SZ-Architects transforms a former prison guard tower in Hefei, China, into a 70-square-meter, 24-hour bookstore. Titled A Very Small 24-Hour Bookstore, the project reclaims a derelict structure inside the Hechai 1972 Creative Park, once the Anhui Provincial Hefei Prison, and repurposes it as an intimate, publicly accessible reading space for the surrounding neighborhood.

The architects work with the constraints of the building’s past. The footprint of the tower measures just seven square meters on the ground floor, while its former patrol platform on the second level offers panoramic views of the park. Original window grilles, once fitted with machine-gun mounts and observation ports, remain legible, preserving the clarity of the former role of the structure. The new program, a tiny bookstore open at all hours, introduces a radically different rhythm into this formerly controlled and surveilled environment.

all images by Mata Okawa

a building discovered by chance becomes a 24-hour bookstore

The project began with an accidental discovery. While visiting the site for an unrelated restaurant project, the Shanghai- and Tokyo-based architects noticed the abandoned guard tower and learned it had been left untouched during the broader renovation of the park. They proposed converting it into a micro-bookstore for local residents, a place that would remain open and unguarded, in contrast to its original function.

This conceptual shift resonates with the philosophy of A Very Small Bookstore, which originated by the Qinhuai River in Nanjing. The bookstore operates on a principle of openness: its books come from personal collections and donations, its walls are covered with handwritten postcards, and its staff consists of four adopted stray cats. Rather than being curated as a commercial destination, it functions as a social archive shaped by its visitors.

the elevated reading room becomes visible through the surrounding greenery

reinforcing the old, suspending the new

Because the original drawings from 1997 were no longer available, the building underwent a full geotechnical and structural reassessment before renovation could begin. The architects reinforced the original frame by wrapping the corner columns with steel hoops, strengthening the second-floor slab, and enlarging the concrete beam sections of the roof. Parts of the exterior walls were treated with a high-ductility concrete joint-filling technique to increase their structural capacity.

To minimize additional loads while accommodating new uses, SZ-Architects introduced a suspended steel structural system. Eight C-shaped steel channels laid across the reinforced roof beams extend outward, allowing the new upper floor to cantilever beyond the original footprint. These channels clamp vertical steel hanger rods, which are in turn anchored to matching steel members beneath the original slab, composing a self-contained, suspended frame that supports circulation, seating, and shelving without overburdening the existing structure. An external cantilevered balcony, inserted through one of the original window openings, further extends the bookstore outward.

the small-scale structure is embedded among trees and parking areas

from surveillance to shared presence

Physical and infrastructural limitations directly shaped the form of the building. High-voltage cables running close to the west side forced the architects to rotate the roof and trim its corners, generating a four-leaf clover-like silhouette. The new floor slab is made of wood–plastic composite decking, chosen to reduce structural load.

Bookshelves line all four sides of the upper level, while reading desks are integrated into the primary steel structure. The furniture combines the logic of scaffolding with suspended stainless-steel rods, making sure that everything is lightly held in place. The walls are intentionally left mostly blank. Over time, the architects hope they will once again fill with postcards, drawings, and messages, traces of everyday life replacing the rigid codes of surveillance. 

Sliding windows at each corner open to panoramic views, turning the former lookout post into a shared vantage point. The original staircase was reinforced and enclosed to form an interior service shaft. Its exterior face functions as a message wall, where visitors leave handwritten notes. Two outdoor platforms, one to the north, one to the south, host coffee service and small events, further extending the bookstore into the park.

What makes A Very Small 24-Hour Bookstore compelling is not its scale, but its inversion of meaning. A structure once dedicated to observation, control, and restriction now operates through openness, trust, and informal occupation. 

a shaded outdoor seating area extends the bookstore into the public realm

the former prison guard tower stands at a busy urban intersection

the cantilevered upper level offers panoramic views of the neighborhood

the transformed tower combines domestic scale with infrastructural elements

steel framing and suspended floor plates define the new structural system

minimal stair and platform details emphasize lightness and reversibility

bookshelves are arranged as freestanding volumes within the open plan

interior view of the compact reading room with built-in shelving and panoramic glazing

the lightweight steel structure remains visible throughout the interior

sliding glass panels open the reading space toward the city

the elevated platform offers a quiet place to sit, read, and observe street life

the former prison guard tower within the surrounding urban fabric of Hefei

the repurposed watchtower reads as a small civic landmark against the city skyline

project info:

name: A Very Small 24-hour Bookstore

location: Northwest Gate, Hechai 1972, Hefei, Anhui Province, China

architect: SZ-Architects | @sz_architecture

gross built area: 70 square meters

lead architects: Zhikun Zhang, Yue Liu

design team: Yaning Shen, Deyong Kong

client: A Very Small Bookstore

structural design: iStructure Design & Consulting Co., Ltd. (Xiaotian Yang, Kunying Wu, Zhe Wang)

structural reinforcement: Zhongbai Engineering Design Group Co., Ltd.

landscape: Nanjing Jianzhi Horticulture Co., Ltd.

contractor: Hefei Guyu Construction Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd.

property management: Hefei Bintou Cultural and Creative Development Co., Ltd.

photographer: Mata Okawa | @mata_okawa, SZ-Architects

video: SZ-Architects

music: A-muzik studio

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Set in the countryside of Ostuni, Italy, Casa nell’agro di Ostuni by Tela Architettura reinterprets an unfinished rural dwelling into a calm and continuous architecture. When the owners discovered the site, they found an abandoned concrete shell, an unfinished house that had never been completed. Instead of demolishing it, they decided to preserve what was already there and used its geometry as the foundation for a new project rooted in restraint and permanence.

The intervention reconfigures the interior spaces while extending the existing volume with subtle precision and wrapping it in materials of the surrounding landscape. The project draws its identity from the dialogue between construction and terrain. Large glazed openings dissolve the threshold between inside and out, pulling the countryside into the domestic space. Natural lime plaster and sand-colored microcement form a continuous, tactile skin that defines every surface.

all images by Nicolo Panzeri

Abandoned shell is transformed through texture and light

These materials, shaped into essential geometries by Tela Architettura, generate a sequence of offset planes that become steps, benches, and built-in furniture. The staircase leading to the pool doubles as seating for the outdoor lounge, the fireplace emerges from the living room wall, and the master bed rises from the floor in seamless continuity. The Italian architecture studio defines space mostly through material, but light completes it. Soft northern light spreads evenly across the pale walls, while the eastern side glows with warmer tones in the morning. Iron window frames trace a thin brown line against the plaster, guiding the gaze toward the monumental trunks of olive trees. Within this quiet geometry, walnut doors and joinery introduce warmth and texture, forming a tactile vocabulary immediate to the eye and to the touch.

The living room centers on the fireplace, around which low horizontal planes extend to shape circulation and furniture. A walnut screen filters the entrance without interrupting light, defining spaces through density rather than separation. The continuity of the microcement floor is softened by natural fiber rugs that define areas for rest and gathering. Wood maintains a muted brown tone in dialogue with the iron details, reinforcing the atmosphere of measured intimacy.

at the edge of the site, an infinity pool finished in anthracite microcement extends toward the sea

indoor-outdoor living highlights mediterranean vegetation

The sleeping quarters contain three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom and large openings framing the Apulian landscape. The windows, meanwhile, act as measured cuts in the thick envelope to bring in light while preserving privacy and shade. To the east, a slender pergola and the natural canopy of the olive trees temper the summer heat, creating pockets of filtered light. Outside, the house settles into the topography through dry-stone walls built with local stone. These layered terraces guide the movement of the visitor, articulating access through ramps and steps. Mediterranean vegetation wraps the perimeter with shades of green and grey. At the edge of the site, an infinity pool finished in anthracite microcement extends toward the sea, turning the water into a still mirror that reflects the tones of the surrounding land.

outside, dry-stone walls built with local stone and layered terraces guide the movement of the visitor

the staircase leading to the pool doubles as seating for the outdoor lounge

white stone and microcement delineate the pool area, creating a relaxation zone amidst Mediterranean plants

large glazed openings dissolve the threshold between inside and out, pulling the countryside into the domestic space

natural lime plaster and sand-colored microcement form a continuous, tactile skin that defines every surface

the master bed rises from the floor in seamless continuity

large openings frame the Apulian landscape in the en-suite bathrooms

the project draws its identity from the dialogue between construction and terrain

the continuity of the microcement floor is softened by natural fiber rugs that define areas for rest and gathering

natural materials and light punctuate the open space

wooden furniture acts as a natural anchor in the otherwise monochrome interior context

project info:

name: Casa nell’agro di Ostuni
architect: Tela Architettura | @tela_architettura

location: Ostuni, Italy

photography: Nicolo Panzeri | @nicolopanzeri

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: claire brodka | designboom

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HOSHINOYA Nara Prison in Nara, Japan, has revealed a teaser trailer alongside confirmation that its long-anticipated hotel will open on June 25th, 2026. designboom first reported on the renovation when the initial announcement surfaced in June 2022 and again when more details were unveiled in September 2023. Now, this newly released film gives an early glimpse of the 1908-built complex’s new atmosphere as it’s brought to life by by Hoshino Resorts.

The project occupies the former Nara Prison, the sole remaining example of the Meiji government’s Five Great Prisons. Built in red brick with a radial plan and a central guard tower, the compound has stood on its site for more than a century. Its transition into HOSHINOYA’s ninth property celebrates the architecture itself as the primary experience, with the teaser focusing on the slow reveal of space and the feelings it will bring.

images courtesy Hoshino Resorts and The Former Nara Prison Preservation and Utilization Co., Ltd.

Architecture shaped by preservation in nara, japan

Nara Prison’s transformation for Hoshino Resorts has been led by Azuma Architect & Associates, with principal architect Rie Azuma overseeing the careful adaptation of the historic structure. The original brickwork which was once concealed behind layers of plaster has been exposed and restored. Iron columns and timber surfaces introduce a contemporary register while maintaining a measured dialogue with the existing structure.

Circulation follows the logic of the original prison layout. Long corridors trace the former cell blocks, their proportions preserved, while openings have been adjusted to allow daylight to move deeper into the plan. The spatial rhythm remains deliberate, shaped by repetition and pause, all to give hotel guests a heightened awareness of the building’s past use without overt interpretation.

an example guest room shows a linear array of cloistered cells

Living within the former cell blocks

Guest accommodations emerge from the merging of former cells into suites, each one organized to emphasize volume and material continuity. One of the largest configurations brings together ten individual cells into a single guest room, allowing thick masonry walls to frame a sequence of rooms for rest, dining, and quiet work. Across the property, a total of forty-eight suites follow this approach, ensuring variation within a consistent architectural language.

The teaser film lingers on these interiors, capturing the way light grazes brick surfaces and revealing glimpses of the elongated guest rooms. The atmosphere is shaped by the weight of the existing brick walls and the precision of the interventions.

one of the largest configurations combines ten individual cells into a single guest room

A cultural landmark enters a new phase

Beyond accommodation, the plan includes a detached dining hall and spaces for curated activities, extending the experience across the former compound. Cuisine is set to explore a Japanese-French dialogue, reflecting the Western influences present in Meiji-era civic architecture while remaining grounded in local practice. A publicly accessible museum will also occupy part of the site during daytime hours and will present archival material related to the prison’s history.

Reservations for HOSHINOYA Nara Prison open on January 20th, 2026. As the opening date approaches, the project stands as a rare case where preservation, hospitality, and architectural discipline converge within a single historic framework. Designed in 1908 by Keijiro Yamashita, the former prison now enters a chapter shaped by reuse rather than confinement, adding a distinctive entry to the evolving portfolio of Hoshino Resorts.

a total of forty-eight suites follow this layout

iron columns and timber surfaces introduce a contemporary intervention

floor plan of the former Nara Prison

project info:

name: HOSHINOYA Nara Prison

location: 18 Hannyaji-cho, Nara, Japan

hotel design: Azuma Architect & Associates

company: Hoshino Resorts | @hoshinoresorts.official

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Situated within the rice fields of Anabanua Village, Wajo Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, the PADI Rest Area transforms a former industrial excavation pit into a multi-functional architectural and ecological site. The project, developed by MIV Architects, redefines the traditional rest area by combining transit utility with community engagement and environmental restoration. The site originally functioned as a landfill excavation for a gas station, which, over time, filled with water and became overgrown with lotuses. The design repurposes this condition, converting construction waste into a central water feature around which the project’s four main building volumes, public toilets, a management office, a restaurant, and a musholla (prayer room), are organized. The buildings are arranged to follow the contours of the pond, facilitating natural cross-ventilation and creating a visual and spatial focus on the water element.

A floating wooden decking path along the pond guides visitors through a transitional experience, shifting from the high activity of the Trans-Sulawesi road to a quieter, more contemplative environment. The two-story management building functions as both a screen for staff dormitories and a visual buffer, delaying the main view of the rice fields until visitors reach the restaurant, reinforcing a controlled spatial sequence and a layered approach to sightlines. The architectural language draws on vernacular Buginese traditions, particularly the concept of the ‘Rumah Panggung’ (stilt house). Elevated floor plates protect the buildings from ground moisture while wide roofs shelter semi-open spaces, combining cultural references with contemporary construction methods. Exposed steel structures, zinc roofing, natural stone, and wood elements integrate industrial efficiency with local material aesthetics.

all images courtesy of MIV Architects

PADI Rest Area serves as both a transit stop and a community hub

The project by design studio MIV Architects also prioritizes socio-economic and community engagement. Construction followed a self-management (swakelola) model, enabling local artisans to take primary responsibility for building execution. This method reduced costs, circulated investment locally, and facilitated technical knowledge transfer. The participation of local labor extended to operational staffing, reinforcing community ownership and ensuring the facility functions as a shared resource.

Circulation throughout the site is designed to encourage interaction with the café and restaurant areas before reaching the musholla, supporting local economic activity while maintaining the integrity of the worship space. By integrating ecological restoration, vernacular references, and community involvement, PADI Rest Area operates as both a transit facility and a public hub, blending utility with cultural and environmental engagement.

PADI Rest Area is located within the rice fields of Anabanua Village, South Sulawesi

the project transforms a former industrial excavation pit into a public rest area

the architectural language draws on vernacular Buginese traditions

a lotus-filled pond forms the spatial center of the project

an abandoned landfill site was repurposed as an ecological water feature

four building volumes are arranged around the pond’s contours

a floating wooden deck guides visitors along the pond’s edge

building placement supports natural cross-ventilation in a tropical climate

elevated floor plates protect interiors from ground moisture

the rest area functions as both a transit stop and a community hub

the material palette balances industrial construction with local aesthetics

exposed steel and zinc roofing are paired with wood and natural stone

circulation routes lead visitors through café and restaurant areas

project info:

name: PADI

architect: MIV Architects
design team: Ikhsan Hamiru, Alfachri Kamarullah, Andi Nindyah Ekananda, Izan, Syahrul Hidayat, Chairil Ismi
location: Anabanua Village, Wajo Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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Narxoz University Business School in Almaty, Kazakhstan, repurposes a former Soviet-era campus building into a contemporary facility for executive education. The project, designed by AGP Architects – Astana Grazhdan Proekt, adapts an existing structure from 1978, introducing new spatial and structural systems while restoring key architectural features, most notably the original sawtooth roof. Through selective demolition, structural reinforcement, and targeted additions, the building is redefined as an independent academic and public environment within the university campus.

The original building had served multiple functions over time, including administrative offices and a cafeteria. A rooftop extension added in the early 2000s altered the building’s proportions and obscured the sawtooth roof, resulting in a visually heavy form that lacked a clear architectural identity. The renovation brief extended beyond functional upgrading, aiming to establish a distinct institutional presence suitable for professional education, exchange, and public engagement.

all images by Damir Otegen

campus Structural Reconfiguration and a New Circulation Core

Working within the constraints of the existing structure required careful attention to height limitations, load-bearing capacity, and seismic regulations. Structural assessments identified non-compliance in the added upper floor, necessitating its removal. This process revealed the concealed sawtooth roof, which was subsequently identified through archival research and on-site analysis as a defining feature of the original design. The dismantled level was reconstructed using a new structural system that allowed the sawtooth profile to be preserved and reinterpreted as a central architectural element.

The design team at AGP Architects – Astana Grazhdan Proekt introduced a new attached entrance volume to clarify circulation and provide a visible point of access. This addition contains the main entrance, reception, a double-height lobby, and a panoramic elevator, functioning as a spatial connector and communication hub. The transparent volume establishes a clear relationship between interior activity and the campus environment, reinforcing the building’s public character.

Interior spaces are organized across multiple levels, combining classrooms equipped for executive education with coworking areas, informal meeting spaces, coffee points, and video production facilities. In the basement, former storage areas were converted into flexible halls for events and exhibitions. These spaces receive natural light through full-height glazing and a horizontal skylight integrated into the terrace above.

Reinterpreting Architectural Heritage Through Material Unity

Material continuity is used to unify existing and new elements. Standing-seam metal panels extend from the roof to the facade, accentuating the rhythm of the sawtooth geometry and providing a consistent contemporary envelope. A restrained palette of grey and white maintains visual continuity with surrounding campus buildings while avoiding direct replication.

Through the restoration and reinterpretation of a previously obscured architectural feature, the project transforms an underutilized campus structure into a flexible educational and public platform. The intervention by AGP Architects – Astana Grazhdan Proekt establishes a clear connection between the building’s historical layers and Narxoz University’s evolving academic and cultural role.

a restrained palette of grey and white tones maintains a visual dialogue with the main university buildings

the rebuilt upper level preserves the sawtooth profile using a new structural system

the new building houses the main entrance, reception area, double-height lobby, and panoramic elevator

newly introduced skylights bring daylight into the interior spaces

standing-seam metal panels transition from roof to facade, ensuring volumetric continuity

the skylight defines a naturally lit circulation and study area

light becomes part of the architectural form, shaping the space through ceiling geometry and integrated fixtures

the space is organized as a flexible hall defined by structural clarity and natural light

the project connects the building’s architectural history with its new academic role

modular acoustic booths are integrated into the open interior for focused work and private communication

the project transforms the interior into a contemporary student-oriented environment

calm material choices create a balanced environment supporting focus

project info:

name: Narxoz University Business School
architect: AGP Architects – Astana Grazhdan Proekt

design team: Kanashkova Svetlana, Zhunusov Madi, Shevchenko Aleksandr, Kapenov Askar

location: Almaty, Kazakhstan

photographer: Damir Otegen

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Meshek by Yellow Architects is the adaptive reuse of a former vegetable storage fridge into a contemporary hospitality space. The project reinterprets the existing industrial structure through a restrained material palette and precise architectural interventions, balancing references to the building’s original function with updated spatial requirements.

Corrugated metal wall cladding is introduced as a direct reference to the former refrigeration units, preserving the industrial character of the space. This is complemented by exposed lighting systems and polished concrete flooring, which reinforce the utilitarian logic of the original structure. Natural light is used to temper the material hardness, introducing contrast and improving spatial comfort. A centrally positioned dining table organizes the interior and establishes the space as a site for gathering and social exchange. Rather than erasing the building’s past, the design retains and reinterprets its material and spatial identity, allowing the former storage facility to operate as a contemporary hospitality environment while remaining legible as an industrial structure adapted for new use.

all images courtesy of Yellow Architects

Industrial materials preserve former storage fridge’s character

The intervention prioritizes minimal structural alteration, allowing the existing building to remain the primary spatial framework. New elements are introduced selectively and with clear distinction from the original frame, reinforcing the reading of the space as an adapted industrial structure rather than a complete reinvention. Through this approach, Meshek project by design studio Yellow Architects maintains the legibility of the former cold-storage facility while accommodating contemporary hospitality functions, positioning reuse and continuity as central design strategies.

Meshek by Yellow Architects adapts a former vegetable storage fridge into a contemporary hospitality space

corrugated metal wall cladding references the building’s original refrigeration units

industrial materials are retained to preserve the character of the former cold-storage facility

the material palette is intentionally restrained and minimal

the table establishes the space as a setting for gathering and exchange

the project accommodates hospitality functions within an industrial shell

project info:

name: meshek
architect: Yellow Architects | @yellow___architects

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post corrugated metal interiors reinvent vegetable storage fridge into industrial hospitality space appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

The proposed renovation of L’Aventure Michelin by Kengo Kuma & Associates is planned for Clermont-Ferrand, France, on a former tire manufacturing site linked to the company’s early growth. The museum sits within the Quartier des Pistes, a 1960s industrial complex whose long spans and repetitive frames continue to define the area.

L’Aventure Michelin opened to the public in 2009 as a permanent museum dedicated to the history of the brand founded in the city in 1889. Its galleries chart developments from early rubber products through guidebooks, maps, and tire technologies, using the existing factory building as a spatial backdrop.

visualization © Kengo Kuma & Associates

kengo kuma’s subtle intervention

The proposal by Kengo Kuma & Associates treats the inactive Michelin factory as a fixed spatial field. New architectural elements occupy the museum‘s existing structural grid, aligning with column bays and roof trusses. The architects‘ additions read as interior constructions held within the original envelope, maintaining the measured cadence of the industrial frame.

Changes to the exterior remain limited. Roof adjustments introduce daylight through narrow apertures, while facade openings follow the spacing of the concrete structure. The overall massing remains consistent with the original sheds and preserves the scale of the former production grounds.

visualization © Kengo Kuma & Associates

expressive materials for an industrial project

Within its L’Aventure Michelin renovation, Kengo Kuma & Associates’ interior interventions rely on materials that register at close distance. Timber appears in screens, ceilings, and railings, with visible grain and joinery. Bio-based panels sourced from the region sit alongside exposed steel and concrete, their surfaces defined by texture and edge.

The design language associated with legendary Japanese architect emerges through repetition and assembly. Elements are composed in small increments, assembled by hand-sized components that repeat across galleries and circulation paths.

visualization © Kengo Kuma & Associates

rhythmic spaces flooded with daylight

Movement through the museum follows the proportions of the former factory floor. Narrow corridors pass between structural bays before opening into broader exhibition halls where displays occupy the full width of the space. With its rhythmic sawtooth roof structure, elongated overhead windows guide visitors as they move through different zones of the building.

With daylight entering from overhead, light falls across timber surfaces and concrete planes, catching edges of display cases and floor finishes. Artificial lighting remains secondary to the ambient conditions set by the building section.

The renovation maintains a close connection to its setting in Clermont-Ferrand, where the Michelin company established its first workshops. Retained industrial elements and locally sourced materials keep the building tied to its immediate context.

visualization © Kengo Kuma & Associates

visualization © Kengo Kuma & Associates

visualization © Kengo Kuma & Associates

project info:

name: L’Aventure Michelin

architect: Kengo Kuma & Associates | @kkaa_official

location: Clermont-Ferrand, France

visualizations: © Kengo Kuma & Associates

The post kengo kuma unveils plans to renovate michelin factory museum in france appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

The Poet’s House by NextOffice is the restoration and adaptive reuse of a 1970s residential building in downtown Tehran, formerly the home of Iranian poet and dissident Ahmad Shamlou. The project converts the house into a cultural center while retaining key architectural features of the original structure, including its brick facade, rounded corners, and expressive lintels characteristic of the period.

The intervention centers on a second-floor interior wall inscribed with a handwritten poem by Shamlou addressed to his wife and muse, Aida. Rather than treating the inscription as a preserved artifact, the design extends this wall into a spatial and semi-structural element that organizes circulation throughout the building. Known as the ‘Aida Wall,’ the new steel structure rises from the courtyard to the rooftop, forming a three-dimensional promenade that connects interior programs and visually opens the house toward the surrounding city.

the Poet’s House is the adaptive reuse of a 1970s residential building in Tehran | image by Parham Taghioff

Steel Intervention Reinforces the Poet’s Brick House by NextOffice

The original building’s brick load-bearing structure required reinforcement to accommodate the new public program, which includes exhibition spaces, a library, bookstore, café, and restaurant. The structural intervention was made explicit rather than concealed, with the steel wall functioning as both reinforcement and architectural framework. This strategy establishes a clear dialogue between the existing masonry structure and the inserted contemporary system.

Through this reconfiguration, the formerly private courtyard is repositioned as a public open space, supporting the building’s transformation from a domestic setting into a cultural venue. The steel intervention is deliberately reversible, allowing for its removal without permanent alteration to the original structure. Material selection by design studio NextOffice emphasizes contrast and adaptability, with steel chosen for its capacity to weather over time and respond formally through cutting, bending, and articulation.

The Poet’s House demonstrates an approach to adaptive reuse that balances preservation with transformation. By integrating structural necessity, spatial organization, and cultural reference into a single architectural element, the project reframes a private residence as a public institution while maintaining the legibility of its original form and history.

the former home of poet Ahmad Shamlou transforms into a public cultural center | image by Ehsan Hajirasouliha

original architectural features, like the brick facade and rounded corners, are retained | image by Parham Taghioff

structural reinforcement is expressed rather than concealed within the design | image by Parham Taghioff

the steel element functions as both architectural framework and structural support | image by Mahdi Kamboozia

a clear dialogue is established between the original masonry and new steel insertions | image by Parham Taghioff

the intervention is designed to be reversible without permanent alteration to the building | image by Parham Taghioff

named the Aida Wall, the steel intervention organizes circulation across the building | image by Parham Taghioff

the project balances preservation with architectural transformation | image by Ehsan Hajirasouliha

the project introduces exhibition spaces, a library, bookstore, café, and restaurant | image by Ehsan Hajirasouliha

steel is selected for its adaptability and capacity to age over time | image by Ehsan Hajirasouliha

the Poet’s House by NextOffice repositions a private residence as a public cultural space | image by Parham Taghioff

project info:

name: The Poet’s House
architects: NextOffice

lead architect: Alireza Taghaboni 

design team: Elnaz Kharaghani, Hoodad Zoroufchiyan, Meysam Ebrahimi Moaghaddam, Roza Bemani, Ali Ghods, Farzad Farasat, Hadi Irani, Gelare Geranseresht, Negar Mansouri, Mohammad Motamedi, Elahe Babaei, Homa Asadi, Asal Karami, Shadi Bitaraf, Marziyeh Norouzi, Mohammad Amin Abedin, Soroush Attarzadeh, Ehsan Ahani, Saba Salehi, Mohammad Mardi, Ali Jahani
location: Tehran, Iran

photographers: Ehsan Hajirasouliha, Parham Taghioff, Mahdi Kamboozia

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post sculptural steel staircase and wall breathes new life into iranian poet’s 1970s home appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Arid reworks and extends a two-story corner building from 1951 in the Patissia district of Athens into a hybrid residential, co-living, and co-working building. The project, dubbed Veil, renovates the original fabric and adds three new floors above it, resulting in an 850-square-meter building that engages directly with its neighborhood’s spatial logic.

The intervention is shaped by Karamanlaki Street’s characteristic morphology, where setbacks generate ‘prassies,’ semi-open front gardens. These transitional spaces become a guiding principle for the new volume, which pulls back, carving out terraces and voids that preserve openness and visual continuity along the street. This restraint allows the building to sit comfortably within its context, maintaining lightness despite its increased height.

The architects integrate contemporary elements into the existing structure, with its marble surfaces, wooden floors, and timber window frames. The added volume above introduces perforated aluminum panels that wrap the facade, softening the mass and blurring its edges, creating a layered composition where structure and surface, concealment and exposure become one.

all images by Giorgos Kordakis, unless stated otherwise

arid reworks the polykatoikia as a shared living model

The Athens-based team at Arid improves ventilation and privacy with a double-skin facade system that allows light to filter and reflect in constantly changing ways. Movable louvers and rotating panels regulate daylight, producing shifting transparencies and a kinetic quality. As the sun moves, the appearance of Veil changes, transforming the upper floors into an almost immaterial presence hovering above the older base.

Programmatically, the project rethinks the social model of the Athenian polykatoikia. Alongside a range of residential units, the building incorporates coworking spaces, a shared coliving apartment, and a communal roof garden. These shared areas extend the idea of collective urban living, updating it for contemporary patterns of work and habitation while remaining rooted in Athens’ long tradition of dense, mixed-use residential life.

the project embedded within patissia’s dense residential fabric | image by Giorgos Sfakianakis

the renovated 1950s corner building|  image by Giorgos Sfakianakis

perforated aluminum mesh mediates between interior life and the surrounding fabric | image by Giorgos Sfakianakis

rooftop terraces carve out semi-private outdoor rooms | image by Giorgos Sfakianakis

perforated aluminum panels filter light across the facade

terraces wrapped by a double-skin facade create transitional spaces

operable metal screens allow controlled openness

the new volume reads as a soft, filtered presence

forming a layered urban profile

the building reads as luminous presence

shifting transparencies emerge as sunlight filters through the double-skin facade

the retained concrete base contrasts with the contemporary metal-clad extension

maintaining privacy for residential units | image by Giorgos Sfakianakis

a hybrid residential, co-living, and co-working building | image by Vasilis Fotiou

interior partitions echo the exterior’s filtering logic | image by Giorgos Sfakianakis

mesh-filtered daylight softens the living environment | image by Vasilis Fotiou

project info:

name: Veil

architect: Arid | @arid_architects

location: Patissia, Athens, Greece

area: 850 square meters

design team: Mathilda Beraha, Dimitris Sotiropoulos, Giannis Schinas

contractor: Calen

mechanical engineer: HMeng

structural engineers: Andreas Alexandropoulos, Dimitris Antonopoulos

facade: Rometal

lighting design: Anastasia Philipopoulou

landscape design: Scape

photographers: Giorgos Sfakianakis | @g_sfakianakis, Giorgos Kordakis | @yiorgoskordakis, Vasilis Fotiou 

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Caffè Nazionale in Arzignano, Italy, is a restoration and interior project by locally-based firm AMAA. Set beneath the nineteenth-century City Hall colonnade, the café occupies a position where civic space and daily life overlap. From the portico, visitors pass directly into the main hall, with the rhythmic arcade continuing inside. Views extend through the depth of the plan toward a small, tree-filled interior courtyard. 

The entrance occupies the center of the colonnaded wing designed by Antonio Caregaro Negrin. Facing the square, the door stands out for its material presence. Burnished iron panels pivot on a central axis and carry a diamond pattern on both sides. A handle carved from green serpentine marble from Valmalenco, designed by artist Nero/Alessandro Neretti, brings a tactile detail at hand level.

To one side of the entrance, an open kitchen occupies the corner position at the start of the colonnade. Its visibility places preparation within the same visual field as arrival and seating. Between kitchen and bar, a stair rises toward an upper dining room.

images © Mikael Olsson

amaa curates a mosaic of layered textures

Throughout the main room of its renovated Caffè Nazionale, the architects at AMAA gather traces from multiple phases of occupation. Surfaces vary in tone and texture, with older finishes meeting newer insertions without concealment. A folded and perforated stainless steel wall stretches across part of the space, set slightly apart from the existing envelope. Its surface acts as a veil to offer partial views toward the arches facing the courtyard.

Behind this metal plane, illuminated posters by illustrator Stefan Marx appear through the perforations, recalling graphic fragments associated with public interiors from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Beneath, a polychrome mosaic floor spreads across the room, its fine patterning countered by a coffered ceiling in layered wood panels engineered for light distribution and acoustic control.

Caffè Nazionale sits beneath the City Hall colonnade in Arzignano, Italy

custom furnishings show attention to detail

AMAA designs a large pivot door within the steel wall which opens toward a vestibule between Caffè Nazionale’s main hall and its courtyard. The shift in light and scale marks a pause within the sequence. From here, the inner garden comes into view, arranged as a birch grove contained by surrounding walls yet visually connected to the wider landscape beyond the town. This outdoor room reads as part of the interior composition rather than a separate destination.

Seating throughout is based on an integrated system of wooden tables and benches designed by AMAA with Nero/Alessandro Neretti. Developed through full-scale prototypes, the furniture maintains consistent proportions while adjusting to different zones. Deeper within the room, rectangular tables support longer stays and dining. Near the square, smaller round tables gather along the facade and extend outward beneath the portico.

References range from utilitarian to minimalist typologies, translated into solid timber elements with visible joints. The furniture operates as part of the architectural fabric, aligning with floor patterns and structural rhythms.

the café opens directly from the public square into a deep interior axis

an open kitchen occupies the corner at the edge of the colonnade

temporary graphic posters appear behind the perforated metal surface

a folded, perforated stainless steel wall filters views toward the inner courtyard

custom furnishings are integrated with the original structure

exposed construction layers register time and previous interventions

project info:

name: Caffè Nazionale | @caffenazionale.it

architect: AMAA. Collaborative Office For Research And Development | @amaa_office

location: Arzignano, Venezia, Italy

area: 565 square meters

completion: 2024

photography: © Mikael Olsson | @mikaelolsson_

structural engineering: Simone Michelotti
electrical engineering: Nicola Rosa
​mechanical engineering: Riccardo D’Alessandro
acoustic planning: Luca Dal Cengio
contractor: Moredile of Morabito Massimo Casillo
electricians: ELETTROIMPIANTI of Nogarole
lighting contractor: Operae Interiors

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