On our press trip to Copenhagen, we were treated to a tour of the new Bella Sky Comwell Hotel on the outskirts of the city center. As you can see, it’s a striking piece of architecture. Designed by the Copenhagen-based architecture firm 3XN, Bella Sky is the largest hotel in Scandinavia, with 23 floors, 812 rooms and 30 meeting spaces and conference rooms. It’s comprised of two towers, with angled facades, joined by a walkway. The hotel just won the “Best Architecture in Europe” award at the International Hotel Awards in London. We were definitely wowed by the architecture and interiors when we visited.
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The Monastery is the name of this project by Arild Eriksen, Joakim Skajaa of Eriksen Skajaa Architects for Netlife Research. Netlife wanted their new spaces to feel creative, yet offer spaces for privacy, reflection and silence. Inspired by a monastery garden, the architects designed a brick and wood building partition in the center of a wide open office space that features niches for plants and privacy, and windows for air circulation. One of the niches outside contains a bench to sit and read or relax.
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Boston area entrepreneur Johnny Earle started his label Johnny Cupcakes as a total joke. These days he’s laughing as he crisscrosses the globe promoting his products and brand. Johnny Cupcakes stores are designed as a kind of trickery with classic bakery motifs, but no buns are in the ovens here — it’s silk-screened shirts and hats that are for sale (a similar concept to the Happy Pills candy store we wrote about back in 2007) .
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The team of Sergey Makhno and Vasiliy Butenko designed the concept for the interior of the Kiev, Ukraine restaurant, Twister. The two-story dining area was inspired by rain and, you guessed it, tornadoes.
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Okay gadget guys and gals. We’ve curated the best of Design Milk’s technology offerings this year, and they encompass the cute (a kiddie iPad) to the crucial (great workspaces) to innovative (grocery shopping via billboard) to the just plain useful (a soundless alarm clock). While some are simply for play, others allow you to take existing gizmos to a whole new level.
anaPad
anaPad is a children’s magnetic white board made in the exact dimensions of an iPad that comes with an erasable marker and app-style magnets. Almost as good, though twice as cute, as the real thing.
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From the details that distinguish a space, like a set of wholly original stairs to a cleverly executed thematic design (think pirates) to some very personal projects (yup, House Milk), the design of residential and commercial interiors are as important as the overall architecture. After all, it’s the area you’re actually in. In case you’ve missed any of Design Milk’s myriad of interior design posts, or if you just feel like a refresh, here are the top ten of the year.
When Life Throws You a Curve Ball, Make Lemonade
Design Milk’s own Jaime and Jordan had lots of projects planned for the first six months of new home ownership. And the they found out they were having a baby. Suddenly, designing a nursery took precedence! Since then Little Milk has arrived, and she’s happy as can be in the finished room!
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Forest Bath is a summer home located in Nagano, Japan designed by Kyoko Ikuta Architecture Laboratory and Ozeki Architects & Associates. The building is located on a flat site with no opportunity of an extensive view; instead, the architects decided to concentrate the focal point upwards into the sky.
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This three-story building, simply called 8building, is located in Oita-city, Japan. Designed by Takao Shiotsuka Atelier, 8building contains 12 rooms that consists of residences, offices, and galleries. Due to the unique combination of rooms within the space, the architects decided it was best to use the most basic of materials in order to effectively cater to all interior types.
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The ORL Clinic by Mal-Vi Architects, located in Thessaloniki (Greece), was designed for a surgeon new to the area who wanted a memorable office space, much different than you would expect to see from the average doctor.
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Mancini Design has created an amazing LEGO-like interior for a coffeehouse called Mocha – Mojo, located in Chennai, India.
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