OnOffice Magazine

Welcome to autumn. Incorporating original features into a renovation can save time, energy and often a great deal of money. And then there are the more subjective benefits: giving a scheme a sense of place and history, an injection of character, a richness and depth that comes from layering the work of contemporary designers with the achievements of past craftsmen. The latest project from the Copenhagen Food Collective, Hotel Bella Grande (page 166) is an example.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is Holloway Li’s sensitive reworking of office communal areas belonging to advertising agency Mother (page 90). Holloway Li gave the space a relaxed, retro vibe (and even repurposed the old cafeteria seating as coffee tables).
It’s a reminder that using original features isn’t just a style consideration, but an important part of our responsibility to reduce, reuse and recycle. Often, embracing the old is what makes it possible to imagine the new.