would inspire, rather than distract, from the work being produced,” explained Reisinger.
    “I imagined the studio as a blank canvas, a place where my team and I could come to experiment, evolve and grow our ideas and projects.”
    The office has a separate meeting roomArgentinian designer Andrés Reisinger founded Reisinger Studio in 2018. The artist is best known for the Hortensia chair, a bulbous pink armchair made with CGI that went viral on Instagram.
    He also made headlines for his collection of “impossible” virtual furniture, which sold for $450,000 at auction.
    The photos are courtesy of Reisinger Studio.

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