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    Snøhetta creates Holzweiler store informed by Norwegian coastline

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    Architecture studio Snøhetta has completed a shop for fashion and lifestyle brand Holzweiler in Chengdu, China, informed by its Norwegian heritage.

    Located in Taikoo Li mall in central Chengdu, the 130-square-metre store is Norwegian brand Holzweiler’s first outpost outside of Scandinavia.
    The exterior of the store is covered with LED screen”The store features recurring themes of currents, reflections and contrasts inspired by landscapes and coastal movements, a bespoke concept of the forces of norwegian nature playing on our shared heritage,” Snøhetta explained.
    “With the aim of transporting Holzweiler’s love and deep respect for its origins, there is an immediate and consistent reference to the natural world that harks to the brand’s home country.”
    The interiors nod to the Norwegian coastal linesThe exterior of the store features a full-size LED screen, which will be used to display campaigns that showcase that brand’s connection to nature.

    A glass wall framed with wavy lines divides the LED screen into two parts, revealing the store’s warm clay-toned interiors to visitors.
    The reflective surface of the ceiling resembles sky and oceanThe entrance of the store was crafted from floor-to-ceiling sand-blasted stone that extend to the product display area where mechanical arms present Holzweiler’s signature silk, lambswool and cashmere scarf designs.
    Wavy lines were widely adopted inside the store, as a nod to to the shorelines along Norway’s extensive coastline. A series of hanging lights were suspended from the reflective surface of the ceiling, which was clad in steel with a sandblasted finish.

    Snøhetta combines clay and oak in minimalist Holzweiler store

    The clothing racks made with the same steal material run along the curved wall, while the forms of the display tables placed in the centre of the space were designed to evoke coastal rock formations.
    Natural materials were used throughout the store, sourced locally from China. Meanwhile, all fixtures within the store were designed to be flexibly dissembled and repurposed in the future.
    A hero wall with mechanical arms is used to present Holzweiler’s signature productsThe point of sale area is tucked away at the back of the store separated from the main shopping area to provide privacy for customers.
    Snøhetta is a long-term collaborator of Holzweiler’s, having designed the company’s flagship store and showroom in Oslo, as well as its first international outpost in Copenhagen.
    The Studio has recently completed a planetarium in France, featuring two domes surrounded by sweeping wooden walls and a shingle-clad viewing tower in Austria.
    The photography is courtesy of Holzweiler.

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      Snøhetta combines clay and oak in minimalist Holzweiler store

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      Architecture practice Snøhetta stuck to natural materials for the fit-out of the Holzweiler boutique in Copenhagen, incorporating subtle references to the fashion brand’s Norwegian heritage.

      Snøhetta is a long-term collaborator of Holzweiler’s, having designed the company’s flagship store and showroom in Oslo, as well as a number of its pop-up shops, runway sets and its digital identity.
      Snøhetta has designed Holzweiler’s Copenhagen outpostFor Holzweiler’s first international outpost in Copenhagen, Snøhetta followed the concept of “tracing” – devising an interior scheme that shows traces of the brand’s Norwegian roots alongside the minimalist aesthetic found in its previous retail spaces.
      “Reminiscent of a memory or feeling that remains, the idea of ‘traces’ evokes an emotional sense of the brand’s beloved heritage as it travels to a new city,” the practice said.
      A clay sculpture by Ingeborg Riseng sits at the heart of the storeAt the centre of the 100-square-metre store is a tall, hollow sculpture by Norwegian artist Ingeborg Riseng, which shoppers can step into. Its undulating outer walls are fitted with display shelves and coated in a smooth layer of clay, while the inside has a rough, craggy surface.

      An oakwood display plinth winds its way around the periphery of the store, eventually connecting to a curved timber partition at the rear of the floor plan.
      Around the edge of the store is an oak display plinthBehind the wall lies a changing area with cubicles and curtains created by Danish textile design studio Tronhjem Rømer.
      The fabric is digitally printed with subtle yellow and pale blue stripes, designed to evoke the shifting shades of the Norwegian sky.

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      To contrast the store’s largely natural material palette, Snøhetta added some industrial-style finishing touches like metal clothing rails and custom strip lighting, developed by Swedish brand Ateljé Lyktan.
      Both the floors and ceilings were preserved from the store’s previous fit-out.
      Garments hang from steel railsOther recent projects by Snøhetta include Bolder Star Lodges, a quartet of wooden cabins that overlook a fjord in Norway.
      Meanwhile in Denmark, the practice employed boat construction techniques to create a timber community centre in Esbjerg.
      The photography is by Magnus Nordstrand, courtesy of Snøhetta and Holzweiler.

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

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

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

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

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

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      Snøhetta designs Tokyo restaurant with all-black interior and stage-like kitchen

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      Architecture firm Snøhetta has worked with Bronx-based cooking collective Ghetto Gastro to create a jet-black eatery in Tokyo that will house immersive dining experiences.Set above a convenience store in the city’s Harajuku neighbourhood, Burnside is a casual restaurant by day and a bar and lounge by night.

      Top image: floral sculptures by Makoto Azuma hang in the dining area. Above: the room is oriented around a central kitchen
      The space was designed with flexibility in mind, as it will host a rotating roster of chefs and be used for a wide variety of pop-ups and events. It comprises a 30-person dining room with an open kitchen, all decorated using a dark material palette with amber-coloured accents.
      The eatery, which marks Snøhetta’s first project opening in Tokyo, was designed for art and design collective En One Tokyo, with help from local construction partner Kooo Architects and Ghetto Gastro – an ensemble of chefs that specialises in immersive dining experiences.

      The kitchen is open to the eyes of the public

      “Using food to empower communities, Ghetto Gastro celebrates the Bronx as an inspiration and catalyst of global culture,” explained the practice. “Burnside builds upon this creative energy where the Bronx and Tokyo meet.”
      Black was chosen as the predominant colour, referencing the dark atmosphere of Tokyo’s izakaya bars and the characteristic finish of Shou Sugi Ban charred wood. At the same time, it represents Ghetto Gastro’s culinary style, which it describes as “Black Power Kitchen.”

      Steps lead up to the kitchen as if it were a stage
      Together, the team wanted to build a dining experience that combines the intimacy of a bar with the easy informality of convenience stores, whether New York’s bodegas or Japanese conbinis.
      Sound designer Devon Turnbull, who goes by Ojas, designed a bespoke sound system for the space while local flower artist Makoto Azuma created a series of floral sculptures that are displayed behind glass in the dining area.
      Guests arrive at the eatery via a staircase that takes them from the street to the second floor. Once inside, the eye is drawn towards the open kitchen by a curved amber-coloured light strip that runs along the ceiling.

      A long, black sharing table anchors the space
      The space is divided by two intersecting arches, delineating the dining area and kitchen while still allowing views across both spaces.
      A set of steps lead up into the open kitchen as if it were a stage, framed by curved walls that suggest the proscenium arch of a theatre. A central table in the kitchen is the focal point of the entire room, transforming the food preparation into a performance.

      The walls next to the kitchen are curved to suggest a proscenium arch
      A flexible kitchen layout was designed to adapt to the needs of a rotating roster of chefs. It can also be used as a space to dine and eat, or closed off to become a temporary gallery with the help of a curved, sliding partition hidden within the proscenium arch.

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      “The transition between day and night, cafe and lounge, is a driving theme for the interior design,” explained Snøhetta. “A dark material palette features amber-coloured accents that reflect the changing light throughout the day while highlighting more ornate design elements such as the floral sculptures designed by Makoto Azuma.”
      Custom-designed, family-style tables maximise the limited floor space and can be joined together or folded away to allow for a variety of layouts including a dance floor for late-night events.

      A curved, sliding partition can be used to divide the space
      Other dark restaurant interiors include central London’s Lucky Cat restaurant, where design studio AfroditiKrassa hoped to create a space that looks better in person than in pictures, and Shenzhen’s Voisin Organique restaurant, which Various Associates designed to resemble a gloomy valley.

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