New stories by Architonic

The magic of the knot: kymo's new carpet world | News | Architonic

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0200

For thousands of years, people have placed rugs at their feet – whether as an expression of culture and lifestyle or to enhance living comfort. One of the most unusual knotting techniques is the Senneh knot, also known as the Persian knot, which is rarely found today. And yet, compared to other techniques, it creates a particularly homogeneous surface that is visibly and tangibly inspiring.

The eyes of Denis Türker and Friedrich Bender also light up when they talk about this experience. For the two managing directors of the South German brand kymo, this is precisely the subtle difference in their work and company philosophy. Denis Türker laughs when he says that he grew up on piles of carpet. Even as a child, he was able to accompany his parents, who were among the first and largest importers of oriental carpets, on their travels and learned a lot about patterns, techniques and, above all, the nature of carpet…

Discover NEFF's kitchen innovations at Salone del Mobile, live or live-streamed | News | Architonic

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Most participants of Milan’s Salone del Mobile don’t want the people left behind in the office to know quite how much fun they are having. Yes, attending the biggest global design event of the year means a lot of meetings, a whole host of handshakes and tens of thousands of steps a day. But it’s also a place to party.

For exhibitor NEFF, however, the whole point is the party. NEFF has been on a mission for many years to design kitchen appliances that aren’t simply about flawless functionality producing Michelin quality cooking in the home, but about bringing playfulness to the process, and making the kitchen the centre of the party.

It’s why NEFF’s booth at this year’s EuroCucina – the biennial kitchen exhibition that takes place in the hallowed halls of Rho Fiera Milano during Salone – will be called Flavour District, and will be abuzz…

Customise your kitchen appliances with the NEFF Collection range | News | Architonic

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Over the past 20 years, it’s been a single innovation that has set NEFF apart from other makers of high-quality built-in kitchen appliances – the Slide and Hide® oven door. Now a series of innovative features for the new NEFF Collection of ovens, hoods, hobs and coffee makers are making waves by bringing fun and flexibility to the functional parts of the kitchen.

For workplace culture will never completely return to the way things were. Companies can maximise the productivity of their workforce by blending the flexibility of remote with the creative collaboration of in-person work in a hybrid system; but while spare rooms and kitchen tables have been sacrificed to carve out comfortable workspaces at home, the office space – originally designed around a 100% in-person system – needs to accept change too. A large part of that change is the introduction of working pods and "phone booths," which allow employees to enjoy the same acoustic comforts and privacy advantages they get at home, while in the office. Although the professional and social connections made through in-person work are a crucial part of the success of the hybrid system,…

Weaving ties between furniture, architecture and the city: Pedrali in Istanbul | News | Architonic

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Crossroads is the metaphor that’s often used to describe Istanbul, with its supreme intersectionality: its strategic location (the city famously straddles the Bosphorous river, connecting Europe and Asia) is attended by layers of social, cultural and religious shifts. But it’s not only a hub of history. With a population of over 15 million, Istanbul (formerly Constantinople, and, before that, Byzantium) has for millennia been, and continues to be, a major node for the exchange of goods, ideas and people.

Renzo Piano Building Workshop’s recent Istanbul Modern project – which is already attracting an international visitorship – celebrates the idea of intersections. Located in the city’s Beyoğlu district, with the old town to the west, the Bosphorus to the south, Tophane Park to the north and the new Galataport waterside development to the east, Turkey’s first museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art lies at the intersection of these various areas, p…

Furnishing tomorrow’s office interiors with PALMBERG | News | Architonic

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0100

There are many theories about the future of work. In Bruneck, it has already become a reality with the NOI Techpark, a modern space that nurtures bold, pioneering ideas and innovative projects. The former bus station not only impresses with its architecture, but also sets new standards in interior design. The amenities meet the demands of the working world of tomorrow, promoting collaboration, dynamic exchange and transformative thinking.

The concept behind the pioneering workspaces comes from Trias. With an exciting combination of renowned brands such as Vitra and the innovative manufacturer PALMBERG, the interior design experts from Brixen were able to win the public tender to design the interiors. Trias partnered with PALMBERG for a good ten years, yet it is only in the last three that the products from the German company have been increasingly integrated.

…

No bath-room: dismantling bath functionality myths | News | Architonic

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0100

In contemporary interiors, the notion that bathroom spaces are purely functional, guided solely by technical, physiological and psychological needs, is challenged, especially in the context of bathrooms. The concept of private property often compartmentalises human activities, isolating them into distinct areas. However, spaces like the bedroom, dining room, kitchen and bathroom are more than just functional areas; they represent a journey through our daily needs and activities.

While traditionally viewed as a space for two fundamental activities – bathing and waste elimination – the modern bathroom has undergone a significant transformation. The components of the bathroom, once relegated to hidden corners, now take centre stage, blurring the boundaries that once enclosed hygienic activities. This shift transforms the following four bathroom projects into multifunctional sanctuaries, where architectural design embraces spatial qualities that challenge conventional notions.

Top ten: curated bathrooms with wood surfaces | News | Architonic

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Next up in our new series of curated project highlights, we open the door to the most individual room in the home: the bathroom. As a sustainable and renewable material, the popularity of wood in contemporary interiors is growing fast. With regular leaps in material innovation being made, both the durability of real wood and the realistic look and feel of wood replacements like laminates and veneers make them a more sensible material choice for high-moisture spa…

A tropical allure: the Guinea outdoor collection by Pedrali | News | Architonic

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0100

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Head to the Architonic Magazine for more insights on the latest products, trends and practices in architecture and design.

Collaborative insights for more sustainable habitat design | News | Architonic

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0100

‘If you ask different questions, you will come up with different answers.’ This is how the Founding Partner at Danish architecture studio EFFEKT, Sinus Lynge, sums up the great potential of daring to reflect in unconventional ways. Even though he is talking in the context of modern-day construction and sustainability improvements – complicated matters – the message in his statement is simple: the possibility for change is right in front of us; we just need to be bold enough to act differently.

Back in 2021, a group of like-minded companies within the building industry partnered up to start a discussion. The VELUX Group, EFFEKT architects, Artelia engineers and Enemærke & Petersen as contractors gathered to reflect on the question of how to create better living places. The initiator, VELUX, believed it was about time to rethink how buildings can help resolve global climate and health challenges through sustainable solutions and practical action. Today, about four years later,…

Illuminating spaces: MHZ's legacy in light control | News | Architonic

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Light, whether in a home, office, municipal building or cultural hub, is everything. It provides warmth and ambiance, and its correct modulation can profoundly alter our perception of a space and create a salve from the clamour of the outside world. The control of light is something we take for granted. Whether via blinds, textile shading or shutters, the flooding with colour and clarity of our living spaces is something fundamentally entrenched in the routine of everyday life.

Introducing MHZ: a German manufacturer of sun and privacy protection systems, and an industry leader for nearly a century. An independent, family-run company since its inception in 1930, MHZ was founded by interior decorator Wilhelm Hachtel and carpenter Adolf Stäbler. Their first product, a mechanical curtain pull, didn’t take off – but it preordained the company’s legacy.

Now, Triboo is determined on making just those advances, offering offices and other businesses more sustainable furniture and fittings but also a radical new model for creating a sustainable office environment and dealing with waste.

A key plank of its business is tabletops, desktops, shelving, acoustic panels, privacy booths and internal wall systems. The sustainability USP is that, depending on their thickness, they use 60-90% less materials than traditional panels but are far stronger and do not warp. Triboo can create panels up to five metres in length, perfect for one-piece ultra-long tables

Top Ten: curated projects that consider their ecological footprint | News | Architonic

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0100

In the second of a new series of curated project highlights, we handpick ten projects from the last few years of the Architonic project database. In each article, we’ll pick apart one contemporary trend-setting element of interior design and architecture, highlighting – in the architects’ own words – how it was approached. As part of Architonic’s first Sustainability Project Newsletter of 2024, we present projects that underscore the necessity of prioritising sustainability from the outset of architectural design.

The selection of materials, building processes and the symbiotic relationship between the artificial and natural realms are just a few of the factors that directly impact the environment when proposing an architectural intervention. Opting for reuse, local materials and alternative technologie…

An all-British furniture collection bringing crafted comfort to our coffee breaks | News | Architonic

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0100

We're all at it: side-eyeing the latest AI tool that we suspect is out to take our livelihood. Look at it, all hard and mean and emotionless, promising ruthless efficiency and prompt delivery. Surely it can’t replace me? I can do all that with feeling, a smile and a coffee round thrown in! And therein lies our salvation: our humanity, our emotional intelligence, our soft skills. Why mention it? Because if soft skills are what we bring, soft furniture is what we need to nurture those invaluable attributes in the work environment.

Soft, beckoning breakout zones have become an essential part of office design - some might say since lockdowns gave us a taste for comfortable conferencing. More likely, however, as is the case for so many evolutionary trends during the pandemic, it is an acceleration of events underway; namely, the growing need to accommodate all-important social interaction in the workplace. For many office furniture makers, it has meant a dash to boost portfolios w…

Milan Design Week 2024: fair and city guides are live! | News | Architonic

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0100

As Designboom, Architonic, and ArchDaily, our core vision is to inspire, connect and empower. And while we can’t physically steer you in the right direction on the city streets or Salone del Mobile’s redesigned 2024 floor plans, we can make sure you have the optimal tools to locate the biggest discoveries, best new contacts and most exciting stories: our two curated Milan guides, one to the fair and one to the city. Our exclusive guide to the fair is a selection of the hottest brands to visit at the Salone. The one to the city, meanwhile, features showrooms, selected locations, fringe events, architect tips and recommendations for other key happenings. Both guides ar…

Sustainable bamboo installations that aren’t built to last | News | Architonic

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0100

One of the most common arguments referenced by the design and architecture sector when attempting to defend the sustainability of new construction projects or the manufacturing of new products, is that they’re ‘made to last’ – either with the strength and quality of their construction and materials or with the timelessness of their style and functionality. This is often followed by the suggestion that the question of where and how to recycle, reuse or dispose of their constituent materials is of little concern. But one thing is certain about the concept of ‘new’: it can never last.

Unlike demonised single-use products or even buildings deemed unsuitable for adaptive reuse, the intensional mortality of temporary structures gives no illusions about their lifespan. And as a fast-growing organic material with a higher strength-to-weight ratio than steel or concrete, bamboo is the perfect choice to form strong and stable structures. As this range of temporary, reusable and ready-t…

Material innovation at the forefront: Surface Design Show 2024 highlights | News | Architonic

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

As the boundaries between virtual and reality continue to blur, architectural surfaces play a vital role in shaping multi-sensory spaces that live up to the types of experiences we expect from our ever-changing world. For designers seeking to create meaningful experiences in interior space, embracing technological advancements and new design approaches to surface design is key. Yet while embracing the promise of the present, how can designers also make sure they are protecting the people and planet of the future?

Capturing and communicating these cutting-edge developments and debates, this year’s Surface Design Show (6-8 February 2024) brought over 180 exhibitors to the Business Design Centre in London’s Islington, presenting innovation across stone, ceramics, wall coverings, flooring, finishes, processes and more. The fair’s theme of ‘Mindful Living’ asked how we can negotiate today’s ambitious…

Continuous innovation: Brunner Design News 2024 | News | Architonic

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The fact that the office is changing is of course nothing new to you, dear architecture and interior design professionals. Ever since work related to knowledge, creativity and information has existed, humans have been reflecting on the ideal environment to carry out such work – sometimes more from the employer’s perspective, considering productivity and duty of care, and sometimes from the perspective of employees and their need for individuality.

In the age of remote, location-independent communication, a fundamental reevaluation of the traditional office is imperative. For the majority of the working population, working from home has become the norm – at least one to just under two days per week on average according to a survey conducted by the Munich-based ifo Institute last year, covering 34 countries. What does this mean for the office, the company headquarters, the beating heart of a company and its various locations? Evidently, office spaces are being…

Stockholm Design Week 2024: the northern highlights | News | Architonic

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Tillsammans. It’s a word I’ve loved for a long time, in spite of the fact that I don’t speak a jot of Swedish. (Apart from ‘tillsammans’, that is.) I first encountered it in the form of a Lukas Moodysson film title from the early 2000s. Wonderfully sonorous, it means ‘together’, a clearly ironic choice by the director, given the story is one of love and dysfunction in a mid-1970s hippie commune. The word kept coming back to me during a recent trip to Stockholm for the city’s annual design week, where I found myself, on the first morning, huddled together with a cohort of international design journalists in front of Nordiska Kompaniet, the high-end department store – our proximity to each other necessitated as much by the sub-zero temperatures as by the desire to get as clear a view as possible into the store windows, which had been transformed into micro-exhibition spaces showing…

Making architecture work: offices with structural shells | News | Architonic

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Edges that delineate existing buildings are the skin of these work spaces. Space is cleverly enclosed within an adaptive reuse shell and a previous void transforms into a platform for introducing a new interior architecture, seeking shelter among an aged envelope. The configuration of interior space shapes atmospheres with new interior meanings as these offices repurpose old structural shells and transform them into modern work spaces that blend history with contemporary functionality.

Redefining gives way to ambiguity as the ambiguous spaces prompt users to discern the connection with the environment before comprehending the use behind their design. With open layouts, industrial aesthetics and innovative design elements, these four stage-like projects around the world offer an added element of intrigue and foster creativity among their occupants.

Evoking the atmosph…

Top ten: curated offices with light-giving atriums | News | Architonic

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

In the first of a new series of curated project highlights, we handpick ten offices from the last few years of the Architonic project database. In each article, we’ll pick apart one contemporary trend-setting element of interior design and architecture, highlighting – in the architects’ own words – how it was approached. As part of Architonic’s first Office Project Newsletter of 2024, we present the following large-scale office buildings with central atrium spaces. Used to visually and audibly connect floors and departments across expansive office buildings, these light and open gathering spaces use Gensler’s Global Workplace Survey Comparison 2023 revealed that 61% of the workforce say they need the office to maximize productivity but lack optimal spaces within theirs suited to a range of work modes. Indeed, employee satisfaction and success hinge largely on a flexibly designed office – a workplace with a variety of environments for a variety of work modes. In brief, the office must give people choice in where they work within it. After all, it is no coincidence that 88% of people in the highest-performing workplaces enjoy this very freedom. It is in light of this burgeoning employee desire for choice that our team releases an expanded catalogue of office furniture including the hushFree selection of pods, the hushSpot hotdesking and collaboration bench, and the Bodenschatz development team is constantly dealing with these questions. The latest findings have been incorporated into the new Signa bathroom accessory line, which Bodenschatz has developed with the Basel design studio, Tale. A total of 15 solutions were specifically created to make life easier for users in the bathroom. Although some of the technical solutions developed for Signa are complex, you can't tell by looking at the products. The designers opted for proportions that allow the accessories to blend harmoniously into a contemporary bathroom. The newly developed solutions include the quadruple bath towel rail, designed to hold four towels and fold up to sav…

Virtual brand spaces: exploring the visual worlds of Danthree Studio | News | Architonic

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

It was quite a surprise when RICHTER+FRENZEL presented its own premium brand for high-quality bathroom furnishings last fall. The Bavarian company is considered a pioneer in the German Sanitary and Heating Wholesale Trade, organises the annual RIFA trade fair in Nuremberg and is now embarking on a journey towards end customers. FOR is the name of the brand in question, which is committed to aspects such as individualisation, comfort and well-being. Its product range is broad: from washbasin, bathtub and shower fittings to bathroom ceramics, furniture and accessories. Richter+Frenzel works with experienced producers in Germany and Italy to manufacture FOR's five distinctive future series.

But how does this new brand take shape? How do you charge a name with emotion? And how do you create visual worlds that bring the range to life even before all the products can be physically assembled in one place? Richter+Frenzel entrusted the Munich-based AGENTUR RICHTER with the market launch,…

Feel the difference: EGGER Decorative Collection 24+ | News | Architonic

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

EGGER is, without question, a specialist when it comes to decorative surfaces. Authentic results in appearance and texture, an exemplary approach to aspects of sustainability – in particular recyclability – and the use of wood-based and healthy raw materials convince even the most hardened advocates of ‘real’ materials.

EGGER breathes life into its wood-based materials for furniture and interior design with more than 300 decor/texture combinations – available within the Decorative Collection 24+ since the beginning of February. Another new feature is the rolling collection concept, which will provide architects, dealers and fabricators with new decors updated by the company's own trend and design team at least every two years. At the same time, the wood-based materials specialist promises a binding availability period for all de…

Keeping home automation simple, yet refined with Basalte | News | Architonic

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

As anyone who has ever renovated knows, one of the most niggling of design decisions concerns electrical interfaces. To some that’s simply light switches and plug sockets – once predominately white Bakelite or plastic and now available in a gloriously broad palette of materials, finishes, colours, shapes and profiles. But increasingly the decisions go beyond working out the least jarring isolator switch to integrate into your dream kitchen tiling scheme.

High-end homes have become intelligent – and while this suggests intuitive and remote controls of everything from dimmable lighting to door security, we still need to welcome these smart interlopers physically into our living environment. Which means we require their design to be at peace with our interior design scheme.

One man who recognised early on that a gulf was developing between the fast-evolving realm of home technology and acceptable aesthetics was the engineer Cassina’s extraordinary chapters in design history: perhaps Cassina’s most iconic and coveted pieces, certainly not confined to the past, yet ever-evolving to the beat of their founding spirit.

It was back in 1964 that Cassina acquired the exclusive worldwide rights to produce the first four models by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand. Whilst embracing authenticity, Cassina has championed their progressive, high-quality evolutions. The Cassina to sit back and simply live off its legacy – it would certainly be comfortable – yet the company continues to keep ahead of the curve. New sofa systems such as Esosoft, Sengu Bold and Moncloud respond to the flexibility required for contemporary life and innovate new production techniques and alternative materials.

Take the Esosoft sofa, designed by architect Antonio Citterio as his debut for Cassina. With…

Cassina’s sofa systems: bridging heritage and innovation | News | Architonic

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Cassina is renowned for its production excellence of sofa systems, and not just sofas – it’s a brand that has been integral to the development and refinement of design with a capital D. Acknowledging this, in 2022, the company joined the Special Register of Historical Trademarks of National Interest, established by the Ministry of Economic Development in Italy.

Cassina’s notoriety is rooted in its history, the present and the future. Originally founded in 1927 in Italy, from the 1950s it became a leader of industrial design whilst remaining committed to traditional craftsmanship. This blend of expertise still continues today in Meda, in the Brianza region, where each piece of furniture is still rigorously made.

Over the past years the quest for manufacturing distinction has only grown more ambitious and the company’s mission to ret…

How to maximise facades in wall-to-wall architecture | News | Architonic

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Whether due to urban regulations, typologies, land use or even informality in urban development, building between adjacent structures limits the number of faces of a new architectural volume. This reduction typically results in a building with only two facades at the front and back and also presents a spatial challenge in terms of achieving adequate illumination and ventilation along an apparent single horizontal axis.

The compression caused by surrounding structures, however, can also lead to the exploration of new relationships between elements such as full and empty spaces, light and shadow as well as permeable and impermeable surfaces. In addition, the roof of the volume can be understood as a third face or facade to serve as another axis, a vertical current. These four projects illuminate only a few of the possibilities for maximising facades in the context of wall-to-wall architecture.

Being the community heart of an overpopulated center in the middle of Cairo, the…

German Design Awards 2024 announce the winners of a sustainable future | Architecture | Architonic

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The German Design Council proudly celebrates the winners of the German Design Awards 2024. Following a meticulous evaluation by an esteemed international jury, a total of 65 Gold awards were presented in the Excellent Product Design, Excellent Communications Design and Excellent Architecture disciplines. The grand event unfolded at the prestigious Award Show on January 26, 2024, at Kap Europa, Messe Frankfurt’s congress center. As one of the world’s leading centers in the field, the German Design Council has been communicating and transferring knowledge within design, branding and innovation with three main tasks: to connect its members and numerous other international design and brand experts, foster discourse, and provide important stimulation for the global economy. Since its foundation in 1953, one of the central aims of the o…

Layer up: multi-purpose buildings with multi-layered facade solutions | News | Architonic

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

While some equal the wearing of a mask to acting ‘fake’ or two-faced’, depending on which side of the generational line you fall, as humans, most of us regularly – and often unwittingly – change the masks we wear. It’s natural for us to sell the best version of ourselves to others, and to transform into whatever version we think they’re most comfortable with.

As a building’s mask, its facade plays a crucial role in defining its use and character, and in turn the characters of its visitors – the employees, residents, students, shoppers and audiences – who define a little part of themselves with the buildings they frequent. Unable to change their masks as easily as humans, however, a building’s facade is a more constant, honest reflection of itself. These large buildings use facades with multiple layers not to hide themselves away underneath a mask, but instead as opportunities to reveal the hidden depths of their history and character.

‘…

Infusing elegance into the open-air world with Minotti’s outdoor designs | News | Architonic

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Across the world, diverse settings, customs and tastes offer many different challenges for sourcing outdoor furniture. Consider the contrast between a tropical garden in Bali, a hotel terrace overlooking the Alps, a sun-drenched courtyard in Mexico City and a historic balcony in beautiful, yet rainy, London. Then simply imagine how our use across all of these outdoors spaces varies – from the activities we carry out to the length of time we spend, from dynamic conversations to quiet relaxation.

Seeking to make life easy for architects and interior designers working on high-end residential, hospitality and yachting projects around the world, when Italian design brand Minotti launched its first outdoor furniture in 2006, it set out on a journey to build an extended proposal of elegant design pieces with personality that could be combined to suit any exterior setting in any global location. In addition, the br…

Inter-species residences: houses for plants, animals and humans | News | Architonic

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

In acknowledging that both plants and animals residing within our houses are domesticated entities, we can consider whether we should confine them within the functional boundaries of human-centric living. Which begs the question, what could be labelled as a worthy inter-species dwelling?

The architectural resolution of space can conceive a residence as an interspecies domestic system and consequently, engage a variety of species with one another and with their environment in an equitable manner. These four residences challenge the conventional concept of domestic architecture primarily tailored for human inhabitants.

In this residential design, a staircase goes beyond its obvious function of facilitating vertical circulation within a three-story structure. In place, it is repurposed to create a generous space for both plants and the eight cats that predominantly reside on the first floor with the elder generation of the family. This strategically positioned element in

Of magical effects, quiet design and uniqueness | Architecture | Architonic

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Light is an elementary component of the built world. It sets visual accents, ideally combines aesthetically with the architecture and at the same time fulfils functional aspects. Innovative technology enters into an exciting combination with forward-looking design. An outlook on the trends in 2024/25 is provided by the presentation of the trend bureau bora.herke.palmisano, during Light + Building at the Design Plaza in Hall 3.1. From March 3 to 8, the trend experts will be giving daily presentations on social influences and developments that will have an impact on luminaire design in 2024/25.  The trend bureau gives this brief outlook: “The Light + Building trends 2024_25 take up the groundbreaking developments in the lighting sector and s…

Tales of textures and colours: Casamance’s latest wallcoverings and fabrics | News | Architonic

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

It might seem self-evident – but the walls of the places we live in are some of life’s most impactful surfaces; swathes of space that provide calm, stimulus and a means for large-scale self-expression.

It’s a holistic notion prevalent in the wallpapers, wallcoverings and fabrics created by French brand Casamance. Founded in 2000, the multi-department company has since carved a niche as a purveyor of honed palettes, varied textures and a panoply of visual motifs, fashioned in materials of exemplary quality and, despite their pan-global influences, a very French level of elegance.

It’s all exemplified in the brand’s six newest collections. Both timeless and highly contemporary, their designs are bathed in glowing colours inspired by the vibrant landscapes of South America and Asia, and geometric patterns – created using innovative techniques and rendered in sophisticated velvets, gauzy voiles and em…

Boxed in: rectilinear architecture gets back its edge | News | Architonic

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Sometimes combined with negative connotations of boring and featureless architecture, ‘boxy’ is not a term commonly used by estate agents. Although the contemporary architectural style is still considered by many to be eternally ahead of its time – burying character and creativity deep in the poured concrete foundations of homes with few identifiable features, the clean lines, minimalist aesthetic and bold simplicity of the cuboid mean the look is steadily growing in popularity.

Architects and clients alike in all corners of the world are realising there’s a lot of fun to be had, either by strictly keeping inside the lines or by drawing up the rules before daringly breaking them. These four new homes and residential projects represent completely varied takes on the theme of the box.

‘The rocks excavated during construction were recycled and used to fill the front yard,’ explains Karim Rashid. Having spent the past four decades in the field of design and architecture, Rashid has manifested both his talent and approach with an always recognisable design DNA.

For this London project, Rashid was brought in to design an atypical type of home, a timeshare. The real-estate developer behind the project, Flyway, specialises in second homes based on the timeshare principle, a vacation property with a shared ownership model. Not a new concept as such, yet Flyway has introduced its own angle, concentrating on well-designed spaces located in popular cities. ‘Flyway introduced themselves as a new innovative m…

Big benefits with BoConcept | News | Architonic

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

BoConcept is curious about how people live. And not just in the sense of what colour they would like their sofa to be, but in a broader and more sociological sense too, trying to understand what people’s lives at home, at work and on the move, look like and how these things are changing and developing. What kind of spaces do we live in and how would we like them to look in ten years? How can the spaces we live in accommodate the types of lives we dream of living? Who better to talk to about these questions than the people who study spaces and buildings, namely architects.

Collaborating and exchanging ideas with architects is nothing new to BoConcept. The new Nawabari collection is the latest example of it. Together with the Danish architectur…

BoConcept: trust, quality and consistency | News | Architonic

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

With showrooms in 67 countries, BoConcept has already achieved remarkable international market penetration. Over the last ten years though, the Danish design brand has broadened its reach yet further to conquer another market. Formerly known primarily as a retail brand, BoConcept has now also become an impressive performer in the contract sector. What is the strategy behind this expansion and how did it come to position itself among architects, specifiers and developers? The answers are manifold, yet also relatively straightforward.

Since 1952, when BoConcept first started producing wooden cabinets, the company has been continuously eager to serve the market – following contemporary trends, incorporating new technologies and finding innovative ways of building the business. But never at the expense of its heritage, its Danish approac…

Time for character: PerfectSense® Omnipore Matt by EGGER | News | Architonic

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

© Architonic Head to the Architonic Magazine for more insights on the latest products, trends and practices in architecture and design.

VELUX: Calling all students of architecture! | News | Architonic

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

© Architonic Head to the Architonic Magazine for more insights on the latest products, trends and practices in architecture and design.

Four restaurant interiors that serve up texture | News | Architonic

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

In recent years, the line between overloading a restaurant interior and placing just enough intriguing accents around diners' tables to inspire a few well-framed photographs between courses has been considered thin at best. Overdone and the spatial accessories take away from the arguably much more important programming on the plate. Bare walls and white tablecloths alone, however, deny patrons the ever-important feeling of escapism and experience they're looking for.
The result: a prevailing aesthetic of luxurious minimalism with a few select, hard-hitting highlight pieces thrown in for good measure. But what if design caution was thrown into the wind alo…

Seating as a social catalyst: Hew by Parla | News | Architonic

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The art of ‘lounging’ has evolved since the chaise lounge and even the mid-century modern lounge chair. In fact, today, designing the perfect piece of comfortable and informal, yet elegant and versatile seating is more like a science. It has to be soft enough for hours of relaxing; adaptable to a range of social scenarios; durable enough to support activities from working, to dining and resting; and of course it must be able to inspire a good conversation with its own personality. Get the equation right, and a sofa or an armchair can become a social catalyst for interiors from lobbies to living rooms setting sparks flying.

As experts in hospitality design, Hines Fischer and Matthew Goodrich of multidisciplinary design studio Goodrich Design had often found themselves on the hunt for the perfect social catalyst – a collection of upholstered furniture that could function across all scales of hospitality, living and workplace interiors with plenty of options for customisation to…

Greening, shading and watering | Architecture | Architonic

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Basel-Stadt is serious about improving the urban climate. For the redevelopment of the VoltaNord site, a set of rules stipulates how heat islands in the urban environment are to be prevented. A broad spectrum of measures stipulates, for example, that large areas of outdoor space should be unsealed and more trees planted, that more greenery is also required on the roofs and facades of new buildings, and that the latter should be aligned from the outset so that cooling winds can continue to flow through the newly built neighbourhood without obstruction. And what can no longer be neglected in contrast to previous planning projects: space is needed underground so that trees can take root and meteoric water can seep away on site. Different location, different approach, but the same goal: anticipatory heat reduction thanks to more greenery. When renovating its housing estates, the Zurich housing cooperative Eigengrund also focuses on its outdoor spaces and transforms them into "garden rooms"…

End of Year Team Picks: the architecture and design stories we loved in 2023 | News | Architonic

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

The wooden boardwalk structure is carefully designed as a response to the curvature of the mountain, sometimes following the mountain’s ridges and slopes, and sometimes bending out, creating viewpoints and dramatic drops where visitors can feel the wind in the treetops. The walking trail, universally designed with a gentle incline, is suitable for pedestrians, cyclists, pushchairs and wheelchairs. It grew out out of a heartfelt desire to give all people, regardless of physical abilities, the sensational feeling of walking amongst the treetops. ‘With a simple yet remarkable design, this recreational walkway beckons me to experience it. Built with organic curves using local timber and traditional craftsmanship techniques, its design seamlessly integrates with the natural surroundings. Surrounded by tree trunks, the walkway's curves and slopes create a peaceful and unique experience. Furthermore, the design engages with two distinct perspectives: one for those walking through and another…

Heimtextil 2024: fully booked Carpets & Rugs hall with high growth in suppliers of machine-woven carpets | News | Architonic

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

The new Carpets & Rugs hall at Heimtextil now boasts around 100 manufacturers and brands, including a strong increase in suppliers of machine-woven carpets such as Merinos Hali, Oriental Weavers Group, Ragolle Rugs, Universal XXI, Verbatex and the Belgian association Fedustria and its members. With the high response, the exhibiting companies are sending out clear signals for the new platform, where they will also present sustainable concepts alongside their new products. New designs, pioneering product developments and major industry trends are the focus of the new Carpets & Rugs Hall 5.1, which has been fully booked since the last wave of registrations in the fall. The latest increase in exhibitors comes primarily from the machine-woven carpet sector. At the forefront are market-leading suppliers from Belgium – one of the most traditional textile countries that stands for sophisticated quality in the carpet indus…

Building must become easier again | Architecture | Architonic

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Together with Patrick Schnorf, Partner at Wüest Partner, we are already making an initial assessment. I see spatial planning and the lack of development opportunities as the main drivers of the housing shortage. But the causes are of course even more complex and it's worth taking a look at the background. In 2014, the Spatial Planning Act was revised with the aim of reducing the size of excessively large building zones and making better use of existing building land reserves. In theory, the law ensures that growth is still possible. There are a number of reasons for this. Often it is simply the complexity, the requirements, the financial viability and individual interests that make projects economically unattractive. Sometimes the timing is simply not right for the landowners. Ultimately, however, there is simply a lack of development opportunities at the moment. Especially in suitable, well-developed locations in larger cities and their inner agglomerations. Growth and demand have bee…

Tread lightly: shoe stores with brand-focused lighting concepts | News | Architonic

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The task of creating suitable lighting for retail spaces seems simple enough. By balancing individually considered task lighting together with more ambient general lighting, stores can highlight products without revealing their flaws, while also ensuring that important signage and other store sections remain visually available. And all without flooding the space with uncomfortable white light.

As any Hollister store will tell you, however, in the world of fashion, retail design is less about selling products as much as selling an image. Famous for their poorly lit, deafeningly loud interiors with the intense scent of cologne, the American fashion retailer positions itself definitively and exclusively towards the young, namely by excluding anyone old (and uncool) enough to complain about the conditions.

Once a purely performance-focused sportswear product, sneaker retail and marketing concentrated on high-tech innovations like support, cushioning, aeration and endurance…

Heimtextil 2024: textile innovations for new challenges in architecture, interior design and hospitality | Architecture | Architonic

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

The proven format will now be even more extensive and international. In addition to the numerous high-profile TALKS & TOURS, the LIBRARY is one of the central tools for experts from the fields of architecture, interior design and hospitality. 2024, the curated Interior.Architecture.Hospitality LIBRARY presents innovative functional textiles from selected exhibitors, including Edmund Bell, Futura Leathers, Marburger Tapetenfabrik, Proneem, Textaafoam and Vanelli Tekstil. The material library focuses on the following properties: flame-retardant, sound-absorbing, lightfast, antimicrobial, dirt-repellent and scrub-resistant. A large number of companies presented their products to the renowned expert jury, which includes Gerhard Sperling (German Home Textile Industry association), Jasmin Grego (GREGO Jasmin Grego & Stephanie Kühnle Architektur) and Felix Diener (Marburger Tapetenfabrik). Function meets innovation meets design: the jury members agreed on the remarkably high quality of the su…

Winners of the Best Pivot Door Contest 2023 | Architecture | Architonic

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Welcome to the leading edge of pivot door design, where unicity, design innovation, and precision engineering intersect. 2023 Marks another incredible year, as we have witnessed absolute mastery in craftsmanship, with over 130 submissions worldwide. The esteemed jury panel – the winners of last year have made their final decisions. Without further ado, we proudly announce the winners of the Best Pivot Door Contest 2023. FritsJurgens hardware is known in the world of exterior pivot doors. And this list highlights exactly what that means. With over 60 submissions in the Lagos-based architect Tosin Oshinowo, the event offered a vibrant and immersive experience during its three-day opening program. Through an array of activities, including talks, tours, screenings, workshops, and performances, the Triennial weaves a thought-provoking, city-wide dialogue exploring contextual solutions, resource sharing, and waste reuse – the trifecta that holds the potential to reshape the future of global architecture and design. Sharjah Architecture Triennial (SAT) was first established in 2018 to provide a platform for architecture and urbanism in a region that extends from West Asia to South Asia and the African continent. Physi…

Natural beauty and technical mastery: the latest stone-inspired tiles by Casalgrande Padana | News | Architonic

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

A beatific array of sweeping verdant plains, rolling hills and rocky outcrops might define the landscape of Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy’s agro-industrial heartland. But one of the region’s most feted exports is, in fact, drawn from underneath it all. The exceptional abundance of clay in Emilia-Romagna’s subsoil has made it a global hub for the production of ceramics, and particularly porcelain; materials holistically woven, decoratively and practically, into everyday life for millennia.

For over 60 years, Casalgrande Padana – located in the titular town, a little west of Bologna in the shadow of the Apennines – has been at the fore of the region’s porcelain industry; manufacturing innovative, environmentally-friendly porcelain tiles for floors and walls, indoors and out, in timeless aesthetics and robust forms made to last for generations. It’s an approach exemplified in the company’s latest r…

Architonic stories of the year 2023: Projects | News | Architonic

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Over the past year, one of the major focuses when designing interior and environmental spaces has been on mindfulness and wellbeing. But while mindfulness used to be – and often still is – characterised by clean, minimalist spaces and calmingly neutral colour palettes, professional architects and designers have also been recognising the value of durability in design trends, the importance of inviting nature and greenery inside as well as retaining it outside and the positivity of individualism – how making colour and material choices that better reflect our individual personalities – has the power to bring joy and whimsy to the everyday. As this list of the most popular project-referencing stories published in the Architonic magazine in 2023 shows, creating long-term spaces that we can continue to use and enjoy long into an uncertain future, has been at the top of everyone’s list. When it comes t…

Architonic stories of the year 2023: Products | News | Architonic

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Christmastime always brings into question the unrivalled human desire to accumulate ‘stuff’. As this year’s list of the most popular project-referencing stories from the Architonic magazine shows, however, doing more with less in our interior spaces remains a major focus for the other 11 months of the year. With a focus on sustainable materials, clean-energy products and architectural solutions with long-term functionality in mind, 2023’s list of the most popular product-referencing stories highlights how much A&D professionals and their clients are thinking about the world they leave behind, as well as the one we create for ourselves in the present. Designboom and ArchDaily: to inspire, connect and empower. The macro challenges we’re facing are never going to be achieved without a commitment to collaboration and we’re proud at DAAily platforms – as the world’s la…

Trends, inspiration, networking and the latest functional textiles at Heimtextil 2024 | News | Architonic

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Have you seen the videos that have done the social-media rounds for a while now, making fun of the Swiss and their apparent obsession with wearing ON sneakers? Seemingly transcending age brackets and class demographics, the home-grown shoe brand has become as reliable an index of Swissness as cheese or chocolate. (Full disclosure: I’m wearing a pair of ONs as I write this.)

But it could be argued that a popular Zurich-based bags and accessories company is just as much a marker of identity in this respect. QWSTION, which launched 15 years ago, has innovated from the start, not least in the materials it uses. Chief among them is a bio-textile called Bananatex, made entirely from naturally grown Abacá banana plants. The result of three years of research and development, the wonder-stuff’s biodegrability belies its strength, making it a major achievement in sustainable-material development.

Bananatex is just one of the judiciously selected materials that’s made the trends…

The architect’s appliance brand: Gaggenau | News | Architonic

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that the architect is always right. Okay, maybe it’s the customer. Or maybe, as Gaggenau believes, it is both. The 340-year-old kitchen appliance maker is on a mission to confidently tread the line between functionality and beauty, never compromising on either, so that its products thrill the end user with innovation and ergonomics while the architect is seduced by an unprecedented economy of form.

Of course, architects are end users and customers may have a Pawson-esque design vision, but the point is, Gaggenau not only considers the end customer, but also the architect in everything from the very design of its product to the wrap-around service it offers.

Always on hand, for example, is a microsite sharing news and advanced planning tools, relationship managers and a global network of des…

Redefining luxury in the contemporary kitchen with Gaggenau’s Essential Induction | News | Architonic

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Gaggenau’s latest innovation, Essential Induction, is the epitome of modern luxury. The cooking zone, which becomes simply a multifunctional stone surface when not in use, is a tool to make living easy and fluid without any aesthetic compromise. It’s precisely not about logos, but discretion.

Essential Induction shouts quiet luxury in a number of ways. It embraces, for example, the all-important movement for soft tech, in which advanced technology is present but invisibly integrated into warm and inviting environments. It also speaks to our desire to live all of life around the stove. With Essential Induction, Gaggenau is doing away with…

A revolution in kitchen technology: Gaggenau’s invisible cooktop | News | Architonic

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Gaggenau’s commitment to innovation and eye-soothing aesthetics in the kitchen is well known; its appliances aim to please the most exigent cook and meet the rigour of the dedicated minimalist. Its latest launch, however, turns the idea of appliance design on its head.

Going by the suitably understated name Essential Induction, Gaggenau’s latest cooking appliance has disappeared almost entirely into a Dekton worktop; the only evidence when switched off that it is, indeed, a cooking station, are the front-mounted knobs in stainless steel or black. When switched on, a glowing LED dot indicates where to place your pan for heat, and remains visible as long as the surface is hot to touch. When off, the cooking zone becomes the anything-goes zone…

Understated elegance meets enchanting glass art | Architecture | Architonic

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

The focus of the top Light + Building theme, ‘Work + Living’ is on the modular use of rooms and spaces both indoors and outdoors. Associated with this are changing demands on lighting: it should be adaptable and usable individually, as well as integrate several different functions and combine high-grade design with innovative technology. ‘Work + Living’ spotlights lighting in all its multifarious facets and fields, including design and special situations. As an aspect of interior design, sources of light are either a harmonious part of the overall concept or draw attention to themselves as design objects. Designers experiment with new materials and technologies, cooperate with glass blowers and take advantage of sustainable manufacturing processes and resources. Trends influence the design process. On behalf of Light + Building, the design experts of style agency bora.herke.palmisano have looked at which themes are most likely to impact on the 2024-25 season. A Montenegrin region of Kotor – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – can now be experienced from within the comforts of a luxury hotel

The International VELUX Award 2024 jury announced | News | Architonic

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

© Architonic Head to the Architonic Magazine for more insights on the latest products, trends and practices in architecture and design.

Architonic projects of the year 2023: Residential | News | Architonic

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

With reduced energy stability and uncertain economies across the world, 2023 was the year that many homeowners started to feel the pinch. This made building (and designing) to last an essential consideration for new projects, with hardwearing surfaces and long-life design styles combining with soft but durable materials to direct interior design trends. That being said, when it came to renovations, the focus was very much on reuse rather than replace, with reused, recycled and, importantly, recyclable products, materials and structures rising to the top of everyone’s wish list, alongside the emerging markets to distribute them. Celebrating this era of sustainable interior design and architecture, these – the Architonic readers’ favourite residential pro…

Quiet please: worldwide libraries that speak up for their communities | News | Architonic

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

The traditional idea of a library is a rather boring and dusty land where the word is king and silence the price of entry. A small fee for an invitation into wonderful, fantastical worlds or to educate oneself on diverse subjects from architecture to zoology. However, as information and stories are now so widely and cheaply available with a simple voice command, the out-of-favour library building has been forced to evolve.

Risen from the ashes of literary learning, libraries all over the world are being reborn as community hubs that inspire action. Offering spaces and services for those of all ages and interests to come together, the following library buildings from Architonic’s project archive use acoustic techniques to help some users hear their inner voice while helping others to make their voices heard.
With ‘dedicated areas for programmes and events for each age group’ and ‘an array of spaces for the public to meet and collaborate,’ as its architects Ambiente – the world's most important consumer goods fair – opens its doors in Frankfurt from 26 January to 30 January, the focus for exhibitors and trade visitors from industry, services and planning will be on professional exchange in the four areas of life: Dining, Living, Giving and Working. In the Future of Work space, the latter section will focus on the future of work as a meta-theme in 2024 and showcase products and solutions for furnishing and equipping contemporary workspaces.
Acoustics, room partitioning and furniture…

Cosentino's long-living, ultra-compacted surfaces | News | Architonic

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

When the team renovating 444 N Orleans in Chicago was looking to create an impactful facade that would stand firm against the Windy City’s environmental onslaughts, they turned to Cosentino’s hardy material invention, Dekton. Not wishing the wintertime arctic blasts of -30C and summertime extremes of 30C to compromise the vision, they found both their need and want in large-format slabs of Dekton’s Aura 15, an ultracompact surface with a marble-like finish.

Dekton is the smartly engineered material that is tooling up architects with an endlessly flexible cladding; one that offers good looks alon…

Cosentino's creative finishes are a playground for architects | News | Architonic

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

‘We approach each project as a tailor-made suit’ says Beatriz Quintana, a facades project manager at Cosentino, referencing the way in which its ultra-compacted surface material, Dekton, can flex in colour, texture, finish, thickness, fitting method and form to creatively clad buildings and bring artistic flourish to functional facades.

Cosentino works closely and collaboratively with architects and there is certainly something of a Savile Row mentality about the process, once the full scope of the material is unleashed in an architect’s studio. ‘We looked at the materials and saw that, yes, we can control the graduation of the colour from dark at the bottom to light,’ says Ron Arad joyfu…

Cosentino: a fantastical facade for Tel Aviv’s Toha Tower | News | Architonic

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0100

‘You don’t need a passport to go from one discipline to another’ says Ron Arad, the London-based, Israeli-born industrial designer, architect and artist, who is perhaps best known for his effortlessly sculptural furniture design. The comment relates to his most acclaimed work of recent years: the design, in collaboration with Avner Yashar, of the ToHa Tower in Tel Aviv – a piece of exquisitely sculptural architecture. ‘Architecture is architecture. Does it have sculptural elements? Yes. I do both.’

For Arad, designing a tower was little different from imagining an object – it started with a sketch that made a sculpture of a building – or was it a building of a sculpture? One way or another, even he expresses wonder that something so whimsical on pa…

Steelcase: Human-centred seating design | News | Architonic

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the human race should have mastered the design of the chair by now – we’ve been making them for millennia, after all. Yet still we keep trying to perfect our perches. Considered to be one of the harder typologies for a designer to crack, the chair is quintessentially an object that serves people; saving their legs and backs, easing their tasks. It is also a significant feature of our environment so needs to please the eye. The human experience is central to good design – but what if lifestyles change, tastes shift and our understanding of the human body evolves? Design must move, too.
Bettering chair design is, in fact, a constant area of research. It involves the tracking of our movements as we pursue everyday tasks, and investigations into how chair mechanics impact us both anatomically and mentally. Add to this ongoing efforts to make ever more intelligent materials to aid comfort and good posture, and finding ways to wrap up all this perfo…

Team Picks: the architecture and design stories we loved in November | News | Architonic

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

PROJECTS
Casa Senses is a hotel refuge proposal in the countryside built at CasaCorRio 2023 by architects Cadé Marino, Michelle Wilkinson, and Thiago Morsch, from UP3 Architecture office, at the invitation of Brentwood, which provided all the furniture for the space. The house was assembled from three reused containers and a metal structure that allowed expanding the built area, in a box format, up to 105 m2. The main inspiration for the project came from contemporary country houses, with solutions that promote maximum integration of the internal environments with the surrounding nature. The concept of integration was also explored internally through fluid spaces that communicate with each other, subtly compartmentalised to avoid abrupt visual barriers.
James Wormald, Organic Content Editor:
'Integrating with the tropical climate is a key aspect…

Let it glow: diffused table lamps that cosify the dark | News | Architonic

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

While our contemporary home heating systems are able to sustain a comfortable temperature with efficient ease, as winter takes its toll and the mercury hits rock bottom, we’re still hardwired to find comfort in a warm nest. When positioned at the perfect height to be seen but not noticed, diffused ambient lighting warms up our senses like the gentle glow of a crackling fire. By using different translucent materials and employing layering, moulding or positioning techniques, these soft, diffused table lamps, handpicked from the Architonic catalogue,…

Haworth: the art and science of sitting well | News | Architonic

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

© Architonic Head to the Architonic Magazine for more insights on the latest products, trends and practices in architecture and design.

Bette does time at the Wilmina Hotel, a former prison | News | Architonic

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

It could've been so kitsch. When you hear that a former prison has been transformed into a hotel, you'd be forgiven for imagining an incarceration-themed novelty destination, replete with door handles in the shape of handcuffs and complimentary striped pyjamas. Grüntuch Ernst Architekten's sensitive adaptation of a women’s jail in Berlin-Charlottenburg is anything but, however. The landmark building, originally completed in 1896, has been carefully honed into a place of light and tranquility, and has already managed, since its opening last year, to cultivate a loyal community of discerning – and returning – guests in search of restorativeness rather than restorative justice. ‘We never woke up and decided to buy a prison and run a hotel,’ explains co-founder Almut Grüntuch Ernst. (She and her partner Armand Grüntuch are both Wilmina’s architects and its owners.) ‘It’s the kind of story you jus…

How to design a hardworking kitchen island | News | Architonic

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

As we continue to renovate, redesign and redraw our home layouts as more open-plan or broken-plan spaces, one of the biggest losers is kitchen storage. While users of independent kitchen rooms can surround themselves with cabinets and worktops on all sides, by removing one of the walls to open up the space, up to half its storage and surfaces can actually be lost.

Dutch Design Week 2023, which had creatives from all corners of the industry flocking to Eindhoven last month for its latest annual edition, it was almost impossible to stroll the over 110 venues without being face-to-face with a set of characteristic reddish-brown cuboids. Upon closer inspection, however, it became clear that 'characteristic' was the very last attribute the material innovators behind these displays had in mind for their products. And they weren't all cuboids, either. Or reddish-brown, for that matter.

A general rethinking of traditional building mate…

A concrete landscape for the modern home: Fusto by Forma&Cemento | News | Architonic

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Concrete makes a strong modernist statement but often with overwhelming connotations: the austere courtyards and interiors of Tadao Ando, and the grids and domes of Le Corbusier and Niemeyer among them. All are grand designs, but purposely dominate the open spaces they inhabit. The term ‘gentle brutalism’ should be an oxymoron, but it’s perfectly descriptive of the Fusto collection, designed by Marialaura Irvine of Studio Irvine – who has been Forma&Cemento’s Art Director since 2020 – for the brand’s concrete furniture line.

Concrete is evocative of countless bold architectural masterpieces, so it’s an inspired concept to repurpose it for subtle and softly shaped interior objects – or indeed a ‘concrete domestic landscape’ – within the brand’s collection of tables and shelving based around tap…

Stories of Amsterdam with balcony glazing from Solarlux | News | Architonic

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

When it comes to transparent design and flowing transitions between inside and out, German specialist Solarlux has the right solution. In addition to folding glass walls and large-format sliding windows as well as glass extensions, the renowned manufacturer's product range also includes movable and sound-reducing balcony and facade glazing – systems that are not only effective in high-end private properties, but also in multi-storey residential buildings. Because those who live in big densely populated cities also sometimes desire peace and quiet, light-filled living spaces that connect with the horizon, or planted outdoor areas that can offer expansiveness, soothing daylight and views of nature.
'Stories’ is a wooden hybrid building by Olaf Gipser Architects located in the north of Amsterdam and a showcase example of sustainable urban development with a green vision – from every perspective.…

The complex evolution of the iconic egg chair | News | Architonic

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

When taken at face value, of course, the riddle is simple. While chickens were intentionally evolved by selectively breeding wild birds for domestication, the simple elliptical form of an egg reached its own evolutionary peak early, providing cosy, nurturing environments for all developing life forms for millions of years.

And it’s this simple ovate form – full of organic and mathematical beauty – in combination with the cosy and comfortable cocoon created inside, that has made such a lasting impact on the world of furniture design. Over the past 70 years and counting, ‘egg chair’ has become a typology of seating synonymous with individualist style and enclosed comfort. Here’s a look back at where it all came from.
When tasked with the design of seating – along with every other architectural and…

An industrial landmark offering new perspectives | News | Architonic

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

In order to secure the food supply for Berlin's rapidly growing population at the end of the 19th century, the Kornversuchsspeicher was built in 1898 on the former site of the Hamburger and Lehrter freight depots. A building with a scientific mission, it served to research new storage methods for grain. After years of vacancy and then interim use as a creative space, the brick building has been carefully renovated in recent years by AFF Architekten, extended with the addition of a seventh floor and transformed into a modern event, gastronomy and office building, with a focus on fully preserving its industrial charm. This was a project that called for great expertise in all areas, including from Solarlux, the specialist called upon for customised window and facade solutions.
So that the boundary between interior and exterior space o…

Small sketches, big ideas – 40 years of window and facade solutions by Solarlux | News | Architonic

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Many an important idea has begun life on the back of a napkin. Like the first Mini by designer Alec Issigonis or Philipp Starck's intergalactic lemon squeeze. In the case of Solarlux, the idea was similar, but the innovation was to fold, with one of the first foldable glass walls in history being sketched on a beer mat 40 years ago.

The two inventors and friends Herbert Holtgreife and Heinz-Theo Ebbert then founded the company Solarlux in order to realise ‘the development, production and distribution of components for passive solar architecture.’ One company milestone was the world's first thermally insulated SL 70 folding glass wall system suitable for living spaces, whose innovative technology has endured to this day.
Since then, the folding glass wall h…

New homes in Brazil that encourage indoor-outdoor living | News | Architonic

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

The early 20th century marked a pivotal era in Brazilian architecture with the advent of the modernist movement. Architects like Oscar Niemeyer or Lúcio Costa introduced avant-garde designs characterised by sleek lines, reinforced concrete and a focus on functionality. What's more: residential projects of the era, in particular, blurred the lines between indoor and outdoor, flawlessly merging interior and exterior spaces to reflect a lifestyle that harmonises with nature.

Fast forward to present day, and contemporary architects and designers in Brazil continue to embrace the challenge of creating indoor-outdoor homes that nod to the country's architectural history and tropical climate. These residences often feature open floor plans, ex…

Dreaming in colour: Villeroy & Boch | News | Architonic

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

There are a variety of reasons why colourful bathrooms have generally tended to be the exception rather than the rule. The role of colour in influencing mood was for a long time simply underestimated, while for many, there also exists the fear that the joy provided by a splash of bathroom colour might end up being short-lived: What if I ‘get fed up’ with that vibrant turquoise blue or that summery lemon yellow? The question may be justified, but it ignores the fact that even sterile white can also easily become too monotonous, too cold for us. And that we expect our bathrooms to provide an extra degree of comfort and cosiness – something we don't demand of some other spaces in the home – need also be remembered.
As designer Gesa Hansen puts it: ‘Colour can evoke so many emotions and change almost everything: the mood, the dimensions or the definition of a room.’ Two years or so ago, Hansen developed a pale…

Think pink: a brief history of the trending designer colour | News | Architonic

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Causing an international shortage of pink paint in 2022, the set of the 2023 Barbie film, was covered in bright shades of the colour, and is said to have sparked the current mega trend of colourful maximalism known as Barbiecore. But the route of pink into our hearts – and our interiors – is far more complex than that. When Pantone announced their 2023 Colour of the Year as Viva Magenta, for example, few eyebrows were raised too high. This rise of maxima…

Rethinking rooms with Palmberg's Clamp partition wall system | | Architonic

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

‘We are made for community, like feet, like hands, like our lower and upper rows of teeth,’ said Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius a good 2,000 years ago. Our need for social contact with others is deeply rooted within our brain stems. In this respect, working in an open-plan office corresponds exactly to what the oldest part of the brain in terms of evolution desires for us. The demands placed on workers have evolved considerably in recent decades, however. Market research company Oxford Economics has found, for example, that the ability to concentrate on work without interruption is one of the keys to satisfaction, with noise considered a major stress factor in occupational health and safety. And it is not just the decibel level that is decisive: external conversations represent extreme disruption as the processing of speech in the brain starts automatically – in effect, guaranteeing distraction. So is the enormous advantage of the open-plan office – being in constant dia…

How to maximise residential space with built-in structures | News | Architonic

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

In the intricate tapestry of residential design, built-ins stand as both functional marvels and aesthetic anchors, seamlessly merging form with utility. The often custom-designed elements possess the power to transform mere rooms into personalised sanctuaries, going beyond conventional furniture to become an intrinsic part of the structure itself and offer solutions to storage dilemmas while simultaneously elevating a home's overall design language.

From meticulously crafted bookshelves that breathe life into empty walls to bespoke cabinetry that organically blends with a wall's contours, built-ins exemplify the artful f…

Ambiente 2024 reveals exciting features | Architecture | Architonic

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Ambiente 2024 is gearing up for a dose of design inspiration with a trio of exciting features. Leading the charge is award-winning Italian designer Elena Salmistraro, who brings her creative touch to ‘The Lounge’ – an area of interior design and hospitality that marks the launch of ‘Ambiente Designer 2024’. The fair also unveils an immersive structure, introducing theme days like Designer Day, featuring guest designers that share diverse perspectives. Thirdly, the talents programs continue to evolve, providing a dynamic platform for the industry’s future. Carefully crafted to promote the community spirit, the event comes to life from January 26 – January 30, 2024 in Messe Frankfurt. As Ambiente unfolds, it invites designers, enthusiasts, and industry professionals to be part of a dynamic celebration of innovation and the future. With The Lounge, Designer Day, an…

Form and function in balance: the Steelcase Karman office chair | News | Architonic

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Essential design. I’ve found myself writing this phrase a lot lately. It can be applied to many new products put out by furniture brands who are aware of their role in preserving the environment’s resources, and of the changing, more mindful market. It has become in itself an aesthetic direction that acknowledges the need for restraint. It is performance with no excess, technology that’s invisible; functionality with economy of form. Today, if we are putting more stuff out there, it needs to justify its existence more than ever.

Take the office chair. It’s been designed and redesigned, had knobs put on, not to mention levers. It’s been made to look technical, it’s been made to look like an armchair. In effect, excessive detail and over-complicated adjustment systems have often made the seat’s ultimate performance unattainable for the majority of users. So what’s next for the task chair in this age of restraint?

Bonaldo's philosophy about the products selected for the B/Style program is ‘making the styles of the designers who created them resonate as if playing together in an orchestra.’ In this year’s B/Style catalogue, Bonaldo proposes a number of settings, each capable of fully expressing the overall vision constituting the very essence of B/Style: products by different designers but united by the brand’s signature style, all expertly matched to form a strong identity thread between the spaces. Deep Charm is the name Bonaldo has chosen for one of these setti…

Nebulis by Forestier: new lighting from centuries-old materials | News | Architonic

Thu, 23 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

The need for natural materials to usurp synthetics in our homes is driving innovation in all areas of design. Typically high on plastic and glass content, lighting is particularly up for scrutiny. While some have provocatively returned to the likes of animal bladders in search of organic translucency, others have looked to natural fibre favourites rattan, cane and linen. For others, it’s a matter for minerals such as alabaster, whose properties allow for beautiful ambient diffusion of light. And the search goes on.

Joining the quest for earth-friendly translucency is French designer Elise Fouin, a one-time member of Andrée Putman’s studio. Nebulis, her latest design for Paris-based lighting makers Forestier, follows her successful ai…

Eight storage features to keep wardrobes and closets organised | News | Architonic

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Although most of us have been at it from a young age, dressing oneself can be hard. Choosing items based on cut, colour, style and suitability to the day’s activities, environments and forecasted weather are all decisions to overcome. After all that, there’s the arduous task of actually finding them – now the only ones that will do, before changing one’s mind and starting all over again.

Our bedroom furniture, meanwhile, simply stands there, offensively mute and immobile, refusing to help as if it’s not part of the problem. When designed to be more flexible and adjustable, however, personalised storage systems that are more suited to the individual chara…

A new way of expressing furniture: BoConcept and BIG | News | Architonic

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Surrounded by water and with a distinctly energetic vibe, Danish architecture studio, BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group, has based its new headquarters in Copenhagen's flourishing harbour district, Nordhavn. With its newly constructed office building, the design pioneers are striving to showcase the art of blending technology, innovation and creativity while also designing a space that nurtures inventiveness and fosters a sense of community in the workplace.
The shift towards flexible office environments is a growing trend, with an increasing number of companies realising the benefits of being able to customise office spaces that cater to different ways of working. Although structure and support remain essential pillars in the professional framework, it is freedom and flexibility that drive autonomy and happiness.
Combining BoConcept

How to apply glass in interiors with these five types of product | News | Architonic

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Allowing the desirable parts of our natural environments to pass through, such as light and warmth, whilst filtering out the undesirables like wind and rain, glass is used mainly at the edges of our built structures – in windows or glittering contemporary facades. However, as a repeatably recyclable material with a life expectancy over 1,000 years and an ability to take uncontrollably unique and artistic forms, glass can be the wonder material that long-lasting, personality-filled interiors dream of, too. With

Heimtextil 2024: a world of textile possibilities | News | Architonic

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

What is it that turns a trade fair into a world-leading one? Things like international appeal, the organisational expertise to bring certain contexts and trend developments vividly into focus, and 2,600 plus exhibitors from all across the world. This is Heimtextil, taking place from 9 to 12 January 2024 in Frankfurt. The programme includes contract textiles and textile design, decorative and upholstery fabrics, textiles for bed, bath and table, through to wallpapers, sun protection and carpets – and much more besides. But don't worry. To ensure that architects, interior designers and experts from related sectors always have an overview, the fair is again putting together a supporting programme tailored to the needs of professionals for the upcoming edition. Orientation is provided by the Interior.Architecture.Hospitality programme, which runs like a thread through the various textile properties and requirements of…

Take the floor: Carpets & Rugs debut at Heimtextil 2024 | News | Architonic

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

As if the range of products at Heimtextil was not already extensive enough, from 2024, the Frankfurt-based fair for home and contract textiles is now offering yet another great reason to visit: make a note of Hall 5.1! This is where the new Carpets & Rugs product segment will make its debut from 9 to 12 January. Around one hundred international manufacturers of fitted, hand-woven, custom-made or machine-woven carpets, mats, runners and bridges have already announced their participation, including brands from Egypt, Belgium, Bangladesh, China, Greece, India, Italy and Turkey, for what is sure to be a sparkling premiere.
The decision to expand the range comes at a time when craftsmanship per se is more important than it has been for a long time. And so manufacturers such as Rugs Inc, Sarla Handicrafts and The Rug Republic – who have presented at Heimtextil, visitors will experience an omnipresent reorientation in the field of home and contract textiles: a move away from the classic trend concept as an economic driver, towards transformation in the direction of sustainable value creation. Unified under the central theme of 'New Sensitivity', Heimtextil will present a variety of transformative textile innovations in the Trend Space, and so remaining consistent with the previous focus on circularity. ‘At the upcoming event, Heimtextil Trends will again show ways in which the transformation of the home textiles industry is contin…

Making friends at imm cologne | News | Architonic

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Let’s be honest. There’s been a certain amount of speculation over the past while about the future of imm cologne, the international furniture fair that’s traditionally kicked off the calendar year, acting as a compass to the design landscape of the following twelve months. Like every physical trade fair, it has had to navigate white waters: pandemic strictures, turbulent macroeconomics and the continued expansion of alternative channels. And yet. After its experimental, pared-down ‘Spring Edition’ last June, January 2024 sees imm cologne back to its traditional timing – and in rude health. It’s not business as usual, though. And rightly so. The fair is evolving at a pace to reflect the changing needs and behaviours of both professional visitors and brands, each hungry to connect on a deeper level, beyond the presentation of new products. Is im…

High-ambience restaurants illuminated with subtle lighting effects | News | Architonic

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Hospitality settings are often asked to walk a tightrope between light and dark. Too dark and the aiming of one’s fork towards plate becomes a haphazard operation – and a full-blown hazard when targeting the mouth. If bleached in too much light, however, the food itself loses its lustre and, when faced with the reality of an environment in close proximity to 30-100 noisy others, it can be hard to feel relaxed.

By using various lighting techniques, materials and arrangements, these hospitality spaces craft the perfect Goldilockian light settings that allow guests to concentrate on what matters most, be that the food, the peace of being with oneself or the comfort of the person on the opposite side of the table.

‘Intimate’ is a word often used to describe something that’s a bit on the small side, in a more positive light. When a small restaurant boasts of its intimacy, however, this can mean sharing a romantic meal elbow-to-elbow with a complete stranger. In order to se…

Ten functional shower control systems dripping with style | News | Architonic

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Modern shower systems include luxurious features the likes of which we’re more used to seeing in a high-end spa than our home bathroom. Using hand, shoulder and overhead rain showers…

Enhancing user experience with Unidrain's Reframe pedal bin | News | Architonic

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

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