Pink Archives

frida escobedo takes on brooklyn with pleated bergen homes

a new neighbor for quiet boerum hill

A new residential project has been announced for Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, with architecture by Mexico City-based Taller Frida Escobedo. Those who live in the historic New York neighborhood are drawn to its low, brownstone streets and tree-lined sidewalks. For most, it’s a place to spend a Sunday morning, rather than a Saturday night. Contemporary additions are welcome to the quiet neighborhood provided the architecture is subtle and sensitive to its landmark neighbors.

Avdoo & Partners Development aims to help Bergen strike that balance between unique and contextually sensitive. Thus, it is designed with a low-stance and rhythmically-pleated facade to create proportions that echo the surrounding townhouses. From its renders, the seven-story structure will be washed in a muted, pinkish hue. This marks Frida Escobedo’s first foray into condominium design, and will be constructed concurrent with her ongoing redesign of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new wing across the river (see designboom’s coverage here).

the seven-story condominium project, is under construction in Boerum Hill | visualizations © DARCSTUDIO.

frida escobedo responds to low-rise brooklyn

Shlomi Avdoo, principal and founder of Avdoo & Partners, expressed his enthusiasm for Bergen in Brooklyn, highlighting Frida Escobedo‘s ‘strong design vision.’ He elaborated on Bergen’s intended role as a respectful addition to the neighborhood, built with ‘a keen sensibility of material and scale.’ The 209,000-square-foot building will introduce 105 luxury condominium units, ranging from studios to five-bedroom residences across 49 unique floorplans, all curated by interiors studio Workstead. The project prioritizes a dialogue between indoor and outdoor living. Driven by this philosophy, seventy-five percent of the units will open onto private outdoor gardens. Residents will also have access to a beautifully landscaped, private park designed by DXA Studio and Partick Cullina.

the pleated facade takes shape with precast concrete brick in muted tones

a pleated facade along tree-lined bergen street

The architectural concept for Brooklyn’s Bergen development is the result of a collaborative effort between Taller Frida Escobedo and DXA Studio. This exchange of ideas led to the creation of two distinct residential wings flanking a central amenity space with a transparent facade. Working closely with GF55, the architect-of-record, Escobedo ensured Bergen pays homage to its context while carving its own unique identity in the Brooklyn skyline.

The building will be sited along a postcard, tree-lined street, and will express the influences drawn from Boerum Hill. The pleated facade, constructed with custom-made blocks that vary in size and opacity, celebrates the interplay of light and air. Escobedo strategically leveraged the building’s orientation to maximize natural light from both the east and west. The overall design is shaped with a cohesive rhythm in terms of scale, materiality, and color, with porosity and transparency woven throughout the building’s form.

residents will have access to 12,000 square feet of outdoor space, including a public garden

the community-focused building

At the building’s core lies the so-called Glass House, a transparent, rectangular volume that serves as the main entry point from both Dean and Bergen Streets. This central hub connects the two residential wings, encouraging a sense of community within the building to reflect that of Boerum Hill itself.

Bergen offers residents over 14,500 square feet of amenities across four levels. Accessed by a cylindrical stairwell, these amenities — which include a cold plunge, a podcast studio, and a steam room — cater to a range of interests encompassing health, wellness and entertainment. In addition to the exceptional indoor offerings, residents can relax and socialize in over 12,000 square feet of gardened outdoor spaces, including Dean Park and two communal rooftop terraces designed by the landscape team. Parking, storage, and bike storage are also available for purchase.

the building will introduce 105 luxury units, ranging from studios to five-bedroom residences
architect Frida Escobedo | image © Zack DeZon

project info:

project title: Bergen

architecture: Taller Frida Escobedo | @fridaescobedo

location: Boerum Hill, Brooklyn

developer: Avdoo & Partners | @avdoo_partners

interior design: Workstead | @workstead

landscape design, master planning: DXA Studio | @dxastudio

landscape design, horticulture: Partick Cullina | @pjctwo

architect-of-record: GF55 | @gf55architects

visualizations: © DARCSTUDIO. | @darcstudio_

photography: © Zack DeZon | @zackdezon

Reference

Interior Design

Kith Women Flagship in Soho combines walnut and pink marble

By Zarkon Group,17/02/2024

American fashion brand Kith has returned to the location of its first Manhattan flagship to open a women-dedicated store, in which olive trees grow up through display podiums.

The inaugural Kith Women Flagship in Soho opened last December at 644 Broadway, the same historic landmark building where the brand debuted its Manhattan retail offering in 2011.

Custom-built walnut podiums with olive trees growing through the centre — Custom-built podiums run through the middle of the Kith Women flagship store in Soho

Previously the Manhattan Savings Institute Bank, the red sandstone and brick structure’s exterior features wrought iron gates at the entrance and set the tone for the materials palette inside.

Kith founder and creative director Ronnie Fieg designed the interiors to include signature elements of the brand’s retail concepts, but with adjustments to acknowledge its context.

Kith Women store with apparel and accessories displayed in walnut and brass-trimmed niches — The main room displays apparel and accessories in walnut and brass-trimmed niches

“The ambiance exudes modern elegance with its warm and calming aura, constructed with materials like Venetian plaster, travertine, and rosa aurora [marble],” said the Kith team.

The spacious main room benefits from tall ceilings and an open floor plan, and presents Kith Women in-house and multi-brand ready-to-wear apparel against Venetian plaster and Kith monogrammed suede wallpaper.

Footwear room with shoes presented on travertine shelves — In a room dedicated to footwear, shoes are presented on travertine shelves

Clothing is displayed on rails installed in walnut and brass-trimmed niches around the perimeter, with accessories like hats and bags placed on shelves above.

A row of square walnut podiums runs through the middle of the room, each with an olive tree growing up through the centre of its pink marble surface.

A cafe and flower shop featuring mosaic floors and a fluted marble service counter — A cafe and flower shop is run in partnership with PlantShed, and features mosaic floors and a fluted marble service counter

Custom-built by Brooklyn-based woodworker Mark Jupiter, these units contain drawers for product storage, and alternating ones are topped with glass vitrines for showcasing jewellery and other small accessories.

Oak flooring is laid in a grid pattern transversed by walnut strips, and the darker wood also lines the fitting rooms.

Footwear has a dedicated room, in which shoes are displayed on shelves with integrated lighting that run from one end to the other.

“Entering the footwear space, you will find a grand arched plaster ceiling, travertine shelves, and a custom chandelier from Italy by Viabizzuno,” the team said.

Cafe in a courtyard behind historic wrought iron gates — The cafe leads out to a courtyard behind the historic building’s wrought iron gates

In the final room is a cafe run in partnership with New York-based flower and plant shop PlantShed, which serves light bites and drinks and offers custom floral arrangements.

The space features a mosaic tiled floor, walnut wall panelling, a service counter with a fluted pink marble front and floral displays on stepped stone plinths.

The cafe leads out to a courtyard area behind the building’s impressive iron gates, which furnished with cafe tables and chairs in between topiary plants shaped into spirals.

Exterior view of red sandstone building at 644 Broadway — Kith Women is located at 644 Broadway, the same building where the brand opened its original flagship retail space in 2011

Feig also designed Kith’s recently opened Williamsburg store, located in the 25 Kent Plaza office building where the brand also has its corporate offices.

The company had previously worked with design studio Snarkitecture on its retail spaces around the world, including outposts in Miami, Los Angeles and Paris.

The photography is courtesy of Kith.

Reference

Interior Design

Gharib Studio outfits Austin jewellery store with pink walls and arches

By Zarkon Group,15/02/2024

Los Angeles design studio Gharib Studio has contrasted concrete floors and exposed ceilings with soft-pink walls and clean lines for a jewellery store in Austin.

Created for the friendship jewellery brand Little Words Project (LWP), Gharib Studio used elements of the merchandise to inform the store’s pink material palette and incorporated arches throughout the space to contrast the industrial elements of the building, which were left exposed.

Table with silver base — Gharib Studio has outfitted a jewellery store in Austin with dusty pink

According to Gharib Studio founder Nora Gharib, the team followed the common phrase “everything is bigger in Texas” when designing the concept store.

“I wanted to amplify the brand in a grand way by taking the LWP brand aesthetic and localizing it to Texas by pushing the standard design elements, such as the brand’s bracelet arches and beading table experience, then accentuating it,” said Gharib.

A retail store with silver with long white tables — Arches and soft tones contrast with the space’s industrial elements

Visitors enter the store into a large, primary space, where built-in display cases were integrated into the walls.

On one side, the display resembles small bookcases and on the other, the bracelets are displayed throughout a series of arches.

Archways with tables and chairs — Long tables lead to the seating area at the back of the space

At the centre of the primary space are two long tables with metallic-coated bases, also used for display. A circular display table in the middle was created to resemble a vanity, with merchandise incorporated throughout.

Gharib inserted three arches along the back of the space, in part to accentuate the height of the space, and to draw visitors to the space beyond them, which serves as a beading area.

Velvet chairs underneath aluminum light fixture — Metallic details were informed by the charms found on the bracelets

This space was outfitted with CB2 Castell Chairs in burgundy, with similar tables as the main space, except with pink bases instead of silver.

A neon sign that reads, “You can sit with us” hangs above the tables.

Textured dusty-pink wallpaper by Belarte Studio was used to line the space, while the remaining interior was covered in a rose pink hue.

Metallic accents throughout the store, including aluminium light pendants, a metal trimmed mirror and the display table’s metallic bases, were informed by the metal charms found in LWP bracelets.

Space with velvet chairs and textured wallpaper — It is the brand’s first store in Austin

The space’s utility elements were left exposed on the ceiling, with red track lighting running the perimeter of the space.

Other retail projects recently completed in Austin include a mid-century post office turned grocery by Side Angle Side.

Gharib Studio is a Los Angeles-based studio founded by Nora Gharib in 2023, focused on retail and brand design.

The photography is by Casey Woods Photography

Project credits:

Architectural designer: Gharib Studio

General contractor: Paco Santander Construction

Reference

Interior Design

Standard Architecture refreshes interior of pink Paul Smith store in LA

By Zarkon Group,03/02/2024

British fashion label Paul Smith’s iconic pink store in Los Angeles has received an interior makeover from Standard Architecture.

Standard Architecture collaborated with the Paul Smith design team to reimagine the 4,740-square-foot (440 square metres) store on Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood.

Paul Smith LA store interior is stone-clad partitions and exposed rafters — Standard Architecture and the Paul Smith team reorganised the LA store to better define the brand’s different collections

The studios also created a new VIP entrance patio for the building, which is notorious for its bright pink exterior that has become a pilgrimage spot for amateur photoshoots.

“The primary goal was to enhance the overall customer experience within the store, which was achieved by creating a more cohesive and immersive shopping environment across the different brand departments,” said Standard Architecture.

Seating area with clothing displays on either side — Stone-clad partitions help to define areas, but don’t reach the exposed timber ceiling

The entrance to the store – the only opening in the giant pink wall that faces the parking lot – leads shoppers through a glossy red metal vestibule into the main retail space.

Clearly defined yet interconnected areas for the menswear, womenswear and homeware collections help with navigation around the store.

Suits displayed in colour order on long brass rails — Long brass rails are used to present tailoring

Partitions clad in dappled beige stone frame these zones, but don’t reach the exposed timber ceiling, to retain the sense of openness.

In places, the stone walls are inlaid with mosaic-style artworks depicting abstract flora, which add splashes of colour to the warm-toned surfaces.

Paul Smith homeware collaborations displayed in a corner of the store — Paul Smith’s collaborations with Gufram and Anglepoise are among the pieces on show

Black track lighting is suspended from the rafters, spotlighting the various clothing displays and lounge areas furnished with midcentury-style sofas and armchairs that are dotted around the store.

Long brass rails that appear to be suspended in midair are used to display suit jackets, which are carefully arranged by colour.

Shoes presented on stepped white ledges that resemble bleacher seating — Shoes are presented on stepped white ledges that resemble bleacher seating

In an area dedicated to accessories, the shoes and bags are lined up on stepped white ledges that resemble bleacher seating.

Walnut is used for accents including shelving, door frames, and podiums, as well as for a large open storage system with compartments for presenting individual products and a row of sculptures by Alexander Calder.

Founded by fashion designer Paul Smith in 1970, his eponymous brand is synonymous with the brightly coloured stripes applied to many of its apparel products and other collaborations.

Many of these appear throughout the store, including a colour-tinted Anglepoise desk lamp and a striped version of Gufram’s cactus-shaped coat stand.

Glossy red metal vestibule with store interior beyond — Entry to the store is via a vestibule wrapped in glossy red metal

“Overall, the design reflects a deep understanding of the brand’s identity, which places a strong emphasis on the use of colour and attention to detail,” Standard Architecture said.

Paul Smith retail spaces around the world are equally playful. On London’s Albemarle Street, its boutique has a patterned cast-iron facade by 6a Architects, while the shop in Seoul is encased in a curving concrete shell by System Lab.

Bright pink exterior of Paul Smith store on Melrose Avenue — The store on Melrose Avenue is an icon in Los Angeles thanks to its bright pink facades

Standard Architecture was founded by Silvia Kuhle and Jeffrey Allsbrook, who discussed their work with Dezeen during our Virtual Design Festival in 2020.

Past projects by the firm include a Hollywood Hills residence with a cantilevered swimming pool and a minimal showroom for fashion brand Helmut Lang – which was located just a few blocks from the Paul Smith store before it shuttered.

The photography is by Genevieve Garruppo.

Reference

Sustainable News

Redefining dairy to produce sustainable ‘pink gold’ proteins

By Zarkon Group,09/01/2024

Spotted: An important ingredient that makes milk and dietary supplements good for the body is the lactoferrin protein. It promotes general immune health and supports the metabolic absorption of iron. Often called “pink gold” because of its value and scarcity, the protein is found naturally in cow’s milk in very small amounts, with one litre of cow’s milk containing around 100 milligrammes of lactoferrin. That isn’t enough to keep up with global demand, particularly as the limited quantities that are available are often used in infant formula to boost nutrition levels.

Seeking high-quality milk without the environmental side effects, TurtleTree co-founders created a precision-fermented version of the lactoferrin protein. Called LF+, the new protein is gluten- and lactose-free, vegan, and sustainable. Using large fermentation tanks like those used by brewers, the TurtleTree team replicates the structure of the cow DNA that produces lactoferrin and adds it to yeast cells.

Those genetically modified yeast cells then grow, via industrial fermentation, into large quantities of lactoferrin. Structurally and functionally identical to the protein made naturally in cow’s milk, LF+ has the benefit of being far less expensive to produce and therefore less expensive for brands to use in their products.

TurtleTree envisions its new version of lactoferrin being used in everything from supplements to high-performance protein drinks, and a whole host of other products that would benefit from sustainably sourced, healthy protein. The affordability of LF+, compared with traditionally produced lactoferrin, makes it possible that most infant formula worldwide could contain the essential protein in future, contributing to significant improvements in global infant health.

The company is currently undergoing regulatory review for LF+ and this regulatory label will make it clear that the protein is safe to add to almost anything. TurtleTree is also expanding its development of the precision fermentation process to create other types of proteins also found in milk.

Other examples from Springwise’s library that make innovative use of fermentation include the production of human milk proteins for infant formula and bioengineered fabric dyes for the textile industry.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Interior Design

Space Projects creates Amsterdam store with thatched hut for Polspotten

By Zarkon Group,29/12/2023

A curvilinear thatched hut has been paired with terracotta-hued tiles at the Amsterdam store for homeware brand Polspotten, which was designed by local studio Space Projects.

The studio created the store to straddle a shop and an office for Polspotten, a furniture and home accessories brand headquartered in the Dutch capital.

Triangular archway in the Amsterdam Polspotten store — Visitors enter the Polspotten store via an oversized triangular entranceway

Characterised by bold angles and arches, the outlet features distinctive terracotta-coloured walls and flooring that nod to traditional pots, Space Projects founder Pepijn Smit told Dezeen.

“The terracotta-inspired colours and materials refer to the brand’s first product, ‘potten’ – or pots,” said Smit, alluding to the first Spanish pots imported by Erik Pol when he founded Polspotten in the Netherlands in 1986.

Plush cream sofa within Amsterdam homeware store — The interconnected spaces are delineated by cutouts

Located in Amsterdam’s Jordaan neighbourhood, the store was arranged across a series of open-plan rooms, interconnected by individual geometric entryways.

Visitors enter at a triangular opening, which was cut away from gridded timber shelving lined with multicoloured pots that mimic totemic artefacts in a gallery.

Curvilinear thatched hut — A curvilinear thatched hut provides a meeting space

The next space features a similar layout, as well as a plump cream sofa with rounded modules and sculptural pots stacked in a striking tower formation.

Travelling further through the store, molten-style candle holders and Polspotten furniture pieces were positioned next to chunky illuminated plinths, which exhibit amorphously shaped vases finished in various coral-like hues.

Accessed through a rectilinear, terracotta-tiled opening, the final space features a bulbous indoor hut covered in thatch and fitted with a light pink opening.

The hut provides a meeting space for colleagues, according to the studio founder.

“The thatch, as a natural material, absorbs sound as well,” explained Smit.

Clusters of pots next to a circular table — The store provides an art gallery-style space for homeware

Next to the hut, Space Projects created an acoustic wall illustrated with “hieroglyphics” of Polspotten products, which references the gallery-like theme that runs throughout the outlet.

“The store was inspired by Polspotten’s use of traditional techniques combined with a collage of their reinterpreted archetypes,” said Smit.

Office space at Polspotten — It is also used as an office space

Elsewhere in Amsterdam, Dutch practice Studio RAP used 3D printing and algorithmic design to create a “wave-like” facade for a boutique store while interior designer Linda Bergroth created the interiors for the city’s Cover Story paint shop to streamline the redecorating process for customers.

The photography is by Kasia Gatkowska.

Reference

Interior Design

Eight interiors where Barbiecore pink adds a playful touch of colour

By Zarkon Group,18/07/2023

As the upcoming Barbie film has created a shortage of pink colour and launched a real-life dollhouse in Malibu, we gathered eight pink interiors to exemplify the Barbiecore aesthetic for this lookbook.

The pink hues that are usually associated with Barbie, a children’s toy first launched by manufacturer Mattel in 1959, are influencing both clothes and interiors ahead of Great Gerwig’s live-action Barbie film.

The style, which has become known as Barbiecore, can add a joyful touch of colour to otherwise pared-back interiors, or be used as a hyper-bright nod to 1980s opulence.

Here, we have gathered eight interiors where pink was used to give interiors additional warmth and a touch of whimsy.

This is the latest in our lookbook series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring rustic interiors, Wes Anderson-style interiors and welcoming wood-panelled dining rooms.

Living room of Minimal Fantasy, a pink apartment in Madrid — Photo by JC de Marcos

Minimal Fantasy, Spain, by Patricia Bustos Studio

The Minimal Fantasy apartment is anything but minimalist – instead, Patricia Bustos Studio aimed to create an “aesthetic madness” for the interior of this Madrid rental in a 1950s residential building.

The holiday home features 12 different shades of pink, with the entire living room covered in a pastel bubblegum pink.

“Pink vindicates the fall of stereotypes – everything is possible, nothing is planned or established and that’s the beauty of it,” the studio told Dezeen.

Find out more about Minimal Fantasy ›

San Francisco Residence by Jamie Bush — Photo by Matthew Millman

San Francisco house, US, by Jamie Bush

A more discrete take on adding pink to an interior can be found in this San Francisco house by architect Jamie Bush, who gave it an overhaul using an eclectic array of furniture.

Bush added pink walls to the dining room, where they contrast against dark-wood vintage furniture and white details including a lamp and sheer curtains to create a playful, yet elegant atmosphere.

Find out more about San Francisco House ›

Pink bedroom in Barbie's Malibu Dreamhouse — Photo by Hogwash Studios

Barbie’s Malibu Dreamhouse, US, by Ken

The most Barbiecore interior of them all can naturally be found in the Barbie Malibu Dreamhouse, which is being rented out by the doll’s boyfriend Ken on Airbnb.

Inside the California mansion, located beachside in Malibu, guests can enjoy pink rooms including the bright-fuchsia bedroom that has been decorated with cowboy hats, boots and cowhide rugs to add more “Kenergy”.

Find out more about Barbie’s Malibu Dreamhouse ›

Mixtape Apartment by Azab — Photo by Luis Díaz Díaz

Mixtape apartment, Spain, by Azab

A dusky baby-pink kitchen decorates the Mixtape apartment in Bilbao, which was designed by architecture studio Azab.

The white and pink cupboards are boarded by light timber strips, and the appliances in the room have also been painted pink. A multicoloured floor with pale green and yellow as well as darker red herringbone tiles give the space a vibrant feel.

Find out more about Mixtape apartment ›

13 Square Metre House By Studiomama — Photo by Rei Moon of Moon Ray Studio

130-square-metre-house, UK, by Studiomama

“London’s smallest house”, a conceptual design by Studiomama, features an abundance of pink details throughout, including in its plywood-clad kitchen.

Here, the clever fold-out seating has been decorated with blush-pink cushions and pillows, with a pink cushion also forming a cosy backrest.

Find out more about 130-square-metre house ›

Pink interior of Moco shop in Barcelona, designed by Isern Serra and Six N. Five — Photo by Salva Lopez

Moco Barcelona, Spain, by Isern Serra

A computer-generated image was transformed into a real-life interior for the Moco Barcelona store, a rose-coloured shop inside the city’s Moco Museum.

Designer Isern Serra used pink micro-cement to achieve the same uniform, ultra-smooth surfaces as those of the computer-generated image, creating a dream-like interior filled with rounded corners and arches.

Find out more about Moco Barcelona ›

Interior of Pigment House by Unknown Works — Photo by Lorenzo Zandri

Pigment House, UK, by Unknown Works

London studio Unknown Works went all in on the pink for Pigment House, a Hampstead home that was renovated to add a pink-toned patio area.

While not technically part of the interior, it adds a splash of colour to the ground floor area, and is used for indoor-outdoor living in the summer months. The choice of pink was a reference to the colourful buildings of Mexican architect Luiz Barragán.

Find out more about Pigment House ›

Cats' Pink House by KC Design Studio — Photo by Hey! Cheese

Cats’ Pink House, Taiwan, by KC Design Studio

This holiday home in Taiwan got its name, Cats’ Pink House, as it includes cat ladders, a rotating carousel-shaped climbing frame and a fluffy pink cat swing.

KC Design Studio used a mineral-based paint to create the pink walls throughout the home, which also features a pink bathroom – with a pink cat litter box.

Find out more about Cats’ Pink House ›

Reference

Interior Design

Isern Serra turns renderings into reality to form pink Moco Concept Store

By Zarkon Group,16/06/2023

Design studio Isern Serra has transformed a computer-generated image by digital artist Six N Five into a rose-coloured retail space for the Moco Museum in Barcelona.

Situated in Barcelona’s El Born neighbourhood, the Moco Museum exclusively exhibits the work of modern artists such as Damien Hirst, Kaws, Yayoi Kusama and Jeff Koons.

The institution’s eponymous concept store has a similarly contemporary offering, selling a mix of design, fashion and lifestyle goods.

Its surreal pink interior started out as a computer-generated image by Six N Five, a digital artist known for envisioning other-worldly dreamscapes in pastel hues.

Barcelona-based design studio Isern Serra then brought the image to life, using pink micro-cement to achieve the same uniform, ultra-smooth surfaces seen in the drawing.

“The Moco Concept Store represented an interesting challenge, as I had to combine the purpose of the store with actual architecture remaining true to our original dreamy world I had built in CGI,” explained Six N Five, whose real name is Ezequiel Pini.

“But these concepts were able to go one level further, both in decisions and execution, thanks to Isern Serra who brought its extraordinary talent and experience.”

The store’s rosy interior can be seen through two large openings in its facade – one of them is rectangular, while the other is slightly curved and contains the entrance door.

A series of chunky columns run through the middle of the space. Surrounding walls have been punctured with arched, square and circular display niches, some of which are dramatically backlit.

Rows of shelves and a frame for a tv screen have also been made to project from the wall.

The store’s largely open floor plan is only interrupted by a few pink cylindrical plinths used to showcase products, and a bespoke pink cashier desk with an integrated computer system.

Custom spotlights have been installed on the ceiling, along with a faux skylight.

An increasing number of creatives are making their virtual designs a reality.

Last year, digital artist Andres Reisinger collaborated with furniture brand Moooi to produce a physical version of his Instagram-famous Hortensia chair, which was initially a rendering.

The piece is covered with 20,000 pink fabric petals, emulating the almost fluffy appearance of a hydrangea flower.

In Sweden, designer Christoffer Jansson passed off a virtual apartment as an Instagram home renovation project.

The photography is by Salva Lopez.

Project credits:

Authors: Six N Five and Isern Serra
Builder: Tegola Rosso SL

Reference

Interior Design

“The world ran out of pink” due to Barbie movie production

By Zarkon Group,08/06/2023

The sets of Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Barbie movie required such vast amounts of pink paint, they swallowed up one company’s entire global supply, according to production designer Sarah Greenwood.

Speaking to Architectural Digest, Gerwig revealed that the team constructed the movie’s fluorescent Barbie Land sets almost entirely from scratch at the Warner Bros Studios Leavesden – all the way down to the sky, which was hand-painted rather than CGI rendered.

Barbie Land in Barbie movie — Barbie Land sets were built from scratch in a movie lot

“We were literally creating the alternate universe of Barbie Land,” she told the magazine. “Everything needed to be tactile, because toys are, above all, things you touch.”

To recreate the almost monochromatic colour palette of Barbie’s Dreamhouses, the set design team had to source a bottomless supply of pink paint to cover everything from lampposts to road signs.

Barbie movie cast dancing in a pink town square — Almost everything from lamp posts to sidewalks is rendered in vibrant pink

In particular, the production used a highly saturated shade by US manufacturer Rosco to capture the hyperreality of Barbie Land.

“I wanted the pinks to be very bright, and everything to be almost too much,” Gerwig told Architectural Digest.

So much paint was needed, in fact, that Greenwood says the movie’s production caused a worldwide shortage of that particular hue.

“The world ran out of pink,” she joked.

Rosco later told the LA Times that the company’s supply chain had already been disrupted when the movie began production at the start of 2022, due to the lingering aftereffects of the coronavirus pandemic and the winter storm that shocked Texas the previous year.

“There was this shortage and then we gave them everything we could – I don’t know they can claim credit,” Rosco’s vice president of global marketing Lauren Proud told the LA Times, before conceding that “they did clean us out on paint”.

Margot Robbie in a pink car — Margot Robbie plays the movie’s main character

Since stills for the upcoming movie were first released a year ago, the all-pink hyper-feminine “Barbiecore” aesthetic has infiltrated the design world, with Google searches skyrocketing and the term accumulating more than 349 million views on TikTok.

Earlier this year, Barbie manufacturer Mattel collaborated with Pin-Up magazine to release a monograph on the architecture and interiors of Barbie’s Dreamhouse to mark its 60th anniversary.

“There have been so many books and entire PhDs on Barbie, but never really on her many houses and her furniture,” Pin-Up founder Felix Burrichter told Dezeen.

“So we thought it would be a good idea to make one and treat it as a serious subject, in the same way that Barbie has been treated as a serious subject over the years.”

The image is by Mattel.

Reference

Interior Design

Golem creates “pleasure-driven” pink interior for Superzoom gallery

By Zarkon Group,02/02/2023

Bubblegum-pink walls, floors and furniture create unconventional spaces for displaying art at this gallery in Paris designed by local studio Golem.

Headed by architect and artist Ariel Claudet, the practice was invited to design the interior for the Superzoom art gallery, which is located in the historic Le Marais district.

Superzoom gallery in Paris with all-pink interiors — Superzoom gallery in Paris features bubblegum-pink interiors

The gallery comprises three spaces arranged in an unusual order, with the gallery director’s office at the entrance, a white-cube gallery space in the centre and an accessible storage space at the rear.

“We flipped upside-down the classic and elitist sequence of an art gallery, offering visitors a new pleasure-driven experience and the gallery managers three spatial tools for a large range of curatorial approaches,” explained Claudet.

All-pink walls and floors in Superzoom gallery in Paris — Pink is Superzoom’s signature colour

Superzoom’s signature colour pink was used as the basis for the design, reflecting the vibrancy of the local nightlife and techno scene where the gallery mingles with artists and collectors, according to Claudet.

An integrated sound system hooked up to a vinyl record player provides a soundtrack of electronic music to enhance this connection.

The “pink den” contains a built-in bench for visitors and a synthetic grass

By placing the director’s bright-pink office at the front, Golem aimed to create an entrance that is warmer and more inviting than a typical white gallery space.

The “pink den” contains a built-in bench for visitors and a fake grass carpet that contributes to the warm, tonal aesthetic.

Record player within art gallery by Golem — The integrated sound system is hooked up to a record player

Visitors can continue through into a large and versatile white-walled gallery. This display area remains connected to the main spatial concept thanks to the pink openings on either side.

The final space within the gallery is a storage area with walls painted the same shade of lively pink. In a conventional gallery setting, this space would be hidden away. But here, it is open and accessible to visitors.

Each of the spaces in Superzoom’s gallery can be used for exhibiting work, either independently or together.

For example, Golem suggested the white cube could be used for a solo show while other artists’ work is presented in the director’s office and storage space.

White-walled gallery with overhead lighting by Golem — A white-walled gallery provides more space for exhibiting art

All of the furniture and the pink wall separating the white cube from the director’s office are mobile and can be removed to create a larger space for exhibitions or parties.

Golem designed the baby pink table featured in the director’s office as an emblem of the gallery that can be taken to art fairs or used for client dinners.

Pink interiors at Superzoom gallery — The pink office table can be removed and brought to art fairs

Claudet founded Golem in 2021 after working as an architect for practices including Rem Koolhaas’s Rotterdam-based firm OMA.

Other all-pink interiors published on Dezeen include a fur-covered Balenciaga store in London and the Minimal Fantasy holiday apartment in Madrid.

The photography is by Cyrille Lallement.

Reference

Pink

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