La Maison, St. Louis, MO
Photography by Corey Hogrefe
An old private school has been brought back to life and renovated into 25 gorgeous residential apartments in the Tower Grove neighborhood. Designers Channing Glover and Maria Lesko of C&M Interiors led the design strategy in collaboration with Paramount Property. As a nationally registered historic place, the designers’ goal was to create a design that gave a true nod to the building’s history while also rejuvenating the property to attract future tenants. Glover and Lesko created the branding aesthetic for the building, including the name “La Maison,” which means "the home" in French.
The fourth level of the building was the former school gymnasium. Original hardwood floors were sanded and refinished and sleek, simple light fixtures, furnishings and artwork were installed to finish the grand hallway. For visual interest on the stairwells and hallways, a continuous 7-foot-high gray-and-white stripe accentuates the sharp angles and change of direction as you ascend and descend from each floor. The kitchens feature dark cabinetry with contrasting white quartz countertops. Contemporary fixtures were used throughout the units while also paying tribute to the historical features of the building.
Hearth & Dram, Denver, CO
Photography by Take You Wild Photography
Anchoring Denver’s Union Station neighborhood, Hearth & Dram is a modern saloon that is both wood-fire driven and whiskey focused. The name refers to a brick- or stone-lined fireplace – a sign of hospitality – and an Old World measurement for whiskey. The space, which seats 118, includes a bar and outdoor patio with views of Union Station and Coors Field. The interior design, meant to evoke the look of a charred whiskey barrel, includes floor-to-ceiling windows, steel architecture, a wooden communal table and rich leather upholstery. Additional highlights include playful taxidermy pieces; a floor-to-ceiling laddered whiskey library; Gold Rush-era mining equipment accents and art pieces by local artists. A seven-foot wood-fired hearth and an imported French rotisserie are viewable through the open kitchen, allowing guests to explore unique experiences.
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre, Athens, Greece
The Stavros Niarchos Cultural Centre is comprised of the National Library of Greece and the Greek National Opera on a landscaped park. Designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop architects in collaboration with Betaplan, the opera and library are combined in one building with a public space, known as the Agora, providing access between the two facilities.
The library’s reading room is entirely glass-walled and sits on top of the building just underneath the canopy roof. A square, horizontal transparent box, it has 360-degree views of Athens and the sea. To further connect the site to the water, a canal in the park runs along a north-south main pedestrian axis called the Esplanade. A canopy roof provides essential shade and is topped with solar cells that generate 1.5 megawatts of power for the library and opera house.
