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Architects Clément Lesnoff-Rocard and Gil Percal seemingly had access to a crystal ball when they dreamed up this project three years ago. Dubbed an ‘antagonist allegory’ to the famous movie Cast Away, this residence demonstrates its inverse.

While Cast Away shows how to create your own symbolical home while lost on an island and separated from the entire world, this residential project transposes that idea creating a space for a family to experience a wild landscape within their own home, surrounded by the city but deeply separated from its looming pressure. In the process, the architects have prophesied an oasis that feels worlds away from lockdowns and that pesky p-word.

Located at the foot of La Defense, the major business district of Paris. the house feels very uncanny valley in the sea of oversized high risers, grandiloquent 19th-century architecture and a cluster of towers emerging just beyond the tiny street.

With this abrupt world on its doorstep, the architects focused inward, on the interior typologies articulation around a patio garden as inspiration for the sanctuary they created. Being an original 19th Century house, the interior had gone through many reincarnations by previous owners, leaving it a suffocating space of textures and forms in dissonance.

Tasked with this disharmony, Rocard and Percal took it as an opportunity to design something whole and new from the chaos. By bringing nature into the inner designed world they looked to create an “architectural garden of Eden”. A lofty goal maybe but one that has gleaned beautiful results.

Inside The Island, soft curves and a natural palette define the landscape. Everything is symbolically tethered to nature. A massive oak table in the centre of the space acts as a place to gather, a white concrete curved bridge feels light as a cloud while cascading oversized curtains dwarf you in the space. A gigantic bay window brings the sky inside, flushing the space with natural light.

Materiality is carefully articulated – the walls are washed in white with oak, sage and concrete chosen for the living spaces while an all matte black kitchen is likened by the architects to burned charcoal in a forest.

Very poetic and lyrical the residence is reminiscent of surreal architectural visualisations. But beyond the divine imagery, it acts as a wild, sprawling refuge from the outside world.

| The article Architectural Garden of Eden: The Island by Clément Lesnoff-Rocard. appeared first on Yellowtrace. |

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Saturday was the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, which means flowers will soon be in bloom — like these tulips in Lisse, Netherlands! The Dutch produce a total of 4.3 billion tulip bulbs each year. Slightly more than half of the total harvest (2.3 billion) is grown into cut flowers. Of these, 1.3 billion are sold in the Netherlands and the remainder is exported: 630 million flowers to Europe and 370 million elsewhere.

See more here: https://bit.ly/3cY1w15

52.276361°, 4.557083°

Source imagery: Maxar

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Transporting us from the earthbound to the celestial, Etoile bridges the organic and the considered. The Tibetan-knotted rug features a gradation of textures for a myriad of visual and tactile experiences as you make your way across it. On one end, asymmetrically curved edges frame a low-cut pile in indulgent wool, transitioning further down into a serene loop pile that only reveals its intricacies upon closer inspection. A durchen with a fine fringe acts as the rug’s coda, giving interiors and their inhabitants’ room to breathe. In polished Porcelain and charismatic Dusk, Etoile is an accolade to the finer details.

The complete Ellipse collection is seen here in a single snapshot.

Now that the local design world has almost calmed down from the highly acclaimed “Rhythm of Nature” recently hosted by Armadillo in Sydney (gaaaah – how amazing was it?), today we’re taking a closer look at the rug collection that gave the installation the reason for being.

Sharing a natural alignment between the two brands, the Armadillo and House of Grey collaboration celebrates a mutual ethos of design as a doorway to a better future. The collection by the Australian-born global rug brand and the London-based design practice led by Louisa Grey is underpinned by a set of values based on the concept of sustainability and making conscious choices in the home.

“It came about quite organically,” says Armadillo co-founder Jodie Fried. “We have a longstanding collaborative relationship, with Louisa styling several of our previous campaigns, so it felt effortless working together.” Beyond a shared aesthetic, the two companies champion meaningful, ever-evolving spaces “unswayed by the tastes of the day,” explains Jodie.

Related: Nurturing a Gentler Pace of Life: Rhythm of Nature by Armadillo x House of Grey.

Palus takes us into new territory with an exaggerated weave of marled wool that is felted then twisted at varying weights. Exploring the rug’s uneven surface is like navigating the gravelly terrain of a mountain, with a panoply of irregular textures underfoot that feels solid and substantial yet cloud-soft. Palus features a visual pause in the form of an extra-wide turnover with a thin accent thread running across for subtle contrast, reminding us to make space for moments of quiet. Available in four hand-dyed colourways – Anise, Chalk, Fir and Obsidian – the rug speaks of measured balance rather than excess.

The philosophy behind the collection is one of designing spaces that nurture a gentler pace of life. By minimalising our home interiors, we make physical as well as mental space. Removing visual distractions and replacing them with subtle sensory experiences balances our busy, overstimulated lives.

“Technology is creating a feeling of mass overwhelm in society,” explains Louisa Grey. “By curating the home into a personal retreat, we feel more at peace with our place in the world and are able to connect deeply with the people around us.”

This quiet approach to design reclaims the home so it feels calmer and clears the mind. This in turn steadies the beat of our day-to-day lives and returns us to a state of being closer to nature’s tempo.

Related: Meet The Flintstones: Contemporary Cave-like Interiors.

Evoking the wonders of the cosmos, Perilune calms us with its stillness. The Tibetan-knotted rug has a subtle sheen thanks to decadent wool hand-spun with pure silk, becoming an intuitive canvas for a carving inspired by the crescent moon. Etched into the pile at different depths, the embossed shapes ripple across the rug’s negative spaces. Beautiful in its simplicity, Perilune speaks to the transient nature of our existence and the knowledge that we are part of something larger than ourselves. In luminous undyed Quartz, it is custom made to order and also available as a wall hanging to transform the home into a place of refuge.

The Ellipse Collection represents the rhythm of nature in its physical form. Taking us on a textural journey from the raw and organic to the sensual and refined, the collection satisfies our insatiable craving for nature by bringing organic forms, tones and textures into the interior.

“We were driven to create pieces of integrity that simply could not be found elsewhere,” explains Sally Pottharst, Armadillo co-founder. “Throughout the design process, we sought to evoke a sense of tranquillity while pushing the envelope in terms of innovation and technique.”

Each rug is pared back to its very essence, tailored and sculpted by hand in premium jute, New Zealand wool and pure silk, in a range of daring and experimental weaves and finishes – the collection encourages visual and tactile exploration as well as individual introspection.

Umbra is illuminated from within, with breathtaking variations in tone and texture that mirror nature’s unbridled beauty. Crafted from incomparably soft Afghan wool that is left undyed, the yarn’s natural striations mean each rug will be utterly singular. Hand-cut into the Tibetan-knotted pile is abstract linework inspired by early cave paintings, a timely reflection on humanity’s lasting impact on our landscape and a meditation on our ingrained need to create. Otherwise unadorned in creamy Myrrh, Umbra is custom made to order and also available as a wall hanging, where it can act as a visual cue to let things just be.

The collection begins its trajectory with Terra, an earthy everyday rug reminiscent of the grounding sensation one feels when traversing a path of sand, grass and soil. Handcrafted from fine jute, it is rustic to touch yet instantly comforting, akin to a soothing foot massage. Undone sophistication permeates the loose flatweave, elegantly finished with a long fringe that will become deliberately intertwined in an echo of nature’s perfect imperfections. Terra comes in two nourishing hues – raw Natural with a salvaged feel, as well as the beautifully erratic Moss with its gritty undertones of the forest floor.

In bringing the collection to life, Armadillo and House of Grey embraced a transparent and sustainable process of craftsmanship that works in synergy with nature.

Each rug is made from carefully sourced natural fibres that are either left in their original state or hand-dyed and sun-dried for abundant texture. The yarns are then meticulously hand-knotted by weavers on traditional looms, resulting in a unique and soulful product designed to be cherished for years to come. This slow and symbiotic process pays respect to the environment while nurturing us as the rug accompanies life’s experiences.

It’s almost as though there’s a little bit of poetry hidden in each one of these thoughtfully handmade textile creations. Not only is Ellipse conceived as a collection that’s beautiful and enduring, but it is also conscious of and sensitive to the needs of our planet. The most perfect combination of them all.

For more information on the Armadillo x House of Grey Ellipse collection, visit rhythmofnature.armadillo-co.com.

| The article A Conscious Collaboration: Ellipse Rug Collection by Armadillo and House of Grey. appeared first on Yellowtrace. |

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Several cays extend off the western coast of Great Exuma Island in the Bahamas. Great Exuma is the largest of more than 365 islands in the Exuma district, with an area of 61 square miles (158 square kilometers). Much of the water surrounding the Bahamas is shallow, letting more light reflect off sand and corals on the ocean floor to produce the beautiful light blue shades seen here.

See more here: https://bit.ly/312d9Pd

23.467185°, -75.883175°

Source imagery: Planet

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The devil’s in the details in this 140 metre squared pre-war apartment revival in central Warsaw. Designed by Colombe Studio, it recaptures the elegant and eclectic spirit of its neoclassical building through custom joinery, antique objects layered with new pieces and a colour story that reads like a love letter to the 20th-century design.

A bit of a one-stop-shop, Colombe Studio creates intricately detailed spaces down to the doorknobs thanks to their in house carpentry, upholstery and metalworking studios. The Rozbrat Apartment is a great example of the multi sphere of design services they have at their fingertips. An interior joinery construction has created a solution to the awkward slanted walls. Bed niches wardrobes and bookshelves are built-in forming a practical and prominent feature within the space.

Related: 1930s Warsaw Apartment Renovation by Marta Chrapka of Colombe Studio.

While they reinstated period details like the herringbone oak floors, grand windows and original style mouldings the space is multi-layered, with old and new pieces existing in harmony. A custom wrap-around teak cabinet in the living room culminates in a marble console, utilising traditional techniques to create something modern that feels very at home within the neoclassical interiors. The Golden Rhubarb lamp, designed by French lighting design company Magic Circus is an arresting sight, while the space is restrained and thoughtful, it was the first and most important decorative point informing the rest of the apartment.

Joseph Franks cabinets inspired some of the custom work seen throughout the interior. In the bedroom, the bed is framed with autumn feeling wallpaper lined with the same oak seen throughout. William Morris wallpaper provides a backdrop for the vintage Knoll daybed in the reading room also echoing aspects of Franks work. Most playful is in the kitchen where Colombe Studio has paired the lower cabinets painted in a traditional Farrow & Ball Studio Green with whimsical upper cabinets with walnut disc handles and glass doors.

The original layout of the apartment has been updated to create a more contemporary feel throughout, forming boundaries between day and night zones. Two wing doors, carved from solid walnut and inspired by Krakowian folk design artfully separate the combined kitchen living and dining areas from the bedroom and reading room.

The zones can also be indicated by the use of colour. While the “day” areas feel bright and spacious, painted in off whites and featuring accents like Pierre Frey mustard coloured drapes in the living room the “night” zones like the reading room is painted in dark tones of Farrow & Ball Mouse’s Back.

An unexpected colour pairing in the powder room adds an air of delight to the space with colours Skylight and Picture Gallery Red by Farrow & Ball adorning the walls and floor.

Layering mid-century accents with modern lighting and furniture choices, including polish style solid walnut doors with original Bauhaus knobs (I told you doorknobs would come into it) Colombe Studio has designed a polished apartment that celebrates the heritage of Polish pre-war architecture without compromising in style and practicality.

| The article Rozbrat Apartment in Warsaw by Colombe Studio. appeared first on Yellowtrace. |

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Check out this incredible drone shot of Toledo, Spain. Located on a mountaintop with a 150-degree view, Toledo’s old city is famous for its many historic sites, including the Alcázar fortress and the Zocodover marketplace. The city is located in central Spain and is home to roughly 84,000 residents.

See more here: https://bit.ly/3s6iCjV

39.856667°, -4.024444°

Source imagery: ZekeDrone

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The Marree Man, also known as Stuart’s Giant, is a modern geoglyph atop a plateau at Finnis Springs, 37 miles (60 km) west of Marree, South Australia. It depicts an indigenous Australian man hunting with a boomerang or stick and is 1.7 miles (2.7 km) tall with a perimeter of 17 miles (28 km). Although it is one of the largest geoglyphs in the world, its origin remains a mystery, with no one claiming responsibility for its creation.

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

-29.530000°, 137.465500°

Source imagery: Maxar

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Cape Cod is a hook-shaped peninsula that extends into the Atlantic Ocean off southeastern Massachusetts, USA. The 15 towns on the cape are a popular summer destination with quaint villages, seafood shacks, lighthouses, and many beaches. The three towns at the northernmost tip of the cape — Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown — are visible in this Overview.

See more here: https://bit.ly/3lu7lqR

41.797291°, -70.868541°

Source imagery: Maxar

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Nikola-Lenivets is a small Russian village located in the Kaluga Region, not too far from Moscow, where artist Nikolay Polissky created one of the largest art parks in Europe. The area of 650 ha serves as an experimental ground for visual arts, architecture, music, and theatre. Having engaged the village community, Nikolay created a world-famous landmark with a steady flow of tourists that contributes to local employment. The park regularly hosts large-scale festivals, and Archstoyanie is, probably, the best known among them.

Maslenitsa, an old Slavic holiday rooted in Slavic mythology, has become one of the main events in the life of Nikola-Lenivets. It is the time to have fun, enjoy good company, and eat pancakes. The climax of the holiday is the burning of a winter effigy. It is a way to say goodbye to the cold season and welcome the new spring.

In Nikola-Lenivets, the tradition has undergone a new interpretation. Instead of an effigy, fire is set to an enormous art object. The theme of the burned work of art is often a reflection of currently relevant issues, bringing the prophetic and mystical ceremony into the centre of the public eye.

In 2020, a competition was held to select the art object to be burnt at Maslenitsa. Out of a great many entries from all over the world, the jury selected the project by KATARSIS, a St. Petersburg-based architectural practice.

The name of the project, Burning Bridges, is self-descriptive. The bridge embodies change, both global and personal, which is, most importantly, irreversible.

KATARSIS wanted to create a long object that would not inspire any clear-cut associations. It had to have an otherworldly quality and reflect the feeling aroused by the surrounding endless fields of the Kaluga Region. The Bridge grows right out of the field and spans the invisible river: it is a poetic symbol of space—and of time.

KATARSIS also wanted the spectators to feel that they were playing their own part in the event, so that the feeling could grow into an acute sense of belonging to everything happening in the world and a sense of personal responsibility for it.

Before the burning ceremony, the spectators could walk along or across the Bridge: it became a part of their lives and a familiar landscape element.

Before the burning, a performance, developed with La Pushkin Theatre from St. Petersburg, was held, bringing people together around the burning process. The spectators formed a large circle. Each person picked up some firewood and placed it on the Bridge, thus, contributing to the bonfire. The burning ceremony was no longer a show, but a collective action and a deep personal experience.

The Bridge was built by a team of village locals. The two 20-meter-high and 16-meter-wide towers were linked by a passageway platform. The structure was 70 meters long. The wooden frame of posts and trusses was supplemented with an internal lining to make the structure more flammable.

The materials were selected with the view of sustainability and eco-friendliness. For example, the main wooden frame was built from wood infested with bark beetles. This way, the team not only gathered up building materials but also cleared the local woods of bark beetles. The lining was made of broken pellets, construction debris and hay.

The fire turned into food for thought: it became a symbol for the ever more rapid change. It made everyone think of how much of the global future depends on us.

As you stand only dozens of meters away from an 80-meter-high bonfire and feel the almost unbearable heat on your skin, you realize how deadly wildfires are and how much of a problem they present.

It was important for us that this train of thought was not superimposed on the viewers, but rather emerged as a natural outcome of personal experience. Probably, this type of event can turn public attention to the real problems of today.

The burning of the Bridge in the spring of 2020 turned out to be prophetic. The world was yet unaware that it was about to be shaken to its very core. In a mystic way, the art object became a powerful symbol of the upheaval to come. Today, we know that humanity did cross the Bridge and found itself in a new era. And there is no way back.

| The article Burning Bridges Installation in a Small Russian Village by KATARSIS. appeared first on Yellowtrace. |

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A sprawling, undulating landscape with conceptual dunes, riverbanks and waving hills make up this ethereal library by Wutopia Labs, a celebration of light and life in the centre of Guangzhou, China. Housed in the headquarters of Chinese e-commerce company Vipshop, the library acts as a space of contemplation for the employees.

Conceptualised as an abstract city, The Satori Harbour is dreamlike in its execution. 2,000 square metres of organic shapes paired with a soft, diffused palette creates a surreal sanctuary in this office building that feels worlds away from a bustling city.

With its unifying stucco and terrazzo in desaturated beige, the space appears light as a feather. Inspired by the Tao word Satori, employees can meander through rows of literature and experience a state of “transcendental being, as the morning light shining across the entire earth”.

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

Leading to the entrance is an oblong tunnel with a Manchuria window and floral tiled floor – inherited fragments that tie back to the history of Guangzhou. Waves reverberate at the threshold from a large sound dome, echoing proximity to “harbour” and “sea”.

An elongated hull of a ship takes up most of the mythical harbour space, its transparent red textile sail a divine contrast to the neutrals. Bookshelves act as the city walls reminiscent of the Thirteen Hongs, Guangzhou’s trade houses in the 18th Century, with a screen-printed facade of a cityscape gently cascading down the shelves.

Dripping in spiritual symbolism, the perimeter is washed in natural light from the double-height floor-to-ceiling windows while diffused strip lighting is used behind the bookshelves. Intimate spots are fostered for employees to contemplate their own enlightenment and deliverance over a lunch break. Rounded apertures and arches punctuate the bookshelf walls, portals between the public and more private spaces.

Related: Boonthavorn Material Library, Showroom & Shared Workspace in Bangkok by Onion.

The project embodies biophilic design, but not as you expect it – the design language of the space echoes that of the natural world indirectly. Rolling arches dominate the architectural typology while the sky, water and city all blend into one abstract tone.

Wall niches, cut-outs and intimate rooms dominate the inside of the abstract city – functionally they act as spaces for visitors to take pause. A grotto-esque space, is a perfect example of this – with gently rounded walls and no up or down, it sits in carefully articulated disarray.

A bright jewel in an otherwise conventional office building, this library demonstrates a commitment to employees’ wellbeing while capturing their imagination. Inspired by both the past and future, this sublime interior feels as if it’s transcended time.

| The article Abstract City: The Satori Harbour Library by Wutopia Lab. appeared first on Yellowtrace. |