After a month of jury deliberations, an Interior of the Month for April has been named: Peach Hut, a cultural space in Wangtunxiang, China designed by Atelier XI.
A space of but 55 sq-m left a big impact on our April jury. Peach Hut is one of seven arts-and-culture educational centres to be built across China’s Xiuwu County. Originally, the brief Atelier XI had received was to conceive a central 300-sq-m hub. Instead, to eliminate the need for far travel from spread-out villages in the region, the designers proposed to split the space into multiple locations. The first to be completed, Peach Hut is a pink cast-in-place concrete structure aptly located in an orchard of its namesake fruit; each centre will be designed in respect to its unique surroundings.
Peach Hut's curved geometries and windows in a diversity of shapes were designed to interact with the area’s ample natural light, changing with the day’s progression. Photos: Zhang Chao
Juror Natalie Badenduck, associate professor at Mount Royal University, calls the work ‘a contextually sensitive project which results in a sustainable approach to siting and design of the architectural forms and interior spaces.’ The innovation, she notes, also comes through the ‘re-reading’ of the original programme to ‘better serve those living in the surrounding villages.’ ‘It’s a gorgeous project with some innovative structural input using arches and C shapes,’ thinks Patrick Keane, director of Enter Projects Asia. ‘There’s elegant, complementary detailing and slightly rustic charm.’ And Golnar Roshan, creative director at Rive Roshan, captures the panel’s shared reaction simply: ‘Wow!’. Peach Hut scored a total of 7.43 in the category Cultural Space, with its highest marks in innovation and creativity.
Russell & George set out to evoke a sense of discovery in clients at Sarah & Sebastian, turning the space into a cave-like, ocean-inspired environment rendered entirely in black. Photo: Sean Fennessey
Keane said that the IGZ Campus Falkenburg is 'one of the best juxtapositions' he has seen in architecture and interior design.
Sarah & Sebastian, a single-brand store in Melbourne, was distinguished as the first honourable mention. The textural, black-clad space, created by Russell & George, was submitted in three categories: Best Use of Material, Best Use of Colour and Single-Brand Store, which it ranked the best in at 6.98. A new main building on software company IGZ’s campus in Falkenburg, Germany by J. Mayer H. and Partners Architects was also a contender for Best Use of Material, achieving 6.89 total for its refined use of local resources like granite and wood.
Multiple jury members had positive things to say about MuseumLab, which was transformed from a historic library interior that was 'carelessly renovated' in the 1960s.
Designed by Tokyo- and Shanghai-based firm Kooo Architects, Hotel Near&Far is the result of the renovation of a seven-storey building. Photo: Keishin Horikoshi / SS
Fourth place was given to MuseumLab, a learning and cultural space attached to the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania. Reviewed for both typologies, the KoningEizenberg project is an honourable mention for its Cultural Space score of 6.81. And rounding out this month’s runners-up is Hotel Far&Near Nanhao St, a modern guesthouse in Guangzhou. Earning 6.75 for Hotel, the renovated space was conceived by Kooo Architects for a young generation of clients.
Today the April Live Judging Session took place. Stay tuned for the recap to read the jury's full feedback on our winner and honourable mentions.
