Every week we highlight those submissions which have been frequented by our readers and jury, now in the lead-up to the reveal of FRAME Awards 2023 annual winners. Here are the five most-viewed projects between 1 and 8 September 2023.
METIC BAR
All Design Studio
All Design Studio designed Metic Bar in Shenzhen’s Luohu District (Bar, 6.55). The designer sought to create an immersive spatial narrative for the cocktail bar around the concept of a ‘magnetic field’. The entrance of the space is adorned in marble, with different colours and patterns covering the walls, ceilings and floors. Inside the bar, the walls, ceilings and velvet seating are toned a deep purple and are complemented by gold fixtures and furnishings. Soft lighting and niche seating areas help cultivate an intimate environment.
See more here.
KATSUYA
Rockwell Group
Katsuya, a Japanese restaurant in New York City, makes references to Japanese craftsmanship throughout the space (Restaurant, 5.92). The Rockwell Group designed the Manhattan restaurant using traditional materials and techniques or references to them, such as a deep red urushi lacquer at the restaurant’s entrance, ribbed glass screens similar to shoji paper screens and blackened metal bracings in the same vein of kumiki joinery. As the designer describes, the restaurant is a maximalist approach to Japanese aesthetics, creating an intimate yet experiential dining room.
See more here.
TAO BEACH DAYCLUB
Rockwell Group
Located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip on the rooftop of the Venetian Hotel Resort and Casino is the Tao Beach Dayclub, also designed by the Rockwell Group (Entertainment Venue, 4.97). The space comprises two main bars, a DJ booth, beach cabanas and art installations such as two sculptures by Daniel Popper. Ornately printed fabrics and patterned porcelain tile floors are mellowed by lush plant life. The space’s attention to detail drew some criticism from the jury: ‘There are details that could be cleaned up and language that could be continued from one space to the next,’ says Filip Milovanovic, design director at Yabu Pushelberg.
See more here.
OUT OF THE BOX
Kadmon Brin
Teva Api called on Kadmon Brin to design a trade-fair stand that paid extra mind to sustainability (Trade-Fair Stand, 6.35; Material, 6.69). The designer turned to cardboard boxes to construct the walls and counters of the stand and used cradle-to-cradle certified materials for the remainder of the stand such as the glass doors and windows for the five meeting rooms, kitchen and warehouse. This design approach ensured that more than 90 per cent of the materials could be reused or recycled after the life of the trade-fair stand.
See more here.
A 100-YEAR-OLD HOUSE SHANGHAI
Uchida Shanghai / Mitsuhiro Shoji
As its name suggests, the 100-year-old house Shanghai saw the transformation of a former tenement-style house (House, 6.20). In addition to restoring the original characteristics of the house, Uchida Shanghai and Mitsuhiro Shoji removed the staircase and added a spiral-shaped one instead so that natural lighting from the top floor would pour through to the bottom. The staircase also allowed for the previously divided rooms to be made continuous allowing for the living spaces to flow into one another.
See more here.
