"A cathedral of wood" says commenter

In this week's comments update, readers are discussing a wood-lined diabetes health centre in Copenhagen created by Danish studio Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter.

The building has a curved, gabled form, with interior walkways organised around a 15-metre-high central atrium.

"Flawless execution of space"

Several readers were in awe of the design. Marius described it as "lovely, clean and sophisticated" before praising the "flawless execution of space".

"This is damn nice – a new era is here," wrote Ben, while Tom Roberts thought the centre had a "stunning interior".

Meanwhile, Design Junkie branded it "a cathedral of wood".

However, not everyone was a fan of the wood-dominated design. "The interior is relentless – that wood panelling is everywhere," said HeywoodFloyd. "It reminds me of a Meier interior from the 90s, but like, not as good," they continued.

Other commenters took a more blunt view. "Seems like a lot of wood and wasted space for no reason but architect ego," scorned T Foxe.

Which side are you on? Join the discussion ›

"Stark but flawless"

A community cafe and bar designed by SML Studio Architecture inside Vancouver's modernist Waterfall Building also caught readers' attention this week.

Design Junkie suggested that "the walls are begging for greenery and art."

Commenter Todt was on the same page, writing "the effect appears sterile and doesn't link the beautiful exterior of that location with the interior space at all."

But not everyone was quite so despondent, with Don Bronkema describing the interior as "stark but flawless".

Have you had your say? Join the discussion ›

"What's not to like?"

Dezeen commenters also struggled to reach a consensus over a shingle-clad woodland house in Quebec spread across three volumes, designed by Canadian studios Oyama and Julia Manaćas Architecte.

Some readers weren't sure about the form, with Idracula calling it an "awkward, confused massing".

AlfredHitchcock accepted that "it's actually a disparate collection of parts, harmonised only externally by the shingle cladding." But they argued that "this was obviously intentional".

Miller Matlock acknowledged it was an "interesting design" before admitting to being "a little disappointed the swoop didn't resolve as some sort of lightwell – a missed opportunity."

Others had nothing but praise, with Design Junkie calling the house "a beauty" and Ben wondering "what's not to like?"

What are your thoughts on the sculptural home? Join the discussion ›

Comments update

Dezeen is the world's most commented architecture and design magazine, receiving thousands of comments each month from readers. Keep up to date on the latest discussions on our comments page and subscribe to our weekly Debate newsletter, where we feature the best reader comments from stories in the last seven days.

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