The borderline between art and architecture has always been unclear, although a lot of architects have always been ready to fervently denounce any connection between their field of activity and the artistic world. In the case of interior design, things become even more complicated and the line becomes even thinner. Architect Robert Marin, whose creativity in the field of design is widely recognized, and Ramona Macarie express a syncretic vision on the understanding and modelling of space through their new brand, NUCA. One of their most recent projects is Noir, a restaurant in Piatra Neamt, covering 146 sqm, whose theme of design could be summed up simply as "warm and intimate". This simple description, as well as the picturesque forest landscape of the mountains surrounding the city, imposed the use of wood as the main finish material. Thus, most of the surfaces, including parchment, walls and furniture pieces, were built in wood. And, although this impeccable wooden box would have been enough to serve its function, the architects decided to complicate things a little, under the pretext of exploring the material's potential of creating a posh setting.

A self-proclaimed anti-modernist, Dutch designer Marcel Wanders approaches any act of creation in an amazingly exuberant fashion, seeking to deliver the world from the industrial obsession and to offer people a chance to dream (or even to make their dreams come true). Born in 1963, in the town of Boxtel, south of Amsterdam, Marcel Wanders studied at the Arnheim Hogeschool voor de Kunsten and, in 1988, began to work for Landmark Design & Consults. It wasn’t late until he proved himself one of the people who make the world go round: in the ’90, he was part of the team of designers who founded “Droog Collective”, one of the most original creative platforms in The Netherlands and, in 1992, he started “WAAC’s”, which, three years later, became “Wanders wonders”. In April 2001, together with Casper Vissers, he created a new company (and a new brand) called Moooi, after the Dutch word for “beauty”, to which he added an extra “o”, emphasizing the message of an alternative discourse. Through a series of innovative, spectacular collections, combining one-of-a-kind, special objects with functional pieces, meant for everyday use, Moooi rapidly secured a top position on the design market, becoming one of the most esteemed furniture “producers”. Presently, Marcel Wanders is the company’s art director as well as the head of his own design studio, based in Amsterdam.

the space where children attain their first notions about life is in itself an important one. The kindergarten designed by the architects Solinas and Verd in Cullar Vega, in Granada is a benchmark for this manner of thinking, a solid, balanced and yet cheerful space. The general layout is a play on simple volumes, along two orthogonal directions, whose contact zones form green patios or playgrounds. Transversal hollows seem to be dug out of this unitary construction to communicate in one way or another, with the exterior. On the other hand, the access points trace out a rather longitudinal succession of interior spaces. This double orientation betrays the rigorous organization of the rooms, according to their designated functions. Thus, the longitudinal axis holds classrooms and annexes necessary for carrying out educational activities, whereas the transversal plane is reserved for areas that are more or less open to the public – inner courtyards (mentioned above) and administrative quarters. The primary focus of the project seems to be communication. On one hand, the dialogue with exterior public spaces is encouraged by a careful dosage of transparencies and of the separation between the complex and the street outside, in a re-editing of the consecrated image of a closed garden. On the other hand, the configuration of the building clearly limits the functional perimeter of the program it serves.

In spite of the perimetral development of the volume on the site, the house designed by architect Radu Teaca does not turn its back on the street nor the neighbouring buildings. The architect succeeded in subtly integrating the house within the built front, not just by respecting a series of height requirements, distances, materials and colours, but, first of all, by adopting and interpreting a series of canon elements held in high esteem, such as the vertical windows on the main facade. The interior spaces are contained in two volumes, united through a staircase, thus achieving a sense of dynamics in the relation between the various levels gravitating around the central courtyard. The plan can be divided in three registers: the first corresponds to the volume facing the street, the second - to the one on the furthest side of the lot. The third register is interposed between these two and contains the inner courtyard and the elements ensuring the connection between the volumes.

The restoration of Apafi Mansion is part of an ambitious program of rehabilitating the traditional houses in the German villages in Romania, initiated by the Mihai Eminescu Foundation. Completed in 2007, the restoration process was extremely laborious, involving an in-depth research and a close collaboration between specialists in various fields. All of the rebuilding works were done using traditional materials and techniques, such as stonework, bricks, mortar, wood - for the doors, window frames and shutters, manually produced tiles, iron - for the hinges and terracotta - for the stoves. In order to achieve this, a series of specialists from abroad helped initiate local craftsmen in long forgotten traditional techniques, currently also applied in the restoration of the nearby houses. As for the interiors, the team benefited from the help of British designer David Mlinaric. Most of the objects making up the inside spaces, such as the weavings, lacework, furniture pieces and hardware, were done by local craftsmen an were also joined by items found in nearby villages, thought to have previously belonged to the owners of the Apafi Mansion.