Operata

Zen House  Kts Vương Hữu Trung

Maki Yamamoto

Maki Yamamoto (@bali_ayu) starts every morning with a photo shoot starring vintage items. This daily ritual is a warmup exercise for the graphic designer from Osaka, Japan, to get her mind geared up for work. “Things that have been worn out with time and damage carry a lot of history and love of the people who used them,” Maki says. Her father, who was a repair worker, inspired her love of antiques. “I have a growing fondness for his old tools and wanted to do something with them,” Maki reflects. Her flat-spread arrangements of worn utensils and aged keepsakes restore life into items which once served their owners well. “I’d be happy if people find something interesting in any of these objects, and feel good about that moment of discovery.”

HOSHINOYA Fuji

Japan’s first glamping resort, HOSHINOYA Fuji offers exquisite cuisine, serene accommodation, and spectacular activities. Nestled at the base of Mount Fuji, on the shores of Lake Kawaguchi, the property comprises a sleek dining hall and 40 minimalist cabins scattered among the trees of a pristine red pine forest. 

Crafted to blend into the natural environment, the cabins are a feast of contemporary Japanese design, with supremely comfortable beds, fully-equipped bathrooms, and wonderful private balconies. Additionally, guests can enjoy campsite dining and a plethora of activities, from yoga and stargazing to canoeing, horse riding, and forest hiking.

Wireflow by Arik Levy

Weston Library WilkinsonEyre

At the heart of Oxford’s historic core, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s 1940s, Grade II listed, New Bodleian Library (now known as the Weston Library) is a vital resource for academic research. In 2006, WilkinsonEyre was appointed to refurbish the library as a new cultural and intellectual landmark. The idea was to open up the building to allow more public access and engagement in the activities happening inside. This included the creation of new spaces for a programme of exhibitions and seminars drawing on the extraordinary resources of the Bodleian’s collections.

The design works with, rather than against, Scott’s robust design, reinvigorating the space with an improved circulation diagram – for both book retrieval and user movement – and creating a number of contemporary interventions, including a spectacular reading room at roof level.

House in Brissago, Switzerland by Wespi de Meuron Romeo Architects