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The Business News and pictures from the design sector

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Words By Emily Martin

Go ahead for transformation of Stretford’s King Street

Bruntwood and Trafford Council have been given the green light to commence the ambitious transformation of Stretford’s King Street – the first phase of the wider Stretford masterplan.

Plans by FCBStudios with Studio Mutt were submitted in March 2022, following an extensive period of consultation with the local community.

Stretford is to be revived to provide a thriving high street, as well as pedestrianised streets, more greenery and open spaces, and a reconfigured town centre. The development will also create a home for retailers, eateries and bars to boost the local evening economy, spilling out into a new south-facing community space, which will feature a covered shopping area aimed at local independent businesses.

The plans also include significant investment to create a new King Street Square that will provide outdoor seating areas and space to host events. It will also see a significant transformation of the existing multi-storey car park, making it more secure and easier to access and navigate through.

The development will have a quiet service street adjacent to the mall called ‘Little King Street’. This will create a safe place for activities, and food and beverage offerings.

Preparatory works for the transformation of King Street have begun, with development set to commence in early 2023, with completion set for summer 2024. www.cbstudios.com

Hong Kong Palace Museum by Rocco Design Architects opens

Image Credit: Edmon Leong

Rocco Design Architects’ (RDA) Hong Kong Palace Museum has officially opened. As a new centre for Chinese art and antiquities in Hong Kong, the building will be home to more than 900 objects from the Beijing Palace Museum in the Forbidden City, including 160 Class A artefacts considered national treasures. The building is conceived as a civic hub and new landmark for Hong Kong, as well as a platform to connect new generations with China’s cultural history. It will host interactive and experiential exhibitions, casting new light on antiquities.

The 30,000 sq m building commands sweeping views over Victoria Harbour. The design embraces the notion of spatial exploration through sequential courtyards in the Beijing Palace itself, HKPM stacks three atria that draw visitors up through the building. The vertical stacking references Hong Kong’s dense and compact urban fabric. www.poad2021.org

TRUNK to Open New Hotel in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo 2023

TRUNK is set to open its doors to a new hotel in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo, in Autumn 2023. Pioneering a new generation of design hotels, TRUNK is built upon a philosophy that values fostering relationships with society, off ering guests an immersive experience in the most vibrant neighbourhoods of Tokyo.

TRUNK (HOTEL) YOYOGI PARK will feature a relaxed ‘Japandi’ aesthetic, and showcase unique and bespoke designs by local and emerging creators. Fit with a rooftop pool and bar, the hotel will off er guests 360-views of Yoyogi Park.www.trunk-hotel.com

Willmott Dixon selected for £23.7m Medway leisure centre

Willmott Dixon has been appointed by Medway Council to deliver ‘Splashes’, a new leisure centre with swimming pools, gym, fitness studio and cafe. The family-friendly facility will have two swimming pools – a children’s fun pool with flume, wave ball pool and beach area, and a training pool for lane swimming and lessons, along with a fitness gym and room for exercise classes and children’s parties. Building work at the site in Bloors Lane, Rainham, will begin in the new year.www.willmottdixon.co.uk

Jason Bruges Studio cycle to MIPIM

Jason Bruges (founder), Rich Broom (production director) and James Fox (senior designer) are taking part in Cycle to MIPIM 2023 in support of Club Peloton.

The mega 1,438km relay challenge kicks off in London and lands in Cannes on 14 March. This year, the studio has set a fundraising target of £9,000. Donations are being taken through its Just Giving page. www.jasonbruges.com

BW showcases new Design and Build service

BW: Workplace Experts has launched a new design and build (D&B) service. BW Design and Build extends the company’s service portfolio, encompassing resources that are now able to design and deliver from within.

This forms part of the firm’s commitment to ongoing and dynamic investment in supporting future client relationships. It is also in line with BW’s three layers: Innovation, Diversity and Net Zero, launched last year as part of its Purpose Report.www.wearebw.com

10m high Neptune Roman god of the sea at Edward Street Quarter becomes Brighton’s latest Landmark

A giant mural featuring the Roman god of the sea, Neptune, has become a Brighton landmark, appearing on a façade wall of the soon to be completed Edward Street Quarter, the largest neighbourhood development to be built in Brighton for 25 years.

Located on the former 2-acre Amex House site, Edward Street Quarter is a mixed-use scheme by Socius. The striking artwork is the first and most prominent piece pf public art to be commissioned in Brighton and was delivered in conjunction with Brighton and Hove City Council, making a vibrant addition to Brighton’s thriving art scene.

Socius undertook community engagement, which produced three themes for the mural commission, with a steering group (including the developer, Brighton & Hove arts, planning and community off icers, community groups, and members of the local community) collectively selecting local artist Cosmo Sarson. The classically trained painter has experience of creating large-scale urban artwork and his distinctive style – ‘classic with a twist’. The final piece, a giant mural of the Roman god of the sea Neptune reflects Brighton’s historic connection to the sea responding to the ‘fishing and fisher folk’ brief, creating an amazing landmark piece of art for Brighton. www.socius-dev.com

Pantone Colour of the Year: Viva Magenta

Bridgman – Sandringham Armchair and Sandringham Footstool in Wine Red

Viva Magenta is revealed as Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2023. ‘Brave and fearless’, Pantone’s Viva Magenta is setting an optimistic tone for the year ahead.

A vibrant and animated red colour with hints of pink and purple, this new hue has been designed to ‘guide us into the New Year and on to brighter horizons’.

Dani Burroughs, head of product for Snug, commented: ‘Punchy and electrifying, Viva Magenta is going to give you the perfect backdrop for 2023... Warming and empowering, this new hue should be embraced for the ultimate impact – we’re talking colour drenched walls, rich accents and vibrant upholstery choices.’

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director, Pantone Color Institute, commented: ‘In this age of technology, we look to draw inspiration from nature and what is real. PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta descends from the red family, and is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known.

‘Rooted in the primordial, PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta reconnects us to original matter. Invoking the forces of nature, PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta galvanises our spirit, helping us to build our inner strength.’ www.pantone.com/uk/en/color-of-theyear/2023

Wilson Capital announces plans for Wilson Tower for multifamily living in Austin

Austin-based real estate developer, Wilson Capital, has announced plans for Wilson Tower, a high-rise multi-family building located at 410 East 5th Street in the heart of downtown Austin in close proximity to the 6th Street Entertainment District, Austin Convention Center and CapMetro’s new Downtown Light Rail Station. The project is expected to commence in summer 2023.

Designed by the Austin office of global architecture firm HKS and interior design by Britt Design Group, Wilson Tower at its completion will reach 1,035 ft in height across 80 floors, making it an iconic contribution to Austin’s growing skyline.

The 450-unit multi-family development will offer exceptional features with hospitality-based services and sophisticated design, setting a new standard amongst Austin’s high-rise apartment towers. In addition to unobstructed skyline views, a signature ground floor restaurant and bar, activated streetscape and more, Wilson Tower will offer valet, plus four full floors of amenities that will include an expansive pool deck with food and beverage service, full-service fitness and wellness centre, resident cocktail lounge and movie theatre, coworking spaces, and a floor dedicated to pets, outfitted with a pet playroom, grooming centre and dog run.

Units will range from studios all the way up to three and four-bedroom penthouses. ‘Our vision for Wilson Tower is to set a new bar in skyscraper residences for Austin that we believe will foster creativity and social connection,’ said Brad Wilkins, principal and design director for HKS Austin. ‘Along with welcoming outdoor terraces and gardens, the tower itself is wrapped in a brise soleil that offers protection from the hot Texas sun and wind while also providing structural strength.

This brise soleil gives the building uniquely shaded and comfortable outdoor living spaces on every level.’ www.hksinc.com | www.brittdesigngroup.com

Framery unveils all-new UK showroom in London

Framery has revealed its all-new showroom in the UK, which is located in the Gallery in Clerkenwell, London and marks the company’s increased investment in the UK market. On show are the Framery One and Framery Q soundproof booths allowing customers to experience their version of hybrid working.

Framery’s drive to broaden its UK presence comes at a pivotal time where the company recognises a distinct demand and opportunity amongst workers and employers for change within the office environment. Framery founder and CEO Samu Hällfors said: ‘We are delighted to continue our expansion into the United Kingdom by opening this state-of-the-art showroom in London. This space marks an incredible milestone for the company, as we consider the UK market one of great importance and potential. I greatly look forward to UK customers and the public enjoying our globally pioneering products in-person and realising their potential for the future of work.’

The company’s range of soundproof booths, pods and private meeting spaces allow employees to work in privacy inside a connected and fully sound-insulated space to maximise happiness and output. www.frameryacoustics.com

Blum acquires majority stake in System Industrie Electronic

Blum is acquiring a 75.1% stake in the Austrian company System Industrie Electronic (SIE), based in the town of Lustenau, Vorarlberg. Blum’s managing director Martin Blum commented: ‘SIE’s focus is on the interaction of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and information technology. At Blum, we develop product innovations for electric and intelligent furniture.

Together, we can further expand our competencies in the business segments of SIE and in our mechatronic and smart development projects.’ The close partnership also creates new synergies in the procurement of electronic components and the flexible use of resources in research and development. www.blum.com

The Julius Prague Marks Completion with Opening of New Gourmet Food Store

Following the soft launch of The Julius Prague earlier this year, the new aparthotel brand has now completed its inaugural location with the launch of a House of Julius Meinl Gourmet store, located on the ground floor. The launch of The Julius Prague, and now the House of Julius Meinl Gourmet store, marks a continued commitment to luxury, high-quality services, now offered through a new hospitality experience designed to cater for ultimate flexibility and longer stays.www.thejulius.eu

Skagerak by Fritz Hansen

Skagerak is becoming ‘Skagerak by Fritz Hansen’, and their products will appear under the new ‘Skagerak by Fritz Hansen’ brand name. Josef Kaiser, CEO of Fritz Hansen and Skagerak, commented: ‘Skagerak and Fritz Hansen are a natural fit. Both are rooted in Nordic design traditions and responsible manufacturing, and synonymous with furniture and interior design of the highest quality.’ www.skagerak.com

Goddard Littlefair expands with its second office in Porto, Portugal

Goddard Littlefair announces the opening of its European studio and second office in Porto, Portugal. The studio was founded by husband-and- wife duo Martin Goddard and Jo Littlefair in 2012. It has won multiple awards, including the British Homes Awards, Restaurant and Bar Design Awards and latterly securing the Mixology Award for Hotel project of the year in 2022 for the Mondrian Shoreditch. www.goddardlittlefair.com

Next phase in Queensway regeneration project receives planning permission

Image Credit: The Boundary

The next phase in the £3bn redevelopment of Queensway, Bayswater has been confirmed with planning approval for ‘The William’, a major new mixed-use development set to transform the northern end of the central London high street.

Designed by architecture practice Foster + Partners, The William will deliver six floors of Grade A office space spanning 90,000 sq ft alongside 21,000 sq ft of shops and 32 new homes. Work is due to start on site in 2023, with completion expected in 2026.

The William is named after William Whiteley, the eponymous founder of the famous Whiteleys department store, which sits directly opposite on Queensway and is itself also being transformed by Foster + Partners into The Whiteley, allowing one design vision to reign. Completing in 2024, The Whiteley will offer 139 unique, high specification residences, 20 new shops, cafes and restaurants, a cinema, a large-scale gym, and London’s first and flagship Six Senses hotel and spa with 110 rooms, 14 branded residences and members’ wellness club.

The William will be constructed using cross-laminated timber, making it one of London’s largest timber developments in the works as well as Foster + Partners’s first timber office building in the UK. www.fosterandpartners.com

Grade-1 listed Royal Exchange is transformed into new hospitality venue

Image Credit: Billy Bolton

South London based Studio Found has designed and delivered a new premium 7,000 sq ft drinking and dining destination, The Libertine, in the heart of the City of London.

The project sees the historic, Grade-1 listed underground vaults of The Royal Exchange transformed over the last three years into a spacious bar and restaurant, and is the second project between Studio Found and Incipio Group, who own and operate the venue. Previously they worked together on the design and delivery of Percy’s in Kensington.

‘This has been one of our most challenging yet rewarding projects. Working with such a committed and engaged team at Incipio, and with some really talented contractors and artisans, has made it so worthwhile for everyone involved,’ said Ed Plumb, founder and director at Studio Found. ‘As a boutique design studio, we are very proud of what we have achieved in transforming this prestigious, historical listed space into a multi-functional hospitality venue, the likes not seen before in the City of London.

We have enjoyed working on every aspect of the project, from researching its history, handling the complex planning application, to devising and delivering a design concept that paid its respects to the space, while bringing intriguing and interesting details and surprises. We are confident that many people will enjoy drinking and dining at The Libertine and keep coming back.’

The Royal Exchange was established by merchant Sir Thomas Gresham and opened by Queen Elizabeth I in 1571 who gave it its royal status and licence to serve alcohol – the first venue in Britain to be granted that. It has twice burnt down, first in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and again in 1838, and each time has been rebuilt. The current Royal Exchange was designed by Sir William Tite in the 1840s and opened by Queen Victoria. www.fremgroup.co.uk