Yellowtrace Spotlight // October 2018.October edition of Yellowtrace Spotlight is upon us, as we round up the best local and global design news, including the not-to-missed Amos Rex Art Museum in Helsinki; brand-spankin’ new products from Fisher & Paykel and Instyle; Tongue...
Converted Loft in the Heart of Shoreditch, East London by Chan & Eayrs.This converted loft space in the heart of Shoreditch, east London, is an elegant three-bedroom apartment brought to life by young British architects Zoe Chan Eayrs and Merlin Eayrs of Chan & Eayrs. Measuring approximately 270 square metres...
The Shifting Feminine Aesthetic: Forte Forte Store in Paris by Robert Vattilana & Giada Forte.There’s an emerging breed of retail interiors designed for women, which feel like spaces that just get us. They are layered, tactile, nurturing, inclusive, and more than a little unexpected. And while utterly and unapologetically...
Martin Jonsson’s Surreal & Enigmatic Oil Paintings.Stockholm-born Åkersberga-based artist Martin Jonsson has taken a nebulous theme and applied it to his subjects, putting a whole new spin on having your head in the clouds. Cumulus engulfs his solitary subjects, their puffy, cotton-like...
Interview: Sibling Architecture.They say that two heads are better than one. Then five heads together must be bloody amazing. And if Amelia Borg, Nicholas Braun, Jane Caught, Qianyi Lim & Timothy Moore from Sibling are anything to go by, you too will want to rush out...
“The Future Ruin” Concept Transforms 1950s Beijing Chemical Plant Into Cycling Hub.Beijing's cycling scene has a new hero space. Aitashop's flagship by Yatofu Creatives occupies a transformed 1954 chemical plant in 751 D·PARK. The design preserves massive desulphurisation tanks as sculptural elements while creating...
Ellison Studios Gets Serious With Game-Changing Sydney HQ and Trade Designer Suite.From digital startup to design powerhouse—Ellison Studios' new Sydney headquarters tells the story of eight years of unstoppable growth. The Waterloo space features unexpected elements like a four-metre palm tree installation and custom...
AKZ Architectura Strips Away the Fluff at Bazhane Boutique.Katya Zuieva of AKZ Architectura has created a 200-square-metre retail space that prioritises function over flash, using natural materials and thoughtful layouts to let the merchandise shine. The fitting rooms balance privacy with...
Floating Canvases: Industrial Cool Meets Coffee Culture at Atelier tao+c’s Blue Bottle Coffee at West Bund.Blue Bottle Coffee centres on floating ceiling planes that appear to flutter like canvases caught in river breezes, supported by angled timber columns. Smart integration of air conditioning and lighting within these sculptural elements...
Studio McQualter Transforms Melbourne Literary Icon into MECCA’s Most Ambitious Flagship.In Melbourne's bustling retail precinct, a heritage building with a serious literary pedigree has found its most spectacular incarnation yet. MECCA's ambitious 4,000-square-metre flagship creates authentic dialogue between eras, with over...
Pattern Studio Creates Intimate Retail Haven for Deiji’s Sydney Expansion.Pattern Studio has transformed a compact Paddington heritage shopfront into an inviting retail destination for independent fashion brand Deiji. The 35-square-metre store prioritises warmth and accessibility over exclusivity. Custom oak...
Studio Esteta Nails Intimate Dining with Melbourne’s New Bistronomy Concept Harriot.At Melbourne’s Harriot, Studio Esteta has created a space that feels both grounded and elevated. It's the kind of restaurant that gets better each time you visit, where you notice new details and appreciate the thought behind every...
Floating Canvases: Industrial Cool Meets Coffee Culture at Atelier tao+c’s Blue Bottle Coffee at West Bund.Blue Bottle Coffee centres on floating ceiling planes that appear to flutter like canvases caught in river breezes, supported by angled timber columns. Smart integration of air conditioning and lighting within these sculptural elements...
Le Dorian: Geneva’s Legendary Brasserie Shows How to Change Everything by Changing Nothing.This 1950s Geneva brasserie, originally gifted to actress Mademoiselle Dorian by her wealthy admirer, retains its romantic theatrical DNA while embracing fresh artistic energy. Ykra Architects' approach was surgical: preserve the...
Bucharest’s Communist-Era Apartment Block Becomes Romania’s Coolest Music Venue.Romania's first listening bar occupies a historically significant 1960s apartment block. The design embraces original socialist features through contemporary materials: birch plywood, marble mosaic flooring, and a striking mechanical glass...
Studio Plenty and Sarah Ellison Crack the Code on Urban Dining with Light Years Perth.Studio Plenty and Sarah Ellison have translated their Byron Bay concept to Perth's CBD context. Light Years Asian Diner overcomes significant heritage building challenges through strategic planning and clever material selection. The...
Spacegram Serves Up Italian Hospitality With a Twist at Scusa Restaurant in Lisbon.In a city and time where restaurants often chase the latest trends, Spacegram has taken a different approach with Scusa in Lisbon. This contemporary Italian restaurant reimagines the interior without falling into stereotypes—no checkered...
Singapore Designer Creates Experimental Home with Custom Furniture and Raw Materials.Ascend Design's Jasper Goh turned his own Singapore apartment into a creative playground, transforming constraints into design opportunities. Inspired by Bali's Further Hotel, the conversion features handmade yellow Thai tiles, dramatic...
When Your Modernist Toorak Flat Needs to Handle Both Dinner Parties and Drum Solos.A musician's ground-floor flat in Toorak's heritage Caringal Flats receives thoughtful renovation by Ellul Architecture. The 88-square-metre space, originally designed by John William Rivett in 1951, balances contemporary functionality...
Building on Impossible Terrain: Casa Magarola by Raúl Sánchez.Casa Magarola proves impossible sites can yield remarkable results. This Barcelona home floats above a 100% slope on minimal concrete supports, working with gravity rather than fighting it. The 175-square-metre building barely touches the...
Smart Material Moves Transform This Fragmented Madrid Apartment.Plantea Estudio transformed a fragmented 1970s Madrid apartment into a serene refuge through intelligent spatial planning and material restraint. Timber flooring extending up walls to create a nest-like embrace that unifies daily...
Neglected London Car Park Transformed into Striking Family Home.Small-scale developer Flawk has partnered with NIKJOO architecture to transform a forgotten car park into a striking three-bedroom family home. The project unlocks the potential of an overlooked urban infill site with sustainable building...
Salvaged Bricks Transform Mount Coot-tha House in Peter Besley’s Material Masterstroke.Peter Besley doesn't just design houses—he solves problems. His latest project is perched on the ridge of Mount Coot-tha's numerous spurs, emerging from Brisbane's steep terrain like a series of sculptural objects. Birdwood tackles...
Ellison Studios Gets Serious With Game-Changing Sydney HQ and Trade Designer Suite.From digital startup to design powerhouse—Ellison Studios' new Sydney headquarters tells the story of eight years of unstoppable growth. The Waterloo space features unexpected elements like a four-metre palm tree installation and custom...
Daytrip Transforms Historic London Buildings Into Cloisters Workspace.Daytrip has transformed a collection of historic brick buildings near London's Silicon Roundabout. Built around a central courtyard with a spectacular living green wall, Cloisters celebrates original features while introducing contemporary...
How Lammhults Built Sustainability into Their Design DNA Decades Before it Became Mainstream.While most furniture companies were still figuring out recycling basics, Lammhults was already reimagining entire product lifecycles. Their approach goes beyond using recycled materials—they design for disassembly from day...
Bundarra Building Shows Heritage Restoration and Modern Design Can Be Best Friends.The corner of South Dowling and Fitzroy Streets in Sydney’s Surry Hills has had a major glow up thanks to Bundarra. This collaboration between Smart Design Studio and Those Architects combines meticulous heritage restoration with bold...
Singapore’s Brutalist Library Becomes Dynamic Workspace Thanks to Nice Projects’ Expert Touch.Nice Projects has turned a former Brutalist library in Singapore into The Lo & Behold Group's new headquarters. The brief was tricky—how do you make massive concrete vaults work for a hospitality company? The answer: smart moves...
Tabula Studio Transforms Client Experience Through Tactile Design in Bilbao Office.Architect Nerea Apraiz has transformed a 92-square-metre former consultancy into an immersive client experience where materials, finishes, and design solutions can be touched, tested, and experienced firsthand. From showcase toilets...
