Every week we highlight the submissions 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 4 and 11 August 2023.
WANDER OUT
Informaldesign
This tea house in Shenzhen, China, transforms the art of tea-making into a performance for visitors to enjoy (Bar; 7.63). The building’s curtain glass wall was disassembled and recessed from its original position, producing a diagonal axis that invites the customer into the space. The L-shaped window allows the café to spill out onto the street, and the integrated use of green and smooth materials further helps blur the interior and exterior. Foldable windows adopt a contemporary look and encourage people to take orders from the street, where they can remain sheltered from the elements. Here, the customer is transported into Wander Out’s world, with furniture employing an architectural language inspired by the forms inside. Making the most of limited space, the designers use playful detailing to emphasize the brand to guests.
See more here.
C_WHO ARE WE
Misawa Design Institute and Nippon Design Centre
This nomadic exhibition – made up of 11 independent elements – displays specimens of mammals and other taxidermy at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Kotobukimachi, Japan (Exhibition; 8.75). With no particular order to follow, visitors are encouraged to take an active role in deciding their route around the space. Each timber unit comprises several drawers, which can be opened and closed as desired. This tactile approach makes the museum experience more interactive and inquisitive, elevating the visitor’s role from that of a spectator to that of a researcher. By separating the exhibition into individual timber units, it can travel and be inserted into a variety of museum settings.
See more here.
MUCH PEACE, LOVE AND JOY
Spread
Located in Milan, Italy, this installation was designed with the hope of bringing renewed positivity to people’s lives following the pandemic. A blue and red net hangs between several trees, almost imperceptible until approached. Lightweight fragments rest on this web, made using a letterpress technique that produces unique ink gradients. Just a couple of metres away, several printed fabric panels form a circle on an open area of gravel. As the visitor walks around these interventions, their translucent patterns intersect and overlap to create rich, vivid colours. The exhibition is not fixed to any particular site, having relocated from the grassy Milan park shown above to a more white-box gallery setting at the foot of a mountain range.
See more here.
THE GILBERT & GEORGE CENTRE
Sirs Architects
A former brewery in London was converted into a charitable art foundation that puts artist-duo Gilbert & George’s work on display. With the addition of a new basement level and extension, the centre spans three barrier-free levels and includes a reception, art storage and service areas. The existing architectural qualities of the space – articulated by exposed timber trusses and brickwork – are juxtaposed with more contemporary elements, including light boxes and sleek timber furniture. These produce a simple and stripped-back interior, allowing the artists’ bright and eclectic pieces to take centre stage.
See more here.
CHRISTIAN DIOR: DESIGNER OF DREAMS
Oma and Shohei Shigematsu
Dior’s rich history is put on show in this 2000 sq-m exhibition in Tokyo’s Museum of Contemporary Art in Japan (Exhibition; 7.25). The visitor is guided through a variety of immersive environments exploring 22 curatorial themes; some are characterized by light and airy spatial features while others are darker and more dramatic. A double-height slanted display acts as the exhibition’s pièce de résistance, taking over two floors and visible from both above and below. Drawing on traditional architecture and couture, the designers produced a location-specific experience that resonates with those in the Japanese capital.
See more here.
