OMA designs Audrey Irmas Pavilion as extension to Jewish temple in Los Angeles

Architecture firm OMA has put the finishing touches to an extension of a Jewish temple on Los Angeles' Wilshire Boulevard.

Clad in hexagonal stone tiles, the Audrey Irmas Pavilion at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple marks the firm's first cultural building in California and its first religious institution.

The OMA New York team, led by partner Shohei Shigamatsu, designed the pavilion as a counterpart to the 1929 Byzantine-Revival temple, which is home to LA's largest Jewish congregation.

Audrey Irmas Pavilion sits beside the 1929 Byzantine-Revival temple

The 55,000-square-foot structure is clad in 1,230 hexagonal panels, some of which have rectangular glass openings that are arranged to create a pattern across its sloped facades.

Made from glass fibre reinforced concrete (GRFC), the six-sided tiles are based on the geometries found inside the original temple building's dome.

They are all ribbed in the same direction so that when rotated, the tiles catch the light differently and give the surfaces more variation and character.

The pavilion leans away from its older neighbour

The new extension's irregular trapezoidal shape leans west, away from its older neighbour, and sits south of a historic school on the site.

It houses a series of multi-functional spaces for the community, including meeting, banquet and pre-function areas, as well as back-of-house facilities.

"We assembled a constellation of spaces, distinct in form, scale, and aura," said Shigamatsu, who arranged the interior around a trio of voids.

Rectangular glass holes in the facade's tiles glow at night

The lowest void is an arched volume that cuts through from the street-facing side to the school courtyard at the back of the pavilion.

Its high vaulted ceiling, formed by huge timber sections, allows for a column-free events space.

Above is a trapezoid void that cores the building in the opposite direction, facing west to frame the temple's stained glass windows.

A chapel on this level opens onto an outdoor terrace with green sides, mimicking the green copper dome next door. A glass oculus in the floor overlooks the events space below, while a circular cut-out in the ceiling provides a peek at the third void above.

This final space holds a sunken garden, surrounded by blue glass and connecting to smaller meeting rooms, and provides access to the roof that offers views of Downtown LA and the Hollywood Hills.

"Three interconnected voids make the solid form of the Pavilion strategically yet surprisingly porous, engaging the campus and the city," Shigamatsu said. "The Pavilion will support both old and new activities, values, and traditions to foster a renewed energy for gathering."

The ground-floor houses a column-free events space formed by timber vaults

OMA founder Rem Koolhaas was also commissioned to design a mezuzah – a piece of parchment called a klaf contained in a decorative case and inscribed with specific Hebrew verses from the Torah – for each door frame within the pavilion.

Each mezuzah is crafted from aluminum foam and cast in colored resin, then topped with an individual letter called a shin that is hand-cut, filed and polished.

"I was both intrigued and challenged to design the mezuzot for the doors within the Pavilion," said Koolhaas. "It is an unexpected religious object having to answer explicit religious edicts, laws and rules which made it totally fascinating for me and a very good lesson to have at some point in my life."

Blue glass surrounds a sunken roof garden on the upper level

OMA won the competition to design the pavilion in 2015, and revealed its proposal in 2018.

Although the building is now complete, its opening has been delayed due to the restrictions on gathering caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The making of the Audrey Irmas Pavilion sustained forward momentum through the Covid-19 pandemic, a period in which the act of human interaction was questioned and contemplated," said Shigamatsu.

"Its completion comes at a time when we hope to come together again, and this building can be a platform to reinstate the importance of gathering, exchange, and communal spirit."

The hexagonal concrete tiles are ribbed to create tonal variety across the exterior

OMA's New York office also recently revealed a supertall skyscraper for Manhattan's Billionaire's Row, and unveiled plans to transform a former transit hub into The Centre Pompidou Jersey City.

The photography is by Jason O'Rear.

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Project credits:

Partner-in-charge: Shohei Shigematsu
Associate-in-charge: Jake Forster
Team: Jesse Catalano, David Chacon, Caroline Corbett, Nils Sanderson, Andrea Zalewski, Natasha Trice, Marie Claude Fares, Wesley LeForce, Sandy Yum, Jade Kwong, Shary Tawil, Joanne Chen
Executive architect: Gruen Associates
Structure, MEP, facades, FLS, communications: Arup
Performance space consultants: TheatreDNA
Landscape: Studio-MLA
Lighting: L'Observatoire International
Signage/graphic design: Space Agency
Civil engineer: Rhyton Engineering
Vertical transportation: Syska Hennessy Group
General contractor: MATT Construction

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Ten contemporary products to elevate bathroom interiors

From stylish water-saving taps to sculptural baths and basins, here are ten contemporary bathroom products from Dezeen Showroom to upgrade any bathroom interior.

Once an overlooked room in the house, bathrooms are increasingly being transformed by designers into luxurious, spa-like spaces.

Here, we have selected products that would enhance any bathroom, including precisely engineered faucets, customisable cabinets and even outdoor bathtubs created by leading designers and brands including Patricia Urquiola, Barber Osgerby and Axor.

Read on to see the latest selection of bathroom products on Dezeen Showroom:

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Butler bathroom cabinet by Andrea Federici for Falper

Italian designer Andrea Federici created Butler for Falper, a wall-mounted bathroom cabinet system made from solid walnut or oak, aluminium and glass.

The cabinet was designed with Falper's "lifestyle bathroom" philosophy in mind, where functionality and aesthetics are unified to make the bathroom feel like an extension of living spaces.

The Butler cabinet is highly customisable in that it can be configured with shelves, internal drawers and clothes rails, as well as LED interior lighting.

Find out more about Butler ›

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Vieques Outdoor bathroom collection by Patricia Urquiola for Agape

Vieques Outdoor is a bathroom collection created by Spanish architect and designer Patricia Urquiola for Italian bathroom brand Agape, which was originally designed by Urquiola for a Caribbean spa resort.

The collection comprises a stainless steel bathtub modelled on traditional outdoor tin tubs, a rounded washbasin for countertops and a column washbasin for floor drainage. Optional accessories such as an iroko wood backrest and shelf can be installed on the edge of the tub.

Find out more about Vieques Outdoor ›

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Valvola01 by Studio Adolini for Quadro Design

Valvola01 is a range of bathroom taps including wall-mounted and floor taps intended for sinks, bathtubs and showers, created by Studio Adolini for Italian manufacturer Quadro Design.

The Valvola01 series combines the charm of traditional industrial taps with conventional hydraulic and gas ball valves with a sleek, modern reinterpretation of bathroom faucets.

The taps are finished in light gold, pink gold or black gold using a thin-film coating process that enhances its durability and resistance against acid solvents and saline corrosion.

Find out more about Valvola01 ›

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Axor One faucet collection by Barber Osgerby for Axor

Axor One is a family of 31 minimalist bathroom faucets created by British design duo Barber Osgerby for German brand Axor.

The collection encompasses wall-mounted taps with slender silhouettes, large shower heads and floor-standing faucets with curved spouts. Included in the range are technology-driven handles that foster "ultra-precise" temperature control and water-saving capabilities.

Each Axor One faucet is finished in chrome, matt black or a wide range of exclusive AXOR FinishPlus surfaces available upon request.

Find out more about Axor One ›

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Shift bathroom accessories collection by VanBerlo for Geesa

Shift is a collection of customisable bathroom accessories created by Dutch design agency VanBerlo in collaboration with Geesa.

The extensive Shift collection includes perpendicular towel rails, chrome-plated brass towel hooks, toilet roll holders with shelves and single or double glass holders.

All items in the range are modelled on a distinctive rhomboid shape to give the collection a cohesive identity. These come in an array of finishes, including marble, stainless steel and brushed metal options, some of which come with tactile 3D embellishments and graphic patterns.

Find out more about Shift ›

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Kartell bathroom fixtures by Laufen

Italian company Kartell and Swiss brand Laufen relaunched its collection of flexible bathroom fixtures including ceramics, furniture, faucets and accessories, which are now available in a number of new colours and finishes.

Products included in the comprehensive series range from ceramic washbasins and toilets to transparent shelving, metallic faucets and stools.

The collection is designed as a study of contrasts: transparent objects contrast solid ceramic products, but the range is unified by its sharply outlined finishes and geometric lines.

Find out more about Kartell ›

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Atelier Collections by Roberto Palomba for Ideal Standard

Atelier Collections is bathroom brand Ideal Standard's seminal range of minimalist sanitaryware created by Italian designer Roberto Palomba.

The collection, which is characterised by its intentionally pared-back aesthetic, consists of washbasins, baths, toilets, brassware and other bathroom furniture.

The restrained design is complemented by an expansive colour palette and bold finishes, including nude pink, sage green or classic black or white.

Find out more about Atelier Collections ›

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S600 Line freestanding bathtub by INAX

S600 Line is a freestanding bathtub designed to offer a meditative bathing experience, created by Japanese sanitaryware specialists INAX.

The bathtub is designed to accommodate various bathing styles with its low profile and generous depth, which makes climbing in and out of the tub easier.

The S600 Line bathtub features a faucet with a broad, flat surface that allows candles or bath salts to be positioned upon to enhance the calming bathing experience.

Find out more about S600 Line ›

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Double Kalos basin by Massimo Iosa Ghini for Devon&Devon

Double Kalos is a duo of basins intended for couples created by Italian architect and designer Massimo Iosa Ghini for Devon&Devon.

Informed by the petal formation of a flower, Double Kalos is composed of two funnel-shaped basins that are unified by a large mirror made up of two overlapping circles shaped like a Venn diagram.

The basins are rendered in a composite material selected for its durability and impact resistance, while the mirror can be backlit with LEDs.

Find out more about Double Kalos ›

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Sigma80 touchless actuator plate by Geberit

Sigma80 is an actuator plate that uses infrared sensors to enable users to flush without touching the plate, created by Swiss bathroom brand Geberit.

The plate is activated when users hold their hand in front of the panel, which lights up to signal it has been actuated. The plate is also available in a version that flushes automatically when the toilet is used.

The lights come in five different colours to suit a wide range of interiors and the glass plate can be coated in black or metal.

Find out more about Sigma80 ›

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About Dezeen Showroom

Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen's huge global audience. 

Want to be included in our upcoming Dezeen Showroom special features? To launch a new product or collection at Dezeen Showroom, please email showroom@dezeen.com.

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Unism reveals underground car showroom designed as a "secret cave-like space"

Dezeen Promotion: car brand KDW Automobile has unveiled an underground showroom in Warsaw, created by architectural studio Unism in collaboration with Arup to hold eight Aston Martins – the largest private collection in eastern Europe.

Named The Secret Cave, Unism's design is longlisted for visualisation of the year at the Dezeen Awards 2021, and is described as a "high-tech underground lair for an extraordinary classic car collection".

Similar to a showroom, the private collection of vintage cars take part in races around Europe. Yet, like a museum, the public will be able to book tickets to view the collection in its subterranean home.

The building is designed to be a subterranean cinematic experience that references the garages seen in the James Bond films

Inside, the showroom features curved concrete walls, designed to create a cinematic space that references the high-tech car garages seen in the classic James Bond films.

"The final proposal accentuates the utopian experience of a secret cave-like space seen in many James Bond movies," said Unism. "The concept emphasises the topic of undiscovered commonly seen in many spy movies."

The showroom's rooftop is equipped with a three-metre-wide skylight to ensure daylight enters the building.

The skylight also highlights the showroom's organic, cave-like shape. A subtle lighting scheme was designed to create a "dusk-like glow," which the studio says enhances the visitor experience.

Unism designed the geometry of the entrance (stairs, ramps, shell enclosure) parametrically in order to meet building regulations and the turning radius of vintage cars

Located under a grassy mound in Warsaw, The Secret Cave is accessed via a winding ramp.

"The column-free space hidden beneath the landscape protrudes over the surface, creating a green mound in the garden while the writhing ramp seamlessly vanishes underground," said Unism.

The showroom is heated by a sustainable water retention and pump system that collects geothermal energy. Unism and Arup identified that as the site is close to a river, it is an ideal place to make use of geothermal energy.

A lift with a green roof is designed to seamlessly blend with the garden

According to Unism, the thermal mass of the soil lowers the museum's energy consumption and maintains appropriate temperature and humidity levels for vintage cars.

The studio believes that the future of architecture is to utilise underground space.

"In the past, people had to have a knowledge of topography to plan their homes," explains Unism. "We want to go away from a modernist approach of universal design detached from nature."

By placing building underground, Unism created a park which blended with the surrounding environment

According to the studio, the site was challenging to work with due to its terrain, location next to a river and small construction plot.

To combat the topography, Unism and Arup used parametric design methods to inform the showroom's complex geometries while working within the small construction site.

Parametric design principles ensured optimal layout with maximum car parking and column-free spaces

Specifically, parametric design methods were used to ensure the ramp met building regulations and the parameters of the vintage cars.

It was also used to ensure optimal layout with maximum car parking and column-free spaces while also ensuring that the skylight's diameter and weight allowed enough light to illuminate the space.

"Through real-time form-finding processes, we created and analysed various design options and their parameters," explains Unism. "Including the most optimal column-free layout, the curvature of the beams and shell."

"This ensured the stability of the structure while calculating the size of skylight window necessary to make daylight the primary source of lighting in the underground showroom."

To read more about The Secret Cave, visit Unism's website.

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Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Unism as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Volage EX-S Slim sofa by Philippe Starck for Cassina

Dezeen Showroom: Philippe Starck has reimagined his Volage EX-S sofa for Cassina to create a more compact version of the design, which features a modern twist on a tufted Chesterfield seatback.

Like its forebearer, the updated Volage EX-S Slim sofa integrates an innovative capitonné tufting process developed exclusively by Philippe Starck and Cassina.

The sofa is made with an innovative tufting technique

The technique creates a dimpled backrest in the manner of a classic Chesterfield lounge. But with Starck and Cassina's approach, the look is made clean and contemporary.

The Volage EX-S Slim features thinner armrests than the original design, ensuring ample seating space within the more compact sofa.

A wide array of fabric and leather options exist for the upholstery

With a new 75-centimetre depth, the piece suits smaller spaces such as lounges and executive offices as well as larger lobbies.

The sofa comes in three sizes from one-seater to three-seater and is available in a range of fabric and leather upholstery options.

Product: Volage EX-S Slim
Designer: Philippe Starck
Brand: Cassina
Contact: info@cassina.it

About Dezeen Showroom: Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen's huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.

Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.

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David Adjaye designs bottle to celebrate world's oldest single malt whisky

British-Ghanaian architect David Adjaye has designed a bottle and oak case for the Gordon & MacPhail Generations 80YO whisky from Glenlivet Distillery.

The bottle was created to hold Gordon & MacPhail's 80-year-old whisky, which is claimed to be the oldest single malt Scotch whisky ever bottled.

The bottle oak case contains the world's oldest single malt Scotch whisky

Adjaye, the founder of architecture studio Adjaye Associates which recently won the RIBA Royal Gold Medal, designed the bottle to highlight the Gordon & MacPhail Generations 80YO's colour.

The curved shape of each 70-centimetre bottle was handblown by Glencairn Crystal Studio to appear as if it was "hewn from a single solid block of crystal". A limited run of 250 bottles was created.

The bottle was designed by David Adjaye

"The ambition was to create a vessel in which Gordon & MacPhail's unique experience and tradition is transmitted and incorporated," said Adjaye.

"The intricate and bespoke nature of this project was my most important design informant and inspiration," he continued.

"From this understanding of the whisky distillation process itself, I was able to unlock a design that allowed for a cohesion, where the lack of distinction between the vessel and what it contained created a complete experience."

The bottle was hand blown

Alongside the bottle, Adjaye designed a case described as an "oak pavilion".

It was constructed from oak to recall the material used to make the cask that the whisky was distilled in.

It comes in an oak case

"The use of the oak – a relic of the production process and the bond between the cask and whisky facilitated something magical, an appreciation and understanding that the vessel and the liquid are non-distinct, encased and growing together," explained Adjaye.

"Oak is a primary material, produced from the planet. I appreciate its preciousness as an integral part of the whisky-making process," he continued.

"I wanted to create a design that pays tribute to the role oak plays in transforming liquid into an elixir with almost magical properties."

Its oak slats were designed to recall trees

The vertical slats of timber on the front and rear of the case were designed to recall trees in a forest, while Adjaye hopes that opening the case will be a performance.

"The vertical struts of the outer pavilion are reflective of trees in an oak forest from which the staves of the original cask were hewn," explained Adjaye.

"A pivotal moment in the design narrative is the relationship between the light and shadow as the casing is opened and closed," he continued.

"The light refracted through the opened casing recreates the sunlight as it shines through oak trees within a natural forest setting. The act of opening the pavilion becomes a ceremonial and sensorial process."

It was made from oak as this is what the cask was made from

Adjaye is one of the world's most well-known architects, with buildings including the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Ruby City art centre in Texas and Dirty House in London among his best-known projects.

To celebrate Adjaye winning the Royal Gold Medal we rounded up his 10 most significant projects.

A limited edition of 250 bottles were made

The architect believes that his experience designing buildings helped with the creation of the bottle and case.

"Principles of precision and an exploration into materiality were key to unlocking a design for the case and decanter that would meet the same standards of the product itself," he said.

"Just like in architecture, the provocation here is to think beyond form."

The whisky was made by Gordon & MacPhail

"Instead of simply creating an object or a vessel to contain the liquid, I wanted to cultivate an experience that both embodied and celebrated the magic of this artisanal product," he continued.

"The ambition of the design was to cultivate a multisensory moment that would implore those lucky enough to consume this bespoke whisky to slow down and relish in the essence of its artisanal mastery."

Previously, Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect Frank Gehry designed a limited-edition bottle for the 150th anniversary of drinks brand Hennessy's X.O cognac.

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