The Jane by Nicolas Schuybroek | Photography by Romain Laprade
If there ever was a design typology to try new things, it’s hospitality, and each of these interiors are built for atmosphere first, aesthetics second. They each share an avant-garde confidence, whether through the reverberant timber curves of a vinyl café, or the ascetic calm of a Michelin dining room. From Aspen to Antwerp, what stands out are the truly international borders of design—from brutalism in the mountains, to Puglian craft in the tropics—yet they all treat sound as material, texture as architecture and comfort as a form of luxury.
The Jane by Nicolas Schuybroek
Antwerp, Belgium
The new iteration of The Jane in Antwerp sees Michelin-starred chef Nick Bril partner with Brussels architect Nicolas Schuybroek to craft a restaurant defined by minimalist intensity and immaculate restraint—but you wouldn’t expect anything less from the Belgian designer.
Moving from a historic chapel to a corner site, the new space trades grandeur for focus with just 28 seats arranged around an open kitchen. Tasked with the desire to have guests lose their sense of time and space, the interior features an orchestrated sequence that plays with contrast, compression and release.Every angle sculpts the views, defined by strong lines and deliberate outlooks.
An exacting palette of timber and stainless steel makes friendly bedfellows with light and shadow. The main dining room is luminous, layered with a grid of custom lighting—its precise proportions contributing to a monastic calm. Given how much attention goes into the food itself, it’s no surprise that nearly every element is bespoke.
A darkened compression zone creates a moment of pause before entering the main dining room. | Photography by Romain Laprade
The main dining room features high ceilings, reminiscent of the church where The Jane moved from. Now with only 28 seats, the new space was a chance to evolve the whole experience of the fine dining restaurant. | Photography by Romain Laprade
An important part of the experience is the meticulous lighting, a custom installation of stainless-steel light fixtures by Tim Hooijmans. | Photography by Benoit Florencon
Sant Ambroeus Aspen by Giampiero Tagliaferri
Aspen, North America
A distinctly Milanese aesthetic makes its way to the American mountains with Sant Ambroeus Aspen, an alpine outpost that deliberately sidesteps the classic chalet cliché. Instead, the interior, designed by Giampiero Tagliaferri, leans into a refined brutalism: a recessed gridded concrete ceiling, built-in benches and crazy-paved flagstone flooring set the monumental tone. Warmth and eccentricity are then layered against it—a statement glossy green twist of a fireplace and vintage pieces that nod to Italian elegance help to soften the harder edges.
Inspired by mid-century Alpine modernism—think Carlo Mollino, Franco Albini, Charlotte Perriand and Marcel Breuer—the restaurant manages to balance sculptural rigour with an inviting, lived-in atmosphere. Textural contrasts and low, enveloping proportions add to the cosy, slightly offbeat, and distinctly European feeling. It’s a room where concrete and a lustrous shine sit side-by-side as a backdrop to lingering lunches, firelit aperitivo hours and late-night suppers.
Sant Ambroeus Aspen by Giampiero Tagliaferri | Photography by Billal Taright
Exuding a brutalist aesthetic, extra flourishes, such as the glossy green ceiling create a sense of cosiness and containment. | Photography by Billal Taright
Sant Ambroeus Aspen by Giampiero Tagliaferri | Photography by Billal Taright
JAÇ Hi-Fi Café by Isern Serra Studio
Barcelona, Spain
JAÇ HiFi Café brings the spirit of Japan’s jazz kissa to the streets of Barcelona. Designed by Isern Serra Studio, the space is shaped by sweeping curves and warm timber, culminating in a sculptural walnut installation that arcs across walls and ceiling to form an intimate listening alcove. Built-in joinery houses the café’s audio equipment and extensive vinyl collection, a visual expression of the notion of music as architecture.
A monolithic walnut bar—part counter, part speaker cabinet—anchors the centre, while the gentle curve of Santa & Cole’s Lámina pendants echo the project’s fluid geometry. Beige microcement wraps the floors and walls, allowing the walnut to have the leading role. Capturing the warmth of a living room rather than a café, JAÇ is a place for deep listening. It recasts the traditional kissa’s reverence for sound with a Mediterranean twist, making it a place to slow down and let music become the main event.
Curved built-in joinery creates a sense of cosy enclosure, perfect for those wanting to listen with intensity. | Photography by Salva Lopez. Styling by Aasheen Mittal
Curved built-in joinery creates a sense of cosy enclosure, perfect for those wanting to listen with intensity. | Photography by Salva Lopez. Styling by Aasheen Mittal
JAÇ Hi-Fi Café has many inviting corners to sit and perch in, the space has a homey feel with the Akari E lamp by Isamu Noguchi for Vitra, and an artwork by Chidy Wayne. | Photography by Salva Lopez. Styling by Aasheen Mittal
1OAM Apotheke by Studio Andrew Trotter
Antiparos, Greece
On the island of Antiparos in Greece, a former folklore museum is reimagined to offer a quintessentially Mediterranean blend of retail, dining and gathering. 1OAM Apotheke, designed by Studio Andrew Trotter, brings a characteristically pared-back flavour. Leaning into the welcomed parochialness of the Cyclades, the space features lime-plastered walls, handcrafted ceramics and solid chunks of marble fashioned into one-off furniture pieces.
Refreshingly contemporary, the project is a collaboration with founder Eva Papadaki and expands on the original concept store with a food and beverage experience shaped by slow food seasonality. Mornings are filled with herbal teas, homemade fare and garden-picked ingredients served beneath the trees. The evenings shift into a botanical bar centred on wild, native flavours. Fluid and effortless, the space invites visitors to slip into the island’s slower rhythm.
There is a distinctive Mediterranean feeling to 1OAM Apotheke, embracing the context with outdoor seating. | Photography by Hana Jelovcan
Salvaged stone is used in artful ways, including as outdoor tables. Inside, vintage furniture and handmade ceramics bring old world charm. | Photography by Zan Vargek
1OAM Apotheke by Studio Andrew Trotter | Photography by Zan Vargek
Somma Singapore by Nice Projects
New Bahru, Singapore
Somma brings a contemporary Puglian sensibility to Singapore, with a finely textured dining space. Designed by London studio Nice Projects, the restaurant balances the rigour of the building’s eight-metre vaulted ceilings with a warm, tactile palette. Travertine, grey marble and patchwork stone floors ground the interior, while stainless steel benches, custom leather chairs and Cimento tables bring a handcrafted touch. Dappled light filters in through the semi-opaque, cloud-like patterned curtains.
The main event is a dramatic tiled feature wall, handmade by Puglian ceramicist Vincenzo Del Monaco, which anchors the main dining room. Its subtle tonal variations echo the layered textures found throughout. Somma feels thoroughly Italian with its interplay of stone, craft and light.
The pattern of the semi-translucent curtains casts a dappled light into the dining room, where custom leather chairs and custom Cimento tables (made in Italy) add to the Italian sensibility of this Puglian restaurant. | Photography by Lisa Cohen
Somma Singapore by Nice Projects | Photography by Lisa Cohen
The high-vaulted ceilings upstairs are matched with an impressive feature wall of handmade terracotta tiles. The 240 piece installation was a special commission to Puglian ceramicist Vincenzo Del Monaco and sets the scene for the handcrafted nature of the interior. | Photography by Lisa Cohen
