Architectural Cases

In an innovative move to enhance corporate well-being, Ramos Alderete Studio has introduced "The Relax Room" within an office environment. This project reimagines conventional meeting spaces, transforming them into a serene oasis designed for quiet reflection, thoughtful contemplation, and informal social engagement. By skillfully integrating curved architecture, meticulously managed lighting, and advanced acoustic materials, the studio has forged a distinct, immersive sanctuary that stands in stark contrast to the traditional, often rigid, corporate landscape.

This initiative by Ramos Alderete Studio provides a fresh perspective on workplace design, advocating for spaces that nurture both individual repose and communal interaction. It exemplifies how thoughtful design, focusing on geometric fluidity, strategic seating arrangements, and intelligent lighting systems, can create environments that are both adaptable and deeply connected to the broader workspace, ultimately fostering a more balanced and productive atmosphere.

Transforming Office Interiors with Curved Aesthetics and Acoustic Innovation

Ramos Alderete Studio's "The Relax Room" project embarked on a mission to redefine an existing office area, traditionally configured as two meeting rooms, into an unparalleled space dedicated to tranquility and informal interaction. The core challenge involved converting a long, narrow space, interrupted by a structural pillar and a standard window, into an enclosed, deeply immersive environment. The solution lay in embracing curved geometry, precise lighting control, and advanced acoustic materials. This design ethos has successfully reshaped the constrained tubular layout, concealing the existing column while strategically retaining its function as a spatial organizer, and transforming the window into a carefully calibrated light source that bathes the room in a gentle glow.

The transformation saw the linear structure of the original area evolve into a continuous, flowing curved enclosure, significantly altering visual perceptions and promoting a more fluid sense of movement within the space. Walls and ceilings, now adorned with acoustic materials, contribute to a serene and tactile interior, effectively mitigating external noise. An airtight entry further enhances this effect, creating a noticeable boundary between the bustling work environment and the peaceful interior, where sound, light, and spatial awareness are subtly yet profoundly shifted upon entering. This meticulous approach to design ensures that the room, despite its modest dimensions, offers a diverse array of functions, from individual reflection to group gatherings, without the need for additional furniture, thanks to its integrated stepped seating and versatile open areas.

Dynamic Lighting and Material Harmony for Enhanced Serenity

The design of "The Relax Room" places paramount importance on lighting, meticulously orchestrated through three distinct elements to sculpt the spatial experience. A central oculus, positioned overhead and finished with a reflective surface, gently disperses ambient light, creating an indirect, luminous glow that permeates the entire space. Complementing this, a strategically placed niche, bathed in its own indirect lighting, offers a more intimate and contained setting, ideal for focused work or private conversations. Furthermore, the reconfigured window serves a dual purpose, maintaining a vital visual link to the surrounding office while providing a controlled influx of natural light. An integrated RGB lighting system adds another layer of adaptability, allowing the room's atmosphere to be dynamically adjusted to suit various activities and moods, from vibrant collaboration to quiet contemplation.

The project's material palette is deliberately restrained, emphasizing acoustic surfaces and soft, continuous curves that, when combined with the nuanced lighting, cultivate a consistently calm and inviting interior. This harmonious blend of geometric design and material selection effectively minimizes external distractions, fostering a focused and quieter environment within the dynamic office setting. By transcending conventional, productivity-driven office layouts, Ramos Alderete Studio's "The Relax Room" introduces a novel spatial typology. Through its innovative use of geometric transformations, integrated seating solutions, and a sophisticated lighting infrastructure, the project successfully creates a versatile space that caters to both individual needs and collective engagements, all while maintaining a cohesive connection with the overarching workplace ethos.

A groundbreaking collaboration between OMA/AMO and Maison Margiela introduces "MaisonMargiela/Folders," a multi-city exhibition that transforms urban landscapes into immersive showcases of avant-garde fashion. This ambitious project, spanning Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, and Shenzhen until April 13th, 2026, marks a significant partnership between the renowned fashion label and the architectural studio led by Rem Koolhaas. The exhibition reimagines the brand's core design principles as spatial narratives, integrating them into the fabric of each city.

In Shanghai, the exhibition ingeniously utilizes a series of shipping containers strategically placed throughout the city. This design choice extends the innovative scenography initially developed by OMA for Maison Margiela's Fall/Winter 2026 runway show, where stacked containers created a navigable environment. These containers now serve a triple purpose, functioning as archives, architectural elements, and interactive urban interfaces. The broader curatorial strategy of "MaisonMargiela/Folders" deviates from conventional single-venue exhibitions, opting instead for a fragmented approach. Each participating city acts as a "folder" dedicated to a specific theme, forming a dynamic, loosely structured archive that encourages visitors to explore across different geographical and typological settings. Public spaces such as streets, theaters, galleries, and sports facilities are repurposed to house these installations, while digital content circulates via the brand's online platforms, expanding the project's reach beyond its physical presence. This methodology reflects OMA's long-standing interest in exhibition design as a form of narrative construction, echoing Maison Margiela's own practice of deconstructing and reassembling meaning through its garments.

The exhibition delves into various thematic elements across its Chinese locations. In Shanghai, the "Artisanal: Our Creative Laboratory" display on Yan Dang Road presents 58 couture looks from 1989 to 2026, highlighting the evolution of Maison Margiela's artisanal line and emphasizing the design process over the final product. Beijing's Zhengyici Peking Opera Theatre hosts "Anonymity: Our History of Masks," showcasing 48 masks from the brand's history, drawing parallels between theatrical identity and Margiela's distinctive rejection of visible authorship. In Chengdu, the Third Avenue Art Museum features "Tabi: Collectors Exhibition," which reconstructs the wardrobes of nine collectors to offer an intimate look at the iconic Tabi silhouette's life beyond the runway. Shenzhen's Hairun Badminton Courts are transformed into a collective workspace for "Bianchetto: Atelier Experience," focusing on the house's signature overpaint technique and showcasing the atelier as an ongoing process rather than a finished outcome. Through these diverse installations, "MaisonMargiela/Folders" positions exhibition-making as a form of indexing, where each "folder" isolates a specific design code while contributing to a larger, decentralized system that eschews hierarchy and promotes movement between fragments. This collaborative endeavor by OMA/AMO and Maison Margiela extends the logic of deconstruction from individual garments to the urban scale, demonstrating how meaning can be dynamically assembled through circulation.

This innovative exhibition challenges conventional notions of fashion and architecture, illustrating how creative disciplines can converge to redefine public engagement. By transforming urban environments into interactive galleries, the project fosters a deeper appreciation for both design and the cities that host it. It serves as a testament to the power of artistic collaboration in pushing boundaries and creating meaningful cultural experiences for a global audience.