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      Superkül renovates reading room at Toronto's brutalist Robarts Library

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      Canadian studio Superkül has updated the reading room at the University of Toronto’s Robarts Library, a notable example of brutalist architecture.

      The project involved renovating the cavernous concrete space on the building’s fourth floor, as part of the university’s larger initiative to revitalise the Robarts Library, which Superkül described as “one of North America’s most significant examples of brutalist architecture”.
      The Brutalist concrete Robarts Library was built in 1973Completed in 1973, the John P Robarts Research Library was designed by local architecture studio Mathers & Haldenby.
      It is both the largest individual library at the University of Toronto and the largest academic library building in Canada.
      Superkül updated the spaces to better serve contemporary learning needsAs an important facility for students and faculty, the reading and study spaces required upgrades to meet contemporary learning styles and equipment, while remaining respectful to the heritage-listed architecture.

      The project also needed to connect the original brutalist structure with the adjacent Robarts Common extension, completed by Diamond Schmitt Architects in September 2022.
      A variety of individual study stations were added to the double-height space”We were tasked with an ambitious goal: to convert the space into a superior contemporary environment for quiet study, collaboration, and digital scholarship in a manner that complements the building’s exalted architectural language and supports accessibility, diversity, and wellness,” said Superkül.
      Spread throughout the 20,300-square-foot (1,886-square-metre), double-height space are individual study areas, new digital stations, consultation rooms and two light therapy zones.
      Natural materials were chosen to bring warmth to the concrete buildingParticular attention was paid to accessibility, through the addition of inclusive study spots that allow users to adjust desk heights, seating configurations and lighting for their needs.
      “We also emphasised clear sightlines and intuitive wayfinding in a symmetrical layout to promote easy navigation,” said Superkül.

      Upgrades to historic Toronto university building include an elevator clad in copper scales

      The studio worked with a team of acoustic specialists to create a sound-dampening system using perforated wood and metal panelling, designed to blend in with the interior architecture.
      This scheme allows communal study groups to converse without disturbing other students.
      Particular attention was paid to accessibility, through the addition of inclusive study spotsFor the new elements, a variety of natural materials were chosen to add warmth to the concrete building, including custom-designed bronze screens and details that play on existing motifs.
      “To honour the distinctive geometry and materiality that make Robarts Library such a prodigious icon, we hewed closely to an overarching objective: create a robust and respectful design that honours the existing architecture and complements the library’s other spaces,” the studio said.
      An acoustic-dampening system was created to prevent communal study sessions distracting from quiet workAlso at the University of Toronto, studios Kohn Shnier and ERA Architects recently renovated the historic University College building to make it more accessible.
      Superkül’s previous projects have included an all-white vacation home in the Ontario countryside.
      The photography is by Doublespace.
      Project credits:
      Architect: SuperkülStructural engineer: EntuitiveMechanical and electrical engineer: HH AngusAcoustics: AercousticsCost: Marshall & MurrayCode and safety: LRI

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      Pihlmann Architects creates sleek brewery in former Copenhagen slaughterhouse

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      Bulbous steel tanks hang from where carcasses used to be suspended at the ÅBEN brewery in Copenhagen, which local studio Pihlmann Architects transformed from a slaughterhouse into a restaurant and bar.

      Located in Copenhagen’s Meatpacking District, the brewery is housed in a 1932 butchery that has been used for various commercial activities since the early 1990s.
      Visitors enter ÅBEN through the building’s original blue-rimmed doorsPihlmann Architects maintained and restored many of the slaughterhouse’s original features as part of the renovation for Danish beer company ÅBEN.
      “Turning the space back into a food production facility, with all the pragmatic measures we had to keep in mind, generated our ideas from the very beginning,” studio founder Søren Pihlmann told Dezeen. “Bringing back the authentic character of the space was key.”
      Conical steel fermentation vessels were suspended where carcasses used to hangArranged across one open-plan level, the brewery features the original gridded rail system from which 980 carcasses used to hang when the space was a slaughterhouse.

      Pihlmann Architects replaced the carcasses with conical fermentation tanks that are reached via a low-hanging galvanised steel walkway – also suspended from the listed building’s original sawtooth roof.
      Pihlmann Architects was led by the building’s industrial historyGeometric clusters of white wall tiles that have been preserved since the 1930s were also kept in place, echoing the brewery’s original purpose.
      “Bringing the key elements back to a worthy condition was more of a task than deciding on which [elements] to keep,” noted Pihlmann.
      Semitransparent curtains divide spaces and control acousticsSpaces are delineated by slaughterhouse-style semitransparent curtains, which cloak various dining areas that are positioned around the restaurant’s central open kitchen where visitors can experience the brewing process up close.
      Furniture was kept simple and “unfussy” in order to emphasise the restaurant’s industrial elements, including angular chairs and bar stools finished in aluminium and wood.
      “The [material and colour] palettes are true to function on the one hand and [true to] history on the other,” said Pihlmann.

      Crimson red flooring runs throughout the brewery, which was in place when the building was purchased. It was maintained to add warmth to the otherwise clinical interiors.
      At night, the restaurant’s electric light absorbs this colour and reflects from the fermentation tanks, creating a more intimate environment.
      A central open kitchen is flanked by bar stoolsMaking the food production processes visible was at the core of the design concept, according to the architecture studio.
      “It’s not only about the preparation of the food, it’s more about the brewing taking place,” continued Pihlmann.
      “The space which produces thousands of litres every day is open for everyone to step into, and actually see how and where the product they consume is produced.”

      Óscar Miguel Ares Álvarez converts Spanish slaughterhouse into community centre

      “Today, we are so detached from what we consume, we just go to the supermarket and pick it up from the cold counter having no clue where it’s coming from,” he added.
      “I’m not that naive to think that ÅBEN alone will change anything, but I’m convinced that it’s important to change this detachment.”
      The slaughterhouse’s original white tiles were preservedPihlmann described his favourite aspect of the project as “how the elements we’ve added both submit to and utilise the existing space, not just visually but also through their structural function”.
      “The building is built to carry a huge load,” he reflected. “Back then, it was tonnes of dead meat. Today, it’s enormous serving tanks from the ceiling.”
      Founded in 2021, Pihlmann Architects was included in our list of 15 up-and-coming Copenhagen architecture studios compiled to mark the city being named UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture for 2023.
      Previous slaughterhouse conversions include a training school for chefs in Spain that was once used to butcher meat and a cultural centre in Portugal that is currently being developed by Kengo Kuma and OODA.
      The photography is by Hampus Berndtson.

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      Trewhela Williams adds louvred oak facade to London mews house

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      Architecture office Trewhela Williams has completed a minimalist renovation of a mews house in north London, adding a bespoke timber facade to animate its street-facing elevation.

      The home, which is set in the Belsize Park Conservation Area, originally featured a disused garage that took up a sizeable portion of the floor plan on the ground floor and blocked off any connection to the street outside.
      Trewhela Williams has renovated a mews house in north LondonTrewhela Williams was brought on board to optimise the home’s ground floor and convert the garage to provide additional living space.
      The project focused on opening up the dark and insular interior to views of the quiet mews at the front and a small private courtyard in the rear.
      The studio created bespoke timber louvres to animate the home’s exteriorExisting walls enclosing the garage were removed to allow this space to be incorporated into an open-plan living area that now extends across the full depth of the property.

      The former garage door was replaced with a facade crafted from white-oiled oak that retains the proportions of the old door but provides greater visual interest when viewed from the mews.
      The oak louvres were angled to provide privacy while also letting light into the house”The existing garage doors along the street create quite a closed and guarded frontage,” Trewhela Williams told Dezeen. “We wanted to create something that’s visually animated and provides a more open and engaging elevation.”
      Angled oak fins positioned in front of the large window function as a brise soleil, allowing daylight to enter and providing limited views of the street from inside while maintaining privacy.
      A small courtyard is located at the rear of the propertyFrom the entrance to the mews, the fins appear to form a solid wooden volume covering the window. But their geometry seems to shift and becomes more permeable as people approach the house.
      The bespoke joinery forms a pared-back structure comprising simple planes, volumes and edges that was influenced by the minimalist wooden sculptures of American artist Donald Judd.
      The interior has a minimal material paletteTrewhela Williams specified a frameless glazing unit with concealed fixings to enhance the sculptural simplicity of the carpentry.
      The windows include an espagnolette mechanism that allows them to tilt to facilitate cross-ventilation through the house or pivot open so the family’s pets can go outside.

      Echlin uses broken-plan layout to create spacious interiors within London mews house

      The studio applied a pared-back material palette with a focus on tone and texture to create a minimalist interior scheme.
      Walls and ceilings are rendered with a subtly textured Danish plaster that is complemented by the warm Douglas fir flooring and terrazzo tiles speckled with marble aggregate.
      Textured plaster walls and Douglas fir flooring finish the interior spacesA worktop made from cloudy white Mugla marble extends along the full depth of the property – from the entrance hall and storage area at the front to the galley kitchen, dining space and snug towards the rear.
      “Whilst the interior is pared back and displays the traits of minimalism in its simplicity, there is real harmony and beauty in the details,” Trewhela Williams explained.
      “There are very few materials and details within the home, so each one has been meticulously chosen to harmonise and create a space that feels warm and calm rather than being cold or sterile.”
      The kitchen worktop is made from cloudy white Mugla marbleAn existing courtyard at the back of the house is now visible and accessible through an enlarged opening, which fills the full height and width of the rear elevation.
      A minimal pivot door can be opened to create a seamless connection between the interior and the courtyard that also functions as a lightwell drawing daylight into the adjacent living spaces.
      The courtyard is paved with large-format concrete tiles and is enclosed by walls covered with natural clay plaster, harmonising with the textural palette of the interior.
      A pivot door opens onto the external courtyardThe courtyard houses a simple linear bench and a cylindrical plant pot, with their geometric forms providing visual structure while a lone acer tree adds a burst of colour.
      Despite being situated in a conservation area, the bold design for the new facade was complimented by the local planning authority, which said it provided a positive precedent for neighbours considering similar conversion projects.
      A bench and circular plant pot add geometric forms to the courtyard”It was a big relief,” said Trewhela Williams. “A lot of conversion and extension projects focus on the rear of the property but here we were working on the front so we had to tread very carefully.”
      “Thankfully the planners were very supportive,” the studio added. “We’ve also been contacted by some of the neighbours about doing something similar with their properties, so there is an appreciation for what we’ve achieved here.”
      Previously, the studio has created an extension to an Edwardian house in north London featuring a brick wall that extends out from the kitchen into the garden.
      The photography is by Lorenzo Zandri.

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      Space Copenhagen pays homage to historic features in Mammertsberg renovation

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      A sculptural spiral staircase, floor-to-ceiling windows and panelled walls have been paired with contemporary furnishings in Space Copenhagen’s renovation of a restaurant and hotel in Switzerland.

      Called Mammertsberg, the combined hotel and restaurant is housed within a 1911 villa that overlooks the Alps mountain range in Freidorf, Switzerland.
      Top: a spiral staircase takes centre stage in Mammertsberg. Above: Space Copenhagen has renovated the Swiss hotel and restaurantDanish design studio Space Copenhagen focused on the restaurant and lounge, which were totally refurbished to transform the interior from its previous status as a Swiss-food restaurant.
      Meanwhile, the adjacent six hotel guest rooms were given a light refresh.
      Contemporary furniture was added to the lounge”We embraced the idea of keeping key historic, listed, and structural features, defining for the building and its architectural heritage,” Space Copenhagen told Dezeen.

      “For the transformation towards something new, it felt important to add a diverse mix of furniture, lighting, materials, art and books, all of which could have been collected slowly over time,” the studio added.
      Linen curtains frame the large windowsDue to the building’s historic status, Space Copenhagen faced certain refurbishment restrictions, which resulted in the studio adapting its design around existing features within the property.
      These included a large central staircase by architect Tilla Theus that connects the restaurant on the ground floor to the bar and lounge on the first floor.
      Natural materials were used throughout the interiorIn the 42-seat fine-dining restaurant, which serves up locally sourced dishes, the studio embraced the high ceilings and large windows by adding floor-to-ceiling curtains in tactile, heavy linen.
      “The building overlooks the impressive landscape and alpine scenery that characterises Switzerland and this inspired our design choices and approach,” said Space Copenhagen.
      “It felt natural to treat the house as a large country home from which to enjoy the surrounding nature; offering guests the opportunity to contemplate and recharge.”
      The restaurant has a walnut and linen colour paletteThe surrounding nature was referenced in the material and colour choices, with solid oak tables in varying shapes and sizes dotted throughout the restaurant and lounge.
      Elsewhere in the Mammertsberg restaurant, Scandinavian chairs were upholstered in subdued colour tones such as walnut and light linen, while petrol blue leather was added for contrast.

      Space Copenhagen renovates landmark Arne Jacobsen hotel using updated classic furniture

      “We wanted to create a warm and inviting scene to balance the vibrant dishes while simultaneously seeking a high level of detailing, quality, and refinement in the curation of materials and furniture pieces,” explained Space Copenhagen.
      “We worked with a new approach to solve the layout for the restaurant. Being a small restaurant allowed us to create a sense of familiarity with a variety of different tables – round, square and longer styles – all with different configurations and possibilities.”
      Six guest rooms were given a light refreshThe project also involved updating Mammertsberg’s guest rooms. Each of the six rooms was individually decorated to feel like someone’s private residence, with sculptural lighting and soft furniture to encourage rest and relaxation.
      According to the designers, the limited time frame meant that finer details such as adding new finishes were prioritised over a larger overhaul.
      Each hotel suite is individually furnished”We couldn’t change the polished stone floors in certain public areas such as the restrooms, bathrooms and guestrooms,” Space Copenhagen said.
      “We solved this by applying a different finish which honed them as much as possible towards a more matt and subdued hue, settling into the overall colour and material palette.”
      Space Copenhagen was established in Denmark in 2005 and is best known for its restaurant interior design projects.
      Among them is the Blueness restaurant in Antwerp, which is decorated with bespoke furnishings and Le Pristine, a restaurant that the company renovated with a moody aesthetic.
      The photography is by Joachim Wichmann.

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      Studio Vural reinterprets Japanese interiors for Warren Street Townhouse

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      New York City architecture firm Studio Vural used Kyoto merchant houses as a reference point when renovating the interiors of this Brooklyn townhouse for a couple.

      A trip to the Japanese city in 2009 left such an impact on the clients that Studio Vural decided to adapt and update elements of the traditional minimalist architecture for the interiors of the Warren Street Townhouse.
      The townhouse renovation involved adding plenty of storage using European oak”Our design is the embodiment of an early memory our clients experienced as a young couple in Kyoto, an experience so powerful and authentic, that it found its way to a new reality in Brooklyn through our imagination,” said studio founder Selim Vural.
      The four-storey building was overhauled to create a rental apartment at the garden level, leaving the upper three floors for the clients to live in.
      A dining nook was created at the back of the parlour level, behind the staircaseWith a total of 3,200 square feet (300 square metres), the project involved reorganising rooms while bringing in contemporary renditions of traditional Japanese home features, such as a sunken hearth, folding and sliding screens, and undulating soffits.

      “[We] studied Kyoto houses’ serene interior emptiness, flow of asymmetrical spaces, rhythm of tatami mats and the placement of courtyards to make that interpretation possible,” Vural said.
      The nook is based on a recessed space in Japanese reception rooms known as a tokonomaAt parlour level, where the main entrance is located, the plan was opened up so the living and kitchen spaces flow together.
      Exposed brick walls were painted white, creating a blank canvas onto which a variety of light-toned European oak elements were placed.
      Traditional Japanese home features like a sunken hearth, folding and sliding screens, and undulating soffits were interpreted with a contemporary twistThe custom wooden furniture includes a window seat and a sofa. Both feature built-in storage, as well as a range of cabinets and shelves that run along one wall and incorporate a bar.
      Oak boards wer also laid across the floor to create homogeneity throughout the open-plan space.
      The staircase is enclosed by wooden slats and incorporates limestone platforms for displaying objectsAt the back of this level, the kitchen area is framed by a concrete-topped breakfast bar and includes a dining nook – based on a recessed space in Japanese reception rooms known as a tokonoma – tucked in behind the staircase.
      The stairs are enclosed by slatted oak screens, and the first seven treads are widened thanks to beige limestone slabs that act as platforms for displaying objects.
      The simple white and oak palette is continued in the bedroomsThree bedrooms and two bathrooms can be found on the storey above, while a further two bedrooms and a bathroom are located on the top floor.
      All of these rooms continue the same simple white and oak palette, and character is added by exposing the original wood ceiling beams.

      Civilian reorganises Bed-Stuy Townhouse to create family-friendly layout

      The upper level also includes a lounge area, where the historic vertical columns are also made a feature.
      Skylights were added to bring more natural light into the centre of the long, narrow space, which reaches the windowless hallway below through a glass panel in the floor.
      A glass partition between the primary bedroom and bathroom helps the spaces to feel larger”Our work at the Warren House Townhouse powerfully demonstrates architecture’s capacity to cast distant memories into contemporary forms, revitalise historic typologies,” said Vural. “It is a prime example of a historic building’s rebirth for a new family in the history of Brooklyn.”
      Much of Brooklyn’s townhouse stock has been bought up and renovated over the past few years, after homeowners jumped at the opportunity for extra space compared to nearby Manhattan.
      Sklylights bring natural light into a lounge on the upper level and down through a glass panel in the floor to a windowless hallwayRecently completed examples include a passive house that features a dramatic cedar screen and a project that took its architect owners 17 years to complete.
      Studio Vural, which is based in the borough, has previously released images of a speculative off-grid house in the dunes of Cape Cod and a vision for a mixed-use Manhattan skyscraper covered with Asian lilies.
      The photography is by Kate Glicksberg.
      Project credits:
      Principal architect: Selim VuralProject architect: Rima AskinDesign team member: Angela TsaveskaEngineering: Ilya VeldshteynConstruction: David Nahm

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      Studio8 transforms 1930s Hangzhou villa into hotpot restaurant

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      Promotion: Chinese architecture practice Studio8 has renovated the interior of a 1930s villa in Hangzhou, China, transforming it into a hotpot restaurant and cocktail bar that celebrates the building’s history.

      The Gud restaurant and bar includes a roof terrace, dining space on the upper floors and bar on the ground floor.
      The 496-square-metre space occupies a three-storey building that was built in 1939, as well as a later-built extension and the ground floor of an adjacent property.
      Antique hotpots are displayed throughout the interiorAlthough the villa had previously undergone a number of renovations, when designing the restaurant Studio8 aimed to maintain the building’s original features, including the street-facing facade.
      Service areas, including the kitchen, restroom and staircase, are located in the extension and adjacent building, leaving the full space of the historic villa for restaurant dining and the cocktail bar.

      The cocktail bar features red velvet seatingThe Gud restaurant specialises in hotpots, which lead Studio8 to study the culture of the cuisine and introduce aspects of it into the interior design, creating a “museum-like experience”.
      The project’s design was informed by three stages of making and experiencing hotpots – the heat from the fire that cooks it, water as the main medium of the food, and the elevation of the flavour coming from the steam.
      Studio8 used the themes of “heat, medium and elevation of flavour” to influence the function, materials, textures and light used in each space.
      The restaurant interior was informed by hotpot cuisineThe cocktail bar on the ground floor of the historic villa was designed to be a lively space. It features a red floor, a fireplace, structural columns that display antique hotpots and red velvet sofas.
      Part of the original brick wall was left exposed and a recessed mirrored ceiling at the perimeter of the room makes the space feel larger and more luxurious.
      The interior nods to the building’s history”As the first element, heat is a fundamental design factor on the first floor, where human interactions were planned out accordingly,” said Studio8.
      “The aim was to create a warmer and more welcoming space at the beginning of the hotpot experience, where people and friends meet first, have a cocktail and wait for everyone to arrive.”
      The restaurant features glass-brick nichesOn the upper floor is the restaurant’s main dining area, which features glass-brick niches in the walls where windows used to be.
      At the sides of the dining area, Studio8 opened up the ceiling to expose the wooden roof structure.
      The third floor includes a private dining room”After passing through the heated cocktail bar, comes the second element, water – the medium that reunites all elements,” said Studio8.
      “Family and friends are seated together in groups around the round tables on the second floor for the food experience, a process that the architects relate to water reconstructing the atoms of the ingredients.”
      A roof terrace overlooks the cityThe building’s original timber staircase was removed and a new enclosed staircase that connects the three floor levels was added in the patio area.
      The staircase has double glazed U-shaped glass partitions along its floors with a “lighting system to represent the continuous energy flow transition”.
      A terrace and private dining room are located on the third floor of the villa.
      A new enclosed staircase that connects the three floor levels was added in the patio area.”Here, the customers are reconnected with the city and able to look at it from different heights and angles, corresponding to the last element, steam, the elevation of taste,” said Studio8.
      “The simply designed interior shows off the geometric shape of the attic, while benches on the roof allow customers to have a more exclusive interaction with the city.”
      The staircase has double glazed U-shaped glass partitions along its floorsStudio8 is currently working on a number of renovation projects that aim to respect the history of the building, including the transformation of hotels and restaurants.
      The photography is by Sven Zhang.
      Partnership content
      This article was written by Dezeen for Studio8 as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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      Wood and stone surfaces bring “rich texture” to Primrose Hill House interior

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      Architecture for London has updated a 1960s house in London, creating an open-plan interior filled with natural materials and an improved connection to the rear courtyard garden.

      The house is one of two detached properties set in a modernist estate in Primrose Hill that primarily consists of painted brick courtyard houses and small terraces.
      Primrose Hill House was designed by Architecture for LondonThe new owner asked Architecture for London to transform the interior into a modern layout that is better suited to their lifestyle.
      “The house had a very broken plan consisting of lots of small rooms,” the studio’s director Ben Ridley told Dezeen. “The client wanted to create a family house that was more open plan with better views of the garden.”
      The studio added a rooftop extension clad in white bricksThe remodelled interior improves the connection with the garden by incorporating a large picture window in the kitchen, along with sliding wood-framed doors in the living area.

      The ground floor also contains a smaller reception area next to the entrance hall, with folding doors allowing this space to be separated from the kitchen and dining area.
      Sliding wood-framed doors open the living room up to the gardenA bespoke blackened-steel staircase provides access to four bedrooms on the first floor, including a main suite with a juliet balcony overlooking the garden.
      Following a detailed cost and sustainability review, a decision was made to demolish all of the property’s interior walls and rebuild them in order to achieve the required spaces.
      The interior was finished in a rich material paletteThis solution also offered the best energy-efficiency potential, according to Ridley, with a layer of wall insulation added alongside a heat recovery ventilation system (MVHR).
      The home’s first-floor plate was replaced using steel beams and timber joists to enable the demolition of the ground-floor walls and the opening up of the interior.
      Flooring was used to define different zonesspThe project also involved the addition of a timber-framed rooftop extension, clad with white-painted brick to tie in with the rest of the house and set back so it’s largely hidden from view.
      The extension contains a flexible mezzanine space for yoga and meditation that is accessed from the main bedroom suite.

      Architecture for London uses natural materials to renovate studio founder’s home

      Throughout the home, Architecture for London applied a pared-back palette of natural materials that is intended to create a sense of calmness and connection with the garden.
      Internal walls treated with breathable lime plaster provide a neutral backdrop for furniture including a dining table made from locally sourced London plane trees.
      Doors and windows are framed with wood”We intentionally didn’t use a lot of colour so there’s a strong feeling of consistency,” Ridley said. “The choice of stone and timber brings a rich texture to the palette.”
      A reference image of a Portuguese manor house, featuring a tiled trompe l’oeil frieze around a doorway, informed the use of materials to define space within the interior.
      The shared living areas have an open-plan layoutIn the living room, stone floor tiles in different shades create a border around the room, as if an area rug has been placed on the floor to demarcate where furniture could be placed.
      Ben Ridley founded Architecture for London in 2009 following his studies at London’s Barlett School of Architecture. The studio aims to create places that improve how people live and work, with a focus on reducing their operational emissions.
      Wood lines the interior walls of the homeRidley’s own London house recently featured in our round-up of five UK house renovations designed to improve energy efficiency.
      “Ultimately we are going to have to accept some changes in the appearance of our traditional homes,” he said, speaking to Dezeen as part of a feature on architects who have retrofitted their own homes.
      The photography is by Christian Brailey.

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      Hollywood puppet theatre becomes Chief LA members' club

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      A clubhouse for women in business now occupies a 1940s theatre in Los Angeles, following renovation work by JM|A+D and TAP Studio, with interiors by AvroKO.

      The three studios collaborated to rehabilitate the former Hollywood puppet theatre to create the Los Angeles flagship for Chief, which offers memberships to women in leadership roles.
      Like Chief’s other locations, the LA flagship clubhouse is designed to have a residential feel”Designed as a space for the most powerful women in business to connect and find community, we re-conceptualized the historic structure as a modern pied-a-terre, reinterpreting the best elements of traditional member’s club environments with a bold, lush palette,” said the team in a joint statement.
      JM|A+D and TAP Studio – both based in California – worked on restoring the theatre building while updating the spaces for their new purposes.
      The former theatre was converted to include two bars, five conference rooms and multiple lounges”From scattered wet bars and mothers’ rooms to carefully scaled seating and meeting areas, our goal was to develop a female-focused environment that brings the membership network’s mission to life,” the team said.

      “We dovetailed original building elements with new millwork, pathways, and technology to create an enfilade of communal and enclosed zones designed to host large events, lingering, chance encounters and focused work.”
      Conference rooms are each identified by a different colourThe interiors incorporate some of the design elements in Chief’s New York and Chicago locations, the latter of which was also designed by AvroKO and was named Large Workspace of the Year at the Dezeen Awards 2021.
      The visual threads between the different outposts include the use of rich colours and mix of furniture styles to create a residential feel, and incorporating many pieces by female artists and designers among custom millwork and vintage finds.
      Nods to the building’s former use include framed signatures of those who performed thereThe 14,000-square-foot (1,300-square-metre) LA clubhouse is split over two levels and includes two bars, five conference rooms, multiple lounge areas, and smaller private rooms for meetings or focused work.
      An outdoor patio is also available for members to sit among the trees or around a fire pit.

      AvroKO creates residential feel inside Chief members club in Chicago

      Inside, another fireplace is clad in narrow, glossy ceramic tiles and forms a focal point at the end of the bar.
      Each of the conference rooms is identified by a different colour, such as a large room with a sienna-hued ceiling and another that’s painted dark blue.
      A mix of furniture styles includes custom pieces, vintage finds and many designs by womenOchre yellow, dusty rose and various shades of green can also be found in upholstery, rugs, artwork and styled accessories.
      Nods to the building’s previous use are also scattered throughout. “We integrated a wall with celebrity signatures from roasts hosted at the theatre into the design,” said the team.
      Chief LA also has an outdoor patio for members to enjoyJM|A+D was founded by architect Jeffrey Miller and also has an office in Oregon. The studio has previously collaborated with TAP principal Tanya Paz on several residential projects.
      AvroKO is best known for hospitality projects and also designed the Mortimer House members’ club in London.
      The photography is by Aubrie Pick.
      Project credits:
      Architecture: JM|A+D and TAPInterior design: AvroKOCivil engineer: KPFFMEP consultant: Interface EngineeringAudiovisual consultant: VanWert Technology DesignLighting consultant: Focus LightingFood and beverage consultant: Sam Tell

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