Image Credit : Brett Boardman
Project Overview
Wilkhahn’s new showroom, in one of Sydney’s most interesting fringe areas, is a manifestation of the evolution of the company from a supplier of contract, designer specified office furniture to a product appealing to a broader audience. In addition to being a place to debut furniture to a known audience, the location, transparency and ambience of the space have introduced Wilkhahn to others who would not have known of them previously. Furthermore, the social layout of the space strengthens the role Wilkhahn plays in knitting together, nurturing and educating the design community.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Wilkhahn engaged the team at BVN to partner with them to create their new showroom; this then led to a wider collaboration including a partner business in residence, The Plant Society, all brought to life by Buildcorp Interiors.
Project Brief
The deliberate decision to locate the showroom in a precinct in transition and create an attention-grabbing glazed street presence that demands passer-by take note, sends a message of an evolving organisation. The showroom employs space as a vehicle to showcase a reinvented brand playing a role in the community that transcends its retail ambitions.
As one of the only European manufacturers with a factory in Australia, translating deeply held brand values such as authenticity and a history of craftmanship through space was critical. Achieved through the stripping back of extraneous elements and exposing a five-meter-high, light filled ceiling, the space has an honesty and confidence that transfers the essence of a no nonsense, design oriented brand. Space is brought to human scale through clever introduction of floor to ceiling drapery, a hospitality bar and a steel framed greenhouse dividing the space into manageable volumes.
The space highlights Wilkhahn’s rich legacy using a promenade element that extends from the street to the depths of the showroom. Bordered by a display shelf that alternates oversized images of physical product illustrating the past, digital expressions depicting the present, and at the terminus an assembly space featuring a projection screen offering a glimpse of the future; visitors take a historic journey. The remaining spaces feature sophisticated vignettes of product mimicking experiences that align with client’s business issues, highlighting office furniture is about more than aesthetics and Wilkhahn are about more than selling product.
Project Innovation/Need
While a renovated showroom will draw interest in a design industry who have come to rely on suppliers like Wilkhahn to nourish them with new ideas; exposure to, and connection with, designers was not the soul intention of the new space. Wilkhahn had ambitions of instigating exponential change in their business; therefore, the showroom needed to not only expand name recognition beyond an audience who already knew and loved them, but also communicate a different value proposition to end users. By strategically demonstrating the role intelligent office furniture plays in supporting and sustaining business, the space helps clients to understand how the right furniture product can in fact become a business enabler. Amongst other things, the showroom highlights the inherent flexibility Wilkhahn furniture has to respond to myriad clients’ demands as they attempt to respond to a volatile business landscape. Recognising change of the magnitude Wilkhahn hoped for would have been impossible through space alone, they took a novel, multi-disciplinary approach that involved joining forces with strategic partner, The Plant Society. The pairing increased exposure and broadened mindset, most importantly it reminds us the type of heightening user experiences we seek in workplace, results when multiple sources come together. The decision to join forces creates an environment that offers rich, multi-dimensional experiences with compelling narratives to accompany them.
Design Challenge
Like many design challenges, the one posed by Wilkhahn came from many directions. The site was an early twentieth century warehouse which had primarily been used for industrial activities. While the space offered interesting spatial volume, it came with inherent challenges beginning with significant elevational splits across the floor that required the placement of ramps and stairs along with associated safety requirements. The height of the ceiling also posed a challenge for a brief demanding a mix of spaces that varied in scale, from a large flexible forum to host design events and product display scenarios, to an intimate human scaled courtyard oasis. The design deliberately places elements in the space to create rooms that create additional rooms in the negative space surrounding them. The intention was never to build walls to the ceiling that would obscure the architecture, nor would the budget allow for complicated services reengineering; therefore, placement and zoning became all the more critical. In addition, layers of architectural additions built up over time told a story of past occupants that required curation and refinement. Since not all of the stories aligned with Wilkhahn’s, removing what was irrelevant, or detrimental, to release the character of the original warehouse whilst establishing a new contemporary architectural language, required finesse. Finally, showcasing furniture and plants, that require conditions to live, forced careful consideration of the plan to create a unique yet complimentary co-existence.
Sustainability
The Wilkhahn showroom is on track to be the first WELL accredited retail space in Australia. WELL is administered by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring features of buildings that impact the health and well-being of the people who live and work in them. The driver for seeking this certification was around Wilkhahn’s value of creating healthy environments and holistic workplaces which is further exemplified in their office for motion study that informs how the design of their products impacts human health and wellbeing.
Additional to this, the decision to repurpose an older warehouse building speaks to Wilkhahn’s commitment to sustainability. The adaptive reuse has made a significant impact to the sustainability and rebirth of a precinct in Sydney with a rich history that was under threat. Since the showroom has been built, others have followed suit, further revitalising the area.
Interior Design - Flagships & Showrooms
This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors, with consideration given to flagship, discovery centers or showroom space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes and aesthetic presentation. Consideration given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
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