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      Wooden elements “take centre stage” in Japandi-style Studio Frantzén restaurant

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      Scandinavian and Japanese influences come together at Studio Frantzén, a restaurant in London’s Harrods department store designed by Joyn Studio.

      Stockholm-based Joyn Studio created the sleek interiors for Studio Frantzén – the latest restaurant opened by chef Björn Frantzén.
      Top: visitors enter via a domed reception area. Above: the bar is characterised by back-lit glass bricksThe two-storey eatery is arranged across a main restaurant and bar on the fifth floor, as well as on an additional mezzanine and rooftop terrace on the sixth floor of Harrods.
      In stark contrast to the department store’s famed Edwardian baroque terracotta facade, Studio Frantzén features a contemporary palette that takes cues from both Scandinavian and Japanese design – a trend known as Japandi.
      Studio Frantzén is located across two levels at HarrodsVisitors enter the restaurant at a domed reception area, which references Scandinavian churches and forest chapels, according to the studio.

      The curved walls were clad with blocky cherry wood while illustrations of Nordic animals by Ragnar Persson decorate the ceiling and a Swedish wooden Dala horse was perched on the welcome desk.
      “Undoubtedly, wood takes centre stage in this restaurant,” Joyn Studio founding partner Ida Wanler told Dezeen.
      The main restaurant is composed of two dining hallsThe reception area gives way to a “glowing” bar composed of stacks of glass bricks bathed in amber light, which is mirrored by a ceiling of gridded copper.
      Informed by traditional Japanese izakaya – a type of casual watering hole serving snacks – the large main restaurant is composed of two dining halls with bespoke geometric terrazzo and marble flooring.
      One features bespoke timber seatingOne hall features an open kitchen and Joyn Studio-designed chunky seating booths and sofas carved out of end-grain wood. This was sourced from a large Hungarian pine tree, cut into cubes and then glued together piece by piece.
      This double-height space is illuminated by a spindly oversized chandelier by Swedish studio Front.
      The other follows the same gridded geometry as the barThe other dining hall, tucked around the corner and connected to a wine cellar, follows the same geometry as the bar.
      Sliding timber doors and a gridded wooden ceiling are interrupted by ultramarine benches in booths and delicate, ribbed paper lampshades.

      Halleroed mixes French and Japandi influences inside L/Uniform’s Paris boutique

      “To create a distinctive Nordic dining experience with Asian influences within a historic London building, we delved into the architectural and design legacy of the early 20th century,” explained Wanler.
      “Inspired by the journeys of our predecessors to the far east, where they assimilated influences and pioneered a style known as Swedish Grace, we embraced the resonances between traditional Japanese and Nordic architecture and craftsmanship,” she continued.
      Mirrored artwork by Caia Leifsdotter was included in the mezzanineOn the upper floor, the mezzanine includes three intimate dining booths accentuated by a burnt orange carpet and a wall-mounted Psychedelic Mirror by designer Caia Leifsdotter.
      Characterised by marble, rattan and wooden accents, the rooftop terrace offers expansive city views.
      The rooftop terrace offers views of London”Aiming to infuse creativity into the traditional luxury context of Harrods, we envisioned a relaxed and comfortable ambiance with sparks of richness created in unexpected ways,” said Wanler.
      In 2022, Joyn Studio was longlisted for the title of emerging interior design studio of the year at the Dezeen Awards.
      Elsewhere at Harrods, fashion house Prada recently opened a green-hued pop-up cafe that referenced one of Milan’s oldest patisseries.
      The photography is by Åsa Liffner.

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      Medprostor stacks firewood for Ljubljana design biennial exhibition

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      Firewood logs were used as modular stackable elements for the scenography of the BIO27 Super Vernaculars design biennial in Ljubljana, Slovenia, which has been shortlisted for a 2023 Dezeen Award.

      Curated by Jane Withers, the 27th edition of the city’s design biennial took place at the Museum of Architecture and Design (MAO) in the summer of 2022.
      Firewood was stacked in various ways to stage the BIO27 Super VernacularsThe four-month presentation explored how designers and architects are adapting vernacular traditions and value systems to respond to contemporary challenges like water scarcity, waste and declining biodiversity.
      Similarly, the brief for the exhibition design was to rethink classic parameters and consider sustainability in the context of a temporary show.
      The firewood bundles were used to display various design projects throughout MAOSlovenian architecture studio Medprostor chose to create the scenography from a readily available, locally sourced material that could be entirely reused at the end of the show.

      “Walls, planes, piles and lines of firewood are a part of the Slovenian visual landscape, as almost 59 per cent of the country is forested,” said Medprostor.
      “By only using the standard logs and non-invasive stacking and binding methods, all the material was returned to the supplier for further resale and use.”
      The logs were pre-cut to standard lengths so they could be reusedPre-cut to standard lengths, the logs were oriented vertically and bound together to create tables and platforms of varying heights and sizes throughout the exhibit areas.
      Some of the logs were notched in their tops to hold photographs and texts mounted on honeycomb cardboard sheets, which also formed flat horizontal surfaces for displaying items by participating designers.
      Photos mounted onto honeycomb cardboard were placed in notches on top of the logsBundles were also laid on their sides to act as low-lying display podiums for larger pieces.
      “The aim was to explore ways of stacking wood that are based in traditional techniques but can at the same time support new shapes and methods that evoke a sense of contemporaneity,” Medprostor said.
      Orange and grey straps recycled from the shipping industry were used to bind the logsThe grey and orange straps used to bind the wood and to hang cardboard panels from the ceiling were reused from the shipping industry.
      A few panels also incorporated video screens or served as a backdrop for projections, adding another medium through which the curated projects could be articulated.

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      Medprostor collaborated with graphic designers Studio Kruh and AA to continue the low-impact approach to the exhibition graphics and signage, which were primarily printed on-site at the museum.
      Additionally, the firewood was able to extend its drying process for the duration of the biennial, making it more energy-efficient when finally used as fuel, according to the studio.
      Hanging panels incorporated video screens and were used as projector backdrops”The drier the wood, the higher heating value and better environmental footprint it has,” Medprostor said. “While in the museum, logs can dry additionally and be returned to the supplier for further resale with a better ecological footprint.”
      “The museum becomes a part of the process of curing the wood.”
      All of the firewood was returned to the supplier when the exhibition endedThe BIO27 Super Vernaculars scenography has been shortlisted in the exhibition design category of the 2023 Dezeen Awards, along with a shrink-wrapped exhibition design by Didier Faustino and a showcase of recycled steel chairs by Daisuke Yamamoto.
      The awards will be presented during a ceremony and party in London on Tuesday 28 November 2023, with creative direction by The Unlimited Dream Company.
      The photography is by Ana Skobe and Klemen Ilovar.
      BIO27 Super Vernaculars took place at the Museum of Architecture and Design (MAO), Ljubljana, Slovenia from 26 May to 29 September 2022. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
      Project credits:
      Location: Museum of Architecture and Design (MAO), Ljubljana, SloveniaExhibition design: Medprostor: Rok Žnidaršič, Jerneja Fischer Knap, Katarina Čakš, Teja GorjupGraphic design: Studio Kruh + AACurator: Jane WithersAssistant curator: Ria HawthornBIO27 director: Anja Radović

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      RooMoo reuses distillery’s old whiskey barrels to decorate its bar

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      Chinese interiors studio RooMoo has used nearly 6,000 pieces of oak from discarded distillery barrels to adorn this whiskey bar in Shanghai.

      Laizhou Bar is located in the city’s buzzy Xuhui District and is an offshoot of Laizhou Distillery, a Chinese whiskey producer based out of Sichuan province.
      Wood offcuts from Laizhou Distillery’s whiskey barrels feature across the bar’s facadeThe distillery prides itself on reducing its environmental impact by using low-temperature saccharification machinery and collecting wastewater so it can be converted into biogas energy.
      So Shanghai-based studio RooMoo placed a similar emphasis on sustainability when designing the bar, where almost 6,000 pieces of wood from the distillery’s discarded oak barrels were reused as decoration.
      The offcuts were then used to construct a ringed structure on the bar’s ceiling”The bar imports the materials used in the distillery’s production process, creating a symbiosis between the two spaces,” said the studio.

      “Each dismantled barrel piece was different in terms of width, length and grain, so we classified them and applied them to different positions.”
      RooMoo assessed and classified all of the offcuts before useBarrel pieces are first seen on the bar’s facade, where they have been placed horizontally to create a lattice-like effect.
      The facade is otherwise only punctuated by a wide-set door and an expansive window, where barrels printed with the distillery’s logo are displayed.
      The bar’s slatted partition walls are also made from barrel offcutsOnce inside, guests step into a whiskey sampling area with a green marble tasting counter. Suspended directly above the space is a dramatic double-ringed sculpture crafted from barrel offcuts.
      More wooden barrel pieces were used to construct a curving, slatted partition in front of the main bar.
      A long seating banquette bends around the back of the room, accompanied by a series of black tables and leather chairs. There is also a huge light-up wall where liquor bottles are put on display.
      Black leather furnishings were incorporated throughout the main bar areaOn the ceiling here are the beginnings of another ringed sculpture, which will be completed as soon as the distillery has used up more barrels for the studio to use.
      “We made the ceiling structure beautiful enough to open the bar first,” explained the studio. “We are not hurrying to finish it, but following the production process and waiting for the wasted materials to be produced.”
      Off to the side of the main bar is a more private VIP tasting room. At its centre hangs a bespoke light crafted from the circular metal bands, which once held together the distillery barrels.
      The ceiling sculpture will be completed once the studio receives more offcutsLai Zhou Bar has made it to the shortlist in the sustainable interior category of the 2023 Dezeen Awards.
      The project is up against Edit restaurant by Elly Ward and Joe Morris, which is clad with salvaged terracotta tiles, and the Big Beauty store by Nina + Co, which is decked out in biomaterials like mycelium.

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      Eight immersive saunas in peaceful settings

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      A floating sauna and a cavernous coastal grotto feature in our latest lookbook, which collects eight sauna interiors that provide a warming antidote to colder months.

      Usually contained within a single room, a sauna is a sealed place where visitors experience dry or wet heat produced through a variety of mechanisms that are designed to clean and refresh the body – a ritual that is reported to date back to as early as 4000 BC.
      Saunas are typically made of wood due to the material’s ability to absorb heat but remain cool to the touch. The following projects demonstrate how architects and designers have interpreted this longstanding practice in contemporary settings.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring cosy living rooms, retro eateries and dining rooms with built-in seating.
      Photo is by Filip GränströmBig Branzino, Sweden, by Sandellsandberg 

      The Big Branzino is a floating sauna by Swedish studio Sandellsandberg that was topped with a distinctive bow-shaped roof.
      Designed to drift against the shifting backdrop of the Stockholm archipelago, the sauna features a red cedar-clad interior including a bespoke stove flanked by two-tiered seating.
      Find out more about Big Branzino ›
      Photo is courtesy of PartisansGrotto, Canada, by Partisans
      Canadian studio Partisans designed a cavernous cedar interior for a private burnt-timber sauna that was created to emulate a seaside grotto.
      Situated on a craggy spot on the shore of Lake Huron, north of Toronto, the structure features skewed porthole windows and a curvy alternative to traditional geometric stepped sauna seating.
      Find out more about Grotto ›
      Photo is by Jonas Aarre SommarsetThe Bands, Norway, by Oslo School of Architecture and Design students
      A trio of staggered timber bands forms this student-designed sauna, which also functions as a picnic terrace and has a sunken hot tub on its exterior.
      The building has three different gabled roof profiles, as well as glass and translucent polycarbonate plastic windows that illuminate the larch-clad interior.
      Find out more about The Bands ›
      Photo is courtesy of HaeckelsSauna, UK, by Haeckels
      Skincare brand Haeckels took cues from traditional Victorian bathing machines – wooden carts that provided privacy for people to change clothes at the seaside – when creating this sauna on the beach of southeast England’s Margate.
      The brand used materials that were as close as possible to those that would have been used to design original bathing machines. A wood-burning stove features inside, while timber benches provide seating with a sea view framed by an external wax-cloth awning.
      Find out more about this sauna ›
      Photo is Riikka KantinkoskiTullin, Finland, by Studio Puisto
      Finnish practice Studio Puisto paid tribute to the concept of the late nineteenth-century korttelisauna, or neighbourhood sauna, when designing this communal complex in the city of Tampere.
      Throughout the complex, the interior is characterised by rough concrete finishes layered with warm local pine – a material used in saunas all over Finland.
      Find out more about Tullin ›
      Photo is by Noé CotterLöyly, Switzerland, by Trolle Rudebeck Haar
      Designer Trolle Rudebeck Haar built a prefabricated floating sauna on Lake Geneva while studying at the Lausanne University of Art and Design.
      Created to explore the concept of micro-architecture, Löyly spans 2.2 square metres and features a Japanese sliding door – known as a shōji – made from ribbed translucent glass.
      Find out more about Löyly ›
      Photo is by RaumlaborGothenburg Public Sauna, Sweden, by Raumlabor
      German studio Raumlabor worked with local residents in Gothenburg to design this public sauna, which is raised over the water in the Swedish city’s Frihamnen port and accessed via a wooden bridge.
      Thin larch strips line the interior and create texture across the curved and angular surfaces of the ceiling and walls.
      Find out more about Gothenburg Public Sauna ›
      Photo is by Riikka KantinkoskiSaunaravintola Kiulu, Findland, by Studio Puisto
      Studio Puisto designed the Saunaravintola Kiulu wellness centre to combine a duo of saunas and a restaurant.
      Characterised by dark wood cladding and red epoxy flooring, the smaller of the two saunas is contained within its own independent timber cabin.
      Find out more about Saunaravintola Kiulu ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring cosy living rooms, retro eateries and dining rooms with built-in seating.

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      Studio Hinge creates library spaces beneath tree-like wooden columns

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      Indian practice Studio Hinge has completed Forest of Knowledge, a library in Mumbai that sits beneath a tree-like canopy of latticed wood.

      The library was designed for the Cricket Club of India, a member’s club dating back to the 1930s that is housed in an art deco building in southern Mumbai.
      Columns were created to resemble tree trunksAdapting the third floor of this building, Studio Hinge looked to recreate the feeling of “sitting under a tree with a book” by reimagining the structure’s concrete columns as tree trunks.
      Alongside, a former Zumba studio has been updated to be used as a flexible space for book clubs, film screenings and workshops.
      Circular bookshelves sit underneath the “canopy””India experienced one of the harshest and most sudden covid lockdowns in the world, and a lot of the design of the library was developed during this time, during which it was clear that people were yearning to meet and share ideas in person again,” explained the studio.

      “On a conceptual level, the design draws from nature, in particular the notion of sitting under a tree with a book, and also borrows from the beautiful canopy formed by the ficus and gulmohar trees to be found in the adjacent street,” it continued.
      The shelves are connected by plank-covered steel framesA steel frame covered with small wooden planks lines each of the concrete columns.
      This integrates shelving and extends upwards to create arched forms across the ceiling that are then connected in areas with a wooden lattice.

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      Curving bookshelves have been organised in a circle at the base of each column, with seating areas at the edges of the floor plate creating a variety of different conditions and atmospheres for visitors.
      On the library’s floor, custom terrazzo tiles feature a pattern of green “leaves” with a circle of wooden flooring used at the base of each column.
      The floor was decorated with a leaf pattern”Care has been taken to ensure no bookshelf in the open space is taller than 1.2m,” explained Studio Hinge.
      “This allows maximum natural light to permeate deep into the plan and for most adults to have an unobstructed view whilst standing, while creating sheltered semi-private nooks to sit and read in,” it added.
      “It also provides a very different perception of the library for children, from whose vantage the space between the circular bookshelves is playful, almost labyrinthine in nature.”
      A ceiling of timber planks adds interest to the multipurpose roomIn the multipurpose room, the ceiling has been finished with an undulating pattern of timber planks and the walls lined with cabinets to maximise storage.
      Forest of Knowledge was recently longlisted in the workplace interior (small) category of Dezeen Awards 2023.
      Elsewhere in Mumbai, The Act of Quad recently converted a former library into its own interior design studio, with a see-through facade of perforated, white metal sheets and Malik Architecture transformed an ice factory into an events space.
      The photography is by Suryan + Dang.
      Project credits:
      Design team: Interior Architecture – Studio Hinge, Pravir Sethi, Chintan ZalavadiyaLighting design: Studio Trace, Tripti SahniMEP: ARKK Consultants

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      Madera displays contemporary flooring and millwork products in Los Angeles showroom

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      Design and fabrication firm Madera has unveiled its latest showroom in Los Angeles, which was designed to showcase wood flooring and millwork products and has been captured in this exclusive video produced by Dezeen.

      The West Coast hub, which is Madera’s second showroom, is located in the Arts District of Los Angeles while its flagship showroom is in New York City.

      The showroom features a selection of wood products ranging from the brand’s signature wide-plank Thrasher flooring to custom cabinetry and benches.
      The space, which was converted from a former metal foundry into a showroom, aims to encourage clients to embrace wood and view it as an essential and natural element in design.
      Madera’s made-to-order Thrasher cabinetry is displayed in a living room spaceThe entryway features bespoke Douglas fir tables and benches, while the living room space has made-to-order Thrasher cabinetry showcasing the various finishes the brand offers.
      The kitchen displays a large custom island combining Madera’s Dogwood Ash and Travertine finishes, while a nearby conference room houses the brand’s Abechi Façade cladding in black.
      The showroom kitchen features a custom island that combines Madera’s Dogwood Ash and Travertine finishesMadera’s mission is to bring the natural beauty of wood into the spaces their clients inhabit to “redefine its place in the modern home”, according to the brand.
      Its Los Angeles wood shop, where custom stair parts and millwork elements are produced, is located only a short distance from its showroom.
      Madera’s showroom is located in the Arts District of Los AngelesThe brand recently launched its Seamless Wood Design system, which aims to ensure wooden products in an interior all complement each other.
      The system was created to offer designers and homeowners a customisable option that enables them to retain the character of wood throughout an interior.
      Partnership content
      This video was produced by Dezeen for Madera as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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      Australian hardwood lines Melbourne cottage extension by Prior Barraclough

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      Architecture practice Prior Barraclough has expanded a modest workers’ cottage in Melbourne to include an extension panelled entirely in Australian hardwood.

      Located in the neighbourhood of Northcote, Union Street House is a single-fronted workers’ cottage owned by a recently retired couple who wanted their home to have more functional living space.
      Local practice Prior Barraclough was tasked with extending the site but had to find ways to work around its strict planning regulations with “sensitivity to the heritage streetscape”.
      Union Street House is lined with Australian hardwoodThe extension was designed to sit neatly between two houses that lie on either side of the original cottage and features a dramatic slanting roof complete with solar tiles.
      The peak of the roof aligns with those of the two flanking properties, minimising the extension’s visual bulk and overshadowing.

      Its sloping form also allows for rainwater to trickle down and be collected in an underground tank, which is then recycled and used to service the home’s bathrooms or irrigate its outdoor spaces.
      A kitchen sits beneath the highest point of the extension’s slanted roofInside, the extension was clad all over with boards of Australian hardwood to both evoke a sense of warmth and soften the “folded geometry” of its interior architecture.
      “The entire extension is arranged on a 75 milimetre grid that governs joinery openings, door positions, room dimensions and material alignments,” explained the practice.
      “To align timber boards with this grid across surfaces pitched at different angles, each board had to be milled to precise and often varying dimensions.”
      Stainless steel-lined cupboards contrast surrounding wooden surfacesA comfy lounge was created beneath the lowest point of the roof, giving the space a more enclosed, intimate ambience. Light floods in from the expansive glazed panel that fronts the extension, granting views of the cottage’s leafy back garden.
      This is followed by a dining area, anchored by a large table crafted from hardwood boards that were left over from the construction works.
      Gridded white tiles feature on the bathroom wallsUnder the highest point of the extension’s roof is a minimalist kitchen. Hardwood boards overlay its central breakfast island and rear wall, concealing a series of storage cupboards.
      The inside of the cupboards was contrastingly lined with stainless steel, specifically chosen by Prior Barraclough to “emphasise the singularity” of the rest of the extension’s material palette.
      Narrow rectangular tiles that “maintain the precision of the project grid” were also applied in the bathroom suite that hides behind the kitchen.
      The extension’s mezzanine level provides additional living spaceA small mezzanine was built above the kitchen, which can serve as a study, guest bedroom or secondary sitting area.
      Slatted wooden screens were installed in front of the glazed opening here to provide privacy when needed.
      Inhabitants can go back to the cottage proper via a faceted wood-lined corridor, angled in such a way as to conceal the flight of stairs that leads up to the extension’s mezzanine level.
      A faceted corridor leads back to the original cottageUnion Street House has been shortlisted in the home interior category of this year’s Dezeen Awards.
      Other nominees include a residence in Tokyo filled with wooden furniture and artwork, a Madrid apartment divvied up by vibrant glazed tiles and Another Seedbed in Brooklyn, which doubles as a performance space.
      The photography is by Benjamin Hosking.
      Project credits:
      Architect: Prior BarracloughBuilder: Ben Monagle/Camson HomesEngineer: Adams Consulting Engineers

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      Architecture for London creates demountable wood interior for Present & Correct store

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      Local studio Architecture for London has designed an interior for stationery store Present & Correct in London,  which features gridded joinery and draws on “wunderkammer” cabinets of curiosities.

      The studio designed bespoke joinery and storage for the Present & Correct shop in Bloomsbury, central London, which sells vintage and new stationery from across the globe.
      The store interior was made from white-oiled woodArchitecture for London constructed a fully demountable interior for the store, which could be moved in the future if needed.
      “Rather than building the joinery around the existing building, we treated each unit as a freestanding cabinet,” Architecture for London director Ben Ridley told Dezeen.
      Trays showcase old and new stationery”Aside from the kiosk, most of the joinery was constructed offsite, so we had to consider whether the cabinets fit through a standard door width and could it easily be carried,” he continued.

      “In the long term the interior needs to adapt to multiple environments; the current shop has uneven floors, to accommodate this the cabinets have adjustable feet concealed within a recessed plinth, while slender legs appear to be bearing the weight.”
      Architecture for London developed a grid design for the interiorPresent & Correct’s aesthetic is often built around an organised grid that holds different-shaped pieces of stationery, and the studio aimed to replicate this in the interior of the store.
      “The shop joinery provides order through a grid which becomes progressively smaller as you enter the shop, providing scale to the eclectic collection of objects,” Ridley said.
      The store design references the nearby British MuseumIt also drew on the idea of a wunderkammer, informed by the store’s location close to the British Museum, to display the goods as “objects of desire”.
      “The wunderkammer is an environment which provides order to a collection of objects through compartmentalisation which could otherwise be observed as a chaotic mess,” Ridley explained.
      “So it’s about how we display hundreds of tiny objects like pens, pencils and rubbers alongside toolboxes and trays in a considered and legible way.”

      Architecture for London uses natural materials to renovate studio founder’s home

      The aim was for the cabinets to be durable and as long-lasting as old museum vitrines. However, budgetary constraints meant that Architecture for London couldn’t use hardwood for the joinery.
      Instead, it chose to work with maple plywood and ash.
      “We created the appearance and durability of solid timber by applying a rule that all edges of the maple plywood are finished with 25-millimetre British ash, which can take the knocks from a busy shop floor,” Ridley said.
      The furnishings are fully demountable”The maple plywood grain is free from imperfections and has a calm grain, so we didn’t feel the need to use additional veneers,” he added.
      “Although the joinery is built with an off-the-shelf material, by concealing the raw plywood edges the interior avoids the DIY aesthetic that can come with working with plywood.”
      A neutral colour palette was used throughoutIt was important to Present & Correct that the interior would allow the products to shine, rather than compete with them.
      This led Architecture for London to use a neutral colour palette and a grid layout that lets the materials speak for themselves, rather than more eye-catching designs.
      “At the concept stage, we produced designs which incorporated more playful elements such as large columns shaped like pencils,” Ridley said.
      “The shopkeeper understood their product well enough to know that there was enough humour in the stationery, so it didn’t need to be represented in the architecture.”
      Other recent projects by Architecture for London include a light-filled extension to a Hackney home and an energy-saving home in north London designed for Ridley.
      The photography is by Building Narratives.
      Project credits:
      Architect: Architecture for LondonInterior designer: Architecture for LondonMain contractor: AFL Build

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