Creates Archives

British architecture studio Al-Jawad Pike has used colourful marble for the interiors of trainer brand Athletic Propulsion Labs’ second flagship store in Soho, New York City.

The interior of the 3,900-square-foot space (1,188 square metre) was laid out in a curving amphitheatre design, which the studio designed to be “simple yet severe” while creating a “completely immersive experience,” Al-Jawad Pike studio co-founder Jessam Al-Jawad told Dezeen.

The centrepiece of the Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL) store is five “vanity rooms” in a radial design, each clad in different-coloured onyx or marble stone with matching stone stools and back-lit mirrors.

The rainbow-colour array of stone, chosen by the client from different quarries, was “intended to represent the five boroughs of New York,” Al-Jawad said.

backlit colourful marble — Five vanity rooms are each clad in distinctive coloured onyx or marble

A teardrop-shaped column is located in the centre of the store, while boulder-like plinths positioned around the space are used for product displays.

The textured display plinths were developed with a bespoke fabricator based in New York, who CNC-carved the forms.

The studio incorporated various other materials into the scheme such as textured sprayed plaster on the walls, Romano travertine for the floor, and champagne-coloured anodised aluminium for the display boxes.

Athletic Propulsion Lab flag ship store by Al Jawad Pike — Al Jawad Pike completed the interiors for Athletic Propulsion Lab’s flagship store in New York

The aim of the store layout was to allow customers to see all the products from all parts of the store.

“We approached this by creating an architectural form that displays the product in a pan-optical array to provide visibility in completeness from almost any part of the store; whilst maintaining a seamless link between staff back-of-house functions at the basement level with the main retail space,” the studio explained.

The shoes are displayed in simple box frames, which are raised and lit up like artwork in a gallery. Ensuring that the trainers on display were the focal point was a main objective for the architects.

“The goal was to make sure the products were the main attraction in the store, while also making everything work smoothly for both customers and staff,” Al-Jawad Pike said.

The store’s semi-circular layout has street-facing windows that let in the light, and the studio also added adjustable warm lighting from the back-lit, semi-circular ceiling to provide additional illumination.

“We wanted to create a wash of light from above to bath the space in a warm and comfortable ambience,” said Al-Jawad.

“At its top, the perimeter wall banks into a semi-circular, back-lit stretch ceiling with adjustable warmth to dramatically alter the atmosphere in the space.”

Al-Jawad Pike was founded in 2014 by Al-Jawad and Dean Pike and aims to create spaces that “engender a sense of well-being and intrigue, as well as fun”.

Other retail interiors recently featured on Dezeen include Bottega Veneta’s Avenue Montaigne flagship store in Paris and Cúpla’s design for a boutique in central London.

The photography is by Ståle Eriksen.

Reference

Glass and bronze modules form an arch of light over a dining booth

Interior Design

Rockwell Group creates “cathedral of fried chicken” for NYC restaurant

By Zarkon Group,30/03/2024

Arches of light warmly illuminate this Korean fried chicken restaurant in New York’s Flatiron district, designed by Rockwell Group.

Coqodaq is the brainchild of restauranteur Simon Kim’s Gracious Hospitality Management, the group behind the Michelin-starred and James Beard-nominated COTE Korean Steakhouse.

The new restaurant offers an elevated take on traditional Korean-style fried chicken, encouraging diners to indulge in nuggets topped with caviar and to pair its “bucket” dishes with champagne.

“Designed by Rockwell Group as ‘the cathedral of fried chicken’, the restaurant design delivers a daring, yet refined dining experience that skillfully integrates Korean and American influences, placing them at the forefront of this enticing culinary adventure,” said the restaurant team.

Restaurant interior with moody material palette and warm lighting — The restaurant’s moody material palette and warm lighting set the tone for an elevated take on Korean fried chicken

To create the right atmosphere for this experience, Rockwell Group opted for a dark and moody interior of rich materials and low, warm lighting.

“Our goal was to capture the essence of this unique concept and innovative approach to fried chicken and translate it into a memorable dining experience,” said founder David Rockwell.

Booth seating with crackled plaster wall panels above — Plaster wall panels feature a crackled effect akin to fried chicken skin

Upon entry, guests are invited to wash their hands in leathered soapstone basins, above which a row of pill-shaped light bands glow within a bronzed mirror that also wraps onto the side walls.

Past the host stand, an area with four high-top tables offers a space reserved for walk-ins in front of garage-style windows.

A long bar topped with black soapstone and fronted with tambour wood — The long bar is topped with black soapstone and fronted with tambour wood

The main dining area is formed by a series of green leather and dark walnut booths on either side of a central walkway.

A series of illuminated arches soar overhead, formed from rippled glass and bronze modules that resemble bubbling oil in a deep-fat fryer.

Champagne collection displayed in glass cases with bubble-like lighting — The restaurant’s extensive champagne collection is displayed in glass cases with bubble-like lighting

At the end of this procession, a mirrored wall reflects glowing arches and creates the illusion of doubled space. Meanwhile, plaster wall panels feature a crackled effect, nodding to the crispy skin of the fried chicken.

“The material palette was driven by a desire to surround diners in an envelope of warmth, creating a joyful place to be at any time,” Rockwell said.

Rockwell Group creates atmospheric interiors for Perelman Center in New York

Additional booth seating to one side is followed by the long bar, topped with black soapstone, fronted by tambour wood and backed by a luminous black liquor shelf.

The restaurant’s extensive champagne collection – which it claims is the largest in America – is displayed inside glass cabinets installed with globe-shaped lights that look like giant bubbles.

Area with high-top tables reserved for walk-in diners — At the front of the restaurant is an area with high-top tables reserved for walk-in diners

“Simon and I share the belief that the most important thing about restaurants is how they ritualise coming together for a shared, celebratory experience and Coqodaq provides the perfect template for that,” said Rockwell.

Since Tony Award-winning designer founded his eponymous firm in New York 40 years ago, the studio has grown to a 250-person operation with additional offices in Los Angeles and Madrid.

Hand-washing station with leathered soapstone basins and rings of light above — Upon arrival, guests are encouraged to wash their hands in leathered soapstone basins

Among Rockwell Group’s recent hospitality projects are the Metropolis restaurant and lobby spaces at the Perelman Arts Center (PAC NYC) and Zaytina inside the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

We’ve featured a few fried chicken restaurants recently, including a 1960s-influenced spot in Los Angeles and a neon-illuminated eatery in Calgary.

The photography is by Jason Varney.

Reference

Interior Design

Linehouse creates greenhouse-informed food market in Shanghai

By Zarkon Group,28/03/2024

Architecture studio Linehouse has wrapped a food market in a Shanghai laneway neighbourhood around a central atrium informed by Victorian greenhouses.

Named Foodie Social, the 2,000-square-metre food market is located within the Hong Shou Fang community – a residential area in Shanghai’s Putuo district known for its classic “longtang” laneway architecture.

The entrance to the two-storey market was framed by a double-height arrangement of stacked recycled red bricks, with a corten steel canopy added to provide shelter.

The same recycled red bricks sourced from demolished houses in China can also be found on the interior walls, stacked to create three dimensional patterns.

A large glass door can be pulled open on warm days, with patterned paving from the laneway outside extending to the interior of the market, fully connecting the interior and exterior.

The interior of the market was designed to resemble a greenhouse, with shops and cafe’s arrranged around a central, double-height atrium.

The glass pitched roof above the atrium was lined with gently curved metal truss, in reference to Victorian greenhouses, with three large fans hanging from the metal truss to improve the air circulation.

A cafe in the atrium, which contains an olive tree planted into the ground, integrates a metal staircase that leads to the upper floor.

A area describes as a “stage” is located by the staircase with a series of undulating balconies wrapped around the atrium on the upper floor.

Various typologies of food vendors are arranged in the open atrium on the ground floor, some of which are designed to be retractable, allowing flexibility for different types of vendors as well as a large open event space to be formed at the centre.

“This new typology brings together the local with more curated food offerings in a contemporary yet humble and sustainable way,” explained Linehouse‘s Shanghai team who are responsible for the design.

Smaller snack shops were positioned on the ground floor, while larger restaurants occupy the upper floor.

Each stall was assembled from a kit of parts, so that the vendors are able to create their own signage and layout, but maintain a consistent material and lighting palette.

Linehouse is a Hong Kong and Shanghai-based architecture and interior design studio established in 2013 by Alex Mok and Briar Hickling. The duo won the emerging interior designer of the year category at the 2019 Dezeen Awards.

The studio has also recently designed the facade of a shopping centre in Bangkok and the interiors for a Hong Kong residence that respond to coastal views.

The photography is by Wen Studio.

Project credits:

Design principal: Alex Mok
Associate-in-charge: Cherngyu Chen
Design team: Yeling Guo, Fei Wang, Wang Jue, Norman Wang, Aiwen Shao, Mia Zhou, Yunbin Lou, Xiaoxi Chen, Tom Grannells

Reference

A long, metallic conference table within an industrial-style building

Interior Design

Crosby Studios creates office-themed installation for The Frankie Shop

By Zarkon Group,23/03/2024

New York-based Crosby Studios has piled office equipment around a long metallic table as part of a pop-up installation for fashion brand The Frankie Shop in Los Angeles.

The month-long installation titled The Office was launched to coincide with LA Art Week and the Sag-Aftra film festival and marked the New York label The Frankie Shop‘s first presence in the Californian city.

The brand’s founder Gaëlle Drevet and Crosby Studios creative director Harry Nuriev met at his studio, talked for 2.5 hours and decided to work together.

The resulting installation occupies a trapezoidal building on Sunset Boulevard wrapped in metallic film on all sides.

Equipment like printers, office chairs and water coolers arranged around a room — Equipment like printers, office chairs and water coolers were arranged around the perimeter of the space

Inside, the warehouse-like space features a long table also covered in a reflective material, with matching cube-shaped stools set along either side.

Articulated desk lamps, microphones and bottles of water were arranged on the table as if set up for delegates at a convention.

Metallic table with water bottles and microphones on top — The central table featured microphones and water bottles as if set up for a meeting

Around the perimeter, Nuriev placed recycled office equipment, such as a large printer, a stack of binders and a pile of plastic-wrapped office chairs.

A row of water coolers was lined up along one end of the room, encircled with glowing light boxes to create sharp silhouettes of the equipment in front.

Pile of office chairs silhouetted against a bright light box — Light boxes that encircle the space create sharp silhouettes of the office furniture placed in front

“It’s not really about the office, it’s more about what happens after the office,” Nuriev told Dezeen. “I was thinking it’s time to officially move on from the office and consider the future. However, in this project, we’re uncertain about what the future holds exactly.”

A selection of apparel by The Frankie Shop is interspersed among the vignettes, while a “storage” area in the back serves as a fitting room.

Plastic-wrapped silver furniture — Some of the furniture is plastic-wrapped, appearing as though just installed or ready to be shipped away

Together, the industrial style of the building, the silvery materials, the lighting and the equipment served to highlight the brand’s reinterpretation of businesswear.

“The pop-up design blends a dynamic combination of fashion and nostalgia, where the power suits of the past seamlessly align with the modern attitude of The Frankie Shop,” said the team.

Metallics are commonplace in Nuriev’s interior projects, appearing prominently in a Berlin jewellery store, a Moscow restaurant and his own New York apartment amongst others.

However, he is vague about the reasons or intentionality behind this recurring theme.

Exterior of a building on Sunset Boulevard covered in reflective film — The exterior of the building on Sunset Boulevard is also covered in reflective film

“I don’t really think about ‘why’; it’s just my instincts, and I prefer to follow my feelings,” said Nuriev. “For this project, I had a vision of silver, and I think it works perfectly.”

Originally from Russia, the designer founded Crosby Studios in 2014 and is now based between New York and Paris.

Zoomed out view of The Frankie Shop building in LA — The month-long installation marks The Frankie Shop’s first presence in LA and was timed to coincide with the city’s art week

He recently completed the interiors for New York nightclub Silencio, based on the original location in Paris designed by film director David Lynch.

Nuriev frequently collaborates with fashion brands, on projects ranging from a virtual sofa upholstered with green Nike jackets to a transparent vinyl couch filled with old Balenciaga clothing.

The photography is by Josh Cho.

The Office is on show in Los Angeles from 23 February to 24 March. For more events, talks and exhibitions in architecture and design visit Dezeen Events Guide.

Reference

Interior Design

Lissoni Architecture creates New York showroom with “melting pot attitude”

By Zarkon Group,18/03/2024

Local studio Lissoni Architecture has expanded the Design Holding flagship in New York City, creating an entirely new floor outfitted with light displays and curving metallic installations.

Lissoni Architecture, the US branch of Italian studio Lissoni & Partners, created an entirely new second floor and redesigned a portion of the first floor for the Design Holding showroom, which displays furniture and lighting brands including B&B Italia, Flos, Louis Poulsen, Maxalto, Arclinea and Azucena.

Lighting and design elements from the brands were distributed across the second-floor space, spread out amongst vertical stone-clad panels, transparent, metal showcases, and curving chrome benches and walls.

Each area of the floor was dedicated to a specific brand and the interior architecture was tailored to each brand’s identity, according to the studio.

Red chair in showroom — The project encompasses a new second floor and an expansion and redesign of the first

“We wanted to share the melting pot attitude of New York City where everyone and everything can blend together holistically so we went to the essence of the iconic brands,” said Lissoni Architecture founder Piero Lissoni.

“[We highlighted] their DNA and proposed a common ground that could host and enhance the design codes of each identity.”

A wall of lights and windows — The studio created dedicated areas for brands including Flos and B&B Italia

For lighting brand Flos, the studio created a series of display cases backed by a transparent mesh. A magnetized, geometric Bilboquet light by designer Philippe Malouin is on display, as well as the Almendra chandelier affixed with almond-shaped flakes by Patricia Urquiola.

A testing room for clients was also created for the brand, which consists of a curved, metal wall that meets a series of angled panels that act as an entrance for the room.

Tables in a showroom — The various displays were informed by the “melting pot” attitude of New York City

Another corner of the floor was dedicated to the display of the Skynest chandelier by Marcel Wanders, which resembles an inverted basket interlaced with cords of light.

Displays for Flos and Louis Poulsen consist of inserted panels and curving planting beds that are populated with a number of lighting fixtures from both brands.

A room with a curving metal wall — Metallic panels, warm wood, and dark cladding were used throughout the second-floor space

Dark, metal cladding used in the Flos displays contrasts the off-white and beiges used throughout the Louis Poulsen space, but both flank a B&B Italia lounge that sits at the centre of the floor, which features a bright-red chair from the Up series by Gaetano Pesce.

A B&B Italia wardrobe was also created for the showroom, which sits next to an Arclinea kitchen display.

A black ash finish was used to clad a large cabinet unit, which sits behind a Thea island topped with a quartz waterfall countertop.

Lighting by Louis Poulsen, including the Patera Oval pendant by designer Øivind Slaatt, was tucked into the furthest corner of the space, with pieces distributed amongst wooden tables and a low-lying display unit.

A show room with white furniture — A separate entrance leads to a Maxalto space on the first floor

On the first floor, a new space dedicated to Maxalto is accessible through a separate entrance, with pieces such as the brand’s Arbiter sofa system positioned against walls clad in black.

Design Holding, a global retailer founded in 2018, recently added furniture brands Menu, By Lassen and Brdr Petersen to its portfolio after an agreement with Denmark-based company Designers Company.

Piero Lissoni announced the founding of the US branch of his studio last year, saying that the US has become more “open-minded” in terms of architecture.

The photography is courtesy Design Holding.

Reference

Architecture

Yussef Agbo-Ola creates jute temple for Sharjah Architecture Triennial

By Zarkon Group,17/03/2024

Architect Yussef Agbo-Ola has created a tent-like temple informed by Sharjah’s topography and biodiversity as part of the Sharjah Architecture Triennial.

Occupying a classroom within the former school that is now the triennial’s headquarters, the temple was designed by Agbo-Ola of London environmental design practice Olaniyi Studio as a place for incense burning and reflection.

Named Jabal: 9 Ash Cleansing Temple, the structure was made from jute, hemp and cotton yarns knitted into a fabric to encourage reflection on how climate change is impacting Sharjah’s biodiversity.

“Jabal: 9 Ash Cleansing Temple is a living architectural entity for honouring non-human life and endangered species in the womb of a scared mountain,” Agbo-Ola told Dezeen.

“It honours ephemeral rituals across architecture, performance and art within Bedouin, Yoruba and Cherokee communities that respect the natural world and practice environmental consecration,” he continued.

“This sacred structure is an apparatus for collective aroma rituals of bakhoor or incense burning and invites visitors to partake in breathing ceremonies within the inner altars of the structure.”

The installation is called Jabal: 9 Ash Cleansing Temple

The tent-like structure, which is surrounded by dried mud, has a form and colour intended to evoke the Jebel Jais Mountain in Sharjah’s neighbouring emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.

“It is my core belief that mountains are the mothers that hold an environment’s wisdom and DNA within them,” said Agbo-Ola.

“They can speak to us and are seen as elements in a landscape that humble us in relation to their scale and presence. The truth is, they are also extruded from the land by the unseen tensions and movements of the tectonic layers under the surface.”

“The colours of the knit skins are inspired by the colour pallet of the mountains and rock formations in the landscape as well as light patterns that depict fractal fossilised micro-crustaceans,” he continued.

“When these organisms, which are symbolically represented in the knits, are linked together in the temple, they create a new visual ecosystem as a symbolic form of their dependence on each other for ecological balance.”

Jute, hemp and cotton fabric — The temple is made from jute, hemp and cotton

According to Agbo-Ola, the structure was also designed to celebrate fertility and the natural process of transformation.

“I believe it is the things that we cannot hold on to, that we cannot possess or claim, that become meaningful and hold an essence of amazement or reverence within us,” he explained.

“Jabala: 9 Ash Cleansing Temple is designed in a similar way in the sense that each fabric skin in the design should be seen from the perspective of the single thread that holds it together,” he continued. “The decay that occurs when one microscopic organism eats the temple’s fibres or lays eggs on it is just as important as the overall form and shape of the temple from the macro scale.”

Temple in Sharjah — It was designed as a space for incense burning and reflection

Overall, Agbo-Ola hopes that the temple will act as a space for contemplation.

“As visitors walk through the temple they are invited to experience the perspectives and beauty of non-human entities while slowing down to reverence the presence of the sacred mountains,” he said.

“This element of contemplation is induced by the burning of bakhoor and incense in the temple as a collective ritual.”

Sharjah Architecture Triennial installation — The tent-like structure is surrounded by dried mud

“There is also a sound work that is connected to the piece, which acts as the voice of the temple,” he continued. “The sonic work draws from research into ritual, shamanism and the practices of healers, that can bring new and deeper connections to our ecological environments.”

“The experimental composition of orchestral and spatial gradients aims to mimic the multi-layered atmospheric acoustic conversations between botanical, geological and unseen environmental elements.”

The second edition of the Sharjah Architecture Triennial was curated by Nigerian architect Tosin Oshinowo, who explained the triennial’s theme of scarcity in a recent interview with Dezeen.

Elsewhere, we rounded up 12 intriguing pavilions and installations from the event.

The photography is by Edmund Sumner.

Sharjah Architecture Triennial 2023 takes place from 11 November 2023 to 10 March 2024 at various locations across Sharjah. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

Reference

Exterior of Masná 130 house in Český Krumlov, Czech Republic by ORA

Interior Design

ORA creates modern home in 500-year-old Czech Renaissance building

By Zarkon Group,29/02/2024

Czech architecture studio ORA has renovated a Renaissance-era house in the town of Český Krumlov, preserving original features like its carved wooden beams while adding free-standing contemporary furniture.

Local entrepreneurs Petra Hanáková and Radek Techlovský purchased the dilapidated house in the town centre in 2016 and asked ORA to oversee a modernisation process that retains the interior’s historical character.

The 500-year-old building, now called Masná 130, had been neglected for decades and was not even connected to the town’s sewage system. It also had flood-damaged foundations and a roof in need of major repairs.

Despite its issues, the owners saw potential in the property and spent two years transforming its ground floor into a cafe that has become a gathering place for the local community.

Entrance of Masná 130 house — The architects added bespoke furniture made from dark-stained birch plywood

The latest phase of the project involved renovating the first-floor living spaces. The original intention was to redevelop them as rental flats, but Hanáková and Techlovský eventually decided to create a single apartment that they could occupy themselves.

ORA’s design for the apartment reveals aspects of the building’s past while introducing modern features that reflect the owners’ love for contemporary design and minimalist style.

Living room of house in Český Krumlov, Czech Republic by ORA — The building’s original carved wooden ceiling beams are left exposed

“We did not want to create a historical ‘museum’ interior, nor a design showroom,” said Hanáková and Techlovský. “We wanted to organically connect the historical and contemporary layers.”

The architects began by removing an existing partition wall in the main living space and reinstating the original open layout. This created a large salon that reveals the full splendour of the Renaissance-era wooden ceiling.

Kitchen of Masná 130 house — The kitchen was designed as a standalone unit that is raised above the floor

The restoration process also uncovered original stone walls that were painted a deep crimson colour. Together with the wooden rafters, this informed a material palette that complements these dark, saturated tones and creates a cosy atmosphere.

The apartment’s bedroom features a small remnant of the original ceiling fresco. The rest of the room is painted a cream colour to lend the space a calm and relaxing feel.

In the bathroom, ORA chose to combine cool colours with white tiles and large mirrors to brighten the space. Playful details such as the irregularly shaped bathtub, curved sinks and tiles with rounded edges help to soften the overall aesthetic.

Throughout the apartment, the architects added bespoke freestanding furniture that performs the necessary functions without disturbing or concealing the existing heritage features.

View to bedroom of house in Český Krumlov, Czech Republic by ORA — The bed is dominated by an oversized headboard

“The interior design is approached as a collage of motifs,” said ORA. “The furniture is inserted into the historical space in the form of separate objects that create distance from the historical elements.”

The kitchen, for example, was designed as a standalone unit that is raised above the floor and stops well short of the ceiling. Its sink, hob and countertop occupy a central void, with all other functions concealed within the cabinetry.

Bedroom of Masná 130 house — It takes pride of place in the centre of the bedroom

The bed features an oversized headboard that connects with a wardrobe on its reverse side. It is placed in the centre of the bedroom and is angled to provide the best view of the window and the original painted ceiling.

Custom-made furniture is built from dark-stained birch plywood with contrasting brass legs that help to enhance the sense of separation from the existing spaces.

Lighting is either freestanding or integrated into furniture such as the kitchen unit and bed. An overhead light above the dining table is mounted on a bracket so it does not touch the historical ceiling.

Bathroom of house in Český Krumlov, Czech Republic by ORA — ORA combined cool colours with white tiles in the bathroom

ORA, which stands for Original Regional Architecture, was founded in 2014 by Jan Veisser, Jan Hora and Barbora Hora. The studio is based in the small town of Znojmo, with previous projects including the conversion of a 16th-century home in Mikulov to create a modern guesthouse.

Other recent attempts at revamping the historical residences of the Czech Republic include a 1920s villa in Prague that was renovated by No Architects and a 100-year-old apartment in Karlovy Vary, where Plus One Architects uncovered the building’s original paintwork.

The photography is by BoysPlayNice.

Reference

Woman running in front of white stucco house rising out of hedges

Sustainable News

Inaba Williams creates mirrored stucco-clad residences in California

By Zarkon Group,21/02/2024

US studio Inaba Williams Architects has created two mirrored houses with courtyards in Santa Monica, California that are clad in white stucco and have net-zero energy use, according to the studio.

Completed in 2023, the twin five-bedroom houses measure 3,900 square feet (362 square metres) each and are divided by a privacy wall and rectangular lap pools.

Brooklyn-based practice Inaba Williams Architects followed strategies laid out in Title 24 – California’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards – to create net-zero emissions houses “better suited to our future climate conditions”.

“Having far fewer windows, the buildings reduce heat gain and energy use, while allowing residents to enjoy indoor outdoor living,” the studio told Dezeen. “With less need for air conditioning and generous access to landscaped areas, they offer a more natural, less tempered experience with the environment.”

White stucco home with small tree and soaking pool in courtyard — The two structures are mirrors of each other and are divided by a courtyard with a privacy wall in the middle

Set on 40-foot (12-metre) wide lots, the linear homes measure only 20 feet (6 metres) at their widest, leaving plenty of space for outdoor areas on either side of the house for residents to enjoy.

Residents enter from a small courtyard on the outside street-edge corner of the lot into a rounded entryway that passes directly into the main exterior courtyard.

White stucco home with open door — The studio said the home has achieved net-zero emissions

At the northern end of the site lies a small two-storey volume that holds a media room and a private suite.

Moving deeper into the house, the living, dining and kitchen areas are collected into an open-plan space with windows and sliding doors that look onto the outdoor areas – including a dining patio – which bring daylight in from three sides.

Living room with pool seen through courtyard doors — The white of the exterior continues inside

A bedroom suite, garage, and a secluded zen garden hold the southern edge of the site.

Above, a family room and terrace sit at the top of the staircase in the centre of the plan. Two suites are located on the rear of the site, while the primary suite takes up the rest of the level with a private embedded balcony.

Bedroom with white walls and minimalist furniture — Wood flooring was used for the top floor

“The courtyards are the focal point of the side-by-side homes,” the team said. “Following the Energy Standards’ option to use glass on just 20 per cent of the exterior surface area, the limited amount of glazing is concentrated around these central outdoor areas. “

Positioned to maximize daylight, the courtyards and auxiliary areas capitalise on the coastal location’s mild climate and can be used every day.

Curved white windows — Windows were strategically placed to maximise light and limit heat gains and losses

“Similarly, taking into account the solar path, the building massings let ample sunshine into the courtyards over the day and year,” the team said.

The all-white houses have simple materials to accentuate their forms, with stucco on the exterior. White walls and terrazzo and hardwood floors feature on the interiors. The coving along the ceiling is made of glass fibre-reinforced concrete from a local vendor.

Skylight over oak staircase in white Santa Monica home — The houses were constructed under California’s Title 24 guidlines

Outside, brick pavers are set in a herringbone pattern that provides a soft geometrical detail to the smooth forms and green planted beds add color and texture.

Combined with the low glass-to-surface area building envelope, root-mounted solar panels help the homes meet California’s Zero Net Energy criteria, however hitting performance metrics wasn’t the team’s driving force.

“We think the more approaches there are to creating a sustainable future the better, and the Standards could have a cumulative climate benefit,” the studio said. “Just as the New York 1916 Zoning Resolution shaped the highrise tower type, California’s Energy Code can help shape the house type by being a framework for experimenting with its form and layout.”

“Its requirements can be guidelines to think inventively about climate-oriented design – to evolve our collective thinking about the type in a positive way.”

White walls along street of Santa Monica house — Exterior walls provide privacy for extensive outdoor space

Other recently built courtyard houses in Santa Monica include a brick house centred around a decades-old olive tree by Woods + Dangaran and a cedar- and zinc-clad L-shaped home by Walker Warner Architects.

The photography is by Brandon Shigeta.

Project credits:

Design architect: Jeffrey Inaba, Darien Williams, Sharon Leung, Nabila Morales Perez, Yasamin Mayyas, James Brillon, Andre Macias-Yanez
Executive architect and general contractor: Modative
Civil engineer: Obando and Associates
Structural engineer: Gouvis
Title 24 consultant: Title 24 Guys
Landscape architect: Studio H2O

Reference

Restaurant interior with a pared-back palette

Interior Design

Jialun Xiong creates intricate Sichuanese restaurant in LA

By Zarkon Group,14/01/2024

Subtle nods to traditional Chinese architecture can be found throughout this restaurant in California, designed by LA-based Jialun Xiong.

Sichuan Impression‘s third outpost, located in Alhambra, occupies a 2,000-square-foot (186-square-metre) space that “takes an elegantly pared-down approach to family-style dining”.

Jialun Xiong took an equally relaxed approach to the interiors, combining warm and soft colours with walnut furniture and metal accents.

“For Sichuan Impression, I chose a muted palette and natural materials to encourage guests to look a little longer and see the intricacies and textures that aren’t so obvious at first glance,” said Xiong.

A free-seating area beside a bar featuring walnut furniture and floating metal cabinets — A free-seating area beside the bar features walnut furniture and floating metal cabinets

The restaurant is roughly divided into four dining areas, each open to one another but defined by the style of seating.

To the left of the entrance is a sequence of partitions that alternate between heavy grey plaster and delicate metal mesh screens supported by antique brass frames.

Plaster partition separating different sections of the restaurant — Plaster partitions separate the various sections of the restaurant

Each has a circular opening, which align to provide a continuous view along the minimalist walnut tables and benches that run along the same axis.

One table extends through an opening, accommodating larger parties when needed, and each compartment features an oversized, raw silk cloth light shade suspended above.

Restaurant interior with walls and screens of different heights and thickness — Walls and screens of different heights and thickness create a hierarchy of spaces

“The custom chandeliers nod to traditional Chinese lanterns and reflect Xiong’s skeletal furniture designs,” said the restaurant team.

In front of the bar is a free-seating space furnished with more wooden tables and chairs, which match the cabinetry against the far wall, while glass-fronted metal cabinets are mounted above.

A pair of chunky plaster-wrapped columns and low partitions separate a collection of booths with leather seats and upholstered cushioned backs on the other side.

The green fabric was chosen to resemble bamboo – a common material used in Sichuanese design.

Two rows of booth seating either side of a walkway — Booth seating is upholstered with a green fabric chosen to evoke bamboo

At the back of the restaurant is the private dining area, which can accommodate 16 guests altogether, or two groups of eight when a sliding partition is closed.

A circular window offers a glimpse into the private space, where the pared-back material palette is continued.

Private dining room with an intimate feel — A private dining room at the back has an intimate feel and can be spied through a circular window

“The secluded space is designed to feel like home with its bespoke circular dining table and ambient lighting,” said Xiong. “I believe good design doesn’t always have to be instantly recognisable, it can simply blend in.”

Xiong, who is originally from Chongqing, has also completed the retro-futuristic Chinese restaurant 19 Town close to Downtown LA. The designer recently showed her furniture and lighting pieces as part of the INTRO/LA showcase in November 2023, and at the Alcova exhibition during Art Basel in Miami in December.

Reference

Triangular archway in the Amsterdam Polspotten store

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.

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

Creates

Al-Jawad Pike creates marble store for APL in NYC

Linehouse creates greenhouse-informed food market in Shanghai

Crosby Studios creates office-themed installation for The Frankie Shop

Lissoni Architecture creates New York showroom with “melting pot attitude”

Yussef Agbo-Ola creates jute temple for Sharjah Architecture Triennial

ORA creates modern home in 500-year-old Czech Renaissance building

Inaba Williams creates mirrored stucco-clad residences in California

Jialun Xiong creates intricate Sichuanese restaurant in LA

Space Projects creates Amsterdam store with thatched hut for Polspotten

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