Interior Design – Dear Earth

Image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay

The Pros and Cons of Different Types of Blinds

Choosing blinds for your home might seem like a simple task, but it isn’t. Blinds will have a direct effect on how much light enters a room. They can also affect how much privacy you get. The wrong blinds could ruin a room’s design or have serious limitations. There are even types of blinds that could help you sleep better or reduce your energy consumption. So, this isn’t something you can leave to chance. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular types of blinds as well as the benefits and disadvantages of each so you can make the right decision.

Horizontal Blinds

Horizontal blinds, or Venetian blinds as they’re commonly referred to, are made of horizontal slats attached to a headrail by a cord. The headrail is usually a metal box that contains the mechanism that allows you to control the blinds. The headrail on wooden and faux-wood horizontal blinds will usually be covered by a valance made to look like the slats. These blinds will have two cords. One of the cords will allow you to rotate the blinds, while the other will allow you to lift them up or down. You can find blinds made of faux wood, natural wood, and aluminium.

One of the best things about aluminium horizontal blinds is that they don’t warp in the heat. This makes them a great option for conservatories. Wooden and faux-wood blinds are usually a better option for kitchens and living rooms where their elegance can truly shine through. You can also choose slats of varying widths depending on your needs. Wider slats will be better at blocking light while thinner slats will be more discreet. Another benefit of horizontal blinds is that they allow you to control light like no other. You can also find them in all sorts of different sizes and widths.

If you want to get the perfect set of horizontal blinds, you can get made to measure blinds from a supplier such as Make My Blinds. They have blinds in all sorts of materials and the process to get made to measure blinds from them is super simple. They even have an app that allows you to measure your windows and you can choose based on colour, width, material, or style.

However, while horizontal blinds have a lot going for them, they’re not perfect. For one, while they allow you to block a lot of the light that is coming in, a small portion will still go through, so they’re not quite like blackout shades. Also, they can be a hassle to clean since you have to wipe each slat individually.

Vertical Blinds

Vertical blinds, unlike horizontal blinds, are made of vertical vanes. But, like horizontal blinds, they are attached to a headrail and can be tilted in different directions allowing for more light control than many other options. Another major benefit of vertical blinds is that they’re often the best option for wide windows. With other options, you might have to use multiple rows of shades, which doesn’t always look nice. Note that cleaning these might be a bit of a hassle since you have to clean each vane separately, but it is made slightly easier than with horizontal shades since you don’t have to climb on anything to reach the top.

Note that you also have panel track blinds that resemble vertical blinds but aren’t quite the same. These are more streamlined and usually made of fabric. These are also perfect for wide windows and have an additional touch of elegance to them.

Roller Blinds

Roller blinds are another common type of window treatment that you’ll find. They are some of the simplest and most versatile too. They are made from a single sheet of fabric that is attached to a top bar. They also have a bar at the bottom to weigh them down so they don’t blow about when closed.

There are different types of roller blinds on the market. You have day-and-night blinds that are made of two layers of fabric. The layers can be lined up to let light in through the sheer portions of the fabric or overlapped so the light is blocked. Blackout and voile shades, on the other hand, will only allow you to lift the shades up or down.

One of the biggest benefits of these blinds is the number of options available. Since they are made of fabric, you can be as creative as you want, and they will work in virtually any type of room. They’re also one of the most affordable options you can find. Besides, they allow you to completely block light out of the room if you go for blackout shades.

However, they won’t allow you to control light quite like horizontal blinds. Even with day-and-night shades, you won’t be able to direct light in the way horizontal blinds can. So, this is something you’ll have to consider.

Honeycomb Blinds

Honeycomb blinds, or cellular blinds as they’re often called, are a type of blind that is growing in popularity. These blinds can not only block light, but provide additional insulation thanks to their construction as well.

Instead of slats, they are made of honeycomb-shaped tubes that trap air between the window and the room. This allows the room to stay cool in the summer and hot in the winter. They’re also one of the best options if you want to block out light, and prying eyes, efficiently.

Honeycomb blinds have many issues that you have to consider, however. Like blackout shades, it’s pretty much all or nothing with these, so you won’t be able to control the amount of natural light you want. They can also be very tough to clean because of their design. You might even have to take them out and clean them in the bathtub from time to time, which can be a hassle.

Roman Blinds

Roman blinds are one of the best options if you’re looking for something rustic, yet simple and inexpensive. They combine the privacy of blinds with the convenience of drapes. They are made of a combination of fabric and stiffener rods that allow the blinds to stack nicely to the top when pulled. When they’re dropped down, they look like a single sheet of fabric.

One of the biggest benefits of roman blinds is how versatile and easy to customise they are. You can find them in different widths, lengths, fabrics, and colours. They are also great for privacy and for covering large areas like patio openings.

However, because of their design, roman blinds also won’t allow you to control light perfectly. Much like honeycomb shades and roller shades, you can either roll them up or down. You can’t tilt them like vertical or horizontal shades. They are not always the best for areas that get humid, like the kitchen or the bathroom, either. This is because mould can form in the fabric, and to prevent it, you’d have to do a lot of maintenance and cleaning which is not something everyone will want to do.

So, if you were still unsure about which type of blinds would be the best for a room or your house, we hope we were able to help. If you still are unsure, we suggest you speak with a supplier today who’ll be open to answering your questions.

Interior Design, Media

Buying a New Home – What You Need to Know

Buying a new property can be an exciting but overwhelming experience. We’ve put together this short guide to ensure you have all the information you need before taking the plunge and buying your new home.

Make Sure You Are Familiar with the Financials

The costs involved with buying a new home can seem endless. Before taking any steps to buying a new home, you need to come up with a rough idea of how much you can expect it to cost. This will enable you to come up with a realistic budget and ensure you do not run into any unexpected expenses that you cannot afford. You need to establish how much you can borrow for a mortgage, and how much you can get together for a deposit, so you know what your budget is before looking for a property. Additionally, you need to factor in a variety of extra charges such as stamp duty, broker fees, moving costs, conveyancing costs, the price of a survey and more. All of these combined can add up and contribute more than 10% to the total bill, so it is worth getting familiar with the costs in advance.

What Is Most Important to You in a House?

Sometimes, people manage to find the perfect house of their dreams but, most of the time, you have to compromise on at least one factor if you want to stay within your budget. Therefore, it is worth considering what is most important to you. For example, it may be crucial that you are located near good schools or in an area with lots of green spaces. Alternatively, you may be more concerned about the size of the house or that you have a garden. It may be worth trying to think about how your current life might change if you were to move to properties you are considering, or what you really like about where you currently live. It is worth researching these factors to help you decide where to live.

Consider Buying a New-Build

There are many advantages to buying a newly built home. An obvious one is that everything is new, and the house is a blank canvas for you to make your own. Most new builds will be ready to move into, with no wait for occupiers to move out and no risk of the sale falling through. Another advantage of buying new is that newly built properties come with a 10-year warranty for structural defects, ensuring peace of mind for any potential buyers. Furthermore, new build homes can be surprisingly affordable when you factor in schemes like Help to Buy and Assisted Move. Muir Homes, for example, offers an extensive range of beautiful new build homes in Scotland that can be easier to purchase through using these schemes. If you want to buy a new home, this is something to look out for.

Following these pieces of advice should ensure you are on your way to finding your dream home.

Interior Design, Trends

How To Spruce Up Your Living Room With Modern Twists

Trends are constantly changing within society. Even if they’re not, your personal likes and style probably are.

There’s much to consider when wanting to modernise your living room, you have to consider what technological advancements you wish to make, such as a new TV or smart device. As well as the tech side, there are also small adjustments that can be made to help change up your living room.

Consider moving furniture around, going for a modern colour scheme, or just renovating the entire room itself.

Brown Is The New Grey

In the noughties and tens, lots of home renovation was done to give homes a more classic look, using colours such as grey. These days, a more modern feel such as brown is quickly helping change people’s outlooks.

The benefits of brown, is that it helps give homes a more natural and earthlier feel. Lots of wood-like resources and panelling are being used internally to give off woodland vibes. This is why you’ll see people using the term ‘Brown is the new grey’ from time to time.

You can mix and match furniture with these colours as well as general floor, wall and ceiling coverage. There are many different shades and variances of brown when it comes to colour types, you could easily design an entire living room via these colours and have every single item looking unique, yet recognisable.

Audio Systems

A great way to help you modernise your living room, is to build a very capable sound system. There are a number of ways you can do this. You could go for surround sound if you’re a movie watcher, but if you’re more of an atmosphere person who wants music to enrich their room, then there are options for you.

You can now get very modern, sleek looking speakers that will suit the mystique of interiors. You can view the home tech by Bang & Olufsen to see some of the intricate and unique designs available.

With their high-quality speakers, you will be able to enjoy music and sound in comfort. You don’t have to worry about them sticking out like a sore thumb, as they are designed to look natural in a home setting.

Lighting Is Everything

Without the proper lighting, your living room may as well just be any other basic room. This is the room you will most likely spend the most time awake, so it stands to reason that you want to feel comfortable in it.

There are many reasons as to why lighting is important in a general sense, but aside from the health benefits you receive, it can also lead to good style. Gone are the days of just moving in to a property and accepting the current light fixtures and settings.

There are so many different designs and ideas when it comes to modern lighting, that you can really do anything. From floor lights to lamps. Explore around different department stores and check out what others have done with lighting for inspiration.

Architecture, Design, Design Talk, Interior Design, Lighting, Lighting Design, Materials, New Products, News, Technology, Wellness

UNStudio and Delta Light join forces to create Soliscape

A versatile light and soundscape system designed to create optimum conditions for wellbeing

UNStudio and Delta Light have joined forces to endeavour to improve the wellbeing of people in our rapidly changing work environments, where human health and the war on talent have become a primary focus for employers.

Ben van Berkel: “The way we work, live and relax is changing. This new hybrid world is causing architects and designers to rethink how we design our cities and buildings, so that we can create places that encourage health and wellbeing. Lighting is a very crucial element in helping us to create such places.”

In a given location and from focused work to group presentations, the Soliscape (sound and light-scape) system makes possible activity-based illumination, alongside acoustic qualities. A sensor-based environment understands what kind of activity is taking place and adjusts to provide the optimum conditions. As such, digitally enhanced environments can be created where technology supports in the creation of sensorial adaptive environments in which the user is central.

The Soliscape system is however not limited to work spaces alone. Due to its adaptable configuration possibilities, the system has a broad range of applications and can also be used in hotels, hospitality, retail and public spaces. The system can be configured to best suit the daily needs and programming of each location. In addition, more than ever before, today’s spaces are evolving to operate with hybrid functions; the home and office are blending, hospitality spaces are becoming meeting places. The possibility to adapt lighting and acoustic landscapes for dual or multi-purpose use is thus an added quality for many of these spaces.

Peter Ameloot: “Looking at lighting as just a basic necessity is an outdated approach. Work environments in particular require extra attention, where user-centric lighting has proven to considerably boost productivity and wellbeing. With Soliscape we even take it to the next level, not just by adding acoustic elements, but even more so by using behavioural parameters to further upgrade comfort.”

The Soliscape system is a toolbox of flexible components and modules for architects and designers that will enable them to create workable and liveable solutions for their projects; a system that combines lighting with acoustics and connected sensoring, into an aesthetically appealing solution that can easily connect to any building management system. The system is also flexible and future-proof, as it allows for new materials and functions to be added in the future.

Ben van Berkel: “Numerous environmental factors directly affect our wellbeing and our health, including light, sound, scent, air quality and temperature. With the Soliscape system, we have combined two of these facets – sound and light – to create sensory ‘interior landscapes’ that can support people in their daily activities. Soliscape can also connect to systems already in place to improve the other key environmental factors.”

The Soliscape system comes with spot, direct and indirect linear lighting elements, featuring Delta Light’s Melanopic Light Technology® (MLT), combining high-efficient reflectors with human-centric LED technology. The high-quality LEDs help control the circadian rhythm by providing a very natural white colour with a higher amount of energy in cyan, helping to encourage activity during the day and sleep at night. The reflector is designed to perfectly embrace every individual LED module in order to boost the efficiency of the complete luminaire, while maintaining a high level of visual comfort, as every LED dot is shielded.

UNStudio and Delta Light aim to create sensor-based environments that respond, learn and adjust to people’s daily activities, taking smart buildings towards responsive architecture through a system that allows people intuitive control and personalisation of space. Soliscape offers different sensoring options enabling the creation of human-centric spaces: light in service to wellbeing.

Ben van Berkel: “We believe that human health and wellbeing form the impetus for a new era of design, and that the incorporation of new and emerging technologies in the built environment plays a central role in this. It is not the hardware or the software itself that interests me, but how it can be applied within architecture and urban design to improve our daily lives.”

Visit the Delta Light website for more info

Art, Awards, Corona Virus, Design, Fashion, Filmmaking, Future, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Products

i-D and ARTSTHREAD Global Design Graduate Show 2020

As a response to the recent COVID-19 related end of year showcase cancellations, i-D and ARTSTHREAD has launched a global graduate showcase initiative for the class of 2020.

The Global Design Graduate Show 2020 with ARTSTHREAD media partner i-D/Vice Media is a proactive initiative that has been created for all creative students graduating this year in all art & design disciplines, such as fine arts, craft, industrial & product design, vis comm, film, fashion, textiles, interior, architecture.

This relationship will guarantee millions of viewingsworldwide and will help thousands of students get a break this year – not just from an employment perspective, but also launching their own brands in front of a worldwide audience.

We encourage everybody who cares about our future talents to join together to help these creative students graduating this year succeed! As we all know, it’s never easy.

WHO CAN ENTER

Open internationally to all art and design undergraduate or postgraduate students graduating in the Academic Year 2019-20 – i.e. September 2019 to July 2020.

HOW TO ENTER

STEP 1

Already got an ARTSTHREAD portfolio? To enter, simply log into your account, upload your work as a new project and choose Global Design Graduate Show 2020 from the dropdown options for Current Events.

New to ARTSTHREAD? To enter, register to create an ARTS THREAD account and go to your email and click on the activation link sent to your email Inbox. Then log into your account, upload your project and choose Global Design Graduate Show 2020 from the dropdown options for Current Events.

Please sign up for our newsletter to receive all competition updates and announcements.

STEP 2

Complete our i-D and ARTSTHREAD Global Design Graduate Show 2020 Entry Form

STEP 3

Once you have uploaded your projects you can return to the platform as many times as you want to improve your graduate showcase until the application deadline July 31 2020.

ENTRY: Free to apply

DEADLINE TO APPLY: July 31 2020 23.59 GMT

the New Collection 2020 from Delta Light

Design, Interior Design, Lighting, Lighting Design, News, Products

New 2020 Lighting Collection from Delta Light

Explore the New Collection 2020 from Delta Light and discover the Next Level of Lighting.

In this new collection Delta Light take lighting to the next level, crossing borders, raising the bar. Reaching out to new materials, challenge existing shapes and focus on the multisensorial aspect of lighting as a tool, and as a system. Light, and much more.

Delta Light New Collection 2020, New Level

A new set of experiences is joining their family of lighting solutions. Each one designed to bring interiors to life and to offer specific answers to your lighting needs.

The range stretches from technical office lighting to adventurous pendant lamps, from hallway guidance lamps to urban outdoor lighting, designed for hospitality, retail, offices, outdoor, showroom, public and residential projects.

Encounter an exciting mix of new technical architectural lighting, precise illumination tools, expressive shapes, comfort-driven technology and breath-taking artist collaborations, such as with lighting designer Dean Skira and Belgian designer Nathalie Dewez.

During lockdown Delta Light have been holding online webinar’s explaining the new products, the most recent included the Frax, Walker II, Backspace II,Skov, and the Logic 40. See the playback here https://www.crowdcast.io/e/jsmi964t/1

Read this magazine online here or order your printed copy or download it from the Delta Light website

AICO Headquarters, Oswestry, Shropshire by DGA Architects. Photo ©RichardStonehouse

Architecture, Change, Interior Design, Nature, News, Wellness

AICO Head Office by DGA Architects

Oswestry might not be the first place you think of when it comes to strong, statement head offices. But then preconceptions are really just there to be challenged.

AICO, a leading supplier of carbon monoxide, heat and smoke alarms and sensors, aimed to do just that when it briefed DGA Architects to deliver a new home for its business in the Shropshire borough. Located on a major road leading into the town centre, it needed to provide a bold welcome to company visitors, and also passing traffic.

“One of the staff members, when they walked in there for the first time, actually burst into tears apparently,” says Barry Prince, DGA’s director, articulating how instructions to create a new ‘home’ for staff were followed to the tee. “One of the briefs for the building as whole, but particularly the atrium, was achieving the wow factor. It’s a bit of a cliche I appreciate, but it’s something we did achieve I believe.”

The new premises have transformed both the working environment and the surrounds. Half the overall site is taken up with landscaping, paying homage to the wider county’s famous green countryside to ensure plenty of nature is included in the man-made design. “It was developed with the staff needs in mind, meaning we created a large garden landscaped area, including wildlife pond and all sorts of other aspects that put wellbeing at the fore. It really considers the ecology of the site,” Prince explains.

The concept of staff comfort, mental health and wellbeing continues inside, with a gymnasium, games room, people-first staff area and breakout coffee corners that can be quickly tidied away to ensure a clutter-free look. A major goal in contemporary interior design, nodding to the age old adage ‘tidy desk, tidy mind’. These features didn’t come easily, though, with furniture one of the biggest tasks asked of DGA once fundamental plans for the building itself had been finalised.

“We had quite a lot of bespoke joinery made, kitchen units on each floor within the staff areas, so rather than having to go to a separate room to make a drink we designed these bespoke units that didn’t look like tea points,” says Prince.

“But the client wanted for the staff to be able to go for a drink but not leave the place looking messy, so the cabinets come down and it just looks neat and tidy. The loose furniture, that took an awful lot of time to get right,” he continues. “We went through a lot of iterations before getting it right but it looks fantastic I think.”

Other key features include Deltalight’s Superloop range of LED lighting hoops, a high quality design that was chosen not only because of its functionality, but also the fact that it matched an aesthetic theme running through the new base camp. “They fitted in perfectly with our circular design,” says Prince, going on to explain that these circles can be found in the Shaw Carpets, of which a number of finishes, colours and textures were chosen to separate areas, alongside detailing visible on the underside of ceilings.

The result being a mirrored effect that also reflects the design of the alarms, sensors and detectors AICO produces. “The trickiest bit was the central atrium, which is the first part of the building that people enter. We designed that as a curved structure,” Prince tells us, again emphasising the main constant in the overall look of the interior. “We found it very difficult for the contractor to find someone who could fabricate this kind of stair.”

It also proved difficult to secure the provision of a glass elevator, which had specifically been requested by the client. Clearly the intention was to make the environment as transparent as possible, accentuating the open-plan nature of the overall space, allowing members of the public to see the work taking place within. DGA managed it, but this was deceptively problematic.

“We struggled to get a glass elevator, that was something the client was very keen to have but we struggled to get a specialist manufacturer for this feature. It was only complete on the last week of the project, it was very nervy,” Prince recalls a situation that many professionals in his field will be able to empathise with.

Nevertheless, DGA got there, and the finished product is unarguably impressive. The practice’s extensive experience really shines through every last detail, with the firm calling on a portfolio spanning almost 30 years for this work, during which time it has listed household names such as Yo! Sushi among its clients, having been responsible for all the restaurant giant’s concepts for global premises.

“The client is very proud of the building, they call it their new home,” Prince proudly says of the AICO head office. After examining the evidence, it’s not hard to understand why.

Interior Design, Products, Trends

How to Design the Perfect Outdoor Living Space

Most first-time homeowners initially invest in their landscape as a means of creating kerb appeal and increasing the resale value of their property. But there eventually comes a time when we realise that the space around our home has great potential. For many, it’s the point when a good time becomes one spent with at home with friends and family.

This is when you begin to desire an outdoor living space that serves as an oasis for entertainment and relaxation, a place that’s as comfortable and inviting as your lounge. It’s good to know then, that creating the perfect outdoor living space doesn’t require a massive investment of time or money. All it takes is a bit of know-how. Read on to learn more.

Visualise

Perhaps you have a sprawling back garden that offers an equally endless and daunting range of possibilities. Maybe you need to strategically work with a tiny patio area and some greenage. Either way, you’ll want to do some thinking before heading to the hardware store.

Spend some time sitting in your garden and identifying how each corner can be utilised to its fullest potential. Is there room for a fireplace? Do you want a beautiful flower garden or a functional space for growing herbs and vegetables? What kind of tables and seating areas can you implement? Make a list and prioritise what you deem most important.

Add Some Life

No matter how much you spend on fixtures and furniture, your garden can still look dead and dreary if there isn’t any greenery around to give it life. Don’t hesitate to think out-of-the-box here. Garden beds and potted plants are great, but you can also thread a trellis with beautiful vines, adorn a wall with hanging pot plants, or place a few bonsai trees.

Keep it Cool

The last thing you want is for everyone to be uncomfortably hot on a summer’s day gathering in your garden. To ensure that your outdoor space can be utilised throughout the warmer season, consider a source of shade. For instance, these glass verandas are a great option, being effective, affordable and easy to build.

Glass verandas can come in a range of different shapes and sizes, making them a suitable option for just about any back garden. They also protect against UV rays and are completely waterproof. Finish it off with some natural shade from a leafy tree to add an additional layer of privacy to your space.

Incorporate Comfortable Seating

Your outdoor living space should offer a variety of different seating options. Depending on the mood you want to set, you can use outdoor sofas, benches, stools or simple chairs. Don’t forget to scatter some cosy cushions around for added comfort.

Light it Up

If you’re planning on entertaining in the evenings, lighting is essential. You want to have your space well-lit, but not to the point of being harsh and uninviting. Consider lanterns, candles, tiki torches and implanted LEDs on walkways or under furniture.

All that’s left is to add a few finishing touches and you have yourself a perfect outdoor living space. Don’t forget to incorporate a bit of decor to give your space a personality.

Barbara Chandler, Photo: ©Kathy Schicker

Articles, Change, Community, Culture, Interior Design, Photography

Change Maker: Barbara Chandler

Journalist, photographer and all-round legend in the world of design, Barbara Chandler has been penning articles on furniture, decoration, interiors and more for over 35 years. A former-furnishing editor at Ideal Home magazine, and then contributor as a freelance to many national titles, she has held the position of design editor on the Evening Standard’s Homes & Property insert for more than two decades. Her photography has been widely exhibited, and in 2011 a collection of her images was published as a book, ’Love London’, testament to her reputation as the sharpest eye in the UK capital.

DE: What motivates you to do what you do?

Well, my work splits into two, journalism and photography. For writing, I think the start is a natural curiosity— I just love finding out about things.

Writing up the results— and dovetailing research, interviews, and observations— is a challenge, but I must have an in-built love of writing because I can work for hours at my computer, no problem.

Then there is the desire to share. It’s thrilling on a Tube train to see someone reading a feature of mine in the London Evening Standard on a Wednesday, when Homes & Property fills the centre of the paper. Recently quite a few of my stories have been flagged up on the cover of the main paper, and that’s a special accolade. I get a big buzz if I’m told there has been a strong take-up for something I’ve written about.

And I get the chance to see so many interesting things. Our capital leads the world in design, and I love telling people about that. We have fabulous shops, super-creative designers, new materials, gorgeous galleries and museums, brill shows, events and festivals. I also report from Paris and Milan; how lovely is that?

As for my photography I am never really sure of the motivation. I just know that when the light’s right, and often when it’s not, I have a compelling urge to get out there with my camera— even if it’s only to our local wood or riverside path.

In this somewhat old-fashioned genre of ‘street photography’— or happenstance— you have to take loads of pictures, chancing your arm over and over. But then every so often comes the wonder of something special. Composition and emotion in an image that you didn’t plan or orchestrate, but were able to capture and record. A magic moment that really happened.

DE: Is there a landmark moment in your career that really shifted the way you see the world?

Yes, when I read ‘Design for the Real World’ by Victor Papanek in the early-70s, the scales fell off my eyes and I became aware that consumer journalism was really very shallow. I made an attempt to change careers, but was bringing up two children on my own, and got sucked back in.

Recently, I was privileged to see the Vitra Museum’s retrospective, Victor Papanek: The Politics of Design— still my hero. Now at least there is a chance to champion sustainability, new materials, and design for good.

DE: Who inspires you?

Being somewhat elderly myself, I feel inspired and encouraged by the older people in the design world who just keep going with undiminished creativity. Kenneth Grange, Rosita Missoni, Zandra Rhodes, Terence Conran, Richard Rogers.

Continued…..

See the full feature in our current Change edition

Michael Sela Auditorium_Weizmann Institute of Science_HQ Architects_ Photography by Dor Kedmi_exterior view night

Architecture, Culture, Design, Interior Design, News, Projects, science

HQ Architects completes renovation of the Michael Sela Auditorium at the Weizmann Institute of Science

The existing Auditorium, is a great example of Modernism, designed by iconic Israeli architects Arieh Sharon and Benjamin Idelson in 1955. The 2,000m² building is the largest performance hall on the Weizmann Institute campus.

HQ Architects were commissioned to undertake the renovation and extension of this iconic building, which falls under strict ‘preservation’ rules, and where the facades and contour of the building cannot be modified. However, the ambition for the new Michael Sela Auditorium was to double the area of the existing lobby, and add a new social space suitable to accommodate different activities that go beyond the standard use of foyer as a waiting space.

Michael Sela Auditorium_Weizmann Institute of Science HQ Architects. Photo ©Dor Kedmi Exterior view close up

The concept is based on the observation that the exchange of opinions and ideas occurs very often around an event and not always during the event. With this in mind, HQ Architects designed a foyer that resembles a living room, an informal and inviting gathering space.

In order to create the new foyer, HQ Architects unveiled a hidden room that was found under the audience seating area. This space was an unused room, purposed to store all the technical equipment needed a few decades ago for the function of the performance hall. As the contemporary equipment needs have shrunk, this space was no longer required. The practice envisioned the creation of a new functional space by transforming it from hidden to public. By emptying this technical space and demolishing a few walls, an additional area of 250m² was revealed that would serve as the foyer, and even open up to the back garden of the building.

Michael Sela Auditorium_Weizmann Institute of Science, HQ Architects Photo ©Dor Kedmi_Lobby stairs

Michael Sela Auditorium Weizmann Institute of Science, HQ Architects. Photo ©Dor Kedmi_Entry lobby

The challenge was to create a continuous foyer space from two essentially different rooms, with one of them under preservation, hence could not be retouched. While the entrance lobby remains intact and true to its modernist principles, the new foyer space designed by HQ Architects exhibits a different feel with a more theatrical ambience.

The addition of the foyer also changes the circulation of the building and creates a new journey for visitors. The public now enters from the old lobby, which serves as the ticket hall and orientation space and then smoothly descends towards the new foyer, which introduces 2 main entrances to the performance hall. During the performance break, the audience moves through those new entrances to the foyer and back to the show.

Michael Sela Auditorium Weizmann Institute of Science. HQ Architects. Photo ©Dor Kedmi_Foyer

Michael Sela Auditorium Weizmann Institute of Science. HQ Architects. Photo ©Dor Kedmi Performance hall entry

The foyer’s rich materiality and playful touch, act as a prologue to the performance space it serves. The diverse material palette creates a bold and dynamic space. The bespoke epoxy terrazzo floor contrasts with the warmth of the swamp beech wood timber panels covering the columns and the walls adjacent to the auditorium, while a series of symmetrical windows on the opposite wall provides generous views of the back garden. The new foyer also features a bar area with a seven meters long golden brass metal bar. The bar complements the two golden brass metal entrances on the opposite side, which take the visitor from the foyer into the auditorium space, creating a transitional moment between a bright and playful space and the darker and more austere performance environment.

Michael Sela Auditorium Weizmann Institute of Science. HQ Architects. Photo ©Dor Kedmi. Performance hall screen

Erez Ella, Founding Partner at HQ Architects says: ‘We are very excited to see the completion of the renovation of this iconic modernist piece of architecture. The new revealed foyer space unlocks the full potential of the building by creating a flexible space that is suitable for social gathering as well as hosting small communal events. With the refurbishment of the hall space, we added a unique piece of design that enhances the visitors and performers’ experience alike, giving back to the Weizmann Institute of Science a contemporary, bigger and more functional public building.’

Michael Sela Auditorium Weizmann Institute of Science. HQ Architects. Photo ©Dor Kedmi. Performance hall

Alon Weingarten, Head of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Construction and Engineering Division, says: ‘The renovation of the Michael Sela Auditorium has been one of the more challenging projects of the last few years, as it is a historical building listed for conservation. On one hand, the conservation guidelines had to be met and, on the other, we wanted to create a fresh new look for the building that would stand out on the international stage, and which would be useful for a wide range of activities. These include lectures, concerts and plays – each with its own requirements for acoustic quality, be they scientific or cultural. Thus the acoustic system and the multimedia systems we installed are among the best in the world.’