Well rounded Opportunity

The circular core offered opportunities, not just for placement of services and support areas, but for creating intimate meeting rooms and private quiet spaces.

Completed in 1967, Harry Seidler’s Australia Square remains Sydney’s most impressive commercial tower. Until recently, though, the interiors were generally less than impressive, tending as they did to to resist the implications of the building’s circular form. However, successive recent refurbishments (see Bates Smart’s Grange Securities in Indesign #20) have responded to the floor plan as an opportunity rather than a threat – an opportunity to express and embody contemporary corporate values such as transparency and creative interaction.

Morningstar is an unusual company in that it has developed a design philosophy to give coherence and ensure a single standard to its global network of offices. Indeed, it has a Managing Director of Design, Chicago-based David Williams, who is responsible for Morningstar’s corporate design and its application across the board to brand identity, products, communications and the work environment. Williams spent a number of weeks working with the The World is Round’s Andrew Cliffe and Project Manager, Hamilton Thomson, to ensure that the Australia Square outcomes matched the Morningstar philosophy.

Andrew Cliffe was committed to a design solution which grew out of the building’s circular plan and which expressed the Morningstar values – hence, the totally open plan environment.Apart from the meeting and training rooms , there are no enclosed spaces, and even these are fully glazed to ensure maximum transparency and equal access to the light and amazing views for the whole staff.

Centra of Attention

…A new showroom in the heart of Melbourne CBD on Flinders Lane, placing them within an established commercial design hub.

With so many high-quality commercial furniture suppliers in the market, it can be hard for a newcomer to stand out from the crowd. But when that newcomer provides a range of services and a full stable of well-known brands, they position themselves with the best of the best.

Centra Interiors have geared themselves to enter the architecture and design market with a bang, offering CAD capabilities and installation management, along with the full range of high-quality products required for commercial projects. With the kudos of being named as Australian distributors for Swiss-based seating company Giroflex, and Atlas storage now accredited to ISO14001,they have also decided to expand their range of products to include workstations.

Markant workstation systems offer a number of solutions with flexibility for future developments. Originating in the Netherlands, their products represent high-quality European design, with user-adjustable mechanisms, and a variety of sizes, configuration and finishes.

Consolidating their seating range, Centra Interiors have also taken on Stem Intelligent Seating, providing excellence in ergonomics. As well as high-quality comfort, the Stem range provides peace of mind when it comes to the environment. A number of their products, including Tecton, Sitz, Piazza and Magnum, are licensed to the GECA Eco-label Standard for furniture and fittings, which achieve credits when designing to Green Star ratings.

Complementing their entry into the architecture and interior design market, Centra Interiors have recently opened a new showroom in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD on Flinders Lane, placing them within an established commercial design hub.Their extensive displays will take centre stage later this year at the company’s official launch at Saturday in Design, giving the design community an opportunity to see Centra Interior’s comprehensive range of products first hand.

Centra Interiors

Super Zula

This summer, a revolutionary Australian-designed seat-bed from Zula provides the ultimate in relaxation, Unique and innovative, it comprises two separate pieces- a seat- bed and a stainless steel frame which hangs on a strong hook. In Sunbrella fabric, resistant to sun, rain, salt, wind and pollutants, the seat-bed rotates almost 360°, enabling you to swivel with the movement of the sun. The ergonomic design offers comfort and relaxation, allowing a gentle rocking, bouncing, swinging or tilting motion, or the sensation of weightless floating when still. Designed for the residential, resort and spa markets, the product is available in 10 standart colors, with the option to customize with branding.

Zula

Frieze frame

At the jabloka Galerie stand at the Frieze Art Flair in London last October,designer Ron arad and post-modern iconographer David la Chapelle’s works shared centre stage.The work of Andy Warhol protégé, LaChapelle provided a colorful contrast to Arad’s sculptural steel forms. Featuring more than 150 of the world’s contemporary art galleries, the Frieze Art Flair 2007 presented new works from over 1000 artists representing 28 countries. In its fifth year, the fair took place over four days in a large temporary structure of nearly 21,000 m2 , designed by renowned architect Jamie Fobert. Bringing the best of art, film and music from around the world to Regent’s Park in London, the fair also included specially commissioned artists’ projects, a prestigious talks program and an artist-led education schedule.

Frieze Art Flair

friezeartfair.com

Making Room

Already the design precinct of Sydney- research shows it has the highest concentration of design-related businesses in Australia- Surry Hills continues to evolve as showrooms and studios move away from the inner city fringe and down south to the less congested Alexandria edge.

Belying its name-inspired by prophecies of global calamity in 2000 due to the Y2K bug – FY2K has been a phenomenal success. So much so that its Foster Street showroom- right in the eye of the Sydney design hotspot- had become too small. Already having problems with the size and shape of the space, the addition of new ranges – Tisettanta, Casamilano, Logo and Ciat – made it imperative to find bigger premises. Ranges such as these are extensive, including bedding and storage solutions, and require appropriate display opportunities.

Director, Michael Manos, also points out that the Foster street precinct had become a victim of its own success. As more showrooms and studios opened up, so the area became congested with vans, delivery trucks and courier vehicles, creating a disincentive for clients needing parking.

FY2K was looking for at least 500m2 with room to expand in the future. They were also looking for a building with some historical character to set up an attractive complementarity with the contemporary flair of their product range.

They found what they were looking for in a warehouse in Thurlow street (just off Bourke Street and strictly-speaking in East Redfern), used by designer/artist, Ken Done, as a warehouse.It is literally around the corner from Anibou, a situation which both showrooms see as less about competition and more about a geographic concentration of design activity which can only enhance both businesses.

The building is neo-georgian in spirit with a classical symmetry to the street elevation.FY2K(who designed to make-over themselves, with documentation by Vanessa Larsen)have exploited this by inserting a grand entry in the middle with an elegant picture window on the right and flanked on either side by the original mullioned windows. Once inside, the space unfolds with four metre-high ceiling suffused with natural light from the front and side windows and punctuated by remnant industrial elements such as the orange-painted columns. Unlike the previous showroom, this one has the room to allow individual settings and ranges to occupy their own space and assert their own uniqueness.

At the southern and of the showroom and beyond the wall with its plasma screen there is an additional 300m2 of space for future expansion. Looking back the other way, through the front windows, there is a pleasant engagement with the streetscape helping to create the sense that this expansive showroom also has great intimacy, leaving room to explore the product in a relaxed way.

Steelcase’s Green Seating

Pioneers  in sustainable thinking, Steelcase has two of the most environmentally – friendly chairs on the market: ’Think’ and ‘ Leap’.

The eco design of the Think and leap chairs, together with Steelcase’s International Certifications, such as ISO 14000 and a total EMS ( Enviromental management System) provide support for architects and designers seeking to achieve Green Star Certification from the Green Building Council Australia on their Projects.

Both Chairs, as well as all Steelcase-brand seating,are Greenguard indoor air quality certified. This means that they have met Greenguard’s stringent Indoor Air Quality Standards. In turn, Greenguard Indoor Air Quality Certified furniture and furnishings may enable architects and designers to achieve points for US Green Building Council’s leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Commercial Interiors(LEED-CL)Program. Steelcase built the world’s first LEED certified manufacturing facility. Other environmental attributes of Steelcase seating lines include use of re-cycled materials and use of materials that can be re-cycled materials and use of materials that can be re-cycled at end of use.

Bed Supperclub ,Bangkok, Thailand

Usage: Bar/Restaurant

Materials: Corrugated iron, pre-cast and polished, laminated glass

Designing a custom-made building to house a new concept bar and restaurant was the challenge given to Orbit Design Studio. Most satisfying for the designers was doing the entire job, from architecture and interiors through to the graphic design. This allowed an unprecedented degree of control and integration throughout.

Rising out from the dusty streets of Bangkok, the result is an ethereal, white oval tube that sits bathed with light while colors and shadow play over the frosted glass frontage. A hot red door at the top of a long ramp draws patrons inside.

The distinctive, angled oval façade is now something of an icon in this vibrant city. The tube is entirely made of steel. Inside, the pristine, all-shite interior acts as the perfect antidote to the chaos and clutter outside. The smooth clean lines of the furniture and interior match the gentle curve of the building.

Most inviting of all are the beds that line the walls on the ground and mezzanine. Big, soft cushions welcome guests to lounge and dine in style. The open plan nature of the space, and the arrangement of beds and seats allows an uninterrupted view. The blank white canvas of the interior allows a wash of color from the computer-controlled lighting system, so the space can take on many different moods. The bar side is a muted gray, to darken the space and provide a more urban feel. Upstairs there are more beds, and the same curves and shapes are echoed.

Source: Restaurant& Bars, published in 1989,Jordan Mozer and Associates, limited

Bar Lodi, Lodi, Italy

Client: Antonio Corsa

Usage: Bar/nightclub

Area: 753 square feet/70 square meters

Client: Antonio Corsa

Usage: Bar/nightclub

Area: 753 square feet/70 square meters

The first space encountered upon entering the bar has rounded corners and floor light.spots, all designed from the barcode of a book written by Fabio Novembre. A Sud di Memphis (Idea Books. Milano 1995).Very few people had read the book, and this was architect’s attempt to publicize it.

The Bar was built with the help of a large mirror on the right side.Its shape is a big tunnel,its color brown. The air conditioning system is hidden from view inside this tunnel.The lighting for this area was solved by scratching out the silver from the back of the mirror in the shape of the human silhouette taken from Richard Avendon’s portrait Andy Warhol and Members, and by putting some fluorescent lights in the back of it.They had the effect of giving the sense of the presence of people even when the bar was empty.

In the shape of a perfect shadow.The mosaic on the floor  reflects the silhouettes on the ground.

Source: Restaurant& Bars, published in 1989,Jordan Mozer and Associates, limited

Astrobar ,Reykjavik, Iceland

Usage:Bar/nightclub

Michael Young Studio was asked  to refurbish one of Reykjavik’s oldest buildings. Battling with a venue  that was protected by heritage laws and a lack of straight lines, a well-designed club with four bars and two dance floors was eventually built.

The architect used the concept of a swimming pool crossed with a picnic area to bring a little bit of outdoors.With the assistance of a local pool-building company, the final result is an icy-looking interior that suggest Iceland’s weather.

Source: Restaurant& Bars, published in 1989,Jordan Mozer and Associates, limited

Armani café, Milan Italy

Usage:Cafe/restaurant

Area:3500square feet/325 square meters

Materials:Stainless steel,translucent glass

The Armani café was developed as part of the 100.000 square foot Armani center in Milan and opened in October 2000.gabellini Associates designed the haute vegetarian cuisine restaurant in close collaboration with Giorgio Armani and the restaurant operator. The Café required a casual bar space for coffee service and light lunches, as well as a more formal 80-seat dining area.

The Café occupies a two level space on the corner of Via dei Giardini and Via croce Rossa on an important public plaza, enjoying high visibility and urban views through a full-height glass storefront. The main entrance to the café from the plaza opens into a double-height atrium space that connects the ground level bar area to the first-level restaurant suspended above.A long stainless steel bar with a floating curved glass counter extends between the atrium bar space and a more intimate seating area below the suspended floor above.

A backlit translucent glass corner invites the customer to a walnut staircase winding discreetly around a soft blue corner element to the restaurant area above.

Three sides of the restaurant seating area are wrapped by sliding blue and white acrylic translucent panels that form a horizontal light band around the space. Transverse light slots in the ceiling accentuate the sleek horizontality of the space, projecting views toward the atrium space and the public plaza beyond. The double- height atrium wall pierces the restaurant level, dematerializing at its edge to allow views into an open kitchen through a suspended clear glass corner. An American walnut bench with flexible cushions provides perimeter seating, while customcarved  Corian café tables with elegantly curving bases appear to spring from the poured concrete flooring.

Source: Restaurant& Bars, published in 1989,Jordan Mozer and Associates, limited