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Broken Hearts Bazaar, 2025

For the Bukhara Biennial, under the commission of @gayane_umerova and the curatorial direction of @dhakadiana, @golem.digital was asked to stage the Old City’s points of entry: a bazaar as the Biennial threshold, and kiosks dispersed throughout the Old City’s entry points.

@golem.digital asked themselves a simple but radical question: what if architecture could be felt before it is seen? Rather than addressing vision first, the project takes as its starting point the point of view of those who do not see architecture – the blind, the untrained eye, and even the non-human.

The answer emerged from Uzbekistan’s own heritage: spices. Mounds of paprika, teas, and blossoms reappeared at the very site of the old bazaar, their scents piercing through the city’s newly gleaming pavestones. The conical kiosks echo spice displays in Uzbek markets and the pitched roofs of rural houses. Conceived for easy transport, they will later be donated to local communities.

The structures quickly became sites of exchange and play. A blind passerby returned with fifteen companions to identify the cones by scent. A guide began weaving folk knowledge of medicinal herbs into her tours. Bees rested on clover blossoms, cats licked paprika walls.

These encounters perfectly embody GOLEM’s vision of architecture as a mission to shift who design is for.

In the Architects’ words: « This project is about broadening the spectrum of architecture, opening it to those overlooked, starting from their standpoint – and in doing so, creating new forms and spaces that enrich the experience of life for everyone. »

@golem.digital team:
Ariel André - Architect - Design Principal
@lucienglass - Project architect
@chebb__s - Architect
@carlos.peraita - Architect

Makers team
Husniddin Samadov
Farrux Saidov
Nurali Qahhorov

Producer
@_kirillmarenkov

Photos @adriendirand (1,4,10,11)
Photos vladimir.murudov (5,6)
Photo @annbinlot (13)
Photos GOLEM (2,3,7,8,9,12)

Broken Hearts Bazaar, 2025

For the Bukhara Biennial, under the commission of @gayane_umerova and the curatorial direction of @dhakadiana, @golem.digital was asked to stage the Old City’s points of entry: a bazaar as the Biennial threshold, and kiosks dispersed throughout the Old City’s entry points.

@golem.digital asked themselves a simple but radical question: what if architecture could be felt before it is seen? Rather than addressing vision first, the project takes as its starting point the point of view of those who do not see architecture – the blind, the untrained eye, and even the non-human.

The answer emerged from Uzbekistan’s own heritage: spices. Mounds of paprika, teas, and blossoms reappeared at the very site of the old bazaar, their scents piercing through the city’s newly gleaming pavestones. The conical kiosks echo spice displays in Uzbek markets and the pitched roofs of rural houses. Conceived for easy transport, they will later be donated to local communities.

The structures quickly became sites of exchange and play. A blind passerby returned with fifteen companions to identify the cones by scent. A guide began weaving folk knowledge of medicinal herbs into her tours. Bees rested on clover blossoms, cats licked paprika walls.

These encounters perfectly embody GOLEM’s vision of architecture as a mission to shift who design is for.

In the Architects’ words: « This project is about broadening the spectrum of architecture, opening it to those overlooked, starting from their standpoint – and in doing so, creating new forms and spaces that enrich the experience of life for everyone. »

@golem.digital team:
Ariel André - Architect - Design Principal
@lucienglass - Project architect
@chebb__s - Architect
@carlos.peraita - Architect

Makers team
Husniddin Samadov
Farrux Saidov
Nurali Qahhorov

Producer
@_kirillmarenkov

Photos @adriendirand (1,4,10,11)
Photos vladimir.murudov (5,6)
Photo @annbinlot (13)
Photos GOLEM (2,3,7,8,9,12)

Broken Hearts Bazaar, 2025

For the Bukhara Biennial, under the commission of @gayane_umerova and the curatorial direction of @dhakadiana, @golem.digital was asked to stage the Old City’s points of entry: a bazaar as the Biennial threshold, and kiosks dispersed throughout the Old City’s entry points.

@golem.digital asked themselves a simple but radical question: what if architecture could be felt before it is seen? Rather than addressing vision first, the project takes as its starting point the point of view of those who do not see architecture – the blind, the untrained eye, and even the non-human.

The answer emerged from Uzbekistan’s own heritage: spices. Mounds of paprika, teas, and blossoms reappeared at the very site of the old bazaar, their scents piercing through the city’s newly gleaming pavestones. The conical kiosks echo spice displays in Uzbek markets and the pitched roofs of rural houses. Conceived for easy transport, they will later be donated to local communities.

The structures quickly became sites of exchange and play. A blind passerby returned with fifteen companions to identify the cones by scent. A guide began weaving folk knowledge of medicinal herbs into her tours. Bees rested on clover blossoms, cats licked paprika walls.

These encounters perfectly embody GOLEM’s vision of architecture as a mission to shift who design is for.

In the Architects’ words: « This project is about broadening the spectrum of architecture, opening it to those overlooked, starting from their standpoint – and in doing so, creating new forms and spaces that enrich the experience of life for everyone. »

@golem.digital team:
Ariel André - Architect - Design Principal
@lucienglass - Project architect
@chebb__s - Architect
@carlos.peraita - Architect

Makers team
Husniddin Samadov
Farrux Saidov
Nurali Qahhorov

Producer
@_kirillmarenkov

Photos @adriendirand (1,4,10,11)
Photos vladimir.murudov (5,6)
Photo @annbinlot (13)
Photos GOLEM (2,3,7,8,9,12)

Broken Hearts Bazaar, 2025

For the Bukhara Biennial, under the commission of @gayane_umerova and the curatorial direction of @dhakadiana, @golem.digital was asked to stage the Old City’s points of entry: a bazaar as the Biennial threshold, and kiosks dispersed throughout the Old City’s entry points.

@golem.digital asked themselves a simple but radical question: what if architecture could be felt before it is seen? Rather than addressing vision first, the project takes as its starting point the point of view of those who do not see architecture – the blind, the untrained eye, and even the non-human.

The answer emerged from Uzbekistan’s own heritage: spices. Mounds of paprika, teas, and blossoms reappeared at the very site of the old bazaar, their scents piercing through the city’s newly gleaming pavestones. The conical kiosks echo spice displays in Uzbek markets and the pitched roofs of rural houses. Conceived for easy transport, they will later be donated to local communities.

The structures quickly became sites of exchange and play. A blind passerby returned with fifteen companions to identify the cones by scent. A guide began weaving folk knowledge of medicinal herbs into her tours. Bees rested on clover blossoms, cats licked paprika walls.

These encounters perfectly embody GOLEM’s vision of architecture as a mission to shift who design is for.

In the Architects’ words: « This project is about broadening the spectrum of architecture, opening it to those overlooked, starting from their standpoint – and in doing so, creating new forms and spaces that enrich the experience of life for everyone. »

@golem.digital team:
Ariel André - Architect - Design Principal
@lucienglass - Project architect
@chebb__s - Architect
@carlos.peraita - Architect

Makers team
Husniddin Samadov
Farrux Saidov
Nurali Qahhorov

Producer
@_kirillmarenkov

Photos @adriendirand (1,4,10,11)
Photos vladimir.murudov (5,6)
Photo @annbinlot (13)
Photos GOLEM (2,3,7,8,9,12)

Broken Hearts Bazaar, 2025

For the Bukhara Biennial, under the commission of @gayane_umerova and the curatorial direction of @dhakadiana, @golem.digital was asked to stage the Old City’s points of entry: a bazaar as the Biennial threshold, and kiosks dispersed throughout the Old City’s entry points.

@golem.digital asked themselves a simple but radical question: what if architecture could be felt before it is seen? Rather than addressing vision first, the project takes as its starting point the point of view of those who do not see architecture – the blind, the untrained eye, and even the non-human.

The answer emerged from Uzbekistan’s own heritage: spices. Mounds of paprika, teas, and blossoms reappeared at the very site of the old bazaar, their scents piercing through the city’s newly gleaming pavestones. The conical kiosks echo spice displays in Uzbek markets and the pitched roofs of rural houses. Conceived for easy transport, they will later be donated to local communities.

The structures quickly became sites of exchange and play. A blind passerby returned with fifteen companions to identify the cones by scent. A guide began weaving folk knowledge of medicinal herbs into her tours. Bees rested on clover blossoms, cats licked paprika walls.

These encounters perfectly embody GOLEM’s vision of architecture as a mission to shift who design is for.

In the Architects’ words: « This project is about broadening the spectrum of architecture, opening it to those overlooked, starting from their standpoint – and in doing so, creating new forms and spaces that enrich the experience of life for everyone. »

@golem.digital team:
Ariel André - Architect - Design Principal
@lucienglass - Project architect
@chebb__s - Architect
@carlos.peraita - Architect

Makers team
Husniddin Samadov
Farrux Saidov
Nurali Qahhorov

Producer
@_kirillmarenkov

Photos @adriendirand (1,4,10,11)
Photos vladimir.murudov (5,6)
Photo @annbinlot (13)
Photos GOLEM (2,3,7,8,9,12)

Broken Hearts Bazaar, 2025

For the Bukhara Biennial, under the commission of @gayane_umerova and the curatorial direction of @dhakadiana, @golem.digital was asked to stage the Old City’s points of entry: a bazaar as the Biennial threshold, and kiosks dispersed throughout the Old City’s entry points.

@golem.digital asked themselves a simple but radical question: what if architecture could be felt before it is seen? Rather than addressing vision first, the project takes as its starting point the point of view of those who do not see architecture – the blind, the untrained eye, and even the non-human.

The answer emerged from Uzbekistan’s own heritage: spices. Mounds of paprika, teas, and blossoms reappeared at the very site of the old bazaar, their scents piercing through the city’s newly gleaming pavestones. The conical kiosks echo spice displays in Uzbek markets and the pitched roofs of rural houses. Conceived for easy transport, they will later be donated to local communities.

The structures quickly became sites of exchange and play. A blind passerby returned with fifteen companions to identify the cones by scent. A guide began weaving folk knowledge of medicinal herbs into her tours. Bees rested on clover blossoms, cats licked paprika walls.

These encounters perfectly embody GOLEM’s vision of architecture as a mission to shift who design is for.

In the Architects’ words: « This project is about broadening the spectrum of architecture, opening it to those overlooked, starting from their standpoint – and in doing so, creating new forms and spaces that enrich the experience of life for everyone. »

@golem.digital team:
Ariel André - Architect - Design Principal
@lucienglass - Project architect
@chebb__s - Architect
@carlos.peraita - Architect

Makers team
Husniddin Samadov
Farrux Saidov
Nurali Qahhorov

Producer
@_kirillmarenkov

Photos @adriendirand (1,4,10,11)
Photos vladimir.murudov (5,6)
Photo @annbinlot (13)
Photos GOLEM (2,3,7,8,9,12)

Broken Hearts Bazaar, 2025

For the Bukhara Biennial, under the commission of @gayane_umerova and the curatorial direction of @dhakadiana, @golem.digital was asked to stage the Old City’s points of entry: a bazaar as the Biennial threshold, and kiosks dispersed throughout the Old City’s entry points.

@golem.digital asked themselves a simple but radical question: what if architecture could be felt before it is seen? Rather than addressing vision first, the project takes as its starting point the point of view of those who do not see architecture – the blind, the untrained eye, and even the non-human.

The answer emerged from Uzbekistan’s own heritage: spices. Mounds of paprika, teas, and blossoms reappeared at the very site of the old bazaar, their scents piercing through the city’s newly gleaming pavestones. The conical kiosks echo spice displays in Uzbek markets and the pitched roofs of rural houses. Conceived for easy transport, they will later be donated to local communities.

The structures quickly became sites of exchange and play. A blind passerby returned with fifteen companions to identify the cones by scent. A guide began weaving folk knowledge of medicinal herbs into her tours. Bees rested on clover blossoms, cats licked paprika walls.

These encounters perfectly embody GOLEM’s vision of architecture as a mission to shift who design is for.

In the Architects’ words: « This project is about broadening the spectrum of architecture, opening it to those overlooked, starting from their standpoint – and in doing so, creating new forms and spaces that enrich the experience of life for everyone. »

@golem.digital team:
Ariel André - Architect - Design Principal
@lucienglass - Project architect
@chebb__s - Architect
@carlos.peraita - Architect

Makers team
Husniddin Samadov
Farrux Saidov
Nurali Qahhorov

Producer
@_kirillmarenkov

Photos @adriendirand (1,4,10,11)
Photos vladimir.murudov (5,6)
Photo @annbinlot (13)
Photos GOLEM (2,3,7,8,9,12)

Broken Hearts Bazaar, 2025

For the Bukhara Biennial, under the commission of @gayane_umerova and the curatorial direction of @dhakadiana, @golem.digital was asked to stage the Old City’s points of entry: a bazaar as the Biennial threshold, and kiosks dispersed throughout the Old City’s entry points.

@golem.digital asked themselves a simple but radical question: what if architecture could be felt before it is seen? Rather than addressing vision first, the project takes as its starting point the point of view of those who do not see architecture – the blind, the untrained eye, and even the non-human.

The answer emerged from Uzbekistan’s own heritage: spices. Mounds of paprika, teas, and blossoms reappeared at the very site of the old bazaar, their scents piercing through the city’s newly gleaming pavestones. The conical kiosks echo spice displays in Uzbek markets and the pitched roofs of rural houses. Conceived for easy transport, they will later be donated to local communities.

The structures quickly became sites of exchange and play. A blind passerby returned with fifteen companions to identify the cones by scent. A guide began weaving folk knowledge of medicinal herbs into her tours. Bees rested on clover blossoms, cats licked paprika walls.

These encounters perfectly embody GOLEM’s vision of architecture as a mission to shift who design is for.

In the Architects’ words: « This project is about broadening the spectrum of architecture, opening it to those overlooked, starting from their standpoint – and in doing so, creating new forms and spaces that enrich the experience of life for everyone. »

@golem.digital team:
Ariel André - Architect - Design Principal
@lucienglass - Project architect
@chebb__s - Architect
@carlos.peraita - Architect

Makers team
Husniddin Samadov
Farrux Saidov
Nurali Qahhorov

Producer
@_kirillmarenkov

Photos @adriendirand (1,4,10,11)
Photos vladimir.murudov (5,6)
Photo @annbinlot (13)
Photos GOLEM (2,3,7,8,9,12)

Broken Hearts Bazaar, 2025

For the Bukhara Biennial, under the commission of @gayane_umerova and the curatorial direction of @dhakadiana, @golem.digital was asked to stage the Old City’s points of entry: a bazaar as the Biennial threshold, and kiosks dispersed throughout the Old City’s entry points.

@golem.digital asked themselves a simple but radical question: what if architecture could be felt before it is seen? Rather than addressing vision first, the project takes as its starting point the point of view of those who do not see architecture – the blind, the untrained eye, and even the non-human.

The answer emerged from Uzbekistan’s own heritage: spices. Mounds of paprika, teas, and blossoms reappeared at the very site of the old bazaar, their scents piercing through the city’s newly gleaming pavestones. The conical kiosks echo spice displays in Uzbek markets and the pitched roofs of rural houses. Conceived for easy transport, they will later be donated to local communities.

The structures quickly became sites of exchange and play. A blind passerby returned with fifteen companions to identify the cones by scent. A guide began weaving folk knowledge of medicinal herbs into her tours. Bees rested on clover blossoms, cats licked paprika walls.

These encounters perfectly embody GOLEM’s vision of architecture as a mission to shift who design is for.

In the Architects’ words: « This project is about broadening the spectrum of architecture, opening it to those overlooked, starting from their standpoint – and in doing so, creating new forms and spaces that enrich the experience of life for everyone. »

@golem.digital team:
Ariel André - Architect - Design Principal
@lucienglass - Project architect
@chebb__s - Architect
@carlos.peraita - Architect

Makers team
Husniddin Samadov
Farrux Saidov
Nurali Qahhorov

Producer
@_kirillmarenkov

Photos @adriendirand (1,4,10,11)
Photos vladimir.murudov (5,6)
Photo @annbinlot (13)
Photos GOLEM (2,3,7,8,9,12)

Broken Hearts Bazaar, 2025

For the Bukhara Biennial, under the commission of @gayane_umerova and the curatorial direction of @dhakadiana, @golem.digital was asked to stage the Old City’s points of entry: a bazaar as the Biennial threshold, and kiosks dispersed throughout the Old City’s entry points.

@golem.digital asked themselves a simple but radical question: what if architecture could be felt before it is seen? Rather than addressing vision first, the project takes as its starting point the point of view of those who do not see architecture – the blind, the untrained eye, and even the non-human.

The answer emerged from Uzbekistan’s own heritage: spices. Mounds of paprika, teas, and blossoms reappeared at the very site of the old bazaar, their scents piercing through the city’s newly gleaming pavestones. The conical kiosks echo spice displays in Uzbek markets and the pitched roofs of rural houses. Conceived for easy transport, they will later be donated to local communities.

The structures quickly became sites of exchange and play. A blind passerby returned with fifteen companions to identify the cones by scent. A guide began weaving folk knowledge of medicinal herbs into her tours. Bees rested on clover blossoms, cats licked paprika walls.

These encounters perfectly embody GOLEM’s vision of architecture as a mission to shift who design is for.

In the Architects’ words: « This project is about broadening the spectrum of architecture, opening it to those overlooked, starting from their standpoint – and in doing so, creating new forms and spaces that enrich the experience of life for everyone. »

@golem.digital team:
Ariel André - Architect - Design Principal
@lucienglass - Project architect
@chebb__s - Architect
@carlos.peraita - Architect

Makers team
Husniddin Samadov
Farrux Saidov
Nurali Qahhorov

Producer
@_kirillmarenkov

Photos @adriendirand (1,4,10,11)
Photos vladimir.murudov (5,6)
Photo @annbinlot (13)
Photos GOLEM (2,3,7,8,9,12)

Broken Hearts Bazaar, 2025

For the Bukhara Biennial, under the commission of @gayane_umerova and the curatorial direction of @dhakadiana, @golem.digital was asked to stage the Old City’s points of entry: a bazaar as the Biennial threshold, and kiosks dispersed throughout the Old City’s entry points.

@golem.digital asked themselves a simple but radical question: what if architecture could be felt before it is seen? Rather than addressing vision first, the project takes as its starting point the point of view of those who do not see architecture – the blind, the untrained eye, and even the non-human.

The answer emerged from Uzbekistan’s own heritage: spices. Mounds of paprika, teas, and blossoms reappeared at the very site of the old bazaar, their scents piercing through the city’s newly gleaming pavestones. The conical kiosks echo spice displays in Uzbek markets and the pitched roofs of rural houses. Conceived for easy transport, they will later be donated to local communities.

The structures quickly became sites of exchange and play. A blind passerby returned with fifteen companions to identify the cones by scent. A guide began weaving folk knowledge of medicinal herbs into her tours. Bees rested on clover blossoms, cats licked paprika walls.

These encounters perfectly embody GOLEM’s vision of architecture as a mission to shift who design is for.

In the Architects’ words: « This project is about broadening the spectrum of architecture, opening it to those overlooked, starting from their standpoint – and in doing so, creating new forms and spaces that enrich the experience of life for everyone. »

@golem.digital team:
Ariel André - Architect - Design Principal
@lucienglass - Project architect
@chebb__s - Architect
@carlos.peraita - Architect

Makers team
Husniddin Samadov
Farrux Saidov
Nurali Qahhorov

Producer
@_kirillmarenkov

Photos @adriendirand (1,4,10,11)
Photos vladimir.murudov (5,6)
Photo @annbinlot (13)
Photos GOLEM (2,3,7,8,9,12)

Broken Hearts Bazaar, 2025

For the Bukhara Biennial, under the commission of @gayane_umerova and the curatorial direction of @dhakadiana, @golem.digital was asked to stage the Old City’s points of entry: a bazaar as the Biennial threshold, and kiosks dispersed throughout the Old City’s entry points.

@golem.digital asked themselves a simple but radical question: what if architecture could be felt before it is seen? Rather than addressing vision first, the project takes as its starting point the point of view of those who do not see architecture – the blind, the untrained eye, and even the non-human.

The answer emerged from Uzbekistan’s own heritage: spices. Mounds of paprika, teas, and blossoms reappeared at the very site of the old bazaar, their scents piercing through the city’s newly gleaming pavestones. The conical kiosks echo spice displays in Uzbek markets and the pitched roofs of rural houses. Conceived for easy transport, they will later be donated to local communities.

The structures quickly became sites of exchange and play. A blind passerby returned with fifteen companions to identify the cones by scent. A guide began weaving folk knowledge of medicinal herbs into her tours. Bees rested on clover blossoms, cats licked paprika walls.

These encounters perfectly embody GOLEM’s vision of architecture as a mission to shift who design is for.

In the Architects’ words: « This project is about broadening the spectrum of architecture, opening it to those overlooked, starting from their standpoint – and in doing so, creating new forms and spaces that enrich the experience of life for everyone. »

@golem.digital team:
Ariel André - Architect - Design Principal
@lucienglass - Project architect
@chebb__s - Architect
@carlos.peraita - Architect

Makers team
Husniddin Samadov
Farrux Saidov
Nurali Qahhorov

Producer
@_kirillmarenkov

Photos @adriendirand (1,4,10,11)
Photos vladimir.murudov (5,6)
Photo @annbinlot (13)
Photos GOLEM (2,3,7,8,9,12)

Broken Hearts Bazaar, 2025

For the Bukhara Biennial, under the commission of @gayane_umerova and the curatorial direction of @dhakadiana, @golem.digital was asked to stage the Old City’s points of entry: a bazaar as the Biennial threshold, and kiosks dispersed throughout the Old City’s entry points.

@golem.digital asked themselves a simple but radical question: what if architecture could be felt before it is seen? Rather than addressing vision first, the project takes as its starting point the point of view of those who do not see architecture – the blind, the untrained eye, and even the non-human.

The answer emerged from Uzbekistan’s own heritage: spices. Mounds of paprika, teas, and blossoms reappeared at the very site of the old bazaar, their scents piercing through the city’s newly gleaming pavestones. The conical kiosks echo spice displays in Uzbek markets and the pitched roofs of rural houses. Conceived for easy transport, they will later be donated to local communities.

The structures quickly became sites of exchange and play. A blind passerby returned with fifteen companions to identify the cones by scent. A guide began weaving folk knowledge of medicinal herbs into her tours. Bees rested on clover blossoms, cats licked paprika walls.

These encounters perfectly embody GOLEM’s vision of architecture as a mission to shift who design is for.

In the Architects’ words: « This project is about broadening the spectrum of architecture, opening it to those overlooked, starting from their standpoint – and in doing so, creating new forms and spaces that enrich the experience of life for everyone. »

@golem.digital team:
Ariel André - Architect - Design Principal
@lucienglass - Project architect
@chebb__s - Architect
@carlos.peraita - Architect

Makers team
Husniddin Samadov
Farrux Saidov
Nurali Qahhorov

Producer
@_kirillmarenkov

Photos @adriendirand (1,4,10,11)
Photos vladimir.murudov (5,6)
Photo @annbinlot (13)
Photos GOLEM (2,3,7,8,9,12)

Jabehouse is conceived for a nuclear family, yet scaled to host an extended one, built for the household of a village chief in Douala, Cameroon.

Balancing Western ideas of comfort, international design references, and a precise understanding of local uses brought by the clients, a father and son, the project blurs the limits between the domestic and the collective. It opens generously toward the center of the block, once a rural village, now absorbed into the city, where the father remains the village chief, a respected patriarchal figure.

Materials and techniques draw directly from local practices, embracing the raw use of self-built elements and doubling down on what might otherwise read as imperfection. An affectionate attempt to treat an overlooked local language with the care and attention it deserves.

Project team :

Ariel André - Architect, Design principal ( @arieldigital )

Laetitia Xu -Architect

Joyce Hasnine - Architect ( @joycehasnine )

#architecture #africanarchitecture #brutalism #urbanphotography

Jabehouse is conceived for a nuclear family, yet scaled to host an extended one, built for the household of a village chief in Douala, Cameroon.

Balancing Western ideas of comfort, international design references, and a precise understanding of local uses brought by the clients, a father and son, the project blurs the limits between the domestic and the collective. It opens generously toward the center of the block, once a rural village, now absorbed into the city, where the father remains the village chief, a respected patriarchal figure.

Materials and techniques draw directly from local practices, embracing the raw use of self-built elements and doubling down on what might otherwise read as imperfection. An affectionate attempt to treat an overlooked local language with the care and attention it deserves.

Project team :

Ariel André - Architect, Design principal ( @arieldigital )

Laetitia Xu -Architect

Joyce Hasnine - Architect ( @joycehasnine )

#architecture #africanarchitecture #brutalism #urbanphotography

Jabehouse is conceived for a nuclear family, yet scaled to host an extended one, built for the household of a village chief in Douala, Cameroon.

Balancing Western ideas of comfort, international design references, and a precise understanding of local uses brought by the clients, a father and son, the project blurs the limits between the domestic and the collective. It opens generously toward the center of the block, once a rural village, now absorbed into the city, where the father remains the village chief, a respected patriarchal figure.

Materials and techniques draw directly from local practices, embracing the raw use of self-built elements and doubling down on what might otherwise read as imperfection. An affectionate attempt to treat an overlooked local language with the care and attention it deserves.

Project team :

Ariel André - Architect, Design principal ( @arieldigital )

Laetitia Xu -Architect

Joyce Hasnine - Architect ( @joycehasnine )

#architecture #africanarchitecture #brutalism #urbanphotography

Jabehouse is conceived for a nuclear family, yet scaled to host an extended one, built for the household of a village chief in Douala, Cameroon.

Balancing Western ideas of comfort, international design references, and a precise understanding of local uses brought by the clients, a father and son, the project blurs the limits between the domestic and the collective. It opens generously toward the center of the block, once a rural village, now absorbed into the city, where the father remains the village chief, a respected patriarchal figure.

Materials and techniques draw directly from local practices, embracing the raw use of self-built elements and doubling down on what might otherwise read as imperfection. An affectionate attempt to treat an overlooked local language with the care and attention it deserves.

Project team :

Ariel André - Architect, Design principal ( @arieldigital )

Laetitia Xu -Architect

Joyce Hasnine - Architect ( @joycehasnine )

#architecture #africanarchitecture #brutalism #urbanphotography

Behind the Ssssscenes with @mathildehiley

A big thank you to @mikesreptipark for bringing his pythons, making sure they were comfortable, and handling them with great care.

Amoreba is a patented upholstery system inspired by non-humans designed by @golem.digital . A surface treatment that can seamlessly spread across rigid orthogonal interiors, transforming them into spaces tailored to contemporary, non-conformist lifestyles.
The design principle behind Amoreba emerged from our studio as part of our relentless research into developing unconventional spaces that redefine living beyond traditional norms.

#architecture #interiordesign #snakes #photoshoot

Chloé’s Headquarter, Paris
Serpente sofa by Marzio Cecchi for Studio Most, reupholstered with Chloé dead stock leather

The Serpente sofa is one of the most radical Italian design pieces of the late 1960s, designed by Marzio Cecchi and produced by his own studio, Studio Most, around 1969–1972. At the time, it was sold by the meter, allowing its length to be adjusted to fit different interiors as modular seating system. Made of repeating upholstered elements connected along a structural spine, it can be arranged into curved, continuous forms that move through space. Rather than functioning as a fixed piece of furniture, Serpente operates less as a sofa than as a spatial instrument, shaping the architecture of the room it deploys in.

For those considering getting one, be careful, there seem to be more meters of Serpente sofas circulating on the market today than were ever likely produced at the time !! 🫣

Creative Direction: Chloé
Architectural production, material development, upholstery design, furniture scouting & lighting design: @golem.digital
Photography: @benoitflorencon

#spaceage #fashion #interiordesign #pfw #design

Chloé’s Headquarter, Paris
Serpente sofa by Marzio Cecchi for Studio Most, reupholstered with Chloé dead stock leather

The Serpente sofa is one of the most radical Italian design pieces of the late 1960s, designed by Marzio Cecchi and produced by his own studio, Studio Most, around 1969–1972. At the time, it was sold by the meter, allowing its length to be adjusted to fit different interiors as modular seating system. Made of repeating upholstered elements connected along a structural spine, it can be arranged into curved, continuous forms that move through space. Rather than functioning as a fixed piece of furniture, Serpente operates less as a sofa than as a spatial instrument, shaping the architecture of the room it deploys in.

For those considering getting one, be careful, there seem to be more meters of Serpente sofas circulating on the market today than were ever likely produced at the time !! 🫣

Creative Direction: Chloé
Architectural production, material development, upholstery design, furniture scouting & lighting design: @golem.digital
Photography: @benoitflorencon

#spaceage #fashion #interiordesign #pfw #design

At the intersection of architecture, design, and the body, Amoreba by architect Ariel André and Paris-based Studio GOLEM proposes a new kind of soft landscape.
@golem.digital

Spreading across floors, walls, and seating, the upholstered surface transforms space into a tactile terrain, inviting new ways to gather, rest, and interact.

Discover how Amoreba reimagines posture, comfort, and social space.

Read more on whitewall.art.

At the intersection of architecture, design, and the body, Amoreba by architect Ariel André and Paris-based Studio GOLEM proposes a new kind of soft landscape.
@golem.digital

Spreading across floors, walls, and seating, the upholstered surface transforms space into a tactile terrain, inviting new ways to gather, rest, and interact.

Discover how Amoreba reimagines posture, comfort, and social space.

Read more on whitewall.art.

At the intersection of architecture, design, and the body, Amoreba by architect Ariel André and Paris-based Studio GOLEM proposes a new kind of soft landscape.
@golem.digital

Spreading across floors, walls, and seating, the upholstered surface transforms space into a tactile terrain, inviting new ways to gather, rest, and interact.

Discover how Amoreba reimagines posture, comfort, and social space.

Read more on whitewall.art.

At the intersection of architecture, design, and the body, Amoreba by architect Ariel André and Paris-based Studio GOLEM proposes a new kind of soft landscape.
@golem.digital

Spreading across floors, walls, and seating, the upholstered surface transforms space into a tactile terrain, inviting new ways to gather, rest, and interact.

Discover how Amoreba reimagines posture, comfort, and social space.

Read more on whitewall.art.

At the intersection of architecture, design, and the body, Amoreba by architect Ariel André and Paris-based Studio GOLEM proposes a new kind of soft landscape.
@golem.digital

Spreading across floors, walls, and seating, the upholstered surface transforms space into a tactile terrain, inviting new ways to gather, rest, and interact.

Discover how Amoreba reimagines posture, comfort, and social space.

Read more on whitewall.art.

At the intersection of architecture, design, and the body, Amoreba by architect Ariel André and Paris-based Studio GOLEM proposes a new kind of soft landscape.
@golem.digital

Spreading across floors, walls, and seating, the upholstered surface transforms space into a tactile terrain, inviting new ways to gather, rest, and interact.

Discover how Amoreba reimagines posture, comfort, and social space.

Read more on whitewall.art.

At the intersection of architecture, design, and the body, Amoreba by architect Ariel André and Paris-based Studio GOLEM proposes a new kind of soft landscape.
@golem.digital

Spreading across floors, walls, and seating, the upholstered surface transforms space into a tactile terrain, inviting new ways to gather, rest, and interact.

Discover how Amoreba reimagines posture, comfort, and social space.

Read more on whitewall.art.

At the intersection of architecture, design, and the body, Amoreba by architect Ariel André and Paris-based Studio GOLEM proposes a new kind of soft landscape.
@golem.digital

Spreading across floors, walls, and seating, the upholstered surface transforms space into a tactile terrain, inviting new ways to gather, rest, and interact.

Discover how Amoreba reimagines posture, comfort, and social space.

Read more on whitewall.art.

Chloé’s Headquarter, Paris
Entrance ‘patio’

Creative Direction: Chloé
Architectural production, material development, upholstery design, furniture scouting & lighting design: @golem.digital
Photography: @benoitflorencon
Stone engraving: @gravurepierre
Metal structure (hidden): @mark_malecki

#Chloé #showroom #pfw #FW24 interiordesi

Chloé’s Headquarter, Paris
Entrance ‘patio’

Creative Direction: Chloé
Architectural production, material development, upholstery design, furniture scouting & lighting design: @golem.digital
Photography: @benoitflorencon
Stone engraving: @gravurepierre
Metal structure (hidden): @mark_malecki

#Chloé #showroom #pfw #FW24 interiordesi

At the Bukhara Biennial 25 we supported Artist Laila Gohar ( @lailacooks ) in the design and fabrication of sweet dream of a house made of sugar.

Together with local craftman Ilkhom Shoyimkulov we bathed the rough and rusty structural metal in sugar syrup which slowly crystallized, turning the rugged construction material into Navat, traditional rock sugar, the structure into cultural support, tapping into every locals’ childhood memories, celebrating this century old heritage in a monumental glistening structure.

The roughness of a harsh fabrication process is not erased but encased, suspended within crystalline growth. From the tension that resides in the bond between the sweetest thing in the world, sugar, and the harshest, rusty metal, emanates an extra-ordinary beauty that attracts all sorts of living creatures.

While most discovered it with their eyes, children and wasps were happy to experience it with their tongues.

@bukhara.biennial
Commissioned by @gayane_umerova
Currated by @dhakadiana

Architecture - @golem.digital ( @arieldigital & @chebb__s )

Engineering - @_blackengineering_

Photos - @felixodell , @kamilarustambekova

At the Bukhara Biennial 25 we supported Artist Laila Gohar ( @lailacooks ) in the design and fabrication of sweet dream of a house made of sugar.

Together with local craftman Ilkhom Shoyimkulov we bathed the rough and rusty structural metal in sugar syrup which slowly crystallized, turning the rugged construction material into Navat, traditional rock sugar, the structure into cultural support, tapping into every locals’ childhood memories, celebrating this century old heritage in a monumental glistening structure.

The roughness of a harsh fabrication process is not erased but encased, suspended within crystalline growth. From the tension that resides in the bond between the sweetest thing in the world, sugar, and the harshest, rusty metal, emanates an extra-ordinary beauty that attracts all sorts of living creatures.

While most discovered it with their eyes, children and wasps were happy to experience it with their tongues.

@bukhara.biennial
Commissioned by @gayane_umerova
Currated by @dhakadiana

Architecture - @golem.digital ( @arieldigital & @chebb__s )

Engineering - @_blackengineering_

Photos - @felixodell , @kamilarustambekova

At the Bukhara Biennial 25 we supported Artist Laila Gohar ( @lailacooks ) in the design and fabrication of sweet dream of a house made of sugar.

Together with local craftman Ilkhom Shoyimkulov we bathed the rough and rusty structural metal in sugar syrup which slowly crystallized, turning the rugged construction material into Navat, traditional rock sugar, the structure into cultural support, tapping into every locals’ childhood memories, celebrating this century old heritage in a monumental glistening structure.

The roughness of a harsh fabrication process is not erased but encased, suspended within crystalline growth. From the tension that resides in the bond between the sweetest thing in the world, sugar, and the harshest, rusty metal, emanates an extra-ordinary beauty that attracts all sorts of living creatures.

While most discovered it with their eyes, children and wasps were happy to experience it with their tongues.

@bukhara.biennial
Commissioned by @gayane_umerova
Currated by @dhakadiana

Architecture - @golem.digital ( @arieldigital & @chebb__s )

Engineering - @_blackengineering_

Photos - @felixodell , @kamilarustambekova

At the Bukhara Biennial 25 we supported Artist Laila Gohar ( @lailacooks ) in the design and fabrication of sweet dream of a house made of sugar.

Together with local craftman Ilkhom Shoyimkulov we bathed the rough and rusty structural metal in sugar syrup which slowly crystallized, turning the rugged construction material into Navat, traditional rock sugar, the structure into cultural support, tapping into every locals’ childhood memories, celebrating this century old heritage in a monumental glistening structure.

The roughness of a harsh fabrication process is not erased but encased, suspended within crystalline growth. From the tension that resides in the bond between the sweetest thing in the world, sugar, and the harshest, rusty metal, emanates an extra-ordinary beauty that attracts all sorts of living creatures.

While most discovered it with their eyes, children and wasps were happy to experience it with their tongues.

@bukhara.biennial
Commissioned by @gayane_umerova
Currated by @dhakadiana

Architecture - @golem.digital ( @arieldigital & @chebb__s )

Engineering - @_blackengineering_

Photos - @felixodell , @kamilarustambekova

At the Bukhara Biennial 25 we supported Artist Laila Gohar ( @lailacooks ) in the design and fabrication of sweet dream of a house made of sugar.

Together with local craftman Ilkhom Shoyimkulov we bathed the rough and rusty structural metal in sugar syrup which slowly crystallized, turning the rugged construction material into Navat, traditional rock sugar, the structure into cultural support, tapping into every locals’ childhood memories, celebrating this century old heritage in a monumental glistening structure.

The roughness of a harsh fabrication process is not erased but encased, suspended within crystalline growth. From the tension that resides in the bond between the sweetest thing in the world, sugar, and the harshest, rusty metal, emanates an extra-ordinary beauty that attracts all sorts of living creatures.

While most discovered it with their eyes, children and wasps were happy to experience it with their tongues.

@bukhara.biennial
Commissioned by @gayane_umerova
Currated by @dhakadiana

Architecture - @golem.digital ( @arieldigital & @chebb__s )

Engineering - @_blackengineering_

Photos - @felixodell , @kamilarustambekova

At the Bukhara Biennial 25 we supported Artist Laila Gohar ( @lailacooks ) in the design and fabrication of sweet dream of a house made of sugar.

Together with local craftman Ilkhom Shoyimkulov we bathed the rough and rusty structural metal in sugar syrup which slowly crystallized, turning the rugged construction material into Navat, traditional rock sugar, the structure into cultural support, tapping into every locals’ childhood memories, celebrating this century old heritage in a monumental glistening structure.

The roughness of a harsh fabrication process is not erased but encased, suspended within crystalline growth. From the tension that resides in the bond between the sweetest thing in the world, sugar, and the harshest, rusty metal, emanates an extra-ordinary beauty that attracts all sorts of living creatures.

While most discovered it with their eyes, children and wasps were happy to experience it with their tongues.

@bukhara.biennial
Commissioned by @gayane_umerova
Currated by @dhakadiana

Architecture - @golem.digital ( @arieldigital & @chebb__s )

Engineering - @_blackengineering_

Photos - @felixodell , @kamilarustambekova

At the Bukhara Biennial 25 we supported Artist Laila Gohar ( @lailacooks ) in the design and fabrication of sweet dream of a house made of sugar.

Together with local craftman Ilkhom Shoyimkulov we bathed the rough and rusty structural metal in sugar syrup which slowly crystallized, turning the rugged construction material into Navat, traditional rock sugar, the structure into cultural support, tapping into every locals’ childhood memories, celebrating this century old heritage in a monumental glistening structure.

The roughness of a harsh fabrication process is not erased but encased, suspended within crystalline growth. From the tension that resides in the bond between the sweetest thing in the world, sugar, and the harshest, rusty metal, emanates an extra-ordinary beauty that attracts all sorts of living creatures.

While most discovered it with their eyes, children and wasps were happy to experience it with their tongues.

@bukhara.biennial
Commissioned by @gayane_umerova
Currated by @dhakadiana

Architecture - @golem.digital ( @arieldigital & @chebb__s )

Engineering - @_blackengineering_

Photos - @felixodell , @kamilarustambekova

Chloé’s Headquarter, Paris
Bags room

Creative Direction: Chloé
Architectural production, material development, upholstery design, furniture scouting & lighting design: @golem.digital
Photography: @benoitflorencon

#Chloé #showroom #pfw #FW24 #interiordesign

Chloé’s Headquarter, Paris
Bags room

Creative Direction: Chloé
Architectural production, material development, upholstery design, furniture scouting & lighting design: @golem.digital
Photography: @benoitflorencon

#Chloé #showroom #pfw #FW24 #interiordesign

The GOLEM team is proud to announce the opening of the @biennalepublicprograms building, designed for the Diriyah Biennale Foundation (@biennale_sa) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, opening on January 29, 2026.

#architecture #contemporaryart #biennale #riyadh

dive lounge/

The velvet underground. The sonic oasis. The secret sanctuary.

Descend into the depths of Dive for cocktails and quiet cravings.

Wed - Thu 18:00-00:00
Fri - Sat 18:00-1AM

Photo by @mathildehiley
Design by @golem.digital

Founded in Paris in 2021 by designer Ariel André, GOLEM @golem.digital is a multidisciplinary studio shaping contemporary spaces through a sharp focus on context, materiality, and experience. From homes and restaurants to scenography and digital design, their work stands out for its cohesive aesthetic and thoughtful approach.
More at revistaexclama.com

/
\

Fundado en París en 2021 por el diseñador Ariel André, GOLEM es un estudio multidisciplinar que crea espacios contemporáneos con un fuerte énfasis en el contexto, la materialidad y la experiencia. Desde casas y restaurantes hasta escenografías y diseño digital, su trabajo destaca por una estética coherente y una mirada cuidadosa.
Más en revistaexclama.com

___

#GOLEM #ArielAndre
#Paris #CreativeStudio
#EXCLAMA

Founded in Paris in 2021 by designer Ariel André, GOLEM @golem.digital is a multidisciplinary studio shaping contemporary spaces through a sharp focus on context, materiality, and experience. From homes and restaurants to scenography and digital design, their work stands out for its cohesive aesthetic and thoughtful approach.
More at revistaexclama.com

/
\

Fundado en París en 2021 por el diseñador Ariel André, GOLEM es un estudio multidisciplinar que crea espacios contemporáneos con un fuerte énfasis en el contexto, la materialidad y la experiencia. Desde casas y restaurantes hasta escenografías y diseño digital, su trabajo destaca por una estética coherente y una mirada cuidadosa.
Más en revistaexclama.com

___

#GOLEM #ArielAndre
#Paris #CreativeStudio
#EXCLAMA

Founded in Paris in 2021 by designer Ariel André, GOLEM @golem.digital is a multidisciplinary studio shaping contemporary spaces through a sharp focus on context, materiality, and experience. From homes and restaurants to scenography and digital design, their work stands out for its cohesive aesthetic and thoughtful approach.
More at revistaexclama.com

/
\

Fundado en París en 2021 por el diseñador Ariel André, GOLEM es un estudio multidisciplinar que crea espacios contemporáneos con un fuerte énfasis en el contexto, la materialidad y la experiencia. Desde casas y restaurantes hasta escenografías y diseño digital, su trabajo destaca por una estética coherente y una mirada cuidadosa.
Más en revistaexclama.com

___

#GOLEM #ArielAndre
#Paris #CreativeStudio
#EXCLAMA

Founded in Paris in 2021 by designer Ariel André, GOLEM @golem.digital is a multidisciplinary studio shaping contemporary spaces through a sharp focus on context, materiality, and experience. From homes and restaurants to scenography and digital design, their work stands out for its cohesive aesthetic and thoughtful approach.
More at revistaexclama.com

/
\

Fundado en París en 2021 por el diseñador Ariel André, GOLEM es un estudio multidisciplinar que crea espacios contemporáneos con un fuerte énfasis en el contexto, la materialidad y la experiencia. Desde casas y restaurantes hasta escenografías y diseño digital, su trabajo destaca por una estética coherente y una mirada cuidadosa.
Más en revistaexclama.com

___

#GOLEM #ArielAndre
#Paris #CreativeStudio
#EXCLAMA

Founded in Paris in 2021 by designer Ariel André, GOLEM @golem.digital is a multidisciplinary studio shaping contemporary spaces through a sharp focus on context, materiality, and experience. From homes and restaurants to scenography and digital design, their work stands out for its cohesive aesthetic and thoughtful approach.
More at revistaexclama.com

/
\

Fundado en París en 2021 por el diseñador Ariel André, GOLEM es un estudio multidisciplinar que crea espacios contemporáneos con un fuerte énfasis en el contexto, la materialidad y la experiencia. Desde casas y restaurantes hasta escenografías y diseño digital, su trabajo destaca por una estética coherente y una mirada cuidadosa.
Más en revistaexclama.com

___

#GOLEM #ArielAndre
#Paris #CreativeStudio
#EXCLAMA

Last week, together with fellow Architect @aseelaoa , we had the joy of tutoring @designspacealula ‘s first edition of the Designathon.

We worked with the 14 designers to help them follow their ideas and bring a full project to life in only four days, an intense process that lead to projects that could not come from any other place than AlUla like .

Thank you to the RCU (@mifdarch @zeyad_bin_tariq) and @artsalula for this initiative and specially @emilymarant for the invitation, Designspace for hosting us, @saraanafisi for the inspiring conversations and the whole @auditoire team for the smooth organisation.

Last week, together with fellow Architect @aseelaoa , we had the joy of tutoring @designspacealula ‘s first edition of the Designathon.

We worked with the 14 designers to help them follow their ideas and bring a full project to life in only four days, an intense process that lead to projects that could not come from any other place than AlUla like .

Thank you to the RCU (@mifdarch @zeyad_bin_tariq) and @artsalula for this initiative and specially @emilymarant for the invitation, Designspace for hosting us, @saraanafisi for the inspiring conversations and the whole @auditoire team for the smooth organisation.

Last week, together with fellow Architect @aseelaoa , we had the joy of tutoring @designspacealula ‘s first edition of the Designathon.

We worked with the 14 designers to help them follow their ideas and bring a full project to life in only four days, an intense process that lead to projects that could not come from any other place than AlUla like .

Thank you to the RCU (@mifdarch @zeyad_bin_tariq) and @artsalula for this initiative and specially @emilymarant for the invitation, Designspace for hosting us, @saraanafisi for the inspiring conversations and the whole @auditoire team for the smooth organisation.

Last week, together with fellow Architect @aseelaoa , we had the joy of tutoring @designspacealula ‘s first edition of the Designathon.

We worked with the 14 designers to help them follow their ideas and bring a full project to life in only four days, an intense process that lead to projects that could not come from any other place than AlUla like .

Thank you to the RCU (@mifdarch @zeyad_bin_tariq) and @artsalula for this initiative and specially @emilymarant for the invitation, Designspace for hosting us, @saraanafisi for the inspiring conversations and the whole @auditoire team for the smooth organisation.

Last week, together with fellow Architect @aseelaoa , we had the joy of tutoring @designspacealula ‘s first edition of the Designathon.

We worked with the 14 designers to help them follow their ideas and bring a full project to life in only four days, an intense process that lead to projects that could not come from any other place than AlUla like .

Thank you to the RCU (@mifdarch @zeyad_bin_tariq) and @artsalula for this initiative and specially @emilymarant for the invitation, Designspace for hosting us, @saraanafisi for the inspiring conversations and the whole @auditoire team for the smooth organisation.

Last week, together with fellow Architect @aseelaoa , we had the joy of tutoring @designspacealula ‘s first edition of the Designathon.

We worked with the 14 designers to help them follow their ideas and bring a full project to life in only four days, an intense process that lead to projects that could not come from any other place than AlUla like .

Thank you to the RCU (@mifdarch @zeyad_bin_tariq) and @artsalula for this initiative and specially @emilymarant for the invitation, Designspace for hosting us, @saraanafisi for the inspiring conversations and the whole @auditoire team for the smooth organisation.

Last week, together with fellow Architect @aseelaoa , we had the joy of tutoring @designspacealula ‘s first edition of the Designathon.

We worked with the 14 designers to help them follow their ideas and bring a full project to life in only four days, an intense process that lead to projects that could not come from any other place than AlUla like .

Thank you to the RCU (@mifdarch @zeyad_bin_tariq) and @artsalula for this initiative and specially @emilymarant for the invitation, Designspace for hosting us, @saraanafisi for the inspiring conversations and the whole @auditoire team for the smooth organisation.

Last week, together with fellow Architect @aseelaoa , we had the joy of tutoring @designspacealula ‘s first edition of the Designathon.

We worked with the 14 designers to help them follow their ideas and bring a full project to life in only four days, an intense process that lead to projects that could not come from any other place than AlUla like .

Thank you to the RCU (@mifdarch @zeyad_bin_tariq) and @artsalula for this initiative and specially @emilymarant for the invitation, Designspace for hosting us, @saraanafisi for the inspiring conversations and the whole @auditoire team for the smooth organisation.

Last week, together with fellow Architect @aseelaoa , we had the joy of tutoring @designspacealula ‘s first edition of the Designathon.

We worked with the 14 designers to help them follow their ideas and bring a full project to life in only four days, an intense process that lead to projects that could not come from any other place than AlUla like .

Thank you to the RCU (@mifdarch @zeyad_bin_tariq) and @artsalula for this initiative and specially @emilymarant for the invitation, Designspace for hosting us, @saraanafisi for the inspiring conversations and the whole @auditoire team for the smooth organisation.