COMAMALA ISMAIL takes over the design of Sports hall in Vernayaz
Vernayaz commune in Switzerland initiated the construction of a new sports hall dedicated to school sports activities through an open architectural competition. Awarded in spring 2015, the planning by Comamala Ismail commenced, incorporating additional spaces for FC Vernayaz. By August 2017, construction began, concluding in spring 2020. The architectural approach focused on placing the sports hall on the east side of the Swiss Federal Railway line within the sports area. The building’s design prioritized practicality and simplicity, developing non-standard solutions to address community needs while maintaining elementary yet diverse spatial qualities.
all images courtesy of Comamala Ismail
stone and concrete interact with the neighboring mountains
The project by Comamala Ismail centered on two vital aspects: reinforcing the connection between public spaces on either side of the rail tracks and establishing a dialogue with the neighboring mountainous character. The sports hall, strategically positioned at the main entrance to Valais, serves as both the head of the sports complex and a connecting element to the village center, creating a new public space for sports activities.
Materials employed in the project engage with the distinctive mountain environment, establishing a dialogue with the stone and nature of the mountains. The monolithic concrete volume, featuring a single opening per facade, is complemented by warm wooden cladding on the interior, contributing to a balanced and comprehensive architectural perception that prioritizes light and acoustic comfort. Synthetic building materials were minimized in favor of emphasizing the inherent characteristics of raw materials.
Comamala Ismail’s project emphasizes practicality while maintaining diverse spatial qualities
initiated by Vernayaz commune, the sports hall project was designed through an architectural competition
two key aspects include reinforcing connections across rail tracks and engaging with the mountainous environment
the sports hall acts as a head of the sports complex and connects to the village center
the monolithic concrete volume features a single opening per facade
the design establishes a new public space for sports activities while engaging with the mountain environment
Office aaa attaches ‘Shui Yuan Assembly Hall’ in Taiwan school
Office aaa undertook the design of ‘Shui Yuan Assembly Hall’, a 2-story building on the north side of the campus in Hsinchu City, Taiwan. Occupying 1,894 sqm, the scheme hosts two badminton courts, a performance stage, and three multi-purpose classrooms. The site of the building is situated on the boundary line between Hsinchu City and the suburbs, surrounded by a picturesque landscape.
The design team raised the main building on colorful columns, thus creating a semi-outdoor playground below. This high-ceiling pilotis enables a smoother transition from the courtyard to the sports field, allowing for visual communication between the spaces. A vast triangular metal roof crowns the sports hall attachment, generating a generous space inside.
all images by Yu-Cheng Chao, unless stated otherwise
office aaa’s sports hall captures the picturesque surroundings
The architects at office aaa sought to create a protected space that at the same time frames a sweeping view of the surrounding greenery. Thus, a large amount of glazing surrounds the building, forming a well-lit and protected arena.
Construction-wise, the raised structure follows the original configuration of the school complex, connecting the yard directly to the main building through an external staircase. The stair is encased by a red mesh which visually matches a red A-shaped column at the corner of the building and adds some vibrant splashes to the otherwise muted palette. This column rises and penetrates the slab above, holding the roof in place.
‘The structural system and column spacing are optimized for the function of different spaces. The classrooms have small spans and are constructed with a simple concrete frame; the 2nd floor is a thick solid concrete slab with lattice beams to provide a bigger span lifting the stage and courts above; the big angled roof supported by slanted steel beams, the angle has been strategically designed to accommodate the flight path of badminton balls,’ explain the architects. The symbolic column, triangular roof, and red staircase become the key features of ‘Shui Yuan Assembly Hall’.
vast triangular metal roof tops the sports hall attachment
image by Tze-Chun Wei | red grid wraps the external staircase
Reclaimed architectural timber and wood from a felled street tree form the furnishings of two hotel suites that designer Jan Hendzel has revamped for London’s Town Hall Hotel in time for London Design Festival.
Suites 109 and 111 are set on the first floor of the Town Hall Hotel, which is housed in a converted Grade II-listed town hall in Bethnal Green dating back to 1910.
Each of the apartment-style suites features a living room with a kitchen alongside a bedroom and en-suite, which Hendzel has outfitted with bespoke furnishings. Like all of the furniture maker’s pieces, these are crafted exclusively from British timbers.
Jan Hendzel has overhauled suites 109 (top) and 111 (above) of the Town Hall Hotel
But for his first interiors project, Hendzel took an even more hyper-local approach with the aim of finding all of the necessary products inside the M25 – the motorway that encircles the British capital.
“We started out with the idea that we could source everything within London,” he told Dezeen during a tour of the suites.
“Some timbers have come from Denmark Hill, some are reclaimed from Shoreditch. And we used Pickleson Paint, which is a company just around the corner, literally two minutes from here.”
The living area of suite 111 features green upholstery by Yarn Collective
The reclaimed timber came in the form of pinewood roof joists and columns, which Hendzel found at an architectural salvage yard.
These had to be scanned with a metal detector to remove any nails or screws so they could be machined into side tables and tactile wire-brushed domes used to decorate the suites’ coffee tables.
Rippled wooden fronts finish the kitchen in both suites
In Suite 111, both the dining table and the rippled kitchen fronts are made from one of the many plane trees that line the capital’s streets, giving them the nickname London plane.
“This London plane is super special because it has come from a tree that was taken up outside Denmark Hill train station in Camberwell,” Hendzel explained. “We couldn’t find timber from Bethnal Green but it’s the closest we could get.”
The dining table in suite 111 is made from London plane
For other pieces, materials had to be sourced from further afield – although all are either made in the UK or by UK-based brands.
Hendzel used British ash and elm to craft mirrors and benches with intricate hand-carved grooves for the suites, while the patterned rugs in the living areas come from West London studio A Rum Fellow via Nepal.
“People in the UK don’t make rugs, so you have to go further afield,” Hendzel said. “Same with the upholstery fabrics. You could get them here but if they are quadruple your budget, it’s inaccessible.”
Hendzel’s aim for the interior scheme was to create a calm, pared-back version of a hotel room, stripping away all of the “extra stuff” and instead creating interest through rich textural contrasts.
This is especially evident in the bespoke furniture pieces, which will now become part of his studio’s permanent collection.
Among them is the Wharf coffee table with its reclaimed wooden domes, worked with a wire brush to expose the intricate graining of the old-growth timber and offset against a naturally rippled tabletop.
“It’s a genetic defect of the timber, but it makes it extra special and catches your eye,” Hendzel said.
Grooves were hand-carved into the surfaces of mirrors and benches featured throughout the suites
The coffee table, much like the nearby Peng dining chair, is finished with faceted knife-drawn edges reminiscent of traditional stone carving techniques. But while the table has a matt finish, the chair is finished with beeswax so its facets will reflect the light.
Unexpected details such as loose-tongue joints, typically used to make tables, distinguish the Mowlavi sofa and armchair, while circular dowels draw attention to the wedge joint holding together their frames.
Reclaimed architectural timber was used to bedside tables in room 109
Alongside the bespoke pieces, Hendzel incorporated existing furniture pieces such as the dresser from his Bowater collection, presented at LDF in 2020. Its distinctive undulating exterior was also translated into headboards for the bedrooms and cabinet fronts for the kitchens.
These are paired with crinoid marble worktops from the Mandale quarry in Derby, with roughly-hewn edges offset against a perfectly smooth surface that reveals the fossils calcified within.
“It’s a kajillion years old and it’s got all these creatures from many moons ago that have fallen into the mud and died,” Hendzel said. “But then, when they get polished up, they look kind of like Ren and Stimpy.”
A rippled headboard features in both suites
Going forwards, the Town Hall Hotel plans to recruit other local designers to overhaul its remaining 94 rooms.
Other installations on show as part of LDF this year include a collection of rotating public seating made from blocks of granite by designer Sabine Marcelis and an exhibition featuring “sympathetic repairs” of sentimental objects as the V&A museum.
London Design Festival 2022 takes place from 17-25 September 2022. See our London Design Festival 2022 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.
French design agency Chzon studio has added archways and fountains that reference iconic Parisian monuments to a departure lounge at the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.
Chzon studio redesigned the boarding gate area in Terminal 2G with the aim of creating a dynamic representation of Paris’ design and history in a typically utilitarian area of the airport.
The vast space is punctuated by white columns and sculptural installations
The 1,300-square-meter space is populated by rounded seating in dark blue and green upholstery, which takes aesthetic cues from the 1960s and 1970s, arranged in benches, booths and pairs.
To zone the space and instill privacy, the studio added partitions and expressive white sculptures by artist studio Les Simonnets, which double as alternative bench seating.
References to Paris are made at varying scales throughout the space
The studio made reference to iconic Parisian monuments by installing archways that nod to the Arc de Triomphe, as well as a fountain that is reminiscent of the water feature in the Jardin du Luxembourg and surrounded by green metal chairs similar to those found in Paris’ parks.
Rows of wooden tables have been inlaid with chess boards in another reference to the parks of Paris. Passengers can use these as workspaces, to eat at, or to play games on while waiting for flights.
The miniature fountain is a focal point within the terminal
As well as designing some of the lighting for the interior in-house, the studio also sourced and installed antique lighting and other decorative objects from the city’s St Ouen flea market, including giant wall lights and aluminium sunshades.
To keep the space relevant to its function, Chzon also made references to aeroplane design by employing metallic details, patterned finishes and reclining plane-style seats designed by Italian architect and furniture designer Osvaldo Borsani.
“[The design] dramatises the boarding lounge while keeping the passenger informed,” Dorothée Meilichzon, founder of Chzon studio, said of the interior design.
“The departure lounge becomes a smooth transition between the Paris that we are leaving and the plane that is going to take off.”
The mural is applied to perforated sheets and wraps around the walls above the windows
The space also features a mural inspired by the work of French painter Sonia Delaunay that sits above the windows, which overlook the runways and allow views of planes taking off and landing.
This fresco also references symbols used in airport signage and carries similar rounded motifs to the ones present in the retro-style seating and lighting.
Rounded elements in furniture, lighting and decor reference the design of the 1960s and 1970s
Charles de Gaulle Airport, also known as Roissy Airport, is the French capital’s principle airport.
Other airport-related projects published on Dezeen include the cosy remodelling of an airport in Colorado, USA by Gensler and an airport that contains the world’s tallest indoor waterfall by Safdie architects.
