Platinum A' Design Award Winner 2024
Descending into a grand subterranean chamber, listeners encounter a symmetrical architectural composition featuring ceramic-clad walls flanking a central escalator bank, the space approximately three stories in height with walls angling inward as they rise toward a luminous ceiling aperture, Niko Kapa's Drift Antibacterial Ceramic Wall Cladding covers both flanking walls in cool slate-gray panels bearing distinctive undulating wave patterns, the surface texture resembling gentle ripples frozen in stone with fine parallel lines flowing diagonally across each panel creating organic movement against the geometric architecture, the ceramic color suggests weathered slate or overcast sky with subtle variations from warm charcoal to cool pewter across the expansive surfaces, four parallel escalators occupy the center of the composition rising from the foreground floor toward upper levels, their mechanical housings finished in dark materials while handrails and accent elements gleam in warm brass tones like aged honey or amber glass, golden-yellow light emanates from horizontal fixtures mounted above each escalator pair creating pools of warmth that contrast dramatically with the cool gray surroundings, overhead the ceiling comprises dark geometric coffers receding in perspective with skylights admitting soft diffused daylight that illuminates the upper portion of the space, the floor in the immediate foreground appears as smooth dark material reflecting the golden lighting in subtle gleaming highlights, the overall atmosphere suggests a threshold space between surface and underground, the wave patterns on the walls evoking water or wind while the ascending escalators create a sense of journey and transition, temperature reads as cool and crisp moderated by the warm amber illumination zones.
Functionality defines the aesthetics, using new techniques to reinterpret eternal themes in an attempt to synthesize spatial quality through specific architectural gestures. Open to the elements, external space is protected by a canopy that creates a microclimate. Combining modern design with simplicity of shape, curves and crisp lines define a layout adjusting elegantly into any architectural context while permitting occupants to enjoy outdoor spaces regardless of weather conditions all year round.