Pulsate Installation - Lily Jencks and Nathanael Dorent for Capitol Designer Studio

Young architects create psychedelic tile showroom

Lily Jencks and Nathanael Dorent say mood-altering effect is inspired by Op Art and Gestalt psychology

Primrose Hill in London is a favourite hang-out of successful stars of the arts, stage and screen community (Rachel Weisz, Daniel Craig and Jude Law among them), so perhaps this tile showroom was created with them in mind.

The interior of Capitol Designer Studio has been fitted out to resemble a psychedelic cartoon. The mind-altering effect is the creation of young architects Lily Jencks, and Nathanael Dorent. They chose porcelain tiles in four monochrome shades and laid them out in a herringbone pattern. To add to the sense of perspective, the floor slopes away from the main door. "It's just a simple herringbone pattern," says Dorent a Franco-American whose main studio is in Paris, "but we've applied it in three dimensions, to create something really eye-popping".

 

Pulsate Installation - Lily Jencks and Nathanael Dorent for Capitol Designer Studio
Pulsate Installation - Lily Jencks and Nathanael Dorent for Capitol Designer Studio

The pair say that the space was inspired by Op Art and Gestalt psychology. Jencks - whose father is Charles Jencks, the American architectural theorist, landscape architect and designer - explains the two thoughts behind the project: “One is about perception - how you perceive distances and shapes; and make sense of space. The other is about how to display an object that’s for sale; we wanted the space to be more than just a showroom selling tiles; to rethink the commercial transaction as something more creative.” Jencks works with her father in the land-art firm JencksSquared.

It’s been decked out for fashion shoots, product launches and lectures rather than as a conventional store. We admit to having some concerns of the long-term visual impact of all these zigzags on Capitol’s staff. But fear not, the installation will be replaced after nine months. For more innovative ideas around the way we design our living spaces, check out our great book Contemporary World Interiors in the online store.

 

Pulsate Installation - Lily Jencks and Nathanael Dorent for Capitol Designer Studio
Pulsate Installation - Lily Jencks and Nathanael Dorent for Capitol Designer Studio