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Swimming Pool Studio bases Shanghai cafe

interior on the Mediterranean Sea
Flip
11 September 2016
Swimming Pool Studio aimed to bring the "relaxing and refreshing" hues of blue sea and white
sand to this cafe inside a Shanghai office building (+ slideshow).

The Paras Cafe is located in the Hongqiao Vanke Center in Shanghai, a building populated by
offices and retail spaces.

Through its design, Swimming Pool Studio hoped to provide staff inside the building with a
modern-looking place to relax and socialise.

The team decided on a blue- and white-toned colour palette based on the Mediterranean Sea,
along with a modern selection of materials and furniture.

"The design inspiration comes from the amazing scenery of the Mediterranean Sea where blue
sea and white sand make people feel relaxed and refreshed," they said.

"Clear features are integrated with modern design philosophy, maintaining the perfect balance
through a series of changes and connections."

Inside, blue walls are lined with a grid of square white tiles.

This pattern is broken in places by grey diamond tiles that create the illusion of boxes protruding
from the walls – a technique also used by Tomás Alonso for the Camper store in London's Covent
Garden.

A giant metal mesh structure hangs from the ceiling above a long wooden table. Other seating
areas in the cafe are pushed up against the walls, and a few small circular tables are placed in
front of the window.

A second metal mesh structure hangs above a white marble service counter, which is partially
covered in a series of coloured tiles that run along the floor from the cafe's entrance.

Round mirrors sit on the tiled portions of the walls, reinforcing the nautical theme.

Shanghai-based Swimming Pool Studio was founded in 2014. The practice has completed a
number of projects in Shanghai, including bars, restaurants, shops and office interiors.

Photography by Peter Dixie.

http://www.dezeen.com/2016/09/11/swimming-pool-studio-paras-cafe-shanghai-interior-
design-nautical-tiles/

17/09/2016 15;34

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 A-Industrial clads juice store interior with
geometric plywood
Flip
18 July 2016

Los Angeles firm A-Industrial has clad the walls and ceiling of a juice bar inplywood slats,
creating a sculptural geometric interior (+ slideshow).
The Juice Served Here shop is intended as an escape from the busy street on which the storefront
sits. The firm behind the redesign, A-Industrial, provides both design and building services.

Patrons enter the store through a compact front terrace that appears to be carved out of the
building's mass. A giant pivoting door separates the interior and exterior spaces.

The walls and ceiling of the store are all clad in plywood strips that create continuity between the
interior and the exterior. According to the architects, these strips attract one's gaze to the height
of the space, thereby compensating for its narrow dimensions.

The store is a mere 12 feet wide (3.65 metres) but is 65 feet long (20 metres). Generous 14-foot
ceilings (4.25 metres) give the space a more open feeling.

Light fixtures have been integrated between the wooden slats, which also act as an acoustic
damper within the shop. Materials used on the interior include a polished concrete floor and a
long slab of marble for the bar itself.

All of the store's built-in furniture was made by A-Industrial. The freestanding pieces were
created by the company Native Standard in Long Beach.

Tabletops and seating were fabricated using the same baltic plywood as the wall and ceiling
surfaces. They were built on simple white steel frames to complement the space.

A skylight provides natural light to the interior, while white backlit acrylic panels serve as
product displays in the back of the store.

Many firms opt to realise their designs instead of enlisting contractors to execute them. Design-
build programs have long been popular in architecture schools, but the formula has been
increasingly successful in the mainstream architecture and construction industries.

http://www.dezeen.com/2016/07/18/a-industrial-juice-served-here-store-interior-geometric-
plywood/

170916 20;24