as 2021 comes to an end, we continue our review of the projects that have been submitted over the past year by our readers. from restaurants and cafés, to science labs and music centers, our readers portal has provided a great window to architecture from all over the world. from established studios to small practices, we have received several thousands of submissions, from which we carefully handpick the best public social gathering spaces to share with our audiences.

our submissions portal and the open dialogue with our readers is fundamental to finding and sharing architecture from all across the globe. from a jungle-like cafe interior in bangkok, to a sustainable science lab in thailand composed of organic bamboo surfaces, we highlight the TOP 10 reader submissions of 2021 – public social gathering spaces.

CCD TURNS LUO XU’S CLOUD-LIKE LAND ART INTO A UNIQUE DINING EXPERIENCE IN CHINA

image courtesy of CCD 

in dongfengyun town, china, where artist luo xu has conceived a series of distinctive red brick sculptures, the ‘50% cloud’ restaurant by CCD follows the distinct design language of the area, while still establishing its own unique identity. incorporating a series of art deco elements, the new building appears like a mega art installation, undulating along with the clouds in the sky.

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METAMOORFOSE STUDIO COMPLETES A ROUND TIMBER RESTAURANT IN RURAL BRAZIL

image by maíra acayaba

perched on a hillside in a rural area near the city of monteiro lobato in brazil is a restaurant and grocery store designed by metamoorfose studio. conceived as a vital pit-stop for locals and tourists alike, the project seeks to have a positive impact on the region by responding to local economic demands, using locally-sourced materials, and blending in with the landscape.

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CAFÉ IN HONG KONG SHOWCASES GEOMETRIC FACADE WITH WARM TONES, INSPIRED BY AUSTRALIAN SUNSET

image by dypiem, f.o.v_, lizeatery

absence from island has collaborated with studio etain ho to design the ‘today is long’ café in hong kong, as a place to house the owners’ fond memories of australia and their common passion for good coffee. inspired by the golden sunset of australia, the design uses warm red-orange as the theme color, while drawing exterior and interior hemispheres that appear like sinking suns.

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PIXEL TABLES AND COCONUT BRICKS POPULATE AIM ARCHITECTURE’S SHANGHAI EXHIBITION

image by tian fangfang and zhu runzi

AIM architecture curated an exhibition in shanghai’s  xuhui district to celebrate its 15th anniversary and 15 years of architecture, interior design, and furniture projects. over three floors and 400 sqm (4306 sqft), exhibition ‘project no.0378’ invited visitors to experience the design journey of AIM’s founders, wendy saunders and vincent de graaf.

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BAMBOO SURFACES AND ORGANIC SHAPES FORM SUSTAINABLE SCIENCE LABS & MUSIC CENTER IN THAILAND

image courtesy of  chiangmai life architects (CLA)

chiangmai life architects (CLA) has built an environment-based science labs & music center for panyaden international school in thailand using bamboo, rammed earth, and adobe bricks. the project’s philosophy integrates sustainability and being close to nature as a trademark. the architecture incorporates contemporary design and modern engineering knowledge in order to achieve a minimal carbon footprint.

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AMELIA TAVELLA ADDS A COPPER-CLAD EXTENSION TO 15TH CENTURY CONVENT IN CORSICA

amelia tavella has renovated and extended a 15th-century convent on her native island of corsica. first built in 1480, and now listed as a historical monument, convent saint-françois was previously lying empty and partially in ruins. this renovation project sought to rebuild the religious building while preserving traces of its history.

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MEGRE INTERIORS RENOVATES 150-YEAR-OLD FONARNYE BANI IN ST. PETERSBURG

image courtesy of megre interiors

‘fonarnye bani’ one of the oldest — dates back to 1870 —and historically significant bathhouses in st. petersburg, russia, has opened its doors again after 15 years and a large-scale reconstruction. megre interiors collected the fragments they found in the dilapidated building including stucco, decor, brackets, rods, cornice, and together with the restorer rafael dayanov, they sought to recreate some areas of the structure and returned them to an image close to the historical one. for most of the complex, this was not possible, and the designers had a difficult task to rethink the historical building in the context of modernity.

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SOAR CREATES A JUNGLE-LIKE INTERIOR FOR RENOVATED CAFÉ AND WORKSPACE IN BANGKOK

image courtesy of SOAR (space oddity architect)

thai architecture firm SOAR has transformed an old building in bangkok into an open plan café and workspace that feels more like being outdoors than indoors. called ‘TOO CAN CAFÉ’, the renovation involved small adjustments and improvements to bring new life into the space while retaining the original character of the building.

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KARV ONE INSTALLS FLOWY METAL CEILING FIXTURE WITHIN DREAMY CAFÉ INTERIOR IN CHINA

situated in fujian, china, ‘vista’ café by karv one design generates a dream-like atmosphere for its customers. playful terrazzo and a metal grid installation are combined with soft, yet eye-catching linear lighting, to carve out and emphasize the fluid forms of the interior.

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‘SOLAR GIRAFFE’ IS A COMMUNAL SPACE TO CHARGE CELLPHONES IN MOZAMBIQUE

image courtesy of ruben morgado

located in the rural area of magunze in mozambique, ‘solar giraffe’ is designed by architect ruben morgado as a communal space that offers public access to electricity. made up of photovoltaic panels and a roof,  the structure powers a technical closet under the roof with 10 mobile charging outlets and a radio player to listen to music and the news. all other systems are installed to support and protect the electrical power and its users. more plug-in-play solutions are expected to be added including: internet hotspot, television and a computer, among other services.

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see designboom’s TOP 10 stories archive:

2020 —2019 — 2018 — 2017 — 2016 — 2015 — 2014 — 2013