Category: Home & Kitchen

Lisbon interior design practice Bacana Studio took cues from Portugal‘s coastal traditions for the interiors of a João Luís Carrilho da Graça-designed Anfibio restaurant.

Located alongside the Tejo river, the restaurant was designed to “merge the duality of the sea and the land,” the interiors studio told Dezeen.

Named Anfibio – Latin for amphibious, meaning suited for both land and water – the restaurant serves both local seafood and “countryside produce”.

It is located in a glass-walled, pavilion-like structure designed by local architecture studio João Luís Carrilho da Graça alongside the Tejo river and its interiors were informed by its riverfront location drawing on the “dazzling reflections of the sun on the water”.

Within the 500-square-metre restaurant, which is used as a nightclub in the evenings, wooden flooring was stained with a “watery green” colour and a mirror-like fabric was used on the ceiling to reflect and refract light.

“The building’s architecture aims to blend in and go unnoticed, striving to merge with the river and reflect the city of Lisbon,” said Bacana Studio founder Ingrid Aparicio.

According to the Bacana Studio, the open plan layout and five-metre-high ceilings posed a lighting and acoustic challenge.

As a result, the studio focused on “creating visual and functional interest from the ground up” with decorative elements, lighting and architectural features rising up from the floor.

“It’s the lighting itself that shapes and defines the spaces,” Aparicio explained. “We devised a concept where lighting emanates from the furniture, creating intimate spaces and avoiding the sensation of being in a vast and cold space.”

Small brass-shaded table lamps and arched brass and glass lamps, which were crafted to resemble the antennas of aquatic creatures, provide ambient lighting for each table and unify the space.

Visitors are greeted by a curvilinear “snake sofa” that divides the restaurant into two areas – an intimate zone with smaller tables on one side, and a more communal area with a large 10-seater table on the other.

“The design is meant to encourage you to let loose, which is why the organic shapes in the sofas, tables, and chairs, create an interesting flow to the space,” explained Aparicio.

On either end of the intimate zone is a long, 20-seater community table. The studio designed these with an aim to pay homage to the spirit of Lisbon’s traditional fish markets, serving as “a symbolic nod to the shared dining experiences fostered in such lively and communal settings”.

The wait-staff station and the wood, wicker and brass bar separate the kitchen from the dining area.

Two long, striped benches, positioned with their backs facing each other, lead out to the terrace, “segmenting the expansive layout of the restaurant into more intimate sections”.

The terrace, overlooking the port and the city of Lisbon, aims to “evoke the essence of an authentic beach club”.

Stripes were prominently used on the walls, upholstery, and furnishings, reminiscent of Portuguese fishermen’s cottages and coastal awnings.

Other restaurant interiors recently featured on Dezeen include a Mexico City restaurant arranged around an upside-down pyramid bar and a converted Norwegian restaurant covered in restored paintings.

The photography is by Filipe Neto.

Martin Brudnizki Design Studio has designed the interiors for a 1907 Renaissance-style palazzo building in New York, which has been turned into a luxury boutique hotel by architecture studio Perkins Eastman.

The Fifth Avenue Hotel sits on the site of what was once one of the last mansions of The Gilded Age.

Throughout the late 19th century, the home of Charlotte Goodridge at 250 Fifth Avenue hosted receptions and musical evenings as part of New York’s social season.

Perkins Eastman added a 24-storey glass tower, designed with PBDW Architects, to the five-storey brick and limestone building.

This was originally designed by McKim, Mead & White as the Second National Bank in 1907, replacing Goodridge’s 19th century home.

Drawing on the history of the neighbourhood and heritage of the building, Martin Brudnizki Design Studio (MBDS) aimed to create an aesthetic for the new hotel that would embrace “Bohemian romanticism and the glamour of the gilded age,” while maintaining contemporary styling.

“One of the biggest challenges was that we were working with both an existing and a new building at the same time, which each presented their own challenges architecturally,” studio founder Martin Brudnizki told Dezeen.

“We worked with the architects to marry the historic narrative with the contemporary tower addition, which reflects New York today, and the concept of the modern traveller,” he said.

Rooms feature a rich colour palette of garden greens, buttercup yellow and peony pink with gold accents.

Bold patterns and textures jostle each other in a “harmonious and fun way, juxtaposing modernity with the classic finishings,” the designer said.

“The intersection of interiors with architecture is so important. The mansion is a much more classical response to the history and details of the building, whilst the tower enthuses a more modern touch,” Brudnizki explained.

“Both are unified by the choices of colours and certain furniture, fixtures and equipment that carry between the two sites.”

Bedrooms feature a global blend of references, including Pagoda-style table lamps, custom wardrobes informed by traditional Chinese cabinets, antique inlaid side tables, Murano glass chandeliers and star-like ceiling lights.

The double-height entrance lobby features walls panelled with faceted antique mirrors, marble floors and grand arched windows – which echo throughout the hotel bedrooms as room dividers between sleeping and sitting areas.

“We loved the idea that all these great characters had once walked along the boulevard of Fifth Avenue and the fabulous parties hosted within the mansions of Fifth Avenue; the people and the conversations that took place,” said Brudnizki.

“We wanted to create a space that felt as though its interiors had been brought together over time, pulling items from our muse’s travels and adventures from across the globe.”

“It is a truly eclectic and layered project that is intended to feel as though it has been around since the days of The Gilded Age,” the designer concluded.

Other boutique hotels recently published on Dezeen include Christian Louboutin’s hotel Vermelho in Portugal and Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park in Tokyo, by Keiji Ashizawa Design and Norm Architects.

Photography is by William Abranowicz.

Move over minimalist decor. Pinterest has released its trend predictions for 2024, and kitschy kitchens are expected to dominate, especially for Gen X and boomers.

In the past several years, minimal and modern farmhouse interior designs have been a spotlighted style with their white walls, shiplap, and nature-inspired elements. Kitschy designs flip the script with bright walls, vintage appliances, and eclectic decor.

What does Kitschy Design Mean?

Kitschy is also known as gaudy or tacky. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as poor taste due to excess or sentimentality but appreciated in an ironic way. It’s an in-your-face, maximalist style with unexpected items layered together, like a combination of clashing colors, patterns, and textures.

Elements of Kitschy Kitchens

Colorful Cabinets

Say goodbye to white and wood — kitschy kitchens have colorful cabinets. While any color works, top choices include light pink, baby blue, purple, and light green. We’re seeing these colors on retro style and shaker cabinets.

Vintage Appliances

Mid-century modern-style appliances make a huge impact in kitschy kitchens. Any retro-looking 1950s-type appliance works. Other options include wrapping standard appliances in colorful film or choosing Smeg tabletop appliances, like toasters and coffee makers.

Unexpected Color Combinations

When designing a kitschy kitchen, there’s no wrong color combination. (Unless the colors are too boring.) Popular combinations include light pink and royal blue, deep purple and light green, green and pink, and yellow and blue. Choose your favorite colors and blend them. The higher the contrast, the better.

Display Cheerful Decor

In a kitschy style, there’s no need to clear the counters or tables of all clutter. Instead, display your collection of colorful bowls, hang pot holders, or line a table with cute sets of measuring cups. Use bright or patterned kitchen tools as decor.

A Mix of Patterns

Mix and match patterns even if they clash. Kitschy designs are over the top, making many patterns a key element. Consider bringing patterns through your flooring, area rug, wallpaper, wall decor, and kitchen towels.

Kitschy Kitchen Examples

---

Light and Bright Kitschy Kitchen

Those who aren’t ready to transition from white cabinets can note how the designers incorporated color into this kitchen. The white cabinets have a touch of red on the pulls, and the patterned floor adds more color for a bright space. The kitchen features retro appliances, a red island, and whimsical lighting.

---

Pink and Green Theme

Hot pink and lime green offer a vivid contrast in this bold kitchen. The updated mid-century modern look offers a vintage feel while the light fixtures add glam. The eclectic style of this kitchen provides the perfect kitschy look.

---

Competing Patterns in a Small Space

This small NYC apartment is in no shortage of color or pattern. The designers chose a bright pink wallpaper with bubbles and contrasted it with a cheetah print table and pops of gold. The clashing patterns and colors are what make this design work so well.t

Local architect Florencia Rissotti has converted a warehouse into a textile shop in Buenos Aires, using fabric dividers to organise the space.

To house a retail location for fabric shop Tienda Mayor, Rissotti integrated textiles in several ways, lining the store with samples, draping colourful patches over a staircase and using curtains to conceal and create space.

The interior is divided into two floors, with a mezzanine above used for storage and office space, and the store’s retail space and lounge areas below.

Cream-coloured curtains hang underneath the mezzanine and above to hide storage areas and create meeting spaces.

“The space was assembled using the raw material of the place: fabric,” said the studio. “A series of curtains divide, set up a meeting room, hide shelves with orders and cover the storage area.”

Along the length of a wall, large material samples are draped from hooks, which will “mutate” over time as the catalogue changes.

Similarly, fabric samples of various sizes were draped over the railings of a staircase that leads to the mezzanine, in part as a permanent installation and to display the shop’s selections.

“The ladder device was intended as an exhibition element, from which velvet falls and sews the two levels (the totem) together,” said the studio. “This ladder hanger is designed as an internal display window, where the selection/palette can be changed according to the season.”

Various creme tones dominate the space, with colour integrated from fabric samples and bright seating running in a straight line parallel to the fabric samples.

Alamo wood desks and large coffee tables were crafted for the space.

Outside, a garden area contains a semi-circle metal bench and simple plantings.

Florencia Rissotti is a Buenos Aires-based architect who focuses on interiors and residential architecture.

Elsewhere in Buenos Aires, La Base Studio recently created a delicate wooden privacy screen for a 1970s home renovation and architects Julio Oropel and Jose Luis Zacarias Otiñano created a bio-art installation focused on fungi.

The photography is by Fernando Schapochnik.

French designer Pierre Yovanovitch has opened his first US showroom and gallery in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood, displaying over 80 pieces from his own furniture brand.

Recognisable designs including the iconic Bear Chair fill the 10,000 square feet (930 square metres) of gallery and office space on the penthouse level of 555 West 25th Street.

This business expansion offers a permanent base for Yovanovitch and his team in New York, and allows customers and clients from his largest retail market to see the Pierre Yovanovitch Mobilier products first-hand.

“Having worked on residential projects in the US since the beginning of my practice in 2001 and with two successful furniture collection debuts (2017 and 2019) in New York, the opening of my first gallery space in America and new official New York headquarters, is a long-awaited realization for me,” said Yovanovitch.

Inside the pre-war building, the gallery unfolds through a series of partial rooms that flow into one another without doorways or thresholds.

Throughout, exposed ceiling joists and ductwork are paired with dark wood flooring and whitewashed brick, typical of a New York loft space.

The largest display area centres around a sculptural fireplace, with a smooth plaster form that curves outward towards the base.

Furniture is oriented around the hearth, including a gently arced sofa and a chartreuse-toned resin coffee table, accompanied by the fluffy wing-backed Clifford armchair.

A variety of lounge and dining room vignettes showcase the products in suggested combinations with one another in residential-style layouts.

Other designs on show include the new Callis Table Lamp, the Roze Dining Table, the Arthur Sofa and the Artemis Rug.

All are made in collaboration with specialist craftspeople and are “created with longevity and exceptional quality in mind” according to the brand.

“The brand pays homage to Yovanovitch’s Provencal roots, in particular the region’s natural light, rich and varied natural materials and colourways of the surrounding nature, as well as the historic commitment to craft associated with the region,” said a statement from the gallery.

The wide array of furniture and lighting pieces are presented alongside a selection of contemporary art curated by Yovanovitch – including works by Camille Henrot, Wolfgang Tillmans and Alicja Kwade – in an attempt to tie the gallery in with Chelsea’s status as an arts destination.

“It seems only fitting to open my first gallery location in the epicenter of New York’s art scene,” he said. “Not only is contemporary art central to my design practice, the neighborhood’s architectural history serves as reflection to my approach of revitalising historic spaces to fit a contemporary design aesthetic.”

The New York gallery opening follows the debut of the brand’s new Paris showroom, which began welcoming visitors to a street-level space in the Marais neighbourhood from October 2023.

This move from the previous location in the 2nd arrondissement also strategically places Pierre Yovanovitch Mobilier amongst the city’s art galleries.

Yovanovitch founded his design practice in 2001 after working for fashion house Pierre Cardin. His interior design work has ranged from the salmon-pink and butter-yellow gift shop at Villa Noailles and ski hotel Le Coucou in France, to the high-end Hélène Darroze restaurant at The Connaught in London and ski hotel Le Coucou.

Earlier this year, the designer created a set with moving elements for Verdi’s Rigoletto at the Basel Opera.

The photography is by Stephen Kent Johnson.

Promotion: in 2023 Bentley Motors launched an architecture and design-centred travel experience around Scandinavia, with highlights that included a stay at Wingårdhs‘ forest hotel in Sweden and a tour of BIG‘s studio in Copenhagen.

The Extraordinary Journey Scandinavia tour was one of a series of curated travel experiences presented by Bentley in 2023, offering the opportunity to explore attractive destinations from behind the wheel of its luxury cars.

The five-day, four-night tour started in Stockholm, where guests were collected from the airport in a chauffeured Bentley and taken to their first night’s stay in the world-renowned Ett Hem hotel.

With interiors created by designer Ilse Crawford, the hotel is known for merging luxury with a feeling of home, with spaces that encourage guests to relax and mingle as if at a manor house.

The hotel hosted a welcome reception, dinner in the library and a nightcap for the small party of guests on day one to get to know each other.

On day two, attendees took the wheel of one of several Bentley models on offer and began the journey south through Sweden’s forests, with Scandinavia’s finest architecture and design destinations guiding the way forward.

For lunch, the tour stopped at Naturehouse, a sustainability-focused lakeside spa by Tailor Made Arkitekter that merges the forms of a barn and a greenhouse, before continuing to reach the Trakt Forest Hotel in Småland in the afternoon.

Designed by Wingårdh architecture studio, the hotel features just five suites that are raised high into the treetops on stilts, giving guests the chance to feel immersed in nature.

The suites are “a true representation of Bentley’s design values of sustainability, materiality, and innovation” said the brand, and guests had the opportunity to relax in the sauna or hot tub before joining the hotel owners Sandra and Mattias Sälleteg at a drinks reception.

The evening also included dinner in a forest near the hotel, which was made by Michelin star chef Niklas Ekstedt and celebrated natural ingredients coming together “to create something greater than the sum of its parts”.

Day three saw the group continue the drive south through Sweden’s forests and stop for lunch at Wanås Hotel and Sculpture Park, built around two converted stone barns with interiors by Kristina Wachtmeister.

They then drove on through Malmö and across the Öresund Bridge, the longest bridge in Europe, connecting Sweden and Denmark, before switching to chauffeured transport once again for the final stretch of the journey to Copenhagen.

With accommodation at the Nimb Hotel in Tivoli Gardens, guests had ample opportunity to explore Copenhagen, including dinner at a world-renowned Nordic restaurant and then a city tour hosted by the Danish Architecture Centre.

There was also a tour of Bjarke Ingels Group’s studio, hosted by a member of the team who gave insights into their creative practice. Lunch was also held within “the beating heart” of the office.

Bentley‘s Extraordinary Journey continues in the UK in 2024 with a programme where attendees will experience a scenic route starting at Crewe, the home of Bentley Motors, to The Macallan Estate in Speyside, Scotland. The UK programme runs from 19 to 22 August and 2 to 5 September.

For more information and to register interest, visit the Bentley website.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Bentley as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

Interior designer Tara Bernerd worked with local artisans when dressing the cavernous rooms at the Maroma hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico, which were renovated to reflect hacienda-style living.

Housed within white stucco volumes arranged on a coastal plot between lush jungle and the Caribbean sea, the longstanding Maroma, A Belmond Hotel was renovated earlier this year but retained much of its traditional-style architecture.

Bernerd and a team of local artisans conceived the eclectic interiors to reflect the palapa-topped structures, creating a range of bespoke curved furniture and ornaments.

“The buildings themselves are organic in shape and form and were originally positioned in response to the sacred Mayan geometry,” she told Dezeen.

“We sought to retain and enhance the beauty of the hotel’s original character.”

Among the custom pieces are over 700,000 tiles hand-painted and crafted by ceramicist José Noé Suro using clay from Mexico’s Jalisco region.

The tiles cover the floors in all of the 72 guest rooms, which are characterised by rattan wardrobes and amorphous timber furniture pieces – 80 per cent of which were hand-carved.

Artisan Max Kublailan blew bulbous glass sconce lights, which feature throughout the rooms and are reminiscent of glowing gemstones.

“It was a joy working with the local artisans who brought our designs to life and the process was more like a conversation between artisan and designer, with each inspiring and on occasion challenging the other,” reflected Bernerd.

The entrance to each guest room also features individual ceramic, painted signs informed by traditional Lotería cards, which are used to play a similar game to bingo in Mexico.

“We built up the layers of design within the spaces, with rich pops of colour being brought in through the tiled or mosaic floors, the use of decorative tiles in the walls and dado rail as well as cushions and fabrics,” explained Bernerd.

Maroma’s two restaurants follow a similar design, with accents such as rattan pendant lights and tables featuring textured legs that give the appearance of tree trunks.

An open kitchen clad entirely in caramel-hued glazed ceramic tiles was tucked into a corner of the Woodend eatery while Casa Mayor includes clusters of hand-painted plant pots.

Throughout the hotel, cavernous alcoves were also dressed with custom interiors made up of stone, clay, wood and natural fibres.

“Location and layout were key and I am especially proud of how we have managed to reimagine previously under-utilised areas and have created a balance between unique, dramatic spaces and cosier, slightly hidden areas,” said Bernerd.

Traditional Yucatán doors with dense timber frames and chandeliers made from clusters of seashells were chosen to respond to Maroma’s setting.

The hotel’s central swimming pool was renovated with Sukabumi turquoise tiles handmade from volcanic stone to emulate the cenotes – water-filled sinkholes formed by the collapse of limestone – found in the Yucatán Peninsula.

“In essence, we wanted to create something that was effortlessly serene and had the feeling of a chic home,” said the designer.

“So we also drew inspiration from traditional hacienda-style living to create a relaxed, almost residential vibe throughout the resort and evoke a sense of connection, unity and flow between all of the public area buildings,” she concluded.

The British designer is the founder of the London-based architecture and interiors office Tara Bernerd & Partners.

Elsewhere in Mexico, local firms Productora and Esrawe Studio designed a San Miguel de Allende hotel with planes of green tile. Architect Alberto Kalach added a series of vaulted, brick arches to a resort in Oaxaca.

The photography is courtesy of Belmond. 

Cake Architecture has renovated A Bar with Shapes for a Name, an east London cocktail bar featuring “utilitarian” interiors.

A Bar with Shapes for a Name owes its title to the yellow triangle, red square and blue circle that are emblazoned on its facade in a nod to the primary colours and understated geometry commonly associated with the Bauhaus.

When creating the bar’s minimalist interiors, Dalston-based Cake Architecture took cues from the influential German art and design school that was established in 1919 and advocated for an emphasis on functionality, among other similar principles.

Located at 232 Kingsland Road in Hoxton, the cocktail bar was renovated by the studio to serve as a multipurpose venue.

Cake Architecture doubled the bar’s capacity by adding a basement, which acts as a “kitchen-bar” room, and refurbished the ground floor’s existing seating area as well as a classroom-style space that offers a location for rotating events or workshops.

“These spaces have specific functional requirements and we selected colours and materials to suit,” studio director Hugh Scott Moncrieff told Dezeen.

Upon entering the bar, visitors are greeted by the main seating area or “showroom”, which was designed to be warm and inviting.

Tall tubular chairs finished with neutral rattan were positioned around chunky geometric tables made from birch ply stained to a rich, reddish-brown hue.

The team also used the same timber to create the space’s curving bar, which is illuminated by a squat, cordless table lamp by lighting brand Flos.

Opposite the bar, a glowing rectilinear light installation by photographer Steve Braiden was fitted to the wall underneath bench-style seating reminiscent of early Bauhaus furniture designs.

“We looked in particular at projects by the Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius,” reflected Scott Moncrieff.

“Gropius is a master of this elegant zoning through the application of colour and form,” he added.

Downstairs, the low-lit basement was created to house additional seating as well as “all of the crazy machinery they use to prepare the drinks,” the designer said.

The basement is characterised by a bespoke central table by Cake Architecture and furniture designer Eddie Olin.

Consisting of a steel frame that “floats” over a central leg, the table was topped with a glass surface and its base was clad in phenolic-coated plywood to match the floor and walls.

“This new basement is predominantly a production space – so the palette reflects this with hardwearing, utilitarian and industrial materials,” said Scott Moncrieff.

A thick, felt curtain in ultramarine adds a pop of colour to the otherwise pared-back space.

With its pale blue walls and Valchromat-topped, steel-framed tables, the ground-floor “classroom” pays homage to the Bauhaus as an educational institution.

Brighter blue vinyl covers the floors while a sculptural lamp featuring red, yellow and blue circles echoes the bar’s logo.

A tall blackboard and overhead strip lighting add to the classroom feel of the space, which is used for various group events.

Cake Architecture worked closely with the bar’s founders Remy Savage and Paul Lougrat when creating the interiors, which were primarily informed by the duo’s way of working.

“The team has a conceptually driven ethos drawn from the theory and practice of Bauhaus embedded in everything they are doing. We found that incredibly exciting,” explained Scott Moncrieff.

“The Bauhaus phrase ‘party, work, play’ was pertinent to some early ideas and this carried through all our design discussions,” noted the designer.

“The space enables these three things. Separately as individual functions and simultaneously as a representation of the overall atmosphere of a bar!”

Cake Architecture previously worked with interior designer Max Radford to create a curtain-wrapped speakeasy in London’s Soho. The studio also designed a workspace for London agency Ask Us For Ideas in the same part of the city.

The photography is by Felix Speller. 

Texas studio Michael Hsu Office of Architecture has designed the common areas for a 50-storey residential high-rise building in Austin, as shown in this exclusive video captured by Dezeen.

Called 44 East, the building is located east of downtown Austin in the Rainey Street Historic district. The firm designed the interiors of the building’s common areas, which take cues from its natural surroundings, particularly the neighbouring Colorado River.

Michael Hsu Office of Architecture has designed the interiors of 44 East

The practice enhanced the space using colour and texture, layering vintage and custom furnishings to create a relaxed and inviting ambience.

Curved surfaces and light colours are incorporated throughout the space, with poured concrete terrazzo floors incorporated to pay homage to the gravel of the nearby riverside trail.

The interior is characterised by the use of soft shapes and natural materials throughout the various spaces, including on the eleventh floor, where pastel hues complement subtle architectural details.

The outdoor swimming pool features a series of pebble-shaped islands, with a partially-covered patio inviting guests to relax outside and enjoy the views of the river.

On the thirty-seventh floor, a large moon-like pendant light is suspended above a plush circular sofa.

The higher vantage point offers scenic views of downtown Austin, and features jewel tones and darker materials intended to complement the Texas skyline at dusk.

44 East was developed by Intracorp, while the tower and unit interiors were designed by Page and landscapes designed by DWG.

The interior design of the common spaces is one of the latest projects by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, which is based in Austin and Houston.

The company recently completed its self-designed Austin studio, which is adorned in wood-and-fabric lined walls and industrial details, to accommodate its growing team.

The photography is by Chase Daniel.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for Michael Hsu Office of Architecture as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

Chinese studio Neri&Hu has designed a contemporary art gallery for Ota Fine Arts in Shanghai with a focus on the “sublime beauty of the banal”.

The gallery sits on the ground floor of a mixed-use tower at Rockbund, a development amidst the historical Bund in Shanghai along the Huangpu River, where a series of restored colonial art deco buildings are located.

“The primary design challenge was to utilise the areas along the facade for both storage and display, blurring the distinction between functional and experiential space,” explained Neri&Hu.

“This deepened threshold condition found on both facades defines the visitor’s arrival sequence and journey within.”

The facade of the gallery was framed in aged steel, with portions of solid metal and large glass panels arranged to form a window display for the artworks.

Handmade ivory tiles line the inner side of the window in a subtle woven pattern, serving as a neutral backdrop for the art pieces.

An oversized sliding door marks the entry to the gallery on the eastern facade. When opened, the entrance of the gallery is revealed, with the outer sliding door framing the window display next to it.

When closed, the door slides back to its original position and allows the full-height glazed window to be exposed.

The western facade features a warehouse-sized door that can be fully opened using a custom-designed handle. This allows large artworks to be delivered directly from a designated parking area into the gallery.

Neri&Hu also added fluted glass to the exterior, which glows in the evening to illuminate the adjacent Rockbund courtyard and add elegance to the functional facade.

Inside the gallery, the 350 square-metre space is divided into two zones – a 150-square-metre main public viewing gallery and a private zone that houses VIP rooms and office space.

The pared-back, white VIP rooms feature contemporary furniture pieces with custom-made white tiles and a stained oak floor and were designed to create a relaxing environment, in which the attention can be focused on the art itself.

“The project’s understated material palette and overall conceptual underpinning lies in the juxtaposition of old and new, raw and refined, ordinary and spectacular,” said Neri&Hu.

“We hope one can appreciate the sublime beauty of the banal, as much as the brilliance of contemporary art,” it added.

Neri&Hu was founded by architects Lyndon Neri and Rosanna Hu in 2004 in Shanghai.

Other recent projects completed by the studio include the Sanya Wellness Retreat hotel on the Chinese island of Hainan and a fashion boutique with fabrics and marble screens.

The photography is by Zhu Runzi.

---

Project credits:

Partners-in-charge: Lyndon Neri, Rossana Hu
Associate-in-charge: Jacqueline Min
Senior interior designer-in-charge: Phil Wang
Design team: Rovi Qu
FF&E procurement: Design Republic
Contractors: ETQ Project (Shanghai) Limited