The Fox is Black

  • Baranowitz & Goldberg Architects have worked their magic on Yama, a decidedly unique fishmonger in Tel Aviv, creating a space inspired by dazzling jewelry stores. The transformation is remarkable, with a sculpted ceiling that mirrors the graceful shape of a ship’s bottom, reminding visitors of the enchanting connection to the sea.

    The display counters resemble the sleek form of a fish fin, while the charming clay-red refrigerator drawers are used to keep the fish fresh. The color palette throughout the store pays homage to the vibrant graffiti-covered walls of the neighborhood. It’s worth mentioning that despite the store’s luxurious appearance, the architects have skillfully used simple materials like concrete flooring, plaster, and paint-finished metal to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Even small touches like the entrance door handle features a charming coral motif, adding an extra touch before you set foot in the space. If this was in my neighborhood you know I’d be visiting at least once a week.

    Tel Aviv Fishmonger Yama Displays Fish Like Precious Gems
    Tel Aviv Fishmonger Yama Displays Fish Like Precious Gems
    Tel Aviv Fishmonger Yama Displays Fish Like Precious Gems
    Tel Aviv Fishmonger Yama Displays Fish Like Precious Gems
  • A key part of a home (in my opinion) is how much greenery or nature you can bring into it, and conversely, surround it with. Perhaps Giles Miller Studio feels the same way? Their first completed residential property, Woven, is located 100m from the cliffs and sandy beaches of Broadstairs, Kent, and features a unique sculptural facade that breaks down barriers between the building’s internal spaces and the surrounding natural planting and trees, inviting nature to grow up the outside of the house while also being visible from within it.


    The buildings we inhabit have a direct impact on our state of mind. Through their design they are curators of light and sound, and they can expose us to nature and enrich our interactions with dramatically positive effect. We believe that this aspiration, in synchrony with our latest surface and sculptural experimentation in the studio, has spawned a wholly unique architectural typology.

    It’s always romantic to see buildings with creeping ivys or vines, nature slowly enveloping a stucture. Though here they’ve been so smart about it, creating an exoskeleton of sorts that encourages jasmine, clematis, and other plants to grow through the latticework, where no harm will come to the building.

    Giles Miller Studio Creates Woven, a Greenery Covered Home in Kent
    Giles Miller Studio Creates Woven, a Greenery Covered Home in Kent
    Giles Miller Studio Creates Woven, a Greenery Covered Home in Kent
  • There are days when I feel like a totally luddite, and days when I’m incredibly wow’ed by what’s possible with new developments in technology. Studio RAP is one of those special groups who are utilizing new tech to find develop new and innovative of creating architectural delights. They have built a pair of archways at the PoortMeesters housing in the Netherlands inspired by Delft Blue porcelain.

    What’s intriguing about their project though is that archways were made using 3,000 unique tiles that were 3D printed and then arranged in a pattern that was determined by an algorithm. So the algorithm “generated a leaf pattern that grows from one side to the other side that guides people over the staircase between two different public spaces.” It’s a rather remarkable way of marrying the past with the future.