Refurbishments

Subterms

    Latest story

    113 Shares119 Views

    Multipurpose rooms optimise space at Ulli Heckmann’s Rotterdam apartment

    by

    A bedroom incorporating a bathtub and a window bench is one of several versatile spaces architect Ulli Heckmann created when renovating this compact apartment in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

    Heckmann and his partner, the designer Nienke Bongers, bought the apartment in the Delfshaven neighbourhood in 2020 with the aim of refurbishing it to suit their personal tastes.
    Multipurpose rooms were used to optimise space at Ulli Heckmann’s Rotterdam apartmentThe 100-square-metre property is spread across the ground floor and basement of a brick apartment building dating from 1935 that stretches along a dike on the river Schie.
    Previous renovations in the 1980s had stripped away all of the interior’s original features, so the couple decided to completely gut the spaces and rebuild them using a modern and affordable material palette.
    The open-plan kitchen and living area receive daylight from the gardenThe existing layout did not make the best use of the garden access, so Heckmann moved the bedrooms upstairs and created a large living space below with direct access to the outdoors.

    “The original downstairs plan showed one room facing the garden and one towards the street, which was quite gloomy and dark,” the architect told Dezeen.
    “Since the new downstairs is basically mono-orientated, an open layout with the kitchen cupboard as a room divider seemed the best solution in terms of space with an option for privacy.”
    Heckmann completely rebuilt the interior spaces using affordable materials. Photo is by Yuta SawamuraThe largely open-plan configuration creates a space for cooking, eating and socialising that receives plenty of daylight from the large windows at one end.
    Freestanding cupboards screen a small private space that Heckmann explained can be used for “reading a book, inviting friends to stay over or simply drying the laundry without putting it in the middle of the living room.”
    The kitchen is divided by a wooden cupboard unit for privacy. Photo is by Yuta SawamuraThroughout the property, built-in storage helps to optimise and organise space, allowing the interior to be used in different ways at different times. Examples include a hidden desk in the children’s bedroom and a window bench in the main bedroom.
    “Most of the rooms are not limited to only one purpose throughout the day and night,” said Heckmann, “which helps tremendously for the use of the space – especially as a family.”

    Amsterdam apartment block features cupboard bedrooms

    The layout of the upper floor is more compartmentalised than the basement level; however, a full-height mirrored door at the end of the hall can be left open to ensure the spaces feel connected.
    The two bedrooms at either end of the plan are separated by a walk-in wardrobe and a shower room hidden behind cupboard-like doors.
    The main bedroom integrates a bathtub that can be hidden behind a curtainIn addition to the bed and window bench, the main bedroom contains a bathtub set on wooden blocks that can be screened off using a curtain.
    “The need to create multifunctional spaces is one of the reasons why we decided to have the bathtub in the bedroom,” Heckmann explained. “Also, we quite like that it becomes an object in our daily life instead of hiding it away.”
    Most of the furniture was built by Heckmann and Bongers with stained or dyed plywood and MDFThe couple had wanted to use natural materials where possible to completely revamp the interior, but the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic caused prices to soar and subsequent lockdowns made commissioning specialist trades much more difficult.
    Heckmann and Bongers therefore designed and built most of the furniture themselves, using plywood or MDF that they stained or dyed to give the materials a more unique finish.
    The bedroom shelf and the hall cupboards are made from eucalyptus plywood tinted with an earl-grey mixture, while the bedhead is MDF with a hardwax finish.
    The bedhead unit is made from MDF with a warm-toned hardwax finishLime plaster was used on the walls throughout the apartment. The downstairs spaces were left raw and natural, while the bedroom has green pigment added to give it a subtle hint of colour.
    For the kitchen, Heckmann used MDF boards with oak veneer and a countertop with a dark Forbo linoleum surface. The cupboard under the stairs features an oak frame surrounding polycarbonate panels, while the staircase podium is made from painted MDF.
    A hidden desk in the children’s bedroom helps to optimise space usageUlli Heckmann completed his Diploma studies at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany, in 2006 and worked for several years for agencies in Germany and France, including Maison Edouard François.
    He founded his architecture and design studio in Paris in 2013 and now works on projects across Europe, ranging from object and interior design to private housing and architectural competitions.
    Other recent Rotterdam projects featured on Dezeen include a floating cross-laminated timber office and a multi-faceted auditorium designed using computer modelling.
    The photography is by Ulli Heckmann unless otherwise stated.

    Read more: More

    More stories

    • 113 Shares109 Views

      in Rooms

      Butterfly House renovation contrasts traditional features with modern materials

      by

      British studio Will Gamble Architects has modernised a heritage-listed terraced house in south London, adding a series of bespoke joinery elements that help to repurpose the existing living spaces.

      Known under the nickname Butterfly House, the project involved the refurbishment and reconfiguration of a Grade II-listed home in Lambeth for a couple of lawyers and their two young children.
      Will Gamble Architects has renovated the interior of Butterfly House in LondonThe building, which dates back to the 1840s, was originally conceived as a four-storey family home. But it had previously been knocked through to a neighbouring property and separated vertically into flats before being returned to a single dwelling.
      Will Gamble Architects was asked to create a contemporary home that makes the most of the available space while retaining the features and character of the existing architecture.
      Micro-cement covers the chimney breast in the dining room”Despite its heritage listing, the building had been messed around with and many of the original features were ripped out,” project architect Miles Kelsey told Dezeen.

      “We were required to preserve the proportions of any rooms that hadn’t changed too much and focused on identifying the minimal permissible alterations that could have the biggest spatial impact.”
      A built-in bench provides seating in the dining areaThe scheme returns Butterfly House to its original interior layout, with the kitchen and dining area on the ground floor, living spaces on the first floor and the bedrooms above.
      In order to adapt the existing floor plan to meet the clients’ needs, the architects repositioned some of the internal openings and introduced joinery elements with built-in doorways and storage.
      The original fireplace in the kitchen was retained”Because we were restricted in what we could do with a listed building, the bespoke joinery allowed us to maximise the potential of each space,” Kelsey added.
      “The joinery also enabled us to create a really clear and coherent design aesthetic throughout the project that responds to the clients’ request for natural and honest materials.”
      A white-painted stairway leads to the upper floorsA restrained, pared-back material palette is applied throughout the interior, with the oak joinery complemented by surfaces of micro-cement and stone.
      The neighbouring property was used as a reference for reinstating original features including the architraves and skirting, which stand out thanks to the sober treatment of the modern additions.

      Will Gamble Architects adds glass-walled extension to Pergola House in Leicestershire

      “Our idea was that the traditional decorative details should sit alongside more contemporary elements like the joinery to create a strong contrast between old and new,” said Kelsey.
      “We didn’t want to overly embellish the contemporary elements in order to maintain a sense of coherence across the whole project.”
      Light permeates the living room via its refurbished French doorsThe kitchen and dining room on the ground floor are linked by a large oak-framed opening that allows a view through the house towards the windows on the other side.
      A chimney breast in the dining room was reinstated and covered with a pale-grey micro-cement finish that is echoed in the dining table.
      Built-in storage on the other side of the room conceals a new doorBuilt-in cabinetry on either side of the chimney provides practical storage while a bench positioned along the opposite wall offers seating for the dining table.
      The living room on the first floor contains large refurbished French doors on one side and a newly instated door on the other side, set within a full-height storage element.
      The home’s custom joinery is made from warm oak woodThe pared-back material palette extends to the bedrooms on the two upper floors, where the oak joinery is used to create storage, headboards and partition walls such as the one separating the main bedroom from its en suite bathroom.
      Butterfly House takes its name from the typical roof form that tops the terraced property. It also references the bowed floors and ceilings uncovered during the renovation, which were remediated as part of the project.
      Wood also features in the bathrooms of Butterfly HouseWill Gamble founded his eponymous architecture and interiors studio in 2018. Based in Barnes, London, the firms works on commercial and residential projects, often involving the adaptation of historic structures for modern use.
      The practice was longlisted for emerging architecture studio of the year at the 2022 Dezeen Awards.
      Its previously completed projects include a glass-walled extension to a Georgian red-brick house and the transformation of a ruined 17-century parchment factory into a contemporary residence.
      The photography is by Nick Dearden.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares199 Views

      in Rooms

      Christ & Gantenbein adds “techno-futuristic” lobby to Oxford Street office

      by

      Swiss studio Christ & Gantenbein has completed its upgrade of UK House on Oxford Street, adding a baroque-influenced lobby informed by the building’s history.

      The renovation of the Grade II-listed building aims to respond to the need for communicative corporate architecture. Designed to be a welcoming “place of arrival”, the new lobby combines the baroque themes from the existing building with modern elements.
      Christ & Gantenbein has upgraded UK House on Oxford Street”We conceived this lobby as a location full of hospitality, with a unique mix of baroque and techno-futuristic elements,” said Christ & Gantenbein’s founding partner Emanuel Christ.
      “The result is a creative spatial identity and generous sequence of rooms that offer high-quality experiences for the tenants and visitors alike.”
      The studio has added a baroque-influenced lobbyChrist & Gantenbein’s renovation expands upon the building’s conversion into an office block during the 1970s.  The structure still features two of its original baroque facades, which partially inspired the design of the new lobby.

      “We worked with this history to generate our vision of corporate architecture in the 21st century: bold, futuristic, open, communicative, yet steeped with history,” said the studio.
      Its design references the building’s historyLarge windows framed by bronzed metal at the front of the building draw upon the surrounding retail facades of Oxford Street. The lobby is accessed through a pair of revolving glass doors with frames of chromed stainless steel, which offer views of the mirrored columns inside.
      Inside the lobby Christ & Gantenbein placed a front desk and a coffee point, along with an ancillary space that can be used for meetings. A work by artist Wolfgang Tilmans features on the right wall of the space.

      Christ & Gantenbein designs Roche office to give staff “a reason to come to work”

      A marbled floor made from black and white stone spans the space, forming a checkered pattern which references the history of the building.
      A metal grill ceiling divided into a more subtle grid mirrors the checkered pattern of the floor, spanned by linear lighting elements that illuminate the lobby.
      There is a metal grill ceilingWith “apse-like” endings that project slightly into the lobby, the walls mimic the original baroque forms of the building. The walls are covered in neutral ceramic tiles which act as a subtle backdrop to the space.
      Mirrored columns reflect the patterns from the floor through the lobby, while polished chrome elements, including the elevator doors, feature throughout the space.
      A marbled floor forms a checkered patternBeyond the lobby, the addition of new staircases and elevators has connected the entry hall to a basement space featuring a separate lobby for cyclists and a multi-level bike storage space. Black and white patterns on the epoxy floor mark the route to the bike store, transitioning into a circular pattern to mark the entry to the changing space.
      Other facilities on the level include showers and lockers, along with hyper-modern elements designed by the studio which have been arranged throughout the functional space.
      Other facilities include showers and lockersFounded by Emanuel Christ and Christoph Gantenbein in 1998, architecture studio Christ & Gantenbein was named Architect of the Year in Dezeen Awards 2018.
      Other projects recently completed by the studio include a multifunctional workspace in Germany and a museum for chocolate brand Lindt.
      The photography is by Thomas Adank.

      Read more: More

    • 150 Shares189 Views

      in Rooms

      Buero Wagner makes inventive use of industrial materials in Munich office extension

      by

      Curtains made from aluminium foil and furniture made from galvanised-steel gratings are just some of the novel uses of industrial materials featured in this silver-coloured office extension in Munich.

      Designed by local studio Buero Wagner, the extension was created by opening up the basement of an existing office in the backyard of a turn-of-the-century building near the Isar River in the Au district.
      Buero Wagner has extended an office in MunichNow spread across two stories, the revamped studio measures 140 square metres and is illuminated by windows that Buero Wagner extended down to the basement level.
      The revamped interior makes use of light reflective materials, such as galvanised-steel grating and aluminium foil, which would more typically be found in an industrial setting.
      The studio used industrial materials throughout. Photo is by Kim Fohmann”
The interventions were implemented from a canon of industrial materials,” said Buero Wagner.

      “These conventional, banal materials take on a new value through their processing and use in a context that is alien to them, and lend the interior an abstract, temporary character that deliberately leaves open the questions of use, appropriation, and the 
completion of the construction measure.”

      Studio Four23’s self-designed office inside former metal workshop is inspired by a toolbox

      Gratings have been used to make floors, a staircase and furniture, while the silver foil is used as a curtain that hides a kitchen, storage shelves and passages to the toilet and storage rooms.
      Other curtains are made out of bubble wrap to provide privacy while allowing light through.
      It features curtains made from silver foil. Photo is by Kim FohmannThe architects preserved the existing building’s materials as far as possible. In the basement, the concrete floor slab was exposed and on the ground floor, the oak parquet was refinished.
      The majority of the furniture is made from welded steel gratings while shelves and lighting are built from galvanized cable trays.
      The office also contains space for livingThe project is complete with an apartment unit, which the studio said was informed by the Covid-19 pandemic and is designed to make living and working in one place possible.
      Other interior projects finished with industrial materials include the office that Four23 created inside a former metal workshop and an apartment by Arhitektura d.o.o with metallic moveable furniture that allows the layout to be easily adapted.
      The photography is by Florian Holzherr unless stated otherwise.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares199 Views

      in Rooms

      Enter Projects Asia enlivens Belgian office with “fluid” rattan sculptures

      by

      A rattan sculpture winds its way across the ceilings of this office and factory building in Waregem, Belgium, which has been overhauled by Thai architecture studio Enter Projects Asia.

      Named A Factory Facelift, the installation was commissioned by the owners of an ice-making factory to bring “balance and calm” to the interior of their small concrete office block in West Flanders.
      Enter Projects Asia has overhauled an office interior in BelgiumEnter Projects Asia’s (EPA) design includes sculptures, planters, light fittings and seating across two storeys, which are constructed from rattan – a flexible plant with a woody stem.
      Beginning with an eight-metre-high sculpture in the glazed lobby, many of these elements take the form of curved sections that are suspended from the ceilings by metal wires and appear to flow through the building.
      Curved rattan sculptures have been introduced into different rooms”[We] were given what felt like a ‘wellness’ brief for the space, inviting nature and creativity into an industrial setting,” said EPA.

      “The site was an ice-making factory, so the design was to be fluid and liquid, like the properties of pure spring water crystallising, incorporating raw and sustainable materials wherever possible,” it continued.
      Some elements are suspended from the ceilingsBeneath the ceiling sculptures and continuing the same design language, EPA has also designed rattan seating areas that help to divide the office spaces.
      Planters have been built into these curved seating structures, complemented by trailing plants that hang from the rattan ceiling sculptures.

      Enter Projects Asia weaves rattan sculptures through Spice & Barley restaurant in Bangkok

      The project was commissioned early on during the Covid-19 pandemic, meaning the relationship between the studio and the client was entirely remote.
      This led to the rattan works being digitally designed and then split into segments that could be built and transported as efficiently as possible to the site, and assembled “like a 3D jigsaw”.
      There is also rattan furniture including office chairsEPA believes that it is important to give the craft of working with rattan new applications, as many rattan factories became threatened with closure during the pandemic.
      “As a byproduct of this project, rattan factories were able to stay afloat during the darkest days,” said EPA Director Patrick Keane.
      “This project became a lifeline for many craftsmen who otherwise would have been without work. Maintaining these factories ensure local, sustainable arts & crafts production could continue,” he added.
      Some seating incoporates plantersEPA has made extensive use of rattan in its previous projects, including another large-scale rattan sculpture for the interiors of the Spice & Barley restaurant in Bangkok.
      Elsewhere in Thailand’s capital, it used the material to create a series of rattan pods with dynamic forms for the yoga brand Vikasa.
      The photography is by Edmund Sumner.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares199 Views

      in Rooms

      Norway's remote Hotel Finse 1222 undergoes subtle update by Snøhetta

      by

      Architecture firm Snøhetta has carried out a sensitive refurbishment of this hotel in Finse, a tiny mountain village in Norway that can only be reached by railway.

      Built in the shadow of Norway’s Hardangerjøkulen glacier, Hotel Finse 1222 sits 1,222 metres above sea level and started life as a humble lodge for railroad workers before becoming a fully-fledged hotel in 1909.
      Hotel Finse 1222 is located in a tiny Norwegian mountain villageOver the decades, the establishment attracted a steady stream of visitors but its interiors grew tired.
      When Snøhetta was tasked with bringing the hotel up to date, the firm steered away from major structural changes and instead settled for making a few aesthetic tweaks.
      Snøhetta introduced colour to the hotel’s reception and lounge”We wanted to ensure we preserved the historical qualities of the place by attentively adjusting and upgrading the existing building mass, only adding new elements where it was absolutely needed,” said Heidi Pettersvold Nygaard, senior architect at the firm.

      “Bringing back to life the long and diverse history of Finse’s heydays was a delight, ensuring that also new visitors could become aware of this completely unique nature and hotel experience.”
      Floral-print William Morris wallpaper covers surfaces in the dining roomThe firm wanted to foster a “warm and hearty” ambience in the hotel’s reception and lounge area so that arriving guests feel instantly at ease.
      Here, surfaces are painted tangerine orange while the soft furnishings are different hues of red.
      Just beyond the lounge, Snøhetta designed a new wooden terrace to match the building’s original carpentry.
      The room’s original ceiling was preservedIn the dining room, floral William Morris wallpaper now blankets the walls. This is a nod to some long-forgotten furnishings Snøhetta found in the hotel’s attic that were upholstered in a similar fabric by the prominent British textile designer.
      The room’s decorative plaster ceiling was preserved and complemented with ornate brass-stemmed lamps, which the studio says are historically appropriate.
      Photographs of famous guests that have passed through the hotel are mounted on the walls, including portraits of Prince Charles and Norwegian figure skater Sonia Hennie.

      Snøhetta designs library in Beijing to resemble a ginkgo-tree forest

      A moodier atmosphere reigns in the hotel’s lounge, where surfaces are rendered in a deep shade of indigo to amplify the dazzling blueish light of Finse’s winter sunsets.
      Guests can sit back and observe the day drawing to a close on the room’s plump blue sofas or bench seats lined with furry throws.
      The hotel’s lounge is filled with shades of blueThe most dramatic intervention made by Snøhetta as part of the refurbishment involved elevating the hotel’s roof to make way for two more guest suites beneath its peak.
      Both suites come complete with expansive floor-to-ceiling windows that offer uninterrupted views of the surrounding landscape. Even the bathtubs are positioned to overlook nearby mountain Lille Finsenut.
      Draped over the beds are bespoke woollen throws depicting an abstract image of the Hardangerjøkulen glacier.
      Two new guest suites were created beneath the hotel’s roofSnøhetta currently has a number of projects in the works.
      Earlier this month, the firm released plans to extend the Hopkins Centre for the Arts at Dartmouth. It is also erecting a library in Beijing that will feature a “forest” of pillars on its interior.

      Read more: More

    • 150 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Studio McW carves up “post-lockdown” London home extension with darkened oak joinery

      by

      Umber-coloured oak joinery divides the interior of this end-of-terrace home in London’s Willesden Green, which has been extended and refurbished by local architecture firm Studio McW.

      The two-storey Aperture House now features an additional pitched-roofed volume at its rear, that can be accessed via the main home or a second, less formal entrance set at the side of the property alongside a small planted courtyard.
      A darkened oak cabinet sits under Aperture House’s pitched roofThe residence’s owners, a journalist and a psychiatrist, worked from home throughout the coronavirus lockdowns of 2020 and grew to dislike using their kitchen, which was visually cut off from the rest of the house and the outdoors.
      They tasked Clerkenwell-based Studio McW with establishing a more versatile “post-lockdown” extension that can be used for cooking, dining, working and entertaining.
      The cabinet transitions into low-lying cupboards in the kitchenStudio McW’s approach sought to find a middle ground between a more sequestered layout and a vast, open-plan space, which can often feel impersonal according to the firm’s director Greg Walton.

      “I think lockdown has certainly compounded the failures of modern open-plan living,” he told Dezeen.
      “Open-plan layouts offer little privacy and occupants can feel a bit lost in the room. Residential architecture needs to work harder to meet new demands.”
      Walls throughout the extension are finished in plasterIn the case of Aperture House, this is achieved using blocks of dark-stained oak joinery. The largest is a cabinet, which is nestled beneath the eaves of the roof and acts as a divider between the external entryway and a small dining room.
      At its centre is a rectangular opening that offers a place to perch and remove shoes on one side, while in the dining area it acts as a reading nook and an additional seat when hosting larger gatherings.
      “By using joinery to break up the spatial layout you have the opportunity to create, in the same room, separate spaces to eat, cook, welcome visitors and relax whilst still maintaining a form of connection,” Walton said.
      In front of the kitchen there is space for a lounge areaThe cabinet transitions into a low-lying oak cupboard in the kitchen, which allows residents to rustle up meals while keeping the garden, guests and each other in sight.
      To the side of the kitchen is a series of taller oak cabinets, interrupted by another nook where small appliances like the kettle and toaster can be tucked away to keep the counters free of clutter.
      Just in front of the kitchen, Studio McW made space for a lounge area where the owners can retreat to work or relax during the day.
      Another opening in the joinery provides room for small appliancesRather than installing glass doors all the way along the home’s rear facade, Studio McW opted to front the extension with a pivoting glazed panel.
      “I think the ubiquitous sliding or bifold doors across the rear of a London terrace are becoming an unromantic ideal,” Walton explained. “They don’t offer places for respite and repose, there is no shadow or play of light.”
      “In this house, openings in the new extension are set back within deep, angled brick thresholds, which are designed to focus views and draw in light at specific times of the day.”
      The extension is fronted by a pivoting glass doorAnother example of this is the off-centre skylight that punctuates the extension’s roof and casts shafts of light into the plaster-washed interior.
      “Just like in photography, the apertures in a property affect focus and exposure,” Walton said.
      “Often, the act of bringing light into a home is interpreted as putting in as many windows as possible. But in doing so you create all the characteristics of an overexposed photograph.”
      The door is set within an angled brick recessA growing number of homes are starting to reflect the effects that the coronavirus pandemic has had on people’s lifestyles.
      Earlier this year, the co-founders of Studiotwentysix added a plywood-lined loft extension to their own family home in Brighton to make room for more work and rest areas. With a similar aim, Best Practice Architecture recently converted the shed of a Seattle property into a home office and fitness room.
      The photography is by Lorenzo Zandri. 

      Read more: More

    • 100 Shares119 Views

      in Rooms

      Lore Group opens “grown-up” One Hundred Shoreditch hotel

      by

      Hospitality chain Lore Group has completed the One Hundred Shoreditch hotel in the building that formerly housed Ace Hotel’s London outpost.

      The rebranded hotel recently opened following a thorough refurbishment, which included the addition of new oriel windows on the building’s facade.
      New oriel windows were added to the building’s exteriorThe hotel was designed by Lore Group creative director Jacu Strauss, who aimed to build on the foundation of the Ace Hotel London Shoreditch.
      Designed by London-based Universal Design Studio, the Ace Hotel opened in 2013, but was shuttered in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic and never reopened.
      Wooden totems in the lobby were crafted by Jan Hedzel Studio”People were sentimental about what it was before and while we never wanted to drastically change that, we wanted to reflect the new, more grown-up Shoreditch,” Strauss told Dezeen.

      “And we hope that the energy that people loved in the former property is even more present now.”
      The lobby table from the Ace Hotel was kept and refinishedOne Hundred Shoreditch has 258 rooms as well as three bars, a coffee shop and a restaurant named Goddard & Gibbs, which has a giant yellow rock sculpture as its centrepiece.
      In the revamped lobby area, timber totem sculptures designed by Strauss and crafted by London-based Jan Hedzel Studio have been put in place, as well as a giant mirror.
      A large red paper sculpture is behind the lobby barIn the interest of reducing waste, Lore Group said it tried to keep materials from the old hotel where possible.
      The wooden floor in the entrance area remains the same, while a long wooden table has been refinished to give it a lighter tone, with the corners sanded into curves.

      Ace Hotel Shoreditch by Universal Design Studio

      Cork wall panelling has been dotted throughout, while the existing cork ceiling was replaced with an acoustically insulated combination of timber strips backed by black felt to soften the disco music prescribed by Strauss.
      An arrangement of giant scarlet paper flowers behind the counter distinguishes the lobby bar.
      What was previously a nightclub has been replaced with a lounge-style cocktail barOn the basement level, what was previously a nightclub has been replaced by a lounge-style cocktail bar named Seed Library.
      The bar’s design was informed by the films of director Stanley Kubrick with table lamps reminiscent of 1960s science fiction, juxtaposed with playful flourishes such as wooden wall panels fixed using metal racks taken from an office shelving unit.
      Pink tiles and terrazzo tabletops characterise the rooftop barIn the rooftop bar, powdery pink tiles matched with vivid pink terrazzo tabletops are intended to catch the sunlight, while green plants hang down from the ceiling in a concealed planter.
      Also on the top level is a multipurpose events space where a colourful second-hand parachute has been attached to the wall.
      A vintage parachute is fastened to the wall of the top floor events spaceStrauss sought to add intrigue to other communal spaces with artworks, including pieces painted in-situ personally by him inside the lifts and tapestries in the corridors.
      The rooms were designed to have a more laid back atmosphere with a mainly neutral palette.
      “When you enter the bedrooms you need to shift your energy,” explained Strauss. “The room should be a sanctuary – this is the place where you need calm.”
      The vivid hues of the rest of the hotel give way to a more neutral palette inside the roomsIn the bedrooms Berber carpets have been combined with a bed designed by Strauss with a shrunken base to create the illusion of floating.
      Large artworks adorn the walls to provide colour, with playful slinky-like vases are filled with eucalyptus to scent the rooms.
      Each oriel window has a unique furniture arrangementLore Group also operates Sea Containers, a hotel on London’s Southbank, as well as the Pulitzer in Amsterdam and the Riggs and Lyle hotels, both in Washington DC.
      Strauss led on the interiors for Sea Containers while a senior director at Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio.
      The images are courtesy of Lore Group.

      Read more: More