UK

Subterms

    More stories

    • 163 Shares179 Views

      in Rooms

      Tom Dixon furnishes penthouses in Herzog & de Meuron's One Park Drive skyscraper

      by

      British designer Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio has furnished the interiors for two duplex penthouses that Herzog & de Meuron has created within its cylindrical Canary Wharf skyscraper.

      Architecture studio Herzog & de Meuron designed the seven penthouses in the residential One Park Drive skyscraper, which were the last part of the project to be completed, to contrast the commercial buildings that surround them.
      “We had to think about what it means to live vertically and how to create a strong distinction between something that is commercial and something that is residential,” Herzog & de Meuron’s UK studio director John O’Mara said at the penthouses’ opening.
      The seven penthouses feature wood-clad courtyardsLocated on the 56th and final floor of the 205-metre-tall One Park Drive building, the duplex penthouses feature balconies overlooking Canary Wharf. To give them a more residential feel, Herzog & de Meuron added an unusual detail – hidden internal courtyards.
      The wood-clad courtyards open up towards the sky via D-shaped ceiling cut-outs and function as a “back garden,” the studio said.

      Each of the penthouses, which range from 152 to 362 square metres, also feature a statement spiral staircase made from concrete poured in-situ. The staircases all have different designs.
      Spiral staircases were made from concrete poured in-situDesign Research Studio furnished the interiors for two of the duplex penthouses in One Park Drive using a combination of furniture by Dixon’s studio and handpicked vintage furniture.
      Among the vintage pieces used for the design were chairs by Danish designer Verner Panton and lamps by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. Dixon also custom-made large artworks for the space.
      The penthouses are on the 56th floorDixon’s studio used the theme of Home of the Collector to imagine what the interiors of the penthouses should feel like.
      “Each room has been meticulously curated – we wanted every single object to feel as if it has been made specifically for this space or that it has been carefully selected for it,” Dixon explained.
      “It should feel personal, convincing, compelling and aspirational – we didn’t want to design a typical luxury apartment,” he added.
      “The beautiful, fluid spaces feature high ceilings and large expanses of wall and windows and the artworks create the sense of a private gallery.”

      Tom Dixon’s The Manzoni is a restaurant where “everything is for sale”

      Coming up with a concept for an imaginary homeowner was an enjoyable aspect of the job, Dixon added.
      “It’s actually really good fun to try and invent a personality and try and work out what they would actually do,” he said, explaining that he had envisioned the apartments being filled with art pieces and furniture that had been picked up on travels.
      Bathrooms have sand-coloured Tadelakt wallsThe apartments in One Park Drive are all designed by Herzog & de Meuron with a tactile material palette that helps to draw attention to the interiors.
      Wood was used to create striking details for the interior architecture, including the wardrobe doors with leaf-shaped openings.
      The studio used Tadelakt plaster to create sand-coloured bathrooms with globe-shaped lights and rounded mirrors, while floors are concrete or pale wood.
      The penthouses also have balconies overlooking Wood WharfThe duplex penthouses are the last part of One Park Drive to be completed. The skyscraper, which contains 484 apartments in total, forms part of developer Canary Wharf Group’s plan to add homes to the predominantly commercial Canary Wharf neighbourhood.
      Other recent projects by Tom Dixon include a twentieth-anniversary exhibition that featured mycelium towers and Design Research Studio’s design for restaurant The Manzoni.

      Read more: More

    • 113 Shares199 Views

      in Rooms

      Crawshaw Architects transforms cow shed into Stanbridge Mill Library

      by

      London studio Crawshaw Architects has transformed a former cow shed in Dorset into a library and office, organised around a wooden, barrel-vaulted arcade that references the client’s collection of books on classical Palladian architecture.

      The Stanbridge Mill Library, which has been shortlisted in the civic and cultural interiors category of Dezeen Awards 2022, occupies one of several outbuildings of a Georgian farmhouse on a grade II-listed farm.
      Crawshaw Architects has overhauled a former cow shed in DorsetThe narrow, gabled brick shed was originally built to house Standbridge Mill Farm’s cows but had stood neglected for over forty years, used as storage for gardening equipment and farm machinery.
      Looking to give the building a new purpose while maintaining its existing character, Crawshaw Architects made only small structural interventions, replacing two of its original roof trusses with portal frames that open up the interior.
      The studio has transformed it into a library and office”While a decisive transformation of the interior was called for, we felt that the original use of the building needed to be part of the story,” explained the studio.

      Stanbridge Mill Library’s focal point is a central “nave”, which is filled with seating areas covered by a wooden barrel vault and slotted between two narrow aisles lined by bookshelves. This plan references classical architectural forms, which are the focus of many of the client’s books.
      The Stanbridge Mill Library is organised around a barrel-vaulted arcadePale, solid oak has been used for the floor, shelving, storage and the central vault, half of which is covered with planks and the other half left open to allow in light from new skylights.
      “The high nave and pair of aisles are in the form of a classical library, but are set out in the register of the original building using the materials and construction techniques of traditional farm carpentry and metalwork,” explained Crawshaw Architects.
      The office occupies the northern end of the building”The vault, columns, shelves, tables and seating are made of the same solid oak planks and sections, deliberately selected to show knots and natural blemishes,” the studio continued.
      Desks are organised to take advantage of light from the windows and are illuminated at night by large pendants suspended from the vault.

      Steimle Architekten transforms traditional German barn into Kressbronn Library

      The office space occupies the northern end of the building underneath an original roof truss, which is separated from the library by an arched glass door and windows that frame views through the nave and aisles.
      To the south of Stanbridge Mill Library, a dog-leg in the plan is occupied by a small kitchen, positioned opposite a bathroom and a small lobby area.
      Pale solid oak has been used throughoutStanbridge Mill Library features in the civic and cultural interior category of Dezeen Awards 2022 alongside the renovation of the Groote Museum in Amsterdam by Merk X.
      Another project on the shortlist is the interior of F51 Skate Park in Folkestone by Hollaway Studio, which won the public vote for the same category.
      The photography is by Ingrid Rasmussen.
      Project credits:
      Architect: Crawshaw ArchitectsDesign team: Pandora Dourmisi, Aidan CrawshawStructural engineer: Hardman Structural EngineersContractor: CanDo Constructions ltd

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares129 Views

      in Rooms

      Margate's Fort Road Hotel celebrates British art and seaside history

      by

      Frieze co-founder Matthew Slotover, developer Gabriel Chipperfield and artist Tom Gidley have teamed up with Fleet Architects to turn a partially collapsed building in Kent, England, into a 14-room hotel.

      Located on the Margate seafront, Fort Road Hotel features vintage furniture, nature-informed materials and artworks by the likes of Tracey Emin, Hannah Lees and sculptor Lindsey Mendick.
      A ground-floor restaurant forms the reception of the Fort Road HotelThe building has had the same name since 1820 when it first opened as a boarding house. But it was on the verge of ruin when Slotover, Chipperfield and Gidley bought it at auction four years ago.
      London-based Fleet Architects helped the trio replan the interior, which now contains a ground-floor restaurant, a two-storey basement bar and a roof terrace offering 360-degree views of the town and coastline.
      It features artworks by Tracey Emin and Sophie von HellermannThe owners oversaw the interior design themselves. The ambition, according to Gidley, was to pay tribute to the building’s history while offering a sense of homeliness.

      “We wanted to make it feel somewhere between a house and a hotel,” he told Dezeen.
      The green tiles offer a striking contrast with the terracotta-toned floor tilesGuest rooms can be found on the building’s reconstructed first and second floors, as well as on the newly added third floor.
      The focal point of each room, aside from the bed, is a bespoke gridded vanity unit crafted from wood and inlaid with marble.
      Bedrooms are characterised by custom vanity units in wood and marbleThe aesthetic is softened by the addition of period furniture pieces, curtains in linen or felt, and a selection of vintage artworks.
      “Early on, I proposed the idea that I would simply buy pictures that I liked the look of, in the way that boarding house and small hotel owners have always done,” said Gidley.

      Coral and blue surfaces merge in seaside spa Haeckels House

      This concept extends to the hallways, which are decorated with seaside memorabilia, vintage photographs, old postcards and antique maps.
      The scene changes in the downstairs spaces. Here, Gidley and Slotover have used their art-world connections to secure pieces by a range of celebrated contemporary artists.
      Bedrooms overlook the seafront and the neighbouring Turner Contemporary galleryIn the joint restaurant and reception – characterised by a herringbone-pattern floor and a bright green tiled bar – small-scale paintings by various artists hang on soft-green panelled walls.
      A corridor leading down to the basement is brought to life with a mural by London-based painter Sophie Von Hellermann, while a neon piece by Tracey Emin is one of several artworks on show in the two-level basement bar.
      “Everybody has loaned works for a variety of lengths of time, so now and again something will change,” said Gidley.
      Red tiles from Mexico feature in the bathroomsFort Road Hotel is the latest of several buildings to put Margate on the map as a hotspot for contemporary art.
      Since the 2011 opening of the Turner Contemporary gallery – designed by Gabriel Chipperfield’s father David Chipperfield – London-based artists including Emin have increasingly been relocating to the area in search of more affordable studio space.
      Ford Road Hotel’s two-storey basement bar can be accessed from the streetGidley hopes the trio’s sensitive approach to the building’s history means the hotel will be just as valued by locals as by art lovers.
      “I think we’ve created something very attractive that adds to the appeal of the town and reflects its history,” he added.
      The photography is by Ed Reeve.

      Read more: More

    • 150 Shares199 Views

      in Rooms

      London Fire Brigade “celebrates bravery” with exhibition marking launch of updated typeface

      by

      The London Fire Brigade has unveiled its updated typeface designed by Studio Sutherl& and The Foundry Types at the Running Towards exhibition of graphic artworks informed by the organisation’s design heritage.

      The Running Towards exhibition took place at the Shoreditch Fire Station during the London Design Festival, with visitors entering through the building’s big red shutters into a display of artworks created by UK designers.
      The exhibition took place at Shoreditch Fire StationThe new Fire Brigade Sans typeface, created by Studio Sutherl& and The Foundry Types, was displayed on the exterior of Shoreditch Fire Station.
      Its design was informed by the lettering of old fire engines and on the facade, the typeface was printed in the red, yellow and gold colours synonymous with fire engines.
      Studio Sutherl& designed London Fire Brigade’s new typefaceTo celebrate the typeface, London Fire Brigade collaborated with communications agency KesselsKramer, writer Thomas Sharp, Studio Sutherl& and carpet manufacturer Britons on the exhibition, which saw designers create their own interpretations of the organisation’s design heritage.

      Among the pieces on show were graphic interpretations of the Danger Risk of Fire safety sign, a bespoke carpet with a pattern informed by the universal fire exit sign and firefighting objects and items from Shoreditch Fire Station’s own collection.
      London Fire Brigade’s typeface Fire Brigade Sans was featured on postersKesselsKramer described the showcase as “a celebration of London Fire Brigade’s bravery, aiming to inspire that very same spirit within ourselves.”
      The studio invited 25 London-based designers to recreate the fire safety symbol for their display, titled ​​Warning: Risk of Fire.
      “It felt appropriate that for London Fire Brigade’s inaugural Design Festival exhibition, a piece of graphic design synonymous with the fire service became the focus,” said KesselsKramer.
      Franz Lang’s design tells the story of her grandma’s catPresented on triangular signs, each artwork was designed to tell a story of firefighting bravery. Graphic artist Jimmy Turrell’s interpretation was dedicated to his father who was a firefighter.
      Illustrator Franz Lang’s entry represented the story of her grandma’s cat, who was rescued from a tree by the fire brigade.

      IOC reveals “vibrant” brand identity for the Olympics

      “This is such an iconic location for an art show,” said Lauren Coutts, art director at KesselsKramer. “To get a rare glimpse into a fire station is very exciting in itself so to then be able to celebrate bravery here, in so many forms, feels very special.”
      Britons created a bespoke wool carpet for The Running Towards exhibition, which features a pattern informed by the universal fire exit symbol.
      Britons designed a carpet to display at The Running Towards exhibitionBurgundy and navy chevrons repeat along the length of the carpet with arrows and stick figures that reference the fire exit sign. According to Britons, the carpet is made from wool to exemplify the material’s naturally fire-retardant properties.
      “As a material, wool contains a higher water and nitrogen content than other man-made fibres making it a naturally fire-retardant material,” said Britons.
      “Another benefit is that it does not emit smoke or fumes, often one of the main causes of serious health issues following a fire.”
      The exhibition showcased graphic posters in a colour palette that references fire enginesOther exhibitions that took place during London Design Festival include a collection of wooden objects made from a dying ash tree and a sculptural stone installation that references Stonehenge.
      The photography is courtesy of the London Fire Brigade.
      The Running Towards took place between 20 and 24 September as part of London Design Festival. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

      Read more: More

    • 163 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Exhibition dedicated to the work of Yinka Ilori opens at London's Design Museum

      by

      Brightly coloured chairs and personal memorabilia feature in the Parables for Happiness exhibition showcasing the works of London-based designer Yinka Ilori at the Design Museum.

      Opened during London Design Festival, the exhibition is the first major display of Ilori’s vast number of vibrant designs, including graphic murals, furniture and public installations.
      Parables of Happiness showcases a wide selection of Ilori’s designsIlori’s designs are exhibited alongside pieces that influenced his work and objects representing his Nigerian heritage, including Nigerian textiles adorned with colourful geometric patterns and a traditional Dùndún drum that visitors can play.
      The show also includes models of some of the 80 sculptural chairs that Ilori has designed.
      Ilori started his career designing chairsOne of Ilori’s chair designs is presented in a line-up of iconic and recognisable chairs with the aim of giving context to his work. Included in the display is the RCP2 chair by Jane Atfield, who was Ilori’s tutor at university.

      “One of the reasons I started designing was because of a brief given by Jane Atfield called Our Chair,” Ilori told Dezeen. “Purely because of her brief is why I started designing chairs when I finished uni.”
      A chair designed by David Adjaye is exhibited alongside Ilori’s workAnother chair on display is the Washington Skeleton Side Chair designed by British-Ghanian architect David Adjaye, who Ilori credits with having “opened doors for designers like me”.
      “Over the years, my work has gained recognition for the strong use of colour, pattern and narrative that comes from my Nigerian heritage,” said Ilori. “However, it has often deviated from design trends and has been misunderstood”
      “This display charts my inspirations and creative journey as I transitioned from furniture design to community-driven public installations,” he continued.
      His work is influenced by Nigerian textilesVisitors to the exhibition can discover Ilori’s architectural projects through photographs, drawings and models including his Colour Palace pavilion, which was erected in Dulwich in 2019.
      Details of Ilori’s Launderette of Dreams – an installation that involved reimagining a launderette in London as a children’s play zone for Lego – are displayed. A lego chair that formed part of the Launderette of Dreams installation is also on display at the show.

      Yinka Ilori builds colourful Lego launderette in east London for kids to play in

      “A fast-rising star of contemporary design, Yinka Ilori’s unique aesthetic – drawing on Nigerian textiles with a nod to postmodernism – employs a mix of visual references that come together to inspire joy,” said the exhibition’s curator Priya Khanchandani.
      “This display is a testament to how cultural fusions, frissons and juxtapositions can be rich fuel for creativity and for generating more inclusive architectures in the city.”
      Chairs and details of the designer’s public installations are included in the exhibitionAs well as showcasing Ilori’s bright, playful designs and examples of his design influences, the exhibition features some of the designer’s personal items.
      Visitors can see his name badge from working at Marks and Spencer and a pair of paint-splattered trousers that Ilori wore while painting a number of his graphic murals.
      Ilori is known for his use of colour and graphic representation”I’m a huge believer in memory making and storytelling – how do we relive or revisit memories?” said Ilori.
      In Parables of Happiness, Ilori hopes to “open up new conversations about design in the UK and internationally, to see how other people view design around the world”.
      “I am truly humbled and honoured to have my work exhibited at such an early stage in my career and hope the display provides inspiration for the next generation who might feel they don’t fit into the status quo,” the designer continued.
      Known for his colourful designs, Ilori has recently completed a pavilion in Berlin with a canopy made up of brightly coloured translucent disks and transformed his London studio and office with bold hues indicative of his signature art style.
      The photography is by Felix Speller.
      Parables for Happiness takes place from 15 September 2022 to 25 June 2023 at the Design Museum in London. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

      Read more: More

    • 175 Shares179 Views

      in Rooms

      Jan Hendzel tracks down “super special” London timbers to overhaul Town Hall Hotel suites

      by

      Reclaimed architectural timber and wood from a felled street tree form the furnishings of two hotel suites that designer Jan Hendzel has revamped for London’s Town Hall Hotel in time for London Design Festival.

      Suites 109 and 111 are set on the first floor of the Town Hall Hotel, which is housed in a converted Grade II-listed town hall in Bethnal Green dating back to 1910.
      Each of the apartment-style suites features a living room with a kitchen alongside a bedroom and en-suite, which Hendzel has outfitted with bespoke furnishings. Like all of the furniture maker’s pieces, these are crafted exclusively from British timbers.
      Jan Hendzel has overhauled suites 109 (top) and 111 (above) of the Town Hall HotelBut for his first interiors project, Hendzel took an even more hyper-local approach with the aim of finding all of the necessary products inside the M25 – the motorway that encircles the British capital.
      “We started out with the idea that we could source everything within London,” he told Dezeen during a tour of the suites.

      “Some timbers have come from Denmark Hill, some are reclaimed from Shoreditch. And we used Pickleson Paint, which is a company just around the corner, literally two minutes from here.”
      The living area of suite 111 features green upholstery by Yarn CollectiveThe reclaimed timber came in the form of pinewood roof joists and columns, which Hendzel found at an architectural salvage yard.
      These had to be scanned with a metal detector to remove any nails or screws so they could be machined into side tables and tactile wire-brushed domes used to decorate the suites’ coffee tables.
      Rippled wooden fronts finish the kitchen in both suitesIn Suite 111, both the dining table and the rippled kitchen fronts are made from one of the many plane trees that line the capital’s streets, giving them the nickname London plane.
      “This London plane is super special because it has come from a tree that was taken up outside Denmark Hill train station in Camberwell,” Hendzel explained. “We couldn’t find timber from Bethnal Green but it’s the closest we could get.”
      The dining table in suite 111 is made from London planeFor other pieces, materials had to be sourced from further afield – although all are either made in the UK or by UK-based brands.
      Hendzel used British ash and elm to craft mirrors and benches with intricate hand-carved grooves for the suites, while the patterned rugs in the living areas come from West London studio A Rum Fellow via Nepal.
      “People in the UK don’t make rugs, so you have to go further afield,” Hendzel said. “Same with the upholstery fabrics. You could get them here but if they are quadruple your budget, it’s inaccessible.”

      Jan Hendzel explores potential of British hardwood in Bowater furniture collection

      Hendzel’s aim for the interior scheme was to create a calm, pared-back version of a hotel room, stripping away all of the “extra stuff” and instead creating interest through rich textural contrasts.
      This is especially evident in the bespoke furniture pieces, which will now become part of his studio’s permanent collection.
      Among them is the Wharf coffee table with its reclaimed wooden domes, worked with a wire brush to expose the intricate graining of the old-growth timber and offset against a naturally rippled tabletop.
      “It’s a genetic defect of the timber, but it makes it extra special and catches your eye,” Hendzel said.
      Grooves were hand-carved into the surfaces of mirrors and benches featured throughout the suitesThe coffee table, much like the nearby Peng dining chair, is finished with faceted knife-drawn edges reminiscent of traditional stone carving techniques. But while the table has a matt finish, the chair is finished with beeswax so its facets will reflect the light.
      Unexpected details such as loose-tongue joints, typically used to make tables, distinguish the Mowlavi sofa and armchair, while circular dowels draw attention to the wedge joint holding together their frames.
      Reclaimed architectural timber was used to bedside tables in room 109Alongside the bespoke pieces, Hendzel incorporated existing furniture pieces such as the dresser from his Bowater collection, presented at LDF in 2020. Its distinctive undulating exterior was also translated into headboards for the bedrooms and cabinet fronts for the kitchens.
      These are paired with crinoid marble worktops from the Mandale quarry in Derby, with roughly-hewn edges offset against a perfectly smooth surface that reveals the fossils calcified within.
      “It’s a kajillion years old and it’s got all these creatures from many moons ago that have fallen into the mud and died,” Hendzel said. “But then, when they get polished up, they look kind of like Ren and Stimpy.”
      A rippled headboard features in both suitesGoing forwards, the Town Hall Hotel plans to recruit other local designers to overhaul its remaining 94 rooms.
      Other installations on show as part of LDF this year include a collection of rotating public seating made from blocks of granite by designer Sabine Marcelis and an exhibition featuring “sympathetic repairs” of sentimental objects as the V&A museum.
      The photography is by Fergus Coyle.
      London Design Festival 2022 takes place from 17-25 September 2022. See our London Design Festival 2022 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

      Read more: More

    • 138 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      R for Repair London exhibition features “sympathetic” repairs to sentimental objects

      by

      A rattan cast created to protect the damaged wing of a toy puffin and a fractured plate held together with steel staples feature in R for Repair, an exhibition of repaired objects presented at the V&A museum as part of London Design Festival.

      Curated by Jane Withers and Hans Tan, the exhibition is the second edition of R for Repair, and follows the first iteration of the show that was held in Singapore last year.
      R for Repair is on display at the V&A in LondonThe show presented at London’s V&A museum includes 10 damaged objects repaired by 10 different designers from Singapore or the UK. They are displayed alongside three repaired objects from the original exhibition.
      Responding to an open call, members of the public were invited to contribute sentimental but broken objects to the project. Designers chosen by Withers and Tan then repaired the objects in various creative ways.
      Ng Si Ying repaired a toy puffin by creating a rattan cast for its wingDesigner Ng Si Ying created a cast and belt out of rattan and thread for Graham Secrets, a toy puffin owned by UK-based Oli Stratford, which was a gift from the owner’s parents on his 30th birthday.

      Originally made by Danish silversmith and designer Kay Bojesen in 1954, the object was damaged by Stratford’s cat. Ying created a cast for the puffin’s wing in Singapore using an intricate weaving technique.
      Rio Kobayashi used Japanese joinery to adapt an antique sewing chest”We wanted to pair designers who would be sympathetic to the owner’s emotional attachment and what are often quite moving stories behind the objects and why the owners treasure them, but might also have an unexpected take on the object and add new layers of meaning, enriching this evolving narrative of ownership,” Withers told Dezeen.
      “We also looked for designers who might bring interesting techniques and unexpected experimentation to the repairs.”
      The chest now has space to display drawings and paintingsAnother object repaired for the 2022 edition of the exhibition is an 18th-century antique sewing chest owned by Eleanor Suggett Stephens in the UK, which she inherited from her grandmother.
      Suggett Stephens discovered that the chest contained previously unseen sketches and watercolour paintings by her grandmother, who wanted to be an artist but never achieved her dream.
      Other objects include a repaired doll’s house by StudiomamaLondon-based designer Rio Kobayashi used traditional Japanese joinery techniques to raise the furniture’s feet, and also created a large tabletop designed to display and celebrate the secret artwork.
      Kobayashi used walnut, ash, cherry, sapele, paint and glass to repair the chest, which Suggett Stephens said “represents that creative dream which never happened for [my grandma] and reminds me how fortunate I am to have a career in the arts.”
      Studio Dam put a broken plate back together with staplesOther objects in the exhibition include a porcelain dinner plate that broke down the middle and was repaired with steel staples and epoxy glue by Studio Dam in Singapore.
      British owners Karen Birkin and screenwriter Andrew Birkin, brother of actor Jane Birkin, submitted the plate for repair with an entirely open brief. Andrew Birkin quipped that Studio Dam could make a spaceship out of it.

      Ten must-see installations at London Design Festival 2022

      In response, the multidisciplinary studio took visual cues from Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey, which Andrew Birkin worked on early in his career.
      Studio Dam was informed by juci, a traditional Chinese porcelain repair technique that involves the use of metal staples.
      At the V&A, the objects are presented on bright yellow boxes”On one hand, the primary motivation was to bring creativity to repair through design,” explained Tan, discussing the exhibition.
      “At the same time, we thought having designers and objects from two countries would add a dimension to the project as a design and cultural exchange.”
      Tzen Chia playfully repaired a glass bottle for an anonymous ownerWithers also added that the exhibition intends to celebrate the process of repair and encourage the idea of giving possessions a second life.
      “I think it is important to broaden the discussion around repair and explore the psychological as well as functional dimension,” concluded Withers.
      “To understand why we keep things and how that can inform the design of products. How can things be designed with repair in mind so they improve with age?”
      As London Design Festival kicks off in the capital, see other installations that are part of the event, such as a collection of rotating stone chairs by Sabine Marcelis.
      The photography is by Zuketa Film Production. 
      R for Repair is on display at the V&A in London from 17 September to 2 November. 
      London Design Festival 2022 takes place from 17-25 September 2022. See our London Design Festival 2022 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares199 Views

      in Rooms

      Five “quirky” sleeping pods top Watchet's East Quay arts centre

      by

      UK studios Pearce+ and Fægen have designed the interiors of five sleeping pods that stand on top of the Invisible Studio-designed arts centre on the dockside in Watchet, UK.

      The studios aimed to design the pods, which were created to provide interesting accommodation for people visiting East Quay and the town, to align with the ethos of the arts centre.
      The sleeping pods are located on top of Watchet’s East Quay arts centre”The whole of East Quay is about culture, purpose and imagination – it is a hub of creativity, opportunity, artistry and ideas,” explained Pearce+ founder Owen Pearce.
      “It is also most importantly about community – multiple hands and many eyes,” he told Dezeen.
      “We wanted this to be captured in the pods also, providing inspiring, exciting, different, unusual spaces and involving as many hands as possible in the design, from artists to makers to kids.”

      Two pods are raised on stiltsThe five pods are located in a series of metal-clad boxes on top of the East Quay arts centre, which was designed by Bath-based Invisible Studio with Ellis Williams Architects acting as executive architect for the local social enterprise Onion Collective.
      Two of the pods stand on stilts above the building.

      East Quay arts centre in Watchet takes cues from ad-hoc harbour buildings

      “All the pods are linked to their surroundings by fantastic views of the Bristol Channel, the Quantocks, the marina and the town,” said Pearce.
      “The form of the buildings feels rooted in the area as they jut and protrude as if continuously added to like some of the old houses in the town.”
      The walls of pod two were CNC etchedEach of the five pods is designed by Pearce+ and Fægen to have a different character and involve local artists and the community.
      The first sleeping pod, which was built with reclaimed furniture and materials, was designed as a “living museum” where guests are encouraged to leave an item and take one away.
      Etched illustrations cover the walls of pod two, which is designed by artist Isabelle Mole and aims to tell the story of the town.
      Pod 1 contains a “living museum””Our overarching aim was to provide a connection between guests and the local community,” explained Pearce.
      “This is done, for example, through direct object transfer in pod one as guests donate objects of meaning and take something in return or, in pod two, by visually exploring the stories and myths of the town in CNC etchings on the walls.”
      Pod four contains a cargo netThe third pod aims to evoke the feeling of a 1920s ocean liner, while pod four “is about play” and has semaphore signals painted on the walls. Here there is also a cargo net for sitting, which is reached by a staircase hung from the ceiling.
      Bristol graffiti artist Andy Council worked with local schoolchildren to create the interior of the fifth pod, which will be redecorated each year by an artist chosen by the Onion Collective.
      Bristol graffiti artist Andy Council decorated the fifth podIn line with the ethos of the project, Pearce+ and Fægen moved to Watchet for a year to act as contractor and fabricate the interiors of the pods with the help of a small team.
      Pearce hopes that the pods will provide fun places for visitors to stay and bring income into the community.
      “The brief for the competition was quirky places to stay,” he explained. “The client wanted to have fun with the pods and to provide an opportunity for inventiveness from architects.”
      “The building’s aim is to support a local artistic community and provide opportunities that weren’t available before. A key part of the economic strategy of the building is to attract guests from afar to bring in much-needed income, which in turn supports cultural and education work,” he continued. “The designs are then targeted to create a cool place to visit in order to do that.”
      Pearce+ previously collaborated with UK studio Hugh Broughton Architects and artists Ella Good and Nicki Kent to create the inflatable Martian House, which is currently installed in Bristol.
      The photography is by Joseph Horton.

      Read more: More