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Light Walls

Interior - 25.05.2020

Light Walls RCR

A sequence of glazed courtyards renovate the spaces of an old industrial building. Located in the city of Bordeaux, the project renovates an old warehouse with vaulted spaces that were once cellars for storing fish and supplies. The intervention seeks to reactivate the area by making the most of its central location and the existence of a cozy garden adjacent to the property. The construction is reconverted into a mixed-use building that includes an exhibition gallery, a workshop, and the home of one of the studio’s members. The separation of public and private defines the intervention, organizing the uses vertically and dividing the space transversally. The basement storage spaces are transformed into exhibition halls, the street level houses the architecture studio, and the upper floor, with a characteristic sloping wooden ceiling, contains the dwelling spaces. The roof, fragmented by skylights and courtyards, creates a series of transversal bands that organize the different uses and circulation elements. These layers of glass create an ethereal image that blurs the limits between rooms. In the last one of these, which combines the main exhibition hall and a large library, the height of the slabs varies so that they are in greater continuity with the other rooms.  Light enters the building through a series of glazed courtyards, and becomes a key element in the renewal of this old warehouse that now contains a residence, an architecture studio, and a public exhibition gallery. 
House A12

Interior - 30.04.2020

House A12

Lucas y Hernández-Gil

Imagination and the original treatment of lighting as tools for the creation of different atmospheres in House A12. Occupying what used to be a store, with direct access from the street, this dwelling is conceived as a mix between the Mediterranean house – introverted and spilling out into a courtyard – and the phenomenological house as described by Gaston Bachelard: a space governed by the power of imagination. The former’s functional and climatic efficiency thus combines with the latter’s capacity to transcend reality, and this is possible thanks to the importance given to sunlight, which shines into the atrium through skylights, windows, and even an English courtyard-garden that works like an all-tropical urban oasis into which the entire lower level of the house spills, as in a dream.From a functional angle, another challenge was to resolve the circulation elements, given the extensive program and the linear composition of the house. The solution was to concatenate a series of different atmospheres whose particular qualities result from a free interaction of geometry, lighting, and color. Warm finishes and colder, more industrial textures are placed side by side. 
Apartment XVII

Interior - 09.03.2020

Apartment XVII

Studio Razavi

Looking for peace and introspection through formal simplicity in a Renaissance-era apartment in Vieux-Lyon. Studio Razavi has renovated a 16th-century apartment located in the well-preseved Renaissance quarter of Lyon, France.Abandoned for over sixty years, the apartment was in a ruinous state when a young scientist decided to have it renovated and turned into an ‘introspective space,’ conducive to reflection and reclusion. While celebrating certain original features, the architects chose to reduce the preexisting decoration to a minimum, plastering all the walls with a pale gray finish that strikes a contrast with the tones of the furnishings and the kitchen cabinets of MDF boards, which are painted a sea-green.As a counterpoint to the minimalist aesthetic, arches here and there break the apartment’s overall rectilinear geometry and square proportions, forming doorways, cupboards, display niches, and radiator covers. The old features that were preserved include two large stone fireplaces, the oak-beam ceiling, and a clear height exceeding four meters.A spiral staircase leads to the entrance, where a foyer precedes the main space, which combines the dining room, the kitchen, and the living room. Completing the domestic program are a bathroom, a single room, and a dressing room.The furniture pieces in the living room are few and far between, just a glass table, some chairs, and a sofa, which helps to seal the calm of the place. The preserved original elements lord over everything else.
Center for Architecture & Development

Interior - 17.02.2020

Center for Architecture & Development

Marcos Cortes Lerín

Bright bubbles define a fragmented, dynamic, and fluid space that will have different uses depending on the activity taking place. Marcos Cortes Lerín renovates an office space for Sino-Europe Center for Architecture & Development, proposing an alternative atmosphere that stands out from the conventional office types.A series of bubbles are arranged independently throughout the floor space, dividing the existing space and creating circulation routes around which workspaces emerge, interacting with them. These capsules enclose offices and meeting rooms of different sizes that maintain a dialogue between interior and exterior thanks to the intermediate areas. The atmosphere is fluid, flexible, and adaptable, achieving a dynamic space open for a wide variety of activities.The separation between the interior spaces of the bubbles and their exterior is materialized through a double-skin membrane, bright on the outside and translucid on the inside, supported by transparent bones that function as structure. This experimentation creates a sensation of weightlessness formed by air and light, and permits illuminating the capsules while visually isolating them from the exterior, revealing only blurred forms of what is closer to them. Moreover, the changes in the color of the floor subtly mark out the spaces, stressing the area of influence of the bubbles.Next to the office, a new exhibition area is designed with a different language, and goes for a static approach rather than the dynamic one chosen for the office: from a space that is discovered through its circulation routes and activities to another one that openly asserts its presence. A sober atmosphere avoids distracting the attention from the items displayed. Six tables designed to hold exhibition material hang from the ceiling, floating in the space.Collaborators: Ma Cheng + Chen Yun + Hui GuContractor: Huai'ian Heyi DecorationEngineering Co., Ltd.
Acolá Store

Interior - 10.02.2020

Acolá Store

VÃO Arquitetura

Vão Arquitetura created a space that brings out the essence of Acolá products by means of light and natural materials. Acolá Store came about from renovating a hair salon in the Pinheiros neighborhood. The small townhouse, with its floor plan tapering towards the rear, was dark and damp inside. The first design decisions hence included replacing part of the roof and part of the upper-story slab with glass. This brought light and air into all three levels of the building.On the outside, the concrete of the original construction was maintained, while the brickwork of the facade was removed, making room for two ground-level windows. These are separated from the entrance by two metal pillars. A canopy over the windows protects them from direct sunlight and gives shelter. There are plans to add a bench and bicycle parking stand, and to revamp the sidewalk altogether.Inside, the old layout gave way to diaphanous spaces, capitalizing on the increased input of daylight. Two zones are marked out. The front part contains the actual boutique at street level and an office above. Behind are the wet areas: sanitary installations downstairs and a storeroom upstairs.A free-standing wooden volume appears at the center of the store. Its purpose is to guide movement and define areas: display, storage and two fitting rooms. An inner garden precedes some stairs that lead to a catwalk directly connected to the office.The materials used in the project – peroba rosa wood and metalwork – try to express the natural line of Acolá items: natural fabrics handmade with stamping and dyeing techniques.
Mirror Garden

Interior - 27.01.2020

Mirror Garden

Archstudio

Archstudio connects interior and exterior through a play of reflections and yards in Mirror Garden, where architecture becomes landscaping. Archstudio has designed a store with the idea of accommodating various activities through different spaces: sales, exhibitions, lounging, and dining. This is within an old edifice located in one of Beijing’s historical hutong neighborhoods. To adapt to other buildings in the vicinity, it replaces its original, flat roof with a pitched structure.The key concept is to build indoor-outdoor connections by positioning mirrors in such a way that they reflect the yards, creating an infinite field of vision and transforming the architecture into a large ‘garden.’ Three yards are formed for natural light to shine in through, and the green zones are connected to the interiors.The street-level main entrance leads to a space where exhibition zones alternate with areas where furniture and other products are sold. Most of the walls and the ceiling are coated with mirrors that blur the barriers between what’s real and what’s reflected: furniture pieces, people, objects, plants.The stairs to the upper floor are framed by a vertical garden on the 6-meter-tall wall. A kitchen and a dining table of terrazzo stand out in this welcoming spot, complemented to the north and south by terraces intended as exteriors to which activities can spill out to.Down in the basement, the gleaming floor is in itself a lighting fixture, and as such, serves as a display stand for shoes and hats. The mirror solution is used anew to play with persons and garments, which hang from the ceiling. Everywhere, the lighting is based on a smart system that accommodates different kinds of events.
Self-Portrait

Interior - 28.12.2019

Self-Portrait

CASPER MUELLER KNEER

The new Albemarle Street flagship store in London's Mayfair is the first one of the Self-Portrait brand; becoming a model for the next ones. The new flagship store in Albemarle Street in London's Mayfair has been designed by Casper Mueller Kneer Architects, renown for their work for the arts and fashion  for clients such as White Cube Gallery, the Barbican Art Centre and collaborations with fashion house Céline. The store, which has 233 m2 of space, is set over ground and lower ground floors and offers a sequence of spaces flowing into each other, creating zones with distinct spatial and material qualities.  Simple geometric forms structure the spaces: at ground level, two semi-circular metal screens with coloured aluminium inlays provide the hanging rails as well as visual shelter, and at the lower floor the main space is shaped in the form of a triangle.  Smaller ante-rooms with deliberately odd geometries are located off these main spaces. Two staircases allow a playfully loop of discovery through the store.Three design elements define the space - the custom designed terrazzo flooring with pink and white marble insets, the open grid ceiling which creates a continuous, luminous horizon, and the dark and heavy Cornish mineral clay render, which is applied to all wall and ceiling surfaces. Furniture pieces are custom-designed by Casper Mueller Kneer and fine artist Michael Elmgreen and the store will also offer a dedicated space for curated video artwork. 
Little Spain

Interior - 28.12.2019

Little Spain

Cosentino surfaces in New York

Up to 13 models of Silestone and Dekton boards – used for
both countertops and wall claddings – have been chosen to decorate the different stands and spaces in the new Mercado Little Spain. Under the imposing skyscrapers of Hudson Yards – the largest real estate development to go up recently in New York – is Little Spain, a new and unprecedented space that celebrates Spanish food, launched by the popular chef José Andrés and the Adrià brothers. The project, designed by the studio Capella García Arquitectura, recreates the atmosphere of a traditional market where each stand offers a different culinary product. Artists like Javier Mariscal, Oscar Mariné, Sergio Mora, and Mikel Urmeneta, who represent the creative potential of our country, have also participated in the design of the space. Cosentino has contributed by highlighting the quality and innovative character of the ‘Spain Brand,’ using its surfaces to show their newest applications in interior design and professional hospitality. The brand’s range of products, available in a broad palette of colors and textures, allows addressing a variety of needs and settings. The ultra- compact surfaces of Dekton have been used in colors like Entzo, Makai, Kelya, and Aura 15; while the Silestone countertops were chosen in tones such as White Platinum, Calacatta Gold, and Blanco City. Cosentino has supplied almost 700 m2 of material, including a spectactular bar in Pearl Jasmine that is 3 cm thick.

Cèline Boutique

Interior - 22.12.2019

Cèline Boutique

Valerio Olgiati

For the new Céline boutique in Miami, the Swiss architect Valerio Olgiati creates an oneiric scenography with a continuous surface of Pinta Verde marble that oscillates between classicism and modernity. Creating a virtual world through the poetic use of materials was Valerio Olgiati’s intention in designing this flagship store in the city of Miami for the French high-end fashion brand Céline.Such virtuality has to do with the manipulation of the space, which the practice of the Swiss architect has distributed in two distinct areas connected by a pitched stairway of sculptural nature: an upper level for shoes, handbags, and ready-to-wear clothes; and a lower floor configured as a showroom, with pyramidal forms and pillars that suggest the idea of a canopy. In order to create this introverted virtual world, much has been made to depend on the atmosphere produced by the extensive use of the dominant material: marble. From the pillars to the pedestals by way of the walls and floors, all the architectural elements of the shop are clad in a slightly polished stone that spreads
all over like an abstract beige carpet. Plaques of very lightly veined sky-blue Brazilian marble are embedded in it, as
in a mosaic of large pieces or a work of marquetry executed in stone. The same sheets clad walls and ceilings. The result is a geometric bichromie that is perceived as sophisticated but also a bit unsettling.
JHouse

Interior - 16.09.2019

JHouse

Zooco + Jorge Alonso, Teresa Castillo and María Larriba

It was ‘to build a house within a house’ that this renovation of a 20th-century Madrid loft was carried out. The project involved an open-plan loft in downtown Madrid, built late in the 20th century with a structure of loadbearing walls, timber pillars, and Catalan vaults.  It was renovated with the idea of building a house within a house. That is, the new dwelling would have its own structure, enclosures, and MEP/HVAC installations, making the process more like raising a new detached house altogether than like renovating an interior.Slabs at different heights would accommodate the different uses required by the program, upstairs and downstairs alike. Holding the slabs in place is a frame that sometimes touches the floor and at other times hangs from the ceiling.The components were to be as slender as possible, so the architects used white-lacquered 8x8cm metal profiles, and all installations are hidden inside them. The other materials – bare brick for loadbearing walls, transparent glass, frosted glass, and microcement – were selected to imitate the preexisting pinewood floors and the white walls.   
Dánae

Interior - 25.07.2019

Dánae P-M-A-A

The Catalonian firm P-M-A-A has turned a conventionally distributed apartment over a garage, in San Feliu de Llobregat (Barcelona), into a house between party walls. After several renovations, the rear facade had been bricked up, so daylight only came in through the front. As the new project’s main objective was a brightly lit home, this was rectified. Inside, a false ceiling was eliminated, and the space below the roof that it hid was turned into a mezzanine floor, reached by means of a tier of benches rising from the ground level. The most distinctive part of the dwelling is perhaps the pink bathroom, with its shower-cum-skylight. This bathroom is at the center of the floor plan and serves to connect three spaces that have no specified function, but can each be used for sleeping, lounging, or working, as the user wishes or needs. Another source of natural light is the terrace, which had been reduced to a small patio. Behind the main volume now is a large terrace with a flowerbed and a room on the other side that work as visual and climate filters, and a fountain at center to cool the place in summer.