Partners In Design

Collins Street, gateway to Melbourne‘s innermost laneways, is arguably the pinnacle of Australian urban chic. Amidst the thick of it – located at Number 161 Collins Street, to be precise – is home to a perfect symphony of exclusivity-meets-street. From its interior fitout – the work of Hassell – right down to its furniture and finishing touches – by none other than Living Edge – everything about the Melbourne headquarters for Nike is too good not to share. 

Aesthetically speaking, Level 3, 161 Collins Street, Melbourne, looks exactly as if Hassell had captured the very essence of Nike’s attitude – gung-ho; dynamic; and oh-so-casually cool – and translated it into the language of interiors. In doing so, revealing facets of the multinational brand in ways that delight and inspire at every turn.

Equal parts candid, confident and courteous, the entrance foyer makes an inimitable impression. Here, Hassell have conjured up a space akin to the built equivalent of Don Draper’s handshake. Polished concrete flooring offsets the otherwise brutalist inclinations of the industrial interior design aesthetic. Meanwhile the Nike label, painted larger than life onto a feature wall of black timber, provides a decidedly suave yet unpretentious backdrop for the lone reception desk.

As one moves on into the belly of Nike Melbourne, with the formality of introductions over and done with, the initial atmosphere of austerity dissipates. A palatable sense of space and calm pervades meeting rooms and working spaces, decked with Herman Miller Arras workstations. Meanwhile, Nike’s fun-loving and carefree spirit is cultivated within workplace culture by way of bright breakout spaces, complete with ping-pong tables and just the right amount of grit.

In its furniture selection for the space, Living Edge underscores the effortlessly enduring quality of Hassell’s interior fitout, with pieces by the likes of Herman Miller, Walter Knoll, Flo and La Chance. Living Edge’s existing relationship with both client and designer in this case proved an invaluable asset to the project’s harmonious and robust design outcome. Echoing the casual resilience Nike is known and loved for globally, furnishings for the fitout were specified having proven to stand the test of time – in terms of style and longevity of use.

The three distinct spatial modes and moods curated in the interior design of Nike Melbourne by Hassell are too reflected in the furniture selection from Living Edge. Just as the reception foyer puts its best foot forward to greet executives and external guests, furniture items such as the La Chance Mewoma Table and Herman Miller Ali Group meeting chairs cater toward a similar crowd. Meanwhile workspaces, are furnished to be productive and practical above all. Herman Miller CK8 Storage units, Arras workstations, Flo monitor arms and Aeron task chairs combine to make the magic happen. Occasional chairs such as Vitra Organic and Herman Miller Cross Hatch provide moments of repose in sophisticated fashion, while Herman Miller Eames Tables and Plastic Chairs create space for internal meetings and moments of collaboration, free of formality.