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      Archmongers celebrates “raw beauty of brutalist concrete” in Trellick Tower apartment refresh

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      Newly exposed concrete walls are paired with a matching terrazzo in this sensitive home renovation by London studio Archmongers in North Kensington’s Trellick Tower.

      Led by architects Margaret Bursa and Johan Hybschmann, Archmongers reworked a duplex apartment on the 23rd and 24th floors of the listed 31-storey tower block.
      Archmongers has renovated a Trellick Tower apartmentThe design stays true to the original layout and materials palette but some small adjustments help to emphasise the building’s brutalist character.
      Bursa and Hybschmann chose to expose the coarse concrete aggregate walls, while new fixtures and surfaces are made from industrial-style materials in complementary tones.
      Materials were chosen complement the newly exposed concreteThe effect is most striking in the kitchen, where the speckled brown and cream terrazzo sits alongside brushed stainless steel counters, white cabinets and matt-black linoleum flooring.

      Archmongers designed the home for a client who divides their time between London, Italy and Switzerland.
      “Our client was looking for a refurbishment which was true to the simplicity and modesty of the original fit-out,” Bursa told Dezeen.
      Matt-black linoleum provides flooringThe aim, she said, was to embrace “the raw beauty of brutalist concrete” and emphasise “the use of honest materials in every intricate detail”.
      “The contemporary update is drawn from the original architecture,” she said.

      Trellick Tower apartment revamped to resemble “cool concrete loft”

      “We exposed the in-situ cast concrete walls in the living spaces and on the stairs, adding material richness to the interiors and linking to the course aggregate concrete of the exterior facade.”
      Completed in 1972, Trellick Tower was designed by Hungarian-British architect Ernö Goldfinger and famously features a separate staircase tower connected to the apartment floors by enclosed bridges.
      A secondary doorway was replaced with an internal window to create extra storageArchmongers made few changes to the apartment layout, which they described as “very efficiently designed”.
      The largest intervention closed up a secondary doorway that previously led through to the kitchen, instead creating an internal window above additional storage and counter space.
      The same material palette features in the living roomAn adjustment was also made on the upper level, where some of the space from the cloakroom was reallocated to make room for an extra shower.
      In bathrooms on both floors, tap and shower fittings sourced from Italian manufacturer Fantini Balocchi provide flashes of bright red and yellow that reference the coloured tiles found throughout Trellick Tower.
      Bathrooms feature white tiles with putty-coloured grout and brown terrazzo”The communal hallways of Trellick Tower each have a different tiled colour theme, which inspired our use of colour,” Bursa explained.
      Warm tones emanate from other surfaces in these rooms, including a terrazzo with the tone of walnut wood and white tiles outlined by putty-coloured grout.
      Tap and shower fittings provide flashes of bright red and yellowThe Trellick apartment is the latest in a series of mid-century renovations that Archmongers has completed and not the first to feature in a famous estate.
      Past projects include reworks of a duplex in the 1950s-built Golden Lane Estate and an apartment in the Barbican, as well as a revamp of a 1960s terrace.
      A new hand-carved walnut handrail was added to the staircaseHere, the building’s Grade II* listing meant that Archmongers was required to retain the original metal lightswitches, even though they couldn’t be certified after the electrics were rewired.
      “There are now two sets of light switches; one new and one original but no longer working,” Bursa said.
      Other sensitive additions include a new hand-carved walnut handrail for the staircase, which runs parallel to the modernist-style metal and timber balustrade.
      The duplex is located on the 23rd and 24th floors of Trellick Tower”Preserving the architectural integrity of the building was paramount,” Bursa added.
      “The Trellick Tower project serves as both an homage to the building’s historical significance and a timeless update that elevates its legacy to new heights.”
      The photography is by French + Tye.

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      Working Holiday Studio adds hacienda-style twist to midcentury LA house

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      The founders of LA-based Working Holiday Studio have renovated a midcentury home for themselves and their growing family, transforming the interiors to echo a Mexican hacienda.

      Designers Carlos Naude and Whitney Brown chose to move from their previous ranch-style home to a larger dwelling after having a second child, knowing they would need more space.
      Working Holiday Studio added arched openings and handmade brick floors to the midcentury homeThe couple found another midcentury home built in 1962 in the Granada Hills neighbourhood of Los Angeles, which they set about remodelling in “an eclectic hacienda style with Mexican and Scandinavian influences”.
      “We renovated the house because it hasn’t been updated since the first owners bought it and was in much need of a refresh,” the duo told Dezeen. “The layout didn’t make sense for modern living and the house felt dark, cold and outdated.”
      Details like iron railings with wavy balusters add a “hacienda vibe” to the interiorsThe biggest change involved opening up the wall between the dining room and kitchen, creating a large space for the family to gather and entertain under the dark-stained, mono-pitched ceiling.

      The kitchen was reimagined with swing-out French doors, dark green plaster across the walls, and warm millwork for cabinets and the central island.
      The kitchen was completely transformed with dark green plaster walls and warm millworkBricks across the floor in this space and the hallways were handmade in Tijuana, Mexico, and imported across the border.
      Together with arched openings that Working Holiday Studio added throughout the home, they add a “hacienda vibe” to the property.
      A formal living room features a variety of sculptural seats arranged around a marble coffee tableBeige plaster walls, iron railings with wavy balusters and various wooden furniture pieces also lend to the contemporary Mexican aesthetic, with hints of Scandinavian minimalism.
      “We always start with a palette of colours and materials,” said Naude and Brown. “We wanted [the interiors] to feel neutral, earthy, and warm with a few pop accents.”

      Los Angeles ranch house becomes Zen Den by Working Holiday Studio

      Also on the ground floor is a space for the family to watch TV together, which features a large cushioned sectional.
      A formal living room off the dining area has a whitewashed brick fireplace in the corner, and a variety of sculptural chairs arranged around a marble coffee table.
      Bedrooms are decorated with natural materials in neutral tones”We spend a lot of time in the family and TV room because it’s very cosy and comfortable, but love looking into the formal living room because each piece feels like an artwork or sculpture,” the couple said.
      Upstairs, the bedrooms are decorated with natural materials in neutral tones, while the bathrooms are playfully lined with checkerboard or thin straight-stack tiles.
      Playful touches in the bathrooms include checkerboard tilingAcross the exterior, the house was rendered in mid-grey stucco and black-framed windows and doors were added.
      A large covered veranda stretches almost the full length of the building and is used for outdoor lounging and dining in front of the backyard swimming pool.
      The house has a large veranda for outdoor lounging and dining in front of the backyard swimming poolOther properties designed and owned by the couple – the ZenDen in LA’s Woodland Hills and Casa Mami near Joshua Tree National Park – are available as vacation rentals for guests.
      The photography is by Carlos Naude.

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      Modul 28 transforms fortified church in Transylvania into guesthouse

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      Romanian studio Modul 28 has updated and extended the rectory of a church in Transylvania, transforming it into a guesthouse that “balances preservation with innovation”.

      Located in the village of Curciu, the building was renovated as part of an initiative led by the Fortified Churches Foundation, which exists to preserve the region’s large number of fortified churches dating from the 13th to 16th centuries.
      The converted chapel and rectory contains a guesthouseRather than turn these sites into museums, the programme looks to introduce “contemporary functions” that will reintegrate them with the surrounding communities, Modul 28 said.
      At this site in Curciu, the studio has converted the adjacent rectory and chapel into a guesthouse, while the large church at the centre of the site remains open to the public.
      The main living area is housed within the old chapel’s apse”The initiative is based on the belief that turning heritage buildings into museums does not serve their long-term wellbeing, especially in the case of secondary importance constructions such as annexes,” said architect Andra Nicoleanu.

      “The design process for this project could be characterised by a meticulous approach that balances preservation with innovation, drawing inspiration from the historical and architectural context of the site,” she told Dezeen.
      Doorways and window shutters have been updated with pale woodA series of minimal and reversible alterations were made to the existing rectory, creating space for a double bedroom alongside a kitchen and dining area.
      Projecting out of the site’s boundary wall, the polygonal apse of the former chapel now houses the main living area. Three gothic windows surrounding this space, which had been partially destroyed, have been restored with thin-profile metal frames.

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      The old rectory has been replastered and its doorways and window shutters have been updated with pale wood, contrasting the rough masonry exterior of the chapel and the gatehouse.
      “Our proposal, especially for exterior interventions, emphasises reversibility and the temporary nature by utilising lightweight materials, namely wood and metal inserts,” explains Nicoleanu.
      “Essentially, this approach serves as an exercise in contemporary materiality, contributing to the contrast between what already exists and what is currently being constructed,” she added.
      A temporary timber structure sits beside the guesthouseA temporary, pavilion-like timber structure tucked between the guesthouse and the site’s external wall provides bathrooms, with a shower lined with yellow corrugated metal.
      “The most significant gesture in the design was perhaps the decision to add a temporary construction to the exterior, that arises from the desire not to alter the volume of the interior spaces,” said Nicoleanu. “Although it fits contextually, in terms of plan resolution and resulting image, it stands out through contrast.”
      A shower is lined with yellow corrugated metalAnother recent project involving renovations of historic church buildings include the repair of a 12th-century structure in Slovenia by local practice Medprostor, designed as a space “between a ruin and a reconstruction”.
      In London, Tigg + Coll Architects converted an abandoned mission church into its own workspace and, on the Isle of Sheppey, Hugh Broughton Architects transformed a 19th-century church into a community hub.
      The photography is by Vlad Pătru.

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      Electric Bowery renovates Big Sur house overlooking California’s coastline

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      The co-founder of California studio Electric Bowery has renovated a redwood-clad house in Big Sur for her family, preserving its iconic features and adding custom furniture.

      The house, originally designed by well-known local architect Mickey Muennig, is perched high up on a bluff overlooking the dramatic coastline – famous for the scenic Route 1 that runs along it.
      The house was built in 1993 by renowned local architect Mickey MuennigCommissioned in 1993, the building features a curved copper roof and redwood exterior cladding that Electric Bowery co-founder Cayley Lambur and director of interiors Stephanie Luk used as the foundation for the remodel.
      After speaking to her neighbour, the original owner, Lambur delved into Muennig’s legacy and the property’s history for clues to approach the project.
      Electric Bowery co-founder Cayley Lambur’s updates to the property included reconfiguring the compact kitchen”Inspired by this connection, Lambur began to breathe new life into the residence while honouring its organic architectural roots,” said the studio.

      The house benefits from large windows and expanses of glazing that capitalise on the views across the landscape to the ocean.
      Custom furniture in the living room includes a curved sofa designed to “hug views into the canyon”Keeping these vistas top of mind, the renovation involved reconfiguring the internal spaces, and respectfully upgrading some of the outdated decor and fixtures.
      An entirely new custom kitchen was added within the tight existing space, designed to maximise counter space and celebrate the views of the garden and ocean.
      Vintage leather chairs surround an impressive stone hearthThe redwood millwork was created in collaboration with American furniture company Henrybuilt to blend with the rest of the interiors, while raw steel, warm-stained concrete floors and leathered natural quartzite complete the contemporary look.
      Where the roof slopes to its lowest point, the living room is furnished with custom pieces such as a curved channel-tufted sofa that “hugs views into the canyon” and an oversized claro walnut coffee table by Dusk.
      Redwood panelling continues in the bedrooms, with are decorated with a warm and earthy paletteBehind, an impressive stone hearth is accompanied by vintage black-leather armchairs and a variety of textured rugs and pillows.
      The redwood panelling continues in the bedrooms and bathrooms, where it’s complemented by custom beds dressed in deep red and green textiles.

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      “The consistent use of redwood paneling throughout the home offers the experience of bringing the outside inwards, contrasted and complemented by the incorporation of colour through art, tile and textiles,” said Electric Bowery.
      “A warm and earthy palette is carried through the home, layering textures and natural materials, old and new.”
      One of the bathrooms is tiled entirely in thin, straight-stacked, teal-glazed tilesOne of the bathrooms is tiled entirely in thin, straight-stacked teal glazed tiles, while another features a shower lined with square tiles in tones of blue.
      Also as part of the scope, a trailer on the property was restored and renovated for use as additional guest accommodation and an office for remote work.
      The house overlooks the dramatic Northern California coastline from its lofty perchLambur founded Electric Bowery with fellow architect Lucia Bartholomew in 2013, and the studio is based between Venice, Big Sur and Santa Barbara in California, and New York City.
      Other projects by the studio include the Wildflower Farms resort in Upstate New York, where a series of wood or Corten steel-clad cabins are nestled among meadows and woodland, and a house in Venice Beach that features an askew pitched roof.
      The photography is by Chris Mottalini.

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      “Proud Mancunian” Norman Foster to renovate Manchester United training ground

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      Architecture studio Foster + Partners has begun work renovating the interiors of the men’s first-team building at Manchester United’s Carrington training complex.

      The renovation of the training ground located around six miles from the club’s Old Trafford home stadium commenced yesterday and is being led by Foster + Partners founder Norman Foster, who is from Manchester.
      Born in Reddish in 1935, Foster described the design as capturing “the spirit of industry, grit and ambition that exemplifies both Manchester and Manchester United”.
      “As a proud Mancunian, it is a particular honour for me to see Foster + Partners given this responsibility,” he added.
      Foster + Partners will renovate the men’s first-team building at CarringtonThe project will include a complete interior refurbishment of the building, transforming it into what Manchester United described as a “world-class football facility”.

      Foster + Partners will initially focus on creating more streamlined interiors for the gym, as well as medical, nutrition and recovery areas.
      Renders show sandy-hued interiorsRenders released by Foster + Partners show sandy-hued, open-plan spaces illuminated by floor-to-ceiling glazing and filled with potted plants.
      “When we conducted a thorough review of the Carrington training facilities and met with our men’s first team players, it was clear the standards had fallen below some of our peers,” explained club co-owner Jim Ratcliffe.
      “This project will ensure Manchester United’s training ground is once more renovated to the highest standards,” he added.

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      The renovation is the latest stage in wider developments at Carrington, where the Manchester United Women and Academy building opened in October 2023.
      The Foster + Partners project is set to last through the next football season, although temporary adaptations will be made to the rest of the Carrington site to accommodate player and staff needs during the renovation period.
      The studio has designed the architecture for previously completed sports venues including London’s Wembley Stadium, which opened in 2007, and the more recent Lusail Stadium in Qatar created for the FIFA 2022 World Cup.
      The renderings are courtesy of Foster + Partners. 

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      BIG opens Los Angeles office in renovated 1920s building

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      Danish architecture studio BIG has opened an office in Santa Monica in a renovated 1928 Spanish revival building designed by iconic Los Angeles architect Paul R Williams.

      The 1928 building was refurbished by the team, many of whom will be joining the freshly minted BIG Los Angeles team – recruited both from the New York office and from the local “talent pool”.
      BIG has opened an office in a 1928 Paul R Williams building in Santa MonicaBIG, the architecture studio established by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, will be anchored in the Californian city by partner Leon Rost.
      For the renovation, the studio kept many of the original Spanish revival details of the original structure including the expressive reliefs on the facade.
      Some of the plaster detailing was kept, but the office largely has an unfinished lookSome of the interior plasterwork was maintained as well. The primary second-floor workspace was opened up, and much of the walls were peeled back to reveal the wooden structure and enhanced mechanical system.

      Unfinished concrete columns are located in th middle of the space, with thick wooden rafters intersected by skylights.
      The office layout is open, with large spanning desks and folded Roulade chairs by KiBiSi, which Ingels is also a partner of.
      The office will help expand the studio’s West Coast presenceAccording to Rost, the studio plans to continue to update the space with samples of technology such as solar panels from the studio’s local projects, many of which are in late states. These projects include Claremont McKenna College Robert Day Sciences Center.
      “We’ve also designed an interior layout that preserves the original interior plasterwork from 1928 and intentionally chose a location that is close to public transport,” Rost told Dezeen.
      “As a Japanese Californian I am excited to root BIG on the Pacific Coast. In the city of storytelling, big dreams and a pioneer spirit, I am certain LA will be a fertile frontier for continued experimentation. You could say BIG – though born in Copenhagen – has always been an Angeleno at heart.”

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      The office is the studio’s second in the United States, after its New York office opened in 2010.
      The studio has a significant presence on the West Coast, and is currently in the process of completing a large mix-used development on an industrial site in Downtown Los Angeles and is working with British studio Heatherwick on a Google headquarters in the San Francisco Bay area.
      The studio will be under the direction of partner Leon RostBIG New York partner Kai-Uwe Bergmann told Dezeen that the move has come from the “considerable” amount of West Coast work the studio has had since opening in the United States.
      “Having also once called Los Angeles home – I attended UCLA in the 1990s – I am super excited to bring ‘Scand-American’ thinking to our future work within the Pacific Rim region,” said Bergmann.
      Other significant projects on the West Coast by BIG include the impressively massed Vancouver House skyscraper in Vancouver, Canada.
      The photography is by Pooya AleDavood.  

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      PGM Arquitectura adds garden suites to César Pelli skyscraper in Mexico City

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      Local studio PGM Arquitectura has completed a series of garden suites on top of the podium of the St Regis hotel skyscraper in Mexico City, originally designed by Argentine-American architect César Pelli.

      Hotel chain St Regis brought on PGM Arquitectura to refresh the interiors of the skyscraper in Reforma, one of the city’s central business districts. The studio had previously carried out designs for the hotel’s restaurant.
      PGM Arquitectura has completed terrace suites on a César Pelli-designed hotelThe 150-metre-tall César Pelli-designed skyscraper was completed in 2008 but the team at St Regis found that its interiors had become dated. The hotel wanted to update them to keep pace with the growing tourist industry in the city.
      The skyscraper has a fourth-floor podium, after which the glass-clad spiral structure steps back and continues its climb toward the sky.
      The fourth floor now houses a large suite and several smaller ones with jacuzzisPGM Arquitectura founder Patricio García Muriel told Dezeen that this was the best place to demonstrate the potential of the hotel’s interiors, which the studio plans to completely revamp in the next few years.

      “There was a rooftop on the fourth floor, which was horrible,” he said. “Those rooms on the fourth floor were the worst in the hotel.”
      Steel pergolas provide shadeThe studio transformed the eight suites on that level, turning the rooftop into garden terraces for guests.
      The largest suite, the two-bedroom Caroline Astor Garden Terrace Suite, now wraps around nearly a quarter of the building and comes complete with an elevated infinity pool.
      Before construction commenced, PGM Arquitectura had to carry out a full structural analysis to determine that the terrace could hold the massive pool without altering the exterior of the iconic Mexico City tower.

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      “It’s a very solid building,” said García Muriel. “It has sustained through all the major earthquakes in Mexico.”
      All of the suites include pergola and privacy screens made from stacked pale-coloured bricks to shield guests from onlookers in the surrounding tall buildings, especially on the side facing the denser areas of Reforma.
      The other side has terraces that are “much more open”, according to García Muriel.
      The Yabu Pushelberg interiors were left relatively unchangedInside the suites, PGM Arquitectura stuck mostly with the scheme used for the original interiors by Canadian studio Yabu Pushelberg, keeping the lilac and white hues of the walls.
      However, the studio swapped out the carpet that had lined most of the floors – a move it plans on continuing for the rest of the hotel. Details in the rooms and throughout the PGM Arquitectura-designed spaces were informed by the Mexican landscape, with tactile surfaces, gold finishes and colourful wall hangings.
      Details were informed by Mexican landscapesThe terrace serve to create a kind of “oasis” in the bustling city, García Muriel said.
      “You can get away from the city, with it still being there,” he said. “You’re in the city surrounded by buildings, but you’re in an outside protected area with a lot of privacy.”
      Pelli’s studio Pelli Clarke & Partners recently completed a similarly shaped skyscraper in the southern part of the city, which is now the tallest skyscraper in Mexico City.
      The photography is courtesy of St Regis Mexico City. 

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      Shovk completes Japanese-infused renovation of Dzen House near Kyiv

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      Elements of Ukrainian and Japanese architecture combine at this pared-back residence on the outskirts of Kyiv, which local architecture studio Shovk created for a client with a passion for Japanese culture.

      The project involved the transformation of a basic bungalow built in 2010 into a two-storey dwelling that makes the most of its picturesque setting in a garden lined by conifer trees.
      Charred wood was used to clad the exterior of Dzen HouseShovk lead architect and partner Anton Verhun oversaw the design, which was informed by the owner’s travels to Japan and his respect for the aesthetic simplicity and practicality of traditional Japanese interiors.
      “Dzen House was conceived as a place where the client and his family could feel in harmony with themselves and the world,” Verhun told Dezeen.
      The two-storey home was originally a bungalow”They wanted somewhere they could simply watch the rain outside the window, warm themselves by the fireplace and practice yoga on the tatami mat near the round window,” he added.

      Shovk implemented several references to Japanese architecture in the project, including a large roof with overhanging eaves and an exposed wooden structure.
      A wood-fired oven features in the living roomThe exterior of the first floor is clad with Japanese-style yakisugi charred wood that provides natural weatherproofing. The blackened timber contrasts with the traditional Ukrainian mazanka plaster finish applied to the ground floor’s internal and external surfaces.
      The house’s entrance leads directly into a kitchen and dining space at one end of the largely open ground floor. A functional core at the centre of the plan separates this space from a lounge at the opposite end.
      Shovk’s interior scheme was informed by traditional Japanese designThe volume containing the staircase, utility room and shower room delineates the communal areas while allowing free-flowing circulation that helps to create a feeling of spaciousness.
      Throughout the building, large openings including frameless floor-to-ceiling windows on either side of the living room provide a strong connection to the gardens.

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      A fireplace located near the centre of the living area creates a focal point within this room. Its stainless steel chimney passes through the bedroom above, helping to warm the spaces on both floors.
      The new first floor was constructed from timber to minimise loading on the existing walls and foundations. Its interior is lined with birch plywood that has a similar thermal expansion coefficient to the pine frame, thus helping to prevent any cracks caused by movement.
      One room was dedicated to meditation and tea ceremoniesA simple plywood staircase ascends to a sequence of low, attic-like spaces including two bedrooms, a study, bathroom, utility room and a Japanese-style room with tatami mat flooring.
      Verhun added a circular window as an expressive element that “brings softness and naturalness” to the space, used for tea ceremonies, yoga and meditation.
      The compact main bedroom features a podium bed set next to a large frameless window that looks out onto the nearby trees. Built-in wardrobes provide discreet storage, while the exposed chimney adds a distinctive feature.
      A plywood staircase leads up to the second floorAccording to Verhun, the house’s owner has temporarily moved to another Ukrainian city for his own safety due to Russia’s invasion of the country.
      The project was completed despite long power cuts, air raids and missile attacks that forced the builders to spend hours in shelters.
      Birch plywood lines the upper-floor interiorVerhun also said that Shovk has begun taking on more projects abroad due to a decline in its Ukrainian work resulting from the ongoing war.
      Other recently completed projects in Kyiv include an apartment renovation by Modektura and a dance studio that was furnished using materials sourced from around the city in the face of wartime shortages.
      The photography is by Yevhenii Avramenko.

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