Creates Archives

External Reference creates 3D-printed organic displays for La Manso store

3D-printed shelving structures informed by Catalan-modernist buildings were used for shelving in this store designed by External Reference for a Spanish jewellery brand.

Experimental jewellery designer Adriana Manso asked Carmelo Zappulla’s studio External Reference to develop a suitably unusual interior concept for her first physical store in the city.

Exterior of La Manso store in Barcelona — The store is in the Eixample district

The project involved designing a window display and shelving for the 25-square-metre store, which is located in Barcelona’s Eixample district just a few metres from the house where Manso was born.

Manso is known for her playful pieces made from recycled plastic, which she wanted to display in a space that evokes the luxury feel of an haute-couture boutique.

Interior of La Manso — It features a 3D-printed interior informed by architecture

External Reference sought to combine the contemporary plasticity of La Manso’s jewellery with motifs influenced by Barcelona’s early 20th-century architecture, including the building in which the store is situated.

“Our design concept revolved around bringing the exterior facade inside, creating a melted and fluid background that would serve as an artistic canvas for showcasing the jewellery,” Zappulla told Dezeen.

“By blending the expressive elements of Catalan modernism with the organic forms inspired by La Manso design, our goal was to craft a visually captivating environment that elevates the overall shopping experience.”

Floral details in Barcelona store — External Reference created wavy shapes for the space

The designers selected fragments from the decorative facade and abstracted them using a process involving hand drawing and computational design techniques.

In particular, floral details from the elaborate canopy at the store’s entrance were reinterpreted as large rosettes incorporating futuristic glitches and bas-reliefs.

The organic shapes form shelving units that range in height from 90 centimetres to 1.7 metres. Jewellery and accessories are displayed on the shelves, as well as on a small table at the centre of the space.

The furniture is made from biodegradable cellulose and was produced with technical support from specialist 3D-printing workshop La Máquina.

Zappulla and his team refined the digital models to optimise them for printing. This involved splitting them into manageable parts that could be processed by the machine’s robotic arm.

Barcelona jewellery store — The aim was to provide a neutral backdrop

All of the printed elements are finished in a muted off-white shade that matches the rest of the interior and provides a neutral backdrop for displaying the jewellery.

Large, mirrored surfaces help to make the interior feel more expansive, while spotlights provide targeted illumination for highlighting the collection.

In addition to the main furniture, the designers also developed a window display and 3D-printed signage that extend the store’s conceptual design out into the street.

Shelving at La Manso — The La Manso interior has a muted colour palette

Large-scale 3D-printing technology offers designers possibilities to create unique elements for branded interiors, which makes it increasingly popular for retail spaces.

Spanish design studio Nagami has created a store for sustainable clothing brand Ecoalf featuring transparent 3D-printed displays that recall melting glaciers, while Dutch architecture practice Studio RAP used the technology to produce a wave-like tiled facade for an Amsterdam boutique.

The photography is courtesy of External Reference.

Reference

Interior Design

Rockwell Group creates atmospheric lobby and restaurant at PAC NYC

By Zarkon Group,20/12/2023

Ribbons of light guide patrons from the lobby to the restaurant inside the Perelman Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center, where the interiors are designed by New York-based Rockwell Group.

The studio founded by designer David Rockwell recently completed the public spaces that include the Metropolis restaurant and adjoining lounge areas within the cube-shaped building, which local architecture studio Rex wrapped in thin marble panels.

Small stage with low lounge seating in front — The lobby of the PAC NYC venue includes a stage for programmed performances

The volume holds three flexible and interchangeable theatres that can be infinitely customised for different performance styles, artistic expressions and viewing experiences.

These are accessed via the elevated lobby level, reached by climbing a grand exterior staircase that draws visitors under the building’s cube form and up through its base.

A bridge with seating behind a translucent marble facade — A bridge behind the building’s translucent marble facade accommodates seating

This dramatic entry sequence culminates at a lobby lounge and restaurant that form a new 9,120-square-foot (847 square metres) “community space” for Lower Manhattan, according to Rockwell.

“The restaurant is intentionally woven throughout the public experience,” he told Dezeen. “There is no hard line between the lobby lounge, restaurant, and terrace, with one space melting into the next.”

Entrance to Metropolis restaurant at PAC NYC — The lobby flows into the Metropolis restaurant, located the other side of angled trusses

The designer’s primary aim was to provide “a celebratory, communal atmosphere; connecting guests, whether you’re the first party there for dinner or the last one there post-show”.

Rockwell’s combined experience in hospitality and performance design – he has won multiple Tony Awards for his Broadway sets – helped him to craft a seamless experience between these connected functions.

LED lights within wooden ribbons across the ceiling — LED lights within wooden ribbons follow pathways and form “nodes” above gathering areas

“Creating a magical journey up into PAC NYC and intertwined with the lobby was a thrilling challenge, especially because the lobby and Metropolis will be host to many free performances on the small stage there,” said the designer.

This stage will feature a varied program of performers who will entertain diners from a carefully placed vantage point, which allows sightlines from all corners of the lobby and restaurant.

The highlighted gathering spaces include the bar

Lounge seating for up to 30 positioned closest to the stage is intentionally low-slung, so as not to obstruct the views for those further away.

A bridge that runs along the inner side of the translucent stone facade holds additional seating, overlooking the grand entry staircase through huge panes of glass.

Dining tables between leather chairs and banquettes — Jewel-toned fabrics and textured surfaces warm the interiors

The Metropolis restaurant is helmed by Swedish-Ethiopian chef Marcus Samuelsson, and serves an elevated, eclectic menu billed as “a love letter to New York City” to both performancegoers and the general public.

Beyond the host stand and the diagonal structural trusses that flank it, the layout is split down the middle, with soft seating arranged on either side of the central axis.

Wide view of Metropolis restaurant — Rockwell Group designed the restaurant and lobby to act as a “communal space” for Lower Manhattan

“The furniture is designed for flexibility and comfort, defined by several smaller areas with lots of seating variety, made up of banquettes and loose furniture and organised around a collection of vintage area rugs,” said Rockwell.

Glowing bands within sapele wood ribbons trace curved shapes across its ceiling, beckoning guests into the space and also highlighting key areas for gathering such as the bar with chandelier-like “nodes” overhead.

Jewel-toned upholstery pairs with rich walnut panelling for a warm and inviting feel, and the fabrics and other textured surfaces soften the polished concrete flooring.

A 70-seat outdoor terrace at the back of the building will also offer al fresco dining during the summer months, visible from the interior through a huge glass wall.

Outdoor dining terrace in front of marble building facade — There’s space for 70 al fresco diners on the outdoor terrace

There’s also a speakeasy-like private dining room for intimate gatherings of up to 16.

PAC NYC is one of the final pieces in the 16-acre World Trade Center redevelopment masterplan, joining skyscrapers by SOM, RSHP, and SANAA, the transit hub and a church by Santiago Calatrava, and a 9/11 Museum by Snøhetta.

Seating on outdoor terrace with New York skyscrapers in the background — Rockwell aimed to create “a celebratory, communal atmosphere” both inside and out

Celebrating its 40th anniversary next year, Rockwell Group has designed interiors for restaurants all over Manhattan, including Zaytinya, Katsuya, Casa Dani and Wayan.

The firm also worked on The Shed venue at Hudson Yards, which also hosts performances along with exhibitions and other events within a highly flexible space beneath a giant “telescoping” cover.

The photography is by Adrian Gaut.

Reference

Architecture

Built Works creates Drying Shed sauna in East Sussex woodland

By Zarkon Group,03/12/2023

Red shingles and an oversailing roof characterise this sauna, which London studio Built Works has completed in a woodland in East Sussex.

Located on the edge of a family-run farm in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Drying Shed serves guests staying in two nearby cabins.

Built Works design red timber sauna in East Sussex — Built Works has created the Drying Shed sauna in East Sussex

The sauna was commissioned by Architects Holiday, a platform created by the Built Works team that specialises in architect-designed holiday cabins in the countryside.

It is situated in a small clearing within walking distance from the cabins and is reached via woodland paths.

The Drying Shed in East Sussex — The structure is covered with red shingles

Built Works’s design references the historical agricultural drying sheds of the area, evident in its geometric form and the patterned use of larch shingles.

The rich, red hue of the cladding aims to complement the surrounding woodland while ensuring it is easily identifiable.

Interior view of the Drying Shed commissioned by Architects Holiday — A wood-burning stove features inside

“The choice of red adds a subtle, updated twist to aid wayfinding, yet still sits harmoniously within its setting,” said the studio.

“Detailing features at each corner, in a contemporary take on the traditional cladding found on drying sheds,” the studio continued. “Overhanging panels would open and close to aid the drying process.”

Wood-lined interior of Built Works' sauna — The interior is lined with alder wood

The Drying Shed is constructed from a timber frame, insulated with recycled plastic and sheep wool. It is crowned with a corrugated roof that oversails the structure and offers cover from the elements.

Elevated above the ground, the sauna offers views of a stream and the adjacent countryside through a large picture window.

“The sauna is elevated above ground to reduce harm to surrounding habitats and features discrete root-sensitive screw piles for additional stability,” the studio told Dezeen.

“[It is] perched on stones salvaged from an old barn on the site.”

Built Works create sauna in East Sussex — The Drying Shed is elevated above the ground

The interior is lined with alder timber, a choice inspired by trees in the vicinity.

Central to the experience of the Drying Shed is a wood-burning stove. A bench beside it is crafted from the trunk of a silver birch, the top of which has been carved to form a flat, slatted seat that echoes the floor and walls.

Built Works design red timber sauna called the Drying Shed in East Sussex — Its red colour aims to make it identifiable in the woodland

Built Works was founded in 2020 and has studios in both London and the Lake District. The construction of the Drying Shed was carried out through a live-build workshop involving staff from Built Works and Architects Holiday as part of an annual summer programme.

Other saunas featured recently on Dezeen include one in Devon with blackened-wood cladding and a large square window and a lakeside one alongside an Art Museum in Finland.

The photography is by Holly Farrier.

Reference

Interior Design

Studio Hinge creates library spaces beneath tree-like wooden columns

By Zarkon Group,30/10/2023

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

The library was designed for the Cricket Club of India, a member’s club dating back to the 1930s that is housed in an art deco building in southern Mumbai.

Forest pf Knowledge library — Columns were created to resemble tree trunks

Adapting the third floor of this building, Studio Hinge looked to recreate the feeling of “sitting under a tree with a book” by reimagining the structure’s concrete columns as tree trunks.

Alongside, a former Zumba studio has been updated to be used as a flexible space for book clubs, film screenings and workshops.

Library interior in India — Circular bookshelves sit underneath the “canopy”

“India experienced one of the harshest and most sudden covid lockdowns in the world, and a lot of the design of the library was developed during this time, during which it was clear that people were yearning to meet and share ideas in person again,” explained the studio.

“On a conceptual level, the design draws from nature, in particular the notion of sitting under a tree with a book, and also borrows from the beautiful canopy formed by the ficus and gulmohar trees to be found in the adjacent street,” it continued.

Wooden shelving in Forest of Knowledge — The shelves are connected by plank-covered steel frames

A steel frame covered with small wooden planks lines each of the concrete columns.

This integrates shelving and extends upwards to create arched forms across the ceiling that are then connected in areas with a wooden lattice.

Curving bookshelves have been organised in a circle at the base of each column, with seating areas at the edges of the floor plate creating a variety of different conditions and atmospheres for visitors.

On the library’s floor, custom terrazzo tiles feature a pattern of green “leaves” with a circle of wooden flooring used at the base of each column.

Visitor at library in Mumbai — The floor was decorated with a leaf pattern

“Care has been taken to ensure no bookshelf in the open space is taller than 1.2m,” explained Studio Hinge.

“This allows maximum natural light to permeate deep into the plan and for most adults to have an unobstructed view whilst standing, while creating sheltered semi-private nooks to sit and read in,” it added.

“It also provides a very different perception of the library for children, from whose vantage the space between the circular bookshelves is playful, almost labyrinthine in nature.”

Multipurpose room in Forest of Knowledge library — A ceiling of timber planks adds interest to the multipurpose room

In the multipurpose room, the ceiling has been finished with an undulating pattern of timber planks and the walls lined with cabinets to maximise storage.

Forest of Knowledge was recently longlisted in the workplace interior (small) category of Dezeen Awards 2023.

Elsewhere in Mumbai, The Act of Quad recently converted a former library into its own interior design studio, with a see-through facade of perforated, white metal sheets and Malik Architecture transformed an ice factory into an events space.

The photography is by Suryan + Dang.

Project credits:

Design team: Interior Architecture – Studio Hinge, Pravir Sethi, Chintan Zalavadiya
Lighting design: Studio Trace, Tripti Sahni
MEP: ARKK Consultants

Reference

Interior Design

Studio FB creates gallery-like interior for Frame store in Marylebone

By Zarkon Group,27/10/2023

French interior design Studio FB and the co-founder of fashion brand Frame, Erik Torstensson, have designed a California-informed store for the brand in London.

The store’s concept draws from the brand’s Californian origins as well as European influences, which is reflected in the lighting, furniture and materials.

Frame store Marylebone, London, by Studio FB and Erik Tortensson — Studio FB designed a minimalist store for Frame

“The Californian universe with these modernist architectures with a free plan, skylights and the opening of spaces to the outside was our inspiration basis,” Studio FB told Dezeen.

“We imagined this new concept design layout as open as possible, which can be compared to a gallery.”

Seating area in London Frame store — The store is arranged round a large central pillar

To create a greater connection with the street, the studio redesigned the facade by adding a curved, full-height glazed wall, which was set behind the original piers.

“We designed a long-curved glass like a contemporary insert which contrasts radically with the classic London pillars preserved,” said the studio.

Frame Marylebone by FB Architects and Erik Tortensson — The studio aimed to create a gallery-like atmosphere

Within the store, the studio aimed to mimic the atmosphere of an art gallery with a polished concrete floor serving as a base for a central pillar constructed from stained birch wood veneer.

The store’s rails were custom-designed with a distinctive hand-moulded abstract-shaped end-piece serving as the highlight

With in the fitting room, the ceiling, walls and doors were upholstered in fabric by textile company Kvadrat.

Steel railing in fashion store — Custom-designed rails were created for the store

“The rounded central wooden element was designed as a sculptural object, which gives a residential feeling from the 50s,” the studio explained.

“The backspace invites the cabins and lounge area becomes more intimate all-in fabric and brings sophistication to the space. Pieces of furniture and artwork sublimate the atmosphere,” the studio continued.

“The general atmosphere is similar to an art gallery with raw materials such as concrete on the floor and white walls.”

Fabric-covered walls in store changing area — The stores changing areas have fabric walls

FB Architects and Torstensson worked together to acquire artwork and collectable design pieces to reinforce the gallery atmosphere.

“It was a thorough process to ensure the most unique response possible to Frame,” said the studio.

“Erik had a precise vision of his brand, so we exchanged a lot together on many artistic fields to build the brand’s architectural DNA.”

A sculpture by Serbian visual artist Bojan Šarčević crafted from wood and limestone sits in the display window. Also in the store are two original 1950s Gio Ponti stools, crafted from wood and textiles.

The store was decorated with wall-mounted fixtures designed by French lighting designer Jean Perzel, as well as geometric fixtures created by French architect Pierre Chareau, to create a soft and gentle lighting ambience.

Torstensson used AI as a sketching tool to design custom objects for the space, such as large brutalist stone tables and chrome custom-made sculptures that were then realised by architecture studios including Bucktron Studio Sweden.

“I’ve been learning and expanding my skills with AI for the last year, it creates a superpower when it comes to speed, as it allowed me to generate the visual concept at a greater pace and scale,” said Torstensson.

“This creates exciting results and provides a new outlook on design. I simply use it to visualise my initial ideas in greater detail in order to bring my ideas to life.”

Frame Marylebone — The store is Frame’s second in the UK

Other retail interiors recently featured on Dezeen include a stationery store interior made from white-oiled wood by Architecture for London and a store interior for Ms MIN in Shanghai, China, by Neri&Hu.

The photography is by Ollie Tomlinson.

Reference

Sustainable News

Anne-Sophie Rosseel creates colourful furniture that kids can assemble

By Zarkon Group,27/10/2023

New York-based interior designer Anne-Sophie Rosseel has created a sustainable children’s furniture collection that locks together for easy assembly.

Called the Interlockables, the collection includes tables, seating and storage for children and is the debut collection from Rosseel‘s House of RoRo brand.

A child sitting underneath a tree with their foot on a stool — Interior designer Anne-Sophie Rosseel has created a collection of children’s furniture

“Inspired by children and their ability to grow and learn at an astonishing speed, the collection consists of multifunctional and versatile children’s furniture that is sustainable, playful, and practical,” said the team.

“The designs are unselfconscious and simple in their use of materials, provoking a feeling of delight.”

A table in the sunlight — The collection is made of natural materials and dyes

Primarily made of Birch plywood and finished with non-toxic, plant-based dyes, the collection consists of furniture made of geometric shapes just slightly askew.

“I was looking for ways to combine toy storage with functional furniture that would look good in our home while reducing the clutter,” said Rosseel.

A wooden table and chair for children — The furniture comes flat-packed and locks together so that children can assemble them, with the help of a guardian

“Kids grow fast and if I was going to make a product, I wanted it to be as sustainable as possible and not have it end up in landfill after 2 years.”

The furniture comes flat-packed and slides and locks together so that children – with the help of a guardian – can assemble the pieces.

A blocky rocky chair — The collection includes chairs, tables and storage

The pieces were designed to be gender-neutral and not age-specific, with some elements that can be adjusted as a child grows.

The Box Table rests on rectangular legs that double as storage containers, which are accessed with removable panels on the table’s countertop.

A stool with small eyes cut into it — The pieces are sustainably sourced and manufactured in Canada out of birch plywood

Once a child outgrows the table, the countertop can be removed and the boxy legs converted into nightstands or side tables.

The Raymond Rocker chair fits flat-pack in a pizza-sized box and features slightly curved legs for “the child that doesn’t like to sit still”.

Artisanal dyer Audrey Louise Reynolds created a series of stains for the collection made out of plant-based pigments including mushrooms, flowers, mica and moss.

The dyes include a natural oil stain and five bold colours, although they will change seasonally and custom colours can be requested.

A small side table with wide legs — They are made of playful, geometric shapes

The pieces are ethically sourced and manufactured in Canada, with leftover scraps from CNC cuts reperused into “small toy wood pulls or puzzles”.

A pair of permanent sticker sketchy “eyes” comes with each purchase to be applied to the furniture at will.

Anne-Sophie Rosseel is a Belgian-born New York-based interior designer. She founded Rosseel Studio before launching House of RoRo in 2023.

Other furniture designed for children includes sloping wooden chairs that encourage “active sitting” by Studio Lentala and playful stools made of olive pits by Eneris Collective and NaifactoryLAB.

The photography is courtesy House of RoRo.

Reference

Interior Design

Architecture for London creates demountable interior for stationery store

By Zarkon Group,16/10/2023

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

The studio designed bespoke joinery and storage for the Present & Correct shop in Bloomsbury, central London, which sells vintage and new stationery from across the globe.

Present & Correct by Architecture for London — The store interior was made from white-oiled wood

Architecture for London constructed a fully demountable interior for the store, which could be moved in the future if needed.

“Rather than building the joinery around the existing building, we treated each unit as a freestanding cabinet,” Architecture for London director Ben Ridley told Dezeen.

Stationery store in Bloomsbury — Trays showcase old and new stationery

“Aside from the kiosk, most of the joinery was constructed offsite, so we had to consider whether the cabinets fit through a standard door width and could it easily be carried,” he continued.

“In the long term the interior needs to adapt to multiple environments; the current shop has uneven floors, to accommodate this the cabinets have adjustable feet concealed within a recessed plinth, while slender legs appear to be bearing the weight.”

Grid-shaped interior of Present & Correct — Architecture for London developed a grid design for the interior

Present & Correct’s aesthetic is often built around an organised grid that holds different-shaped pieces of stationery, and the studio aimed to replicate this in the interior of the store.

“The shop joinery provides order through a grid which becomes progressively smaller as you enter the shop, providing scale to the eclectic collection of objects,” Ridley said.

Plywood shelves in Present & Correct — The store design references the nearby British Museum

It also drew on the idea of a wunderkammer, informed by the store’s location close to the British Museum, to display the goods as “objects of desire”.

“The wunderkammer is an environment which provides order to a collection of objects through compartmentalisation which could otherwise be observed as a chaotic mess,” Ridley explained.

“So it’s about how we display hundreds of tiny objects like pens, pencils and rubbers alongside toolboxes and trays in a considered and legible way.”

The aim was for the cabinets to be durable and as long-lasting as old museum vitrines. However, budgetary constraints meant that Architecture for London couldn’t use hardwood for the joinery.

Instead, it chose to work with maple plywood and ash.

“We created the appearance and durability of solid timber by applying a rule that all edges of the maple plywood are finished with 25-millimetre British ash, which can take the knocks from a busy shop floor,” Ridley said.

Wooden shelving in London stationery store — The furnishings are fully demountable

“The maple plywood grain is free from imperfections and has a calm grain, so we didn’t feel the need to use additional veneers,” he added.

“Although the joinery is built with an off-the-shelf material, by concealing the raw plywood edges the interior avoids the DIY aesthetic that can come with working with plywood.”

Close-up of plywood shelves — A neutral colour palette was used throughout

It was important to Present & Correct that the interior would allow the products to shine, rather than compete with them.

This led Architecture for London to use a neutral colour palette and a grid layout that lets the materials speak for themselves, rather than more eye-catching designs.

“At the concept stage, we produced designs which incorporated more playful elements such as large columns shaped like pencils,” Ridley said.

“The shopkeeper understood their product well enough to know that there was enough humour in the stationery, so it didn’t need to be represented in the architecture.”

Other recent projects by Architecture for London include a light-filled extension to a Hackney home and an energy-saving home in north London designed for Ridley.

The photography is by Building Narratives.

Project credits:

Architect: Architecture for London
Interior designer: Architecture for London
Main contractor: AFL Build

Reference

Architecture

TO Arquitectura creates vaulted Mexico music school with reclaimed masonry

By Zarkon Group,12/10/2023

Mexican studio TO Arquitectura has worked with the local community to create a music school that features a vault made from recycled and donated masonry in Mexico City.

Known as the Kithara Music Kiosk, the 645-square foot (60-square metre) project sits on an 860-square foot (80-square metre) corner lot in the Yuguelito neighbourhood. TO Arquitectura completed the project in March of 2022.

An arched stone music hall made of stone with cacti — TO Arquitectura has built a music pavilion in Mexico City

Yuguelito is located in Iztapalapa, an area that experiences high levels of conflict due to violence, poor soil quality and water scarcity.

Set along the base of the Xaltocan Volcano, an earthquake in 1985 reduced Yuguelito to rubble, and the community has been working to improve the soil for construction and to re-establish the residential area for the last forty years.

A woman pours out water next to a music kiosk — It is made of recycled and donated materials

In 2015, the Kithara Project – a classical guitar education program based in Boston, Massachusetts – arrived in the area to offer free music lessons to the community using one of the most popular instruments in the world.

To show their appreciation, the community members donated a small plot next to the local library for a guitar classroom, and TO Arquitectura held a workshop with the guitar students to develop the designs for a music school.

Hall with wooden ceiling and large doors — It was built for a community recovering from an earthquake that occurred more than 40 years ago

The resulting structure is a rectangular space that sits diagonally on its site, orienting toward the volcano and the intersection rather than the street grid. This allows the building to be opened up to the views when it serves as a stage for events in the neighbourhood.

The team employed recycled and donated materials and labour from three local builders.

Guitar man playing for audience — The vault was oriented towards the volcano and town

The open-air, pavilion-like vault is composed of different types of donated masonry, including red brick, cement blocks, volcanic stone, and a red stone called tezontle.

The two-storey vault serves as a shelter for a wooden stand made of reclaimed lumber. A set of concrete stairs climbs up to a set of raked, wooden bleachers that form the classroom space.

Aerial view of Kithara Music Kiosk — It sits on a small, donated plot

A small restroom is tucked underneath the staircase and the landing is used as a teaching platform.

The underside of the bleachers functions as a bandstand with double-height wooden doors swinging open to the community. The reclaimed wood was cut into small sections and assembled like tiles over the doors to create a varied pattern.

Light and airflow through the ground-floor space from doors on each end, while mismatched ceramic pendant lights serve as a small suspended detail.

The combination of wood and masonry creates “an acoustic balance between sound absorption and reverberation,” the studio said.

An arched music school in Mexico City — It employs rainwater capture techniques

Integrated metal scuppers run along the intersection of the vault and the wall and capture rainwater that is piped into a collection chamber and a small garden.

“Nowadays Kithara Music Kiosk has surpassed its intended uses, and the community has used it for making different events like theatre arts presentations, choir concerts and different types of social gatherings,” the studio said.

“It has a personal space scale but it definitely resonates as a collective space.”

Kithara Music Kiosk has been shortlisted in the small architecture project category of the Dezeen Awards 2023.

TO leaders Carlos Facio and José Amozurruita are also members of Mexico City’s Colectivo C733 with Gabriela Carrillo, Eric Valdez, and Israel Espín. Together they have created a brick music school with a coconut wood roof in Nacajuca and a market with an inverted trapezoid-shaped roof structure in Matamoros.

The photography is by Jaime Navarro and Santiago Arau.

Project credits:

Architecture: TO (Carlos Facio, José Amozurrutia)
Project team: Lizeth Ríos, Úrsula Rebollar, Lena Arsenijevic
Client: Matthew Rode, Kithara Foundation
Structural: Armando Pelcastre
Construction: TO, maestro Pablo Escobar
Landscape: Entorno, Tonatiuh Martínez

Reference

Sustainable News

Blond design agency creates “first refillable” edge styler for Ruka

By Zarkon Group,11/10/2023

London agency Blond has designed Edge Slick, a comb-style device for styling hair with a reusable handle that doubles as a hands-free applicator for hair gel.

Edge Slick is a neutral-hued edge styler created by Blond for Ruka, a UK Black women-owned business that creates hair extensions and accessories.

Edge stylers are tools specifically designed to treat baby hairs, also known as edges – shorter hairs positioned at the hairline.

The product, which has been longlisted for a Dezeen Award, features a double-sided, detachable comb with soft bristles for swooping, shaping and layering and firm bristles for combing and detangling hair.

Two-sided comb by Blond for Ruka — The detachable, two-sided comb comes in a range of colours

Designed to be disassembled, the comb is clipped onto an “ergonomic” paddle-shaped reusable handle.

The reusable handle also doubles as an applicator for hair gel that can be used to apply gel to the user’s wrist, saving them from using their fingers while they are styling their hair.

Recycled packaging for Edge Slick — Edge Slick comes in recycled packaging

“When the relatively small comb reaches the end of its long lives it can be unclipped and disposed of, but crucially, the reusable handle is kept to extend the life of the product,” said Blond.

A minimalist, apple-shaped stand also comes with the edge styler, as well as packaging made from 100 per cent recycled paper pulp.

Users can also store their clip-on brushes inside a translucent sanitary protective case.

“Edge Slick addresses a gap in the hair industry for a product that caters specifically to Black afro hair, in an industry that has historically and disproportionately focussed on white aesthetics,” said Blond.

“It is the first refillable edge styler on the market, reducing plastic consumption by 86 per cent compared to its competitors,” added the agency.

Apple-shaped stand — It also features an apple-shaped stand

Previous hair products that were designed to push boundaries include a smart hairbrush by beauty brand L’Oréal and healthcare company Withings that tracks and scores the quality of hair.

Inventor James Dyson has created a hairdryer that is silent to human ears and controls its own temperature to protect hair from heat damage.

The photography is courtesy of Blond.

Reference

Interior Design

Dion & Arles creates “salon in which you can dine” for Il Gattopardo

By Zarkon Group,06/10/2023

French design and interiors studio Dion & Arles drew on the work of 20th-century Italian designers Carlo Mollino and Gio Ponti for the interior of Mayfair restaurant Il Gattopardo in London.

“We envisioned Il Gattopardo to be a salon in which you can dine – not just a restaurant,” the designers told Dezeen.

The studio looked to Mollino’s apartment in Turin for its balance between modernity and heritage.

Fireplace at Il Gattopardo by Dion & Arles — The inner dining room has curved crushed-velvet seating and a large fireplace

“Modernity, heritage and sophistication are the three elements we think together define the Italian sensibility, which we tried to translate into the interiors,” Dion & Arles said.

Il Gattopardo – which is Italian for leopard – is located in Mayfair in central London and aims to “celebrate the golden era of mid-century Italian design in an intimate setting” across five dining spaces, the studio said.

The main dining room and crudo bar lead through to an inner dining area and second bar, which in turn reveals the intimate “salon”, or living room, which seats 10 people in soft-upholstered armchairs.

Banquette seating looks out onto the courtyard lattice — Banquette seating is complemented by groupings of tables and chairs

There is a separate private dining room on the lower ground level.

The salon room is characterised by crushed-velvet curved seating and a substantial fireplace featuring a bas-relief on its canopy.

Tables are topped with sepia drawings after artist Piero Fornasetti, which complement the muted amber seating.

Blue panthers on the walls that lead to the dining room — Blue panthers feature on the walls in the entrance space

In the main dining room, banquette seating has been kept to a minimum, with tables and chairs otherwise arranged in close groupings.

A signature leopard print motif appears on rugs, cushions and artworks in various tones ranging from amber to blue.

“Each project should belong to its specific location,” the studio said.

“We do not believe in cloning, as it gives the feeling of being everywhere, anywhere. We are trying to make people feel they are in a unique space that cannot be found anywhere else; ‘somewhere’ that belongs to ‘someone.”

Italian stone tops the crudo bar in the corner of the dining room — An Italian stone crudo bar sits in the corner of the dining room

The spaces are decorated with an eclectic mix of free-form sculptures, objets, lamps, picture frames and carpets in vibrant colours.

These “speak to the influence of the master of Italian flair, the interior designer and architect Gio Ponti,” the studio said.

A striped fabric informed by the linings of Italian tailoring covers the ceiling. Panelled walls are intended to mimic the dashboard of a vintage Fiat coupé and, in the corner, Italian stone tops the crudo bar.

Informed by the eclectic, mix’n’match style of Mollino’s apartment, the private dining room – which features a leopard-print carpet from French interior designer Madeleine Castaing – was designed to feel like a secret refuge.

“We see patterns as a variation of colour which add density to the palette,” the designers said. “We generally prefer to work with a small-scale pattern, which is less intrusive.”

Dining room at Il Gattopardo Mayfair — The private dining room has soft lighting diffused through fabric

Classical sepia frescoes run around the wall of the private dining room above rich navy blue, textured fabric panels.

Soft lighting is diffused through fabric resting between the ceiling beams, which was designed to mimic a sunset. An illuminated onyx bar adds to the warm lighting scheme.

The bar — The crudo bar has a polished wood-panelled ceiling

Designing the interiors of Il Gattopardo was “a dream commission” the studio said, as it gave it the opportunity to work in a style the designers love.

“We are always referring to earlier periods when every house and family inherited antique furniture and juxtaposed it with futuristic pieces,” the studio said.

Reference points for the space also included project by interior designer David Hicks and movies by director Stanley Kubrick.

“We don’t have rules and we like to take inspiration from great painters, as in most recent compositions by Peter Doig, or the way [Pedro] Almodóvar approaches colour in his films,” the studio added.

“Everything can go together; bad or good taste is merely a place of refuge for under-confidence. Walking along the borders of taste is more exciting to us.”

Other restaurant interiors recently featured on Dezeen include GRT Architects’ “vacation Italian” restaurant in New York and Lorenzo Botero and Martín Mendoza’s conversion of a Bogotá residence into a brick-lined restaurant.

The photography is by James McDonald.

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