charles brooks expands his architecture in music series

Charles Brooks continues his Architecture in Music series, revealing the concealed chambers of rare and historic instruments. For each of his compositions, he merges hundreds of images of the intimate interiors taken with medical telescopes, capturing sweeping perspectives that appear almost architectural. His newest documentation takes a 1717 Stradivarius violin, known as the ex Hämmerle — ex Baumgartner, as his subject. Captured without disassembling the instrument, the photograph is believed to be the first of its kind, produced using a custom-adapted medical endoscope and a Lumix camera. The resulting composite image is made from 257 individual frames, taken in collaboration with violinist Daniel Dodds in Melbourne, showing how light gently illuminates the textures and brings the space to life.

The work continues Brooks’ investigation into the interior forms of musical instruments, a project that began several years ago and has since expanded to include pianos, horns, flutes, and church organs. Each image in the series combines technical imaging with a visual language often associated with architectural photography, highlighting the mechanical frameworks of these instruments with new spatial perspectives, appearing as vaulted forms, corridors, and niches.

1717 ex Hämmerle — ex Baumgartner Stradivarius | all images by Charles Brooks

revealing spatial perspectives of classical instrument interiors

In the case of the Stradivarius, while Charles Brooks captures the internal structure, he also pays homage to traces of its long history — fine wood grain, tool marks, and the precise geometry that supports its acoustic performance. Though the instrument measures only a few centimeters across, the image appears expansive, achieved through wide-angle optics and extended depth of field.

The photographer, who previously spent more than two decades as a professional cellist, brings a practical understanding of musical instruments to his photographic work in the Architecture in Music series. That background informs the series as it expands, with recent additions including a Yamaha 867d French Horn, a 1980s Yanagisawa Saxophone, the Kawai Grand Piano Millennium III Action, a Steinway concert grand piano, and the pipes in the organ of St. Mark’s Church in New Zealand.

St Marks Pipe Organ

a composition of hundreds of frames

Each image is assembled from dozens or hundreds of separate exposures, merged to capture detail across every focal plane. Charles Brooks adjusts the focal plane incrementally with each exposure of each frame and using specialist probe lenses and a controlled lighting setup, he captures fine details across the full depth of the space. These frames are then composited through a meticulous post-processing technique to produce a single, highly detailed image that plays with perspective and scale. Spaces only a few centimeters wide appear almost architectural in depth, with surfaces resembling ship hulls, cavernous chambers, or industrial tunnels.

Ibanez Acoustic Guitar

Martin D35

Siete Lunas Guitar By Roberto Hernandez

Steinway

Kawai Grand Piano Millenium III Action

Yamaha French Horn

Alto Flute

1995 Low C Prestige Bass Clarinet

project info:

name: Architecture in Music

artist: Charles Brooks | @charlescellist

The post charles brooks captures vaulted, shaded spaces inside historic musical instruments appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Lighting as Spatial Strategy in Barrel Swimwear Store

In Barrel Swimwear Store project in Korea by Niiiz Design Lab, lighting is positioned as a central design strategy rather than a supplementary feature. Developed for a swimwear-focused brand, the project required a distinct approach from standard fashion retail environments. Lighting functions as a critical element in spatial composition, with variations in color temperature, intensity, and brightness directly influencing the perception of space.

Instead of adopting typical high ambient lighting to enhance product visibility, the design reduced general illumination to establish a subdued spatial quality. Focused lighting was applied within oversized fitting rooms, where users could evaluate products under conditions tailored for clarity and comfort. This zoning strategy emphasized the role of fitting areas as central to user experience, directing circulation toward them, and encouraging physical interaction with products.

reflective wave-patterned stainless steel panels on the ceiling visually expand the space | all images by Mong Sang

Niiiz Design Lab implements Indirect Light and Reflective Surfaces

To implement a low-light environment without conventional ceiling fixtures, Niiiz Design Lab’s team integrated indirect lighting within a linear sculptural installation extending along one wall. The installation, constructed from semi-translucent blue acrylic, references the concept of an indoor swimming pool. The material filters light softly across the surface, contributing to a cohesive spatial identity.

Ceiling treatment was aligned with the lighting concept and broader spatial narrative. Wave-patterned stainless steel panels were used to introduce reflectivity, which visually expands the compact volume and offsets the low ceiling height. This finish also supports the distribution of indirect light and contributes to the immersive underwater reference.

curved surface with continuous material finish eliminates visible boundaries between the walls and floor

Matte Finishes and Curved Transitions Enhance Spatial Balance

In contrast, flooring was designed to reduce reflectance. Matte mosaic tiles, evoking swimming pool surfaces, were selected to absorb rather than bounce light, ensuring balance in the lighting composition. The junctions between wall and floor surfaces were softened by using continuous materials and curved transitions, eliminating sharp visual boundaries and enhancing spatial coherence.

The resulting environment integrates lighting and material logic to support the brand’s identity and functional needs. The store’s design addresses site-specific constraints, including limited ceiling height and floor area, while delivering a spatial experience aligned with the swimwear category.

indirect lighting is embedded within a sculptural wall installation

the blue acrylic wall and ceiling evoke the sensation of being submerged underwater

large fitting rooms feature enhanced lighting for the best product evaluation

matte-finish mosaic tiles, reminiscent of pool tiles, absorb rather than reflect light from above and around

the semi-translucent blue acrylic wall references the indoor pool concept

mosaic floor tiles reduce glare and evoke pool textures

curved detailing enhances spatial continuity and immersion

project info: 

name: Barrel_Swimwear Store

designer: Niiiz Design Lab | @official_niiizdesignlab

location: Korea

client: The Nature Holdings

construction: JHD Studio | @jhd_official

photographer: Mong Sang | @mongsang._

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post steel interiors ripple like waves in niiiz design lab’s korean swimwear store appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Lighting as Spatial Strategy in Barrel Swimwear Store

In Barrel Swimwear Store project in Korea by Niiiz Design Lab, lighting is positioned as a central design strategy rather than a supplementary feature. Developed for a swimwear-focused brand, the project required a distinct approach from standard fashion retail environments. Lighting functions as a critical element in spatial composition, with variations in color temperature, intensity, and brightness directly influencing the perception of space.

Instead of adopting typical high ambient lighting to enhance product visibility, the design reduced general illumination to establish a subdued spatial quality. Focused lighting was applied within oversized fitting rooms, where users could evaluate products under conditions tailored for clarity and comfort. This zoning strategy emphasized the role of fitting areas as central to user experience, directing circulation toward them, and encouraging physical interaction with products.

reflective wave-patterned stainless steel panels on the ceiling visually expand the space | all images by Mong Sang

Niiiz Design Lab implements Indirect Light and Reflective Surfaces

To implement a low-light environment without conventional ceiling fixtures, Niiiz Design Lab’s team integrated indirect lighting within a linear sculptural installation extending along one wall. The installation, constructed from semi-translucent blue acrylic, references the concept of an indoor swimming pool. The material filters light softly across the surface, contributing to a cohesive spatial identity.

Ceiling treatment was aligned with the lighting concept and broader spatial narrative. Wave-patterned stainless steel panels were used to introduce reflectivity, which visually expands the compact volume and offsets the low ceiling height. This finish also supports the distribution of indirect light and contributes to the immersive underwater reference.

curved surface with continuous material finish eliminates visible boundaries between the walls and floor

Matte Finishes and Curved Transitions Enhance Spatial Balance

In contrast, flooring was designed to reduce reflectance. Matte mosaic tiles, evoking swimming pool surfaces, were selected to absorb rather than bounce light, ensuring balance in the lighting composition. The junctions between wall and floor surfaces were softened by using continuous materials and curved transitions, eliminating sharp visual boundaries and enhancing spatial coherence.

The resulting environment integrates lighting and material logic to support the brand’s identity and functional needs. The store’s design addresses site-specific constraints, including limited ceiling height and floor area, while delivering a spatial experience aligned with the swimwear category.

indirect lighting is embedded within a sculptural wall installation

the blue acrylic wall and ceiling evoke the sensation of being submerged underwater

large fitting rooms feature enhanced lighting for the best product evaluation

matte-finish mosaic tiles, reminiscent of pool tiles, absorb rather than reflect light from above and around

the semi-translucent blue acrylic wall references the indoor pool concept

mosaic floor tiles reduce glare and evoke pool textures

curved detailing enhances spatial continuity and immersion

project info: 

name: Barrel_Swimwear Store

designer: Niiiz Design Lab | @official_niiizdesignlab

location: Korea

client: The Nature Holdings

construction: JHD Studio | @jhd_official

photographer: Mong Sang | @mongsang._

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post steel interiors ripple like waves in niiiz design lab’s korean swimwear store appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

A week at the knees by Alex Chinneck shows up in london

At the Clerkenwell Design Week 2025, Alex Chinneck’s monumental brick facade sculpture slides and sits down in London’s Charterhouse Square. Named ‘A week at the knees,’ the public art, on view at the square until early July 2025, looks like it has gotten weary, so it slides down onto the grass to take a break. It raises its knees, creating an arch over the gravel path and allowing the visitors to pass through it like a temporary underpass. At first glance, the monumental brick facade sculpture seems made of lightweight materials. That is, until Alex Chinneck tells visitors the sculpture comes to life using real bricks, 7,000 in total.

Under the red bricks lies 4.6 tons of reused steel, salvaged from the demolition of the former American Embassy in London and provided by Cleveland Steel. The step has allowed the artist to reduce the artwork’s footprint by around 9.3 tons of carbon emissions. The 7,000 bricks are a combination of First Quality Multi Bricks and Floren Albion bricks, provided by the Michelmersh Group and precision cut by FabSpeed. There are seven recycled steel windows with four bending frames, courtesy of Crittal Windows, alongside one bending door and drainpipe. Visitors can see the artwork for free from today until early July 2025 at Charterhouse Square, London.

all images courtesy of Alex Chinneck | photos by Charles Emerson

monumental brick facade sculpture that has slid down

‘A week at the knees’ is a freestanding monumental brick facade sculpture. At the present time, it stands at 5.5 meters tall and is 13.5 meters long. It’s not the first time Alex Chinneck made his public art slide down. He did it in 2013 with the sliding house in Margate, which first brought him global attention. In this artwork, the facade seems to peel off from the house. In ‘A week at the knees’, a slope emerges, the knees of the sculpture, depicting a local or tourist who’s resting in the garden during summertime. It’s more physical, more human, more alive. 

While it’s almost impossible not to see the monumental brick facade sculpture, there’s still a chance some might think a building’s walls have peeled off if they’re looking at it. That’s because the public art, when viewed from afar, mimics the Georgian architecture that surrounds it, making the temporary sculpture seemingly part of the rows of houses. The artist has been doing his practice for a long time. He has completed close to twenty public artworks already. He has made buildings that melt, hover, bend, and unzip, and even tied street furniture in knots. Safe to say that he’s just getting started. Even more follows after the brick facade sculpture at Clerkenwell Design Week. 

Alex Chinneck’s monumental brick facade sculpture slides and sits down in London’s Charterhouse Square

named ‘A week at the knees,’ the public art is on view until early July 2025

it has raised ‘knees’ to allow visitors to pass through it

the sculpture comes to life using real bricks, 7,000 in total

in detail, there are 4.6 tons of reused steel under the red bricks

overall, there are seven steel windows with four bending frames

as seen, Alex Chinneck sitting next to his monumental brick facade sculpture named ‘A week at the knees’

the steel used for the most part is from the demolished parts of the former American Embassy in London

project info:

name: A week at the knees

artist: Alex Chinneck | @alexchinneck

collaboration: Chiltern GRC, Cleveland Steel, Crittall Windows, FabSpeed, Michelmersh Brick Holdings PLC | @chilterngrc, @Crittall_windows_uk, @mbhplc

event: Clerkenwell Design Week 2025 | @clerkenwelldesignweek

on view: May 20th to early July, 2025

location: Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6AN

photography: Charles Emerson | @charlesemerson_

The post alex chinneck’s monumental brick facade sculpture slides and sits down in a london garden appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

A week at the knees by Alex Chinneck shows up in london

At the Clerkenwell Design Week 2025, Alex Chinneck’s monumental brick facade sculpture slides and sits down in London’s Charterhouse Square. Named ‘A week at the knees,’ the public art, on view at the square until early July 2025, looks like it has gotten weary, so it slides down onto the grass to take a break. It raises its knees, creating an arch over the gravel path and allowing the visitors to pass through it like a temporary underpass. At first glance, the monumental brick facade sculpture seems made of lightweight materials. That is, until Alex Chinneck tells visitors the sculpture comes to life using real bricks, 7,000 in total.

Under the red bricks lies 4.6 tons of reused steel, salvaged from the demolition of the former American Embassy in London and provided by Cleveland Steel. The step has allowed the artist to reduce the artwork’s footprint by around 9.3 tons of carbon emissions. The 7,000 bricks are a combination of First Quality Multi Bricks and Floren Albion bricks, provided by the Michelmersh Group and precision cut by FabSpeed. There are seven recycled steel windows with four bending frames, courtesy of Crittal Windows, alongside one bending door and drainpipe. Visitors can see the artwork for free from today until early July 2025 at Charterhouse Square, London.

all images courtesy of Alex Chinneck | photos by Charles Emerson

monumental brick facade sculpture that has slid down

‘A week at the knees’ is a freestanding monumental brick facade sculpture. At the present time, it stands at 5.5 meters tall and is 13.5 meters long. It’s not the first time Alex Chinneck made his public art slide down. He did it in 2013 with the sliding house in Margate, which first brought him global attention. In this artwork, the facade seems to peel off from the house. In ‘A week at the knees’, a slope emerges, the knees of the sculpture, depicting a local or tourist who’s resting in the garden during summertime. It’s more physical, more human, more alive. 

While it’s almost impossible not to see the monumental brick facade sculpture, there’s still a chance some might think a building’s walls have peeled off if they’re looking at it. That’s because the public art, when viewed from afar, mimics the Georgian architecture that surrounds it, making the temporary sculpture seemingly part of the rows of houses. The artist has been doing his practice for a long time. He has completed close to twenty public artworks already. He has made buildings that melt, hover, bend, and unzip, and even tied street furniture in knots. Safe to say that he’s just getting started. Even more follows after the brick facade sculpture at Clerkenwell Design Week. 

Alex Chinneck’s monumental brick facade sculpture slides and sits down in London’s Charterhouse Square

named ‘A week at the knees,’ the public art is on view until early July 2025

it has raised ‘knees’ to allow visitors to pass through it

the sculpture comes to life using real bricks, 7,000 in total

in detail, there are 4.6 tons of reused steel under the red bricks

overall, there are seven steel windows with four bending frames

as seen, Alex Chinneck sitting next to his monumental brick facade sculpture named ‘A week at the knees’

the steel used for the most part is from the demolished parts of the former American Embassy in London

project info:

name: A week at the knees

artist: Alex Chinneck | @alexchinneck

collaboration: Chiltern GRC, Cleveland Steel, Crittall Windows, FabSpeed, Michelmersh Brick Holdings PLC | @chilterngrc, @Crittall_windows_uk, @mbhplc

event: Clerkenwell Design Week 2025 | @clerkenwelldesignweek

on view: May 20th to early July, 2025

location: Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6AN

photography: Charles Emerson | @charlesemerson_

The post alex chinneck’s monumental brick facade sculpture slides and sits down in a london garden appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

jr presents the eighth chapter of his chronicle series

French artist JR unveils Le Cronache di Napoli, the eighth and most emotional chapter in his globally acclaimed Chronicles series, with a massive public artwork installed on the facade of the Italian city’s Duomo. Presented alongside Who Are You, Naples?, an exhibition at Gallerie d’Italia – Napoli, on view from May 22nd until October 5th, 2025, the project captures the energy, complexity, and soul of the city through a sprawling photographic collage of 606 Neapolitans, each a protagonist in this collective portrait of identity, resilience, and belonging.

First launched in 2017 and inspired by the politically charged murals of Diego Rivera, Chronicles is JR’s long-term exploration of place through the faces of its people. After stops in cities like New York, Miami, and Kyoto, Naples becomes the first Italian city to host a chapter. ‘Naples is one of the most interesting cities in Europe because its bustling life and energy cannot be found anywhere else. On the road, for instance, no one respects traffic law, but everyone cares about each other. Technology hasn’t disconnected people who ask for help from each other on the streets,’ says JR.‘One can wonder how long it can stay like this, but Neapolitans are very proud of their city and welcome us here. It is a warm and welcoming city, unique, even in Italy, where everyone knows there’s a truth to this city that every other city has lost.’ That spontaneous, ever-present energy exchange forms the core of the project, now emblazoned across the gothic architecture of the Duomo.

all images courtesy of Intesa Sanpaolo Gallerie d’Italia and JR, unless stated otherwise

a black-and-white human tapestry wraps naples’ duomo

The Naples chapter was developed over an intense week in September 2024, during which JR and his team set up a green screen in seven neighborhoods across the city—from the lively Piazza Dante to the seaside of Mergellina. The open invitation drew a vibrant cross-section of Neapolitan life: pizzaiolos, firefighters, priests, poets, shopkeepers, nonnas, tourists, even the mayor. Each face and story was recorded in situ, reflecting not only who happened to be there but what Naples is in that fleeting moment.

During this intense period, portraits and stories of 606 Neapolitans from diverse social and cultural backgrounds were collected, capturing the very essence of Naples. Participants chose how they wanted to be portrayed and shared their stories in either Italian or Neapolitan, offering an intimate window into their identity. All portraits were taken with identical lighting, giving equal dignity to each subject and emphasizing the democratic nature of JR’s artistic process. The project is made of the people who were there at that moment in a city that is at once refined and rough, poetic and chaotic. ‘Had it happened a week earlier or later,’ JR notes, ‘it would’ve been a completely different story.’

JR unveils Le Cronache di Napoli, the eighth chapter in his globally acclaimed Chronicles series | image via @jr

Who Are You, Naples? at Gallerie d’Italia

Le Cronache di Napoli is a site-specific artwork that wraps the cathedral in a black-and-white human tapestry while also unfolding across the galleries of Intesa Sanpaolo’s Gallerie d’Italia. There, visitors can trace JR’s process from street to screen, as well as revisit three earlier murals from France, Cuba, and the U.S., reinforcing how Chronicles invites dialogue on place, politics, and people. The exhibition is accompanied by a visually rich catalogue published by Allemandi and designed by Leonardo Sonnoli, featuring large-format images and a fold-out poster sleeve that reflects the monumental scale of JR’s interventions.

a massive public artwork installed on the facade of the Italian city’s Duomo | image via @jr

the project captures the soul of the city through a sprawling photographic collage | image via @jr

606 Neapolitans compose this collective portrait of identity, resilience, and belonging | image via @jr

each face and story was recorded in situ | image via @jr

portraits and stories of 606 Neapolitans from diverse social and cultural backgrounds were collected

participants chose how they wanted to be portrayed

JR and his team set up a green screen in seven neighborhoods across the city

all portraits were taken with identical lighting

project info:

name: Le Cronache di Napoli

artist: JR | @jr

series: Chronicles (8th chapter)

location: Duomo, Naples, Italy

exhibition: Who Are You, Naples?

venue: Gallerie d’Italia | @gallerieditalia – Napoli, Via Toledo

dates: May 22nd – October 5th, 2025

catalogue design: Leonardo Sonnoli | @leonardosonnoli

publisher: Allemandi | @allemandi.libri

The post JR covers the facade of naples’ cathedral with black-and-white living portrait of the city appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

jr presents the eighth chapter of his chronicle series

French artist JR unveils Le Cronache di Napoli, the eighth and most emotional chapter in his globally acclaimed Chronicles series, with a massive public artwork installed on the facade of the Italian city’s Duomo. Presented alongside Who Are You, Naples?, an exhibition at Gallerie d’Italia – Napoli, on view from May 22nd until October 5th, 2025, the project captures the energy, complexity, and soul of the city through a sprawling photographic collage of 606 Neapolitans, each a protagonist in this collective portrait of identity, resilience, and belonging.

First launched in 2017 and inspired by the politically charged murals of Diego Rivera, Chronicles is JR’s long-term exploration of place through the faces of its people. After stops in cities like New York, Miami, and Kyoto, Naples becomes the first Italian city to host a chapter. ‘Naples is one of the most interesting cities in Europe because its bustling life and energy cannot be found anywhere else. On the road, for instance, no one respects traffic law, but everyone cares about each other. Technology hasn’t disconnected people who ask for help from each other on the streets,’ says JR.‘One can wonder how long it can stay like this, but Neapolitans are very proud of their city and welcome us here. It is a warm and welcoming city, unique, even in Italy, where everyone knows there’s a truth to this city that every other city has lost.’ That spontaneous, ever-present energy exchange forms the core of the project, now emblazoned across the gothic architecture of the Duomo.

all images courtesy of Intesa Sanpaolo Gallerie d’Italia and JR, unless stated otherwise

a black-and-white human tapestry wraps naples’ duomo

The Naples chapter was developed over an intense week in September 2024, during which JR and his team set up a green screen in seven neighborhoods across the city—from the lively Piazza Dante to the seaside of Mergellina. The open invitation drew a vibrant cross-section of Neapolitan life: pizzaiolos, firefighters, priests, poets, shopkeepers, nonnas, tourists, even the mayor. Each face and story was recorded in situ, reflecting not only who happened to be there but what Naples is in that fleeting moment.

During this intense period, portraits and stories of 606 Neapolitans from diverse social and cultural backgrounds were collected, capturing the very essence of Naples. Participants chose how they wanted to be portrayed and shared their stories in either Italian or Neapolitan, offering an intimate window into their identity. All portraits were taken with identical lighting, giving equal dignity to each subject and emphasizing the democratic nature of JR’s artistic process. The project is made of the people who were there at that moment in a city that is at once refined and rough, poetic and chaotic. ‘Had it happened a week earlier or later,’ JR notes, ‘it would’ve been a completely different story.’

JR unveils Le Cronache di Napoli, the eighth chapter in his globally acclaimed Chronicles series | image via @jr

Who Are You, Naples? at Gallerie d’Italia

Le Cronache di Napoli is a site-specific artwork that wraps the cathedral in a black-and-white human tapestry while also unfolding across the galleries of Intesa Sanpaolo’s Gallerie d’Italia. There, visitors can trace JR’s process from street to screen, as well as revisit three earlier murals from France, Cuba, and the U.S., reinforcing how Chronicles invites dialogue on place, politics, and people. The exhibition is accompanied by a visually rich catalogue published by Allemandi and designed by Leonardo Sonnoli, featuring large-format images and a fold-out poster sleeve that reflects the monumental scale of JR’s interventions.

a massive public artwork installed on the facade of the Italian city’s Duomo | image via @jr

the project captures the soul of the city through a sprawling photographic collage | image via @jr

606 Neapolitans compose this collective portrait of identity, resilience, and belonging | image via @jr

each face and story was recorded in situ | image via @jr

portraits and stories of 606 Neapolitans from diverse social and cultural backgrounds were collected

participants chose how they wanted to be portrayed

JR and his team set up a green screen in seven neighborhoods across the city

all portraits were taken with identical lighting

project info:

name: Le Cronache di Napoli

artist: JR | @jr

series: Chronicles (8th chapter)

location: Duomo, Naples, Italy

exhibition: Who Are You, Naples?

venue: Gallerie d’Italia | @gallerieditalia – Napoli, Via Toledo

dates: May 22nd – October 5th, 2025

catalogue design: Leonardo Sonnoli | @leonardosonnoli

publisher: Allemandi | @allemandi.libri

The post JR covers the facade of naples’ cathedral with black-and-white living portrait of the city appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.