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The Second Coming: A New Act for Detroit’s Little Village

Stefan Novakovic — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 12:50:00 +0000

In a Catholic church, the figure of Christ comes in many guises. From the cross atop the steeple and the constellation of representative paintings and stained-glass windows that frame the altar to the ritual transubstantiation of the Eucharist, a divine spirit permeates. On Parkview Street in Detroit, however, the blood of Christ is channelled into a surprising vessel.

Inside the Romanesque Revival parish, a portrait by American artist Jordan Eagles has painted the Saviour using fluid drawn from the vein of an HIV survivor. While the composition is a nod to Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi — which the wall text notes set a record for the most expensive painting ever sold — the medium evokes the belief that Jesus gave his blood for all of humanity. Standing before it, I find myself contemplating both the meaning of Christianity and the commodification of art — and then a more prosaic reality: This is no ordinary church.

At The Shepherd, only a weathering steel entryway signals the sensitive transformation within.

I’m not sure whether to call it a church at all. After closing its doors in 2016, the house of worship then known as the Good Shepherd Catholic Church sat vacant. While the congregation merged with another parish, the majestic building itself faced an inauspicious future. Situated in an inconspicuous pocket of the city between the affluent communities of Indian Village and Grosse Pointe, the church — which anchored a once-thriving neighbourhood — was surrounded by a landscape of vacant lots and soon-to-be demolished homes, reflecting the pattern of post-industrial divestment and depopulation that shapes much of central Detroit. In 2021, however, the 110-year-old structure was announced as a future home for gallerists Library Street Collective, led by Anthony and JJ Curis.

The central block of the Little Village campus is anchored bu The Shepherd, while the adjoining rectory house is now home to a non-profit supporting BIPOC artists, as well as a bed and breakfast.

Three years later, the former church sits at the heart of the nascent but fast-growing Little Village arts campus. Framed by a new public sculpture garden and an inviting urban park, the venue now known simply as The Shepherd is a 1,300-square-metre gallery, library and community hub. Carefully restored and adapted by Brooklyn-based architects Peterson Rich Office (PRO), the intervention retains both the building’s imposing bones and its delicately intricate interior details. On the exterior, only the weathered steel arch that frames the main entry subtly signals the transformation from a sacred setting into a secular one.

Peterson Rich Office (PRO) carefully inserted a pair of large volumes into the church interior, deftly respecting the older building’s textures and datum lines.

Past the front door, the metamorphosis is at once obvious and understated. The vestibule has been turned into a reception and a new gallery volume has been inserted into the back of the nave. From the entrance, however, the interior maintains a long open view to the altar, preserving a sense of spatial and spiritual order. Combining the minimalism of a white cube with subtle texture and patina, the room is one of two similar exhibition spaces slotted into the building, while another new gallery space is tucked into the cruciform interior’s north transept. Beyond the two rooms, exhibited art is subtly woven through the church interior; larger works rest on the open floor, and smaller pieces adorn the columns — where I encounter Eagles’s Vinci — and the restored altar. Meanwhile, the south transept is given over to the Little Village Library, a reading room and book collection curated by Black Art Library founder Asmaa Walton.

A new gallery space is inserted into the north transept.

Complemented by comfortable tables and private reading rooms (adapted from erstwhile confessionals), the eclectic yet accessible collection spans from rare and historic art volumes to children’s books. A long stone bookshelf anchors the space, inviting visitors to read, study and hang out. “In an art gallery, people don’t think they can touch the books; they think it’s part of the work. So it’s important to have these spaces where you can interact with the books, take them off the shelf and read,” says Walton. Meanwhile, the altar and retained nave create an open space for community events and performances. (Days after my visit, a panel discussion and orchestral tribute to John Coltrane activated the space.)

The Black Art Library occupies the south transept, creating a welcoming open community space that conveys the comfortable scale of a room.

The integration of art with public space and community-building is central to both The Shepherd and the surrounding Little Village community. “The planning and transformation of the church was very much grounded in the idea of bringing people together,” says PRO co-founder Miriam Peterson. It’s a deft architectural feat. While the mix of uses feels intuitive and uncluttered, it’s an unusual medley — facilitated by equally unconventional design strategies. “On some level, it’s kind of a weird and radical thing to do, to put such big volumes into an existing building,” says Peterson, explaining that the new exhibition spaces “support the technical program of contemporary art gallery, but without undermining the ability of the church to continue to function in the way that a church historically has in a community.”

Above the entry pavilion, visitors can gaze down the gallery oculus and get up close with the historic church interiors.

This spirit animates the whole of the campus, where a landscape designed by New York–based OSD conveys visitors through the block. Alongside ample new seating and greenery (composed entirely of native plantings), a prominent sculpture garden honours legendary Detroit artist Charles McGee, extending the art program into the public realm. And, as with the gallery, the visitors comprise a mix of regulars and curious tourists, as well as neighbours and Detroiters of all stripes, including a trickle of former parishioners. As Shepherd artistic director Allison Glenn puts it, “We thought of the whole building — and the block — as a canvas. It’s all an invitation to explore.”

Outside, The Shepherd’s programming is extended into the public realm with a sculpture garden honouring Charles McGee.

The varied setting – which also includes a skate park designed by iconic skateboarder Tony Hawk and artist McArthur Binion and a gently elevated rolling lawn (a subtle nod to the curved apse of The Shepherd) – is knit together by gardens and footpaths. The porous network of gravel walkways elegantly transitions into a flood-resistant permeable parking lot that, when free of cars, doubles as a seamless extension of the pedestrian space. The walkways are enhanced by the addition of red brick, the interplay of hues introducing another sinuous highlight; the crushed masonry, salvaged from a local demolished building, also pays quiet homage to architectural context. “This is a place with history and meaning, and it should be respected,” says OSD founder Simon David. “There’s beauty in repair and re-use.”

Alongside the sculpture garden, a skate park, seating and open lawns round out the public realm.

Between the skate park and the raised lawn, a pair of houses has been combined into one. The two homes — a handsome Victorian and a 20th-century Detroit duplex — were both likely to be razed under the municipal Detroit Demolition Program. Fortunately, Library Street’s Anthony and JJ Curis had other plans. The duo commissioned local architect and Undecorated founder Ishtiaq Rafiuddin to reimagine the homes as a commercial setting with a bakery and a restaurant. Ingeniously, they are joined together by a shared porch. “Detroit has a really strong front porch culture, and we wanted to extend that tradition — where neighbours hang out and spend time together — into more of a public setting,” says Rafiuddin.

Undecorated has joined together two abandoned homes with a shared porch. A bakery (right) and restaurant (left) are set to activate the buildings.

It’s one of several works in progress. Across the street from Rafiuddin’s BridgeHouse, Los Angeles–based Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects is leading the development of a new venue for Library Street’s Louis Buhl & Co. gallery, which is devoted to celebrating divergent practices and showcasing artists at all stages of their careers. Also in the neighbourhood, the Curises have purchased, restored and sold a handful of formerly vacant and slated-for-demolition homes while working with Rafiuddin to add a modest influx of new housing stock. So far, recent neighbours include Canadian designer Brian Richer, local gallerist Isabelle Weiss and fine art photographer and former Detroit Lions defensive end Romeo Okwara.

The skatepark alongside BridgeHouse was designed by Tony Hawk and McArthur Binion.

There’s plenty more to come. Alongside BridgeHouse, a rear annex to The Shepherd is set to be filled out by a cocktail bar playfully dubbed “Father Forgive Me.” In the meantime, the old rectory has already been converted into a small bed and breakfast (ALEO), and its top floor now houses the headquarters of Modern Ancient Brown Foundation, a non-profit providing mentorship and support to emerging BIPOC artists and writers, including an on-site artist residency program. A block to the south, Library Street has engaged OSD — and celebrated New York designers SO – IL — to reimagine an underused marina and boat storage complex as an extension of the cultural hub, stretching Little Village to meet the Detroit River waterfront.

Inside the former rectory house, the ALEO bed and breakfast is distinguished by its large communal space and eclectic art program.

Two blocks north of The Shepherd, the latest addition to the neighbourhood is Lantern, an adaptive re-use complex designed by OMA. Largely surrounded by vacant land, the building’s crisp white exterior — perforated by rows of cylindrical glass blocks — emits an almost otherworldly evening glow. I’m having a hard time believing that OMA — freakin’ OMA — really has a project at the corner of Kercheval and McClellan. But as I start walking toward it, I don’t know if I’ll like what I see. From a distance, the pristine, glowing white box is all austere spectacle and starchitecture, with little hint of community or local culture. Still, I can’t deny how cool it looks, and I find myself quickening my stride in excitement as I approach.

OMA adapted a former industrial bakery — and its white cinder block extension — into a mixed-use hub dubbed The Lantern.

Up close, the place tells an entirely different story. I’m charmed to find the gleaming surface dissolves into a simple array of cinder blocks, the paint chipping into the visible grout lines and the spectacle resolving into an honest and ordinary Midwestern beauty. “We found a builder who would cut even holes into the cinder blocks, and then used relatively inexpensive, standard, mass-produced rounded glass to fill in the perforations,” says OMA partner Jason Long. The glass apertures, which playfully adapt the solid CMU wall originally constructed as a low-budget warehouse addition to the commercial bakery that previously occupied the site, signal a new public presence while maintaining the site’s industrial simplicity.

Up close, the monolithic white form dissolves into a simple array of perforated cinder blocks.

The entrance is around the corner and through a sheltered inner courtyard. Here, a broad public stoop announces a 2,071-square-metre mixed-use complex. Within the white volume, the courtyard — which combines accessible circulation with ad hoc seating — slides into the interior of popular watering hole Collect Beer Bar. On a Friday evening, the joint is packed. In the older side of the building, meanwhile, the former bakery is now home to non-profit letterpress studio and education hub Signal-Return, as well as the Progressive Art Studio Collective (PASC), which is dedicated to supporting artists with developmental disabilities and mental health differences. The Lantern is also set to welcome a clothing store and a café.

Accessed via a sheltered courtyard, Collect Beer Bar, PASC and Signal-Return all share a broad front porch.

On the patio, I sit down for a drink with Anthony Curis. I’d been nervous about meeting him. While I’m used to interviewing architects, many of whom relish self-important, pretentious language, they’re rank amateurs compared to their counterparts in the art world. Much as I’m genuinely impressed by what Library Street Collective has accomplished, I’m bracing for something esoteric. Yet I’m relieved to find that the man sitting across from me sounds more like a plain-spoken Midwestern hockey dad than a heavyweight gallerist and property developer. “We’re not by any means saviours to the neighbourhood or anything like that,” says Detroit-born Curis. “And our goal isn’t to play landlord but to help others build equity. None of this is even a real estate play — it’s about creating interesting and welcoming spaces and finding new ways to celebrate art.”

Collect Beer Bar riffs on the site’s industrial heritage, with raw, simple finishes and OMA’s new sawtooth roof.

As Curis puts it, Little Village started with a new gallery — The Shepherd — and organically grew from there. “Instead of expanding to another city, we decided to double down in Detroit,” he says. Although the intent was never to build a neighbourhood, supporting a thriving arts community means more than renovating a church into a gallery. To bring people to the neighbourhood, whether as visitors or residents, you have to build new housing and hospitality venues, as well as green spaces and other public amenities. In the coming years, Library Street will also turn its focus to addressing more complex yet fundamental community needs, including a grocery market and non-profit artist housing. Throughout, the Curises have consistently partnered with — and celebrated — the Detroit community, from renowned artists to emerging voices.

The non-profit Signal-Return is devoted to uplifting the community and reviving traditional letterpress techniques.

These are good intentions. And good outcomes. Yet Little Village is also a reflection of Detroit’s uniquely depleted urban condition. Amid the demolition and depopulation, whole swathes of the city have been monopolized by individual actors. Prominent speculators, like Dennis Kefallinos, Matthew Tattarian, and so-called “blight king” Ernest Karr, have amassed dozens — sometimes hundreds — of properties, all while ignoring even the most basic maintenance and racking up a bevy of municipal fines and unpaid taxes as their property values rise. By some metrics, up to 20 per cent of the city’s real estate is locked up in speculation and the continued disinvestment it entails.

Across the street from The Shepherd, Lorcan O’Herlihy is transforming a half-demolished house into a new venue for Library Street’s Louis Buhl & Co. Gallery.

While Detroit’s more enterprising property developers offer a contrast — and sometimes a postscript — to speculative inaction, the results can be equally troubling. Over the past decade, businessman Sanford Nelson gradually purchased much of Detroit’s thriving Eastern Market neighbourhood — long a popular destination; these property acquisitions were followed by headlines proclaiming rising rents, store closures and perpetual conflicts with beloved local businesses. As Nelson himself told the Detroit News, some consider him “the devil incarnate.”

Immediately south of the Little Village campus, an underused commercial dock and warehouse is set to become Stanton Yards Detroit, a mixed-use destination master planned by OSD and featuring adaptive architecture by SO – IL.

Closer to Little Village, John Hantz vowed to transform Detroit’s lower east side into a utopian urban woodland. Although some 2,000 lots were cleared and thousands of trees were planted, the high-minded enterprise has produced little more than cover for simple speculation: As stretches of scraggly monoculture forest amounted to a half-assed attempt at beautification, the investor reaped the benefits of growing property values. And while Dan Gilbert (whose real estate firm Bedrock owns a large stock of downtown) has genuinely revived much of the urban core, fellow billionaire land baron Matty Moroun shamelessly consigned the iconic Michigan Central Station to decades of decay until its purchase and restoration by the Ford Motor Company. Even award-winning Core City developer Philip Kafka has faced well-publicized tensions with tenants and community members.

Featuring a master plan by OSD, Stanton Yards is poised to extend the Little Village public realm to the Detroit River.

In a more socio-economically healthy city, such real estate monopolies are all but impossible. While the results vary, those in Detroit carry inherent risks not found in other cities, where the caprices of individual landlords are balanced out by a more varied and competitive market. So far, Anthony and JJ Curis have made the right decisions. Still, as I walk back from the bar into the warmth of the late summer evening, I find myself wondering about the degree to which their vision — as genuinely altruistic and down-to-earth as it is — is shared by the wider local community.

I’m spending the night at ALEO, the church rectory lovingly transformed into a bed and breakfast. By the time I get into bed, the last of the lingering sun has disappeared behind the horizon. I worry about how well I’ll sleep, especially given how dead quiet Detroit can be at night. As a lifelong city guy, I prefer a din. And luckily, I get it. Outside, a group of casual revellers has gathered in OSD’s gravel parking lot turned community space. Their cars are parked with the doors open and music playing. I’m thankful for the noise, but more importantly, I’m relieved to see the place truly alive. They must have done something right after all.

In the morning, I awaken to a very different noise. It’s early on a Saturday, and I’m usually loath to leave bed on a weekend. But the peals of children’s laughter and the rolling thrum of rubber wheels on concrete pique my interest. I start to feel the excitement emanating from the crowd gathered at the skate park. Before I know it, I’m brushing my teeth and getting dressed. I can’t wait to see what’s up.

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An Adaptive Re-Use Restaurant That’s Really Cooking with Gas

Eric Mutrie — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 12:34:00 +0000

The Brief

Following the same road map that saw Michelin evolve from a tire manufacturer into a global culinary authority, a former Madrid auto shop recently reopened as Tramo: a buzzy restaurant that has, fittingly, already earned itself a place in the Michelin Guide. Tramo marks the second venture from Proyectos Conscientes, a hospitality group that prides itself on dining spots dedicated to responsible consumption. With that in mind, Madrid architecture firm SelgasCano (the brains behind the 2015 Serpentine Pavilion) and Andreu Carulla (a product and spatial designer specializing in old school craftsmanship) worked together to refine — but not completely reform — the industrial space with low-waste, high-performance design....

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A Spanish Cocktail Bar that Evokes Golden Treasure

Sophie Sobol — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 19:29:01 +0000

You might not find the legendary lost city of El Dorado on the 24th floor of the NHow Hotel in Amsterdam, but you will find Sonora Bar — a luxury Spanish cocktail bar steeped in the mythology of pre-Columbian design. Designed by Barcelona-based studio El Equipo Creativo, Sonora Bar brings Latin American flavours — including their singnature Azul Margarita — to a European audience.

Designed to complement its sister space, the Selva Restaurant, located on the same floor of the NHow Hotel, El Equipo Creativo’s Sonora Bar was imagined with a distinctly Latin American flair. But where Selva Restaurant reveals a lush tropical forest, Sonora Bar is the hidden gem in the jungle.

A dazzling golden structure, the central bar immediately draws the eye. Inspired by pre-Columbian gold idols, the rounded, organic form — evoking a giant mushroom — gleams with a golden finish from floor to ceiling. Grooved surfaces around the room reflect a dappled texture, much like cascading water, that is echoed in the tiled, glass facade behind the bar and the watery pattern of the carpet. Organic-shaped furniture in pops of red and vibrant patterns are meant to evoke poisonous fruit and other jungle dangers that exist by a watering hole. Add in the lush greenery and hanging plants, and Sonora Bar is something out of a fairy tale.

Despite the challenge of balancing this dramatic interior with the bar’s stunning view (courtesy of a glass facade by OMA studio) — not to mention cultivating an authentic Latin American feel in a Dutch hotel — El Equipo Creativo is up to the task with the fantastical Sonora Bar.

“It’s more than just having a drink. It’s about feeling like you’re part of an exciting story,” says the Sonora bar team. “If you want a fun escape and a taste of old tales, come visit. Every sip is an adventure.”

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A New York Piano Bar That’s Anything But So-So

Eric Mutrie — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 14:08:34 +0000

With New York City real estate at a premium, it can be difficult to find suitable places to introduce fresh nightlife hotspots. On the other hand, the ingenuity that’s required to carve out space for a new bar can produce some delightfully unexpected solutions that add to a destination’s eventual intrigue. Take, for instance, So&So’s — a New York piano bar in Hell’s Kitchen. To create a comfortable home for the new cocktail lounge, design firm Goodrich converted the former back-of-house areas of a 1960s hotel building (which now operates as the Romer Hell’s Kitchen). The result is a true hidden gem.

Mind you, while the bar’s location necessitates an unassuming side entrance cut out of a brick wall, Goodrich helps draw attention to this gateway with a blue door and a red light. Together, these elements provide clues into the sumptuous colour palette that awaits ahead, where guests enter a room defined by blue barstools and red banquettes.

Other corners of the space flip the script, stationing blue leather seating against a wall upholstered with a red camo-like print. If the bar’s confident use of crimson calls to mind red theatre curtains, that’s no coincidence — So&So’s sits in close proximity to Broadway and the Theatre District, and it is designed to pick up on the area’s signature energy. Lighting along the bar’s walls drives this theme home, recreating the rows of bulbs that border backstage dressing room vanities.

As the firm explains in its project description, the name So&So’s is meant to evoke “the familiarity of a neighbourhood fixture — a place so ingrained in the local culture that people are on intimate terms with it.” The bar’s playful logo, modeled after the types of graffiti tags you might find around town, adds to its playful identity. Meanwhile, the custom carpet reinterprets the bar’s name in its own way, with an interlocking pattern of cursive “S”es and ampersands. Other accents establish a mix of high and low. While vinyl menu covers come straight from a restaurant supply store on Bowery, custom napkins bring an air of sophistication.

Even among all this captivating stage design, the true star of So&So’s is the upright piano (another bold pop of blue) that sits atop its raised platform, ready for live performances. The bar’s connections to the entertainment industry extends to its drinks menu, too. The list is developed by Phil Collins — who is not, in this case, a member of Genesis (or the dad of Emily in Paris) but is instead a former backup dancer for Rihanna who now works as the Director of Beverages at TableOne Hospitality. Cocktails, for their part, are references to notable Broadway productions, like the Piano Man. We’d expect nothing less from a venue that delivers both drinks and a show.

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Senior Interior Designer

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 18:06:04 +0000

Kristina Zanic Consultants is seeking experienced Senior Interior Designers to join their new studio in London.

The firm’s projects span across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, with particular focus on five-star luxury hospitality and high-end residential projects.

Project Types:

Hospitality (hotels and F&B)
Private residences and residential developments
Office spaces
Retail locations, e.g. malls, shops, cafes, forecourts
Leisure spaces, e.g. cinema, recreation complexes

Responsibilities:

Creating and developing design concepts, creating initial design ideas, conceptual frameworks acquiring key information about potential projects and delivering all phases as per project contract requirements
Understanding and proficiency in managing client needs
Developing design concepts and narrative following client/operator brief
Working closely with seniors and the design team throughout all project stages and on-site as required
Leading team coordination/ensuring that everyone is aligned with the design vision, deliverables, project programs, etc.
Preparing detailed working drawings, designs, plans, models and schemes, often using computer-aided design (CAD) and/or BIM or other relevant software
Sourcing products, for example FF&E, decoration and dressing and providing samples for clients
Preparing specifications and material boards and production of drawings
Considering materials and costs according to set budgets and reviewing quotes from suppliers
Producing ‘sample’ or ‘mood’ boards for the projects
Using FF&E specifications on DOTstudio or other related FF&E software
Quality control of drawings and specifications for ensuring that the final design meets high-quality standards
Establish and monitor flow of projects, man-power, CAD, BIM and 3D resources at team level
Preparing and monitoring project/resource program and ensuring to highlight any potential risks or delays
Preparing minutes of meetings to record all discussions and issue it to the client within three working days prior to the approval of the DD
Coordinating with key stakeholders throughout all project phases
Coordinating with suppliers and having a knowledgeable grasp of technical details and requirements
Working closely with quantity surveyors to establish costs and work schedules on projects where required
Working with architects and other design professionals to determine the best use of space and with manufacturers and contractors when required in a specific phase
Mentoring, training and leading junior and intermediate designers

Qualifications and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree in interior design, architecture or equivalent
A proven record of success in a senior interior designer level
Eight-plus years’ design experience of management of multiple project and resources
Extensive knowledge and experience in designing interior spaces for various projects, including hospitality, high-end residential and F&B design
An understanding of financial management and wider management principles and techniques
Advance presentation skills including presenting to the client/operator/project stakeholders
Good understanding of technical design, including drawings and specifications
Able to handle situations with an appreciation of the demands of conflicting interests and of meeting both project and statutory requirements
A very high level of commercial awareness
Excellent leadership, communication, organisational, project management, analytical and problem-solving skills

APPLY NOW

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The Waterworks Food Hall Celebrates Toronto’s Culinary Culture in Style

Elizabeth Pagliacolo — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 13:23:00 +0000

It hits you all at once when you enter Toronto’s Waterworks Food Hall: the scintillating aromas, the shopfront-style signs pulling you in all directions to various kiosks, the overwhelming excitement of being in a modern bazaar. There is the compulsion to try everything, to sample the myriad goods on offer — from fragrant stuffed naan to soul-satisfying ramen — under the constellation of vibrant floating spheres.

When it finally opened in July after years of preparation, the food hall met the public’s anticipation with an expression of gregarious energy. This labour of love, shared by a notable group of Toronto developers, architects, designers and food brands, feels attuned both to its immediate setting in a heritage building and to the broader context. It arrives at a time when the food hall typology is already thriving in the city: From the recently inaugurated culinary hub at The Well to the nearby Chefs Hall and the outdoor World Food Market at Yonge/Dundas, downtown eating is more eclectic than ever. All of this healthy competition does not worry Eve Lewis, whose firm, Woodcliffe Landmark Properties, together with MOD Developments, brought the project to life. “I think it’s exciting. The more the merrier,” she told me as we toured the building pre-opening.

The art deco features of the Waterworks building were preserved in its transformation into a food hall.

Lewis and her team spent eight years travelling to an estimated 50 of the world’s best food halls, in places like London, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Madrid
and New York. From that international journey, they came back more determined than ever about what mattered most: the local and specific. The almost 20 kiosks that line the centre of the Waterworks Food Hall are mostly homegrown businesses, from the wine brand Grape Witches (which burgeoned during the pandemic) to Harry’s Charbroiled (by prolific restaurateur Grant van Gameren).

Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist Jacquie Comrie created the colourful swirl of a planet that hangs in the skylit space between Pizzeria Popolo and Taco Lupita.

The food hall’s interior layout, by Cecconi Simone, emphasizes cohesion while allowing each stall to stand out. The all-black kiosks are similar in size and outward appearance but bear details — from tile treatments to lighting — that convey their individual texture up close. Stephen Fong Architect, Futurestudio (which also created the courtyard patio–adjacent Lee Restaurant and the bespoke food hall venues of Civil Works and Grape Witches) and DesignAgency realized the vision based on Lewis’s desire for each vendor to have its own personality. (BUILD IT by Design was the contractor in charge of the kiosks.)

The kiosk architecture communicates a cohesive design language…

…while the eateries feature unique finishes and light fixtures to give them — and the entire space — a feeling of fine-grained texture.

Most essential to the project was the preservation and update of its 4,180-square-metre base building, which was actually constructed on the site of an earlier social venue — the St. Andrew’s Market — that stood from 1837 until it was decommissioned in the 1920s. The art deco gem that replaced it dates to 1932. Diamond Schmitt, the firm that led the restoration project (and its much larger scope, which included the residential development embedded in the building), worked with the consultants at ERA. The aim was to maintain its characteristic rawness.

“It was a public works hub, built as a Depression-era project with federal, provincial and city funding,” explains Annie Pelletier, an associate at ERA. “It was designed by the city architect back when Toronto had a city architect.” “We didn’t really sanitize it. We’ve just cleaned it up,” says Pelletier. They retained its main materials and celebrated found objects — the woodblock floor was repurposed for the walls of the stairwells where old moulds of plumbing patterns are now displayed as art — and reinserted existing details that had been obscured over time.

A server at Musoshin Ramen.

The woodblock-lined stairway displaying plumbing moulds.

At some point in the past, the skylights had been completely boarded over, so the team uncovered them and applied a new, energy-efficient glazing. They also found a company that could reproduce the black-framed, hot-rolled steel windows (many of which had been covered up by brick) that soar from floor to ceiling in vertical bands on the building’s south side. And they repositioned a set of art deco gates, once located on Maud Street, to the Richmond Street courtyard entrance. The most dramatic intervention is underneath it all: To keep the back of house out of sight, the team dug a basement for the building. “They set back from the historic walls and excavated down,” says Pelletier.

Some of the team members that collaborated on the project gather at one of the banquettes. From left: MOD Developments’ Noorez Lalani, architect Steven Fong, MOD’s Gary Switzer, Diamond Schmitt’s Donald Schmitt, Anna Simone of Cecconi Simone, Woodcliffe Landmark Properties’ Eve Lewis, ERA Architects’ Andrew Pruss, and Futurestudio’s Milda Miskinyte and Ali McQuaid Mitchell.

At the food hall’s inauguration, its potential to be an electric new cultural destination in the city was palpable. Moving from kiosk to kiosk and taking their perches at the tables, bar stools and counters, patrons were able to enjoy everything that makes Toronto’s culinary scene the ultimate expression of our multiplicity. Reaching even greater heights was the custom artwork created for the space under the curation of Studio Ninth. Artists including Jacquie Comrie and Priscilla Yu painted orbs of various sizes that float down from the skylit ceiling. It’s the perfect final ingredient for a food hall that exudes authenticity, plurality and attention to detail.

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A Shanghai Hotel Boasts A Bespoke Lighting Scheme

Jaclyn Tersigni — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 13:18:00 +0000

The lighting in mega-chain economy hotels is rarely inspiring. Harsh fluorescents and unflattering overheads dominate; regardless of the time of day or night, the brightness is glaring. Tapped to imagine the interiors of a new Shanghai outpost of Ji Hotel — an H World International economy hotel brand with 2,000 locations across China — local firm Vermilion Zhou Design Group created a bespoke lighting scheme that not only vastly improves upon corporate chain standards but also elevates the guest experience.

Jointly led by founder and lighting design director Vera Chu, creative director Kuang Ming (Ray) Chou and interior design director Garvin Hung, Vermilion’s approach centred on an intelligent, manually controlled,...

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A Retail-Hospitality Hybrid Achieves Domestic Bliss

Eric Mutrie — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 13:04:00 +0000

The Brief

Manhattan apartments rarely live up to the ones that you see fictional New Yorkers inhabiting on television. Quarters, the second-floor Tribeca space opened by Brooklyn lighting studio In Common With this past May, is a notable exception. Mind you, even if the setting feels like a residence, it’s actually a showroom. Or is it a bar? “First and foremost, it’s a store,” explains Nick Ozemba, who co-founded In Common With six years ago alongside Felicia Hung. “Everything is for sale. But the way that we wanted to sculpt the retail experience was through this idea of hosting people.” Staged to evoke someone’s cozy New York living quarters, the hybrid setup at Quarters invites clients to admire products in situ by day,...

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MVRDV Airs Out the Auction House in Hong Kong

Stefan Novakovic — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 20:50:54 +0000

By their nature, auctions are all about possession. Whether classic cars, vintage jewelry or baseball cards, the coveted treasures sold to the highest bidder are typically only briefly glimpsed before being squirrelled out of the public eye for decades or centuries to come. For Sotheby’s, it’s a tradition that dates back centuries. It’s also one that the global giant is gracefully subverting at their newly opened Sotheby’s Maison in Hong Kong, where a gallery and retail destination lend the auction house a prominent and inviting public face.

And it’s quite a face. Designed by Rotterdam-based architects MVRDV, the two-storey, 2,250-square-metre Sotheby’s Maison combines a public art gallery and an immersive, Taoist-inspired experience that invites intimate, private encounters with both artworks and auction items. While a tactfully spare and simple white cube gallery occupies the upper storey, the ground level is a decidedly dramatic destination.

On the lower level, an open and moody central space — dubbed the “grotto” — can easily be programmed to host a variety of gatherings, performances events, including live auctions. The elegantly dim grotto is framed by a series of sculptural entrances to smaller surroundings rooms. Accented by warm lighting, these sinuous entrances — appearing almost as portals to new dimensions — are carved out in layers of wood, a form inspired by the Gongshi, or scholar’s rock, which symbolizes harmony, adaptability, and evolution. Past the wood thresholds, the five individual rooms are accented in shades of burgundy and charcoal, with the lofty ceilings and low lighting creating a sequence of tranquil viewing experiences.

From the grotto, stairs and escalators connect the ground level to the gallery above. You’ll want to take the stairs. An extension of the Gongshi concept, the central stair is almost geological in its depth, with the varied layers of wood converging like flysch lines in an ancient, smoothed down rock. The space is distinguished by its meticulous architectural craft, with every line of wood seamlessly curving into both the tread of the stair and the spectacle of the ceiling.

Upstairs, the light-filled gallery is a pleasant contrast to the moody, contemplative rooms below. Envisioned as a more bustling venue, the space is designed to showcase a rotating collection of privately owned artworks, which would typically remain out of public view.

While the contrast between the two levels is stark, the dichotomy is thoughtful. Inspired by the Taoist principles of harmonious tension and perpetual change, the design elevates the journey through contrasts into a guiding principle.

For Sotheby’s, the venue opens up a new civic presence. Prominently sited in Hong Kong’s Landmark Chater mall, at the bustling corner of Chater Road and Pedder Street, the street-facing Sotheby’s Maison offers a contrast to most of the surrounding luxury retailers, which are accessed solely from elevated pedestrian bridges and the mall interior. For the rest of us, it’s an opportunity to peek behind the curtain.

“We may be used to thinking of renowned auction houses as somewhat ‘elite’ spaces that the average person wouldn’t visit,” says MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs. “We envisioned a space where the barriers between the public and priceless art collections are reimagined, making art accessible in new and daring ways.”

The post MVRDV Airs Out the Auction House in Hong Kong appeared first on Azure Magazine.

An Italian Restaurant Serves Up “Tranquility With a Dash of Chaos”

Eric Mutrie — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 18:16:33 +0000

What are the ingredients of la dolce vita? Tasked with designing Allora, an Italian restaurant in Warsaw, the team members at Gdansk-based studio Akurat thought back to their own Mediterranean getaways. In the process, they came up with a playbook for recreating Italy’s signature way of life. “We felt like Italian design is much more emotional than others — buzzing and chaotic, but at the same time, cozy and warm,” the studio explains. With that in mind, dinner at Allora moves through a mix of rich contrasts. Old mingles with new, straight lines give way to curvy twists and pops of bright red interrupt calmer earth tones. For its part, Akurat summarizes the trattoria’s look and feel using another memorable juxtaposition: “tranquility mixed with a dash of chaos.”

Eager to start off by imbuing the space with an underlying sense of history and warmth, Akurat developed a foundation of wood floors and plaster walls. Other prominent materials like glass shingles and ceramic tiles both boast natural variations in their finishes that add to the project’s overall texture. This time-worn character helps capture the feel of a beloved seaside hideout that someone has been returning to year after year. “These choices create Allora’s very grounded and cozy ambiance, making it approachable and ensuring that everyone feels comfortable and welcome,” the firm says. The neutral colour palette established by these core materials is another nod to the coast, echoing sepia-toned memories of golden afternoons in the sun.

With this somewhat muted palette in place as Allora’s main backdrop, it was then time to amp up the energy. Pulling from 1970s Italian design, Akurat introduced modern accents defined by playful curves, glossy sheen and bold patterning. “We felt the need to counterbalance [the project’s] coziness to achieve the feeling of freedom, freshness, fun and youth that are quintessential to the Italian spirit, but also ground it in the busy city centre of Warsaw,” notes the firm. Banquettes upholstered in zebra-like fabric sit opposite tomato-red armchairs, while tiered conical pendant lights hang from whimsical, floral-shaped panels. A fun assortment of mismatched lamps scattered throughout the space add to the sense of discovery and surprise. Collectively, these elements introduce a carefree layer atop the otherwise well-ordered design, giving the space a distinctly Italian feeling of sprezzatura.

As for its layout, Allora’s symmetrical setup positions the bar as a prominent focal point, visible from every point in the dining room. This central location — not to mention the sunburst tiling that borders the setup — nod to the feature’s prominence in Italian life. “Our observations of Italian culture show that bars play their part in every moment of the day, serving a quick espresso in the morning, easy lunches in the day, and aperitifs in the late afternoon,” says Akurat.

A careful study in the art of escapism, the restaurant is ready to beam diners from one corner of the world to another. “Allora transports its guests to a buzzing neighbourhood Italian ristorante, and allows them to feel a splash of the warm Italian sun even on Warsaw’s moodiest days,” Akurat summarizes.

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