Project Overview
When the client decided to refurbish levels 8 and 9 of their iconic Sydney headquarters, it presented an opportunity to create a unique working environment for their staff. Collaborating closely with the interior design team from Woods Bagot, Frost designed environmental graphics and introduced three-dimensional elements to establish a sense of place and communicate a flexible workplace vision. To strengthen engagement in the environment, the floors were given a specific theme around which the interior and graphic design were based.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Designer: Sarah Estens, Bianca Chang, Amelia Gainford and Rose Gates
Project Manager: Edward Cotton
Project Brief
Create a unique working environment for staff on levels 8 and 9 in their iconic Sydney headquarters.
Project Innovation / Need
Level 9 has been named “The Warehouse”. The building is situated on what used to be an industrial shipping wharf and site-specific references have influenced the design approach. Frost created a colourful, exaggerated warehouse aesthetic using optical illusions, playing with depth, perspective and scale. These elements combine to create a vibrant working environment with an abundance of things to discover over time.
Level 8, named “The Studio”, comprises of two areas that have been given an overarching Japanese theme. The environmental graphics take inspiration from contemporary Japanese architecture and pop culture. These elements, referencing traditional papers and prints, add energy to tea points and breakout spaces. A large lighting feature echoes the sushi bar shaped desks below. Custom-made from Japanese paper fans the shape emulates the scales of a fish. Functional office elements have been integrated into the space, including bamboo screens wrapped in coloured felt that provide added levels of privacy. This interplay of light, texture and materiality combine to create a vibrant activity based working environment for staff. In the smaller, more traditional working area, water and Japanese Shibori fabrics inspire a sophisticated design approach in cool blue tones.
Design Challenge
The design challenge was that there were very few opportunities for 3-dimensional graphics in the space, given the budget constraints and that the project was a refurbishment. Therefore, where we could use 3-D elements (such as in the ceiling or the lighting feature) they had to provide the space with a large amount of impact. Another challenge was creating a warehouse-like space from a traditional office fitout. We quickly realized that it was never going to look authentic, so decided to play with the illusion of shadows and perspectives in 2-D graphics to realize the theme.
Sustainability
Many of the graphics were applied to existing surfaces or objects which made them able to be re-used in the new interior scheme. We worked closely with Woods Bagot to ensure the signage and graphics were well integrated with the interiors. The feature light on Level 8 is made from traditional paper fans. The paper, which is not only preferable from a sustainability point of view, also filters the light and illuminates the graphic patterns. Features such as the woven felt into the bamboo screens are easily re-configurable and therefore provides ongoing graphic interest and texture as they move and change over time.
Graphic Design - Environmental
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