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    Cliffside hotel in China features cave-like pool with sea views

    Chinese interior studio GS Design has created the nature-informed Miyue Blue and White Island Pool Homestay near Shenzhen, China.

    Located in Nan’ao Subdistrict, the Miyue Blue and White Island Pool Homestay was designed to reference its surrounding environment.
    Miyue Blue and White Island Pool Homestay is located near ShenzhenThe exterior of the five-storey building is punctuated by a series of arched windows, inviting the surrounding natural landscape of the cliffside hotel into the building. Each storey was stacked above one another, creating balconies and terrace pool areas on the upper three floors.
    The Shenzhen-based studio used white as the base tone of the interiors to contrast the rich blues of the surrounding sea and sky.
    Wood and bamboo were used in the hotel restaurant to reference the natural environment”Elegant vacation is the core idea of this space,” explained GS Design.

    “The whole building takes pure white as the basic tone, combined with blue sea and sky, expressed the relaxation of the exotic vacation, as if people immersed in nature
    A cave-like pool features in one guest roomThe entrance of the hotel on the third floor where a public restaurant is also located. A bamboo ceiling painted in white and wooden furniture add to the overall nature-informed interiors of the hotel. GS Design cladded the bar in black bamboo to create a sense of mystery.
    Other public spaces of the hotel include a water bar, reading recreation area and a conference room. GS Design created 25 different guest rooms spread throughout all floors, each with a unique view framed by various shaped windows.

    GS Design repeats arch motifs throughout Sumei Skyline Coast hotel on Hainan Island

    One room features a cave-like pool that extends from within the inside of the room to the outside. The polished rugged surface of the cave envelopes the bath, protecting the privacy of the guests as well as connecting them directly to the outdoor nature.
    “The natural scenery corresponding to different caves and pools has become the core of space,” said GS Design. “Through the visual, tactile, auditory sensory experience , we create a more delicate appropriate sense of vacation for travellers.”
    The base tone of white contrasts the blues of surrounding sea and skyThe top attic rooms were designed specifically for family with children.
    According to the studio, triangle oblique top modelling and window framing evoke the memory of childhood corner, as they discovered in a survey a huge demand for parent-child serviced rooms for urban hotels.
    GS Design was established in 2014 and is based in Shenzhen. Previously it has designed a similar hotel on the beachside of Sanya, China, with arched windows and sculptural vaulted corridors.
    The photography is by Aoxiang.
    Project credits:
    Design director: Li Liangchao, Huang YuanmanSoft outfitting design director: Feng YuDesign team: Fu Qixin, Xu Zuohua, Zheng Yong, Zhong Zhige

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    Space tourism informs design of Ichi Station sushi restaurant in Milan

    Valencian design studio Masquespacio has completed a dine-in restaurant for takeaway sushi chain Ichi Station in Milan, with interiors designed to resemble a futuristic spaceship.

    Set in a historic building in the Brera district, the chain’s latest outpost builds on the same travel and transport concept established across its other outlets – including eight in Milan and another in Turin.
    Masquespacio has designed Ichi Station’s Brera outpostBut Masquespacio wanted to take this idea to the next level for the new restaurant by drawing on the visual language of sci-fi and space tourism.
    “We proposed approaching the travel concept as a trip to the future,” said Masquespacio co-founder Christophe Penasse.
    “When you enter Ichi, it’s like entering a capsule-like spaceship travelling through light, where you will disconnect from reality in order to get in touch with the food.”

    Customers can pick up orders at the takeaway counterMasquespacio completely redeveloped the layout of the 80-square-metre site – previously another restaurant – creating a central dining area along with a tunnel where diners can observe some of the sushi-making process.
    A pick-up bar close to the entrance was added to separate the circulation routes of take-away customers and diners.
    The dining area is housed in a cylindrical tunnelThe tunnel motif was developed as a way to express the idea of travel and make a reference to Japan without falling into cliches.
    “Some elements were incorporated to remind the customer of Japan, like the huge lighting circles, although we tried to avoid making typical references to Japan such as using wooden structures,” Penasse explained.

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    The tunnel motif also informed the circular and cylindrical details that pop up throughout the space across seat backs, bar stools and decorative elements such as the circular feature light in the main dining area.
    “The shapes and forms give the project the futuristic look that it needed,” the designer said.
    Diners can also watch sushi being prepared at the counterMasquespacio opted for a simple and restrained material palette that includes glass and micro-cement, which was used along with fully integrated tables and seating to create a seamless look reminiscent of a spaceship.
    The restaurant’s custom-made furniture brings in another reference to transport design tropes. “You can recognise it as a reinterpretation of the seating in a station and especially on a train,” Penasse explained.
    LED light panels are integrated into the walls, ceilings and table topsThe interior is finished in neutral shades of beige and off-white but is cast in different vivid colours thanks to the LED lighting system that is integrated into the walls, ceilings and even the table tops.
    The lights alternate between shades of blue, green, purple and peach at variable speeds and, according to Penasse, create a veritable “explosion of colour”.
    The toilets are finished in contrasting navy blueAlthough based in Spain, Masquespacio has completed a number of projects in Italy in recent years.
    Among them are two colour-block restaurants for fast-food chain Bun – a blue-and-green interior in Turin and a green-and-purple version in Milan.
    The photography is by Luis Beltran.

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    Sophía Betancur references nearby church for Pizzeria Della Madonna

    A neighbouring church informed the layout and design of this pizzeria in Mexico City, in which architect Sophía Betancur placed the oven in full view.

    The Pizzeria Della Madonna is located next to the Parroquia de la Sagrada Familia, a church in the city’s Roma Norte neighbourhood built in 1910.
    A halo-like stainless steel frame is one of the many religious references at Pizzeria Della Madonna”The temple reflects a mixture of neo-Romanesque, neo-Gothic, and eclectic styles,” said Betancur, who is based in Mexico City. “The semicircular arches, Corinthian columns and wooden benches arranged throughout the nave are elements reinterpreted in the spatial proposal of the project.”
    Inside the 98-square-metre, L-shaped space, the pizza oven is placed in the crossing — directly visible from the restaurant’s glass doors.
    The distressed plaster walls of the restaurant are reminiscent of an old Italian churchIts sculptural rounded form is framed by a halo-like stainless steel structure suspended from the ceiling, providing a shelf on which hot pizzas can be placed.

    Curved lines following the oven’s shape are traced across the floor, as well as on the ceiling in the form of track lighting that extends through the space.
    The dining area is laid out like a nave, with seating on either side of a central pathwayThroughout the restaurant, distressed plaster walls create the effect of eating in an old Italian church.
    “The rustic finish on the walls reveals multiple layers of paint that reflect almost a century of history of the house, which in the past housed homes and different commercial and retail projects,” the architect said.
    The open kitchen features ceramic and terracotta tilesThe dining space at the front of the restaurant is laid out like a nave, with wooden bench seating and tables on each side and a path up the middle.
    “The concept is complemented by historical, pictorial research and the symbology of the Virgin Mary and Marian architecture in Europe, from which forms, colors, materials and spatial qualities are taken up,” said Betancur.

    Studio Wok designs cavernous pizza restaurant to recall rocky coves of Sardinia

    “In this way, the proposal turns out to be a tribute to Mexican neo-colonial style and Italian religious architecture and iconography.”
    Further seating is located in the perpendicular branch, or transcept, of the “L”, where a mirrored wall at the end makes the space appear larger.
    In a “transcept”, further seating is reflected in a mirrored wallIn the kitchen area, ceramic tiles cover the wall surfaces, while terracotta tiles of a similar size and shape the front of the service counter.
    “The blend of the open kitchen and bar with the dining room translates into a balanced combination of practical and utilitarian materials typical of industrial kitchens and warm materials that provide elegance and comfort,” Betancur said.
    The restaurant is located in Mexico City’s lively Roma Norte neighbourhoodServing one of the world’s most popular foods, pizza restaurants take many forms and styles across the globe, but many feature some reference to its home country.
    In New York, Büro Koray Duman drew on Neopolitan culture for the interiors of Simo, while at Dough Pizza in Perth, Ohlo Studio used materials that evoke the “rustic sophistication” of Italy.
    The photography is by Arturo Arrieta.
    Project credits:
    Architecture: Sofía BetancurDesign team: Cesar Ávila G y Sergio Bau.Engineers: Leonel NavaVisual identity: Faena StudioConstruction: Factor EficienciaWoodwork: Taller Nacional y Solana EstudioLighting: Martín Leal

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    Sofía Betancur references nearby church for Pizzeria Della Madonna

    A neighbouring church informed the layout and design of this pizzeria in Mexico City, in which architect Sofía Betancur placed the oven in full view.

    The Pizzeria Della Madonna is located next to the Parroquia de la Sagrada Familia, a church in the city’s Roma Norte neighbourhood built in 1910.
    A halo-like stainless steel frame is one of the many religious references at Pizzeria Della Madonna”The temple reflects a mixture of neo-Romanesque, neo-Gothic, and eclectic styles,” said Betancur, who is based in Mexico City. “The semicircular arches, Corinthian columns and wooden benches arranged throughout the nave are elements reinterpreted in the spatial proposal of the project.”
    Inside the 98-square-metre, L-shaped space, the pizza oven is placed in the crossing — directly visible from the restaurant’s glass doors.
    The distressed plaster walls of the restaurant are reminiscent of an old Italian churchIts sculptural rounded form is framed by a halo-like stainless steel structure suspended from the ceiling, providing a shelf on which hot pizzas can be placed.

    Curved lines following the oven’s shape are traced across the floor, as well as on the ceiling in the form of track lighting that extends through the space.
    The dining area is laid out like a nave, with seating on either side of a central pathwayThroughout the restaurant, distressed plaster walls create the effect of eating in an old Italian church.
    “The rustic finish on the walls reveals multiple layers of paint that reflect almost a century of history of the house, which in the past housed homes and different commercial and retail projects,” the architect said.
    The open kitchen features ceramic and terracotta tilesThe dining space at the front of the restaurant is laid out like a nave, with wooden bench seating and tables on each side and a path up the middle.
    “The concept is complemented by historical, pictorial research and the symbology of the Virgin Mary and Marian architecture in Europe, from which forms, colors, materials and spatial qualities are taken up,” said Betancur.

    Studio Wok designs cavernous pizza restaurant to recall rocky coves of Sardinia

    “In this way, the proposal turns out to be a tribute to Mexican neo-colonial style and Italian religious architecture and iconography.”
    Further seating is located in the perpendicular branch, or transcept, of the “L”, where a mirrored wall at the end makes the space appear larger.
    In a “transcept”, further seating is reflected in a mirrored wallIn the kitchen area, ceramic tiles cover the wall surfaces, while terracotta tiles of a similar size and shape the front of the service counter.
    “The blend of the open kitchen and bar with the dining room translates into a balanced combination of practical and utilitarian materials typical of industrial kitchens and warm materials that provide elegance and comfort,” Betancur said.
    The restaurant is located in Mexico City’s lively Roma Norte neighbourhoodServing one of the world’s most popular foods, pizza restaurants take many forms and styles across the globe, but many feature some reference to its home country.
    In New York, Büro Koray Duman drew on Neopolitan culture for the interiors of Simo, while at Dough Pizza in Perth, Ohlo Studio used materials that evoke the “rustic sophistication” of Italy.
    The photography is by Arturo Arrieta.
    Project credits:
    Architecture: Sofía BetancurDesign team: Cesar Ávila G y Sergio Bau.Engineers: Leonel NavaVisual identity: Faena StudioConstruction: Factor EficienciaWoodwork: Taller Nacional y Solana EstudioLighting: Martín Leal

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    Álvaro Siza designs tiled mural for Space Copenhagen’s Porto restaurant interior

    A ceramic mural by Álvaro Siza is at the heart of this rustic restaurant interior in Porto, Portugal, designed by Space Copenhagen.

    Located in a renovated 16th-century building in Porto’s Largo de São Domingos area, the Cozinha das Flores restaurant features a mural designed by the Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning Portuguese architect.
    Pritzker Prize-winner Álvaro Siza designed the mural”Whilst Siza has created many pieces of non-architectural works worldwide, he had never created something of this kind for his hometown of Porto,” Space Copenhagen founders Peter Bundgaard Rützou and Signe Bindslev Henriksen told Dezeen.
    “Given Siza’s prominence and contribution to Porto life, having him manifest this into a mural depicting his perception of the city was beyond our expectations.”
    Cozinha das Flores is located in a 16th-century building in Porto, PortugalSketches of figures playing musical instruments stand out in black against contrasting green and burnt orange tiles, which were completed by ceramic tile company Viuva Lamego.

    “When asked to imagine a piece for Cozinha das Flores, he [Siza] depicted the recurrent theme of musicians, representing time well spent; fun, relaxed moments; a medley of emotions; and people joined by arts and culture,” said the studio.
    “The specialist craftspeople used a traditional technique of hand painting the scaled-up facsimile of a sketched image from paper onto the tiles, painted dot by dot.”
    The studio used green and orange tones throughout the interiorThe green and orange hues of the tiles appear elsewhere in the interior. Green cushions top the built-in oak seating bench that runs along the wall below the mural, while doorways were painted dark green.
    The colour palette was unified with coppery plastered walls and warm lighting.
    “We introduced plastered walls in earthy warm tones and a conscious use of light to enhance and saturate,” the studio explained.
    The focus on the local area is reflected in the studio’s design choicesNatural materials like stone, marble, brass and oak were used throughout the interior. The seating was arranged around an open kitchen, which has dark grey quartzite stone surfaces and wooden cabinets.
    Under the direction of Lisbon-born chef Nuno Mendes, the restaurant aims to celebrate the ingredients, wine and culture of northern Portugal.
    Space Copenhagen’s approach involved collaborations with local craftspeopleThe warm, earthy hues chosen by Space Copenhagen were informed by the restaurant’s food, as well as the building and area in which it is located.
    “The historical building structure that frames the restaurant and bar provided the base palette, which we have built upon,” said Space Copenhagen.
    “Aged stone and dark-stained wood were our existing starting points. All elements are associated with the city of Porto”, it added.
    Materials were sourced from across PortugalThroughout the project, the studio prioritised regional materials and collaborated with a variety of local architects, artists and craftspeople. Woodworkers from northern Portugal crafted the dark wood furnishings and fittings.
    “All stone, wood, metal and tiling has been sourced from regions in Portugal using a proximity criterion as priority,” said the studio. “All the millwork has been made by local artisans.”
    Natural materials like stone, marble, brass and oak feature throughout the interiorCozinha das Flores, and its adjacent 12-seater bar, Flôr, are amongst five heritage buildings that make up the Largo project, set to open later this year.
    Other local projects by Siza include his 1963 Boa Nova Tea House, which was transformed into a seafood restaurant for Portuguese chef Rui Paula in 2014.
    Previous projects by Space Copenhagen include the renovation of the Mammertsberg restaurant and hotel in Switzerland and the Blueness restaurant in Antwerp.
    The photography is by Luís Moreira and Matilde Cunha.

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    Elly Ward designs own restaurant Edit using salvaged terracotta tiles and reclaimed materials

    Architect and restauranteur Elly Ward has opened the low-impact restaurant Edit in London, drawing inspiration from its vegan, minimal-waste menu to create an interior filled with reused and recycled materials.

    Ward collaborated with her husband Joe Morris of architecture studio Morris + Company on the project, which was designed using low-intervention methods.
    “It’s been designed to be as circular as possible, which is the whole philosophy of the restaurant,” she told Dezeen.
    The Edit restaurant features exposed brick wallsEdit is located in a former factory and warehouse building in east London and connected to the adjacent Morris + Company architecture office.
    Visitors to the restaurant can view the studio’s models through a large glass door, adding a decorative touch to the space.

    This door and a window into the office were two of the main changes Ward made to the existing space, which she has transformed using recycled and reclaimed materials.
    A window connects the interior with the adjacent architecture studioThe building’s brick walls – including a former exterior wall that still features old advertising text – were retained alongside the warehouse’s cast-iron columns and beams, forming the structural fabric of the 197-square-metre restaurant.
    Ward added lightweight screen partitions that slot between the existing structures, including a wall made from wood and recycled polycarbonate that divides the main dining area from a smaller private dining room.
    A polycarbonate screen with wood shelving divides the spaceA warm red floor, made from screed topped with a water-based resin, matches the floor in the architecture office next door and contrasts the textured brick wall that Ward and Morris painstakingly unveiled from underneath layers of paint.
    At the rear of the space, the duo clad a wall in salvaged maroon terracotta tiles, which merge into the bar counter. These were among the many recycled materials that Ward used for the project.
    “I call them my wonky tiles because they’re like the wonky fruit and wonky veg of the industry that gets thrown away because it’s not a perfect carrot,” she said.
    Elly Ward filled the restaurant with vintage furnitureThe architect also reused the copper from an existing bar in the restaurant, which now clads the sinks in the bathroom.
    “It’s all about diverting waste from waste streams,” Ward said.

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    “When you’re building something new, you have to get things,” she added. “If you can’t buy recycled or reclaimed, you have to look for renewable materials, things that would have otherwise gone to waste but you’ve made into something else.”
    “It’s almost a checklist of ‘how circular can you be?'”
    A red floor creates a warm atmosphereWard also sourced vintage Scandinavian school chairs to provide seating in the restaurant and complemented them with her grandparents’ wooden chairs and vintage Ercol seats.
    The accompanying tables have tops made by British company Foresso using waste wood chips set in a plant-based resin, creating an effect similar to wooden terrazzo and adding textural interest to the room.
    The tabletops are made from recycled wood and resinThe lighting in the space was handmade by British artist Peter Lanyon using wood salvaged from trees that were trimmed back in a local woodland in Devon. Pieces include a “chandelier” made from a piece of hazelwood with hanging lampshades made from cherrywood veneer.
    Throughout the restaurant, the colour palette adds a sense of warmth. While the main room has a red hue, Ward chose a calming green colour for the smaller private dining room.
    Lamps made from wood decorate the private dining room”We started with the red; it’s obviously such a strong colour,” Ward said. “I’m somebody who’s quite into colour and I’m not really afraid of it but I didn’t want it to be a ‘pop’ kind of place.”
    In the bathroom, the red hue is tempered by the decorative natural cork that clads the walls in both the main space and the toilet cubicles.
    “It’s all waterproof and actually really good for humid, damp environments and you can wipe it clean,” Ward said.
    Restaurant guests can admire architectural models while they eatTo Ward, there’s a connection between the food and architecture industries that she wanted to underline in Edit’s design.
    “I did a deep dive into the food industry and found out a lot of stuff about provenance and how a lot of the things we’re looking at in the architecture world about circularity and sustainability are kind of echoed in the food industry,” she said.
    “I wanted the design to match that philosophy.”
    Other vegan restaurants with decorative interiors include Humble Pizza by Child Studios in London and Sydney vegan cafe Gumbuya.
    The photography is by Jack Hobhouse.

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    Studio Plenty designs Light Years diner in Byron Bay to feel like “a warm hug”

    Asian diner chain Light Years has renovated its restaurant in the Australian surf town of Byron Bay, with interiors conceived by local practice Studio Plenty in collaboration with home-grown artists and designers.

    The team behind Light Years wanted its flagship eatery to mirror the playful visual identity established across its three other venues on Australia’s East Coast while refining and elevating their aesthetic.
    Studio Plenty has renovated the Light Years diner in Byron Bay”We were asked to reimagine the Byron Bay restaurant, taking cues from its sister diners but with greater restraint in composition,” Studio Plenty founder Will Rathgeber told Dezeen.
    “We were looking to achieve something refined without letting go of the relaxed culture behind the brand, with satisfying colours and patterns, and playful shapes and materials.”
    Terracotta tiles were used to finish the walls and floorsSoft corners and gently curving walls help to create a sense of intimacy, according to Rathgeber, while the restaurant’s colour palette of soft pink and terracotta tones “embraces you like a warm hug”.

    Underpinning the playful feel of the eatery is a careful focus on the practicalities, with arched openings and material thresholds helping to define three distinct spaces – the main dining room, a curved bar with counter seating and a private dining area for larger groups.
    Arched openings separate the restaurant’s different dining areasThe restaurant’s material palette incorporates handmade terracotta tiles with a rustic brushed finish and a rusty colour that is also picked up in the restaurant’s floors and the Fibonacci terrazzo bar counter.
    In the main dining room, the ceiling was treated with an acoustic spray to absorb sound while contributing to the earthy, vernacular look of the diner thanks to its bumpy texture.
    Rattan acoustic panels cover the ceiling near the entranceSince the acoustic spray does not adhere to pipes, Studio Plenty specified a motorbike exhaust wrap for the pipes to achieve a harmonious ceiling plane.
    In the bar area, ceilings are clad in rattan acoustic panels by local product designer and interior stylist Sarah Ellison, who also worked with Studio Plenty to design the restaurant’s custom furniture including the chunky tables and bistro-style chairs.

    Eight earthy kitchens where terracotta tiles add warmth and tactility

    Artist collective Studio of the Sun created two colourful murals for the restaurant, with one featuring playful illustrations laser-printed onto a section of glossy white tiles.
    “The client was committed to a locally focussed project, hence approaching Studio Plenty to design the restaurant and Sarah Ellison and Studio of the Sun to collaborate,” said Rathgeber.
    A curved terrazzo bar provides counter seatingRathgeber founded his Byron Bay practice in 2020 after cutting his teeth working for architecture firms Woods Bagot and Jackson Clements Burrows in Melbourne.
    “We believe happiness is achieved through sensible design, not excess,” he explained of his studio’s ethos. “We have an appetite for rational design and an obsession with functionalism.”
    The private dining area is defined by a Studio of the Sun artworkElsewhere in Byron Bay’s bustling bar and restaurant scene, Australian studio Pattern has designed the interiors for an eatery serving South America-style small plates and cocktails.
    Its patchy grey surfaces and concrete fixtures were designed to reflect the “raw beauty” of late-night eateries in Mexico.
    The photography is by Jessie Prince.

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    Prada opens Milanese-informed cafe at Harrods

    Fashion house Prada has opened the Prada Caffè in luxury department store Harrods, which has an interior that is blanketed in the brand’s signature green hue and mirrors one of Milan’s oldest patisseries.

    Located at the corner of Hans Road in London, the Prada Caffè is accessed via a mint green latticed storefront that complements Harrods’s Edwardian baroque terracotta facade.
    Prada Caffè is located in HarrodsThe interior of the pop-up cafe draws on the interior of Pasticceria Marchesi, a Milanese patisserie that opened in 1824, which has similar pale-green interiors that are paired with green velvet-upholstered soft furnishings.
    At Prada Caffè, the walls, ceilings and furniture – including booth seating, plush armchairs and architectural elements – were hued in a minty green referred to as Prada green, a colour that has become synonymous with the brand.
    It was decorated in Prada’s signature green colourA large marble countertop, decorated with textural, pebbled panelling at its base, is located at the entrance to the cafe and used to display Prada-branded patisseries that are presented like individual pieces of jewellery.

    The floors of the space were clad in black and white-checkered floor tiles in a nod to the floors of the Prada boutique located in Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
    The interior referenced Prada stores and a Milanese patisserieFloral reliefs and mouldings cover the walls and ceilings of the cafe, which the brand explained aims to evoke the look of Prada stores worldwide.
    A mezzanine level, supported by green columns, is decorated with bowed balustrades and used as an elevated seating area overlooking the marble-wrapped patisserie counter.

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    At the rear of the cafe, a secluded room continues the interior scheme. Here, green velvet booth seating surrounds the perimeter of the space beneath decorative floral relief walls.
    Tableware was selected specifically for the cafe and ranges from blue-hued Japanese porcelain, informed by ancient Celadon pottery and decorated with contrasting black lines, to blown-glass crystalware.
    A checkered floor runs through the cafeTo accompany the blown glassware and duck egg blue porcelain, silverware was engraved with Prada branding and features handle ends that are shaped like the brand’s triangular logo.
    The cafe will remain at Harrods until January 2024.
    Furniture was upholstered in velvetDuring Milan Fashion Week, Prada presented its Autumn Winter 2023 collection in the Deposito of the Fondazione Prada, which featured a moving and retractable ceiling.
    Elsewhere in London, Ola Jachymiak Studio brightened a cafe in Notting Hill incorporating terracotta-tile floors and tangerine-hued walls.
    The photography is courtesy of Prada.

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