Trackmaster

by Amber Road

From The Designer

This 165sqm dilapidated inner city warehouse was transformed into a multipurpose headquarters for an apparel manufacturer. Flexibility was key. Must have’s: work space for ten, bathrooms, kitchen, gallery space for showings, storage facility, space for photoshoots and a meeting space, whilst reflecting the client’s brand. The unusual floorplate, included an aggressive corner, compromising most traditional office spatial layouts. This drove our key decision to separate storage and work spaces from the showroom. Flimsy balustrades, open to the floor below, were bricked up and steel framed hopper windows installed. Existing windows and doors were replaced with steel frames to enhance the industrial heritage.

In lieu of typical jambs, rough openings were imperfectly cement rendered, complementing existing brick features. Ceilings removed to expose original timber rafters and existing steel structures, enhanced with new paint and ‘Woodtex’ inserts in between skylights, which significantly improved acoustics and insulation. Materiality was inspired by the client’s colourful reveries of the old fashion industry in New York: rich yet unexpected stained green timbers, aged brass kitchen details, paired with black and white tessellated tiles, green marble splashbacks in the bathrooms and smoked oak timber floors.

Geometric Tuareg rugs seemed an extension of the timber floors and iconic DSR’s were paired with imperfect hand painted stools to provide an approachable yet sophisticated meeting area. In response to the vast volumes of stock flow in and out each week, we devised a series of custom storage and racking systems. Custom powdercoated rail systems mimicked existing steel ceiling structures. These hanging rails lined the perimeter of the space, offering endless amounts of hanging space; nothing touching the floor. The soft fabric room divider, minimized the movement of clunky clothes racks and delineated work and showroom areas. Architectural mesh cladded walls, provided a gallery hang of new collections for client viewings.