The former Finnish State Railways VR headquarters building, originally designed by Eliel Saarinen and completed in 1909, has been transformed into a Scandic Hotel. The building is strongly tied to Helsinki’s railway station, an important part of the cityscape as well as culturally and historically significant, as it served as the railway administration headquarters for almost a century. The design work on the hotel was exceptionally demanding. The building is protected under the Act on the Protection of the Built Heritage.

Representing Eliel Saarinen’s Art Nouveau style, the former Finnish State Railways VR headquarters building was renovated and expanded into an elegant hotel with almost 500 rooms as well as meeting and event facilities. The cultural and historical landmark’s demanding renovation and change of use was carried out in cooperation with the Finnish Heritage Agency and the city of Helsinki.

The renovation was an exceptionally demanding project. Protected parts of the building include its entire exterior and roofing, as well as its main lobby, main staircase and hallways, the longest of which is 159 metres long.

Food as a language of love. This is how renowned chef Aitor Jerónimo Orive sums up his passion for gastronomy, heritage of his homeland, the Basque Country, a region in northern Spain. “My grandparents are wonderful cooks and I always caught them in the kitchen, stirring a pot of hot, hearty and incredibly delicious food”, Aitor recalls. For Aitor, the logical step was to become a chef and open his own culinary space. So far, nothing unusual. Except that he opened his restaurant in Singapore, more than 11,000 kilometres away from home. It was there that he opened the Basque Kitchen, a Michelin-starred restaurant where Basque cuisine has become part of international cultural heritage.

Now, after several years of hard work that have earned him the appreciation of the general public, the Basque Kitchen by Aitor moves to the historic building The Fullerton Waterboat House, and does so under the guidance of the design studio Grey Matters, featuring Dekton as the reference material. “Moving from Amoy Street to its new location was a bold move that required careful planning. Redefining a brand that has such history and so much prestige is a task that must be handled with delicacy, sensitivity and the utmost care so as not to undermine all the hard work that the Chef and his team have put in over the last few years”, explains the studio.

For the third year in a row, Cosentino is the reference partner of Team France in the famous international cooking competition Bocuse d’Or. This year, they have also contributed to the renovation of the kitchen of the ‘Refuge’ in Écully, located 10 kilometres from Lyon and very close to the Paul Bocuse Institute, where chef Davy Tissot’s team prepares for the competition.

Two Dekton colours of great beauty were used in the kitchen renovation: Kovic for the wall cladding and Laurent for the worktop. In choosing Dekton, cleanliness, functionality and excellent performance at high temperatures were paramount. The result is a kitchen that is modern and perfectly equipped, yet elegant and timeless at the same time.

Dekton Laurent is inspired by the natural stone of Port Laurent and features an almost dramatic finish with brown and golden veining. A very theatrical context for presenting the work to be judged by the best jury.

Noli Studios is the first co-living project developed by NREP (Nordic Real Estate Partners) in the historic neighbourhood of Katajanokka, in Helsinki. For this first project, NREP wanted the best partners and therefore entrusted the renovation and interior design to dSign Vertti Kivi & Co, a company with extensive experience in office, restaurant and hotel projects.

The project involved a change of use of a 1940’s office building. Work began at the end of 2016 and was completed three years later, in October 2019. A total of 263 studios of between 18 and 24 m2 were built, with a total built-up area of 12,000m2. In short, a project of significant scale that needed to “do well” in order to be replicated in other Helsinki neighbourhoods. Indeed, NREP opened a second co-living in November 2020 and expects to expand to a further ten new hotels in the next five years.

The renovation process was not without its challenges. For the renovation of the façade, the dSign team was forced to completely remove the old brick façade, even out the different floor heights and level the original concrete pillars. For three years, architects, contractors, site managers and even the Finnish Heritage Agency made a huge effort to meet the deadlines.

In June 2019, the Anarchitect studio completed this stunning luxury villa of more than 3,000m2 of gross floor space, in Dubai Hills, winner of the Interior Design of the Year 2019 (CID Awards). This private home is designed according to the principles of modern architecture, using large volumes of natural stone. The two-level home has a beautiful interior courtyard that allows air and natural light to enter and connects the indoor and outdoor spaces.

The use of natural stone throughout the project relates to the harsh weather conditions of Dubai and the studio’s taste for ‘mouldable’ handcrafted materials. In the case of the open kitchen and bar area, the client specifically wanted a material that, in combination with natural stone, would withstand the demands of family and social life. Dekton Kelya stands out as the best solution, just like the Boffi kitchen and the bar designed by the Anarchitect studio.

Dekton Kelya is a material from the Natural Collection in a black colour with fine light veining reminiscent of dark marble. In this project, it has been used for the worktop of the kitchen island and the bar in the social area of the home. The contrast between the black Kelya and hazelnut-coloured wood creates a warm and cosy mix of colours and textures.

Drita means light in Albanian. But a very special light, like the one reflected by the turquoise waters of the Adriatic Sea and the creamy colour of Albania’s sandy beaches. Drita Kafè is a small café which recreates an atmosphere of idyllic nature and endless summer in Piana degli Albanesi, a small mountain village embedded in Sicily and founded over five centuries ago by Albanians.

History, tradition and modernity come together in this café to offer the typical Sicilian ‘cannoli’, as well as a variety of local pastries and cigars. At Drita Kafè everything is designed to please the senses. And here, the Dekton surface, in its striking Entzo colour, plays a perfect role.

Architect Moshe Zion explains proudly the inspiration behind his latest project, Villa Rosh Hanikra, a villa located in a kibbutz in the north of Israel, on the Mediterranean coast. The sea views from the villa are an inseparable part of the house and the unifying feature connecting the interior with the exterior. Taking this view of the sea as a starting point, Zion has designed an open, transparent space with clear views over the garden and pool.

The aim? To create a contrast between the coldness of the materials with the appearance of concrete and glass and the warmth of wood. The different planes in Dekton Kelya and Dekton Soke respond to this aim, also creating a sense of dynamism on the façade.

The choice of a material with the appearance of concrete creates a very industrial and trendy look. Large terraces with wooden floors and glass balustrades are the perfect counterpoint to the concrete effect. The warmth of the wood and character of the open-plan kitchen, with its impressive Dekton Radium island connecting the interior with the pool area, embrace the visitor as they enter the home.

The patisserie Glea, run by the young chef Abel Bravo and located in the historic centre of Murcia, first opened its doors in November 2020. It is housed in a traditional establishment, at number 4 Barrionuevo Street, and sells innovative and distinctive sweet treats, with a focus on fresh ingredients.

Although the establishment is housed in a classic style building, its renovation conveys innovation and modernity, in line with the values of the new patisserie. For this, interior designer Alexia Martínez, together with architect Pedro Francisco, has relied on Dekton for the renovation process.

For the flooring, the chosen material was Dekton Kreta, from the Industrial collection. Inspired by polished concrete, Dekton Kreta evokes a seamless effect, making it perfect for use as a base colour to be combined with bold finishes. For the tables, the interior designer has opted for Dekton Kelya, a material inspired by dark marble which features light veins and creates a very unique atmosphere.