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Grammichele is located on the island of Sicily in southern Italy. The town was constructed in 1693 with a distinctive hexagonal street plan after an earthquake destroyed the nearby old town of Occhialà. Grammichele is home to about 13,000 people.

See more here: https://bit.ly/3uoO9yr

37.214722°, 14.636389°

Source imagery: Maxar

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W-mills by Wutopia Lab (known as Wutopia Lab) recently unveiled Line 15 Wuzhong Road Train Station featuring a romantic yet futuristic stop with a diorama-like skyline that celebrates Shanghai’s architectural and technological feats. Commissioned by the Shentong Metro Group, the station opened just before Chinese New Year, symbolic to begin the year after the absence of socialising from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Wuzhong Road Train Station is a space of optimism and hope – a place that aspires to make social interaction and gatherings vibrant.

The station is part of Shanghai’s ongoing extensive expansion of the subway network. Though the city’s foundation was deemed unsuitable for metro construction it still became the world’s longest running mileage of subway. Such record was desired to be celebrated within the new station, which the architects embed within the tunnel’s décor.

Related: Polycarbonate Neverland: Aranya Kids Restaurant by Wutopia Lab in Qinhuangdao, China.

The interior is characterised by a semicircle form impressively supported by prefabricated arch-structure. Spanning at 21.6 metres it is the “first column-free unobstructed large-space platform hall of the Shanghai metro”. The main tunnel’s walls are layered with perforated aluminium panels cut to the shape of the cityscape that stands proudly between the Huangpu River. Perforation within the cityscape mimic windows that twinkles various light patterns, creating an illusion of a living city.

Adding the glistening sesame-grey granite floor tiles and the curved ceiling, visitors are privy to a snow-globe-like experience when entering the station from the train platform’s escalator – a captivating experience made to feel like the entire city is within one’s reach. A similar experience is mirrored in the transition spaces – white walls with LED lights peeking through outlines of building silhouettes are a calming prelude before entering the more immersive areas.

Related: Museum for Architectural Models in Shanghai, China by Wutopia Lab.

The sea of sparkling lights simultaneously celebrates the infrastructural feats – the aluminium panels and light walls strategically conceal services that could not be held behind the ceiling’s curved structure. Fixtures are fashioned into decorative features, like lights within the train platforms purposely angled to match the metro’s train routes.

“The Wuzhong Road subway station hall is the living room of the city,” explain the architects. “At this time, Shanghai becomes a world of light, a sea of light, like countless stars falling on the world.” The 4,000 square metre Train Station proudly greets and welcomes visitors as they socialise, becoming mesmerised by the city’s powerful growth. Get ready to be wowed by the winter-hued (or rainbow) night-time effect while trying to spot the Pearl Tower, the Triple Towers or the world Financial Centre – buildings that famously preside of Shanghai’s iconic skyline.

Related: Abstract City: The Satori Harbour Library by Wutopia Lab.

| The article Shanghai in a Tube: Wuzhong Road Train Station by Wutopia Lab. appeared first on Yellowtrace. |

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ISLA Architects have breathed new life into an incomplete house located on a rustic island in Santa Maria, Mallorca. Sensual and warm, Lover’s house looks out to the Tramuntana mountain range in Spain, it’s terracotta pinky-red exterior bleeding into the dusty terrain.

Large openings frame the swimming pool and provide panoramic views of the surrounding vineyards and sheltering pine trees, tended to by the client for years. Its striking silhouette resembles Luis Barragán‘s distinct use of light and colour-blocked architecture, lending the design a simultaneously earthy and contemporary feel.

Briefed to create a home that would stand out in the local property market, ISLA Architects drew on the rich architectural heritage of Spain and the sun-drenched, relaxed lifestyle of Mallorca, to create this textured and warm romantic retreat.

Related: Courtyard House Reinvented: Can Jaime i n’ Isabelle in Palma, Mallorca by TedA Arquitectes.

Following a curved path to the entrance of the house, the facade appears largely closed – a nod to local Arab architecture. The rough, reddish mortar of the walls are punctured by openings of various sizes, both glazed and unglazed, encasing the bordering landscape and forming an overall abstract composition.

“This limited palette of materials reveals the simple geometry of the building and creates a visual and tactile continuity between the architecture and its surroundings. Monochrome and vibrant, the house changes hues during the day, reacting to the sun and land, revealing movement through shadows and changing material nuances,” explain the architects.

The peachy pink palette of the facade extends to the inside. Washbasins, showers, fireplace and benches all feature the familiar reddish tinted concrete that is offset by white, copper and natural wood tones.

Taking inspiration from Catalan architect Josep Antoni Coderch, the 541sqm layout is developed on several axes articulated along a series of walls arranged in a north-south direction.

A foyer that stretches the longitude of the building separates the bedrooms. The master bedroom opens south to a large patio complete with a tinted concrete bench. Two twin bedrooms, luxuriously opening to the garden, can also be found in the south wing, while a guest bedroom occupies the first volume of the house, complete with its own private patio.

Radiant views of the Alaró twin mountains can be seen from the living room – the widest bay in the house. The west wall has an exterior window cut into it, visually connecting the space to the pool outside while water reflections dance romantically on the beams of the ceiling. Flanked by large glass sliding doors on either side that can be opened to create cross ventilation in the summer.

The kitchen has been placed to the north, opening out onto its own patio, independent of the living space yet connected by an open fireplace.

The layout is a perfect balance of private and entertaining space. With flowing interiors and large open areas, the home spills out into the garden, the adjoining terraces and the swimming pool, acting like an extension of the natural landscape. The perfect backdrop for your own Vicky Christina Barcelona moment.

| The article Lover’s House in Mallorca by ISLA Architects. appeared first on Yellowtrace. |

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Glancing at the photos for this latest office fitout by Hadrien Breitenbach for creative design agency Al Dente, you’d be forgiven if you mistook the shagadelic interior to be the home of a famous rockstar.

Pairing creative director Patrizio Miceli’s penchant for grandiose Roman sensibility with Breitenbach’s aptitude for the contemporary, Al Dente’s latest HQ brings a little slice of “the Italian way of living” to the heart of Paris, with a very Versace hidden indoor pool to boot.

Designed with lifestyle in mind, the flexible and fluid workspace has been described by Miceli as a “self-sufficient ecosystem” featuring two photo studios, a conservatory, an office space and even an on-site Sicilian chef that utilises the fruits and herbs from the garden in his cooking.

Related: A Slice of Paris in Amsterdam: Family Office by Framework Studio.

The idiosyncratic nature of this design comes from its mix of influences from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. Entering into a patio lounge room visitors are met with a mirrored coffee table, creamy vintage sofa and plenty of greenery. Light bounces off the white walls from the glass-domed roof. Semi-circular arches envelop the lounge, creating transitions to other areas within the HQ.

On level one, a conservatory with glazed flooring facilitates visual communication with the ground level and its studio space. Playing with perspective, light and proportion, the different but connected spaces are described by Breitenbach as ‘paintings linked together’.

With an overall minimalist backdrop, it’s the furniture that guides you on this rollercoaster through the last century. A curvaceous Pierre Paulin Pumpkin sofa sits across from a retro glass fireplace, a relic of the last tenancy. Sitting poolside in the office space ‘Pollock’ chairs upholstered in emerald green are cheekily juxtaposed with the Charles and Ray Eames’ ‘EA117’ office chairs.

From the Alpine green marble kitchen to the dining room with a bespoke table in green lapland quartzite and midnight blue tubular base that is framed by voyeuristic semi-circular arches, the use of bold colour and design choices sees the project see-saw between different styles and moods.

More than just an office, this living space brings Italian emotion, coolness and cultural aura to Paris, a home away from home for Miceli and his work family.

| The article Al Dente Paris HQ by Hadrien Breitenbach. appeared first on Yellowtrace. |

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Cool and casual spring to mind for Alexander & Co’s latest project – Harbord Hotel – exploring a surf shack come living room style that looks to the past to celebrate all things bricks and mortar, blue-collar, sandy feet and local hospitality.

Completely gutted, the existing 1950’s pre-war arched pavilion has been transformed into a destination bar and restaurant that evokes a sense of nostalgia without feeling excessively thematic. Think curved bulkheads, faded palettes and cool simplicity that speaks to the unique surf culture of the Northern Beaches.

The styling is tactile, textured and unpretentious. The team sought to reveal elements of the building’s past while introducing its new “effortlessly cool”, low fi persona. Art Deco archways, curves and the original masonry façade blend with a new architectural language that consequently opens up the space. Custom retro-inspired furniture and lighting, mustard terrazzo and spotted gum timbers maintain a sense of the found and familiar.

By drawing influence from Freshwater’s rich working-class history and Australian surf culture the faded palette of seafoam greens, periwinkle pinks, gunmetal greys and brass all make a strong case for erstwhile old school charm.

The new restaurant Balsa is a homage to the art deco venue genesis. Exposed spotted gum ceilings, green marble and stone flagged floors illuminated under amber lighting all attribute to its surf shack elegance.

The best seat in the house can be found in the front bar, overlooking the beer garden below. Celebrated original archways, ceramic wall lights and cork and concrete tables instil this multifunctional space with a relaxed living room aesthetic.

Working with a small team of highly skilled northern beaches contractors, the Harbord Hotel is built by locals for locals to capture the true essence of the Freshwater community. Even the owners have gifted their personal collection of vintage surfboards and retro surf magazines to add a personal authenticity to the interior.

A place to drop your board and stay for the rest of the day Alexander & Co have reignited The Harbord Hotels former flame, making it once again a spirited, central meeting place to enrich the neighbourhood.

Related: Will&Co Bondi Coffee House by Alexander &CO.

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Bureau Brisson Architectes have blessed us with a colour love story to fawn over today. Located in a residential area just steps away from the Lausanne train station, this apartment, dating back to the beginning of the last century, has been given a new lease on life with a modulated core and a playful paint job.

The entrance is doused in baby pink, immediately absorbing visitors into the epic colour palette. Continuing into the hallway with forest green and crisp white walls, the green ceiling features a tilted painted white box, just one quirk that draws your eye.

A large pivot door with solid oak handrails that open at 180 degrees allows for modulation of the different spaces. Painted green, with wooden handrails, the door mimics the design language of the hallway allowing it to blend into the various spaces comfortably when closed.

Colour blocking is used to indicate utility rooms. Besides the entrance and hallway the bathroom and kitchen both feature coloured flooring that offsets the crisp white walls and chevron floorboards in the living spaces.

While there’s been an extensive refresh of the apartments floors, walls and ceilings, original features of the apartment – like its generous ceiling height and exposed concrete column – remain. With plenty of daylight filtering in, the interior feels bright and spacious. Contemporary furniture mixed with industrial and vintage finds and plenty of greenery add warmth to the lofty open living space.

As the interior volume spans 112 square metres, the architects were conscious of making storage space a priority, designing clever solutions built into the apartment to optimise space without intervening in the experience of the home.

Pre-war original finishes like the cornices and picture frames are given contemporary updates like an industrial-like chandelier in the living room and the original fireplace painted red add flourish to the spaces.

This Swiss apartment elegantly transitions from space to space with the help from punchy colour blocking cleverly devised by Bureau Brisson Architectes.

| The article Montolivet Apartment Renovation in Lausanne by Bureau Brisson Architectes. appeared first on Yellowtrace. |

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Ben Horowitz gave this remarkable response to a question about joy and happiness on Time Well Spent:

In my experience there are really two things that lead to happiness and everything else is mostly noise. The two things are contribution and abundance.

Contribution is basically exactly as it sounds. If you can align your life with where you have the talent to make a large, meaningful, and real contribution to the world, your circle, or your family, then you can be very happy. As an aside, doing so often leads to making money because when you create great value like Elon Musk, you get a lot in return. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to be a business person to be happy, because happiness comes from the knowledge and impact of the contribution rather than the reward. However, this doesn’t quite work by itself, which brings me to the second point: abundance.

An easy way to think of abundance is that it’s the anti-hater/anti-jealous mindset. If you believe there is plenty in the world for everyone and you are always happy to see people who contribute succeed, then you become part of “team contribution.” You don’t worry that someone is getting ahead of you at work or that someone made a lot of money or that someone is better looking than you, because you believe in abundance over scarcity and you can focus on maximizing your contribution. In fact, their joy can become your joy (then you have an abundance of joy :-)). The good news is that abundance is actually true. There is plenty in the world for everyone and once you see that, there are so many ways to contribute. I visited a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan a few years ago. On the way to the camp, there were a few refugee families not even in the camp but in some tents on the way. The area was completely barren. No plants, no trees, no grass… just rocks. So here’s this extended family of about 20 living in this tent on rocks, because their farm was destroyed by the war and they had to flee to Jordan. They were all living in this tiny tent. If anyone should have had a scarcity mindset, it was them. But I experienced the opposite. They immediately offered me a cup of coffee and some rice pudding (as if they had enough to share) and told me the whole story of their journey. What struck me the most was that they were genuinely happy despite what they went through. They were less incensed by getting bombed out of their homes than people in the U.S. are if you accidentally interrupt them. I’ve seen this kind of happiness through abundance in many countries: Cambodia, Haiti, Uganda… Those refugees were happier than some billionaires I know. That’s not to say that money doesn’t help… it does, but without an abundance mindset, it’s not enough.

If, on the other hand, you have a scarcity mindset, it’s really hard to be happy no matter what you get or how rich you are or how good looking you are, because there’s always somebody richer or better looking or whatever. You become part of team “hate.” This is why you see so many deeply unhappy political activists. In theory, they should be making a massive contribution, but often they are just expressing hate for the other side. Hitler and Lenin are famous cases, but there are many, many more, because there’s a fine line between advocating for one group and hating the other group. If you’re doing the former like Martin Luther King Jr., you have an abundant view and will find joy in the work, but if you are doing the latter, you have a scarcity view. People with scarcity mindsets are always unhappy in my experience. Scarcity is not just in politics. You see it in business all the time. You see somebody stealing credit for someone else’s work or being deeply jealous about someone else’s promotion — these people are almost never happy. You even see it in the music industry or in sports. The quest to be the best turns into you not wanting anyone else to be the best. In these cases, even if you reach the pinnacle, there is no joy.

Ben Horowitz

The interview is worth reading in its entirety: The Architecture of Tomorrow.

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May the Fourth be with you! Wadi Rum is a village in Jordan that has been populated by humans since prehistoric times (8th century BC). Early inhabitants left their mark in the form of rock paintings, which have been thoroughly analyzed by historians. The area has also served as a film set for many movies, including “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.”

See more here: https://bit.ly/3eUwMip

29.574298°, 35.412261°

Source imagery: Maxar

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An array of colors can be seen in the wetlands of Cambridge Gulf, located on the north coast of Western Australia’s Kimberley region. The western shore of the gulf, shown here, is backed by sandstone hills and fringed with colonies of mangroves and mudflats, which appear when the tide is low. Cambridge Gulf experiences two large tidal flows per day between 23 and 30 feet (7-9 meters).

See more here: https://bit.ly/3xGXu6X

-14.979640°, 128.091861°

Source imagery: Maxar

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Step inside a dreamlike world of pastry and dough. Together, architect Eduard Eremchuk and designer Katy Pititskaya, have designed an “unusual, slightly crazy and unreal” pastry cafe in the heart of the Russian city Voronezh. Inspired by the classic shape and look of a doughnut, this indulgent interior is a feast for your stomach – and your eyes.

Eponymously named after the round form of a doughnut in Russian, Krujuk is full of airy shapes, gooey glaze, and creamy forms that absorb patrons into the new dough-filled reality. Cream shades and bright purple lightboxes are combined with crumpled furniture that sits in contrast to its grey concrete surroundings.

“The goal was to create an ambience so each guest could dream their own dream in the world of pastry,” said Eduard and Katy. “The pastry is everywhere, it looks and even feels like the cafe is made of dough.”

Owned by a seasoned hospitality team – a pastry chef, barista, and a general manager, who bonded over their love of coffee and breakfast – the decadent interior is an ode to all things sweet.

Divided into two areas, the entrance features sand-coloured walls and chubby furniture that feels like you’ve landed on top of Planet Donut. Taking cues from their pastry chef, the walls are adorned with bejewelled sculptures by Russian artist Elena Minaev, echoing the caramelised popcorn that decorates the doughnuts. The rounded sculptural bar, delectably plump, mimics the unmistakable design language of a Krujok.

Related: Like Shop Showroom in Rostov-on-Don, Russia by Eduard Eremchuk.

Flirting with tactility, the next space reinterprets a melted glaze. Lusciously purple shades ooze throughout, from the ceiling to the soft velvet that graces the walls and banquet seating. A chandelier that looks as if it’s moulded by dough, sits playfully suspended above the tubby furniture.

Diving headfirst into the centre of the delicious deep-fried treat, the bathroom is light and fluffy. The creamy sweet filling of the pastry swirls all around with floor-to-ceiling construction foam painted in cream and covered in transparent epoxy resin as if straight from the piping bag.

Glazy, hazy and cream-filled, this cheeky interior is just as delightful as the sticky sweet treats served within. The design captures the essence of a doughnut by taking the interior to another level – a form of hyperreal pastry.

Related: Guapa Flower Store in Rostov-on-Don, Russia by Eduard Eremchuk.

| The article Krujok Cafe in Voronezh, Russia by Eduard Eremchuk and Katy Pititskaya. appeared first on Yellowtrace. |