Sou Fujimoto creates undulating virtual installation in London

Visitors to this year's London Design Festival can use mixed-reality glasses to manipulate their walk through Medusa, a virtual installation by architect Sou Fujimoto.

Created by the Japanese architect Fujimoto in collaboration with mixed reality studio Tin Drum, the virtual structure has been installed at the V&A Museum.

Up to 50 guests at a time can put on a pair of mixed-reality glasses and explore the experimental architectural forms designed by Fujimoto.

As they move through Medusa, the dynamic structure "changes and evolves based on the movement of its admirers".

Medusa responds to the movements of its audience

"Visitors will be able to simultaneously observe this piece of virtual architecture, floating and moving inside of the space that is confined by the gallery itself," said Yoyo Munk, Tin Drum's chief science officer.

"The structure is observing the entire group and changing itself based on what it's observing about the audience behaviours, rather than any individual," he told Dezeen.

"It explores the contrast between the individual and the collective."

Tin Drum drew on the science of bioluminescence to inform the design

The installation takes its name from the mythological figure Medusa as well as the zoological term for a jellyfish, in a conflation of myth and science that sits at the core of the design.

"We liked the idea of a figure of life that finds this balance between something that is beautiful, attractive and dangerous," explained Munk.

The studio also used the primal attraction to light and underwater bioluminescence to inform the evolving dynamic structure.

"We drew a lot of inspiration from natural light structures like the aurora borealis (also know as the Northern Lights) and our connection to light sources," recalled Monk.

"When we look at an aurora borealis, we share some commonality with the neural circuitry that leads prey and so forth to be consumed."

Medusa was designed to provoke individuals to play, interact and follow the lights as they walk through the virtual installation.

According to Monk, both Tin Drum and Fujimoto were most interested in the potential of using light as an architectural medium.

"What's exciting for all of us is this idea that you could construct structures that had no physical form and existed only as light being projected into the eyes," said Monk.

"We get the sense of a space that has a design structure that exists in a spatially explorable sense – that has the ability to change our perceived environment and the way that we feel and explore while having no physical form."

Fujimoto established Sou Fujimoto Architects in 2000. Although he is best known for his buildings, he has worked on a number of installations. In 2017, he created a series of abstract bookshelves made from thin steel rods for Design Miami/Basel.

For the fashion brand COS, Fujimoto used spotlights, mirrors and sound to create an immersive installation that responds to visitors' movements.

London Design Festival 2021 takes place from 18 to 26 September. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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Fig House by Stemmer Rodrigues appears supported by a natural rock formation

Large stones conceal a single column supporting the upper level of this concrete house near Porto Alegre, Brazil, configured to protect the roots of a centennial fig tree.

Designed by local architects Stemmer Rodrigues, the Casa Figueira – or Fig House – is a modernist-style concrete house in Eldorado do Sul, a residential community that sits across the Guaiaba Lake from Porto Alegre.

Fig House looks as if it is supported by natural stones

The home's main feature is the overhanging second floor, which defines the driveway and forms a passage through to the back yard.

This windowless concrete volume is made to appear as if supported by natural stones that contrast the facade's smooth finish.

Sliding glass walls offer views towards a nearby canal

This formation conceals a single column, which was placed to avoid disrupting the roots of a nearby fig tree that lends the house its name.

"The composition of the front facade is a harmony of contrasts between the rigidity of the concrete and the large rock that simulates the support of the volume and hides the pillar, paying homage to a strong element of the regional landscape," explained Stemmer Rodrigues.

The features minimal interiors to complement its modernist form

The only other elements visible on the facade are the front door, which is marked by a curved concrete wall, and the wooden garage door.

On the ground floor, Stemmer Rodrigues laid out an open-concept kitchen, living and dining room to face views of the tranquil waterfront beyond the edge of the property.

"The facade facing the street was designed to block the south wind, and the views are therefore turned to the opposite direction, maximising the contact with the canal water, energy efficiency, and privacy," the architects said.

Two sides of this volume are enclosed with full-height sliding glass walls. Immediately outside of them, an overhanging weathered steel canopy avoids the sun directly hitting the glazed surfaces.

Landscaping leads down to a boat dock on the canal

The upper level runs parallel to the waterfront, and contains four bedrooms. The north side of the home, facing away from the street, is clad in ipe – a traditional Brazilian wood prized for its vibrant colour and durability.

A few steps away from the main building is a pavilion containing a secondary kitchen and dining area. This stone building is slightly lower than the rest of the property and is fronted by a walkway leading to a boat launch.

The property's two pavilions face each other across the garden

Porto Alegre is the capital of the Brazilian province of Rio Grande do Sul. Other projects in the area include a house for a yoga teacher also by Stemmer Rodrigues, and a house for a car collector featuring a glass-bottomed pool that offers views of the garage below.

The photography is by Marcelo Donadussi.

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Oxford Brookes University spotlights 11 student architectural projects

A workspace on the limestone coast of Majorca and the headquarters for the Wildlife Trust within a disused industrial site feature in Dezeen's latest school show from students at Oxford Brookes University.

Also included is a council-funded facility for repurposing local waste and a co-living space informed by the design of high streets.

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Oxford Brookes University

School: School of Architecture
Courses: BA (Hons) Architecture and BA (Hons) Interior Architecture
Tutor: Jane Anderson, undergraduate programme lead

School statement:

"Welcome to Oxford Brookes University's School of Architecture. Presented is a compact showcase of our Undergraduate Students. It brings together student work from across all years and programmes. The main exhibition celebrates our students' achievements this year. It is joyful, innovative, thoughtful and stunning.

"The School of Architecture is a vibrant community of staff and students located in the historical and culturally diverse city of Oxford. There is no house style at Oxford Brookes School of Architecture. Instead, you are encouraged to experiment and discover your own.

"Our undergraduate programmes include a RIBA part 1 BA (Hons) Architecture, ARB and LAM accredited course and a BA (Hons) Interior Architecture course. Both of our undergraduate courses have an affiliated association with the ACSA. Based in the historic city of Oxford, our BA courses will allow you to challenge, explore and develop not only you as an individual but also your portfolio. Our students are involved in many different live projects, from our OB1 live to designing an Innovation Hub at John Radcliffe hospital.

"Students explore both old and new challenges from around the world in their work. Here you can find our Live Projects that work with local communities, Architecture that explore tectonic and human relations through film and making, our crucial work in Emergency Practices and Resilience, as well as our expertise in Sustainability.
"Everyone worked so hard this year, and we're so proud of what we've accomplished. The umbrella for all work is a sensibility towards place, people and planet. We hope you enjoy the show."

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Working Retreat by Helena Gatland

"Working Retreat by Helena Gatland is a modest stone dwelling and workspace nestled into the strata of the limestone coast of Majorca. The stepping and terracing of spaces both inside and out encourage intimate relationships to the landscape and informal semi-outdoor living and working.

"In Unit A, we have a continuing fascination with the landscapes, the climate and the material of place. Throughout the world, the various intersection of these elements generates unique building cultures, distinct vernaculars and local character. Be it the city outside our doorstep or a far-flung island, we find these basic factors to be elemental drivers for architecture."

Student: Helena Gatland
Course: BA (Hons) Architecture
Tutor: Tom Randall-Page and Theo Molloy

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Wildlife Trust by Luke Anderson

"Luke Anderson has designed a new headquarters for the Wildlife Trust on a disused industrial site situated on the banks of the Thames in Oxford. The biophilic scheme aims to bring users closer to the environments and wildlife they are trying to protect. "

Student: Luke Anderson
Course: BA (Hons) Architecture
Tutors: Aditya Aachi and Nathan Breeze

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The Herbal Apothecary by Gabe Edyvean-Heard

"The power of stories can transform the world. They bring us into contact with worlds unknown to us and open our eyes to possibilities not yet imagined. For us, as designers, compelling ways of telling tales are the tools we use to powerfully communicate our ideas.

"As architects, we are storytelling dreamers, we imagine a building, and then we will see it into the present through our drawings, written words, spoken words, sketches and hand gestures. Our students, like Gabe Edyvean-Heard, tell stories through their architecture."

Student: Gabe Edyvean-Heard
Course: BA (Hons Architecture)
Tutors: Hannah Durham and Tom Sykes

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The Green Line by Dassa Shalev

"The project emerged from deep analysis of the culturally contested context in the Old Town of Nicosia and aims to unify the Cypriot communities by bringing agriculture and farming into the city centre.

"This includes a residential complex: private apartments shared living areas and a greenhouse for the farmers and their families. By encouraging bi-communal living and working, the project aims to break down barriers and misconceptions between the communities.

"The bridge supports an infrastructure of planting, potable water and electricity, that can be extended throughout the buffer zone and across the island, whilst physically reconnecting the two sides."

Student: Dassa Shalev
Course: BA (Hons) Architecture
Tutors: Melissa Kinnear and Rob Goacher

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Treasure Yard by Ole Sund

"This proposal looks at developing a Council-funded facility for repurposing local waste in public use workshops. Industrialisation has left us big cities, factories, canals and railroads. Post-war global capitalism has added high rises, airports, highways and glass fibre cables.

"The Westway in Notting Hill is an excellent example location to explore what infrastructure we will leave behind. Europe's biggest purpose-built flyover is currently under review. Our aim is to design the supporting infrastructure needed to make the Westway area more healthy, accessible, and resilient for the immediate and long term future."

Student: Ole Sund
Course: BA (Hons) Architecture
Tutors: Margit Kraft and Anastasia Glover

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Lichen Sinus Clinic by Patrick Kotowski

"This project is an accumulation of lichen, smell, water, minimalist design and health. One of the most underappreciated luxuries we have is the ability to smell. Some people don't, either through Covid-19 or another condition.

"The Lichen Sinus Clinic is the symbolic reflection of the multi-organism, lichen. It has the ability to purify the local condition for optimal biological growth and is a sign of ideal conditions.

"Heating local, freshwater to create steam indoors allows the patient's blocked sinus to open once again, or for the first time, through the experience of a 'clean line', symbolic architecture."

Student: Patrick Kotowski
Course: BA (Hons) Architecture
Tutors: Delfina Bocca and Amelia Vilaplana

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Dionysian Indulgence by Marco Nicholas

"Continuing Unit G's fascination for unexpected stories revealed by intense observation and iterative design, the projects explore the extraordinary in the ordinary. Concepts that inspire joy and delight while considering how architecture carries a narrative beyond utility to reflect, respond, laugh, cry, shout, rage, sing, or protest at our times and society.

"On the surface, Marco Nicholas' 'Dionysian indulgence' is a departure lounge for passengers of Oxford's Gloucester Green bus station. But once inside, the architecture encourages visitors to overindulge, become increasingly detached from their reality and routines, succumb to their Dionysian impulses and miss their bus!"

Student: Marco Nicholas
Course: BA (Hons) Architecture
Tutors: Toby Smith and Mike Halliwell

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The Self Build CoOp by Fergus Adam Smith

"The Self-Build CoOp is a new typology of co-living specific to the high street, inspired by the functions of a public house. The CoOp playfully creates new social habits and more diverse uses along the high street whilst also delivering on housing demand in the city.

"Unit H is focused on the city as a never-ending conversation, a place of conflict and resolution, where people's ideas are tested and nurtured, adopted and displaced. Not a place to be rationalised, but a tangled dialogue that architects can learn to negotiate.

"This year, we investigated the role architecture and design can play as the mediator between local eccentricities, idiosyncrasies and perceptions, in conflict with national/global trends. Driven by the emergence of the experience economy, we explored how an architectural ecology of 'amusement' could begin to take priority in our cities."

Student: Fergus Adam Smith
Course: BA (Hons) Architecture
Tutors: Felicity Barbur & Gareth Marriot

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Amphibious Hydrological Dwelling by Oli Rash

"Rash's mechanical brewery project provides an intelligent and highly sensitive response to the local historical, physical and social context of Norwich, located by the River Wensum and within an ex-industrial area of the city. His proposal draws upon the brewing history of the local area, intricately connecting the processes of making lambic beer and fishing.

"In addition to providing an educational environment in which these processes are made visible to the public, and local communities, his intensely detailed and exceptionally well-researched proposal engages with the wider ecology of Norfolk, where local farmers share their growing, fertilisation and harvesting procedures in exchange for spent grain, a byproduct from the brewing process, which can be used for animal feed."

Student: Oli Rash
Course: BA (Hons) Architecture
Tutors: Emma-Kate Matthews and Kirsty McMullan

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Reimagined Institute for Contemporary Arts by Francesca Adorni Braccesi Chiassi

"One of the most significant innovations in eighteenth-century leisure was the pleasure garden: a dedicated outdoor space for entertainment. London's pleasure gardens defined the city’s night-life in the 18th and 19th centuries.

"They were sites for music, dancing, eating and drinking, regular fireworks, operas, masquerades and illuminations. Approaching Vauxhall, Unit K was seeking to unearth the layers of the lost city as well as the living one, and re-establish a space for public celebration, starting by collectively designing structures for an open-air performance, and later developing it into a new kind of cultural or performance venue or institution."

Student: Francesca Adorni Braccesi Chiassi
Course: BA (Hons) Architecture
Tutors: Marko Milovanovic and Nichola Barrington-Leach

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A Co-Living Sanctuary-Designing for Spiritual Wellbeing by Holly Moroney

"This project is a conversion of two semi-detached houses in Jericho, Oxford into Co-Living shared accommodation.

"The brief aims to appropriate a relatively new housing typology (Co-Living) in the context of a deliberate rehabilitation of existing housing stocks. The transformation should substantially increase the density of occupation while providing a suitable alternative approach to living arrangements with its blend of private and collective spaces structured around shared activities.

"Domesticity, in this case, is explored as a tool to reach a higher level of spiritual wellbeing. The technical considerations and design strategies aim to provoke a higher level of wholeness and enriched lifestyles between the users. The concept of 'mindful moments' interprets into the design as spaces to contemplate, rest, and re-connect to the present; alone or with others."

Student: Holly Moroney
Tutors: Andrea Placidi & Orit Sarfatti
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture

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Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and Oxford Brookes University. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Fox Johnston refreshes modernist SRG House in suburban Australia

Local studio Fox Johnston has renovated a heritage-listed modernist home near Sydney, stripping it back to an exposed concrete shell to create bright, open living spaces.

SRG House is a conversion of one of two semi-detached homes designed in 1972 and once the home of Australian modernist architect Sir Roy Grounds – from which it takes its name.

Fox Johnston renovated SRG House

Overlooking the Parramatta River in the Balmain suburbs, the 1970s building was based on a concept sketch by Sir Roy Grounds, which was then detailed by the architect and teacher at Sydney University, Stuart Whitelaw.

Originally a two-bedroom home with a later garage extension, the building has been transformed into a four-bedroom home for Fox Johnston director Conrad Johnston and his family.

Two additional bedrooms were added on the ground floor

The zigzagging plan of the home encloses a series of small courtyard spaces, overlooked by a grid of timber-framed windows between the pillars of the concrete structure.

"The original grid set up a powerful rhythm. How we unlocked the design is by interweaving old and new," said Johnson.

A white brick extension contains a living space and two bedrooms

The poor condition of many of the finishes required the structure to be stripped back to its concrete frame, which has been left exposed and supplemented by a new palette of materials drawing on the original 70s fittings.

The fixed glass and rotted timber frames have been replaced with cedar-framed, high-performance glass, and the external timber cladding has been replaced with heat-modified Radiate pine, with new openings in the grid creating balconies over the courtyard.

A large kitchen flows into a dining area

Improving the environmental performance of the building meant that a commercial-scale air conditioning unit on the ground floor could be removed, creating space for two new ground-floor bedrooms that look out onto the central garden space.

Above, half of the first floor is given over to a large kitchen that flows into a dining area and living room with a concertina glass door that allows it to completely open out to views of the river.

On the second floor, two large bedrooms sit at either end of the home, to the west overlooking the river with another concertina window and to the east looking onto a rooftop garden atop the new garage extension.

This extension sits atop a garage added in 1983, which has now been extended to create an additional storey of independent living spaces for Johnston's extended family, clad in contrasting white brick.

Two large bedrooms are located on the second floor

In the interiors, the rigid geometry of the home is contrasted by curved plywood elements such as a curved dining banquette, complemented by brass details.

"Working within that original geometry, we applied a softer edge in the form of curves. It's more overt in the new apartment above the garage building, and less obvious in the main house," explained Johnston.

Cork flooring has been used to add what the studio describes as a "retro texture and warmth", while the bathrooms have been finished with red Japanese finger tiles in reference to the original tiles found on the site.

The house overlooks the Parramatta River

SRG House was recently shortlisted in the house interior category of the 2021 Dezeen Awards. Shortlisted in the same category is a cave-like house embedded in a hillside overlooking the Mediterranean Sea designed by Mold Architects.

Photography is by Anson Smart Photography.

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Ten apartments with adaptable and reconfigurable layouts

For our latest lookbook, we've selected 10 adaptable flats from the Dezeen archive that can be reconfigured with moving walls or furniture.

Adaptable apartments use sliding partitions and smart storage solutions to divide spaces, or incorporate reconfigurable rooms so that they can serve multiple purposes.

These interventions are often used in smaller spaces and studio apartments to make the best use of limited space. Projects included in this lookbook feature fold-out furniture, storage that drops from the ceiling and furniture on wheels.

This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series that provides visual inspiration for designers and design enthusiasts. Previous lookbooks include mid-century modern interiors, minimalist bedrooms and home libraries.

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Apartment 402, Japan, by Hiroyuki Ogawa Architects

This studio apartment in Tokyo designed by Hiroyuki Ogawa Architects features a sliding wooden screen to divide the home's interior in two.

The chevron-covered screen divides the main space, which can be used as living room, dining room or bedroom, from a secondary area containing the main bedroom, kitchen and half bathroom.

The screen allows the interior to be either fully opened up to form an open-plan living space or partitioned off for privacy.

Find out more about Apartment 402 ›

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MJE House, Spain, by PKMN Architectures

Located on the Spanish coast, this apartment designed by PKMN Architectures contains moveable modular storage walls in the main living space.

These can be rotated to enclose different areas of the room so that they can be used as bedrooms. Each of the moveable partitions, which were constructed from steel and wood, incorporates a fold-out bed.

Find out more about MJE House ›

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Didomestic apartment, Spain, by Elii Architects

Spanish studio Elii Architects converted this loft apartment into a home that makes optimal use of its space and can be adapted for different activities.

Sliding pink partitions allow the floor plan to be opened up or divided into smaller spaces.

Concealed storage and furniture, such as a fold-out vanity built within the floor of the mezzanine, as well as shelving, tables and seating that drop from the ceiling provides the resident with a flexible and interchangeable home.

Find out more about Interior for Didomestic apartment ›

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Susaloon, Spain, by Elii Architects

In this apartment, which is split by a translucent screen, traditional furniture has been replaced with foldout furniture hung from its walls.

The fold-out furniture means the space can be used for many purposes – dining, working, sleeping, or even for giving massages.

Find out more about Susaloon ›

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All I Own House, Spain, by PKMN Architectures

Madrid-based studio PKMN Architectures updated this single-storey apartment to create a series of adaptable living and workspaces.

The studio housed the kitchen, bedroom and storage spaces within a series of movable volumes, which were constructed using oriented strand board.

The volumes slide along tracks and can be moved to suit the needs of the users throughout the day.

Find out more about All I Own House ›

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Flat 27A, Hong Kong, by Design Eight Five Two

Design Eight Five Two incorporated sliding walls and adjustable furniture to maximise the use of the limited space in this apartment in Hong Kong.

The 51-square-metre home was fitted with concealed storage, sliding partitions and a dining table on wheels that can be moved to suit a range of daily activities.

Find out more about Flat 27A ›

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Studio flat, Australia, by Catseye Bay

This 36-square-metre flat in Sydney is comprised of three rooms – a bedroom, kitchen and a bathroom.

Catseye Bay used birch plywood volumes to create informal space dividers to house wardrobes, bookshelves and a bed.

An upholstered seating bench in front of the bed can be softened by adding cushions, letting the space function as both lounge and bedroom.

The partitional volume was placed at an angle and aims to conceal each function from other areas within the room.

Find out more about the studio flat ›

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Tel Aviv apartment, Israel, by Ranaan Stern

Built for an artist, this studio-cum-living space was designed to be a place for working, living and displaying objects.

Architect Ranaan Stern placed a fold-out murphy bed within the large storage units that span the walls of the apartment. Storage drawers, cupboards and pegboards cover the walls to maximise space.

Find out more about Tel Aviv apartment ›

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Home and office, Italy, by Silvia Allori

Architect Silvia Allori updated this flat in Florence, Italy, to create a home that catered to everyday living and working.

The architect added folding furniture and concealed storage. A table drops from the wall to reveal a bookshelf behind, and a built-in unit houses sofas that can be turned into beds.

A gold metallic curtain was used to hide the worksurfaces in the entrance hall, which doubles as a kitchen.

Find out more about Home and office ›

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Interior for Students, Russia, by Ruetemple

Reuetemple created a cube on wheels that can be used for seating and sleeping within this apartment.

The modular furniture piece is comprised of three parts that can be arranged to form a long line of sofas, or placed in a cube formation so that it can be used as a bed or an enclosed room.

Find out more about Interior for Students apartment ›

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This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing shaker-style interiors, minimalist bedrooms and concrete living rooms.

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