GRAY Magazine No. 62: The Nirvana Issue

ISSUE

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architecture interiors design fashion THE NIRVANA ISSUE

INI ARCHIBONG NEW LUXURY NOW

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2/21/22 1:06 PM

BUILDINGS SHOULD BE GOOD NEIGHBORS -PAUL THIRY

Q &A

A conversation with Kevin Daniels about Graystone and three decades of shaping the skyline of Seattle.

WHY DID YOU PURSUE BUILDING A NEW CONDOMINIUM TOWER ON FIRST HILL?

I am a preservationist and pick projects that help rebuild our historic neighborhoods. First Hill is our city’s first residential neighborhood yet it is very challenged when it comes to homeownership. There are over 1,000 apartment units in the pipeline but aside from Graystone, no new condominiums have opened since 2014—almost a decade. It was time to build more homeownership opportunities.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ATTRACTS PEOPLE TO LIVING ON FIRST HILL?

It is Seattle’s upper eastside neighborhood. In the early 1900s, hotels such as the Hotel Sorrento marketed their uphill location with proximity to the commercial district.

The boutique restaurants and shops have survived many economic cycles, including this pandemic.

Seattle has been slow to adopt condominium living but those who do, will reap the benefits that this neighborhood offers with its closein location, architecture, amenities, art, culture, and patina.

VISIT OUR SALES CENTER:

1305-1317 Madison Street Seattle, Washington 98104 Stephanie Schuessler | 206.717.5000

YOU HAVE BUILT SOME OF THE CITY’S MOST ICONIC TOWERS SUCH AS THE WAVE AND THE MARK/F5 TOWER. WHAT MAKES GRAYSTONE SO SPECIAL?

Our design plan—A Century In the Making. Graystone is classically a residential building with no commercial or retail spaces. It embraces the history of the neighborhood with timeless architecture and elegant interiors.

I was attracted to the location on 8th Avenue which is a tree-lined boulevard that has connected First Hill to downtown for over a century.

Our waterfall park-let is inspired by the greenery and gardens of First Hill and the memory of the Paul Thiry, the architect who shaped the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle and whose office was at the corner of 8th + Columbia.

WHEN DO YOU ANTICIPATE PRE-SELLING AT GRAYSTONE?

Later this spring feels like the right time. With the pandemic and construction delays, timing has become unpredictable. Graystone will be the only condominium tower opening in 2023, so we can afford to wait and watch the market. We are patient as we know quality sells in Seattle.

DANIELS is one of the most acclaimed development firms in the Pacific Northwest, considered a leader KEVIN DANIELS in high-rise living and DANIELS REAL ESTATE historic preservation.

Daniels has gathered award-winning architects and designers to ensure that Graystone is a legacy building of its own making.

NOW ACCEPTING RESERVATIONS FOR PRIORITY PRESALE

Studio, 1-, 2- and 2+ Bedroom Condominium Flats Priced from the mid $600,000s I Occupancy 2023

Seller reserves the right to change the product offering without notice.

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NO 6 2 :

THE NIRVANA ISSUE

10 . M A S T H E A D

INTEL

DESIGN DNA

12 . H E L L O

21. F I R S T L O O K

41. O B J E C T S O F D E S I R E

14 . V I T A L S

Nigeria opens the Institute of Contemporary African Art & Film, architect Daniel Kaven releases a new book, Dior and Technogym collaborate on home-fitness products, and more.

3 0. D E S I G N D I S P A T C H

London is constantly evolving, and so is its design scene.

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A roundup of the best-looking beauty products on the market.

44. B O D Y O F W O R K

Unswayed by fashion’s breakneck pace, designer Olubiyi Thomas stays grounded in heritage and craft.

50. O N T H E R I S E

Architect Alda Ly is pushing to change the way we think about interiors.

ON THE COVER

Multidisciplinary creative Ini Archibong is forging a singular visual language that showcases his unique approach to luxury design.

By Rachel Gallaher Photograph by Julian Anderson See page 68

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54 . G E N E S I S

Galerie Philia mounts immersive exhibitions meant to stimulate a deeper connection with design.

62. O F F I C E S P A C E

High design is not just for the home.

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FEATURES

L AST CALL

68. I N I ’ S N E V E R ENDING STORY

85. C O N C I E R G E

Multidisciplinary designer Ini Archibong embraces the intangible—storytelling, magic, mysticism—to create some of the most compelling design in the industry today.

76. V I N T A G E A D V A N T A G E

A creative couple’s eclectic tastes guide architect Dieter Vander Velpen in the redesign of a historic Belgian villa.

Exceptional places to dine, sip, and stay, from Whistler to Shenzhen.

94 . T R A N S P O R T

The interiors of this private jet take luxury design to a whole new height.

96 . A G E N D A

Top picks for happenings around the world.

GRAY

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MASTHEAD

N I R VA N A

Publisher Shawn Williams EDITORIAL

Deputy Editor Rachel Gallaher rachel@graymag.com Copy Editor Christine DeOrio

INQUIRIES

info@graymag.com editors@graymag.com advertising@graymag.com events@graymag.com subscriptions@graymag.com distribution@graymag.com accounting@graymag.com

ADVERTISING

Account Executive, International Shawn Williams New Business Development John Spear Coffeehouse Media

STUDIO G

Creative Director Meghan Burger Sr. Digital Content Strategist Brandon Gaston

HEADQUARTERS

Founder, CEO Shawn Williams shawn@graymag.com Executive Services Manager Tracey Bjerke

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Subscribe at graymag.com North America: $ 60 us for one year (6 issues) Intercontinental: $ 144 us for one year (6 issues) No. 62. Copyright ©2022.

Published bimonthly (FEB, APR, JUNE, AUG, OCT, DEC) by GRAY Media, LLC. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. While every attempt has been made, GRAY cannot guarantee the legality, completeness, or accuracy of the information presented and accepts no warranty or responsibility for such.

POSTMASTER send address changes to: GRAY Media, LLC 914 164th St. SE, Ste. B12-532 Mill Creek, WA 98012 United States

Administrative Assistant Kendal Sinclair @gray_magazine FB/graymag #graymagazine #grayawards

CONTRIBUTORS

Alyn Griffiths (“Design Dispatch: London,” page 30) writes about architecture, design, and culture for some of the world’s leading architecture, design, and lifestyle publications, including Wallpaper, Dezeen, and CNN Style. He is the author of the Future City (Lannoo Publishers, 2021) and 21st Century Lighting Design (Bloomsbury, 2014) and the former design editor of Port magazine.

Will Kitchens (“Vintage Advantage,” page 76) is a design writer and the managing editor of Sharp magazine. Previously, he was a staff writer for Monocle magazine’s Toronto bureau, for which he interviewed architects, profiled creative scenes, and covered the best of Canadian design.

Heidi Mitchell (“Space Explorer,” page 50) is a writer and editor covering design and culture.

Starting as a staff editor at Ray Gun magazine, she has held positions at various publications, including Rolling Stone and Town & Country Travel.

Recently, her work has appeared in Architectural Digest and the Wall Street Journal, among other publications.

Shyam Patel (“Counter Current,” page 44) is a fashion writer and market editor based in New York. His work has appeared in Surface, Paper, Coveteur, and Cool Hunting, among other publications.

Michael Wilson (“Art in Context,” page 54) is a Brooklynbased editor, writer, and the author of How to Read Contemporary Art: Experiencing the Art of the 21st Century (Abrams, January 2013). He has also curated exhibitions at venues including Site Gallery in Sheffield, United Kingdom.

Additional Contributors Julian Anderson, Henry Bourne, Patricia Goijens, Larry Goldstein Photography, Andrii Shurpenkov, Ivo Tavares

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N I R VA N A

THE BIG EMBRACE LEFT: GRAY founder and CEO,

HELLO

Shawn Williams (center), with designers Ben Boutros (left) and Cedric Hudson (right). The pair claimed the Product Design: Lighting, Furniture trophy for their Greensboro Chair, which was inspired by the historic 1960 Woolworth lunch counter sit-ins in Greensboro, North Carolina, and honors the men and women who, by choosing to sit down, stood up for so much.

Read more at graymag.com.

TH A NK YO U 2 0 2 1 G R AY AWA R D S J UD G ES , S P O NS O R S , A ND IND USTRY PA RTNER S

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ast December, I stood in a hotel ballroom, tears streaming down my cheeks as I watched two GRAY Awards winners embrace in the most epic, seemingly never-ending bear hug of all time. In that moment, it made everything we did to present the 2021 GRAY Awards in person all the more worthwhile.

GRAY presents just 11 trophies to the best and brightest in the design world each year, so winning one—a global distinction that reflects hours of hard work, passion, and purpose—can be emotional. In this case, the embrace I witnessed was one of mutual respect, appreciation, love, and pride shared by designers Cedric Hudson and Ben Boutros for each other and for the men and women their Greensboro Chair, which pays homage to the historic 1960 Greensboro sit-ins, represents.

Held in Seattle on December 10, 2021, the GRAY Awards party revealed that year’s winning projects and introduced the 2021 Legacy honoree, interior designer Susan Marinello. The evening was punctuated by performances by Seattle String Quartet, Mak Fai Kung Fu Dragon and Lion Dance Association, and the GRAY Band (of designers), as well as a dance party led by the official GRAY Awards DJ, Bamboo Beats.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this important event, and for allowing GRAY to be part of such an inspiring design community.

Judging panelists Jonathan Adler, Gabriele Chiave, Kathryn Gustafson, India Mahdavi, Thom Mayne, and Brigette Romanek.

GRAY Band memebers Amy DeVall, Jim Friesz, Eddie Peraza Garzon, Tom Ghilarducci, Charlie Hellstern, Jeff Kovel, Nita Posada, and Conor Wood. Trophy designer John Hogan.

Cheers,

Irina Flore, Studio Flore, and Sinan Sabuncu. Joyful Glassware, winner of the 2021 GRAY Awards trophy for Product Design: Other is featured on the cover of GRAY magazine No. 61.

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Read about the winning projects and see more photos at graymag.com/awards To make a charitable contribution to the Block Project, visit the-block-project.org/donate

THE FIX PHOTO GROUP

Shawn

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N I R VA N A

DESIGN DREAMERS

Cristina Celestino

Charlie Hellstern

DESIGNS WHAT Interiors, furniture, objects, lighting DESIGN STYLE Narrative Comfortable elegance STUDIO LOCATION Milan Seattle

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FIRST PRODUCT Atomizer Tête-à-tête chaise lounge

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PRODUCT MOST KNOWN FOR Interior design for luxury hotel Loom House [the first Palazzo Avino renovated home in the world to achieve Living Building Challenge certification] DREAM COLLABORATION To work with the Hortus Botanicus [botanical garden in A hotel in a forest—something that is suspended in the tree Amsterdam] and design new domesticated natural spaces canopy and located near a moving body of water WISH LIST To own a gluten-free pastry shop Mario Bellini’s Camaleonda modular sofa in soft pink BEST ADVICE RECEIVED To not focus on expected results, and to always work from scratch A personal connection can solve anything FUTURE OF DESIGN The design world will get more and more fluid and Designs that reflect personal style, support human flexible, with no boundaries and increasingly new health and wellness, and ultimately have a positive interpretations of [designers’] habits. effect on our planet SUBSCRIBER ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: READ MORE AT GRAYMAG.COM/DESIGNER-VITALS

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MATTIA BALSAMINI, DAVIDE LOVATTI, ATTICO DESIGN, COURTESY DESIGN CRISTINA CELESTINO; JENNY JIMENEZ, HARIS KENJAR, COURTESY CHARLIE HELLSTERN INTERIOR DESIGN

VITALS

Although their studios are more than 5,000 miles apart, designers Cristina Celestino and Charlie Hellstern share a belief in the power of design to transform spaces—and lives. Celestino’s elegant interiors combine dreamy pastel hues, geometric shapes, and sumptuous materials, and her furniture designs (she founded the brand Attico Design in 2011) celebrate a return to traditional shapes with updated details. Seattle-based Hellstern’s projects prioritize access and connection to nature, and her carefully crafted interiors put a premium on quality materials, one-of-a-kind décor, and the highest levels of craftsmanship.

A new perspective © 2022 Design Within Reach, Inc.

YOUR SOURCE FOR MODERN LIVING | 1.800.944.2233 | WWW.DWR.COM 825 NW 13TH AVE., PORTLAND | 503.220.0200 | 1918 FIRST AVE., SEATTLE | 206.443.9900

Architect: Chadbourne + Doss Builder: Dovetail Photo: Kevin Scott

ARCHITECTURE + INTERIORS

The following design firms are among the best in the world, and are included here on an invite-only basis. We are proud to call them our partners.

Consider them first for your next project.

To learn more about each firm, visit graymag.com

Atelier Drome atelierdrome.com

babienko ARCHITECTS pllc babienkoarchitects.com

Baylis Architects baylisarchitects.com

BC&J Architecture bcandj.com

Board & Vellum boardandvellum.com

Designs Northwest Architects designsnw.com

First Lamp firstlamp.net

Garret Cord Werner Architects & Interior Designers garretcordwerner.com

H2D Architects h2darchitects.com

Hyde Evans Design hydeevansdesign.com

Minarik Architecture minarikarch.com

Mutuus Studio mutuus-studio.com

Steelhead Architecture steelheadarchitecture.com

Tyler Engle Architects tylerengle.com

GATH Interior Design gathinteriordesign.com

Guggenheim Architecture + Design Studio guggenheimstudio.com

Janof Architecture janofarchitecture.com

JPC Architects jpcarchitects.com

SCOTT | EDWARDS ARCHITECTURE LLP seallp.com

skylab skylabarchitecture.com

Uptic Studios upticstudios.com

Workshop AD workshopad.com

T H I S I S N O T Y O U R K I D ’ S B A C K YA R D T R E E H O U S E .

Rare is the resort that can boast impeccable architectural design, unmatched privacy and world-class amenities. Rarer still, one that provides all this and a nonstop parade of Montana’s finest wildlife just beyond your window. But that’s the promise of each and every Haus at the green o. Exquisitely designed with floor-to-ceiling views and materials in perfect sync with your surroundings, you’ll discover out here, the line between where nature ends and luxury begins is very fine indeed. Please join us.

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INTEL

COURTESY TECHNOGYM AND DIOR

New and noteworthy in global design.

Fashion house Dior has partnered with fitness equipment company Technogym on a limited-edition set of home-workout equipment.

The collection is available exclusively in select Dior stores worldwide, including Dior’s Fifth Avenue store in New York (above). »

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Looking to get on track with those New Year’s fitness goals? A newly released collaboration between Technogym and Dior motivates with its combination of performance and style. Available exclusively in select Dior stores worldwide, the limited-edition collection of home-fitness products includes a treadmill, a multifunctional bench (with a set of dumbbells and elastic bands), and a wellness ball, each featuring a navy-blue Christian Dior label on a white background highlighted by five horizontal stripes in contrasting colors. Notes Nerio Alessandri, founder of Technogym: “Created to inspire wellness [among] new generations, this [collaboration] is an opportunity for our consumers to invite luxury, heritage, and style into their homes for an irresistible fitness experience.” »

COURTESY TECHNOGYM AND DIOR

FIRST LOOK

STAY F I T I N ST Y LE

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COURTESY SINOT YACHT ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

DEST I NAT ION DES I GN International luxury hotel chain Aman has announced the launch of Project Sama, a joint venture with Cruise Saudi set to offer a pioneering superyacht travel experience starting in 2025. Designed in partnership with renowned, Netherlands-based SINOT Yacht Architecture & Design, the 600-foot vessel will feature 50 spacious luxury suites, each with a private balcony. Known for producing some of the world’s finest luxury watercraft,

SINOT works with teams of expert craftspeople on each element of a vessel, and Project Sama will see Aman’s Eastern heritage and design philosophy integrated seamlessly with the overall architectural vision. Amenities will include an array of dining options, a spacious Aman Spa complete with Japanese garden, two helipads, and an expansive Beach Club, which will offer guests direct access to the water at the stern of the yacht. » GRAY

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FIRST LOOK

INTEL

FROM TOP: A rendering of a gallery inside the Institute of Contemporary African Art & Film, Nigeria’s first internationally

significant visual arts center, which is slated to open this spring. Jeffrey Adjei and Olayinka Dosekun-Adjei, founding partners of Studio Contra. The building was designed by Lagos-based architecture firm Studio Contra.

This spring, Nigeria will open the doors of its first internationally significant visual arts center, the Institute of Contemporary African Art & Film (ICAAF). Located in the city of Ilorin and designed by Studio Contra, a Lagos-based architecture firm, ICAAF is a testament to the power and relevance of contemporary African design. Eschewing the notion of arts institutions as elite spaces, Studio Contra has designed the building as a hub for creativity with easy access points, windows into the galleries, and a low profile that feels welcoming—all elements that help integrate the arts center into the surrounding neighborhood. In addition to traditional galleries that will display contemporary African art ranging from paintings to sculpture, the ICAAF will also house post-production facilities, a film-screening room and lecture hall, a café, a coworking space, and a bookshop. A sculpture garden and courtyards further public access to the arts, while also providing a place for the community to gather. » 24

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COURTESY ICAAF

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INTEL

FIRST LOOK

AN I NDEPENDENT APPROACH

Hindustan Lever Pavilion, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India. 1961. Demolished.

Charles Correa (1930–2015), and Mahendra Raj (b. 1924). Exterior view.

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MAHENDRA RAJ ARCHIVES, COURTESY MOMA

Opening on February 20, 2022, the latest designforward exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art will explore the post-colonial development of modern architecture in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Titled the Project of Independence: Architectures of Decolonization in South Asia, 1947–1985, the show will include more than 200 works, including original sketches, drawings, photographs, films, audiovisual components, and architectural models sourced from design leaders and institutions in the aforementioned countries. Divided into sections—Institution Building, Education, Political Spaces, and Industry and Infrastructure—but united by an examination of how material cultures shaped an experimental expression of modern architecture in the region, Project of Independence will cast a new light on the infrastructure of South Asia, and on those who designed and built it. »

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FIRST LOOK

INTEL

ARCH I T ECT U R E O F A M ER I CA

Architecture of Normal is currently available in Europe and will be released in the United States on March 3. —Rachel Gallaher h

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Crusade (2020), a print by architect

Daniel Kaven from his recently released book, Architecture of Normal. The book examines the development of the American landscape in response to evolving modes of transportation.

Architect and author Daniel Kaven.

PORTRAIT: SHERRI KAVEN; COURTESY DANIEL KAVEN

In his new book, Architecture of Normal (Birkhäuser, 2022), Portland-based architect Daniel Kaven explores the contrast between the grandeur of the American landscape and the underwhelming architecture of its suburban strip malls, fast-food chains, motels, and tract housing. Part travelogue, part art book, and part architectural survey, the volume also traces how the evolution of modes of transportation (starting with the introduction of horses by the Spanish to Native American societies) has influenced design and development in the United States over the past 200 years. Featuring historical photos, as well as Kaven’s own artwork, Architecture of Normal examines how the past shaped the present, and how emerging technologies, such as the autonomous vehicle, will influence the built environment for decades to come.

COURTESY DANIEL KAVEN

Trinity (2018), a giclée print by Daniel Kaven, appears in his new book, Architecture of Normal.

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DESIGN DISPATCH

M.A.H. Gallery is located on the first floor of 50 Vyner, a newly opened design destination that offers art, furniture, antiques, and other home goods. »

By Alyn Griffiths

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OLLIE TOMLINSON

ENGL AND’S CAPITAL IS CONSTANTLY EVOLVING, AND SO IS ITS DESIGN SCENE.

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DESIGN DISPATCH

ondon is a city in a constant state of flux. For centuries, it has morphed and evolved in response to significant social, economic, and political events including plagues, fires, wars, revolts, and financial crises, always managing to adapt and continue growing. The British capital has been a seat of power for over 900 years and is now regarded as a global leader in finance, politics, culture, and creativity.

Visitors to London tend to head straight for its many iconic attractions: Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, and the Tower of London.

However, those willing to explore the city’s many distinctive boroughs will discover an amazing array of bustling streets, verdant parks, exquisite galleries, and independent stores, as well as a virtually limitless number of trendy bars and eateries.

One of London’s greatest qualities is its ability to seamlessly blend the old with the new, encouraging gleaming modern developments to emerge alongside centuries-old monuments, and promoting the adaptive reuse of buildings to breathe new life into districts in decline.

Recently, the area around King’s Cross station, which has been transformed into a hub for technology companies, has become home to some outstanding residential projects like the repurposed Gasholders apartments, as well as new retail destinations, including the Coal Drops Yard precinct designed by Heatherwick Studio. Stratford in East London has also seen significant development following the Olympic Games of 2012, while nearby

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Greenwich Peninsula now hosts a dedicated Design District, which launched in 2021 and provides creative professionals with studio spaces arranged around several public squares.

London is supported by a creative community that is relentlessly inventive and productive, as the past few years in particular have demonstrated. 2022 should be another exciting year, with plenty of major events and exhibitions planned.

This spring, the Design Museum will explore the design industry’s involvement in the world’s most popular sport, soccer, with its show Football: Designing the Beautiful Game. In September, the London Design Festival will present a specially curated program to mark its 20th anniversary. And the Barbican performing arts center will host an exhibition, starting in May, to celebrate the impact of art, design, science, music, and philosophy on the current climate emergency.

With so much to see and do, even Londoners find it hard to keep on top of the latest events, openings, and new names to watch in their city.

Across the following pages, we’ll introduce a few of the people and places shaping the London scene right now, from a local designer whose narrative-led work draws on his Nigerian heritage, to a restaurant that evokes the glory days of a historic London landmark.

OLLIE TOMLINSON

SHOP 50 VYNER

During the 2021 London Design Festival, longtime creative collaborators Sophie Pearce and Laura Fulmine teamed up to open this shared 5,500-squarefoot gallery and prop house located in the London

Fields neighborhood in East London. Stylist and creative director Fulmine’s gallery, M.A.H. Gallery, occupies the first floor and presents art, furniture, and objects in carefully arranged groupings. On the

second floor, Béton Brut displays sculptural and architectural vintage furniture and objects sourced

by Pearce from across Europe and beyond. Both gallerists have a keen eye for quirky as well as classic

designs, which are united by consistent quality and playful presentation.

Pieces on view are for sale as well as for rent, making 50 Vyner a must-visit for both shopping and interiors inspiration. » GRAY

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DESIGN DISPATCH

INTEL

Architect and designer Hugo Toro (left) and Booking Office 1869 owner Harry Handelsman.

EAT BOOKING OFFICE 1869

MICHAEL SINCLAIR

Visitors arriving into London by train might want to head straight from the platform to this glamorous new drinking and dining destination in the original St. Pancras station ticket hall. Parisian architect and designer Hugo Toro says his opulent interior for Booking Office 1869 aims to provide “a visual dialogue with the space’s extraordinary heritage.”

The 19th-century building’s iconic architecture is carefully preserved and is complemented by details intended to evoke a Victorian winter garden. The dining room, which can seat 120 guests, features 25-foot-tall palm trees, spectacular chandeliers, and a 70-foot-long bar serving up classic dishes and heritagestyle cocktails with a modern twist. »

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Tatjana von Stein and Gayle Noonan founded multidisciplinary design studio Sella Concept in 2016 and have since gained a reputation for creating characterful spaces which they say combine “timeless elegance with a slight theatrical flair.” The firm takes a holistic approach to its projects, focusing on the three-dimensional aspects including form, materials, and spatial flow. Sella Concept’s work spans restaurants and bars, workplaces, retail spaces, hotels, private residences, and members’ clubs, and recurring elements include bold forms, a playful use of color, and materials chosen to give

every space a unique personality. Among the firm’s successes to date are the maximalist interiors for Sister Jane’s retail showroom and restaurant in Notting Hill, featuring metal- and velvet-clad walls; and a richly textured design for a private office overlooking the Manhattan Bridge in New York, completed during the COVID-19 lockdown. Anyone looking to bring Sella Concept’s sumptuous style to their own project can pick up one of the studio’s handmade stools or a pot of the Sella paint created in collaboration with British brand Mylands.

ABOVE: Sella Concept designed the concept store for fashion label

Sister Jane. The multilevel space includes a showroom, restaurant (shown here), and rooftop terrace. BELOW: Gayle Noonan and Tatjana von Stein at home in their 1970s-inspired apartment.

GENEVIEVE LUTKIN

DESIGN DISPATCH

SEE SELLA CONCEPT

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COURTESY ALISON BROOKS ARCHITECTS; PAUL RIDDLE

SEE ALISON BROOKS

TOP: Architect Alison Brooks designed the new Cohen Quad at the University of Oxford’s Exeter College. ABOVE: For this residential

project, Brooks designed a custom display case for the client’s growing art collection.

Alison Brooks may be one of the most garlanded architects currently working in the United Kingdom, but it is fair to say that she hasn’t gained the “starchitect” status of some of her contemporaries, particularly in the London scene. Brooks would much prefer it this way, as she chooses to focus on creating generous, inclusive architectural projects that are informed by the unique qualities of their contexts rather than conforming to a signature style. Growing up in Canada, Brooks studied at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, before moving to the United Kingdom in 1988. She worked with Ron Arad, co-designing the foyer architecture of the Tel Aviv Opera, before

founding her namesake studio in 1996. Several outstanding residential projects helped establish the practice and led to larger commissions for cultural and education buildings, as well as housing developments and urban high-rise buildings.

The studio’s sculptural design language and rigorous attention to detail help its buildings stand out within the urban realm and have earned it more than 80 awards.

Most recently, Alison Brooks Architects scooped up the 2021 RIBA House of the Year prize for Windward House, an unusual geometric extension to a Georgian farmhouse in the English countryside. »

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DESIGN DISPATCH

WEAR NICHOLAS DALEY

A look from fashion designer Nicholas Daley’s Spring/Summer 2022 “Blue Quilt” collection.

Since graduating in 2013 from London’s renowned Central Saint Martins college (other alumni include Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen), Scottish-Jamaican fashion designer Nicholas Daley has steadily built a reputation for crafting highend menswear that celebrates and explores his dual-ethnic identity. Expect wide-leg pants in oversized tartan check patterns woven from Scottish mohair, and tie-dyed hoodies featuring a logo designed by Daley’s father for a reggae club the designer’s parents founded in Scotland in the 1970s. Daley’s work is often inspired by music and revolutionary figures from history, with previous collections referencing the sounds of African American jazz group

the Sun Ra Arkestra and British musician Nubya Garcia.

Daley’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection, “Blue Quilt,” explores the legacy of quilting in the American South and the evolution of Black folk and blues music in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The accompanying campaign is influenced by the music of Nigerian-Irish artist Caleb Kunle, and the looks incorporate striped linen fabrics developed in collaboration with a traditional Irish weaving company, along with hand-dyed items that evoke the psychedelic aesthetic of the 1970s folk era. You can shop Daley’s clothing at high-end retailers in London, including Browns and Dover Street Market, or online internationally at Mr Porter.

Amin Taha has been described as London’s most controversial architect because of his unconventional approach that questions preconceived notions about how buildings should be designed and constructed. He caused a stir in 2017 when his 15 Clerkenwell Close project was issued a demolition order by Islington Council for not conforming to the submitted plans.

Following an appeal, it was discovered that the original submitted plans had been removed by the person who had issued the demolition order.

The order was found to be false, the building survived, and it has since won several awards. 15 38

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Clerkenwell Close houses the offices of Groupwork, the employee-owned architecture trust that Taha founded in 2003, along with several apartments, including Taha’s home. The building’s exposed limestone exoskeleton represents

a greener and more affordable alternative to conventional steel-framed construction. Groupwork believes that similar design choices could be used to create towers up to 30 stories in height.

Among the firm’s other completed projects are a

residential development in North London featuring a redbrick gabled façade with projecting balconies wrapped in wicker screens; and a mixed-use building in Islington that replicates the façade of a 19th-century structure that once stood on the same site.

PICZO; TIMOTHY SOAR

SEE: GROUPWORK

BRING HOME YINKA ILORI

Anyone in search of some positivity during these difficult times needs look no further than the upbeat output of London designer Yinka Ilori. Drawing on his British and Nigerian heritage, Ilori skillfully employs vibrant colors and bold patterns as the basis for his playful and provocative narrative-

driven projects. He began his practice in 2011 with a series of upcycled furniture designs inspired by the multihued West African fabrics that surrounded him as a child. Commissions followed from brands including PepsiCo, Adidas, and Bombay Sapphire, as well as local authorities and creative

organizations eager to apply Ilori’s rainbow palette to various public and private spaces. His studio has been exceptionally productive throughout the pandemic, completing projects including a café done in kaleidoscopic hues for the Superblue Miami art gallery and, for the Lego Group in

East London, an installation that reimagines a traditional launderette as a colorful children’s play area. Ilori also recently launched his first homewares collection, which includes upholstered poufs, cushions, rugs, table linens, and crockery featuring patterns that would brighten any home.

©MARK COCKSEDGE; NICHOLAS WORLEY

STAY LOCKE AT BROKEN WHARF

Occupying a prime site on the north bank of the River Thames, the 113-room Locke at Broken Wharf is perfectly situated near many of London’s top attractions. Constructed in the 1970s, the former office building has been transformed into a trendy apart-hotel (a combination of hotel and luxury apartment building) that provides a comfortable and inviting oasis in the heart of the city. New York City–based architecture firm Grzywinski + Pons exposed the building’s raw concrete structure and filled the communal spaces with plants and plush furnishings to soften the industrial aesthetic. The guest rooms feature bespoke furniture and practical kitchens, with some providing views across the river toward the nearby Tate Modern art galleries. h GRAY

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N E W S H OW R O O M

22 SHOWROOMS | THOUSANDS OF LUXURY FURNISHINGS & TEXTILES 40

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DESIGN DNA

MARCUS OHLSSON

The concepts and creatives shaping our lives.

CURVE APPEAL: Known for its high-end fragrances, Byredo ventured into the makeup market in late 2020 with a collection of high-impact products

including mascara, lipstick, and eyeliner. The minimal, gently curved tubes suggest artful skyscrapers or plant stems blowing in the wind. »

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DESIGN DNA

CENTER SHELF STATUS OBJECTS OF DESIRE

We’ve rounded up some of the best-looking beauty and skincare products on the market.

ARCHITECTURAL CATCHALL: Designed by Francesco Breganze and Virginia Valentini, founders of Italian design studio LATOxLATO, the glazed-ceramic Vittorio vase is an unexpected vessel for displaying fresh flowers or storing makeup brushes.

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MATTEO IMBRIANI

By Rachel Gallaher

ARTFULLY I NSPI RED

Bring the Louvre to your lavatory with the latest products from historic Parisian apothecary Buly 1803, which has partnered with the museum to release a collection of scented dry oils and lotions inspired by masterpieces found within the Louvre’s walls. The simple packaging features vintage graphics and antique bottle shapes that will take you back to glamorous 1920s Paris every day—or at least while you’re brushing your teeth.

1. THE GOLD STANDARD

Ditch the plastic disposable razor and level up with Bolin Webb’s R1 Gold razor and stand.

With its sleek form and luxurious finish, the set (plated in 24-karat gold) is more art object than toiletry-bag toss-in.

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2. POLISHED TO PERFECTION

French fashion house Hermès has shown its full hand with the addition of nail polishes (in bottles designed by fashion luminary Pierre Hardy) to its beauty lineup. The Les Mains Hermès collection features a stackedring design with bands of gold and white completing each vessel’s cap.

3. BOLD BOTTLING

Last year, Italian brand Moncler— known primarily for its luxury skiwear and outdoor clothing—released its first fragrances. The scents—one for men, one for women—come in a flask-shaped bottle with a playful, first-of-its-kind innovation: an LED screen displaying an illuminated message that is customizable via a Bluetooth-powered smartphone app.

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4. MINI MASTERPIECES

Inspired by nature in all its forms, French fragrance house Floraïku’s scents are packaged in geometric glass bottles with gorgeously decorated caps. Named after haiku (short, threeline Japanese poems) written by one of the brand’s cofounders, each perfume displays a colorful piece of art that corresponds with the haiku’s theme.

5. STATUESQUE SCENTS

As a follow-up to its best-selling candles, Boy Smells has expanded its offering with the introduction of Cologne de Parfum, a collection of gender-neutral fragrances that come in sculptural bottles that are too pretty to put away.

6. HAND-PICKED

Add some elegance to your vanity (or bedside table, or bathroom counter) with the Poise hand mirror from Ferm Living. Crafted in brass, this art deco– inspired accessory is minimal enough to blend with any décor. h

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BODY OF WORK

DESIGN DNA

counter current UNSWAYED BY FASHION’S BREAKNECK PACE, SCOTTISH-NIGERIAN DESIGNER OLUBIYI THOMAS STAYS GROUNDED IN HERITAGE AND CRAFT.

By Shyam Patel

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OLIVIER BARJOLLE

Three looks from designer Olubiyi Thomas’ Autumn/Winter 2021 collection, titled “Future Highlander.”

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ABOVE, FROM LEFT: A shot from the

Autumn/Winter 2021 “Future Highlander” campaign. A model walking in Thomas’ Spring/Summer 2022 “Let it Rain” runway show, which was held at his atelier during London Fashion Week.

OLIVIER BARJOLLE; TOM J. JOHNSON

ashion is a form of selfexpression. Though it’s repeated ad nauseam, this trite adage, when considered in the context of an industry fixated on speed, virality, and sales, is rather profound. The idea of selfexpression has the power to reorient those who’ve been lost to fashion’s relentless demands.

For nearly a decade, Lagos-born, Glasgow-raised designer Olubiyi Thomas has resisted the churn by taking an introspective approach to design. His 5-year-old namesake label is sartorial self-portraiture: Garments wrought in languid shapes, with carefully sourced textiles and West African–style draping, take on the structure of quintessential British tailoring.

“My intention is to find the middle ground where these elements meet respectfully and collaborate instead of trying to dominate one another,” the designer explains from his East London studio. “The brand’s core values rely on all of these aspects being in harmony.” A Central Saint Martins graduate, Thomas likens his approach to making a sauce—the key to success is striking the right balance of ingredients so that one doesn’t overpower the others. It’s an ambitious process he’s perfected since 2015, when he stepped down from his position as head designer at the now-defunct artisanal label De Rien.

What began as a personal endeavor to create new clothes from scrap fabrics has evolved into a soughtafter brand carried by international stockists including New York’s experimental Hotoveli boutique, Tokyo’s fashion destination International Gallery Beams, and retail heavyweight Selfridges. When friends and acquaintances inquired about the clothes Thomas made »

OLIVIER BARJOLLE

A multilayered look from the Autumn/Winter 2021 “Future Highlander” collection.

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Thomas’ Spring/Summer 2022 “Let it Rain” collection is a study in form and texture.

The designer turned to traditional Nigerian cotton textiles for the garments.

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TOM J. JOHNSON

BODY OF WORK

DESIGN DNA

CLEO FERNANDES

A shot from the Spring/Summer 2022 “Let it Rain” show. The collection was titled after a gospel song by the same name.

for himself, he began fulfilling their orders. In 2016, he took his first collection—with the help of friends Ejike Onuchukwu, Dino Weber, and Haider Rajah—to Paris.

The scrappy operation included a Cockney patternmaker, a chatty Trinidadian tailor, and Nishant Chopra, the enterprising founder of the womenswear label Ōshadi (Thomas collaborated with Chopra to design textiles that were produced through Ōshadi). Textile alchemist Kirsty McDougall created new fabrics for Thomas out of scraps, while stylist KK Obi and photographer Mishael Phillip helped form the brand’s visual codes.

The nascent label matured more quickly than most, and Spring 2022 is Thomas’ most self-assured outing yet.

“This time, I was a lot more inclusive of African textiles,” he explains. “I used them a lot more confidently than I would have in the past.” Titled “Let it Rain” after a gospel song by the same name, Thomas’ 35-look lineup delves into the process of reconnecting with the roots he once veered away from. He turned to traditional Nigerian cotton textiles, including indigo-dyed ashoké and brissi, a crinkled, black wax-print fabric traditionally used for mourning garb. Elsewhere, he incorporated Malian mud cloth that was hand-dyed in Burkina Faso and manually block-printed using wooden stencils. Thomas was drawn to these textiles for their environmental and social sustainability, but also recalls childhood scenes of his mother and aunts swathed in ashoké at church. “It’s daunting,” he admits. “These fabrics represent entire cultures. It’s difficult for me to juxtapose them with new ideas. How it’s received really depends on who’s looking in from the outside.”

Despite his considerable talent and newfound confidence, Thomas’ inner monologue still ponders hypothetical critiques of his work. “Someone [non-African] might typecast me and say, ‘He’s an African designer, so obviously we expect this from him,’” he says. Or, “from the Nigerian perspective, someone might think, ‘He was raised in Scotland, so why is he using our fabrics? How many times has he been to Nigeria?’”

Thomas acknowledges that understanding where he fits in as a member of the diaspora isn’t a simple process.

“There are sensitive things that come up,” he says.

“With each step, you learn more. It’s open-ended.” Raw, unfinished textiles and deconstructed garments capture the delicate nature of navigating his identity through the design process. “There’s nothing to prove, really,” he concludes. “You are who you are.”

This sense of self—coupled with a dedication to craft— has earned Thomas an audience. “I want to emphasize the uniqueness in each individual person,” he says.

In his mind, the bygone ritual of collaborating with a seamstress or tailor to perfect a garment is the height

of luxury. “I want to reinforce classical tailoring in my collections,” he says. While the high-street and high-end labels churn out products and ideas, Thomas produces his distinctive garments locally in London, keeping a close eye on technique and finishing. Retailers and clients are abuzz with positive feedback and asking for more, but Thomas doesn’t intend to grow his brand at breakneck pace any time soon. “If you’re working with five seamstresses or a couple of hand-embroiderers, each garment has been created by hand, automatically giving it a luxury feel,” he explains. “When a thousand units of the same style are factory-produced, something’s going to get diluted. Small production runs give people the full impact of the original idea.”

Now, five years after the debut of his label, clarity and confidence are guiding the way. From sourcing zero-carbon-emission textiles to customizing prints and collaborating with artists, Thomas is being true to his vision and eschewing fleeting industry whims. “In the past, I didn’t have the perspective for that,” he says. “I finally feel brave enough to pursue certain ideas. That’s from some years of experience.” h GRAY

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ON THE RISE

DESIGN DNA

SPACE EXPLORER

By Heidi Mitchell

THE VIEW FROM ALDA LY’S CURRENT OFFICE AT 7 WORLD TRADE CENTER IS AN ARCHITECT’S FANTASY. Through the northwest-

facing windows, one can see Heatherwick Studio’s Little Island jutting into the Hudson; farther east lies Herzog & de Meuron’s “Jenga” tower in Tribeca, its balconies protruding this way and that; and farther uptown, the controversial column of Rafael Viñoly’s 432 Park— 50

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BILYANA DIMITROVA; CHRISTINE HAN

Architect Alda Ly is pushing to change the way we think about interiors.

ABOVE: Architect Alda Ly has designed a handful of healthcare spaces, including Parsley Health’s New

REID ROLLS; ZARIN GOLDBERG

York office (shown at left) and Liv by Advantia Health, a women’s health clinic in Washington, D.C. (shown at right). OPPOSITE: Ly designed lingerie brand ThirdLove’s first retail location, in Los Angeles.

INSET: Architect Alda Ly.

the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere—rises, demonstrating the potential of future urban design. “I worked at [Viñoly’s] firm, helping on the master plan competition for this site, the World Trade Center,” says Ly, who recently rented the space as a temporary office (through June) for her team of 12 and still marvels at the view.

“Our design was the runner-up.”

That was 15 years, two children,

a handful of jobs, and a pandemic ago. Today, the New Zealand–born, Berkeley- and Harvard-trained architect doesn’t have to settle for second place. She’s the head of her own majority-female firm, Alda Ly Architecture, a five-year-old company whose interior architecture is prized by open-minded clients seeking commercial spaces that calm the spirit and unleash creativity. Since working on the first designs for the

Wing (the celebrity-backed, womenonly coworking collective), Ly has designed six of the brand’s clubs, as well as spaces for integrative medicine group Parsley Health, a pop-up concept for e-commerce lingerie brand ThirdLove, and offices for Bloomberg Media and Red Bull.

Ly’s approach favors the use of biophilic design, the evidence-based practice of optimizing people’s connection to nature, even in the » GRAY

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ON THE RISE

DESIGN DNA

ABOVE, FROM LEFT: A mothers’ room at HealthQuarters, a recently opened integrative healthcare provider in New York. Ly created a bright and inviting environment throughout the HealthQuarters space, using light-toned materials and a motif of curves. OPPOSITE: When designing

healthcare settings, Ly includes places where patients can enjoy a moment of respite, as seen here in the HealthQuarters office.

built environment. “That goes well beyond plants for us,” says 42-year-old Ly. “We use natural textures; we evoke the feeling of a breeze through curtains that move or use a grain of wood that might make you feel like you’re walking through a stand of trees.” Her built worlds consider the worker and the client, which is why, for a new doctor’s office in Washington, D.C. (she has designed a series of 52

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healthcare spaces), Ly and her team added skylights and rearranged the circulation to avoid the feeling of being lost in a maze.

“The soft wave [shapes], neutral palette, and plant installations relieve stress,” she says of other key details. “At the end of a hallway, we might place something exciting, like a sitting area with a chandelier and windows, to signify the end of a journey.”

Ly’s comfort zone is in small spaces, where she creates big impacts. She’s currently working on a restaurant with a secret theater in Iceland and a Brooklyn café known for its boba teas and Korean shavedice desserts. Before sketching any ideas, Ly will interview not only stakeholders and executives, but representatives of all user groups, including potential customers, as well. “Through this process, we

NICOLE FRANZEN

reveal pain points that aren’t so obvious, and we find innovative ways to solve for them—for example, the very private double-curtains at ThirdLove, as well as the mirror that only shows you from the waist up,” she says. “People think of interior architecture as one step up from interior decorating, and far below architecture, but the interior space is where real people interact with design.” h

“PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO SPEND EIGHT HOURS LOOKING AT WHITE WALLS. THEY ENGAGE WITH DETAILS, NUANCE, LIGHT, AND ULTIMATELY, THEY WANT TO FEEL LIKE THE SPACE THEY OCCUPY COMFORTS THEM.” —Alda Ly, Alda Ly Architecture

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GENESIS

DESIGN DNA

ART IN CONTEXT

Rooted in the emotional underpinnings of art, Galerie Philia mounts immersive exhibitions meant to stimulate a deeper connection with design.

By Michael Wilson “PHILIA IS A WORD THAT MEANS ‘LOVE OF THINGS’—AS IN PHILOSOPHY, A LOVE OF WISDOM,” Ygaël Attali

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After receiving his doctorate, Attali spent a few years working at several art galleries in Paris before deciding to open his own. “I was a big fan of the new collectible design scene, but didn’t see it widely represented,” he says. “I knew some designers who were part of the trend toward organic design, so I decided to work with them.”

Galerie Philia now has spaces in Geneva, New York, and Singapore, but it also pursues a traveling exhibition model, mounting displays in diverse locations around the world, from hidden gardens to historic churches, for which artists and designers make site-specific works. (For Transhumances II, a recent exhibition in Florence, a group of artists experimented with creative techniques used during the Renaissance, including organic dyeing »

Ygaël Attali, cofounder of Galerie Philia, an international contemporary art and design gallery with locations in Geneva, New York, and Singapore.

©BENJAMIN JUHEL, COURTESY GALERIE PHILIA

explains when talking about Galerie Philia, the international contemporary art and design gallery he cofounded with his brother in 2015. “I like this idea because when you love art, [that love] has a certain kind of depth.”

Attali’s lifelong passion for language and literature is evident as he discusses his practice, often in the language of classical Greek thought. And while other gallerists tend to focus on objects and artworks, Attali is unique in his insistence about the significance of emotion in the context of new art and design; he stresses the centrality of relationships among people, as well as among ideas, materials, and forms.

“My background is in philosophy, political sciences, literature, and the arts,” Attali says. “I did a master’s in comparative literature at the Sorbonne and [a master’s] in political science at the Paris Institute of Political Studies.

Finally, I did a [doctorate] in philosophy, [with a focus on] the concept of multiculturalism.”

MAISON MOUTON NOIR, COURTESY GALERIE PHILIA

Held in a penthouse in New York’s Tribeca neighborhood, Galerie Philia’s First Times exhibition featured 30 emerging and established designers.

Seen here are the Bling Bling chair, Medusa stool (both by Pietro Franceschini), and Native Object 01 floor lamp from Hot Wire Extensions.

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GENESIS

DESIGN DNA

During Milan Design Week in September 2021, Galerie Philia mounted a show (shown above) titled Rick Owens—Dialog with Emerging Italian Designers, which featured brutalist furniture from the Paris-based fashion designer alongside pieces by contemporary Italian artists. The Archivio CV01 console (a collaboration between CARA\DAVIDE and Mille997) is constructed from a single slab of Calacatta Viola marble.

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MAISON MOUTON NOIR, COURTESY GALERIE PHILIA

Architect Lorenzo Bini’s marble table, shown with bronze pieces by Rick Owens, was part of the Rick Owens—Dialog with Emerging Italian Designers exhibition. »

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A custom piece by lighting design studio Morghen hangs above the Y dining table (by Dam Atelier) at Rick Owens—Dialog with Emerging Italian Designers. The sculptural objects on the table were designed by Owens.

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MAISON MOUTON NOIR, COURTESY GALERIE PHILIA

GENESIS

DESIGN DNA

COURTESY GALERIE PHILIA

methods, knife painting, and various plaster techniques.)

“The most important thing to me,” Attali says, “is not [that the gallery is] nomadic, but that we constantly change the structure of the exhibitions. Every time we use a new setting, it gives new soul to the works. If we do an exhibition in a castle in France, as we did at [Château de Barjac] in 2020, it’s very different than what we might do in a palazzo in Florence. The architecture leads us to different vibrations.”

The approach comes with challenges, especially when the setting is consciously restrained. “We did an exhibition in a loft in Brussels that was very minimalistic,” Attali says.

“At first, [such a blank canvas] felt like a gift, but ultimately, we couldn’t work with the style—it just wasn’t evocative. I’m interested in minimalism, but it doesn’t touch me [emotionally]— because it’s not supposed to, right?”

Attali works with emerging and established creatives, not all of whom fit neatly into a singular category.

Galerie Philia’s roster includes young

Dutch designer and ceramist Willem van Hooff, architect and furniture designer Pietro Franceschini, and fashion icon Rick Owens. On February 8, the gallery mounted Transatlántico in the Polanco neighborhood in Mexico City; the five-day exhibition, a satellite event during the Zonamaco art fair, showcased the rising stars of Latin American and European design.

Pressed on the conceptual underpinnings of his work, Attali returns to ancient Greece, and specifically to Aristotle, who wrote about philia in his treatise Nicomachean Ethics. “The word has different meanings,” Attali explains, “but one of them is a friendship in which the two parts are equal; something that you work on with someone for your whole life. Galerie Philia came from this—I had friends who were starting out in the design scene, I took them with me, and they took me with them.” h

Galerie Philia’s Walker Tower exhibition, curated in collaboration with Italian architect Pietro Franceschini, was held at Walker Tower, an iconic 1929 art deco building in the heart of Manhattan. It included more than 70 works by 40 international designers.

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DESIGN DNA

TH E A RTS

PROMOTION

A CURATED EXHIBITION OF ARTISTS, GALLERIES, AND MUSEUMS OF NOTE

Exhibition: Packaged Black: Derrick Adams and Barbara Earl Thomas. Dates: Oct 2, 2021–May 1, 2022 Thurs. 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; Friday through Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. | henryart.org | @henryartgallery

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Sculptor David Robinson explores potent themes through figurative imagery. Complex relationships between figure and environment reveal the conceptual underpinnings of his work.

Shown: Valence, 2019, bronze, steel, Douglas fir, 17” x 8” x 8”, edition of 9.

ROBINSONSTUDIO.COM

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DESIGN DNA

MODERN MANUFACTURING

OFFICE SPACE

With its thoughtful architecture and sophisticated interiors, a production facility’s headquarters emphasizes that high design is not just for the home.

By Rachel Gallaher Images by Ivo Tavares Studio

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THIS PAGE: Designed by Portuguese architecture firm Espaço Objecto, the interiors of the Ramalhos headquarters have a minimal color palette enlivened by sculptural details and modern furniture. OPPOSITE: The architects

used glass panes throughout the offices to better connect interior spaces.

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OFFICE SPACE

DESIGN DNA

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The design team added color sparingly (as seen in this office space) and mostly with

furniture. A glass-enclosed walkway connects two renovated buildings on the Ramalhos campus. White benches in the test kitchen provide seating for visitors observing product demonstrations. The black-and-white palette continues in the showroom, which displays the company’s newest and most popular products.

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fter nearly 20 years of designing showrooms and office spaces for Ramalhos—the Portugal-based manufacturer of industrial ovens— architecture firm Espaço Objecto understood the company’s aesthetic preferences: clean lines, a minimal materials palette, and interiors that inspire employees. The studio has worked on several new structures at the Ramalhos headquarters; the most recent intervention, finished in 2020, focused on two existing buildings connected by an elevated walkway. There, the architects were tasked with expanding administrative offices, remodeling training areas and a showroom, and reimagining the latter’s exterior façade.

“The production facilities were subject to several successive extensions in recent years,” says architect António Figueiredo, of Espaço Objecto. “Before this [most recent] renovation, the offices were compartmentalized, [lacked] functional space and natural and artificial light, and had low-quality finishes. We were able to improve the quality of the finishes and lighting, as well as the energy-efficiency of the buildings.”

With clean lines, a black-and-white palette, and modern furniture, the new interiors of the administrative building mimic the aesthetics of a high-end contemporary art gallery. Allwhite rooms serve as serene backdrops for product displays and daily company activities, and large sheets of glass (including windows, walls, and doors) in black metal frames allow

natural light to brighten the rooms and create a more unified sense of space in the upper-level offices. On the first level, a large, floor-to-ceiling live-plant installation in the reception area provides some of the only color in the building, while an all-white staircase with geometric cutouts in the base brings texture and visual interest without adding superfluous detail.

“In recent years, our design practice has been directed toward this more minimalist architectural design,” Figueiredo says. “Not because of current trends, but because it is in our firm’s DNA. Our clients, especially [Ramalhos], encourage us by affirming this language in which we value the emptiness of spaces, simplicity, and aesthetic quality.”

Just off the lobby of the administrative building are the showroom and test kitchen.

These spaces are also anchored by white surfaces (accented with the occasional black wall) that allow the company’s products to take center stage. Black steel framing divides the structure’s exterior façade into a grid; some of the resulting rectangular sections hold sheets of white screen-printed glass that, when lit at night, glow much like a paper lantern.

The building across a glass-enclosed skywalk also received an expansion, and although Espaço Objecto employed the same modern palette and architectural language, distinctive design details make the structure unique. The upper half of the façade features an unexpected, zig-zagging panel of black aluminum slats, whose random arrangement, Figueiredo says, “controls the intensity of sunlight in the offices and creates very interesting light effects.”

A balanced mix of industrial materials and contemporary aesthetics, the Ramalhos headquarters now embraces form as function and exemplifies the idea that a light touch often makes the greatest impact. h

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sculpted objects, functional pieces, and design environments brentcomber.com

NIRVANA

VERNON BRYANT

Bold approach: a new take on luxury in our fast-paced, ever-changing world.

Designer Ini Archibong’s 2019 installation Theoracle (which has since been renamed To Be Determined) at the Dallas Art Museum.

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JULIAN ANDERSON

INI’S NEVERENDING STORY

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Multidisciplinary designer Ini Archibong embraces the intangible—storytelling, magic, mysticism—to create some of the most compelling design in the industry today.

By Rachel Gallaher

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ST OP PA S S ER S BY ON TH E ST R EET, A S K THE M TH E DEFI N I T I O N OF LU XU RY, A N D YOU ’R E L I K ELY T O H EAR A RA NG E O F A N SW ER S THAT P L AC E T H E RE SP ONDEN T S W I T HI N ONE OF T WO CA M PS : THOSE W H O A S S O C I ATE LUXU RY W I T H M O N EY AND T H O S E W H O ASSOCIAT E LU X U RY WITH T IM E.

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FROM TOP: Artefact 1,

a piece designed by Ini Archibong for a group show titled Empathic.

Discovering a Glass Legacy. Archibong’s inspiration sketches for Artefact 1.

OPPOSITE: The Manna chandelier, part of Archibong’s first solo exhibition, held last year at New York’s Friedman Benda gallery.

COURTESY INI ARCHIBONG

Of course, the two aren’t unrelated (Benjamin Franklin famously observed that “time is money” in an essay that first appeared in 1748), but one mindset is rooted in materiality (brand names, expensive accessories, flashy cars), and the other in freedom (to take time off, to travel, to make genuine connections with others).

Ask multidisciplinary designer Ini Archibong about his definition of luxury, and you’ll get an answer that’s unique. For the designer behind high-end brands including Hermès, Knoll, and Sé, luxury isn’t dependent upon materials, labels, or price points, and it doesn’t mean the most limited, the hardest to get, or any other number of superlatives pointing to extreme exclusivity.

Archibong believes deeply in the importance of good craftsmanship, but the foundation of his design practice is one of humankind’s oldest art forms: storytelling. For him, the weaving together of history, myth, religion, adventure, and culture to form the metaphorical backbone of a piece (a chair, a watch, a light fixture) is what takes it from utilitarian to next level. A luxury item might be tangible, but what makes it luxurious is not.

“In order for an object to be considered a luxury object, its key performance indicator is its magicality,” he says. “Without that, it’s just a spoon. Storytelling and magic allow you to believe that it has something beyond just the ability to transfer soup from the bowl to your mouth.”

Magic, spirituality, great art—these all possess a hard-to-define, intangible quality that evokes a strong emotional response. This is what makes powerful design, and this is what Archibong is interested in. It’s also why he favors collaborations with high-end or luxury-label brands that value craftsmanship and quality.

“Machine-made things lose the human element,” he explains.

“During the manufacturing process, they lose a bit of magic that [otherwise] gets transferred from the concept that comes out of the artist’s or creator’s mind, into their hands, and then to the object—that dedication and knowledge of how to use skill sets »

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passed on from generation to generation, from a time when magic was [widely] acknowledged to be part of the process.”

Last October, New York’s Friedman Benda presented Archibong’s first solo gallery show. Titled Hierophany (a term for the manifestation of the divine), the exhibition marked a four-year relationship between the gallery and the designer.

“Ini captured our eye and imagination when he first showed in Milan, perhaps six years ago,” says Marc Benda, founder of Friedman Benda.

“It’s rare to find a young designer able to define such a thought-out vision and narrative, and to follow it up with unique manifestations of narrative. His commitment to storytelling and quality of execution is outstanding.”

Comprising five works—two intricately layered chandeliers, a cantilevered polished-obsidian-and-glass table, a console, and a pill-shaped floor lamp that presents as an art object— Hierophany was a celebration of Archibong’s Nigerian ancestry and his lifelong interests in philosophy, mythology, religion, and art history. The pieces were crafted with handblown glass, obsidian, and marble— materials he prized not for their monetary value or scarcity, but for the ways in which they could expand his storytelling ability. “I’m pleasantly surprised when I see a new material or a material used in a new way that makes me feel something that I’ve been trying to capture,” he says in the gallery’s description of the show. “The stories are already there, latent in the back of my mind, but then there are the poignant moments of those stories that I’m on the lookout to illustrate. A new material means being able to tell a story I haven’t told before.”

In addition to showcasing Archibong’s colorful, gazecapturing works, the exhibition also highlighted his talent for environmental design.

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Archibong is most widely known as a furniture and product designer, but he started his career with a degree in environmental design from the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California.

“My background is in architecture and spatial design,” he says. “I took a big detour from that for a while, but I always create objects and furniture from the perspective of how they augment a spatial experience and further the story inside a space. My entry into furniture design stems from environmental design. At ArtCenter, we designed every inch of a building inside and out, from [the shell] to the doorknobs to the tables and chairs.”

At Friedman Benda, he opted for an all-white room. Each piece was displayed on (or above, as in the case of the chandeliers, shown on page 71) a stepped ovaloid platform that suggested an altar—a possible nod to the spirituality woven into his work. Even the names of the works—Dark Vernus, Manna Chandelier, Shade Table, Obelisk, and Dark Manna Console—are connotative and serve as guides to deeper understanding.

“This show gave me the opportunity to demonstrate to people the contextual space where I imagined these objects were birthed,” Archibong reflects. “I was thinking about [the idea of] God’s waiting room. If you were pulling up for your appointment with God and had to walk around in the waiting room, and there was a collection of artifacts that had been sent down from planet Earth to guide people to spiritual awakening, that’s basically what that space was, complete with elevator music.”

For the most part, Archibong lets those experiencing his work come up with their own interpretations—as with art, the aesthetic value of design is subjective, but storytelling is a universal form of communication. One doesn’t

need innate talent or years of practice to experience a meaningful response or vocalize their impressions; a life lived can provide bridges between the viewer and the pieces on display.

“If I do my job well and I tap into universal themes,” Archibong says, “then whatever story someone comes up with based on their own experiences hopefully will lead them to the core lesson or idea behind the object.”

“Ini’s work is challenging and demanding on all levels,” Benda notes. “Each work is the result of much material research and an iterative process of form-giving. Ini’s deep and universal sense of spirituality is pervasive in his approach and is an underpinning of [the] dialogue.”

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hirty-eight-year-old Archibong—who grew up in Pasadena and now resides in the lakefront town of Neuchâtel, Switzerland—has always had a creative side, but his Nigerian immigrant parents expected him to follow the traditional path to college, then go on to a stable, high-achieving career (they were both engineers). In the mid-1990s, when he was just 11 years old, Archibong first learned about design software. The discovery opened a new world that would eventually become a foundation for his practice.

“I remember going to CompUSA and other computer mega-stores with my parents,” he says. “I gravitated toward Corel [CorelDRAW is a vector graphics editor], which predated Photoshop and Adobe.

Every Christmas I asked for software. I learned it all as a kid—design software was a second language for me.”

During high school, Archibong drifted toward trouble, acting out by tagging school buses and causing mischief—actions that were »

TOP: The Iquo

DEAN VAN DIS, COURTESY KNOLL; COURTESY INI ARCHIBONG

collection, designed

by Archibong for Knoll. BOTTOM: The Orion table is a combination of solid marble and colored glass.

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quickly curtailed when he focused his energy on learning increasingly advanced forms of design software as a creative outlet.

“All of that [negative] stuff I was doing, I realized that I could translate it onto the computer, and it ended up keeping me out of trouble,” he recalls. “I started working with 3D software and learned the basic tools of 3D design, not even realizing that those were also the basic tools for 3D manufacturing. To this day, when I see an object, my brain is able to break it down into a series of lofts, revolutions, and extrusions.”

Archibong started attending business school, but soon dropped out and enrolled at the ArtCenter College of Design in 2007. After graduation he moved to Singapore, where he worked alongside Tim Kobe, who is best known for developing the Apple Store concept, at Kobe’s creative collective, Eight Inc. Archibong then relocated to Switzerland, where he received a Master of Arts in luxury design and craftsmanship from L’École cantonale d’art de Lausanne (ECAL).

During his time in school, the aspiring designer caught the eye of his professors and the design industry (in 2010, furniture manufacturer Bernhardt presented him the Student Designer of the Year Award as part of the American Design Honors at the annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York), but his big launch onto the global design stage came in 2016, during Milan Design Week, where he debuted a collection called In the Secret Garden. The four pieces—a sofa, a sculptural chandelier, and a set of tables—were inspired by fairy tales, mythology, and fantasy, with references to some of Archibong’s favorite childhood books including Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (when viewed from behind, the Cheshire sofa’s shape evokes 74

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the wily grin and wide eyes of the story’s popular feline character) and the Chronicles of Narnia (the showstopping Jadis chandelier is a reference to one of the series’ antagonists, the White Witch). The whimsical works were alluring and luxurious, and built by expert craftspeople. It was ‘capital-D Design’ that wasn’t afraid to smile at itself.

After Milan Design Week 2016, Archibong’s work seemed to be everywhere. In 2018, he designed a 22-piece collection for furniture brand Sé; the next year saw the release of his Galop d’Hermès watch—a stirrup-shaped timepiece that comes in a version set with 150 diamonds—which was hailed by many as an instant classic for the heritage French design house. The designer who once struggled with the need to express himself through his work (rather than merely creating for consumers) was establishing a unique and confident voice that would make each of his new releases more powerful than the last.

In November 2019, Archibong installed Theoracle at the Dallas Art Museum. An interactive installation comprising light, sound, glass, crystal, and water, it featured 10 oblong glass bulbs displayed in a semicircle around a large, rounded, glass obelisk. A rectangular black pool filled with water was installed in front of the gathered pieces. Originally, museum visitors could interact with the exhibition— when touched, the bulbs emitted sounds, which made the water in the pool vibrate.

But, after the Black Lives Matter protests spread across the country in the summer of 2020, Archibong “updated” Theoracle to protest violence against Black people. The installation, which he has renamed To Be Determined, is now wrapped in bright-yellow caution tape that prevents interaction. In interviews

given after the edit of the work, he invited people to come, listen, reflect, and learn—but they are no longer allowed to participate.

When asked about his experience as a Black designer in an overwhelmingly white industry, he pauses for a moment before answering. “To be honest, the most annoying thing is talking about it,” he says. “I’ve spent the entirety of my career knowing that I was edging into a very white space, knowing that things were not going to be fair, and knowing that people were not going to care about my perspective because it didn’t matter until it impacted the bottom line. I spent 15 years of my career without anyone ever asking me what it means to be Black in the industry and I’ve found success.”

Although To Be Determined is Archibong’s most overtly political work, his life experience and Nigerian heritage permeate his entire oeuvre. Last June, during the London Design Biennale, Archibong returned to environmental design with his creation of the Pavilion of the African Diaspora (PoAD) at Somerset House. Sponsored

by Knoll and Logitech, the pavilion was a space for members of the African diaspora to meet, talk, and hold events and performances. A large, white, aluminum-and-sailfabric structure held pride of place, its swooping form suggesting historic ships, curving shells, and ocean waves. When Archibong first released his plans for the PoAD, the renderings showed three similarly constructed architectural follies. Only one, the Sail, was installed on the terrace at Somerset House, and there are plans (although no concrete dates yet) for the second to be revealed in Miami sometime this year, followed by a showing of all three together in New York.

“I saw the project, a platform for reflection on the past,

present and future of the historical dispersion of Africans, as an opportunity to continue my storytelling in a potentially more powerful way: by asking questions,” Archibong wrote in a piece for the New York Times last June. “What if all of us, all the children of the diaspora, remained connected today by a forgotten yet timeless mythology? Could such a story guide us on our journey to liberation and harmony?”

For a designer who believes in the power of the intangible and in the transfer of magic and story from human to object, inviting members of the diaspora to interact in the pavilion is akin to inviting them to help shape its essence. It’s offering up his work as a platform from which voices that are often unheard, ignored, or silenced can be strengthened and promoted.

These days, like most people, Archibong has been spending a lot of time at home, where he draws, tinkers, and listens to (and makes) music in his studio.

He stayed busy during the pandemic, but, as is the case for many designers of his caliber, is stuck behind a wall of NDAs. One recently released project is a bit of a sidestep from his usual pursuits: Working with artist and director Hassan Rahim, Archibong helped produce a short film, Odyssey in Sound, for Logitech brand Ultimate Ears, which makes custom in-ear monitors, speakers, and earphones. The two-minute short features a dancer who, after inserting a pair of the brand’s earbuds, is transported through a series of sonic landscapes meant to capture the spirit and energy behind the product, as well as the awakening experience of first discovering the power of music.

“I’ve been working with Logitech quietly for the past couple of years,” says Archibong, who is a self-proclaimed tech-head. “I think that this is the beginning of what is probably going to be one of the most

exciting phases of my career.”

February 2022 saw the release of Archibong’s new furniture suite through Knoll.

The Iquo collection is a set of streamlined indoor/outdoor pieces with elegant curves and minimal silhouettes. Bearing the name of his mother and grandmother (Iquo means “powerful voice”), the collection also pays tribute to Archibong’s daughter, whose middle name is Iquo. Mass-production has never been Archibong’s focus, but trying out new materials and ways of making serves as a gateway for creativity and a potential means of storytelling.

“Ini is a true creator,” says Alana Stevens, president of Knoll. “He has incredible energy and confidence and brings a fresh perspective to the design world. We really admire how Ini brings storytelling to the forefront of his work. That approach drew us to him since each Knoll collection has its own story. Much as we expected, Ini immersed himself in our culture and took the time to understand what makes Knoll designs special. His energy is unrivaled, and the team really felt the drive to deliver on what he envisioned.”

Although the name Iquo is being passed along by the females in his family, its meaning is an apt description for Archibong himself. At just shy of 40, he’s already had a prolific career (with nothing but continued growth and success on the horizon) and has pushed forward a singular design language rooted deeply in emotion, story, and spirituality. His voice is also, quite literally, powerful. Deep and musical, it winds easily from topic to topic, touching on everything from the architecture of Gothic cathedrals to the books he loves to his interest in the Bahá’í Faith, which teaches the worth of all religions and the importance of unity among all people.

He’s also been thinking a lot about the intersection of

“I N I ’S TAL E N T S E XT E N D T O M AN Y I N DU ST R I E S — GL AS SWOR K, T I M E P I E CE S , F U R N I T U R E — AN D E ACH T I M E H E B R I NGS A NOV E L P E R S P E CT I V E T O H I S WOR K.” — A L A NA STE V E N S , K NOL L

design and technology, especially given the rise of virtual 3D worlds and NFT art.

“My mind is pretty laserfocused on what all of this technology means,” he says.

“What is natural and human about all of this and what is the gateway for the human magic to enter into that space?

That’s where it becomes really interesting. We know how to utilize tech for productivity, but what happens when you use it for making magic or to proliferate what makes us human?”

And what is it that makes us human? Like many artists, creators, and bards before him, Archibong is using myth and tale to explore this age-old question, then translating his observations into his own visual language. Each discovery is a thread woven into or from the narrative of his life—the story he’ll still be crafting for many years to come. h

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Architect Dieter Vander Velpen transformed the Villa Braeckman from a cramped and outdated relic to a home layered with art and antiques that reflect the owners’ varied interests.

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Vintage Advantage A creative couple’s eclectic tastes guide architect Dieter Vander Velpen in the redesign of a historic Belgian villa.

By Will Kitchens Photographed by Patricia Goijens

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Built in 1903 as a summer home for a local soap magnate, Villa Braeckman is located just outside of Ghent, Belgium.

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n September 2019, Belgian chef and radio host Sven Ornelis discovered Villa Braeckman, a palatial redbrick home tucked in a lush, sprawling garden northwest of Ghent. It had been built in 1903 as a summer home for a local soap magnate, and Ornelis found himself enamored not with its interior—which felt heavy and tired—but with how the house exuded a deep sense of character.

For the past decade, Ornelis had lived in a prototypically modern white cube. It was a “really nice house,” he says, but he and his partner’s tastes had begun to clash against its spare, proscriptive design.

Looking to enlist a professional eye, the couple had turned to Belgian architect Dieter Vander Velpen for help. “We tried to introduce some more eclectic elements,” Vander Velpen says, “but they didn’t completely mesh with the bones of the house.”

So, Ornelis pivoted and purchased Villa Braeckman.

He was convinced that an older home that had already accommodated many lives would prove a more natural fit for his and his partner’s eclectic style and mix of vintage and modern furnishings—and for their lifestyle. “We love art, books, and entertaining guests, and in a house with so much history, everything just works so much better,” Ornelis says. “It has so much more fantasy.”

When Ornelis bought the house, its interior was dated and filled with antiques and a clunky fauxchateau kitchen. “But you could see the potential immediately,” Vander Velpen recalls. “The details were there.”

Today, no two rooms in Villa Braeckman are quite alike. Ornelis requested that the interiors feel like a London boutique hotel, and Vander Velpen delivered with a wide range of furniture styles and highly crafted details, all united by their sense of playfulness. “If you go into a boutique hotel in London, there’s [always] some element of surprise,” the architect says. “You want to take guests from one surprise to the other, which is something Sven likes to do [when entertaining].” »

Vander Velpen opted to retain the original ceiling, moldings, and radiator casings, painting them white for a modern look.

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Unexpected colors, such as the terracotta shade seen in the library, bring a sense of surprise and delight to the house.

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The eclectic décor—a mix of vintage and modern furniture and art—is meant to make the villa feel like a boutique hotel.

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The contemporary kitchen is a streamlined counterpoint to the layered décor found throughout the rest of the house.

This, Vander Velpen achieved by employing unexpected colors—most notably in the dark-blue salon and terracotta-hued library. “Taking the color all the way up the walls onto cabinets and the ceiling creates an atmosphere in which you feel like you’re transported to a different place,” he says.

The dining room, in contrast, is more subdued.

The original ceiling, moldings, and radiator casings were retained and painted white, and the 1903-era floors were sanded and restored. “We didn’t want to conceal anything; the details were so beautiful already,” Vander Velpen explains. Now mingling with these turn-of-the-century elements are pink velvet armchairs, a brass chandelier, and a vibrant onyx table that Vander Velpen designed to sit atop solid brass legs.

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thread of continuity among its varied spaces while emphasizing a sense of history. Brass taps and cabinet pulls in the kitchen add a classic counterpoint to the boldly contemporary quartzite counters.

“And in the library, we added all these new cabinets and technology, like a TV and integrated lighting,” Vander Velpen says, “but by adding classic details [such as decorative framing on the cabinet] in brass, it all clicks into place again.”

In many ways, Villa Braeckman is a careful balancing act, a beguiling blend of materials, colors, and styles. The result is a house that is simultaneously subdued and vibrant, traditional and modern. “In some cases, I think it’s hard to see what is new and what is old,” Vander Velpen says. “But we always tried to be very respectful of what was here.” h

ABOVE: A striking marble vanity proves that minimal design can still be interesting. BELOW: Brass is a recurring theme in Villa Braeckman, and is seen throughout the house in taps, pulls, and detailing on furniture.

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LAST CALL

HENRY BOURNE

One more round of inspired design.

The Green Room—a private club/event space at the Londoner, a new Yabu Pushelberg-designed hotel in London’s Leicester Square—captures the mix of elegance and whimsy found throughout the property.

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Exceptional spaces to eat, play, work, and stay.

THE L ONDONER London’s West End theatre district has been entertaining the masses for centuries. So, when George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg, founders of Toronto- and New York-based design studio Yabu Pushelberg, were tapped to design a hotel in Leicester Square, they looked no further for inspiration than the surrounding neighborhood.

“Leicester Square’s rich history was the driving force behind the Londoner’s design,” Yabu says.

“Drawing from the outspoken and theatrical, we designed the Londoner as an ode to performance.

Layers of sky-high and subterranean programming bloomed with characters that echoed Leicester Square’s extroverted, playful, and alluring voice.” »

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The design for each area of the 350-room hotel was inspired by an archetype of a theatre production’s cast and crew: The entry is the cinematographer, the ballroom is the publicist, and the relaxed watering hole, Joshua’s Tavern, is the gripsman. From the 88

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whimsical lobby, where guests are greeted by a custom, floating, metallic moon-head created by artist Andrew Rae, to the elegant Green Room (the hotel’s private club), which is wrapped in arched wood panels and filled with velvet-upholstered

HENRY BOURNE

seating, the spaces throughout the property surprise and delight; a subdued palette and high-end materials unite them with a sense of sophistication.

“The Londoner was designed for guests to riff off the atmosphere of their surroundings and engage

in constant dialogue with the richly unique colors, textures, scents, and sounds that each venue has to offer,” Pushelberg says. “We wanted to teleport guests into a world where they can comfortably express who they want to be at that very moment.” » GRAY

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When Cynthia Penner and Jay Brooks of Box Interior Design were asked to reimagine the restaurant at the Four Seasons Resort in Whistler, British Columbia, the duo decided that two culinary destinations were better than one. The existing Sidecut steakhouse, which hadn’t been updated in 20 years, embraced a high-end, white-linen-style luxury, but the hotel wanted to offer an additional, more casual, all-day option— without sacrificing good design.

Working within the restaurant’s long, irregularly shaped space, Penner and Brooks modernized Sidecut and created the informal new Braidwood Tavern.

“With Sidecut, we wanted to capture a feeling of relaxed fireside luxury,” Penner says. “Wrapped around a glowing hearth, it is meant to offer a sultry steakhouse experience. Braidwood Tavern provides the counterpoint with its laid-back and cozy mountain-lifestyle vibe.”

The designers used materiality to define and unite the two dining areas, which are located at opposite ends of the space and separated by a buffet. At Braidwood, an eclectic mix of books, art, and comfortable furniture creates a relaxed vibe.

Accents of wool-flannel upholstery, reclaimed-wood-finished walls, and leather chairs, as well as two

fireplaces emphasize the upscale rustic aesthetic. Sidecut is more formal, but not stuffy. Here, Penner and Brooks repeated Braidwood’s olive-green tones, adding in mohair settees and a smoked-cork wall finish. The dining room’s round central fireplace was revamped with a custom metal coating by local artist Darrell Morrison.

The distinct yet cohesive spaces marry traditional and contemporary concepts of luxury. As Penner notes: “If the hotel were a home, Sidecut is the dining room and Braidwood is the kitchen party.”

LARRY GOLDSTEIN PHOTOGRAPHY

CONCIERGE

SI D ECU T ST EAKH OU SE AND B R A I DWOOD TAVE R N

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Larry Goldstein Photography

ANDRII SHURPENKOV

V I RG I N I Z A KAYA Built in the mid-18th century, Kyiv’s Arsenal Factory—a former production facility for the Imperial Russian Army—has evolved into a creative, multibuilding hub that houses restaurants, coworking spaces, and an art gallery. One of the eateries, Virgin Izakaya, is the first traditional izakaya bar in Ukraine. Designed by local firm Yodezeen Studio, the interiors retain the armament factory’s stark industrial architecture (bare brick walls, vaulted ceilings), which is softened by furniture and decorative details that reference Japanese culture.

“We wanted the elements of Japanese style not to be flashy, but to be read by the restaurant’s guests in certain design solutions,” says Artem Zverev, cofounder and lead architect at Yodezeen. Embracing the concept of a traditional izakaya—

a casual place to grab a drink and snacks, sit back, and relax with friends—Yodezeen installed a variety of low seating options, including a long, upholstered bench spanning one wall, leather- and fabricupholstered chairs, and a long bar, built around the open kitchen, that gives diners a front-row view to the heart of the restaurant. A mix of materials including natural wood, copper, and leather exudes a relaxed sense of luxury.

The bathrooms, which feature rows of stone sinks positioned atop large wood stumps, are framed by a freestanding metal-mesh structure in the shape of a Japanese shrine. The screens’ rusty red tone provides a dramatic contrast to the dining room’s subdued palette of neutral finishes— and a nod to the Japanese culture’s reverence for the color red. » GRAY

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SHENZHEN ZHONGSHUGE

SFAP

Until the 1980s, Shenzhen—now a bustling metropolis with a population of more than 12 million—was little more than a small fishing village on the southeastern coast of China. In 1980, the government designated Shenzhen as a special economic zone, which allowed the city to rapidly develop into an economic powerhouse. For Shanghai-based architecture firm X+Living, Shenzhen’s transformation provided unique inspiration for the design of Shenzhen Zhongshuge, a 14,000-square-foot bookstore with a showstopping shelving system that doubles as a surrealistic art installation.

The bookcase, which runs the length of the store, resembles a spiral staircase turned on its side.

“We designed this installation with a clock-dial-shaped cutout to convey the sense that history is being pushed at a rapid pace,” explains X+Living’s founder and chief designer, Li Xiang. “It also pays tribute to the countless pioneers who contributed to the city’s success.”

The massive, twisting shelf—the first thing customers encounter upon entering the shop—is made from plywood finished with a decorative laminate. “The materials are not complicated,” Xiang says.

“However, we spent a lot of thought on the craftsmanship to ensure the accuracy and the perfect result of the spiral shape.”

Inspired by the work of artist Anish Kapoor, Xiang hoped to “create a sense of atmosphere and spirituality” in the design. Reflective black floor tiles and soft lighting create an atmosphere of calm, while clusters of chairs provide intimate seating areas. Elsewhere in the shop, rooms full of floor-to-ceiling shelves packed with books are a bibliophile’s dream, and a pastelcolored children’s area has a whimsical toy train set and a large Ferris-wheel-shaped bookshelf. h —Rachel Gallaher GRAY

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TRANSPORT

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SKY-HIGH STYLE

The interiors of this private jet take luxury design to a whole new height.

WHEN A CLIENT WITH A BUSY WORK SCHEDULE approached Greenpoint

Technologies about designing a private jet, he listed two priorities: time and presence. In order to spend more quality time with friends and family on the ground, he needed to maximize productivity and comfort while in the air. Accordingly, Greenpoint, an aerospace interior design firm and licensed Boeing Business Jet completion center, created a concept that allows the jet to serve as the client’s digital concierge. The aircraft has a variety of

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hidden voice-and-gesture-activated technologies—much like popular smart-home systems—that allow passengers to easily control interior features including lighting, climate, sound systems, and more.

Dark custom cabinetry, contemporary low-profile furniture, and geometric details create a refined interior throughout the jet. Passengers enter through a central rotunda crowned with a circular glass aperture (inspired by the work of artist James Turrell) that displays a series of dramatic colored lighting

schemes. Handcrafted bifold glass doors connect two main lounges, maintaining an open, tranquil cabin environment while allowing for the separation of spaces if a quiet work area is desired. Valance panels with celestially inspired embedded lighting run the length of the lounges, illuminating as guests move throughout the cabin, and transparent OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays wrap the windows, showcasing serene nature scenes to enhance the in-flight experience. h

COURTESY GREENPOINT TECHNOLOGIES

By Rachel Gallaher

The concept for the interiors of this aircraft, designed by Greenpoint Technologies, features residential details including low-profile furniture and custom casework.

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AGENDA

GRAY’s top picks for events, fairs, and happenings on the international design scene.

ST O CKHOLM DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE TALK S

MODERNISM WEEK

MELBOURNE DESIGN WEEK

DIGITAL FEBRUARY 8–10

PALM SPRINGS FEBRUARY 17–27

MELBOURNE MARCH 17–27

Recent COVID-19 restrictions have prompted the annual Stockholm Design Week (SDW) and Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair to postpone the majority of its live programming until September, but to mark the event’s 20th anniversary, SDW is presenting its popular Design & Architecture Talks in a digital format. With speakers including architecture critic Beatrice Galilee, interior architect Åke Axelsson, the founders of design studio Front, and more, the talks and panels will address topics that range from the importance of sustainable design to the role of NFTs in the fields of architecture and interior design. stockholmdesignweek.com

Modernism Week celebrates midcentury-modern architecture, art, interiors, and landscape design in Palm Springs. The annual 11-day festival features more than 350 events, including tours of iconic homes, a classic car show, garden walks, nightly parties, and a special series of compelling talks with worldclass speakers, including the keynote presentation, “Making Architecture,”

by Chicago-based architect Jeanne Gang, founder of Studio Gang. All events are open to the public. A portion of ticket proceeds benefits Modernism Week (a nonprofit organization) and other local preservation, neighborhood, and community groups. modernismweek.com

Australia’s leading international design event returns with a dynamic program that will transform the country’s second-largest city into a bustling hub for the creatively inclined. Themed “Design the World You Want,” Melbourne Design Week will offer exhibitions, talks, films, tours, and workshops, including the biennial Australian Furniture Design Award and a series of showroom activations. Extensive programming responding to the theme—and addressing issues including sustainability, technology, the circular economy, and First Nations knowledge and thinking— will be presented at a host of hubs. designweek.melbourne

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TOM ROSS

Pond[er] (by Taylor Knights and James Carey), the winning design for the 2021 National Gallery of Victoria (NGA) Architecture Commission, will be on display at NGV International in Melbourne through August 28, 2022.

New Futures: Byron and Dexter Peart Founders of Goodee IDS Toronto brings together the most compelling trends with provocative thinkers.

Be inspired by the best of today.

Byron & Dexter Peart InteriorDesignShow.com

In-person show: Metro Toronto Convention Centre South Building

Trade Days & Conference April 7-8

Event Sponsors

Media Sponsors

Trade & Public Days April 9-10

Media Partner

Photo: Richmond Lam

Register now to see Byron and Dexter speak on Thursday, April 7 at the Caesarstone Stage.

S3 E1 | Architect Jakob Lange, partner

at Bjarke Ingels Group and head of special projects division BIG Ideas, is currently creating a 3D-printed infrastructure for living on the moon.

NEW SEASON BEGINS APRIL 7 AIRING THURSDAYS AT 4PM PT / 7PM ET Pour a beverage and join us IN THE DESIGN LOUNGE, where we’re mixing business with pleasure over swanky cocktails, casual conversations, and some fun and games. Host Brandon Gaston visits with guests for an inside look at what drives their creativity, innovation, and success. Cheers!

DETAILS: graymag.com/in-the-design-lounge

YOUTUBE CHANNEL: GRAY Magazine Presents

CALL FOR ENTRIES

SEARCHING NORTH AMERICA FOR THE NEXT BIG THING IN PRODUCT DESIGN

LIVE EVENT SERIES BEGINS APRIL 28 GRAY’S Hot New Next design pitch competition returns in 2022 to identify North America’s most innovative emerging product designs. With live events held in Seattle, Portland, New York, and Los Angeles, contestants will present their new or conceptual product design to a panel of experts.

Winners of each will move on to the final round in Vancouver this fall.

DETAILS: graymag.com/hot-new-next SAVE THE DATE: First event: April 28, Seattle Design Center

DOWBUILT ARCHITECTURE / mwworks PHOTOGRAPHY / Kevin Scott