An interior fit-out from Group GSA sweetens up the CBD’s Strand Arcade.
September 30th, 2010
Slap in the centre of Sydney’s CBD, the Strand Arcade dates back to 1891 and was one of the last arcades to be built in Victorian Sydney.
As one of Sydney’s central shopping hubs, the arcade still thrives today with independent Australian retailers, and now boasts an elegant patisserie on the ground floor.
Sweet Infinity is the brainchild of young pastry chef Leanne Beck, the first branch of which was born on Riley Street in Woolloomooloo.
For the second boutique, Beck called upon Group GSA to devise an interior that reflected the sweet and savoury pastries conceived in her kitchen.
“Our challenge for Sweet Infinity was to establish not only the company’s first retail-only store but also a brand identity that was intrinsic to the business.”
“It was important that the cooking process be expressed in the display of the end product; that each cake or quiche was handmade and unique,” Group GSA Director Lisa-Maree Carrigan said.
To incorporate the notion of the cooking process into the concept for the store, the wall behind the counter was adorned with cake tins set on a raspberry-coloured wall.
The fit-out features a floor to ceiling mirror, which faces the counter creating an illusion of spaciousness in what is in fact a tricky small space.
Two feature lights resembling giant cake tins hang from the ceiling over an ornately filled display of pastries, brownies and pies.
“The Sweet Infinity store’s material palette is an abstraction of the ingredients, both organic and decadent, which are reflected within the store’s colour scheme of flour, raspberry, nougat and of course, chocolate,” said Carrigan.
Group GSA
groupgsa.com
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Channelling the enchanting ambience of the Caffè Greco in Rome, Budapest’s historic Gerbeaud, and Grossi Florentino in Melbourne, Ross Didier’s new collection evokes the designer’s affinity for café experience, while delivering refined seating for contemporary hospitality interiors.
Create a configuration to suit your needs with this curved collection.
In the pursuit of an uplifting synergy between the inner world and the surrounding environment, internationally acclaimed Interior Architect and Designer Lorena Gaxiola transform the vibration of the auspicious number ‘8’ into mesmerising artistry alongside the Feltex design team, brought to you by GH Commercial.
Touchwood, designed by Hem’s Lars Beller Fjetland, is a beautifully realised wooden stacking chair, crafted to connect us with natural materials.
After receiving hundreds of submissions for Australia’s most influential awards program for design professionals, the Interior Design Awards has released its much anticipated shortlist for 2008. indesignlive.com has the list right here.
As a supporter of the 2020 INDE.Awards and sponsor of The Object category, Haworth understands the importance of products and their role in creating inspiring spaces. Collaborating with ‘object’ designers is a part of the DNA of the company and partnering with Indesign Media Asia Pacific shows a commitment to design that resonates not only with those who design but all who appreciate fine furnishings.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
We spoke with Jeffrey Wilkes of WILKESDESIGN about the John Portman-designed building, which has been infused with touches of local culture and colour.
A school in India, designed by Vijay Gupta Architects, showcases the importance of the natural world by engaging and educating the young.
Welcome to the year of the Design Effect. This year’s theme aims to showcase the profound ripple effects that exceptional design can have on people, place and planet. Join in shaping this narrative by contributing your perspective before May 3, 2024, and become a part of the Design Effect movement.
When iconic brands wield their influence, the ripples extend far beyond aesthetics. And so when the MillerKnoll collective formed, the very concept of design shifted, supercharging the industry’s aspiration to create a better world into an unwavering sense of responsibility to do so.