Local practice Child Studio has designed a house in a mews courtyard in London that mixes mid-century modern furniture with custom-made pieces in a nod to fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent’s home.
Child Studio designed the home, which was created for a hotelier and restauranteur, as a space for dining, entertaining and hosting parties.
A white curved fireplace sits at the centre of the lounge
It centres around a spacious lounge that was informed by the grand salon in fashion designer Saint Laurent’s Paris home.
Informed by the way Saint Laurent’s residence displayed his collection of artworks, the Mayfair home is a cornucopia of furniture pieces by iconic mid-century modern designers.
Sculptures and vintage furniture decorates the space
“We worked closely with the client to create a space that reflected his personality and interests, encompassing art, design, literature and travel,” Child Studio founders Che Huang and Alexy Kos told Dezeen.
“This approach made us think of Saint Laurent’s salon – an eclectic interior where design objects and art pieces from different eras and parts of the world are assembled together, forming a highly personal environment.”
Wooden shelving divides the room
A large open space in the residence, with narrow full-length skylights on each side, was given a vintage feel through the addition of wooden library walls.
These divide it into a lounge area as well as spaces for dining and studying.
“We were interested in finding an authentic design language for this project, balancing the art deco references with the 1960s and 70s modernism,” the studio added.
Child Studio designed a wooden table for the room
Among the furniture and lighting used for the residence are Japanese paper lamps by industrial designer Ingo Maurer and the “Pernilla” lounge chair by Swedish designer Bruno Mathsson, which have been juxtaposed with furniture designed by the designers themselves.
“We paired vintage Scandinavian furniture by Bruno Mathsson and Kristian Vedel with playful lights by Ingo Maurer and Alfred Cochrane,” Huang and Kos said.
“The cabinetry and tables were designed by Child Studio to unify the interior and accommodate all functional requirements.”
The dining area has a glass-brick wall
The lounge also contains a fully functional, half-moon-shaped fireplace created by the studio, with a decorative shape that matches two ornate urns and a pair of art-deco-style floor lamps.
“We designed the adulating fireplace to bring a sense of scale and permanence to the space,” the designers said.
“The plaster finish seamlessly blends in with the surroundings,” they added.
“The fireplace is placed below the skylight, and the soft shifts of sunlight throughout the day contribute to the tranquil atmosphere.”
Armchairs by Charlotte Perriand sit around the dining table
In the dining area, dark-wood shelving holding glassware, books and vases surrounds a circular wooden table with dining chairs by French architect Charlotte Perriand.
“The material palette of this room draws inspiration from the modernist Villa Muller by Adolf Loos,” the designers said.
“The combination of dark mahogany wood, patterned marble and green upholstery feels so chic, yet warm and unpretentious.”
The study also features natural materials
A kitchenette next to the dining area was separated from the space by a glass-brick partition designed to filter the daylight.
Behind the library shelves, Child Studio created a wood-panneled study for the homeowner. The studio aimed to use natural materials throughout the project.
“We enjoy working with natural materials, such as solid wood, stone and plaster,” Huang and Kos said.
“Child Studio often designs custom furniture pieces for projects, and we find that these simple and timeless materials are incredibly versatile and ideal for creating bespoke hand-crafted objects.”
The reisdence is located in a historic mews in Mayfair
Child Studio used an “understated” colour palette for the residence to create a warm, relaxing environment that it hopes will continue to evolve.
“Our goal was to design an interior that will continue evolving over time as the owners add new art pieces and bring heirlooms from their travels,” the studio said.
Also in Mayfair, architecture studio Laplace renovated The Audley pub and filled it with art and MWAI designed an apartment as if it were a hotel suite.
The photography is by Felix Speller and Child Studio.
Restaurant interiors with natural finishes have been popular on Pinterest this week, including a beach club restaurant in London and a Japanese restaurant in Canada featuring paper lanterns. Follow Dezeen on Pinterest and read on to find out more about the projects.
Pinners have been predominantly drawn to the Dezeen’s boards that feature restaurant interiors. The most popular have soft, warm lighting schemes and make use of natural materials and wooden furniture.
A sushi restaurant in Dubai stood out due to its black tiles, grey plaster and dramatic lighting.
Scroll down to see eight popular projects pinned on Dezeen’s Pinterest and browse our restaurants Pinterest board to see more projects.
Ikoyi restaurant, UK, by David Thulstrup
Copenhagen-based designer David Thulstup carried out a complete renovation of the interiors of London’s Ikoyi restaurant.
Informed by spices from sub-Saharan Africa, he created a warm and earthy colour palette featuring a variety of materials including copper and oak.
Find out more about the Ikoyi restaurant ›
Milk Beach Soho, UK, by A-nrd
Natural materials feature in this eatery designed by London design office A-nrd to resemble an Australian beach club.
The restaurant’s seating is made from timber and rattan, while sandy-hued Palladian terrazzo covers the floor.
Find out more about Milk Beach Soho ›
Hello Sunshine, Canada, by Frank Architecture
Japanese design elements like paper lanterns and ceiling-hung textile artworks feature in the interiors of the Hello Sunshine bar and restaurant in Alberta, Canada.
The studio incorporated plaid curtains, stone and wood to suit the restaurant’s mountain location.
Find out more about Hello Sunshine ›
Sahbi Sahbi, Morocco, by Studio KO
Influenced by female chefs and Morrocan cuisine, Studio KO used earthy colours and natural materials like wood to create a warm and inviting space for guests at Sahbi Sahbi (above and top).
Finer details include rust-coloured ceramic urns, clay pots and pans and orange-brown paint used for an alcove above a sink.
Find out more about Sahbi Sahbi ›
Saga Hirakawaya restaurant, Japan, by Keji Ashizawa
Materials “with a sense of simplicity” including wood and concrete were used to create minimalist interiors for a tofu restaurant in Japan’s Saga prefecture.
Wood was used for the entrance, windows and undersurface of eaves to match the wood from Ariake, a furniture brand also based in Saga. To complement its stripped-down interior, Japanese designer Keji Ashizawa added wooden furniture and pale grey walls.
Find out more about The Saga Hirakawaya restaurant ›
Bao Express, France, by Atelieramo
Traditional Hong Kong diners informed the design of Bao Express, Paris.
To recreate the 1970s Hong Kong urban atmosphere, the studio included celadon-green walls and curvaceous wooden booths. Pastel colours and neon lights also feature.
Find out more about Bao Express ›
Bacchanalia London, UK, by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio
Martin Brudnizki Design Studio was informed by classic Greek and Roman mythology when designing the interiors of this London restaurant.
Sculptures more than 2,000 years old can be found at the bar and five specially-commissioned monumental statues by Damien Hirst dominate the main dining room.
Find out more about Bacchanalia London ›
Origami, Dubai, by VSHD Design
A moody and dark interior was created for a sushi restaurant in The Dubai Mall, United Arab Emirates.
To replicate the atmosphere of Japanese underground sushi bars, VSHD Design used textured grey plaster, matte-black tiles and dramatic low lighting.
Find out more about Origami ›
Follow Dezeen on Pinterest
Pinterest is one of Dezeen’s fastest-growing social media networks with over 1.4 million followers and more than ten million monthly views. Follow our Pinterest to see the latest architecture, interiors and design projects – there are more than four hundred boards to browser and pin from. Currently, our most popular boards are Apartments and Concrete houses.
For our latest lookbook, we’ve gathered eight bathrooms where the sanitary ware adds a splash of colour, ranging from a green Portuguese “shower tower” to a bathroom with pink marble washbasins.
Although white toilets and basins are still the default choice, increasingly interior designers are experimenting with adding colourful sanitary ware to bathrooms.
Among the designs in this lookbook are stylish black toilets that add a graphic touch to the bathroom, as well as basins in a range of pastel hues including pale blue and avocado green.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with split-level living areas, mix-and-match flooring and homes with cleverly hidden lifts.
Photo by Benoit Linero
Les Deux Gares, France, by Luke Edward Hall
British designer Luke Edward Hall’s design for this Parisian hotel features plenty of patterns, bright colours and printed furnishings.
This can also be seen in the bathroom, where a green toilet and matching green sink stand out against the mustard-yellow wall and zigzag floor tiles. Above the sink, a mirror in a darker green hue complements the interior.
Find out more about Les Deux Gares ›
Annabel’s, UK, by Martin Brudnizki
The bathroom at London members’ club Annabel’s is an explosion of pink, from the pink marble sinks to the pale-pink flowers that line the ceiling.
“It’s really about fantasy – this is a club, you don’t come here for reality, you come to be transported somewhere else,” studio founder Martin Brudnizki told Dezeen.
Find out more about Annabel’s ›
Photo is by Denilson Machado of MCA Estúdio
Hygge Studio, Brazil, by Melina Romano
Terracotta tiles decorate this apartment in Brazil and were used in the bathroom alongside red bricks that were formed to create a vanity.
Next to it, a black toilet adds a dramatic contrast against the forest-green wall, while green plants and tan towels match the interior.
Find out more about Hygge Studio ›
Photo by French + Tye
House Recast, UK, by Studio Ben Allen
House Recast, a refurbished Victorian terraced home in north London, was finished with coloured concrete throughout.
In the bright green bathroom, the colour is contrasted with brass details, which were used for the tap and temperature controls by the small, circular sink.
Find out more about House Recast ›
Photo by The Fishy Project
VS House, India, by Sārānsh
A black toilet almost blends into the veiny green marble backdrop in the bathroom of VS House in India, which was designed to focus on “the nature of the materials used to finish the insides”.
Grey Kota stone, a variety of limestone that is quarried in Rajasthan in the north of India, was used on the floor and walls.
Find out more about VS House ›
Nagatachō Apartment, Japan, by Adam Nathaniel Furman
Colour is everywhere in the Nagatachō Apartment by designer Adam Nathaniel Furman, which is located in Tokyo and has a dreamy pastel bathroom.
In the bathroom a pink toilet sits next to a baby blue sink unit contrasted with a bright, sunny yellow tap.
Find out more about Nagatachō Apartment ›
Photo by Ricardo Loureiro
Small House with a Monumental Shower, Portugal, by Fala Atelier
Architecture studio Fala Atelier created a “shower tower” to house the bathroom and shower in this home in Amarante, Portugal.
Inside the tower, minty green tiles clad the walls while a matching sink surround in a pale green marble hue adds material interest.
Find out more about Small House with a Monumental Shower ›
Photo by Maxime Brouillet
Unit 622 in Habitat 67, Canada, by Rainville Sangaré
Design studio Rainville Sangaré’s design for an apartment in architect Moshe Safdie’s brutalist Habitat 67 building mostly features discrete colours, but in the bathroom, colourful sinks and a matching mirror break up the monochrome surroundings.
The washbasins have black Corian tops and the smaller of the two is used to wash calligraphy brushes.
Find out more about Unit 622 ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with split-level living areas, mix-and-match flooring and homes with cleverly hidden lifts.
Our latest lookbook features cross-laminated timber interiors, including a colourful German vacation home and a tenement-style housing development in Edinburgh, and is part of Dezeen’s Timber Revolution series.
Architects looking to offset the carbon emissions of a building often choose cross-laminated timber (CLT), a type of mass-timber made from laminated timber sections that can be used as structural building materials.
The material, which is normally made from larch, spruce or pine, absorbs atmospheric carbon as it grows and subsequently retains it during its life in a building.
In interiors, CLT can create a luxurious effect even for projects with a tight budget and gives rooms a light, modern feel.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with split-level living areas, mix-and-match flooring and homes with cleverly hidden lifts.
Photo is by Jeremy Bitterman / JBSA
Octothorpe House, US, by Mork-Ulnes Architects
The natural forms, custom furniture and organic colours and textures that appear throughout Octothorpe House were selected by studio Mork-Ulnes Architects for their resemblance to the surrounding Oregon desert landscape.
The cabin-cum-house was built using American-made CLT for a client that wanted an “environmentally progressive” and flexible design.
Find out more about Octothorpe House ›
Photo is by Christian Flatscher
Bert, Austria, by Precht
Hidden in the woodland surrounding the Steirereck am Pogusch restaurant in the rural village of Pogusch, this playful tubular guest dwelling was informed by cartoon characters.
It was designed by Austrian architecture studio Precht to feel dark and cosy inside, with the structural CLT walls providing contrast against the black flooring and dark textiles.
Find out more about Bert ›
Photo is by Rasmus Norlander
Haus am Hang, Germany, by AMUNT
German architecture office AMUNT was drawn in particular to CLT’s sustainability credentials when creating this hillside vacation home in the Black Forest.
Designed for a client who wanted to promote sustainable travel, the home features surfaces and joinery finished in shades of green inspired by local tree species and its layout was organised to make the most of natural light.
Find out more about Haus am Hang ›
Photo is by Marc Goodwin
Kynttilä, Finland, by Ortraum Architects
Structural CLT was used to form the floor walls and angled roof of this 15-square-metre cabin on Lake Saimaa in Finland.
Its gabled form encloses a bedroom and a small kitchen, which feature natural CLT walls. A large bedroom window provides views of the forest outside the cabin.
Find out more about Kynttilä ›
Photo is courtesy of Unknown Works
CLT House, UK, by Unknown Works
Named after its spruce CLT structure, CLT House is a semi-detached house in east London that architecture studio Unknown Works remodelled and extended to open up and improve its connection to the back garden.
On the ground floor, the timber walls, storage and seating areas create a minimal backdrop for the family’s musical and creative pursuits, parties and family gatherings.
A combined kitchen and dining space are housed in a bright yellow rear extension that opens onto the garden’s brick-paved patio.
Find out more about CLT House ›
Photo is by Jack Hobhouse
Rye Apartments, UK, by Tikari Works
The four-storey Rye Apartments block in south London was designed by local studio Tikari Works, which used CLT for the structure and left it exposed across the majority of the apartments’ gabled walls and ceilings.
This was combined with spruce wood kitchen cabinetry, storage units and shelving. Terrazzo-style flooring with amber and cream-coloured flecks was added to compliment the timber finishes.
Find out more about Rye Appartments ›
Photo is by Brigida González
R11 loft extension, Germany, by Pool Leber Architekten
The R11 loft extension is a two-storey CLT extension that Pool Leber Architekten added to a 1980s housing block in Munich, creating a series of loft spaces.
Inside the lofts, the structural timber was left visible on the walls, ceilings and floors. The material was also used to create sculptural storage cabinets that double as window seating.
Find out more about Pool Leber Architekten ›
Photo is by Tim Soar
Barretts Grove, UK, Amin Taha Architects
Amin Taha Architects created this six-storey CLT block, which contains six apartments, between a pair of detached brick buildings in Stoke Newington, London.
“The ability of the CLT to serve as structure and finish removed the need for plaster-boarded walls, suspended ceilings, cornices, skirtings, tiling and paint; reducing by 15 per cent the embodied carbon of the building, its construction cost and time on site,” the studio said.
Find out more about Barretts Grove ›
Photo is by Markus Linderoth
Twelve Houses, Sweden, by Förstberg Ling
The CLT structure that forms the foundations of Twelve Houses by Förstberg Ling has been left exposed throughout the walls, floors and ceilings of the interior living areas, giving the space a warm and inviting feel.
A back bedroom on the first floor overlooks a double-height area of the living room, which has a concrete floor and reddish-brown wall panelling.
Find out more about Twelve Houses ›
Photo is by Gabrielle Gualdi
Villa Korup, Denmark, by Jan Henrik Jansen Arkitekter
A CLT structure made from Baltic fir was used to construct this home on the Danish island of Fyn, which features exposed CLT panels throughout the interiors.
Designers Jan Henrik Jansen Arkitekter, Marshall Blecher and Einrum Arkitekter treated the material with soap and lye to lighten and protect the timber inside.
Find out more about Villa Korup ›
Photo is by Fredrik Frendin
Simon Square, UK, by Fraser/Livingstone
Comprised of six flats set within a mass-timber tenement-style housing development in Edinburgh, Simon Square has a structural timber frame that has been left exposed internally.
Architecture studio Fraser/Livingstone hoped that the presence of CLT indoors would improve the residents’ well-being. Potted plants and a neutral interior colour scheme provide an added sense of calm.
“When solid timber is exposed internally, the D-limonene the timber gives out has been shown to produce calm environments, with occupants’ hearts beating slower, and stress reduced,” project architect Ayla Riom told Dezeen.
Find out more about Simon Square ›
Photo is by Nancy Zhou
Biv Punakaiki, New Zealand, by Fabric
In an attempt to balance the high carbon levels of the cabin’s concrete floor and aluminium cladding, architecture studio Fabric chose to use CLT for the cabin’s structure, which was left exposed inside.
From the double-height living room, the residents can look up through large skylights that punctuate the ceiling and gaze at the stars above.
Find out more about Biv Punakaiki ›
Photo is by José Hevia
MAS JEC, Spain, by Aixopluc
Catalan architecture office Aixopluc used lightweight materials for this CLT extension, which it added to a traditional Catalan house in the city of Reus.
The building was prepared off-site and erected in just two weeks. Another advantage of using CLT is that the thermal mass of the exposed CLT interiors helps to ensure a comfortable internal temperature when the afternoon sun hits the building.
Find out more about MAS JEC ›
IJburg Townhouse the Netherlands, by MAATworks
This Amsterdam townhouse was designed to reference wooden Scandinavian homes.
Architecture studio MAATworks arranged it around an angular staircase made from cross-laminated pine wood, which was also used to create the wall and ceilings of the home.
Find out more about IJburg Townhouse ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with split-level living areas, mix-and-match flooring and homes with cleverly hidden lifts.
This article is part of Dezeen’s Timber Revolution series, which explores the potential of mass timber and asks whether going back to wood as our primary construction material can lead the world to a more sustainable future.
American entrepreneur Ian Schrager’s hospitality group The Edition has opened the first five-star hotel in Tampa, Florida, which includes a “jungle” lobby and a party room with 350 disco balls.
The Tampa Edition, which started taking bookings in October 2022, is housed in a new 26-storey building that includes 172 rooms and 38 private residences.
A focal point in the lobby of The Tampa Edition is a snaking marble staircase
It forms part of the Water Street development, a huge urban mixed-use expansion project just south of Downtown and a couple of blocks from the waterfront.
“[Tampa] has established its time is now, and I think it’s about to explode on the scene,” said Schrager, the hospitality mastermind who co-founded the legendary New York nightclub Studio 54, and is also behind the Public hotels chain.
Between the tropical plants, the tall lobby features a custom travertine pool table
“It’s got a good quality of life and a great food scene,” he continued.
“It’s a city in the sun, but it’s not a vacation-only spot, it’s a real living breathing city and that’s what I think is so special about it.”
Bright yellow carpet and seating contrast the greenery
Schrager’s team at ISC Design Studio designed the new Edition property, along with Morris Adjmi Architects, Nichols Architects, Bonetti Kozerski Architects, and Roman and Williams.
The white and glass building features art deco-influenced curves, which wrap the hotel on the larger lower floors and the residences in the tower portion above.
A scalloped walnut bar serves Mediterranean-influenced cocktails and light bites
The hotel’s lobby features 20-foot ceilings and full-height glazing along the front facade.
A large stainless-steel lilac orb greets guests as they enter the travertine-clad space, which is filled with tropical plants.
The Lilac restaurant features bright green seating that matches the tiles lining the semi-open kitchen
“I put the landscaping in the lobby,” Schrager told Dezeen. “I wanted to have a jungle, and I kept saying ‘more, more’ plants. At night they’re lit from below and you get the shadows of the leaves on the ceiling. It’s almost all green.”
Among the greenery are areas of lounge seating and a custom travertine pool table with a bright yellow top.
Entertainment spaces on the second floor include the Punch Room, decorated with walnut panelling and jewel-toned sofas
The same colour is repeated in the carpet and seat upholstery in the bar area, which is arranged around a scalloped walnut counter from which Mediterranean-influenced cocktails and small plates are served.
“Using really bright colors – the yellows and blues and greens – or putting plants in the lobby, were not additive,” said Schrager. “Those things will surprise you.”
A party room with 350 disco balls on the ceiling forms part of the Arts Club
The restaurant, Lilac, features bright green seating that matches the tiles lining the semi-open kitchen, which offers a Mediterranean menu from chef John Fraser.
At the other end of the lobby, a white marble staircase provides a focal point as it snakes up to several more entertainment spaces.
The Arts Club also includes an entirely black room with lounge seating
These include the Punch Room, a cosy walnut-panelled space with chartreuse sofas, and royal blue velvet banquettes and curtains.
The Arts Club, intended for late-night events, comprises a series of rooms – one is completely black, while 350 disco balls cover the entire ceiling in another.
The guest bedrooms are designed to look understated, with a focus on materials
The spa is also located on the second floor, while another bar and restaurant can be found on the ninth, which opens onto a roof terrace where guests can also enjoy an outdoor pool, sun loungers and cabanas.
Guest rooms and suites have an understated aesthetic, with particular attention paid to lighting and materials, including marble bathrooms, walnut panelling and white oak furniture.
“The design is simple and pure,” said Schrager. “There isn’t anything superfluous or gratuitous, nor a wasted gesture.”
“Leonardo da Vinci said ‘simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’. It’s supposed to be restful and peaceful,” he added.
A bar and restaurant on the ninth floor, named Azure, opens onto a roof terrace
The Edition now has 15 locations around the world, with West Hollywood, Tokyo and Madrid – which was longlisted for the Dezeen Awards 2022.
“I’m selling a visceral emotional experience, and it’s hard to pull that off,” Schrager said of the Edition as a brand. “Because you can’t take it out of a brand book or a rule book. It’s got to be balanced between refinement and being raw and edgy, so it can all come together in some mystical way.”
The roof terrace includes a swimming pool, loungers and cabanas for guests to relax in
The Tampa Edition is a major draw for the $3.5 billion Water Street development project, which encompasses nine million square feet and will form a new neighbourhood in a previously neglected corner of the city.
Tampa, as with other Floridian urban centres, has seen a boom in interest from tourists and new residents over the past few years, and therefore a need has grown for more homes, hotels and restaurants.
Bulbous steel tanks hang from where carcasses used to be suspended at the ÅBEN brewery in Copenhagen, which local studio Pihlmann Architects transformed from a slaughterhouse into a restaurant and bar.
Located in Copenhagen’s Meatpacking District, the brewery is housed in a 1932 butchery that has been used for various commercial activities since the early 1990s.
Visitors enter ÅBEN through the building’s original blue-rimmed doors
Pihlmann Architects maintained and restored many of the slaughterhouse’s original features as part of the renovation for Danish beer company ÅBEN.
“Turning the space back into a food production facility, with all the pragmatic measures we had to keep in mind, generated our ideas from the very beginning,” studio founder Søren Pihlmann told Dezeen. “Bringing back the authentic character of the space was key.”
Conical steel fermentation vessels were suspended where carcasses used to hang
Arranged across one open-plan level, the brewery features the original gridded rail system from which 980 carcasses used to hang when the space was a slaughterhouse.
Pihlmann Architects replaced the carcasses with conical fermentation tanks that are reached via a low-hanging galvanised steel walkway – also suspended from the listed building’s original sawtooth roof.
Pihlmann Architects was led by the building’s industrial history
Geometric clusters of white wall tiles that have been preserved since the 1930s were also kept in place, echoing the brewery’s original purpose.
“Bringing the key elements back to a worthy condition was more of a task than deciding on which [elements] to keep,” noted Pihlmann.
Semitransparent curtains divide spaces and control acoustics
Spaces are delineated by slaughterhouse-style semitransparent curtains, which cloak various dining areas that are positioned around the restaurant’s central open kitchen where visitors can experience the brewing process up close.
Furniture was kept simple and “unfussy” in order to emphasise the restaurant’s industrial elements, including angular chairs and bar stools finished in aluminium and wood.
“The [material and colour] palettes are true to function on the one hand and [true to] history on the other,” said Pihlmann.
Crimson red flooring runs throughout the brewery, which was in place when the building was purchased. It was maintained to add warmth to the otherwise clinical interiors.
At night, the restaurant’s electric light absorbs this colour and reflects from the fermentation tanks, creating a more intimate environment.
A central open kitchen is flanked by bar stools
Making the food production processes visible was at the core of the design concept, according to the architecture studio.
“It’s not only about the preparation of the food, it’s more about the brewing taking place,” continued Pihlmann.
“The space which produces thousands of litres every day is open for everyone to step into, and actually see how and where the product they consume is produced.”
“Today, we are so detached from what we consume, we just go to the supermarket and pick it up from the cold counter having no clue where it’s coming from,” he added.
“I’m not that naive to think that ÅBEN alone will change anything, but I’m convinced that it’s important to change this detachment.”
The slaughterhouse’s original white tiles were preserved
Pihlmann described his favourite aspect of the project as “how the elements we’ve added both submit to and utilise the existing space, not just visually but also through their structural function”.
“The building is built to carry a huge load,” he reflected. “Back then, it was tonnes of dead meat. Today, it’s enormous serving tanks from the ceiling.”
Founded in 2021, Pihlmann Architects was included in our list of 15 up-and-coming Copenhagen architecture studios compiled to mark the city being named UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture for 2023.
Previous slaughterhouse conversions include a training school for chefs in Spain that was once used to butcher meat and a cultural centre in Portugal that is currently being developed by Kengo Kuma and OODA.
Architect Ma Yansong, the curator of Blueprint Beijing, a feature exhibition exploring the future of the Chinese capital at the 2022 Beijing Biennial, shares six of his highlight installations from the show.
Ma, the founding partner of Chinese architecture studio MAD, invited 20 architects and artists of different generations from around the world to present their visions for the future of the city of Beijing in a variety of mediums including architectural models, installations, photography and videos.
Blueprint Beijing is the feature exhibition at the inaugural 2022 Beijing Biennial curated by MAD’s founding partner Ma Yansong
“Blueprint Beijing is a comparative study of history and the future of Beijing and the world,” Ma told Dezeen.
“We compiled a compendium of seminal events, people and ideologies from around the world that have vividly explored the theme of ‘the future’, such as Archigram, Oscar Niemeyer and many more, that have had a significant impact on current architects, and have influenced changes in Beijing’s urban planning in relation to major events.”
“The works of several creators selected here traverse the dimensions of time, space and geography, and their personal creative imagination has brought distinct significance to the exhibition,” he added.
Twenty architects and artists from around the world are invited to re-imagine the future of the city
The exhibition also presents material taken from historic archives about eight architects and collectives that have showcased visionary ideas, as well as four Chinese science fiction films with historic significance.
Here, Ma has selected six of his highlights from Blueprint Beijing for Dezeen:
Restaurant Inside the Wall, by Drawing Architecture Studio, 2023
“The Restaurant Inside the Wall installation is presented as a graphic novel, with a restaurant hidden inside the wall as the protagonist. Drawing Architecture Studio (DAS) transformed the graphic novel into a spatial experience in order to strengthen the absurd and suspenseful atmosphere of the story, by collaging and connecting the real elements of various street stalls.
“Drawing from the observation of urban spaces in China, DAS has discovered a lot of unexpected pockets of wisdom embedded in everyday urban scenes, and roadside ‘holes in the wall’ are an example of this. This installation adds a microscopic daily footnote to the grand avant-garde urban blueprint for the future.”
Filter City & City as a Room, by Peter Cook from Cook Haffner Architecture Platform, 2020-2022
“In this installation, Peter Cook dissects two of his drawings – Filter City (2020) and City as a Room (2022) – into elements that concentrate on sequences.
“Cook utilizes his signature strategy of creating concept drawings that remain connected to the built environment, while also moving towards a new future-looking ‘hybrid’, particularly interiors, that can be created from fragments of drawing and images.
“As a result, viewers can transcend from distant observers into participants.”
Liminal Beijing, by He Zhe, James Shen and Zang Feng from People’s Architecture Office, 2022
“The installation of Liminal Beijing, created by People’s Architecture Office, connects the city of Beijing in different time and space. It features a knot of radiant, winding, and rotating tubes that can be interpreted as pneumatic tubes transporting documents in the 19th century or the hyperloops developed today, representing the link between the future and the past.
“Modern life would not be possible without the hidden system of ducts that deliver heating, cooling, and clean air. Air ducts in Liminal Beijing are made visible so they can be explored and occupied, and are presented as missing fragments of space and time.”
Photo is by Jerry Chen
Astro Balloon 1969 Revisited x Feedback Space, 2008, by Wolf D Prix from Coop Himmelb(l)au, 2022 edition
“This installation was realized by combining two of Coop Himmelb(l)au’s previous works: Heart Space – Astro Balloon in 1969 and Feedback Vibration City in 1971, which were first shown in this form at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2008.
“The resulting installation is a cloud-like, semi-transparent and reflective floating space that translates visitors’ heartbeats into a lighting installation.
“Throughout its practice, Coop Himmelb(l)au has presented numerous futuristic ‘architectural’ prototypes of dwellings which are responsive to the sensibilities and activities of their inhabitants.”
Beijing In Imagination, by Wang Zigeng, 2023
“Chinese architect Wang Zigeng illustrates two city models that were informed by visual imagery of mandalas on the floor and ceiling of the exhibition space, expressing the tension between the ideal city and the chaos of the real world — a parallel reality of both the present and the future.
“He believes Beijing is the embodiment of ancient cosmologies and an ideal city prototype through the ritualization of urban space – the establishment of political and moral order as a highly metaphorical correspondence between human behavior and nature.”
Pao: A Dwelling for Tokyo Nomad Women II, by Toyo Ito, 2022 Beijing edition
“This installation explores what living means for city dwellers in a consumerist society. Even today, half of the population living in Tokyo are living alone, and having a place to sleep is all one needs. Pao is a light and temporary structure that can be dissolved in the buzz of the metropolis.
“This is a new edition of Toyo Ito’s previous work Pao: A Dwelling for Tokyo Nomad Women. By recreating the installation in Beijing while coming out of a global pandemic, Ito hopes to provide a space for visitors to reflect on the excessive consumerism that has continued to dominate the present.”
The Photography is by Zhu Yumeng unless otherwise stated.
Blueprint Beijing is on show at the 2022 Beijing Biennial Architecture Section at M WOODS Hutong in Beijing until 12 March 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
Designmuseum Denmark has looked at how design can shape the future through its The Future is Present exhibition, which features projects including a tubular chandelier made from cow intestines.
Presented at Copenhagen’s recently renovated Designmuseum, the exhibition showcases a range of “speculative and suggestive” works that examine four themes titled Human, Society, Planet+ and Imagining the Future.
The MYX Chair is a mycelium and hemp chair that has “grown” itself
“Design is very much a forward-looking profession,” said exhibition curator Pernille Stockmarr. “It’s about changing the existing into something better – and what we do in the present creates the future.”
“Living in a time with major global challenges, this exhibition wants to invite people to see and reflect on the different potentials of design in this transformation and encourage them to think about what kind of future we want,” she told Dezeen.
100 metres of cow intestines were used to make the Inside Out chandelier
Among the pieces on show is Inside Out, a chandelier-style lamp made from 100 metres of knotted cow intestines extracted from eight cows. Designer Kathrine Barbro Bendixen aimed to explore how byproducts can be used to rethink patterns of material consumption.
Faroe Islands-based fashion brand Guðrun & Guðrun created Vindur, a ruffled dress with exaggerated bell sleeves made of woven silk and machine-knitted milk yarn sourced from dairy production waste.
The brand worked with textile designers Amalie Ege and Charlotte Christensen and Lifestyle & Design Clusters to create the garment, which was made using a “traditional technique used during the inter-war period when resources were in short supply and waste was transformed into value,” according to the Designmuseum.
A group of designers created a dress made from dairy waste
More conceptual works include Beyond Life, a collection of biodegradable paper foam urns by designer Pia Galschiødt Bentzen with detachable pendants containing seeds that can be grown.
“Beyond Life unites death, loss, and remembrance with the awareness that we humans are part of nature’s endless circle of life,” said Stockmarr.
Also on show is Library of Change, a “map” of dangling acrylic foil cards charting current trends and technologies, inscribed with questions for visitors such as “would you leave the city for better connection?”
Beyond Life is a collection of biodegradable paper foam urns
Stockmarr explained that the exhibition aims to communicate “the breadth of design” by including works that vary in scale, purpose and medium.
“Their ability to inspire, start conversations and make visitors reflect was a priority,” she said.
“I didn’t want the works to be too-defined solutions for the future, extreme sci-fi visions, utopias or dystopias, but exploratory works. Some are collaborative research projects and others provide foresight into design methods, handicrafts and creative experiments.”
Library of Change is a project that encourages visitors to question the future of design
Alongside the various projects in the exhibition, artefacts from the Designmuseum’s own archive that highlight past ideas for the future are also on display.
One of these designs is the three-wheeled vehicle Ellert, Denmark’s first electric car developed in the 1980s by engineer Steen Volmer Jensen.
Ellert was Denmark’s first electric car
Local studio Spacon & X created the exhibition design for The Future is Present with the aim of reflecting its themes.
The studio delineated the show’s various zones using modular bioplastic dividers that snake through the exhibition space and worked with natural materials including eelgrass, which was used to create acoustic mats to manage noise in the museum.
Objects are arranged on custom tables and plinths made in collaboration with sustainable material manufacturer Søuld, while Natural Material Studio created a mycelium daybed for the show.
Stockmarr explained that the show is meant to be a call to action and empower people to reflect on their individual roles in determining the future of design.
“By asking more questions than giving answers the exhibition wants to inspire visitors,” reflected the curator.
“The show acknowledges that it is not only designers, architects, craftspeople and experts, but all of us who are participating in shaping and designing the future by the questions we ask and the choices and actions we take today.”
The Future is Present was designed by Spacon & X to be an immersive experience
Similar recent exhibitions that explored the climate impact of materials include a show at Stockholm Furniture Fair that visualised the carbon emissions of common materials such as concrete and The Waste Age – a London exhibition that addressed how design has contributed to the rise of throwaway culture.
The Future is Present is on display at Designmuseum Denmark from 19 June 2022 to 1 June 2023.See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
Swiss brand On has opened its first UK shop on London’s Regent Street, complete with steel fixtures and a robotic arm.
For its debut outpost in the United Kingdom, On aimed to showcase the science and technology behind its running shoes and clothing.
On has opened a trainer store on London’s Regent Street
“Our concept was a shoppable science museum in the sense that one of the main things we want to share is that what we do is science-based,” said On’s head of brand environments Nicholas Martin.
It is performance-run culture that is infused into everything we do.”
The store’s ground floor is defined by three circular steel tables, used to display the brand’s latest products.
The store contains three circular steel tables
Each of the tables, which can be raised and lowered, is surrounded by a curved steel wall that can be rotated to create a variety of layouts within the store.
The table at the store’s entrance also holds a robotic arm that mimics the action of running to showcase On’s running shoes.
The upper floor houses steel shoe cabinets
“The first thing you actually see is our robotic arm,” Martin told Dezeen. “We want people to touch and explore. So you kind of get to see the movement.”
“And then we also try to add different layers of storytelling,” he continued. “So you can compare the different shoes.”
On describes the cabinets as a “magic wall”
The first floor is defined by a pair of steel cabinets, described by On as a “magic wall” that runs the length of the store.
It contains all of On’s products in all available sizes so that customers can instantly try on trainers.
“Our goal was to revolutionise the way shoe try-ons happen,” said Martin. “At our stores, we let the product speak for itself. Our technology is something you feel once you put a product on.”
Contrasting the steel fixtures, the store’s walls were finished in natural clay sourced from Cornwall, which was applied by hand.
On the ground floor and in the basement-level event space, the walls are painted in a muted shade of grey while on the upper floors, they are finished in green.
The cabinets contain all sizes of On’s shoes
“Swiss engineering means for us loving technology and the natural world,” said Martin. “Technology makes the store look sleek, nature helps us to give the store a more imperfect and warmer look.”
“The store green is a nod to the legendary British racing green – a colour culturally saturated in movement, speed and engineering,” he continued.
The store is On’s first in the UK
Founded in 2010, On is known for its lightweight running shoes and is reportedly the fastest-growing running brand worldwide. Its stores form part of On’s wider efforts to build its brand internationally.
“They offer a space for our fans, community and new customers to explore and get to know the brand,” said Martin. “We see the store as a media channel that connects our fans with the brand.”
On previously created a reflective mountain cabin in the Swiss Alps to mark the launch of its first hiking shoe.
LA-based furniture designer Jialun Xiong has completed her first restaurant interior in the city for 19 Town, achieving a retro-futurist look by pairing soft hues and metallic surfaces.
Serving Chinese fusion food, the 19 Town restaurant is located in an industrial area close to Downtown LA.
Upon entry to 19 Town, diners are met at a stainless steel and Formica counter
The name is a play on words from a phrase in Mandarin, signifying a venue that has food and wine according to Xiong, who is originally from Chongqing.
She used a variety of materials and her own furniture designs to give the space a sense of “lavish restraint”, through the combination of minimal forms and rich details.
Designer Jialun Xiong aimed to create “high-drama interiors” through the use of contrasting materials
“Crafted with rigorously minimal forms balanced by rich materials like Venetian plaster, silver, and leather, the restaurant’s high-drama interiors create an elevated dining experience where connection around food takes centre stage,” said a statement on behalf of Xiong.
The 4,200-square-foot (390-square-metre) restaurant is divided into five areas, which include the main dining space, a bar and lounge, and three private rooms.
Glass block partitions define the spaces
Each space is designed with its own identity, including the entry, featuring a custom brushed stainless steel and Formica reception desk.
Behind, the wall is covered in Venetian plaster and plywood cabinets offer storage, while a series of circular Vibia pendant lights hang above.
Xiong used multiple pieces from her Building Blocks collection to furnish the restaurant
Glass block partitions define the perimeter of the main dining area, comprising a central seating area with round tables, and custom banquettes made from brushed stainless, green leather and vinyl.
“Overlooking an open kitchen, the main dining space evokes an aura of retro-futurism,” said the team.
The main dining room features custom stainless steel banquettes
The lounge is located on one side and the screened bar is situated on the other – both continuing the same design language as the central room, but with their own twist.
Xiong used multiple pieces from her Building Blocks collection to furnish these spaces, such as a silver powder-coated metal bench with off-white leather upholstered seats.
Other items also combine industrial and natural materials, creating a balance between soft and hard, shiny and matte, and heavy and light.
A variety of lighting designs with disc-shaped elements are installed throughout, adding to the retro-futurist appearance.
The restaurant has three private dining rooms, all with a restrained aesthetic
The private dining spaces are decorated using a monochromatic palette and a restrained approach, with green providing a subtle injection of muted colour.
The overall result is a series of “balanced spaces where furnishings, lighting, and spatial volumes are considered together as a total composition”.
The bar also features custom furnishings
Minimalism has become an increasingly popular style choice for Chinese restaurants, both in China and around the globe.
Others include a hotpot restaurant with thick stucco walls in Qinhuangdao, a muted monochrome space in Ontario, and an eatery featuring stainless steel, brass and polycarbonate in Manhattan.
