DQ Editor, Sophia Watson, investigates the changes in Sydney’s design precincts, and using the new Living Edge showroom as a strong case study, identifies where the industry should look to next.
January 30th, 2015
It’s no secret that Sydney’s design hotspots are changing. This is a result of many things; market and audience, cost and affordability, space and location; but more than anything, it’s a sign of growth. The conservative attitude of the recent GFC is starting to fold, and design houses are beginning to expand their activity and embrace the opportunities of the new design market.
Here, experience is everything, and the standard “show+tell” showroom format – once coveted within the Surry Hills tradition – just isn’t going to cut it anymore. Specifyers and consumers alike are demanding more than beautifully displayed products – they need an engaging connection and meaningful experiences. Space limitations of the already crowded Surry Hills has made this philosophy a tough nut to crack, and Sydney’s design-savvy brands are looking for the next big location.
Enter Alexandria, which is fast-becoming Sydney’s design-precinct du jour, and is well positioned to give the market what it needs. A true hub of creativity, The Woolstores Alexandria development in particular is now at the heart of one of the most exciting urban renewal projects in Australia, and Sydney’s design insiders are moving fast.
Already renowned as a place to work, live, eat, socialise and relax, The Woolstores Alexandria adds an extra dimension as a destination for Sydney’s next favourite design precinct. And now the area has attracted those with the creative and entrepreneurial drive to take the Australian design experience to the next step.
Living Edge – in collaboration with Woods Bagot’s Todd Hammond and Domenic Alvaro – have made a sharp departure from the traditional show+tell exhibition format, geared toward an exciting new and experimental method of client engagement. Well-matched with the precinct’s growing reputation for meaningful design activity (think The Grounds, Salts Meats Cheese, Grandma’s Little Bakery and so on), the Living Edge team is leading the charge to create a space which truly connects and immerses people within design. And we cannot wait to see the results.
The Living Edge showroom experience at The Woolstores Alexandria is set to launch Feb 10 2015.
LIVING EDGE
Livingedge.com.au
INDESIGN is on instagram
Follow @indesignlive
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!
Stepping into Intuit’s Sydney workplace certainly doesn’t feel like walking into an office. Why? In this film, we discover that, when joy takes precedence as a design driver, even a high-performing commercial CBD headquarters can feel like an intuitive wonderland that invites employees to choose their own adventure.
In the second instalment of our performance seating three-parter, we turn to DKO’s Michael Drescher and Jacob Olsen to peek behind Sayl’s confident architectural form and explore the ideas of inclusivity, adaptability and freedom to move as hallmarks of what sitting your best actually means.
The Centenary Library at Anglican Church Grammar School (QLD) supports nuanced cognitive behaviour for staff and students alike.
The Wilson Architects-designed Learning Hub at St. Andrew’s Anglican College represents a new approaches to educational best practice in design.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Salone del Mobile and the wider Milan Design Week again provided plenty of food for thought this year. Here, we reflect on some design ‘trends’ as well as taking a more critical view of the annual gathering.
An art and architecture destination like no other, the island of Naoshima in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan has just added another masterwork to its collection of Tadao Ando architecture.