Showrooms
Rather than looking at the designs renowned studios produce for others, FX instead looks at how they design their own workspaces
1. HIDDEN HOUSE BY PROJECT ORANGE
Image Credit: PAUL DIXON
HIDDEN HOUSE is the inherited name for architecture practice Project Orange’s new studio in the medieval village of Lavenham, Suffolk. Following the pandemic, the practice decided to relocate its HQ from London to Suffolk and was faced with the challenge to find a suitable property to transform into its new studio space.
Located in a building that is perched up a flight of stairs, Hidden House is set in a small terraced dry garden with a view of a historic church in the distance. The garden has been conceived as a Mediterranean landscape with a mature olive tree and smaller pines. While the planting requires less water than a conventional garden, there are two large tanks to the side of the building that harvest rainwater to be used in dry spells.
Within the main space, the entrance and aspect were enhanced by the inclusion of W20 section windows and doors. The internal walls are clad in late 19th century boards reclaimed from a Manchester warehouse while timber beams act as acoustic baffles.
Image Credit: PAUL DIXON
A small kitchen within the studio area is crafted in reclaimed teak and sustainable MDF. The workspace sees an island desk of six connected elements which are fabricated from door blanks and bamboo legs, while old scaffolding boards have been used to construct bookshelves.
Image Credit: PAUL DIXON
Image Credit: PAUL DIXON
A glazed, six panel door leads through the rusty red painted corridor to the meeting room. The whole room is clad in dark green felt to allow for pin-up space, while the MDF existing wardrobes contain shelves for filing and stationary. Next door, the ‘box room’ has a table for private working and a wall of Vitsoe shelving for our materials library. It has been with the practice for more than 20 years and has moved with the studio four times.
The project successfully recalibrates the commercial office, turning it into a homely domestic scaled set of spaces demonstrating the changing attitude towards our environment and is our showcase for sustainable thinking.
Hall Road, Lavenham, Suffolk, CO10 9QU
2. PARKSIDE AND STRATA TILES SUSTAINABILITY & DESIGN STUDIO
ON THE CORNER of Sekforde Street and Clerkenwell Green, the Parkside and Strata Tiles Sustainability and Design Studio is an intriguing destination for anyone looking to specify ceramic and porcelain tiles for commercial projects.
Split over three levels, the space not only provides an exceptional choice of floor and wall tiles, but is also an opportunity to see how Parkside and Strata are leading the environmental agenda for material specification. Home to the 100% natural and biodegradable Criaterra, and 97% recycled content Sequel Principle, as well as nearly 40 tiles with 40% recycled content or higher, the studio is a unique opportunity to explore the world’s most sustainable tiling solutions.
For Clerkenwell Design Week, the Sustainability and Design Studio held a packed programme exploring the theme of sustainability with an inspiring talk from Dutch sustainable furniture brand Planq, upcycled planter workshops and the chance to try out zero-waste cocktail making with Salty Studio. Parkside and Strata Tiles also showcased the work of students with their novel solutions to climate change in Next Generation.
As Parkside and Strata Tiles focus on contributing to a sustainable society through continuous improvement and innovation, working with dedicated partners, the Sustainability and Design Studio is constantly adapted to reflect the growing selection of tiles and works as a space to discuss better tile specifications.
44 Sekforde Street, London, EC1R 0HA
3. INTERFACE
WHEN IT came to creating its new showroom, Interface had a clear vision: to establish a space that would bring together customers, colleagues, architects and designers in an environment that reflects its commitment to tackling climate change.
Located in Pennybank Chambers in Clerkenwell, the 185 sq m space forms part of a former Victorian artisan tenement block. With a rich history in art and design, having previously been used as artist dwellings and clockmakers, the building provided the perfect setting for Interface’s new showroom. Working with Morgan Lovell, Interface created a unique, flexible design hub, with sustainability, creativity and well-being at its heart.
Natural materials and furniture were carefully specified from UK manufacturers with environmental credentials that align with Interface’s core values, while elements like exposed brickwork and slatted wooden cladding complement the building’s architecture.
Quiet working areas, collaboration zones, flooring mock-up spaces, a kitchen and bar all come together in one small open plan space. Zoning is achieved through contrasting yet complementary flooring that is both striking and sustainable, including carpet tile, luxury vinyl tile and nora rubber flooring.
To support well-being, biophilic design principles have been adopted, with planting incorporated throughout and natural light flooding in from two large striking windows, creating a fresh and airy atmosphere.
Laura Light, concept design team leader at Interface, comments: ‘Our new Clerkenwell showroom is dynamic, creative and sustainable, and provides the perfect environment to not only display our designs and hold consultations with our clients, but also host a whole range of exciting workshops and seminars for the wider industry.’
The showroom is now officially open for consultations, events and as a co-working space, which can be organised by contacting Interface’s showroom manager.
First Floor, Pennybank, 33-35 St John’s Square, London EC1M 5RN
4. OLSON KUNDIG
Image Credit: ANGELA HAU
OLSON KUNDIG has opened a new office in New York City. Located in Midtown Manhattan, near Bryant Park, the Morgan Library and the Empire State Building, the office creates a new hub from which the practice will nimbly support clients and projects.
Image Credit: ANGELA HAU
The new office occupies the 10th floor of a mid-rise tower built in 1923, with views of the busy urban streetscape to the north and the rich architectural interest of surrounding buildings to the south. The office is anchored by a signature gathering and event space known as the Living Room, where an oversized, 13 sq m table, designed by Tom Kundig and fabricated by Spearhead, evokes a conceptual cityscape rising from the landscape.
Image Credit: ANGELA HAU
Created from a tapestry of raw timber offcuts, representing both Olson Kundig projects and the work of other architects, the table introduces a physical embodiment of the Pacific north-west’s design culture within the firms new office space. An integrated turntable and record collection curated by Seattle’s Sub Pop Records further underscores connections to Olson Kundig’s home in Washington State and the wider culture of the firm.
Image Credit: ANGELA HAU
‘Opening a New York office space allows us to share a bit of the Pacific Rim and our “unstable edge” mentality with the East Coast, forging new relationships and opportunities for collaboration,’ shares Alan Maskin, principal/owner of Olson Kundig and design lead for the new office. ‘That influence goes both ways, of course – shared cultural events and firm culture creates a river that flows between the two cities, exchanging ideas and energy back and forth.’
Image Credit: ANGELA HAU
Curated artwork will feature heavily in the new office, continuing the firm’s longstanding tradition of making art a part of everyday life and integrating diverse forms of creative expression into its workspace. A raised platform between workstations frames a small display area that extends the vision of The Ledge, a gallery founded within Olson Kundig’s Seattle office in 2011, to New York.
Image Credit: ANGELA HAU
Dedicated wall space throughout the office will host paintings and other works, while a wide ‘runway’ between workstations and the kitchen can host a variety of sculptures and freestanding pieces.
14 East 38th Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10016 USA
5. IDEAL STANDARD
BASED IN the heart of Clerkenwell, Ideal Standard’s London Design and Specification Centre (LDSC) is a unique resource centre created for the architect and design community. First opened three years ago, with the aim of bringing A&D professionals together, the LDSC provides the opportunity for visitors to have a hands-on experience with products in a relaxed, design-led and sales-free environment.
Visitors can benefit from LDSC’s team of design experts, who are on hand to provide practical advice and inspiration for those looking to plan and specify their bathroom and washroom projects. The combined knowledge of the team covers a breadth of sectors, who are able to assist with any type of space – from luxury hotels, to residential properties. Additionally, an innovative virtual reality display allows users to experience their bathroom designs in 3D, helping to easily visualise a space.
The LDSC also serves as a meeting space for the wider A&D community, with a bookable meeting room for client visits and an area where spaces can be mocked-up to showcase designs. Throughout the year, the showroom plays host to an extensive programme of seminars, events and CPD presentations, which are open to the A&D community.
More recently, the updated space has served as the flagship location for Ideal Standard to showcase its premium Atelier Collections. The stunning collection strengthens the brand’s long-standing design philosophy, taking inspiration from Ideal Standard’s iconic heritage while looking to the future of contemporary bathroom design. The products bring together the skills of the renowned design studio Palomba Serafini Associati (PS+A), and its founder Roberto Palomba, with Ideal Standard’s unparalleled manufacturing expertise. The bold designs of the collections work in harmony to allow complete customisation on every project and can be paired with Ideal Standard’s wider offering through the company’s Singular philosophy.
76-78 Clerkenwell Rd, London EC1M 5QA
6. RAK CERAMICS
LEADING MANUFACTURER RAK Ceramics has opened its inaugural Design Hub in London – a go-to destination for designers, architects and developers looking to explore the possibilities of choosing the brand’s products for their projects.
At 100 St John Street, the Design Hub covers 675 sq m over two floors and aims to be an interactive and immersive environment to inspire creativity.
One of the many highlights of the Design Hub, which is one of the largest venues of its kind in the area, is the first UK display of a brand-new collaboration with renowned fashion designer Elie Saab, featuring a range of edits from the Elie Saab Maison collection. The Lebanese designer, who also has workshops in Milan and Paris, started his business in the early 1980s, specialising in bridal couture.
As well as showcasing RAK Ceramics bathroom ranges, kitchen taps and brassware, the location also offers meeting facilities and a dedicated area showing the brand’s extensive range of tiles including mega slabs, which can be used for cladding, tiling, surfacing and decorative pieces. The venue also includes a working kitchen display, working tap display, Virtual Worlds 4D Theatre and a Grab and Go sample area.
Commenting on the new Design Hub as it opened in May, Ben Bryden, RAK Ceramics sales and marketing director for the UK, said: ‘The RAK Ceramics Design Hub gives us the opportunity to express the possibilities our products and solutions to bring to the design, architectural and specifiers world.
‘London is a fitting home for our inaugural showroom and it is wonderful to be at the very centre of design life in Clerkenwell.’
100 St John St, London EC1M 4EH
7. CONRAN AND PARTNERS
CONRAN AND PARTNERS has unveil its latest project: the studio’s own headquarters in the heart of Clerkenwell. The 70 strong practice has relocated from its longstanding UK headquarters in Butlers Wharf, where it had been for over three decades, and transformed a two-storey workspace into a new creative hub in London’s key design district.
Image Credit: INFO@TARANWILKHU.COM
The studio’s move to a new premises is part of a wider recalibration for the practice, following a period of rapid evolution. Events such as the death of its founder, Sir Terrance Conran, the pandemic, and the opening of its studio in Hong Kong in 2018 contributed to a watershed moment for the practice.
Tim Bowder-Ridger, principal at Conran and Partners and design lead on the project, said: ‘The last 18 months have undoubtedly been challenging for us all, but they have also been some of the most redefining months in our studio’s history. Moving to a new HQ, which we have designed ourselves to truly reflect who we are as a design studio, is a significant part of that.’
Image Credit: INFO@TARANWILKHU.COM
Image Credit: INFO@TARANWILKHU.COM
Situated on Great Sutton Street, Clerkenwell, the studio occupies the ground and lower ground floor of an existing building. The two floors are connected at each end by double-height spaces and crafted steel staircases.
Upon arrival, guests are welcomed into an open reception area from where they can see from one end of the studio to the other, with an assortment of activity between, and down to the level below, courtesy of the large light well and the open staircase.
Image Credit: INFO@TARANWILKHU.COM
While natural light penetrates from both ends of the studio, a great deal of attention has been given to the lighting landscape. Natural and artificial lighting, designed in collaboration with Into Lighting, is used to generate intimacy or even cosiness.
The use of timber in the Scandinavian tradition, blond oak flooring with birch ply ceiling battens, softly reflect light and highlight the sense of unity and fluidity throughout the space. In contrast, the flank walls and shelving are constructed out of dark stained poplar ply with its exacerbated grain, whilst the fluted bronze glass panels and screens create additional texture but lift the space through light reflection.
Image Credit: INFO@TARANWILKHU.COM
A mix of seating and desk space is provided, including dynamic sit-stand desks with a combination of desk lights and screen bars, to give each team member the tools they need to tailor and adjust their workspace though the working day.
The meeting spaces offer a variety of environments suited to different ways in which the team come together. From a board table and more intimate spaces, to relaxed sofa areas, a ‘snug’ and a double-height ‘theatre’ space at the heart of the studio.
30A Great Sutton St, London EC1V 0DU
8. FRITZ HANSEN
THE FRITZ HANSEN London showroom, which opened in 2019, has undergone a refurbishment to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the brand, providing a stunning backdrop for the new collection of celebratory pieces. Several of Fritz Hansen’s most famous designs have been reinterpreted with the use of special fabrics, colours and materials and will be drip-fed into the space throughout the coming months, as well as revealed during the London Design Festival in September, in a specially commissioned installation.
Image Credit: MARK COCKSEDGE
The Cowcross Street showroom, the brands first standalone UK space, is set across two floors and makes uses of an industrial backdrop, painted in sage green against white. Plants and lights from the collection are used strategically across the space to highlight different room-sets, from living to workspace. The basement has a more commercial focus with a wide selection of stacking chairs in different finishes and adaptations.
Image Credit: MARK COCKSEDGE
Image Credit: MARK COCKSEDGE
The story of the brands evolution is one of exquisite design built on a foundation of craftsmanship and innovation supported in 2022 by newly interpreted pieces which convey the modern relevance of each design. The anniversary editions see new versions of Arne Jacobsen’s Series 7, the Egg, the Swan and the Lilly chair, as well as a PK61 table in Norwegian marble. The Ro and Fri chairs, designed originally by Jaime Hayon, are upholstered in limited edition green fabrics from Kvadrat, curated by Hayon as part of an ongoing partnership.
Image Credit: MARK COCKSEDGE
Fritz Hansen has been defining and leading Nordic design since 1872 and the London space is a showroom not only for specifiers but a platform for visionary designs. Collaborations with some of the world’s greatest contemporary designers including Nendo, Lissoni, Cecile Manz, Jaime Hayon and others, have produced a body of designs which can be seen here, in all their glory!
78 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 3DJ
