Perfectly pastiche: Five projects celebrating classic styles
From Dutch Golden Age stays to Parisian discotheque dining, these projects embrace clichés and the decorative styles of days gone by.
The term pastiche carries multiple interpretations, especially when it comes to architecture and design. For some, it represents a renaissance of disruptive art movements and the trends and styles of bygone eras. For others, it is a re-appropriation of site-specific stereotypes and time-honoured cliché – a chance to play with imitation and the kitsch, injecting humour as well as inciting joy in the space’s users. Whether direct imitation or a playful homage, pastiche is a deep appreciation of design history, forging an overall sense of place and grounding the project firmly in its context. Regardless the approach, the following five projects uniquely embody the perfectly pastiche – with aesthetics that transcend timelines and lean heavily into the cultural fabric of their locale.
Photography: Timothy Soar
1960s soft-Brutalism
Drawing on 1960s art and architectural styles, Sam Jacob Studio was responsible for the reimagining of the Marlowe Building at the University of Kent, now a series of teaching and study spaces for the School of Architecture, Design and Planning. Using Le Corbusier 1959 paint system as a starting point, Founder and Design Lead Sam Jacob utilised American architectural iconography to inform the functionality and aesthetics of the interior environment.
Alongside touchpoints embodying the Bauhaus school, Andy Warhol’s New York Factory and Paul Rudolph’s Brutalist buildings at Yale University, a series of sculptural columns, placed at the threshold of different workspaces, offer more explicit architectural references, pointing to Canterbury Cathedral, the work of sculptor Constantin Brâncuși and buildings by James Stirling.
Dutch Golden Age
Hospitality design and management company Lore Group unveiled four new suites at the award-winning hotel Pulitzer Amsterdam in the spring of 2024. Helmed by creative director Jacu Strauss, the accommodations were given the monikers The Merchant Suite, The Flower Collector’s Suite, The Porcelain Collector’s Suite and The Beauty House to reflect the themes within. From romantic two-room suites inspired by the capital’s famed tulip season to eclectic stays evoking the Dutch Golden Age, the luxury suites are a proud ode to the building’s location, which occupies 25 canal houses built at the height of the 17th Century creative boom.
Photography: Joel Galang
Celtic roots
Challenged with designing an in real life Pinterest board for the City of Dublin, MOLA Architecture and contractors T&I worked collaboratively to realise Pinterest’s new Headquarters, a physical celebration of creativity, Ireland and flexible ways of working. A typical day as a Pinterest employee journeys through the landscape, culture and mythology of Ireland, beginning with the urban cityscapes in the reception through to Trinity college, a myriad of Irish landscapes, before finishing at Síbín, a recreational lounge named after the famous unlicensed premises that sold alcohol in the 18th century.
Parisian discotheque
Opened in 2023, Brasserie de Pres from La Nouvelle Garde paradoxically channels the cosmopolitan dining spots and buzzy discos of Paris in the 70s, thanks to the design prowess of B3 Designers. Upstairs, chic furniture choices and slick finishes define the ground floor restaurant, with blonde timber panelling and hand-painted tiles adorning the walls. Below, Grouvie sits behind swathes of velvet drapery, a 70s-inspired secret bar complete with snug window seating, mirrored ceiling and a stand-out neon disco ball feature. Here, the design practice toe the line between interiors architecture and theatre set design, transporting guests to a scene from another era.
Avant-garde accents
The 20th Century avant-garde movement Dada embodied what it meant to be free-spirited, eccentric and creatively unbridled. Today, these adjectives characterise the interiors of The Home Hotel Zürich, which assimilates the whimsy of Dadaists in the reimagining of a former paper mill.
Hugging the Sihl River, the 19th century factory acted as a central gathering point for Zürich’s creatives during the resurgence of Dada in the 90s; hosting parties for artists, writers and open-minded travellers passing through the City. Using Neo-Dada as the stimulus, Stylt Trampoli’s Erik Nissen Johansen pays homage to the building’s convivial past, as well as creating a landmark hotel fit for modern-day tastes.
