New York studio Elizabeth Roberts Architects has restored a historic commercial space for a creative agency in Brooklyn, retaining original features while adding contemporary touches.

Sandwiched between blocks of red-brick rowhouses, the Degraw Street Office is located in the borough’s Cobble Hill neighbourhood.

The single-storey structure sits on a lot that Elizabeth Roberts Architects traced back to 1855 using historic maps.

While residential development on the site was present in the 1870s, the first clear record of an active storefront shows up in a 1940 tax photograph, when the structure was used as a barbershop.

“Over the decades, the space likely supported a series of modest commercial uses, each leaving subtle traces of its past,” said the studio. “This layered history shaped a preservation-minded approach to the renovation.”

The building is now home to production company Arts & Sciences, which also has offices in Los Angeles, Chicago and London.

The new office is designed to support a variety of functions, from focused writing and editing to collaborative sessions and client meetings.

During the renovation, the studio restored the black front facade, which includes a trio of set-back doorways and large windows.

“Much of the storefront’s original character had been lost through successive alterations, so the renovation sought to restore a sense of clarity and modest presence,” said Elizabeth Roberts Architects.

“The preserved black facade maintains the understated rhythm of the block and keeps the building visually connected to its historic neighbours.”

Inside, the expanses of glass fill the spaces with natural light, showcasing the exposed wooden ceiling beams and other characterful elements such as picture rails and panelling.

The central reception room includes tan-hued lounge furniture – arranged atop layered, textured carpets – and a disco ball above the doorway.

An office featuring a wood-topped desk and black leather chairs occupies the room to the left, while a meeting area furnished with a large table and green seats is housed in the space on the right.

Deep window ledges are utilised for storing books and displaying plants, which, together with beige cafe curtains help to create privacy for the occupants.

A curated collection of artworks and patterned rugs also adds colour and personality to the compact offices.

“This complete gut renovation transforms the once-humble commercial room into a warm, inviting environment suited to today’s creative practice, carrying forward the modest and welcoming character of Cobble Hill through a contemporary lens,” said Elizabeth Roberts Architects.

The Brooklyn and Bellport-based studio has previously completed a cedar alpine house in the Catskills Mountains that connects two gabled forms underground.

Other New York offices we’ve featured recently include a space designed by Charlap Hyman & Herrero for Mouthwash Studio, in which antique Persian rugs are blended with modern furniture.

The photography is by Chris Mottalini.

Our latest roundup looks at houses that take a novel approach to roof design, including a reimagination of the dormer window, an unconventional brick roof and waving concrete forms.

Clay Rise, UK, by Templeton Ford

Founders of British studio Templeton Ford reimagined a typical dormer window for their home in West Sussex, where the roof curves down in three tiers.

Clay bricks form the base of the home’s walls, and the upper portions were clad in clay tiles to match the distinctive, sweeping roof.

Find out more about Clay Rise ›

Mygunyah by the Circus, Australia, by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design

Australian studio Matt Gibson Architecture + Design expanded a 19th-century terraced house in Melbourne with two contrasting brick extensions – one built with black bricks and the other with pale-coloured bricks.

At both extensions, the brickwork runs seamlessly from the walls and over the pitched roofs, creating a slightly surreal appearance.

Find out more about Mygunyah by the Circus ›

Chuzhi, India, by Wallmakers

Designed to evoke the shape of a whirlpool, these snaking shapes form a sculptural roofscape at the Chuzhi house in Shoolagiri, India, which is partly embedded in a steep and rocky site.

Architecture studio Wallmakers aimed to blend the home in with the challenging topography, with earthen walls built around trees and rocks.

Find out more about Chuzhi ›

Earth, Japan, by Sou Fujimoto

Also designed to blend in with the landscape, this holiday home by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto features a circular garden that rises from ground level to form a green roof over the interior spaces.

Created for hotelier Not A Hotel, the coastal residence has an oval terrace that cuts into the planted roof and leads to a poolside living and dining room on the upper level.

Find out more about Earth ›

Omloop Farmhouse, Belgium, by Hé!

Brussels-based architecture studio Hé! updated this Flemish home in Belgium by replacing a portion of its traditional pitched roof with a glazed roof, creating a transparent extension of the roofline.

The glass-topped space contains a winter garden, which is divided from the rest of the home by a thick rammed-earth wall.

Find out more about Omloop Farmhouse ›

Vaazh House, India, by VY Architecture Studio

Ribbons of earth-toned concrete ribbons connect two single-storey blocks at Vaazh House in Tamil Nadu, forming a staggered, waving roof over the central patio.

Local practice VY Architecture Studio referenced the region’s mud architecture when designing the home, which was created for a family seeking a relaxing space away from their busy lives in nearby Chennai.

Find out more about Vaazh House ›

Casa Tobi, Mexico, by Espacio 18 Arquitectura

Designed to resemble a crab emerging from the rocks, this house by Mexican studio Espacio 18 Arquitectura features pink stucco walls and a symmetrical, stepped layout that aligns with the sloped site.

Located on the Oaxacan coast, Casa Tobi’s multiple rooftop spaces contain a swimming pool, semicircular water feature and social spaces overlooking the nearby sea.

Find out more about Casa Tobi ›

Leaf House, UK, by Michaelis Boyd

As its name suggests, Leaf House in the Cotswolds is characterised by two leaf-shaped roofs, which feature planted tops, gently upturned soffits, and steel “stems” that extend towards the ground.

It was designed by Alex Michaelis, co-founder of architecture studio Michaelis Boyd, who wanted to create a home rooted in the woodland setting for his own family.

Find out more about Leaf House ›

A monumental stone table forms the centrepiece of this jewellery store in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, which Parinamah Architects designed as a meditative space informed by religious rituals and symbology.

Parinamah Architects, which is based in the nearby city of Kochi, designed a space that aims to reflect Sabari Gold & Diamonds‘s brand philosophy, while focusing on craftsmanship.

“The brief was simple yet profound,” said Parinamah Architects principal architects Cyriac Panamkuzha and Thomas K Mathew.

“[Sabari Gold & Diamonds] founders Susmitha and Prashant envisioned an intimate, themed environment where one client could be attended to at a time – with complete focus, comfort and unhurried presence.”

Parinamah Architects incorporated references to Indian symbology, religion and traditions throughout the space, which displays just 15 pieces at any one time to highlight the exceptional details of the work.

Visitors enter the store through double doors intended to evoke temple gates found in the city of Tanjore. The weathered-steel doors are etched with motifs chosen to reflect the themes of devotion and time.

Coins from the client’s personal collection form a relief pattern on the door that is based on traditional kolam art and aims to embed their own personal legacy at the first touchpoint of the store.

A short hallway leads through an arched opening into the central display area, where a circular floor plan recalls the sacred circumambulatory path surrounding the main shrine in Indian temples.

“The flow supports our everyday operations, while the ambience invites clients to slow down and connect with our handcrafted gold,” said the clients.

The intimate salon is centred around a monumental table made from a single stone that anchors the space while providing a surface for presenting jewels.

The room features curved walls and built-in benches, all finished consistently with a lime render in order to create a cohesive environment where nothing distracts from the objects on display.

Arched niches in the walls add a sense of rhythm to the journey around the space, which is made to feel more magical by integrated lighting that automatically illuminates the niches as visitors approach.

Custom-made light fixtures crafted using a miniature bronze cymbal called an elathalam reference the rhythm of south Indian culture and provide a soft, focused glow around the room.

A corridor outside the main space features a weathered-steel panel depicting the wedding of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, while a gilded panel in the nearby lounge illustrates the seven books of the Ramayana.

Throughout the project, curved surfaces, seamless floors and a pared-back material palette embellished with subtle gold details help to create an atmosphere that encourages visitors to take their time exploring the pieces.

“The store is like a quiet sanctum,” the architects added, “meant not to impress instantly but to be observed slowly.”

“You come here to pause, to meditate, to move at a gentler pace, and to recognise, in silence, the piece that belongs to you,” they continued.

Elsewhere in India, architecture practice The Melange Studio has suspended a giant shoe from the facade of a sneaker store in New Delhi, while technology brand Nothing has opened a store in Bengaluru that takes its cues from factory assembly lines and workshop spaces.

The photography is by Avesh Gaur.

American musician A$AP Rocky and his design studio Hommemade have outfitted the interiors of a historic modular home by American architect Paul Rudolph for online design gallery Basic Space in Los Angeles.

A$AP Rocky and Hommemade placed high-end furniture in the Rudolph’s Walker Guest House, created early in the celebrated architect’s career in 1951.

The modernist guest house features a modular steel-grid system, wooden wind flaps weighted by metal orbs and is supported by stilts.

It was created for a site on a remote island in Florida, but moved to California in 2020 after purchase, where it has sat in storage before being reassembled for Basic Space.

The building is being shown publicly for the first time at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles. Basic Space and Hommemade worked with a local architecture studio to refurbish the structure for presentation.

A two-by-four board wall system shows the point where the house was cut in two to move and store it. The two-by-fours also support an artwork by Italian artist Mauricio Cattelan.

For the present sale, Hommemade’s approach focused on decking out the structure with colourful contemporary and historical furniture.

Hommemade’s curation features several pieces by the Italian designer Gaetano Pesce, including his Salvatore Lamp.

These are accompanied by several other 1980s pieces by the postmodern Memphis Group, among them the seminal Carlton Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass.

The home’s living room is centred on a sofa by mid-century French designer Raphaël Raffel and the 2015 Bolotas Armchair by Brazil’s Estudio Campana.

Two contemporary LA studios, Caleb Engstrom and Willett created a small table and coffee table, respectively, for the living room.

Mid-century appliances appear in the kitchen, counterbalanced by a furry cactus sculpture that was born from a collaboration between Gufram and Hommemade.

The bedroom features a studio piano by German industrial designer Thilo Oerke and a bed from the late 1960s by Florence’s Superstudio.

The bed, owned by A$AP Rocky, is the only item in the guesthouse not for sale.

The house is part of the wider Basic Space.LA event, which includes a series of shows anchored around a primary exhibition at the city’s Pacific Design Center.

Carpenter Workshop Gallery is putting on an exhibition by Rick Owens, while Rajan Bijlani is showing Pierre Jeanneret pieces from his and Le Corbusier’s masterplan for the Indian administrative centre at Chandigarh.

Elsewhere, publishing house HURS has curated an exhibition spotlighting women in design.

Basic Space.LA has become known for its large-scale sale items. Last year, Basic Space.LA featured a Jean Prouvé gas station that was assembled on site and eventually sold.

A$AP Rocky launched Hommemade in 2022 in Miami.

The photography is by Matthew Kavanagh. 

Basic Space.LA runs from 28 to 29 March in Los Angeles. For more global architecture and design events visit Dezeen Events Guide. 

A circular conversation pit sits at the heart of Seaside House, the renovation of a 1930s coastal cabin near Bordeaux by Studio Razavi.

Studio Razavi updating the 1930s cabin, which is nestled among pine trees at the tip of the Cap Ferret headland on the Atlantic coast, for contemporary living.

Driven by the idea of creating an uninterrupted flow through the centre of Seaside House, the studio removed all of the cabin’s central partition walls to create a single, open living space, which opens out onto a decked terrace at either side.

“The local lifestyle revolves around constantly moving in and out of houses, which led us to opt for a centrally sunken living room that creates a circulation flow all around,” project architects Guillen Berniolles and Michele Sacchi told Dezeen.

“All existing partitions were demolished, leaving the building’s envelope untouched so a circle – the living room – could be placed at the centre of the house, surrounded by bedrooms,” they continued.

“Sinking the living area was important so it would be clearly delineated without interrupting views across the building, from one facade to the other.”

Around the edge of this circular conversation pit, a low wall integrates elements that support the surrounding dining and kitchen areas, including a sink and storage units.

A pale concrete floor, white walls and oak carpentry bring a light, airy feel to the central space, while to the north a gently curved section of wall follows the curve of the central seating area.

The three en-suite bedrooms on either side of Seaside House’s living area feature similar finishes, with windows overlooking the home’s terrace and skylights in the bathrooms.

“Because everything is built directly on sand, floors are poured-in-place concrete to avoid joints and simplify maintenance,” explained Berniolles and Sacchi.

“Most furniture pieces are solid wood or veneer, directly referencing this region, home to France’s largest forest and Europe’s largest man-made forest,” they added.

To the west of the main cabin, a smaller guest bedroom annexe is housed in a new, standalone volume clad in dark timber to blend with the surrounding tree trunks.

Studio Razavi was founded by architect Alireza Razavi and has offices in London, Paris and New York.

Previous projects by the studio include the renovation of an apartment in a historic Lyon neighbourhood, and a Spanish tapas bar and restaurant in New York informed by a market in Barcelona.

The photography is by Simone Bossi.

As a landmark exhibition on avant-garde fashion house Schiaparelli opens at London’s V&A, curator Sonnet Stanfill walks Dezeen through five highlights and hidden gems you won’t want to miss.

Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art is the first UK exhibition dedicated to the maison founded by the late Elsa Schiaparelli in 1927, known for interpreting the interwar surrealist movement through cloth.

Among the 400 objects on show are some of the Parisian fashion house’s most celebrated yet little-seen pieces, including the only surviving Skeleton dress designed by Schiaparelli and artist Salvador Dalí in 1938.

“I think there could be a misconception that she simply took surrealist motifs and stuck them on her clothes, when in fact, she was an active collaborative partner in the design process,” V&A senior curator of fashion Sonnet Stanfill told Dezeen.

“Her clothes were an expression of a surrealist aesthetic that reflected her role as an active protagonist in the surrealist movement. And in fact, people considered her couture salon in Paris as the beating heart of the surrealist movement.”

At the V&A, this creative dialogue is visualised through more than 50 pieces of art, including Dalí’s famous lobster telephone, placed alongside some 100 Schiaparelli garments.

The exhibition design by London studio Nebbia fosters a sense of surrealism by guiding visitors to double back on themselves several times throughout the show to see the same object from a different perspective and create a feeling of deja vu.

But, Stanfill also wanted to go beyond Schiaparelli’s blockbuster collaborations to highlight some lesser charted parts of her work – her unexpected focus on practicality, for example, and her pieces for private clients at the house’s historic London branch in Mayfair.

“Her most remembered garments, because they’re the most notable and visually shocking in some ways, are her collaborations with Dalí and with Jean Cocteau,” the curator explained.

“But I hope that that’s not all she’ll be remembered for in history books, and that’s something that we work really hard to show, is that there’s so much else aside from the surrealist collaborations,” she continued.

“We are trying to highlight things that perhaps other exhibitions and other publications didn’t delve into too deeply.”

This also includes her leading work for stage and screen, which speaks to Schiaparelli’s ability to capture the attention economy long before such a term even existed.

“If you take, for example, a theatre production on the West End in London in the 1930s, if it was a long run and all the seats were full, that could reach a quarter of a million people,” Stanfill explained.

“And if your name as the fashion designer is in the programme as costuming the leading lady – gowns by Schiaparelli, with the address of where you can buy the clothes – that was the equivalent of a kind of Instagram account.”

In many ways, Stanfill says, this talent is mirrored in Schiaparelli’s current creative director, Daniel Roseberry, who has led the fashion house since 2019.

Through pieces such as his trompe l’oeil and faux taxidermy gowns, the American designer has managed to bring a new generation of famous fans to the label, who epitomise the social media generation, whether Bella Hadid or the Kardashians.

“Daniel Roseberry has captured the imagination of the social media world,” Stanfill said.

“Schiaparelli is celebrating its 100th anniversary next year, and across the century, there is this incredible shared skill at communicating the creative process to a wide audience. They may not even be clients or particularly knowledgeable about fashion. But I think one doesn’t have to be, to understand it.”

Read on for five key pieces to look out for in the exhibition.

Evening suit by Elsa Schiaparelli, Autumn 1937

“This suit was one of several Schiaparelli ensembles from the Autumn 1937 season to feature jackets with intricate embroidery around the collar and down the centre front, a nod to the habit à la française – the most formal and luxurious man’s attire of the late eighteenth century.

“Such complex surface decoration epitomises the highly skilled embroidery executed for Schiaparelli in the workshops of the specialist firm Lesage. The suit was worn by Lady Alexandra Haig, who chose to wear it in a portrait published in society magazine The Tatler in January 1938.”

Shocking perfume bottle by Lenor Fini, 1937

“Schiaparelli commissioned her friend, artist Leonor Fini, to design the bottle of her most famous perfume, Shocking. Its shape was modelled on the dress form of actress Mae West, then in Schiaparelli’s atelier, and featured a measuring tape around the shoulders.

“Fini, whose surrealist artworks often referenced clothing, was disappointed by the addition of small flowers to her design by Schiaparelli’s commercial director.”

Skeleton dress by Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dalí, Summer 1938

“This is the first Elsa Schiaparelli dress you will see in the exhibition. It’s significant because Schiaparelli collaborated with artist Salvador Dalí to create it. Together, they brought a skeleton to life using the trapunto quilting technique, stitching the outline through two layers of fabric with wadding.

“The sheer material, combined with the padded spine, ribcage, collarbones and hip joints, implies we are seeing the wearer’s own flesh and bones. It is the only known original of the Skeleton dress.”

Lobster telephone by Salvador Dalí, 1938

“Lobsters were a prevailing motif for Salvador Dalí, who considered them sexually charged. For Schiaparelli beachwear, he drew a lobster among parsley, which was transferred to silk by designer Paul Sache. For Schiaparelli’s Summer 1937 collection, he then proposed applying the design to a simple high‑waisted dinner dress, suggestively positioning the creature on the skirt.

“When poet Edward James commissioned Dalí to make the Lobster Telephone, which the artist created in 1938, it reflected the free flow of ideas between artist, designer and writer.”

Custom gown for Ariana Grande by Daniel Roseberry, 2025

“Nominated as Best Supporting Actress for her role in the musical Wicked, Ariana Grande took centre stage in this glittering gown at the 2025 Oscars.

“The heel at the back pays homage to Dorothy’s ruby slippers from the original 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. It also alludes to Elsa Schiaparelli’s Shoe hat, created in collaboration with Salvador Dalí.”

Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art takes place from 28 March to 1 November 2026 at the V&A. For more up-to-date events in architecture and design around the world, visit Dezeen Events Guide.

This month’s Dezeen In Depth newsletter features an interview with legendary designer Marc Newson and investigates Africa’s skyscraper boom. Subscribe to Dezeen In Depth today!

This month, Dezeen designer editor Jennifer Hahn spoke to Newson about his 40-year career.

The latest edition of Dezeen In Depth also featured a piece on the skyscraper construction surge in Africa by our editor-at-large Amy Frearson and an opinion piece by Dezeen columnist Smith Mordak on the circular economy.

Dezeen In Depth

Dezeen In Depth is sent on the last Friday of every month and delves deeper into the major stories shaping architecture and design. Each edition includes an original feature article on a key topic or trend, an interview with a prominent industry figure and an opinion piece from a leading critic. Read the latest edition of Dezeen In Depth or subscribe here.

You can also subscribe to our other newsletters; Dezeen Agenda is sent every Thursday containing a selection of the most important news highlights from the week, Dezeen Debate is sent every Tuesday featuring a selection of the best reader comments and most talked-about stories and Dezeen Daily is our daily bulletin that contains every story published in the preceding 24 hours on Dezeen.

This week on Dezeen, we spoke to elusive architect Smiljan Radić about his “surprise” Pritzker Architecture Prize win.

Radić explained how he was surprised by the win and didn’t want his work to be seen as a blueprint for “good or bad” architecture.

“There is no message in what I do,” he said. “I’m not interested in it becoming a kind of sermon about what is good or bad in architecture.”

We also spoke to Australian designer Marc Newson about his 40-year career in an exclusive interview at his retrospective show at Château La Coste in the south of France.

Newson, who designed the most expensive work ever sold at auction by a living designer, talked to Dezeen about quality and affordability. “Anything good is kind of costly,” he said.

In other design news, the kits that the trio of host nations will wear at the World Cup later this year were revealed. The US home shirts have bold red stripes, while the jerseys for Mexico pay homage to Aztec sculpture.

We also revealed the England World Cup kits, which Nike described as “unapologetically English”.

As Africa experiences a mini-boom in skyscraper construction, we investigated why towers are rising across the continent in countries including Egypt, Ethiopia and Ivory Coast.

We asked – is this spate of construction cause for alarm?

We also reported that multiple construction contracts for work on the Neom mega project in Saudi Arabia had been cancelled.

Steel company Eversendai, Italian contractor Webuild and Hyundai Engineering and Construction all recently announced that their contracts had been terminated.

Popular projects on Dezeen this week included a cork-clad loft extension in London, a timber-lined house in the Netherlands and a home on a Washington island.

Listen to our journalists talk about the key design and architecture stories of the past seven days on our Dezeen Weekly podcast, which this week focused on the AIA’s legal action against Donald Trump.

This week on Dezeen

This week on Dezeen is our regular roundup of the week’s top news stories. Subscribe to our newsletters to be sure you don’t miss anything.

Local studio Benjamin Hall Design has attached an accessory dwelling unit made of concrete block to an existing house to accommodate a multi-generational family in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

Known as Moon Valley Residence, the 1,756-square-foot (163-square-metre) dwelling was designed to intentionally contrast the original 1970s suburban main home, set in a golf community that looks eastward to a rock formation called Lookout Mountain.

Completed in 2025, the ADU shares an access door with the main house, but maintains self-sufficiency and privacy both spatially and from the curved wall that shields the dwelling from the cul-de-sac.

Constructed with grey concrete masonry units (CMU) as both the exterior and interior finished material, the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) draws inspiration from studio founder Benjamin Hall‘s childhood memories of travelling through the Southwest US with his father.

“We explored the ancient Native American ruins called Montezuma Castle – this experience subconsciously embedded itself into my thinking of this project,” the founder of Benjamin Hall Design told Dezeen.

“It was used as a reference on scale, stacking forms and how to mitigate the desert’s natural heat and light by undulating mass and aperture.”

Set lower than the profile of the main house, the ADU is composed of four volumes with apertures strategically carved out to curate views of the surroundings.

“These four rectilinear volumes each identify themselves at different elevations,” he said. “On the interior you can feel the scale – compression and release – of each of the volumes and their relationship with the body and program of the space.”

This passes to the second volume, containing a living room and kitchen with a view of Lookout Mountain. A glazed interstitial volume leads to the sleeping quarters with a guest suite and a primary suite with another private patio.

The first volume connects the ADU to the main house via a wedge-shaped dining space with sliding glass doors that open to a private patio.

The layout allows a retired couple to age in place privately while directly connected to their children and grandchildren who occupy the main house.

In addition to strategic spans that allowed for self-supporting masonry ceilings, the continuous material of the CMU block required all of the utilities to be contained within built-in millwork.

“The integration of utilities is carefully moulded into the cohesive strategy that embeds itself into the thickness of masonry and the mailability of concrete,” Hall said.

“You will notice that no outlets reside in the masonry and the day-to-day haptic experience with the architecture – light switches, door pulls, countertop surface – are embedded into the experience of engaging with the architecture.”

Other residential projects recently completed around Phoenix include a weathering steel micro-building by Kendle Design, a Corten cabin designed to act as a telescope by Wendell Burnette Architects and a white ranch house styled after its mid-century modern neighbors by The Ranch Mine.

The photography is by Logan Havens.

Project credits:

Architecture: Benjamin Hall Design
Contractor: Rare Form Builders
Structural Engineering: Structurology

Architecture studio Haworth Tompkins has updated and extended the Grade II-listed Theatr Clwyd in Wales, transforming the sprawling cultural centre into a “welcoming civic destination”.

Situated on a hillside above the town of Mold in north Wales, Theatr Clwyd, which opened in 1976, was in need of an upgrade to its fragmented public spaces and dated facilities.

London-based Haworth Tompkins adopted a “deep retrofit strategy” that aimed to preserve the majority of the theatre’s existing concrete and brick structure, while adding “minimal extensions”.

The redevelopment also included the overhaul of the building’s mechanical and electrical services, as well as fabric improvements and the integration of passive design strategies and on-site photovoltaic panels.

“Our ambition was to retain the spirit and character of the original 1970s Grade II-listed building, while opening the building up to its spectacular rural landscape setting and to the community it serves,” said studio director Lucy Picardo.

“Working closely with the theatre team, we have reimagined the building as a welcoming civic destination,” Picardo continued.

“The result is a renewed theatre that celebrates its past while creating a technically capable and inspiring setting for theatre-making long into the future.”

Central to the redevelopment was the creation of a more inviting entrance for the 10,000-square-metre complex, which could previously be entered at three different points.

“One of our design principles was to welcome everyone through the same front door and make it prominent and welcoming,” Picardo explained.

To achieve this, the studio added a three-storey glazed extension to the building’s front. Its timber and steel frame extends outwards to shelter an external patio at ground level and first-floor balcony.

Entering through the extension, visitors are guided into a reception and cafe at ground level, where a newly-added central staircase and lifts replace a “convoluted and restrictive” circulation core and improve accessibility.

On the first floor, the front extension has been arranged around a central atrium that traverses three levels and is framed by large timber columns that demarcate the position of the original facade.

Full-height glazing and a roof opening draw daylight into the space, which hosts a restaurant and adjacent bar overlooked by additional seating on the upper floor.

Haworth Tompkins opted for a warm and “robust” material palette for interior, combining the extension’s glulam, cross laminated timber (CLT) and red-toned steelwork structure with copper surfaces and pale wooden floors.

Silicone light fixtures designed by Rob McIntyre adorn the communal spaces, along with commissioned artwork, including a ceramic tile display by Frances Priest and events room curtain by Sauda Imam.

Alongside the upgrading of the centre’s three performance spaces, events room and cinema, the building now also includes rehearsal rooms, studios, workshops and an office.

These spaces are largely connected by an “internal street” on the first floor, which runs between the building’s east and west wings.

“Part of our primary move was to make it really generous, legible and easy to navigate,” Picardo said.

At the building’s eastern end, two existing auditoria have been largely structurally preserved and fitted with modern lighting and technical facilities.

At the opposite end of the complex, a carpentry workshop composed of concrete block walls has been built alongside new studio spaces and is overlooked by a public viewing walkway.

The studio also revamped an existing ground-floor cinema, which included the expansion of an adjacent foyer.

Other spaces, which are yet to be completed as part of the redevelopment, include a play area and a sensory garden designed to create more inclusive community spaces.

Previously, the studio completed an extension of The Old Vic in London, fronting it with a colourful facade of recycled spotlights, and completed The Court Theatre in New Zealand with timber benches and large windows.

The photography is by Philip Vile.

Design studios Yes Make, Resolve Collective and Material Cultures have overhauled a warehouse in London to create Tipping Point East, the UK’s first dedicated circular construction hub.

Yes Make, Resolve Collective and Material Cultures worked with Newham Council and the Greater London Authority to open Tipping Point East, which will organise construction waste materials to be reused for other buildings.

Yes Make led the transformation of the warehouse in Newham’s Royal Docks, which had been left derelict for nine years.

“By harnessing our skill set and our access to materials, we were able to deliver a remedial plan, electrical fit out and full factory control process to ensure it remains a great building for years to come – one that can serve the material revolution that we are driving at Tipping Point East,” Yes Make founder Joel De Mowbray told Dezeen.

Tipping Point East is divided into zones that help facilitate the material sorting process.

For waste materials coming into the hub, there are initial loading zones, a quarantine area for pre-inspection, and an area for inspection, inventory and material passporting.

After the materials are inspected, they are then brought into the building and placed in storage areas, ensuring contaminants do not enter the hub.

The second half of the warehouse is used for processing materials according to client specifications, including cleaning, respraying and cutting, and preparing them to be distributed for reuse.

Elsewhere in the hub is a community workshop, events and training spaces, an electrical testing facility, a collective office space, a materials store run by Resolve Collective, and an assembly space for large-scale group builds.

According to De Mowbray, London produces 10 million tons of construction waste a year, and construction and demolition make up 62 per cent of the UK’s waste.

He believes that preventing this waste from going into landfill will reduce the construction sector’s carbon impact and make the cost of building materials more stable.

“The scale of available materials can and will have a significant impact on domesticating the means of production,” he said. “In short, we have all the materials we need; we just need to stop smashing them into bins and skips.”

“At a national scale, this can have a stabilising influence on the price volatility in material markets that has arisen from global political instability,” he continued.

Following the launch of Tipping Point East, De Mowbray hopes to see more circular construction hubs established across the UK.

“Physical space, the risk appetite to take on this immense challenge, and the practical mindset to overcome barriers, are fundamental to successfully establishing reuse hubs,” he said. “The problem is national, so the solution must be, too.”

“Five years ago, Yes Make was a small box of tools and a travelcard,” De Mowbray continued. “In five years, we will absolutely be leading the charge nationally to scale out this infrastructure and normalise reuse, much in the same way that recycling has been normalised.”

Tipping Point East forms part of the first phase of a Circular Economy Village in the Silvertown district, and aims to support the London mayor’s goal for the capital to be a zero-carbon city by 2030.

Recently on Dezeen, architect and writer Smith Mordak criticised circular economy strategies for being too vague.

Other warehouse transformations that have featured on Dezeen include a youth centre located in a group of disused Victorian warehouses in Grimsby, and a London warehouse complex that was expanded to form a creative hub.

The photography is by Henry Woide.

Why did a coalition including the AIA file a lawsuit against Donald Trump this week? How did a conversational AI toy respond when a child told it “I love you”? Listen to the latest episode of Dezeen Weekly now.

Plus: why are there concerns about the skyscrapers springing up across Africa?

In this episode, Dezeen features editor Nat Barker and design editor Jennifer Hahn discuss the row over Trump’s renovation plans for the Kennedy Center, as well as his decision to rename the building after himself.

Then, they delve into the findings from a study on the potential psychological impacts for young children of a growing wave of toys embedded with AI chatbots.

Finally, they give an overview of high-rise construction in Africa, and the arguments for and against building skyscrapers in the continent.

Dezeen Weekly artwork is by Simon Volt.

Dezeen Weekly is an original Dezeen podcast in which two of our journalists talk about the key design and architecture stories of the week. Listen to the latest episode using the player above or on your favourite podcast app, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

French architecture studio Exercice has installed four unconventional table tennis tables at a school in Ingré, France, to encourage children to make up their own rules and strategies.

Named Ping Pong Park, the equipment is an extension of Exercice‘s research into play as a means for social connection, which has resulted in a series of playgrounds with objects that can be used in different ways.

“These are not conventional sports installations, but social sculptures: accessible, participatory and constantly evolving through collective appropriation,” the studio pointed out.

Individual examples of the ping pong tables have featured in some of these previous projects, while the complete range of indoor and outdoor versions available to purchase from French brand Nedj.

The tables are designed as a sculptural objects with distinctive aesthetic identities that allow them to stand alone as autonomous artworks. When in use, the pieces transform into social spaces where the need to define rules encourages dialogue, negotiation and shared decision making.

“Their participatory nature ensures constant renewal: players change, customs emerge, rules persist, transform and are transmitted from one generation of users to another,” added Exercice.

The Ingré high school project was conceived as a sculptural and social landmark within the playground that the designers claimed encourages a “less competitive, more collaborative approach to sport.”

The four tables were made from materials including galvanised steel and high-pressure laminate that can withstand regular use, and were designed to provide new play experiences based on a universally understood format.

The futuristic-looking Rebound table features raised sides that expand the playing surface vertically, requiring players to anticipate how the ball will rebound when crossing the net.

The organically shaped Golf table narrows towards the centre, with the resulting form encouraging longer shots.

Hitting the ball into the holes on either side can be considered a winning point or a foul, depending on the rules the players choose to play by.

The simple Rotating table is designed for tournante – a common multi-player variant of table tennis where players take turns running around the table to play the next shot.

The round form allows for safe and easy circulation, encouraging continuous movement and collective play for up to six or seven players.

The triolectical theories developed by Danish artist Asger Jorn as an alternative to two-sided “us versus them” confrontations informed the three-part arrangement of the Trio table.

The design invites players to form temporary alliances and continuously adapt to achieve victory against stronger players through strategy, negotiation and teamwork.

Exercice explained that children bring “imagination, experimentation and creativity” to the way the equipment is used, which transforms the players into co-creators of unique games and experiences.

“Through Ping Pong Park, we continue our exploration of play as a universal language,” the studio added, “capable of connecting individuals, generating social bonds and transforming public space into a living, shared environment where art is not only observed – but lived.”

Other unusual table tennis projects featured on Dezeen include an outdoor table made from monolithic concrete slabs and an all-silver installation created to coincide with the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The photography is courtesy of Exercice.

Promotion: consumer electronics brand Samsung will explore the human side of technology with an exhibition showcasing experimental concepts and its recent products at Milan design week 2026.

Named “Design is an Act of Love”, the exhibition at Superstudio Piu was designed as a “laboratory for exploration”.

“Milan design week is where global design culture meets – an open stage for creativity and dialogue,” Samsung Electronics chief design officer Mauro Porcini told Dezeen.

“It allows us to share our vision beyond products, engaging with the design community and society at large, positioning technology as a cultural force shaped by humanity, to shape the future of humanity.”

The event, which will run from 20 to 26 April, will explore how ideas and concepts become reality.

“It’s not a static showcase, but a space for exploration,” added Porcini. “We present experiments and evolving visions, inviting dialogue and feedback.”

“It reflects how innovation happens today: open, iterative, and shaped by continuous exchange with people.”

During the exhibition, Samsung and Dezeen will host a Design Talk focused on the relationship between humans and technology.

“Design begins with care”

Samsung hopes to present a glimpse into how the brand is crafting human-centred and expressive design, enabled by technology that is personal and can make an emotional connection with people.

“It comes from a simple belief: design begins with care,” explained Porcini. “Historically, humans created to survive, express, and connect.”

“At its best, design is a generous act – shaping solutions that improve lives,” he continued. “We are exploring how technology can become more expressive and meaningful.”

“It reflects a shift from the rigidity of ‘form follows function’ to ‘form and function follow meaning’, a new formula where design is no longer fixed, but fluid and flexible, evolving through interfaces and personalisation to reflect human diversity.”

Within the exhibition, Samsung will showcase a combination of recently launched products and advanced concepts.

“From wearables to speakers and displays, from intelligent companions to kitchen experiences – all enabled by AI – we bring this vision to life through a series of concepts and experiments, in dialogue with existing commercial products already moving in this direction,” added Porcini.

“We hope people leave inspired”

The exhibition will also consider the role that artificial intelligence (AI) will play in future products.

“As AI, automation and robotics become deeply embedded in our lives, technology will shape how we live, feel, and connect more than ever,” said Porcini.

“It is critical that companies and leaders focus their design efforts on authentic human value creation – blending meaning, emotion, and quality of life with performance, efficiency, and productivity,” he continued.

“AI systems must be guided by humanity as both an ethical responsibility and a business opportunity.”

Overall, Porcini hopes that visitors to the exhibition will leave with an understanding of how technology can be more human.

“[I hope people gain] a sense that technology can be more human, supporting well-being, creativity, and identity,” he said. “We hope people leave inspired, seeing how design can enrich everyday life, seamlessly blending into our existence, sometimes in a subtle way, sometimes with a strong iconic presence.”

Milan design week takes place from 20 to 26 April. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

Partnership content

This article was written for Samsung Electronics as part of a partnership. Find out more about our partnership content here.

Local design practice Studio Blur has created a concrete building with a sawtooth roof for the visual arts department of a school in Quito, Ecuador.

Known as Aulas de Arte at the Unidad Educativa Cardenal Spellman, or the Visual Arts Building at the Cardinal Spellman Salesian Bilingual School, the 142-square metre (1,528-square foot) project opened in 2024 on a 3-acre plot that already contained a classroom building, church and gymnasium.

The three-storey, wedge-shaped building allowed for an adjacent green space that reinvigorated and reconnected the campus.

Studio Blur‘s design was informed by modernist architect Le Corbusier’s design for the house and studio of Amédée Ozenfant, a 1922 Paris building that has inspired architects such as Juan O’Gorman and David Chipperfield.

“There must be something profound in that foundational work that continues to justify its study,” the studio told Dezeen.

“We hope that through this reference, one may discern an echo of what our art building aspires to be – and perhaps, a trace of that inspiration which once guided us.”

Like the Ozenfant House, the arts building is driven by natural lighting that creates unique atmospheres for different activities at distinct times.

“This dynamic interaction between light and architectural structure generates rich environments that enhance the sensory experience while reinforcing the narrative,” the studio said, explaining that the monolithic concrete structure and strategic openings allowed it to animate the building from the thresholds.

The plan is organised around a diagonal axis with a basement containing service spaces that look up and out to the stepped garden. The ground floor contains a graphic design classroom with controlled openings that maximise natural light and ventilation while minimising external noise.

Meanwhile, the crowning upper level houses a painting studio with diffused, homogeneous light that filters into the space through a large bay of windows and three saw-toothed skylights.

Each of the floors is connected by a rounded double-run staircase that loops across the intersection of the arts wing and the classroom building, bridging the new and old structures with white, speckled terrazzo.

The exterior of the building is exposed concrete, expressing the interior form and structural logic. Two post-tensioned slabs leave the interior of the classrooms open for use.

“The exposed concrete structural system not only addresses the project’s structural challenges and trapezoidal floor plan but also minimizes long-term maintenance costs,” the team explained.

The natural wood floors of the graphic design classroom and soft grey floors of the painting studio are subtly raked, cascading down to a teaching or display area.

“The project’s greatest success lies in its genuine connection with the children who inhabit it,” the studio said.

“By prioritizing experiential richness – through intentional natural light, quality materials and carefully calibrated spatial proportions – the architecture became an integral part of their daily lives and learning.”

Other public projects recently completed in Quito include a hillside pavilion for mountain bikers by URLO Studio, a children’s play area in a museum placed in a historic factory by Morphism and a restaurant with a rippled, reflective ceiling by Felipe Escudero.

The photography is by JAG Studio.

Project credits:

Architect: Studio Blur
Contractor: Studio Blur
Project team: Aurelio Peñaherrera, Juan Sebastián Cardona, Darwin Sánchez
Structural engineer: Momentum
Mechanical engineer: HYDROGROUP
Electrical engineer: IESCO
Client: Sociedad de Madres Salesianas