Category: Architecture & Interior design

Hotel Habita MTY

I hope you are willing to travel with me today and explore a little magic that is hotel Habita MTY. Located in the northern part of Mexico in Monterey and with a view of the Sierra Madre mountains, the hotel is a stunning result of collaborative work by architect Agustin Landa and interior designer Joseph Dirand.

Modern architecture is supported by all black and white interiors and materials such as concrete and dark wood throughout only add another layer of sophisticated luxury. Strong design statements such as the custom mirror wall behind the reception desk or masculine platform beds are all part of the Habita MTY experience. And of course, one cannot forget the Poolbar which includes two infinity pools and hard to ignore views of the city.

I’m always on the lookout for new, modern hotels but many times wonder what will happen to their immediate, flashy image a few years later. Considering Habita MTY was built back in 2008, one can appreciate its smart design choices that are deserving the many design awards it has received.

→ More images

“The Breeder” Gallery

Where once there was an ice cream factory now houses an award winning architectural project, “The Breeder” Gallery. Located in Athens, Greece and originally built in 1970 the building was left empty and abandoned for many years before it was selected by the owners of the gallery to become their new creativity centre. The renovation was undertaken by the famous Greek architect Aris Zambikos and managed to win one of the three awards nominated every four years by the Hellenic Institute of Architecture.

The interior space changed a lot in order to become practical to its new function. On the contrary, the old, steel window frames were kept unchangeable contributing to the industrial character of the building. But what I like the most is the new concrete staircase’s design that helps spread the light that comes through the main skylight.

→ More images

House in Koamicho

This house in Hiroshima, Japan was designed by Suppose Design Office. The house experiments with the boundaries of inside and outside; some of the rooms are inclosed, while others act as “garden rooms” and are exposed to the elements. The design allows the inhabitants to experience interior and exterior as a continuous flow of space, blurring the traditional distinctions between the two.

Two children’s bedrooms and the master bedroom are on the main floor, along with three garden spaces which are accessible from each room. The second floor holds the living spaces and looks down into the gardens on the lower level. The house is quite small, only six rooms in total. Nonetheless, it serves as an elegant living space for this young family.

I am a huge fan of the layout of the rooms and the materials. The staggering of the garden spaces with the interior spaces gives the house an airy feel and allows for tons of natural light. The lightness of the gardens is contrasted with the heavy concrete walls, which have been left bare to preserve the integrity of the material. This is a house full of opposites: heavy and light, inside and outside, wide and narrow. The contrasting elements come together for a beautiful experience which proves the saying: opposites attract.

→ More images

CO-OP at Barneys

Featuring the newly unveiled CO-OP at Barneys, New York designed by the always surprising creative force Yabu Pushelberg. The concept behind Boy Meets Girl Barneys CO-OP is driven by merging the men’s and women’s sections and introducing a brand new cafe Genes@CO-OP into the space.

By looking at the streamlined, modern and almost gallery-like design, equipped with the feature of individual iPad stations promoting more convenient item finding, I am excited about the opportunities that lay within the future of retail design. The fluidity of the space allows for easy body progression within the store and is directed on sales increase. The seamless strip lighting above the interactive stations creates pretty fantastic ambiance and from designer’s perspective it will be interesting to watch the user’s direct experience with the space and incorporated technology.

It is no secret I am a big fan of Yabu Pushelberg’s work and projects such as CO-OP (also nominated for the 2012 Restaurant and Bar Design Awards) confirm that smart, functional and well-edited design can go a long way.

→ More images

Wiroa Station Wine Cellar

Wiroa Station is the name of the minimal wine cellar built by MAP Architects in the Bay of Islands in New Zealand. The simplicity of the building has been dictated by the astounding backdrop of the scenery.

Restricted to 25m2 due to local planning regulations, the wine cellar features a beautiful interplay between coolness of concrete and warmth of natural wood. The wine bottles, displayed through the holes in the focal wall, make an exquisite statement.

I love how the subtlety of the interior sets the stage for the vista of the ocean. Thanks to this reserved and laconic design the enjoyment of the environment and the enjoyment of wine tasting can come together and transcend into one harmonious moment.

→ More images

Museum of Modern Literature

The Museum of Modern Literature is located in Germany and was designed by London based architect David Chipperfield, of David Chipperfield Architects. The museum is set in Marbach’s scenic park overlooking the valley of the Neckar River. Neighbors to Chipperfield’s museum are the National Schiller Museum and the Archive for German Literature. The museum displays artifacts of 20th century literature, including original manuscripts of Franz Kafka’s The Trial. Completed in 2006, the museum won the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize in 2007.

The museum’s façade is dominated by limestone columns which create a dramatic portico surrounding the building. The interior galleries are dimly lit with artificial light so as not to destroy the delicate manuscripts. To contrast the necessary lighting conditions of the galleries, Chipperfield allows the circulation hallways to flood with sunlight from the tall glass windows which constitute the exterior walls.

The evenly spaced columns and consequential portico call to mind the cerebral architecture of sacred temples. Chipperfield’s museum is very much a temple, a shrine to the literary works it contains and to literature in general. The simple, rational design of this museum allows it to be as expressive and communicative as the books it contains.

→ More images

Long Tall House

Located in Tokyo, Japan, the Long Tall House is designed by the Japanese architecture firm SPACESPACE. The home is sandwiched between two traditional residential buildings in a busy neighborhood. This home acts as a clean white escape from the chaos of the big city.

As the name suggests, the house is long and tall. Five stories span across the 4 x 16 meter site. The home is partially built into a retaining wall, creating the condition for two floors of basement. The basement levels are made from concrete, while the upper levels are clad in white timber. The north and south facades are covered with aluminum panels that can be raised or lowered to shade the street-adjacent windows. The interior is elegant and functional. A narrow spiral staircase provides the circulation between floors. White walls and hardwood floors provide a lightness and livability to the space. All of the storage is hidden within or behind the walls.

This house truly illustrates how to make the most out of tight spaces. The architects took an unusually shaped lot and turned it into a wonderful family residence. This house is both simple and complicated: simple because of the calming materials and clean functionality, and complicated because of the unique solutions to a restrictive space. This home is a design oasis I would love to return to each day.

→ More images

Finnon Glen House

Bringing slightly different layer to today’s post with the Finnon Glen house in VIC, Australia designed by Doherty Lynch. Shortlisted for the Australian Interior Design Awards this year (among other excellent projects), I was mostly attracted to the balanced combination between architectural clarity and the ease of the furnishings.

The result seems like a natural gesture by the designer without forced and unnecessary design features but with just enough visual interest  to please the eye. Moreover, this type of design allows flexibility and opportunity for the clients in their day-to-day lifestyle.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

→ More images

Studio GT SP

Remodeled by Brazilian architect Guilherme Torres, this building is originally a 1940′s construction and the former home to Victor Brecheret, famed Italian-Brazilian artist and sculptor. After his death in the 1950′s, for decades it served as a foundation of part of his collection and a deposit, being then acquired and re-designed by Torres as his own home and work space.

The premise was to update the building, reflecting Torres’ contemporary language and preserving the basic structure. The floor plan hasn’t suffered many changes, mainly openings and finishing materials. The addition of a retractable glass roof, to be opened on summer days, helps to maintain a mild climate. The latticed wooden structure, descendant of the arabic mashrabiya, is an element often used in contemporary Brazilian architecture to assuage the strong sunlight. It follows the same pattern of the doorway structure, a striking element in the building’s composition. High in the façade, there is a neon piece by artist Pinky Wainer that reads: Land of the free, home of the brave.

The combination of latticed structures and simple, geometric architecture is a very particular feature of contemporary Brazilian architecture, one I always enjoy finding. All the natural light filtering into the house gives it a light and airy feel… I’m particularly fond of that kitchen!

Photography by Denilson Machado.

→ More images

Eolica

A landmark project. A building that aims to supply with energy the nearby city by combining the power of wind and sun. And moreover an answer in terms of design to the conflict between renewable energy systems and great architecture. All the above and many more can be found in Eolica project. A wind tower and facilities building designed by Spanish architecture firm Fran Silvestre Arquitectos.

A landmark that modifies its proportions depending on the viewpoint and the effect of the sunlight, revealing an element in a constant evolution. An engraved tower devoted to the wind. The building combines renewable energy which feeds the city and its facilities with electricity without needing other resources. Taking advantage of the possibilities that it suggests, much as for its construction as for its shape.

Its stillness contrasts with the mobility of the shadows, its firmness emphasizes the strength of the wind to whics it frames.

More technical details and a full project presentation can be found on the project’s video.

→ More images

12345