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      Kelly Wearstler designs Ulla Johnson store to capture the “spirit of southern California”

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      American interior designer Kelly Wearstler has paired a towering tree with speckled burl wood panelling and vintage furniture by Carlo Scarpa at the Ulla Johnson flagship store in West Hollywood.

      Wearstler created the light-filled, two-storey shop as the flagship Los Angeles location for Johnson’s eponymous clothing brand.
      Kelly Wearstler has designed the interiors for Ulla Johnson’s LA flagshipThe duo worked together to envisage the sandy-hued interiors, which Wearstler described as “something that really speaks to LA”.
      “A priority for me and Ulla was to ensure that the showroom encapsulated the quintessence of the West Coast, firmly grounded in both the surrounding environment and local community,” the designer told Dezeen.
      The “Californian idea of merging indoor and outdoor” permeates the interiorVisitors enter the store via a “secret” patio garden lined with desert trees and shrubs rather than on Beverly Boulevard, where the original entrance was.

      “This Californian idea of merging indoor and outdoor is evident from the moment you approach the store,” said Wearstler, who explained that her designs tend to nod to the “natural world”.
      Wearstler designed textured interiors to reflect Johnson’s collectionsInside, three interconnected, open-plan spaces on the ground floor were dressed with textured interiors that mirror Johnson’s similarly rich collections, which hang from delicate clothing rails throughout the store.
      Standalone jewellery display cases by Canadian artist Jeff Martin feature in the cavernous accessories space. Clad with peeling ribbons of grooved, caramel-coloured tiles, the cases echo floor-to-ceiling speckled burl wood panels.
      The mezzanine includes a double-height treeThe other living room-style area was designed as a sunroom with a pair of boxy 1970s Cornaro armchairs by modernist Italian architect Carlo Scarpa, as well as parquet flooring with Rosa Corallo stone inlay.
      “Vintage pieces are infused into all of my projects and I enjoy experimenting with the dialogues created by placing these alongside contemporary commissions,” explained Wearstler.
      A lumpy resin table features in an upstairs loungeThe largest of the three spaces, the mezzanine is illuminated by skylights and houses a double-height Brachychiton – a tree that also features in the designer’s own Malibu home.
      A chunky timber staircase leads to the upper level, where another lounge was finished in burnt orange and cream-coloured accents including a lumpy marbelised resin coffee table by LA-based designer Ross Hansen.
      “We collaborated with a variety of local artisans to imbue the spirit of Southern California into every facet of the project,” said Wearstler.

      Kelly Wearstler and Masastudio design California home as a “modern ruin”

      Ribbed plaster walls and textured flooring line a fitting room close by, which was created to evoke a residential feeling, according to the designer.
      “We wanted people to feel at home in the store so we prioritised warm and inviting elements,” she said.
      Another striking display cabinet made from wavy burl wood evokes “a touch of 1970s California nostalgia”.
      Wavy burl wood evokes “a touch of 1970s California nostalgia”The Ulla Johnson store is also used as a community space, which hosts rotating art installations, talks with guest speakers and other events.
      Wearstler recently designed an eclectic cocktail bar at the Downtown LA Proper hotel, which she previously created the wider interiors for. Her portfolio also features a 1950s beachfront cottage renovation in Malibu.
      The photography is by Adrian Gaut. 

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      Colour-drenched coffee shop by Uchronia references “sunsets in the Tunisian desert”

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      Gradated lava stone flooring and suspended planet-like orbs feature at the Cafe Nuances coffee shop in Paris, which was created by Dezeen Awards-nominated studio Uchronia.

      Located on the city’s Rue de la Tremoille, the coffee shop is the third Uchronia-designed branch for Parisian coffee roaster Cafe Nuances.
      Cafe Nuances’ latest branch has a bright white facadeThe one-room shop is fronted by a bright white facade in stark contrast to its vivid-hued interior.
      Studio founder Julien Sebban was informed by the landscapes he experienced on a recent trip to Tunisia when creating the cafe’s walls and lava stone flooring, which are decorated in ombre swathes of red, orange and blue.
      The colorful interior was informed by sunsets in Tunisia”They reminded him of the sunsets in the Tunisian desert – a veritable ode to the gentleness of summer days,” said the studio, known for its playfully eclectic designs and shortlisted in the emerging interior designer category at this year’s upcoming Dezeen Awards.

      The coffee shop’s entrance is flanked by two bright red benches topped with metallic-effect fabric – one curved, and the other straight.
      Uchronia crafted the counter from stainless steelLow-slung interlocking tables, which can double as stools, can be reconfigured to suit customers’ needs.
      Uchronia placed a chunky stainless steel counter at the back of the intimate cafe, which is overlooked by deep orange lacquered shelving – a design element found in the other two Cafe Nuances outlets.

      Beata Heuman designs colour-drenched Hôtel de la Boétie in Paris

      “This new address picks up on the codes present in the second shop, accentuating the [coffee] brand’s colourful, futuristic retro universe,” explained the studio.
      A cluster of striking, spherical objects were finished in the same colours as the rest of the space and suspended from the reflective ceiling.
      Planet-like orbs add decoration to the space”Unlike [this branch’s] two big sisters, whose interiors feature striated shapes, here, the poly mirror tiles are complemented by half-spheres in saturated colours, accentuating the dreamlike feel of the coffee shop,” continued Uchronia.
      “They create the illusion of floating balls, which could be mistaken for Saturn.”
      Bespoke interlocking tables also function as stoolsThe studio previously livened up a Haussman-era Paris apartment for a pair of jewellery designers with furniture crafted to nod to the appearance of precious stones.
      Elsewhere, Canadian design duo Julia Jamrozik and Coryn Kempster created a sky-blue coffee shop in a century-old house in Buffalo, New York, with an optical illusion staircase.
      The photography is by Félix Dol Maillot.

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      Delve Architects designs “nurturing but playful” nursery in east London

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      English practice Delve Architects has used joyful colours and natural, tactile materials to outfit a newly established kindergarten by the River Thames in east London that can be accessed via boat.

      The Nest daycare centre is part of a wider housing development in the Royal Wharf area, occupying a commercial unit at the base of a 19-storey housing block.
      The Nest nursery was designed by Delve ArchitectsAs a result, the primary challenge was to bring the towering newbuild space down to child scale and make it feel more homely while forging a greater connection to the riverfront.
      “We wanted to create a calm, nurturing but playful space that reflected the values of the nursery,” Delve Architects co-founder Alex Raher told Dezeen.
      “Their ethos is for children to have a positive learning experience through a healthy relationship with the environment around them and a connection to the outdoors.”

      The studio used timber arches to define the space and envelop the new staircaseTo boost the internal floor are, the studio installed a new mezzanine with a bespoke, powder-coated metal staircase that rises through a double-height space defined by a series of arched timber fins.
      These maple-veneered arches – each around 4.5 metres tall – were conceived by Delve Architects to subdivide the space, creating zones without physical barriers.
      The timber fins taper off into low benches for the children”We wanted to connect the spaces visually and physically between the mezzanine and lower level, and to soften the hardened edges of the space,” said Raher.
      The arches are formed from a series of fins that merge into benches and individual seating as they approach the ground.
      The stairs lead up to a new mezzanine level”The grand scale of the arches for a small child could feel overwhelming, so we brought this down into child-height seating, benches and joinery to play with the scale and make it more familiar to them,” said Raher.
      “The material flows seamlessly between the two levels and creates a natural material palette that the children could recognise and read through different heights and spaces.”
      The arches also span over the main staircase, where Raher says they suggest a canopy of trees.

      Chinese kindergarten designed as “small town” of flexible classrooms

      “We wanted it to be a centrepiece that was exciting, functional and exploratory, almost like a meandering joinery up to a treehouse-style level on the mezzanine, through a network of arches and branches on the way,” the architect explained.
      “One of the first concepts we explored was the treehouse idea, developing ideas around the nursery name The Nest and how we could bring a playful part of nature into the design.”
      Given its inner-city location, the nursery is fortunate to have a large garden overlooking the riverfront, which is connected to the nursery via a double set of six bi-folding doors.
      The upper level is finished almost entirely in baby pinkThe external fencing was designed by Delve Architects “to merge with the rhythm of the existing tower’s balconies” and powder-coated in a matching colour.
      “We wanted to celebrate the connection to the outside space, the riverfront location and the child-height views from the mezzanine to the water, as it was unique to the space and to the nursery setting,” said Raher.
      “Children can arrive and parents can commute using the river boat directly outside the nursery. The new pier designed by Nex Architecture is a beautiful backdrop to the site.”
      The mezzanine houses cosy play areasTo cope with the demands of a nursery setting, materials and finishes are resilient as well as being natural and tactile. Among them is recycled and recyclable Marmoleum flooring, maple-veneered joinery and low VOC paint.
      A colour palette of soft muted shades helps to create a homely atmosphere inside The Nest.
      “This palette works better than bolder primary colours, as these create too much visual noise for younger children,” Raher said.
      The Nest’s garden overlooks the riverfrontA panel of dark teal blue creates a datum line around the walls, designed to be “resilient to little fingers” while making the tall spaces feel more relatable to children.
      “We always try to design from a child’s perspective, putting ourselves at that level, quite literally in some cases,” Raher said.
      The soft blue of the flooring gels with the tones of the pale maple veneer and the matt pink that wraps around the ceiling and upper walls, covering almost the entire mezzanine.
      It can be accessed via river boat”It both draws your eye upwards but also manages to change the scale of the space,” said Raher. “In some areas there is a five-metre ceiling height, so we wanted to break this up visually.”
      “The services for heating, cooling and ventilation were also left exposed, giving a little insight for children to explore and imagine what they could be – a network of intriguing forms and geometry running through the nursery.”
      Other kindergartens that hope to forge a greater connection to nature include this English nursery by Feilden Clegg Bradley, which makes use of natural materials to reflect the surrounding woodland, and a timber kindergarten extension in Austria by Bernardo Bader Architekten.
      The photography is by Fred Howarth.

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      Gym Town in Hong Kong was “inspired by Elon Musk’s vision of colonising Mars”

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      In Hong Kong’s fast-paced Central District, local practice MR Studio has modelled this fitness studio on a futuristic Martian dwelling to offer members an escape from their busy lives.

      Gym Town’s entryway and reception are finished entirely in an an earthy shade of orange, chosen to reflect the colours of Mars, while moody black workout areas were designed to allow visitors to focus on their individual health goals.
      Gym Town is entered via a dramatic escalator”We wanted to create a unique and immersive experience for gym-goers,” MR Studio founder Myron Kwan told Dezeen. “The concept of Mars was chosen to represent escapism and a sense of adventure.”
      “Inspired by Elon Musk’s vision of colonising Mars, we wanted to create a space that felt futuristic and cutting-edge.”
      The gym’s reception doubles as a loungeThe studio created a bespoke sculptural lighting piece that can be seen from the street to create a sense of intrigue about the gym.

      From the entrance, members are taken up to the lobby by an escalator. In a bid to make this ascent feel like an event, MR Studio turned the space into a tunnel-like “portal” that provides a sense of voyage.
      Bespoke lights were modelled on satellite dishesAround the escalator, the walls undulate to create a series of vertical ridges, designed to add depth and visual interest while suggesting walls that have buckled under the heat of the red planet.
      “By using the tunnel-like form, we wanted to create a visually striking feature that would set the tone for the entire space,” Kwan said.
      “The tunnel creates a sense of anticipation and excitement as guests enter,” he added. “The design itself aims to transport visitors to another world.
      Decorative rocks are fixed to the ceilingThe escalator delivers members into a large reception area, arranged as a lounge with various seating areas.
      One of the challenges of the project was the absence of natural light, which MR Studio addressed with a feature ceiling light.
      Composed of concentric circles with an illuminated core, it suggests both a natural skylight and the crater-studded terrain of Mars.

      Snøhetta unveils “green lung” urban farm in Hong Kong

      Curves and circles feature heavily throughout Gym Town, from wavy walls and rounded furniture to lights inspired by the form of a satellite dish.
      “Custom-made table lamps adorned with sleek metal finishes and cracked glass details capture the silhouette of high-gain antennas used in space exploration,” the studio explained.
      The room is centred on a semi-circular brass-wrapped reception desk, which doubles as a bar during events or after-hours gatherings.
      Rooms get progressively darkerThe walls here feature the same dusty red-orange finish as the entrance tunnel, while decorative rocks are fixed to the ceiling.
      “Envisioned as a modern Martian house, the space is painted in a textured monochromatic palette of tangerine, referencing the iconic red planet’s signature colour and rough terrain,” said Kwan.
      “It adds vibrancy and warmth to the space, creating a visually intriguing element that complements the overall design theme.”
      The workout areas are finished in muted black and grey tonesProgressing into the changing rooms, workout areas and studios, the colour palette shiftsto more sober greys and blacks.
      “To encourage members to fully devote to their fitness routines, the workout area is grounded in an organic and unpretentious style,” the studio said.
      Orange accents delineate different areasGym Town has been shortlisted in the health and wellbeing interior category at this year’s Dezeen Awards.
      Also in the running is the dusty-pink welfare centre of a boys’ school in Melbourne and a pediatric clinic in Seattle with “no blank walls”.
      The photography is by Steven Ko.

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      Ronan Bouroullec creates pared-back furnishings for 17th-century chapel in Brittany

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      Following the wildfires that ravaged Brittany’s Arrée mountains last summer, Ronan Bouroullec has reimagined the interior of the region’s historic Chapelle Saint-Michel de Brasparts as part of a full restoration.

      Originally built at the end of the 17th century, the chapel is a modest building without lighting or electricity, perched on top of a prominent hill that rises above the surrounding moorland.
      Chappelle Saint-Michel de Brasparts has undergone a full restorationBreton businessman François Pinault, founder of luxury group Kering, financed the chapel’s restoration after it was damaged during the wildfires, patching up its metre-thick stone walls, rammed-earth floors and the exposed oak frame supporting the slate roof.
      Bouroullec, who was born and raised in Brittany, remembers the chapel from his childhood and was compelled to design a new altar and several furnishings for the building as part of the refurbishment.
      Working in collaboration with local artisans, he used a trinity of roughly-hewn materials – granite, steel and glass – that would stand the test of time while reflecting the building’s rugged rural location.

      Ronan Bouroullec designed a new altar for the chapel”Heavy enough not to be moved, sturdy enough not to be damaged, rough enough not to require cleaning, the elements that Ronan Bouroullec has placed in the chapel must succeed, despite or because of these characteristics, in creating a sensory experience,” wrote Martin Bethenod, former CEO of Pinault’s Bourse de Commerce museum, in an introductory text for the project.
      “The bush-hammered granite, blurred glass, hammered steel, the choice of a galvanized finish to soften the contrast of the cross and candlesticks with the whiteness of the lime-rendered walls – each intervention combines sensations of roughness and softness, of force and tremor.”
      The granite altar is topped with a simple hammered-steel crossNuit celtique de Huelgoat granite – quarried less than 15 kilometres away from the chapel – was cut into three pieces before being worked by local stone mason Christophe Chini to create an altarpiece, its horizontal base and a console table for candles and offerings.
      Bethenod compares the dark stone, studded with shards of white, to “the starry night sky over the chapel, virtually devoid of light pollution”.

      Álvaro Siza combines geometric forms for white-concrete church in Brittany

      The metal elements – a simple cross and a group of three tall candle holders, all in hammered steel – were the result of another collaboration, this time between Bouroullec and Roscoff-based metalworker Mathieu Cabioch.
      Some of the candles stand directly on the altar while the rest are integrated into the Brutalist console table, which consists of a long slab of granite, seemingly supported by several of the steel candle holders.
      A mirrored glass disc is mounted centrally behind the altarThe final element in Bouroullec’s material trinity is glass, in the form of a large mirrored disc that hangs centrally behind the altar.
      Made by glassmakers from the Venice area, with whom Bouroullec has worked for several years, the piece was designed to create a dialogue with the two stained-glass windows in the apse, which are the chapel’s only surviving decorative element.
      “More than a mirror, more than an object, it is a light source without physical substance, as if a round hole had been made in the wall to reveal daylight, unpredictable and constantly changing,” said Bethenod.
      Steel candleholders are also integrated into a wall-mounted consoleBrittany is home to some of the world’s oldest standing architecture. Other projects making use of the region’s historic buildings include this conversion of a 17th-century barn into a printmaker’s studio.
      The first new church to be built in Brittany in the 21st century was completed by Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira in 2018, featuring a sculptural composition of intersecting concrete forms.
      The photography is by Claire Lavabre courtesy of Studio Bouroullec.

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      Mattaforma considers “plants as clients” for Public Records outdoor space

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      Local design studio Mattaforma has created a plant nursery and community space for Public Records, a music venue and restaurant space in Brooklyn.

      The Nursery at Public Records sits in an outdoor space adjacent to the Gowanus institution’s other programming, a vegan cafe, club and listening lounge. It serves as a nursery for plants and as an outdoor music venue.
      Public Records expanded its programming to an adjacent empty lot, adding a DJ booth and plantsThe team at Public Records wanted to turn the adjacent, empty lot into a functioning space.
      To do so while limiting new construction, the team took advantage of several storage units already on the site, positioning them as both separators and inhabitable spaces for both humans and plants.
      Mattaforma created a system of wooden trusses to shelter the plants and equipment”The brief was an over winter nursery for their garden plant collection, as well as a community space that people could enjoy and learn about plants,” Mattaforma co-founder Lindsey Wilkstrom told Dezeen.

      “With this in mind, we focused first on designing a space that relied solely on passive heating in the winter, treating the plants as our clients first, then adapting a plant-oriented space towards humans as our secondary clients.”
      The trusses are lined with polycarbonate panelsTo house the plants, Mattaforma installed wooden pratt trusses lined with polycarbonate panels.
      The trusses were made on-site out of Microllam R laminated-veneer lumber (LVL), a manufactured wood that combines micro-layers of different kinds of woods like fir and larch.
      The space is meant to hold plants year-roundAccording to Wilkstrom, the material was chosen for its durability and also its manufacturer, Weyerhaeuser.
      “[It’s] the first American timber company to call for regenerative forest stewardship over 100 years ago and who still maintains today some of the highest ethical standards in their replanting initiatives, meeting SFI certification and transparency in their evolving ESG performance metrics,” said Wilkstrom of the company.
      Vents were included in the trusses to allow for passive cooling during the summer months. The trusses also extend out over the sound system and DJ booth to celebrate the DJ booth “like an altar”.

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      Public Records also created the sound system for The Nursery, working with audio engineer Devon Ojas and manufacturer NNNN to develop a custom system that includes two blue-green and black speakers.
      In addition, the team brought in engineering firm Arup to advise on the acoustics of the space and New York-based Cactus Store to supply additional vegetation for the site.
      Besides the plants within the containers, trees and a grove of bamboo were installed around the concrete dance floor.
      Sustainable timber was used for the trusses”The Nursery is intended to be an ecological/urban intervention that serves to bring people and plants together, in reaction to the challenge of re-imagining an asphalt parking lot,” said Public Records, which was founded by Shane Davis and Francis Harris and has existed on the north end of Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal since 2017.
      The once-industrial areas of Brooklyn have seen a variety of art and culture institutions moving in past years. Recently, a derelict powerplant, once known for its graffiti culture, was renovated by Swiss architecture studio Herzog & de Meuron into an arts centre.
      Elsewhere in the borough, Ennead Architects and Rockwell Group converted a 19th-century train warehouse into a headquarters for a charitable organisation.
      The photography is by Adrianna Glaviano.

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      Ten gallery interiors that are artworks in their own right

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      A subterranean gallery carved into a sand dune and a treehouse-style art museum feature in our latest lookbook, which collects striking gallery interiors from around the world.

      Art galleries are specifically designed as spaces for showcasing artworks such as sculptures and paintings. As a result, they are often characterised by neutral and minimalist interiors so as not to divert attention from the objects on display.
      However, some galleries are defined by statement designs that not only complement the artworks they house, but transform their interiors into masterpieces themselves.
      From a converted Iranian brewery to a Milanese basement, read on for 10 galleries with memorable interior designs.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring inviting entrance halls, terracotta kitchens and Crittal-style windows.

      Top: Helsinki’s Amox Rex museum. Above: image is courtesy of IK LabIK Lab, Mexico, by Jorge Eduardo Neira Sterkel
      Curving cement walls and undulating vine floors provide an alternative backdrop for artwork within the gallery at the Azulik resort in Tulum.
      The gallery, which visitors must enter without shoes via a winding walkway, is elevated above the ground and reaches the height of the surrounding tree canopy. Circular windows of various sizes flood the space with natural light.
      The gallery was opened by the resort’s founder and designer, Jorge Eduardo Neira Sterkel, after the great-grandson of the famed American art collector Peggy Guggenheim and a Tulum local suggested the idea.
      Find out more about IK Lab ›
      Photo is by Wen StudioTaoCang Art Center, China, by Roarc Renew
      TaoCang Art Center is comprised of two disused granaries located in the village of Wangjiangjing in China’s Zhejiang province. Shanghai studio Roarc Renew connected the volumes with a pair of sweeping brick corridors that are lined with arches.
      Functioning as distinct gallery spaces, the granaries are characterised by striking arrangements of lotus flowers on their floors – an ode to the village’s lotus-flower industry and a pond adjacent to the site.
      Find out more about TaoCang Art Centre ›
      Photo is by Ye Rin MokMaison Lune, USA, by Sandrine Abessera, Lubov Azria and Gabriella Kuti
      Designers Sandrine Abessera and Lubov Azria, founders of the contemporary art gallery Maison Lune, worked with interior designer Gabriella Kuti to set it within a former private house in California.
      Spread across rooms in neutral hues, the gallery is laid out like a collector’s home featuring a varied cluster of artworks and design pieces. Multiple terraces and internal stepped areas provide plinth-like display units for the objects throughout the property.
      “We want to build an alternative to traditional galleries, which are often perceived as too elitist and intimidating,” explained Abessera and Azria.
      Find out more about Maison Lune ›
      Photo is by Tuomas UusheimoAmos Rex, Finland, by JKMM Architects
      Finnish studio JKMM Architects designed the Amos Rex art museum in Helsinki with a series of domed subterranean galleries, which bubble up through the ground to create a sloping outdoor playground.
      While a portion of the museum is housed in the renovated Lasipalatsi, a functionalist 1930s building at street level, Amos Rex was also extended underground to include the domed galleries. These subterranean spaces feature minimalist monochrome interiors illuminated by large round skylights.
      Find out more about Amos Rex ›
      Photo is by Sergio LopezStudio CDMX, Mexico, by Alberto Kalach
      A multi-purpose artist residency and gallery come together at Studio CDMX, a space in Mexico City designed for Casa Wabi founder Bosco Sodi in which to work and exhibit his pieces.
      Constructed on the site of a former warehouse, the building reflects its location’s industrial roots with concrete, metal and brick elements arranged in chunky formations. Sodi’s sculptural works, finished in materials including stone and ceramic, also influenced the interiors.
      Find out more about Studio CDMX ›
      Photo is by William Barrington-BinnsPrivate gallery, Thailand, by Enter Projects Asia
      A winding rattan installation traces an overhead route through this private gallery in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
      Architecture studio Enter Projects Asia used an algorithm to design the structure, which snakes in and out of the gallery’s various indoor and outdoor spaces.
      “We sought to create an immersive experience, giving the space a warmth and depth uncharacteristic of conventional art galleries,” said studio director Patrick Keane.
      Find out more about this private gallery ›
      Photo is by Duccio MalagambaFondazione Luigi Rovati Museum, Italy, by Mario Cucinella Architects
      Layered stone walls line the new basement of the Fondazione Luigi Rovati Museum, an art gallery housed within a 19th-century palazzo in Milan that was both preserved and expanded by Italian studio Mario Cucinella Architects.
      The basement walls were created from overlapping layers of limestone ashlar, which curve upwards to form domed ceilings. Free-standing and wall-mounted cases designed by the architecture studio display two hundred Etruscan artifacts, including ancient jewellery and cinerary urns.
      Find out more about Fondazione Luigi Rovati Museum ›
      Photo is by Ahmadreza SchrickerArgo Factory Contemporary Art Museum & Cultural Centre, Iran, by Ahmadreza Schricker Architecture North
      US studio Ahmadreza Schricker Architecture North renovated a 1920s brewery in central Tehran to create the Argo Factory Contemporary Art Museum & Cultural Centre, preserving many of the factory’s original industrial features.
      Designed without middle supports, a curvilinear concrete staircase was inserted into the building to connect the museum’s lobby and its six galleries above. The staircase is one of a number of new elements with a rounded shape, created to contrast the uniform brick architecture.
      Find out more about Argo Factory Contemporary Art Museum & Cultural Centre ›
      Photo is by Wu QingshanUCCA Dune Art Museum, China, by Open Architecture
      Carved into a dune on a beach in Qinhuangdao, this coastal art museum is comprised of a network of subterranean concrete galleries.
      Beijing-based firm Open Architecture took cues from caves for the interlinked spaces, which are illuminated by organically shaped openings and feature an irregular texture.
      “The walls of ancient caves were where art was first practiced,” Open Architecture co-founder Li Hu told Dezeen.
      Find out more about UCCA Dune Art Museum ›
      Photo is by Kevin ScottMini Mart City Park, USA, by GO’C
      Mini Mart City Park is a community arts centre with a gallery built on the site of a former 1930s petrol station in Seattle.
      Local studio GO’C referenced the location’s history when creating the design for the centre, opting for classic signage, an overhanging roof and divided metal windows.
      Inside, the gallery space is characterised by exposed wooden rafters and smooth grey-hued floors, providing a neutral backdrop for the exhibition of artwork.
      Find out more about Mini Mart City Park ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring inviting entrance halls, terracotta kitchens and Crittal-style windows.

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      StudioX4 designs cavernous meditation space in downtown Taipei

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      A dark, canopy-like ceiling and an LED-lit oculus are among the features that are meant to enhance the experience of this meditation space in Taiwan.

      Situated on the second floor of a residential building in Taipei, the space was created by local design company StudioX4 to provide a quiet sanctuary in which urban citizens can practice mindfulness, meditation and yoga.
      The space can be used for meditation, yoga and mindfulness practicesThe interior consists of a semi-circular space with chamfered walls and ceiling that flow into each other, known as a Bezier surface – a term used in computer graphics to describe a curved volume that has no set central point, unlike a circle or ball.
      The structure was built using planes of plywood planks built up in layers to create a smooth, flowing surface. A  straight wall at one side of the room is a line with mirrors, which create the illusion of the space being double its actual size.
      It is characterised by its curved ceiling and wallsThe reflection is meant to symbolise a sense of balance gained in meditation, according to the studio.

      “Via mirror reflection, the interior area completes its whole entity,” said the studio. “Combining the two halves implies the meditation path of seeking balance for both sides.”
      Sliding doors lead out onto a balcony overlooking the cityDark greys and blacks were chosen for the colour palette.
      “We were thinking of finding a way to reach inner peace – as a result we chose the colour of natural rock,” Lynch Cheng, lead architect of StudioX4, told Dezeen.
      Rounded forms are found throughoutThe walls and ceiling have a subtle, dappled finish that complements the softness of the rounded edges and corners.
      Circular recessions are punched out of the surface of the ceiling to increase the emphasis on rounded forms.

      Hilarchitects completes contemplative meditation hall in eastern China

      One of these voids contains a 150-centimetre diameter oculus, which acts as a focal point for class instructors and is a bright visual anchor in the middle of the dark space.
      It is lit by cool-toned LED lights to give the illusion of being lit from above by natural light.
      The oculus is a focal point within the interiorFurther light sources include large windows that filter natural light into the space, through sliding doors leading to a balcony that overlooks the city.
      In addition to the oculus, accent lighting is present in the form of backlit skirting boards, which delineate the line between the floor and walls.
      It is lit by LED lightsThe low, smooth ceiling and integrated walls also help to create an acoustically complex environment in which users can speak and hear their voices echo.
      “Normally in acoustic design, we try to avoid reverberation. But in this case, we tried to control it so that it goes back to the origin point, so humans can talk to themselves,” said Cheng.
      Tapered edges create softnessStudioX4 drew on the Buddhist idea that “form does not differ from emptiness; therefore, emptiness does not differ from form” for the treatment of the interior.
      “This project is a meditation hideaway for urbanites to explore their minds, to enlighten self-awareness, and to undergo the practice of mindfulness.”
      Self Revealing is among five projects shortlisted in the leisure and wellness interior category of this year’s Dezeen Awards.
      Other projects in the running include a cinema that uses dramatic stage lighting by One Plus Partnership Limited and a beer spa in Belgium by WeWantMore.
      All images are courtesy of StudioX4.

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