Unwind In The Latest Green Oasis At Singapore Changi Airport

In surveys, frequent global travelers consistently pick Changi Airport in Singapore as their favorite aviation hub. Even those who have never visited the four-terminal complex are often familiar with images of its central multipurpose building, dubbed the Jewel, where a tiered indoor rainforest surrounds a circular waterfall cascading through an oculus in the donut-shaped glass ceiling 130 feet above. It’s a spectacular tribute to the island nation’s “Garden City” nickname.

Other parts of the airport, however, had some catching up to do with the showstopping Jewel. A competition to renovate and expand Terminal 2, which was built in 1993 and last updated in 2003, sought to bring the aging facility up to par with its iconic neighbor. Paris-based practice Boiffils Architectures won the contest, despite having no experience in airport design. But the firm’s expertise in the hospitality sector led it to approach the project from a customer-experience perspective, which is what sold its scheme to the jury.

Transforming Terminal 2 Into A Biophilic Haven

Boiffils’s proposal for the 1.3-million-square-foot, three-level interior avoided the common practice of treating an airline terminal like a factory outfitted with utilitarian materials for high-traffic durability and cold, reflective surfaces that can be dazzling and disorienting under bright spotlights. Instead, the firm selected products with warm, textured finishes that soften the spaces, and introduced vegetation and mineral-evoking elements to create a relaxing, enjoyable environment for those embarking on what can often be a stressful process. “The aim was to make a very blurred boundary between architecture and landscape,” says managing partner, creative director, and principal architect Basile Boiffils, who, in 2004, launched the architecture department of the design studio his parents founded 20 years before. “We wanted to bring in sensuality with the materials, so that they really humanize the experience, almost romanticize it.”

Throughout the terminal, walls feature precast stucco panels with striations that suggest “cutting through layers of soil,” Boiffils observes. Bands of lush foliage emerge between these layers as if breaking out of the substrate. Carpet patterns in the check-in area mimic ocean-wave formations and land topography as seen from high in the air, while the beige solid surfacing of the organically shaped service desks is enlivened with metallic flecks. The same material appears in the earth-toned restrooms, where wavy, reeded-glass paneling, backed with illuminated prints of tropical plants, conjure the illusion of verdant depths.

Design Details Include Wayfinding Paths and Green Walls 

In another passenger stress-reducing tactic, Boiffils has ensured that the step-by-step process of navigating the terminal is as visually clear and straightforward as possible. Travelers entering the departure hall are immediately directed to the automated check-in kiosks and baggage-drop stations, which are arranged like strings of islands in the open space, rather than the typical solid banks of counters that would block the view beyond. The next area, the central immigration hall, is accessed through a portal in the Wonderfall, a 45-foot-tall digital-display wall, conceived by multimedia studio Moment Factory, on which an image of cascading water plays continuously. Mesmeric and soothing, the LED installation is visible from every angle in the departure hall, drawing passengers toward it with the power of a natural phenomenon.

Nature also permeates several double-height spaces in the form of columnlike vertical gardens. Devised in collaboration with botanist Patrick Blanc, a pioneer of the green wall concept, these vegetation-covered steel structures either rise from the floor or descend from ceilings clad in digital panels displaying real-time external weather conditions. “There’s not a single fake plant,” says Boiffils, whose team painstakingly created an irrigation system and optimized lighting conditions to ensure the greenery thrives. These areas are equipped with surround-sound systems that play recordings of local bird and wildlife calls, carefully synchronized with the visual displays to further enhance the immersive, naturalistic atmosphere.

While the balance between technology and nature is weighted significantly to disguise the former and highlight the latter, this effect is achieved through the use of advanced materials and fabrication methods. In the departure hall, for example, the ceiling is hung with deep aluminum fins incorporating complex double curvature, necessitating that each be individually designed using parametric software. Deployed in sweeping bands, these graceful champagne-color elements not only provide a sense of direction overhead but also conceal mechanical services and access infrastructure. Similarly, the sculpted check-in kiosks below were carved using a five-axis CNC machine. And, of course, the falling water and changing skies are all courtesy of giant vertical and horizontal digital screens.

“Another thing we’re proud of is that we brought craft into the airport,” Boiffils notes. “A lot of the design was only possible through the work of skilled craftspeople.” The human hand is evident in such touches as the stucco wall panels, each unique, or the custom mouth-blown glass pendant fixtures, which hang like giant raindrops amidst a forest of vertical-garden columns near the departure hall entry and elsewhere. They, too, help extend Singapore’s signature lush environment into the airport and, as the architect concludes, “bring back the pleasure of traveling.”

Take A Nature Walk Through Changi Airport’s Terminal 2

BOIFFILS ARCHITECTURES: HENRI BOIFFILS; JACQUELINE BOIFFILS; SANDRA BLANVILLE; LAETITIA BERNOUIS; ARDA BEYLERYAN; MONIR KARIMI; SUNG JU KWAK; NICOLAS DELESALLE; VICTOIRE BONNIOL; LAURA FOLLIN. RSP ARCHITECTS PLANNERS & ENGINEERS: ARCHITECT OF RECORD. PATRICK BLANC: BOTANICAL CONSULTANT. GENESIS NINE ONE: LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT. PH.A CONCEPTEURS LUMIÈRE & DESIGN: LIGHTING CONSULTANT. MOMENT FACTORY: MULTIMEDIA CONSULTANT. J. ROGER PRESTON: MEP. C.C.M. GROUP: MILLWORK. TAKENAKA CORPORATION: GENERAL CONTRACTOR.

FROM FRONT JC DECAUX: LED BILLBOARDS (DEPARTURE HALL). ARPER: MODULAR SEATING (DEPARTURE HALL, ARRIVAL HALL), ARMCHAIRS, OTTOMANS (ARRIVAL HALL). LASVIT: CUSTOM PENDANT FIXTURES (DEPARTURE HALL). THROUGHOUT S.O.E. STUC & STAFF: CUSTOM STUCCO PANELS. SG-BOGEN: ALUMINUM CEILING PANELS, BAFFLES. ERCO; IGUZZINI; LUMENPULSE: DOWN­LIGHTS. ROYAL THAI: CUSTOM CARPET. COSENTINO: STONE FLOORING. KRION: SOLID SURFACING. PORCELANOSA: FLOOR TILE.

8 Artisans Making A Splash With Stunning Bath Creations

Uncover how these trailblazing designers are revolutionizing bath and spa essentials, transforming ordinary products into exquisite pieces that bring elegance and artistry to any space.

Dive into These Well-Designed Bath + Spa Accents

1. Paola Vella and Ellen Bernhardt for Ex.t

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Product: Origami
Standout: Displayed for their debut in a striking 1920’s palazzo, faceted basins inspired by and named after the Japanese paper art are the brainchild of the skilled Italian-German duo behind Milan studio Bernhardt&Vella.

2. Vincent Van Duysen for Fantini

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Product: Flora
Standout: A “light nostalgic touch” was the remit for the Belgian design star’s characteristically spare and effortless sink fittings, which feature double or single levers and low, generous proportions.

3. Patricia Urquiola for Agape

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Product: Cenote
Standout: Clay washbasins, pedestal sinks, and a tub designed by the Interior Design Hall of Famer all have a deliberately roughened, rustic exterior juxtaposed with a shiny enameled interior.

4. Fabio Calvi and Paolo Brambilla for QuadroDesign

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Product: Super
Standout: Milan-based studio Calvi Brambilla took a rounded square as the dominant form repeated throughout a bathroom fittings collection that’s contemporary in affect and unobtrusively chic.

5. Jacquelyn Bizzotto of New Ravenna

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Product: Luca
Standout: Part of a collection evoking Venetian decorative arts, a trio of honed and polished water-jet-cut marbles meet in a kaleidoscopic floral design from the Exmore, Virginia–based manufacturer’s lead designer.

6. Romano Adolini and Niccolò Adolini for Amphora

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Product: Reel
Standout: An upstart Italian tapware brand introduces a collection of bathroom fittings by Studio Adolini made of bent tubular 316 steel that can be hand-brushed or PVD-finished.

7. Seyhan Özdemir Sarper and Sefer Çağlar for Bisazza

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Product: Bliss
Standout: At Milan Design Week, the Turkish founders of Autoban debuted a mosaic tile for interior walls and floors, its wavy Crema Botticino rivulets cascading down a Rosso Verona ground.

8. Naomi Neilson of Native Trails

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Product: Ocean
Standout: A new finish for the manufacturer’s NativeStone, which is a composite of jute fiber and cement that’s stronger than concrete but 40 percent lighter, fuses shades of blue and green into a single muted hue.

7 Bathing Essentials That Command Attention

Characterful new products bring style and drama to the ritual of bathing.

Check Out These Bath Products Brimming With Style

Murà marble tub in amber gray by Monitillo 1980.

2. Holm Basins With Terrazzo Inserts by Kast

Holm tinted-concrete basins with terrazzo inserts by Kast.

3. Mystic Luxe Agate Slabs by Florim

Mystic Luxe Agate carbon-neutral porcelain stoneware slabs in claret by Florim.

4. Park Avenue Porcelain Tile By Nemo Tile + Stone

Park Avenue porcelain tile in Hedge Ceppo (on island and floor) and fluted Pearl (on wall) by Nemo Tile + Stone.

5. Cristallo Vitrum Wow Tub by Antolini

Cristallo Vitrum Wow tub carved from a single block of natural quartz by Antolini.

6. OO2 Collection by Kallista

002 Collection chromed-brass sink fittings by Kallista.

7. Bathroom Console + Mirror by Lacava

Suave bathroom console and mirror with powder-coated tubular- metal frames and porcelain sink by Lacava.

7 Must-Stay Hotels and Resorts From Greece To The Catskills

From the Greek islands to the Catskills of New York, these seven hotels and resorts offer accommodations perfectly attuned to their strikingly disparate settings.

Connect With Nature At These Striking Locales

Gundari Resort by Block722

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Whether you call it organic modernism, warm minimalism, or another denomination entirely, this 80-acre Greek island resort in Folegandros is undeniably design-forward yet it yields effortlessly to the contours of the craggy landscape overlooking the Aegean Sea. The 27 terraced villas and suites with cliffside heated pools and private open-air showers are grounded by rustic stone exteriors while interiors feature beige stone-slab floors, limestone plaster walls, natural timber built-ins, and earth-brown bed linens. In the reception area, the grace note is a marble check-in desk carved with imagery lifted from local myths.

Capri Hotel by Manola Studio

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Tapped to reimagine the 1963 roadside hotel in Ojai, California, built in the Amalfi Coast–style, the Los Angeles–based practice leaned into the 30-room property’s mid century–modern roots while preserving its original Italianate glamour. Thus, the dolce vita palette—cream, pink, sage, burnt orange, with pops of indigo and lavender—and furnishings, which include plush velvet sectionals and snazzy leather-and-metal chairs, are juxtaposed with such Rat Pack–era elements as the lobby’s A-frame beamed ceiling and massive exposed-stone fireplace, or the guest rooms’ custom wood wall paneling and graphically tiled bathrooms.

The Riviera Maya Edition by Edmonds International and Rockwell Group

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If not for the signature scent and spiral staircase, visitors may not know they’ve arrived at the 18th property, and first in the Caribbean, of this 11-year-old hotel brand in Kanai, Mexico, envisioned by Ian Schrager Company and Marriott International as unique, luxury microcosms of their locations. That’s because the architecture (Edmonds) and interiors (Rockwell) firms instilled a tropical yet powerfully minimalist theatricality throughout the 182-key, six-restaurant plus spa project—with nary a poncho, sombrero, nor other decorative cliché in sight—that sits atop nearly 9 acres of preserved mangroves. Particularly dramatic is the lobby’s 50-foot-long custom sofa cocooned by hundreds of native plants; the 35-foot-tall lobby bar, its textile colors derived from Mayan culture; a sculptural host stand carved from a felled local Guamuchil tree; and the bamboo yoga pavilion by Arquitectura Mixta, a Guadalajara-based collective focused on bio-architecture.

The Rounds at Scribner’s by Post Company

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Scribner’s Catskill Lodge gets its own retreat within a retreat: a group of 11 shingle-clad cabins by the Brooklyn- and Jackson Hole, Wyoming–based firm, which has devised 12-sided rounded structures, each boasting a wraparound porch with an outdoor soaking tub. The airy interiors feature welcoming gas-stove fireplaces, custom conversation pit–style sunken couches, and vaulted ceilings with an oculus for stargazing. A central communal building, the Apex, includes a blue limestone bar and vintage furnishings mixed with contemporary pieces by local talents such as Brian Persico and Michael Robbins.

Explora Uyuni Lodge by Max Núñez Arquitectos

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Intended for a nomadic travel experience, the Ramaditas, Bolivia, lodge comprises three separate compounds distributed around the vast Uyuni Salt Flat. Like its companions, this location features a trio of the Santiago, Chile-based architect’s prefabricated modular units, lightweight steel-framed structures that minimize on-site construction and are easily disassembled and relocated. Sitting on minimally invasive concrete footings, the buildings’ weathering-steel cladding blends harmoniously with the rugged landscape, while system components of varying sizes and functions accommodate living areas, bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchens, all lined with warm-toned tropical mani wood, perfectly framing the stunning views through large windows.

La Roqqa by Palomba Serafini Studio

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The 55 guest rooms at this boutique hotel and beach club in coastal Tuscany are themed in three distinct paint palettes: a burnt sienna that echoes the facades in nearby Porto Ercole, sage green to harmonize with the surrounding Mediterranean scrub, and a cloudy blue allusive to the Tyrrhenian Sea. The suites, meanwhile, have a white sand–colored base accented by renowned contemporary and modernist furniture from the likes of Faye Toogood and Achille Castiglioni, respectively.

Casa Montelongo by Néstor Pérez Batista

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A 19th-century house and theater on the second largest of the Canary Islands have been converted into a pair of crisp-white, minimalist self-catering units—which can be rented separately or together—divided by a shared courtyard with pool. Rooting the outdoor area in the essence of the local environment is a wall sculpture by Tenerife artist Óscar Latuag that abstracts lichen, prickly pear, and agave leaves—a visual ode to the Fuerteventura, Spain, locale’s unique vegetation.

Step Into The ‘60s At This Retro-Chic Canadian Hotel

When the Voyager Inn was built in the Canadian ski town of Banff in 1964, road tripping was all the rage and motor lodges were opening in vacation destinations to cater to the traveling public. By the time Canalta Hotels bought the property in 2016, however, the Voyager—or the Voy, as locals called it—was seriously rundown, best known for its dive bar, liquor store, and budget accommodations for group bus tours. But its handsome, low-slung bones were still very much intact. Now, after a $30 million overhaul helmed by Workshop/APD and Metafor, it has been reinvented as the Moxy Banff, combining the cheeky personality of the Moxy hotel brand and the outdoorsy spirit of Banff with the building’s own mid-century roots.

“You take those three things and put them in a narrative pot and stir,” starts Matt Berman, cofounding principal with Andrew Kotchen of New York-based Workshop/APD, which handled the hotel’s interiors. “As designers, we’re always trying to tell a clear story for a hospitality project.” The story of the Voy’s rebirth began when Canalta, a Canadian hospitality company, hired the Calgary-based architecture firm Metafor soon after it purchased the property. Together they assessed the building and explored renovation possibilities.

The Voy had always been something of an outlier, beginning with its location on the eastern edge of the town of Banff, which itself is in Banff National Park. Then there was its architecture, which stood in contrast to the prevailing chalet-style aesthetic of the area. Both Canalta and Metafor thought the very things that had always made the property a little bit different could work to its advantage.

Although Canalta had never operated a Moxy—a Marriott Bonvoy brand introduced a decade ago that now has more than 135 idiosyncratic worldwide properties, each reflecting their locales—it convinced Marriott the Voy would make a good one. W/APD was on the list of firms that Marriott provided to Canalta, and soon after Berman and associate principal Andrew Kline took off for Banff to meet with the Voy’s new owners and see the property, it was asked to join the renovation team. Moxy advisors weighed in at key points in the design process.

Metafor focused on updating the exterior of the 58,000-square-foot building, replacing windows, repointing original Rundle stone walls, and swapping out painted-wood railings for ones made of Douglas fir with a transparent stain. To make the hotel as welcoming to cyclists and pedestrians as it had always been to motorists, the area in front of the building where drivers had parked while checking in was trimmed, freeing up space for a welcoming staircase and terraces that step down to the street, beckoning passersby. “It’s a new opportunity for gathering,” Metafor principal Chris Sparrow says.

The layout of the three-story building—public spaces at the center, guest wings over parking garages on either side—already suited the Moxy brand, which emphasizes communal areas. But a second-floor ballroom was turned into more guest rooms, increasing the total from 88 to 109.

Interior walls at the center of the ground level were removed, opening space for an expansive lobby lounge with a pill-shaped bar that doubles as a check-in desk, a Moxy trademark. Instead of having liquor bottles on tiered shelves—the usual arrangement—Berman and Kline created bottle racks that resemble ski gondolas and hung them from the ceiling (yet still within a bartender’s easy reach). Entering the lobby, visitors now see clear to and through the back of the building, where a courtyard has been reinvented as an outdoor lounge with a hot tub, pool, firepits, and ample seating.

A retro palette of reds, yellows, browns, and oranges warms the interiors. Some patterns, too, hark to the ’60’s, including nearly hallucinogenic waves in the carpeting for a guest-room corridor. Other patterns evoke outdoorsy pursuits, such as the oversize tartan wallcovering inside the guest rooms, suggesting flannel shirts one might wear hiking. As for the striped blankets—another Moxy signature—they “looked so at home in our rooms,” Kline notes.

He, Berman, and their colleagues mixed custom furniture with mid century–inspired pieces and vintage originals. Some of the latter were acquired by Brooke Christianson, a Canalta vice president and a son of the company founders, who got into the thrill of the hunt. W/APD had prepared a wish list of vintage items, and Christianson, working with local dealers, located pieces and texted photos of his finds to Kline—a method that resulted in purchases that were far less expensive and more sustainable than if the team had shopped in New York and shipped to Banff. Christianson found the chrome floor lamp that now arcs over the lounge and the ’70’s Egg chair manufactured by Lee West that sits outside the bike and ski locker room.

Christianson also located the old VW bus parked in the lobby after W/APD came up with the idea of turning one into a food truck. Christianson’s uncle, who does hot-rod restorations, cut a chunk out of the bus’s middle—that’s where the person who takes orders stands—and doctored the roof so it hinges up, revealing a vintage menu board. Groovy for sure.

Get Groovy At The Moxy Banff By Workshop/APD

WORKSHOP/APD: FRAN FANG; JOEL EDMONDSON. CLAUDIA SCHAAF; ILONA CIUN­KIE­WICZ; STEVE TURCOTT; JAMES LINDSAY; DIANE SAWA; LISA PANASOVA; CHRIS McLAUGHLIN: METAFOR. GROUND CUBED: LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT. KEVIN BARRY FINE ART: ART CONSULTANT, CUSTOM GUEST-ROOM WALLCOVERING. ILLUMINATION LIGHTING: CUSTOM INTERIOR SIGNAGE, CUSTOM LIGHTING. BANFF SIGN COMPANY: CUSTOM EXTERIOR SIGNAGE. ISL ENGINEERING: STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. REMEDY ENGINEERING: MEP. WSP: CIVIL ENGINEER. SHURWAY CONTRACTING: GENERAL CONTRACTOR.

FROM FRONT SKI LIFT DESIGNS: CUSTOM CHAIR (LOWER HALL). DESIGN & DIRECT SOURCE: FLOOR TILE. FABRICUT: CUSTOM WALLCOVERING (LOWER HALL), BOLSTER UPHOLSTERY (SUITE). MAHARAM: CHAISE LOUNGE FABRIC (LOBBY). WARP & WEFT: CUSTOM RUGS. A PLUS R: COFFEE TABLES. FOCUS FIREPLACES: FIREPLACE. SURFACING SOLUTION: PANELING. VALLEY FORGE: BANQUETTE FABRIC (LOBBY), DRAPERY FABRIC (GUEST ROOM), SECTIONAL VELVET (SCREENING ROOM). TOPOSWORKSHOP: STOOLS (BAR). MODHOLIC: HANGING CHAIRS. CROWN DOORS: GARAGE-STYLE DOORS. WOLF-GORDON: CUSTOM WALLCOVERING (LOCKER ROOM). CONCRETE COLLABORATIVE: CUSTOM FLOORING (RESTROOMS). CLAYHAUS CERAMICS: WALL TILE. JC HOSPITALITY: CUSTOM CHAIR LIFT (GUEST ROOM). FAIRMONT DESIGNS: CUSTOM FURNITURE (GUEST ROOMS). WEST ELM CONTRACT: CUSTOM RUG (PLAID GUEST ROOM). PROSPER & PASION: CUSTOM CARPET (HALL). QUALITY & COMPANY: CUSTOM SECTIONAL (SCREENING ROOM). BLU DOT: TABLE, OTTOMAN. WALLPAPER FROM THE 70S: WALL­COVERING. BEAULIEU CANADA: CARPET. 2MODERN: BENCH (COURTYARD). BEND GOODS: WIRE CHAIR. SOLUS DÉCOR: FIREPIT. SILHOUETTE OUTDOOR FURNITURE: CUSTOM SOFAS. MAHARAM: SOFA FABRIC. UNITED FABRICS: PILLOW FABRIC. KANTA MONTANA: BREEZE BLOCK. TECHO-BLOC: PAVERS. CALI LIGHTING: STRING LIGHTS. EVOLUTION SPAS: HOT TUB. ARTONOMY: MINI TAXIDERMY (SUITE). THROUGHOUT BENJAMIN MOORE & CO.: PAINT. THUNDERSTONE QUARRY: RUNDLE STONE. CUSTOM CEDAR RAILINGS: EXTERIOR RAILINGS. WINSPEC: CURTAIN WALLS.

The Pedestal Sink Gets A Modern Makeover

Industrial designers Clara del Portillo and Alex Selma ideated the cantilevered Ethere pedestal sink for Rexa Design with the admirable goal of hiding the drain. “It’s not the most attractive feature of a washbasin,” Selma observes. “We wanted to make the water disappear in an elegant and mysterious way.” The co-founders of the Valencia, Spain–based studio Yonoh devised a clever solution: a removable marble tray above the drain that doubles as a shelf for soap. Users can lather their hands without taking them out of the 19-inch-wide basin, eliminating countertop splashes. The freestanding sink comes in white or black Corian; pair it with a tray of Carrara or Nero Marquina marble for a monochromatic look or opt for moody red or green stone.

Inside A Chicago Law Office With Elevated Functionality

When a confidential multinational law firm determined it was time to update its Chicago headquarters, the partners decided to relocate to 26 floors in a gleaming new steel-and-glass tower. To turn the raw space into an efficient, appealing, and forward-thinking work environment for some 1,500 people, the client interviewed several firms before choosing IA Interior Architects, another global practice with 21 studios in the U.S. and abroad, including Chicago. “We were engaged to work on this project in 2021, when construction was just beginning,” says IA principal and design director Neil Grant Schneider, who is based in the Windy City. “So, we were able to work with the building’s architect and developer to make some structural adjustments to the plans.”

To find out exactly what the client had in mind for its new digs, Schneider’s team conducted an elaborate visioning workshop. “We learned that the partners wanted to curate an empowering environment for their staff,” Schneider continues, “one that would create a commute-worthy experience after working remotely during the pandemic.” The majority of the floors are dedicated to practice and administrative workspace with a smaller number occupied by amenities and a conference center that incorporates main reception. In addition, there is a floor named the Exchange. “That’s the main dining space,” Schneider explains. “It provides a range of options, from a salad bar to a pizza oven and grill, as well as a low-key IT help center and an adjacent event space. It’s conceived for the exchange of ideas and provides a place for the attorneys and other employees to interact.”

Maximum interconnectivity, in fact, was a guiding principle of the project, and IA more than delivered. Administrative and practice floors are linked by multiple staircases. These include a showstopping quartet, each spanning six floors, that not only satisfies circulation needs but also provides a vibrant aesthetic experience: All four feature a custom pendant fixture comprising an elongated constellation of colorful mouth-blown glass globes, complemented by inventively lighted handrails. Elegant yet dynamic architectural elements, the stairs offer a counterpoint to the city skyline, lake views, and natural light that pour through the floor-to-ceiling windows, enriching the interior further.

And what an interior. Amenity and shared areas in particular have the unhurried ambiance of a fine hotel or private club. Pushing the envelope on office design, Schneider brought in IA’s own London-based hospitality group early in the conceptual phase to help ensure that the various spaces engender a sense of quiet well-being even as they provide highly functional settings for work and related tasks. Every administrative and practice floor, for example, has a corner lounge strategically positioned away from elevator lobbies to encourage purposeful interaction. These common areas serve as ideal spots for mentorship and informal discussions, with great views thrown in gratis. Outfitted with comfortable seating around inviting fireplaces, each commons is furnished differently, customized for the needs of the legal teams working near it.

Workspaces for the approximately 800 lawyers and their support staff “follow a similar aesthetic to a more traditional law firm,” Schneider notes, “with lots of private offices for the attorneys and admin stations for the paralegals.” The litigators also have mock trial spaces and eight multipurpose rooms that can be used for virtual legal proceedings, all boasting state-of-the-art audiovisual technology. In addition, a practice floor may include such diverse amenities as a private wellness room, sound studio, library, or game room—all of which help make coming to work pleasurable.

The three-level conference center, which is used for both in-house and guest-attended functions, combines formal meeting spaces—two large boardrooms among them—with learning zones and client-entertainment venues. The latter conjoin with the main reception area to form an ensemble rivaling the lobby of a top-tier hotel; it even has a terrace, accessed via retractable glass walls.

To tie it all together, IA held to a tight and timeless material palette. “There is a midwestern simplicity to the design with the use of warm neutrals, textured wood, refined stone, and curated textiles,” Schneider says. Gray-toned marble features prominently, as does white oak. Furnishings are comfortable and modern, ranging from such mid 20th–century classics as Eero Saarinen’s Executive seating to more recent pieces like Patrick Norguet’s P22, a contemporary reinterpretation of a traditional wing chair.

Schneider’s greatest satisfaction with the project may be that IA got the commission at all. “Walking in, we were the underdogs, competing against companies known for their work on law firms,” he reports. “But our clients were extremely open to new ideas and appreciated that we were bringing our hospitality division to the table, because they were committed to improving their employees’ lives.”

Explore The Chic Interiors Of This Chicago Law Office

IA INTERIOR ARCHITECTS: CAROLYN TUCKER; CARA FIELDS; GRACE GADOW; LILLIAN MCNEIL; ETHAN BARBOUR; CHRIS PARSLEY; LANE FELTS; RUBEN GONZALEZ; TJ SMOCZYNSKI; KEVIN MIAO. LESTER FINE ART: ART CONSULTANT. LIGHTING WORKSHOP: LIGHTING CONSULTANT. SYNERGI: STAIR CONSULTANT. BRIGHTWORKS: SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT. FOOD SPACE: FOOD & BEVERAGE CONSULTANT. RLE PROJECT MANAGEMENT: PROJECT MANAGER. CORPORATE CONCEPTS: FURNITURE SUPPLIER. MKA: STRUCTURAL ENGI­NEER. ESD: MEP. IMPERIAL WOODWORKING COMPANY; PARENTI & RAFFAELLI: WOODWORK. CLUNE CONSTRUC­TION: GENERAL CONTRACTOR.

FROM FRONT BRIGHT GROUP: BENCH (CONFERENCE STAIR), WHITE LOUNGE CHAIRS (ENTERTAINMENT AREA, ANTEROOM). IOC: WALL SYSTEM (GUEST SUITE). CLASSICON: COFFEE TABLES (GUEST SUITE), SIDE TABLES (GUEST SUITE, LOUNGE). TANDUS: CARPET (GUEST SUITE, LOUNGE). CASSINA: WING CHAIRS (LOUNGE). DWR: BLACK SIDE TABLE. HERMAN MILLER: WIRE-BASE COFFEE TABLES (LOUNGE, RECEPTION), SIDE CHAIRS (COMMONS). STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN: ARM­CHAIRS (RECEPTION). MARTIN BRATTRUD: CUSTOM SOFAS. WENDELBO: BLACK COFFEE TABLE. HOLLY HUNT: GLASS SIDE TABLES. LINTELOO: MARBLE COFFEE TABLES. ARHAUS: TALL SIDE TABLES. POLTRONA FRAU: LEGGED ARMCHAIRS (RECEP­TION, ENTERTAINMENT AREA). JAMIE STERN DESIGN: CUSTOM RUGS (RECEPTION, ANTEROOM). LUKE LAMP CO.: LED TUBE FIXTURE (QUIET ZONE). INDUSTRY WEST: CUSTOM BAN­QUETTES. BOCCI: CUSTOM PENDANT FIXTURE (PRACTICE STAIR). ECOSMART FIRE: FIREPLACE (COMMONS). MASLAND CARPETS: CARPET. TOM DIXON: PENDANT FIXTURES. ICON MODERN: CUSTOM FOOSBALL TABLE. ARMSTRONG: CEILING SYSTEM. GEIGER: ARMCHAIRS (COMMONS, GAME ROOM). HBF FURNITURE: PEDESTAL TABLES (COMMONS, ENTERTAINMENT AREA, SIDE BAR). FULL SWING: GOLF SIMULATOR (GAME ROOM). LASVIT: CUSTOM CHANDELIER (ENTERTAINMENT AREA). VISUAL COMFORT: TABLE LAMPS. HIGHTOWER: BROWN CLUB CHAIRS. BASSAMFELLOWS: BARSTOOLS. MG+BW: COFFEE TABLE. DECCA: ROUND SIDE TABLE. ROCHE BOBOIS: SOFAS (ENTERTAINMENT AREA, ANTEROOM). MINOTTI: CY­LIN­DRICAL SIDE TABLE (ENTERTAINMENT AREA), COFFEE TABLE (ANTEROOM). SUITE 22: BARSTOOLS (SIDE BAR). TRNK: ARM­CHAIRS. MODERNFOLD: GLASS WALL SYSTEM (ANTEROOM). VISIO: CEILING FIXTURES. THROUGH­OUT BERNHARDT: SOFAS. MCGRORY GLASS: LAMINATED GLASS. STONE DESIGN: STONE, MARBLE. MAXFINE: PORCE­LAIN STONE­WARE. ARCHITECTURAL VENEERS INTER­NA­TIONAL: OAK VENEER. BANKER WIRE: WIRE MESH. BENJAMIN MOORE & CO.: PAINT.

Explore The Ultimate Futuristic Playground In Shanghai

In-person experiences are trending—and not just for work. In Shanghai, XBox Family Sports Center offers a sleek outlet for entertainment of the old-fashioned, IRL nature. The roughly 32,000-square-foot, three-story indoor playground, by local firm Fun Connection for Hangzhou Ningnuo Investment Management Company, houses more than 30 interactive games to get the adrenaline pumping in up to 600 visitors at a time. And it does so in style.

Completed in May, XBox merges recreation with a minimalist, futuristic aesthetic that targets “Gen Z’s craving for novel and unique experiences,” begins Fun Connection chief designer Yaotian Zhang. The facility’s interwoven array of activities and equipment are both fun and challenging, while imbuing “the joy and sense of accomplishment that sports bring,” continues Zhang, who, in addition to design, has a background in children’s psychology, which he has put to use in such projects as the Most Cured Home in the World, a kids healthcare clinic in Chongqing, its pale blues, sunrise oranges, and cheery terrazzo earning an Interior Design Best of Year Award in 2021. For XBox, clearly different in purpose but similar in demographic, he and his team chose an industrial look “with its exposed steel frames, metal elements, and clean lines to convey a sense of avant-garde and modernity.”

Located in Shanghai Zhonggeng Wander City Mall, the futuristic infra­structure is teased at the storefront, where a sprawling semicircular reception desk backed by a shiny wall of cushiony silver pillows draws the attention of unexpecting shoppers while supporting an expeditious check-in for young thrill-seekers. After storing their shoes in the adjacent locker room, XBox guests can then quickly roll through the turnstiles into the awaiting double-height playground.

There, they’ll have no shortage of options or directions to pursue. Trampolines, zip lines, foam pits, and obstacle courses rising 33 feet fill the perimeter across the three levels. Anchoring the flurry of play zones in the central atrium is the X. Slide, a 36-foot-tall machinelike amalgamation of eight stainless-steel slides intended to emulate factory pipelines. Users can embark down one of four spiral slides offering a 66-foot-long journey, a steep and straight tunnel slide, or one of three wave slides before their orderly deposition at the X. Slide base. Transparent glass toppers on the spiral and tunnel slides give them panoramic views during their descent.

Zhang says the slide was his favorite project element to conceive because it reflects the “futuristic industrial aesthetic” the firm desired, “but also integrates the functional aspects of sports,” he says. “This area is both a concentrated expression of the concept and the soul of the entire center. Therefore, it leaves a deep impression on people both visually and functionally.”

Other highlights include a high-altitude adventure challenge, where up to 50 players can help each other navigate obstacles of varying difficulty, including a 33-foot-high, 118-foot-long zip line. Below, 12 traditional Chinese plum piles invite players to bound from top to top, to a maximum height exceeding 13 feet. “They evoke nostalgic memories of the simple joy of playing Super Mario on early gaming consoles,” says Zhang, who’s an avid gamer himself.

XBox caters to anyone seeking a personal or group experience. The high-altitude adventure, competitive climbing area, slides, and trampoline areas “are perfect for extroverts to engage with others, enjoy social interactions, and partake in teamwork.” Introverts can partake in small-group or individual activities, such as the stepping machine or rope course, or people-watch from transparent tunnels and integrated observation platforms in the adventure castle.

Though designing the project might literally seem like all fun and games, Zhang says his firm also addressed the technical requirements of a multifunctional, multilevel sports center, such as ensuring the safety of all structural and play elements. Fun Connection collaborated with Chinese playground equipment designer and manufacturer Qileer to select soft and impact-friendly contact surfaces, situate hard props and infrastructure to noncontact areas, and distinguish collision surfaces from bearing surfaces with soft padding.

And while Zhang identifies Gen Z as a target demographic, he says the project “considers the needs of different age groups, ensuring that everyone, from children to adults, can find suitable activities.” Restaurants, private party rooms, and lounge areas equipped with seating and device chargers are situated behind the X. Slide, away from the noise and commotion of the play zones. The combination of play, recharging, and gathering areas “ensures that every family member can find enjoyment, increasing the opportunities for shared activities,” Zhang notes.

Not coincidentally, Fun Connection’s choice of an industrial aesthetic for XBox is also ideal for high-traffic, active spaces. For example, the prevailing finishes of concrete and metal are durable and easy to clean and maintain. Bare pipes and exposed metal finishes also maximize clearances and space utilization.

The predominant colors—silver, blue, orange, yellow—also support XBox’s futuristic theme. The metallic hues are reminiscent of machinery, technical instruments, spacecraft, and spacesuits. Blue symbolizes the infinite, profound nature of the Earth’s sky and the universe, and the planet as seen from space. Finally, the oranges and yellows suggest warmth, vitality, the energy of the sun, and the “dynamism and innovation inherent in space exploration,” Zhang says.

With its profusion of activities and zones, XBox Sports Center makes it easy for people of all ages to achieve something that has become increasingly difficult: put down their devices, leave the comfort of home, and engage in active play and conversations firsthand.

Get Active At XBox Family Sports Center

FUN CONNECTION: QIAN ZHU; YINGFEI WANG; ZIHAN QIN; KEYI WANG. QILEER: PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER.

Savor The Beauty Of Sandstone With These Au Naturel Lamps

While students at the University of Cincinnati, Hank Beyer and Alex Sizemore spent a summer studying the operations of a family-owned quarry located along the Berea sandstone formation in northeastern Ohio. After turning some of the quarry’s discarded stone offcuts into lamps, they attracted the eye of talent scout Leo Lei, founder of minimalist-design outlet and online publication Leibal. Returning to the site this past winter, Beyer and Sizemore—the founders of San Francisco studio HB-AS—spent a week salvaging more sandstone fragments to be shipped back to their West Coast workshop. There, they spent the subsequent six months crafting Berea Sandstone, a new series of 11 lamps exclusive to Leibal. Each piece is formed with minimum intervention: raw and deliberately crude in shape. As such, it’s a rich reflection of the mining process.

Daria Zinovatnaya Unveils A Bold Constructivist Rug Collaboration

Ukrainian-born furniture and interior designer Daria Zinovatnaya is known for her use of rich colors and edgy, attention-demanding graphic shapes. Those skills combine in Loko, her second collaboration with Spanish rug expert Gan. Cut like a Constructivist collage or resembling flattened origami, the 79-by-131-inch wool rug comes in two colorways: hand-tufted Color is a chromatic play of intense rainbow hues plus black, gray, and cream, while Natural features light-to-deep earth shades of undyed wool and is hand-knotted. Different strokes for different folks.