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CONTENTS

Aperture 10

Interior Awards

Projects 22

Designer Interview We speak to Katie Lockhart, Auckland-based interior designer and founder of Everyday Needs

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16

32

42

Into the Wild We report on the Oceania Biophilia Summit’s first iteration, held in Glenorchy

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72

Catching the Wave These interiors are riding the comeback-current of curvilinearity. Soft lines and gentle shapes abound

Creative Chemistry The new offices of collaborative advertising agency DDB are about connection, versatility and conviviality

Stage Directions A self-taught designer is utilising his background in theatre and the arts to grow the roots of his Vancouver practice – and North America’s commercial arena

Traditional Twist With a brief to be ‘Traditional with a Twist’, this Auckland city law firm straddles two worlds to beautiful effect

News Read the news: from Salasai’s futuristic runway show to Allbirds’ new Britomart store

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Christchurch’s The Rabbit Patch Preschool is an unusual expression of childcare fit-outs; it’s natural and neutral

Relive this year’s evening and toast again to the very best in New Zealand interiors

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Fresh Palette

Forum

80

Personal Space Sam Caradus from Crosson Architects shares where he eats, unwinds, creates and more

Intergalactic A South Island dark sky reserve has a new retail and hospitality project at its starry heart. We uncover the role of its interior

Publisher Nathan Inkpen Senior editor Federico Monsalve Art & production director André Kini Creative Director Thomas Cannings Design studio Elliot Ferguson Editorial assistant Julia Gessler Advertising enquiries mark.lipman@agm.co.nz Printer and distribution Ovato ISSN 2230-5696 (Print) ISSN 2324-4259 (Online) Subscriptions Interior is published four times a year Subscription rates NZ$51 per year Email subs@agm.co.nz Subscribe online agm.co.nz/store/ Interior is owned and published by BCI New Zealand Pty Ltd, publishers of Urbis, Architecture New Zealand, Houses, architecturenow.co.nz, selector.com and urbismagazine.com. Interior is supported by CoreNet, New Zealand Green Building Council and Facility Managers of New Zealand. Unless expressly stated, statements and opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of these organisations, or their executives, committees or branches, or of BCI New Zealand Pty Ltd or its staff. BCI New Zealand Pty Ltd, Level 2, 409 New North Road, Kingsland, Auckland 1021, New Zealand Phone +64 9 846 4068 Fax +64 9 846 8742 Website agm.co.nz | © 2019 BCI New Zealand Pty Ltd

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MONOLOGUE

Every three years, sometime around April, the short list for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture is quietly announced from a press office in Geneva.

The list – made up of approximately 20 projects from around the globe – adheres to the organiser’s goal to “identify and encourage building concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of societies across the world, in which Muslims have a significant presence”. It is quite a targeted but open brief.

This year, much like in every other round of the award, the finalists have proven to be a veritable hodgepodge of buildings in often-remote locations, with budgets that range from the non-existent to the eye-watering. There are several projects tackling the Anthropocene. There is a low-budget, prefab, modular and highly stylised solution to improving housing stock while retaining historic structures in an impoverished Muslim neighbourhood in Beijing. There is a market within an old fishing community that seeks to retain regional traditions yet also cater to growing tourism in Oman.

If there is one thing that this competition does well, it is to understand the role of the built environment in the wider socio-political context: not just how it can improve the lives of its main constituency but what it represents for multicultural societies and plurality in general. That is where its potency lies. Multinational competitions of this sort have the ability to see how spatial solutions at a hyper-local level can often mirror – or offer solutions for – wider social preoccupations at a global scale.

“… how do we keep that level of design and attention to detail as we upscale the business? How do we convince the clients of larger projects that there needs to be a macro perspective on narrative?”

Craig Stanghetta – founder of Ste. Marie design studio, Vancouver Full coverage starts on page 64.

Federico Monsalve – Editor

Federico Monsalve is expected to be a judge at the Inside festival (the interiors component of the World Architecture Festival) in Amsterdam between 4 and 6 December 2019. Interior and architecturenow.co.nz will be covering the event.

Email us federico.monsalve@agm.co.nz Follow us interiormagazinenz Like us facebook.com/ArchitectureNow

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Est Lighting showroom, Melbourne,

by Christopher Elliott Design For full coverage, see page 72.

ecc.co.nz

Flos

Infra-Structure

CONTRIBUTORS

STEPHEN GOODENOUGH

JOANNA JEFFERIES

CONRAD BROWN

Photographer

Writer

Photographer

Stephen began his career in graphic design before venturing into photography in the early ’80s. He now operates as a freelance photographer from his shared studio in Addington, Christchurch.

Joanna is a Waikato-based freelance writer and editor who writes predominantly on architecture and property. For this issue, she wrote about DDB (page 42).

Conrad is a Vancouver-based photographer. His work is characterised by residing on the intersection of technical precision and natural form.

What was your favourite aspect of the Dark Sky Project?

The building’s exterior, especially at sunset with the huge north-facing glass windows reflecting the surrounding landscape. But, I must admit, the ceiling detail is amazing.

In your opinion, what design aspects of DDB can other businesses benefit from?

DDB took a really interesting approach to the configuration of its social and workspaces. When you walk into the reception space, you are effectively already in the social space. That traditional division between front and back of house, and between staff and visitors, isn’t there.

It gives the business a nice social buzz upon arrival, and I’m sure there must be a positive impact on the free sharing of ideas.

What has interested you the most about Ste.Marie’s work?

They have been very averse to trends over the time I’ve known them. When I first started working with them around 2015, they had a style much more different from my own. I found it to be quite a fun challenge to accommodate.

Their inspiration seems to come from a variety of muses: from historical figures to works of art or cinema, rather than from other designers.

What are your thoughts on dark sky reserves?

They’re a great asset for tourism, as there seems to be a huge fascination with the night sky and our solar system across all ages. Astrophotography has exploded in recent years and the Mackenzie Basin seems to be the place to be.

Where else has your work taken you lately?

I’ve been doing a few overseas jobs for existing long-term clients but the bulk of my work is in Christchurch and the South Island.

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As a writer, how do you like to work?

I work from home but I don’t like to be isolated, which means I’m constantly on the phone to other writers, sharing ideas, contacts and stories. It’s a collaborative way of working and, in a sense, I’ve chosen my own colleagues to work with.

What will be keeping you busy over the next few months?

I’ll be taking every chance to start painting the exterior of my house in between article-writing, editing and rain showers.

Which works of design, architecture or art do you recommend seeing in Vancouver?

My favourite is the Museum of Anthropology, an Arthur Erickson building with an immense Bill Reid sculpture in the middle. It’s situated about 30 metres from the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by forest.

What have you enjoyed about being a photographer in Vancouver?

I’ve never been a photographer anywhere else! That being said, there’s a very talented pool of designers and artists to work with, and collaboration makes the best inspiration.

Portrait by Jennilee Marigomen

PROJECTS

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APERTURE 09.2019

Interior Awards: Relive the celebratory evening. p.10.

Designer Interview: We meet interior designer and Everyday Needs founder Katie Lockhart. p.12.

News: Salasai’s futuristic fashion show and the design ethos behind Allbirds’ new Britomart store. p.14.

Oceania Biophilia Summit: Inside the new Glenorchy summit on creating buildings conscious of the natural world. p.16.

Interior Awards More than 400 people attended the 2019 Interior Awards prize-giving ceremony: architects, designers, sponsors and judges came out to celebrate New Zealand’s most innovative interiors. The event, which took place at the Sir Keith Park Memorial Aviation Display Hall (at MOTAT), was emceed by award-winning comedians Jesse Griffin and Jackie van Beek. interiorawards.co.nz This page (clockwise from top). MOTAT’s Aviation Display Hall; Kristen Basra and Shannan Golding; emcees Jesse Griffin and Jackie van Beek; Cameron Pollock and James Grose.

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APERTURE

This page (clockwise from top left).

Nathan Varga, Mark Craven and Yigiu Hong; Roger Graham and Richard Naish; Kate Henderson and Keri Cunliffe; Abdallah Alayan and Haneen Alayan; Brenda Higgins, Penny Vernon and Nanette Cameron; Simon Priddy, Toni Brandso, Josh Stent, Liv Patience and Jaime Davis; Josh Dean; Vospertron.

Photography: Jamie Bowering.

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APERTURE

Designer interview Interior designer Katie Lockhart has built a worldwide career that spans retail, installation, residential, editorial styling and beyond. We caught up with the Auckland-based creative.

You ended your involvement with homewares store Everyday Needs a couple of years ago.

Why the change and what has been your focus since?

Everyday Needs was always a side project for me that grew of its own momentum and was managed by a great team. It had reached a point where I felt it deserved to have someone at the helm who had the time to focus on it properly.

I have enjoyed having more time to focus on my interiors practice and family since I sold it.

Your work has been very popular with creative clients. Why is this?

I think it comes down to a meeting of minds.

A lot of your work seems to prefer the ‘handmade’ over the mass-produced, the analogue over the highly technical and – for the lack of a better word – the organic over the synthetic.

I actually love all of the above (i.e. handmade and mass-produced, analogue and highly technical) and I do love combinations of both and their tactile juxtapositions... It’s about choosing the right elements for our clients, their spaces and how they intend to use them.

It is now possible to choose from a handful of glass-blowers in New Zealand. There are a few people properly crafting wool for interior spaces. Many within the building industry are happy to slow down and try alternative building techniques to meet design goals. Has New Zealand’s craft industry changed much in the time you have been working here?

There have always been craft communities in New Zealand and there have always been people who value craft in New Zealand. I think that there is more awareness now around the consumption choices that you make and who/ what you are supporting through your choices.

This brings locally crafted goods more into focus.

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New Zealand interiors (possibly most of our creative output) have often looked at the landscape and our natural context as rich sources of materials, tones and narratives.

However, your work seems to me to be much more outward looking. How do you see nationality playing a part in your work – does it register and does it matter?

It really depends on what you are seduced by.

A sense of intention and longevity seduces me.

It can be the interior of a marae in Mahia, built in the 1950s, or the tiled bathrooms of Villa Borsani, Milan, built in the early 1940s, but both were built with the same intent: to house their families well.

Travel and art seem to be recurring themes/ interests/sources of inspiration for you. Any particular places and artists that inspire you at the moment?

I keep thinking how lucky Le Corbusier was to have Charlotte Perriand as his designer!

I would love to explore India more. I worked there a few years ago with Bijoy Jain (Studio Mumbai) and had such an incredible experience; there is a huge tradition of craft in India that I would love to understand better.

Above.

Katie Lockhart works with Francis Upritchard on colour selections for her shows.

Below. Lockhart’s furniture designs for Elle + Riley.

APERTURE

Tell me about your own, personal favourite tools. What are they and why?

I would have to say that colour is my favourite tool; I love to play with it. We have files of colours we like; I like to play with them in combinations and leave them out to look at and consider how they work at different times of the day and in combinations with other materials.

What is your process for designing furniture?

Are you a pencil-and-paper designer? Do you craft to the smallest millimetre or rely on collaboration with craftspeople?

It really depends on what it is but we work very collaboratively with our makers. We spend a lot of time drawing the furniture but the measurements and details often change when we start developing the design in production with our makers. There is a sense of proportion to the pieces we create for our jobs that I am very particular about, and that I think has come about in my mind from years of observing furniture.

Above and below.

Lockhart’s handmade tiles.

In Milan, Lockhart worked with curator Ambra Medda to style the interior of Villa Borsani, which opened its doors to the public for Milan Design Week 2018.

If you had to select one material that you feel would best represent you, what would it be?

I think it might be a tile; I really do love handmade tiles.

Access to material in New Zealand has often been a stumbling block for many designers.

Do you feel that is the case?

It’s little things like great hinges, locks, door hardware and ceiling roses that I find impossible to find here.

If you could redesign the interior of a significant New Zealand building, what building would it be and what would you do to it?

A few years ago, my husband and I considered buying Whare Tane in Mount Eden, designed by architect John Anderson for Trevor Lloyd.

The owner at the time didn’t live in the house but had it full of shelving units stacked with every vacuum cleaner he had ever owned, etc. The bathroom and ground floor both had dirt floors. It was quite shocking to see such a beautiful space so neglected and, sometimes, I like to imagine how we would have restored/ renovated this house without overpowering the elements that make the interior so charming.

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APERTURE

Runways of the future

Fashion darling Salasai has hinted at what the future interiors of the fashion world might look like and… they are digital. During the most recent New Zealand Fashion Week appearance, the label integrated artificial intelligence into its collection release. Among seven separate creative collaborations, Salasai worked with Auckland AI firm UneeQ Digital Humans to superimpose digitally created fashion models onto images of a war memorial interior in Perth. With potential repercussions to fashion retail (i.e. customisable shopper avatars), we are watching this with interest.

A digital model from Salasai x UneeQ’s New Zealand Fashion Week collaboration.

Allbirds American footwear brand and Silicon Valley favourite Allbirds has joined the coterie of luxury retailers in Britomart Precinct. One of 15 stores the company has under its ecoconscious wing this year, the space features its signature combination of open stock service, ergonomically designed chairs and a modular wall system, but with a few subtle differences. Its inky service bar, designed by Jamie McLellan, was inspired by Auckland’s volcanoes and pops of teal are distinctly maritime.

“We’ve designed this space to be in a constant state of flux,” co-founder and former All White Tim Brown told Interior of its visual simplicity.

“It’s effectively a room filled with chairs that we’ve spent an enormous amount of time making, and that gives us a sense of fluidity in terms of adjusting the space for different products and events, and using it in different ways. I think the retail store of the future – or of now – is more a kind of community connection point. We’re still beginning to understand what these locations in different cities could be – beyond just places to buy shoes.”

Left and above centre. Allbirds’ Auckland store, featuring a modular wall system and sitespecific teal blue.

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of the whole package and to create a cohesive visual ambience. This usually starts with an underlying neutral palette, which is then layered with stronger, muted colours. This tends to result in calm, harmonious spaces.

CHARLOTTE MINTY This Wellington-based interior designer discusses the colours of her childhood and how they still hold a place in her imagination.

This colour selection was inspired by a house your dad built in the 1970s. Tell us a little about the colours of your childhood.

You always remember the colour of your childhood house because, often, this is the defining feature of when you were young. In my case, our house’s exterior cladding was in Burgundy, accompanied by the corrugated iron roof in Coffee and finished with the front door in Buttercup. All of these colours were, at the time, from the first and only Resene chart BS 2660:101 colour range. Inside, the open structure and central staircase were in exposed timber. Cork flooring and hessian ceiling panels were also part of the palette and were offset by pure-white walls and shots of colour throughout – interior doors in Buttercup and Red Berry, and the cosy snug by the dining room in Midnight. My fondest memory is of my bedroom’s bifold shutters,

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which overlooked the double-height dining space below. This was painted in Bermuda Grey, which Dad finished with crisp white clouds.

How did that house influence your current profession?

The fact my father designed and built the house, and my mother was in charge of the interiors, did not go unnoticed, even when I was at an early age. It was always part of my life growing up and now it is my professional life. While I haven’t used the same bold colours, the Resene BS 2660:101 is my favourite colour chart and I refer to it often. Whether it was influenced by seeing Mum and Dad looking over it, or being used in the home I grew up in, one can only wonder.

Tell us how you go about colour selection and whether or not you try to influence your clients in a particular direction when it comes to colour.

There is usually a jumping-off point in the project; whether it is the existing architecture, the surroundings, an intended part of the new design or an existing item, something will spark the selection. Recently, on an extensive villa project in Wellington, most of the interior colours came from a contemporary rug the clients owned.

I encourage my clients to look at colour as part

Your Herd Street office recently received the Resene Total Colour Awards – Winner Neutrals. Tell us about how you selected those colours and why you think the palette impressed the jury panel.

I worked alongside my architect sister Amelia Minty and the brief for the Herd Street office was to create a versatile, modern office free of the traditional trappings of corporate life. To incorporate the comforts of home, the kitchen was made a centrepiece of the design. Its location took advantage of the natural light and the prevailing views of the neighbouring marina.

Like any household kitchen, this one was to act as the focal point of the office. In order to satisfy the functionality element of the brief, a large ‘box’ was inserted; it houses the utilities (i.e. bathrooms, meeting room, storage) and allows for the main open-plan space to be flexible in its use.

With the backdrop of a busy marina, the colour scheme was pared back to two simple-butstriking colours. Resene Ship Grey was used to provide emphasis to the inserted box. The kitchen formed a key feature of the box and also inherited the dark colour. This palette was applied again to the bathrooms to create a deep canvas to let the brass fixtures shine. In contrast, the rest of the office is finished in classic Resene Black White to allow the box to stand out and the attention to be drawn to the unique maritime-inspired artefacts. The steel beams and concrete floor were both finished in Resene Uracryl clear.

It seems the judges responded well to this scheme and felt that the chosen neutral colours helped to make the commercial space feel more domesticated and restful.

Resene Beaten Track

Resene Bermuda Grey

Resene Buttercup

Resene Midnight Express

INTERIOR X Resene Colour Collab

This page.

An interpretation of Charlotte Minty’s Resene colour palette.

(Photography by Toaki Okano; art direction

by Thomas Cannings and AndrĂŠ Kini).

The BS 2660:101 collection can be viewed in the Resene colour chart archive on the Resene website.

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PROJECTS 09.2019

The Rabbit Patch Preschool: This childcare centre favours neutrals over bright colours and subtle whimsy over bold patterns. p.22.

Harmos Horton Lusk: A brief of ‘traditional with a twist’ has been met with stunning accuracy in this city law firm. p.32.

DDB: In-house chemistry is top priority in this collaborative advertising agency overlooking Auckland’s Upper Harbour. p.42.

Dark Sky Project: A starry new project on the South Island. p.52.

Fresh Walk into most childcare centres and you will be greeted with a rainbow of clashing colours and zany patterns, with a backdrop of practical, commercial-grade surfaces. Not in this one.

Words Camille Khouri Images Sam Hartnett

Project: The Rabbit Patch Preschool – Te Tipu Client: Gail Clarke and Jo Campbell Location: Christchurch Project type: Education Floor area: 206m2

This page.

A natural palette, other than acting as a canvas for creativity, brings in a sense of calm.

In terms of scale and design, the preschool gives the impression of being inside a home.

Located in the suburb of Burnside in Christchurch, The Rabbit Patch is a purpose-built preschool that operates on the Reggio Emilia philosophy of learning, which includes seeing the learning environment as an additional teacher.

Providing a base that is natural and neutral allows for the child to imprint their own thoughts and expressions on the centre, and that is the brief that was provided to Phil Redmond Architecture & Urbanism (PRau) from which to create the design for the preschool.

“The idea is that you are creating a space that is not specifically a childcare centre but is homely in terms of scale,” says architect Phil Redmond. “The natural palette provides a blank slate for the kids to engage with and fill with their own ideas. It’s a very arts-based centre. They use a lot of natural materials to create art that adorns the space. So, it fills with the children’s creative ideas rather than being saturated in colour and kid-specific shapes and forms. The children take ownership of the space.”

“The natural palette provides a blank slate for the kids to engage with and fill with their own ideas.” Phil Redmond In terms of plan, the building is angular. It interacts with two other buildings on the same site, which house other age groups of children, and its shape creates a courtyard that opens onto the existing playground. A special feature is a ‘bird’s beak’ window seat, which articulates one corner of the building and forms a sunny spot in which to read or create, adjacent to a mixed-use atelier area.

In contrast with the exterior, internal walls are curved.

“The curves came from creating a flow within the space so it naturally progresses between different areas without defining them sharply with angles,” says Redmond.

The roof over the deck features circular cut-outs with reflective inner surfaces, which seem to soften the angles of the architecture and also inspire the children to pause and look up.

On wet days, this would create some interesting conversations around rain. Those who know of Phil Redmond’s previous work (e.g. the award-winning Rhodes House in Christchurch) will appreciate that there is a PRau signature metal V holding up the

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roof here and doubling as a whimsical feature for the children to hold onto and spin around.

A circular skylight in the entranceway furthers the theme and adds another sense of interest to the interiors. “The interaction for the children through light, shadow and reflection is really interesting and ties nicely with their [inquisitiveness] and experimentation,” says Redmond.

Furniture is a mix of PRau custom designs, such as the work tables, and off-the-shelf childcare furniture, such as the Aalto-esque chairs in the dining area.

Designing for a smaller-scale human being was an involved process, says Redmond. “Functional items for the children – tap heights, sink depths and the like – were the trickiest. You want the children to be independent so there was a lot of time working out what appropriate responses were.”

Walls are lined in whitewashed plywood overlaid with pine battens. The vertical battens carry to the exterior cladding, creating a sense of continuity and

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neutrality. “Vertical battens were chosen to disrupt the perception of the length of the hallway and the main space. We also feel the vertical battens articulate and add a nice tactile element to the curves in the spine wall,” says Redmond.

Lighting is chosen from the Unios range. LED fittings are used throughout and varied in some spaces to define zones. A cluster of pendants gives the small atelier area a cosy scale for the children, who often work at ground level. Track lighting with positionable spots allows for artwork on the walls to be illuminated.

For PRau’s architectural graduate Madeleine Clarke, the design of The Rabbit Patch held special meaning as this was the preschool she attended as a child. “It was a privilege to have been able to design the new building, having gone there myself and then be closely associated with it through the years.

The scale and feel to the street are subtle and of a residential scale – not showing off. The focus is on the experience for the children.”

This spread.

The deck features circular cut-outs that create a simple but effective point of difference outdoors.

Child-level sinks help kids develop independence.

A window seat, protruding like a bird’s beak, offers a cantilevered space in which children and teachers can soak in the garden and the sun.

This spread.

A unifying colour palette across all touchpoints, combined with shrunk proportions and natural light, give this space a very unique and highly targeted feel.

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PROJECT DETAILS

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Project name: The Rabbit Patch

Preschool – Te Tipu Client: Gail Clarke and Jo Campbell Design practice:

PRau – Phil Redmond Architecture & Urbanism Design team: Phil Redmond, Madeleine Clarke Time schedule:

One year and seven months Project size: 206m2

KEY MATERIALS Paint: Dryden, Dulux Windows: Kennedy Aluminium Appliances:

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Fisher & Paykel, Bosch Flooring: Karndean Doors: CS for Doors Joinery: Kennedy Aluminium Glass: Potter Interior Systems Hardware: Mardeco, JNF Furniture: Mocka, Phil Redmond Architecture & Urbanism Laminates: Prime Panels Lighting: Unios Signage: Adgraphix Tapware: Progetto, VCBC, Caroma, Mercer Tiles: Redmonds Flooring

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5

6 3

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

4 2 1

Ground-floor plan

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Entrance Reception Piazza Accessible toilet Lockers Atelier 1 Children’s bathroom Open play Eating area Atelier 2

Project: Harmos Horton Lusk Client: Harmos Horton Lusk Location: Auckland Project type: Workplace Floor area: 730m2

Traditional We peel back some of the layers behind law firm Harmos Horton Lusk, this year’s winner of the Workplace (up to 1000m2) category at the Interior Awards.

Words Melanie McDaid Images Sam Hartnett

Twist

An exclusive, disruptive and indispensable brand with creative, jovial and hard-working people: from this narrative of legal practice Harmos Horton Lusk (HHL), the initial concept for the firm’s architectural transformation was conceived as ‘Traditional with a Twist’. When HHL sought out Warren and Mahoney, the firm occupied a prominent position on the 37th floor of well-known Auckland tower the Vero Centre, with panoramic water views. Rather than big change, it wanted to move to a larger floor plate on the 33rd floor and turn its incumbent, successful working model into an exceptional space. Add a design team at Warren and Mahoney, led by principal Scott Compton, who knew the building intimately, those Waitematā Harbour views and a vast collection of New Zealand art collected over many years by HHL, and the ingredients were there for an exceptional result.

Compton describes planning the new office as “a game of Tetris”, with three distinct spaces – an arrival area, a central amenity space and a working area. As one exits the lift, the natural materials of the lobby immediately cleanse the palate to prepare for an entrance into the cobbled arrival area, which feels like

34

an external courtyard. (These floors are Compton’s favourite part of the project: “We wanted a cobbled environment because we wanted to internalise the outdoor experience. There is no shine on that floor at all. It absorbs all the light.”) Curved walls, clad floor to ceiling in white expanded mesh, smoky brass mirrors and warm timber battens ensure the space unfolds graciously. The unexpected materiality of the walls draws the eye to Michael Parekowhai’s lifesized security guard sculpture Kapa Haka (Pakaka).

It feels private and nest-like but the mystery of the space deepens on closer inspection; through slithers of glazing and small perforations in the extruded mesh, masked meeting rooms reveal themselves beyond the sweeping walls.

Bespoke, solid and white, an unmanned reception desk is the next object that is registered, occupied by just a tablet and a plant. Above this bare-but-inviting creation is a large light feature, mimicking the diameter of the table and giving the impression that the desk has fallen from the void onto the cobblestones. The light streaming down from the feature manages to appear as though it could be daylight pouring in.

This spread.

The arrival area features a balance of varying textures, such as tumbled stone pavers, American white oak timber battens, a curved smoky brass mirror and a polished lime plaster ceiling.

Michael Parekowhai’s life-sized security guard sculpture, Kapa Haka (Pakaka), stands over the arrival area.

Reading and breakout spaces feature a careful selection of furniture pieces, including Gubi Masculo lounge chairs, which surround a black Hay Slit XL coffee table.

This spread.

Michael Parekowhai’s Rainbow Servant Dreaming sculptures accessorise a meeting room.

The boardroom is filled with a bespoke heavy timber table. White leather Okamura Plimode chairs offer a lovely balance of comfort and style.

The amenities space is scattered with luscious planting and benefits from a bar-height table and a muted, calm palette of greens and warm neutrals.

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Through a tall, heavy door, the transition into the central amenities space occurs. The space retains the cobblestones underfoot and the polished plaster ceiling (with its muted, reflective nature, which perfectly juxtaposes the floor) from the arrival space. Soft green fabrics and furniture (a visual delight that is a who’s who of New Zealand furniture-makers), banquette seating, warm, honey-like crown-cut timbers, and a wall of encaustic-type tiles ensure this space speaks of homeliness. As Compton explains, this “acknowledges that you spend a lot of time in these spaces… so it should always feel like somewhere that you’re happy to be.” Matte-black industrial track lighting contrasts the homely feel and brings attention to a small area of exposed concrete: a reminder of the bones of the tall building which hosts this space. Scott Compton explains further: “The [amenities space] is basically one big communal residential house, in a way. I love the fact that [in the kitchen] they were willing to show that little bit of exposed structure, without any decoration, but then add some touches of homeliness to it with the tiling and planting.”

Accessed off the amenities area through an automatic opening door hidden within a muddy, brass-coloured mirrored wall, the boardroom is an expansive space. “They wanted a huge boardroom; they wanted a space that was generous enough to accommodate art within it. And it’s bright. Once you’re in there, it’s pretty intimidating because of the scale but it’s not an aggressive space,” explains Compton.

It is easy to want to linger here; however, proceeding through another door, “the kitchen migrates into what is the back of house... they wanted [separate] offices as a counter to the current legal trend of open plan. They can all see out, each one has a view. It’s traditional but it’s democratic in that sense,” explains Compton. The formal planning here feels measured with a palette of muted greens, warm timbers and accents of matte black. Compton explains, “If you put everything on the windows/the façade, you end up with this horrible internalised environment… so, we basically reversed that theory. The test was to try to place all of the built environment against the central core but, conversely, give every office a view. It was one of those satisfying studies where you just keep working at it until you find the perfect mix.

We tried to keep it clear and simple and legible, which was a complete contrast, I guess, to what’s up front, which is messing with people’s minds a bit.”

Perhaps most impressive is the level of detail. “It is immaculately detailed – the level of thought and quality that went into all of these little areas. I take my hat off to [my team].

The joinery, the shadow gaps on everything: it is a very clever piece of documentation,” Compton says.

‘Traditional with a Twist’ was certainly delivered. The simplicity is striking and elegant. These offices truly deliver an experience to be remembered.

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The central dining table is built around a kitchen island and is surrounded by Simon James Osso chairs. Several Louis Poulsen Cirque pendants adorn the space.

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Lift lobby Client lobby Meeting room Client bathroom Staff hub Lawyer’s office Partner’s office Support staff Print hub Comms room Future expansion

PROJECT DETAILS

KEY MATERIALS

Project name:

Ceiling: Resene Rockcote Paint: Resene Rockcote Flooring: Karndean Furniture: Cult, IMO,

Harmos Horton Lusk Client: Harmos Horton Lusk Design practice:

Warren and Mahoney Design team: Scott Compton, Keri Cunliffe, Kate Henderson, Seth Baguion Time schedule: 12 months Total floor area: 730m2

Aspect, Simon James Kitchen/Bar furniture:

Optimum Furniture Glass: Glass Projects Hardware: Dormakaba Acoustic panelling:

T&R Interior Systems Laminates: Bestwood Lighting: Energylight Signage: Big Ideas Tiles: Artedomus

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Define your space.

Cladding Systems + Interior Systems + Construction Products

Architect : Warren & Mahoney Feature lobby and ceiling Rockcote Marblestone Venetian polished Rockcote Artisan Colin MacKenzie Plastering, Auckland.

Discover our range of interior SODVWHU ʇQLVKHV LQVSLUHG E\ Nature.

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Creative Chemistry A long-established advertising agency has taken a fresh new approach to collaborative space.

Words Jo Jefferies Images Michelle Weir

Project: DDB Group Client: DDB Group New Zealand Location: Auckland Project type: Workplace Floor area: 2400m2

The cliché is for advertising agencies to lean towards a Google-esque aesthetic: ping-pong tables, slides and pops of neon are what automatically come to mind.

But DDB, one of New Zealand’s oldest and largest advertising agencies, was after a fresh approach.

Its new space, which spans two floors in a building that takes in spectacular views of Auckland’s Upper Harbour, connects the 250 staff members in a sophisticated and collaborative environment.

GHDWoodhead creativespaces design director Kevin Russ says: “The desire here was to be more refined and represent all the work groups within the agency” and the new approach is evident immediately in the light-filled reception space.

A curved kiosk welcomes guests to sign in unassisted, while also providing a barrier to the back-of-house area. The adjacent social hub is the obvious place to sit and wait for a meeting, or work after a meeting (some clients never want to leave), and the conviviality of the space means any division between staff and visitor is transcended.

The full-height glass windows in the hub showcase

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views of Kauri Point and the Upper Harbour right through to the Waitākere Ranges (on a clear day) and flood the space with light.

When negotiating the layout of the upper floor, the placement of the boardroom was a priority, given that it is this space that clients are most likely to frequent.

Therefore, locating it in the prime corner position with the best outlook was self-evident but the psychology of leading clients through the social hub to arrive there is unique, says Russ.

“You already feel part of the business before you arrive there, rather than being led down a corridor.

That openness is a really nice way of working – a lot of corporates wouldn’t go that way.”

In back-of-house, each of the finance, planning, creative and human resources departments has its own open-plan space. But despite it not being an ‘agile’ office, there is opportunity to reconfigure spaces to suit changing needs over time.

During the design and build period alone, the brief changed from a 2400m2 space for 220 staff members to a final staff count of 250 come move-in day.

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In the lobby of DDB, a ‘welcome kiosk’, positioned against a black herringbone vinyl feature wall, acts as a greeting point for visitors and is no longer attended by a receptionist.

Exposed plywood staves line the kiosk’s exterior, giving it a sense of warmth and informality. These are contrasted with black aluminium joinery, which runs in lines around the design. The colour palette was inspired by trends from Salone del Mobile 2018 and includes mint greens and muted pastels.

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The informal client lounge features Tim Webber Walker chairs and a large Monarch rug by Boh Runga.

The boardroom, located on DDB’s upper level, was positioned there specifically in order that it could soak in the best office views.

Armchairs and a sofa from Simon James’ Archive collection can be found in the more-relaxed, dark production and edit suite, which houses photographic and recording suites.

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This spread. Finnish birch plywood brings in warm accents by way of ceiling, joinery and wall details.

With these types of fluctuation in mind, the furniture was chosen for versatility and the workstations, designed by McGreals, were reduced from two metres in length down to 1.4 metres.

“The square metres per work point would be incredibly efficient,” says Russ, especially considering the huge amount of space the full production suite takes up on the downstairs floor.

In its former offices, the production team was scattered over five floors but, in the new space, having all of the team members work on one floor was a priority. The solution was to create a kind of creative cave – a full production suite with photographic and recording studios.

It’s where clients come to see their ads during or post production, and the aesthetic of the entire floor has an industrial feel, with exposed services, steel, glass and robust finishes. It’s essentially the engine room to facilitate DDB’s creative arm and the energy is dynamic and busy.

It sits in direct contrast to the upper floor, where acoustic ceiling panels soften the space, the colour palette is lighter and curved walls cocoon the staff.

However, the two floors are unified by many of the same soft furnishings, which were selected predominantly from New Zealand designers and take in a soft palette of warm colours.

A symbiotic relationship between the various collaborating sections of the business is also evident in the great uptake of communal workspaces, including numerous booths and small conference spaces.

Achieving good chemistry between departments and people is central to DDB’s philosophy. Instead of an initial ‘pitch meeting’, GHDWoodhead was asked to come for a ‘chemistry meeting’. It’s an uncommon approach to building relationships between businesses but it’s one that GHDWoodhead has taken on board in its own practice.

So, was the chemistry any good? Russ says the match between the two creative agencies made for a harmonious design process and it shows in the way members of staff are taking ownership of the space: “it’s because you have that connection of ideas, it’s much easier to ‘get’ each other”.

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PROJECT DETAILS

KEY MATERIALS

Project name: DDB Group

Paint: Resene Blinds/Drapes: SP Blinds Appliances: Noel Leeming Flooring: Interface, Jacobsen Ceiling: Asona Internal walls: Potter Interior Systems Glass: Potter Interior Systems Hardware: Lockwood (Assa Abloy) Furniture: Tim Webber Design,

New Zealand fit-out Client: DDB Group New Zealand Design practice:

GHDWoodhead creativespaces Design team: Kevin Russ, Colette McCartney, Mikayla Roadhouse, Sean Price, Tyler Nel Time schedule: May 2018 – March 2019 Total floor area: 2400m2

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Simon James, Unison, Backhouse, McGreals Laminates: Prime Panels Lighting: Mr Ralph, Lightplan Acoustic panelling: Vivid Textiles Tiling: Tile Space Rugs: Designer Rugs Textiles: Kvadrat, Maharam, Camira, Febrik

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Boardroom Social hub Lobby/Concierge Meeting room Open-plan office Retreat Office Storage Utility Tea bay Booth War room Lounge

Project: Dark Sky Project Client: Ngāi Tahu Tourism and Dark Sky Project (formerly Earth & Sky) Location: Mackenzie Basin Floor area: 1173m2

galactic The South Island’s seemingly endless night sky, Māori and European stargazing traditions, a nearly forgotten Victorian telescope… as far as inspiring narratives for an interior space go, the designers of the Dark Sky Project were spoilt for choice.

Words Federico Monsalve Images Stephen Goodenough

In 2012, a parcel of more than 4300km2 of land in the South Island’s Aoraki Mackenzie Basin was awarded ‘International Dark Sky Reserve’ status by the International Dark-Sky Association. Such a designation – one of about a dozen around the world – recognises the region’s importance for astronomy, as its location and low levels of light pollution allow professional and casual stargazers unparalleled views of the night sky.

This status also seeks to preserve this slice of darkness for posterity by limiting light emissions in the area and educating people on the importance of dark skies and astronomy, and on the multitude of narratives that they have and continue to inspire.

Within this expanse, enviably atop Mount John, sits the Mount John Observatory: a University of Canterbury (UC)-run research complex with various telescopes and some significant discoveries under its orbital belt. Since its inception in 1965, the observatory has held an aura of romantic magnetism, attracting a significant portion of the millions of tourists who come to Lake Tekapō (a mere 10km away) or are on their way to Mount Cook or further south to Queenstown.

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A few years back, a group that included UC and Ngāi Tahu, among others, decided to build new tourist facilities at the foot of Mount John. The move sought to give visitors heading to the observatory a base camp and, at the same time, to serve as a destination and education centre for daytime visitors. Parallel to this mission was an attempt to restore and rehouse the Brashear Telescope, a nine-metre instrument from the 1890s that had been gifted to UC by a United States university. Both goals were combined and Sheppard & Rout Architects was brought along to complete a 1173m2 base build, with an 11-metre dome for the Brashear at its heart. Auckland’s ThoughtFull Design – which has a history of working with Ngāi Tahu on similar tourism projects (Rainbow Springs, Franz Josef Glacier) – was also brought on board to “develop a brand, a name, a visual identity… and then a story. That story,” according to the firm’s founding partner, Geoff Suvalko, “started to manifest itself inside the building.”

One of the starting points was a desire to juxtapose Māori and European astrological knowledge and traditions through exhibition content and wayfinding.

This spread.

The base build by Sheppard & Rout Architects was inspired by the enviable Mount John location. The interior uses a base palette of red, black and white as a nod to Māoridom and as a way to produce a low level of light emissions.

Projections of a lake acknowledge the way local Māori used to stargaze: by looking at reflections rather than directly at the night sky.

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The Dark Sky Diner was inspired by Americana. It brings a casual, relaxed feel and seeks to attract daytime customers and give night visitors a place of respite.

Highlights include glass orbs by artist Luke Jacomb and neon accents.

Facing page.

The Brashear Telescope is at the heart of this interior.

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“That kind of fusion of Māori culture and science went into our design process, where we designed a story – told through guides – through three different spaces within that experience zone,” says Suvalko, “from creation to identification, to the theory around science, to the application of star law to Māori life and so on.”

Those exhibition spaces were inspired, in part, by Māori architectural history and, more specifically, the Whare Tātai, which designers describe as an open-roofed building that was often built just slightly outside of the village. It was here that people of mana would pass on their knowledge about the galaxy. “It was a building where Māori used to teach

identification, the relevance of stars in the night sky to the seasons of the year and their activities, such as the running of the eels. In this building, we have tried to bring that to life,” says Suvalko.

The ways in which Whare Tātai was translated into the interior included not just the exhibition content but how it was presented: via human guides rather than digital or self-guided tours. Within the Whare Tātai “you would move around from right to left. Basically, the individual who had the knowledge would sit at the centre and then the students would move around four different walls,” says Suvalko. “The first wall was used to describe creation – how the world came about.

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Maximising views and keeping low light levels proved to be a challenging part of this brief but allowed designers to play with a variety of textures and reflectivity.

The second showed where constellations are and what they are called, and students would learn these through repetitive chanting. Then, the relevance [and significance] of those constellations – where in the night sky they were, what time of year, at what height, how bright.

“We have designed the space to reflect a Whare as opposed to making it look like one literally, and that shift, I think, creates a really exciting space,” says Suvalko. “It was a way of expressing our cultural constructs in a contemporary way, and this makes people think differently about them. It reframes them because the constructs that Māori had are timeless; they just haven’t necessarily been shared. So, we had to make the knowledge accessible to everyone. It had to feel relevant, contemporary and exciting.”

The interior colour and material schemes were also crucial for two separate reasons. First, they had to be faithful to that Māori narrative and use colours of significance: hence, red, white and black.

Second, as part of the area’s International Dark Sky Reserve status, the building had to adhere to fairly strict light emission ordinances and ensure that internal light spillage was kept to an absolute minimum.

According to ThoughtFull design lead Aaron Richardson, these low light levels meant they could “play a lot more with materiality to express things we would normally do through colour”.

Core finishes were chosen for their somewhat sciencealluding geometrical shapes and their levels of reflectiveness: hexagonal floor tiling, low-sheen acrylic paints, marmoleum floors with a faux concrete shine, and bathroom mosaic walls with backlit round mirrors, which emulate eclipses.

Beside the exhibition spaces is an American-inspired diner, which aims to make the most of the daytime views while also providing a rest area for night-time visitors. This space makes use of some impressive light elements, such as neon accents and colourful, glass orb pendants (a mixture of opal and translucent glass) made by artist Luke Jacomb.

“The idea behind the circular forms [was to] echo the celestial bodies, both through the identity itself and through some of the detail,” says Richardson.

The Dark Sky Project is an exciting and intriguing proposition. It is an interior born from considerable stakeholder management, an understanding of bicultural narratives and the blending of those, tactfully and intelligently, into a truly contemporary space.

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PROJECT DETAILS

KEY MATERIALS

Project name: Dark Sky Project Client: Ngāi Tahu Tourism

Paint: Resene Windows: Stake Glass Blinds/Drapes:

and Dark Sky Project (formerly Earth & Sky) Design practice: ThoughtFull Design team:

Geoff Suvalko, Aaron Richardson, Emma Richardson, Andrea Fouhy Time schedule:

Two years and six months Total floor area: 1173m2

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Window Treatments Flooring: Ontera Joinery: Barrett Joinery Glass: Cook Brothers Construction Furniture: Harrows Acoustic panelling: Autex Signage: Adgraphix

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Entry court Main entrance Second entrance Reception Retail space Experience space Brashear Telescope Terrace Restaurant Bar Kitchen W/C Accessible W/C Dry store/Freezer Meeting room Office Storeroom Plant space

PROUD FURNITURE SUPPLIERS TO DARK SKY PROJECT

“The expert team at Harrows helped us deliver a custom ɰɁȢʍɽȈɁȶ ɽȃƃɽ ȃƃɰ ljȶȃƃȶƺljǁ ɽȃlj ƃljɰɽȃljɽȈƺ Ɂǹ Ɂʍɨ ˎɽɁʍɽ ƃɽ Dark Sky Project in Takapo. They bent over backwards to help us achieve our vision within our budget.”

MARTYN WHITLEY, GENERAL MANAGER PROJECTS, NGAI TAHU TOURISM

Bollo Spisolini chair designed by Andreas Engesvik for Fogia.

Now available in New Zealand through Statement iD.

15 BATH STREET, PARNELL , AUCKLAND INFO@STATEMENTID.CO.NZ STATEMENTID.CO.NZ

FORUM 09.2019

Stage Directions: A Vancouver-based practice is leveraging

theatre and the fine arts to grow its impressive roots in the North American commercial arena. p.64.

Catching the Wave: Curvilinear is making a comeback.

These interiors are riding its sleek, sinuous current into curious territories. p.72.

Personal Space: Sam Caradus of Crosson Architects shares the things keeping him busy. p.80.

Stage directions

FORUM

Theatre, the fine arts and a high level of empathy are at the core of Ste. Marie, a Vancouver design practice re-imagining North American commercial interiors.

Words Tracey Ingram Images Conrad Brown and Ian Lanterman

This spread.

The rustic interior of restaurant Savio Volpe, designed by Ste. Marie, was inspired by three Italian designers: Carlo Mollino, Bruno Munari and Enzo Mari. Its style is emblematic of what the firm terms ‘Italian farmhouse modern’.

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Savio Volpe’s earthy finishes are similar to those of roadside osterias, or taverns, found in the Italian countryside.

Theatre and hospitality are inherently intertwined.

An impeccable dining experience is comparable to a flawless performance – the food, wine and waiters unite to form a seamless show. So, when Wes Anderson ventured into interiors by designing Bar Luce at the Fondazione Prada museum in Milan, the progression felt natural (if a little quirky; we are talking about Wes Anderson after all).

The same can be said for Craig Stanghetta. Studio principal of Ste. Marie in Vancouver, Canada, the self-trained designer has a Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in theatre. After acting on stage in Toronto, he transitioned into film and television in Vancouver. “I’d waited for so long to make money as an actor that, when it finally happened, I was terrified that I wasn’t enjoying it,” he says. “But I was lucky, too. I’d been designing on the side as a serious hobby and had experience in hospitality. I was able to convince a few people to leave their interior projects in my hands.”

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“We always assess how amenity spaces in buildings connect to other spaces, such as retail.

How can you leverage the way that people gather to add value to an interior?”

Craig Stanghetta

Stanghetta’s background in independent theatre meant he was constantly building. He often dabbled in furniture and small installation art, and helped friends bring retail projects to life. Beyond that, he didn’t train in design at all.

“I grew up in a really small town [Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, for those wondering about the origin of the studio name], which wasn’t super-sophisticated in terms of architecture and design. I didn’t know you could even do what I’m doing today – there were no courses for commercial interior design.”

But Stanghetta’s hands-on approach to construction and craft led him to believe it wouldn’t be hard to put together a small hospitality project. “I figured it was all about communication.

I started doing smaller things before taking on a few bigger restaurants. That’s when I had to learn really quickly.”

During the first four to five years in business, after launching in 2011, Stanghetta grew concerned he was in too deep. “Seven days a week, 16 hours a day: I was constantly working, constantly researching. I use the analogy of suddenly sinking your life savings into a money pit of a home whose foundations are failing. You’d go bankrupt if you didn’t solve the problem. You learn by necessity.

I developed the spirit of being able to slowly unravel knots and see my way through. I try to keep that spirit intact in the studio today. Because I didn’t have a template for how to solve problems – or what a process should look like – I had to develop my own methodology.”

FORUM

This spread.

Como Taperia’s colour and material palettes were heavily influenced

by Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies.

The graffiti park, otherwise known as the Gardens of the Three Chimneys, boasts a haphazard collision of brick and paint.

That methodology includes an obsession for details and a focus on storytelling, a remnant of his theatre days, but Stanghetta says it all begins with having a level of empathy for an interior. “We always ask ourselves: what does the project want to become?” The Ste. Marie team gathers and distils as many inputs as possible – from the client, the site, personal investigation, historical research and so on.

“Every site is unique. There are specific opportunities, obstacles and constraints. We listen to what the site has to say.” He mentions an upcoming project in an old logging and carpentry factory. Although it’s too soon to say much more, a clear historical narrative is naturally emerging. “As we follow that rabbit hole, a tonne of small cues arise that help us to tie everything to a certain direction.” It’s a long-winded process – “and, frankly, not terribly efficient” – but, once the group has developed a focused narrative, every decision flows through that filter. Then, says Stanghetta, things are relatively simple. When it comes to materials, for instance, a mere few will suit the story and the environment. Volumes, formwork, furniture typologies, fixtures: only so many will feel right and even fewer will perform correctly. “You might end up with two options,” says the designer. “You’d think that might be frustrating but it’s actually liberating. You

start to gain a sense that a project is unfolding on its own once you’ve cracked your way in.”

Since what Stanghetta calls “the old bootstrapping days” of the early 2010s – just him on the job, with perhaps the odd outsider involved – the scale of both the studio and its projects has swelled. Ste. Marie now works on large projects all over North America and employs around 10 core in-house designers, alongside a handful of staff members in other roles. “As we grow, we strive to keep a number of independent projects on the books but it’s not easy.”

Stanghetta points to Bao Bei, his first restaurant design.

“It’s still one of my favourite spots. The nooks and crannies were given the same attention as was the big picture. That’s the challenge for us: how do we keep that level of design and attention to detail as we upscale the business? How do we convince the clients of larger projects that there needs to be a macro perspective on narrative?

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FORUM

“How can you leverage the way that people gather to add value to an interior?”

Craig Stanghetta

Above.

Cool, steel-clad and seemingly textureless, the interior of Toronto-based restaurant Toro appears to be born out of science fiction.

Right.

Craig Stanghetta.

Portrait by Allison Kuhl.

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When people use our spaces, we want them to feel an immediate emotional connection. We’re doing our job if we can make something memorable, something guests get excited about patronising.” One of Stanghetta’s easiest clients to persuade is himself; he co-owns three F&B locations in Vancouver. “They obviously end up being great testing grounds for trying out new things and they help to keep us disciplined. We’re very much engaged in how they perform from a business standpoint.”

Currently, the studio’s job sheet includes assignments in the hotel, mixed-use and multi-residential sectors. “We always assess how amenity spaces in buildings connect to other spaces, such as retail. How can you leverage the way that people gather to add value to an interior? This is a big shift for us, to use that kind of thinking in co-working spaces, offices and lobbies of condos or hotels. The silo approach has been bulldozed by the likes of WeWork, which is introducing a different paradigm in work life. Today’s working generation doesn’t spend as much time at home, meaning public space is changing so much. We’re laying down roots in this arena but all through the Ste. Marie lens.

Hospitality is at the core of everything we do.”

WARWICK FABRICS X INTERIOR

MATERIAL FOCUS: WALKER MITCHELL Kirsty Mitchell is the designer and codirector of Walker Mitchell, the Auckland-based interiors firm behind the Fabric Bistro in Hobsonville Point.

Fabric Bistro was built in an ex-army textile warehouse. Did this heritage inform your design and material choices? If so, how?

The character of the building informed our design.

We left as much of the masonry and structure exposed as possible. We kept the palette generally neutral so the spatial emphasis was on texture rather than on pattern and colour.

There can be a coldness to former industrial spaces.

What tips do you have for turning something like this into a soft and inviting hospitality interior?

All of the introduced elements are aesthetically soft and warm to counteract the industrial character of the building – warm timber and brass hues, with honed stone textures and soft fabrics.

You have used linens, drapes, handwoven pendants, and soft textiles on cushions and seating booths. Tell us about the qualities that you needed from these materials (be it technical, aesthetic or anything else).

We were looking for soft, natural textures and colours to be juxtaposed against the building’s steel and masonry. The seating is in a soft, luxurious, velvet-style fabric that is nice to the touch but hard-wearing and performs well in hospitality settings. The linen drapes help break down the large warehouse space into smaller zones.

How did you arrive at the textile materials that you selected? What are your starting points and how does that journey and process work?

Our starting point was to create a warm, comfortable environment in an open, industrial space. We selected fabrics based on neutral aesthetics, softness of touch, durability and appropriateness for hospitality, and cost.

Above fabrics from left to right.

Warwick Fabrics – Beachcomber Smoke; Lovely Coal; Augustus Ecru; Component Pebble; Fletcher Bark; Augustus Midnight; Augustus Grey; Lovely Ochre; Lustrell Allure Chai.

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This spread.

Located in New York’s East Village, Spiritea tea shop

by New Practice Studio features soft pastels and equally soft edges.

FORUM

Catching the wave Arches, circles, curves – these interiors seek a softer, more rotund way of welcoming customers.

Words Rebecca Gross

Research into the ways in which architecture influences aesthetic judgement and the decision to approach or avoid has found that we have a natural preference for curvilinear rather than rectilinear forms.

Indeed, not only do we consider curves to be more beautiful, but, also, they trigger pleasant emotions and encourage us to approach or enter.* The curve – sinuous, wavy and inviting – seems to be making a comeback of sorts in interior spaces, with furniture, architecture, accents, artworks and beyond favouring the friendly shape over its harsher cousins. Here are two recent projects that encapsulate some of this softer, more tender side to commercial interiors. * Vartanian, Oshin et al. “Impact of contour on aesthetic judgments and approach-avoidance decisions in architecture.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 110, Suppl 2 (2013): 10,446–53. doi:10.1073/pnas.1301227110. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3690611

Spiritea, New York

by New Practice Studio Photography: Andy Chu (interiors), Yueqi L (exteriors)

With sweeping curves and a pastel palette, Spiritea in East Village, New York, entices customers inside – an inviting contrast to the rectilinear grid of streets and avenues that defines much of Manhattan. New Practice Studio designed the curvilinear environment to guide circulation through the tea shop, and selected gentle colours inspired by the exotic fruits used in the teas. “Spiritea is conceived as a fresh and playful environment that showcases the elegant process of tea-making to the guests,” says Nianlai Zhong, founding partner and principal at New Practice Studio.

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Spiritea is located in a brick tenement building that dates back to 1874. New Practice Studio preserved the original structure and incorporated existing and new decorative mouldings to retain its historic character sensitively.

Curving custom-made banquettes create a lounge-like seating environment within the entry of Spiritea and subtly guide movement towards the counter. Guests pass behind the banquettes and alongside the counter where they place their orders and views the tea-making process. Once they pick up their drink, guests circulate back through the café to sit on the banquettes or bench seats around the perimeter. An elongated cylindrical ceiling also entices movement towards the counter, and the terrazzo flooring discreetly directs flow as well, with darker colours wrapping around the bar and walls.

New Practice Studio looked to the fresh fruits used in the teas for the colour palette. Upholstery is baby blue and pale green, while tables have pink marshmallow-like bases and the ceiling is dusty rose. The bronze framework of the banquettes is light and elegant, reminiscent of the more feminine forms of art deco furniture that could be seen in 1930s’ New York. The curves continue in the restrooms, which have double-dome ceilings and are dimly lit, creating a cavernous atmosphere.

FORUM

This spread.

The cursive writing of Spiritea’s neon name mirrors the sinuous ceiling lines and retro-esque furnishings. The building in which the shop is situated dates back to 1874.

FORUM

This spread.

Est Lighting’s new trade showroom in Melbourne features curved insertions and cut-outs that act together as a sort of canvas on which light can play and interact with shape.

Est Lighting showroom, Melbourne

by Christopher Elliott Design Photography: Jack Lovel

Lighting plays an essential role in the way we experience architecture. The reverse applies in Est Lighting’s new showroom in Richmond, Melbourne, where architecture plays a crucial role in how we experience the lighting. With curved walls, arched openings and varying ceiling heights, the showroom, designed by Christopher Elliott Design, is an immersive space with a highly curated display of lights.

The showroom is located in a former warehouse building with a sawtooth roof with exposed beams and service ducts, and no windows or openings along the street frontage. “This presented many design challenges but meant we could encapsulate the showroom as we weren’t influenced by the architecture’s relationship with the outside,” says Elliot.

A new suspended ceiling wraps around the showroom, with an elongated oval cut out in the centre to reveal the sawtooth roof and bring in natural light. The ceiling

provides a surface for light fixtures and the varying ceiling heights create a sense of volume or compression, enhanced by walls, plinths, partitions and joinery that define spaces and provide platforms and backdrops for the product.

Lighting is placed to show off the fixture and diffused light in the best way, with negative space being equally important to showcasing the product and helping create a free-flowing layout that leads from one installation to the next. “We didn’t want a Christmas-tree effect of a million lights all together,” says Elliot.

The insertions are inspired by the way light interacts with curved surfaces and materials. Curved walls create nooks and arches frame views through the showroom.

Rounded area rugs define space and soften the industrial nature of the warehouse, as do the warm tonal colour palette and the tactile materials, such as slatted timber, glazed tiles and the s-fold curtains flanking the entrance.

“These elements highlight the way light and shadows react beautifully with uneven surfaces,” says Elliot. The seating also has sculptural, voluptuous curves and is placed to create vignettes or suggest commercial or residential settings. “It is more of an emotionally comforting experience than a typical showroom,” Elliot describes. “You feel as though you have stepped into another world that is inviting and comfortable to spend time in.”

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PERSONAL SPACE Sam Caradus is a Balclutha -born creative working for Crosson Architects. Here, he shares some of the people, ideas and objects that inspire him.

Left and below.

Rick Owens; Sam Caradus; a life drawing

by Caradus.

Outside of your design work, what gets your creative juices flowing?

Life drawing at Browne School of Art: the human form is so beautifully complex.

Attending the Royal New Zealand Ballet: the muscularity, athletic skill and artistry is inspiring. Dancing with Gandalf Archer Mills: passionate, unrelenting energy.

What fashion are you coveting?

Zambesi – I adore the work that Liz and Dayne produce. Also, Rick Owens – the silhouette is questioned, reinterpreted and recreated.

It’s sublime.

What has you excited at the moment?

My partner, artist Maggie Hubert, is back at university studying architecture. She’s so courageous and her work is inspiring.

Also, my good friend Jojo Ross is showing at Fashion Week.

Where and what are you eating?

Good Day café for coffee, along with Jacqui and Dan’s special energy, Barulho for mushrooms, Ostro for lobster and snapper pie, Amano for pappardelle and Federal Delicatessen for New York cheesecake.

What is keeping you busy these days?

At work: immersive drawing, model-making, exploration of beautiful sites and briefs for amazing clients. Outside of work: I love going to the theatre. Watching Alice Snedden, Chris Parker and Tom Sainsbury entertain at the Basement is always a fantastic way to finish off the week.

Which artists do you follow?

Paul Hartigan is a truly special human with a body of work that speaks to his unique energy.

Cruz Jimenez is such a passionate spirit, and Liam Gerrard’s intensity is reflected in his deep, moody charcoal drawings. Lisa Reihana’s work is powerful. Claudia Kogachi is an absolute favourite.

What’s on your playlist right now?

Nathan Haines and Latinaotearoa. I watched them together at Whammy Bar. Outrageous!

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What are your biggest weaknesses?

Beautiful black shirts and our two Bengal kittens, Frida and Lebbeus. They’re both a little aloof, totally crazy and wildly athletic, plus their spots are completely hypnotic.

Clockwise from above.

Caradus’ two Bengal cats; a Zambesi shirt; Latinaotearoa’s album Influencis et Collabis; The Phantom by Paul Hartigan; Gandalf Archer Mills (photograph supplied by Les Mills).

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