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    Kith Women Flagship in Soho combines walnut and pink marble

    American fashion brand Kith has returned to the location of its first Manhattan flagship to open a women-dedicated store, in which olive trees grow up through display podiums.

    The inaugural Kith Women Flagship in Soho opened last December at 644 Broadway, the same historic landmark building where the brand debuted its Manhattan retail offering in 2011.
    Custom-built podiums run through the middle of the Kith Women flagship store in SohoPreviously the Manhattan Savings Institute Bank, the red sandstone and brick structure’s exterior features wrought iron gates at the entrance and set the tone for the materials palette inside.
    Kith founder and creative director Ronnie Fieg designed the interiors to include signature elements of the brand’s retail concepts, but with adjustments to acknowledge its context.
    The main room displays apparel and accessories in walnut and brass-trimmed niches”The ambiance exudes modern elegance with its warm and calming aura, constructed with materials like Venetian plaster, travertine, and rosa aurora [marble],” said the Kith team.

    The spacious main room benefits from tall ceilings and an open floor plan, and presents Kith Women in-house and multi-brand ready-to-wear apparel against Venetian plaster and Kith monogrammed suede wallpaper.
    In a room dedicated to footwear, shoes are presented on travertine shelvesClothing is displayed on rails installed in walnut and brass-trimmed niches around the perimeter, with accessories like hats and bags placed on shelves above.
    A row of square walnut podiums runs through the middle of the room, each with an olive tree growing up through the centre of its pink marble surface.
    A cafe and flower shop is run in partnership with PlantShed, and features mosaic floors and a fluted marble service counterCustom-built by Brooklyn-based woodworker Mark Jupiter, these units contain drawers for product storage, and alternating ones are topped with glass vitrines for showcasing jewellery and other small accessories.
    Oak flooring is laid in a grid pattern transversed by walnut strips, and the darker wood also lines the fitting rooms.

    Kith creates “industrial ambiance” for its Williamsburg store

    Footwear has a dedicated room, in which shoes are displayed on shelves with integrated lighting that run from one end to the other.
    “Entering the footwear space, you will find a grand arched plaster ceiling, travertine shelves, and a custom chandelier from Italy by Viabizzuno,” the team said.
    The cafe leads out to a courtyard behind the historic building’s wrought iron gatesIn the final room is a cafe run in partnership with New York-based flower and plant shop PlantShed, which serves light bites and drinks and offers custom floral arrangements.
    The space features a mosaic tiled floor, walnut wall panelling, a service counter with a fluted pink marble front and floral displays on stepped stone plinths.
    The cafe leads out to a courtyard area behind the building’s impressive iron gates, which furnished with cafe tables and chairs in between topiary plants shaped into spirals.
    Kith Women is located at 644 Broadway, the same building where the brand opened its original flagship retail space in 2011Feig also designed Kith’s recently opened Williamsburg store, located in the 25 Kent Plaza office building where the brand also has its corporate offices.
    The company had previously worked with design studio Snarkitecture on its retail spaces around the world, including outposts in Miami, Los Angeles and Paris.
    The photography is courtesy of Kith.

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    Ringo Studio positions sex toys in athletic-themed room at Contact Sports

    Brooklyn-based Ringo Studio has reimagined the experience of shopping for sex toys, creating a store in New York modelled on a collegiate locker room.

    The Contact Sports shop on Mercer Street in Soho is designed to feel very different to the typical spaces in which products for sex are purchased.
    The store interior features walnut panelling and mosaic flooring”In a survey conducted before launch, the majority of people reported feeling uncomfortable walking into a sex store,” said the studio. “Uninviting exteriors felt intimidating, the aisles were hard to navigate, and the shelves stocked hundreds of products that were hard to decipher.”
    Working with Ringo Studio founder Madelynn Ringo – who has designed retail spaces for Glossier, Bala and Our Place – the brand devised a shopping experience based around sport, and used cues from this world to inform the interiors.
    Merchandise is displayed on brass rails and shelvingThe retail space includes an area at the front that sells long-stem roses in singles or bundles, including a 15-foot (4.5 metre) wall on which the fresh-cut red flowers are stored.

    Beyond, dark walnut panelling, brass rails and shelves, and green cushions give the store a collegiate atmosphere, while mosaic floor tiles and baskets of towels evoke a locker room.
    Walnut panelling forms locker-like cubby holes for displaying productsVintage sporting ephemera like tennis rackets, boxing gloves and American football helmets are displayed on higher shelves.
    Below, the selection of “entry-level gear and sensual gifts” from brands such as Kiki de Montparnasse, Lelo, Dame, Maude, Future Method and more are merchandised in locker-style cubbyholes.

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    “Contact Sports flips the traditional model on its head and takes a more curated approach, stocking only 70 products at launch,” the studio said.
    “Their team spent more than a year vetting a category that includes tens of thousands to offer only the best of the best, with unexpected touches that enhance the full experience around the sport.”
    The store features a Joe Chair shaped like a baseball gloveThe space is illuminated from above by a light box behind a wooden lattice, while softer lighting is installed in the cubbies.
    An iconic chair shaped like a giant baseball mitt by designers Jonathan de Pas, Donato D’urbino and Paolo Lomazzi sits next to the white counter, above which the brand’s cursive logo glows in neon.
    Long-stem red roses are sold at the front of the storeThe sex toy industry has grown significantly in recent years, as taboos have broken and social acceptance has widened. See some of the most unusual sex toys featured on Dezeen.
    However, “the retail experience itself had yet to evolve,” said the Contacts Sports team, which hopes the store will change how shopping for sex gear should look and feel.
    The photography is by Anna Morgowicz.

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    JUJU Studio creates “poetic and romantic” flagship for Miss Circle in New York

    Pools of red carpet spill across the floor of this women’s fashion boutique designed by JUJU Studio in New York City.

    For fashion brand Miss Circle, New York-based JUJU Studio created the interiors of its 2,600-square-foot (242-square-metre) store on West Broadway in SoHo.
    The Miss Circle flagship in occupies a long, narrow space designed by JUJU StudioThe space has a long, narrow footprint, so studio founder Jing Ju devised a variety of display techniques for the brand’s womenswear garments.
    “Unlike typical fashion retail spaces, the Sensorial Flagship Store is inviting and relatable, encouraging customers to engage with the brand in a fully stimulating way,” said the studio.
    At the front of the store, a sliding counter can be used for multiple purposesThe majority of surfaces are finished in beige plaster, providing a neutral backdrop for more dramatic moments.

    These include areas where red carpet appears from the walls in fluid forms and spreads across the floor to look like pools of liquid.
    Red carpet extends from the floor to the ceiling beside the entrance”The smooth yet durable surfaces add texture and visual interest to the space, while the beige hue creates a sense of lightness and spaciousness,” the studio said.
    “This helps to create an accommodating atmosphere in the closed retail environment, where customers are likely to take their time browsing through the store’s selection of clothing and accessories.”
    Matching the carpet is a curvaceous red sofaAt the front of the store, the same also extends up the wall behind a curvaceous sofa of the same colour and seeps onto the ceiling.
    A sliding counter can be used for checking in guests during events, or for displaying accessories at other times.
    Garments are displayed in niches formed by arched colonnades on either side of the store”The sleek and minimalistic design of the counter complements the overall aesthetic of the store and demonstrates a thoughtful and efficient use of space,” said the studio.
    Along both sides of the store are arched colonnades, with cove-lit niches that each display a selection of clothing designs.

    Fabric arches divide Jonathan Simkhai store in SoHo by Aruliden

    More outfits are presented on chrome railings and mannequins in the centre of this double-height space, above which a long skylight is positioned.
    Towards the back of the boutique is a carpeted staircase that leads up to a mezzanine level, where the fitting rooms are located.
    Fitting rooms and a lounge area for customers is located upstairsRed satin furniture, designed by Thehighkey, forms a seating area for customers to relax beneath another skylight, while plenty of mirrors are provided for those trying on garments.
    “The warm lighting adds to the overall golden atmosphere, and the use of red provides a poetic and romantic sensation, making for a truly captivating experience,” the studio said.
    The Miss Circle store is on West Broadway in SoHoSoHo is renowned as a shopping destination for both fashion and furniture, and new stores are always appearing in the neighbourhood.
    Recent openings include a Khaite flagship with a tree planted in the centre, an outpost for Road to Awe that includes red fitting rooms and a lofty Moroso showroom.
    The photography is by David Luo and Justin Missner.

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    Worrell Yeung renovates cast-iron New York building for arts organisation

    Architecture studio Worrell Yeung has renovated a historic cast-iron building in Soho for an arts organisation called Canal Projects, which hosts exhibitions “in an unmistakably New York City space”.

    Sat between Soho and Tribeca, the five-storey landmark was built in 1900 as a manufacturing centre, featuring a decorative white facade, double-hung windows and an external fire escape all typical of the neighbourhood.
    Worrell Yeung renovated the lower two floors of a landmarked building to create a home for Canal ProjectsIts street and basement levels were renovated by Worrell Yeung to create a home for Canal Projects, a non-profit arts organisation that hosts exhibitions, talks, performances, readings and screenings for the community.
    The studio was careful to retain as much of the building’s character as possible, highlighting the existing features like original masonry and steam radiators, and restoring them where necessary.
    Patinated bronze panels line the new entry thresholdVisitors arrive via a new entry threshold on Canal Street, where patinated bronze panels line the tall walls in a space intended to offer a moment of pause.

    Up a short flight of steps is the main gallery space – a large, open and flexible room that can be programmed in accordance with the organisation’s needs.
    The main gallery space is surrounded by windows and features historic details”We designed the foundation to be a series of spaces that would compress and expand, collapse and unfold and move between dark and light,” said Worrell Yeung co-founder Jejon Yeung.
    Surrounded by 14 large windows on two sides and boasting ceilings over 13 feet (four metres) tall, this room is light-filled and spacious.
    A staircase leads down to more space at cellar levelNew white oak floors complement the industrial details, including five cast iron columns and five wide flange steel columns that were exposed and restored.
    “Similarly to providing artists with a distinctive platform, we wanted viewers to experience art in an unmistakably New York City space,” said Max Worrell, Worrell Yeung’s other co-founder.
    A library area is formed by pivoting floor-to-ceiling shelves”Passers-by will glimpse exhibitions from the street through the window walls along Canal and Wooster Streets, and visitors on the interior can see artwork with the city context visible in the background,” Worrell said.
    Also on the ground-floor level are private offices for the curators and a bright orange public restroom.
    The dark cellar space is used for film screeningsNext to a freestanding reception desk by artist Zachary Tuabe, a staircase leads down to the basement level, which has a much smaller occupiable footprint.
    Darker and more enclosed, the cellar space features original brickwork, masonry and timber ceiling joists, and provides a very different exhibition space that is suitable for film screenings.
    A bright orange kitchen is tucked into an alcoveLight from the steel sidewalk grates illuminates one end of the space, where a library area is created by floor-to-ceiling shelving that pivots as required.
    A pantry area is hidden in an alcove behind a set of stable doors and is coloured entirely bright orange to match the upstairs restroom.

    Worrell Yeung contrasts wood pillars and grey marble in Chelsea Loft

    “We wanted artists to confront a venue that provides sufficient neutrality for their work, but that is also distinctly undivorceable from the Soho Cast Iron District,” said Yeung.
    “This is a building typology unique to New York City, and a richly layered context within which to exhibit.”
    A public restroom on the upper level matches the kitchenCanal Projects opened to the public in September 2022, with an exhibition titled Pray organised by artistic director and senior curator Summer Guthery.
    The show featured works by Bangkok and New York-based artist Korakrit Arunanondchai, and American artist and filmmaker Alex Gvojic.
    The building is located on the corner of Canal and Wooster Street, between Soho and TribecaWorrell Yeung was founded in 2015, and has worked on a variety of projects in and around New York.
    The studio recently completed a timber-clad lake house with cantilevered roof planes in Connecticut, while past endeavours have included a Hamptons renovation, a Chelsea loft apartment, and the penthouse in the Dumbo Clocktower Building.
    The photography is by Naho Kubota.
    Project credits:
    Architecture and interior design: Worrell YeungWorrell Yeung project team: Max Worrell, founder and principal; Jejon Yeung, founder and principal; Beatriz de Uña Bóveda, project manager; Yunchao Le, project designerStructural engineer: Silman (Geoff Smith, Nick Lancellotti)Lighting designer: Lighting Workshop (Doug Russell, Steven Espinoza)MEP engineer: Jack Green Associates (Larry Green)Expediter/code consultant: Anzalone Architecture (James Anzalone)Contractor: Hugo Construction (Hugo Cheng, Kong Leong)

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    Khaite flagship store designed as a “tribute to the cultural legacy of SoHo”

    American fashion brand Khaite has opened its first flagship store in SoHo, New York City – a cement-trowelled and steel-lined interior with an evergreen tree planted into its shop floor.

    The store was designed by Khaite’s founder and creative director, Catherine Holstein and her husband New York-based architect, Griffin Frazen.
    The Khaite flagship store is located in SoHo, New York CityIt occupies a Corinthian column-fronted building in SoHo, capped with Italianate cast-iron modillion cornices, designed by German architect Henry Fernbach in 1871.
    Holstein and Frazen wanted to encapsulate the cultural legacy of the SoHo location with the area’s connection to the founding of the brand.
    It was designed by Khaite’s founder and her husband”Every element of KHAITE is shaped by New York, and we set out to make this space a tribute to the cultural legacy of SoHo,” said Holstein.

    “When I moved to New York twenty years ago, this block of Mercer was my entry point to the city, and SoHo is where KHAITE was born. Our first design studio was just down the street.”
    The couple looked to encapsulate the legacy of its locationThe entire 371 square metre ground floor of the store was dedicated to retail space while the building’s basement was reserved for back-of-house workings as well as a private meeting area.
    Holstein and Frazen’s approach saw the store clad in city-characterising materials such as steel, glass, poured concrete, troweled cement and plaster, which bring an industrial and monolithic look to the space.
    Cement, concrete and steel were used throughout the storeFour curving steel partition walls meander through the length of the retail space and are used to conceal and frame Khaite’s ready-to-wear collections that are displayed on curved display rails.
    The four steel walls are visually separated by a channel of light from one of two skylights at the rear of the store that was exposed during its renovation.

    Fabric arches divide Jonathan Simkhai store in SoHo by Aruliden

    A focal feature of the store is an evergreen Bucida Buceras tree, which was named the Shady Lady and planted into the floor beneath the rear skylight.
    As light enters and flows into the space from the skylights the rough and textural quality of the cement-trowelled walls is revealed.
    Skylights were uncovered during its renovation”The design was conceived in terms of material – choosing the right materials and working with them in the right way to satisfy the programmatic requirements,” said Frazen.
    “We leaned into elemental qualities like natural light, preserving the scale and openness while creating intimate spaces.”
    A tree was planted into the floor of the store”We embrace the change of materials like steel and concrete just as you would leather and cashmere, honoring them by allowing them to wear in gracefully,” said Frazen.
    “Each piece has unique textures, and rather than polishing away or painting over them, we preserved imperfection.”
    It has an industrial lookThree fitting rooms were designed to contrast the brutalist details of the store and were blanketed in a deep red, fitted with plush red carpeting and warm lighting.
    Minimal furniture was placed throughout, such as a Sing Sing chair by Japanese designer Shiro Kuramata that sits beside a twisted, low-lying shelf used to display the brand’s accessories.
    The basement contains back-of-house operationsBefore opening to the public, the store was used as the setting for Khaite’s Autumn Winter 2023 show which was presented in February.
    Nearby in SoHo, design agency Aruliden completed a store interior for fashion brand Jonathan Simkhai that incorporated cut-out shapes from Simkhai’s clothing into partitions and furniture.
    Design firm Crosby Studios teamed up with AR technology company Zero10 to create a pop-up store also in SoHo that allows people to try on virtual clothes.

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    RtA NYC store by Dan Brunn features broken crystal and red fitting rooms

    Pieces of broken crystal fill a display case that runs the length of this Manhattan boutique, completed by Los Angeles-based architect Dan Brunn for streetwear brand Road to Awe.

    The store on Mercer Street in SoHo is both the third location for Road to Awe, also known as RtA, and the third designed by Dan Brunn Architecture.
    Road to Awe’s third store by Dan Brunn is divided by a central displayFollowing outposts in West Hollywood and Las Vegas, the new 2,152-square-foot (200-square-metre) space occupies the ground floor of a historic landmarked building.
    “Honoring the more industrial nature of its surroundings, RtA Soho takes on a streamlined and contemporary approach with a raw edge directly opposing the more playful and ostentatious style of the Vegas location and serene nature of its West Coast counterpart,” said Brunn’s studio.
    The row of vitrines is filled with pieces of broken Baccarat crystalThe open floor plan is divided along the centre by a line of mirrored chrome vitrines.

    Created in collaboration with crystal brand Baccarat, the display contains 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) of broken crystal that would have otherwise been discarded.
    Clothing is hung from suspended steel beamsEach case has an angled top to create a faceted surface, while a red glow surrounds the base of the structure.
    The crystal pieces are also back-lit, “casting rays of light throughout the store like a reverse disco ball” according to the brand.
    At the rear, a fitting room area is entirely red and illuminated with neon stripsMenswear and womenswear are displayed either side of this central axis, hung from floating horizontal blackened steel beams that help to divide the space.
    Brunn retained the original wooden flooring, but painted it in a gradient that blends from white to black towards the rear of the store.

    Delicate glass shelves illuminate Las Vegas boutique by Dan Brunn Architecture

    At the back is an entirely red area that provides access to the fitting rooms.
    A velvet-covered seating module runs down the middle of this space, flanked by repeated arches that puncture the side walls and are outlined by neon lights.
    Areas of missing brick in the fitting rooms are lined with gold leafNeon strips also traverse horizontally across the ceiling, while an LED display on the back wall plays RtA’s merchandising videos and fashion shows.
    Inside the fitting rooms, “valleys” in the existing brick wall “were sporadically filled with gold leaf paint employing the Japanese kintsugi method of embracing the beauty in imperfection”, said the studio.
    The RtA NYC store is located in a historic building on Mercer StreetBrunn’s first store for RtA opened on Melrose Avenue in 2017, followed by his boutique at the Wynn resort in Las Vegas in 2019.
    The architect has also renovated a Frank Gehry-designed house for an illustrator and designed a long slender home spanning a brook for himself.
    The photography is by Brandon Shigeta.

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    Patricia Urquiola creates lofty showroom for Moroso in Manhattan

    Moroso has opened a new showroom in Manhattan designed by Patricia Urquiola, marking the 70th anniversary of the Italian brand.

    The 4,300 square-foot showroom (400 square metres) has a double-height space that was previously occupied by an art gallery.
    There are spaces for meetings and officesDespite its scale, Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola sought to replicate the feeling of a home, by setting up the furniture in smaller configurations that could be seen in a living room or another intimate setting.
    The space is located at 105 Madison Avenue, in central Manhattan. It replaces the brand’s previous showroom in the SoHo neighbourhood, which opened in 2007.
    The showroom is located in New York City”The new Moroso showroom in New York transcends the concept of the exhibition space,” said the Italian brand founded in 1952 by Agostino and Diana Moroso.

    “[The showroom] introduces visitors to the company through a series of appealing domestic settings in which interiors in restrained colours heighten the appeal of the furniture on display,” Moroso added.
    Large columns were finished with handmade terracotta tilesThe team refinished the interiors with colourful pink finishes, new wooden floors and curved surfaces rather than corners.
    “The interiors are reinterpreted with an emphasis on their gently curved contours and lack of sharp angles, while particular attention is paid to colour,” said Moroso.
    The inaugural collection includes a sofa that is meant to look like moss-covered rocksLarge columns within the space were finished with shiny, handmade terracotta tiles, complementing the prevailing colour palette.
    Along the walls at the periphery of the space, Studio Urquiola created plant-filled alcoves, which help break up the space into smaller sections.
    Plant-filled alcoves line the walls of the space”Everything is studied in detail, and even the lighting is designed to make the space elegant and welcoming, while plants and niches create focal points in the different rooms,” said Moroso.
    In addition to the main exhibition space, the showroom includes a smaller mezzanine at the back, where the brand can host architects or other design professionals for meetings.

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    The mezzanine space is divided into a lounge area, workstations and a glass structure with meeting rooms and a private office.
    A blue staircase connects this level to the ground floor and to the cellar, which has larger pieces.
    “Studio Urquiola’s architectural design alters the existing structure while maintaining its spatial characteristics, perfecting and emphasizing their soft, enveloping language with warm tones of terracotta and wood,” said Moroso.
    Patricia Urquiola also created furniture for the inaugural connectionThe inaugural collection on display at the showroom includes a sofa that is meant to look like moss-covered rocks by Sofia Lagerkvist and Anna Lindgren of Swedish design studio Front, and a series of colourful furniture that was designed by Patricia Urquiola called Pacific, which is finished in wool upholstery.
    Patricia Urquiola founded her eponymous studio in 2001, with her partner Alberto Zontone. The studio takes on architectural commissions, as well as designing furniture, products, and exhibitions.
    Other projects by the Spanish designer include the Haworth Hotel in Michigan, which was revamped to become a “design showcase” and a table with mix-matched legs for Cassina.
    The photography is by Alex Kroke unless otherwise indicated.

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    Fabric arches divide Jonathan Simkhai store in SoHo by Aruliden

    Design agency Aruliden has created a retail space for fashion brand Jonathan Simkhai in New York City, translating cut-out shapes from its clothing into architectural partitions and furniture.

    For New York-based womenswear brand Jonathan Simkhai, Aruliden designed a temporary installation within the space on Mercer Street in SoHo – a prime shopping area in Lower Manhattan.
    A series of metal structures wrapped in translucent fabric divide the Jonathan Simkhai storeThe geometric shapes and signature cut-outs of the brand’s clothing were translated into a variety of spatial interventions and furniture pieces, creating a store in which the brand can present new collections and host events.
    “Translating Simkhai’s identity into a vision for a spatial environment required a clear and strategic idea that was not just shoppable, but also memorable and visually iconic,” said Aruliden’s senior director of industrial design Erik Kreider.
    “We wanted visitors to be fully immersed in this world, but at the end of the day it was also important that we celebrated and showcased the products the right way.”

    The fabric partitions are installed to fit around existing architectural elementsTowards the front of the building, a double-height space is painted entirely white and further brightened by the glass facade.
    This long, narrow room is divided by a series of tall structures, comprising translucent fabric stretched over metal frames.
    Mannequins flank a staircase that leads to the store’s lower levelFitted around existing architectural elements, the temporary walls wrapped in white, peach and pink fabric are punctured with archways that curve asymmetrically at the top, forming a passage from one end of the store to the other.
    Shoppers are led through the archways and down a flight of stairs, flanked by mannequins positioned on larger steps along one side.
    Units of a flexible display system are shaped similarly to the arched openings in the partitionsOn the lower level, where the ceiling height is considerably lower, podiums for displaying products and decorative accessories are shaped similarly to the archway cut-outs.
    At various sizes and heights, these beige-toned units form a flexible display system that can be moved around when needed.

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    “Clothing and products break the cadence of the fabric arches,” said Kreider.
    “Together with the graphic cutouts, this creates a natural flow to the back area where more products, seating and changing rooms are located,
    The archways, furniture and podiums are based on the cut-out shapes of Jonathan Simkhai’s clothingThroughout the store, garments are presented on identical sets of hangers along minimal white rails.
    The minimalist interior is also enlivened by simple floral displays, presented in a variety of crafted vases.
    The minimalist interior is enlivened with simple floral decorationsAruliden, which was founded in 2006 by Rinat Aruh and Johan Liden, is headquartered in New York City with offices in San Francisco and Amsterdam.
    The agency has several products shortlisted for this year’s Dezeen Awards, including the Whoop 4.0 fitness wearable and the Series One Desk 27 video-conferencing device. It has also designed a series of mirrored structures to be built in a forest in Ontario, Canada.
    The photography is by Sharon Radisch.

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