Acne Studios Launches Its First Permanent Art Space in Paris

Acne Studios unveils a new permanent gallery space in Paris, Acne Paper Palais Royal, which opens to the public on June 26th, 2025, with a solo exhibition by photographer Paul Kooiker. Located at 124 Galerie de Valois, beneath the historic arcades of the Palais Royal and overlooking its iconic gardens, the space marks a significant chapter for the Swedish fashion house as it extends its presence beyond fashion into the realms of art, exhibitions, and cultural events.

images courtesy of Acne Studios

From Magazine to Life

The gallery is named after Acne Paper, the biannual magazine of the Stockholm-based house, featuring fashion, art, design, and writing. Much like the magazine, this new space is designed to host a mix of creative content that spans from art shows and photography exhibitions to talks, book signings, and cultural events. It’s intended as a space for dialogue and experimentation, where both well-known and emerging artists can share work and ideas.

The first exhibition at Acne Paper Palais Royal will feature new works by Dutch photographer Paul Kooiker, known for his unusual, stylized images that often explore the human body in surreal or theatrical ways. This choice fits well with Acne Studios’ visual identity and its longtime interest in photography and conceptual image-making. Since its founding in 1996 in Stockholm as a multidisciplinary collective, Acne Studios has treated fashion as just one part of a larger creative practice. This gallery in Paris reinforces that approach, placing the brand in one of the most iconic cultural locations of the city.

Acne Studios opens a new permanent gallery space in Paris

the gallery opens to the public on June 26th, 2025

the first exhibition at Acne Paper Palais Royal will feature new works by Dutch photographer Paul Kooiker

a major step for the Swedish fashion brand

the gallery is named after Acne Paper, the biannual magazine of the brand | via @acnestudios

June 18, 2025

Tuckey Design Studio Adapts a Landmark in Somerset

Wool Hall, located in a village in Somerset, has been reimagined by Tuckey Design Studio as a residence and private recording studio. The Grade II listed structure carries a layered history of craft and music production, serving as a quiet outpost for artists including The Smiths, Van Morrison, and Paul Weller.

The studio’s approach respects both the architectural and cultural significance of the site. A sixteenth-century hall, a 1980s rear extension, and several later additions presented an irregular collage of forms and materials. The design response involved unifying these disparate elements, improving thermal performance, and restoring the site’s character without diminishing its informality.

images © James Brittain

Material Transitions and Energy Strategy

Thermal upgrades were essential for Tuckey Design Studio with its Wool Hall renovation. The architects introduce a breathable lime and cork insulation to the interiors, maintaining the tactile qualities of the stone walls. Where additional retention was needed, Diathonite spray offered thermal support without concealing the hall’s uneven textures. New double glazing and underfloor heating contribute to the building’s overall efficiency while preserving a clear relationship with its rural surroundings.

The rear extension, previously prone to overheating, has been selectively opened to create courtyards that draw air across the interiors. Red stained timber cladding and retained terracotta roof tiles mark the most significant interventions. These new materials form a contemporary contrast to the weathered masonry of the original structure, signaling the project’s layered evolution.

Wool Hall in Somerset is transformed by Tuckey Design Studio into a home and recording studio

Wool Hall Opens with Shifting Volumes

Arrival at Tuckey Design Studio’s Wool Hall is marked by the historic stone facade, approached via a sloping drive. A winding masonry stair introduces a new arched threshold, drawing attention to the transition between original and adapted volumes. Historic England recognizes the balustrade, archway, and porch as architecturally significant, and they remain defining elements in the redesigned scheme.

Inside, spatial clarity unfolds immediately. A three-level atrium connects bedroom wings above. To one side, the timber-lined extension houses private lounges and studies; to the other, the original hall’s open-plan kitchen and living area remains central to daily life. Steel trusses painted in sepal green span across the volumes, while yellow accents introduce quiet tonal punctuation.

the Grade II listed structure has a long history as a site for craft and music production

Material Palette and Spatial Harmony

The main hall’s material palette is muted and carefully assembled. Plastered walls, Viroc surfaces, a central brick fireplace, and exposed timber details form a cohesive composition. Terrazzo inlays trace the footprint of former partitions, marking the building’s architectural memory without sentimentality.

The pitched roofline of the original structure carries through the new work in stepped planes, allowing the additions to recede toward the garden. At the rear, the crimson cladding and breeze-block forms gather around intermittent courtyards, offering shade and passive ventilation to what was once a yoga studio.

a new stairway and arched entry define the transition between old and new

a central atrium provides sightlines between bedrooms and shared living areas

Conclusion

Tuckey Design Studio’s renovation of Wool Hall in Somerset is a thoughtful and nuanced approach to preserving the cultural and architectural significance of the site. The introduction of new materials and spatial arrangements has enhanced the building’s functionality and energy efficiency while maintaining its historic character. The project serves as a model for adapting heritage buildings to meet contemporary needs, demonstrating a deep respect for the past and a commitment to sustainable design principles.

Whether you’re throwing a backyard BBQ or just want to bring a little patriotic cheer to your dining room, the 4th of July is a great excuse to get creative with your table decor. These DIY tablescapes and centerpiece ideas are festive, easy to pull together, and budget-friendly – our favorite combo!

If your porch needs a little sparkle too, check out our post on 4th of July porch decor for more red, white, and blue inspiration!

To get started, let’s take a look at some amazing 4th of July tablescape inspiration. Before diving into the DIYs, it helps to see how a few well-chosen layers can totally transform your space. These table setting ideas show just how easy it is to mix patriotic flair with everyday style.

This setup from Home with Holly J combines various red, white, and blue table setting elements (plus those super cute stars and stripes napkins) for place settings. A super simple centerpiece with American flags and pinwheels adds a festive flair, and the mini chairs with individual desserts for each place setting really complete this tablescape!

For a more subtle look, Hallstrom Home’s 4th of July table is all about keeping things simple and adding just a touch of Americana. It’s a great option if you want something grown-up and subtle that still feels like a celebration, and all you need is some little American flags or your patriotic decor of choice!

A standout centerpiece is the heart of any tablescape. These patriotic centerpiece ideas are easy to recreate and bring that iconic red, white, and blue energy to the table. Here we get a closer look at the centerpiece from Between Naps on the Porch, and it is such a fun, nostalgic idea! You probably already have a good container to use, so just pick up some festive additions like her flags and pinwheels and you’ve got a centerpiece.

Introduction to The Warehouse

Sonic artist Ash Fure collaborates with two architecture studios, stock-a-studio and T+E+A+M., to open the Warehouse, at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, US. The architects transform a former administration building into a flexible performance venue dedicated to spatial sound, designed to support Dartmouth’s new Master of Fine Arts in Sonic Practice. The 232-square-meter space combines advanced sound technology, adaptable architecture, and modular furniture to create a space where students, artists, and audiences can experiment with how sound is made and shared.

T+E+A+M. and stock-a-studio’s performance venue in the US

The design of the Warehouse makes the infrastructure of the building visible and part of the experience. Ducts, pipes, cables, and lighting are left exposed, while the metallic-painted ceiling highlights the raw identity of the space. A network of steel rigging points allows artists to hang speakers, lights, or materials from above, turning the structure into an active part of the performance. At its center is a 24.2-channel Meyer sound system, which can support a wide range of sonic practices, from loud, bass-heavy events and dance parties to subtle multichannel compositions, live improvisation, and deep listening sessions. ‘Whether it’s dance parties or deep listening sessions,’ says Fure, ‘The Warehouse is designed to be a generative engine of sound.’

all images by Brooke Holm

Modular Systems Make The Warehouse Flexible and Adaptable

The architectural design of the Warehouse builds on long-standing creative relationships between Ash Fure and the two design studios involved. Xavi Aguirre, founder of stock-a-studio and director of the Future-Flex Lab at MIT, is known for creating modular systems that allow for flexibility and sustainable reuse of materials. Adam Fure, Ash’s brother and a partner at T+E+A+M architecture practice, has collaborated with her on several past projects that combine architecture and performance. These ongoing partnerships made it possible to develop an architectural language that responds to both artistic experimentation and educational use. ‘Designing a permanent home for Ash’s multifaceted work was a unique opportunity to translate the scenographic architecture of performance into brick and mortar,’ notes Adam Fure.

custom furniture that can be reconfigured to fit various modes of performance

Exposed Materials and Rough Textures Shape the Interior

Rather than aiming for a polished or finished look, the design embraces a sense of openness and ongoing transformation. The ceiling is painted metallic silver to highlight exposed materials and the rough textures left behind after demolition. Many surfaces are left intentionally unfinished so they can be adapted or reused in the future. A set of bespoke furniture pieces can be easily moved or reconfigured, allowing the space to shift quickly between different uses, such as a classroom, a rehearsal studio, a concert venue, or a setting for late-night events. ‘We wanted to create a space of total adaptability, one ready for action, experimentation and play,’ Aguirre comments.

Ash Fure sees the Warehouse as a space for people to come together. ‘I think of sound as a sensory and social technology,’ she shares. ‘It works on the body and the body politic. My hope is that The Warehouse helps open people up to the visceral richness of sonic experience and the simple, profound power of listening together in our fractured age.’

Sawtooth acoustical foam is placed throughout the venue to provide selective sound absorption.

plastic curtains line the entryway, producing a natural orange glow

June 17, 2025

Introduction to Vollerup House

The Vollerup House, designed by Høyer Arkitektur, takes shape in northwestern Zealand, Denmark, about ninety minutes north of Copenhagen. Conceived as a summer retreat, the house is carefully set within a wooded site where fields meet forest, just inland from the windswept coastline. The timber building sits low against a backdrop of birch and pine, its elongated, single-story form offering a calm horizontal counterpoint to the upright trees. Høyer Arkitektur uses this orientation to create both spatial intimacy and visual clarity, shielding nearby cottages from view and framing a quiet forest clearing.

Design and Layout

The design takes advantage of the site’s dual character. While the north facade is restrained and mostly closed to maintain privacy from the more public areas, the south facade opens generously to the woods. Floor-to-ceiling glazing along this southern elevation draws in filtered daylight and allows the interior to remain visually and atmospherically tethered to the forest beyond.

images © Hampus Berndtson

Linear Arrangement and Connection to Nature

The design team at Høyer Arkitektur plans the Vollerup House with a linear arrangement, with all living spaces aligned along the southern face. Movement through the house parallels the rhythm of the trees outside, reinforcing a constant connection to the changing light and seasonal shifts in the landscape. From inside, the distinction between interior and exterior softens; the forest becomes a living backdrop to daily life.

Materials and Structural Approach

Materially and structurally, the home echoes the region’s vernacular buildings. Its construction draws on the traditional longhouse form and the presence of timber barns scattered through rural Zealand. A rhythm of glulam beams defines the primary grid, elevated on cast-point foundations to preserve the forest floor and minimize ecological disruption.

surrounded by birch and pine trees, the Vollerup House sits on the northwest coast of Zealand

Integration with the Landscape

The lightness of the structural solution lends the house a kind of stillness in the landscape. By lifting the volume slightly and anchoring it with minimal intervention, Høyer Arkitektur reinforces a sense of respect for the natural setting. From certain angles, the glulam supports even suggest that the house rests lightly among the trees rather than being imposed upon them.

Høyer Arkitektur designs the summer house as a horizontal structure that responds to the vertical forest

the elongated form creates a quiet visual barrier from neighboring cottages

a restrained north facade ensures privacy while the south facade opens fully to the forest

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Vollerup House, designed by Høyer Arkitektur, is a masterful example of how architecture can blend seamlessly into its natural surroundings while providing a unique and intimate living experience. The house’s linear arrangement, use of natural materials, and minimal ecological footprint make it a standout example of sustainable and thoughtful design. As a summer retreat, it offers a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life, inviting its inhabitants to reconnect with nature and appreciate the beauty of the surrounding landscape.

Introduction to Western Sydney International Airport

The Western Sydney International Airport terminal has reached completion, marking Australia’s first new major airport in over half a century. Located in Badgerys Creek, the terminal is conceived as both a transport hub and civic landmark — an architectural statement grounded in place and shaped for the future of aviation.

First proposed by COX Architecture and Zaha Hadid Architects through a 2019 design competition, the project has since been carried forward by a collaborative team including Woods Bagot and builder Multiplex. The resulting terminal is a culmination of technical precision, spatial generosity, and cultural responsiveness, tailored to the evolving needs of Western Sydney.

‘This is a rare opportunity to define the next generation of airport design,’ says Cristiano Ceccato of Zaha Hadid Architects. ‘It’s a terminal that expresses both international ambition and a strong sense of place.’

images © Brett Boardman, Trevor Mein

A Rhythmic Design by Zaha Hadid, Woods Bagot & Cox

Designing the expansive roofline of the Sydney Airport terminal, Zaha Hadid Architects, Woods Bagot, and COX take cues from the low-lying Cumberland Plain, echoing the contours of the land. Its ceiling, composed of sculptural, timber-lined modules, captures shifting daylight throughout the day. The filtered light creates a rhythm of brightness and shadow, offering both orientation and calm across the large volume of the departure hall.

Glass curtain walls along the perimeter draw in the landscape and provide views outward, ensuring a continuous connection between interior and environment. These gestures help shape a civic-scale structure that feels open and grounded, rather than monumental or imposing.

Working with construction company Multiplex, COX shaped the terminal as a contemporary expression of place. ‘The way light filters through the terminal shapes how people move, orient and feel,’ David Holm of COX explains. ‘For many, this space marks their first encounter with Australia, and we wanted that experience to feel unmistakably grounded in place.’

the Western Sydney International Airport terminal is Australia’s first major airport in over 50 years

A Sustainable Terminal for Sydney

The roof canopy over the forecourt is configured by Zaha Hadid Architects, COX, and Woods Bagot to offer shelter and shade while guiding movement into the new Sydney Airport terminal. This threshold is conceived with attention to scale and detail, with natural materials and Indigenous design references shaping a quiet sense of welcome.

Warm timbers, etched details, and interpretive artworks are integrated throughout, creating an environment that honors the region’s heritage without relying on overt displays. Public consultation with Dharug custodians and First Nations consultant Murrawin informed many of the terminal’s symbolic and spatial elements.

This embedded cultural approach complements the terminal’s focus on intuitive, egalitarian movement. Sightlines are clear, signage minimal, and transitions between zones legible without requiring effort. As passengers move through arrivals, departures, and security checkpoints, the building’s architecture does the work of orientation.

its low-slung form and sculptural ceiling draw from the contours and light of the Cumberland Plain

Performance and Longevity

Led by Woods Bagot, the design and delivery phase prioritized performance and longevity. ‘The ambition was to create a terminal that functions at a global standard while maintaining a distinct local identity,’ Neil Hill of Woods Bagot notes.

The architecture supports a modular expansion strategy, allowing for future growth in stages without the need for full redesign. Passive ventilation, water recycling, and energy-efficient systems earned the terminal a five star Green Star rating. From landside approach to baggage handling, every aspect was calibrated to optimize throughput and passenger comfort.

filtered daylight animates the terminal’s interior and guides passenger orientation

Cierto Estudio Introduces Inclusive Living Model in Barcelona

In the heart of Barcelona, where the city’s historical fabric meets the innovation-driven 22@ district, architecture firm Cierto Estudio brings a radical vision for collective housing to life with The Room Community, part of the larger Illa Glòries redevelopment. As Building A within a four-block ensemble designed by multiple architectural teams, the dwelling introduces a new model for modular, inclusive living. Comprising 51 units surrounding generous common areas, the design supports adaptable living, social equity, and sustainable practices. ‘We are incredibly proud of the Illa Glòries project. It represents a new model for urban living, one that prioritizes community, sustainability, and the well-being of its residents,’ says Cierto Estudio.

What sets The Room Community apart is its full-spectrum approach to care, both social and environmental. From its cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure and passive climate strategies to its robust green infrastructure, with more than 60% of the plot being landscaped, the building meets NZEB standards while mitigating the urban heat island effect. At the social level, the project is conceived from a gender perspective, with strategies that support caregiving, safety, and shared responsibility. Wide, south-facing communal walkways double as balconies and connect homes to a rooftop garden, a shaded climate refuge and social platform that strengthens neighborly ties.

images © Jose Hevia, unless stated otherwise

Dismantling the Nuclear Family Through Open, Fluid Typologies

Winning an international competition in 2017, Cierto Estudio, a practice founded by six women architects, proposed a housing typology that dismantles conventional domestic hierarchies. Their design challenges the nuclear-family norm, offering homes that are neutral in function yet rich in possibility. The layouts are fluid, with rooms of equal size and value, encouraging occupants to define how they live. Kitchens are no longer hidden or confined to traditional gender roles; instead, they are reimagined as open, social areas, visible from the entrance and integral to daily life. Sightlines stretch diagonally across apartments, while intersections between spaces create physical and visual continuity, allowing autonomy and collectivity to coexist.

Cierto Estudio unveils collective housing project The Room Community

The Room Community Rethinks Visibility as Tool for Spatial Justice

The name of the project, The Room Community, hints at its spatial philosophy, centered on a modular system of square rooms, rotated and interconnected to create typologies without hierarchies. The central junction in the floor plan serves as a main organizing element, supporting adaptable configurations for diverse and evolving household structures. With no room dominating and no single function being fixed, the idea of home is elastic, evolving with the people who inhabit it.

Rather than isolating individual units, the building opens them to shared courtyards and balconies in a contemporary reinterpretation of the corrala typology, a traditional Spanish housing model characterized by multi-story buildings with dwellings facing inward toward a common courtyard or gallery. These communal spaces make way for spontaneous interaction and collective oversight, aiming to reduce gender-based violence by increasing visibility and mutual vigilance.

designed as Building A within a four-block ensemble led by multiple architectural teams

What Public Housing Can Be When Design Leads

Commissioned by the Institut Municipal de l’Habitatge i Rehabilitació de Barcelona (IMHAB), the development represents a forward-thinking approach to public housing in a city facing growing affordability challenges. In a moment when housing is increasingly commodified and standardized, Illa Glòries signals what can be achieved when public institutions back thoughtful, community-oriented design. The collaboration between teams, including Cierto Estudio, Bayona-Valero, Cantallops-Vivente, Haz Arquitectura, and others, creates an urban block that is diverse and coherent at the same time. Alongside homes, ground-floor commercial spaces and pedestrian connections make the neighborhood more vibrant, knitting the new development into the dynamic rhythm of Barcelona.

comprising 51 units surrounding generous common areas

June 12, 2025

Sp(r)int Studio Designs Shelter for Stöng Ruins

Set within a volcanic expanse in southern Iceland, a recent project by Sp(r)int Studio brings a nuanced response to the Stöng ruins, one of the country’s most significant archaeological sites. Excavated in 1939 and protected since 1957 by a modest shelter, the Viking-era longhouse in scenic Þjórsárdalur stands as a rare and remarkably complete remnant of early Icelandic domestic architecture. The restoration builds upon this legacy, extending the site’s function and form and remaining attentive to the surrounding terrain.

The new intervention introduces a spatial framework that protects the ruins without enclosing them. The studio preserves the original 1957 structure, cladding it in untreated larch that will weather naturally with the climate. A translucent roof of polycarbonate floats above the exposed ruins, diffusing light across the excavated stonework and dissolving the boundary between interior and exterior. The result is a structure that shelters without overpowering, prioritizing legibility and atmosphere over monumentality.

images © Claudio Parada Nunes

Adapting to Iceland’s Volcanic Topography

The site geography of the Stöng ruins informs Sp(r)int Studio’s intervention. Rather than imposing a singular gesture, the architects design the structure to unfold across the valley floor, adapting to changes in elevation and framing natural contours. Carefully laid paths, a footbridge, and a new entry platform stitch together the disparate elements of the site, subtly choreographing the visitor’s experience while limiting physical intrusion on the landscape.

From the raised entrance, visitors are led onto a viewing platform that hovers above the longhouse remains. This shift in elevation positions the ruins in their full spatial context, granting clarity without encouraging contact. The intervention privileges alignment between visitor and view, and between architecture and terrain.

the Stöng ruins sit within a volcanic valley of southern Iceland

Light, Material, and Permeability

With its Stöng ruins shelter, Sp(r)int Studio’s design language remains sparse and deliberate. Larch cladding and polycarbonate are joined by concrete footings and steel connectors, each expressed with care and intention. The structure allows air to pass through and light to shift across the surfaces, sustaining the atmospheric conditions that have shaped the ruin for centuries. Glazed apertures and roof openings are positioned to capture views of specific artifacts and architectural traces, offering points of orientation and pause.

By emphasizing porosity and restraint, Sp(r)int Studio brings a sense of continuity between the original dwelling, the previous shelter, and the new construction. Nothing is obscured. Instead, the layers of intervention remain legible, forming a cumulative archive of preservation efforts across time.

a translucent polycarbonate roof hovers above the Viking-era longhouse remains

Preservation and Heritage Architecture

The renovation treats the 1957 shelter as an artifact worth conserving in its own right. Rather than replacing this earlier structure, Sp(r)int Studio extends its relevance by adapting it. In this way, the project foregrounds preservation as a living process which is neither finished nor frozen. Each design move seeks to extend the life of the site, resisting erasure in favor of architectural continuity.

This approach to heritage architecture emphasizes adaptability and engagement over interpretation. The architecture leaves room for temporal shifts and environmental variation, rather than imposing a fixed narrative. This way, the project becomes an open framework through which the past can be accessed without being finalized.

Sp(r)int Studio preserves the original 1957 shelter and re-clads it in untreated larch

elevated walkways and platforms guide visitors while protecting the excavation

Conclusion

Sp(r)int Studio’s design for the Stöng ruins shelter demonstrates a thoughtful and nuanced approach to heritage architecture. By prioritizing legibility, atmosphere, and adaptability, the project creates a structure that not only protects the ruins but also enhances the visitor’s experience. The use of materials such as untreated larch and polycarbonate, combined with the careful consideration of light and permeability, results in a design that is both sensitive to the site and respectful of the original dwelling. As a result, the Stöng ruins shelter becomes an exemplary model for preservation and heritage architecture, one that balances the needs of the present with the legacy of the past.

Bershka’s New Ibiza Flagship Redefines the Retail Experience

Bershka unveils a new flagship store in the heart of Ibiza, redefining the traditional retail concept with a sculptural, sensorial space conceived as a living environment. Developed in collaboration with architecture and interior design studio El Departamento, the store departs from conventional retail typologies, positioning itself as a hybrid environment influenced by the island’s social and cultural context and resonating with Generation Z and Generation Alpha. Located at Avinguda Bartomeu de Roselló, 28–30, the project is organized into two distinct volumes with independent entrances; BERSHKA Woman covering 354 sqm, and BERSHKA Man occupying 126 sqm. Each space is designed with its own narrative, carefully curated to enhance user experience and create a sense of discovery.

all images courtesy of Bershka

Store Design and Layout

In the women’s store, circulation is structured around a large-scale mint-green metal installation referred to as El Lingote (‘The Ingot’). This linear intervention slices through the interior, functioning simultaneously as a catwalk, display system, and immersive experience. As customers move through the space, El Lingote reveals curated vignettes, culminating in a fitting room area bathed in translucent pink light, playful, enveloping, and unmistakably designed for social sharing. The men’s store, while more compact in surface area, utilizes verticality in the form of a double-height volume to generate spatial impact. A central column serves as the organizing element, around which custom-designed furniture is arranged to define pathways and spatial zones. Material variation and directional green lighting characterize the fitting rooms, reinforcing a distinct identity within the overall store experience.

Material Palette

For both interiors, the design team employs a restrained material palette focused on neutrality and tactility. Finishes include limestone, sprayed concrete, white acrylic, and terrazzo marble flooring. Lighting systems are calibrated to balance immersive effects with functional clarity, combining directional and diffused sources.

Bershka’s new Ibiza flagship redefines the retail experience as a living environment

Exterior Design and Configurable Store Space

Externally, the facade establishes continuity between the two volumes through a shared limestone treatment differentiated by tone, lighter on the women’s store and cooler grey on the men’s. A unified canopy bridges the two entrances, creating a visual and architectural link between the spaces.

The new Bershka Ibiza Flagship Store by El Departamento presents a redefinition of the retail environment as a configurable and multi-layered platform. Rather than emphasizing transactional function alone, the design incorporates elements that encourage exploration, engagement, and extended use. The result is a cohesive system of architectural and interior gestures that aligns with the brand’s evolving retail strategy.

designed by El Departamento, the space blurs boundaries between store and cultural venue

BERSHKA Woman covers 354 sqm, anchored by a central sculptural installation

El Lingote, a mint-green metal structure, slices through the women’s store

Conclusion

The Bershka Ibiza Flagship Store by El Departamento sets a new standard for retail design, offering an immersive and engaging experience that blurs the boundaries between store and cultural venue. By incorporating elements that encourage exploration, engagement, and extended use, the store provides a unique and memorable experience for customers, while also showcasing the brand’s evolving retail strategy. The result is a cohesive and multi-layered platform that aligns with the brand’s vision and resonates with Generation Z and Generation Alpha.

Introduction to Texturised House

Set amidst a small valley of vineyards in Veneto, Italy, Texturised House by Bongiana Architetture is a carefully measured extension of a modest rural building. A contemporary retreat designed to host family celebrations and intimate gatherings, where architecture shapes atmosphere through light and raw materiality. The project is grounded in the principle of raw purity: rough surfaces, exposed materials, and details reduced to their essence. Each wall and floor is the result of a specific interpretation, turning every surface into a visual and tactile narrative.

Design and Architecture

The structure reveals its own body with pride, in a play of textures that multiplies spatial perception. At the heart of the project lies the double-height barn, conceived as a large luminous cavity. The intent is to bring in as much natural light as possible, which filters through carefully placed openings and reflects on the textured surfaces, animating the space with shifting shadows. Within this volume rises the light structure of a suspended bookshelf, creating a new intermediate, airy, and intimate space that dialogues with the openness below.

all images by Riccardo De Vecchi

Materiality and Texture

The theme of fire weaves through the house, connecting memory and the contemporary. In the old part, the original fireplace remains, while in the barn, a cast-iron stove becomes the new focal point. Around it, the walls are clad with Split terracotta tiles, designed by Bongiana Architetture for Terraformae, where the interpretation of the joint becomes the sole decorative motif, a minimal gesture that creates a vibrant backdrop of rhythm and materiality. The new concrete floor further tells this story of reinterpreted tradition through a surface that recalls the Venetian terrazzo, but instead of marble fragments, it incorporates reclaimed terracotta slats, cut from the hollow bricks used to clad the portico’s pillars. A gesture that ties the ground to the structure, weaving memory and material in a contemporary key.

Decorative Material Motifs

The furnishings add another layer of memory. Carefully selected reclaimed pieces, such as a 1950s kitchen, are salvaged from an old house and transformed to begin a new life here. Old and new intertwine naturally, giving shape to a coherent and lived-in narrative. In Texturised House, Bongiana Architetture Studio reaffirms its poetics, an architecture of subtraction that gives strength to emptiness and depth to matter, crafting a place that is both a collective stage and a private retreat, a space where every surface speaks, and every detail tells a story.

Texturised House blends old structures with new volumes

architecture defined by raw textures and minimal detailing

textured surfaces become visual and tactile narratives throughout the house

the structure emphasizes rough exposed materiality

a double-height barn forms the luminous core of the project

carefully placed openings bring natural light into the central space

reclaimed furnishings, including a 1950s kitchen, add historical depth

old and new elements merge into a cohesive spatial narrative

Conclusion

In conclusion, Texturised House by Bongiana Architetture is a masterful blend of old and new, where raw materiality and minimal detailing come together to create a unique and captivating spatial narrative. The project’s emphasis on texture, light, and raw materiality results in a space that is both a collective stage and a private retreat, perfect for family celebrations and intimate gatherings. Through its thoughtful design and careful attention to detail, Texturised House sets a new standard for contemporary rural architecture, one that is both deeply rooted in tradition and boldly innovative in its approach.