A Concrete Canvas for Contemporary Art: Oever Gallery in Ostend by 5AM Studio.

Located on the East Bank harbour of Ostend on the Belgian coast sits Oever, a new contemporary art gallery designed by 5AM Studio. Considered a haven for creatives, 5AM drew on the city’s strong link with graffiti, street and urban art to form the basis of the interior concept.

For the gallery that also has an in-house coffee shop and store concept, the challenge was to create a striking space without taking away from the showcasing artists. With this in mind, 5am recreated the typical street artist’s canvas—a minimal, stripped-down version of a concrete jungle within the gallery. The monochrome palette references the gradient and texture of the surrounding city while contrasting the roughness of urban settings with a calm smoothness.

The material mix of raw concrete, rough stucco, polished mirror, brushed aluminium and high-gloss bold display objects offer contrast and guidance in a subtle way. Oever has personality but doesn’t steal the thunder of the artists on display. Colour is used sparingly but makes a lasting impact with a striking aquamarine blue used in the bathroom and for the Moustache Bold chairs in the cafe area.

The open-plan space can be divided into different zones by using a smart freestanding system that offers full flexibility—it can easily be assembled or expanded without the need for tools. Display elements and backgrounds in different sizes and colours can be added accordingly. “We created zones by using a flexible system and focal points that serve each activity individually,” states 5AM designer Amber Feijen. “The overall grey shell and textured material mix provides a full experience. Functionality can and should be beautiful.”

Find works by five contemporary pop-art artists Ju Schnee, Yam Shalev, Soichi Yamaguchi, Maria Imaginario and Marcela Florido at the opening exhibition beginning on May 26th. For more info, head to oever.gallery.

Hidden Entourage by Supaform.

In ‘Hidden Entourage’, Russian studio Supaform shows a collection of eight objects disguised as furniture pieces. Beautiful yet devoid of function, the exhibition, housed in the Palazzo Brancaccio in Rome, calls into question design’s instinct to be function-forward.

[Images courtesy of 5AM Studio. Photography by Bob Janssens.]