The Atlas Archive

Building a living archive

When the European Council of Interior Architects approached us about creating The Atlas Archive we wanted to avoid building a traditional research database that felt static, academic, or inaccessible. The site needed to be an open-access digital library for the interior architecture and design community. With this, we saw an opportunity to create a platform that encourages curiosity, discovery, and connection across Europe’s diverse design culture.

Our content-first design approach prioritises ease of access while inviting users to explore the Archive in different ways. A dual navigation system balances structure with spontaneity. Navigate, a text-based search function allows users to quickly navigate by category, content, or country. While the ‘Explore’ area offers a more open-ended experience – an endlessly scrollable stream of artefacts, projects, and references designed to encourage unexpected discoveries and creative connections.

Developed as part of the EU-funded BCSP: Building on Connections for a Stronger Profession programme, the Archive supports professional practice, academic research, and creative exploration by providing open access to a growing collection of resources from across Europe. The wider initiative aims to strengthen the profile of the interior architecture profession through collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and professional development across borders.

The platform’s user experience is shaped by this contrast between freedom and order. The ‘Explore’ section embraces randomness and discovery, while the ‘Navigate’ area uses clean typography and structured indexing to help users quickly access specific content. Both experiences draw from the same archive, ensuring users can move seamlessly between inspiration and research without compromise.

The Atlas Archive was formally launched at the ECIA General Assembly in Lucerne, where delegates were introduced to the platform through live demonstrations and hands-on testing sessions. Attendees were invited to upload artefacts in real time, experiencing the Archive’s collaborative functionality firsthand.

Ahead of launch, a dedicated group of ‘Atlas Experts’ helped shape and populate the platform. These specialists spanned interior philosophy, biophilic design, social innovation, and interior theory. Their contributions established an early benchmark for both the quality of content and the usability of the Archive itself.

Every artefact submitted to the Archive is carefully tagged by location, category, and country, allowing users to engage with the material from multiple perspectives and uncover relationships between ideas, disciplines, and regions. As new contributions are added, the Archive continues to evolve into a richer, more interconnected resource for the European interior architecture and design community.