Marble and Velvet – Riverlee by Studio Tate

Positioned 17 floors above Collins Street, in the heart of Melbourne’s finance precinct – on the land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation – a former plant room has been converted into a vibrant, functional workspace by Studio Tate. This new HQ for property group Riverlee is richly styled using vibrant stone, a walnut timber veneer and luxurious furnishings at every turn.

As a leading property manager and developer, the client understood the importance of design excellence, and thus the result needed to align with their commitment to quality and innovation. “At the core of Riverlee’s asset management practice is an integral focus on design and uplifting the tenant experience through state-of-the-art upgrades,” says Alex Hopkins, Design Director of Studio Tate. To accomplish this, high-quality appliances, rich natural materials and opulent colour and texture are employed to elevate the atmosphere in the workspace, enveloping visitors and clients in a feeling of potentiality.

High-quality appliances, rich natural materials and opulent colour and texture are employed to elevate the atmosphere in the workspace, enveloping visitors and clients in a feeling of potentiality.

The original purpose of the space, a room for the building’s mechanical equipment, presented numerous challenges for the layout and aesthetics of the new interior. Studio Tate negotiated low ceilings and structural members, which imposed constraints for how the space could be used, to create an atypical but effective floor plan. The entry space swells to a generous welcome lounge, with the reception desk to the right surfaced in oceanic Da Vinci marble and flanked in fluted glass, with a painting by Wergaia artist Robby Wirramanda providing an evocative backdrop. The spatiality of the interiors unfold linearly, offering meeting rooms, quiet rooms and a host of other dedicated spaces as one proceeds. The networks of distribution vents and pipes, familiar in any plant room, were also a challenge embraced in the design. Coated in snowy acoustic spray, they now add visual interest and variation while helping to control sound.

The richly coloured entry lounge offers a warm welcome, presenting an abundant variation of seating options in tamarind, burgundy and blue. Moving deeper into the plan, one passes through the stunningly appointed kitchenette. High-quality appliances are set in the same walnut veneer panelling used throughout. Familiar finishes, such as fluted glass and brass detail are employed here, but with distinct signatures, separating work from play.