https://www.alojapan.com/1251370/copper-staircase-fronts-coldefy-carlo-rattis-france-pavilion-at-expo-2025-osaka/ copper staircase fronts coldefy & carlo ratti’s france pavilion at expo 2025 osaka #ArchitectureInFrance #CarloRatti #coldefy #CopperArchitecture #Expo2025Osaka #facade #Facades #Osaka #OsakaTopics #SpiralStaircases #staircases #TemporaryPavilions #大阪 #大阪府 france pavilion opens at expo 2025 osaka Expo 2025 Osaka’s France Pavilion, designed by Coldefy and CRA–Carlo Ratti Associati, is envisioned as a permeable, performative space…
#spiralstaircases
DesignBoom : winding copper staircase fronts coldefy & carlo ratti’s france pavilion at expo 2025 osaka https://www.designboom.com/architecture/winding-copper-staircase-coldefy-carlo-ratti-france-pavilion-expo-2025-osaka-04-19-2025/ #architectureinfrance #copperarchitecture #temporarypavilions #spiralstaircases #expo2025osaka #architecture #carloratti #staircases #coldefy #facades #facade
Where everything is straight, hard and tight, going ‘round endlessly like a circle.
#WeekCforCircles #AlphabetChallenge #SpiralStaircases #Rotterdam #ArtDeco #BlackandWhitePhotography
"Ascend with Elegance: Exploring the Architectural Beauty of Spiral Staircases in Modern Buildings"
#ArchitecturalElegance #SpiralStaircases #ModernBuildings #DesignInspiration #ArchitecturalWonders
Four-storey spiral staircase forms focal point of BSP20 House in Barcelona
A towering spiral staircase and a golden kitchen are some of the features that Raúl Sánchez Architects has introduced in its renovation of this townhouse in Barcelona's Borne neighbourhood.
BSP20 House has been in the making since 2013, when Raúl Sánchez Architects was approached by the building's owners to turn it into a live-work space where they could stay during visits to the city.
A white spiral staircase rises up from the ground floor
However, due to regulatory issues, construction works didn't begin for another seven years. During this period the already dilapidated building fell into further ruin, and at one point was even used as a squat.
When the renovation finally got underway in August 2020, Raúl Sánchez Architects decided to completely gut the building, only leaving behind the four exterior walls and roof.
This level of the home also features a brass kitchen suite
As a result, three new floor levels have been inserted, each installed in such a way so that they don't touch the building's front or rear facades.
Some of the resulting gaps have been filled with panes of glass, allowing residents to steal glimpses of different levels of the home.
The staircase grants access to each of the home's four levels
A huge void on the right side of BSP20's interior now accommodates a white spiral staircase that winds up through the ground, first, second and third floors, all the way to the decked terrace on top of the building.
Positioned directly above the stairs is a glazed opening that lets natural light filter deep into the plan.
Rooms have largely been left empty so they can be used for different purposes
Seeing the building in such a bare state at the beginning of the renovation process encouraged Raul Sanchez Architects to keep its rough, time-worn brick walls.
"Those four walls, over 15 metres high, are a museum of the building's history, where any trace of its construction, and of its use, will be left unaltered, exposed in all its crudeness," said the studio.
Raúl Sánchez Architects has preserved the building's original brick walls
A similarly hands-off approach has been taken with the rest of the interior; most rooms have been largely left without fixtures and fittings so that, if necessary, they can be used for different purposes in the future.
On the ground floor there is a kitchen, its cabinetry crafted from lustrous brass.
"In terms of materiality, a certain refinement has been pursued in the new elements to be implemented, in opposition to the crude expressiveness of the existing walls, conscious that the space must house a home," explained the studio.
Natural light seeps in from a glazed opening above the staircase
On the second floor there is only a bathroom lined with cream-coloured lacquered wood, finished with gold-tone hardware.
The electrics, air-conditioning system and telephone wires have also been concealed within six steel tubes that run upwards through the home.
Pale lacquered wood lines surfaces in the bathroom
When it came to restoring BSP20's facade, the practice had to follow strict heritage guidelines – but it was granted more freedom in the appearance of the front door.
It's now clad with three different types of aluminium, and features a graphic rhomboidal design that nods to the patterned hydraulic floor tiles seen inside the house.
The home was given a new geometric-print front door
Raúl Sánchez Architects has completed several residential projects in its home city of Barcelona.
Others include The Magic Box Apartment, which features a huge gold wardrobe, and Atic Aribau, which has bright, stripped-back interiors.
Photography is byJosé Hevia.
Project credits:
Architecture: Raúl Sánchez
Architecture team: Valentina Barberio, Paolo Burattini
Structure consultant: Diagonal Arquitectura
Engineering: Marés Ingenieros
The post Four-storey spiral staircase forms focal point of BSP20 House in Barcelona appeared first on Dezeen.
#all #architecture #residential #interiors #spain #barcelona #houses #renovations #spanishhouses #raúlsánchezarchitects #spiralstaircases
Four-storey spiral staircase forms focal point of BSP20 House in Barcelona
A towering spiral staircase and a golden kitchen are some of the features that Raúl Sánchez Architects has introduced in its renovation of this townhouse in Barcelona's Borne neighbourhood.
BSP20 House has been in the making since 2013, when Raúl Sánchez Architects was approached by the building's owners to turn it into a live-work space where they could stay during visits to the city.
A white spiral staircase rises up from the ground floor
However, due to regulatory issues, construction works didn't begin for another seven years. During this period the already dilapidated building fell into further ruin, and at one point was even used as a squat.
When the renovation finally got underway in August 2020, Raúl Sánchez Architects decided to completely gut the building, only leaving behind the four exterior walls and roof.
This level of the home also features a brass kitchen suite
As a result, three new floor levels have been inserted, each installed in such a way so that they don't touch the building's front or rear facades.
Some of the resulting gaps have been filled with panes of glass, allowing residents to steal glimpses of different levels of the home.
The staircase grants access to each of the home's four levels
A huge void on the right side of BSP20's interior now accommodates a white spiral staircase that winds up through the ground, first, second and third floors, all the way to the decked terrace on top of the building.
Positioned directly above the stairs is a glazed opening that lets natural light filter deep into the plan.
Rooms have largely been left empty so they can be used for different purposes
Seeing the building in such a bare state at the beginning of the renovation process encouraged Raul Sanchez Architects to keep its rough, time-worn brick walls.
"Those four walls, over 15 metres high, are a museum of the building's history, where any trace of its construction, and of its use, will be left unaltered, exposed in all its crudeness," said the studio.
Raúl Sánchez Architects has preserved the building's original brick walls
A similarly hands-off approach has been taken with the rest of the interior; most rooms have been largely left without fixtures and fittings so that, if necessary, they can be used for different purposes in the future.
On the ground floor there is a kitchen, its cabinetry crafted from lustrous brass.
"In terms of materiality, a certain refinement has been pursued in the new elements to be implemented, in opposition to the crude expressiveness of the existing walls, conscious that the space must house a home," explained the studio.
Natural light seeps in from a glazed opening above the staircase
On the second floor there is only a bathroom lined with cream-coloured lacquered wood, finished with gold-tone hardware.
The electrics, air-conditioning system and telephone wires have also been concealed within six steel tubes that run upwards through the home.
Pale lacquered wood lines surfaces in the bathroom
When it came to restoring BSP20's facade, the practice had to follow strict heritage guidelines – but it was granted more freedom in the appearance of the front door.
It's now clad with three different types of aluminium, and features a graphic rhomboidal design that nods to the patterned hydraulic floor tiles seen inside the house.
The home was given a new geometric-print front door
Raúl Sánchez Architects has completed several residential projects in its home city of Barcelona.
Others include The Magic Box Apartment, which features a huge gold wardrobe, and Atic Aribau, which has bright, stripped-back interiors.
Photography is byJosé Hevia.
Project credits:
Architecture: Raúl Sánchez
Architecture team: Valentina Barberio, Paolo Burattini
Structure consultant: Diagonal Arquitectura
Engineering: Marés Ingenieros
The post Four-storey spiral staircase forms focal point of BSP20 House in Barcelona appeared first on Dezeen.
#all #architecture #residential #interiors #spain #barcelona #houses #renovations #spanishhouses #raúlsánchezarchitects #spiralstaircases
Ten home interiors animated by sculptural winding staircases
Sculpture-like concrete steps and a curving stair suspended above ground feature in this lookbook, which spotlights ten residential interiors with standout spiral or helical staircases.
Winding stairways are found in two styles known as spiral or helical stairs. Though they appear similar and both make use of tapered treads, spiral staircases are arranged around a central column, while helical staircases encircle voids.
Spiral staircases are also typically round in shape and used in interiors with limited space because they require less space than traditional linear stairs.
Meanwhile, helical stairs require a larger floor area and are therefore more suitable when making a staircase the focal point of a room. These systems commonly have wider elliptical shapes than the spiral versions.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing bedrooms with clever storage solutions, homes with decorative vaulted ceilings and offices with wooden bleachers.
Loft Diego, Brazil, by Arquitetura Nacional
Arquitetura Nacional suspended this sculptural black staircase from the upper floor of an apartment in Porto Alegre so that its base doesn't touch the floor.
Crafted from folded steel and finished with plastic covering, the helicoidal structure helped the studio to transform the duplex into a more "fluid space".
Find out more about Loft Diego ›
Riverside Tower apartment, Belgium, by Studio Okami Architecten
While renovating a duplex apartment in the brutalist Riverside Tower in Antwerp, Studio Okami Architecten introduced a pastel blue staircase between its two levels.
The position and form of the spiralling stair were chosen to help maximise floor space in the dwelling, while its bright finish creates a striking contrast to the exposed concrete behind it.
Find out more about Riverside Tower ›
Casa Thomé Beira da Silva, Brazil, by Marcos Bertoldi Arquitetos
Wooden panels line this helical staircase, which Marcos Bertoldi Arquitetos created as a sculptural centrepiece for the double-height living room at Casa Thomé Beira in the south of Brazil.
Visible from the outside of the home, the staircase leads up to a series of bedrooms and is complemented by a wooden material palette that runs throughout.
Find out more about Casa Thomé Beira da Silva ›
Colourful flooring and a rope balustrade animate this compact spiral staircase, which NOWlab designed to save valuable floor space in a small two-storey apartment in Berlin.
Enclosed by walls at the centre of the dwelling, the structure has slender wooden treads that fan out from a central column and complement the surrounding herringbone floors.
Casa Blanca, Peru, by Martin Dulanto
This self-supporting, fluorescent orange staircase twists up through the centre of the Casa Blanca residence in Lima to connect all three of its levels.
Made from reinforced concrete with a concealed iron core, it is designed by Martin Dulanto Sangalli as the focal point of the house that has an otherwise muted colour scheme.
Find out more about Casa Blanca ›
Tommy Rand's House, Denmark, by Tommy Rand
More than 600 pieces of CNC-cut plywood were glued together by hand to build this spiral staircase, located in the house that architect Tommy Rand designed for his family in Denmark.
Visible from the exterior of the dwelling, the curved form has been placed against a concrete backdrop that draws attention to the intricacy of its design and adds warmth to the home.
Find out more about Tommy Rand's House ›
Ogimachi House, Japan, by Tomoaki Uno Architects
A helical staircase with petal-shaped wooden treads breaks up the gridded layout of this skylit house in Japan.
Resembling a flower when viewed from above, its form helps to save floor space while also providing access to four private rooms on the top floor.
Find out more about Ogimachi House ›
House Dede, Belgium, by OYO Architects
This wood-lined staircase sits at the heart of the cross-shaped plan of House Dede, which OYO Architects completed on the site of an old barn in Drongen.
Winding upwards through a circular hole that punctures a board-marked concrete ceiling, it forms a sculptural yet functional centrepiece for the house.
Find out more about House Dede ›
Sacha, France, by SABO Project
Thin slats of plywood and a bespoke baby gate that can be easily removed are key features of this cylindrical staircase, which is located in a refurbished apartment in Paris.
It was designed as part of a quirky yet "child-proof" renovation project that was carried out by SABO Project for a young couple expecting their first child.
House in Akitsu, Japan, by Kazunori Fujimoto
This guardless staircase juxtaposes the cubic concrete forms of the House in Akitsu, which overlooks a seaside spot near the city of Higashihiroshima.
The twisting form, which links the home's bedrooms and living spaces, was engineered to negate the need for a central pillar and in turn, offers a sculptural look.
Find out more about House in Akitsu ›
This is the latest in our series oflookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing bedrooms with clever storage solutions, homes with decorative vaulted ceilings and offices with wooden bleachers.
The post Ten home interiors animated by sculptural winding staircases appeared first on Dezeen.
#all #residential #interiors #lookbooks #instagram #staircases #roundups #spiralstaircases
Marcos Bertoldi Arquitetos wraps Curitiba residence with wooden curtain
A screen made up of chevron-patterned wooden planks shrouds the exterior of this residence with a spiral staircase in Curitiba, by local firm Marcos Bertoldi Arquitetos.
Casa Thomé Beira da Silva is located in the south of Brazil, near the capital of Paraná province. It was designed by Marcos Bertoldi Arquitetos, a Brazilian firm with offices in Curitiba and São Paulo.
Casa Thomé Beira da Silva is in southern Brazil
A black steel frame makes up the structure of the house, and is complemented by the rich wooden palette, along with stone walls on either side of the house that frame the living spaces.
One of the architects' main goals was to create a flexible living room arrangement that would transition effortlessly between the interior and exterior living spaces.
A shallow pool is lit with a dramatic skylight, helping mark the entrance
"The client fancied a house that stretched out into the gardens, where the boundaries between interior and exterior were not defined, having its leisure and living spaces on the same level as the external areas," said Marcos Bertoldi Arquitetos.
From the street, the home is fronted by a wooden wall that conceals the entrance door and forms a meandering walkway to the main entrance to the house. Near the door, a shallow pool is lit with a dramatic skylight, helping mark the entrance.
The open living areas are framed by stone walls
Visitors are led from the entrance down a wood-panelled hallway into the home's expansive living room, which is anchored by a helical wooden staircase that leads to the bedrooms.
The architects designed several seating areas here, including a formal dining setting, reception room, and a more casual family room. These spaces can be combined with one another, or closed-off, with concealed full-height sliding doors that match the finish of the wooden walls, making them practically invisible.
The upper level is shrouded by the wooden weave
"The house is organised from the street to the back portion of the lot as a large continuous plan, going through its internal areas without a single step," said the architects.
The living room itself enjoys a double-height ceiling, as the upper floor only occupies part of the building's footprint.
The kitchen looks out onto a garden courtyard
The glass walls that wrap the home also run the full height of the structure, ensuring that the living spaces are top-lit all year round.
The top floor of the house is shrouded by a system of suspended wooden planks, which covers the exterior and is also used inside as a decorative element.
The home has plentiful space for gatherings
The architects said that this element is a reinvention of hand-carved lattices, here inspired by a tight weave of Japanese basketry presented by the client.
"The prism of the glassed upper floor is surrounded by a hollowed wood skin, which sometimes moves forward and breaks apart from the glass panels, forming private terraces as in the children's rooms," said Marcos Bertoldi Arquitetos.
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Three bedrooms, each with an ensuite and terrace, are organised along the mezzanine corridor that overlooks the living room. All of these face east, towards the street.
At the end of the hallway is the main bedroom, which is the only bedroom to face west, overlooking a swimming pool and a natural forest beyond.
The ground floor of the home is open concept
"The main block of the house, made of glass and wood, is enlivened by the light and shadow activity and floats on two side walls covered internally and externally in Moledo stone, which counterpoint the lightness of the upper box and anchor the work to the ground," said Marcos Bertoldi Arquitetos.
Other projects in and around Curitiba include a tight flat that was renovated by Leandro Garcia to be able to accommodate guests in a limited space, and a renovation to a school by Studio Dlux that includes a bright and colourful playground.
The photography is byLeonardo Finotti.
Project credits:
Architecture: Marcos Bertoldi Arquitetos
Lighting: Marcos Bertoldi Arquitetos
Builder: Greenwood
Structural engineering: Projen Engenheiros Associados
Structural execution: Pirih Engenharia
Electrical engineering: Eduardo Ribeiro
Hydraulic engineering: Eduardo Ribeiro
Air conditioning: Focus
Heating: Vmartins
The post Marcos Bertoldi Arquitetos wraps Curitiba residence with wooden curtain appeared first on Dezeen.
#all #architecture #residential #brazil #houses #staircases #swimmingpools #brazilianhouses #spiralstaircases
Buddhist principles inform PRO's design of Mandala Lab in New York
Brooklyn architecture studio PRO has designed an interactive gallery for a museum of Himalayan art that is meant to help people cope with "day-to-day challenges and emotional burdens".
The Mandala Lab occupies the third level of Manhattan's Rubin Museum of Art, which is largely focused on art and culture from the Himalayas region.
The Mandala Lab is located at the Rubin Museum of Art
Designed by Brooklyn firm PRO, or Peterson Rich Office, the 2,700-square-foot (251-square-metre) gallery is described as an interactive space for social, emotional and ethical learning.
"The majority of the Rubin Museum galleries are designed for the display of artworks and objects," said firm principals Nathan Rich and Miriam Peterson. "This new space is designed for collective experience."
A mirror and vertical cylinders feature in the Journey Portal
The Mandala Lab is named after the geometric diagrams used by Buddhist practitioners for spiritual guidance. The gallery's exhibits and activities were influenced by five mental states, or kleshas, that cloud people's understanding: pride, attachment, envy, anger and ignorance.
"Each activity aims to harness the power of difficult emotions and offer pathways to develop resilience, calmness and connection," the team said.
The museum's spiral staircase acts as a main central chamber
"The Mandala Lab aims to offer tools and new perspectives for coping with the day-to-day challenges and emotional burdens brought about by personal and societal complexities – all heightened by the Covid-19 pandemic," the team added.
To design the space – which is rectangular in plan and has a helical, stone-and-metal staircase at its core – the team looked to the Sarvavid Vairochana Mandala for inspiration. This particular mandala depicts the Buddhist deity Vairochana sitting at the heart of four quadrants.
The gallery is divided into four quadrants
"Like a mandala, the Mandala Lab is divided into four quadrants pointing to the cardinal directions, with a main circular chamber – the centre of the mandala – represented by the Rubin Museum's central spiral staircase," the team said.
Each quadrant is dedicated to a specific theme and activity. Ideally, visitors begin in the south quadrant and then proceed to the west, north and east quadrants.
A space designed to encourage calmness includes a disc-shaped sculpture by Palden Weinreb
In the south quadrant, dubbed the Journey Portal, visitors are invited to recognise their "prideful" state of mind. This quadrant is fitted with a large mirror and vertical cylinders labeled with certain phrases. Guests are prompted to drop disks in the cylinders that they identify with.
In the north quadrant, one finds a rounded alcove with floor cushions and a site-specific installation by New York artist Palden Weinreb. Affixed to a dark backdrop, the disc-shaped sculpture rhythmically pulses with light and promotes regulated breathing.
An alcove with floor cushions is included in the north quadrant of the gallery
"Visitors will engage in a collective, synchronised breathing activity, fostering a sense of community and engagement rather than separateness," the team said.
Indirect lighting and acoustic dampening elements help guests feel serene and focused. The room is encircled by retractable mesh walls that provide a feeling of openness.
Retractable mesh walls are used as spatial dividers
The same mesh material was used to partition other parts of the Mandala Lab, which is designed to feel more open than other galleries in the museum.
"The floor is deliberately more open and connected than the other five levels of the museum," the team said.
[
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Kengo Kuma draws on fairytale landscapes for Hans Christian Andersen museum in Denmark
](https://www.dezeen.com/2021/08/18/kengo-kuma-hans-christian-andersen-museum-odense/)
"Individual spaces are separated from one another by a translucent scrim, allowing for interactive experiences that are physically distinct but visually interconnected."
In the east quadrant, eight different gongs are suspended over a long, water basin made of acrylic and walnut. Visitors are invited to contemplate the feeling of anger while they strike the instruments and lower them into the water, where the gongs' humming sound dissipates.
Gongs are suspended over a water chamber in the east quadrant
"They will be challenged to keep the gong in the water until the surface is calm and their reflection is visible," the team said.
In the west quadrant, a scent library is meant to demonstrate how the same stimuli can elicit many different reactions. A curved counter features six stations, each with a scent chosen by an artist and created by master perfumer Christophe Laudamiel.
The west quadrant's scent library
Visitors can record their emotional response to each aroma and then watch short videos by the artists, who explain their personal memories associated with their chosen scent.
The west quadrant also serves as a flexible space for family and school programmes.
Palden Weinreb added a pulsating light sculpture to the north quadrant
"In partnership with Emory University, the Rubin is developing a social, emotional and ethical learning curriculum, with the aim of helping children and youth self-regulate and manage stress during a critical period in their lives," the team said.
The curriculum will also provide kids with tools to navigate change and their emotions.
Rubin Museum of Art is focussed on Himalayan art and culture
PRO worked with a number of consultants while designing the gallery, including psychology professors, spiritual teachers and a sound healer. Artists involved in the project included British musician Peter Gabriel and visual artist Sanford Biggers.
Other projects by PRO include a renovated Brooklyn townhouse that features a large, slanted glass wall that is "tilted towards the sky".
The photography is byRafael Gamo and Liz Ligon.
Project credits:
Architect: PRO (Peterson Rich Office)
Architecture team: Nathan Rich and Miriam Peterson (partners), Varook Kelekar, Peik Bennet Shelton, Alex Bodkin, Sarah Kasper
General contractor: Riverside Builders
Lighting design: Tim Holm
Creative technology: MediaCombo
Special fabrications: The New Motor
Basin design: City Aquarium
Consultants: Lila Davachi, Tracy A Dennis-Tiwary, John Dunne, Tom Froese, Samer Ghadry, Stuart Firestein, Mingyur Rinpoche and Ponlop Rinpoche
Artists: Laurie Anderson, Sanford Biggers, Tenzin Tsetan Choklay, Billy Cobham, Amit Dutta, Sheila E, Peter Gabriel, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Sarah Hennies, Christophe Laudamiel, Huang Ruo, Shivamani, Wang YaHui, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Palden Weinreb, Bora Yoon
Rubin Museum team: Jorrit Britschgi, Tim McHenry, Jamie Lawyer, Brianne Muscente-Solga Becky Houran
The post Buddhist principles inform PRO's design of Mandala Lab in New York appeared first on Dezeen.
#exhibitions #all #interiors #usa #museums #galleries #newyorkcity #chelsea #mentalhealth #spiralstaircases #mesh #petersonrichoffice
Saia Barbarese Topouzanov adds spiral staircases during Montreal housing renovation
Colourful spiral staircases now give direct access to units in the Saint-Michel Nord housing complex in Montreal, which was renovated by Saia Barbarese Topouzanov to update the ageing buildings and include a new pedestrian-friendly street.
Located in the underprivileged Saint-Michel neighbourhood, the housing complex was built in the 1970s in the brutalist style. Its 185 units lacked natural light, and the building's poor energy efficiency made them uncomfortable and costly to maintain.
The renovation of the Habitations Saint-Michel Nord housing complex involved adding spiral staircases to the exeterior
Architecture firm Saia Barbarese Topouzanov's intervention draws a new shared street through the long housing block, creating a safe outdoor space for the residents.
"The shared street is very important to the project because it allows for open pedestrian paths with no dead ends, improving residents' sense of security," said the architects.
The colourful staircases lead to balconies used by the residents
Along this axis, colourful spiral staircases lead to balconies directly outside each unit – an amenity that the complex previously lacked.
Spiral staircases such as these are a prevalent feature in Montreal's walk-up buildings, providing exterior spaces that residents may not otherwise have access to.
A variety of orange accents differentiate areas of the complex
"Overhanging rather than recessed balconies [create] added living space that is much appreciated in hot weather, particularly by people of modest means," the team said.
Saia Barbarese Topouzanov chose a bright and cheerful finish for these exterior elements that gives each building a slightly different hue, while tying the overall composition together.
[
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](https://www.dezeen.com/2021/05/22/oyo-architects-concrete-brick-house-dede/)
"The use of two similar colours to create a third made it possible to produce seven distinct colours using four base tones, from very pale yellow to a rich brick-red," said the firm.
"In this joyful new setting, the use of colour helps build residents' sense of belonging and identity."
The site is intended to be pedestrian-friendly
Locating the staircases outside also allowed the studio to redesign the layout of apartments. Those that were previously separated by an internal corridor now enjoy at least two exposures.
Interiors were refreshed, and taller windows were fitted to bring in more natural light.
The renovated housing complex is designed to be bright and colourful
The project also involved adding a restaurant, a childcare centre and a youth club to the ground floor of the complex, aiming to help foster a sense of community among residents.
"The architects wanted to transform constraints into assets and offer residents a dignified, luminous and safe environment, disrupting the stigma surrounding social housing and its association with poverty," said the team.
Communal spaces were also added as part of the overhaul
The renovation project was completed in September 2020, and earned a 2021 Excellence Award from the Ordre des Architectes du Québec in the multiple dwelling units category.
Other housing projects that use colourful accent features include a pair of bright blue buildings in Denver that contain eight studio apartments designed by Productora, and a village of tiny homes in Los Angeles that can provide temporary shelter for up to 200 homeless people.
The photography is byJames Brittain.
Project credits:
Client: OMHM (Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal)
Landscape architects: Vlan
Structural and civil engineers: Cima+
Mechanical and electrical engineers: Aedifica
Environmental consultants: Wood
Security consultants: Bouthillette Parizeau
General contractor: Cybco
The post Saia Barbarese Topouzanov adds spiral staircases during Montreal housing renovation appeared first on Dezeen.
#residential #all #architecture #canada #housing #montreal #spiralstaircases #colour
Max von Werz merges old and new at Baja Club Hotel in Mexico
Historic brick walls and a spiral staircase feature in a Baja Peninsula hotel that was designed by Mexican firm Max von Werz Arquitectos to embrace its seaside context.
The Baja Club Hotel is located in the historic centre of La Paz, a coastal city in Mexico's Baja Peninsula. The 32-room property, which is owned by the boutique hotel company Grupo Habita, was longlisted for a 2021 Dezeen Award.
The Baja Club Hotel is located in a colonial-style villa
The 3,623-square-metre project entailed the adaptive reuse of a colonial-style villa dating to 1910 and the construction of a new, four-storey extension. The site was once used for oyster pearl harvesting.
Mexico City's Max von Werz Arquitectos designed the architecture, while the Parisian studio of Jaune oversaw the interiors. Mexican firm PAAR worked on the landscape design.
For the new addition, the team designed an L-shaped building
"Baja Club's central question is the age-old one of how to build on a site's rich history and character, but at the same time update it in order to give it a new lease on life," the team said. "Our response is a nuanced one."
For the new addition, the team created an L-shaped building – the same shape of the original villa.
Tiered massing breaks up the hotel's external appearance
The two buildings are loosely organised around a central courtyard that is dotted with fragrant frangipani trees. Tranquil gardens and patios were incorporated into the perimeter of the site.
The extension – which encompasses guest rooms, a spa and a rooftop bar – is meant to look modern yet be in "respectful dialogue with the old villa." Stepped massing helps lighten its visual appearance.
The helical staircase can be seen from the swimming pool
"The tiered massing of the extension reduces its visual bulk and provides generous terraces enjoying panoramic views of the Bay of La Paz, once the setting of John Steinbeck's novel The Pearl," the team said.
Certain design elements take cues from the hotel's nautical context. Horizontal lines, curved timber partitions and large built-in tables draw inspiration for the nearby Sea of Cortés, which was coined the "aquarium of the world" by French explorer Jacques Cousteau.
Blown-glass lamps feature inside
The addition's upper levels can be accessed by elevator or by a helical staircase, which sits at the meeting point of the extension's two wings. The stair is meant to serve as a sculptural element.
"Due to its comfortable tread-to-riser ratio, it sweeps visitors up to the upper guest-room levels and the rooftop sunset bar with an ease that disincentivises the use of the elevators," the team said.
To help reduce energy consumption, the team incorporated passive design solutions such as screens along open-air corridors. Moreover, concrete floor plates extend beyond the facades, providing shade and reducing the need for indoor air conditioning, the team said.
The site also has numerous water elements that help cool outdoor spaces – an important factor given the region's hot and dry climate.
Original brick walls were preserved in their entirety
Throughout the hotel, the team incorporated finishes and decor – such as hand-finished carpentry, blown-glass lamps and Talavera tiles – that draw upon local culture and the site's original detailing.
"Baja Club Hotel aims to give a modern twist on Mexico's rich tradition of colours, textures and craftsmanship," the team said. "By using local materials in a fresh and streamlined manner, it creates a bridge that ties together the identity of the hotel's old and new components."
Local craftsmanship was intrinsic to the project
For the landscape design, much of the existing vegetation and architectural features were retained. An old pergola in the courtyard was restored and is now used as a dining area. The property's original brick walls were preserved in their entirety.
In one of the perimeter spaces, the team created a new swimming pool lined with brick terraces that continue the language of the historic property walls. Chukum, a type of Mexican stucco, was used in the pool area.
A guest room within the extension
"For us, using local craftsmanship was a way to anchor the project in its locale, to achieve a certain authenticity and to build a strong connection with the history and identity of the place," the team said.
Other properties run by Grupo Habita include the Círculo Mexicano, a hotel in downtown Mexico City that is housed in a 19th-century building, and The Robey Hall in Chicago, which was formerly a hostel called The Hollander.
The photography is byCésar Béjar.
The post Max von Werz merges old and new at Baja Club Hotel in Mexico appeared first on Dezeen.
#hotels #all #architecture #instagram #bricks #mexico #swimmingpools #adaptivereuse #spiralstaircases #maxvonwerzarquitectos
OYO Architects positions spiral staircase at the heart of brick and concrete House Dede
OYO Architects has completed a house on the site of an old barn in Drongen, Belgium, featuring a cross-shaped plan with a spiral staircase at its centre.
Local studio OYO Architects was approached to design a family home for a rural plot in Drongen, which is a district within the city of Ghent.
Top: the home sits within a grassy plot. Above: House Dede has a brick and board-marked concrete exterior
House Dede replaces a derelict barn and seeks to retain a visual connection to the original building's form and materials, as well as optimising views of the natural surroundings.
"The brick volume on top is reminiscent of the former barn volume, while the ground floor organically opens up towards the garden, creating both framed views and cosy corners," OYO Architects said.
Floor-to-ceiling windows line the ground floor
The building makes use of materials salvaged from the old barn, including the red bricks used to construct the upper storey. The architects claimed that the recycled bricks help to retain "a natural authenticity and 'spirit' from the site."
The house's plan overlays the footprint of the original barn and is extended through the addition of an intersecting single-storey volume oriented at 45 degrees to the main structure.
Board-marked concrete covers the interis walls and ceiling of the house
The extension allowed the architects to incorporate private spaces including a home office alongside a large, open-plan kitchen, dining and living area on the ground floor.
The building's lower storey is constructed from board-marked concrete that helps to unite the intersecting volumes. Large windows and sliding doors set into the concrete walls enhance the connection with the gardens.
At the centre of the house, where the two wings intersect, the spiral staircase extends through a circular hole punched into the concrete ceiling.
Throughout the interior, concrete surfaces are left exposed and combined with wood to create what the architects described as a "stripped back, naturalistic atmosphere."
The kitchen has an angular terrazzo-topped island
A kitchen situated at one end of the main living area features an angular island unit shaped to follow the line of the extensions on either side.
A wall of wood-fronted units incorporates a cooker and worktop area that can be hidden from view when not in use.
The upper storey contains the main bedroom and three single bedrooms featuring sliding walls that can be pushed back to turn the entire space into a large play area.
Light angular paving leads to the entrance of the home
OYO Architects was established in 2011 by Eddy Soete, Nigel Jooren, Veroniek Vanhaecke and Lies Willaert. The team now numbers 35 people working on multidisciplinary projects across Europe and Africa.
The studio's previous works include a wedge-shaped house with a sloping green roof and a concrete extension to a house in a former post office that is designed to function as a standalone residence.
Photography is by Tim Van de Velde.
The post OYO Architects positions spiral staircase at the heart of brick and concrete House Dede appeared first on Dezeen.
#all #architecture #residential #concrete #houses #belgium #staircases #belgianhouses #oyoarchitects #spiralstaircases #brick
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