Results: 118

Reflective surfaces in retail spaces

Peter Smisek

22.11.2023

Tasked with creating experiential retail spaces that attract and engage potential customers, interior designers and architects today have a range of tools at their disposal. Not least among them, shiny ones…

Sustainability in the UK: residential projects

Peter Smisek

20.10.2023

The world's climate emergency, as well as rocketing energy costs, means more sustainable and energy-efficient approaches to building are no longer just an option but rather a necessity.

Water in public-space architecture

Peter Smisek

01.09.2023

Water, whether river, lake or pool, not only adds playful potential to public-space architecture, it also offers numerous other aesthetic, practical and environmental benefits.

Industrial designs on contemporary facades

Peter Smisek

11.08.2023

Even ordinarily plain buildings can benefit from modern manufacturing techniques and technologies which enable the creation of more intricate, unique and characterful facades.

Luminous design pieces: how to artistically light a garden

Peter Smisek

21.07.2023

Today's lighting trends go beyond simple fixtures and create sculptural pieces in their own right, lighting exterior spaces in a multitude of exciting ways.

Dataflex: working for an ergonomic and sustainable future

Brand story

Peter Smisek

15.11.2022

Dutch company Dataflex has been supporting the health of office users for 40 years, but the carbon-neutral ergonomic specialists are equally dedicated to the wellbeing of the planet, too.

London calling: Decorex 2022

Brand story

Peter Smisek

09.09.2022

This year's Decorex interior design show from 9 to 12 October at Olympia London puts a strong emphasis on the joys of physical interaction and the immersive experience…

How to create quieter, cleaner kitchens with Falmec ...

Brand story

Peter Smisek

29.06.2022

Merging a long manufacturing tradition with cutting-edge technology while working with some of the industry's leading designers, locates Italian brand Falmec at the forefront of kitchen extractor hood evolution.

Sustainable sleep with Auping

Brand story

Peter Smisek

25.05.2022

Dutch sleep specialist Auping has been manufacturing mattresses and beds since 1888 and is now on a mission to realise its dream of a sustainable world.

Craftwand: working towards a more circular office

Brand story

Peter Smisek

03.05.2022

Craftwand's sustainable, modular system allows office planners to create and recreate versatile working spaces that bring benefits to users as well as to the environment.

Lighting up cultural venues

Peter Smisek

07.03.2022

Wherever it is applied, thoughtfully implemented lighting design holds the power to dramatically enhance our experience of architectural spaces – not least in our selection of recent cultural venue projects.

Revisiting Ukrainian interiors

Peter Smisek

03.03.2022

In a feature first published by Architonic in late 2020, we showcase once again – in solidarity with Ukraine – just some of the country's rich architectural creativity.

Hard work: new office designs that incorporate brick

Peter Smisek

23.02.2022

It's not for nothing that the humble brick has remained such a favourite with architects over the centuries, with its robust, versatile and sustainable qualities offering broad scope for creativity.

Gathering timber: wooden hotels in European mountain resorts

Peter Smisek

07.02.2022

The longevity, versatility and sustainability of wood make it an excellent material for building in harsh climates. Add to that its natural beauty, and it’s easy to understand why timber is experiencing a renaissance in European mountain resorts.

Space and materiality in new restaurant design

Peter Smisek

15.12.2021

Larger spaces can pose a specific set of challenges to the architects tasked with designing for them, but equally, they of course open up rich scope for creativity, too.

Back in brick – residential projects with a hard edge

Peter Smisek

01.12.2021

We may have moved on from a structural reliance on brick to keep our buildings up, but the traditional material’s natural aesthetic and texture is still standing strong in modern architecture.

Industrial design elements in retail interiors

Peter Smisek

17.11.2021

The latest retail projects reveal how the textures and materials of industry have been elevated and combined to create an otherworldly, often hard-edged, yet alluring aesthetic.

The use of colour on new office space projects

Peter Smisek

03.11.2021

For interior architects and designers, colour represents a powerful tool for not only shaping physical spaces, but also shaping the atmosphere and mood of the people who work in them.

Open-plan and multi-purpose: new kitchen spaces

Peter Smisek

20.10.2021

With Covid encouraging many people to rethink how living spaces can best be used, open-plan kitchens offer us multiple options for using a single area of the home for different purposes.

Design trends in bathrooms: exceptional sanitary equipment

Peter Smisek

19.10.2021

Whether bold colours or interesting textures, these stylish fixtures and finishes offer the latest in luxury wellness for the home.

How to utilise existing floors on refurbishment projects

Peter Smisek

06.10.2021

When it comes to the renovation of existing spaces, architects can find the optimal flooring solutions by merging existing features with contemporary new elements.

Decorex design event returns to London in October

Brand story

Peter Smisek

17.09.2021

Following a fully digital edition in 2020, this year Decorex returns to London’s Olympia as a live event from 10-13 October.

Basic instinct: rural getaways

Peter Smisek

18.08.2021

The pandemic has forced many holidaymakers to eschew foreign travel this year, but it has also allowed for the discovery of new, rustic architectural gems a little closer to home.

Software update: workplace textiles

Peter Smisek

04.08.2021

How to make office spaces more inviting to workers used to the comforts of home? For increasing numbers of interior architects and designers, textiles provide a compelling answer.

Hard to beat: concrete interiors

Peter Smisek

21.07.2021

Concrete packs a powerful architectural punch, not least when serving as a scene-setter in contemporary commercial spaces.

Cliffhangers: homes that hang on in there

Peter Smisek

07.07.2021

Dramatic coastal locations can make for dramatic architectural results – topographic and logistical challenges notwithstanding.

Newseum: cultural renovation projects

Peter Smisek

02.06.2021

In the right hands, building-renewal projects help us tackle modern environmental issues while at the same time breathing new life into existing architectural spaces.

Back to the source: new spa and bathing facilities

Peter Smisek

19.05.2021

With a gradual easing of lockdown restrictions, wellness facilities might soon be inviting people back into the water again – among them, our nature-embracing selection from across Europe.

LED it be!: the latest lighting projects

Peter Smisek

05.05.2021

The exponential growth of LED and other technologies has made light even more biddable as an architectural element, as the latest crop of restaurants and museums demonstrate.

Learning by building

Peter Smisek

21.04.2021

With third-level education booming globally, universities are in a fight to attract the brightest and the best – and to ensure their financial sustainability. Enter some of the brightest and best architects to help provide a competitive edge.

Ensemble piece: the latest cabin projects

Peter Smisek

07.04.2021

I want to be alone. Well, almost. Check out our global survey of cabin projects, where contemporary architecture becomes something akin to a sculpture park.

Making a spectacle of yourself: bathrooms open up

Peter Smisek

31.03.2021

In private homes and hotels alike, bathrooms are increasingly bringing the outside in, providing an unparalleled sense of well-being for the user.

Parklife: new green recreational spaces

Peter Smisek

17.03.2021

Parks have always provided urban dwellers with a respite from city stress, but now, as we begin to emerge from extended periods of lockdown, the puristic pleasure they offer becomes more inviting than ever.

Trade mission: China's new store projects

Peter Smisek

10.03.2021

Design is one of the tools that retailers in China are utilising to coax customers back offline – offering engaging, unique, analogue experiences that really speak to consumers.

Picture of health: new medical-facility design

Peter Smisek

24.02.2021

Can architecture help heal the body and mind? These projects take a holistic approach to the patient experience.

The social network: workspaces as meeting hubs

Peter Smisek

10.02.2021

What future the office? If these projects are anything to go by, tomorrow’s communal workplace will be more about social interaction than interacting with spreadsheets.

Out of office: cabin architecture

Peter Smisek

27.01.2021

Getting away from it all has never been so appealing. Check out our edit of some of the latest cabin builds out there.

Skin in the game: geometric facades

Peter Smisek

13.01.2021

Advances in software provide architects today with virtually unlimited possibilities for designing fantastical facades, but the deployment of simpler geometric forms can pack an equally powerful visual punch.

Raising the bar: new hospitality design

Peter Smisek

16.12.2020

Adaptive reuse projects may come with their own set of challenges, but, thoughtfully approached, they allow architects and designers to capitalise on a space’s pre-existing charms while breathing new life and purpose into it – as here, in our

Show-offs!: the latest showroom projects

Peter Smisek

02.12.2020

Showrooms represent an ideal setting for a brand to present its products to the public, but, with the right design team on board, they can also create longer-lasting, more meaningful consumer experiences.

Built for the future: HI-MACS®

Brand story

Peter Smisek

26.11.2020

It has never been more important to pay attention to the sustainable credentials of the materials we use in our buildings – and companies such as LG Hausys, manufacturer of HI-MACS®, are leading the way.

Light work: illuminating office spaces

Peter Smisek

18.11.2020

Lighting plays a crucial role in modern office design, where smart, thoughtful approaches help create the holistic, dynamic, creative atmospheres demanded of these spaces.

Face off: office facades

Brand story

Peter Smisek

21.10.2020

You only get one chance to make a good first impression, they say. The latest office facades do just that.

Cooking by numbers: chromatic kitchen projects

Peter Smisek

07.10.2020

Given the kitchen’s association with creativity and warmth, it’s no surprise to see a trend in colour-blocking bubble up. 

The sensitive type: Illan by Luceplan

Brand story

Peter Smisek

30.09.2020

Light in all senses of the word. Illan, from Italian lighting manufacturer LUCEPLAN, responds to the slightest of air currents. Pure poetry.

The paths to enlightenment: lighting design for landscape ...

Peter Smisek

23.09.2020

Lighting design not only shapes interior spaces, it can also be deployed to lend form and narrative to external, architectural landscapes.

Fortune cooking: hot restaurant projects from China

Peter Smisek

09.09.2020

With the continued growth of the restaurant industry in China, diners are increasingly finding the architectural value of these new eateries easily a match for the gastronomical creativity coming from their kitchens.

Art house: new cultural venues

Peter Smisek

19.08.2020

Can we live without culture? Or is it simply a nice-to-have? The recent lockdown and its attendant closing of venues has demonstrated how critical it is to who we are as a society. And the extent to which architecture mediates it.

Flexible friends: textiles in architecture

Peter Smisek

05.08.2020

Across a broad range of projects, whether office, retail space or school, interior designers and architects recognise textiles as a flexible, viable alternative to concrete, plaster and wood.

Glass ceiling: Saflex® Structural

Brand story

Peter Smisek

03.08.2020

In creating the dome of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ museum in Los Angeles, aesthetic and structural considerations were of paramount importance. For the designers, the choice was clear: SAFLEX® STRUCTURAL

If walls could talk: old structures reborn

Peter Smisek

22.07.2020

Build the wall! Build the wall! But, hang on. What’s to stop architects retaining some of the old walls of existing structure when rebuilding or adapting it? They certainly provide visual and haptic texture, while delivering intriguing

Shore thing: new beach-house projects

Peter Smisek

08.07.2020

The coast presents architects with a particular set of situational, topographical challenges and, at the same time, opportunities, when it comes to designing beach-side residences. How to hunker down while embracing the elements?

Brand building: the corporate campus expresses itself

Peter Smisek

17.06.2020

Large multinational companies are increasingly using architecture as a powerful tool both to express their individual brand identities, as well as to engage, motivate and excite employees.

A new school of thought: education projects that really ...

Peter Smisek

03.06.2020

Creative, innovative and outside-the-box thinking in education architecture serves not only to build schools that optimise learning conditions, it also drives architects and designers to find solutions that work for the environment.

All well and good: new health-spa design

Peter Smisek

20.05.2020

There’s more to wellness than warm pools and hot-stone massages – the spa experience can be significantly enhanced via considered architectural choices when it comes to materiality, colour and context.

Body shop: new retail spaces

Peter Smisek

06.05.2020

It’s undeniable that the online retail environment offers a multitude of advantages to consumers, particularly in the current climate. However, thoughtful and engaging design will always hold power to attract consumers out of internet stores and

A change is as good as a rest: adaptive reuse in hotel ...

Peter Smisek

22.04.2020

Repurposing an existing structure in architecture generally signals good news for the environment. When it comes to hotels, where architects get to celebrate, rediscover and reinterpret a building’s story, it also means creating added value for

Things are looking up: roof gardens

Peter Smisek

01.04.2020

In an increasingly urbanised world, the issue of how to create green spaces in any meaningful way is a pressing one for planners and architects. The renaissance of the roof garden might be one answer.

Island Life: kitchen spaces break out

Peter Smisek

18.03.2020

As kitchens become more sociable spaces, functionally flexible and open, the island unit ceases to serve simply as furniture, taking on a more central, architecturally meaningful, space-defining role.

Check in, get naked: the destination hotel bathroom

Peter Smisek

04.03.2020

When it comes to hotel bathrooms, designers are increasingly blurring the lines between where the bedroom ends and the bathroom starts – resulting in a richer, more joined-up experience for the user. 

The best medicine: new healthcare architecture

Peter Smisek

19.02.2020

The capacity of architecture to influence wellbeing finds perhaps its greatest utility in the area of healthcare, where thoughtful, empathetic design choices can have a profoundly positive effect on patients – and health professionals, too.

Re:work – adaptive reuse in office interiors

Peter Smisek

05.02.2020

Architects are adding value to the world of work via adapted workspaces that are small on carbon liability and big on creative solutions.

Know this: new university design

Peter Smisek

22.01.2020

The landscape of third-level education is changing and, with it, its literal architectural landscape. Flexible learning requires flexible spatial solutions.

Altitude with attitude: mountain homes

Peter Smisek

08.01.2020

Mountain-home architecture is aiming high. Structures pitted against the elements have evolved into residences that embrace both smart design as well as their often dramatic surroundings.

Thirsty work: new bar projects

Peter Smisek

18.12.2019

With the drinks market offering ever more specialist and niche products, bar owners are also increasingly trying to create unique and memorable design experiences for their customers.

A different class: new school architecture

Peter Smisek

04.12.2019

Schoolchildren have a greater chance of excelling in architecture that excels. Our latest survey of school projects from around the globe shows how it's done.

Pure fabrication: textiles in architecture

Peter Smisek

29.11.2019

Textiles and fabrics represent one of the earliest forms of human technology, as well as an effective, and not to mention sustainable, architectural element. And we’re not talking curtains.

Pillars of the community: government architecture

Peter Smisek

20.11.2019

Public architecture comes in many different shapes, sizes and forms – ranging from the grandiose, through the dull and functional, to the unwelcoming and even intimidating. At its best, however, it should reflect the place and people it was

Living the high life: residential towers

Peter Smisek

06.11.2019

With urban space at more of a premium than ever, architects have to look skyward for solutions. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of room for creativity up there.

Making an exhibition of themselves: new museum projects

Peter Smisek

23.10.2019

Museum architecture was built for showing off. Spectacular projects that exhibit themselves as much as the objects they house.

My office, my way: new workplace design

Peter Smisek

09.10.2019

Same chair, same desk, same office – not anymore. Today's office workers are increasingly demanding more from their workspaces and designers, as well as manufacturers, are responding. 

The face of retail: Aesop’s latest stores

Peter Smisek

30.09.2019

The global skincare brand that’s long recognised how exemplary interior design can function as a powerful marketing device shows off the latest cohort of its architecturally expressive stores.

Good taste: new restaurant design

Peter Smisek

25.09.2019

The latest restaurant interiors are as much about the metaphoric consumption of design-led, experience-delivering spaces, as they are the literal consumption of food. Let's order!

No place like home

Peter Smisek

20.09.2019

It’s not only Poland’s public building projects that are garnering praise these days – residential projects from a new generation of architects are also getting deserved attention.

Taste-makers: new kitchens turn up the gas

Peter Smisek

04.09.2019

As the trend for open-plan living/dining/cooking spaces continues apace, kitchen design becomes increasingly unfettered. It's a creative buffet where everyone's invited.

Yes, we can: coworking spaces up their game

Peter Smisek

21.08.2019

Not just hubs of industry and knowledge exchange, the latest cohort of coworking spaces serve as social platforms, too. And all gloriously analogue.

Pool party: architecture to bathe to

Brand story

Peter Smisek

07.08.2019

Summer time, and the livin’ is easy. Architects flex their athletic creativity in the pursuit of the perfect pool house.

Hot stuff: Poland's restaurants get cooking

Peter Smisek

25.07.2019

Polish architects and designers are serving up restaurant designs with a real depth of colour and texture.

Surf's up!: beach houses are making waves

Peter Smisek

23.07.2019

Contemporary beach homes are embracing designs that aim for sustainability and a seamless integration into their surrounding landscapes.

It's only natural: new spa projects

Peter Smisek

03.07.2019

Naked bodies call for natural materials, as an international survey of the latest spa projects demonstrates.

Up close and personal: micro-living spaces

Peter Smisek

19.06.2019

Super-small architectural spaces for living are having a big impact on the way we think about need, comfort and sustainability. Move a bit closer.

Water worlds: the new hotel-bathroom experience

Peter Smisek

05.06.2019

The bathroom experience is becoming an indispensable part of the hotel experience, as the latest survey of projects from around the globe shows.

Pole dancing: POLISH ARCHITECTURE SHOWS OFF

Peter Smisek

29.05.2019

Rapid economic growth in Poland has seen a concomitant boom in bold architectural activity. Witamy (as the locals say)!

Head to toe: new healthcare clinics

Peter Smisek

22.05.2019

Taking the pulse on new health clinics demonstrates a further move toward designing facilities that holistically support patients’ wellbeing.

In the bag: new retail-interior concepts

Peter Smisek

08.05.2019

Through their design-led, social-mediatised interiors, retail projects are getting out there.

Fun and games: new sports centres

Peter Smisek

24.04.2019

Staying active isn’t always easy, but a little motivation can go a long way. Architecturally expressive, multi-programme sports centres are helping users score some vital health goals.

Small Wonder: new kindergartens

Peter Smisek

03.04.2019

Design-led kindergartens aren't just places for storing kids. They're cleverly conceived spaces that support development through play and interaction.

Spaced out: new residential extensions

Peter Smisek

19.03.2019

'Don't move. Improve!' So goes the saying. And why not? What with increasing property prices and a greater need to think sustainably. Never was the home extension on such fertile ground.

Bedrooms that send you to sleep (in a good way)

Peter Smisek

06.03.2019

Far from the madding crowds and blanketed in nature, the bedrooms of these recently built, secluded retreats are the stuff dreams are made of.

Sky's the limit: new airport lounges fly high

Peter Smisek

18.02.2019

In-air travel might have lost some of its lustre, but newly designed airport lounges are changing the course with ultra-modern and luxurious settings that invite travellers to unwind or keep working in total comfort.

Free for all: new public spaces

Peter Smisek

05.02.2019

Whether it’s extra elbow room or a place to rub shoulders you’re looking for, new architect-designed public spaces give city dwellers a chance to choose their own adventure.

LET'S BLUE-SKY THIS!: NEW OFFICES BUILDINGS

Peter Smisek

22.01.2019

With their bold and expressive forms, textured facades, and sustainable-design features, new office blocks around the globe are showing that they mean business – now and in the future.

No reservations: new hotel designs that don’t hold back

Peter Smisek

08.01.2019

Not sleeping on the demands of today’s travellers, the latest hotel projects offer guests more experiential stays without skimping on amenities.

Friends in high places: loft living

Peter Smisek

18.12.2018

As cleverly adapted spaces, lofts projects provide toothy creative fodder for architects and aspirational living for their users.

Best in class: New schools have done their homework

Peter Smisek

04.12.2018

A shift in the classic classroom dynamic has occurred and architects have taken note, designing schools that are ready to respond to the future with a mind toward sustainability and more room for creativity.

Limited offer: pop-up retail spaces

Peter Smisek

22.11.2018

As bricks-and-mortar retail continues to suffer heavy losses, pop-up stores are stepping in – design-led, temporary spaces that are as much about a curated brand experience as they are about shifting stock.

Going underground: new metro stations

Peter Smisek

07.11.2018

How do you keep the masses on the move while making the passenger experience as efficient and pleasurable as possible? A number of recently completed metro stations show how. All aboard!

Old, not obsolete: new care homes

Peter Smisek

18.10.2018

As the number of relatively healthy older adults entering their golden years increases, architects are responding to their needs, designing care homes that offer residents more self-sufficiency and ways to stay active.

Close encounters: co-working spaces make contact

Peter Smisek

09.10.2018

The saying 'It's not just a job, it's a lifestyle' takes on a whole new meaning with our latest survey of co-working spaces from around the globe.

There's an app for that: new smart homes

Peter Smisek

07.08.2018

Equipped with intelligent technologies, the latest cohort of smart homes are opening the door to easier and more efficient living.

Size isn't everything: new micro architecture

Peter Smisek

19.07.2018

With the ability to live more sustainably, and just about anywhere, micro homes might just be the solution to really living large.

Playtime!: pavilions that push the boundaries

Peter Smisek

29.06.2018

Pavilion projects are like catnip for architects. These often impermanent structures provide the ideal testing ground for new concepts, forms and material expression.

The new naturists: cities go greener

Peter Smisek

18.06.2018

Urban greening projects are breathing new life into global cities by opening up public access to previously underused civic spaces.

In the swim of things: new swimming pools

Peter Smisek

05.06.2018

Recently completed pool projects around the globe provide more than a just quick dip. Their bold designs make for an altogether more atmospheric and immersive swim experience.

Parking for the people: new car parks

Peter Smisek

22.05.2018

With design concepts integrating environmental factors, multi-use function and strong aesthetics, today’s car parks are bringing man and machine into better coexistence.

Retail Reimagined: new store projects 

Peter Smisek

08.05.2018

Design-led store concepts are turning shopping into a resolutely aesthetic experience, with highly curated, supremely Instagrammable interiors.

You’ve changed: adaptive reuse in new architectural ...

Peter Smisek

24.04.2018

Old buildings are changing. Be it for reasons of historical preservation or land conservation, demolition is giving way to creative adaptation. It’s a whole new you.

Suite dreams: New hotel projects

Peter Smisek

03.04.2018

The rise of Airbnb may have been a blessing in disguise for some architects as hotels must now compete even harder for their guests. The need for outstanding design and a strong sense of place means a new, more characterful and more interesting breed

Snakes on a Plan: Medusagroup

Peter Smisek

28.03.2018

Award-winning Polish architectural office Medusagroup is on a roll. From large-scale commercial builds through to more intimate, poetic projects, their work never shys from bold formal expression and sensitive material consideration.

Eastern Promise: Polish architecture and design go large

Peter Smisek

28.03.2018

Look East! A burgeoning market and ever-increasing connectivity has provided fertile ground for architecture and design in Poland, with little sign of a slow-down.

Pole Apart: Oskar Zięta

Peter Smisek

28.03.2018

With innovation his watchword, Polish designer Oskar Zięta takes the road less-travelled.

Building our future: new school architecture

Peter Smisek

20.03.2018

We've learned that learning itself, when it's made enjoyable, produces better results. And architects have learned how to respond to this shift by displacing the battery-farm model of countless, characterless classrooms with altogether more dynamic

The architect will see you now: new health centres

Peter Smisek

06.03.2018

A healthy mind in a healthy body, goes the old aphorism. Add to that: in a healthy building. Successful clinics and medical centres prescribe architecture as part of the treatment.

State of the Art: museums that show off

Peter Smisek

20.02.2018

The museum has traditionally enjoyed a privileged, almost sacrosanct status in the cultural landscape. When it comes to the design of a new one, the stakes are high – with its architecture as much on show as its contents.

In good company: office architecture works it

Peter Smisek

05.02.2018

Bold, geometric forms and compelling facades characterise a new cohort of office buildings internationally, whose cool, professional dress signals the fact that they definitely mean business.

I've got the power: new energy plants

Peter Smisek

22.01.2018

New power stations around the globe are wielding the rhetorical power of architecture. Confident, sculptural forms, signifying the confident, new world of cleaner technologies.

Be boulder: new mountain homes

Peter Smisek

08.01.2018

In a raft of new residential projects, architects find breathtaking solutions to stage mountains' great natural capital, namely the magnificent views, without skimping on comfort.

Let's get physical: new sports centres

Peter Smisek

30.10.2017

A healthy mind in a healthy body. In a healthy bit of architecture. A raft of new sports halls are serving as a shot in the arm for their users – and for their urban, physical contexts.