Dujiangyan Zhongshuge

The House of Infinite Literature

Tricking the eye with an ultra-high gloss finish, this mirror-floored library creates a whole new experience of checking out books. Designed by X+Living, Dujiangyan Zhongshuge in Chengdu is a vision of infinite literature. Curved, towering, futuristic bookcases reach up and around, carrying their bounty and evolving from real books at eye-level to faux spines at the unreachable heights. A maze, a city, a jungle, an … Continue reading The House of Infinite Literature

Valencia

FLCCV’s new HQ wins Spanish tile prize

The new headquarters for the Valencia Construction Sector Employment Foundation at L’Horta Vella Bétera Ind Est, Valencia, has secured first prize for MRM Architects’ Studio in the 20th edition of ASCER’s Tile of Spain Awards. The new FLCCV building is set in a rural, semi-industrial plot, surrounded by fields of olive and fruit trees, and is bounded to the north by the Carraixet ravine. Continue reading FLCCV’s new HQ wins Spanish tile prize

Guardian Art Center

Mountains on the Walls

The bubble windows of the Guardian Art Center in Beijing create the first in a series of striking impressions curated by the building’s architect Ole Scheeren. These large-scale pixels make up an abstracted interpretation of the artwork Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains, signalling the significance and essence of the space. Designed as a cultural centre, the Guardian Art Center is an multifacted hybrid, home to … Continue reading Mountains on the Walls

Sunflowers, Salt, and Seaweed

We’ve taken a look at various surfaces made from unusual materials – notably tiles from salt created by Chilean architect Mále Uribe Forés, sunflower surfaces from Thomas Vailly, and algae infused tiles from the Bio-Integrated Design Lab – and today we’re sharing something that utilises all three – Frank Gehry’s tower for the Luma Foundation in Arles. Continue reading Sunflowers, Salt, and Seaweed

Beauty at Bumpers Oast

Around our local region (Kent and Sussex) we’re lucky enough to be near the majority of one of England’s more unusual historical building designs – Oast houses. Despite being around since the 1500s, the majority were built in the mid 1800s for the very specific purpose of drying hops before being sent to the brewers. Nowadays they mostly function as beautiful homes, with the pointed … Continue reading Beauty at Bumpers Oast

Terrazzo Cladding

Architect Timothy Robinson offers a triumph of terrazzo at his new studio and workshop that has the perfect balance of tranquility and stylistic panache – enough to make any working-from-homer a little jealous. The vibrant greens and layered lines of the lush tropical planting, mixed with the bold green terrazzo cladding distracts the eye just enough that the beige brick building behind the studio fades … Continue reading Terrazzo Cladding

Tile of Spain Awards 2020

Tile of Spain have announced the winners of The Tile of Spain awards, a competition designed to promote and celebrate the creative use of Spanish ceramics in interior design and architecture. This year in its 19th edition, ASCER has awarded 39,000 Euros in cash prizes to winners throughout the categories. First prize in the Interior Design category is for the Atlantis Gastrobar in Barcelona by … Continue reading Tile of Spain Awards 2020

Colouring Collaboration

We’ve covered some of the colourful work of Adam Nathaniel Furman (notably his gateway at Design Junction and his Chelsea and Westminster Hospital designs) and now it’s his vision for town halls that we need to share. With his incredible understanding of colour and its transformative properties to imagine town halls of the future, awash with shades and styles that reflect the mixture of people … Continue reading Colouring Collaboration

KWG·M·CUBE by MVRDV. Photo Credit: Seth Powers

Five Fascinating Façades

When looking to compile a list of our favourite façades we noticed a very clear front runner in the race for beguiling buildings – architecture firm MVRDV. Undeniable style, elegance, creativity, and flair are found amongst many of their projects, and three have been chosen for our selection of Five Fascinating Façades. 1. BVLGARI in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia A wonderful work of kuntisugi style where … Continue reading Five Fascinating Façades

Dividing Spaces

Green and red triangular tiles signify the separation of spaces in this Barcelona apartment. Carrer Avinyó in the Gothic Quarter is a strikingly angular building, with a tight corner protruding out and enabling public walkways on either side. When it was refurbished in 2012, with the help of David Kohn, the plan was to take advantage of this premade quirk and reflect it within the … Continue reading Dividing Spaces

Hemp House

Hemp is fast being recognised as one of the most important crops to tackle climate change due to its prolific growing potential, carbon-sequestering nature, and its capacity to be used in almost any industry. Its ability to sequester carbon begins from the moment it is seeded, with one ton of harvested hemp fiber sequestering approximately 1.62 tons of CO². Continue reading Hemp House

Multicolour Moscow

Combining ‘Kabanchik’, typically used in Soviet pre-fab apartment blocks, with modern fibre cement panels, this housing project attempts to breathe life and colour into the surrounding area. With traditionally soulless towerblocks in varying shades of grey and beige in mind, Italian architecture firm Iosa Ghini Associati designed these exteriors with a little more joy. Continue reading Multicolour Moscow