CrossArchitecture has designed the kitchen interiors of Middle Envelope as part of a 50-year-old apartment renovation in Tehran, Iran.

The Middle Envelope kitchen, led by Mehrdad Makaremi, redefines the kitchen as an integrated spatial core – distributing its elements while merging infrastructure and culinary functions into a dynamic architectural experience.

Located at the heart of the plan, it wraps around scattered structural columns and service shafts that once disrupted the layout. Instead of hiding them, the kitchen integrates these elements within a unified brick envelope; floor, walls and ceiling all connected.

This envelope houses various kitchen zones and also defines the main access route to the bedrooms, transforming circulation into a spatial experience.

"We call it a distributed kitchen: neither open nor closed, but embedded in structure, flow and material – becoming both a place for activity and a passage for interaction," said CrossArchitecture.

This project has been longlisted in the kitchen interior category of Dezeen Awards 2025.

Studio: CrossArchitecture
Project: Middle Envelope