Southwark Town Hall in south London has been renovated and repurposed to accommodate student housing and a mixed-use arts hub, including a theatre contained in a folded tile-clad extension.

Architecture and interior design firm Jestico + Whiles was appointed by student-housing developer Alumno Developments to oversee the renewal of the historic building on Peckham Road, which Southwark Council insisted should continue to benefit the local community.

The former town hall – which was built in 1872 and extended in the 1930s – was in use for almost 150 years before its sale to the University of the Arts London when Southwark Council moved their offices to Tooley Street.

“Our proposal for the town gall took a fresh approach which respected the history and character of existing buildings, but aimed to mark a new phase of history for this important site within the local community,” said Alumno’s managing director David Campbell.

The refurbished building contains 166 rooms for students of Goldsmiths College, as well as communal areas including common rooms, lounges and private gardens.

Accommodation was created by refurbishing the town hall’s existing rooms and adding an extension clad in pale brick to the rear of the building.

Further community centred facilities in the original building include 12 self-contained artists’ studios, which are supported by an independently managed public gallery space and a cafe.

The new gallery is positioned on the top floor to provide views of the London skyline from its full-height windows and large terrace.

The cafe is situated at street level next to the main student entrance to optimise opportunities for attracting passing trade.

“The residential extension complements the hall’s Portland stone and weathered brick, in a pale brick which ties the new and historic together,” Jestico + Whiles told Dezeen.

“The roof-top pavilion’s coloured, fritted glass with anodised fins creates reflections and shadows.”

A disused community hall adjoining the site that previously housed local learning and performance venue Theatre Peckham was demolished and replaced with a new studio-theatre complex comprising a 200-seat auditorium, rehearsal space and dance studios.

The new addition is wrapped in a folded facade clad in iridescent tiles that create subtly shifting reflections when viewed from different angles and at different times of day.

“The complex geometry of the folded skin is based on the theatre curtain, gathered at the head with hanging pleats,” the architects added.

A glazed foyer and breakout area accessible from a new public square at the rear of the building are intended to enhance the relationship between the theatre and the community.

Jestico + Whiles previously completed a house for one of its directors featuring dark-stained cedar gable and knapped-flint walls, and its studio was one of 18 architecture offices photographed as part of a project by Marc Goodwin.

Photography by Matt Clayton.

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In the course of the revitalisation of the former Werzer cinema in Pörtschach, which was designed by the well-known “Wörthersee-Archit..

New York studio Architecture Outfit made the most of a tight budget when transforming a dingy space into this light, bright Hawaiian restaurant in Lower Manhattan.

Humblefish was opened by the owner of a fast-food restaurant chain in Philadelphia, and serves poke: a Hawaiian raw fish dish that has gained popularity in New York and Los Angeles over the past year.

To bring more light into the space, the architects rebuilt the ceiling from light-coloured wood and left a hole in the centre. Costs for the project were kept down by sourcing items from low-cost retailer Home Depot.

“The space was a dark old bar,” Architecture Outfit partner Thaddeus Briner told Dezeen. “We stripped it bare, popped in a skylight, went to Home Depot, and built a ‘life raft’ in the middle to wait for their food.”

The “raft” is an irregularly shaped wooden furniture piece, which sits on casters and is topped by white cushions.

It also includes storage spaces for books in its base, and incorporates a pot for large tropical plants that sprout out of the seat.

Other visual references to Hawaii include the bright hues used to cover the back walls behind the counter.

“We delved into Hawaiian colours and crafts, with just a bit of soft 1970s California Big Sur casualness thrown in,” said Briner, who founded Architecture Outfit with Marta Sanders in 2008.

A banquette runs along one side and booths are tucked against the opposite wall. All have seat backs made from planks of wood, and are positioned under mirrors that reflect the colourful triangular patterns.

Additional seating is provided by stools behind the glazed Lispenard Street front, and at the service counter.

New York’s constantly evolving food scene also recently saw the opening of a restaurant and coffee bar inside the brutalist Met Breuer museum, while Philip Johnson’s renowned Four Seasons closed and had its furniture and tableware auctioned off last year.

Photography is by Michael Wells.

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If you ever thought one design discipline couldn’t inspire another, you’re wrong. Product designs can often take inspiration from typography designers, graphic designers can occasionally look to fashion designers, and the occasional shoe designer can often see wonderful design cues in architecture.

Drawing inspiration from Herzog & de Meuron’s 2008 Beijing Olympics stadium, these Adidas Ultraboost sneakers feature a dizzying array of lace-like anti-abrasive polyurethane line-patterns that resemble the iconic ‘Bird’s Nest’ stadium. The lacing system consists of two continuous laces that loop around support points along the upper and around the heel of the shoe in a seemingly random manner, but giving it a distinct flavor synonymous with Herzog and de Meuron’s iconic building. A 3D printed double-loop cinch locks the laces in place.

It’s a shame these shoes are conceptual works of design. I for one, would pay good money to own them!

Designer: KXIV

Taking up more than 165,000 square feet in the gargantuan Javits Center, ICFF is likely home to any type of design style and designer you’re looking for—lavish, minimal, handmade or downright dramatic, there’s a little something for everyone in the sprawling space. This year felt particularly broad, as it welcomed not only ICFF regulars, but also young newcomers and a number of promising design programs around the country. As university design programs were invited this year to attend and exhibit for free, the school projects living amongst commercial booths brought about an overall welcome mix of small and big, functional and conceptual (stay tuned for more about the student projects coming up in a later post).

For those whose feet proved too weak to check out everything or simply didn’t get a chance to see things on the floor of the fair (it’s okay, the fair is exhausting and the Starbucks lines were long), we’ve highlighted here some of our favorite commercial projects and booths to demonstrate the best of 2017.

So it begins

Making our way into the madness inside the Javits Center

Photo credit: Core77

“Rumors Fly” Pop-Up

American Design Club’s pop-up shop installation “Rumors Fly” at the entrance of the ICFF floor.

Photo credit: Core77

Playful 3D printed ceramic lighting by Christo Logan’s studio, Two Parts, housed in a tech-inspired installation by Katie Shima.

Photo credit: Core77

Up close, the forms are equal parts fun and elegant.

Photo credit: Core77

Up close, the forms are equal parts fun and elegant.

Photo credit: Core77

This cool ombre gradient bench by Ercol is actually one of their original designs and has been around for over 50 years, but amazingly seems to fit perfectly in the mix with pieces made in 2017.

Photo credit: Core77

Designed by Jordi Ribaudí for Barcelona-based design company TORU‘s, the CLOP chair is inspired by the manufacturing of clog shoes—from its half wood half leather materials to its unusual form.

Photo credit: Core77

Just like traditional clog shoes, the CLOP chair was made using primitive manufacturing methods and natural materials.

Photo credit: Core77

Stellar Works

A look into Stellar Works’ booth, which featured new work from designers Neri & Hu, Yabu Pushelberg, Creme and Space Copenhagen.

Photo credit: Core77

Neri & Hu

The Arta Collection designed by Neri&Hu, part of the Stellar Works booth. Their liquid vessel with a brass handle was inspired by Chinese traditional wine bottles and the cups can be stacked on the neck of the bottle.

Photo credit: Core77

View the full gallery here