Zaha Hadid Architect and Roca announce the opening of the Roca London Gallery – a design inspired by the power of water as a transforming element to carve a sequence of dynamic, porous spaces for the gallery. Fissures and slices in the walls give permeability consistently throughout the gallery. The design theme of water extends to the facade, which appears as a set of ripples in movement across the exterior.

Via: Yanko Design

The Tree Restaurant in Sydney Australia by Koichi Takada Architects was created recreating the traditional Hanami festival in Japan and the Cherry Blossom in bloom.

The timber profiles have been cut using CNC technology, minimizing waste and allowing accuracy and detail in the design. Gaboon Marine Plywood, brings the warmth of timber to the interior, which compliments tie texture of the rendered walk. The contrast of these elements highlights the central TREE and the Sushi Train below.

From the architects: “We wish to emulate the comfort and tranquility .he canopy of tree can create. Timber profiles create the branches of the tree, transforming the Sushi Train restaurant into a place of nature. Dappled light filters between the timber branches. The flairs of light change as you move throughout the restaurant, mimicking the Irregularity of natural sunlight, while highlighting the path of the Sushi Train.”

www.koichitakada.com

Emmanuelle Moureaux Architecture have designed the Shimura Branch of the Sugamo Shinkin Bank in Tokyo, Japan.

A rainbow-like stack of 12 colored layers, peeking out from the facade to welcome visitors. Upon entering the building, three elliptical skylights bathe the interior in a soft light. Visitors spontaneously look up to see a cut-out piece of the sky that invites them to gaze languidly at it. The open sky and sensation of openness prompts you to take deep breaths, refreshing your body from within. The ceiling is adorned with dandelion puff motifs that seem to float and drift through the air. Three long glass airwells thread through the first and second levels of the building, flooding the interior with natural light as well as “blowing” air through it.

www.emmanuelle.jp

Raiffeisen Bank in Zurich was designed by Nau Design Studio.

From Nau: Raiffeisen’s flagship branch on Zurich’s Kreuzplatz dissolves traditional barriers between customer and employee, creating a new type of “open bank,” a space of encounter. Advanced technologies make banking infrastructure largely invisible; employees access terminals concealed in furniture elements, while a robotic retrieval system grants 24 hour access to safety deposit boxes. This shifts the bank’s role into becoming a light-filled, inviting environment – an open lounge where customers can learn about new products and services. This lounge feels more like a high-end retail environment than a traditional bank interior. Conversations can start spontaneously around a touchscreen equipped info-table and transition to meeting rooms for more private discussions.

www.arch.nau.coop