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    Japanese garden design informs Tokyo real estate office by Flooat

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    Lush plants and gravel beds feature in the Tokyo offices of real estate company Mitsui & Co, which local interior studio Flooat has designed to be “as stress-free as possible”.

    The workspace is located on the third floor of a 1980s office block in Chiyoda, a special district of Tokyo that is also home to the Imperial Palace.
    Flooat set out to bring new value to the outdated building, creating a working environment that could be “cherished and used for a long time”.
    Mitsui & Co’s office is set in a 1980s office block”In this project, we aimed to create a space that is considerate to both people and the environment by updating the charm of an old building and showing its new value in Tokyo, where there is a notably high rebuilding rate,” the studio told Dezeen.
    The practice was presented with a space that was dark and awkward, with a corridor running down the middle of a long, narrow floor.

    Flooat’s solution involved reducing the interior to a “skeleton” and eliminating the corridor to create a semi-open space for Mitsui & Co’s employees.
    Design studio Flooat used teak wood to line walls and floorsThe remaining walls were adjusted to a height and position that would not block any natural light.
    “The walls are constructed to match the architectural module, giving a sense of depth while dead-end flow lines have been eliminated so that the space can be viewed from various angles,” the studio said.
    “The result is a harmony of function and aesthetic with a clean, simple look.”
    The same timber was also used to clad the newly deepened window surroundsThe surrounds of the windows were deepened and lined with grainy matt-finish teak to bring warmth and character to the office while softening the direct sunlight.
    The same timber was also used to wrap around walls, floors, windows and doors.
    “To create harmony in the space, we selected trees with similar characteristics,” Flooat said. “Employees spend a lot of time in the office, so we aim to create a natural space that is as stress-free as possible.”
    Comfortable seating areas were created next to the windowsFlooat used partitions at various heights, alongside different floor levels and furniture heights to create dedicated areas for different modes of working.
    Sofas and low tables were installed close to windows, allowing visitors to sit and take in the outside world in a relaxed environment.
    Long communal tables provide space for focused work while another area serves as a lounge where Mitsui & Co’s staff can mingle with others in the building.
    “Instead of sitting in the same seat all the time, we have created an environment where people can move around, creating opportunities for communication and a natural flow of people in the office,” the studio said.

    Flooat creates “fluctuating landscape” inside publishing office near Tokyo

    Different zones are demarcated via narrow tracts of gravel laid into troughs in the floor.
    “Borders are indicated in such a way as to give every area its own independence, evoking the pleasing features of a Japanese landscape garden with a tea house,” the studio said.
    “The pebble is a sign for switching spaces, a modern representation of the uniquely Japanese way of communicating signs.”
    Different floor levels and gravel beds help to delineate areasPlants with lush green foliage introduce a soft organic element to the space, providing a link to nature within the city.
    “We placed large plants on the symbolic tables where people tend to congregate,” the studio said.
    “We also considered the shadows created by the trees as an element of comfort. Organic, natural shapes also help to reduce tension and create a cosy atmosphere.”
    The natural grain of the wood serves a decorative functionA cavernous meeting room pod is set into one of the partition walls, enveloped in a grey textile surround that was chosen for its sound-absorbing qualities.
    “This gives the impression of a cave,” the studio said. “Once inside, the space gives a sense of security and allows people to concentrate on communication. It’s a place where you don’t have to worry about other people’s eyes and voices.”
    For the furniture, Flooat chose enduring design pieces that date back to before the building’s construction in 1983, in a bid to create a sense of timelessness.
    A meeting room pod is integrated into one of the partition walls”We wanted to revive the interior of an old building and choose furniture that would be appropriate for a place that will still be used in the future,” said Flooat.
    “We used furniture in the lounge space that was designed in the 1960s, for example, and is still being produced today.”
    Mitsui & Co’s office has been shortlisted in the small workplace interior category of this year’s Dezeen Awards.
    Also in the running is the office of digital artist Andrés Reisinger, with surreal details that nod to his otherworldly renderings, and the library of the Cricket Club of India, which is nestled amongst tree-like wooden columns.
    The photography is by Tomooki Kengaku.

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      Fred Rigby Studio creates dried flower meadow inside Lestrange’s Coal Drops Yard store

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      Forest sounds and furnishings made from storm-stricken trees bring elements of nature into this menswear boutique in London’s King’s Cross, designed by local practice Fred Rigby Studio.

      The store is the fourth outpost from men’s fashion brand Lestrange and was conceived based on blueprints by biophilic design expert Oliver Heath, combining greenery with reclaimed and natural materials to forge a greater connection to the outdoors.
      Fred Rigby Studio has designed the latest Lestrange boutique in LondonAccording to Fred Rigby Studio, this approach was chosen to reflect the brand’s philosophy of using renewable and recycled fibres to produce clothing with longevity.
      “We wanted to create a sense of calm within the space, which didn’t feel like a generic shop but an interior which told a story behind the clothing and the brand’s ethos,” explained the studio’s eponymous founder.
      Rice paper lanterns are suspended at varying heights throughout the spaceThe Lestrange store is set inside the Thomas Heatherwick-designed Coal Drops Yard shopping centre, formed of two converted warehouses that were originally built in the Victorian era to store the vast quantities of coal needed by the capital.

      Rigby wanted to incorporate this imposing brick structure into his final design.
      Tactile plaster was used to cover the walls”We didn’t want to hide this history by covering it up, which would have also entailed using construction materials,” he told Dezeen.
      “So we celebrated it, breaking the space up using timber walls and cladding, then adding the rice paper lights to give the space a more intimate feel.”
      The same finish was also applied to a trio of display shelvesUsing the existing site as his canvas, Rigby focused on sourcing a tight edit of natural and reclaimed materials.
      “There are lots of new materials on the market, but finding those that are produced in quantity and applicable to commercial use can be a challenge,” he said.

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      London plane timber – harvested from “storm-stricken and diseased trees” within a few miles of King’s Cross – was used to form the partitions that define the store’s display and changing areas, as well as some bespoke furniture pieces.
      British manufacturer Clayworks blended unfired clays with minerals and natural pigments to create the tactile wall finishes, while the terrazzo-style countertops were made by Welsh company Smile Plastics using a mix of recycled plastics from discarded mobile phone casings and chopping boards.
      The changing rooms are clad in panels of London plane timberAs the ultimate counterpoint to the mass and severity of the brick, Rigby conceived the idea of an indoor meadow that meanders through the Lestrange store.
      The arrangement of natural dried flowers and grasses was realised by award-winning garden designer Lottie Delamain, integrating a carefully chosen mix of species to reflect the fibres commonly used in apparel manufacture such as cotton and flax.
      “We wanted to bring nature inside, using plants linked to the clothes while creating a touch point to the materiality,” said Rigby.
      Garden designer Lottie Delamain created a dried flower meadow for the storeClothes are displayed on simple white metal rails and the capacious open-topped dressing rooms feature speakers playing forest sounds, complemented by discreet wall lights that cast a subtle glow.
      There are also subtle nods to Japanese design in the form of the rice paper lampshades that float at varying heights throughout the store.
      The flowers are set in wood-framed stone beds”We started with a mixture of initial references, one of which was a teahouse designed by Charlotte Perriand,” said Rigby.
      “We wanted to create a material-focused space with nods to natural materials such as the rice paper lights, which we felt would add to the space and create a sense of calm and stillness.”
      The Lestrange shop is set inside the Coal Drops Yard shopping centrePrevious projects from Rigby, who founded his studio in 2008, include bespoke furnishings for a renovated 1920s office building in London as well as the interiors of Bath’s Francis Gallery, which is set inside a Georgian townhouse.
      The photography is by Felix Speller.

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      Daniel Boddam converts Sydney warehouse into calm and plant-filled office

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      Local firm Daniel Boddam Studio has transformed a warehouse in Australia into a workplace for landscape design practice Wyer & Co, bringing nature into the space by using greenery and natural materials.

      “I saw the project as an extension of Wyer & Co’s desire to bring in nature,” said Daniel Boddam, founder of Daniel Boddam Studio.
      “Sustainability was discussed with the client from the outset and informed every aspect of the design – from materials and furniture to services and staff amenities.”
      Green plants at the front door soften the red brick and black steel of the industrial warehouseLarge green plants at the entrance were used to conceal the building’s oversized dark steel doors, with the aim of reducing the scale and softening the red brick industrial warehouse.
      A sandblasted limestone floor was extended from the building’s exterior to the interior to connect the spaces.

      At the front foyer, a large miniature date palm (Phoenic roebelenii) reaches towards the skylight above, reflecting the tone of the entrance garden.
      Locally designed and crafted furniture was selected by the studioBehind the foyer is a gallery used for client presentations, industry events, talks and workshops. A series of bespoke, honey-coloured plywood cabinets decorate the space and showcase materials the studio uses in its work.
      Throughout the office, workstations and meeting rooms were clad in various natural materials. Pine plywood, Tasmanian oak, walnut and sandblasted limestone create a warm palette that has been subtly embellished with cork and brass.
      The office interiors features a variety of natural materialsDownstairs, an underground staff area holds plywood lockers and a kitchen space, and was designed to encourage staff to gather and socialise away from their desks.
      Swiss cheese plants (Monstera deliciosa) were selected as the main indoor plant and used to trail the walls and ceilings to create a green environment over time.
      Custom pots made with milled steel and finished in a clear powder coat nod to the industrial origin of the warehouse.

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      Daniel Boddam Studio also curated a series of locally designed and crafted furniture for the workspace, including its low-lying Booham chair and the Wave sofa and armchair in the welcome foyer that nod to the coastal location of the office.
      A meeting room opposite the foyer features the studio’s Geo Long table, accompanied by a custom-designed cabinet.
      Materials used in the client’s work are displayed on plywood cabinets”The result is a quiet and considered interior that harmonises with the Australian landscape and celebrates the artisanal; a testament to simplicity, comfort, calmness and wellbeing,” Boddam concluded.
      This project was longlisted in the small workspace interiors category of Dezeen Awards 2022.
      Elsewhere in Australia, Dane Taylor Design has completed a multipurpose garden room in New South Wales with a compact form clad in charred wood, while Matt Gibson Architecture + Design has transformed a Victorian home in Melbourne’s suburbs with a faceted extension clad in black metal.
      The photography is by Pablo Veiga.

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      JamesPlumb fuses bulrush and hemp elements at Cambridge Aesop store

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      London design studio JamesPlumb blended handwoven bulrush shelves with earthy hemp accents to create the interiors for this Aesop store in Cambridge, which takes cues from the nearby River Cam.

      Located on the city’s Trinity Street, the Aesop outlet was conceived as a “woven reading room” that provides a place to shop and leaf through books, according to the Australian skincare and cosmetics brand.
      The JamesPlumb-designed shopfront features a facade informed by leatherThe store’s understated shopfront is painted a dark brown hue informed by well-worn leather, which nods to antique book bindings in reference to Cambridge’s history of academia.
      Inside, a curved and slatted window seat doubles as a plinth for potted pelargoniums that frame the store’s light-filled, street-facing room featuring earthy-toned walls.
      Potted pelargoniums line a street-facing window seatThis space is defined by oversized, textured shelves created from freshwater bulrush plants – locally sourced and handwoven by rush weaver Felicity Irons of Rush Matters.

      “The city itself and the surrounding landscape were the starting point for our design,” studio founders Hannah Plumb and James Russel told Dezeen.
      “The River Cam plays a huge part in that – we were increasingly drawn to it and felt strongly that it sets the pace and the pulse of the city of Cambridge.”
      Hemp and bulrush form shelving and other cabinetryOther shelving in this room is made from hemp grown on the nearby Margent Farm, which was combined with bio-resin to form geometric slabs of cabinetry that display various Aesop products, as well as a large sink.
      “[The hemp] absorbs a huge amount of carbon as it grows, and to be so local to the project was wonderful,” acknowledged Plumb and Russel.
      “We wanted to use materials that were as local as possible, and bulrush being literally of the local waters made sense – both because of its beauty and tactility, and also because of the chance to use a material that would travel so few miles, and use so little energy in production,” they added.

      Aesop’s London store takes its colour from the red sandstone of Glamis Castle

      At the back of the store, another room features walls painted in a darker hue than the street-facing space, which takes cues from the brown flowers of bulrush plants.
      Visitors are invited to sit in a low-slung antique armchair upholstered in floral fabric or browse the various books displayed on the same hemp and bulrush cabinetry that exists throughout the store.
      The back room is dressed in darker huesOriginal nineteenth-century polished wooden floorboards also feature in both rooms and intend to echo the outlet’s emphasis on local history.
      “Each Aesop store has its own character, and for this one, we responded specifically to its location in the heart of Cambridge,” concluded Plumb and Russel.
      Similar shelving found in the front room features various books on displayThis Cambridge branch is not the first Aesop store designed by JamesPlumb. The studio also created one in London’s Bloomsbury where water runs from shelf to shelf and a stone-based store in Bath that celebrates the city’s architectural landscape.
      Other Aesop outlets worldwide include a Tokyo branch defined by plaster and steel and a Toronto store featuring Victorian balustrades.
      The photography is by Oskar Proctor. 

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      Kengo Kuma and Edition hotels create “oasis at the heart of the city” in Tokyo

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      Hospitality brand Edition has teamed up with Japanese architect Kengo Kuma to create a luxury hotel filled with plants in the Toranomon district of Tokyo, Japan.

      Occupying the upper floors of a high-rise building in the Tokyo business district of Toranomon, the 206-room hotel is the first outpost in Japan for the Edition brand, which partnered with architect Kuma on the interior design.
      The Tokyo Edition, Toranomon, features a lobby filled with plantsThe heart of the hotel is a two-storey lobby space bursting with plants, which guests arrive at after taking the elevator up to the 31st floor.
      “I wanted to prove that it was possible to create a real oasis at the heart of the big city,” Kuma told Dezeen.
      The hotel lobby features large beams covered with wooden slatsThe large, open atrium, which draws from the layout of Buddhist temples, contains a bar, restaurant and numerous different seating areas.

      The double-height space is broken up by several large beams covered with wooden slats, which also adorn the ceiling of the space.
      Wood is used throughout the hotel suites”The beams are primarily parts of the structure, but we didn’t treat them in a way that might disturb the interior,” Kuma said.
      “Rather, we took advantage of the beams, covered them with wooden louvres and elevated their existence to a symbol of the hotel.”
      Sliding partitions separate sleeping and living areas in the bedrooms and suitesThe abundant use of wood continues throughout the hotel, including the bedrooms and 22 suites, where Kuma also introduced sliding screens.
      “In traditional Japanese houses, movable partitions are often applied to enhance flexibility in the interior, and we extended the idea to the rooms at Edition,” he said.
      The Blue Room restaurant features deep blue upholsteryThe hotel largely sticks to the neutral colour palette and natural materials such as marble and wood that are characteristic of the Edition brand.
      Vibrant pops of colour have been introduced in the two restaurants, which are helmed by Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens.
      The Jade Room restaurant features green upholsteryThe aptly named Blue Room, which occupies one side of the lobby space, features upholstery in deep hues of sapphire.
      The Jade Room, which adjoins the lobby, swaps the blue for vibrant shades of green and opens onto a verdant terrace overlooking the red-and-white Tokyo Tower landmark.
      A terrace overlooks the Tokyo Tower”It’s unusual to provide a green terrace on top of a high-rise building, but we dared to do so in order to connect the indoor and outdoor in a most natural way,” Kuma said.
      Other hotel amenities include a swimming pool, spa and conference spaces.
      The less aptly named Gold Bar, which is situated on the ground floor of the building that houses the hotel, combines black walls, floors, curtains and furniture with a white vaulted ceiling. An artwork hung above a fireplace on one side of the room is the only significant golden addition to the space.
      The Gold Bar features black walls and a white vaulted ceilingThe hotel, which opened last year, is the first of two Edition hotels planned for Tokyo, with a second hotel in the Ginza district of the city set to open soon.
      Previous Edition hotels include the West Hollywood Edition in Los Angeles designed in partnership with John Pawson and the Times Square Edition in New York City created with Yabu Pushelberg. Both hotels feature similarly plant-filled spaces.

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      The Edition brand is a partnership between Marriot International and renowned hotelier Ian Schrager, who is best known for co-founding the infamous nightclub Studio 54 in New York City in the late 1970s and 1980s.
      “I became acquainted with Ian in the 80s when I was studying in New York, and have admired his philosophy and sensitivity ever since,” Kuma said. “I believe our chemistry worked well and we could work together without much talking.”
      Black furniture and gold decorations feature in the Gold BarWhile the Tokyo Edition in Toranomon is the first Edition hotel in Japan, Japanese design has had a significant influence on Schrager’s work, according to the hotelier.
      “I have always had a spiritual connection with the approach and aesthetics of Japan,” Schrager said. “Their rationality, their simplicity, and their restraint has been the foundation of everything I’ve done.”
      “They are truly original thinkers but execute their ideas in such a humble and modest fashion,” he continued. “The end results are bold yet refined and shouts in a quiet way. It’s a sweet spot that is completely seductive for me.”

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      Weathered-steel staircase wraps plant-filled atrium at Midtown Workplace

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      Weathered-steel balconies with cascading plants wrap the skylit atrium at the centre of this office in Brisbane, refurbished by Australian studio Cox Architecture.

      Named Midtown Workplace, the office occupies the top nine floors of a development that has been created by merging two separate towers in the Australian capital into a single building.
      The project has been shortlisted in the large workspace interior category of Dezeen Awards 2022.
      Cox Architecture has refurbished the Midtown Workplace in BrisbaneUsing the idea of connectivity between the two towers as a starting point, Cox Architecture created a stepped concrete auditorium at the base of the office called “The Pit”, with bridge links above based on the idea of an internal high street.
      “The tower is a story of two halves, two existing towers connected as one, old structures connected with new,” said the studio.

      It features an atrium with cascading plants”Our approach to the workplace celebrated this, with the void and bridge links positioned as the connecting piece between two existing towers,” it continued.
      At either side of Midtown Workplace’s central, skylit atrium, the cores of the existing towers have been used to house circulation and smaller meeting rooms, surrounded by areas of flexible workspace.
      A stepped concrete auditorium sits at the baseBanks of desks and booths are complemented by more informal seating areas at different points along the office’s “high street”, such as benches installed alongside planters and stools overlooking the atrium.
      “The new workplace explores an alternative to standard workspaces, creating a diverse and blended model that is supported by a high proportion of hackable, collaborative areas,” said Cox Architecture.

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      “Thirty per cent of the primary work points are moveable, affording teams complete autonomy and control over their workspace,” it continued.
      In The Pit, curved concrete amphitheatre-style seating dotted with planters faces a presentation space with views of the city as its backdrop. It is overlooked by all of the atrium’s balconies, creating a “magnet for cultural exchange.”
      Cox Architecture used a material palette with earthy tonesMidtown Workplace’s material palette adopts earthy tones drawn from the exposed concrete and orangey-brown weathered steel.
      The bare concrete is complemented by exposed metalwork and services across the office ceilings.
      The ceilings have exposed metalwork and servicesOther projects that have been shortlisted in the large workspace interior category of Dezeen Awards 2022 include the Design District Bureau Club in London by Roz Barr Architects, and the Dyson Global HQ in Singapore by M Moser Associates.
      Elsewhere, Cox Architecture is currently developing an airport in Sydney with Zaha Hadid Architects and recently completed The National Maritime Museum of China, which features a cluster of hull-like roofs.

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      Cooking Sections and Sakiya explore importance of non-human species in joint exhibition

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      Turner Prize-nominated art duo Cooking Sections and Palestinian research collective Sakiya have created an exhibition in Edinburgh called In the Eddy of the Stream, which reevaluates the significance of plants and other organisms in our ecosystems.

      The multimedia show is on display at the Inverleith House of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh as part of the science centre’s three-year Climate House exhibition programme.
      In the Eddy of the Stream includes installations, performances and sculpturesSpread across six galleries, the exhibition presents a range of work from research-heavy installations to live performances, developed by Sakiya and UK-based Cooking Sections.
      The show aims to “draw attention to the breakdown of ecosystems through the removal of plants and the ensuing long-term harm to people, communities and other species,” according to Cooking Sections.
      In particular, In the Eddy of the Stream intends to highlight how certain plants and non-sentient animals like oysters have been threatened by the complex histories of land ownership in Scotland and Palestine.

      Recalling Recollection investigates the history of Palestinian plant species”The installations, performances and materials in this exhibition challenge how botany has been used as a mechanism of control and how it might identify new horizons,” Cooking Sections said.
      “We want visitors to look again at the impact of our relationship with nature and non-human species and imagine new ways, in which to develop that vital relationship to the benefit of all parties.”
      From the Shores that Found their Sea is a group of mosaics made from waste shellsOne installation, named Recalling Recollection, showcases 33 botanical specimens of edible and medicinal plants, which the British Empire classified as a threat to its wheat monocultures during the country’s occuption of Palestine in the wake of the first world war.
      Sakiya has presented the specimens alongside postcards from Palestine in both Arabic and English that share stories, anecdotes and relevant folklore attempting to reclassify the plants as vital organisms.
      “In the same gallery, an oak baseboard depicting the 33 plants lines the space in reflection and opposition to the room’s ornate cornicing,” Cooking Sections founders Daniel Fernández Pascual and Alon Schwabe told Dezeen.
      Intertidal Polyculture includes ropes and nets made from biomaterialsAnother piece, From the Shores that Found their Sea, features a collection of wall mosaics formed from terrazzo-style tiles that are made out of waste mussel and oyster shells rather than traditional carbon-intensive cement.
      The shells were sourced from restaurants on the Scottish islands of Skye and Raasay that have adopted Cooking Sections’ Climavore menu – a regenerative approach to food sourcing developed by the art duo, which is also used by eateries at the Tate and V&A museums in London.

      “Food is one of the main drivers that is shaping the ecology of the planet” says art duo Cooking Sections

      A room with electric blue walls houses Cooking Sections’ Intertidal Polyculture project, a group of nets and ropes crafted from heather, kelp and purple moor grass instead of sterile plastics.
      When placed underwater, these natural nets and ropes encourage intertidal species to attach to them and grow.
      “All of this builds up towards a new framework for collective usership of the coast, a working process to advocate for the establishment of the tidal commons in Scotland,” explained Fernández Pascual and Schwabe.
      Oyster Readings is an installation and performance pieceOyster Readings is both an experimental installation and a playful performance piece that must be booked in advance.
      Here, visitors are invited to sit on organically shaped stools arranged around a matching table, both formed from a material made from crushed oyster shells in place of concrete.
      The piece is a play on traditional palm readingsEnveloped by a green fringe curtain, this space hosts palmistry-style readings where experts reveal information about the state of Scotland’s seas by analysing the patterns of local oyster shells, in a practice similar to studying tree rings.
      “Oyster Readings foresee the future of the coast through the ridged surface of an oyster shell, allowing you to read into our common oyster futures,” said Fernández Pascual and Schwabe.
      In the Eddy of the Stream presents various multimedia installationsIn the Eddy of the Stream gets its name from the concept of an eddy, which describes “a sheltered area where water flows back upstream against the current” and, according to Fernández Pascual and Schwabe, embodies the work they created with Sakiya.
      Similar projects by Cooking Sections, which is known for its focus on climate change, include an installation in Sharjah highlighting desert plants as an alternative to water-hungry greenery in arid cities.
      In the Eddy of the Stream is on show at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh as part of the Edinburgh Art Festival from 2 July to 18 September 2022. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
      The photography is by Shannon Tofts. 

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      Floral installations decorate Atrium bar in Atlanta by Smith Hanes Studio

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      Handmade fluted ceramic tiles, pink blown-glass lighting and tropical patterned fabrics all feature in this Atlanta bar and restaurant by local architecture firm Smith Hanes Studio.

      Atrium opened earlier this year inside Ponce City Market, located in the city’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood northeast of Downtown.
      Atrium is split into two main sections, one of which is called The ParlorThe mixed-use development contains a variety of restaurants and retailers, and occupies a converted, historic Sears building.
      Atrium’s interiors by Smith Hanes Studio combine rich tones of green, pink and gold to create spaces that feel simultaneously moody, whimsical and tropical.
      The Parlor features a long bar fronted with handmade ceramic tiles”The design was inspired by colorful French cafes and Art Deco buildings,” said studio founder Smith Hanes. “The lines, colours, shapes and patterns are fascinating, unafraid and daring.”

      The establishment is split over two main rooms: The Parlor and The Bistro.
      A mural of tropical ibis birds accompanies pink seating and a floral installation in the fireplaceThe Parlor accommodates a 1,200-square-foot (110-square-metre) cocktail lounge, where the front of the bar counter and a large column behind are clad in emerald green ceramic tiles handmade by local artisan Charlotte Smith.
      “Similar to the name Atrium, the tiles were inspired by Roman columns and architecture,” she said. “A translucent glaze was applied to accentuate dimension with the pooling of rich colour.”
      A casual lounge area separates The Parlor from The BistroLiquor is displayed in open cabinets with decorative rounded tops, also painted green to contrast the pink shade that covers the remaining walls, ceiling, ductwork and pipes.
      The terrazzo bar countertop, also flecked with pink, curves around to a seating area where banquettes tuck into each corner on either side of a fireplace that has a floral installation.
      The Bistro dining room also features a green and pink colour schemeA hand-painted wall mural by Savannah-based artist Kipper Millsap depicts a flock of ibis birds in flight and is lit by fringed sconces imported from Spain.
      “When I heard that Kipper was painting murals of these glossy ibis from South Africa, I designed a mossy landscape at the fireplace to abstractly house these cool birds,” said floral designer Skye Lind.
      Curtains patterned with tropical plants cover an entire wallFrom The Parlor, arched openings lead through to a bright lounge that is populated by soft, casual seating atop green and white floor tiles.
      More arches on the other side provide access into The Bistro — a dining area with mottled green walls and a striped diagonal pattern applied over its wood flooring.
      Pink banquettes sit atop wooden floors painted with diagonal stripesDusty-pink banquettes and deep-teal love seats surround dark wooden tables, which are also paired with matching chairs for smaller parties.
      Hand-blown pink glass sconces supported by brass arms cantilever over the tables, giving off a warm glow. Further lighting is provided by green cloche-shaped pendants with bronze undersides.

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      These are suspended from the 12-foot (3.7-metre) ceiling among an installation of vines and hanging plants, also by Lind, who founded local florist Pinker Times.
      “Thousands of pieces of florals and foliage are suspended in the air,” Lind said. “Composed like a piece of music, the art installation moves harmoniously around the room to celebrate the culinary experience at Atrium.”
      Tables are illuminated by the glow of pink blown-glass lightsThe verdant theme is also continued in patterns across floor-to-ceiling curtains that drape across the entire back wall.
      “The dining experience at Atrium is reminiscent of a garden party where you’re free to enjoy yourself among the unique natural beauty of each petal and branch,” said the team.
      Atrium is located in Ponce City Market, northeast of Downtown AtlantaSmith Hanes Studio was founded in Atlanta in 2004, then opened a New York office in 2020. Best known for its hospitality projects, the firm also collaborated with R&A on the Woodlark Hotel in Portland.
      Atlanta’s culinary scene has been on the rise for some time. In 2019, we rounded up five bars and restaurants with impressive interiors in the city, including a snug club by Workstead and a cocktail lounge by Tom Dixon.
      The photography is by Tim Lenz.

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      Ten plant-filled hotel interiors that feel close to nature

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      A greenhouse-cum-dining room and a miniature forest in a skyscraper are among the verdant hotel interiors featured in our latest lookbook.

      Whether tiny succulents or fully-grown trees, plants can help connect an interior to its surroundings, provide an oasis of calm away from city life, or act as living space-dividers to break up an open-plan interior.
      These ten hotel interiors from the Dezeen archive show how adding greenery to public spaces can help give them a friendlier, more organic feel.
      This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing bedrooms with clever storage solutions, escapist holiday homes and interiors by Ukranian designers.
      Photo is by Katsumasa TanakaShiroiya Hotel, Japan, by Sou Fujimoto

      Tiled floors, wooden furnishings and a plethora of plants create a piazza-like feel in the skylit atrium of this hotel in Maebashi (top and above), which serves as a reception, restaurant and lounge.
      To create the giant four-storey space, Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto dismantled all of the walls and floors of the original 1970s building, while a number of new guest suites and a Finnish sauna are housed in a grass-covered extension.
      Find out more about Shiroiya Hotel ›
      Photo is by Edmund DabneyBermonds Locke, UK, by Holloway Li
      Interiors studio Holloway Li drew on the sun-scorched landscapes of California when designing this London hotel, in order to provide guests with a sense of escapism.
      Mirrored ceilings in the reception create the impression of shimmering desert mirages, while huge planters filled with cacti and succulents separate the co-working area from the cocktail bar and restaurant.
      Find out more about Bermonds Locke ›
      Photo is by Feng ShaoIntercontinental Chongqing Raffles City, China, by CL3
      Located on level 42 of a 250-metre tall skyscraper complex, the lobby lounge of Chongqing’s Intercontinental hotel was designed to resemble a “mountain landscape in the sky”.
      Here, guests can take in views of the surrounding city from a number of curved wooden seating boots, nestled amongst the trees sprouting up from the glossy stone floor.
      Find out more about Intercontinental Chongqing Raffles City ›
      Photo is by Chase DanielLine Austin, USA, by Sean Knibb and Michael Hsu
      Architect Michael Hsu and interior designer Sean Knibb turned a mid-century tower in Austin into a modern hotel by stripping the structure back to its bones and opening it up to views of the nearby Colorado River.
      In the lobby, hanging plants are suspended from the ceiling in golden vessels and help to reinforce this connection to the outdoors, while walls and furnishings are finished in muted hues of duck egg blue and ballet-slipper pink.
      Find out more about The Line Austin ›
      Photo is by Simon UptonNoMad London, UK, by Roman and Williams
      The first international outpost from American hospitality chain NoMad is set in a former magistrates court and police station in London’s Covent Garden.
      A former yard at the centre of the building was transformed into a glass-domed restaurant, filled with freestanding trees and climbing plants that wind their way down two tiers of columns.
      Find out more about NoMad London ›
      Photo is by Spencer LowellDurham Hotel, USA, by Commune Design
      LA studio Commune Design drew on wide-ranging references when designing the retro interiors of this North Carolina hotel, ranging from the work of Bauhaus designers Josef and Anni Albers to the arts and crafts aesthetic of the state’s pioneering art school Black Mountain College.
      The converted mid-century bank now houses 54 guest suites, a rooftop lounge and an eponymous restaurant, where towering greenery surrounds leather-upholstered banquet seats.
      Find out more about the Durham Hotel ›
      Photo is by Adel FerreiraBabylonstoren, South Africa, by Malherbe Rust Architects
      Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and turmeric are among the aromatic plants found in the greenhouse-cum-dining hall of the Babylonstoren farmhouse hotel in South Africa’s Cape Winelands.
      An eight-metre-long granite dining table with water running down its centre takes up the centre of the space, where guests can sample foods infused with different spices while learning about their historical value.
      Find out more about Babylonstoren ›
      Image courtesy of Kelly WearstlerDowntown LA Proper, USA, by Kelly Wearstler
      Guest enter the Proper hotel in Downtown LA via an ornate archway, which is flanked by column-like cacti in rustic pots and decorated with a hand-painted mural designed by local artist Abel Macias that draws on the flora and fauna of Latin American folktales.
      The 148-room hotel combines 136 different kinds of tiles and an eclectic mix of stylistic references, informed by Mexican, Moroccan, Spanish and Portuguese design.
      Find out more about Downtown LA Proper ›
      Photo is by Philip VileHotel Castello di Reschio, Italy, by Benedikt Bolza
      Count Benedikt Bolza and his family lived in a 1,000-year-old castle in the Umbrian countryside for a decade while working to convert it into a sprawling hotel and creating custom furniture for its 36 suites.
      The verdant Palm Court is a new structural addition modelled on iron-and-glass Victorian conservatories, which is intended as a space for reading and conversation.
      Find out more about Castello di Reschio ›
      Photo is by Brooke ShanesyPalm Heights, Cayman Islands, by Gabriella Khalil
      Flea market finds from Paris, Los Angeles and Mexico populate this boutique hotel in Grand Cayman, including collectible design pieces like Mario Bellini sofas, Ingo Maurer lights and an Ettore Sottsass rug.
      The interior is styled to look like a 1970s-era Caribbean mansion, with verdant palm trees and other foliage brought inside in a nod to its location on the well-known white-sand Seven Mile Beach.
      Find out more about Palm Heights ›
      This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing bedrooms with clever storage solutions, escapist holiday homes and interiors by Ukranian designers.

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