Interior Design May 2025

MAY 2025

the big idea issue

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Aqua. Dining Aqua. table, Dining basetable, in Carrara base in marble, Carrara designed marble,by designed Fabrice by Berrux.

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Chairs, designed Chairs,by designed Enrico Franzolini.

by Enrico Franzolini.

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Equinoxe.

Rug, designed Rug,by designed Elizabeth byLeriche.

Elizabeth Leriche.

Photos by Flavien Carlod and Baptiste Le Quiniou, for advertising purposes only. Espai Xavier Corberó. (1)Conditions apply, contact store for details. (2)Quick Ship Program available on select products in stock, subject to availability. Images are for reference only and models, sizes, colors, and finishes may vary. Please contact your local store for more information.

Photos by Flavien Carlod and Baptiste Le Quiniou, for advertising purposes only. Espai Xavier Corberó. (1)Conditions apply, contact store for details. (2)Quick Ship Program available on select products in stock, subject to availability. Images are for reference only and models, sizes, colors, and finishes may vary. Please contact your local store for more information.

French de Vivre French Ar t Ar det Vivre

Starring creative director Laura Kim with the Veil® smart toilet in Honed Black. ©2025 KOHLER CO.

Design changes everything.

Design is our constant pursuit to transform the everyday into the extraordinary. Laura Kim shares our belief that design has the power to elevate every moment, every space, every experience— if you dare to chase it.

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CONTENTS MAY 2025

VOLUME 96 NUMBER 4

ON THE COVER

05.25

Off the Saudi Arabian coast, on Sheybarah Island in the Red Sea, stands Shebara Resort, a 73-key complex of mirror-finished stainless-steel pods by Killa Design featuring overwater villas, their interiors and custom concrete terrace seating by Studio Paolo Ferrari, plus restaurant and spa amenities by Rockwell Group.

Photography: Katarina Premfors.

features 106 TRIUMPHAL ARCHES

by Edie Cohen

An arcaded lounge bar sets a theatrical tone at Planta Cocina restaurant in Marina del Rey, California, by ICrave.

116 FIT FOR A KING

by Rebecca Dalzell

Named after Louis the Great, LXIV DC, a centuriesold Washington mansion turned exclusive rental villa by Eric Chang Design, is where today’s power brokers can luxuriate.

124 SCULPTURAL INTERVENTIONS

by Wilson Barlow and Lisa Di Venuta

KRIS TAMBURELLO/COURTESY OF THE MIAMI DESIGN DISTRICT

From Milan to Hong Kong to Toronto, temporary or permanent, indoors and out, large-scale installations enliven urban settings, remote forest landscapes, even sandy beaches.

134 W IS FOR WHIMSY

by Stephen Wallis

Art nouveau swirls, garden flourishes, jewellike tones— it all adds up to the magical environment that is the W Prague, a new hotel

by AvroKO in a historic Czech landmark.

144 TOMORROW LAND

by Peter Webster

On Saudi Arabia’s Sheybarah Island in the Red Sea, Killa Design’s futuristic, high-tech orbs for net zero–energy Shebara Resort are grounded by Rockwell Group and Studio Paolo Ferrari’s human-centered interiors.

154 KEYS TO THE CITY

by Peter Webster

From London to Singapore, five hotels channel the character—man-made or natural, corporate or cultural—of the place they call home.

124

FLOORING MADE FOR FLEXIBILITY

OPEN ROAD™

Chart Your Own Path Made to be adaptable, the Open Road collection creates unique movement across a floor. As part of our i2 ™ product portfolio, Free Reign and Come and Go embrace the randomness of nature through pattern variation and color contrast.

05.25

CONTENTS MAY 2025

VOLUME 96 NUMBER 4

special section 49 16 BIG IDEAS

departments 27 HEADLINERS 33 DESIGNWIRE

by Annie Block and Ian Phillips 38 BOOKS

by Nicholas Tamarin 40 PINUPS

by Rebecca Thienes 44 SHOPTALK edited by Georgina McWhirter 87 MARKET edited by Rebecca Thienes text by Wilson Barlow, Lisa Di Venuta, and Georgina McWhirter 101 CENTERFOLD In Bloom

by Nicholas Tamarin

Y.ad Studio plants a Vincent van Gogh–inspired community center promoting local agriculture and arts in central China.

166 CONTACTS

JIMMY COHRSSEN

175 INTERVENTION

by Wilson Barlow

49

THE ART OF SAUNA

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Michael Shavalier SANDOW was founded by visionary entrepreneur Adam I. Sandow in 2003, with the goal of reinventing the traditional publishing model. Today, SANDOW powers the design, materials, and luxury industries through innovative content, tools, and integrated solutions. Its diverse portfolio of assets includes Luxe Interiors + Design, Interior Design, Metropolis, and DesignTV by SANDOW; ThinkLab, a research and strategy firm; and content services brands, including The Agency by SANDOW, a full-scale digital marketing agency; The Studio by SANDOW, a video production studio; and SURROUND, a podcast network and production studio.

SANDOW is a key supporter and strategic partner to NYCxDESIGN, a not-for-profit organization committed to empowering and promoting the city’s diverse creative community. In 2019, Adam Sandow launched Material Bank, the world’s largest marketplace for searching, sampling, and specifying architecture, design, and construction materials.

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A MORE SUSTAINABLE INTERIOR DESIGN As part of the SANDOW carbon impact initiative, all publications, including INTERIOR DESIGN and METROPOLIS, are printed using soy-based inks, which are biobased and derived from renewable sources. This continues Sandow Design Group’s ongoing efforts to address the environmental impact of its operations and media plat­forms. We have a partnership with Keilhauer to offset all estimated carbon emissions for the printing and distribution of every print copy of INTERIOR DESIGN in 2024 with verified carbon credits, including the one you hold in your hands.

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e d i t o r ’s welcome

better, best,

big ideas

For once, I’ll skip the teasing, buttering up, and, well, editorializing and get down directly to brass tacks. This issue is nothing less than amazingcakers! Ha! Now, I know what you’re thinking: Quit it, Cindy!

I admit, one way or another, I always manage to highlight, to the max, our print oeuvre… it’s true. But these pages are simply something else. The stars and planets must have perfectly aligned when we started assembling our Big Ideas, because the boundless originality we harvested is out of this world. I suspect it’ll be tough to best this in the future, but we’ll try our damndest.

Check out how sustainability meets craftsmanship meets beauty at a Tokyo café by master Kengo Kuma, featuring a facade of three-dimensional handmade verdisgris copper plates (700 of them) repurposed from a shrine. There’s a “sweet” installation made entirely of candy (as commentary on excessive abundance), a Spanish house built for a robot (intended to look built by a robot), a prefab fire station assembled on-site (in a week!), plus much, much more.

And just in case all this firepower makes you think we engaged in a one-round-only exhibition match—think again! There’s also round two inside: Hospitality+! (BTW, the “plus”stands for a photo essay of installations I just could not resist adding…and I think you’ll approve).

Thanks to our talented friends at AvroKO, a century-old Czech landmark became the W Prague and is nothing short of a wowza! Feast on the popular vegan restaurant Planta Cocina, designed by ICrave, where the design—and the food—are “I”mmensely “Crave”-able (get it?!).

Plus, we feature an enviable five-star tour of hotels from across the globe.

Now, again, I know what you’re thinking. Funny sector to tackle when we’re putting tourists in the pokey in airports and people are throwing rocks at us on the other side of the border.

But that will pass too; let’s soldier on. Oh well, there is always our cover story, in the Red Sea. Meet you there! xoxo

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thecindygram

MAY.25

INTERIOR DESIGN

25

headliners “Our philosophy is built upon timelessness, craftsmanship, and elegance, but grounded in livability”

Eric Chang Design “Fit for a King,” page 116 principal, design director: Eric Chang. firm size: Two designers. firm site: Atlanta. current project: An Omakase bar in Georgetown, Washington. beginnings: Chang is the cofounder and creative director of HellmanChang, a trade-furniture line. winnings: Its Z Pedestal earned an Interior Design Best of Year Award in 2006, the year Hellman-Chang launched. ericchangdesign.com

DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN

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AvroKO “W Is for Whimsical,” page 134 cofounder, principal: Adam Farmerie. design director, senior associate: Alex Reed. firm hq: New York. firm size: 145 architects and designers. current projects: W Florence hotel in Italy; Ilisian hotel in Athens, Greece; Chancery Rosewood hotel in London. honors: Interior Design 100 Giants Most Admired Firms; Restaurant & Bar Design Award; Gold Key Award. crossing the pond: While an undergrad at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Farmerie studied for a year at London’s Architectural Association. crossing the pond: After completing her archit­ ecture degree in London, Reed worked at Michaelis Boyd in New York, before returning to her home­ town to head up AvroKO’s studio there. avroko.com

ICrave, a Journey Studio “Triumphal Arches,” page 106 creative director: Greg Merkel. firm hq: New York. firm size: 50 architects and designers. current projects: Dream hotel in Miami; a major cruise ship; and a Gaylord/Ryman hospitality project, all in the U.S. honors: Interior Design Hospitality Giant; Gold Key Award; Commercial Interior Design award. shells: As a teenager, Merkel would collect eggs before school on his family’s ostrich farm in Colorado. skills: He owns a very lonely guitar he neglects to play but that his 3-year-old enjoys hitting. icrave.com

Studio Paolo Ferrari “Tomorrow Land,” page 144 founder, principal designer: Paolo Ferrari. firm site: Toronto. firm size: 50 architects and designers. current projects: Moncayo, Auberge Resorts Collection in Puerto Rico; a 240-foot yacht in La Spezia, Italy; a private club in Hong Kong. honors: Gold Key Award; AHEAD Americas award. on screen: Ferrari is an ardent cinephile who’s inspired by sublime and surreal scenes. in person: A keen traveler, he’ll be visiting Hong Kong and Japan this summer for the first time as a tourist rather than a working designer. paoloferrari.com

Rockwell Group “Tomorrow Land,” page 144 partner: Brad Zuger, AIA. firm hq: New York. firm size: 262 architects and designers. current projects: Willow restaurant and 550 Madison in New York; Cote Vegas restaurant in Las Vegas. honors: NYCxDesign Award; AHEAD Americas award. gastronomy: Zuger doesn’t just love designing restaurants, he also loves going to them and trying new foods. horticulture: He’s an equally enthusiastic gardener who grows vegetables on his terrace at home. rockwellgroup.com

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FROM TOP LEFT: JADA & DAVID; JOHNNY WOLF; JOE ESPOSITO; EMILY ANDREWS

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design wıre edited by Annie Block

COURTESY OF LOIS O’HARA, ZACH HYLAND, AND BRIGHTON MUSEUMS

The last time we wrote about British artist Lois O’Hara, she’d rejuvenated a pair of public tennis courts in northern England with her signature fluid forms and vibrant colors. Four years and myriad projects later, she’s created another smile-inducing installation about 300 miles south for “Colour,” an aptly named exhibition currently on view at the Royal Pavilion & Garden in Brighton. Pathways of Joy, O’Hara says, “lifts people’s spirits and draws them into a sense of movement and energy as they approach the grand entrance of the pavilion,” which is an 1820’s Grade I–listed landmark built by architect John Nash for King George IV that blends Indian- and Chineseinspired architecture and was a pioneer of vivid interiors. Indeed, Pathways not only beckons, it also foreshadows what’s inside: Each of the Regency rooms is devoted to a specific hue and emotion and appointed with such bespoke items as a hat by legendary British milliner Stephen Jones. “The artistic interventions,” Royal Pavilion curator Dr. Alexandra Loske adds, “demonstrate how color, whether in the early 19th century or today, evokes feelings and enchants.”

happy trails “Colour,” an exhibition at the Royal Pavilion & Garden in Brighton, England, through October 19, begins with Pathways of Joy, Lois O’Hara’s site-specific, 1,000-square-foot installation made with eco-friendly paints from sponsor YesColours, which provided the five colors and approximately 32 gallons in a masonry-suitable format.

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d e s i g n w ire

a piece of the apple Fuhgeddaboudit. Those typical New York City mementos: I Love NY tees, statue of Liberty figurines, Empire State Building snow globes. For one-of-a-kinds, head on over to “NYCxDesignxSouvenir,” an IRL and digital exhibition of Gotham-inspired collectibles, many functional objects. After its debut last year, “Souvenir” 2.0 nearly tripled in submissions, including from the star-studded likes of Virginia Harper and Interior Design Hall of Famer Karim Rashid, with the final 73 items, like in 2024, curated by Boym Partners, sponsored by Kikkerland Design, and available for purchase. Among the standouts is the deli breakfast staple—especially after a late night

Clockwise from top: Included in “NYCxDesignxSouvenir,” a May 15-21 exhibition curated by Boym Partners of 73 one-off, designer-made objects, is Steve Cozzolino’s Eight in polished stainless steel; BaconEggCheese candle in wax and cotton by Joshua Cruz; NYC Ambiance nylon noise machine, with a choice of traffic-jam, subway, and construction sounds, by Blanca Codina; Berk Ilhan’s City Grid pen organizer in marble and 3D-printed plastic; Paw District, Melis Dizdar & Meltem Parlak’s postcard series pairing 15 city neighborhoods with a dog breed that reflects its character; and Lynn Lin’s 12-foot-square Greenlight table lamp in wood, led panel, and acrylic.

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INTERIOR DESIGN

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COURTESY OF NYCXDESIGN

out—bacon, egg, and cheese sando in candle form, on an everything bagel no less; a sound machine in the shape of a traffic cone; and a crosswalk sign translated into a table lamp.

And although a steel bird objet resembles the omnipresent pigeon, it nods to the Eames House Bird and Case Study House #8, which was almost destroyed by the Los Angeles wildfires; 10 percent of its sale will be donated to the Wildfire Recovery and Relief Fund. All souvenirs can be viewed at nycxdesign.org.

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Clockwise from below: Developed over a decade, the revamped high-speed TGV Inoui, by AREP and Nendo, offers a 20 percent reduction in energy consumption and is made from 97 percent recyclable materials. The Bistro’s second-floor lounge area. Second-class carriage seats upholstered in Octaspring, a specially developed, lightweight, 3D-knitted fabric. The bistro’s upholstery of e-leather, genuine leather but with a plant-based tanning process. Nendo’s custom table lamp in aluminum and steel.

Since its inauguration in 1981, the TGV high-speed train has been one of France’s prides and joys. It travels up to 198 miles per hour, reducing time between Paris and Bordeaux to just over 2 hours (about 6 by car). The design has been a vital component of its success. Both French, Roger Tallon oversaw the initial interiors, while Christian Lacroix refreshed in 2005. Today, they exhibit a slightly Japanese sensibility, courtesy of Nendo.

The theme for the new look, Flow, is derived from the analogy that TGVs speed across the landscape like a streaming river. The seats’ rounded forms are like pebbles, while their gradated color schemes—Bordeaux tones for first class, cooler blue for second—darken from top to bottom, like looking into deep water.

Now thinner to provide more space between rows, they’re also fitted with adjustable headrests. Ionna Vautrin’s Moustache table lamps have been replaced with bright-yellow versions that resemble manga characters, and there’s a two-story bar called Bistro. The exterior, overhauled by AREP, is equally sci-fi-esque and more environmentally focused, its longer, aerodynamic nose and reflective paint colors helping to reduce energy requirements. No wonder it has been renamed TGV Inoui, French for amazing. —Ian Phillips 36

INTERIOR DESIGN

MAY.25

YANN AUDIC

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books

This photographic volume explores the profound impact of the space race on design, architecture, fashion, and culture from the mid-20th century to today. The author, seasoned journalist and editor, Peter Martin details how the launch of Sputnik in 1957 sparked a global wave of futuristic design, with such furnishings as Verner Panton’s 1969 VP globe pendant and Michel Ducaroy’s 1973 Togo modular sofa for Ligne Roset reflecting the era’s optimism for and fascination with space travel. Featuring more than 200 images, both recognizable and rare archival finds, the pages also showcase work by George Nelson, Pierre Paulin, Eero Saarinen, and even NASA’s very own in-house team.

Martin goes on to examine how a “cosmic touch” in­ fluenced everyday life, from clothing to public spaces like the 1971 “Flying Saucer” building in Kiev by Ukrainian architect and painter Florian Yuriev, and how new ma­terials like plastic and fiberglass revolutionized possibilities. For him, NASA’s Challenger Disaster in 1986 marked the end of the period’s intense creative energy characterized by utopian dreams and revolutionary products. His book not only provides a gateway to a bygone world of exuberance but also recontextualizes its most innovative minds. —Nicholas Tamarin 38

INTERIOR DESIGN

MAY.25

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: VINCENT FOURNIER; JOSEPH KRAMM; COURTESY OF LIGNE ROSET

Space Age Design: Icons of the Space Age Design Movement

by Peter Martin Berlin: teNeues, $75.00 256 pages, 220 images (200 color)

Your Design.

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At Kimball Hospitality, we don’t just manufacture furniture—we bring visions to life.

Our collaboration with Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort embodies this commitment, delivering custom-crafted casegoods that seamlessly blend modern luxury with the resort’s serene island aesthetic. From the natural wood tones to the thoughtfully designed details, every piece enhances the guest experience, creating a retreat as inviting as the ocean views.

Discover how our custom capabilities can elevate your next project.

800.634.9510 | kimballhospitality.com

p i n ups edited by Rebecca Thienes

go with the flow These limited-edition creations have curves in all the right places

GARY SCHERMANN

Longchamp’s inaugural furniture series is the brainchild of artisan Pierre Renart, a frequent collaborator who typically creates custom designs for the luxury label’s boutique interiors. His languorous oneoff Wave bench and set of six Ruban chairs—crafted of bent, laminated American walnut and upholstered with the fourth-generation fashion house’s cowhide leather in rich heritage hues—bring an almost liquid quality to woodwork. longchamp.com

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INTERIOR DESIGN

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Luxury furniture + performance fabrics, rugs, wallcoverings and trims I perennialsandsutherland.com

p i n ups fluid forms

Among the showstoppers in the New Wave collection— named for and inspired by the nostalgic-modern cultural movement—are this limited-edition (of 12) table and bench, both sculpted of solid Nero Picasso in architect/product designer Arda Yeniay’s native Turkey for Studiotwentyseven. studiotwentyseven.com

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What changes are animating the hospitality sector?

“I’m happy to see an emerging interest in circularity—ensuring materials can be reused or recycled. At a recent lodging conference, a panel discussion challenged the sustainability of hospitality brands’s requiring property improvements every seven years, and the conversation evolved to address circularity and the potential cost savings if designers don’t have to start from scratch each time.”

—Sarah Fox, Perkins Eastman

“With the continued expansion of wellness in design, we are going deeper by exploring and incorporating ancient, eastern, spiritual, mystical, Taoist, Ayurvedic, and Vitruvian principles, as well as the better-known Feng Shui, to name a few. We’re using the golden ratio to create pleasing proportions, the ancient rule of thirds for balance, and Vastu Shastra for ideal sleeping positions/directions.”

—Julia Gilstrap, CID Design Group

“People are yearning for a postpandemic world that reconfirms the level of quality, attention, and service that existed before. As an outcome, we’re seeing an explosion of private clubs—a shift toward amenities that recreate the character of a bygone era. There’s an interest in a heightened experience, with impeccable service and quality offerings. Luxury isn’t simply defined by the finishes of a space but also by the level of service and the ability to create a unique feeling.”

—Adrielle Slaugh, Studios Architecture

—Lauren Rottet, Rottet Studio

“Guest rooms are becoming independent fitness centers— we’re incorporating spaces for yoga mats, in-room weights, or mirrors that double as personal gyms with fitness-app integrations. Other amenities like meditation rooms and sound baths are becoming popular as well, depending on the brand and operator.”

—Maya Molina, HBA International

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INTERIOR DESIGN MAY.25

BOTTOM: JOSE SALTO

s h o p talk

“Biophilia, the human tendency to connect with nature and other living things—especially live plants in interiors—has become ever more prevalent and requested by our clients. The easy answer is to introduce potted plants and living walls, but we have taken this idea much further by using sun studies to manipulate the interior architecture and create spaces that feel entirely alive. The process is heavily involved and takes a lot more time to plan, but helping clients understand the true meaning of biophilia is important to further our field.”

LUMIÈRE. LUXE. L’INCOMPARABLE. La Maison Light Collection: Where Haute Couture Becomes Custom Lighting.

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M A N I F E ST T I L E I N OAT + S I SA L

LOW EMBODIED CARBON + CARBON NEUTRAL

Arcata Lounge by anderssen & voll Bonh Lume by jehs+laub

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Furniture made of candy?

A house built by and for a robot? A see-through fire station? Check, check, and check—plus 13 more boundary-pushing concepts

IDEAS

Discover the award-winning Mirai sofa, designed with Andrea Steidl.

cathedral of robotic artisans organization: institute for advanced architecture of catalonia site: barcelona, spain

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cross-laminated timber. To achieve that, traditional joinery techniques, mortise and tenon, for example, were combined with digital fabrication methods.

Original brick walls were preserved and reinforced, and the timber used integrates with the surrounding landscape and architecture. The robot is, not surprisingly, very heavy, so the students excavated the existing floor, installed a concrete pedestal to support it, and created a terrazzo finish incorporating bricks found on the grounds, making CORA sustainable to boot. iaac.net —Stephen Treffinger

ADRIÀ GOULA

Sounding like something out of science fiction, the Cathedral of Robotic Artisans is basically a house built for a robot—a KUKA six-axis industrial milling robot to be exact—that’s intended to look like it was built by a robot. It occupies a 400-square-foot, 19th-century former stable on the Barcelona campus of Valldaura Labs, which is part of Spain’s Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, its aim “to lead the mission of imagining the future habitat of our society and building it in the present.” For their master’s in advanced architecture and bioscities, an international team of students led by architect and Valldaura director Vicente Guallart designed and built a functional lab for the KUKA over four months.

CORA’s name comes, in part, from its churchlike environs and support structure. The self-sustaining timber framework is enforced by seven branching columns representing tree trunks. This structure holds up the new roof of solid wood and joints of

“The inspiration came from thinking about how a robot would build a house by itself”

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“Nostalgia and color evoke wonder and joy at a kids activity center”

poles As a schoolkid in the 1990’s, there was nothing like the satisfaction of opening a fresh box of colored pencils and seeing them laid out in a row in all their rainbow glory. (Nowadays the corresponding thrill might be peeling off the screen sticker on an iPad.) Keiichiro Sako and his team at Sako Architects recall this simple analogue pleasure for Gen Alpha in their concept for Poles, a members-only children’s center in Shenzhen Bay Sports Center, a stadium in China’s third most populous city. The atrium of the 65,000-square-foot project is Guggenheim Museum–style, with a gently spiraling white ramp that leads tiny feet up the three stories. Piercing all levels are five enormous cylindrical volumes accessed by the ramp and divided into 25 activity rooms, such as a dance studio, library, and sandbox. The volumes’ exteriors are surrounded by 436 pencil-like aluminum poles powder-coated a gradient of colors. Structural columns are painted to match. The effect continues in the basement, where two unexpectedly bright and airy swimming pools can be found. There, vibrant aluminum pipes arranged as horizontal ceiling baffles create the impression of swimming beneath an indoor rainbow. sako.co.jp —Georgina McWhirter

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MISAE HIROMATSU

firm: sako architects site: shenzhen, china

Fringe is the new pink

jircˇany fire station firm: soa architekti site: psáry, czech republic

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Ondřej Píhrt, copartner of Prague firm SOA Architekti, had never designed a fire station before. But he was familiar with the neighborhood in Psáry, just outside the city, where he was commissioned by the mayor to build one: He’d

completed an elementary school there in 2019, and the new station would occupy a triangular plot between it and some homes. “Our aim was to create a place where machines and people coexist,” the architect reflects. Taking cues from neighboring barns, he conceived a 6,340-square-foot, steel-framed hall with a gabled roof. But the skylights, all facades, and the three street-facing bays in which trucks go in and out are composed of translucent polycarbonate panels, which allow sunlight to permeate and passersby to see inside. Within the main garage, which houses firetrucks and serves as a fitness/relaxation hub for off-duty volunteers and has flooring of poured, polished concrete, is a smaller volume—“like a folding puzzle,” Píhrt notes—in prefabricated cross-laminated spruce panels, assembled on-site in about a week. It centers on a 10-foot-wide projection screen used for briefings for the firefighters, who can sit in Claudio Dondoli and Marco Pocci’s stackable Koi-Booki chairs, in a firehouse-red colorway, of course. s-o-a.cz —Lisa Di Venuta

ALEX SHOOTS BUILDINGS

“Its profile resembles those of the area barns, while its translucency visually

connects with the community”

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Crafted with Purpose®

Liminal Space | Carpet

“Eco-conscious material and production winningly update the sports trophy tradition” b i g ideas

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The very essence of a trophy lies in its permanence—a lasting commemoration of a fleeting moment of recognition.

But with sustainability ascendant in the sports world, creative force Joe Doucet felt the tradition was ripe for disruption.

Tapped to design a trophy to honor inductees into the Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame, whose members include Arthur Ashe and Billie Jean King, for their dedication to the sport and support of the Junior Tennis Foundation, which serves underprivileged children, Doucet’s goal, he says, “was to move beyond the expected and create something symbolic and resonant with today’s values.” He brainstormed a more circular form that rethinks and repositions longevity, starting with his choice of a material that’s infinitely recyclable without degrading: aluminum. The variety he sourced, from Norwegian renewableenergy company Norsk Hydro, is produced at a low-carbonfootprint facility in Utah and incorporates more than 90 percent recycled content.

The trophy’s form is just as thoughtfully conceived. “There are eight layers, and the shape of the negative space evolves from the silhouette of a tennis racquet to a triumphal arch—symbolizing the progression required to achieve greatness,” Doucet explains.

To fabricate the CNC-milled piece with an ombré tonality, he enlisted California-based manufacturer Neal Feay. “The gradient,” Doucet adds, “was inspired by the transition from day to dusk on a tennis court—where matches are won through determination.”

eastern tennis hall of fame trophy

firm: joe doucet x partners

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COURTESY OF NEAL FEAY

joedoucet.com —Jen Renzi

Electrify the Room ª

LUXURY LIGHTING / FURNITURE / DECOR R E G I N A A N D R E W. C O M

Beaubien Chandelier & Gear Alabaster Table Lamp

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“A dimensional, ever-shifting facade handmade of repurposed copper signifies change and metal craftsmanship”

wakuni shoten The scales of a living fish are not a typical starting point for a design concept. Yet this is an idea that underpins Wakuni Shoten, a café in suburban Tokyo by Japanese architect and Interior Design Hall of Fame member Kengo Kuma that boasts a rhythmic three-dimensional facade of more than 700 verdigris copper plates repurposed from a shrine.

The tidy 600-square-foot spot occupies a former tobacco store in a 55-year-old wooden building on a quiet shopping street in Higashimurayama. The project was helmed by local sheet-metal artisans aiming to revitalize the neighborhood and create an innovative community base.

Inside, coffee and Shiba dog-shaped cookies are served amid such crafted brass details as angular counters and shapely pendant fixtures, the warm metal juxtaposing the concrete flooring and black plaster walls.

But it’s the facade that really defines the spirit of Wakuni Shoten.

The geometric pentagonal plates—layered, sculptural, origamilike— were formed out of recycled materials from the roof of Hayatani Shrine in Hiroshima, using a technique by metal artisan Tomokazu Uchino. Their patinated surfaces, in an organic spectrum of greens and blues, are in a constant state of trans­formation, evolving with the shift of time, weather, and light. “Our aim was to breathe new life into the abandoned building,” Kuma says, “into architecture that had been long dead.” kkaa.co.jp —Danielle Demetriou

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JIMMY COHRSSEN

firm: kengo kuma & associates site: tokyo

“sweet memories” firm: simone post site: wassenaar, netherlands For an exhibition at the Museum Voorlinden in South Holland’s Wassenaar through August 31, Dutch textile and product designer Simone Post rebuilt her childhood home but with a tasty twist: Everything is made of candy. The installation, aptly titled “Sweet Memories,” required approximately 1,500 pounds of sugary treats—100,000 candied bacon strips, more than 1,000 candy chains, some 30,000 sweet and sour UFOs (Post’s favorite)—and roughly two months and two dozen people to produce it. Everything—her nursery, her mother’s sewing machines, tables, books, even her stuffed animals—is an exact replica from her family’s Utrecht home, environments within which museumgoers can immerse themselves, experiencing the innocent world of a 3-year-old, when everything still seemed possible. “To me, that’s the perfect age. As a toddler, you feel free and safe, unashamed, and the world remains one great mystery to be discovered,” says Post, who now lives and works in Schiedam, is a graduate of Design Academy Eindhoven, and frequently experiments with the malleability of various materials. “Sweet Memories” also serves as a commentary on the greediness of this era. “We’re surrounded by an excessive abundance that may seem delightful, but, ultimately, leaves the planet queasy.” simonepost.nl; voorlinden.nl —Stephen Treffinger

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FROM LEFT: TITIA HAHNE (3); COURTESY OF SIMONE POST (2)

“Candy is formed into furniture, takes visitors on an exploration of childhood and family, and symbolizes the excesses of today”

the warehouse at dartmouth college firms: stock-a-studio; t+e+a+m site: hanover, new hampshire

The site, a converted former college admin office in Hanover, New Hampshire, was “The sound lab’s steel gutted and the architecture left mostly raw, with concrete flooring and a silver-painted structural system ceiling that blends with exposed ductwork. In lieu of solid walls, the space is defined by a skeletal steel rig—fitted with translucent polycarbonate panels, sawtooth acousprovides numerous tical foam, and a swath of plastic-strip curtains—that serves as an armature for the rigging points, DMX lighting and multichannel sound systems, every component of which can be incontrolled. Glass doors enclose an equipment room as well as an office for allowing students to dividually program director Ash Fure, a renowned sonic artist who cocreated the lab with a pair ‘play’ the architecture of architects and frequent collaborators: her brother Adam Fure, a partner at MichiganT+E+A+M, and Stock-a-studio founder Xavi Aguirre, whose experimental Boston as they would an based practice’s investigation of disassembly and reshaping is on full display here. With its instrument” fluid scheme and customizable infrastructure, the Warehouse is where sound and space, artistry and research harmoniously intersect. stockastudio.com; tpluseplusaplusm.us

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—Jen Renzi

BROOKE HOLM

A new facility built for Dartmouth’s just-launched MFA sonic practice program invites grad students to plumb the interplay between the physical environment and their chosen medium, sound. The 2,500-square-foot venue is entirely reconfigurable, from the modular custom furniture-on-wheels to the 24 speakers, and thus adaptable to whatever activity is unfolding, whether a lecture, performance, or listening party.

A LEAP ACROSS 30 YEARS OF DESIGN FROG PIERO LISSONI

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firm: utro site: moscow

tsaritsyno education center In the 18th-century imperial palace turned Tsaritsyno museumreserve in Moscow, Olga Rokal, cofounder of the all female–led Utro, has crafted a multifunctional activity zone to foster visitor learning and creativity—fitting as the local studio’s name derives from the Russian word for morning, referring to its fresh approach.

Used for hands-on workshops, the 500-square-foot space is a dynamic, interactive setting carved out from a small footprint.

Playing a central role is the custom plywood furniture, most of it built-in and inspired by 19th-century Wootton desks and sewing tables, where surfaces conceal meticulously organized storage.

Particularly noteworthy is the wall-mounted perforated cabinetry, which takes cues from traditional carpenter’s cabinets, where all the materials and tools necessary for such crafts as metalworking, jewelry making, and weaving are concealed inside. But the cabinet exteriors are equally intriguing, the profiles referencing the neoGothic vaults of the palace’s architecture, originally designed by Catherine the Great’s court architect, Vasily Bazhenov, as the Empress’s summer residence (tsaritsyno means tsarina’s property).

Fittingly, Utro’s custom tables interlock into circular and wavelike formations inspired by the knight’s round table. utro.studio —Wilson Barlow

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DANNIIL ANNENKOV

“Unconventional yet functional furniture in the museum workshop sparks curiosity and references the historic site”

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Creating cutting-edge and vibrant outdoor environments with aluminum chains.

kriskadecor.com

Ginza 41 restaurant, Andorra la Vella, Andorra Architecture: África Sabé & Eva Dalmau | Photo: Álvaro Valdecantos

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“The biennale posits,‘How can we design a post-fossil future harnessing the sun?’”

DROIT AU JOUR

“soleil·s” Founded by designers Marjan van Aubel and Pauline van Dongen, the “Solar Biennale” was a bright light when it debuted in 2022. This year sees the second installment, titled “Soleil·s,” on view in Lausanne through September 21 at Switzerland’s MUDAC. The 10 new commissions plus relevant existing works by the likes of Ólafur Elíasson explore the transformative potential of the sun in inspiring an ecological future, explain cocurators Scott Longfellow and Rafaël Santianez, and range from conceptual to concrete.

In the former camp, Fellaria’s Time Capsule by TAKK, which also designed the exhibition, imagines Italy’s Fellaria Glacier in the near future, with hot pink–lit foliage peeping from portholes in a 6-foot-diameter green (bio)sphere, while Vraiment Vraiment x Marilyne Andersen’s Droit au jour posits a fictitious branch of the Cantonal Office of the Right to Day, which grants every­one an inali­en­able right to natural light.

More actual is Marjan van Aubel’s Sunne, a pendant fixture self-powered by the sun, as is Nathanaël Abeille’s Reflexions, which can redirect natural light to dark areas. Sparked by translating the natural growth process into a mechanical one, Mischer’Traxler Studio’s The Idea of a Tree involves a solar-powered machine that creates one piece of furniture— a bench, a pendant shade—per day, “harvested” at sunset, its form built from recycled cotton. And, through interviews with NASA remote-sensing scientists and others, Alice Bucknell’s sci-fi documentary Staring at the Sun considers what’s at stake with today’s solar-geoengineering protocols. mudac.ch —Georgina McWhirter

CYNTHIA AMMANN

curators: scott longfellow and rafaël santianez site: museum of contemporary design and applied arts, lausanne, switzerland

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SUNNE

REFLEXIONS STARING AT THE SUN FELLARIA’S TIME CAPSULE THE IDEA OF A TREE

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: NADJA SCHLENKER; CYNTHIA AMMANN; COURTESY OF NATHANAËL ABEILLE; COURTESY OF ALICE BUCKNELL; JOSÉ HEVIA; COURTESY OF MISCHER’TRAXLER STUDIO

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cycl firm: yu momoeda architects site: yamanashi, japan Innovative public baths and saunas have had a strong foothold in Tokyo culture for centuries. Yamanashi, approximately 2 hours west of the city, is following suit with Cycl, a three-story, 1,300-square-foot sauna facility

by Fukuoka-based architect Yu Momoeda. What it capitalizes on is its spectacular surroundings. “In this space that resonates with the natural scenery,” Momoeda says, “the mind is liberated.” He’s referring to Lake Yamanaka, Mount Fuji, and the kasagumo (Japanese for hat or cap clouds) that often form above them, all of which Cycl has front-row views and his design references. This is evident in the building’s floating roof (although it was also, in part, dictated by the country’s Ministry of the Environment under the Natural Parks Act) and the Finnish-style sauna, meant to evoke the sun and molten lava through dramatic lighting. Below is the flowing cold-plunge pool, fed by underground springs. But perhaps the strongest connection with the landscape is the pillar-free, second-floor lounge. Encased in glass on all sides, the airy, open space invites relaxation on tatami mats with complimentary drinks and sweets surrounded by uninterrupted views of the lake and mountain. yumomoeda.com —Stephen Treffinger

JIMMY COHRSSEN

“The sauna reflects, embraces, and provides the serenity found in nature”

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Co nt ra st + Co l l a boration

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“Monochromaticity and sinuousness outfit a home’s addition in modern-day cosmism”

yellow pavilion If Kazimir Malevich—the early 20th–century founder of suprematism—had been asked to create one of James Turrell’s signature Skyspaces, the result might easily have been the Yellow Pavilion. In fact, architect Maxim Kashin did have the Russian avant-garde artist in mind when conceptualizing this 980-square-foot addition to a Moscow house he originally designed in 2015. The client had asked for a recreational space in which to relax, escape daily routine, and contemplate the sky— a kind of private suburban observatory. The wedge-shaped structure, made entirely of metal, comprises a welded-steel frame sheathed, roofed, and furnished with metric rolled sheeting. Smooth, curved walls define the fluid interior zones, which include a seating area with a serpentine built-in desk and a cylindrical alcove for lounging beneath an oculus providing an uninterrupted view of the heavens.

There is also a bathroom equipped with a shower and stacked laundry appliances, the latter customized with a black-and-white geometric pattern— one of several homages Kashin pays to Malevich. Another, even more striking, is the application of the namesake yellow paint to walls, ceiling, concrete floor, and furniture, a unifying gesture that completes the symbiosis of function, shape, pattern, and color, realizing Kashin’s vision of a personal “model of the cosmos,” a central theme of suprematism. maximkashin.com.ru —Peter Webster 72

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DMITRY CHEBANENKO

firm: maxim kashin architects site: moscow

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When conjuring an image of a school, certain materials likely come to mind—brick, poured concrete, painted cinder blocks—and perhaps these attributes as well: solid, immovable, permanent. But with its design for a modular, timber primary and secondary school in Frankfurt—which will be dismantled and repurposed elsewhere later this decade—German architecture studio von Gerkan, Marg and Partners Architects aims to change the perception of what an education building can be. The 175,000-square-foot school comprises 350 prefabricated modules, with exterior paneling in Douglas fir and interiors of glued-laminated timber boards, all the wood not only harvested from European forests but also providing a massive reduction in carbon-dioxide emissions throughout construction. The unique modular process—whereby the GMP-designed walls, facades, and floors were assembled in Switzerland and trucked to the site—also resulted in a start-to-finish timeline of just two years, markedly faster than comparable non-modular projects.

GMP associate partner Bernd Gossmann says that the three-story edifice, with two internal courtyards for recess and outdoor play, “unobtrusively exudes a feel-good atmosphere that noticeably calms pupils and teachers. It’s like anti-stress training.” The reviews are so positive, in fact, that the city has com­ missioned the firm to replicate its model for a permanent structure slated to open in 2028. gmp.de —Jeffrey Bauman

westend school campus firm: von gerkan, marg and partners architects site: frankfurt, germany

“The school proves that even a temporary structure can be a case study for sustainable building and well-being”

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MARCUS BREDT

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Solid brass hardware & accessories Handmade in England since 1929

armacmartin.com Featuring our Cotswold Gallery Shelf Rail and Handsworth Shelf Bracket

co-lab gotanda firms: moriyuki ochiai architects; harumaki project site: tokyo

“An origamilike form in a single material celebrates Japan and its innovative use of limited resources”

A collaboration between architect Moriyuki Ochiai and creative-direction firm Harumaki Project for client Japan Post Real Estate, this 2,050-squarefoot coworking office in Tokyo is aimed at artisanal companies that use traditional Japanese manufacturing techniques. The design teams sought to evoke that craft heritage while also reflecting the history of the location, formerly paddy fields. That once-watery landscape is mirrored in the ceiling of the public zones, a broad swath of shiny, wavelike elements cascading like a surging river overhead. Just as a kimono is sewn from one roll of cloth or origami is folded from one sheet of paper, the dynamic installation comprises a single strip of recycled aluminum that loops, curls, and overlaps, glimmering and gleaming like light dancing on water. As the ceiling unfolds, its height changes and the turbulence of its surface varies: In the entry, the flow is intense and the vertical shifts dramatic, producing a sense of movement and possibility; above the kitchen and bar, the canopy is kept low and calm for an intimate, conversational atmosphere; and in the largest, multipurpose area, the height increases and the waves becomes more regular, generating an open, light-filled space ripe for creativity. No wonder the project’s dubbed “waterscape office.” moriyukiochiai.com; harumaki.co.jp —Peter Webster

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DAISUKE SHIMA

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Expormim —— (212) 204-8572 usa@expormim.com www.expormim.com

Obi Armchair. Ludovica + Roberto Palomba — Photographer: Meritxell Arjalaguer ©

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compton community center

“Gesturally and graphically unifying the housing project and the church next door, the modest interior renovation becomes a change catalyst for the entire city block”

firm: kadre architects site: compton, california Tasked with creating a Los Angeles County community center for the nonprofit Homeless Outreach Program Integrated Care System, Kadre Architects founder Nerin Kadribegovic and team took an unremarkable existing building and transformed it into a light-filled hub, its new facade a welcoming presence in the Compton neigh­ borhood. (The firm is emerging as a leader in architectural innovation in tackling California’s housing crisis.)

During Kadribegovic’s initial exploration of the 1,000-square-foot interior—consisting of two storefronts— he uncovered two separate roofs, hiding an additional 10 feet of height and enabling a vaulted, double-height space. Skylights—as well as expansive windows—bring in natural illumination, helping to calm the visitors seeking help there.

Likewise, the uplifting yellow and white palette, a nod to HOPICS brand colors, is applied with Kadre’s signature graphic approach. For the play yard and garden, sections of the asphalt were removed and replaced by verdant artificial turf, while the remaining asphalt was treated to vivid paint hues, the pattern conceived by Kadre layering cutout pieces of colored paper. The latticecovered pathway is a riff on the gabled roof of the neighboring church, connecting the two entities and representing the power of community.

“Every project, no matter how small,” remarks Kadribegovic, “is an opportunity for big impact.”

PAUL VU

kadre.org —Stephen Treffinger

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foresta

firm: estudio felipe escudero site: quito, ecuador

“A restrained palette of natural materials, including a memorable chrome ceiling, amplify, rather than compete with, biodiversityfocused culinary artistry”

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VICER

Foresta, a Quito restaurant by Felipe Escudero, strikingly fuses architecture and gastronomy. The 3,200-square-foot, 60-seat eatery extends Ecuadorian chef Rodrigo Pacheco’s mission to merge fine dining with biodiversity, reflecting his work with the Bocavaldivia Foundation and the Largest Biodiverse Edible Forest (foresta is Spanish for forest). Escudero achieves this by balancing raw materials with high-tech refinement. Concrete and steel contrast with the organic texture of the Tungurahua volcanic stone used for the tops of the organically shaped, uplit kitchen islands, where chefs cook directly on its surface—paying homage to ancient Andean techniques and turning meals into a kind of performance art. “To enhance aesthetics and functionality, we treated the stone with wax, deepening its color and sealing its surface,” Escudero explains. “Furthermore, the stone absorbs heat, subtly warming the space and infusing it with a smoky scent.” Mirroring the energy below is an undulating chrome ceiling, a concept the architect drew from pre-Columbian cosmology, symbolically linking earth and sky. “Our studio has long explored sculptural design, but this ceiling is a true breakthrough,” he says. Constructed from lightweight composite-fiber panels, it was built in modular, 10-foot-square sections, then meticulously joined, sanded, and polished for a flawless, most appetizing finish. felipeescudero.com —Petra Loho

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drˇevák firm: sodomka sodomková architekti site: rˇevnice, czech republic

Acquired by the central Czech town of Řevnice 15 years ago, a defunct 19th-century railway warehouse found new life when a local art school began using the barnlike space for exhibits, concerts, and dances—earning it the affectionate name Dřevák, which is Czech for clog. A simple all-timber structure topped by a gabled roof with deep overhangs, the building has now been transformed into a 2,650-square-foot cultural events complex—a multiyear project that has retained the original’s charm and open central volume while adding such necessities as a kitchen, an office, and restrooms. Interventions by local firm Sodomka Sodomková Architekti are bold but sympathetic; a massive freestanding steel-clad fireplace, for instance, brings an appropriately steampunk vibe to the main hall. Even bolder are four refurbished shipping containers strategically positioned around the site. One punctures an end wall to form a new entry vestibule, with a small bar and gallery tucked beneath the roof beams above. A second, housing the office, sits against the opposite end of the building, while the third and fourth stand nearby, accommodating the kitchen and restrooms, respectively. Rounded windows give the brightly

painted containers the look of train carriages, and though their corrugated metal exteriors contrast strongly with the warehouse’s wood siding, they still belong—the former transshipment hub’s spirit reinterpreted in a contemporary way. sodomka-architekti.cz —Peter Webster

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“The cultural center embodies the building’s warehouse history with a laid-back architectural conception”

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BOYSPLAYNICE

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the vale london What’s new across the pond?

This spring, Melinda Marquardt’s textile and wallcovering label introduces the Maddox collection, building on last year’s James series—both of them named for storied streets in tony Mayfair, London. Consistent with the Vale aesthetic, which reflects the interiors of the English townhomes where Marquardt grew up, many patterns feature delectable hand-rendered details. Standouts include Charlie, a durable check softened by bouclé yarn; Roman Holiday, a block-printed cotton woven to mimic the texture of coarse matka silk, whose figurative pattern is based on scribbles Marquardt once painted on plates at a dinner party; and cotton floral Calusa, strewn with oversized hibiscus blooms. Through Fabricut. thevalelondon.co.uk; fabricut.com

NICK MELE; STYLIST ZLATA KOTMINA

edited by Rebecca Thienes text by Wilson Barlow, Lisa Di Venuta, and Georgina McWhirter

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m a r k e t wallcovering

callidus guild

YOLANDE MILAN BATTEAU

Hand-tinted wax, mica-enriched plaster, and real gold glaze are just some of the artisanal materials Yolande Milan Batteau utilizes to make exquisite wallcoverings and surface treatments that harken back to pre-industrial craftmanship. To create Fleurs du Bien, a collection of atmospheric compositions for her Callidus Guild brand, the French designer looked to nature’s floral bounty. Nefertem, with striking mother-of-pearl inlays, evokes Egyptian water lilies; Sweet Pea was sparked by Batteau’s memories of said blossoms unfurling in her mother’s garden; Forget Me Not recalls a blurred field of the blue-toned flower; and Narcissus, in scumbled, cross-hatched layers of tinted lime and beeswax, traces the liminal zone where earth and sky meet. callidusguild.com

SWEET PEA

NEFERTEM

“Our newest collection is a culmination of the extraordinary methods and materials we have honed over decades of research and exploration”

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: DINA LITOVSKY; JOE KRAMM (6)

FORGET ME NOT

JOE KRAMM SWEET PEA

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AARON AND IRISA KAWABI

CASCADE LEGUME

kawabi The company’s name is a portmanteau of three words from different languages: ka means “story” in Sanskrit, wa is Japanese for “paper,” and bi is how you pronounce “pen” in Mandarin. It’s also the last name of cofounders Aaron and Irisa Kawabi, who launched their eponymous New York studio in 2022 after crafting light fixtures for their own BedStuy apartment. Last November, the pair joined the roster of Tribeca showroom Colony, marking that occasion with an exhibition of a meditative new collection. Pleated Japanese kozo paper is the key material, paying homage to a humble paper lantern the pair purchased in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The archlike shade of Souvenir, in floor and table lamp versions, merges Asian iconography and contemporary aesthetics—a nod to the couple’s shared Chinese ancestry. The Legume table lamp, with a reed-bound paper shade on a white-oak stool/base, suggests a delicate seed pod. And in Cascade, interlocking maple or walnut arms frame a trio of elliptical lanterns, suspended in a dynamic cluster. All are handmade to order. kawabi.com; goodcolony.com

SOUVENIR

“Cascade was inspired by kengai bonsai arrangements, in which branches of a tree are trained to grow downward”

TOP LEFT: BJORN POZZA

m a r k e t lighting

Irresistibly Iridescent

Bring effortless elegance to high-traffic spaces with Pearlized, where soft shimmer meets bold performance. Now available in 9 new radiant hues, this collection blends beauty, durability, and sustainable design for interiors that glow with sophistication.

ultrafabricsinc.com

Echoing the mesmerizing work of Light and Space movement artists such as James Turrell and Larry Bell, Elyse Graham casts layers of handpigmented translucent resin into color-block geometries that look a lot like stained glass. Backlit by LEDs, the compositions become glowing wall sconces, named Lucent. The steel-framed fixtures, measuring 19 inches high and 5 wide, are offered in a range of considered color pairings— various combos of sienna, yellow, sage, lilac, sky, and aqua. Crafted in-house by Graham’s Oregon studio, Lucent can, upon request, be fully customized in palette, pattern, and scale. elysegraham.com

elyse graham studio

ELYSE GRAHAM

“It’s an aesthetic we call ‘plastic pop’”

LUCENT

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HELENA CHRISTENSEN, CHARLOTTE HØNCKE

m a r k e t seating

boconcept “I was inspired by the Danes’ love of cakes and pastry”

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OG ’90’s supermodel Helena Christensen unveils her first collection as BoConcept’s global artistic director, tapping designer Charlotte Høncke for a range that has Danish hygge baked in. Sweet Art comprises an accent chair and two ottomans with cozy bouclé upholstery, offered in a creamy white hue or blossom, a limited-edition pale mauve.

With cakelike softness and curves, the doughy, puffed-up shapes resemble sweet treats—canelé, perhaps? “Charlotte created the perfect fusion of comfort and art,” Christensen says. “You want to sit and indulge, but you also want to admire the pieces’ beauty.” The series incldues a coordinating rug as well, plus an edit of home accessories. boconcept.com

SWEET ART

FL U TTI vanity & mirror in natural walnut and matte black E L E G A N ZA faucets, shower fixtures and accessories B R IC K floating porcelain shelves CREATING BEAUTIFUL BATHROOMS MADE IN THE USA CUSTOM PROJECTS WELCOME

LACAVA .com

“The hidden messages are for all of us to embrace”

DO YOU HAVE ONE?

m a r k e t flooring

cc-tapis

MICKËAL LLORCA

Interior Design Hall of Fame member India Mahdavi has applied her cosmopolitan, polychromatic sensibility to hotels, airport lounges, and residences around the world, as well as a broad portfolio of furniture, objets, and floorcoverings.

In March, the Iranian-French talent debuted a new Himalayan-wool rug series at Matter and Shape in Paris. Hand-knotted at CC-Tapis’s atelier in Nepal, Rebus “crafts a visual language at once cryptic and playful,” Mahdavi explains. Each design showcases a grid of esoteric motifs, inspired by the gilt-bronze boxes that midcentury jeweler/artist Line Vautrin engraved with cryptic symbols. Mahdavi’s rug names are equally enigmatic: Do You Have One? (in three sizes), What Do We All Need? (measuring 5 feet square), and What Do We All Want? (a 2.5-by-12-foot runner).

Together, Mahdavi says, they form a universal language of signs and colors that is “accessible to all, yet mysterious.” cc-tapis.com

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Tiger Streak™... wildly sophisticated

LBI BOYD

Design Resource

A Colour & Design Inc. Company

colouranddesign.com | 501.372.3550

m a r k e t furniture

JOIN

sklo

FIELD

“The tables are like topographic maps, looking at contours of forms and shapes that are layered from near and far”

PAVEL HANOUSEK, PAUL PAVLAK, KAREN GILBERT

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CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: TEREZA VALNER; BEPPE BRANCATO; TEREZA VALNER (2)

The NorCal-based Czech-glass company debuts a new product category: tables. The inaugural designs juxtapose sturdiness and fragility to manifest something quite special. Field clusters flat-top cylinders— in frosted glass or one of three transparent tints—on brushed-brass legs to form side or coffee tables that resemble stately organ pipes. “Small units are grouped to create large compositions—a modular language like the notes in a musical score,” explains Karen Gilbert, who cofounded SkLO with Pavel Hanousek and Paul Pavlak. Gravity alone secures Join’s doorknob-like hand-blown top onto its Carrara marble base, rendering the conical form visible through tinted glass. sklo.com

RESIDENTIAL ST YLE .

C O M M E R C I A L C A PA B I L I T I E S. roomandboard.com/business 800.952.9155

ELEGANT OUTDOOR FURNITURE

© Kingsley Bate. To the trade. T: 703-361-7000 F: 703-361-7001 www.kingsleybate.com

c enter fold

“A harmonious dialogue unfolds between people, light, nature, and architecture”

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FROM TOP: COURTESY OF JIANGSU ZHONGFA ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN CO.; COURTESY OF THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK, PURCHASE, THE ANNENBERG FOUNDATION GIFT, 1993; COURTESY OF Y.AD STUDIO; ALICE (2)

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architects and contractors led

by Y.ad Studio founder and chief architect Yan Yang

8,000 SQUARE FEET

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Y.ad Studio plants a Vincent van Gogh–inspired community center promoting local agriculture and arts in central China

1. An axonometric diagram of Baihua Commune, a conference center by Y.ad Studio, illustrates the first phase of the touristic Tangchi Pastoral Hub, located in a picturesque agricultural valley about 1 hour south of Hefei, a regional capital in central China of almost 10 million people. 2. The center’s color palette was derived from Vincent van Gogh’s late 19th–century painting series Wheat Field with Cypresses as well as the surrounding paddy fields. 3. A motif akin to a blossoming plant is reflected in the structure’s interior architecture and furniture. 4. Petal-like shapes have been CNC-cut into the dropped ceiling to accommodate lighting. 5. Similarly flower-esque forms animate the flooring, eventually poured with terrazzo.

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c e n t e r fold 1. Windows fitted with laser-cut acrylic resemble stained glass in the main conference hall of Baihua Commune, which is named after Princess Baihua, a beautiful and magical character from a popular Chinese folktale, and part of the Tangchi Pastoral Hub of soon-to-come restaurants and a hotel, near hot springs and the existing Chinese Rice Culture Museum. 2. The commune, which can accommodate 80 people, is divided into three main areas, with the first level able to host smaller gatherings. 3. Floored with terra-cotta tile, the lounge and tea bar doubles as exhibition space. 4. The color of the workshop space telegraphs the rural setting. —Nicholas Tamarin

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Proceed to a procession of beauty

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triumphal arches An arcaded lounge bar sets a theatrical tone at Planta Cocina restaurant in Marina del Rey, California, by ICrave text: edie cohen photography: eric laignel

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Craving a superb vegan meal—no, that’s not an oxymoron—in a sumptuous setting? If you’re in the vicinity of Southern California's Marina del Rey, head dockside to Planta Cocina, the newest iteration of the multiethnic plant-based restaurant chain’s Latin-inspired sub-brand. Founded in Toronto in 2016 as Planta—a humble spot for street-inspired vegan fare—the company rapidly expanded, introducing two spin-offs: Planta Queen, for Asian-influenced cuisine, and Planta Cocina. Today, the now Miami-based enterprise has 17 North American venues spanning all three concepts.

Hospitality specialist ICrave, a Journey Studio got involved early with Planta’s expansion and has completed 12 restaurants to date, with Marina del Rey one of the two most recent. Greg Merkel, ICrave’s creative director, introduces the project with a bit of backstory. From the beginning of the relationship—being, as he admits, “creative beasts”—the firm worked hand-in-hand with the client on devising easily replicable architectural standards, while ensuring that “every space is cool and unusual in every location.” ICrave's interpretation of the brand? “These folks are serious and passionate about being vegan,” Merkel acknowledges. “We’re serious and passionate about responsible design, with ‘responsible’ being the key word.” No surprise, then, that a symbiotic dynamic has emerged, in which consistently raising the design bar mirrors constantly elevating the menu offerings across the board.

The 3,500-square-foot, single-level venue is housed in a buzzy complex of individual eateries offering fare ranging from burgers and sushi to pies and coffee. The building has a Spanish colonial vibe, with a creamy stucco exterior, red-tile roof, and large, doubleheight arched windows framing views of the yacht-filled marina immediately across the walkway. Boasting a 20-foot-high ceiling, the long, relatively narrow interior provided ICrave with a near-ideal blank slate to realize what Merkel describes as the project’s governing idea: “a multiplicity of uses and experiences providing a reason Previous spread: Curved arches meet a sculptural wall installation in the bar area at Planta Cocina, a restaurant in Marina del Rey, California,

by ICrave, a Journey Studio.

Top: A wood ceiling grid helps tame acoustics. Center: Built-in banquettes line the lounge wall. Bottom: The bar installation’s folded triangular slabs, based on the company logo, form illuminated niches for displaying bottled spirits.

Opposite: Above flooring of custom ceramic tile from Guadalajara, Mexico, the arches increase in height, creating a forced perspective.

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for guests to return.” That dictum, which underlies every Planta location no matter how unique, is reflected in a consistently tripartite floor plan: an attention-grabbing bar-cum-lounge coupled with a large public dining area and a more intimate, private one. However, there’s no seating hierarchy and no “Siberia”—everyone orders from the same menu in this egalitarian, food-forward environment.

“We knew we’d enter into the bar—the beacon,” Merkel notes, addressing step one, which, in typical SoCal fashion, means arriving directly from the parking lot. A number of bold, even cinematic gestures generates the necessary wow factor, not least a procession of room-spanning arches that runs the length of the bar area, transforming the space into a grand, Alhambra-esque arcade. These curving architectural elements, made of plaster-finished drywall, increase sequentially in height, creating a forced perspective that makes the interior appear to expand as it progresses from the front door toward the arched windows in the distance.

More than just a coup de théâtre, the arches serve multiple functions, helping define low semicircular booths outfitted with banquette seating and—along with a wood ceiling grid they partially conceal—taming the acoustics of the cavernous volume. As they swoop down behind the bar itself, these curved forms intersect with a sculptural arrangement of triangular GFRG slabs—an homage to Planta’s logo—amidst which illuminated bottled spirits are displayed, a refreshing departure from the nondescript rows lurking behind most bartenders.

Step two in fulfilling the concept uses materials to clearly define the three constituent zones. The bar and private dining room feature custom tile flooring in a distinctive pattern and palette—terra-cotta,

Opposite: The arch motif extends to the gender-neutral restroom, while Deirdre Jordan’s Loop sconce echoes the curved forms of the sinks and mirrors.

Below: Overhung by Kirk Nix’s Wisteria wicker pendant fixtures and backdropped by Candace Kaye’s custom supergraphic wallcovering, more booths border the main dining room, floored in wood-look porcelain tile.

“A number of bold, even cinematic gestures generates the necessary wow factor”

ecru, and charcoal—evocative of Guadalajara, Mexico, where, in fact, the ceramics were handcrafted. Flooring transitions to woodlook porcelain laid in a herringbone pattern for the 89-seat main dining room, a transition marked by a full-height archway clad in emerald ceramic subway tile. Arched niches line one side of the room, serving as backdrops to banquettes and framing a leafy supergraphic wallcovering commissioned from Candice Kaye, one of ICrave’s favorite go-to artists.

In the adjacent private dining room—an intimate space centered on a single round table for 10—the walls are finished in rosy-hued, adobelike plaster that echoes the color and texture of the bar’s sculptural installation. A series of irregularly shaped, illuminated niches peppers one wall, enhancing the south-of-the-border vibe, while a cascading chandelier of blown-glass orbs dramatizes the soaring ceiling height. Like the main room, this quiet sanctum opens onto the dining terrace, a festive expanse splashed with brightly graphic upholstery fabrics. Rattan-and-wicker pendant fixtures suspended from a handsome wood pergola conjure tropical climes—while the boats docked little more than an arm’s-length away give rise, perhaps, to dreams of setting sail toward them.

See following spread for an ETC. on Planta's Los Angeles outpost.

Top: Overlooking the marina, the terrace is shaded by a custom wood pergola from which rattan-and-wicker pendants are suspended. Center: The bar’s vivid floor tile reappears in the private dining room. Bottom: RBW’s Vitis chandelier enlivens a corner of the main dining room.

Opposite: The same fixture hangs above the PDR's custom table and Hans J. Wegner’s Wishbone chairs, complemented by an adobelike wall dappled with illuminated niches.

PROJECT TEAM TINA KOTHARI; TYLER BLAZER; JUSTIN LEE; NICOLAS HERRERA; ROSA CAPO: ICRAVE, A JOURNEY STUDIO. VMC ARCHITECTURE: ARCHITECT OF RECORD. JOURNEY LIGHTING: LIGHTING CONSULTANT. SPEC ENGINEERING: MEP. OCEAN BUILDERS CONSTRUCTION: GENERAL CONTRACTOR. PRODUCT SOURCES FROM FRONT FORMGLAS: WALL INSTALLATION (BAR). CLÉ TILE: BAR-FRONT TILE. SCHOOL­ HOUSE ELECTRIC & SUPPLY CO.: TABLE LAMPS. ARMSTRONG: WOOD-GRID CEILING. ARTERIORS: SCONCES. ISIMAR: STOOLS (BAR), ARMCHAIRS (TERRACE). CASA MAGNA: ARM­ CHAIRS (LOUNGE). CERÁMICA SURO: CUSTOM FLOOR TILE (LOUNGE, PRIVATE DINING). BOYD LIGHTING: SCONCE (RESTROOM). ZIA TILE: FLOOR TILE. PALECEK: PENDANT FIXTURES (DINING ROOM). CANDICE KAYE DESIGN: CUSTOM WALLPAPER. MASAYACO: TEAK CHAIRS. WOOD TAILORS CLUB: UPHOLSTERED CANE CHAIRS. RBW: CHANDELIERS (DINING ROOM, PRIVATE DINING). CARL HANSEN & SØN: CHAIRS (PRIVATE DINING). BAUX: ACOUSTIC CEILING PANELS. SERENA & LILY: PENDANT FIXTURES (TERRACE) THROUGHOUT SIMPLY TABLES: CUSTOM TABLES.

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hippie deluxe

To experience the ICrave–Planta playbook in a different key, head some 10 miles northeast of Marina del Rey to the site of their latest collaboration for the company’s single-name sub-brand. Planta Brentwood caters to a slightly hippie, see-and-be-seen crowd. That’s why creative director Greg Merkel and team found the storefront location on San Vicente Boulevard—the casually tony neighborhood’s main thoroughfare—ideal. Though small at just 2,400 square feet, with seating for 112 inside and 20 on the sidewalk, the space had the right bones. “Amazing wooden rafters!”

Merkel notes, before mentioning the skylight and all-glass street facade.

The latter was partially boarded over, but as the designer predicted, the Top: At Planta Brentwood, also by ICrave, existing wood columns, beams, and rafters help establish a refined boho-chic vibe. Bottom, from left: A CNC-machined custom wall medallion. Terrazzolike porcelain tile backdropping the street sign. Wood-and-glass beadwork

by Leslie Ann Wigon, topping banquette seating.

Opposite top, from left: Noé Duchaufor’s Viceversa pendants, incorporating plant containers.

Sporting a handcrafted wood shade, Ryden and Lanette Rizzo’s Concentric sconce.

Behind the bar and beneath the skylight, more formal dining featuring Enis Altinkaynak’s Oyster chairs. Opposite bottom: The 2,400-square-foot, glass-fronted restaurant offers additional sidewalk dining for 20 on leafy San Vicente Boulevard.

e t c. timber panels were easily removed, making the place “woody, airy, and light throughout, with all the right vibes.” The only structural intervention required was conjoining the building to a small space next door. This was a clear case of doing less is more.

Still, ICrave adhered to established planning tenets. There’s a central bar and a semiprivate dining area enclosed by a banquette, its back crowned with a beadwork screen. A similar screen forms the bar back, separating café-style seating at the front of house from more formal table-and-booth dining in the rear. Special treatments nod to biophilia or feature artisan-inspired detailing. Porcelain tile cladding the floor and billboard-scale logo wall outside suggest oversize terrazzo, while blown-glass pendant fixtures also serve as aerial planters. And a lacy wall medallion, comprising layers of CNC-machined wood panels, is something of a Rorschach test: See it as a mandala or a veiny leaf. Either way, it connotes life.

PRODUCT SOURCES FROM FRONT FIRECLAY TILE: BAR-FRONT TILE. SUITE 22: CHAIRS (BAR, SIDEWALK). CERAMICA PARLA: STOOLS (BAR), CHAIRS (DINING AREA). LESLIE ANN WIGON ART & DESIGN: CUSTOM BEADWORK (BANQUETTE AREA).

CARNEGIE: WALLCOVERING. KLDN: PENDANT FIXTURES. ALLIED MAKER: SCONCE. THROUGHOUT SIMPLY TABLES: CUSTOM TABLES. SANT’AGOSTINO: TILE.

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fit for a king Named after Louis the Great, LXIV DC, a centuries-old Washington mansion turned exclusive rental villa by Eric Chang Design, is where today’s power brokers can luxuriate text: rebecca dalzell photography: douglas friedman styling: anita sarsidi

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Previous spread: Eric Chang Design outfitted the living room at LXIV DC—an 1840’s federal mansion in Washington developed into an upscale six-bedroom rental villa by Atelier Verre—in quiet bespoke luxury, as witnessed in the generous Umbria velvet sectional by his furniture company, Hellman-Chang, porcelain Gingko chandelier by Andreea Braescu, Chino Amobi’s oil on canvas, and restored original crown molding, casing, and wainscotting.

Opposite top, from left: The dining room’s Matteo Brioni plaster walls. A section of the 1-acre walled garden, originally designed in the 1930’s by Rose Greely, later updated by Perry Wheeler, who worked on the White House Rose Garden. The breakfast room’s custom pampas grass–covered pendant fixture, Ella table, and Bahati chairs. Opposite bottom: A pair of living room paintings by Robert Janitz overlooks Stefan Bishop’s Ring cocktail table and a leather-upholstered Soho swivel chair.

Top: An original edition of Phil by Chuck Close defines the primary suite’s office, where Cahn and Jett chairs by Douglas Levine face a Crawford desk by Hellman-Chang. Bottom: A live cherry tree and Petra Cortright artwork brighten the parlor, where shearling-upholstered Olive swivel chairs flank a Button martini table.

Presidential suites are so passé. Ultra-wealthy travelers accustomed to private jets and superyachts are loath to tramp through hotel lobbies with the rest of us. They’d much rather stay in an elegant federal house with its own pool, concierge, and butler service—such as the LXIV DC, a six-bedroom luxury rental property in Washington’s Georgetown neighborhood. Even better: Guests, often CEOs and world leaders willing and able to pay five figures a night to stay at the boutique property, access the 1-acre estate via a secret boxwood gate and private walled garden. “It’s magical—like walking into Alice in Wonderland,” begins Eric Chang, the project’s interior designer.

LXIV, named for France’s 17th-century Sun King Louis, is the brainchild of local real estate entrepreneurs Jessica and Ezra Glass, whose curated dining and retail developments have made colonial Georgetown feel suddenly hip.

When the Glasses first saw the 10,500-square-foot, three-story house, which dates to the 1840’s, it had been on the market for three years and uninhabited for longer. Though dilapidated, it had belonged to a string of Washington elites and had a beautiful garden by famed American landscape architect Rose Greely, plus separate outbuildings that could be used for security and spa amenities. They bought the compound in 2022, undeterred by the extensive renovations required or the inevitable tug-of-war with the historic district board. Today, it’s the first outpost of their LXIV Group, an exclusive network of one-of-a-kind residences and estates that aim to “perfect the art of living through effortless luxury, soulful design, and superlative service,” with properties in New York City, San Francisco, London, and Paris on the horizon.

The Glasses made the purchase only after they had the buy-in of Chang, who’s been friends with Ezra Glass since kindergarten. “I would never have taken this on without Eric,” says Jessica Glass; she and her husband’s design-build firm Atelier Verre oversaw the construction and interior architecture. “He could envision the comfortable luxury MAY.25

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that was essential.” Chang is the cofounder and principal of the furniture line Hellman-Chang, but for years he has also conceived interiors for friends, including the Glasses, under the auspices of Eric Chang Design. He brought experience working with high net–worth clients and top designers, as well as a network of fellow artisans.

Most importantly, the Glasses trusted Chang to bring out the best of the challenging site. “The home looked like it had been cobbled together, with strange elevations and different types of flooring. None of it made sense, but you could feel its potential,” the designer remembers. He worked closely with Atelier Verre, which first reorganized the cramped floor plan, opening up corridors, adding an elevator, and turning 10 small bedrooms into six larger ones with en suite bathrooms.

Everyone agreed that the garden was the real star of the estate, so nature was brought inside, creating a sense of timelessness. Adding to that was the preservation of such historic elements as the ori­ ginal fireplaces, the dining room’s walnut parquet floor, and the shell of an old greenhouse that now houses hot and cold plunge pools. Yet Chang wasn’t about to create a creaky museum; it had to feel modern, with a mix of pieces from different eras.

“I was looking to make it new and unexpected, with special moments that give guests pause,” he notes.

Craftsmanship became a through line between past and present: Out went Chippendale, in went HellmanChang. The artisan hand is apparent everywhere.

Chang started in the grand living room, which kept its original detailing. His first call was to Romanian artist Andreea Braescu to order a custom porcelain chandelier resembling gingko leaves; the large, delicate piece helps fill the room without obscuring the existing plaster ceiling medallion. It hangs over a similarly sculptural cocktail table by Stefan Bishop and a moss-green velvet sectional Chang designed specifically for the space. “A challenge was creating a human scale that allowed you to be comfortable

Top: In the premiere suite, wallcovering evokes watercolor and the bed, sideboard, and lounge chair are by HellmanChang. Center: An existing outbuilding across the garden was made into the spa. Bottom: The formerly dilapidated greenhouse now houses ipe hot and cold plunge pools.

Opposite: The bronze Bruda chair and Jasper side table stand on honed marble floor tile at the base of the oak-and-drywall spiral staircase, which has a deliberately imperfect handrail.

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either in a formal meeting or casually kicking back,” Chang says.

Important conversations will undoubtedly happen here; he ensured the sofa isn’t too deep, so people can sit a dignified manner.

While the living room gets sun, much of the house was darker.

To brighten the interior and improve circulation, a central fireplace was removed and a spiral oak-and-drywall staircase with a skylight overhead installed. Chang observes that the light guides you around as you naturally gravitate to where it hits a wall or landing.

“You have a sense of journey and curiosity, because you are following that light through the home,” he continues.

It especially draws one to the stair, which is coated in finegrained, hand-applied Matteo Brioni plaster that shines in the light. The organic finish, its colors coming from specific quarries in Italy, from which nearly 10 tons of the material were imported, brings the texture of the earth inside, Jessica Glass says: “As you go up the stairwell, it feels like moving through a canyon.” Used on walls throughout, the plaster’s muted clay palette unifies the interior, from the moody terra-cotta dining room to the creamy primary suite.

In the latter, three enlarged windows face the garden, with a view sweeping across a fountain and hedges to a giant magnolia tree. You could be in the countryside or 19th-century DC. It’s a peaceful, transporting overlook—and one that no Four Seasons could match.

PROJECT TEAM MONICA RUMA: ERIC CHANG DESIGN. RICH MARKUS ARCHITECTS: ARCHITECT OF RECORD. WAYNE HINSON DESIGN: LIGHTING DESIGN. VON AMMON: ART CONSULTANT. MARION OXFORD DEARTH LANDSCAPE DESIGN: LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT. BEL ENGINEERING: STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. KK ENGI­ NEERING: MEP. MATTEO BRIONI: PLASTERWORK. FERRIS CUSTOM CABINETRY: WOODWORK. ATELIER VERRE: GENERAL CONTRACTOR, DEVELOPER. PRODUCT SOURCES FROM FRONT HELLMAN-CHANG: CUSTOM SECTIONAL (LIVING ROOM), DESK (OFFICE), BED, CHAIR, SIDEBOARD (PREMIERE SUITE), BED, NIGHT­S TAND, SIDE TABLE (PRIMARY SUITE). MAHARAM: SECTIONAL FABRIC (LIVING ROOM). DYPHOR: WHITE SOFA. UNA MALAN: SWIVEL CHAIRS (LIVING ROOM, PARLOR). PAVONI: SWIVEL CHAIR LEATHER (LIVING ROOM). THROUGH CRISTINA GRAJALES GALLERY: COCKTAIL TABLE. ANDREEA BRAESCU: CUS­ TOM CHANDELIER. PERENNIALS: CUSTOM RUGS (LIVING ROOM, PREMIERE SUITE), SWIVEL CHAIR UPHOLSTERY (PARLOR). ARTERIORS: CHAIRS (BREAKFAST ROOM). ELAN ATELIER: TABLE (BREAKFAST ROOM), CHAIR, SIDE TABLE (LANDING). BRIGHT CHAIR: CHAIRS (OFFICE). GUILD BY LMI: TABLE (PARLOR). STARK CARPET: RUG. PHILLIIP JEFFRIES: WALLCOVERING (PARLOR, PREMIERE SUITE). EFFE: SPA (SPA). GESSI: PEDESTAL SINK, SINK FITTINGS (SPA), TUB FILLERS (BATHS). VIBIA: CEILING FIXTURES (SPA). LANDMADE: TUB (PRIMARY SUITE BATH). OCHRE: CHANDELIER. JONATHAN BROWNING: SCONCES (BATHS). NOORTH: TUB (PREMIERE SUITE BATH). THROUGHOUT ROSEMARY HALLGARTEN: THROWS, PILLOWS. BENJAMIN MOORE & CO.: PAINT.

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Opposite top, from left: Beneath a Michele Montalbano artwork in the executive suite, the fireplace is original. The spa and plungepool buildings can be seen across the garden.

Opposite bottom: An arch-detailed bronze shower door and fluted bleached-walnut vanity bring an art deco vibe to the primary suite bathroom.

Top: Lievore + Altherr’s Désile Park tub occupies a nook in the premiere suite’s bathroom.

Bottom: A Hellman-Chang bed, side table, and nightstand appoint the primary suite’s bed­ room, where faux suede upholsters the built-in banquette and the painting is by Helmut Lang.

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sculptural interventions From Milan to Hong Kong to Toronto, temporary or permanent, indoors and out, large-scale installations enliven urban settings, remote forest landscapes, even sandy beaches text: wilson barlow and lisa di venuta

See page 132 for Marta Minujín’s Sculpture of Desires and Emotional Candy, which inflated in Miami earlier this spring.

Photography: Kris Tamburello/courtesy of the Miami Design District.

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BARBIERI MAGALINI In April, Manuel Barbieri and Magalini Marco, cofounders of creative consultancy agency Spazio MM in Milan, transformed a storefront into Specular Oasis, a surreal desert dreamscape composed of reflective walls, sand-covered flooring, and a buoyant silver-leather sofa by Cypriot designer Christine Kalia, accompanied by Giovanni Campana’s 8-hour ambient soundtrack, inviting stillness, sen­sation, and self-reflection. Photography: Federico Montanari.

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LEE MINGWEI At M+ Hong Kong museum through July 13, the Taiwanese-American artist’s Guernica in Sand reimagines Pablo Picasso’s 1937 anti-war masterpiece in monumental scale, 12 by 26 feet to be exact, rendered entirely in tinted sand. The ephemeral medium nods to cycles of destruction and renewal, culminating in an interactive event on June 28, when visitors are invited to walk through and dissolve a portion of the work, which performers will recreate. Photography: Dan Leung.

TEAM_BLDG Somewhat reminiscent of The Gates by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, but in Jinshanling, China, in 2023, not New York 2005, and white not orange, The Fan rose as a sculptural field of fluttering Tencel gauze inspired by Tibetan prayer flags. Composed of 40 T-shape steel frames that ran 400 feet in length, the structure captured breeze and light, creating a kinetic and meditative visual accompaniment to an ancient stone path along the Ming Dynasty section of the Great Wall. Photography: Jonathan Leijonhufvud.

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ATELIER PARTERO Part of the broader revitalization of Jabloneček Valley—an abandoned military zone in a Czech forest now re­imagined as a cultural and ecological retreat—the landart installation Green Agora is a collaboration between the landscape architect and fabricator So Concrete, comprised of 16 12-foot-tall columns 3D-printed in a high-performance version of the substance, combining cutting-edge tech with raw materiality. Completed in 2024, it stands as a beacon inviting more development to the area. Photography: BoysPlayNice.

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SPY The Spanish artist continued his investigation into sensory perception and how simple objects can be transformed through light, repetition, scale, and contrast with Blankets 2, an installation last fall at a 65,000square-foot former weapons factory in Oviedo consisting of hundreds of salvaged metallic emergency blankets that are gold on one side, silver on the other. Water on the floor reflected the suspended array, and air flow generated a gentle rustling noise from the panels.

Photography: Ruben Bescos.

MAIJA LAVONEN After modernizing the traditional rya folk rug, the trailblazing late textile artist became known in the 1980’s for her spatial works adorning such Finnish corporate and gov­ernmental institutions as Parliament House. By the 21st century, she began inorporating light-manipulating acrylic rods and optical fibers, as seen in Forest Crown, Corridor of Light, and Surface of Light, which are among her more than 20 pieces in “Quietly Monumental” at Design Museum Helsinki through September 14. Photography: Paavo Lehtonen.

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PEAK SOLAIR

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SLICE OF SUN PARADE

WINTER STATION Toronto’s 11th annual outdoor installation competition returned to Woodbine Beach earlier this year, showcasing four winners by international designers plus two student entries who interpreted the dawn theme by reimagining lifeguard stations as portals to metamorphosis.

Among them were Peak by University of Waterloo architecture students Anita Hu, Catherine Zheng, Isaac Walsh, Jason Cai, Nadine Hijazi, and Ricardo Espinoza; Solair

by Toronto Metropolitan University architectural science students Arjun Jain, Jade Wong, Finn Ferrall, Marko Sikic, and Nick Kisil; Slice of Sun by Portugal’s Cláudia Franco, Mariam Daudali, and Thomas Byrom; Parade by Jesse Beus from the U.S.; and Ascolto by France’s Ines Dessaint and Tonin Letondu. Photography: Solair: Kevin Cordick/Cordick Photo; all others: Joel Gale Imaging (4).

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LAWRENCE KIM/A+U LAB The studio’s further exploration into the impact of ubiquitous everyday objects when used in repetition has resulted in 41,415 Straws, an artwork appearing in public spaces in Busan, South Korea, throughout the year that’s composed of more than 41,000 plastic pieces in a five-shade palette.

Constructed with custom slide-in acrylic connector sheets into a 9-by-38-foot form, the grid can be easily broken down, transported, and reassembled, and is fully recyclable. Photography: Lawrence Kim.

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MARTA MINUJÍN March in Miami saw “Dreamscape,” the Argentine artist’s two-part outdoor exhibition at Jungle Plaza and her first public project in the city. The neon motifs in Sculpture of Desires, a massive 30-foot-tall inflatable of printed vinyl arms intertwining to form a luminous portal, riffed on Minujín’s striped mattress sculptures from the 1960’s; it travels to Paris, Madrid, and Qatar over the next two years. Photography: Kris Tamburello/courtesy of the Miami Design District.

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text: stephen wallis photography: eric laignel

W is for Whimsy Art nouveau swirls, garden flourishes, jewellike tones— it all adds up to the magical environment that is the W Prague, a new hotel by AvroKO in a century-old Czech landmark

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Previous spread: For the lobby of W Prague, a new 161-key hotel occupying a 1905 building, AvroKO, the project’s primary design firm, conceived custom brass check-in desks backdropped by jewel-toned glass tile, all of which nod to the site’s original art nouveau style and the region’s glass­ making heritage. Chapman Taylor oversaw the restoration of the structure’s historical elements including this area’s lighting and mosaic floor.

Top, from left: The refreshed facade retains its Grand Hotel Europa signage from the ’50’s. The corridor connecting the original seven-story building to a new nine-level addition by Benoy features a wall and ceiling curtained in velvet chenille embroidered with garden motifs. A custom chandelier hangs from the skylight restored by Chapman Taylor in the original building’s atrium. Bottom: The firm also restored the stained-glass windows lining a mezzanine where meeting rooms are located.

Opposite: Surrounded by hand-painted murals, the atrium’s second-floor lounge is furnished with AvroKO’s custom seating and carpet, capped by an 11-foot-long Czech-crystal chandelier that the firm collaborated on with Chapman Taylor.

In picturesque Prague, with its centuries-spanning medley of architectural styles, there’s no shortage of distinctive hotels for the 8 million or so visitors who descend upon the Czech capital every year. But it’s fair to say that there is nothing like the W Prague, which celebrated its official unveiling in March, following a near decade-long refurbishment and restoration of its protected heritage building, a swaggering art nouveau gem on Wenceslas Square, in the heart of the city.

The richly ornamented facade, dating to 1905, the height of art-nouveau fever in Eastern Europe, has been spruced up— verdigris and gold on swirling ironwork balconies, candy-red on window mullions, fresh gilding on the sculpture that crowns the confectionlike pediment at the top. Grand Hotel Europa, the name the property was given in the ’50’s, remains. But just above, a modest but unmistakable golden W has been added, heralding a new era.

W Hotels and its parent company, Marriott International, were brought in to redevelop and manage the 19,380-squarefoot property, which had changed hands a few times since the late ’80’s and been shuttered since 2013. The updates, in­ cluding an elliptical, nine-story extension behind the seven-story hotel, involved multiple firms. London-headquartered firm Benoy oversaw the architecture for the new wing, based on concepts by Czech studio DAM.architekti. International outfit Chapman Taylor, which has an office in Prague, headed up restoration of the historical spaces, worked with Czech heritage authorities, oversaw the design rollout of the spa and standard guest rooms, and served as the project’s architect of record. While AvroKO, the U.S. firm with two international studios that has already put its mark on nearly a dozen Marriott properties, with more in the works, was enlisted to tie it all together, masterminding key public areas and the hotel’s premium suites, while collaborating with Chapman Taylor on light fixtures, tilework, and dining and bar spaces that combine old and new.

“When we were approached about this project and first saw pictures of the building, the noise heard throughout our studio was of jaws hitting the floor—it’s just so incredible,” AvroKO cofounding partner Adam Farmerie recalls. The creative challenge, he explains, was to layer in original contemporary elements that would speak to the historical parts in ways that feel authentic, steering clear of pastiche. “We knew trying to replicate actual art nouveau details would be a disaster,” he continues.

“Instead, we had to find solutions that created a bridge to the past.”

The AvroKO team, led by its London office and the design director there, senior associate and architect Alex Reed, came up with three main pillars of inspiration to build a visual narrative, beginning with the 136

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organic foliate and floral forms associated with art nouveau, notably the work of Czech artist Alphonse Mucha. Expanding upon that movement’s connections not only to nature but also to symbolism and mysticism, they developed a concept they referred to as “the fantastical garden,” Reed says, “very whimsical, sort of magical, a place of escapism.”

A third pillar was elixirs and alchemy, which enjoyed a heyday in 16th-century Prague. “Tying in these ideas about substances that could transform base metals into gold or were medicinal potions believed to cure all ills and give eternal life felt very apt,” Reed explains. Manifestations of these visual influences are woven throughout the 161-room hotel, not least in the atmospheric lobby, where the sumptuous art-nouveau lighting, plasterwork, and mosaic flooring have been meticulously restored. For guest check-in, AvroKO conceived shimmering brass desks that stand before an arched niche inset with colorful square tiles made by Preciosa, the venerable Czech glass company. Their radiant gold and jewellike tones establish the palette that is carried throughout.

The same Czech company also crafted the majestic pendant fixtures that hang in the atrium and the grand staircase. The latter is a shower of variously shaped crystals that cascade down in between the graceful ironwork balustrades in a “modern meets heritage moment,” as Reed puts it, “where you feel the exciting vibe of the hotel but cut with Czech history.”

More such moments can be found across the project, whether in the Bisou lounge, a lavishly paneled belle epoque room where guests can enjoy a glass of champagne seated on shapely custom sofas, while perching their flutes on faceted mirror cocktail tables that nod to Czech Cubism. Or downstairs on the clubby Minus One level, Occulto, a former beer hall with exquisite art-nouveau paneling, tilework, stained-glass, and hand-painted murals, has been updated with a bar in polished stainless steel inspired by a vintage cigar box. “With such a robust heritage backdrop, bringing in this kind of modernity just punches away from it as a contrast,” Reed says.

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Below: AvroKO custom designed nearly every ele­ ment in the W Lounge, the main bar in the property’s extension, where fluted columns ascend into the gilded ceiling above the bar faced in solid surfacing.

Opposite top, from left: Aged-brass ribbing wraps the bar at Poppy. Its marble top hosts Josef Hoffmann hammered table lamps that also reference the hotel’s original period. Opposite bottom: The E-Wow suite, the W’s interpretation of a presidential suite, is outfitted entirely in bespoke elements

by AvroKO.

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“We had to find solutions that created a bridge to the site’s art nouveau past”

Above: Acid House Vol 2. XII by Czech painter Karel Štědrý adds punch in the W Lounge.

Opposite top, from left: A garden seating nook. Custom furnishings and a tiled fireplace in the Occulto lounge. A Czech Cubism–inspired custom table in Bisou, another lounge. Opposite center, from left: A mottled-tile mural by Chapman Taylor anchoring the stair to the subterranean Minus One cocktail-bar and performance-space level in the heritage building. The upper stairs wrapping around custom crystal pendants. Czech graffiti artist Michal Škapa’s Rostlina joining more Chapman Taylor–designed mottled tilework in a Minus One hallway. Opposite bottom, from left: All of Bisou. A custom fixture in the garden-themed hall. Coordinating tapestry and rug at a private Bisou lounge.

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Top, from left: Retina, another piece by Škapa, enlivens a private tasting room on Minus One. A lacquered wall backs artwork by Adam Ellis Studio in an E-Wow suite bathroom. Bottom: The Marvelous suite, like the E-Wow, is located in the property’s addition.

Opposite: A Wow Bohemia suite, one of two 700-square-foot duplexes on the top floors of the 1905 building, has an art-nouveau palette of grenache reds and golds.

For the transition from the historic building to the new one, AvroKO leaned into the fantastical garden theme, concocting a dramatic emerald and gold corridor draped in velvet curtains embroidered with grasses, flowers, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Floral pendants add to the effect, one that Farmerie describes as “feeling like you are walking through a dream.”

Emerging into the new building, the vibe shifts in the W lounge, an all-day space featuring different types of seating in a variety of configurations for everything from brunch to business meetings to cocktails with live DJs. While there are allusions to art nouveau, the aesthetic also flashes mid-century chic—poured terrazzo flooring, groovy fireplaces, curvy Vladimir Kagan–like sofas, columns that disappear into circular lighting coves à la Morris Lapidus. Anchoring it all is a showstopping 30-foot-long serpentine bar, behind which a sculptural bottle display playfully evokes the top of an eye. “There are unexpected moments as you walk through,” says Reed, who notes that in warmer weather, the fun spills outside into the garden, where a live green wall is inset with a cozy seating nook.

When it came to designing the guest rooms, AvroKO focused exclusively on 14 suites, most of which are in the new extension, highlighted by the E-Wow suite. Described as W’s “modern interpretation of a presidential suite,” the 1,000square-foot, eighth-floor room amps up the glamour with richly veined stone countertops and expansive rooftop views. As with all the suites in the addition, the rounded form made for “an interesting variety of room shapes,” Reed notes. AvroKO embraced the quirkiness with lots of mirror, gleaming metallics, and sculptural furnishings that add to the visual dynamism.

At the top of the original building, two loftlike Wow Bohemia duplexes take a similar approach, only here the palette is deep reds and golds, while sumptuous furnishings compellingly contrast with exposed timber beams, a reminder of the hotel’s distinguished history. Says Farmerie, “We were chuffed to have the opportunity to breathe new life into it.”

PROJECT TEAM KRISTINA O’NEAL; GREG BRADSHAW; WILLIAM HARRIS; ED ROJAS; ZHENG XU: AVROKO. CHAPMAN TAYLOR: ARCHITECT OF RECORD. RTLD: LIGHTING DESIGNER. ATELIÉR; DMM; STILLES: CUSTOM FURNITURE WORKSHOPS. EXX: GENERAL CONTRACTOR. PRODUCT SOURCES FROM FRONT ADAM ELLIS STUDIO: CUSTOM CURTAINS (HALL).

MAORA CERAMICS: TILE. POLSTRIN DESIGN: CUSTOM SEATING (ATRIUM LOUNGE). POTS: PLANTERS. PORCELANOSA: CUSTOM BAR FACE (W LOUNGE). D3LAB: CUSTOM BARBACK. EXX: CUSTOM COLUMN HEADS. WOKA LAMPS VIENNA: BAR LAMPS (POPPY). GREEN4LIFE: GREEN WALL (GARDEN). APPIANI; BALINEUM; SENIO: MOTTLED TILE (MINUS ONE). THROUGHOUT PRECIOSA: CUSTOM LIGHT FIXTURES, CUSTOM TILEWORK. AXPRO CONCEPT: CUSTOM CARPET, CUSTOM RUGS. CHELSEA TEXTILES: SEATING FABRIC.

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tomorrow land text: peter webster

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On Saudi Arabia’s Sheybarah Island in the Red Sea, Killa Design’s futuristic, high-tech orbs for net zero–energy Shebara Resort are grounded by Rockwell Group and Studio Paolo Ferrari’s human-centered interiors

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Previous spread: Over the Red Sea, at Shebara Resort on Saudi Arabia’s Sheybarah Island, Killa Design’s stainless-steel orbs house either guest rooms by Studio Paolo Ferrari or restau­ rants, bars, and amenities by Rockwell Group; photography: Ema Peters.

Opposite top, from left: All furnishings in the guest villas are custom; photography: Ema Peters. Each has a mosaic-lined pool; photography: Katarina Premfors. Opposite bottom: The terrace at Solera, a specialtydrinks bar, overlooks the adult swimming pool; photography: Katarina Premfors.

Above: A custom installation comprising hundreds of oak rods forms the undulating ceilingscape in Lunara, a beachfront brasserie; photography: Katarina Premfors.

You can’t say Saudi Arabia doesn’t put its money where its mouth is. Announced in 2017 with an estimated budget of $23.6 billion, the gobsmacking Red Sea Project—a tourism megadevelopment that, by 2030, aims to create 50 resorts across 22 islands and six inland sites on the kingdom’s west coast—has already seen four properties open. One of the most recent, the Shebara Resort, sits 15 miles offshore on Sheybarah Island, an irregular sliver of rolling sand dunes, desert flora, turtle nesting grounds, and pristine coral reefs. If Killa Design’s master plan and architecture for the 73-key luxury enclave evoke a string of pearls threading the shoreline, that’s purely intentional. Housed in mirror-finished stainless-steel ellipsoids, Shebara’s guest villas form a dazzling silver-bead necklace that winds over water and land as if gently dropped there by the sea.

“Dropped there” is the apposite phrase: The shiny orbs were entirely prefabricated and outfitted in the United Arab Emirates, then shipped to the site and lowered onto concrete foundations with steel pile caps embedded in the seabed and the beachfront. This strategy not only ensured that each structure is as carefully built and meticulously detailed as a superyacht but also minimized construction impact on the island’s delicate ecosystem. In fact, powered by a massive solar array and supported by a reverse-osmosis desalination plant, wastewater reclamation system, and all-electric land and marine transportation, the whole eco-resort operates at net-zero levels of energy, water, and waste.

Reached by boat or seaplane, Shebara defers to the natural environment in other ways, too. Despite the buildings’ futuristic, look-at-me aesthetic—they could be a fleet of intergalactic spacecraft on a friendly visit—their mirrored skins reflect the sea and sky, sand and scrub, making them appear to demate­ rialize into the landscape. The overwater villas’ cantilevered support system gives the impression they’re floating weightlessly above the surface, with no disturbance to the marine habitat.

If Killa successfully resolved the problem of integrating such distinctive arch­ itecture into an unspoiled setting, it fell to a couple of other firms to formulate equally arresting interiors that nonetheless blended seamlessly with the striking exteriors. Studio Paolo Ferrari—already engaged on another Red Sea Project property, Desert Rock in the Hejaz Mountains—won the competition to outfit the villas. “I knew the guest rooms had to be forward-looking, unconventional, even experimental, but I didn’t want them to be overly expressive,” founder and principal designer Paolo Ferrari begins. “We aimed to embed a timeless, lyrical quality in the work, too.” It turned out that solving the first challenge—linking the outer shell to the space inside—also helped achieve the balance Ferrari envisioned. “The need for connection made it important to bring polished MAY.25

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Top: Walls are paneled in leather with dark-bronze inlay, ceilings are plaster, and flooring is travertine; photography: Katarina Premfors. Bottom: The exterior’s polished steel reappears inside as a wall-mounted bar, floor lamp, and side table; photography: Ema Peters.

Opposite top, from left: The wall sweeps out to conceal a structural column. A bathroom’s custom carved-oak vanity leans back into the curving wall. Opposite bottom, from left: Equipped with motorized hydraulic hinges, the bar opens up to reveal a leather-lined interior.

Pool deck seating and planters are cast concrete. Photography: Ema Peters.

steel into the interior,” he says. “That led us to look at the material in a fresh light, as something very pure, architectural, and lovely to experiment with.”

The shiny metal appears throughout, handled almost as if it were liquid— poured into sculptural forms that include side tables, floor lamps, vanity mirrors, and headboards with integrated nightstands that curl around each bed. All are custom, like the rest of the furnishings. Most spectacular is the wall-mounted bar: a gleaming silver cabinet resembling a giant chrysalis that, at the touch of a button, opens gently like a blossom to reveal an interior lined in rich crimson leather. “There’s something intentionally perplexing about it because, as a guest, you have no idea what it is,” Ferrari notes. “But it also has a joyful quality of surprise and discovery.”

Like the resort’s space-age architecture, the centerpiece cabinet is intriguingly mysterious rather than disconcertingly alien—sleek technology imbued with natural warmth and human craftsmanship. Ferrari’s cocoonlike interiors extend this aesthetic, replicating the seamless surfaces, smooth curves, and precision engineering of the outer shells, but rendered in a restrained materials palette that connects to nature. Joining the fluid steel forms are travertine floors, carved-oak vanities, ebony built-ins, leather paneling with dark-bronze inlay, 148

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This page: The arc of overwater orbs includes the central arrival pavilion and jetty, while the beachfront villas, spa, and other facilities dot the landscape behind. Inset, from top: A pool and David Rockwell’s Sunset chaise lounges front the gym. Deck lighting is directed down­ ward, observing dark-sky principles that pre­ serve views of the stars. The island is surrounded by coral reefs and abundant marine life. Custom daybeds populate the intimate spa pool terrace.

Photography: Katarina Premfors.

“The overwater villas’ cantilevered support system gives the impression they’re floating weightlessly above the Red Sea”

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wool rugs, and plaster ceilings. “It’s about using materials in new and unexpected ways,” Ferrari concludes, “but ensuring that it’s still very honest, simple, and pure, despite how complex it is as a project.”

Rockwell Group was hired to outfit the five restaurants and bars, along with the arrival pavilion, spa, gym, and other public spaces, some 39,000 square feet in all. “Working with domed spaces was technically challenging,” Rockwell partner and project lead Brad Zuger acknowledges. “The exterior is enigmatic, unified, and stunning. Our interiors are softer, more story-driven, and widely varied according to the space’s program.”

A couple of the restaurants illustrate what Zuger means. Lunara, a beachfront brasserie, brings the colors and textures of the island’s gorgeously austere landscape indoors. The ceiling, an undulating sea of suspended oak rods, is as mesmerizing as a tide-swayed kelp forest. Its biomorphic pattern is echoed in the bespoke oak-parquet flooring, while sage green and similarly organic hues enrich the custom furnishings.

Ariamare, which serves Mediterranean-style cuisine, draws inspiration from the sea. Here, plaster ribbing spans the curved ceiling, suggesting the delicate tracery of fish bones, while a glittering chandelier evokes their iridescent scales.

It floats above the crudo bar—a semicircle of chiseled natural stone with the heft of an Attic monolith. This echo of the ancient past in a contemporary setting helps give guests the experience Zuger hopes for: “They should feel as though they’ve stepped into another world.”

PROJECT TEAM HARAM KIM; LAUREN TUDOR; GRACIE ZHANG: ROCKWELL GROUP. STUART MCGUIRE; JOHN GAITAN; LUCAS STANOIS; CRAWFORD NOBLE; JOANNE WENDERSKA; RAJESHTA JULATUM; DIPRA SHETTY; SARAH YAO: STUDIO PAOLO FERRARI. KILLA DESIGN: ARCHITECT OF RECORD. DEPA GROUP: CUSTOM FURNITURE WORKSHOP; GENERAL CONTRACTOR. PRODUCT SOURCES FROM FRONT MCH INTERNATIONAL: CUSTOM RUG (GUEST ROOM). GRANKRAFT INDUSTRIES: CUSTOM BAR CABINET. LASVIT: CUSTOM BEDSIDE LIGHT, CUSTOM FLOOR LAMP (GUEST ROOM), CUSTOM CHANDELIER (ARIAMARE). SANIHARTO: CUSTOM ARMCHAIR (GUEST ROOM), CUSTOM TABLE, CUSTOM CHAISE LOUNGES (ROYAL VILLA). GESSI: FITTINGS (HAMMAM). ROCHE BOBOIS: CHAISE LOUNGES (GYM).

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Below: Villa entryways are iroko, as is the boardwalk; photography: Ema Peters.

Opposite top: In Ariamare, a seafood restaurant, the ribbed plaster ceiling was inspired by fish bones, while the custom chandelier evokes their scales; photography: Katarina Premfors. Opposite bottom, from left: An arcade of free-form arches provides an organic entry to the spa; photography: Katarina Premfors. The island’s desert flora is reflected in the beachfront Royal Villa’s mirror-finished exterior; photography: Ema Peters. Carved natural stone benches and bespoke plasterwork outfit the sybaritic hammam; photography: Katarina Premfors.

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text: peter webster

keys to the city From London to Singapore, five hotels channel the character—man-made or natural, corporate or cultural—of the place they call home

See page 156 for Populus—the plant based–leather restaurant details contributing to the Denver property being the first carbon-positive hotel in the U.S.—by Studio Gang, Fowler, and Wildman Chalmers Design.

Photography: Yoshihiro Makino.

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Populus, Denver. studio gang; fowler; project standout The 256-room hotel is named for the aspen, Populus tremuloides, Colorado’s tree, which also informed architect Jeanne Gang’s 13-story biophilic building. wildman chalmers design state Eye-shaped windows, set deep in the GFRC facade, evoke the tree’s distinctive bark while providing solar shading, natural ventilation, and ample daylight—helping make it the nation’s first carbon-positive hotel. Helmed by Heather Wildman in partnership with sisters Emma and Michelle Fowler, the interior fit-out complements the pristine exterior with a forest-inspired palette of natural woods, textures, and finishes. Highlights include slatted-wood ceilings made from reclaimed snow fencing and, hanging in its restaurant Pasque, a sculptural installation comprising tapestrylike sheets of plant-based leather. photography Clockwise from top left: Steve Hall; Yoshihiro Makino (3); Jason O’Rear.

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“We drew from Denver’s distinct character and rich ecology to create a building that helps define the skyline of this thriving city”

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dp architects; ministry of design project The Standard, Singapore. standout Behind the glittering, lenticular glass-and-aluminum facade of DP’s eight-story building, local firm MOD has given the interiors of this 143-room addition to the fast-growing global brand a delightfully quirky vibe. Befitting the Garden City, vegetation proliferates in the form of colorful potted plants and, in the creeper-draped restaurant, a botanically inspired wallpaper mural by Thai artist Saran Yen Panya that incorporates tapestry and brocade elements.

Accommodations are kept simple yet characterful, with mid-century modern–inspired furniture, ribbed-wood headboards that rise across the ceiling to form enveloping canopies, and cheery bathrooms entirely lined with checkered yellow-and-white tile. photography Jovian Lim.

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“Each space is intended to be disarmingly inviting, like being in the home of your coolest and slightly cheeky friend”

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electric bowery project Casa Loma Beach Hotel, Laguna Beach, California.

Standout The Venice, California–based studio’s redesign of a 1980’s hotel taps into the community’s slightly raffish creative heritage while celebrating the 70-key boutique property’s peerless clifftop location and ocean views.

Overlooking the lobby bar and lounge, a wall-spanning plaster bas-relief depicting a sun-worshiping goddess symbolizes the Pacific Coast as a natural wonder. Laguna’s colors and textures are reflected in a palette of sandy neutrals, earth tones, and seashore greens, while custom wood furniture, red clay–fired tile, and woven textiles join original terra-cotta floors in nodding to its craft traditions. And there’s a hint of classic surfboard culture in the smooth shapes and bold graphics of guest-room furnishings. photography Chris Mottalini.

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“Space are infused with a subtle bohemian energy evocative of the town’s creative roots, offering a canvas for today’s innovative thinkers and artists”

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lake flato architects; post company project Hotel Saint Augustine, Houston. standout Taking cues from the residential neighborhood—including the Menil Collection cultural campus—Interior Design Hall of Fame member firm Lake Flato divides the 71-room hotel into five small, two-story buildings connected by bridges and walkways. Gray brick and combed-wood siding complement both the nearby Menil and the area’s leafy natural landscape. Post Company’s interiors honor the city’s artistic heritage, with the lobby deliberately evoking a curator’s private home. Comprising a series of open seating groups for intimate gatherings throughout the day, the space is outfitted with backlit display shelving that conjures the spirit of collecting. Playful furnishings, ebonized-oak flooring, and velvety textures combine to give accommodations an urbane, inventive edge. photography Clockwise from top right: Nicole Franzen (2); Julie Soefer (3).

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“The goal was to craft a succession of buildings ordered around courtyards, so the guest experience is one of being immersed in an inviting garden”

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“We set apart the new elements, allowing them to stand confidently as distinct features that complement the host interior”

holloway li project Club Quarters Hotel, London. standout Housed in a landmarked 1913 Beaux-Arts building— originally a bank, then the Gracechurch Street Hotel—the 203-key property’s renovated interior honors the heritage architecture while introducing contemporary flair. The local firm drew inspiration from early modernism for the handsomely understated millwork, whose clean lines and muted palette offer a pleasing contrast to the historic envelope’s ornate details and sumptuous materials.

The self-check-in desk’s fluted oak and polished travertine links it to the adjacent double-height lobby and lounge, a versatile space of built-in banquettes, flexible seating, and lamp-lit library tables—overhung by a custom octagonal pendant fixture—that morphs from coworking hub by day to living room by night. photography Clockwise from center left: Adam Firman (2); Nicholas Worley.

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DESIGNERS IN SPECIAL FEATURE DP Architects (“Keys to the City,” page 154), dpa.com.sg.

Electric Bowery (“Keys to the City,” page 154), electricbowery.com.

Fowler (“Keys to the City,” page 154), fowler.design.

Holloway Li (“Keys to the City,” page 154), hollowayli.com.

Lake Flato Architects (“Keys to the City,” page 154), lakeflato.com.

Ministry of Design (“Keys to the City,” page 154), modonline.com.

Post Company (“Keys to the City,” page 154), postcompany.co.

Studio Gang (“Keys to the City,” page 154), studiogang.com.

Wildman Chalmers Design (“Keys to the City,” page 154), wildmanchalmers.com.

PHOTOGRAPHERS IN FEATURES Douglas Friedman (“Fit for a King,” page 116), douglasfriedmanstudio.com.

Eric Laignel Photography (“Triumphal Arches,” page 106; “W Is for Whimsy,” page 134), ericlaignel.com.

Katarina Premfors (“Tomorrow Land,” page 144), katarinapremfors.com.

DESIGNER IN CENTERFOLD Y.ad Studio (“In Bloom,” page 101), sh-yad.com.

Interior Design (ISSN 0020-5508), May 2025, Vol. 96, No. 4, is published monthly with seasonal issues for Spring and Fall by the SANDOW Design Group, LLC, 3651 FAU Boulevard, Boca Raton, FL 33431. Periodicals postage paid at Boca Raton, FL, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS; NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Interior Design, PO Box 808, Lincolnshire, IL 60069-0808. Subscription department: (800) 900-0804 or email: interiordesign@ omeda.com. Subscriptions: 1 year: $69.95 USA, $99.99 in Canada and Mexico, $199.99 in all other countries. Copyright © 2024 by SANDOW Design Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher. Interior Design is not responsible for the return of any unsolicited manuscripts or photographs.

BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK

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JOEL GALE IMAGING

206.788.4210

Ema Peter (“Tomorrow Land,” page 144), emapeter.com.

modulararts.com

made in the USA

50 years of ASID uplifting the brightest interior designers!

Join ASID in honoring the past and celebrating the future at GATHER 2025, the National Conference by ASID, held in Atlanta, GA from August 17-19.

Atlanta, GA ASID.ORG

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design annex THE spec

Sweet meets surreal in these sculptural confections

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1: STEFANIA ZANETTI / MATTEO BELLOMO; 2: COURTESY VICTORIA YAKUSHA GALLERY

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editors' picks

editors' picks

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1. Patricia Urquiola’s Guglie vase handcrafted of proprietary mineral-cement compound by Cimento through Artemest. cimento.tech; artemest.com 2. Sergii and Anna Baiersdorf’s Bryla cabinet in ash and alder with liquidmetal coating and glass inserts by Victoria Yakusha Gallery. victoriayakusha.com 3. Serena Confalonieri’s modular Birdie pedestal/mirror unit in maple, cherry, walnut, and glass by Secondome + Studio F through Rossana Orlandi. rossanaorlandi.com

4. Luca Nichetto’s Gio spun-aluminum chandelier in vermillion red, dark burgundy, and ecru white by &Tradition. andtradition.com 5. Big Wooden Bell Chair II carved of salvaged Douglas fir by Studio Sam Klemick through Objective Gallery. objectivegallery.com 6. Friederike Delius’s Candy side tables (on cover) and mirror in glass by Studio Berg. studioberg.de 7. Ryan Twardzik’s un8 Spherae stool with walnut and brass base and interchangeable upholstered cushions by Unform Studio. unformstudio.com 3: ROSSANA ORLANDI GALLERY / SERENA ELLER VAINICHER; 5: BRIAN GUIDO

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1. NATURALIST Preserved Wall Gardens blend natural beauty with resource-saving benefits. Made from real moss that’s sustainably preserved, they retain their lush appearance and vibrant colors for years without water, light, or upkeep. Ideal for offices, hotels, and residential spaces, these walls help reduce resource waste while providing a serene, biophilic touch. naturalist.us

partners

2. KEILHAUER Dais proves that function, comfort, and sustainability can coexist in harmony. Designed to use as few materials as possible, Dais provides a design-forward, sustainable seating solution that is both relaxed and supportive.

Dais is constructed without the use of fossil-based materials and is certified carbon neutral, offering designers a seating option that is equally as beautiful as it is beneficial to our planet. keilhauer.com

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3. FABRICUT CONTRACT Inherently fire-retardant, Fabricut Contract’s FR-One textiles feature widewidth sheers, dimouts, decorative jacquards, and bouclés manufactured from recycled polyester that are fully certified and compliant with the Global Recycled Standard (GSR) and produced in ISO 14001 certified facilities. FR-One fabrics also exceed the most stringent fire-retardant standards; have strong sound absorption properties; are IMO-rated; and PFAS-free. fabricutcontract.com

4. INFINITY DRAIN Infinity Drain introduces its newest tile insert linear drain, Disco-rectangle.

Featuring soft, rounded corners and inspired by mid-century modern design, this style seamlessly blends form and function. Disco-rectangle emphasizes a fluid, organic aesthetic with smooth, curved contours.

Available in 10 designer finishes crafted to match other fixtures in the bathroom, it offers flexible solutions to fit any design. infinitydrain.com

DesignScene by SANDOW is back at NeoCon! Take part in the best scene—where community, creativity, and your favorite brands come together to celebrate what we do best.

June 9-11 Suite 1120, Fl 11 THE MART, Chicago

ACTIVATIONS BY

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NeoCon® is a registered trademark of Merchandise Mart Properties, Properties Inc.

ripple effect In the 1950’s, a Chinese party slogan proclaimed, “Every county must have its museum, and every commune its exhibition hall.” Today, the country is experiencing an explosion of museums, many of which are free, with the aim of adopting a more modern cultural heritage, including in the central-eastern city of Hefei. It’s there that Bangkok-based Jenchieh Hung + Kulthida Songkittipakdee/HAS Design and Research has completed the Simple Art Museum, a 12,380-square-foot institution, its bold architecture syncing with what’s on show: contemporary pieces from emerging artists working in various disciplines, from painting to video.

A sweeping zigzag canopy in micro-cement shelters the entry, then continues as the interior’s ceiling, capping the galleries, workshops, and café while concealing lighting and ductwork—a gesture that’s both functional and sculptural. “It not only reflects the essence of Huistyle architecture but also symbolizes the flowing movement of Hefei’s mother river, the Nanfei,” Hung explains. Songkittipakdee adds, “It opens outward to embrace the public.” At sunset, 40-foot-long LED strips contribute to light refracting across the ceiling’s textures, creating a ripplelike shimmer that blurs inside and out.

The ceiling plays a role in a current installation, too. “Formatted Gaze” by Xinjia Yang is composed of two parts: nearly a dozen smartphones suspended from above displaying human eyes, and his collage of posters of street-view maps hung on a neighboring wall. The ability to accommodate digital and analog, past and present architectural and societal traditions suggests that the Simple Art Museum is a work of art in its own right. —Wilson Barlow FROM TOP: FANGFANG TIAN; COURTESY OF JENCHIEH HUNG + KULTHIDA SONGKITTIPAKDEE/HAS DESIGN AND RESEARCH

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Making Makingaamaterial material difference. difference.

From From waste-minimized waste-minimized packaging packaging to sample to sample reclamation, reclamation, we’re we’re proud proud to to support support the architecture the architecture and and design design industry’s industry’s efforts efforts to decarbonize. to decarbonize.

http://materialbank.com/sustainability http://materialbank.com/sustainability

Our Our commitment commitment to sustainability to sustainability by by thethe numbers. numbers.

Total packages saved Total packages saved

Individual samples Individual samples recirculated to to recirculated Members Members

6M+ 6M+

1.6M+ 1.6M+

Returned samples Returned samples diverted from sanitary diverted from sanitary landfills landfills

Shipping emissions Shipping emissions offset with verified offset with verified carbon credits carbon credits

1M 1M

10K 10K

Climate Impact, Climate Impact, Human Health Impact, Human Health Impact, andand Social Equity Impact Social Equity Impact material search filters material search filters

Renewable energy credits Renewable energy credits purchased to offset ourour purchased to offset operational electricity operational electricity

165+ 165+

1500+ 1500+

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2 mt mt COCO e 2e

2 mt mt COCO e 2e

Hushoffice Acoustical Pods

Work from Anywhere with Openest