Innholdsfortegnelse for May/June 2021 i AZURE

“Form follows function.” When I started at Azure, that was the first design-world mantra I absorbed as part of my new lexicon. A journalism school grad beginning my first internship, I wasn’t versed in the world of architecture, but soon embraced this phrase as gospel. In the 18 years that followed, I learned — and continue to relearn — that it’s only the tip of the iceberg. As I begin my role as Editor in Chief, and after more than a year of an ongoing pandemic, the notion of “function” has become increasingly enriched by more inclusive perspectives, and more than ever, it must reflect how people of diverse groups, identities, abilities and backgrounds experience space. It also encompasses the feeling of safety and solace that our interior worlds must communicate,…

As ferries from Nice, Toulon, Marseille, Genoa and Livorno approach Bastia, on the northeast coast of Corsica, their view is dominated by the town’s imposing citadel. Weather-beaten walls of iron-rich rock frame the historic fortress in a rusty shade of red. From a distance, the new Aldilonda promenade all but disappears into this surrounding landscape. Facing the sea, the slender Corten rail that lines its edge echoes the tone of the castle’s walls. But even as it sensitively melds with its context, the subtle and sinuous path also transforms it. With Aldilonda (“above the sea” in Corsican), Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes has introduced a bold passage that celebrates both the citadel and the seaside. Designed in partnership with local architects Buzzo Spinelli, landscape specialists In Situ and engineers SBP, the 450-metre-long…

The windswept shores of the Adriatic Sea may seem like an unlikely place to find a minimal, Nordic-inspired cottage, but Italian architect Valeria Aretusi has built just that. Set into olive tree–speckled hills overlooking the Italian village of Roseto degli Abruzzi, Residenza Q is a stark contrast to the ornate 19th-century villas and sixties-era apartment buildings populating the town below. “[It is] unique in its style, especially for its contemporary character and Nordic design,” says the architect. The wood-frame dwelling is an uncommon mode of construction in Italy but one of Aretusi’s areas of expertise. The pitched-roof, 118-square-metre house is divided into two slightly staggered mirror-image modules: one for the multi-generational Ferretti family, the other as a working showroom for the clan’s nearly 60-year-old confectionery business. With the intent of improving…

Hospitals are changing. While dull, clinical spaces formulated according to a one-size-fits-all institutional checklist still come to mind when we think of healthcare spaces, a new model of care is emerging. Emphasizing the patient experience, designers are transforming acute, critical and senior living spaces to support wellbeing. For Global Furniture Group, it’s an evolution 35 years in the making. An international leader in healthcare furnishings since 1985, Global has pursued a human-centred approach to furniture. Its designs deliver clinical performance — with high-grade fabrics that stand up to both the strictest Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) protocols and long-term, all-day use. Combining residential comfort and hospitality-inspired style, Global’s furnishings help foster a holistic sense of wellness from the moment people enter a facility. Boasting an expansive portfolio for every type…

FRANKFURT’S ORIGINAL MUSEUM OF JEWISH ANTIQUITIES — Germany’s first — was barely 16 years old when it was destroyed by the Nazis in 1938. By the end of the Second World War, the vast majority of the city’s 30,000 Jews had been murdered in the Holocaust. In 1988, on the 50th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the city inaugurated a new Jewish Museum, this one with two branches: one on the site of Frankfurt’s former ghetto, which is dedicated to Jewish life and culture in the medieval and early modern era, and another situated in a pair of connected mansions, covering the period from 1811 (when the ghetto was finally abolished) to the present day. The larger of the two mansions once belonged to Baron Mayer Carl von Rothschild; it miraculously survived…

Wood 1 Jagged Edges Drawing inspiration from mosaics and cobblestone streets, Oscarono’s Opus collection is a range of handmade wooden tiles in three subtle tones: natural (shown), smoke and black. The 70.4-by-73.1-centimetre pieces are designed to fit seamlessly together, suggesting a randomized pattern. oscarono.fr 2 Pattern Play As part of Parador’s eight-part series One Ground, the Copenhagen line of engineered ash features a graphic pattern on its matte lacquer surface. The 18.5-centimetre-wide planks also boast an automatic click system for ease of install and can be paired with underfloor heating. parador.de, relativespace.com 3 Blonde Ambition Chaletino, Boen’s line of 29.8-by-274.3-centimetre engineered oak planks, has now been expanded with a subtle new surface finish: Live Pure. This ultra-matte lacquer creates a natural or untreated look while increasing the product’s resistance to…

“Simplicity is inherent in the product,” says Luke Pearson of the London studio Pearson Lloyd. He is describing the firm’s Routes collection for Teknion, a timely new series responding to the need for contemporary workplaces that rapidly — and easily — expand or contract. From stools to tables and screens to side chairs, the impeccable suite of furnishings is conceived as a “tool box” that efficiently updates any work situation, whether adapting an existing scheme or creating an entirely novel one. Each tailored piece is designed with both aesthetics and purpose in mind. The recyclable polypropylene Multi-Use Stool and metal and laminate Personal Tote cart, for instance, are fitted with wheels to enable fast configuration or to disappear entirely. “When you’re not using it,” Pearson instructs, “stack it in a…

More often than not, Junya Ishigami’s creations stray from the narrow confines of what we expect architecture to be. His meticulously detailed drawings convey fantastical ideas and his mock-ups dispense ethereal qualities. The Japanese architect’s latest work is no exception. In 2008, Ishigami completed his first built project — the KAIT Workshop — set on the campus of the Kanagawa Institute of Technology in Atsugi. When the career-making structure debuted, so too did a model of another project for the institution. What was then only an idea has now been fully realized, some 13 years later, with the completion of the multi-purpose plaza at the university for engineering and science just outside of Tokyo. Despite the intervening years, his vision has remained intact: a sprawling edifice capped by what appears…

MITREX BIPV Unlike traditional solar energy generation panels, Mitrex’s BIPV (building-integrated photovoltaic) materials can be seamlessly incorporated into any building exterior. A solar cell is applied to an aluminum honeycomb base, which is in turn layered with tempered glass with a ceramic facing that can be endlessly customized. Finishing options range from monochrome colours and precast concrete to natural wood or stone and even tailor-made designs; the adaptable cladding system can be incorporated into retrofits as well as new builds. mitrex.com TERRAÇADE Glen-Gery has introduced its first ceramic cladding, Terraçade. Prefinished, colourfast, high-impact-resistant and able to withstand extreme weather — from intense UV exposure to freezing temperatures — the material promises to retain its integrity for years to come. Formats include two tiles (30 by 58.8 and 30 by 118.8…

STENI VISION This polymer–stone composite system from Norwegian facade manufacturer Steni offers realistic expressions through a signature printing technology. In 14 standard patterns that mimic natural wood, stone, and concrete (plus matte, semi-matte and high-gloss finishes), the cladding can also be specified with custom illustrations and graphics, like the shimmering fish scale design for Norway’s Arctic Salmon Center by architect Peter W. Söderman of Norconsult, shown here. Offered precut for ease of installation, the water-impermeable panels are frost- and impact-resistant and low-maintenance. ​ steni.com, norconsult.com ATELIER Casalgrande Padana’s new collection of porcelain stoneware tiles, dubbed Atelier, features large-format, ultra-thin monolith panels. Measuring only 6.5 millimetres thick, the brightly coloured tiles were made to complement the company’s other natural-looking materials (wood, marble, stone; plus metal and concrete) with a barely there…

China’s bookstores — once largely drab, state-run and pragmatic spaces — are slowly evolving to attract a new generation of social media–savvy clientele through daring design. Escher-inspired staircases and towering shelves are the country’s flavour du jour, an arrangement that plays well on camera but can feel as hollow as the fake books that sometimes adorn the shelves. Shanghai’s Wutopia Lab, however, is striving to return the bliss of reading to the heart of bookstore design. Marking the design studio’s 10th book-related project since 2013, Satori Harbor in China’s sprawling southern port city of Guangzhou is Wutopia’s most explicit spatial response to a typology in existential flux. Drawing from zha oche, the Taoist concept of enlightenment (known as “satori” in Japanese), the space is crisp and meditative. Yet, as this is…

When school officials and community members in the Dutch city of Leeuwarden studied the old two-storey brick building on Willem Sprengerstraat, they didn’t see a lot to love. Originally built in 1929 and occupied by the Prins Constantijn primary school and Sinne daycare centre, it had been cut up and reconfigured so many times over the decades that its original appeal had been obscured by a series of cramped, disjointed spaces. As the need for an expansion became clear, many advocated for total demolition. City planners, however, hesitated. So when authorities organized a design competition, five teams of architects were instructed to develop two concepts each — one based on razing what was there and starting fresh; the other based on adding onto the old building. It didn’t take long for…

When “Let there be light” landed on the drafting table as a client request (rather than a celestial order), Naturehumaine responded to the challenge with an intelligent design. To come up with the creation story for an illuminated single-family house on a densely treed lot in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, the architects looked up for inspiration. That’s partly because the building site, a steep property on the shore of Lake Memphrémagog, presented its own obstacle. “There was only one place on the lot suitable for the house,” says Stéphane Rasselet, principal of the Montreal-based firm. “The rest of the site slopes abruptly down to the lake.” As a result, the house is oriented toward the west, where direct light is restricted to the afternoon hours. To coax it indoors throughout the…

“Stones initiate a reflection upon our position as humans,” says Superflex, “how we live and what structures we take for granted.” The Danish artistic group is discussing its latest installation, Like a Force of Nature, a collaboration with Mexico City’s Esrawe Studio for stone brand Arca’s warehouse and showroom in Miami. The colourful surface is the face of the new 1,890-square-metre outpost in the city’s Wynwood district, a bustling area known for its impressive murals. The interior, designed by Esrawe Studio, keeps interventions to a minimum, leaving the brand’s galleries intentionally unperturbed for a “museum-grade experience.” Conversely, the 7.78-metre-tall and 53-metrewide facade, clad in ceramic tiles, contemplates the power of natural and artificial systems. “It was a natural process — organic in all of its iterations,” says studio founder Héctor Esrawe.…

To many passersby, the rundown three-storey building on a corner of a recently on-the-rise-again Toronto neighbourhood at best didn’t warrant a second glance. At worst, it was considered an eyesore. Neglected for more than a decade, the century-old structure had languished into a state of disrepair, its exterior an unattractive patchwork of dingy and mismatched brick, delaminated pebble-embedded stucco and small, arbitrarily positioned windows. But local architect Heather Dubbeldam often sees potential in the derelict — not just with the physical attributes, but in the positive influence a building can have on its surroundings. “I strongly believe well-designed architecture can catalyze change and impact a neighbourhood,” she says. After purchasing the building as the new home for her own practice, she and her team set about transforming it from the…

Bold geometric shapes, garish colour combinations, vividly stylized patterns and motifs — the instantly recognizable hallmarks of Memphis design are a far cry from understated. And so it would follow suit that an exhibition space and showroom dedicated mainly to furniture and objects from the groundbreaking 1980s movement should be equally curious, exaggerated and bizarre. When commissioned for a Memphis Milano outpost in Hangzhou, China, local designer Li Wenqiang took the collective’s advocacy for “unrestricted creative expression” to heart and devised a renovation that was both a departure from its surroundings and an indicator of the “unexpected sensory experiences” the pieces inside bring to people. Set on a busy corner in the city, Ya Space! commands attention with a spiky exterior that was conceptualized as a cliff face (in Chinese,…

1 SET IN STONE The newly retrofitted Hong Kong Museum of Art features a dynamic exterior that mimics the undulating waves of nearby Victoria Harbour, achieved via the installation of Equitone’s Tectiva range of through-coloured cement panels. An ode to traditional Chinese masonry patterns, the customized aluminum-framed modules are each made from five separate pieces; cut at differing angles, they create shadow joints that enhance the 3D effect. Sound-insulating and resistant to water damage, extreme temperatures, fungi and bacteria, the material has a sanded surface and is available in nine standard colours. equitone.com 2 OUTER WEAR Wrapped in 8,500 custom panels of Lorin Industries’ ClearMatt series of anodized aluminum, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado (designed by Diller, Scofidio+ ​Renfro) evokes a sense of movement fitting for a…

Early last year, Montreal restaurateur Erin Mahoney was putting the final touches on Joon, her Persian and South Caucasus cuisine destination — and her first permanent location following a number of spirited pop-ups — when COVID-19 hit. Suddenly, everything was tossed in the air, and she had to make some serious decisions. With lockdown looming, Mahoney says, “We developed a list of needs — what do we absolutely have to keep and what are the secondary elements.” Faced with a priority to create more distance among patrons and staff and a pivot to a takeout/delivery model, she had to compromise on the design of her dream interior. One of the first things to go was the plush banquette, a sister piece to the custom communal seating running down the middle…

Modular Lounge Collections 1 Lyda Architect and designer Lauren Rottet applied a residential sensibility in this sofa collection to complement commercial and hospitality “social spaces.” Modules come with or without arms and in lounge chair, two- and three-seater, corner and curved units. Materials Plywood, foam, aluminum, multiple fabrics Manufacturer Haworth, haworth.com 2 Couchette Totalling 38 elements, this system by Italian studio LucidiPevere was inspired by train berths, and can be configured in linear or curved arrangements or as stand-alone islands. Removable padded panels can be incorporated for separation and privacy. Materials Solid fir, beech veneer, polyurethane foam, steel, Masonite, multiple fabrics Manufacturer LaCividina, lacividina.com 3 Jetty:Mod Beam-based Jetty:Mod can be expanded or contracted to suit work, lounge and interactive settings. Space-dividing tables, privacy screens, pivoting tablet arms and other accessories…

Stretching from Senegal to Nigeria, the West African coast was once the locus of the transatlantic slave trade. What is less known, however, is the history of enslavement on the continent’s eastern edge. At Kenya’s southernmost point are the Shimoni Caves, a network of subterranean tunnels where slaves were held before being shipped to Portugal and the Middle East. These prehistoric spaces also form a system with the Kisima and Suswa caves, which historically functioned as places of safety and refuge in what is now Kwale County. “Depending on which side of the tunnel you are travelling toward,” says architect Stella Mutegi of Nairobi’s Cave_bureau, “you either found safety or you found great danger.” Mutegi, together with co-director Kabage Karanja, has situated the ongoing project The Anthropocene Museum within this…