Stories On Design // The Art of Giving Good White.

In my ever-expanding collection of design research consisting of notes, links, folders, clippings and images, more and more references of all white everything seem to be popping up of late. So what am I saying here? Well, I’m not suggesting this a new “thing” (I’m desperately trying not to use my least favourite T-word – I’ll give you a hint – it starts with T ends with REND… so thought I’d adopt “Thing” for the moment. Cool?). Anyway, white is not necessarily a “thing”. White is white. Along with black, it has always been the cornerstone of style and effortless sophistication.

What I love about all white buildings and spaces, and specifically the examples we are looking at today, is that there is simply no hiding the truth from white. It reveals everything. If the space is poorly designed, if the forms are not crisp, and if the detailing isn’t up to scratch – it will show. Equally, if the space is rugged and loaded with character, the all white approach will allow it to shine. Regardless of it’s base character and genetic makeup, if the architecture is strong enough to stand on it’s own two feet, adopting an all-white approach is like exercising ultimate restraint and saying – I don’t need to try, I’m awesome, I know it, and I can pull this off. It’s just like Sinead O’Connor’s shaved head and her iconic video from the late 80s.

As much as I’m not calling white a “thing” – it’s appeal in today’s society cannot be underestimated. White was splashed around like Kim Kardashian’s bum all over everything back in the 90s, during the hardcore years of minimalism. Today, white is slightly different and more evolved. It’s purity and restrain has a calming effect on our psyche and our overstimulated senses. White is about paring down, about going back to the basics, about purity and the simple joy a visually uncluttered space can give us. It can feel calming and visually pleasing. It can also feel incredibly dramatic. But – beware the imitations! Just like a poor replica, white in the wrong hands can have horrible consequences. It can feel sterile and devoid of life. Except, in some instances, cold white is perfectly ok – as some of the examples that follow will illustrate. The art of white is all about understanding the slightest of nuances. Giving good white is the ultimate mastery.

So! What I’m personally interested in here is demonstrating The Art of Giving Good White – exploring architecture and interiors that know how to make us feel nurtured, and uplifted by using white… Spaces that allow forms, objects and certain elements to really shine. The ones where white is used as a sensation of warmth, or deliberate and calculated coldness… Spaces that have an almost celestial quality… Hey, what’s that? Wait a minute – can you hear the cherubs singing?

See More ‘Stories on Design’ Curated by Yellowtrace.

Courtesy of Corning Museum of Glass.

Corning Museum of Glass by Thomas Phifer and Partners in Corning, NY, USA // The Corning Museum of Glass North Wing expansion features spacious light-filled galleries for display of contemporary works in glass. The new gallery building has a series of continuous skylights with a sophisticated light-filtering system that integrates with the structural roof beams. Inside, the works of art will be displayed largely independent of the curvilinear white walls, encouraging circulation and allowing contemplation of larger works. The gallery experience is punctuated by a 45m long window that provides views to the landscape.

Photography by Javier Callejas.

Moliner House by Alberto Campo Baeza in Zaragoza, Spain // The brief called for a house fit for a poet – a house for dreaming, living and dying. A house in which to read, to write and to think. The architects raised the walls to create a box open to the sky, like a nude, metaphysical garden, with concrete walls and floor. To create an interior world – they dug into the ground to plant leafy trees. Floating in the centre is a box filled with the translucent light of the north. Three levels were established – the highest for dreaming, the garden level for living and the lowest level for sleeping.

Courtesy of Ramon Esteve.

Myrtus Convention Centre by Ramon Esteve in Valencia, Spain // This building is designed to accommodate large events for up to one thousand people. The organic geometry of the building, designed on a circular grid, generates continuous and fluid spaces, inducing free movement and flexibility.

Courtesy of Bureau Betak.

Installation for Christian Dior Couture SS14 by Bureau Betak // On January 20th 2014, Bureau Betak wrapped an interior of Musée Rodin in all white, creating a Flintstone setting for Christian Couture Show. Wow, wow, wow!

Photography by Jerome Galland.

White Interior Photographed By Jerome Galland // I can’t tell you much about these amazing spaces found on Jerome Galland’s website. What I can tell you though is that this French photographer has a killer folio, and that – despite it looking all angelic and pure – this deliciously curvalicous interior is making me feel impure thoughts.

Courtesy Lissoni Associati Photography by Joachim Wichmann.

Loft by Lissoni Associati in Monza, Italy // Converted warehouses are a dime a dozen these days, but how’s this for a fascinating case of repurposing? Lissoni Associati have taken an old private theatre and transformed it into a home. Monumental and so strictly restrained, this loft it so majestic it almost seems imaginary.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photography by Simon Menges.

Philharmonic Hall by Estudio Barozzi Veiga in Szczecin, Poland // This building emerges from its urban context, influenced by the local vernacular. With an expressionist mindset, the architects have aimed to use geometry to give shape to a new rhythmic composition that conveys feelings of balancing massiveness and verticality.

Photography by Alberto Bandín.

Casa V by Dosis in A Coruña, Spain // Casa V consists on the renovation, adaptation and extension of an existing house, designed and built in the early 1960’s. A multilayered wall defined by a single construction detail, which serves both as structure and as thermal and environmental layer, meanders and embraces the multiplicity of the spaces that occur in the house. The new house is formalised by the continuous flow of a completely neutral wrap – no edges, no colour, no texture – and, within this wrapping, life and action are the protagonists.

Photography by Sophia Baraket.

Dar Mim by Septembre Architecture in Hammamet, Tunisia // This renovation and extension of a traditional Tunisian courtyard house in the historic heart of the city Hammamet utilises local materials and know-how. All woodwork and metalwork were custom made by local artisans. The use of plaster and lime paint on all exterior walls using traditional techniques allows the new construction to be well integrated with the context.

Photography by Roland Halbe.

Casa Klotz by Mathias Klotz in Chile // This rural two-storey timber house is located beachside in Tongoy, north of Santiago. It was designed by Mathias Klotz in 1991 for his mother, and was the Chilean architect’s first major project. Clad in white-painted timber boards, the rectangular house has barely any glazing on its southern facade, while its northern elevation features large windows and balconies that face out to the beach.

Photography by Fernando Guerra | FG+SG.

House in Fontinha by Manuel Aires Mateus + SIA arquitectura, Melides, Portugal // Located on the Grândola crest, this house balances the inner courtyard with a protected core relating to the sky, and an opening to the distant ocean view. High volumetric spaces, occupied by elements that define functions and atmospheres are finished in crisp white and minimalist detailing to match.

Photography by Fernando Guerra | FG+SG.

Ibere Camargo Foundation by SAlvaro Siza in Avenida Padre Cacique // The interior of the building consists of a large central atrium void, and a sinuous ascending three flights of curvilinear ramp.

Photography by Iwan Baan.

Danish Pavilion by BIG for Shanghai Expo 2010, China // The Denmark Pavilion , designed by BIG with ARUP and 2+1 for Shanghai Expo in 2010 was not only interesting from an architectural and structural point of view, but also for the Danish spirit it represented. The pavilion was based around one big loop on which visitors could ride one of the 1,500 bikes available – a chance to experience the Danish way of urban living. A big pool of water was located at the centre, complete with fresh water from Copenhagen’s harbour (one of the cleanest in the world), in which the visitors could swim.

Photography by Iwan Baan.

Heydar Aliyev Center by Zaha Hadid Architects in Baku, Azerbaijan // Since its independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has invested heavily in modernising and developing Baku’s infrastructure and architecture, departing from its legacy of normative Soviet Modernism. Zaha Hadid Architects was appointed as design architects of the Heydar Aliyev Center following a competition in 2007. The Center, designed to become the primary building for the nation’s cultural programs, breaks from the rigid and often monumental Soviet architecture that is so prevalent in Baku, aspiring instead to express the sensibilities of Azeri culture and the optimism of a nation that looks to the future.

Photography by Jerry Yin.

Glass office for Soho China by AIM Architecture in Shanghai, China // An entirely glass and mirrored interior exposes the infrastructure of SOHO’s office building in Shanghai. The glass creates a multitude of reflections, creating a ‘double reality’.

Photography by Fernando Guerra | FG+SG.

Leiria House by Aires Mateus, Leiria, Portugal // The site, located on the outskirts of Leiria, sits on a high position overlooking the city. The house is a recognisable archetype, with it’s centre hollowed and filled by the light of a large courtyard that opens horizontally at the garden level.

Photography by Dominique Marc Wehrli.

O House by Eberhard Troger witn with Eberhard Tröger, Vierwaldstättersee, Switzerland // This sculptural villa is adorned with very expressive and ornamental facades on two sides. Facing Mount Pilatus the white concrete elements are dotted with circular openings that allow glimpses into the two-levelled orangery with exotic plants. The lake side, with superb mountain views shows off a protruding, glistering loggia made of round glass bricks.

Courtesy of Le White.

Le White Parisian Concept Store // In Saint-Ouen, just north of Paris, Le White is a concept store and gallery that sells only white objects. is an art gallery where, as its name implies, all the works that are exhibited are white. Here you can find prototypes, unique pieces and limited edition objects created by illustrators, designers, visual artists and photographers.

Courtesy of AnOther Magazine AW08. Photography by Daniel Stier.

Maison Martin Margiela in Paris // Located in In Paris’s quiet and principally residential 11th arrondissement is this 300 sqm studio space which dates back to the 18th century. For nearly 100 years, the building was convent presided over by the Sisters of Charity, functioning primarily as an orphanage. It is now the home of one of the most avant-guard fashion houses of our time – Maison Martin Margiela.

Courtesy of Ryuji Nakamura.

Aurora by Ryuji Nakamura // I am not really sure how to speak of the work of Japanese architect Ryuji Nakamura. There are very few people in this world who truly transcend disciplines and genres, who can practice at the intersection of art, architecture and interiors as effortlessly and naturally as Mr Nakamura does. His work is poetic, inspiring, visionary and simply breathtaking. It is a masterful representation of what can be achieved using refined forms, simple objects and repetition.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Courtesy of Ryuji Nakamura.

Bang by Ryuji Nakamura // This amazing installation was designed by the super clever Ryuji Nakamura for the Italian fashion brand CoSTUME NATIONAL at the CNAC LAB in Tokyo, Japan. Who would have thought that a humble polyester ribbon could create such a dynamic and seductive installation piece? Well, not me!

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Courtesy of Jacob Hashimoto.

Art Installations by Jacob Hashimoto // Drawing on his Japanese heritage and the tradition of kite-making,Jacob Hashimoto creates three-dimensional structures made out of thousands of miniature ‘kites’, constructed from bamboo-stiffened rice paper suspended with nylon fishing line. Jacob is a magician who has an amazing ability to arrange complex cascading shapes reminiscent of white paper clouds and frozen waterfalls.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Courtesy of Fearon Hay Architects. Photography by Simon Wilson. Styling by Amelia Holmes.

Harbour Edge House (1910 – Reworked) by Fearon Hay Architects in Auckland, NZ // I don’t know how you’re feeling right about now, but for my money, as far as conformable luxury and understated elegance goes, things simply don’t get much better than this. I am particularly fond of the sublime and restrained palette of white, with accents of travertine, leather and brass. And that casual-yet-super-sophisticated-white-linen-curtain-in-living-room situation is knockout.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Images courtesy of Office for Peripheral Architecture. Photography by Jussi Tiainen.

House Riihi by OOPEAA in Alajärvi, Finland // House Riihi consists of three buildings arranged around an inner courtyard, with vertical timber slats wrapping the exterior. The three structures, containing the house, the atelier and the garage, give shape to an intimate garden. Commissioned by a family of an entrepreneur father, an artist mother and their two sons, the house needed to accommodate traditional living areas as well as a space for family hobbies and a studio to serve as an atelier.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Courtesy of Frederik Vercruysse.

1950s House Saint-Forget by Andre Wogenscky // This minimalist temple of modernism was built in 1957 – designed by Andre Wogenscky, a renowned architect who worked with Le Corbusier for 20 years. House Saint-Forget was designed in accordance with Corbusier’s golden ratio and human scale, known as Modulor. The interior features custom-made furniture, dramatic all white interior with accents of black, and original suspended corner fireplace made of steel – something every pimpin’ home should have.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photography by Fraser Marsden.

Loft Apartment in West Melbourne by Adrian Amore // This Deliciously Curvalicious loft apartment is a knockout – that staircase, the articulation of light, the sinuous forms and fluid spaces… Everything about this project literally brought me to my knees. Emphasised by a monochrome white on white palette, the twisting, bending walls take centre-stage.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photography by Filip Dujardin.

Loft FOR by adn Architectures in Brussels, Belgium // Ahhh goodness. Are these images real or is this some artist’s impression of a place where gravity doesn’t exist? The slickness of the folded steel stair is verging on implausible. That thin and that crisp? Really? Alas, you’ll be pleased to know that this loft is real – it’s just been subject to the wizardry of adn Architectures in Brussels.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photography by FG+SG – architectural photography.

Tapestry Museum by CVDB Arquitectos in Arraiolos, Portugal // CVDB Arquitectos have converted an old hospital in the tiny town of Arraiolos in Portugal, into a Tapestry Museum. The town is famed for the embroidered rugs and carpets it produces, so for the 3300 inhabitants that live there, the museum celebrates the local cultural identity. The exterior skin of the building remains largely intact, flowing seamlessly with the character of the surrounding streetscape. The only new external addition is the delicately crafted stair shaft in white, which hides quietly at the back of the site.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Courtesy of Colombo and Serboli Architecture. Photography by Roberto Ruiz.

The White Retreat by Colombo and Serboli Architecture // This seaside studio apartment by Colombo and Serboli Architecture was designed for a curator who asked for a simple white space where he could display his art, music and books.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

 Courtesy of Wienberg Arkitekter. Photography by Mikkel Rahr Mortensen,

Villa Weinberg by Mette and Martin Wienberg in Højbjerg, Denmark // I wish this was my house. It’s not – because life is not fair, and also because it belongs to Mette and Martin Wienberg, both architects. Both Danish architects at that, meaning my predisposition to like this place is as strong as Sarah Lund’s determination to fight crime, as severe as her eyebrows, and as enveloping as one of her jumpers. Some bits of this house are elegantly white; potential frigidity deftly offset by personable timber ceilings, by soft white drapes of the kind you’d normally seen on Grecian sculpture, and by friendly paper lamp shades. Rich carpets and tan leather take the frost off and add welcome texture.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Courtesy of COS.

Snarkitecture x COS Installation during Milan Design Week 2015 // Snarkitecture created this immersive environment from 30,000 strips of translucent fabric, cut to form an undulating topography for discovery and relaxation in Milan’s Spazio Erbe.

Photography by Markus Haugg.

Snarkitecture’s Drift Pavilion for Design Miami/ 2012 // An entrance pavilion for Design Miami/ 2012, Drift creates an unexpected moment within the context of the familiar white vinyl tent, reformulating the material to create a floating environment. Inflated tubes are bundled together to create a topographical landscape in suspension: an ascending mountain above and an excavated cavern below. These long cylinders are arranged vertically to infill the area of the entrance courtyard, and then lifted to create areas of circulation and rest for the visitors entering and exiting the structure.