Sydney’s brand new Gaggenau showroom has just opened its doors, with four contemporary kitchens, a courtyard and media room designed by German architect and long-time collaborator of the brand, Hendrik Müller, of 1zu33 Architectural Brand Identity.
Müller said the space has been divided into two zones – one part, which they call the social hub, is street facing and showcases the products whereas the other part is at the rear and exhibits the appliances in action with a fully functional kitchen.
“In the front part, you see products on display, whereas in the rear, this is much more influenced by residential design, created with the intention of focusing on an application driven way of showcasing the product,” Müller said.
There is a ceiling height of about five-metres in the social hub, which Müller said creates the impression that you are in a gallery. In the rear zone, there is a dropped ceiling with wooden beams and a raised floor to evoke a more cozy, homey feel.
The new Gaggenau Sydney showroom, with architecture and design by 1zu33’s Hendrik Müller and styling by Jack Milenkovic.
Image: Steen Vestergaard
For the social hub, Müller said he drew inspiration from the many restaurants, bars and coffee places that are located near the showroom in Surry Hills, but the local influence didn’t stop there. They also integrated shelves and drawers with metal plates to resemble a local post box as the former site of the showroom was a post office.
The social hub is multipurpose and not only displays appliances, but also houses the reception and consultation area.
The new Gaggenau Sydney showroom, with architecture and design by 1zu33’s Hendrik Müller and styling by Jack Milenkovic.
Image: Steen Vestergaard
Müller described creating an intimate volume that contains a digital screen for videos about the organisation and its products to play on a loop. A mirror has been installed into the space to elongate the room. Müller wanted to create a space for the digital experience that was separate to the rest of the showroom, so that the video did not end up distracting customers from the conversation they are trying to have with staff.
“A store with a video screen on the wall that is playing a video with sound can end up being disturbing when you are trying to have a conversation. Your eyes are always distracted to the moving image. Because of that we decided to incorporate a small, intimate space that gives you the full experience and that allows you to focus your full attention on the content,” he said.
The new Gaggenau Sydney showroom, with architecture and design by 1zu33’s Hendrik Müller and styling by Jack Milenkovic.
Image: Steen Vestergaard
In the back end of the showroom, the design reflects Gaggenau’s origins and heritage as a nail forge 400-years-ago, by blending metal and mineral materials with wood finishings.
“When you go inside, you see the three milestones, as we call them. One is iron ore, which has been relevant for producing metal goods in the early days, then we have cobalt, which is used for the enamelling and has been one of the key competencies of Gaggenau since about 150-years-ago, and then you see lithium, which stands for the whole digitalization and computerization of their products,” Müller said.
A softer colour scheme has been chosen for the rear section of the showroom, in contrast with the darker colour palette at the front. Two adjacent kitchens incorporate an oak floor, with one a fully functional kitchen that features products from one Gaggenau range, and the second, a display kitchen showcasing a different series.
Müller said a “wooden core” or “nucleus” connects the two kitchens, which has been achieved through the integration of a tailor-made wooden table crafted by Sydney-based designer, Tom Faraday.
The new Gaggenau Sydney showroom, with architecture and design by 1zu33’s Hendrik Müller and styling by Jack Milenkovic.
Image: Steen Vestergaard
Both kitchens open to an outside courtyard, which has been laid with clean, white stone in a herringbone pattern. The courtyard is yet another functional space that has been specifically designed to accommodate customer consultations and events.
The design team rebuilt the entire facade of the store, with steel and glass materials that again harmonizes well within the context of Surry Hills.
“For us, it’s always important not to deliver an overpowering design. We like to use a palette of expressive materials with a tactile quality because that’s part of the storytelling. What do you see? What do you feel? The different textures you get. The light, the sound, the scent. Everything is deposited into the memory that you take away from your visit.
“Today, digital media are so big and we tend to rely on our visual senses when designing, but the more information you get through all of your other senses, the deeper the footprint that is created and the stronger your memory will become.
“What can we as designers do for the brand? We can deliver the space, but that for me is only 50 per cent of the customer experience. The other 50 per cent is the personal engagement, the quality of the consultation, the time you spend with people during events and so forth. Very much of the relation is defined on a personal level and we are shaping the physical world around this to enhance the products in the showroom. I like to say that, for me, it’s most relevant, not what people experience when they’re in the showroom, but what they memorize and take away and what they will be able to tell you or someone else about it one week later.”
To find out more about Gaggenau’s Australian stores, visit here.
