All’ultimo piano del Business Centre Quattro Corti, sempre progettato da Piuarch, si trova il ristorante panoramico Mansarda. Si sviluppa su una superficie di 1050 mq ed è accessibile da due ingressi, uno collegato con i piani degli uffici, e uno indipendente, collegato con l’entrata principale del complesso.

© Andrea Martiradonna. Published on May 06, 2015.

Il ristorante si affaccia da un lato sulle corti vetrate del business centre, dall’altro sui cortili degli edifici del centro storico e sulla cattedrale di Sant’Isacco, in una perfetta combinazione visiva di elementi contemporanei e storici.

© Andrea Martiradonna. Published on May 06, 2015.

Il soffitto è un motivo di forte peculiarità, grazie al disegno geometrico delle doghe in rovere grigio, la cui inclinazione spezzata rievoca quella degli ambienti mansardati, e al tempo stesso si rifà alla copertura a falde del tetto. Il ristorante ospita 255 coperti, dei quali 75 posizionati sul terrazzo panoramico.

© Andrea Martiradonna. Published on May 06, 2015.

At the top floor of the Quattro Corti Business Centre, project by Piuarch, is located a panoramic glass restaurant, with great views on Saint Isaac’s Cathedral. It spreads over 1050 sqm, and it has one entrance connected to the offices and one, for the public, connected with the main entrance of the complex.

© Andrea Martiradonna. Published on May 06, 2015.

The top floor overviews on one hand the glass courtyards of Quattro Corti Business Centre, on the other hand the historic courts of the city centre, in a perfect combination of contemporary and historic elements.

© Andrea Martiradonna. Published on May 06, 2015.

The ceiling is a strong theme, thanks to the geometric pattern of the grey oak woodblanks. Their broken pitch reminds both the attic rooms (“Mansarda” in Italian) and the metallic pitched roof of the complex. The restaurant has 255 seats, 75 of which placed on the panoramic terrace.

© Andrea Martiradonna. Published on May 06, 2015.

The building is designed for collective housing and has 32 flats and 8 commercial spaces. The construction area is 45 m x 17 m with a ground floor and five floors. The rectangle was divided through its axis creating two separate bodies which are continuous and symmetric, yet independent in terms of accesses and entrances. The lifts, staircases, bathrooms, storage areas and service areas compose the buildings central structure, allowing better interior organization. The eastern elevation includes the two entrances, four of the commercial entrances and the car entrances for the basements car park. The western facade gives direct access to four commercial spaces. The flat typology has the kitchen near the entrance, next to the living room and the bedrooms creating a linear front, structured by a corridor with 1,40 m wide. The structure metric is based on a square, 5,90 large, creating bedroom fronts of 2,95 m and parking spaces of the same size. The wall openings define the facade modulation which is a system of aluminium venezian blinds. This system has two types: the first, fixed to the exterior wall and the second, a normal blind for the windows and the laundry openings. This principle stands on the ground floor in the commercial spaces. The window frames are made of aluminium in it’s natural colour. The flat floor is made of wood boards, the walls are covered with plaster or clay tiles in the bathrooms.

Structural consultants: Enarte – Engenharia e Arquitectura, Lda.
Electrical consultants: Enarte – Engenharia e Arquitectura, Lda.
Mechanical consultants: Enarte – Engenharia e Arquitectura, Lda.
General contractor: Ribeiro de Sousa & Silva Correia, Lda.
Landscape design: Laura Costa

© Luis Ferreira Alves . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Luis Ferreira Alves . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Luis Ferreira Alves . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Luis Ferreira Alves . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Luis Ferreira Alves . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Eduardo Souto De Moura . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Eduardo Souto De Moura . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Eduardo Souto De Moura . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Eduardo Souto De Moura . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Eduardo Souto De Moura . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Eduardo Souto De Moura . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Eduardo Souto De Moura . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Eduardo Souto De Moura . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Eduardo Souto De Moura . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Eduardo Souto De Moura . Published on May 06, 2015.

Toronto design firm +tongtong’s latest project, Her Majesty’s Pleasure, is equal parts café, retail boutique, beauty salon and bar, all located under one roof in downtown Toronto.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 06, 2015.

From the beginning, the +tongtong team, under the creative direction of John Tong, engaged in a meaningful dialogue with their clients Sara Kardan and Jeff Armstrong that continually challenged the conventions of the beauty salon experience. This collaborative relationship evolved the business model and was fundamental in developing the dynamic offerings of Her Majesty’s Pleasure.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 06, 2015.

“This process could only have happened with a client who was not set in their ways, who was open to ideas and enjoyed volleying back,” Tong says. “The volleying back and forth not only evolved the project, it was fun.”

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 06, 2015.

Situated at the base of a newly occupied condominium building on King Street West, the epicenter of where urbanites live, work and play, Her Majesty’s Pleasure is a place for women and men to get manicures, pedicures, and blowouts while socializing and sipping on their elixir of choice – freshly-squeezed juice, lattes or craft cocktails. Architecturally, the space seamlessly reflects this multi-purpose program, blurring the lines between each zone. By reiterating materials, patterns and concepts across each area, Her Majesty’s Pleasure feels cohesive and connected throughout the space.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 06, 2015.

Overall, the firm kept the palette light and fresh, selecting white, light grey, charcoal, and varying shades of blue for the main colour scheme. Hits of copper, bright yellow, Douglas fir plywood and slate added warmth and highlighted the palette. A bold custom-design graphic floor pattern of blues and grey tile energize the entry café/bar. “We aimed to bridge a sense of casual elegance and refinement with that of a more natural, tactile and edgy environment”, says Tong.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 06, 2015.

The scheme creates spaces that are both comfortable and inviting, while also addressing the design and fashion-forward culture of the neighbourhood. Her Majesty’s Pleasure opens with the café/bar area. The one side of the room consists of a seemingly ornate, yet stripped down, whitewashed bar topped with white marble. A line of geometrically folded copper stools reflect the coved lights under the bar, while across the room, bistro tables and custom-designed grey leather banquet seating with a geometric black steel base and Douglas fir foot rest line the wall. Riffing on the character of the bar, the sideboard features a white tile design with flecks of copper that resemble falling leaves.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 06, 2015.

“Copper is a really warm tactile material and is the perfect foil to the whitewashed accents. It gives a bit of sparkle. It’s a precious metal that’s still industrial and elemental,” says Tong.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 06, 2015.

+tongtong accentuated the towering 20-foot-high ceilings by installing industrial, multi-pane glass and steel window frames behind the bar, a treatment that plays with the space’s proportions and also allows patrons to view into the salon area from the bar. The bar and the salon are mirror images of the other, with identical white enameled steel pendant lights hanging in parallel, like voluptuous earrings complimenting a simple dress.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 06, 2015.

Immediately upon entering Her Majesty’s Pleasure, the eye is drawn to the architectural structure at the back of the space. Serving double duty as a pop-up retail boutique and reception to the salon, the monolith is “a product display system grown out of an architectural construction,” says Tong. “It’s a structure within a structure.” The pitched roof language is another nod to tradition, resembling barns and tree houses alike, but the geometric wooden shelving, backlit by LEDs, is fully modern.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 06, 2015.

Tong continues: “the lively juxtaposition of the natural wood and the whitewash was a way to really bring a modern architectural, slightly edgier language to something more traditional and refined yet playful.” Traveling past the wooden pop up, you arrive in the beauty salon. The marble bar from the entry wraps around, extending the experience into the salon and setting the stage for manicures. A long, raised wooden deck lined with Muskoka chairs defines the pedicure area. Above the deck, the coved ceiling is painted a fresh yellow and softly lit with a rafter-like structure assembled over top. Like the retail boutique, the pedicure area, which was designed with an outdoor porch in mind, feels separate of the main area.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 06, 2015.

The blowout lounge also eschews the typical salon set-up. Patrons sit at the marble bar as they get their hair done, with bartenders serving on the other side. Located across the aisle, the makeup lounge – which can be used to collect oneself after a treatment or booked for private functions – is articulated from the rest of the space as a wood cabin. At the center of the lounge, geometric copper stools surround a custom-designed table, which is topped with copper and white diamond-shaped tiles.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 06, 2015.

Her Majesty’s Pleasure truly is a hybrid concept. A place where people can come for their morning coffee and croissant, a quick lunch, an after-work cocktail, to get ready for a night out, or to pamper themselves alone or with friends. Architecturally, the space reflects this ethos as well. As Tong says, it truly is a concept of “many spaces, within a space.”

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Tongtong . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 06, 2015.

La casa in campagna di peter è un rifugio dell’anima una sorta di enclave, dove rifugiarsi.Il silenzio circonda la casa perchè sia la meditazione l’unico rumore che la mente emette.

© Piero Speranza . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Piero Speranza . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Piero Speranza . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Piero Speranza . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Piero Speranza . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Piero Speranza . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Piero Speranza . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Piero Speranza . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Piero Speranza . Published on May 06, 2015.

Seoul è una delle città con più basso tasso di natività al mondo e ciò porterà ad una sovrabbondanza di edilizia, perciò il comune sta iniziando ad attuare un piano verde pubblico per migliorare il tenore di vita dei cittadini.

© Giammario Volatili . Published on May 06, 2015.

La finalità del progetto, è quella di sviluppare un’ area verde al centro della città storica, con quattro zone commerciali composte da complessi verticali polifunzionali (città verticali), realizzate con sistemi di Bio-Architettura, per rendere la città più autonoma e sostenibile, senza intaccare l’ identità storica e commerciale dell’ area, creando una sorta di connessione tra passato e futuro.

The project is located in Shanghai, at Jing’an Sculpture Park. This is an area containing high concentrations of stray cats. The system of housing units is easy to assemble and disassemble, to zoom in and out. The size varies with respect to the number of cats present.

© Luca Ariedi . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Luca Ariedi . Published on May 06, 2015.

© Luca Ariedi . Published on May 06, 2015.

Menzione d’onore per il Premio “Giovane Talento dell’Architettura Italiana 2014” CNAPPC, Roma. Un grande piano in pietra e una lunga seduta, stabiliscono l’ordine dello spazio ai piedi del monumentale arco d’ingresso alla cittadina barocca. Il grande piano, pavimentato in pietra calcarea, crea la condizione di vuoto essenziale ed astratto per fare emergere senza interferenze l’importante monumento storico. Il progetto risolve nel breve tempo il tema della “piazza” e fissa le regole per una eventuale estensione dell’intervento al viale della villa comunale raggiungendo nel tempo la definizione di un unico sistema lineare.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

Vincitore Premio IN/Arch-ANCE Sicilia 2014 categoria “nuova opera o opera di riqualificazione in Sicilia 2008/2013 – under 40”. Il posizionamento sul lotto e l’allineamento con la costruzione principale, hanno definito uno spazio esterno, una porzione di lotto intercluso fra i due corpi, dove si affaccia e si relaziona attraverso delle aperture la zona giorno della casa padronale. Da qui l’idea per la nuova dependance di un unica grande apertura-ingresso che opportunamente, grazie alla sua grande dimensione, stabilisce o nega la relazione con lo spazio esterno e con il corpo principale. La pianta organizza gli spazi interni della piccola abitazione in modo da favorire le aperture sul fronte opposto e garantire la privacy reciproca delle due abitazioni.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

Un volume plastico, puro, astratto che quasi rievoca le forme stereometriche del mondo classico e fa emergere con semplicità e chiarezza, senza l’aggiunta di segni e forme, il significato di ciò che è stato costruito. I prospetti sono costituiti da quattro grandi lastre in marmo bianco, utilizzate come casseforma a perdere della struttura portante in calcestruzzo armato, che per la loro dimensione e matericità conferiscono serietà, rigorosità e freddezza al tema del monumento funebre. La feritoia posta fra le due ante della porta d’ingresso, anche esse in marmo, lascia intravedere un interno caldo e intimo contraddistinto dall’uso del legno di rovere come rivestimento dell’intera camera. L’interno è caratterizzato dalla luce naturale, che dal lucernario zenitale illumina la camera in base alle ore del giorno con luce diffusa o diretta, e riverbera i colori caldi del rivestimento ligneo.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

Vincitore del premio nazionale “Italian Pool Award 2014” categoria “commerciale outdoor”, Editrice Il Campo, Bologna.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

morana+rao architetti. Published on May 06, 2015.

La porzione di fabbricato così come individuata dalle due unità d’angolo sovrapposte, costituisce corpo di fabbrica separato dal vano scale interposto, rispetto alla porzione integrante le altre due unità coeve. Anche secondo i criteri di efficientamento energetico, le due parti possono considerarsi come porzioni dell’immobile tra loro indipendenti, separate sia per impiantistica, esposizione, adiacenze, che per successivi interventi di manutenzione e/o ammodernamento (infissi, stratigrafie dei paramenti murari, rivestimenti, ecc.), quindi energeticamente indipendenti e come tali valutabili. I lavori qui previsti riguardano le modifiche e le opere necessarie a: • rinnovare, demolire e/o sostituire parti anche strutturali dell’edificio; • realizzare e integrare i servizi igienico-sanitari e tecnologici; • implementare la compatibilità e l’efficienza energetica del manufatto; • aumentare la volumetria e convertire la destinazione d’uso di alcuni vani; Le lavorazioni previste riguardano un insieme sistematico di interventi strutturali, atti a sostituire in modo puntiforme, il sostegno di alcune delle murature collocate in angolo, liberando la visuale e fornendo il giusto apporto aero-illuminante agli ambienti retrostanti, che subiranno una totale ridistribuzione dovuta a intercorse necessità abitative, nonché al previsto aumento volumetrico da realizzare in buona parte nella chiostrina interna di pertinenza. Le tramezzature interne saranno realizzate in cartongesso o siporex, per il contenimento del peso strutturale e l ’isolamento termo-acustico dei vani interni.

STATO DI FATTO

© ___ NATAstudio ___ arch.Roberto Maglio . Published on May 06, 2015.

STATO DI FATTO

© ___ NATAstudio ___ arch.Roberto Maglio . Published on May 06, 2015.

STATO DI PROGETTO

© ___ NATAstudio ___ arch.Roberto Maglio . Published on May 06, 2015.

Planimetria piano terra Stato di progetto.

© ___ NATAstudio ___ arch.Roberto Maglio . Published on May 06, 2015.

Stato di progetto Pianta primo piano + copertura (proprietà differente da PT)

© ___ NATAstudio ___ arch.Roberto Maglio . Published on May 07, 2015.

© ___ NATAstudio ___ arch.Roberto Maglio . Published on May 07, 2015.

© ___ NATAstudio ___ arch.Roberto Maglio . Published on May 07, 2015.

© ___ NATAstudio ___ arch.Roberto Maglio . Published on May 07, 2015.

© ___ NATAstudio ___ arch.Roberto Maglio . Published on May 07, 2015.

© ___ NATAstudio ___ arch.Roberto Maglio . Published on May 07, 2015.

© ___ NATAstudio ___ arch.Roberto Maglio . Published on May 07, 2015.

© ___ NATAstudio ___ arch.Roberto Maglio . Published on May 07, 2015.

© ___ NATAstudio ___ arch.Roberto Maglio . Published on May 07, 2015.

© ___ NATAstudio ___ arch.Roberto Maglio . Published on May 07, 2015.

Il progetto indaga le questioni legate all’ornamento, come atteggiamento in grado di superare le caratteristiche naturali della materia eccedendo dagli ambiti in cui è tradizionalmente impiegata. I tavoli in cemento sono ornati con decori imperfetti, realizzati con vernice bianca mentre i corpi illuminanti quasi precari in garza di gesso esibiscono le cuciture come elementi che ne rafforzano il carattere. Il rivestimento del banco e degli sgabelli con chiodi a vista, rimandano ad una dimensione tessile della materia, che sembra cucita sul supporto retrostante.

Foto by Sonia Zucchelli

© ARCHIPLAN STUDIO // Diego Cisi e Stefano Gorni Silvestrini Architetti . Published on May 07, 2015.

Foto by Sonia Zucchelli

© ARCHIPLAN STUDIO // Diego Cisi e Stefano Gorni Silvestrini Architetti . Published on May 07, 2015.

Foto by Sonia Zucchelli

© ARCHIPLAN STUDIO // Diego Cisi e Stefano Gorni Silvestrini Architetti . Published on May 07, 2015.

Foto by Sonia Zucchelli

© ARCHIPLAN STUDIO // Diego Cisi e Stefano Gorni Silvestrini Architetti . Published on May 07, 2015.

Foto by Sonia Zucchelli

© ARCHIPLAN STUDIO // Diego Cisi e Stefano Gorni Silvestrini Architetti . Published on May 07, 2015.

Foto by Sonia Zucchelli

© ARCHIPLAN STUDIO // Diego Cisi e Stefano Gorni Silvestrini Architetti . Published on May 07, 2015.

Foto by Sonia Zucchelli

© ARCHIPLAN STUDIO // Diego Cisi e Stefano Gorni Silvestrini Architetti . Published on May 07, 2015.

Foto by Sonia Zucchelli

© ARCHIPLAN STUDIO // Diego Cisi e Stefano Gorni Silvestrini Architetti . Published on May 07, 2015.

Foto by Sonia Zucchelli

© ARCHIPLAN STUDIO // Diego Cisi e Stefano Gorni Silvestrini Architetti . Published on May 07, 2015.

Foto by Sonia Zucchelli

© ARCHIPLAN STUDIO // Diego Cisi e Stefano Gorni Silvestrini Architetti . Published on May 07, 2015.

Foto by Sonia Zucchelli

© ARCHIPLAN STUDIO // Diego Cisi e Stefano Gorni Silvestrini Architetti . Published on May 07, 2015.

Foto by Sonia Zucchelli

© ARCHIPLAN STUDIO // Diego Cisi e Stefano Gorni Silvestrini Architetti . Published on May 07, 2015.

Foto by Sonia Zucchelli

© ARCHIPLAN STUDIO // Diego Cisi e Stefano Gorni Silvestrini Architetti . Published on May 07, 2015.

Foto by Sonia Zucchelli

© ARCHIPLAN STUDIO // Diego Cisi e Stefano Gorni Silvestrini Architetti . Published on May 07, 2015.

Foto by Sonia Zucchelli

© ARCHIPLAN STUDIO // Diego Cisi e Stefano Gorni Silvestrini Architetti . Published on May 07, 2015.

Foto by Sonia Zucchelli

© ARCHIPLAN STUDIO // Diego Cisi e Stefano Gorni Silvestrini Architetti . Published on May 07, 2015.

West of Nantes, the new Collège Anne de Bretagne secondary school at St-Herblain stands out in the location as a feature linking a town park, various neighbouring public utilities and the Loire valley landscape. The project fits into the site through an irregular base dressed in timber powerfully set into the slightly sloping land. This rough ground floor bears a much simpler looping figure that tapers on the upper floor housing the classrooms. The base blends in with the immediate vicinity while the upstairs area looks out over the landscape further afield. The tentacular ground floor serves as the entrance leading to all the site’s outside areas both public and private connected to the school’s common and administrative areas. On the upper floor housing all the classrooms, the circular layout around patios makes finding one’s way extremely straightforward and obvious. On the outside, a sunscreen device made up of coloured glass panels perpendicular to the frontage clad in reflective stainless steel offers passive shading on the front of the classrooms, recreating a rainbow effect, thereby giving the school its hallmark brightly shining image. The entire unit forms a kinetic ribbon brought to life by the play of colours, reflections and transparency, extending into the interior areas, drawn from an aesthetic of functional, effective good looks

© Philippe Ruault. Published on May 07, 2015.

© Philippe Ruault. Published on May 07, 2015.

© Philippe Ruault. Published on May 07, 2015.

© Philippe Ruault. Published on May 07, 2015.

© Philippe Ruault. Published on May 07, 2015.

© Philippe Ruault. Published on May 07, 2015.

The projects for refurbishing IMI’s former premises in Via dell’Arte and the buildings in Piazza Albania are two further proposals drafted for the new headquarters in Rome of BNP Paribas BNL. Again in this case, the model of the outside walls is based on the same communication philosophy used in the first project in Via C. Colombo, to be found later in the Via Tiburtina premses- Transparency and design, indeed, characterise the identity of the Group, that is strongly highlighted. Furthermore, in Via dell’Arte the position of the existing congress hall outside the building has enabled the internal spaces of the storeys to be distributed better and optimised, so that they are now intended for office use. With its optimised pierced openings, the double skin ensures correct management of the lighting and natural ventilation of the building. Lastly, the outfitted roof garden brings the whole work together. In Piazza Albania the old complex of small buildings is replaced by a an office building broken down into several different blocks organised longitudinally along the road. The complex includes a set of functions such as branches open to the public at street level, restaurants, services, a conference hall, offices with over 3’000 workstations and a management area. The roof gardens provide great visual continuity with the green areas of the Aventino hill behind them.

© JM Schivo & Partners . Published on May 07, 2015.

© JM Schivo & Partners . Published on May 07, 2015.

© JM Schivo & Partners . Published on May 07, 2015.

© JM Schivo & Partners . Published on May 07, 2015.

© JM Schivo & Partners . Published on May 07, 2015.

© JM Schivo & Partners . Published on May 07, 2015.

© JM Schivo & Partners . Published on May 07, 2015.

© JM Schivo & Partners . Published on May 07, 2015.

The clients wanted a weekend/vacation house and the plot was on a rural area with an extraordinary natural landscape. Our aim was to establish a visual relation with the landscape, mainly with the castle and the beautiful valleys planted with olive and almond trees. It was also our intention to preserve and highlight a pre-existence of very interesting features, both for its patrimonial nature as well as its beauty, the stone threshing floor, and for that reason the house appears in its limit, slightly raised and detached in order not to depreciate it, transforming it into an outdoor terrace, a well-defined platform; the house sets itself according to the stone threshing floor’s measures and by it, resulting, simultaneously, with some formal autonomy. Of equal importance was the decision to ensure the maintenance of most of the existing trees, leaving the house surrounded by vegetation. Regarding the materials, one chose slat masonry, characteristic of the area, for the exterior structural walls, maintaining the concrete slabs visible. All the existent, traditional walls, around the plot, were recuperated. The lightness of the house is accentuated by its fragmentation on the four corners, asymmetric for different reasons, either looking for a landscape framing, due to the dominant winds or even sun exposure.

Structure ans Foundation Engineering: Omega
Hidraulic Engineering: Omega
Technical Facilities Engineering: Omega
Electrical Engineering: Omega

© Correia/Ragazzi Arquitectos . Published on May 07, 2015.

© Correia/Ragazzi Arquitectos . Published on May 07, 2015.

© Correia/Ragazzi Arquitectos . Published on May 07, 2015.

© Correia/Ragazzi Arquitectos . Published on May 07, 2015.

© Correia/Ragazzi Arquitectos . Published on May 07, 2015.

© Correia/Ragazzi Arquitectos . Published on May 07, 2015.

© Correia/Ragazzi Arquitectos . Published on May 07, 2015.

© Correia/Ragazzi Arquitectos . Published on May 07, 2015.

© Correia/Ragazzi Arquitectos . Published on May 07, 2015.

© Correia/Ragazzi Arquitectos . Published on May 07, 2015.

© Correia/Ragazzi Arquitectos . Published on May 07, 2015.

© Correia/Ragazzi Arquitectos . Published on May 07, 2015.

Multidisciplinary design studio +tongtong recently completed a bold, layered interior for Annie Aime, the latest Toronto retail space from Parisienne fashion retailer Annie Mesenge. Designed to be a flexible, open-concept environment that can easily be transformed into a space for art openings and other events, the interior is one of the first to implement +tongtong’s recently launched Les Ailes Noires series of freestanding clothing racks.

© Ben Rahn/A-Frame Inc. . Published on May 07, 2015.

The geometric units, made of welded steel, are weighted so that they merely lean against the wall and can be easily moved throughout the space with no fasteners required.

© Ben Rahn/A-Frame Inc. . Published on May 07, 2015.

“They’re layered into a space that is very animated,” says principal John Tong. “Bold colours and architectural expression were needed to really capture Annie’s personality. I got this from the very first time we met when she described her passion for what she does and the fashion she searches out for her clients”.

© Ben Rahn/A-Frame Inc. . Published on May 07, 2015.

Tong achieved this animation by working with graffiti artist Pascal Paquette to create an “organic, almost spontaneous” graffiti treatment that seems to drip down the walls and onto the floor, and even onto the glass- fronted storefront. “It’s quite active. It’s dynamic. It’s textural,” says Tong.

© Ben Rahn/A-Frame Inc. . Published on May 07, 2015.

Playing off of a strip of exposed brick left in the space by the owner, Tong also developed a low-lying stepped brick display unit down the centre of the shop, as well as a floor-to-ceiling brick and wood shelving unit at the rear. “It gives the space a grounding without being precious,” says Tong. “It brings a tactility and materiality to the space, which is otherwise made up of drywall, paint and steel.”

© Ben Rahn/A-Frame Inc. . Published on May 07, 2015.

Tong sees the juxtaposition of the geometric racks layered over the fluid, almost malleable, graffiti as a visual dynamic which also reflects the spirit of the labels she carries, which includes feminine, floral pieces as well as bold, architectural offerings from Veeshoo, frrry, Outclass, Helene Clément, Prêt pour partir, Saint-James and Saisei. Says Tong, “Creating a space where Annie felt she could express herself, play and offer the treasures from her explorations and journeys to her guests has been a joy.”

© Ben Rahn/A-Frame Inc. . Published on May 07, 2015.

© Ben Rahn/A-Frame Inc. . Published on May 07, 2015.

© Ben Rahn/A-Frame Inc. . Published on May 07, 2015.

Set on the Etampes plateau with a view as far as the eye can see across the natural landscape and farmland, the new Lycée d’Etampes secondary school is the first building in the built-up Paris area visible from the Beauce plain. The building stands on the boundary between the two regions and itself has that dual status as a kind of built-up landscape, despite its large scale. The way this landscape-building’s is sited on the land and blends in with it is behind the implementation of a number of environmental, architectural and engineering strategies. Stringent environmental requirements impose a building with optimised positioning and shape. In its central position in the middle of the land, the building stands well back, thereby relating better with the existing housing estates and broad clear views across the valley. This position negotiates and optimises the school’s embedding in a natural dip in the land, affording access on two levels. This semi-underground level increases the building’s inertia and leaves the North front with one floor less than the South-facing front. Filling the entire width of the plot means that all the new building frontage faces North/South. The new school’s great compactness is a key feature of our project. This highly compact building is set around interior patios providing ventilation and natural daylight to all areas. This efficient and functional shape meets the optimum configuration of the spaces and their respective areas, which translates in concrete terms in a gross saving of 823 m² in compliance with the programme and usable areas. It avoids the unnecessary setbacks of the old comb or step designs, with a preference on the frontage for fluid continuous broken lines, giving the school an unusually mobile profile. The stacking of all the programmes into an efficient, compact shape leads to a rational concentration of traffic flows from a single vertical core bringing together all indoor and outdoor levels at the heart of the school. On the South side, from the main entrance to the school, the playground leads to the hall and living areas. On the North side, the outside sports and service areas directly but distinctly extend or feed the workshops and gym rooms. The second floor houses all teaching units in rooms that are ventilated naturally. These areas have an outside air preheating system strengthened by a running apron wall which is clad on the outside with solar panels and ventilation chimneys whose tall silhouettes liven up the landscape of the green roofs. At every level, precise work on the design of the breaks in the patio fronts eases the traffic in areas where many pupils come together at the same times. On the outside, the broken lines of the chameleon frontage produce shimmering effects adopting the colours and atmospheres of the surrounding built-up and natural landscape.

© Philippe Ruault. Published on May 07, 2015.

© Philippe Ruault. Published on May 07, 2015.

© Philippe Ruault. Published on May 07, 2015.

© Philippe Ruault. Published on May 07, 2015.

© Philippe Ruault. Published on May 07, 2015.

1. Research into the integration of the project In this project we had to work with consideration to the communal rules, the place, and the contextual relationship. Evolving largely in respect to these three points the project developed into four general characteristics: A project of the materiality of concrete, an introduction and dialogue between local stone and concrete, a wooden finishing, and a wooden beam cover. 2. Reinterpretation of local materials Following discussions with the local council the project evolved through the use of walls of local stone as structural elements of the space. (From the façade to the interior) and through the use of old traditional wood constructions reinterpreted: wood assembly (Beams) for the construction of the cover. 3. Conceptual approach The location of the building to be renovated and transformed, at the intersection of the Central Square and the Street of Creux, implied an articulation of the façade as a response. And the function of the building as Cantonal bank, as an institutional building implied a distinction from the surrounding buildings.

Exterior view 1

© Sam Voltolini . Published on May 07, 2015.

Exterior view 2

© Sam Voltolini . Published on May 07, 2015.

Interior view 1

© Sam Voltolini . Published on May 07, 2015.

Interior view 2

© Sam Voltolini . Published on May 07, 2015.

Interior view 3

© Sam Voltolini . Published on May 07, 2015.

Interior view 4

© Sam Voltolini . Published on May 07, 2015.

Interior view 5

© Sam Voltolini . Published on May 07, 2015.

Groundfloor

© Sam Voltolini . Published on May 07, 2015.

Underground level

© Sam Voltolini . Published on May 07, 2015.

Section 1

© Sam Voltolini . Published on May 07, 2015.

Section 2

© Sam Voltolini . Published on May 07, 2015.

The mostly-subterranean space evokes the intimacy and vibrancy of Barcelona, where tapas restaurants emerge from the most unexpected places. Both the client and the designer John Tong have spent a considerable amount of time in Gaudí’s city, and shared the excitement of capturing that energy in the creation of Barsa.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 07, 2015.

“In Spain, there’s this way of making things work no matter the conditions,” Tong says. “For instance, you might have to walk under stairs and pass a press kitchen to get to the dining room, the kitchen is half the size it should be, and the washrooms might be located down an alley. However, these seemingly difficult site conditions really contribute to the authentic feel of a tapas bar.”

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 07, 2015.

Fittingly, the original site had its own challenges. Located in a historical building across from the world-famous St. Lawrence Market, the 3,000-square-foot site was dingy with low ceilings, and was so dark the only way to explore the space was by flashlight. In fact, part of the space is under the sidewalk. And because of the site’s historical status, Tong and his team had numerous restrictions to work around – the windows, mason stone walls, and main door all had to remain untouched.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 07, 2015.

Designing within these parameters, +tongtong transformed the derelict space by injecting animation while maintaining the site’s historical integrity. The result is a sleek, edgy interior that balances freeform expression and modernist architectural language.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 07, 2015.

To capture the essence of Barcelona’s tapas culture, where patrons can often pick their own tapas straight from the kitchen, the prep area was moved forward and outwards. Chefs prepare charcuterie and cheese platters out in the open, surrounded by jars of produce, hanging chili peppers, cast iron pans, and meat slicers.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 07, 2015.

The bar area is defined by a swirling, vibrant blue graphic floor pattern, a design that was extrapolated from the Gaudí-influenced tile in the main dining room. A computer-generated adhesive stencil was laid down on the new concrete floors, and then coated with epoxy paint. The design runs up the sides of the kitchen walls and the bar, which integrates a blown-up version of the same pattern. Enclosing the two-tone Corian bar, which eventually becomes two-sided, are custom-designed stools made of salvaged, old-growth pine with an oblique powdered coated steel frame.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 07, 2015.

Dubbed the “little pest,” or in Spanish “becho mio” the stool has three variations, all of which look different depending on their orientation. With tops resembling worn butcher blocks and carved-out handles that riff on the forms of old wine crates, the stools are a nod to the ingenuity featured in traditional tapas eateries, where seats are fashioned out of old wine barrels, wooden crates, or whatever is available. They appear especially unruly when positioned across the room from the straight and proper red chairs. Above the bar, three custom-designed LED light fixtures hang. With a motif of bullhorns, the armatures resemble a charging bull caught under a strobe light, frozen in a stop motion sequence.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 07, 2015.

On the other side of the bar area, the red chairs encase custom-designed tables that feature a laminate top with a wooden edge. Above the banquet seating is a glass wall made of 1,500 coloured wine bottles, all painstakingly hand-cut by the client’s friends, and inspired by the floor tile’s natural forms. Old stone archways differentiate the grotto-style dining area, a very tight, dark and windowless space with low ceilings and wooden beams. To conserve the limited space, +tongtong knew they needed to integrate a light source into the project spatially. The main light source is a rear-lit mural, a collaboration between local graffiti artist Pascal Paquette and Tong. And like the armatures above the bar, the running of the bulls is the central theme.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 07, 2015.

“Bulls are massive, bulky and when they’re charging through, it’s chaos and threatening. It’s like a hurricane.” Tong says. “We art directed with Pascal to create something that represented that cultural ritual.” The mural transforms the space into a fresh, bright and energetic room.

© Tongtong . Published on May 07, 2015.

The tile running throughout the space is purposefully laid to draw attention to the nonlinear nature of the space. The mason wall that separates the bar area from the rear dining room is in fact angled, “a kind of character you find in a lot of older, medieval cities in Europe,” Tong explains. “We wanted to accentuate that by installing the tile off-square from the main space.” Meanwhile, the tile pattern itself is a modern take on traditional patterns from the art nouveau and gothic periods.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 07, 2015.

In the warmer months, a large, 75-seat patio runs the whole length of the restaurant. As part of the Market Street revitalization, a project that restored designated heritage buildings and reanimated the neglected street, Barsa’s patio will act as an anchor in the rejuvenated thoroughfare.

© Tongtong . Published on May 07, 2015.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 07, 2015.

© Lisa Petrole . Published on May 07, 2015.

The refurbishment of this conference hall was among the most recent activities to be carried out inside the Tour Europe, one of the older towers of the La Défense district of Paris. The conversion project, designed together with MOE and architect Bruno Barbot, offers investors an extremely versatile space, adaptable to all sorts of business needs, in which to hold not only conferences (seating for 300) but also fashion shows, exhibitions, musical events, multi-media projections and more. A vegetable filter is planned against the background of the main wall. This will consist of a bioclimatic garden set against a modifiable platform enabling the seating arrangements, the false ceilings and the new technical lighting system to be altered. The technology makes for extreme versatility flexibility of the area, to be created with very little commitment in terms of technical and human resources.

© JM Schivo & Partners . Published on May 07, 2015.

© JM Schivo & Partners . Published on May 07, 2015.

© JM Schivo & Partners . Published on May 07, 2015.

© JM Schivo & Partners . Published on May 07, 2015.

© JM Schivo & Partners . Published on May 07, 2015.

© JM Schivo & Partners . Published on May 07, 2015.

© JM Schivo & Partners . Published on May 07, 2015.

© JM Schivo & Partners . Published on May 07, 2015.

© JM Schivo & Partners . Published on May 07, 2015.