centre Archives

Photo of the exterior of the Finnish Design Shop logistics centre in Turku by Avanto Architects

Avanto Architects and Joanna Laajisto have designed a logistics centre for retailer Finnish Design Shop that features warm timber, a foraged-food restaurant for staff and visitors, and views of the surrounding forest.

Located on the outskirts of Turku, west of Helsinki, the logistics centre is the hub for storage, management and dispatch of products from the Finnish Design Shop, which says it is the world’s largest online store for Nordic design.

The company needed a new logistics centre after a period of high growth, but founder and CEO Teemu Kiiski also aimed for it to be a meaningful place for employees and visitors.

Employees of the logistics centre can enjoy plenty of light and forest views as well as warm timber environments and a restaurant run by Sami Tallberg, an award-winning chef who specialises in foraging.

The Finnish Design Shop had first explored whether it could convert an existing building in the Turku area, but, finding nothing suitable, chose to build on a site in the Pomponrahka nature reserve, where the surrounding forest would provide a calming work environment and reflect the appreciation for wood in Nordic design.

To undertake construction there responsibly, the Finnish Design Shop says the builders saved as many trees as possible and landscaped the area with natural forest undergrowth and stones excavated from the site.

Photo of the entrance interior to the Finnish Design Shop hub with light pouring through glass curtain walls and chairs displayed in shelves that reach high up the glazing — The entrance features glass curtain walls that connect the interior and exterior. Photo by Kuvio

Avanto Architects designed the 12,000-square-metre building to blend into the forest as much as possible — a challenge given its massing, a product of the warehouse layout.

The layout was created beforehand by specialist consultants to maximise the efficiency of operations, which are carried out by robots in an automated system.

Photo of a showroom featuring furniture by Nordic designers in pale woods and natural colours — The centre includes a showroom. Photo by Mikko Ryhänen

The architects opted for a dark facade with a vertical relief pattern that becomes visible on approach and echoes the tree trunks in the surrounding woodlands.

“The pattern forms a more human scale to the large facade surfaces,” Avanto Architects co-founder Anu Puustinen told Dezeen. “We also used warm wooden accents in the main entrance vestibule, balcony and windows.”

Photo of the wild food restaurant at the Finnish Design Shop hub in Turku — There is also a restaurant that specialises in foraged food. Photo by Mikko Ryhänen

The architects gave the office spaces large windows so the employees could enjoy frequent views of the forest and lots of light, and included a balcony for access to the outdoors on the first floor.

The entrance to the centre is through the showroom, which features glass curtain walls that showcase the use of the building and a long, straight staircase made from two massive glulam beams.

Photo showing views of a warehouse floor through large windows in an office corridor — The first-floor offices have a view of the warehouse floor. Photo by Kuvio

The interior was designed by Laajisto and her studio, who aimed to make the space feel well-proportioned and comfortable despite its size and to create a good acoustic environment by liberally applying sound-absorbing materials.

She kept the colour and material palette neutral and natural, with lots of solid pine and ash wood to continue the forest connection, but used furniture from the Finnish Design Shop in bright colours to punctuate the space.

“The aim was that every aspect in the interior should be done well and beautifully,” Laajisto told Dezeen. “Attention to detail was embraced in things that typically are overlooked, such as doors, plumbing fixtures and electrical hardware selections and applications, acoustic ceiling panels and ceramic tiles.”

The project is the first logistics building in Finland to be certified BREEAM Excellent, the second highest level.

Photo of an open office area with slatted pale wood room dividers and soft furnishings in neutral colours and turquoise — Special attention has been paid to creating a good acoustic environment with sound-dampening materials. Photo by Mikko Ryhänen

Kiiski, who positions the company as the opposite of multinational e-commerce players such as Amazon, aimed for the new centre to be the most socially and environmentally sustainable online store.

“The values that life in the Nordic countries is based on include transparency, equality and respect for nature,” said Kiiski. “It would have been impossible to create this company and our new logistics centre without unwavering respect for these values.”

Wood-panelled kitchen corner — Wood is featured throughout the interior

He believes that global online shopping can be socially and environmentally sustainable when issues in supply chains, logistics and operations are addressed.

“Many studies show that online shopping can have a lower carbon footprint as compared to in-store shopping,” said Kiiski. “This is due to the more efficient logistics in e-commerce and the fact that in-store shopping usually involves private transport.”

“We want to push the whole industry towards a more sustainable future,” he continued.

Photo of a timber-framed glass office door with warm light and a beige beanbag with throw rug in one corner — The hub is meant to offer employees a healthy and humane working environment. Photo by Mikko Ryhänen

Past work by Avanto Architects includes the Löyly waterfront sauna in Helsinki, which has a multifaceted exterior that visitors can climb, and the Villa Lumi, a house with a sculptural white staircase.

Laajisto’s previous projects include office interiors for service design company Fjord and the Airisto furniture collection for Made by Choice, which was inspired by Scandinavian holiday culture.

Reference

Architecture

DF Creative Group transforms former heating plant into cultural centre

By Zarkon Group,20/01/2023

Slovakian architecture studio DF Creative Group has converted a former heating plant in Bratislava into a cultural centre, complementing its industrial structure with a series of contemporary additions.

The heritage-listed Jurkovič Heating plant, originally designed in the 1940s by Dušan Jurkovič, was formerly part of the Apollo Refinery.

While the rest of the refinery was demolished, the former heating plant now sits at the centre of the Sky Park Masterplan by Zaha Hadid Architects, which completed its first phase in 2020.

Following an invited competition, DF Creative Group, led by architect Martin Paško, was awarded the project to convert the plant into a space that would combine co-working offices with public exhibition, events and hospitality areas.

Looking to celebrate the original industrial structure of the plant, DF Creative Group approached its retrofit as the creation of distinct contemporary structures within its original, historic shell, organised around the full-height turbine hall at its centre.

Between the vast, exposed concrete volumes of the former hopper heaters, steel-link bridges and glass walls create new routes and lines of sight through the building.

Exterior of Jurkovic Heating Plant transformation by DF Creative Group — The historic exterior was maintained

“The architectural solution uses the void interior space in the boiler room and the turbine hall for the construction of new independent structures, while creating new areas and floors consistently offset from the original building,” explained the practice.

“This concept makes it possible to separate and distinguish historical constructions from new ones, while simultaneously embracing and respecting history and harmony,” it continued.

The ground floor of the building has been reimagined as a “living square”, focused around a skylit atrium that extends the entire height and length of the building.

A restaurant, cafe, contemporary art gallery and multi-functional hall are all organised around the ground floor atrium, in between the existing columns of the original structure.

Above, five floors of co-working spaces occupy a newly-created glass envelope that overlooks the central void, with black steel-link bridges connecting spaces between the large concrete hoppers.

The office interiors have been finished with minimalist, contemporary detailing to create a contrast with the historic backdrop of the plant, with lighting fitted directly to existing trusses or walls and complemented by simple furniture and planting.

“The intervention highlights many historical construction details, including the structure’s original rugged columns and three cominant hoppers,” explained the practice.

“The reconstruction created an original representative space with materials in their original ‘roughness’ and colour,” it continued.

At the top of the building, a roof terrace provides visitors with views out over the newly developed Sky Park, where three new apartment towers by Zaha Hadid Architects sit within a green landscape.

“The new design is a symbol of the former plant, a symbol of Sky Park, and a symbol of the capital, Bratislava, itself,” said the practice.

Exterior of Jurkovic Heating Plant transformation in the Sky Park Masterplan — The project is located within Zaha Hadid Architects Sky Park Masterplan

The project is one of several recent schemes across the world transforming former power plants into new cultural spaces that celebrate their industrial heritage.

In China, ARCity Office adapted the concrete frame of a power plant into a new, glazed community hub, while in the UK, London’s iconic Battersea Power Station recently re-opened following its transformation into shops, offices and apartments.

Reference

Sustainable News

Velindre Cancer Centre will be “UK’s most sustainable hospital”

By Zarkon Group,04/11/2022

Swedish studio White Arkitekter has been chosen to design the all-electric Velindre Cancer Centre in Wales, which will be built partly with low-carbon materials and follow circular economy principles.

The Velindre Cancer Centre, which is set to be built in Cardiff, will feature lounge spaces, radiotherapy facilities and waiting areas all constructed from timber.

Other bio-based and low-carbon materials proposed for the building include lime and clay renders, which will be used for the interior finishes.

Where timber cannot be used due to clinical requirements, the studio plans to use concrete with ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) – a cement substitute that is a by-product of the iron-making industry.

“The plans for Velindre Cancer Centre represent a huge step forward for healthcare provision in the UK,” said White Arkitekter director Michael Woodford.

“The combination of circular economy principles, low carbon materials and respect for the local landscape will make it the country’s most sustainable hospital, where the environment is designed to support and complement patients’ medical treatment.”

Timer lounge area with green plants — Timber will be used for the interior

Designed as an “elegant, sustainable new cancer centre”, the building is intended to have as little impact on the existing site as possible.

It will be surrounded by a landscape that will be kept wild, with new areas including a community kitchen garden and orchard added to the site.

From here, visitors will walk into a timber-clad entrance area that will have a cafe and restaurant, a patient-transport waiting area and the “young person’s lounge”.

Interior and waiting area clad in wood in hospital — Internal spaces were designed to be easy to reconfigure

The facade of the building was designed to allow internal spaces to be easily reconfigured without the need for structural alterations. This intends to make it easy to adapt the hospital to future innovations in treatment and equipment.

According to its developers, Velindre Cancer Centre will be all-electric and achieve a minimum BREEAM rating of excellent – the sustainability standard’s second-highest rating.

The hospital will use electricity from green energy sources including photovoltaic panels on its roof, while its heating and cooling power will come from ground and air source heat pumps.

Courtyard outside hospital building — The hospital will be constructed partly from bio-based materials

Velindre Cancer Centre will also feature sustainable drainage systems including minimal below-ground pipes, a swale network and a retention pond.

To help reduce the environmental impact of the construction, the developer plans to “reduce site waste through off-site manufacture of components, minimise transportation and create greater efficiencies in the construction and maintenance of the building”.

“We are really pleased to have submitted detailed plans for the Velindre Cancer Centre, which is set to become the UK’s most sustainable hospital,” said Richard Coe, project director at developer and investor Kajima, which is leading the project.

“The buildings are designed with circular economy principles, using low-carbon materials and making a minimal impact on the surrounding countryside,” he added.

Brick hospital building in green park — It will be located in Wales

Plans for Velindre Cancer Centre were submitted by the Acorn Consortium, which was appointed after a public procurement process that was run by the Velindre University NHS Trust.

This is led by Kajima and also consists of Sacyr, Abrdn, Andrew Scott, Kier Facilities Services, White Arkitekter, Arup, MJ Medical, Turley, Studio Response, Camlins Landscape Architects, Osborne Clarke, Operis and Confab Lab.

Other recent timber designs by White Arkitekter include Gothenburg’s first wooden office building and a timber skyscraper that claims to be the world’s second-tallest wooden tower.

Reference

Aerial image of the Jiuzhai Valley Visitor Centre

Architecture

THAD draws on contours of nearby mountains for visitor centre in China

By Zarkon Group,04/11/2022

Spiralling tiled roofs informed by the contours of the surrounding mountains cover the Jiuzhai Valley Visitor Centre in Sichuan Province, China, designed by The Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tsinghua University.

Located at the entrance to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Jiuzhai Valley National Park, the centre provides a new exhibition space, visitor centre and offices as part of the area’s reopening following an earthquake in 2017.

Designed to sit harmoniously in the landscape both in terms of its earthquake resilience and visual appearance, The Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tsinghua University (THAD) created a cluster of low-lying volumes organised around a central plaza paved with a contour pattern.

“The project explores how artificial construction can be accommodated in natural scenic spots,” said the practice.

Image of Jiuzhai Valley Visitor Centre between the feet of mountains — The building is nestled within a mountain valley

“The aerodynamic architectural language moves through the narrow site smoothly, concealing the visitor centre with a sprawling and smooth curved form which spatially echoes the surrounding mountains,” it continued.

Taking advantage of a six-metre difference between the level of the entrance and the park, the centre was split to create separate access routes for vehicles and pedestrians, reducing the risk of congestion from the large number of tourists visiting the site.

Image of Jiuzhai Valley Visitor Centre and its swirling roof forms — It has a swooping curved design

The pedestrian plaza is elevated atop 36 branching steel columns above the tourist transport centre, where a fast drop-off area leads into a brightly-lit entrance hall and up to the level of the park via lifts and stairs.

At ground level, visitors enter under a gently arching wooden gateway, passing the curving Intelligence Management Centre to reach the circular Exhibition Centre, where an entrance hall and small exhibition provide an introduction to the park.

The landscaping leading into the park was informed by the Tibetan concept of lingka – a tradition that involves camping in parks – with a winding path between the existing pine trees leading to a bright red flag tent.

For the structure and materials, THAD contrasted traditional finishes such as slate, wood and paving at ground level with more contemporary steel and stone for the lower-level spaces.

Image of a curving wooden canopy at Jiuzhai Valley Visitor Centre — Parametricism was used to create its roof forms

“Parametric design technology is applied for a combination of local features and modern techniques,” said the practice.

“Tourists not only experience a gentle transition space before entering and exiting the national park, but also a distinctive space full of local culture,” it continued.

Interior image of a brightly lit space with steel columns at the visitor centre — Branching steel columns line a pedestrian plaza

Previous projects by THAD responding to a similarly sensitive landscape include an undulating shelter designed by the practice to cover the historic Peking Man cave and protect the archaeological site from weathering.

In 2019, the design and research institute referenced caved dwellings and used stacked stone and concrete to build the campus of Yan’an University in China.

Reference

Curtained interior of Open Hearts Lisboa

Interior Design

White leather curtains enclose Lisbon wellness centre by AB+AC Architects

By Zarkon Group,30/10/2022

Portuguese practice AB+AC Architects has designed a multifunctional wellness centre in Lisbon that doubles up as an artists’ residence.

The Open Hearts wellness centre is arranged around one large room, which AB+AC Architects refers to as the shala. This Sanskrit term refers to the idea of home but also, in the context of yoga, a place where people can learn and practise together.

As well as yoga classes, this adaptable space will host everything from breathwork classes and sound baths to meditation sessions, film screenings, dining experiences and creative writing workshops.

Running around the periphery of the shala are floor-to-ceiling curtains crafted from white vegan leather, which can be drawn to keep the room out of view from the bustling street outdoors.

At the front of the room, a wall of gold-tinted mirrors conceals a series of storage compartments. When an event is being held, the room can also be temporarily dressed with floor cushions and long birchwood tables.

Interior of Open Hearts Lisboa — Behind the shala is the artists’ residence

“Normally, when a design is very flexible, there is a risk of ending up with a very generic or sterile space, as if the only way to address adaptability is through non-specific design,” explained AB+AC Architects.

“We knew that creating a neutral mood that could accommodate a variety of programs would not be stimulating, so we decided that the centre had to be able to evoke different emotions based on the function occurring at that given moment.”

Wooden kitchen inside Open Heart Lisboa's artist residence — This includes a dining room and bespoke kitchen

A grand limestone archway to the side of the shala grants access to the artists’ residence, which is entered via a narrow lounge area.

The room is topped with a light-up ceiling that measures eight metres long and, when the artist is hosting an exhibition, washes their work in a complementary glow.

Next up is a small dining area and a custom-made kitchen suite featuring wooden cabinetry and a terrazzo-style countertop.

Surfaces in the adjacent bedroom are painted a crisp shade of white while the corner dedicated to the bathroom – complete with a freestanding tub – is clad in distinctive terracotta tiles.

The same gold-tinged mirrors from the shala are used here to help disguise the toilet.

Tiled bathroom inside Open Heart Lisboa's artist residence — A terracotta-tiled bathroom contrasts with the white walls of the bedroom

Should the resident artist want some fresh air, they can head outside to the small private patio.

Here, a concrete planter that winds around the edge of the space is overspilling with leafy tropical plants, while volcanic stone pebbles are scattered over the floor.

Outdoor patio of Open Heart Lisboa's artist residence — Foliage lines the private outdoor patio of the artists’ residence

Open Hearts Lisbon has been shortlisted in the civic and cultural interior category of this year’s Dezeen Awards.

Other projects in the running include a cow shed-turned-library, a historic cinema in Berlin and the world’s first multi-storey skatepark.

The photography is by Ricardo Oliveira Alves.

Reference

Entrance exhibition space at Qian Hu Zhi Wu, Xiamen

Interior Design

Cun Panda designs escape room with tree at its centre

By Zarkon Group,25/10/2022

Chinese studio Cun Panda has created a flexible space for immersive game company Qian Hu Zhi Wu in Xiamen, China, that features a silver-foil-clad tree, acrylic seats and mirror installations.

The local game company runs 14 escape rooms in China. Cun Panda’s design for its latest space measures 330 square metres and was designed with a focus on flexibility to enable a number of gaming narrations to take place.

“We aim to create a space that can tell stories,” the studio said. “The design injects extraordinary imagination and creativity into the space that integrates art and immersive experience.”

At the entrance of the space, a giant tree made of resin and covered in silver foil stretches through the ceiling to form the centre piece of the space. Added light installations were designed to look like satellites and planets circling the tree, giving the piece a futuristic feel.

The tree is surrounded by a series of rock-like formations, which were informed by Stonehenge.

“Stonehenge is taken as the prototype to open the interlaced space leading to the new world and build a dimension door of virtual and real,” explained the studio.

Resin tree covered in silver foil — Light installations have been added to the silver tree

The rock-like sculptures in the space have round holes to create clear sightlines inside the escape room, where the lit-up floor is the main light source and creates a variation of shadows.

Next to the entrance space, a narrow corridor connects the game room with a storage room, dressing room, and makeup areas. Stripes of lights and a mirrors installation on the wall and ceiling were designed to create an infinite sense of space.

Waiting area at Qian Hu Zhi Wu, Xiamen — Green moss and black sand add a sense of nature inside a white room

In another room, sand-dune shaped seats are supported by transparent acrylic to create a floating effect, revealing green moss and black sand in the otherwise completely white space.

Here, another tree breaks through the wall into the space and connects to the main tree installation. The white wall is lit up by LED lights and printed with shapes of sand dunes.

Corridor at Qian Hu Zhi Wu, Xiamen — Stripes of lights and mirrors create a visual illusion

Cun Panda was founded by Xuanna Cai and Jiacheng Lin in 2019 and has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming and Xiamen.

Other recent interiors from China include timber and travertine reading room by Atelier Tao+C and Fatface Coffee shop by Baicai, both shortlisted in this year’s Dezeen Awards.

The photography is by Xinghao Liu.

Reference

Architecture

Archi-Union works with students to design rammed earth community centre in rural China

By Zarkon Group,07/10/2022

A sweeping, tiled roof informed by the surrounding mountain ranges tops the Yong’an Community Hub in China, which has been designed by students from Tongji University in Shenzhen with architecture studio Archi-Union.

Referencing local structures and involving residents in its construction process, the rammed-earth, courtyard-style building provides a gathering space and residence for the Yong’an village’s more isolated upper area.

Shortlisted in the civic building category of Dezeen Awards 2022, Yong’an Community Hub forms part of an ongoing social welfare programme funded by Tongji University and led by Philip F Yuan, principal of Shanghai-based studio Archi-Union.

“The villagers from the upper village often suffer from inaccessibility to transportation, and are living in strained circumstances,” said the project’s team.

“The majority have no space to interact with one another other than their working space, therefore building a community centre for the upper village [became] the main goal of the volunteer activity.”

Bordered by stone walls, the main building sits at the north of the site, with a smaller toilet block on the opposite side of a large courtyard. Both were built using rammed earth partially made from the red sandstone found near the site.

Image of children playing at the Yong'an Community Hub — The building features rammed-earth walls

A run of wooden doors allows the main building to be almost completely opened to the courtyard, while a thin, letterbox-style window in its northwest corner frames views back towards the village.

The steel-framed, curving roof contrasts these traditionally-built rammed earth structures, using parametric design methods to create an undulating arc around the courtyard and minimising the use of non-standard components to make construction easier.

This roof shelters what the team describes as a “floating corridor”, an area of covered seating space that provides an area to dwell, watch performances or take in expansive views of the surrounding valley landscape.

“While retaining the functionality of the interior spaces, we tried to maximise the open public space as much as possible… from funerals to weddings or even daily socialising, the openness of space becomes the top priority to [the villagers],” said the team.

“The ‘floating corridor’ became a continuous yet fluid element that held the spaces together…to accommodate the low height of the entrance the roof was lowered, forming a starting point that ends when it meets the mountain slope.”

Interior image of a space that is zoned by rammed-earth walls — An undulating canopy wraps around the centre

Other projects on the shortlist for the civic project category of Dezeen Awards 2022 include a hospital in Myanmar by German practice A+R Architekten, which also drew on materials and typologies local to the area for its design.

The photography is by Schran Images.

Reference

Interior Design

Hariri Pontarini rethinks cold medical interiors at BARLO MS Centre

By Zarkon Group,19/09/2022

Canadian architecture studio Hariri Pontarini has completed a clinic in Toronto for multiple sclerosis patients that features warm wood tones and spaces designed to feel like “first-class airplane lounges”.

The Barlo MS Centre is Canada’s largest clinic dedicated to those with MS, a complex autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system.

Named after its two biggest donors, the Barford and Love families, the centre occupies the top two floors of a new 17-storey tower at St Michael’s Hospital in Downtown Toronto.

The 30,000-square-foot (2,790-square-metre) facility was designed by local studio Hariri Pontarini Architects, which aimed to rethink sterile-looking healthcare spaces and focus on patient wellbeing through the use of atypical colours, materials, textures and lighting.

Feature staircase in the atrium — The clinic’s two storeys are connected by a staircase that rises through an atrium

“Canadians are particularly prone to MS for reasons that are unclear,” said the studio.

“This hospital’s mission is nothing less than to transform MS care and become the world’s leading MS centre through research and clinical treatment.”

Walnut cladding around consultation rooms — Circular consultation rooms are partially clad in walnut

Taking cues from the hospitality industry, the team aimed to create a “comfortable and welcoming environment” by filling the spaces with daylight and offering views of the skyline.

The two floors are connected by a double-height atrium, topped with an oculus that allows more natural light in from above.

Inside a consultation room — The wavy panels conceal the rooms from the main circulation corridor

A staircase rises up through the atrium, curving towards the top with a glass balustrade to follow the shape of the opening.

Downstairs, the atrium connects to a lounge at the corner of the building and a reception area anchored by a curved white counter.

A wide corridor leads past a series of cylindrical consultation rooms that are partially glazed, but screened where they face the circulation area by wavy walnut panels.

On the other side of the floor plan, smaller and more open consultation booths named infusion pods are still offered privacy with curved pale wood screens.

Reception area — Different varieties of wood give the interiors a warm tone

“The infusion pods where patients may sit for up to eight hours are modelled to resemble a first-class airplane lounge and provide complete control over their environment,” the Hariri Pontarini team said.

Various light-toned woods are used for wall panels and balustrades, as well as thin slats that extend across the ceilings.

Lounge area — The atrium connects to a lounge and waiting area

All spaces were designed with durability and accessibility in mind, considering that some MS patients have vision and cognitive loss, fatigue and impaired coordination.

Bronze-coloured handrails were installed along the majority of walls and partitions, while anti-slip porcelain tiles cover the floors to aid patient mobility.

The centre also includes a gym, a mock apartment adapted for MS patients, and rooms for meetings, research and administration.

Together, it provides patients with a space to see a dedicated healthcare team in one location and clinicians the state-of-the-art resources to offer the best possible treatment.

Upper level lit by oculus — An oculus above the atrium brings daylight into the centre of the building

Hariri Pontarini Architects was founded by Siamak Hariri and David Pontarini in 1994.

One of the studio’s most recognisable buildings is the Bahá’í temple in Chile, featuring torqued wings made of steel and glass, while its work closer to home includes the glass-wrapped Tom Patterson Theatre in Stratford, Ontario.

Upper level corridor — Handrails are provided throughout the clinic to aid patient mobility

The Bar MS Centre is one of five projects shortlisted in the Leisure and Wellness Interior category of the Dezeen Awards 2022, along with a Shenzhen cinema and a spa in the Maldives.

See the full Interiors shortlist and vote now for your favourites.

The photography is by A-Frame.

Reference

Interior Design

Ten welcoming living rooms where the fireplace takes centre stage

By Zarkon Group,23/06/2021

With spring still a few months away in the northern hemisphere, this is the season to snuggle up in front of an open fire. For our latest lookbook, we’ve rounded up ten cosy living rooms where the fireplace is at the heart of the interior design.

This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbook series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series showcased living rooms with calm interiors, peaceful bedrooms, Japandi interiors and domestic bathrooms designed by architects.

116 Sorauren and 118 Sorauren, Canada, by Ancerl Studio

The living room of 116 Sorauren Street in Toronto, one of a pair of twin townhouses designed by Ancerl Studio, has been made cosy through the use of natural materials and plenty of textiles.

A black steel fireplace sits on a cast concrete plinth against the back wall. The plinth extends to create a comfortable nook has where the owners or their guests can warm themselves.

Find out more about 116 and 118 Sorauren ›

Pale brick fireplace in modern living room

Three Chimney House, US, by T W Ryan Architecture

This modernist white-brick house in Virginia (above and top image) has three white chimneys that define its external form. Inside, one of them opens up into this starkly elegant, brick-clad fireplace in the living room.

Here, tall white walls and ceilings create a contrast with the more traditional upholstered furniture. Warm colours ranging from pale aubergine purple to a mustard yellow were used on the seating by the fireplace, which is practical during cold winter months as well as being a decorative feature all year round.

Find out more about Three Chimney House ›

Living space with Japanese informed fireplace

Pound Ridge House, US, by Tsao & McKown

Tsao & McKown drew on Japanese architectural principles when designing Pound Ridge House. The influence that can be seen in the pared-back fireplace built onto a square stone hearth that sits between the living room and the dining room.

The design references an irori, a traditional Japanese sunken hearth which is often square in form and set in the middle of a room.

Smoke is extracted by a bronze flue in the form of a truncated pyramid that hangs from the ceiling of the lounge, which is filled with wood detailing and cream-coloured textiles. A generous skylight lets the light in during the daytime.

Find out more about Pound Ridge House ›

Teton House, US, by Olson Kundig

With views like the ones from Teton House (above and top) in the mountainous terrain of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, you don’t need art on the walls. Olson Kundig used floor-to-ceiling windows to take advantage of the vistas. But the view is almost upstaged by a substantial black fireplace in the centre of the glazing.

The simple form of the fireplace is complemented by leather chairs in warm brown hues as well as wood surfaces and woven textiles, creating an inviting, relaxing atmosphere.

Find out more about Teton House ›

California farmhouse with white brick fireplace

House for Grandparents, US, by Dash Marshall

The renovation of this California farmhouse was informed by the state’s Spanish missions, and its geometric forms and spartan material use reference these religious structures. But there is nothing ascetic about the house’s comfortable living room, where a broad brick fireplace sits on one wall.

A colourful painting and rug add vibrancy to the room, while two cylindrical metal coffee tables pick up the warm glow of the fire.

Find out more about House for Grandparents ›

Smith Residence, Canada, by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple

Inside this holiday home on the Nova Scotia peninsula, a massive fireplace keeps the living room toasty. Made from granite that was sourced from a nearby quarry, the fireplace features one aperture for the fire and one for storing logs.

Its sits underneath the black steel trusses that support the exposed roof. In front of the fire, a soft high-pile rug and two brown leather sofas complete the design of the living room.

Find out more about Smith Residence ›

Wasatch House, US, by Olson Kundig

An enormous bronze flue dominates the library in this Utah home by Olson Kundig, which has the feel of a living room thanks to a wide leather sofa and two cognac-coloured leather chairs. These sit in front of the unusual portrait-shaped fireplace, which is set in the monolithic flue and fronted by double doors.

A colour palette of dark browns and greys create a pleasantly laid-back atmosphere in the capacious room while ceiling-height bookcases flank the fireplace.

Find out more about Wasatch House ›

Concrete and red brick fireplace in Brussels rooftop extension

Lincoln, Belgium, by Notan Office

Modernist architect and designer Alvar Aalto inspired the design for this fireplace, set in a rooftop extension in Brussels by Notan Office.

It wraps around a corner and was built from concrete and ceramic construction blocks in warm orange and pale grey hues. “A fireplace is a kind of artifactual element in a house,” architect Frédéric Karam told Dezeen. “I wanted to express a sense of organic and rough feeling for such a function,”

Find out more about Lincoln ›

Slim fireplace in Little Peek by Berman Horn Studio

Little Peek, US, by Berman Horn Studio

Little Peek is a holiday home in Vinalhaven off the coast of Maine, designed by the Berman Horn Studio founders for themselves.

Designed to be used in all seasons, the house nevertheless has a summer feel thanks to its light interior and many generous windows, as well as an enclosed patio.

But in the open-plan kitchen and living room, a built-in fireplace set in a narrow stonework flue helps keep the room warm during cold New England winters.

Find out more about Little Peek ›

Contemporary freestanding fireplace in Italy

Casa Prè de Sura, Italy, by Casati

A freestanding fireplace in the form of a trapezoidal prism decorates this living room in Italy, set in a gabled house by Austrian architects Casati that has rough limestone interior walls.

The white fireplace functions as a decorative piece as well as a heat source. It has been cleverly designed with a side ledge on which the owners can stack wood. Beige and cream hues were used for the colour palette, matching both the fireplace and the limestone walls.

Find out more about Casa Prè de Sura ›

This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing peaceful bedrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.

Reference

centre

Finnish Design Shop creates forest-set logistics centre

Velindre Cancer Centre will be “UK’s most sustainable hospital”

THAD draws on contours of nearby mountains for visitor centre in China

White leather curtains enclose Lisbon wellness centre by AB+AC Architects

Cun Panda designs escape room with tree at its centre

Archi-Union works with students to design rammed earth community centre in rural China

Hariri Pontarini rethinks cold medical interiors at BARLO MS Centre

Ten welcoming living rooms where the fireplace takes centre stage

Get in touch

about us

Company info

Useful Links

Newsletter