Every week we highlight those submissions which have been frequented by our readers and jury, in the lead-up to the reveal of Interiors of the Month winners and honourable mentions. Here are the five most-viewed projects between 25 August and 1 September 2023.
ZUSHAN JI XIN MONASTERY WOOD BUDDHA STATUE MUSEUM
Archstudio
Archstudio’s design for the Zushan Ji Xin Monastery Wood Buddha Statue Museum in Qinhuangdao draws from religious symbols like the Mandala, Bodobudur temple and pagodas. Ending August with a score of 7.36 in the category of Cultural Space, the museum follows a circumambulation route, offering visitors a prayer experience as they discover its displayed content – primarily camphor wood Buddha statues. ‘The simplicity yet power of this house of worship has me speechless,’ says Apoorva Shroff, founder of Iyth Design.
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BEASTER CONCEPT STORE SUZHOU
Some Thoughts Spatial Design and Research Office
Excess components left over from commercial construction make up the fabric of the Beaster Concept Store (7.41; Single-Brand Store) in Suzhou, China. Some Thoughts utilized these existing materials to create an alternative store interior for the youth clothing brand. The team made a conscious move to counter to the more common, waste-heavy practice of retail companies developing brand-new store fittings from scratch. ‘The underlying narrative of newness and discussions on surplus and excess are great,’ shares David Kulen, creative director at Powerplant.
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THE CELL OFFICE
Ballarin Mendoza
A shared office for co-working brand Loom in Madrid, The Cell Office (6.81; Co-Working Space) is the work of Ballarin Mendoza. The bright, vibrant interior – based on building collaborative ecosystems – boasts 12 to 20 flexible office cells, 5 to 8 meeting rooms and a comprehensive number of amenities. Eye-catching anodized aluminium curtains enliven the traditional office-inspired space. ‘Visually striking design with good futureproofing principles,’ comments M Moser Associates associate designer Michelle Smith.
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PRANK PROJECT AOYAMA
AtMa
AtMa converted an existing building in Tokyo into a commercial space for fashion brand Prank Project (6.39; Single-Brand Store). Architectural elements were deconstructed and left incomplete, reducing waste and preventing extra production. In their words, the designers embraced the ‘coexistence of contrasting elements, [accepted] imperfections or accidental matters, and [added] flexible ideas.’ ‘The project’s use of materials to contrast the rough existing building is successful,’ says Jai Kumaran, partner at West of West.
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DÉFILÉ LGN SS24
Paf Atelier
The set of Louis Gabriel Nouchi's SS24 show ‘A Single Man’ (6.35; Set Design) cleverly reutilized metal sheets from a previous Paf Atelier project, embodying the brand’s and the designer’s commitment to forging more sustainable fashion spaces. To further reduce the show’s environmental impact, the materials were directly transported from Paf Atelier's warehouse and assembled on-site, eliminating the need for transportation to a production workshop. ‘The sustainable design process is interesting and shifts the focus from the set design to the process needed to produce temporary spaces,’ notes Lamatilde partner Luca Macri.
See more here.
