What HI-MACS® is an acrylic stone of the highest quality capable of taking any shape is now well known. Just as it is well known that it is a material used in architecture and interior design to create sculptural, high-performance forms, a source of inspiration for creative minds around the world, such as Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel, Rafael Moneo, Karim Rashid and David Chipperfield.
From them and other designers and architects came extraordinary projects. One of these is the spectacular penthouse overlooking the Thames to Bermondsey Walllocated in an extraordinary location with a view of the Thames and Tower Bridge: a 240 m2 penthouse, the result of the work of the two architects Paul Lower and Malcolm Crayton of FORMstudio. It was they who 'opened up' the two floors by creating an open-plan dwelling, 'flooding' it with natural light. For the kitchen and en-suite bathroom, the architects chose the incredible Solid Surface HI-MACS® in Alpine White, in order to convey feelings of calm and tranquillity. The white kitchen island in HI-MACS®almost 5 metres long and distinguished by an imposing stainless steel hood, further organises and defines the interior landscape, enhancing the proportions and visual coherence of the space.
The island appears to be made of one piece, thanks to the Solid Surface which allows a joint-free surface to be created. In HI-MACS® also the double sink integrated in the worktop that extends to both sides of the island, creating continuity. Even the 'monolithic' seat inside the shower cubicle was realised in the Solid Surfaceas well as the custom-made bathtub that completes the room.
A second ambitious project is the new cultural centre in Kuwait City, the complex Sheikh Abdullah Al Salemone of the world's largest cultural centres, an example of excellence in technical development, production, logistics and assembly work, by the Spanish company Proasur, in cooperation with the Solid Surface HI-MACS®.
More than 130,000 square metres of total floor space and 22,000 square metres of exhibition space, six main buildings housing four different museums: the Space Museum, the Science Museum, the Arab Islamic Science Museum and the Natural History Museum.
Most of the display elements and equipment are made of HI-MACS® in the shade Alpine White, Solid Surface chosen for its functionality and extraordinary properties. Thanks to its translucency and thermoformability, acrylic stone HIMACS® has resulted in elegant, versatile and functional realisations, opening the door to unlimited design possibilities. The new Sheikh Cultural Centre Abdullah Al Salem aims to become one of the largest complexes dedicated to science and a reference point for audiences from all over the world, offering an enjoyable and unique cultural experience.
Finally, the State Coffee Co. inspired by 1930s New York, the work of Lab4 architects who chose HI-MACS® for the new venue of the Greek chain.
Both in design and in the choice of furnishings, State Coffee Co. is inspired by the classic New York espresso bars of the 1930s with elements that lead back to the navy and industrial style of the old cafés of harbour Manhattan that were established at the beginning of the last century. With details that combine harmoniously with 'Mediterranean' elements, such as the cementine hexagonal cut and the bar area with a typical Italian structure, the bar occupies the central area of the premises with a large corner counter characterised by a sturdy top in HI-MACS® at Arctic Granite G034 finish. The latest generation of acrylic stone was also used for the area on which a display case rests and for the trim around the perimeter of the column that divides the counter from the door leading into the beverage preparation area.
HI-MACS® was also used for the wall cabinets, compartments and shelves that make up the bar structure. A true experiential journey between coffee culture and distant eras.
