Living Edge Unveils New Perth Showroom Designed by HASSELL.

Living Edge has unveiled a new showroom in Perth’s CBD designed by HASSELL – and it’s pretty amazing. The building is an early 1900’s 950sqm heritage warehouse, reflective of the Living Edge ethos ‘furniture for life’. “We believe in longevity, of simplicity and of sustainability. This building reflects all those attributes that we look for in everything we do,” says CEO Aidan Mawhinney.

HASSELL pared back the building to its core essentials, enhancing the already-beautiful bones with a light touch rather than drastically reimagining. Living Edge required the space be memorable, but not distracting from brands the showroom serves to showcase, and welcoming, so clients can linger over browsing and decisions.

The architects focused on rich, tactile materiality and simplicity of form throughout the three-storey building, working within a refined palette of brick, burnished steel, dark bluestone tiling, and brass trims. Original brick walls were exposed and repainted, and the finishes touched up on original beams and trusses. Full height street-facing arched windows give the showroom ample presence and exposure to passersby. The space is segregated by brand, plus an extensive retail area dedicated to curated design accessories, for patrons to shop without requiring any specific brand knowledge.

Related: Living Edge Opens Brisbane Showroom Designed by Richards & Spence.

Morgan Shimeld collaborated on designing a sculptural, bronze point of sale desk, an eye-catching piece upon arrival. “Living Edge clients can engage with and almost inhabit a piece of his sculpture,” says HASSELL. “Around this we created a loose enclosure that responded to his work. The walls and ceiling ripple and fold in response to the sculpted form. We wanted it to feel like there was a force emanating from Morgan’s work.” These built elements also sought to conceal infrastructure and building services that were exposed.

The first floor is primarily for customer engagement, so Living Edge wanted it to be open and welcoming. HASSELL were met with a more awkward infrastructure that divided and dominated the space. “Our idea was to try and disguise these facilities transforming them into a beautifully crafted and almost minimal sculptural insertion. We were inspired by the work of sculptors like Donald Judd in terms of a very simple form carefully inserted in space,” says HASSELL’s design team.

The architects wrapped the entire space in burnished steel, then clad one dividing wall with a dark bronze wine wall, uniting the rooms on either side. For private events, there’s also an intimate basement level reminiscent of a speakeasy bar.

Consideration for sustainability throughout the renovation secured the building a WELL certification, the second site in Perth to receive one. The new showroom is a Living Edge celebration of 10 years operation in Perth, and a look toward 10 more.

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[Images courtesy of Living Edge. Photography by Dion Robeson.]