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June 07

World's Coolest Houses

cinema1

March 30

Twin Life ONE

design by T..Y & 蚊猪

March 10

studio

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design by T..Y & W.C

March 09

寿漆

//寿漆// 艺术家王光乐的个展

design by T..Y

fatty at aye gallery

//胖子在aye gallery// 艺术家牟柏岩的个展

design by T..Y

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March 08

aye gallery for Basel

design by T..Y

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Lighting Up Denim TWO

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January 05

In the mid-nineteenth century, when Bavarian peddler Morris Levi Strauss and Latvian tailor Jacob Youphes (Davis) started to create tough work wear for California coal miners from “denim” cotton imported from the Provençal city of Nimes, they had no idea how far and wide denim’s popularity would reach.

Most certainly they could not have imagined the veritable Versailles created late this fall solely for the purpose of displaying denim in the magical city of Istanbul. Located in a traditional Ottoman building, the denim showroom was designed by New Zealand architect Christopher Hall.

The showroom’s best feature is the lighting created by Beirut, Lebanon-based, PSLAB. The firm of 40 designers, architects, craftsmen and engineers focuses on researching, designing and producing custom lighting for a demanding clientele in Europe and the Middle East.

At the Istanbul denim showroom, PSLAB took its inspiration from the constraints of the old space and created an exciting environment that also works. Custom suspended fixtures, positioned on two parallel lines, were given long adjusting arms for directing the light where needed. The fixtures give ideal light and look cool yet they allow the original ornamental ceiling draw well-deserved attention.

December 30

A Book Store Made in Heaven

Whoever said that reading was a religious experience was right, especially when taking a visit to Selexyz Dominicanen in Maastricht, Netherlands.

Having just won the Lensvelt de Architect Interior Prize 2007, this newest addition to the Selexyz book chain is well worth the visit to this Medievil city if you are ever in the area.

Erected inside a former 800 year old Dominican church, this bookstore is said to hold the largest stock of books in English in Maastricht, one of the oldest cities in the country.

It was always going to be a challenging task for Amsterdam based architects Merkx + Girod who designed the space, to stay true to the original character and charm of the church, whilst also achieving a desirable amount of commercial space (there was only an available floor area of 750 m2, with a proposed retail space of 1200 m2). Taking advantage of the massive ceiling, both have been achieved through the construction of a multi-storey steel structure which houses the majority of the books. This is one giant bookshelf, with stairs and elevators taking shoppers and visitors alike, up to the heavens (mind the pun), to roof of the church.

To maintain a sense of symmetrical balance in the space, lower tables of best sellers and latest releases have been added to either side, and of course a small cafe at the back for readers to relax and enjoy a hot drink.

Overall a great example of how with clever thinking, spatial solutions can both achieve a suitable retail presence, whilst still respecting and remaining true to the original structure.

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Art House

As you’ll no doubt have seen on the pages of the cool hunter over the past few weeks, we’ve been paying homage to wall-art from all over the world. From bars in Baghdad to clubs in Cairo, we’ve been trawling buildings looking for the finest illustrations the art-world has to offer. And for this next one, we had to scurry around the trendy backstreets of Jingumae in Tokyo to find it.

This small live in studio and salon has been decked in black paint with a beautifully elegant mural, depicted from the salon’s own brand to engulf its two exposed walls. The hand-painted pattern is reminiscent of an inverted Rorschach inkblot drawing. Yet the symmetrical display blends perfectly with the centre piece - a woman overwhelmed by the surrounding plumage. And while the windows are large and severe, they don’t distort the image. Instead, they perforate the design with different levels of intensity, revealing larger and smaller details of what lies beneath.

Inside, the space has been deliberately simplified, so as to not compete with the eye-catching exterior. Blackened wood surfaces sit quietly against the enlarged windows, decorated with cream-coloured blinds. While the theme of masculine and feminine remains true throughout. The angular planes of the structure repeat in the harsh lines of the furniture and the effeminate fresco is imitated by the soft lighting inside. A smart yet simple piece that respects the duality of the building – somewhere to live and work – while playfully intertwining the two.

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April 08

a children's bookstore in Beijing

The Kids Republic bookstore in Beijing has taken that concept and run with it. Incorporating the core design elements of a kid's playground, these slipperyslide-inspired-shelves house books in an incredibly fun way. Breaking from the traditional table and chair reading areas, padded L shaped reading stools are used and enjoyed by tiny readers. Dull lighting is replaced by snakelike fittings that radiate a variety of colors whilst providing adequate light to read with.