In the landmark-laden Graben District at the heart of Vienna, the interior architecture of a newly renovated and expanded Hermès store in an 18th-century building honors the arthistorical riches of its city. Centred around a show-stopping travertine staircase in a delicate blend of architecture and craft, tradition and modernity, the store’s renewal was spearheaded by RDAI. The Paris-based architecture firm was founded in 1972 by the late Rena Dumas, whose long-standing partnership with Hermès commenced four years later. Today, the firm is led by Denis Montel and Julia Capp. The project marked their first collaboration with fellow Parisian artist and interior decorator Pierre Marie, who applied his trademark opulent ornamentality to the store’s crown jewel, the salon privé.

Read more

The post A Sculptural Travertine Staircase Takes Centre Stage in RDAI’s Hermès Vienna Store Renovation appeared first on IGNANT.

In 1973, architect Ricardo Bofill stumbled upon the old cement factory as he embarked on one of his many nomadic ventures away from Barcelona. The factory’s imposing structure comes into view as one approaches along the highway leading to Sant Just Desvern. The building’s tall chimneys and vast silos exhaled smoke and pollution, and the place was destined to be closed within the next month. After two years of construction work, however, the factory underwent a remarkable metamorphosis, emerging as La Fábrica, the headquarters of Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura. A manifestation of the architect’s bold vision, La Fábrica has inspired contemplation and awe for the past five decades. Nothing there is about the past, though. Much like its inventor, the unique landmark always faces the future. Today, after Ricardo Bofill’s passing last year, La Fábrica remains an unprecedented laboratory for ideas, continuously reinvented by the next generation of architects and thinkers.

Read more

The post In Conversation With Pablo Bofill, CEO Of Ricardo Bofill Taller De Arquitectura appeared first on IGNANT.

The Italian region of Puglia is witnessing an unprecedented revival of its centuries-old farmhouses, with more and more traditional buildings being spruced up and repurposed into unique retreats. The latest to emerge from an exciting restoration is Borgo Gallana—a complex of three minimal white stone houses, designed by Barcelona-based architectural and interior practice Studio Andrew Trotter.

Read more

The post Borgo Gallana, Studio Andrew Trotter’s Latest Architectural Addition To The Apulian Scenic Countryside appeared first on IGNANT.

Nestled on an oceanfront mountain top, ‘The Wandering Walls’ is a striking 8-room retreat defined by rugged curved concrete walls and sweeping panoramic views of the ocean. Designed by Taipei-based practice XRANGE Architects, the project seamlessly blurs the boundaries between architecture and landscape.

Read more

The post In Taiwan, The Wandering Walls By XRANGE Architects Curves Out Towards The Ocean appeared first on IGNANT.

The brand new ‘Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen‘ in Rotterdam, designed by The Netherlands-based architects MVRDV, is a huge bowl-shaped building clad completely in a mirrored glass facade. The colossal structure holds the entire 151,000-piece art collection of the neighboring Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, and exists as the “world’s first publicly accessible art depot”.

Read more

The post MVRDV’s Enormous Mirrored Art Storage In Rotterdam, Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen appeared first on IGNANT.

The new headquarters for The Chuan Malt Whisky Distillery has been designed by Shanghai-based architecture studio Neri & Hu. Titled ‘Shan-Shui’, which translates to mountain water, the sprawling distillery was named after its rural location In China’s Sichuan Province—surrounded by verdant land, mountain ranges, and a flowing creek.

Read more

The post Where Architecture Meets Nature: Neri & Hu Design A Whisky Distillery Backdropped By Mount Emei appeared first on IGNANT.

In Bahrain’s former capital Muharraq, Dutch architecture practice Studio Anne Holtrop has restored Qaysariyah Suq, a 1190-square-meter shop and storehouse complex. The project is part of a rehabilitation plan to revive the ancient suq as a vibrant place with shops and cafes.

Read more

The post Studio Anne Holtrop’s Restored Qaysariyah Suq Hints At The Spirit Of Ancient Bahrain Culture appeared first on IGNANT.

In a verdant landscape of rivers and hills in China’s Yangshuo County, Beijing-based studio Vector Architects has repurposed a 1960s disused sugar mill into a stunning retreat of Brutalist simplicity and contemplative views as a luxury resort, titled ‘Alila Yangshuo’.

Read more

The post In China’s Karst Region, Alila Yangshuo Resort Celebrates The Interaction Between Man-made And The Natural appeared first on IGNANT.

Formerly an 18th-century stock exchange building, the Bourse de Commerce–Pinault Collection, a Parisian museum, has been given a contemporary redesign by seminal Japanese architect Tadao Ando.

Read more

The post In Paris, Tadao Ando Has Transformed The Neo-Classical Bourse De Commerce Into A Concrete Masterwork appeared first on IGNANT.

In Texas, San Antonio architecture firm Clayton Korte has designed a sophisticated wine bar to be nestled into a limestone cave: ‘Hill Country Wine Cave’ almost completely disappears into the surrounding landscape, offering guests a charming, secluded experience for wine tasting out in nature.

Read more

The post Formerly A Limestone Cave, Clayton Korte Transform Rocky Site Into A Hidden Wine Cellar And Bar appeared first on IGNANT.

South Tyrol, the autonomous province in northern Italy, is known for its breathtaking natural landscapes; with the Dolomites mountain range providing some of the world’s most iconic skiing and cycling routes.

Read more

The post IGNANT’s South Tyrol Architecture Guide appeared first on IGNANT.

Austrian architect Bernardo Bader has designed a new home and studio for his eponymous firm’s practice titled ‘Atelier Klostergasse’. The geometric form of the concrete building looks as if it has emerged from a different realm of architecture; its slate-colored exterior and rectilinear shape stand in stark contrast to its surroundings.

Read more

The post In Austria, Bernardo Bader Architekten’s Atelier Klostergasse Stands Out From Its Surroundings appeared first on IGNANT.

The forward-thinking Chinese architecture practice Wutopia Lab has designed an impressive new exhibition center, located nearby the Daoist Mount Luofu in Guangdong, China.

Read more

The post Wutopia Lab’s Striking Aluminium Mountain Is Architecturally Inspired By The Sacred Mount Luofu appeared first on IGNANT.

Looking out over the lush bushland of Daylesford in central Victoria, Australia, ‘The Longhouse’ by architects Partners Hill is a giant multi-purpose glass greenhouse. Its sustainable rural architecture offers an internal ecosystem and habit which sustain both living in the landscape and of nature’s produce.

Read more

The post Partners Hill’s The Longhouse Is A Boutique Farm And Home Set In The Rustic Beauty Of The Australian Countryside appeared first on IGNANT.

Chinese architecture firm 0321studio has created a display, training, and retail space for independent floral expressionist studio R Society in Yixing, China. Minimal in design, the location highlights the harmony between the vibrant floral art and the more neutral steel and stone surfaces.

Read more

The post R Society Lets You Experience Floral Art In A Striking And Calming Environment appeared first on IGNANT.