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    Woods Bagot lines American Australian Association HQ with oak battens

    The American Australian Association has opened a headquarters in New York City, with interiors by architecture firm Woods Bagot designed to offer flexible spaces for events.

    The 9,450-square-foot (878 square metres) space at 600 Third Avenue is the first location in the city for the American Australian Association (AAA), a non-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening ties and collaboration between Australia and the US.
    A large, flexible space allows the AAA to host a variety of events and activitiesClose to both the United Nations and the Australian Consulate-General, the headquarters is intended to promote Australian-American relations in NYC by hosting a variety of discussions, performances, exhibitions, networking receptions and more.
    Woods Bagot – which was founded in Adelaide and has offices globally – aimed at “melding the spirit of Australia with the corporate culture of New York” with the project, according to CEO, Nik Karalis. “It’s a stylish, welcoming environment created to bring people from both countries closer together,” he added.
    Moveable dual-purpose furniture created for the space includes a workstation that doubles as a barTo accommodate such varied activities, a large events space was left open to be as flexible as possible while incorporating movable dual-purpose furniture and fittings.

    A custom mobile island acts as both a work surface and a bar, and counters along the windows can also become serving areas for food and drinks.
    The ceiling structure was left exposed, while white oak battens wrap the columnsLocated on a high floor, the space benefits from sweeping views of the skyline through unobstructed expanses of glass.
    The ceiling structure was left exposed to maximise the height in the space, while columns were wrapped in vertical white oak batten system by wood cladding manufacturer Sculptform – for which Woods Bagot created an immersive showroom in Melbourne in 2001.

    Steam-bent timber tunnels through Melbourne showroom by Woods Bagot

    Similar battening lines the lobby and circulation spaces, with curved profiles creating sculptural frames around a golden bar back and over a pair of sliding doors with frosted glass panels.
    The AAA headquarters also houses offices for employees and a boardroom for private meetings.
    The white oak battens also line the lobby area, surrounding the doorway to the boardroomTo commemorate the opening of the space in June 2023, the organisation commissioned a custom artwork from the APY Art Centre Collective.
    The colourful painting was created by eight Indigenous women artists based in Adelaide and hangs in the bar area.
    Some of the battens feature curved profiles to create sculptural shapesWoods Bagot works on projects worldwide, and its current high-profile projects underway range from the Aboriginal Art and Cultures Centre in Adelaide to an extension of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
    Also in the US, principal Krista Ninivaggi recently completed the lobby design for the supertall Brooklyn Tower.
    The photography is by Adrian Gaut.

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    Jenny Bukovec draws on “soulful” local heritage for Kentucky hotel

    American designer Jenny Bukovec has looked to Kentucky’s heritage for the interiors of a hotel in Lexington, a city famed for bourbon production and horse racing.

    Described by the hotel team as “the first high-end hotel in the horse and bourbon capital of the world,” The Manchester sits on the site of the historic Ashland Distillery – the city’s first registered bourbon producer, which was established in 1865.
    The lobby bar at The Manchester hotel features vaulted ceilings and eclectic lounge furnitureIts location in the heart of Manchester Street’s historic Distillery District places guests within close proximity to a host of bourbon distilleries, breweries, bars, restaurants and event spaces.
    Hoteliers Nik Feldman and Hank Morris tapped New York City-based Bukovec to design “soulful” interiors for the public areas and 125 guest rooms that draw upon the region’s heritage.
    The equestrian-themed main restaurant, Granddam, is designed with walnut wainscoting and green accentsIn the lobby, a wall of hit-and-miss brickwork is modelled on the neighbourhood’s historic rickhouses – structures used for storing and distilling spirits.

    Corbelled arches within the brick wall lead through to a bar with vaulted plaster ceilings, eclectic lounge furniture, and details that include handmade bejmat tiles and amber-toned fluted glass.
    Geometric patterned tiles and wicker furniture decorate the Lost Palm rooftop barThe hotel’s main restaurant is named Granddam “after a wise, figurative matriarch racing horse” and serves a contemporary take on traditional Appalachian cuisine.
    Seating 140 covers, the space is encircled by square-panelled walnut wainscoting, huge floor-to-ceiling windows and teal-hued leather banquette seating.
    The rich hues in the guest rooms evoke those associated with Kentucky’s Bluegrass music tiesGreen floor tiles and cushions match the ceiling colour and complement the taupe tones of the walls and furniture upholstery.
    “The 140-seat dining room follows the hotel’s equestrian aesthetic and is designed as a modern reinterpretation of nearby stables, featuring rich walnut walls and horse saddle-inspired woven leather seating,” said the hotel team.
    Among the room categories are five with wooden bunk beds that sleep four guestsA very different aesthetic was chosen for Lost Palm, a rooftop bar and lounge that takes cues from art deco nostalgia while repeating the same arched forms found in the lobby.
    Bukovec combined wicker furniture, rattan panels, geometric patterned floor tiles and tropical planting as a nod to 1960s South Florida and its horse racing culture – for which Lexington is also famed.

    Fettle returns The Georgian hotel in Santa Monica to its 1930s “glory”

    The dark woods and rich hues used in the guest rooms evoke those commonly associated with Bluegrass music, another regional specialty.
    Room categories range from standard kings and double queens up to one- and two-bedroom penthouse suites with clawfoot tubs, as well as five bunk-bed rooms that each sleep four guests.
    The 7th-floor gym is kitted out with tanned leather equipmentA gym located on the 7th floor features herringbone parquet flooring and tanned leather equipment.
    The Manchester also offers a variety of guest experiences, including distillery tours, bourbon tastings, fly fishing, polo lessons and trail riding.
    The hotel occupies a brick building on the site of a historic bourbon distilleryMany visitors to Kentucky come for its whisky heritage and industry, which has ties to several big-name architecture firms.
    In 2018, Shigeru Ban unveiled a proposal to build a trio of mass timber pyramids for the Kentucky Owl distillery, and more recently, RSHP unveiled its design for Horse Soldier Bourbon’s new home in the state.
    The photography is by Matt Kisiday.

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    Smith Hanes Studio brings “a sense of calm” to Carmel restaurant in Atlanta

    Atlanta-based Smith Hanes Studio has used a palette of natural colours and materials to help diners at this restaurant imagine they’re beside a beach.

    A laid-back, coastal vibe was the goal for the Carmel restaurant, located on a cobblestone street in Atlanta’s Buckhead Village.
    The U-shaped bar at the entrance to Carmel is wrapped in rattanFounder Tal Baum of Oliva Restaurant Group wanted to create a space that would transport guests to the casual seaside ambience, so she tasked Smith Hanes Studio with designing an environment that draws upon a variety of beachside communities.
    “[Baum] wanted us to bring a sense of calm and expansiveness to Carmel, like you’d experience on the Mediterranean coast,” said studio founder Smith Hanes. “Our interior designer Janine MacKenzie accomplished that with a beautiful warm palette of naturals that coax us to remember the balmy indoor-outdoor breezes of Tulum or Puerto Escondido beach.”
    Lime plaster covers the walls to evoke a coastal aestheticA variety of local artists and craftspeople were brought on to achieve the desired effect. Lime plaster was hand-applied to surfaces by Super Delicious Walls and custom fibre installations by Sonya Yong James were added as accents.

    Meanwhile, upholstery and millwork were crafted by fabricators Hancock Surface Studio, Onemost Studio and Bjork Studio.
    In the dining room, woven pendant lights emit a warm sunset-like glowUpon entering the establishment, a U-shaped bar is wrapped in rattan, matching a light fixture suspended above that follows the same shape.
    Folding back a large wooden window opens the bar area to the street, where additional seating is built into the facade to serve cafe tables.
    Contributions from local artisans include custom fibre installations by Sonya Yong JamesThe back bar is set against a wall of textured, square white tiles, and framed by an arch with curved pillars covered in similar but smaller reddish tiles.
    “The rattan-wrapped bar, amber-tiled barback, glowing drink rail and sculptural lighting evokes a world of cabanas and parts of the Mediterranean where handwoven basketry is commonplace,” said the restaurant team.

    Floral installations decorate Atrium bar in Atlanta by Smith Hanes Studio

    Past the bar area, a deep arched opening leads into the 1,600-square-foot (149-square-metre) dining room.
    Mossy green banquettes, wooden four-top tables and chairs, and sheer curtains are all washed in a warm glow, “as if the sun is setting low on the ocean’s horizon” according to the team.
    Booth seating is set into niches carved from the wallsThe pendant lamps above the tables are woven from elephant grass and feature matte porcelain bulbs.
    More tilework, this time in sage green, clads the area around the kitchen passover window, which is flanked by niches for booth seating on either side.
    A large window opens to additional seating along the restaurant’s exteriorHanes founded his eponymous studio in 2004, and also opened an office in New York in 2020.
    Focusing on hospitality interiors, the team has previously completed a bar and restaurant in Atlanta that’s decorated with floral installations, and the ground-floor eateries within a renovated hotel in Portland, Oregon.
    The photography is by Tim Lenz.

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    Fettle returns The Georgian hotel in Santa Monica to its 1930s “glory”

    Design studio Fettle has restored an art deco hotel in Santa Monica, California, refreshing its distinctive turquoise facade and using the original style to inform the interiors.

    Facing Ocean Avenue and the water beyond, The Georgian hotel was originally built in 1933 to serve tourists visiting the beachside city west of Los Angeles.
    Restoring The Georgian hotel involved refreshing its turquoise facadeThe eight-storey building was recently acquired by BLVD Hospitality, which tasked London and Los Angeles-based Fettle with bringing it back to life while embracing its heritage.
    “The brief for The Georgian was very simple: to restore the building to her former and deserved glory,” said the studio’s co-founder and creative director Tom Parker.
    The dining terrace facing Ocean Avenue is surrounded by foliage”Not necessarily by going back in time, but more so by understanding how an art deco building right on the shoreline in Santa Monica would look and feel in a modern hospitality landscape,” he added.

    Under the navy-striped awnings on either side of the entrance, the shaded dining terrace is surrounded by foliage designed and procured by LA nursery Rolling Greens.
    The design of the Sunset Bar was intended to exaggerate the symmetry of the architectural detailsScalloped-back banquettes set the tone for a motif repeated throughout the interiors, including above the red key box in the lobby and for dramatic custom headboards in the guest rooms.
    In the lobby, the high ceilings are accented by deco-style chandeliers and original reliefs, and the floor is geometrically patterned to reference the designs of the 1930s.
    The dining room features mismatched custom lounge furnitureTo one side is the Sunset Bar, where a horseshoe-shaped counter of Italian emerald quartzite is strategically placed to highlight the symmetry of the arches overhead.
    The dining room is located on the other side of the lobby, and features mismatched custom lounge furniture among weekly installations by French floral artist Jean Pascal.
    Scalloped details are found throughout the hotel, including atop the red key box behind the reception deskTucked behind the reception area, past a spiral staircase and through a door, is Gallery 33 – an art gallery that also hosts private events.
    “This dramatic space has been designed to celebrate the best of culture, the arts and the most unique of gatherings as well as showcase the work of local, internationally renowned and up-and-coming artists through an evolving program throughout the year,” said The Georgian team.
    The Writer’s Room offers a private dining area for intimate gatheringsNext door is a red-walled library stocked with books curated by Lee Kaplan of Culver City’s Arcana: Books on the Arts, while the nearby Writer’s Room offers a private dining space for up to 20 guests.
    The Georgian has 56 classic rooms and 28 one-bedroom suites, all of which have art deco-influenced interiors.

    Kelly Wearstler designs relaxed and beachy Santa Monica Proper hotel

    Pale blue window valance boxes, globe-shaped crystal light fixtures and vintage-style record players are all included.
    Bedroom doors, cornices, window frames and bathroom tiles all match the bright hue of the building’s facade.
    All of The Georgian’s guest rooms have art deco-influenced interiorsOn the exterior above the entrance, Fettle also added a new brass framed neon sign based on the hotel’s 1930s original, tying together a celebratory restoration.
    “The end result presents a gleaming celebration of the building’s rich history with sensitive yet striking design elements,” Parker said.
    Window valances and globe-shaped chandeliers are among the guest rooms design featuresEnjoying the best of California’s beach culture and warm weather, Santa Monica is a popular destination for visitors travelling over from LA, as well as in its own right.
    Other accommodation options in the city include the Santa Monica Proper, designed by Kelly Wearstler with a relaxed feel and eclectic furniture, while a mixed-use development by Frank Gehry that’s currently underway will also include a hotel.
    A new brass framed neon sign based on the hotel’s 1930s original was also addedFettle’s portfolio of hospitality projects spans both sides of the Atlantic, with the 1 Warwick members’ club in London and the Schwan Locke Hotel in Munich among recently completed examples.
    The studio has also completed the public areas for several branches of the hotel chain The Hoxton, including the locations in Rome and Portland, Oregon.
    The photography is by Douglas Friedman.

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    Michael Groth uses natural and recycled materials inside New York’s Donna restaurant

    New York designer Michael Groth collaborated with a Moroccan artisan cooperative to create the wall hangings for this worker-owned bar and restaurant in the West Village.

    The opening of Donna’s new location on Cornelia Street follows the closure of its Williamsburg spot in December 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
    Michael Groth has designed the new Donna outpost in New YorkServing a pan-Latin menu with Mediterranean influences and Filipino-inspired cocktails, the restaurant and bar is now a worker-owned cooperative, with original owner Leif Young Huckman acting as an advisor.
    To reflect this shift, Brooklyn-based Groth aimed to imbue the design of the new outpost with references to the previous location while nodding to Donna’s revised business model.
    Earth-toned limewash plaster was applied to the walls in geometric patternsHe drew influences from the constructivist art movements of Latin America in the 20th century and particularly the work of artists Sandu Darie, Pedro Alvarez and Lygia Clark.

    Donna is decorated with earth-toned limewash plaster, applied to the walls in geometric patterns that echo the brand’s visual identity.
    Groth created wall hangings in collaboration with artisan cooperative The AnouExposed brickwork is painted white, forming a plain backdrop for the circular wool wall hangings that Groth created in collaboration with Moroccan artisan cooperative The Anou.
    Together with wool floor rugs, these help to dampen the acoustics while lime plaster assists in regulating humidity, according to Groth.

    GRT Architects uses “riot” of materials for Bad Roman restaurant in New York

    The tables are crafted from reclaimed Douglas fir flooring and stained plywood was used to build the banquette seating that wraps the perimeter.
    Bar-back shelving and floors were repurposed from the unit’s previous tenant, while the bar tops were fabricated by Brooklyn Stone and Tile – another worker-owned cooperative.
    Tables are crafted from reclaimed Douglas fir”The use of any new materials was limited to those that are natural and biodegradable, keeping in mind the holistic effects of resource extraction, human health and equity, and circular material cycles,” the Donna team said.
    Pendants lights above the bar have shades made from mushroom mycelium, which according to the team presents “an environmentally holistic approach to material creation that poetically reflects Donna’s equitable business model”.
    The pendant lights above the bar feature mycelium shadesNew York City’s dining scene was upheaved during the pandemic, with many eating and drinking establishments forced to either adapt or shutter.
    As a result, sidewalk dining shelters sprung up across the city, as documented in these photographs by John Tymkiw.
    The photography is by Nicholas Ruiz.

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    Hawaiian heritage informs Wayfinder Waikiki hotel by The Vanguard Theory

    Honolulu design studio The Vanguard Theory has created interiors for a hotel on Waikiki Beach that “embrace the brutalist architecture” of the building, while adding tropical touches to the decor.

    The Wayfinder Waikiki offers 228 guest rooms just a few blocks from the famous surfing beach of the same name in the Hawaiian capital, on the island of Oahu.
    In the bedrooms at the Wayfinder Waikiki, rounded headboards feature a mix of patternsLocal firm The Vanguard Theory waas behind the transformation of an existing brutalist building into a colour-filled hotel that nods to both indigenous Hawaiian and imported traditions.
    “Celebrating the rich diversity and multicultural fabric of Hawaii, touches of Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Filipino, and European details are all blended together, creating Kama’aina style,” said the hotel.
    The rooms are decorated in different colour combinationsA variety of different guest room sizes and types are available, from standard doubles all the way up to premium pool house studios.

    The rooms feature custom-designed wooden furniture and works by local artists and are decorated in different colour combinations that each reflect the natural world.
    The rooms range in size from standard double to pool house suitesGreen and coral hues are indicative of land, shades of blue and turquoise echo the sea, and gold and grey tones were chosen to represent the sky.
    Wainscoting adds dimension to the walls, some of which are painted in colour floor-to-ceiling, while others stop midway and continue in white to make the spaces feel bright.

    BHDM uses neons to make Shoreline Waikiki “the most instagrammable hotel in Hawaii”

    Round patterned headboards were created as a blend of “Japanese obi sashes, Polynesian-influenced tribal prints and plaid palaka fabric reflective of historic Portuguese ranchers” according to the hotel.
    The cords of bedside pendant lamps are laced with pikake and pakalana flowers – both native to Hawaii.
    The hotel’s lobby includes seating areas, a coffee bar and a shop selling merchandiseA similar design language is found in the lobby, where plants and floral prints sit side by side against concrete surfaces and leather furniture.
    Connected to the reception area along a counter with a fluted blue front is B-Side, a coffee shop from which guests can also purchase cocktails, light bites and hotel merchandise.
    The Redfish restaurant serves an all-day poke menuMore formal dining can be enjoyed at Redfish, an all-day poke restaurant where highly tonal wood panels cover large expanses of the walls and ceiling.
    Next to the 70-foot (21 metres) saltwater “lagoon” pool is a bar called Lost + Found that serves frozen tropical cocktails, plus a range of other drinks and snacks. There’s also an on-site gym.
    Guests can swim in a saltwater “lagoon” poolWayfinder Waikiki is the second location in owner Dovetail + Co’s Wayfinder portfolio, following its outpost in Newport, Rhode Island.
    It joins a wide range of accommodation options in Honolulu, a hugely popular tourist destination, including the mid-century influenced Laylow Hotel and the brightly coloured Shoreline Waikiki.
    The photography is by Mariko Reed, Read McKendree and Surf Please.

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    Shiftspace brings IM Pei rowhouse in Philadelphia back to “original vision”

    US studio Shiftspace has renovated a rowhouse in Philadelphia originally designed by Chinese-American architect IM Pei, restoring its original qualities after decades of alterations.

    Designed by Pei as part of a row of houses in the 1950s, the three-storey unit in the Society Hill neighbourhood had undergone several renovations and extensions over the years.
    Shiftspace was tasked with paring back these alterations to restore Pei’s original vision while enhancing it with contemporary details.
    Shiftspace has renovated an IM Pei-designed rowhouse in Philadelphia”Understanding Pei’s original vision for these houses, we approached this project with a sense of reverence that allowed us to see our design as enhancements to that original vision rather than starting from a blank canvas,” said Shiftspace partner Tim Barnes.
    Rowhouses are common in Philadelphia and sometimes referred to colloquially as “rowhomes”. Much of the city’s housing of this typology was built in the late-18th and early-19th centuries.

    According to Shiftspace, Pei designed the Society Hill townhouses to “bridge the gap” between these brick rowhomes and his nearby condominium, Society Hill Towers.
    It was originally built in the 1950sThe original exterior of the home has been retained. It consists of a mostly brick facade punctuated at the street-facing side by a large window with a small steel balcony.
    At the top of the home is a band of concrete-framed clerestory windows.
    Wooden louvres replace wallsInside, a central staircase that reaches from the basement to the third storey is essential to the redesign. Cleaving to Pei’s vision, Shiftspace has reoriented the home around this spiral stair and introduced a series of open-concept living spaces.
    The updated floorplans follow a typical format, with public spaces on the first three floors and three bedrooms on the fourth.
    At ground level, a curved breakfast nook with banquet seating leads to a kitchen that sits between the central staircase and a wall, and back into a dining area that has access to a garden patio. Here, some solid walls have been replaced with wooden louvres.
    The home is oriented around a spiral staircaseAbove are a living room and a study, separated by the staircase, as well as rearranged bedrooms and bathrooms.
    Two of the bedrooms on the top floor share a bathroom, while the main sleeping space has an ensuite. The bathrooms are tucked into spaces attached to the central core.
    “Our design reverted back to Pei’s original concept using a centralized core for all circulation, bath and mechanical spaces while reconfiguring for a master suite, kitchen, and entry area,” said founding partner Mario Gentile.

    “With IM Pei’s death, the last of the modern monument makers has passed”

    The studio added a new frame to the oculus at the top of the staircase that circulates additional light to the largely windowless structure. It also added skylights to the bedrooms.
    Minimising divides between rooms also allowed for further circulation throughout the home and for more light to penetrate the lower levels from the oculus.
    Shiftspace wanted to honour Pei’s original visionThe design was geared towards a more active lifestyle, which led to the addition of bike storage tucked away into nooks in the basement and on the ground floor.
    Shiftspace completed the renovation with a light-toned colour palette for the more public spaces and darker hues for the bedrooms and study.
    Pei was born in Guangzhou, China in 1917 and emigrated to the United States in 1935, where he founded a studio today known as Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. He designed a number of noteworthy buildings including Dallas City Hall and the Grand Louvre pyramid in Paris.
    Other buildings of his to be renovated include the Eskenazi Museum in Indiana.

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    Penthouse at Richard Rogers-designed New York tower overlooks City Hall Park

    A penthouse has been unveiled inside British architecture firm RSHP’s first residential project in New York City: a tower overlooking City Hall Park in Lower Manhattan.

    With interiors by local studio Ash Staging, Penthouse 3 is one of 30 residences within No 33 Park Row, which was designed by RSHP’s late founder, Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect Richard Rogers, before his death in 2021.
    Penthouse 3 at No 33 Park Row boasts 15-foot (4.5-metre) ceilingsFrom the 23-storey tower, the 5,403-square-foot (502-square-metre) penthouse has an unobstructed view of the Manhattan park, and features dark-coloured steel framing intended to reference the area’s industrial-era buildings.
    Visible through the huge windows are the building’s copper fins, an architectural element similar to the firm’s previous residential buildings such as One Hyde Park in London.
    The corner residence boasts views of City Hall through huge windows”One Hyde Park and 33 Park Row each face a park to the north and exhibit a similarity in terms of aspiration and quality with carefully composed facades that exhibit a richness of depth, shadow and texture,” said studio partner Graham Stirk, who worked alongside Rogers on the building.

    The penthouse interior features a double-height, open-plan living area that wraps around the huge north-facing windows to form an L shape.
    A staircase with glass balustrades connects to the upper levelTwo generously sized seating areas are positioned on either side of a 10-person dining table in the corner, while an adjacent bar area can be hidden away behind folding pocket doors.
    Above the grey marble kitchen is a grand wood-panelled storage and display wall that extends all the way up to the ceiling, with high shelves accessible via a rolling ladder as well as the mezzanine corridor.
    Each of the five bedrooms features a different aestheticA metal staircase with glass balustrades doglegs around a curved platform to reach the upper level, where a workspace is located on the glass-edged balcony.
    Five bedrooms all have tall ceilings but are decorated with different detailing. One is entirely neutral-toned, while another features pale teal walls, blue upholstery and rug, and copper table lamps.

    One Wall Street skyscraper completes conversion from offices to apartments

    In the 5.5 baths, richly veined book-matched Montclair Danby marble patterns the walls and floors, and an outdoor terrace measuring 108 square feet (10 square metres) has a wooden deck that echoes some of the millwork inside.
    The penthouse’s eventual residents will also have access to the fifth-floor amenities, which include an indoor/outdoor fitness centre and yoga studio, an outdoor kitchenette and dining area, as well as a rooftop terrace, library, craft studio, screening room and bike storage.
    Richly veined, book-matched Montclair Danby marble features in the bathroomsFounded as Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, the firm rebranded as RSHP in June 2022 following Rogers’ death. It has since revealed designs for “open and welcoming” Shenzhen skyscraper.
    The studio’s other projects in New York City include the 80-storey Three World Trade Center, which was completed in 2018 not far from No 33 Park Row.
    Dark-coloured steel framing on the exterior is intended to reference Lower Manhattan’s industrial-era buildingsOnce almost exclusively occupied by commercial property, Manhattan’s Financial District is becoming increasingly residential.
    Some of the existing offices towers are being converted into homes, like the recently opened One Wall Street, while new skyscrapers like David Adjaye’s newly completed 130 William are purpose-built for living.
    The photography is by Evan Joseph.

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