Gallerist Rosa Park has opened a space in Los Angeles to showcase the work of Korean artists and designers, with interiors by local studio BC intended to reflect the country’s visual culture.
Francis Gallery LA is Park’s second location and is an expansion of her original gallery in Bath, UK – both presenting the work of emerging Korean artists.
Places of worship informed the interiors of the gallery on Melrose Avenue
Situated on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, the new space was designed with Lindsey Chan and Jerome Byron, founders of LA-based BC.
The duo preserved the building while transforming the inside with references to traditional Korean architecture and art.
The inaugural exhibition displays the work of six artists, including photography by Koo Bohnchang
These include a curved partition wall influenced by a moon jar and a contemporary re-interpretation of a hanok courtyard.
“The space was conceived to pay homage to Korean art and design in subtle ways – whether it was in the curve of a partition wall, the colour palette of the interior paints, or the profile of a low bench in the courtyard,” said Park.
BC designed the gallery to be pared-back yet warm
Places of worship like chapels and monasteries were also referenced in the design. These were accentuated by the use of “humble materials” and pared-back forms.
Although minimal, the intention was to ensure the gallery still felt warm and inviting, as well as provide an appropriate setting for the pieces on show.
Rahee Yoon’s translucent acrylic blocks are among the works on show
“I think this emotional connection to a space, to a work, is central to what I’m doing with Francis,” Park said.
“It was of great importance to me that the space acted as the ideal framework to house works that I hope will move people.”
The inaugural exhibition at Francis Gallery LA is titled Morning Calm, on view until 7 January 2023, and features the work of six artists of Korean descent.
Bo Kim, John Zabawa, Koo Bohn Chang, Nancy Kwon, Rahee Yoon and Song Jaeho are all at different stages in their careers.
An abstract painting by John Zabawa hangs on a dark wall
Their painting, photography, sculpture and ceramics all explore Korean identity in an international context and offer insights into the artists’ cultural heritage.
“With Los Angeles being home to the largest Korean community in the United States and Park having roots in both Seoul and LA, the debut show seeks to explore the nuanced connections between the two places,” said a statement from the gallery.
References to Korean architecture at the gallery include a contemporary interpretation of a traditional hanok courtyard
LA’s art scene has grown exponentially over the past decade, and the city is now home to many new galleries and exhibition spaces.
Well-known names that have opened their own locations there include Hauser & Wirth and The Future Perfect, while others like Marta are using modernist buildings like Neutra’s VDL II House to exhibit.
Italian architect Matteo Thun looked to the work of Czech artists Alphonse Mucha and František Kupka for the interior design of this Prague hotel, which features pastel colours and natural materials.
Located in an art deco building in the city centre, The Julius Prague has apartment suites with kitchenettes as well as smaller hotel rooms that were designed to have the feel of a home-away-from-home.
Matteo Thun used soft colours for the guest rooms at The Julius Prague
“In exploring new forms of living, we had to think about how to create that home-away-from-home feeling – providing privacy and independence, whilst also offering flexible communal spaces such as co-working areas, meeting rooms, and open lounges,” Thun told Dezeen.
“The rooms are designed as apartments, and the public areas are conceived as an extension of the rooms.”
Rooms overlook a central courtyard
The interior design of the colourful hotel was influenced by the way in which Czech Art Noveau painter Alphonse Mucha and Czech abstract painter František Kupka used colours.
Mucha’s soft, pastel hues were used for the guest rooms, many of which overlook a central courtyard with a light-filled conservatory, while Thun looked to Kupka’s brighter colour palette for the communal areas.
The hotel’s lighting was informed by bohemian glass work
“Inspired by Mucha’s work, we selected a pared-back palette and pastel hues for the guest rooms, working with natural materials and soft textiles to create a calming and welcoming atmosphere,” Thun said.
“Meanwhile in the communal areas we chose a more vibrant colour palette, drawing on Kupka’s abstract pieces, for a more energetic atmosphere,” he added.
“For lighting, we were inspired by the bohemian art glass work, emitting a warm ambient glow.”
More vibrant colours were used in the communal areas
Tactile natural materials were used throughout the hotel, including in the bathrooms, which are clad in a striking marble-effect ceramic tile.
“We used ceramic tiles with a marble effect from a leading Italian tile producer for the floorings of the public areas and the kitchens and bathrooms of the residences,” Thun said.
“We love to work with natural materials and have used oak-flooring for the serviced residences, featuring spacious living environments with open kitchen and generous smart-working spaces,” he added.
“Throughout The Julius, custom-made furniture and pieces ensure every space arouses curiosity.”
Bathrooms were clad in ceramic tiles with a marble effect
The Julius Prague is the first hotel from the Julius Meinl family, a gourmet-food retailer and manufacturer based in Vienna that Thun has previously worked with.
“We have enjoyed a rewarding relationship over the last 15 years and their flair continues to be invaluable in channelling design towards authentic, novel and inspirational projects,” Thun said.
The hotel was designed as a “home-away-from-home”
“In this case we have contributed our experience to their first hospitality project, designing a timeless scheme in tune with new expectations: a contextually aware nomadic way of living,” he added.
Other recent projects in Prague include a pop-up market with a turquoise scaffolding design and a spa with curved-cement walls and glass detailing.
Spotted: The impact of digital technologies on the world of art has been nothing short of transformative. From online platforms that make it easier for amateur artists to connect with their audience, to virtual tours that allow us to experience historical works up close, technology has completely redefined how we interact with, understand, and appreciate art in all its forms.
Perhaps no organisation embodies this shift better than Art Explora, a cutting-edge initiative that is shaking up the art world by making contemporary art accessible to everyone. The French foundation was created in November 2019 by entrepreneur Frédéric Jousset. Its mission is to reduce the cultural divide by bringing works of art to new, large, and diverse audiences.
Art Explora has developed a groundbreaking digital art history platform in collaboration with Sorbonne Université. This cutting-edge platform is designed to be accessible to users around the globe and offers intuitive interfaces that make it easy for anyone to explore art from all periods and styles. Through its unique journeys of discovery—which range from ancient Egyptian art to contemporary works—users of Art Explora are able to explore a wide variety of artistic styles and techniques in an engaging and interactive way. And by testing their knowledge through a series of quizzes and challenges, users can earn a valuable certificate that shows their level of expertise.
Another recent initiative from Art Explora is a new mobile museum, which has been christened the ‘MuMo’ and is a joint effort between Art Explora, the Centre Pompidou, and the MuMo Foundation. The truck will tour France in 2022 and Europe in 2023, bringing two themed annual exhibitions to each location. The exhibitions will be curated from the collections of the Centre Pompidou, as well as from other major European institutions. The MuMo will also host educational programs and workshops for children and adults alike. This unique opportunity to experience art from around the world will be an invaluable addition to the cultural landscape.
Art Explora also plans to bring art to the waves by converting one of the world’s largest catamarans into a mobile digital art museum. The floating museum is due to set sail from Marseille for various locations in the Mediterranean basin in September 2023.
Other Art Explora initiatives include the installation of ‘short story dispensers’ at the Armand Trousseau Children’s Hospital, and a residency programme enabling artists and researchers to carry out research and creation work in the heart of one of the most iconic and vibrant districts of Paris.
Other recent art and culture innovations spotted by Springwise include an online storytelling platform for female and under-represented filmmakers, an AR art exhibition embedded in the London landscape, and remote art tours via robots.
Judging is now underway for the 10th Annual A+Awards Program! Want to earn global recognition for your projects? Sign up to be notified when the 11th Annual A+Awards program launches.
Art and design are defined by how we experience the world and express ourselves. The spaces for creation and ideation shape what we make, and in turn, can provide the platform for making new works of art. When BNIM designed the Fine Arts + Design Studios (FADS) building at Johnson County Community College (JCCC) in Overland Park, Kansas, they brought together multiple disciplines into a single, carefully crafted facility. The result is an open architecture that allows students, faculty and staff to explore what expression means to them.
At the heart of the FADS building is the idea of bringing diverse ideas and art practices together. The building was made to exemplify the notion of learning by doing, drawing together disciplines that were previously dispersed across campus: graphic design, sculpture, ceramics, metals, painting, drawing, photography and filmmaking. The architecture was designed to provide a framework for new synergies and enhanced collaboration and, in doing so, inspire creativity and new forms of art making.
The FADS building was completed with Clark & Enersen, who provided programming and equipment planning, as well as mechanical, electrical and structural engineering for this building. In turn, they were selected for a range of services for priority projects identified in Johnson County Community College’s 2016 Master Plan. A goal of the facilities master plan was to reinforce campus neighborhoods by promoting adjacencies. The FADS building brings these ideas to life and contains the arts programs that were formally housed in the Arts & Technology building, along with filmmaking and graphic design.
As the design team notes, the FADS building included classrooms and studio space, material storage, multi-use common spaces, as well as display and collaboration spaces throughout building corridors. Fueling a desire to create, FADS includes these hallway gallery spaces and a covered outdoor courtyard, which functions as a year-round workspace for student and faculty artists alike.
In addition to providing collaboration spaces, the design features flexible and vibrant interior studios. The project was sited to provide intimately scaled exterior spaces for the creation and display of art, and to integrate and strengthen campus connections.
BNIM’s design features a rectangular volume lifted off the ground by a concrete podium and pilotis. In turn, the building volume is offset by acid-etched and ceramic-fritted glass panels. They worked with architectural glass and systems manufacturer Bendheim to bring the glass panels to life.
The customized, ventilated glass façade features a 170-foot-wide façade with Bendheim’s Lumi Frit Surface 1 fritted glass. It acts as a screen that filters soft, glare-free daylight into the studios through second-story windows, while creating a white aesthetic during the day. The glass also reflects sunlight to a shimmering white effect. Bendheim sampled multiple Lumi Frit patterns and surface options to test and evaluate for optimal diffusion and projectability.
Just steps away from the Midwest Trust Center, the Wylie Hospitality and Culinary Academy, and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, the Fine Arts & Design Studios (FADS) facility was made to anchor a new arts neighborhood on campus. The FADS strengthens these connections and provides space to reimagine how art is made.
“In the fine arts are these silos of specialties, but the trend is to break through those silos,” says Fine Arts Professor Mark Cowardin. “Painters are embracing more materials, and sculptors are working with ceramics and drawing. We want that sort of cross-pollination, not only with our students but with our professors. We are encouraging a creativity zone where we can build on our reputation and present to our students the opportunity for innovation.”
Judging is now underway for the 10th Annual A+Awards Program! Want to earn global recognition for your projects? Sign up to be notified when the 11th Annual A+Awards program launches.
Browse the Architizer Jobs Board and apply for architecture and design positions at some of the world’s best firms. Click here to sign up for our Jobs Newsletter.
Art Deco, which is short for Arts Décoratifs, emerged as a design style in France just before World War I and predated the more minimal and functional Mid Century design. Characterized by bold sleek forms, geometric patterns, reflective finishes, metallic and inlaid wood embellishments as well as luxurious materials, the aesthetic later gained popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, where it was showcased across architecture, interiors, fashion, automobiles and more.
The style married high-quality opulence and dramatic simplicity while also paying homage to technological advancements and mass manufacturing. In addition to Cubism and Viennese Succession, Art Deco also draws inspiration from cultures across India, China, Egypt and Mesopotamia. For many in North America, it is epitomized by icons like the Chrysler and Empire State buildings, completed when America was on the brink of the Great Depression. When America emerged from the crisis, the world had changed and so had aesthetic preferences. Today, we’re exploring how 21st century architects and designers are reviving Art Deco sensibilities and adapting them for the contemporary era.
San George by Framework Studio, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Chevrons and starbursts were some of the most defining elements of the Art Deco style. These patterns can be used in walls, furniture and even floors. Statement zig-zag floors in a high-gloss black and white pattern create a neutral base to place colorful furniture while also adding a stylistic layer to the design. In the San George restaurant, the bold floors come together with bright turquoise and rich emerald tones to create a retro aesthetic without it being too overwhelming.
Restroom in Art Deco Style by Futuris Architects, Yerevan, Armenia
Gold is an easy way to bring in the glamour of the roaring 20s. Instead of large metallic furniture pieces, the color can be introduced in a subtle way by using it in the edges or outlines of décor and furniture pieces, molding, lighting or handles. In this restroom, the studio added oblong mirrors with gilded frames and then reinforced this design language with gold-finished lights and matching accessories. The dark tones of the walls and furniture also help the metal stand out more.
Jazz Billet by Envisage, Gurugram, India
Starburst, solar forms, and stepped patterns are other characteristic elements from this era. These geometric forms were often used in wallpapers, moldings, mirrors and even building exteriors. An Art Deco-style apartment in India showcases these patterns in the form of wall paneling. A dramatic living room wall arrangement is achieved by staggering curved and flat panels of different lengths with recessed light fixtures.
Death & Company Los Angeles by AAmp Studio, Los Angeles, California
Jewel tones have long been associated with wealth and grandeur. Deep shades of red, green, navy or purple can either act as a backdrop or be used in furniture as accents. In Death & Company Los Angeles, these rich hues create a moody atmosphere that is part nostalgic but also contemporary. These colors are juxtaposed with dark wooden panels, light natural stone, metallic accents and floors with geometric tiles.
Beau Cloud Mansion / The Cascade by Bean Buro, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong
Taking inspiration from the automobiles and ocean liners in that era, curvilinear forms and clean lines also became a part of the style in the 1930s. The Bean Cloud Mansion / The Cascade does the same in a modern way. Corners, wall edges and furniture profiles have all been given smooth edges or curved profiles. This is even replicated in cabinet doors and wall dividers. The curved lines are also incorporated at a smaller scale by adding fluting to the dining table.
Santomate by Daniela Bucio Sistos // Taller de Arquitectura y Diseño, Morelia, Mexico
Art Deco is the epitome of making a statement, and lighting can be a big part of this. Illuminators with sleek or geometric forms can easily spruce up simple spaces. This is exhibited in the design of Santome — a restaurant and bar in Morelia Mexico. Globe lights attached to oblong profiles are suspended in a row over the bar. The setup also comprises recessed lighting in the same warm hue to create a halo effect.
Project 1874: Photorealistic 3D Rendering Restaurant by Yantram Architectural Design Studio, Rio Rancho, New Mexico
In addition to floors or walls, patterns can also be introduced on the ceiling. In a conceptual design for a restaurant in New Mexico, the firm used a striped pattern in green and ivory to decorate the ceiling. The Art Deco theme is further reinforced with the addition of geometric starburst lights.
5550 Wilshire by TCA Architects, Los Angeles, California
The style manifests in different forms for the exteriors as well. The most iconic Art Deco buildings across the world often mimic lines and forms of old ocean liners. Curved edges, flat roofs, bands of windows, circular openings, horizontal bands, ship railings and ziggurat-shaped decorations are just a few examples. The 5550 Wilshire is a building that encapsulates this style masterfully. The horizontal mass of the structure is further broken up with vertical divisions to create the illusion of height.
Browse the Architizer Jobs Board and apply for architecture and design positions at some of the world’s best firms. Click here to sign up for our Jobs Newsletter.
New York City-based architecture office Schissel Montgomery has completed a minimalist renovation of a three-bedroom apartment in the Park Slope neighbourhood.
Named Wendy’s, the studio decluttered the 1,300-square-foot (120-square-metres) apartment’s living spaces to create “a quiet, generous background for art and life”.
The kitchen uses only lower cabinets to create a sense of openness
The renovation centres around a new kitchen, which is partially open to the living and dining space. Previously, these two areas were separate.“The intervention focuses on creating connections between the shared spaces of the apartment and selectively removing materials accreted over time,” said the studio.
A key move was to declutter the apartment’s living room
A new banquette along the wall integrates storage beneath the seat while consolidating the previously separate spaces.
At the end of a corridor, the studio repurposed an existing bedroom to create a study for the owner. Furniture selections here include a table by midcentury designer Eileen Gray and a Barcelona Daybed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
Since the apartment is at street level, Schissel Montgomery designed sheer fabric curtains to cover the bottom portion of the windows.
This gives residents more privacy, while still admitting light into the space.
The new study occupies a former bedroom at the far end of the apartment
The project has a restrained palette with light wooden floors, white painted walls and selectively curated furnishings and artwork.
“The intervention focuses on creating connections between the shared spaces of the apartment and selectively removing materials accreted over time,” Schissel Montgomery explained.
The entrance includes a full-height mirror and built-in storage
Custom details include a handmade concrete enclosure to protect the building’s steam pipe.
It is made of stacked, textured cylinders that resemble a classical column’s fluting motif.
Custom details include a concrete sleeve to cover the building’s steam pipe
Another additional at the apartment’s entrance is a floor-to-ceiling mirror that was to expand the space and brings more light to a darker area of the apartment.
“The intervention uses painted surfaces, whitewashed floors and window sheers to maximise bounced light in the space,” explained Schissel Montgomery.
The pipe enclosure nods to similar classical columns visible from within the apartment
These pipes are left exposed in many New York City apartments and can become so hot that they are hazardous to residents, in addition to being unsightly.
Schissel Montgomery was established in 2019 and is led by two graduates of Columbia University’s architecture school, Michael Schissel and Talene Montgomery.
Other apartment renovations in the Brooklyn area include a townhouse by GRT Architects that is filled with eclectic art objects and a monochrome interior renovation by local firm Arnold Studio.
An aquarium designed to protect marine biodiversity and a healing centre using horticultural techniques to help treat mental illness are included in our latest school show by architecture students at the Academy of Art University.
Other projects include a “public living room” that blends neighbourhood life with areas for privacy and a residential hub designed to enable economic self-sufficiency for residents.
School:Academy of Art University, School of Architecture Courses: M.Arch M.Arch2 B.Arch MA and BA Tutor: Mark Mueckenheim, David Gill, Nicole Lambrou, Sameena Sitabkhan, Eoanna Harrison, Philip Ra and Mini Chu
School statement:
“We are a progressive design laboratory of highly passionate students and a distinguished faculty of practising architects who work together to explore the boundaries of architecture. Our interactive onsite and online studio experience harnesses digital tools to mentor students throughout our rigorous curriculum.
“We offer an excellent design education by developing each student’s capacity to synthesise critical thought, architectural vision, and technical comprehension. Our programmes engage with current global issues, empowering students to be change-makers and leaders advocating for social equity. Our diverse international community enables us to propagate a unique cultural response to build a better world.”
Outer Mission Ramp Library – a knowledge connector for rapidly changing communities by Yi Hsien Rachel Wang
“The typology of library buildings has evolved throughout history, reflecting the changes in information systems and learning activities. By combining social, functional and environmental benefits, the thesis is projecting a new sustainable library typology as a prototype for a public learning infrastructure.
“The main conceptual idea is to design the library as a continuous ramp, connecting previously separated areas in the diverse local city fabric. The architectural intervention shortens the neighbourhood’s physical and social distances by combining pedestrian bridges, casual and formal learning infrastructure as a public living room for residents to gather, work, exercise and entertain.”
Student:Yi Hsien Rachel Wang Course: Master of Architecture Thesis Tutor: Mark Mueckenheim
Self-generating Architecture: Pier 28 by Valeryia Haletskaya
“The design for a hybrid aquarium and research-development centre at Pier 28 on the San Francisco waterfront employs organic, metabolic and self-generating materials. Artificial organisms – protocells that in time grow into artificial limestone – help to decrease levels of carbon dioxide while reinforcing the existing structure and building its sea-wall reef, skeleton, and envelope.
“Researchers, students and visitors share spaces for learning, interaction, and collaboration. The scheme offers protection for marine species and enhances biodiversity. The living architectural intervention is aimed as a long-term solution for coastal cities and other areas at risk from storms surges due to climate change.”
Student: Valeryia Haletskaya Course: Master of Architecture Thesis M.Arch Tutor: Mark Mueckenheim
Outer Mix Investigating mixed-use development as a means to fostering a healthy year-round community on the Outer Cape by Christian Fish
“A lack of affordable, year-round housing has become an urgent crisis on Cape Cod, afflicting low and middle-income families depending on a largely seasonal economy. Outer Mix imagines a new residential, social and economic hub on a 10-acre area in the Eastham Corridor Special District.
“Organised into four blocks repeated throughout the site, 95 residential units are combined with nearly 30,000 square feet of economic and social programming. This includes artist studios, co-working spaces, cafes, a library, daycare and community greenhouse. This programme mix enables economic and sustainable self-sufficiency and a community for residents.”
Student: Christian Fish Course: Master of Architecture Thesis Tutor: Nicole Lambrou
Eco-Tecture – Unifying Ecology with Architecture by Kevin Brady
“How can architecture enhance, improve and support educational and public awareness of the conservation and preservation of our local natural resources? Exposure and access to the elements of nature enliven the spirit, inspire curiosity, and encourages a ‘critical thinking’ response while promoting a healthy interactive lifestyle.
“This thesis seeks to determine how architecture could positively impact an ecological setting that strengthens community health, productivity, conservation and ecological awareness. This design approach engages user groups with the natural environment while preserving the ecological habitat.”
Student: Kevin Brady Course: Master of Architecture Thesis Tutor: David Gill
A Living Architecture by Aishwarya Naidu Bobbili
“This project is a healing centre incorporating earth and plants into its form and structure to create a holistic, sustainable space for wellness and rehabilitation. Farming, nature and architecture form a dialectic relationship. Horticultural techniques such as pleaching aid in the treatment of mental illness and serve as a therapeutic strategy.
“Located in Bakersfield, near Oil City in Kern County, California, the site is near the highest polluted city in the United States. The project aims to aid in healing people with a tranquil environment that incorporates sustainable and biophilic design.”
Student: Aishwarya Naidu Bobbili Course: Master of Architecture Thesis Tutor: Mark Mueckenheim
Unity Pavilion for Northridge Cooperative Housing by Naomi Rojas, Shunyi Yang, Dylan Ingle, Rhonuel Domingcil, Fabio Lemos, Corona Xiaohuan Gao, Malak Bellajdel, Kenta Oye, Jacob Delaney, Harikrishna Patel and Daniel Cervantes
“A design-build project by the B.Lab group, the pavilion fosters cooking, eating and storytelling within a community garden in the Hunters Point neighbourhood of San Francisco.
“Due to a lack of access to healthy, affordable food in the area, the pavilion integrates counters, benches, and a movable kitchen table for cooking demonstrations using produce directly from the garden, while a series of frames offer shade and a vista of the bay.
“The design was derived from several communities and youth workshops together with feedback from garden volunteers, and the pavilion was measured and tested on full-scale prototypes before construction.”
“The project investigates the relationship between the sacred and the political, and the role of the autonomous citizen therein. Sign-up sheets are simple yet contractual.
“Where public services are exchanged, they are activating devices bringing citizens together to achieve common goals. Sacred architecture has been a beacon of alternative governance by becoming places of refuge and political action.
“This thesis frames those events as distinct from the economic agenda of neoliberalism. Sign-Up Sheet reimagines the site with an urban sanctuary in San Francisco’s Tenderloin where non-profit staffs and community members live and work in a hub of collective activity.”
Student: Daniel Joonhee Lee Course: Bachelor of Architecture Thesis Tutor: Philip Ra and Mini Chu
Kid of Parts for the Bayview Commons Apartments by Adam Nuru, Markish Siojo, Dylan Ingle, Fabio Lemos, Xiaohuan Corona Gao
“Through a series of community events at the Bayview Commons Apartments, an affordable housing community in San Francisco, we learned that residents wanted an active, intergenerational, and flexible space that allowed for relaxation, interactive play and community events.
“Our final design incorporates a set of flexible, movable furniture that can be set up in different configurations. Intergenerational play, imagination, and socializing are emphasized through the design of different panels on the modular pieces. The colourful groundscape is coded to give clues for spatial use and provide a vibrant surface that complements the colours of the wall mural.”
“Urban planning in San Francisco has confined ethnic neighbourhoods to inhuman spaces. My ancestral heritage includes the repeated displacement of the Japanese community to unwanted or forgotten territories.
“The design reveals the lost layers of the site – where the first Japan town took root in 1900 – by activating the alleys, offering a cultural centre that borrows from museum and immigration centre programmes.
“The act of making was the catharsis that enabled this community to cope creatively. Ceramic, wood, and sewing galleries are paired with adjacent workshops, providing spaces to congregate, exchange ideas and share experiences through craft.”
Student:Kenta Oye Course: Bachelor of Architecture Thesis Tutor: Philip Ra and Mini Chu
Urban Living Room by Zoe Qiaoyu Zheng
“The project brings neighbourhood life into public space while blurring boundaries and creating conditions of privacy. Public programmes and varied open spaces blend traditional library and private spaces with adjacent buildings.
“The design responds to natural light, wind, and views but also create opportunities to block visual contact with adjacent residences. People are welcome to celebrate their time here, and the architecture makes invisible boundaries to protect their personal space as needed.
“This is not just a library or another place to hang out; the proposal also provides opportunities for people to safely interact in acceptable proximities.”
Student: Zoe Qiaoyu Zheng Course: Bachelor of Architecture Thesis Tutor: Philip Ra and Mini Chu
Partnership content
This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the Academy of Art University. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
At the heart of the FADS building is the idea of bringing diverse ideas and art practices together. The building was made to exemplify the notion of learning by doing, drawing together disciplines that were previously dispersed across campus: graphic design, sculpture, ceramics, metals, painting, drawing, photography and filmmaking. The architecture was designed to provide a framework for new synergies and enhanced collaboration and, in doing so, inspire creativity and new forms of art making.
The FADS building was completed with 
As the design team notes, the FADS building included classrooms and studio space, material storage, multi-use common spaces, as well as display and collaboration spaces throughout building corridors. Fueling a desire to create, FADS includes these hallway gallery spaces and a covered outdoor courtyard, which functions as a year-round workspace for student and faculty artists alike.
BNIM’s design features a rectangular volume lifted off the ground by a concrete podium and pilotis. In turn, the building volume is offset by acid-etched and ceramic-fritted glass panels. They worked with architectural glass and systems manufacturer Bendheim to bring the glass panels to life.
Just steps away from the Midwest Trust Center, the Wylie Hospitality and Culinary Academy, and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, the Fine Arts & Design Studios (FADS) facility was made to anchor a new arts neighborhood on campus. The FADS strengthens these connections and provides space to reimagine how art is made.
“In the fine arts are these silos of specialties, but the trend is to break through those silos,” says Fine Arts Professor Mark Cowardin. “Painters are embracing more materials, and sculptors are working with ceramics and drawing. We want that sort of cross-pollination, not only with our students but with our professors. We are encouraging a creativity zone where we can build on our reputation and present to our students the opportunity for innovation.”
