Al Jazeera’s new broadcasting studio in London’s Shard building, a one-of-a-kind movie cinema in Hong Kong and a library in the heart of one of Singapore’s busiest malls are some of the interior spaces in the running for the prestigious title of World Interior of the Year 2015.
INSIDE World Festival of Interiors is an annual award programme that runs alongside the World Architecture Festival, hosted this year in Singapore in November. The most exciting and original interiors of the last 12 months have been selected from as many as 16 countries around the world. Now a handful of nominees, across nine categories are in the running for the award.
Over three days the INSIDE festival will give centre-stage to the work of some of the most talented architects and interior designers working today.
Here’s a quick taste of some of the interiors set to inspire the crowds at the much-anticipated event.
Already garnering much attention is the new Al Jazeera broadcasting studio in the Shard, London. What was once a simple office space is now an ultramodern news station thanks to Vienna-based architecture firm Veech x Veech. In contradiction to the conventional high-ceilinged newsroom, the studio’s low ceiling has been designed to act as an on-screen feature, complemented by dramatic lighting and audio fixtures.
In conceptualising an interior for Medibank’s new headquarters, international design practice HASSELL took a literal approach to the health insurance company’s tagline, “Better health for everyone”. Possibly one of the healthiest places to work in the world, the Melbourne-based office block includes a sports court, an indoor bike ramp, 26 different types of work settings and an edible garden. But the proof is in the figures. Seventy per cent of the workforce has become healthier, 66 per cent more productive and 79 per cent more collaborative.
This is what the future of movie theatre design looks like. Forget the standard draped walls and outdated upholstery, Chinese interior design firm One Plus Partnership has created a whole new cinematic experience for movie-goers with its Exploded cinema in Hong Kong. Like something out of an apocolyptic disaster film, 3D cubic shards emerge from every corner of the room and create the impression of a futuristic cave in ruins.
The Library@Orchard is the quiet space that can be found right in the heart of Singapore’s largest shopping centres. Designed by Singaporean firm New Space Architects, the novel library offers an escape from the manic retail rush of the mall. With light bamboo flooring, two all-white levels and some slightly curved bookshelves, the space is a Zen-like haven for both avid readers and shoppers looking for a bit of peace.
Shepherd’s Bush Pavilion Hotel in London has received two nominations – in the Creative Re-use and Hotels categories. Once a 1923 cinema, the building’s award-winning brick façade was only slightly altered in an effort to preserve the original character of the exterior. Design-led architectural practice Flanagan Lawrence is responsible for the building’s interior. The most striking feature is a sweeping atrium, made up of a series of golden balconies, which rises to the full height of the building and wraps around the hotel floors to become a grand centrepiece for the hotel.
