Architecture News

INS Studio's Common Days project in Maros, Indonesia, stands as a testament to harmonious integration with the surrounding natural environment and local cultural context. Situated in a developing commercial area, the three-story structure is designed as a dynamic community hub, accommodating various activities from social gatherings to focused work. The architectural vision was deeply influenced by the stunning vistas of Bukit Cenrana, a prominent natural landmark in Maros. By elevating the building and incorporating an open-air rooftop garden, the design ensures that visitors enjoy expansive, unobstructed views, making the landscape an essential part of their experience rather than a mere backdrop. The deliberate choice of locally sourced andesite stone, quarried from nearby mountains, grounds the building in its regional identity. This natural stone, used extensively for interior walls, flooring, and the coffee bar, features a distinctive square pattern that adds tactile richness. Complementing this, perforated terracotta brick screens form a climate-responsive exterior, providing both visual interest and practical environmental benefits. These material selections create a strong, authentic connection between the building and its site, emphasizing sustainability and local craftsmanship.

The building's multi-functional layout caters to diverse needs, promoting both lively interaction and quiet contemplation. The ground floor, dedicated to a coffee shop, serves as the vibrant social heart, encouraging spontaneous encounters and fostering a sense of community. Its open design allows for a fluid transition to the second floor, which offers a more serene environment for productivity and collaboration. This level includes flexible working spaces and private meeting rooms, all designed to enhance comfort and well-being. An outdoor terrace, predominantly crafted from local terracotta bricks, extends the workspace, providing an inviting area that blends indoor and outdoor experiences. A striking moss wall, cultivated and installed by local gardeners, further integrates natural elements, contributing to a calming atmosphere. The perforated facade, beyond its aesthetic role, plays a crucial environmental function, filtering intense morning sunlight and facilitating natural ventilation from the hills, thus reducing reliance on artificial cooling. This passive design strategy extends to the rooftop garden, a versatile space for relaxation, small exhibitions, and community events, offering panoramic views that merge architecture with the landscape. Common Days exemplifies how contemporary design, when rooted in local materials and climate-responsive strategies, can create spaces that are both modern and deeply connected to their unique cultural and environmental context.

Architectural Harmony: Blending with Maros' Natural Beauty

INS Studio's Common Days in Maros, Indonesia, exemplifies a thoughtful architectural approach that prioritizes integration with the natural landscape. The three-level building, conceived as a vibrant gathering space, capitalizes on its position overlooking Bukit Cenrana, a significant local landmark. This strategic orientation led to the inclusion of an open-air rooftop garden, providing visitors with uninterrupted panoramic views and seamlessly weaving the majestic scenery into the architectural experience. The design consciously embraces locality through its material palette, featuring indigenous andesite stone from nearby mountains for interior surfaces and a distinctive perforated terracotta brick exterior. This blend of local resources and modern design principles fosters a profound connection between the structure and its surroundings, reinforcing the regional identity of Maros.

The initial design phases for Common Days were heavily influenced by the picturesque views of Bukit Cenrana, a defining natural feature of the Maros area. The decision to construct a three-story building with a rooftop garden was a direct response to this, ensuring that the natural beauty of the hill was not just observed but actively experienced by those within the space. The architects carefully selected local andesite stone, a material abundant in the region, for prominent interior applications such as walls, flooring, and the coffee bar. This choice not only highlights the area's geological richness but also introduces a unique square pattern that adds texture and character. The exterior is enveloped in perforated terracotta brick screens, which contribute to the building’s aesthetic appeal while also serving as a critical climate-responsive element. These natural materials establish a tactile and visual dialogue between the architecture and the lush landscape, grounding Common Days firmly in its place and celebrating Maros' unique sense of place.

Sustainable Design & Community Spaces: A Holistic Approach

Common Days by INS Studio is more than just a building; it is a meticulously designed environment that champions sustainable practices and community engagement. The ground floor houses a welcoming coffee shop, acting as a central hub for social interaction, designed to be open and inviting. This space flows effortlessly into the second floor, which offers a quieter atmosphere for work and collaboration, complete with dedicated workspaces and private meeting areas. An outdoor terrace, paved with locally manufactured terracotta bricks, extends the functional area, creating a harmonious transition between indoor productivity and outdoor relaxation. A living moss wall, meticulously cultivated by local horticulturists, adds a touch of natural serenity, underscoring the project's commitment to local resources and environmental well-being.

A key feature of the building's facade is the perforated breeze block wall, which brilliantly combines environmental functionality with striking visual appeal. This innovative screen effectively moderates the intense morning sunlight, preventing harsh glares while simultaneously allowing natural breezes from the surrounding hills to ventilate the interior spaces, particularly the second-floor terrace. This passive climate control strategy extends to the rooftop garden, envisioned as a versatile space for leisure, art exhibitions, and various community events. The rooftop, with its commanding views of Bukit Cenrana, culminates the architectural journey through the building, symbolizing a perfect convergence of built form and natural scenery. INS Studio’s Common Days project demonstrates a thoughtful response to Maros' unique character, integrating local materials, climate-conscious design, and vibrant community spaces. It serves as a model for how architecture can evolve to meet modern needs for gathering and working, all while remaining deeply respectful of and embedded in the local culture and environment, inspiring new ways of living and interacting within the growing town.

HOMME PLISSÉ ISSEY MIYAKE recently captivated audiences at Tate Modern's South Tank with an innovative performance that brought Henri Matisse's iconic artwork, 'The Snail,' to life. Through the strategic use of pleated fabrics and interactive choreography, the event transformed passive viewership into an engaging, participatory experience. Dancers, clad in garments mirroring Matisse's cut-out shapes, moved dynamically across the space, creating a fluid dialogue between visual art and live performance. The unique setup encouraged individual audience members to become integral to the unfolding artistic expression, challenging traditional boundaries of theatrical presentation.

The immersive spectacle, held on September 16, 2026, as the second installment of HOMME PLISSÉ ISSEY MIYAKE's 'OPEN STUDIO,' drew spectators into a world where art extended beyond the canvas. Upon entering the South Tank, guests found themselves within an environment designed for interaction: a soft, felt-covered floor, circular benches lining concrete walls, and scattered individual seating. A large, pleated textile, inspired by 'The Snail,' lay across the floor, hinting at the artistic transformation to come. Performers then gradually uncovered additional layers of clothing from beneath the felt surface.

A core element of the evening was 'One One One,' an interactive format conceived by Ioannis Mandafounis. Dancers approached individual audience members, inviting them to participate in personalized choreographic sessions. These intimate exchanges relied on sustained eye contact, allowing the dancer to spontaneously create movements in response to the individual's presence. Meanwhile, other attendees observed these unique encounters, witnessing a series of miniature, evolving performances unfold across the vast room.

As the event progressed, performers don additional garments retrieved from beneath the felt. These pleated costumes, directly replicating the geometric forms of Matisse's 'The Snail,' moved with the dancers, transforming static paper cut-outs into three-dimensional, animated figures. The design team's vision was to imbue each paper shape with life, utilizing HOMME PLISSÉ ISSEY MIYAKE's signature pleating technique to give Matisse's designs a new dimension of movement. Throughout the performance, dancers frequently changed outfits, leaving discarded pieces across the stage, reminiscent of the loose paper scraps in Matisse's own studio, thus gradually dispersing the artwork's essence throughout the space rather than confining it to a central focal point.

The architectural layout of the Tate Modern's South Tank proved ideal for this dynamic presentation. Its expansive concrete interior and circular perimeter provided a versatile arena, while the seating arrangement intentionally integrated the audience within the performance area. This spatial design allowed dancers to weave among seated guests, occupying various parts of the room, ensuring that attention constantly shifted. An observer could instantaneously transition into the focal point of a dance, highlighting the fluid nature of participation.

Mandafounis's 'One One One' method thrived in this environment. It challenged dancers to interpret the nuanced sensations derived from an audience member's presence into expressive movements, resulting in each interaction possessing a distinct rhythm and duration. The mere presence of a spectator directly influenced the unfolding artistic narrative. Concurrently, those seated along the outer rim witnessed a captivating array of smaller, independent performances, each briefly establishing its own temporary center of attention.

Towards the culmination of the event, the nature of the interaction underwent another transformation. A lone performer appeared, followed by others who collectively peeled back the felt at the Tank's center. Beneath it lay a meticulously reconstructed, full-scale rendition of 'The Snail,' meticulously assembled from the pleated garments. Each piece was precisely cut to mirror the geometry of Matisse's original composition. Dancers then gathered around this recreated masterpiece, continuing their movements as the previously fragmented artwork reintegrated into a cohesive image.

For the majority of the performance, Matisse's artistic vision manifested through human interaction, with its abstract forms bending around bodies and navigating the exhibition space. In the final segment, however, these garments returned to the floor, once again forming a static image. The audience's role also evolved within this cycle. Initially, individual spectators could directly influence the choreography; by the end, everyone shared a unified view of the reconstituted artwork. This 'OPEN STUDIO' masterfully integrated the transition between active participation and collective observation as a fundamental aspect of the entire artistic experience.