Cecilie Manz's flat-pack Plint table for Takt is made up of two parts

Products fair: Danish designer Cecilie Manz has created a wooden coffee table for furniture brand Takt that users can assemble themselves by securing the two components together with leather loops.

The flat-pack Plint table is made up of just two main, level parts – a tabletop and a base – which enables the furniture item to be packaged and transported in a flat form.

At first sight the tabletop appears to be made from one long plank of wood, but each end folds down to form two legs. These are attached with leather hinges, which are secured in-between slots that run along each edge.

Attached to either end of the central base is a leather loop. These can be fed through an opening in each of the legs, before slotting a wooden octagonal rod inside the loop to hold the section in place.

According to the furniture brand, this rod mechanism is similar to the "pegged stretcher" joinery method that is often used for traditional dining tables.

These elements allow users to quickly assemble the table without any glue, blots or screws. Takt and Manz hope that the "intuitive" design will help avoid the frustrations that people often encounter with self-assembly flat-pack furniture.

The table takes its name from the Dutch word for "plinth", as a nod to its construction.

"A small plinth is a type of furniture I often return to, as it's highly functional and self-explanatory to use," said Manz.

"Leather as a hinging material is something I've been exploring a lot over the past 10 years, it's interesting to use an ordinary but genuine material such as full-grain leather where it makes functional sense to do so. As little as possible, in the right place."

The tabletop and side elements have been cut from a single piece of timber, granting a continuous grain pattern that is only disrupted by the leather hinge.

The leather has been sourced from Tärnsjö Garveri – a small Swedish tanning house that uses bark extracts to tan the material, as opposed to the chrome-based technique used by most furniture manufacturers, which is more polluting.

The Plint table is Manz's first design for Danish furniture brand Takt, and joins the company's existing collection of flat-pack furniture, which includes a steel chair and a wooden table by Pearson Lloyd.

"We subscribe to classic Danish design virtues: a focus on functionality, honest and natural materials, reduced ornamentation while still retaining personality," said Takt founder Henrik Taudorf Lorensen.

"Cecilie Manz has this amazing touch to her designs – a pared-back aesthetic that doesn't shout but has this strong personality, presence and atmosphere," he added.

The Plint table will be available to order from Takt's website from October 2020. The item comes in three different wood options, oregon pine, kalmar pine and oak.

Product: Plint table
Designer: Cecilie Manz
Brand: Takt

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Studio PKA turns heritage building in Mumbai into own architects' studio

Architecture firm Studio PKA has transformed part of a disused 100-year-old building in Mumbai into its own contemporary office space.

Called The Loft, the adaptive reuse project focused on the fourth floor of a Victorian-era warehouse in the city's South Bombay, an art district nicknamed SoBo.

Photo is by Deepshikha Jain.

The architecture studio gently "peeled away" decades worth of ad-hoc additions to the building, stripping it back to exposed brick walls and visible ceiling beams.

"The space, a part of a heritage structure, was acquired with the windows boarded up, the wooden trusses retrofitted with metal bracings and non-Load bearing brick walls enclosing and segregating zones from one another," said Studio PKA.

Unboarded and repaired, the tall arched windows let light into the open-plan office space.

The wooden trusses and purlins of the roof were refurbished, and layers of paint and plaster sanded back to rediscover the building's original character.

Studio PKA sourced old disused doors from demolished buildings around Mumbai to put in some of the doorways.

For the other additions, the studio stuck to a simple palette of glass, metal, bricks, and cement blocks and boards. These materials were used to divide the space up into an office.

Photo is by Deepshikha Jain.

Entering via the stairs, visitors are greeted by a stone-floored atrium with a front desk against a partition wall of glass in thick metal frames.

On the other side of the wall, an open-plan office runs down the side of the building where the arched windows are. A long table made of cement boards propped on plinths of bricks forms a place for meetings and group work.

Individual cabins have been built using cement blocks to create more private spaces for meetings or quiet work.

Behind the cabins, the studio principal's personal office has its own arched windows and striking concrete-rendered walls.

Photo is by Deepshikha Jain.

These office spaces sit under the high, loft-style ceiling. Large industrial-style lights hang down from the beams over the desks, adding to the industrial effect.

On the other side of the fourth floor, meeting rooms for staff and clients sit under the mezzanine floor, which is reached by a refurbished wooden staircase.

On the mezzanine level, there's a staff library and a cafeteria for communal meals. A cosy den room in one corner provides a quiet space for contemplation or research.

"The transformation of the space alludes to a journey through time, remembering the past, living the present and looking out to the future," said the studio.

"The studio has been envisioned as a multi-functional and flexible design solution. One that pushes the boundaries of conventional workspaces – where collaborative sessions, workshops and exhibitions can be held."

The architects' studio has already been used to hold film screening events, with a projector screen suspended from the brick wall of the gable end.

Studio PKA was founded in 1993 by Puran Kumar. Previous projects by the studio include a country house built around old mango trees in the town of Alibag.

Photography is by Sameer Chawda unless otherwise stated.

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Project credits:

Architect: Studio PKA
Principal architect: Puran Kumar
Project team: Preethi Krishnan, Revina Soni

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Nine examples of spherical architecture from around the globe

Foster + Partners' new Apple Store in Singapore is the latest example of the trend for spherical buildings. Here are nine recent globe-shaped examples.

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Taipei Performing Arts Center, Taipei, Taiwan, by OMA

A spherical structure described as "a suspended planet docking with the cube" that contains an auditorium is the most prominent feature of the Taipei Performing Arts Center, which Dutch architecture studio OMA has designed in Taiwan.

The performing arts centre is nearing completion and is set to open in 2020, seven years later than originally planned.

Find out more about Taipei Performing Arts Center ›

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Apple Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, by Foster + Partners

The latest Apple Store designed by British architecture studio Foster + Partners is a spherical building that appears to float within Singapore's Marina Bay.

Set to open within the next couple of weeks, the store is completely surrounded by water and will be accessed by a bridge from the waterfront promenade and an underwater tunnel that connects it to the Marina Bay Sands shopping centre.

Find out more about Apple Marina Bay Sands ›

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Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Los Angeles, USA, by Renzo Piano

Italian architect Renzo Piano has added a glass sphere to the 1930s May Company Building in Los Angeles to create the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

The main building will contain a collection of film memorabilia including set designs, costumes, props and interactive installations, while a 1,000-seat theatre topped by a terrace will occupy the spherical extension.

Find out more about Academy Museum of Motion Pictures ›

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Photo is by Paul Raferty

Kazakhstan Pavilion, Astana, Kazakhstan, by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill

Known locally as Nur Alem: Museum of the Future, the Kazakhstan Pavilion was created as the centrepiece for the 2017 Expo in Astana, Kazakhstan.

The building, which was envisioned as a "pure-glass sphere", has an 80-metre diameter and was converted into a science museum following the expo.

Find out more about Kazakhstan Pavilion ›

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Render is by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture

Al Wasl Plaza at Dubai Expo 2020, Dubai, UAE, by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill

Spherical architecture will also be making an appearance at the Dubai Expo, which has been postponed form 2020 to 2021, with Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill designing a globe-shaped plaza for the centre of the expo site.

The plaza will be at the intersection of the expo's three thematic districts and will be topped with a spherical trellis that was informed by the expo's logo.

Find out more about Dubai Expo 2020 ›

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MSG Sphere, London, UK, by Populous

UK architecture studio Populous has designed a pair of spherical music venues for the Madison Square Garden Company (MSG).

MSG Sphere London in England's capital will be the first of the venues to be built with an almost identical arena planned for a site in Las Vegas, USA.

Find out more about MSG Sphere ›

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Burning Man sphere, Nevada, USA, by Bjarke Ingels and Jakob Lange

Bjarke Ingels and Jakob Lange from architecture studio BIG inflated a huge reflective sphere at the 2018 Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert.

The orb was created after the studio crowdfunded $50,000 to make the huge art installation.

Find out more about Burning Man sphere ›

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Amazon Spheres, Seattle, USA, by NBBJ

American studio NBBJ created three intersecting glass orbs alongside retail company Amazon's headquarters in Seattle.

The structures are filled with "cloud forest" gardens, which will be used as additional workspace for the company's employees and a green space for the public.

Find out more about Amazon Spheres ›

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Tianjin Binhai Public Library, Tianjin, China, by MVRDV

Dutch studio MVRDV designed Tianjin's public library to look like a huge eye, complete with an atrium built to look like a 3D eyeball. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves have been staggered to form the shape of an eye socket.

The library, which was completed in 2017, was one of five buildings commissioned by the city's Urban Planning and Design Institute to form a new cultural centre for Tianjin's Binhai district.

Find out more about Tianjin Binhai Public Library ›

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This week, Rolls-Royce had a rebrand and NASA's Mars mission got a logo

This week on Dezeen, design studio House of van Schneider unveiled the logo for NASA's robotic rover and Pentagram gave the Rolls-Royce visual identity a makeover.

House of van Schneider has designed the branding for NASA's 2020 mission to send a rover to Mars to look for signs of past life.

A red circle symbolises the red planet, overlaid with a pixellated outline of the robot and a star that represents Earth glimpsed from Mars. This logo is going on the main rocket as well as the rover, along with badges and keycards used by scientists on the project.

"We never had our work on a rocket, or sent to space, let alone on Mars. This was a first for the entire House of van Schneider team," said  founder Tobias van Schneider.

Rolls-Royce unveils "confident but quiet" rebrand by Pentagram

Design studio Pentagram revealed the rebrand it designed for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, based around the signature statuette that perches on the bonnet of its cars.

Called the Spirit of Ecstasy, the figure of a woman with diaphanous wings has been updated and flipped to be a simplified logo for Rolls-Royce.

"Things like the size of the waist were so important," said Pentagram partner Marina Willer, "because we didn't want to indicate that she was too skinny, as that wouldn't set a good example, and we didn't want to make her too feminine and sexual either."

Expo 2025 Osaka logo revealed as ring of red blobs

A red circle was revealed as the winning design of the competition to make the logo for Expo 2025 Osaka. Graphic designer Tamotsu Shimada won over the jury and the public with a circle of blobs that look like cell nuclei – and googly eyes.

Japan embraced the anthropomorphic qualities of the design on social media, producing memes and fanart of the logo as an alien creature, a video game character, and even a loaf of bread.

Melania Trump criticised for "upsetting" White House Rose Garden renovation on social media

Melania Trump also had the attention of design Twitter this week. Her redesign of the Rose Garden at the White House went viral after she shared pictures of her foray into landscape architecture.

It wasn't the first time that the First Lady – who left her formal architecture studies to pursue a successful modelling career –turned her hand to design. We rounded up four examples here.

Photos reveal Foster + Partners "floating" spherical Apple Marina Bay Sands store

Photos of the new Apple Marina Bay Sands shop in Singapore have also been popping up on social media. British practice Foster + Partners is building the spherical store on the water, where it will be reached via a footbridge.

Foster + Partners' founder Norman Foster also unveiled his design for a temporary parliament building for the UK. The proposal includes a debating chamber and office spaces for 650 politicians wrapped in bomb-proof glass.

MAD wraps Beverly Hills residences Gardenhouse with America's "largest living wall"

Planted facades had a moment in architecture news this week. Chinese architecture studio MAD laid claim to building America's "largest living wall" by wrapping a housing development in Beverly Hills with a swirl of succulents.

Norwegian firm Snøhetta covered a timber office in Austria with a layer of greenery trailing up a latticed metal frame.

Perforated metal pavilion by Neiheiser Argyros disguises London Underground vents

In other architecture news, major infrastructure projects had their vents cunningly disguised by architects. Architecture studio Neiheiser Argyros shrouded the exhaust vents and fire escape of a London Underground station with a stylish pavilion and cafe.

To hide a ventilation shaft for the upcoming HS2 railway line, architecture firm Grimshaw has proposed a decorative roof of weathered steel to transform it into a local landmark.

[In]Brace allows users to control a computer with their tongue

Ingenious wearables featured in design and technology news on Dezeen. Graduate designer Dorothee Clasen has created a retainer called [In]Brace that allows the wearer to communicate with a computer using just their tongue.

Amelia Kociolkowska, another graduate designer, has created a wearable spandex pouch called Carrie that allows for the convenient and discreet carrying of period products.

Island Rest is a black-timber holiday home on the English coast

This week our readers were excited about a larch-clad holiday home on the Isle of Wight, a hilltop house in Costa Rica with views of the ocean, and a government building in India covered in an Ikat pattern of bricks.

This week on Dezeen is our regular roundup of the week's top news stories. Subscribe to our newsletters to be sure you don't miss anything.

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The Wayfinder hotel designed to "feel as if you were staying with friends" in Rhode Island

New York design practice Reunion Goods & Services has renovated this hotel in Rhode Island to be reminiscent of a colourful home with a fireplace and cosy seating nooks.

Formerly the Mainstay Hotel, The Wayfinder property is located in Newport and was refurbished by Reunion Goods & Services for developer Dovetail + Co. It includes 197 suites, a restaurant, lounge, patio and outdoor swimming pool.

Reunion Goods & Services designed the hotel to be evocative of a house rather than a hotel and sought to optimise the amount of natural light. White walls are enlivened with a variety of colours like burnt red, blue, green and mustard.

"The goal of this project was to freshen the spaces and bring as much light into the rooms as possible," the team said. "The intent was always for the rooms to feel as if you were staying with friends or at a summer house."

The rest of the interior design is a combination of existing details, like stone and terrazzo floors with wood-panelled walls, alongside woven and wooden furniture pieces for a relaxed yet playful feel.

The lobby features its original white terrazzo flooring with a new dark blue ceiling for contrast, while a free-standing fireplace in mustard with a glass enclosure is the focal point. It is surrounded by a custom white sofa in a U-shape.

The hotel rooms have a paler palette reflective of the hotel's beach location with off-white walls and chair railing in soft blue and green tones.

Continuing the relaxed, residential aesthetic is a lounge area with couches, pouffes, indoor plants, chairs, woven roller shades and woven cane dining chairs. Colourful fabrics enliven the space with its stone floors, while window trim is teal.

The sitting area joins the hotel restaurant Nomi Park, which has bolder colours like red-tiled walls, burnt orange leather banquettes, a bar clad in light blue tiles and dining benches upholstered in a cheetah print.

The wood dining chairs in dark blue are made locally by O & G Studio that is one of the emerging studios based in Rhode Island.

Art by more local artists rounds out the interiors, including a piece in the restaurant by Mea Duke and a mural outside in the patio near the swimming pool by Sean Spellman. Others artists whose work is displayed are Catherine Druken, Jenn Shore, Jenny Brown and Liz Kelley.

In addition to the Wayfinder hotel, other boutique accommodations in small towns and rural areas of the Northeastern United States are Tourists hotel in Massachusetts' Berkshires region, Scribner's Catskill Lodge, Sound View on Long Island and Troutbeck hotel by Champalimaud.

Photography is by Read McKendree.

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