Gone are the days when a trip to the cinema was solely about the film. While movies (of course) remain central to the experience, cinemas are transforming into well-equipped spaces where audiences can linger before, during, and after a screening. And with films becoming longer (take Brady Corbet’s three-hour-long The Brutalist, with a built-in 15-minute intermission), flimsy plastic chairs simply won’t do. Architects are increasingly tasked with creating cinematic environments so striking, they could be scenes in the films themselves. Keep reading for Wallpaper*’s edit of must-see cinemas with award-worthy design.

The best cinema design around the world

Busan Cinema Centre

The Busan Cinema Centre, home to the South Korean city’s annual International Film Festival, is a melting pot of rich cultural programs, entertainment, and architecture. The complex, which opened in 2012 and was designed by the Viennese architecture studio Coop Himmelb(l)au, features an interplay of outdoor and indoor spaces sheltered by two roofs, whose exterior ceilings are clad with LED panels. The project won the International Architecture Award and the Chicago Athenaeum in 2007, alongside the Guinness World Record for the ‘longest cantilever roof’ in the world. The main building, known as Cinema Mountain, serves as a multipurpose entertainment centre, housing a three-screen multiplex, which includes one 400-seat and two 200-seat cinemas, as well as a 1,000-seat multifunctional theatre.

Busan Cinema Centre is located at 120 Suyeonggangbyeon-daero, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea; dureraum.org

Cinema Godard at Fondazione Prada, Milan

Fondazione Prada has long been engaged with the world of moving images, partnering with iconic filmmakers like Pedro Almodóvar, Danny Boyle, and Ava DuVernay, while also supporting conservation and funding initiatives. The foundation’s passion for cinema is palpable, with the bar at its Milan location designed by American filmmaker Wes Anderson. True to form, its in-house cinema also impresses. Designed by Dutch architecture studio OMA, which also created the rest of the 2015 complex, the multimedia auditorium features distinctive olive-green velvet chairs by AMO, OMA’s research arm, and movable walls that merge indoor and outdoor spaces. In late 2023, the cinema was renamed Cinema Godard in tribute to the influential Franco-Swiss director.

Cinema Godard is located at Fondazione Prada, L.go Isarco, 2, 20139 Milano, Italy; ticketing.fondazioneprada.org

Cineteca Madrid

A former 20th-century slaughterhouse is an unlikely setting for an ultra-modern cinema, but Spanish architects Churtichaga + Quadra-Salcedo certainly made it work. The 14-year-old Cineteca Madrid comprises a three-floor film archive, a studio, two cinemas, offices, a canteen, and a summer film patio. While dark grey wooden panels and neon lighting seem at odds with the building’s history, exposed bricks and preserved features integrate perfectly with the futuristic design. The standout element here is the permeable basket structures that filter orange LED light and double as lamps. In the main screening room, these baskets cover the walls and ceiling, casting a soft orange glow until the film begins, leaving only a black surface.

Cineteca is located at Pl. de Legazpi, 8, Arganzuela, 28045 Madrid, Spain; cinetecamadrid.com

Cineum Cannes

Nestled in the western district of La Bocca, Cineum Cannes stuns with a sculptural façade that fuses sleek lines and futuristic curves – the brainchild of French architect Rudy Ricciotti and Israeli designer Arik Levy. Cineum is the first cinema in Europe to feature the state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos sound system. The complex further brings out the city’s love for cinema with an immersive gallery and exhibition space dedicated to showcasing the behind-the-scenes of movies.

Cineum Cannes is located at 13 Av. Maurice Chevalier, 06150 Cannes, France; cineum.fr

Curzon Camden, London

Curzon is the go-to choice for Londoners craving an arthouse experience in a sleek setting. Among the group’s flagship venues in Mayfair and Soho, Curzon Camden stands out with its distinctive soft pink and green-hued design by Takero Shimazaki Architects, also responsible for Curzon Bloomsbury. Situated just off Camden High Street, the cinema is tucked beneath Railway Viaduct 4, forming one side of a narrow alley. It features five intimate screens, each seating 30 guests, alongside public spaces like a café and a popular New York-style bar. A blend of galvanized metal, plywood, structural steel, stone, and render creates a dynamic mix of textures, light, and shadow, offering a lush and welcoming atmosphere.

Curzon Camden is located at Arches N7 - N14, Dockray Pl, London NW1 8QD, UK; curzon.com

The Gem Cinema, Jaipur

The Gem Cinema, dreamed up by its founder, the late Lakshmi Kumar Kasliwal, and engineer PK Lauria, opened in 1964 with distinctive Art Deco elements and a 1,145-seat capacity. Featuring a state-of-the-art 70MM Stereophonic TODD AO sound system, it was only the second cinema in India to offer this advanced technology at the time. After closing in 2005 due to the rise of multiplexes, the cinema reopened in 2019 for the Jaipur International Film Festival with minimal changes. Spanning 18,000 sq ft, it remains Rajasthan’s largest theatre and arts venue. Now operated by Kasliwal’s son, the cinema upholds its tradition of screening a single film at a time – with its bold geometric design, vibrant colours, and obligatory curtain roll intact.

The Gem Cinema is located at Mirza Ismail Rd, Bapu Bazar, Biseswarji, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302003, India; @thegemcinema

Pálás Cinema, Galway

Pálás Cinema, envisioned by Irish studio dePaor Architects, sits at the heart of Galway’s old town and occupies the site of a former merchant house and garden. Comprising three screens, a bar, and a café, it creatively integrates into the plot through a redesigned façade that enhances both the streetscape and back-of-house areas, along with a new courtyard foyer. The building, with its slate pyramid roof and weathervane, stretches beyond Georgian plot boundaries. Made of reinforced concrete, it incorporates cantilevered walls and staircases, allowing ample natural light. Each cinema is adorned in red fabric, with the bottom draped, the middle ruched, and the top following the roof’s pitch.

Pálás Cinema is located at 15 Merchants Rd Lower, Galway, H91 F6DF, Ireland; palas.ie

Wushang Mall International Cinema

For Wushang Mall International Cinema, Hong Kongese architecture studio One Plus Partnership drew inspiration from the theme of a bustling city, with design choices mirroring an abstract urban landscape. The lobby features irregular, road-like shapes and intersecting lines, symbolising streets and skyscrapers. Meanwhile, the open ticket office and bar, connected by ramps, mimic a free-flowing city layout. Stone patterns are incorporated into metal panels, fabrics, and carpets, creating a natural, textured atmosphere. This extends into the auditoriums, where the earthy colours – orange-brown and red stone patterns – are used on sound-absorbing surfaces.

Wushang Mall International Cinema is located at Jiefang Avenue No.690 Wuhan International Plaza C Block Floor 7F Jianghan, Wuhan, Hubei China; meituan.com

In November 2021, Kyiv-based architecture firm Balbek Bureau was tasked with reimagining a decommissioned fuel tank at the Vernadsky Research Base, a Ukrainian station on Galindez Island in Antarctica, near the Kyiv Peninsula.

Commissioned by the National Antarctic Research Center with the support of the Silpo retail chain, the installation was conceived as an attraction for tourists and a ‘home away from home’ for polar researchers inhabiting the base. The brief required straightforward assembly, resistance to severe weather conditions, and had to safely coexist with the 3,500 penguins inhabiting the island. The installation is intended to be a permanent fixture in the landscape, so long as the penguins remain welcoming of the structure. 

Based on a composite image of a rural Ukrainian house, Balbek Bureau designed an installation in which a delicate metal frame resembling a pencil drawing wraps around the tank. On the exterior walls of the tank is a mini-exhibition, with boards displaying symbolic mementos encapsulated in epoxy resin, such as a fragment of a vyshyvanka (an embroidered shirt used in Ukrainian national costumes) and a sample of the Unesco-listed Kosiv painted ceramics.

But when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the project took on a new poignancy. The disassembled parts were delivered to the Vernadsky base in the spring of 2022, but construction was placed on hold while the war raged. In the spirit of resilience, architect and Balbek Bureau CEO Slava Balbek and Wonder Workshop head Dmytro Zinoviev (who was in charge of construction) travelled to Antarctica and complete the project. 

‘The art installation, designed a year before the invasion, took on a new meaning. For millions of people forced to flee their home towns and villages due to Russian aggression, returning home became their biggest dream,’ says Balbek. ‘Still, we believe that the war will end in our victory, and Ukrainians will create new memories from the safe haven of their home. And all the way in Antarctica, for researchers and tourists alike, our house will continue to stand strong, a true memento of Ukraine.’

balbek.com

Architecture, painting, sculpture and design – Demas Nwoko has been celebrated in every area of his creative endeavours. He is a pioneer of Nigeria’s modern art movement, and his architecture is innovative while drawing on traditional African construction, belying his lack of formal architecture training (he prefers the title ‘artist-designer’). He is particularly known for developing mitigations for the tropical climate, promoting principles of sustainability decades before it came to dominate mainstream thinking, and influencing a younger generation of architects.

The son of a traditional ruler, Nwoko was born in 1935 in Idumuje-Ugboko, a rural town in southern Nigeria, and he cultivated his talent in painting, drawing and carving at secondary school in Benin City, where he moved in 1951. Nwoko initially planned to study architecture at Nigeria’s College of Art, Science and Technology, based in Zaria, but on discovering that the course primarily focused on developing technical drawing skills rather than creative expression, he pivoted to fine arts. The curriculum did not include African art, even though traditional African art was already influencing fine arts in Europe, prompting Nwoko and fellow students, including Yusuf Grillo, Uche Okeke, Bruce Onobrakpeya and Simon Okeke, to create the Zaria Art Society. They promoted the idea of ‘natural synthesis’, combining their Western art education with African ideas. Later, the group became popularly known as the ‘Zaria Rebels’. ‘Some saw it as a rebellion against the way art was being taught, but I didn’t see it that way. We were only trying to complement. We weren’t at all rebellious,’ says Nwoko. ‘In fact, we were most friendly with our teachers.’ 

Demas Nwoko: work and life

Art school was followed by a year-long scholarship in Paris to study theatre, stage design and fresco painting. In 1962, he returned to Nigeria to lecture at the newly- formed School of Drama at the prestigious University of Ibadan. During this period, Nwoko and his colleagues from the Art Society, along with their peers across the arts, created a postcolonial modernist collective. They went on to establish spaces such as the Mbari Writers and Artists Club, developing a new art that blended African and Western modernist aesthetics, forms and processes to reflect the spirit of political independence. Nwoko remembers ‘there were a few of us saying that the new should grow out of the old, while the rest were swept [away] with modernisation.’

Nwoko laments Nigeria’s reliance on the West for imported materials and goods, and is committed to sourcing local materials and resources. Drawing on vernacular architecture across Africa, he applies ancient practices to solve contemporary problems. He says, ‘If we had kept faith with how our own ancestors did it, we would have reached a certain level with sensible management of natural resources for even the Western world to learn from. They’re using far too much energy for whatever they’re achieving.’ 

Nwoko’s first commission, in 1970, to build the complex for the Dominican Institute in Ibadan, was serendipitous. He was approached by members of the Ibadan chapter of the Dominican Order to design a plaque for their altar, after they had visited an exhibition of his terracotta sculptures. When Nwoko discovered that they were yet to build the chapel, he volunteered his services as an architect. ‘I was landed with a commission to build an African chapel without any formal architectural training. I had to train myself in architectural drawing,’ he says. He later went on to also design the living quarters and education spaces for the Institute. 
Nwoko’s design for the chapel was based on a paper he had written about art in religion, synthesising all religions around the world into a single structure. He used the towers of the ancient adobe mosques of Timbuktu in Mali as a central motif, and added to the design as he would when painting or sculpting. ‘Painting, you build it up. Sculpture, you build it up. You keep adding things depending on what you want to express, the aesthetic message you want to send out. So everything grew,’ he says. 

The most distinguished feature of the chapel at the Dominican Institute is the magical quality of the light, according to Joseph Conteh, a British-Sierra-Leonean architect who studied Nwoko’s work as part of his seven-year research project into African architecture. Conteh explains that the light enters the altar from above, making a direct reference to God in heaven. ‘The light comes in, it filters, it diffuses,’ he says, describing the beauty in the way Nwoko plays with the ever-changing natural resource. 

The details within the building are impeccable, including 12 individually carved columns reflecting the 12 disciples in the Christian Bible, and the striking free-form design of the stained glass panels. Externally, the reinforced concrete tower is an intricate, sculptural element rising up to the highest point of the site, while elaborately worked metal is used as functional and decorative screens on the building’s exterior. Nwoko says he specifically sought to include ‘the aesthetic essence of African art’ in his architecture. That being, ‘the expressionistic tendency – the highly expressive nature of making forms and colour to come to life. Generally in life, every article of use was imbued with such creative expressions, both in form and colour, which every citizen, irrespective of class, enjoyed.’ 

In 1977, two years after the institute’s completion, critic Noel Moffett wrote in the journal of the Royal Institute of British Architects: ‘Here, under a tropical sun, architecture and sculpture combine in a way which only Gaudí perhaps, among architects, has been able to do so convincingly.’ It continues to be considered an architectural landmark today.

Nwoko started building his New Culture Studio and private residence in Ibadan in 1967. The project, which remains a work in progress, started as a private space for his own use, but was later extended and changed into a publicly accessible art hub. It also became a model for the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre, a public building in the ancient city of Benin, the capital of Edo State in southern Nigeria. Nwoko started work on the Benin City project in 1972. However, according to John Godwin and Gillian Hopwood’s 2007 publication The Architecture of Demas Nwoko, the Cultural Centre suffered from ‘intermittent funding’ and therefore did not open officially until 1993. 

Nwoko’s private residence was his opportunity to experiment with laterite, a type of soil commonly found in Nigeria. It was typically used in Nigerian vernacular architecture, but the government had banned its use in construction. ‘Most of the towns were all built in mud and most of those buildings are still standing to this day,’ Nwoko says. ‘They’re more than 100 years old. They’re durable and very conducive to our environment, so I don’t see why we’ve thrown them away.’ He managed to circumvent the law by adding ten per cent cement to the laterite in order to form what he calls ‘latcrete’ blocks. These blocks were also used in the outer cladding of the Akenzua Cultural Centre, mimicking the façade of the closely situated Oba’s palace.

An amphitheatre inspired by Greek theatre takes centre stage at the studio and residence in Ibadan, which is arranged over three floors and occupies 300m of hillside. Nwoko visited the ancient Greek amphitheatre in Epidaurus, drawing connections between the site and the small theatre within his father’s palace in Idumuje- Ugboko. With the studio’s amphitheatre, he was keen to enhance the audience’s experience of African theatre by recreating the acoustics of traditional Greek theatre, without the use of elaborate sound panelling and engineering. He transferred those learnings to the project in Benin City. 

A striking example of Nwoko’s translation of indigenous aesthetic sensibilities into modern forms and materials is the home and studio in his hometown of Idumuje-Ugboko, where he has lived since 1977. The signature pitched overhanging roof, which ‘crowns’ the building is emblematic of his work and references traditional houses from the 1920s in south-eastern Nigeria, while the ridged external columns mimic the fluted walls found in the Oba’s palace in Benin City.

The construction of this rural home provided the perfect opportunity to apply ventilation principles originally explored at his residence in Ibadan. The central feature is an atrium with a fibreglass lined funnel, or impluvium, entering the space from above. This captures and carries a controlled stream of rainwater from the roof into the house, helping to cool its interior. As light translates to heat, Nwoko designs his houses with subdued natural illumination, creating a sense of serenity to the cool environment. 

The laterite blocks created an insulating effect, helping to control internal temperatures. Nwoko explains in Godwin and Hopwood’s book that ‘comfortable room temperatures are achieved when air is let in and out of the house at a slow rate […] through carefully provided openings both at the ground level and above the head’. Conteh highlights exquisite details such as the carved doors, which differ in design on either side. He also points to what he calls the ‘variation in similarity’ of the brickwork. It appears uniform, but there’s subtle variation in the pigmentation of each brick. This reflects Nwoko’s aesthetic principle that one should always discover something new when observing the same object. 

Adeyemo Shokunbi, architect and co-creative director at Patrickwaheed Design Consultancy, says the project’s materiality, spatial arrangement, and the way Nwoko » manipulates heat and light are a huge source of inspiration. ‘It doesn’t have any mechanical means of ventilation,’ he says, referring to the highly effective cooling principles applied. ‘Everything is natural.’ 

Once discovered, Nwoko’s buildings are cherished and embraced. However, many architects around the world remain unfamiliar with them. Olufemi Majekodunmi, the former president of the International Union of Architects, says the designer was never mentioned or taught during his many years in academia in Nigeria. ‘Maybe it’s because we have this penchant for academic qualifications,’ Majekodunmi says. ‘His work should be studied more. He was much more innovative than those of us who went to architecture school.’ British-trained Shokunbi says his entire design perspective shifted after discovering Nwoko’s work and philosophies. Apart from adding laterite to his palette of materials, he’s more intentional about how to create ‘within the context of where I’m practising my architecture’.

Nwoko’s legacy is undoubtedly his demonstration of how tradition and modernity, and African aesthetics alongside internationally developed practices, can create innovative and effective responses to design questions. He warns against building ‘a world without people’ through the large-scale industrialisation model of development that employs destructive and unsustainable building practices. 

Nwoko continues to use his work as an artistic expression of what Nigeria could become if it harnessed its resources. He recently completed the design for a new chapel in Ewu, a town not far from Idumuje-Ugboko, and construction is expected to start in the coming months. He plans to complete the New Culture Studio in Ibadan, addinga long-awaited retractable roof to the amphitheatre, and furniture he has designed. Following this, he wants to launch a design school where architects and artisans can come together to learn and explore ideas. Books about his life and projects are also in the works. ‘My joy is people enjoying the work, and that’s the beginning and end of the work for me,’ Nwoko says. ‘I’m just a designer and I design solutions.’

Artist, designer and architect Demas Nwoko has been announced as the recipient of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Biennale Architettura 2023. The decision was approved by La Biennale’s Board of Directors chaired by Roberto Cicutto, upon recommendation of the Curator of the 18th International Architecture Exhibition, Lesley Lokko. The awards ceremony will be held at the biennale's opening, on the 20th May 2023. 

INFORMATION

A version of this article appears in the October 2022 Legends Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Sugar House Island is a work in progress, the construction workers are not expected to leave until 2024, but a sense of the future atmosphere is already starting to emerge. A short distance from Stratford and the Olympic Park, a series of staid mid-rise structures will sit alongside a number of the area’s old warehouses and factories. It is in one of these older buildings, formerly owned by an ink manufacturing outfit, that The Talent House will be established. The Talent House offers a base to two organisations: UD Music – which was established in 2000 to create a platform for the next generation of artists, entrepreneurs and creatives in Black music; and East London Dance – which champions dancers and producers emerging within the contemporary and street dance genres. 

The shared building has a sense of vibrancy, with a natural interplay between the architecture and the passionate people working within. Entering from the street into a glazed atrium, one is as likely to find a troupe of dancers running through an impromptu performance as a group of producers wrapping up the final plans for a gig later that day. This is a recurring theme within the building; every space is appropriated for gathering, creating and exchange. 

The extension to the original factory building was completed by Waugh Thistleton Architects, but the spatial planning and design detail were executed by Citizens Design Bureau. Though the new wing is solely for UD Music members, the shared facilities, wayfinding signage by Templo and the communal staircase allow the two organisations to neatly interlink. The staircase and the gangways that connect the two parts of the building are the only places where the building’s cross-laminated timber structure is evident. Elsewhere, it has been encased in linings that serve to improve the aesthetics and acoustics.

On the ground floor, a shared social hub is illuminated by natural light streaming in through the original large openings – offering a place to debrief and socialise. Across in the new wing, there are a series of teaching spaces; a 21-desk tech lab for entry-level music education and production; a library; and a lecture theatre, which doubles as a flexible events space. On the level above, a warren of vocal booths and music production rooms sits alongside a large live room. All of these spaces have been finished to the highest acoustic standards and come complete with the consoles and audio equipment to make musical wizardry happen. These spaces are all part of the viability strategy for the building – ensuring it is a key part of making and engaging with Black culture in London.

Also on the first floor are the shared offices for the two organisations, featuring a dot-grid plywood wall lining that reappears throughout the building. Citizens Design Bureau has clearly thought through the needs of the end users, with a range of workspaces: meeting booths, open hot-desking space and quiet pods for focused work. The bespoke ply-cardboard desks that are dotted around the offices and throughout the whole building have a refined ‘rough-and-ready’ look, specially designed for The Talent House by architect Katy Marks. 

At the top of the original building, East London Dance has its largest dance studio, a vaulted space top-lit by a large circular opening in the north wall. It is a clean, and crisply finished space ready for inhabitation. This space typifies the approach across the whole of the building. Here, ‘all are welcome', says Pamela McCormick, director at UD music. 

Between UD Music and East London Dance, roughly 65 per cent of end users are from BAME backgrounds in some of London’s poorest boroughs, yet the design doesn’t appropriate cliché motifs to make a symbol out of that fact. The £4.1m budget has clearly worked hard and produced a sophisticated building that befits the sophisticated talent development platform. 

INFORMATION
citizensdesignbureau.net

waughthistleton.com

Following five years of preparation, the building for the Photo Elysée and Mudac in Lausanne has now been completed. The structure, an elegant concrete building defined by minimalist architecture geometries and a robust look, is the brainchild of Portuguese architect Manuel Aires Mateus and his Lisbon-based team. Part of the city's growing art district, this museum hub is a key cultural destination for Lausanne, and Switzerland as a whole. 

Right from the outset and the studio's competition entry, Aires Mateus’ design united the two museums and their collections and programmes seamlessly in a single building. The organisers explain: ‘A “box” for photography, a “box” for design, united by a meeting space, a place for living together, as an extension of the public space, in the perspective of Plateforme 10. An invitation to a walk.'

Spanning more than 1,500 sq m of exhibition space and a wealth of outdoor areas in the form of green gardens, patios and a green roof, the project is set to become a hub of cultural and social activity for the city. The complex consists of two interconnected wings that offer ample, clean exhibition halls. A dramatic central staircase not only connects the two sections of the building programme but also offers a sense of arrival, monumentality and clarity in the arrangement's vision. 

Light played a key role in sculpting the forms inside and out. Skylights, strategically placed slits on the wall and larger openings come together to create a masterfully illuminated interior. ‘We wanted visitors, no matter where they stand in the foyer, to always be in plain view, with the impression of being outside. Our aim was to trigger a particular spatial sensation. For us, this was the architecture’s main role,' says Aires Mateus.

Meanwhile, a café, a library and a bookshop complement the flexible exhibition areas, making this a functional and considered whole. ‘The halls have to be neutral enough to allow for frequent changes in the scenography. We designed a foyer with well-defined spaces, while the exhibition areas remain open to allow for free use,' the architect adds.

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airesmateus.com

Freehaus has just completed its reimagining of a 1960s building in London's Southwark into the new home of The Africa Centre – an ‘embassy of optimism’ for pan-African culture. The established London institution has been planning a move for some time, after 60 years in its previous, Covent Garden base. The London architecture studio led by co-founders Jonathan Hagos and Tom Bell won the competition for the new location's design in 2019. Fast forward three years and one pandemic, and the new Africa Centre is about to open its doors, ready to boost culture and community in its immediate locality and beyond.

‘Southwark is home to the largest Black African community in London and therefore, possibly, the whole of the UK,’ notes Hagos. ‘We looked at the organisation's five key pillars – community, entrepreneurship, intellectual leadership, culture and education – and worked on different spaces in the building that cater to their needs.’ Now, the redesigned structure – which used to be a fairly conventional office building – has been reconfigured to host a café and restaurant on the ground floor, a bar upstairs, an exhibition space on the second floor, and an education and digital hub, and a business centre in the top two levels (these last two areas are still work-in-progress, subject to additional funding).

Openness was central to the design development. ‘We wondered how to make [the space] uniquely African and welcoming, and what “welcoming” means,’ Hagos says. ‘We wanted to avoid stereotypes but also celebrate shared traditions, the idea of being pan-African.' Extensive research led the team to draw inspiration from references such as the work of David Adjaye in creating cultural institutions for Black and Afro-centric organisations; former Africa Centre trustee Chris Spring’s book African Art Close-up; African Architecture Evolution and Transformation by Nnamdi Elleh; the work of Burkinabé architect Francis Kéré; and Atelier Masōmī’s Hikma religious and secular complex in Dandaji, Niger. 

Just as the centre is conceived as a beacon of Pan-African culture, a symbol of both unity and diversity within the continent, the project was also the result of a collaboration between several parties, as Freehaus worked closely with interior designer Tola Ojuolape, structural engineers Price & Myers, art curator Alexia Walker, and brand designer Mam’gobozi Design Factory. As a result, the interiors are rich and layered, working on various scales and combining a carefully considered palette of colours, textures and furniture, inspired by and often sourced from the African continent. The quality of light was another element that played a significant role in forming the spaces and choosing the final materials, while details such as the wall colour gradient ensure the space is subtly fine-tuned, offering more than meets the eye at first glance. 

‘It was important to us that materials are not homogeneous, you can see the particles that make them and there’s transparency and honesty there,’ Hagos points out. The walls, covered in a textured clay plaster painted in tones of salmon pink and indigo blue, are a case in point. Other key interior elements are the arches sculpted across the ground floor and a large-scale mural that hangs in the feature staircase that unites the social spaces of the ground and first floors. The artwork was painstakingly removed, restored, and brought here from The Africa Centre's old home in Covent Garden. At the same time, the architects kept a close eye on the building’s energy efficiency, adopting a range of low- and zero-carbon strategies to make sure it performs in an environmentally friendly way.

The balance of it all pays off, as the completed bar and restaurant spaces, destined to carry the largest numbers of people, spilling out to outdoor terraces in the front and back of the building on both levels, feel welcoming and open. ‘I had in mind the cover of a Marvin Gaye album,' Hagos says, referring to the artist’s I Want You album sleeve, ‘where you can see Black people coming together and enjoying themselves.’ The team's vision is for this powerful image to come to life once the new home for The Africa Centre is up and running, offering a dynamic hub for creativity, ideas and cultural exchange like no other, with the African continent at its heart.

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freehausdesign.com

A beloved cultural hub, the Te Pae Convention and Exhibition Centre was destroyed in the devastation of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Now, thanks to efforts of local authorities and the wider community – the space was identified as one of 11 ‘anchor projects’ vital to rebuilding the city – the popular local facility has a new home. The space has just opened its doors to a design by architects Woods Bagot from Australia and Warren & Mahoney from New Zealand, in consultation with arts, culture and heritage advocate Puamiria Parata-Goodall, who worked for the Matapopore Charitable Trust and acted as the mana whenua (meaning ‘people of the land' in Māori) voice in the city’s recovery to ensure First Nations Ngāi Tūāhuriri (one of the five primary hapu - sub tribes - that are absorbed under the term Ngāi Tahu) and Ngāi Tahu (the principal Māori iwi - tribe - of the South Island) narratives are realised within the recovery of Christchurch. 

The design is a striking, flowing building clad in some 43,000 individually designed and numbered façade tiles. It incorporates craft elements and smart spatial planning, as well as rich cultural meaning. ‘The ancestral bones of the Ngāi Tahu people are in this land. Across the rebuilt city, the new Ōtautahi (Christchurch) reflects both its Ngāi Tahu and European history. Māori language, art and stories are recognised and celebrated like they haven’t been before,' Parata-Goodall says.

The structure's fluid form not only marks a departure from the typical, ‘rectangular box' appearance of convention halls across the world, but it also mirrors New Zealand’s iconic Southern Alps – an important reference that ties the structure to its land. Its body faces the nearby river, connecting visitors to the waterfront. ‘From inside, framed views out curate the site for you. Views from the function room back to Cathedral Square; the opening out onto Victoria Square; the leaning toward the river – these were very specific moves to make the building engage strongly with what’s around it,' says Woods Bagot's Bruno Mendes. ‘I think that's what's special about the project. You’re connected to Christchurch and it couldn't be anywhere else.'

The aim, the architects stress, was for this building to represent everyone, so it can resonate with both Māori and Pākehā (white) New Zealanders. In this pledge, drawing from the site and surrounding land was critical in forming an architecture informed by the landscape and ‘the Ngāi Tahu traditions which explain the creation of the landscape that is rich and diverse, and ready for human habitation', they explain. The key cultural values used to develop the design were ‘Whakapapa' (identity and connection to place); ‘Mana Motuhake' (independence and autonomy); ‘Manaakitanga' (charity, hospitality, reciprocity, and respect to others); ‘Ture wairua' (faith); and ‘Mahinga Kai' (cultivation, gathering and use of food). These themes are celebrated in displays and narratives inside the building.

At the same time, functionality sits at the heart of the design. Smartly arranged and comfortable, the building can host up to 2,000 delegates at a time. The main spaces inside are the 1,400-seat auditorium, the flexible envelope of the exhibition hall, the more austere and minimalist administration offices, and pre-function spaces. Timber cladding in the main lobby not only adds a nature-orientated tone but also nods to the land's forests, highlighting once more how the project was conceived to bridge use and meaning. 

INFORMATION

woodsbagot.com

warrenandmahoney.com

Located at Töölönlahti Bay, Pikku-Finlandia (‘Little Finlandia’) sits at the heart of Helsinki’s Töölönlahti park. Developed along the southern shoreline, the park is a cultural oasis, home to the Finnish capital's winter garden and main opera house. Here, the new building is set to act as a temporary replacement for the famous Finlandia Hall by Finnish modernist architecture master Alvar Aalto, which is undergoing renovation. Demountable and built of wood, including whole tree trunks fully on show, it is an impressive piece of sustainable architecture; yet perhaps the most amazing thing about it is that Pikku-Finlandia was born as a bold student thesis.  

In 2019, architecture students Jaakko Torvinen, Elli Wendelin and Havu Järvelä submitted a student competition entry at the Aalto University’s School of Arts, Design and Architecture for a transportable wooden building to serve as an event and restaurant space that would temporarily replace Finlandia Hall while it was being restored. Their project was announced the winner and is now realised as Pikku-Finlandia. The building follows a rectangular, modular grid made of unprocessed pine, its branches still visible. The long side of the building exposes a sequence of structural pine columns, creating a feeling of being on the ‘edge of a forest’. As Europe’s most richly forested country, Finland is covered by predominantly coniferous species, including Scots pine, that span some 75 per cent of its land (almost 20 million hectares).

The 2,300 sq m multipurpose building has a capacity of 1000 people and consists of a single floor hosting a café, four halls and a cabinet. The design is flexible and modular, and the halls can be connected to form larger spaces for events and catering as needed. One of the four halls, Kelo Hall opens to a bright lobby, its long glass façade highlighting views from inside towards the landscape of Töölönlahti bay. 

Wendelin and Torvinen collaborated on their thesis, and titled it ‘From Finlandia Forest to Pikku-Finlandia – design for a transportable wooden building’. Wendelin focused on the carbon footprint of the building, as a transportable structure, and the lifecycle of the pine wood. Torvinen researched efficient and accessible ways of disassembling the structure in future through principles of reverse building design. The team, alongside their professor Pekka Heikkinen, handpicked 95 pine trunks from the southern boreal forest in Loviisa, and used a pressure washer to peel the bark and preserve the organic shape and finish of the pine.

Initially created by Torvinen, the design concept was further developed alongside fellow students Wendelin, Havu Järvelä and Stine Pedersen. After the concept was chosen to be realised, members of the team continued working on the design in collaboration with Helsinki-based architecture firm Arkkitehdit NRT Oy, and Heikkinen. 

Pikku-Finlandia can, and will, be transported to a new location once the renovations in Finlandia Hall are completed by 2025. The striking, yet relatively modest piece of eco-friendly architecture is designed to be dismantled, rebuilt, repurposed and eventually recycled. As a multipurpose space, it can be used as an educational venue, for example, visiting other parts of Helsinki or Finland in the next 30 years, which is its estimated life span.

INFORMATION

jaakkotorvinen.com

Huang Wenjing and Li Hu came of age as architects in New York, after they graduated from Beijing’s Tsinghua University in the 1990s. It was there – while Li was at Steven Holl Architects and Huang at Pei Cobb Freed & Partners – that they had the idea of starting their own practice. Having gained more experience and a clearer understanding of architecture, the pair eventually opened their Beijing office, Open Architecture, in 2008, the year of the Beijing Summer Olympics, on one of the capital’s distinctive hutongs; their office is still there today.

The name Open Architecture was inspired by the type of open-source computer hardware or software that allows a simple, free and customizable interchange of components. One of the pair’s earlier projects, Beehive Dorm, a 2009 modular building system made from prefabricated steel-framed hexagonal cells, could be seen as a direct architectural realization of this principle.

The practice’s breakthrough project was the Beijing No.4 High School Fangshan Campus (widely known as the ‘Garden School’) in 2014. At the time, local authorities were aiming to move away from standard inner city schools – a big block adjacent to a vast, usually empty field – and build schools with more natural outdoor environments. ‘There is a huge demand for better education as the population is getting more affluent, and we wanted to create a new typology for schools,’ says Li. Open’s design placed communal facilities, such as the canteen, auditorium and gymnasium, underground, while covering the site with gardens that reached over the rooftops, giving a view of nature to the students and staff in the classrooms, laboratories and offices.

This unconventional approach to space redefined the various formal and informal educational areas, and led to new thinking about openness, interaction and creativity in a learning environment. With Shanghai’s Qingpu Pinghe International School in 2020, the studio took the theme further by turning the campus into a village with 13 buildings stretching across a landscaped, 50,350 sq m site that included a library and theatre called the Bibliotheater, which is open to the public. It was a site-specific solution to local needs – as all their projects are.

When Open Architecture launched, China was facing an explosion of urban development that brought plentiful opportunities – even though this came hand in hand with a fair amount of chaos. ‘On our return, we had to readjust ourselves culturally to the way we work. We used to struggle with the lack of definition and clarity in many situations,’ Huang recalls. ‘But then we learnt to first identify the problems in the chaos and then see what the possibilities were.’ A unique challenge for architects in China is that they are often commissioned to create a cultural building without knowing its eventual contents or even its intended use. ‘In tandem with China’s economic boom and rapid urbanisation, the country is at a point when we need more cultural buildings; there is a strong push from the top down, but there are not enough local creatives yet,’ says Li.

For Shenzhen’s 2019 Pingshan Performing Arts Center, the design brief was extremely limited – a grand theatre was needed for a newly developed district. Yet, conversely, the lack of specifics gave the architects the freedom to project their own vision for the building – an institution that connected with the general public and enriched everyday urban life. Huang and Li studied the country’s theatres and assembled a team of experts to put in place a comprehensive scheme for both the building design and its future programming. So successful was their proposal that it was adopted by the site’s operators once they took over.

As one of the leading players in a new generation of Chinese architects, Open is now defining the nation’s built environment on its own terms, understanding both the existing culture and its future potential. As a research-based practice, it conceives its work along two parallel lines that inform each other: one is studying to produce ideas and critiques, and the other designing buildings that generate revenue for them.

Adaptive reuse is one of Open’s key areas of research, as another recent project displays. Along the banks of Shanghai’s Huangpu River, now the West Bund Culture Corridor, was a dilapidated site with five decommissioned aviation fuel tanks and other forgotten relics of the city’s former airport. Paying tribute to the site’s industrial past, while also seeking to dissolve conventional perceptions of art institutions with formidable walls, they created Tank Shanghai, an art centre-cum-open park, in 2019. The tanks are now linked via a new basement, while two new gallery spaces sit in the surrounding landscape. Lush greenery laces the different elements in the 47,450 sq m site. Called the ‘Super-Surface’, it provides much-needed parkland in a city that is less than 20 per cent green space. The site has since seen a return of urban wildlife. 

‘We had trouble documenting the space because the photographers can’t see where the architecture is,’ adds Huang. ‘But we embedded some hints throughout the landscape – there is an oculus and openings on the tanks that suggest activities; most of the architecture is happening inside.’ A similar gesture can be experienced at the 2018 UCCA Dune Art Museum, located on a quiet beach in Qinhuangdao. Resembling a primeval habitat, it is a series of connected cave-like structures beneath the sand dunes, each housing a different space. Skylights bring nature into the underground structures, which offer shelter for the body and soul.

Their designs have a lot to do with coexisting with nature, says Huang, and one of their latest works is a fitting example. Extruded from remnants of the Great Wall, the 2021 Chapel of Sound is a semi-outdoor concert hall situated in an uninhabited valley in Chengde. It was designed in pursuit of the purest experience of sound. The chapel’s exterior is a rugged mix of concrete and crushed local rock that feels otherworldly and timeless; its layered structure made it simple to build (and thus feasible in its remote location) while echoing the striated rock formations of the nearby mountains. The compact structure houses a semi-outdoor amphitheatre and an alfresco stage, including a rooftop viewing ‘plateau’ looking over the valley and nearby Great Wall. In the words of the architects, its existence is ‘collecting, reflecting and resonating with nature’.

Currently under construction in Yantai, Shandong, the Sun Tower is a key upcoming project: a monolith with a similarly unearthly presence. Its conical form is sliced open to create a half-enclosed structure, its floors connecting to a winding exhibition space to be filled with digital contents. At the top of the tower is an expanse that looks over the splendours of the natural world; water features in the plaza beneath pay homage to the 24 solar terms of the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar, and a water channel marks the equinoxes.

The Sun Tower is destined to be a landmark; Li also wants it to ‘evoke the ancient rituals of nature-worship while providing much-needed cultural facilities in the newly urbanized district’. Open Architecture seeks to meet people’s physical, cultural and aesthetic needs, while avoiding the often overwhelming bureaucratic and financial obstacles that still hamper architectural development in China. The practice flourishes because it seamlessly weaves social benefit into its creations. The pair conclude: ‘We hope we can bring out the multifaceted nature of China. What we have come to realize is that people have many more similarities than differences in how they want their lives to be.’

INFORMATION

Open Architecture’s monograph, Reinventing Cultural Architecture, written by Catherine Shaw (£35, Rizzoli), is out now

openarch.com

A version of this article appears in the May 2022 issue of Wallpaper*. Subscribe today!

After a four year renovation and expansion project, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) has once again reopened its doors. Selldorf Architects has taken the helm on the project, which now offers four times the amount of gallery space, two levels of galleries and a public park, as well as giving access to stunning views over the Pacific Coast.

The opening marks the culmination of a project which began in 2014, when Selldorf Architects planned to not only increase the gallery space from the existing 10,000 square feet to 40,000 square feet, but also allow for both MCASD’s permanent collections and visiting exhibitions.

Annabelle Selldorf on the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

‘With the Selldorf expansion, MCASD’s flagship building is, at last, scaled to showcase the work it has collected over the past decades,’ says Kathryn Kanjo, director and CEO of MCASD. ‘Soaring ceilings and natural light allow for inviting displays of the collection alongside lively changing exhibitions. The design honours the Museum’s rich architectural history as it frames distinctive views of the village and the coast, providing an updated space for the art and for today’s audience.’

For principal architect Annabelle Selldorf, the goal was both to install an inclusive spirit in the design, and make the most of the dramatic location on the La Jolla coastline, with new seaside terraces offering views over the Pacific Ocean. ‘The addition to MCASD provides new gallery space to the south of the existing buildings,’ she says. ‘In shifting the centre of gravity and entry sequence, we were able to knit together different geometries and achieve an overall volume of the museum that reads as one and nevertheless respects the presence of architectural expressions of multiple generations of the institution.’

By working in harmony with the location, the design ultimately opens up the gallery to the elements, making for an open and welcoming space. Kanjo adds: ‘The architecture connects the experience of art to the experience of nature in a way that didn’t previously exist. The design rejects the notion of the hermetically sealed white cube and instead brings the outdoors into the museum space. Selldorf Architects has opened up MCASD and let in the light.’ 

INFORMATION

mcasd.org

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we recall conversations with some of our favourite architects to discuss dream projects, heroines and how to navigate the architecture world. Traversing video games to airports, successes to challenges, we hear about smashing the glass ceiling from Farshid Moussavi, Christina Seilern, Pernilla Ohrstedt and Design, Bitches. These quotes are an inspiration for us on International Women’s Day 2022.

Four leading architects for International Women’s Day

Farshid Moussavi

Iranian-born architect Farshid Moussavi is principal of London-based Farshid Moussavi Architecture, which was founded in 2011 and has completed MOCA Cleveland – Moussavi's first museum commission and her first building in the United States – and the Victoria Beckham Flagship Store in London, with upcoming projects including 
the Ismaili Centre Houston. Prior to FMA, Moussavi co-founded Foreign Office Architects (FOA) which headed up projects such as the Yokohama International Ferry Terminal in Japan.

Wallpaper*: Career highlight to date?

Farshid Moussavi: Designing something which is twice as large as the QE2 cruise ship.

W*: Dream project?

FM: A project where its ambitions are far greater than its means.

W*: Who is your heroine?

FM: My mother.

W*: How to navigate the architecture world?

FM: Given the unpredictable nature of contemporary reality, it is necessary to research and practice architecture in tandem. In this way, processes of change can be harnessed to shape the future built environment.

Christina Seilern

Christina Seilern founded Studio Seilern Architects in 2006 and since then has built up a broad portfolio of work spanning typologies and geographies. The London-based practice has recently completed projects such as the Wellington College Performing Arts Centre. Seilern worked as founding and design director of Rafael Viñoly Architects London before setting up her own practice.

Wallpaper*: Career highlight to date?

Christina Seilern: Every project seems to become a career highlight.  But I would say that my first project Gota Dam in Zimbabwe will always hold a special place in my heart. The clients became dear friends through the process and the project still takes my breath away. The site is spectacular. 

W*: Dream project?

CS: I have always wanted to do an airport.

W*: Who is your heroine?

CS: Jeanne d’Arc: Fearless and a risk taker. She ignored all conventions.

W*: How to navigate the architecture world?

CS: With a lot of humour. It is a very demanding job that requires a lot of focus and a thick skin. I try to make it fun...

Pernilla Ohrstedt

Pernilla Ohrstedt’s London-based architecture and design practice, Pernilla Ohrstedt Studio is known for its work creatively combining the disciplines from architecture, art, design and fashion. With collaborators such as Vitra, Coca-Cola – designing a bright pavilion in collaboration with Asif Khan for the Olympics in London – Colette, the Venice Architecture Biennale and Storefront for Art and Architecture. The studio recently received an honourable mention for its proposal for the new Museum of London.

Wallpaper*: Career highlight to date?

Pernilla Ohrstedt: Being shortlisted for the Museum of London competition with Lacaton & Vassal, for which we received a special commendation. Working with Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philipe Vassal was a true career highlight. I am hugely inspired by the work that they do – I believe we would have created a spectacular and important project for London.

W*: Dream project?

PO: At the moment we are working on an exciting exhibition about video game design for the V&A. These fantastic and increasingly diverse digital worlds will slowly merge with our physical world and will refine the essential qualities of physical space. A dream project would be one that explores this in a public space or building. 

W*: Who is your heroine?

PO: Anne Lacaton of course, but also Sejima who makes unbelievable projects become reality – I would love to understand how she makes that happen. And then Lina Bo Bardi who has been a heroine since I first started studying architecture – her projects are still hugely important to me. 

W*: How to navigate the architecture world?

PO: We have been fortunate to have worked with some truly inspired clients and collaborators. For the past five years we have been working with Vitra and its CEO Nora Fehlbaum on a series of projects exploring the hugely relevant topic of the future of work. Throughout these years we have developed a series of diverse projects from showrooms, events and publications, continually expanding our list of collaborators. Designer and writer Jonathan Olivares has been working with us on the project from the start and has become a very close friend and creative partner — and this year we are also working with Selgascano, Sevil Peach and Barber Osgerby. These creative relationships are what really matters.

Design, Bitches

Co-founded by Catherine Johnson and Rebecca Rudolph in 2010, Design, Bitches is a Los Angeles-based firm that advocates for architecture that is strongly connected to everyday life. Featured in Wallpaper* magazine's Architects' Directory in 2016, the young American firm said: ‘Human interaction is key’. The office’s multidisciplinary team have set their sights on expanding their scope, scale and geographic span. Recent projects include Little Octopus in Nashville, the Counter Culture Training Centre in Silverlake, Los Angeles and Superba Food+Bread in Venice, Los Angeles.

Wallpaper*: Career highlight to date?

Design, Bitches: Receiving the Emerging Practice Award from the American Institute of Architects Los Angeles this year, and having completed over 40 built projects during our first five years in practice.

W*: Dream project?

DB: Public park with pavilions and performance spaces

W*: Who is your heroine?

DB: Ruth Bader Ginsburg

W*: How to navigate the architecture world?

DB: Build it!

INFORMATION

farshidmoussavi.com

studioseilern.com

pernilla-ohrstedt.com

designbitches.com

Argo Factory Contemporary Art Museum & Cultural Centre, the first hub of its kind to be built in Tehran in over 40 years, was completed and due to launch in 2020. Yet due to the pandemic and local political circumstances in Iran, it's only now that the team behind it, Iranian-Austrian architect Ahmadreza Schricker, founder of ASA North, and his client, Pejman Foundation, are able to celebrate its opening.

The project is the ambitious conversion of the 1920s Argo Factory – a 480 sq m brewery in downtown Tehran – into a 1,850 sq m home for the arts. The majestic, beautifully monolithic building complex now spans six gallery halls, an auditorium, a library, artist residency and event spaces, a private studio apartment, retail, and a VIP observation deck – there is even a re-issued Argo non-alcoholic draft beer bar.

The project was part restoration, part new build, as the architecture team, including collaborating architects Hobgood Architects (headed by Patrick Hobgood) who were involved in the project's concept phase, had to balance the tightrope between old and new. The existing foundations had to be reinforced (at places entirely rebuilt) and the brick materiality of the overall complex maintained. At the same time, five new, pitched concrete roof structures now top the centre and a new 70 sq m, concrete-clad structure houses the artist residency areas. 'I do not worship Argo, with its many industrial architectural twins around the world, I love Argo. In 2017, the factory’s roofs were missing and as a sign of respect for the old, we placed five new floating roofs on top of the remaining structure. Natural light flows in from the articulated split between old and new, and the newly inserted structural foundation allows the floating architectural “hats” to give another character to an already strong personality,' explains Schricker. 

Bricks from the original structure were recycled and reused where possible, although in places where the walls are entirely new, a different kind of mortar was used to subtly highlight the difference between time periods across the building's skin. Inside, the exposed brick character of the structure continues in all its glory, providing a tactile, yet neutral enough and versatile backdrop for art display. Meanwhile, a flowing, dramatic, 12m-long staircase becomes a key centrepiece in the main ground and upper gallery floors, created without any middle supports in a feat of poured-in-situ concrete engineering.

Schricker adds: ‘Similar to the roof of the Bazaar of Isfahan, the new floating concrete roofs play multiple roles: as deep skylights, they keep the heat out while filtering the light in for the galleries and they also dance with the neighbouring roofs of downtown Tehran. Lastly, as a symbolic nod or “tip of the hat”, they greet the city' as it welcomes back Argo.

Previously at OMA/AMO in New York and Herzog & de Meuron in Basel, Schricker works on a range of scales, internationally, from his New York base and his two-pronged practice – ASA North is a more 'traditional' architecture practice, while its sister studio, ASA South, operates in the virtual realm. Ongoing work in the Asia region by ASA North includes the first, new-build Virtual Museum for art collector Mohammed Afkhami in Dubai, and the masterplan of a 7,800 sq m cultural centre around Saba Manouchehri’s textile collection in the city of Kashan, Iran.

INFORMATION

pejman.foundation

asanorth.com

hobgoodarchitects.com

The highly anticipated House of Music in Hungary has opened its doors. The new, leading European cultural venue, designed by the renowned Japanese architecture studio of 2022 Wallpaper* Design Awards judge Sou Fujimoto, not only represents a striking new landmark for the country, but it also is the architect’s very first completed, permanent, new-build in the continent. Dedicated to music in Budapest and built as part of the Liget Budapest Project, the House of Music is now ‘Europe’s largest and most ambitious, multiple award-winning urban cultural development’, say its creators; and it’s opening its doors to the public today (23 January 2022). 

The structure is clearly defined by its distinctive, undulating roof. Far from being just an aesthetic decision or an architectural whim, this element is carefully designed to host a range of interactive musical experiences. Located within Budapest’s green City Park, the venue’s volume formation references trees and the natural canopy of foliage and forests. A glass façade – reaching a soaring 12m high in places – mirrors the verdant surroundings and makes for a light presence that directs the eye upwards, towards the ceiling. There, ‘30,000 decorative tree leaves [are] set in the suspended ceiling and secured in place by a steel structure made out of 1,000 honeycomb-shaped elements’.

Inside, concert halls (featuring cutting-edge aural design by Nagata Acoustics, the studio behind similar centres such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, and Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg) and music venues of different scales and types are complemented by exhibition space that is planned to tell stories around the history of European music (the first foray into the field will showcase the history of Hungarian pop music from 1957 to 1993). Three interior levels provide ample opportunity to celebrate music in various forms – from the lower ground display areas, to the ground floor performance spaces and finally, that roof, inside which music playing meets education in state-of-the-art learning facilities. 

A range of renewable energy strategies, such as geothermal sources, create strong eco credentials for the new House of Music, which was designed around respectful, sustainable architecture principles. Some 100 holes of various sizes perforate the roof, connecting this building to its natural surroundings in more ways than one, allowing air and light to enter the building and filter through to the ground floor in a pleasant, semi-open architectural arrangement.

‘We were enchanted by the multitude of trees in the City Park and inspired by the space created by them. Whilst the thick and rich canopy covers and protects its surroundings, it also allows the sun’s rays to reach the ground. I envisaged the open floor plan, where boundaries between inside and outside blur, as a continuation of the natural environment,’ says Sou Fujimoto.

INFORMATION

sou-fujimoto.net

Eight years in the making, The Hedberg – Hobart’s sparkling new creative arts complex – is finally ready for its close-up. Located on the corner of Campbell and Collins Streets in the city’s old wharf neighbourhood, the complex is a canny fusion of old and new – the old being the 1837 Theatre Royal, Australia’s oldest working theatre, and the 1926 Hedberg Garage, a heritage-listed car showroom and mechanics warehouse, and the new, a head-turning six-storey block co-designed by local studio Liminal and Singapore-based WOHA.

Like interlocking Jenga voids, the disparate buildings are linked in an organic cluster of recital hall, salon, studio theatre and theatre alongside a programme of cascading foyers. The design, says Liminal co-founder Elvio Brianese, ‘responds to its urban and heritage context, rather than expressing the complex as a single object’.

Which also explains the deft use of symbolism throughout the project. ‘Storytelling is an important design strategy,’ says fellow co-founder Peta Heffernan. The irregular concertina-like aluminium folds of the façade cladding, for instance, evoke not just stage curtains and musical notation, but also the opalescent shimmer of Tasmanian abalone shells, a staple of the Palawa, the island’s original people. 

The public foyers, anchored with rugs woven in warm reds and yellows by First Nations Tasmanian artist Michelle Maynard, represent traditional gathering spaces where celebrations were held and stories told around fire pits. The rooftop gardens, meanwhile, offer views of Hobart’s modern waterfront, bristling with restaurants, galleries and hotels, and ancient Derwent River.

This subtle but effective nod to history goes deep into The Hedberg’s bones, not least in the use of local Blackwood timber that references the terroir, alongside old bricks and fragments of coins and pottery discovered on site during excavations and now forming part of the floors and walls. As Richard Hassell, WOHA’s lead architect, points out: ‘Our response to heritage was to use contemporary materials that are different from, but which also harmonise with, the historical fabric.’ 

INFORMATION

liminalstudio.com.au 

woha.net

A new creative hub for San Francisco, Four One Nine by Síol Studios ambitiously combines art display, product development, and digital content production. The brainchild of business coach, creative director and photographer Sonya Yu, Four One Nine was conceived to cater for the creative community as a place to serve local talent and generate positive change; and its design and interior, carefully crafted by the Síol team and led by studio principal Robo Gerson, reflect those values through openness, green elements and bright, welcoming and flexible spaces. 

Síol Studios, co-founded by Jessica Weigley and Kevin Hackett, was guided by functionality and versatility in the design. A large, column-less gallery makes for a multifunctional space for shows and events, while a small but practical kitchen serves as the venue’s food preparation spot as well as a location for photoshoots. Office and meeting rooms around these spaces flow in a largely open plan arrangement with a dramatic staircase at its heart (built in collaboration with steel fabricator Henry DeFauw and concrete fabricator Concreteworks), which becomes a real centrepiece in the overall interior architecture. 

A strong green element defines the design. A planted wall (including a thriving beehive) designed by Habitat Horticulture, the firm behind the greenery at SFMOMA, gently dominates the terrace area and remains visible inside through large windows. Outdoor furniture, water features and landscaping help complete a rich open-air experience for users – one that also seeps into the indoors, thanks to the strategically planned vistas. 

Art, such as the colourful murals by Dave Muller, blend with natural, tactile materials – white ash wood, three-dimensional tiles, Caesarstone countertops – to deliver a layered interior experience. Meanwhile, bespoke elements ensure every part of the space is entirely fit for purpose.

‘While the interior is protected from unwanted noise pollution, it’s also acutely connected to the world around it. Throughout the interior, massive, carefully placed skylights flood the space with light and create a visceral link between Four One Nine and the changing weather, cloud cover, and sun intensity, all of which register on the interior walls,' say the design team.

INFORMATION

siolstudios.com

fouronenine.com

V-A-C Foundation’s GES-2 House of Culture opened on 3 December 2021 in Moscow, adjacent to the Kremlin. Designed by Renzo Piano and over a decade in the making, the reworked former power station – known as GES-2 – is free of charge and includes space for workshops, performance and exhibitions. It opens with the season ‘Santa Barbara: How Not to be Colonised’, which includes a site-specific performance work and exhibition from Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson and a group show, ‘When Gondola Engines Were Taken to Bits: A Carnival in Four Acts’, alongside a programme of workshops and performances. 

‘It is conceptual, philosophical… To make a place that is accessible to everybody,’ says Piano. ‘It’s fundamentally this concept philosophically that is the House of Culture. Moscow badly needs this sort of place.’

An addition to the foundation’s Venice space, the 41,000 sq m building on the bank of the Moscow River is the brainchild of V-A-C founders Teresa Iarocci Mavica and Leonid Mikhelson, who is also its billionaire backer. Based on the idea of a Soviet House of Culture, GES-2 aims to provide space for cultural production and for people to gather and exchange ideas. Costs remain undisclosed but are rumoured to far exceed £300 million. 

The building houses communal space, a cinema and an adaptable performance area that is able to cater to many uses. Piano kept the integrity of the building, replacing only the roof with glass, flooding the knave with natural light. The structure was also lifted to add ceiling height to the spacious subterranean exhibition area, which opens out into a double-height space that spans up to the roof. By using small cells on the roof to disperse the light, he created a kind of diffused, dappled effect.

‘Light is essential, but it’s not the only thing. There is also transparency, the sense of openness and accessibility, and to do this in Moscow is especially important,’ says Piano. The original chimneys have been replaced with 70m-high pipes that bring in clean air in an ecologically conscious air-conditioning system, by drawing in fresh air from above Moscow’s pollution. 

The space is entirely white and grey, echoing the wintery Muscovite palette outside – save for the Matisse blue of the pipes and the original green of the cherry picker, a hangover from the building’s previous life, left in situ in the entrance hall. These elements combine to create an open and welcoming building, a place that aims to bring together the people who use it – whether to sit, think, enjoy the art and entertainment on view or contribute to it. ‘When you’re experiencing culture with a small “c”, where you meet people, you know you’ve built something really beautiful, a sense of community and conviviality,’ Piano concludes. 

INFORMATION

rpbw.com

v-a-c.org

Doha's newest cultural destination, M7 design and cultural hub, opens this week. The venue, designed by London-based John McAslan + Partners, is a flagship in the Qatari capital's new, ambitious and currently in development 31-hectare Msheireb mixed-use neighbourhood. The project, which aims to highlight creativity in Qatar’s fashion and design industry, has been central to this scheme – its minimalist architecture standing serene and confident at the heart of this brand new part of town. 

Architect John McAslan and his team drew on the region's vernacular architecture and the needs around its specific climatic conditions for their design, aiming to create a building that is in tune with its surroundings and modern, sustainable architecture and technology. A generous atrium becomes the building's core space, surrounded by grand processional stairs that zigzag upwards in an elegant spatial dance. The top is lit by a large-scale opening, artfully shaded by an intricate screen that helps filter the heat. Off it, offices, exhibition halls and multifunctional areas unfold, with a restaurant housed at the very top. 

M7: new addition to Doha’s Msheireb district

‘In essence,' says McAslan, ‘we have striven to design a building that radiates a sense of shared discovery. Taking as its inspiration the traditional Qatari courtyard house, the building quality of presence and internal atmosphere is conceived as a massive stone block from which spaces and courtyards are carved.' He continues, ‘This light-dappled environment, reminiscent of the neighbouring historic Souk Waqif, offers a vibrant marketplace of the arts in which Islamic and modern architecture come together.'

Doha's Msheireb district has been designed as a ‘walkable city’, composed of a tight-knit complex of residential architecture and office design, dotted with museums, a mosque, and shopping arcades. Among this rich urban mix, M7 is a key piece of the puzzle, sitting by the central Al Baraha square, and opposite the new Mandarin Oriental hotel, also designed by John McAslan + Partners.

The impressive M7 design and cultural hub will celebrate its soft launch this week with a Dior show, and is then set to host a Christian Dior retrospective (6 November 2021 – 31 March 2022), as part of the Qatar Creates programme

INFORMATION

mcaslan.co.uk

The dramatic, undulating roof of the Yang Liping Performing Arts Center in Dali is set to become a new urban landmark for the southern Chinese city. Dominated by a cloud-like wood mesh ceiling structure, the free-flowing design was inspired by the setting’s powerful natural backdrop, says its creator, internationally acclaimed Chinese architect Zhu Pei. 

Set within a breathtaking landscape dominated by the Cang mountain chain, Lake Erhai and historic architecture, Dali is a popular tourist spot. This centre was conceived as a key cultural hub for the city, and its sculptural form nods to its surroundings. Flowing indoor and outdoor spaces are created by the formations of its defining roof, which mimics the swells and valleys of the terrain around it. The roof cantilevers over a plaza and touches the ground, inviting visitors up to an accessible top via a wide wooden staircase. An open-air amphitheatre and several gathering spots are created through this dialogue between open and closed, building and nature. 

‘As with mountains and valleys, the strong shape of the roof reflects the more organic landscape below and points to the old Chinese principle of yin and yang, where two opposites combine together to form a whole,' say the architects. 

The undulating roof structure moulds to host a main theatre, the amphitheatre, rehearsal and multi-function areas and offices. These are matched by a café and tea room, a restaurant and a design shop, which remain open to all – whether visitors are attending a performance or not. 

Beijing-based Studio Zhu-Pei is no stranger to creating impactful public buildings. Founded in 2005, the practice was propelled to global prominence with the Digital Beijing Building, completed in 2007 and one of the landmark architecture pieces of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Founder Zhu Pei, also a respected figure in architecture academia, has continued to develop the studio’s credentials in crafting thoughtful and eye-catching cultural works with a strong conceptual basis.

INFORMATION

studiozhupei.com

Kunlé Adeyemi's Floating Music Hub in Cape Verde has just opened its doors to the public. Designed by the architect and his Amsterdam and Lagos based studio, NLÉ, the project has been one of the West African region's most highly anticipated cultural projects – also scooping the top spot in the Best Music Venue category in the 2021 Wallpaper* Design Awards.

This island nation has a rich cultural heritage, and it is exactly this that the project, a collaboration between Adeyemi and Mali-born sustainable solutions pioneer Samba Bathily, was designed to celebrate. ‘[Bathily] wanted to do something with music in Mindelo and create a recording studio there,’ Adeyemi told us in early 2021, when the project won the Wallpaper* gong. ‘So we expanded the idea to a floating hub to be part of the narrative of this port city, as Cape Verde was historically one of the last points of departure from Africa during the transatlantic slave trade, leading to the births of great new genres of music. It tells a story about that journey and a history of African people and their diaspora.’

Using his Makoko Floating System (MFS), a prefabricated, modular, A-frame, sustainable timber structure that was first realised in 2012 as the Makoko Floating School in Lagos, the architect created a family of pavilions that float just off the shore in Mindelo, on the island of São Vicente. The project's four elements, a small, medium and large wing, connected by a central triangular plaza that links to dry land, can hold about 300 people. Facilities include a performance space, a bar and canteen, and a recording studio to cater to a variety of needs. The complex is made of sapele hardwood, cleverly combined with stainless steel and aluminium to help the hub withstand the harsh ocean conditions. 

Open to all now, to attend musical festivities, book for private events or just go to experience its scenery, views and hospitality offering, the Floating Music Hub is ready to take bookings. ‘It’s a way to expand Cape Verde’s cultural impact, create a platform for local musicians, and bring international artists to record and co-create,’ Adeyemi said.

INFORMATION

nleworks.com

The Africa Institute has commissioned David Adjaye and Adjaye Associates for its new, state-of-the-art building in Sharjah, UAE, and the designs have just been revealed. Dominated by strong geometric volumes in soft pink hues, the new Africa Institute is set to become a key centre for the study, research and documentation of Africa and the African diaspora in the Arab world. 

The institute’s new campus, spearheaded by its director Salah M Hassan and president Hoor Al Qasimi, was conceived to be multifunctional and multi-faceted, supporting the busy organisation’s many activities – including international symposia and conferences, art exhibitions, commissions, film, performances, and a higher education programme set to roll out from 2023, alongside a varied public programme. First conceived in 1976 as part of the Symposium on African and Arab Relations, the Africa Institute has been housed up till now in the Africa Hall, a building on site that will be incorporated into the Adjaye Associates scheme.

All activities will be located within the colourful design’s four wings, all of which are united by a series of open-air interior courtyards and architectural gardens. The colours and volume arrangement of the structure responds to the region’s land and climatic needs, explains Adjaye. Large overhangs and shaded open-air spaces featuring water elements and planting are designed to ‘enhance the desert typology' and work with the needs of the natural context. Meanwhile, open entryways connect the site with the urban surroundings. 

‘I am deeply humbled for the opportunity to design The Africa Institute in Sharjah, a project that introduces an entirely new type of thinking and mission into the global academic arena,’ says Adjaye. ‘I envision the new campus as a springboard for the concretisation of the incredible history of Africa, the African diaspora, and the Arab world.’

The new building, finely tuned to support this important institution for critical thinkers in its field, is currently scheduled for completion in 2023.

INFORMATION

adjaye.com

The new museum for the Pinault Collection, designed by Tadao Ando and set in the heart of Paris in the reimagined Bourse de Commerce, is about to throw open its doors to the public. This is one of the country's most anticipated cultural projects of the year, created by the Japanese architect for businessman François Pinault and transforming the city's former stock exchange into a concrete-infused, minimalist mecca for art. 

Ando and his team worked with the original structure’s character, blending it with his signature smooth yet crisp concrete volumes and geometric forms. This only enhanced the historical building's magnificent period features, such as its central rotunda, dome and murals.

Further contributions enrich the new cultural institution's architectural and design experience. Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec developed the Bourse's furniture; NeM Architectes worked with Ando on the architecture; and chefs Michel and Sébastien Bras have overseen the design of their restaurant, the Halle aux Grains. The Bouroullecs also created the street furniture around the building, elegantly announcing its presence.

The most prominent intervention sits under the main dome. Ando slotted a cylindrical three-tiered structure into the building’s main rotunda. This will be used for gallery displays, complementing further exhibition space outside this central grand hall. An auditorium, a generous, bright foyer and a black-box theatre for video installations and experimental performances can be found in other parts of the redesigned building. 

This is not the first time Ando has collaborated with Pinault – the duo won Best Double Act in the 2021 Wallpaper* Design Awards, just a few months ago, for their 20-year-long professional relationship and string of fruitful joint projects. The Bourse's transformation follows similar projects for the Pinault Collection’s Venice locations, Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana. 

‘I wanted a museum that would transcend fashion and be timeless,' Pinault told Wallpaper* of the Bourse de Commerce project. ‘Tadao Ando is an exceptional architect who seeks to trace a new path by combining Japan’s rich traditions with the evolution of modernism in the West, creating harmony between the individual and his environment. He knows how to subtly create a dialogue between shape and time, between a building and its era.'

The Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection launches officially on 22 May. The opening show, aptly titled ‘Ouverture', takes the visitor through the ‘opening of new windows, new perspectives', says Pinault Collection CEO Jean-Jacques Aillagon. The exhibition of curated pieces personally picked by Pinault, will be complemented by new work around the building, by artists such as Urs Fischer, Maurizio Cattelan and Philippe Parreno.

INFORMATION

pinaultcollection.com

Telling the story of the Olympic Games, past and present, a new Olympic Museum is about to open its doors in the beloved sporting event's birth country, Greece. Set in the heart of Athens and designed by local architecture practice KLab and Mulo Creative Lab, this important cultural space combines sports and culture in a monumental, minimalist and information-rich display. 

Working with the shell of an existing building, the design team focused on transforming the museum's interior in an immersive, informative experience, full of drama and draws for the visitor. At 9m high and some 3500 sq m, there was substantial space to play with. Working with a clean, pared down backdrop featuring sweeping shapes and tall ceilings, the designers employed colour accents and clever graphics to create a composition that feels clean, welcoming and engaging. 

The displays are organised into two parts. One tells the story of the Olympic Games, from their very foundation in ancient Greece to today’s international sporting get-together every four years. The second addresses themes around the Games’ evergreen values, the Olympic movement (also celebrated in museums in other parts of the world, such as the recent DS+R work in Colorado) and the role of athletes and individual sports. 

The architects and designers developed the architecture and exhibition design in parallel, so the whole feels coherent. Objects and spatial elements are in sync, complementing each other, but without the interior detracting from the information-rich content. Powerful geometries draw the eye but their abstraction allows different readings so that the architecture doesn’t become distracting. Light was also a crucial element in the space – it appears everywhere, bright, like the sunlight in the Greek landscape, but its sources are hidden and subtle. The design team worked with lighting specialists Coolshadow on the concept. 

‘We had infinite sources of inspiration for the overall composition,’ says KLab’s director Konstantinos Labrinopoulos, ‘as we had many objects to work with, supported by other museums and cultural bodies. Our design, to an extent, highlights the sense of sporting competition, through the depictions of athletes in motion, which in turn is a narration of the idea of evolution of sports through time.’

INFORMATION
klabarchitects.com

A brand new Inuit art centre is opening at the Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG). Named Qaumajuq, this new cultural hub in Manitoba, Canada, has been designed to celebrate the creative output, and in particular contemporary work by artists from the Indigenous community in the country. The facilities have been designed by Los Angeles based architect Michael Maltzan and bring together clean, minimalist forms with a sense of openness and state-of-the-art gallery interiors. 

The project combines art galleries with spaces for academic research, studio art, and educational programs. This wealth of facilities to honour, study and learn about Inuit art is an addition to the city's cultural map that has been awaited with excitement. The scheme involved the renovation and significant extension to the WAG's existing 1971 Gallery building by Gustavo da Roza. 

The new building's undulating, light-coloured, Bethel White Granite facade brings a refreshing twist to WAG's well known existing building. ‘Its abstract quality recalls the scale and carved forms of the North as well as the artwork housed within its walls,' explain the architects. Sinuous and light-feeling, while at the same time firmly anchored to the ground through its solid materials, the structure features polished concrete floors and clean, white interiors that allow the art to take centre stage.

The centre contains galleries, but also classrooms, art studios, an interactive theatre and research areas, as well as a shop and cafe. The interior is flowing and open, allowing views through areas and levels. A custom desiged glass art storage vault at its heart houses part of WAG's relevant art collection (which in total holds some 14,000 pieces), prominently showcased as a key architectural and display feature that draws the eye and interest of visitors. At the same time, seen from the street, the vault's striking presence also attracts the attention of passers-by.

Starting to open its doors to visitors this week – starting with inviting members of the Indigenous community to see it first, today – Qaumajuq will throw its doors open to the wider public from 27 March. 

‘Qaumajuq builds on the WAG’s long history of collecting and exhibiting Inuit art and working closely with Inuit partners and stakeholders, guided by our Indigenous Advisory Circle,' say the art centre's representatives. ‘We aim to provide a platform for Inuit voices and ensure Inuit and all communities feel welcome and at home.' 

INFORMATION

mmaltzan.com

A flexible gallery has just been completed as part of the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester. The project, spanning an impressive 725 sq m and forming the institution's new Special Exhibitions Gallery, has been designed by London-based architects Carmody Groarke.

The new cultural space occupies a majestic Grade II-listed structure, dating back to the 1880s. Housed within a part of the museum's network of Victorian railway viaducts called New Warehouse, the design embraces the original architecture's historical character. High vaulted ceilings (at 5m tall) define the structure, which is largely made of cast iron and terracotta-coloured Victorian brick.

Clever additions, such as light, full-height, fibre-glass panelled walls at the entrance area (which have been coloured to match the period brick walls), bring the interior into the 21st century without overpowering the interior's original character. There is step-free access for visitors, while sustainability has been addressed through design decisions to reduce life-cycle costing, light pollution and carbon emissions.  

‘We were inspired by the powerful presence and character of the Victorian engineering and architecture when designing the new Special Exhibitions Gallery,' says studio director Andy Groarke. ‘By counterpointing the carefully restored historic building fabric with bold new materials, our architectural interventions reframe and repurpose the already wonderful spaces within the New Warehouse as a backdrop for exhibitions and visitor welcome.'

The project is part of the Manchester museum's long-term refresh, aimed at future-proofing the much loved cultural institution and pairing great design with sustainability. This is only the grand scheme's first phase, with more to follow in the coming years. The new gallery is currently closed due to pandemic restrictions but it is ready to throw open its doors as soon as these are lifted. 

INFORMATION
carmodygroarke.com

Antwerp's majestic Royal Museum of Fine Arts – also known as KMSKA – is about to reopen its doors after a transformation and update by Dutch architecture practice KAAN Architecten. This includes a brand new wing with a series of minimalist rooms. Now, the building, a generous, historic late 19th century structure, has been thoroughly restored and extended, now offering more and better spaces to experience art. 

The venue, which was originally designed by Jacob Winders and Frans van Dyck, was conceived as a ‘daylight museum', explains the team at KAAN. This means, it was a building to be experienced as ‘a promenade surrounded by stunning artworks as well as the external landscape, witnessed through its multiple lookouts over the city and the inner patios.' 

Respecting the existing structure's intention, the architects hid all alterations and extension within the existing volumes. So, from the outside, one would never anticipate the heritage building was ever changed at all. Once stepping inside though, visitors encounter KAAN's masterful, minimalist signature style, which has been adapted to fit the 19th century building. 

The museum's masterplan, the architects say, is now divided into three main areas. There is a public entrance area, the central exhibition spaces and offices (which the team dubs ‘feel, see and work' spaces, respectively). Old merges effortlessly with the new, respectfully blending periods and styles in a functional and appropriate manner. This allows the institution's rich art collection to take centre stage. 

A brand new 21st century gallery space is located at the building's heart, replacing four patios. It consists of a series of bright, white halls composed of sharp plastered surfaces and bespoke marble furniture. The contrast between this wing's minimalist rooms and the existing galleries makes the addition clear and signifies the contemporary work to be displayed there. It also highlights and celebrates the museum's heritage value through juxtaposition

INFORMATION

kaanarchitecten.com

Lubbock, Texas, the birthplace of Buddy Holly, has a brand-new venue dedicated to the celebrated singer-songwriter and rock ’n’ roll legend. The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences has now completed, courtesy of Canadian architecture firm Diamond Schmitt. 

The venue's recent inauguration – with a series of socially distanced, limited-capacity performances, in response to the ongoing pandemic – means the town has West Texas' largest dedicated performance hall, covering some 218,000 sq ft. The design includes two theatres of different sizes, a restaurant, two multi-purpose rooms and an outdoor covered amphitheatre. The aim is for this cultural hub to become a real hive of activity come summer or when any Covid-related restrictions can be lifted. 

The design, explain Diamond Schmitt, ‘is inspired by the colours and shapes of the landscape of West Texas, including the prismatic and layered rock formations of Texas canyons'. As a result, it features deep-set windows, concrete ‘fins', and a large overhang that not only ensures shade and protection on ground level, but also creates a sense of architectural tension and movement. 

Angular and dramatic, the building also feels sleek and modern, in both its form and function. Its flexible layouts and halls have been created to accommodate anything from ballet, symphony, school, opera, pop and country shows to Broadway productions. 

‘Just as the idea for The Buddy Holly Hall grew from the Lubbock community, our modern design for the building is inspired by the region’s physical and cultural landscape,' says Diamond Schmitt principal Matthew Lella. ‘We designed a building that is both open and outward-looking and yet simultaneously invites the public to engage with all the activity happening inside. Responding to the unique challenges of the site – from the intense Texas heat to the location on a flood plain – we have created a signature new space for the performing arts with world-class facilities that embody the spirit of the performers who will be gracing its stages.'

INFORMATION

dsai.ca

Chinese architecture studio PIG Design has created a prismatic exhibition space in the city of Hangzhou, dedicated to the Memphis Group. Titled ‘Ya Space!', the private gallery draws on references to the celebrated design group of the 1980s, even through its name – ‘Ya' means ‘cliff' in Chinese, and ‘cliff city' is the Chinese knickname for the US city of Memphis. 

PIG founder Li Wenqiang led the design, which echoes the Memphis ethos of ‘unrestricted creative exploration'. Following this approach, the space, specialising in showing Memphis Group furniture, adopts unusual forms, both inside and out, bright colours and ‘a design style liberated from minimalism and pragmatism', explains Li. 

The crystal fragment-like exterior is made of stainless steel panels, arranged in an angular formation. The idea was to make abstract reference a ‘cliff', while attracting attention. Meanwhile, the entrance, an eye-catching circular hole cut out of the front façade on ground level, is further highlighted by a large graphic exclamation point on the round glass door. 

The interior spans two floors. The ground level is a composition of large-scale volumes in various geometric shapes, intended as a fun, experiential destination and an invitation for the visitor to explore. Bespoke light boxes, hanging from the ceiling, add to the dramatic and theatrical experience.

Orientating vistas within this playful internal landscape was important for Li. ‘Every structure is a visual point, and a geometrically cut view frame,' he explains. The upper floor is a large, flexible exhibition area, hosting a selection of the gallery's Memphis furniture for sale.

The island nation of Cape Verde, off the west coast of Africa, may be tiny, but it has an outsized influence. Once a slave port, it is now an important international commercial hub, and a cultural melting pot, bridging African and European traditions. It was this rich cultural heritage that architect Kunlé Adeyemi – founder of Amsterdam- and Lagos-based studio NLÉ – and Samba Bathily – the Mali-born sustainable solutions pioneer – wanted to honour and amplify when they first started discussing working together in 2018. Adeyemi recalls: ‘We wanted a scheme to use as a point of global connection back to the [African] continent, using music, arts, culture and hospitality’.

Mindelo, on the island of São Vicente, has been central in the development of the local musical tradition that gave birth to talents such as Cesária Évora. It also became the home for Adeyemi and Bathily’s joint scheme, the Floating Music Hub. ‘[Bathily] wanted to do something with music in Mindelo and create a recording studio there,’ says Adeyemi. ‘So we expanded the idea to a floating hub to be part of the narrative of this port city, as Cape Verde was historically one of the last points of departure from Africa during the transatlantic slave trade, leading to the births of great new genres of music. It tells a story about that journey and a history of African people and their diaspora.’

Best Music Venue at the 2021 Wallpaper* Design Awards

The architect used his Makoko Floating System (MFS), a prefabricated, modular, A-frame, sustainable timber structure that was first realised in 2012 as the Makoko Floating School in Lagos. Three more versions followed – one at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2016, and one in Bruges and one in Chengdu, both in 2018. Mindelo’s is the fifth version of the concept to complete, and it includes four parts: a small, medium and large wing, and a central triangular plaza that links to dry land. The complex, which can hold about 300 people at capacity, includes a performance space, a bar and canteen, and a recording studio. ‘It’s a way to expand Cape Verde’s cultural impact, create a platform for local musicians, and bring international artists to record and co-create,’ says Adeyemi.

The MFS was customised for an ocean environment that can sometimes be aggressive. Apart from sapele hardwood, the NLÉ team used stainless steel and aluminium to better withstand corrosion, and the anchoring system was also improved. ‘Mindelo has one of the highest wind speeds in the world, so it challenged us to push the design further, to be more resilient, as it had to withstand almost hurricane wind speeds,’ says Adeyemi. ‘We improved the quality of materials and made it adaptable for various future uses.’ The structure is scheduled to stay in place for 15 years, but there is the possibility to extend its leasehold. We can’t wait to check out its first live event.

INFORMATION

nleworks.com

Due to open in 2021, the Bourse de Commerce in Paris is the latest home for François Pinault to show works from his phenomenal art collection. This is the third time the French businessman has chosen Japanese architect Tadao Ando to convert a historical building into a contemporary museum for his collection (following the Palazzo Grassi and the Punta della Dogana, both in Venice). We spoke with Pinault and Ando about this hotly-anticipated project and their 20-year relationship.

W*: In 2001, your competition for a [never built] museum on the Île Seguin attracted many prestigious architects. Why did you choose Tadao Ando?

FP: I wanted a museum that would transcend fashion and be timeless. Tadao Ando is an exceptional architect who seeks to trace a new path by combining Japan’s rich traditions with the evolution of modernism in the West, creating harmony between the individual and his environment. He knows how to subtly create a dialogue between shape and time, between a building and its era.

W*: Mr Ando, you have designed several museums for foreign clients. What has been so unique about working with François Pinault?

TA: He fights with all his strength and does not give up without realising his dreams. I’ve always been impressed by his fearless thinking ever since we first worked together. An architect cannot make a building alone. It is the client’s will and persistence that moves a project forward. Just as the Medici family served as benefactors of artists such as Michelangelo during the Renaissance, he has encouraged me through the work we endeavoured to create together.

W*: Why is Ando an ideal architect for keeping traces of history in a contemporary redesign?

FP: His architecture knows how to confront the past while expressing its own time. In all of the projects we have done together, he has carefully highlighted the historic layers of each place and, at the same time, created strong spaces that belong to our time and embrace the future.

W*: What aspects of his Japanese culture has he brought to the buildings in Venice and Paris, and where do both of your sensibilities meet?

FP: Ando brings qualities to all of his works that are the essence of Japanese culture and sensibility: a rejection of grandiloquence; a distrust of over-effusiveness; as well as rigour, radicality, less over more, silence over noise. He and I share the same minimalist sensibility. He believes that perfection is achieved by eliminating everything that is not essential. One must be able to abstract oneself in order to feel emotion. 

W*: Mr Ando, how did you first have the idea for the central concrete cylinder?

TA: When I first set foot in the Bourse de Commerce, I was overwhelmed by the light streaming in through the dome and magnificent fresco. For me, the world inside this dome felt like a single universe. Immediately, the image of two circles formulated in my mind, one inside the other, which could become a frame for the universe that is the Bourse de Commerce.

W*: How does working on an existing – and historical – building compare to creating a totally new building from the ground up?

TA: I consider it vital to deliver a building that has been loved throughout history to the next generation. In Punta della Dogana and in the Bourse de Commerce, I inserted a new functional space within a historic building. A gallery of concrete. Each of these concrete interventions was determined by the shape and layout of the existing building. A square for Punta della Dogana and a circle for the Bourse de Commerce. I attempted to formulate a space for humans to contemplate the future within a stimulating environment, where old and new co-exist side by side. As preparation, I thoroughly studied the construction materials and methods, and repeatedly participated in a dialogue with the engineers. My definition of ‘renovation’ in architecture is to establish an exquisite and delicate balance between new and old. This can connect the past, present and future together and breathe new life into a space.

W*: Mr Pinault, what is your personal experience of the renovated Bourse de Commerce, and how would you like visitors to experience it?

FP: I’d like visitors to take the same pleasure that I do in crossing this building from one end to the other, to be enveloped by the prodigious concrete cylinder that Tadao Ando has built in the central space, to climb the stairs that wrap around this cylinder and discover the building’s details in a way that was not possible before, to marvel at the criss-crossing perspectives, to be amused at seeing other people on the double-spiral staircase and knowing their paths won’t cross. I hope visitors are impressed by the quality of the exhibition spaces, intrigued by the relationship between inside and outside, seduced by the furniture designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. I hope that every visit will be an opportunity for discovery and wonder. 

W*: You have been working together for almost 20 years. Is it a purely professional relationship or have you become friends as well as collaborators?

TA: My decades-long collaboration with Mr Pinault has been a series of unexpected yet rewarding events. I first met him through Karl Lagerfeld more than 20 years ago. I worked with him for the first time when I won the competition for a contemporary art museum on Île Seguin. Unfortunately, this project’s construction came to a halt for various reasons, and the museum went unrealised. I proceeded to complete a total of three successful projects with him in Venice. Around 2009 and 2014, I fell seriously ill and required multiple operations. After my recovery, I returned to architecture with a new vitality and visited Mr Pinault to tell him I was doing fine. On the spur of the moment, he consulted me about a new project, the Bourse de Commerce, and I put my full heart and soul into it. In my career, this series of projects with Mr Pinault holds a special place in my heart. I feel our bond has now exceeded the world of architecture and business.

FP: It is no longer just a business relationship, it goes well beyond that. We have known each other for more than 20 years. He has accompanied me on all the cultural projects I hold dear. We are somewhat alike. We are almost the same age, and both self-taught. He speaks neither French nor English, and I don’t speak Japanese. There is always a translator, of course. But we understand one another quite well without the need for words. We speak with our eyes. What I like about him is the rigour of his work, his attention to detail, his refusal to compromise and his resilience. He has experienced some tough times, but he has never given up.

INFORMATION

boursedecommerce.fr

Architect Bartosz Haduch and his Krakow-based architecture firm NArchitekTURA have just completed two projects for the Jewish community in Oświęcim – the Polish city where the concentration camp of Auschwitz was located during WW2. One of the two is a sculptural piece located in the city's memorial park. The other is the city's Jewish Centre, an education and exhibition facility that honours and tells the story of the region's Jewish population. Both works were a direct commission from the Auschwitz Jewish Center. 

The memorial sits on the grounds of a temple, which was destroyed a little over 80 years ago. The design, a composition of seemingly randomly placed stone surfaces, symbolises ‘the ruins of the now defunct Great Synagogue (1863-1939) and the paths of life of the multicultural community that were once criss-crossing in this place,' explains Haduch.

The project is built in gray sandstone slabs, which feature irregular cuts and scrapes on their surface – a sourced industrial waste material. The patterns not only offer a striking visual effect, but they also hint at the story the memorial tells. 

‘The criss-crossing cut-in-stone lines take on a symbolic dimension,' says Haduch. ‘Without any clear beginning or end, they seem to be heading towards infinity. This dense network of lines evokes the paths of human life, that sometimes just intersect, and at other times connect to go on together.' Fittingly, the memorial is titled ‘Paths of Life'.

The Jewish Centre, works on which began back in 2014, was completed in stages over the past six years with the final touches added this autumn. Involving the renovation and adaptation of a cluster of historical buildings in the heart of town, the space features a carefully planned exhibition and a series of triangular structures – ‘prisms,' as Haduch describes them – made out of copper and rusty metal that suggest directions for sightseeing and routes through the displays. Drawing on natural materials, the Jewish heritage and a sensitive approach to cultural and historical nuances, the design feels a fitting ‘twin' to the memorial's solution. 

‘Who knows, maybe after a few hundred years time, this place will become a mysterious archeological site?' muses Haduch. ‘After all, throughout centuries, humanity has been learning about ancient times from illustrations and texts immortalized in stone. I often wonder how will be interpreted in the distant future the message hidden in forty pieces of the Memorial Park?'

Information

narchitektura.pl

Teo Yang Studio has given the lobby and gallery at the Gyeongju National Museum’s Silla History wing a thorough refresh, mixing its own contemporary aesthetic and minimalist architecture with notes from the country's rich heritage. Drawing on Korean culture, the design team worked on interpreting historical elements for the 21st century in a space that feels sophisticated, serene and welcoming. 

‘The design of the Silla History Gallery lobby aims to prove that the age-old artifacts kept in the museum can still inspire the contemporary design of the 21st century,' explains firm principle Teo Yang. 

Following this concept, the geometric patterns of earthenware from the Silla Dynasty have been re-imagined as decorative wood elements for the lobby; and the dynasty's extravagant style and luxurious precious metal ornaments have inspired the bespoke bronze lighting elements and ceiling mirrors the studio created. 

As with all Teo Yang's work, a minimalist approach that favours perfection of detail and craft dominates. This elevates even the smallest fitting to a museum-quality piece. A sense of calmness and spatial symmetry were equally important and underpin the design solution. 

The lobby, specifically, ‘was designed to express three main messages,' say the architects. Firstly, it functions as a space that prioritises emotional connection; then, it provides rest within an area that promotes health and is surrounded by art; and lastly, it offers a new way of viewing the centuries-old artifacts on display. 

Carefully placed furniture throughout ensures visitors can take the time to enjoy the works on show at their own pace, in a peaceful but fascinating environment. ‘We hope that the Buddha statues placed at both ends of the space, together with the scenery of Gyeongju’s Namsan Mountain, will create a mesmerising experience,' says Teo Yang.

INFORMATION

teoyangstudio.com

Set in an idyllic seaside spot outside Mumbai, near a small farming village, The Other Side Studio is a newly completed artists’ retreat hosting local and international creatives working in a variety of media, and with a particular focus on art therapy.

‘The owner [an artist herself] realised that there are not many places in Mumbai to work with art.Mumbai real estate is very expensive and pushes artists to the margins,’ says architect Robert Verrijt. ‘This site is easily accessible via boat from central Mumbai, and then you arrive at this beautiful, perfectly pristine area and calming environment.’ The retreat’s design is the brainchild of India- and Netherlands-based studio Architecture Brio, led by Shefali Balwani and Verrijt. It was conceived as a response to its context and draws on national and local building traditions. 

‘If you visited the site a hundred years ago, it would have probably been a swampy area. Now during heavy monsoon rains, the palm orchard floods, but more recently seawater has also been coming in due to climatic changes. Because of the ecological sensitivity you shouldn’t build anything permanent there,’ says Verrijt. This prompted the team to create a mini campus of smaller buildings, raised on stilts and designed as lightweight, temporary structures that can be easily disassembled and moved to a different location if needed. As long as buildings were impermanent and under three storeys, there were few restrictions as to where to build within the site.

The complex includes accommodation for artists, who can stay there both long and short term, a canteen and a flexible, central space to host workshops and various residents’ activities. The workshop space is the heart of the design. It is divided into two similarly shaped, adjacent volumes with interiors that can be left flowing and open, or adapted to different uses through timber screen partitions. One of them has a mezzanine.

‘The workshop's figure comes from the idea of a Sri Lankan ambalama,’ explains Verrijt. ‘A beautiful, delicate pavilion at the edge of a rice field [traditionally used as a rest stop for travellers] that really speaks to the landscape and lets the space sort of flow. So we wanted to create something that is very light, has a simple framework of columns; to make a roof that is very dominant, like an industrial space almost; and to create light in the heart of the workshop, where we put skylights that capture north light.’ 

The south side of the roof has integrated solar panels, the main building frame is steel, while most of the remaining structure is created using inexpensive, off-the-shelf products. The roof is made of a bamboo framework. It is a tradition and construction craft that is disappearing in India, says Verrijt. ‘At most, homebuilders use it in the informal sector in rural areas. We wanted to re-introduce bamboo as a construction material to normalise it in the formal construction industry, as it has so many benefits as a sustainable structural material.’

A version of this article originally appeared in the October 2020 issue of Wallpaper* (W*258)

INFORMATION

architecturebrio.com

Adrian Cheng was a child when he first visited IM Pei’s revolutionary glass and metal pyramid at the Louvre. It was, he says, his first experience of architecture that ‘activates the soul’. ‘I remember being mesmerised by the architectural purity of the pyramid architecture and the daring juxtaposition of old and new,’ Cheng recalls. The founder of artisanal-focused lifestyle brand K11, and CEO of Hong Kong-based New World Development, Cheng has been the creative driving force behind K11 Musea, a groundbreaking art-retail complex that opened in 2019 in Hong Kong’s Victoria Dockside cultural district.

For the new K11 Art & Cultural Centre, a 6,000 sq m exhibition space with 1,000 sq m sculpture park on the sixth floor of K11 Musea, Cheng was keen to make a visual statement that bridges architecture, urbanism, landscape and public space. So he did not balk when Brooklyn-based architectural studio SO-IL proposed an undulating glass façade that would require investment to develop a revolutionary way of folding sheets of glass to create 9m-high, 0.9m-wide tubes.

Cheng had already noticed SO-IL founders Jing Liu and Florian Idenburg’s intriguing grand canopy for the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art in Davis, California, and their organic façade for Kukje Gallery’s K3 building in Seoul. He was convinced that they would be able to design something elegantly simple yet distinctive for the new gallery space. It was not the ideal time to invent a new process for making glass: the designers had to move quickly to fit into K11 Musea’s tight construction timeline. The architects’ vision included rethinking the architectural typology of cultural buildings, moving away from the idea of a cloistered sanctuary and using a glass façade to create something literally transparent and connected to the world around it. But to achieve their vision, they would need to create 307 sheer, seamless glass columns.

‘Most traditional museums are enclosed volumes, but we wanted it to have a strong connection with the context and feel part of the urban space, so we knew we couldn’t have a typical curtain wall,’ Liu explains. Working with engineers Eckersley O’Callaghan, the studio undertook a worldwide search to find manufacturers to make the slender glass columns with an unusually tight diameter of less than a metre (most manufacturers recommend at least 2m widths), but no visual distortions or colour tint.

Spanish architectural glass manufacturer Cricursa took on the challenge, and constructed an extra large oven to accommodate the glass tubes, which each weigh up to 1,200kg and are formed of two layers of laminated 12mm-thick glass. The process called for precise control of heat, and the design of a new moulding system, using massive sheets of metal instead of conventional clamps to hold each tube in place for eight hours. The manufacturing process took a year to complete, during which the architects built models in their Brooklyn studio, then made larger mock-ups at Cricursa’s workshop in Spain, and in Germany, where the façade contractors Seele are based, constantly refining the process and planning the installation.

‘We like to work closely with people who make and innovate things,’ Liu says. ‘Computer modelling doesn’t always allow you to grasp the tactile experience and figure out what the limits are.’ The duo also drew on their experience of working in Japan (where Idenburg was with architecture studio SANAA for eight years and where the pair met) to ensure the glass façade would blur the boundaries between inside and out. ‘We wanted the threshold to feel more nuanced with layers of transition, so that even when you are inside the galleries, you feel outside and connect with the wider context,’ Liu explains.

Natural daylight is a key component of this experience. The designers added a series of scalloped aluminium screens, suspended from the ceiling, which filter direct sunlight to protect works of art exhibited in the galleries flanking the sculpture park. They also worked with London-based lighting consultants Speirs + Major to integrate ultra-fine continuous LED light strips within the miniscule space between each glass column, to allow the façade to be illuminated at night without affecting the interiors.

‘Glass is deceptively difficult to get right, and this form had never been done before, so we didn’t know exactly how it would look until the façade was installed,’ admits Cheng. ‘But I could see that SO-IL was pushing the materiality of glass to the point where its soft shape would create the feel of a sculpture park within a sculpture without taking away from the art.’

Cheng sees himself as both curator and creator when it comes to his projects, and says he always follows his instincts when selecting architects. ‘My design projects are a collaborative process,’ he explains. ‘It is difficult to explain why, but I just know when someone is the right fit for a particular project.’

For instance, at The Pavilia Farm, another groundbreaking project in Hong Kong, Cheng’s vision of an urban farm-inspired residential development has been given a harmonious boost by Snøhetta, who contributed a Scandinavian-style residential clubhouse. Meanwhile, the development’s 3,090 apartments are set in a pastoral landscape designed by environmental design consultant Ohtori, and there are also forested areas and contemporary barbecue pavilions, including one featuring an organic twisted timber form by Finnish architects Avanto.

And with an eye focused on creating a sustainable creative community at his Hangzhou Wangjiang New Town project in Mainland China, Cheng turned to Japanese architect Shigeru Ban and German architect Ole Scheeren to design an innovative 460,000-sq m, mixed-use cultural destination. The project, which is at the early conceptual design stage, is scheduled to be completed in 2025. 

‘I know what I want when it comes to creating soul in a project, so before I commission a designer, I want to see if they understand that, and are able to narrate the experience, values and spirit of the space,’ he says. ‘Then I leave it to them. We have to trust each other.’ 

A version of this article originally appeared in the January 2021 issue of Wallpaper* (W*261)

INFORMATION

K11 Art & Cultural Centre, 6/F, K11 Musea, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

k11musea.com

so-il.org

The ‘Flying Saucer' is one of Sharjah's key Brutalist architecture landmarks. The round, striking building, which was originally constructed in the 1970s and opened in 1978 as a mixed use structure, was acquired by the Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF) in 2012. Then in a state of disrepair, it has now been given a new lease of life through a thorough renovation by the foundation and architect Mona El Mousfy of SpaceContinuum Design Studio. 

While the structure was originally conceived to house a one-stop-shop restaurant, newsstand, tobacconist, gift shop, patisserie and delicatessen, after the restoration and redesign, the Flying Saucer is reimagined as an art and community space with a café, library, courtyard and activity spaces. 

Flagging up the region's rich architectural history and weaving through to today via a contemporary culture programme, while connecting and engaging with the local community, the project will continue to be used as a SAF venue (it has been used as such since 2015).

‘The Flying Saucer has been beloved by generations of Sharjah residents since its opening in the late 1970s. It was important that we not only preserve its characteristic structure but also restore it for our community as a space for convening, learning and creating,' says HoorAl Qasimi, SAF director. ‘While preserving the original building’s distinctive qualities, the project also adds a new layer of vibrancy to the space and allows us to better engage with communities across the emirate—an ethos that guides all of the Foundation’s architectural and historic preservation work.'

The Flying Saucer has just reopened to the public with a new site-specific, multi-media installation, ‘Nowhere Less Now 3 [flying saucer]' , by Lindsay Seers and Keith Sargent, who responded with their art ‘to the building’s space-age architecture'.

INFORMATION

sharjahart.org

Christ & Gantenbein has designed a new flagship building for Swiss chocolatiers Lindt & Sprüngli near Lake Zurich. The Lindt Home of Chocolate sits in a campus headquarters of other buildings including a factory, warehouses, and an office building, and has been designed for chocolate-lovers to visit to gain an insight into the historic brand and its products.

Primarily a closed red-brick box, the building's exterior hides the delights that lie within. It was designed to visually fit into the existing industrial campus, yet at it's entrance, the facade peels back to reveal a section of white glazed bricks and golden letters welcoming visitors inside.

The exterior is more than a wrapper waiting to be opened. It also forms the load-bearing structure of the building. This engineering allows a vast 64-metre-long atrium – 15m high and 13m wide – to dramatically open up within. Surrounding this space, stairways swirl and walkways criss-cross, mushroom pillars evolve into cantilevered balconies and hollow columns hide elevators.

‘Almost reaching an ancient Roman scale, we‘ve created an exaggeration of industrial production with a certain tension; a tension that gives a strong presence to the architecturally distinct elements that define the interior, bridging the substantial gap between a commercial ambiance and classical grandeur,’ says Emanuel Christ, architect and co-founder of Christ & Gantenbein.

The architecture ‘orchestrates the movement of people’ through an interactive experience that dips into an immersive exhibition on the company's history that dates back to 1845, the research and development behind the chocolate recipes, how the chocolate is produced – and of course a chocolate shop and a cafe. All of this activity swirls around the central nine metre high golden chocolate fountain developed by Atelier Brückner.

While we've seen Christ & Gantenbein softly mastering the curves and edges of a stone staircase at the Kunstmuseum Basel extension and playfully casting cut-outs into concrete at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich, here at the Lindt Home of Chocolate, the architects have truly turned up the whimsical nature of their work – only tastefully tested in earlier works. Here, clarity of space and circulation, deliberate engineering, and material artistry, are all equal to fantasy. 

INFORMATION
christgantenbein.com

A city named for the bountiful verdant expanses on its original site, Lomé was known as ‘Alome' in the early 20th century, which in the native Ewe language means ‘among the alo trees’. Today, the city is a bustling metropolis sprawling across the West African coast and Togo's capital; and it seems fitting that an upcoming exhibition at major local culture and arts centre Palais de Lomé – the first after a long, pandemic-induced closure – will focus on the city's story and evolution. 

Lomé + is set to present the architecture and urban metamorphosis of the city from its foundation in 1890 to its current state and visions of its future. The show, curated by architect and anthropologist Sename Koffi Agbodjinou, is scheduled to open its doors at the end of September – while the Palais has just opened its doors to the public this week. 

Photography, film, multi-media installations and augmented reality elements are mediums through which the show will explore the trajectory of the city. Alongside the digital displays, the Belvedere Tower of the Lomé palace – overlooking a palm lined coast lapped by the Atlantic Ocean and offering panoramic views of the capital – will provide a striking backdrop to the physical show.

Less than a decade before its restoration a few months ago, Palais de Lomé was the derelict, crumbling remains of the local governor’s palace, built under German colonial rule. According to the director of the cultural centre, Sonia Lawson, the palace ‘played a major role in the building of the colonial area of Lomé’ more than a century ago. ‘The map of the main avenues was designed around this very building,’ she says.

Since its restoration, the gleaming, white, two-storey concrete structure is a monument nestled within 26 thousand square feet of rich vegetation. French architecture studios Archipat and Segond-Guyon alongside Lomé-based Sara Consult completed the refresh in late 2019. The process involved stripping away poorly executed additions to reveal the original structure. Local sustainable teak and iroko forests were sourced to reinstate vaulted wooden galleries that had been destroyed. Details such as the faithful refurbishment of the imperial staircase and the use of salvaged tiles juxtaposed with pivoting glass doors as a modern touch are highlights for restoration architect Laurent Volay.

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The pandemic has proven a set back for the Palais, which is part of wider state plans to boost Togo’s culture sector and cement the West African country’s position within the region’s vibrant arts ecosystem. However, the 3.6 million dollar government funded project has already transformed the site from a symbol of Togo’s fraught colonial legacy to a beautiful, contemporary public space.

INFORMATION
archipat.fr
segond-guyon.com
sara-consult.com

Terunobu Fujimori’s teahouses literally grow on trees. The Japanese architect builds poetic sites of ceremonial encounters into the forks and onto the trunks of trees. Now the 73-year-old is inviting fans of environmentally-aware modern architecture to tea at the Hombroich rocket station.

Gliding through the pine trees, a winding path studded with single stone slabs end up in a small clearing. Look up, and there it is – the latest teahouse by Japanese architect Terunobu Fujimori. At three metres high, sitting on stilts and made of pitch black Robinia wood, the treehouse is reached by 19 steps within a narrow metal staircase. It was specially designed for the Hombroich Rocket Station, Europe's first permanent, now disused, NATO missile base, which was adapted into an art project by collector Karl-Heinrich Müller in 1994.

The black colour of the teahouse façade is a result of the carbonisation process of the wood. ‘The traditional method, by which the wood is blackened by subjecting it to a few minutes of fire, is called Yakisugi and is typical for Fujimori's work,' says Frank Boehm, the curator of the project and the accompanying exhibition. ‘It protects the wood from the weather and damage by insects.'

In the oval of the interior, the walls are panelled with oak. Any geometric formality is broken up, and a trompe-l’œil effect makes the roof appear to curve inwards. Traditionally, Japanese teahouses are laid out with tatami floor mats, but here visitors sit on an organically-shaped bench in a semicircle. Before them, the hearth for tea-making is inset into the table.

As usual, where possible Fujimori uses natural materials. Everything appears to be handmade expressing Wabi-Sabi, the beauty of the irregular, which is a design principle of the master builder. A kidney-shaped sliding window opens to the south with handmade, leaded windowpanes. It reveals an unobstructed view of three large pine trees and the Lower Rhine landscape beyond.

‘When designing teahouse architecture, you have to create a separate world that is distinct from everyday life. The key is to let something float above the ground,' says Terunobu Fujimori. Like the traditional Japanese teahouses, his buildings serve as places of contemplation and cultivated encounters, yet Fujimori’s designs undermine every architectural canon.

You can search in vain for straight lines and coherent geometries in his work. Instead, he uses pencils and crayons to draw surreal, fantastic buildings that could have been lifted straight out of an anime film, a Hieronymus Bosch painting, or even a Gallic village. His works echo rustic dwellings, perched precariously in the forks of trees or on high stilts. It is almost as if this free-spirited man is fulfilling his childhood dreams through designing escapist tea-tree-houses.

Fujimori, who is one of the most significant architectural historians in Japan, did not begin working as an architect until 1990. Yet in the last three decades, he has constructed about one or two buildings a year, including numerous tearooms and teahouses. These have been mostly for private clients, including his first teahouse Ishiya-tei (House For One Night) for the former Japanese Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa. ‘After its completion, for the first time, I didn’t want to part with a house,' Fujimori says, recalling the awakening of his passion for building teahouses. 

As a result, he started to build three teahouses on his own property in Chino, Nagano Prefecture: Takasugi-an, the Too-High Teahouse, Hikusugi-an, the Too-Low Teahouse and Soratobu dorobune, the Flying Mudboat. Today, there are about a dozen permanent teahouses worldwide, and no two are alike. ‘Because of their distinct personality, teahouses have something human-like about them. That’s why they have names like people,' says Fujimori, showing evidence of his wry humour. He christened the teahouse on the island of Hombroich the ‘Ein Stein Haus' (One-Stone-House). The idea of a single stone has a special meaning in Zen Buddhism, in which it symbolises an island around which waters rush, providing peace and harmony. At the same time, his first permanent teahouse in Germany is a homage to the great German physicist of the same name, Albert Einstein. Now visitors can reflect on their own philosophical outlooks, while sipping Matcha tea and floating above the world, as if detached from gravity, space and time.

In the teahouse, says Fujimori, there is no hierarchy and no status. This has been true in Japan for thousands of years. Whether samurai, merchant or farmer, in the teahouse everyone sat at one table and was treated as equal. Fujimori likes this idea. But he wants more – he not only wants to bring people closer together, but also to bring them closer to nature. With his deeply-rooted lightness of touch, in Hombroich he has pulled it off once again.

INFORMATION

The accompanying exhibition ends on November 29, 2020

inselhombroich.de

Architecture practice Chybik + Kristof has designed a new building for the Lahofer Winery in the Czech Republic’s historic Moravian wine producing region. Immersed in the landscape, the new design includes a visitor centre, tasting room, offices and production facilities, all interconnected beneath an undulating roof.

Established in 2003 and set over 430 hectares, the winery is one of the largest wine producers in the Czech Republic. Its name derives from the Dobšice artist and woodcarver Jan Lahofer and the business prides itself in combining the local wine traditions with contemporary wine-making processes.

Architects Ondřej Chybík and Michal Krištof, who founded their practice in 2010 and now have offices in Prague, Brno and Bratislava, are often informed by the context and landscape of the site they work with. For the Lahofer Winery design, they responded directly to the topography of the landscape and the local heritage for the design.

Echoing the traditional wine cellars of the region, the building features a sequence of vaulted beams. While the shapes and general framework might follow historic examples, the materials used show that the design is entirely of its time. A glass facade brings plenty of light into the interior, while the rib construction of the arches is expressed in exposed concrete. The ceiling features an abstract mural painted by Czech contemporary artist Patrik Hábl – the colours are lifted from the earthy reds and blacks of the soil, and the deep browns and beiges of the terroir.

Wine production is housed in two halls of different heights. The first, lower, hall is for wine-making and employee facilities, while the temperature controlled second hall features the wine press, the cellar, and the wine store.

As well as sheltering production functions, the very contemporary addition of the undulating roof, that drapes over the arches, creates a modern vision for the winery as a local cultural hub too. The roof forms an open-air amphitheatre for cultural events, where visitors can climb up to enjoy the views of the surrounding vines or sit to enjoy a musical performance.

Chybík and Krištof explain the concept: ‘The design of the Lahofer Winery is deeply rooted in nature, and in the respect thereof. At a time when culture and nature appear to be antagonistic forces, we envision a space reflective of the longstanding symbiosis between the two in the region – one that profoundly respects the environment on which it rests. The structure unfolds into the native terrain, immerses itself into the surrounding vine rows, thereby preserving the essence and integrity of both soil and culture. Additionally, moving beyond a purely productive viewpoint, we prioritize the visitor experience, notably by allocating the roof as a public space open to local and international visitors – an experience essential to the understanding and appreciation of the wine.'

INFORMATION

chybik-kristof.com

Today's Niamey is a city in the midst of transformation. The capital of Niger was originally built by the French during colonisation and as such, was created in a way that enhanced the different treatment of parts of its population – the Gounti Yena valley was one of the barriers between two key parts of the city, the more and the less wealthy layers of society. 

Now, the city aims to completely reinvent the valley, from a symbol of division to fertile ground for cultural growth and exchange, by populating it with arts and learning institutions, as well as a path that connects the two sides and the nearby riverbank. The newly announced Cultural Centre for Niamey, designed by Atelier Masomi's Mariam Kamara, is one of these important commissions. 

The large scale project is set to house the first municipal library in the city since independence, as well as performance and arts spaces. Conceived to support the city's growing number of young, creative people, the centre will not only be a space for learning, but also a place where the local community can come together for talks and workshops. 

Kamara, who was part of the 2019 Wallpaper* Architects Directory and previously mentored by Sir David Adjaye as part of the Rolex mentor/protégé initiative, shares a passion for rethinking contemporary architecture on the African continent with the Ghanaian-British architect. ‘The project is designed for the exterior spaces to be as important as the enclosed program with pedestrian paths and gathering spaces breaking what would have been a massive building into smaller structures,' she says. ‘The objective is to create a building that is a truly public space, democratic in its access and flexible in its use.'

Meanwhile, the architect, true to her signature approach, drew on the local context for inspiration when it came to forms and materials. The building acts as a shelter for outdoor spaces and passively stack-ventilates the enclosed ones, also collecting rainwater in designated ponds and underground tanks for reuse. The main material is raw earth brick, a nod to local vernacular architecture, but also one that makes ‘the buildings seem to grow from the ground', explains Kamara.

MORE FROM WALLPAPER* ARCHITECTS DIRECTORY 2020

INFORMATION

ateliermasomi.com

Today's Niamey is a city in the midst of transformation. The capital of Niger was originally built by the French during colonisation and as such, was created in a way that enhanced the different treatment of parts of its population – the Gounti Yena valley was one of the barriers between two key parts of the city, the more and the less wealthy layers of society. 

Now, the city aims to completely reinvent the valley, from a symbol of division to fertile ground for cultural growth and exchange, by populating it with arts and learning institutions, as well as a path that connects the two sides and the nearby riverbank. The newly announced Cultural Centre for Niamey, designed by Atelier Masomi's Mariam Kamara, is one of these important commissions. 

The large scale project is set to house the first municipal library in the city since independence, as well as performance and arts spaces. Conceived to support the city's growing number of young, creative people, the centre will not only be a space for learning, but also a place where the local community can come together for talks and workshops. 

Kamara, who was part of the 2019 Wallpaper* Architects Directory and previously mentored by Sir David Adjaye as part of the Rolex mentor/protégé initiative, shares a passion for rethinking contemporary architecture on the African continent with the Ghanaian-British architect. ‘The project is designed for the exterior spaces to be as important as the enclosed program with pedestrian paths and gathering spaces breaking what would have been a massive building into smaller structures,' she says. ‘The objective is to create a building that is a truly public space, democratic in its access and flexible in its use.'

Meanwhile, the architect, true to her signature approach, drew on the local context for inspiration when it came to forms and materials. The building acts as a shelter for outdoor spaces and passively stack-ventilates the enclosed ones, also collecting rainwater in designated ponds and underground tanks for reuse. The main material is raw earth brick, a nod to local vernacular architecture, but also one that makes ‘the buildings seem to grow from the ground', explains Kamara.

MORE FROM WALLPAPER* ARCHITECTS DIRECTORY 2020

INFORMATION

ateliermasomi.com

The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, in partnership with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Unity Temple Restoration Foundation, has launched a series of weekly virtual tours to your favourite Frank-Lloyd-Wright-designed buildings. While the tours focus on bringing education and escape to a global audience, for the Conservancy they are also an important appeal for support during the Covid-19 crisis.

Along with other institutions such as art galleries and libraries, many Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, of which many are UNESCO World Heritage sites, are now closed to the public, presenting the modern landmark’s with financial pressures and fears of being unable to resume operations post-crisis. While closures are absolutely crucial to the health of the public, the cultural loss during this period of time, and quite probably its aftermath, requires attention.

In a recent statement UNESCO has described the importance of culture to physiological health: ‘At a time when billions of people are physically separated from one another, culture brings us together. It provides comfort, inspiration and hope at a time of enormous anxiety and uncertainty.’

Barbara Gordon, executive director, Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, said: ‘It is precisely at this time, when so many are shut inside, that we need to experience beauty and inspiration. Wright’s works bring people together in harmony with the natural world, reminding us that we are all connected, even when we’re apart.’

While virtual tours, and platforms such as the UNESCO World Heritage Journeys in Europe, are important for the digital experience of architectural landmarks from anywhere in the world, the physical experience of architecture is unparalleled and crucial for the education of architects, students and the public.

There is a pressing demand for funding support across the cultural industries. In the US, institutions such as the Getty Trust, Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Robert Rauschenberg Foundation and Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts have stepped up to provide grants across the arts sector. In the UK, the National Lottery Heritage Fund has launched a £50 million emergency fund and put all new grant applications on hold, while the Architectural Heritage Fund is continuing to stand by it's deadlines for existing grants.

So while these virtual tours are uplifting cultural journeys now democratically available to all to experience, they are also campaigns for these architectural treasures to stay in the cultural spotlight.

INFORMATION

See full list of participating sites at savewright.org.

In the grounds of Walmer Castle on the UK's Kent coastline, Adam Richards Architects has designed a new learning centre and café that echoes the brooding qualities of the 16th century castle with its sculptural handmade brick walls. Commissioned by English Heritage, which owns the historic site and gardens, it is the first new substantial building built on the site for 145 years.

Walmer Castle was originally built as an artillery fort in 1539-40 during the reign of Henry VIII, and from the 18th century, the Tudor-fortress turned into a stately home for historical figures such as Duke of Wellington, Sir Winston Churchill, and HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The popular destination welcomes 3,000 education visitors annually, and needed a dedicated space to host these visiting groups and school pupils where events such as cross-curricular learning days and nature therapy sessions could play out rain or shine.

Architect Adam Richards, who scooped a Wallpaper* Design Award this year for his Nithurst Farm house in the South Downs National Park, responded to the brief with a single storey brick building. Inside, a single main room dedicated to group education features a five-pointed Tudor arc-shaped window that frames a cloud-shaped double row of hedges bordering the kitchen garden. Comfortable in its garden setting, the exterior is discreet and contemporary. Grey brick walls are framed by a shallow pitched zinc roof and a rough concrete plinth, sandblasted to expose the aggregate.

Sensitive to its site and existing architectural additions from the 18th century, the café makes the most of an original timber-framed glasshouse and opens up onto a Yorkstone terrace for coffees and lunches in good weather. Support spaces are housed in a black zinc building with cantilevered roof canopies.

Adam Richards, director, Adam Richards Architects, said: ‘This new learning space "bookends" the estate buildings at the castle, entering into a dialogue with the castle across space and across time. The garden is now re-presented to users of the new building through its vitrine window: visitors see it through this vast display case, framed by a new five-pointed brick arched opening.’ 

Connecting the garden even further to the site, a new outside staircase of galvanised steel clad in air-dried oak leads visitors into a lost quarry garden, the Glen, newly accessible to the public for the first time in 100 years. Here, head gardener Mark Brent has planted species that with thrive in the calcareous soil of the former chalk quarry, and craftsman William Hardie has designed a new children’s play trail.

INFORMATION

adamrichards.co.uk

english-heritage.org.uk

ADDRESS

Walmer Castle and Gardens
Kingsdown road
Walmer
Deal
CT14 7LJ
UK

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Dubbed ‘the canal palace', Felix Meritis sits on one of Amsterdam’s most well-known waterways, the majestic Keizersgracht. Now, celebrated interior design studio i29 has reinvigorated everything behind the iconic building's humbling historical façade by embracing its rich history and architecture; its grand spaces were once trotted by illustrious guests, such as Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, while throughout its 200-plus years of existence, the listed building served as a prominent stage for scientists, artists, thinkers and entrepreneurs.

Acquired by investors Amerborgh in 2014, the 1787 building originally designed by Jacob Otten Husly was soon given planning permission for a refresh in a bid also including architecture practice MATH. During the three-year renovation closure, the Felix Meritis retained its first-class spot in the city's collective consciousness. That was down to said history, but also the hosting of Instagram-friendly temporary guerilla projects, such as pop-up restaurants Foyer and Staets, and design boutique the Frame Store (by the namesake publisher, and also designed by i29). 

With the building about to throw open its doors to the public, these now seem like a mere taster of what was to come. For Jeroen Dellensen, one of the two founders of the Dutch interiors studio, taking on the renovation project was as much a creative challenge, as an exercise in logistics and preservation rules and restrictions. Yet the practice achieved a careful and elegant composition of old and new, arranging a harmonious variety of leisure, cultural and commercial spaces in the building's generous halls. 

Upon entering, to eat, turn left for Felix, where a finger-licking three- to seven-course surprise meal delights the senses. Key ingredients in this eaterie are seasonal Dutch products, paired with boutique wines, and a confident spritz of curiosity. For last minute tickets, give way to the right, and walk into a modern interpretation of an 18th-century style room dressed in blues and greens. A bespoke, clean, rectangular-shaped chandelier visually connects this lobby space and the restaurant. A separate area off here offers the option of a more bistro, outdoors-style environment for socialising, complete with stone pavement and greenery. 

Up an impressive, original wooden staircase is the publicly accessible Huslylounge, a flexible event space and breakout area for events in other rooms, set on one of the higher floors. Once a former office space for the political party CPN, it’s now transformed into a vivid ‘garden room' where yellows and gold set the tone. Elsewhere, the oval-shaped Shaffyzaal, named after the French-Dutch singer Ramses Shaffy, pops a whole other bottle. Gradients on the walls give this mutli-functional space a playful edge, ‘although it’s perfectly apt for corporate events,’ Dellensen makes sure to add.

However, the Zuilenzaal is probably the most significant part, in order to understand the great job i29 did here. Seemingly simple and relatively pared down, the room – used for concerts and other events – is handsome with a clear historical twist dominating its decor; yet it is completely prepared for the future, with all necessary invisible technology, lighting and installations integrated.    

‘Dealing with a listed building comes with a whole different set of challenges and regulations,’ says Dellensen, explaining that any design intervention needed external approval, and was only allowed when in concordance with the past interior elements. Take the custom developed textile wall covering in the ground-floor restaurant for example. The work, created together with local studio Buro Belén, is a wall-to-ceiling 21st century interpretation of the Dutch sky; a perfect symbol of this timeless and iconic setting.

INFORMATION

i29.nl

A new exhibition centre for the Nubuke Foundation in Accra, Ghana is now open to the public. Architects Baerbel Mueller and Juergen Strohmayer’s design not only preserves a set of existing 1980s structures on site – which now serve as a shop, archive, and artists studio – but it also allowed a new-build extension with a single purpose; this elegant building, entitled Nubuke Extended, is entirely dedicated to displaying African art.

Gracefully inserted on the edge of the Nubuke site’s premises, the new structure is designed as a harmonious fit to the foundation's complex. Featuring a split-level construction, lifted up on concrete pillars, the volume hovers over the site, creating a sheltered, open area, framing the garden and its Indian almond tree.

Concrete is omnipresent, forming exterior as well as interior walls. From afar, the building appears enclosed, but once inside, it unfolds to reveal generous exhibition areas and a stairway leading to a green roof. The interior is choreographed by rough-textured surfaces, occasionally broken to create a flow of different rooms and an elegant composition of spaces. And while the design appears monolithic, its design provides flexibility for a variety of functions, according to the cultural foundation's needs. Discreet, metal curtain tracks, carefully inserted into the concrete ceiling can transform the space when needed.

‘The design of Nubuke Extended responds to this programmatic layering through an abundance of indoor and outdoor spaces that allow for the hosting of many different scenarios, both intimate and expansive,' explain the architects. ‘The new gallery building is equipped with architectural elements that augment and soften its raw and stark appearance and volume, such as textile curtains on a railing system. These allow for the creation of, and engagement with, flexible and temporary appropriations, subdivisions and niches.'

Accra's climate and geography were key to the overall design. The northern and southern sides of the building are defined by large openings, orientated so as to be aligned with the prevailing wind direction, as well as revealing views towards Accra and the palm grove to the rear of the estate.

‘I like to think of the building as a six-sided box for which each side has been treated with a climatic strategy. The lower surface of the box is raised with a green roof on top,' says Strohmayer. ‘The eastern and western walls are the more closed walls, which help keep out the strong sun in this tropical part of the world, and then the ends of the tube are chopped open to create these very large apertures. It is an unusual object, but it can only exist here on the Nubuke grounds.'

Since its opening in 2006, the foundation has been crucial in celebrating Ghana's art scene, and has become one of Accra’s most highly esteemed cultural venues. This new extension will enable Nubuke to evolve with the city’s growing thirst for arts and culture. ‘The evolution of art spaces and cultural initiatives on the African continent, in relation to their effects on the (urban) context they are located in, is most thrilling,' explains Mueller.

‘New forms of making and showing art, of connecting art and society, and of engaging audiences, are emerging,' continues the architect. ‘These projects and spaces are becoming engines for transformation. In a wonderful way, this is currently happening all over Ghana. Founded already a decade ago, Nubuke was one of the very first initiatives of this kind.'

The Nubuke Foundation revealed its new extension with a retrospective exhibition of Ghanaian photographer James Barnor.

INFORMATION

juergenstrohmayer.net; nav-s.net

‘All communities live with the good and the bad,' muses Rand Elliott, referring to Oklahoma events such as the disastrous 1930’s Dust Bowl Period, or the tragic 1995 bombing. When his Oklahoma City-based firm, Rand Elliott Architects, took on the task of designing the new facilities for the local contemporary arts centre, he wanted to go above and beyond all of that. The question arose: ‘What do we have here that’s really unique and special that we can use to reimagine what Oklahoma City is all about?'

The quality of the light in Oklahoma has been immortalized in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘Oklahoma!’ – and incidentally, ‘Bright Golden Haze’, a phrase taken from the first line of the iconic musical, also functions as the recently completed Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center's inaugural exhibition’s title. 

So for answers, naturally, the architects looked to the sky. The museum’s new flagship building features an innovative recycled aluminum ‘skin that actually absorbs and catches the light', says Elliot. The facade structure is made of series of blind-fastened fins inclined at different angles that refract the sunlight.

‘As the sun appears to move from east to west, the building literally transforms,' enthuses Elliott. ‘As it goes into the afternoon it will go from blues to oranges.' This skin also functions as a rain screen that helps the building to self-cool, and therefore, be greener.

The building’s unorthodox architectural outline amplifies its visual impact, and also influences how the art on the inside will be experienced. None of the interior spaces are rectangular and there are very few 90-degree walls to be found – resulting in an adaptive space that can be altered according to exhibition needs.

For ‘Bright Golden Haze’, which opens on 13 March, these modifications include secluded corners and curtained-off sections that enhance the exhibition’s guiding theme of ‘the ways in which contemporary artists use light to create a sense of place,' reveals Jennifer Scanlan, the curatorial and exhibitions director at Oklahoma Contemporary. 

Atmospheric works such as Olafur Eliasson’s Black Glass Eclipse, Vija Celmin’s night sky prints, Leo Villareal’s Star Ceiling, and works by James Turrell and Robert Irwin share the exhibition space with the digital realities of John Gerrard’s landscapes and the indigenous perspectives on light and place by Marianne Nicolson and Yatika Fields.  

The opening, taking place next week, will be momentous. In addition to the art on show, Oklahoma’s community will have gained a thoughtful building poised to become a transformational destination.

INFORMATION

e-a-a.com

When Beijing-based architects Neri & Hu were invited to create a new clubhouse and sales centre in the Miyun Reservoir region outside Beijing, they were introduced to a site including an existing, donut-shaped structure, rich greenery and views of the nearby undulating mountain ranges and meandering rivers. This idyllic spot became the home of the new Junshan Cultural Center. 

Working with the existing structure's traditional Chinese courtyard typology, the team composed two interlocking journeys through the re-imagined building, one for each of its uses. Different volumes were arranged in a complex and clad in warm-toned wood pattern aluminium panels against a brick facade. Meanwhile, traditional gold brick tiles line floors in the landscaping, as well as the interior ‘in-between' spaces. 

Inside, the structure features a 100-person multi-purpose hall, a business lounge and bar, a library, a children’s reading room, a private function room, a family media room, a red-wine and cigar lounge bar and a rooftop deck; all are available to the club's members. Meanwhile, a fully operational sales suite occupies a discrete part of the building.

An art gallery with its sculpted ceiling is one of the project's most dramatic rooms – though Neri & Hu's subtle, minimalist touch and signature use of tactile surfaces and natural materials are evident throughout. At the same time, all areas feature carefully placed openings that frame the striking surrounding natural scenery that connects the building unequivocally to its locale.

INFORMATION

neriandhu.com

The 1930s art deco Seattle Asian Art Museum has gained an uplifting modern extension that reconnects the building to its surrounding park – and the museum’s 21st century future. Seattle-based LMN Architects is behind the transformation that seamlessly merges old with new.

Before thinking about the future, however, the first priority for LMN was the restoration of this iconic ‘local treasure’. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the museum was designed by Bebb and Gould in 1933 as the Seattle Art Museum (SAM). When SAM moved to a new Venturi, Scott Brown & Associates-designed building, the Asian Art Museum, dedicated to collections of Japanese, Chinese, Korean and South Asian art, split off and opened up at the original art deco digs in 1994.

The addition of new functions to the museum – such as spaces for education and art conservation – was integral. The answer comes in the form of a minimal glass and sandstone extension, in which visitors will find added exhibition space, a conservation studio, auditorium and community education space.

While distinct in material and design, the modern extension also assimilates with the circulation of the original museum, and its location in the heart of Volunteer Park. A new lobby echoes the existing two art deco lobbies that draw visitors through from the front steps to the exhibitions. Materiality and texture of the interiors create a seamless flow.

The glazed exterior was a way to connect people in the park to the museum, allowing it to become more ‘open and expressive’. ‘Now, everyone in the park can get a sense of what is happening within and the contemporary addition creates new opportunities for serendipitous social interactions inside the museum,’ says LMN's design partner Wendy Pautz.

INFORMATION

seattleartmuseum.org

ADDRESS

Seattle Asian Art Museum
1400 E. Prospect Street
Seattle
Washington 98112
US

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Inspired by British neo-classical architect Sir John Soane’s eccentric approach to collecting, London based architect Mat Barnes and contemporary artist Harry Lawson have collaborated on a quirky commission for the John Soane’s Museum. Exploring the ‘relationship between architecture, objects and time’ the pair have designed and curated three cabinets filled with obscure contemporary objects.

Architect Barnes, who founded his studio CAN in 2016, designed the cabinets for the exhibition as vessels of expression in themselves, just like Soane’s characterful house punctured by lightwells and bespoke adaptations across three terraced houses. The museum is a life-sized cabinet in itself packed with a veritable feast of sculptures, paintings and busts.

The first cabinet is a façade, the second a scaffold, the third a tomb representing the three concepts of the cabinets (All that was; All that is; and All that could have been). Each is a testbed for materials, aesthetics and techniques – from a cheap crackled paint surface, to beautifully buffed scaffolding pipes, or recycled car tyre chippings set in flexible resin and painted matte blue on the outside and black gloss glitter inside. Believe it or not, Barnes is using the latter technique in his house extension too.

The three cabinets display redundant objects of the past, obscure representations of the present and totems of an unrealised future. Barnes and Lawson sourced some of the curious keepsakes from their own personal collections – top-drawer treasures found, pocketed, forgotten and preserved. While some objects are borrowed from the Soane collection.

You’ll find a set of false teeth, a World Trade Center group admission ticket stub, a fragment from the Soane Ante-Room skylight removed in 1991, a Casascius Bitcoin, a spray-painted softwood block and a model of three cork columns available to purchase at the Soane Museum shop.

In our eagerly streamlining digital world, data storage seems infinite whereas our homes are only getting smaller. There’s humour and a powerful nostalgia in this collection of contemporary objects, archiving into history at a quickening pace.

INFORMATION
‘All that could have been: a project by CAN and Harry Lawson’, at Sir John Soane’s Museum; 16 January – 16 February 2020

soane.org
can-site.co.uk
harrylawson.co.uk

ADDRESS

Sir John Soane’s Museum
13 Lincoln's Inn Fields
Holborn
London
WC2A 3BP

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The new Maillon theatre in Strasbourg’s Wacken business district is, in many ways, not a theatre at all. It is instead a sleek, concrete-and-glass hyper-flexible container where theatre, dance and music can happen in every space and corridor. As lead architect Umberto Napolitano, co-founder of the Paris-based LAN (Local Architecture Network) practice, says, ‘the point of the project was eliminating all boundaries between the public and the artists, and between what is theatre and what is not. We got rid of the idea of a fixed stage and instead created a series of spaces that can accommodate theatre – a sort of artistic machine.’

From a programme point of view this means that in lieu of the traditional proscenium-style theatre (made up of a lobby, auditorium and a backstage area), the design is composed rather of a series of open and closed spaces that are, like a city and traffic, defined by the building’s circulation axes. To further dissimulate any notions of a traditional theatre, this rectangular building features almost identical façades as well as entrances on all sides, while its two black box auditoria (accommodating 714 and 254 people respectively), two courtyard areas (one that is semi-closed) and front-of-house bar/lobby area can all host performances.

The two auditoria are fitted with mobile seating systems and stages, and surrounded by mobile walls – acoustically soundproof panels – that can be moved aside to reconfigure the spaces and create venues of different sizes and types by connecting them with the courtyards and the lobby. From a set design point of view, the theatre is everywhere; from a creative point of view it’s all about encouraging cross-pollination and experimentation, something the itinerant Maillon has pioneered since its inception as a cultural centre in the late 1970s.

Inside, the Maillon wows for the quality of light that floods in through generous glazing, its lofty and tall circulation spaces and its technical ceiling a few metres below the roof that enables performances in every part of the building. There is no single fly-tower at the Maillon, because the whole theatre is a fly-tower. Other spaces – offices, events and rehearsal spaces, dressing rooms and a lounge for artists with an open-plan kitchen – are located on the first floor and offer wide-angle views of this fast-developing part of the city; while the building’s large windows and location at the end of a wide avenue turn the building into a cultural and urban beacon at night.

Another fittingly open-ended touch at the Maillon is the lobby furniture. The architects provided the theatre with technical drawings for simple and easy-to-assemble timber benches, sofas, rocking chairs and tables that can be downloaded, CNC laser cut and produced in their own workshops. In the future, the theatre can add to, or change, this collection, and create items according to space and need. ‘It’s a bit like Enzo Mari’s DIY furniture project, but reinterpreted for the digital era,’ says Napolitano.

Information

lan-paris.com

maillon.eu

Address

Le Maillon
1 Boulevard de Dresde
67000 Strasbourg
France

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Juxtaposed with the Meixi Lake in the historic city of Changsha, southern China, are three distinct, white structures resembling flower petals when viewed from atop, and something of whipped cream when viewed from the side.

Standing out in the smoggy city landscape, these three alien structures comprise the recently completed Changsha Meixihu International Culture and Arts centre – one of the latest creations of Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA). Spanning 115,000sq m, it is the largest and most versatile cultural centre in Hunan province, including in its span a contemporary art museum, a large theatre, and a small theatre each with slightly different aesthetics.

Opened to the public on 30 November, the contemporary art museum, MICA, was the final structure to be completed in the 8-year-long project. Within the eight exhibition halls, that total 10,000sq m of space, MICA is holding its first exhibition by MOTSE, a team of 40 Shenzhen-based artists, scientists and musicians using interactive devices and new media to explore contemporary culture.

MICA’s architectural climax is the large atrium with its boomerang-shaped window sweeping across the ceiling. The light-soaked space has been designed to host installations and events and direct visitors towards the workshop space, lecture theatre, café and museum shop.

Adjacent to the museum is the 1,800-seat Grand Theatre, a versatile space with a wood clad interior and flowing cream-coloured ceiling that swirls upwards like a sandstorm. In the third building, flexibility is also key to the design of the smaller theatre – its 500-seat multipurpose hall can be transformed into multiple configurations to host plays, fashion shows, music performances, banquets and commercial events. 

The three civic institutions complement each other with different opening times throughout the day, much like their organic architecture signified by fluidity and curves – a uniquely Zaha Hadid design.

INFORMATION

zaha-hadid.com