NZ Room Venice
Kowtow Naarm

With two existing retail touchpoints in Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand, Kowtow Naarm is the brand’s first international boutique, located in Melbourne's vibrant and historically rich area of Fitzroy.

The space aims to articulate the lifecycle of cotton, through a simplicity of design and material richness, and reflect Kowtow’s ‘off-grid’ philosophy.

Situated over two floors of a mid-nineteenth-century commercial building on Gertrude St., the interior of Kowtow Naarm features a pared-back palette of thoughtful and ethically minded natural materials. Floor-to-ceiling joinery of Spotted Gum, wall coverings of coarse Limewash plaster, suspended panels of Kozo washi, reclaimed timber cabinetry, textiles of linen and wool, and a refinished floor of Victorian Ash imbue the space with an empathic lightness and sensitivity to place.

The Naarm boutique represents an optimistic take on fashion retail with a sustainable focus. The space provides a platform where Kowtow customers can seamlessly engage with the brand through both physical and digital channels and echoes Kowtow’s sensibilities in that good design should leave the planet better than it was found.

We acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of the land, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, and pay our respects to elders past, present, and emerging.

145 sqm
Naarm/Melbourne, Australia
2023
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Kowtow Naarm
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Kowtow Naarm Kowtow Naarm
Windermere

Windermere is a turn-of-the-century family residence located on the northern ridge of St. Marys Bay overlooking the Auckland Harbour Bridge and inner Waitematā.

Knight Associates undertook an extensive refurbishment of kitchen, scullery, living, dining and bedroom areas to reconfigure and modernize the residence, accommodating the workings of family life and inner-city living.

With a strong focus on entertaining, the ground-floor kitchen acts as an informal gathering space and provides generous circulation while maintaining a strong connection to an existing outdoor pool house and terrace. Supplementary to the main kitchen was a scullery and powder room that required spatial refinement and improved functionality and storage. Upstairs, the bedroom spaces have similarly been modernized to encompass walk-in robes, improved aspect, and upgraded finishes, fittings, and fixtures. Ensuites and house bathrooms saw a complete redesign and upgrade whilst maintaining a period feel sympathetic to the fabric of original boarding house.    

Materiality was paramount to the design and the palette of Arabescato marble, brushed character oak, hand-cast tiles, seagrass, and natural brass borrows from a time-honored classicism, with subtle cues to an enduring European aesthetic. The rustic nature of the finishes is complimented by the client's collection of modern art, resulting in an atmosphere that feels contemporary but harmonious with the character of the house. 

650 sqm
Auckland, New Zealand
2022
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Parklane

The Parklane building was originally constructed as the Ross & Glendining Building in 1920 which saw an extensive renovation in 1994 into character loft apartments. Maintaining many of the hallmarks and industrial qualities of the original textile factory building, including a noteworthy 4m stud height with operable steel casement windows, the 90sqm apartment has a prominent inner-city location and north-eastern aspect with views towards the verdant Myers Park.

The brief imagined a renovation of the existing 2-bedroom floor plan into a contemporary and spacious apartment for a professional couple. The refurbishment made use of a refined minimal palette with layers of material richness in concert with updated fittings, furniture, and fixtures. A revised internal layout aimed to optimize space and aspect with reconfigured kitchen, living, dining, bathroom, and bedrooms. The refurbishment also included reworked storage spaces to maximize efficiency while maintaining a clean and considered design outcome.

The opportunity existed for a tactile and sophisticated interior that elevated the period architecture and enhanced the spatial organization of the previous renovation. Through a process of restoration on the original Jarrah floors, a rich, resonant palette of grey and umber tones emerged which informed the finish of the large central joinery unit which houses workstation, book shelving, and kitchen. This was offset by a crisp stainless steel island bench, white linen drapery, and full-height wardrobe cabinetry in the bedrooms to ensure a textural and tonal balance. The laundry and bathroom spaces – accessed through the main joinery unit – were lined floor-to-ceiling in vein-cut Travertine to create a space of retreat at the heart of the apartment. 

 Through a combination of natural materials, considered fittings and fixtures, and balance of light and dark tones, the reconfigured spaces feel like a singular and consistent interior experience that strongly reference the character of the original architecture and urbane yet leafy location.

90 sqm
Auckland, New Zealand
2022
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F&P Auckland EC

Fisher & Paykel’s Auckland Experience Centre on Great North Road, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland reflects the company’s ‘Designed in Aotearoa New Zealand’ philosophy and identity.

The Fisher & Paykel Auckland Experience Centre was created in partnership with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, whose gift of ancestral narratives and natural materiality has been woven into the fabric of the building. Entering the rammed-earth threshold to the sound of birdsong, visitors encounter a basalt landmark – a contemporary sculptural expression of Tumutumuwhenua, the original ancestor of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. 

A monumental and sculptural trunk of swamp kauri rests within the Auckland Experience Centre. The 4,000-year-old log has been split lengthwise to reveal the contours of its natural carved centre. The sculpture represents the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei ancestral narrative of Kawharu – a Tainui warrior known as the ‘Kaipara Giant’. The Great North Road ridgeline, where the experience centre is located, is known as Te Rae o Kawharu – the ‘brow of Kawharu’.

850 sqm
Auckland, New Zealand
2022
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F&P Auckland EC
F&P Auckland EC
F&P Auckland EC
Simon James Herne Bay

Simon James Design is a leading voice in contemporary furniture and homewares and their original Herne Bay flagship, situated on Jervois Road, uses Modernist art as a point of departure to create a refined canvas from which to showcase a growing international brand stable.

The neutral interior palette combines brushed stainless steel, off-white plaster, and stained Oak, with exposed elements of heritage brick, to create a tactile and homely retail experience in a leafy inner-city neighbourhood.

The existing showroom had good visibility from the street but lacked a more intimate shopping experience for which to experience Simon James’ broadening brand stable of homewares, apparel, and jewellery. An existing lean-to was refurbished to become a private consultation space while the area beneath the existing stair was reconfigured to house two large dressing rooms.

90 sqm
Auckland, New Zealand
2022
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Lonely LA

Offering lingerie, womenswear, swimwear, and lifestyle products that are made for exploration and enjoyment, Lonely’s unique palette creates products that are artistic expressions for customers to discover themselves as the muse.

With two existing retail touchpoints in Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand, Lonely Melrose is the brand’s first international flagship, located on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood. Lonely boutiques aim to be calm sanctuary-like spaces, designed for customers to relax in and experience a zone of self-love and honour, where collections can be intimately experienced with guidance from brand hosts.

Knight Associates, in collaboration with Lara Hoad Architecture & Design, undertook an extensive design and permitting process, with the City of West Hollywood, to refurbish both the main retail space and store-front and to reconfigure and modernize the former gallery into a contemporary and inviting showroom. The Melrose boutique is a place for customers to interact and buy product on both an analogue and digital level. Forward-thinking with regard to digital integration but primarily service focused.

The design direction of the space references a dialogue between hard and soft surfaces – between confidence and intimacy. The Melrose space makes a departure from the cool modern delineation of the previous Auckland and Wellington stores with a soft and enveloping interior. Materials and textures are muted yet tactile – a palette of Douglas Fir, aged brass, pitted plaster, and stained Elm continue the brand themes of raw sophistication, honesty, and simplicity. The space aims to say something romantic but in a modern vocabulary.

In collaboration with Lara Hoad Architecture & Design

220 sqm
Los Angeles, California
2021
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Lonely LA Lonely LA
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Lonely LA
Yu Mei Newmarket

Located in the historic Lees Metalworks building on Kent Street, Yu Mei Newmarket further establishes the leather goods brand as a new retail destination in Auckland and flagship for the brand’s broadening bag and accessory collections and retail lounge concept.

Using simple, natural materials, and a neutral palette, the space is confident but subtle while contributing to a sense of tactile luxury speaking strongly to the Yu Mei customer.

The Newmarket flagship offers customers a sophisticated retail experience and further develops the lounge concept that has become central to Yu Mei's inclusive but high-end aesthetic. Incorporating a selection of contemporary artworks and temporary installations, from artists such as Yona Lee, Gretchen Albrecht, and Ashleigh Taupaki, the space acts both as retail touchpoint and gallery space, imbuing a strong sense of engagement with staff, customers, and Tāmaki Makaurau’s vibrant arts calendar.

The new retail space reconfigures the existing open-plan floor plan creating a large stone-topped point of sale and timber display shelves in the front half of the store. The interior palette is based around a combination of simple geometric forms punctuated by blocks of expressive materiality – polished concrete, stained Oak, Onyx marble, Ōamaru stone, and aged brass finishes combine to create an earthy but refined atmosphere. The rear of the store offers a counterpoint and different character, embracing existing heritage brick and exposed steel structure, to create a more intimate and loft-like experience that enables Yu Mei to host private shopping events, product launches, and hosted dinners for small groups.

130 sqm
Auckland, New Zealand
2021
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JM Residence

JM Residence is a turn-of-the-century workers cottage positioned on a 350sqm east-facing site, in a prominent inner-western Auckland suburb.

The renovation and extension, by Studio John Irving Architects, reconfigures the previous 3-bedroom 1-bathroom residence into a contemporary and spacious 3-bedroom 2-bathroom dwelling. The redesign incorporates a restored frontage toward the street with intersecting pitch-roofed volume extending toward the rear of the property, with open-plan entertaining space, subterranean parking, and generous outdoor courtyard undertaken by Jared Lockhart Design.

Knight Associates undertook the interior refurbishment of the original cottage with redesign and improvement of bedrooms, ensuites, and wardrobing spaces while the open-plan extension, at the rear of the property, encompasses amenities for kitchen, dining, and living. Materially rich, the refurbishment showcases cedar-clad sarking, textural plaster in a resplendent black finish, and salvaged Oak flooring creating a singular and constant interior experience from historic cottage to modern conservatory-style extension and courtyard.

In collaboration with Studio John Irving Architects and Jared Lockhart Design.

200 sqm
Auckland, New Zealand
2021
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McCahon AAF

Colin McCahon is one of New Zealand’s most significant artists of the Modernist canon. His career of over forty years surveyed figuration, abstraction, landscapes, and word paintings that explored overarching themes of religion, ecology, and the human condition.

The Colin McCahon House Trust, established in 1988, is a museum and international artist residency, based in Titirangi, Auckland that preserves McCahon’s oeuvre and supports contemporary art practice in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Invited by the Auckland Art Fair, McCahon House engaged Knight Associates to assist in creating an environment that would exhibit a rare McCahon ‘Kauri’ work from 1957 - his Cubist-inspired period - alongside a newly commissioned edition, entitled ‘Waterfall’, by artist Shane Cotton (Ngāti Rangi, Ngāti Hine, Te Uri Taniwha).

As with McCahon’s work from this period, the landscape of Titirangi provided an abundant foundation for a design response for the temporary exposition space. Clay plaster, with sand from Otitori Bay, was heavily rendered onto the wall surfaces, selected furniture pieces reference McCahon's signature densely sculptural landscape forms, while three large Kauri plinths displayed saplings specially grafted from the trees that McCahon planted on the property in the 1950s.  

Special thanks to our partners and contributors;  McCahon House Trust, Michael Lett Gallery, Matisse, Nodi Rugs, Ambitec, and David White Furniture.  

20 sqm
Auckland, New Zealand
2021
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Onslow

Onslow is the culmination of Josh Emett's culinary journey. Since returning from London eight years ago, Josh and his wife Helen have established permanent roots in Auckland with the opening of Onslow.

Located on the entrance level of  The International building – one of Auckland’s most prestigious multi-residential addresses – Onslow’s position was once home to Grand Hotel, which the Earl and Countess of Onslow opened, at 9 Princes Street, in 1889. With its vaulted ceilings, impeccable art collection and
Toi Whakairo mantelpieces, it quickly established itself as the city’s finest accommodation at the turn of the century.

Knight Associates worked in collaboration with Josh and Helen to create an intimate bistro setting that would reflect the Emett's want for a vivid amalgam of tradition and modernity. Similarly, the restaurant space required a sophistication that would provide comfort and respite for public patrons as well as everyday ease for residents of The International building.

The cool materiality of marble and travertine is off-set with richly stained Oak battens and paneling, aged brass accents, and generously upholstered banquettes.  Floor-to-ceiling linen drapery, fresh botanicals,  and a choice selection of contemporary art, that references the history of the Grand Hotel, add to a strong sense of domesticity.

In collaboration with Sonja Hawkins Design.

280 sqm
Auckland, New Zealand
2020
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Onslow Onslow
Onslow
Kowtow Newmarket

Kowtow was established in 2007 with the desire to create an ethical label that would be the example of a fashion-forward, global thinking business. The Newmarket store is an extension of Kowtow’s strong customer focus and branding touchpoints, developed in their inaugural Wellington flagship, which continues to explore an atmosphere of simplicity and warmth.

Articulating a strong sense of minimalism, the sparseness of the interior is offset by flowing organic curves and rich material tactility. Aged brass, specialist plaster finishes, and oiled Oak borrow from a timeless elemental palette but, through the use of scale and proportion, form a refined and contemporary atmosphere with broad references from mid-century Mexican architecture, to modernist sculpture, and Japonisme.

An abraded plaster façade treatment is perforated by two deep-set large windows allowing passers-by to have an open and interactive view into the space while maximizing natural light on the interior. Monolithic freestanding Oak joinery divides the space with a strong rhythmic quality that reference the exterior forms. The Oak pillars sitting short of the detailed Oak battened ceiling allowing it to sail across the width and depth of the space. The fluid point of sale unit, with large brass mantel, anchors the space and invites conversation while brass racking and display elements are pared back to adjacent wall surfaces.

Similarly to the Wellington flagship, all aspects of the store have been selected with sustainability in mind; FSC certified timbers, hand-treated metals, natural lay plasters, and woven fibre floor coverings and textiles.

150 sqm
Auckland, New Zealand
2019
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Kowtow Newmarket
Yu Mei Wellington

Located in the landmark Mibar Building on Victoria Street, Yu Mei Wellington establishes the leather goods brand as leading retail destination in the capital and flagship for the brand’s broadening bag, wallet, and accessory collections.

Using simple, natural materials, and a neutral palette, the space is confident but subtle while contributing to a sense of tactile luxury speaking strongly to the Yu Mei customer.

The Wellington flagship offers customers a sophisticated retail experience and develops on a lounge concept that has become central to Yu Mei's inclusive but high-end aesthetic.

The space reconfigures the existing compact floor area creating a large point of sale and full-length brass display shelves delineating the walls. The interior palette is based around a combination of simple geometric forms punctuated by blocks of expressive materiality – polished concrete, Oak, Marble, and natural brass finishes combine to create a luxuriant but refined atmosphere

25 sqm
Wellington, New Zealand
2019
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Objectspace 'The Room'

Objectspace’s major exhibition ‘The Room’ explores how interior space is constructed and expressed through ornamentation and design.

Knight Associates contribution to ‘The Room’ examines ideas of waste and production inherent to the architecture and design industry, and how these can be reinterpreted through craft and making processes.

Untitled (Presque Rien) references Duchamp’s readymades and composers of the Musique Concrète period through the manipulation of found materials. The space consists of over three-thousand timber off-cuts laid to form an elaborate parquetry floor and collected woodchips and sawdust – combined with a natural clay and silica mixture – to create a rough, stucco-like plaster finish to the walls; all materials salvaged from the construction process of ‘The Room’ itself.

The space creates an environment that demonstrates the immersive potential of material craft and tactility through processes of reclamation and reuse. The interior bears no further intervention beyond its surface treatment and seeks to reevaluate waste material demonstrating that, within excess, we can find further expression.

‘The Room’ is a series of interconnected built structures designed by Knight Associates, featuring curator decorative art and design at Te Papa Justine Olsen in collaboration with contemporary jeweller Karl Fritsch, curator and writer Emma Ng, artist and curator Ane Tonga in collaboration with artist Ani O’Neill, and interior designer Rufus Knight with architect Mijntje Lepoutre.

Objectspace ‘The Room’, 6 Apr–19 May 2019.

In collaboration with Calavera Ltd. and Ambitec.

15 sqm
Auckland, New Zealand
2019
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Objectspace 'The Room'
Objectspace 'The Room' Objectspace 'The Room'
Les Mills Auckland

Established in 1968, Les Mills is a world-leading fitness and lifestyle brand based in New Zealand committed to improving health and wellbeing aspiring to make ‘humans fit for life’.

Les Mills New Zealand operates 12 nationwide facilities and offers wide-ranging group fitness classes and tailored personal training programs in concert with Les Mills International workout programs being licensed in 100 countries with over 130,000 certified instructors globally.

The Auckland City campus is the global hub for training, development, and innovation and occupies a large inner-city footprint boarded by arterial Wellesley and Victoria Streets in Auckland’s Central Business District. With redevelopment of the wider precinct staged over the next 5 years the need to enhance member experience, meet growing capacity requirements, and create a showcase for the future of group fitness was imperative.

The newly refurbished space sees a large industrial volume repurposed to accommodate three new offerings for members – functional training, boxing, and 100-bike immersive cycle studio: the world’s largest – as well as amenity and services upgrades and improved circulation to create a refined offering for the expanding membership and new spatial signature for the Les Mills brand. The insertion of a 350sqm cycle studio, clad in mirrored bronze-tinted stainless steel, creates a strong delineation of the space allowing the functional training and boxing areas to sit discreetly on either side and provides the requisite acoustic and services separation. The mirrored finish of the immersive studio dematerializes in its industrial surroundings adding a strong sense of continuity to the smaller open-plan training areas and creates a kinetic interplay between lighting and the movement of bodies.

Completion of functional, boxing, and cycle studios in March 2019 concludes the first phase of design with current works underway on façade, lobby, and upgrades to member facilities within the original heritage gym space on Victoria Street. Completion slated for mid-2021.

In collaboration with Monk Mackenzie Architects and Alt Group.

1000 sqm
Auckland, New Zealand
2019
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Les Mills Auckland
Les Mills Auckland
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Les Mills Auckland
Minotti Auckland

The Minotti story centers around 70 years of Italian excellence in furniture and product manufacturers and their signature of melding tradition and innovation. The aesthetic of the furniture collection is understated, timeless, but includes a flair for sartorial detail. 

Founded in 1948 by Alberto Minotti, the company grew from a bespoke artisan workshop into a market-leading furniture designer and manufacturer and by the mid-’60s became synonymous with, whilst laying the foundations for, the high standards and clear expression of the ‘Made In Italy’ concept. 

ECC’s vision for Minotti Studio, the Auckland showroom, was one which embodied all aspects of the brands philosophy and presented the brand to the New Zealand market with touchpoints that aligned with a global network of stand-alone showrooms, included the full product offering, and introduced customers to Minotti’s ‘World of Materials’; an extensive library of speciality fabrics and finishes. The Minotti Studio space aimed to be sophisticated and refined but balanced by a sense of domesticity – with a strong emphasis on materiality and detailing cueing from the brand’s bespoke history. Given Minotti’s focus on bold and varied style, this offered the opportunity for the showroom space to pair robust materials – such as aged brass and smoked Oak – against soft tactile surfaces – such as plasters and linens – with a sense of permanence.

Minotti Studio aspirations were to create a rich canvas for future collections to build upon while introducing new customers to Minotti’s key principals of materiality and innovation and reintroducing existing customers to a dedicated space that aligned with Minotti’s network of showrooms around the world.

In collaboration with ECC Ltd.

150 sqm
Auckland, New Zealand
2018
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Minotti Auckland
The Great Eros

The Great Eros Greenwich Avenue flagship is an exploration into material sensitivities that align with a timeless sensual appeal and reference the brands Italian manufacturing heritage.

Inspiration was taken from a wide range of sources but centred around early-to-mid-century European modernist artists - such as Valentine Schlegel, Jean Arp, and Brancusi - whereby fluid forms take on primitive and anthropomorphic qualities. This countered by a formal and material influence from Italian Architects Carlo Scarpa and Carlo Mollino whose proportion and detail was interpreted through a corporeal lens.

The flagship develops themes from the first store on Wythe Avenue creating an enveloping interior that focuses on natural materials and tactile surfaces, such as oiled timber, terracotta, aged brass, plaster, and silk. A large central display space showcases The Great Eros’ full range of garments, literature, and objects while, as privacy is essential to the customer experience, two generous dressing rooms discreetly flank the central display area inviting a confident and stimulating atmosphere.

In collaboration with Reid & Taylor Studio.

50 sqm
West Village, New York
2018
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The Great Eros
The Great Eros
Aesop Wellington

Change House at 150 Featherston Street is a 1930’s office building designed in an inter-war transitional style that incorporates elements of Art Deco, the Chicago School, and New York Skyscraper styles.

The design of Aesop Wellington took cues from the site’s surrounding commercial context and proximity to the nearby Lambton Harbour and adjoining harbour sheds; their strong association to trade, industrious maritime heritage, and turn-of-the-century European design influence.

The materiality of the store aims to reflect the inherited history of law and commerce practised at Change House. Basket-weave parquetry, oiled timbers, polished brass, and specialist plaster finishes propose a layered sense of history in concert with a contemporary retail experience.

The interior display wall references the skilful positioning of the building on its corner site but introduces a Modernist spirit through the interplay of a large unbroken gesture where function is recessed, and form remains absolute. The transactional aspects of the store mirror this by standing freely as pure abstraction, with storage and functionality discreetly integrated. Conversely, a classicist material simplicity contributes to a feeling of nostalgia as if the retail display has occupied one of the buildings original bureaus.

90 sqm
Wellington, New Zealand
2018
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Aesop Wellington
Aesop Wellington
Sons & Co. studio

The Sons & Co. studio is situated in a 150sqm warehouse space, above a ship chandlery, in Lyttelton.

For the client Lyttelton was a very conscious choice, removing themselves even further from the world, confident they can still attract clients. The new studio needed to be a physical representation of that intent and idea. They have no logo, website or social media presence, so the studio is the brand.

The brief was a studio for six people. The client uses the word studio in preference to office as they believe there's a difference. They’re a very small team of friends. They work very closely together, they have an implicit understanding. 

They enjoy ‘pure’ design. By that, they mean they’re attracted to design in its most direct form. Work full of rigour, that’s original, uncompromising, but often has an element that is pure whim, nonsense or "just, because".

Metal trusses, timber sarking, and polished concrete created a robust industrial canvas from which the design could reference. Stained timber flutes, individually milled, were introduced in the form of wall-claddings and large sliding doors to delineate the studio environment from meeting spaces. 

The clients like an ordered environment, calm, beautiful and refined. They believe the way in which creative people work hasn't changed since the birth of time. The design of the studio didn’t need to facilitate a process, they’re not of the "design can change the world" school, but they do believe when design is good, really good, it raises the human spirit.

140sqm
Lyttleton, New Zealand
2018
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Sons & Co. studio
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Sons & Co. studio
Kowtow Wellington

Kowtow was established in 2007 with the desire to create an ethical label that would be the example of a fashion-forward, global thinking business. 11 years on, the label opens its flagship store in their hometown of Wellington with an emphasis on natural, locally sourced and sustainable materials. 

The store articulates minimalism, simplicity, and generosity. From the outside, two large windows frame the space. Instead of traditional displays, passers-by have an open and transparent view of the store’s day-to-day life. Floor-to-ceiling structures divide the space with a strong rhythm and create a bespoke racking system. The large point of sale anchors the space and invites conversation.

All aspects of the store have been selected with sustainability in mind; sustainably grown and milled timber, handmade ceramic tiles from Gidon Bing, FSC certified joinery and textiles.

In collaboration with Makers of Architecture.

160 sqm
Wellington, New Zealand
2018
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Kowtow Wellington
Simon James Newmarket

Simon James Design is a leading voice in contemporary furniture and homewares. Their Newmarket flagship, situated on Osborne Lane, uses modernist art as a point of departure to create a refined canvas from which to showcase a growing international brand stable.

The neutral interior palette combines marble, brushed stainless steel, off-white plaster, and selvedged Oak to create an essential, yet tactile, retail experience.

The existing 60-sqm site – previously a lean-to – had limited visibility from the street despite a prominent corner position. Large punctuations were created in the façade and sill heights of existing windows dropped to create a more vibrant and engaging shopfront while allowing generous natural light deep into the space. The resulting ceiling geometries were treated with a two-tone specialist plaster finish to diminish their apparent architectural complexity and fill the space with an unexpected and uplifting textural quality.

The point of sale and jewellery consult station are described by two freestanding timber and stone cabinets, with corresponding negative details, centrally located between the display wall and the Osbourne Lane windows allowing unencumbered movement throughout the store while storage, functionality, and point of sale are discreetly integrated.

In collaboration with Cheshire Architects

50 sqm
Auckland, New Zealand
2017
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Simon James Newmarket
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Simon James Newmarket
Resident - Euroluce

Resident's 'Dark Matter' exhibition aimed to build on the previous three year's participation at the Milan Salone and the opportunity to showcase Resident's latest collaborations with NZ and UK-based designers presenting a collection of furniture and lighting as a bold, enduring, and further establish their exposure in the European market.

The exhibition incorporated refined monolithic geometries with integrated lighting and display elements and, through these volumes, aimed to demonstrate a sense of permanence and weight in a what can otherwise be an ephemeral and frenetic environment. The conceptual ideation was borne of the New Zealand landscape and our exposure to our unique and harsh geography.

As the Resident footprint occupied a 100sqm corner site, establishing and maintaining lines of sight for the product was imperative. The three large volumes – crown cut ply oiled dark black – not only offered the featured lighting a vivid backdrop but also allowed the spatial experience to maintain a sense of order and containment. The design aimed to be immersive; creating intrigue for visitors and curating their experience within.

The ‘Dark Matter’ exhibition presented Resident in a bold and distinctive tone while the simplicity of the design allowed for flexibility to expand and participate in other international furniture fairs with a similar immersive quality. The exhibition established a palette for the Resident brand that speaks, at once, of place but also of modernity and their position in a design-led global market.

100 sqm
Milan, Italy
2017
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Resident - Euroluce
Resident - Euroluce
Lonely Newmarket

Lonely Newmarket is the most recent flagship, and second branding touch-point in Auckland, located in the historic Hayes Building on Teed Street at the centre of a fast-paced retail precinct.

The space makes a departure from the cool modern delineation of the previous Ponsonby and Wellington stores with a soft and enveloping interior that focuses on natural materials in a tactile palette of Oak, plaster, polished brass, and cast bronze.

From Monet’s ‘Les Nymphéas’, to Gabriella Crespi’s fluid brass forms, to Villa Noailles, the space speaks in calm and confident forms but keeps service and customer experience at its heart providing a serene and intimate showroom atmosphere to experience the brand and accessory collections.

Continuing to explore female design histories the Newmarket flagship incorporates the work of mid-century designers like Eileen Gray and Charlotte Perriand and pairs these with contemporary artists and makers - such as specially commissioned fixings in cast bronze from New Zealand artist Kate Newby - to strengthen Lonely’s values of creativity and empowerment.

The Lonely brand speaks strongly about layers of intimacy so a space that focuses on the customer, their experience, and the process of buying lingerie still remains essential. The Lonely Newmarket flagship further expands our vocabulary of what it means to be modern and romantic.

In collaboration with Fabricate Architecture

100 sqm
Auckland, New Zealand
2016
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Lonely Newmarket
NZ Room Venice

Te Koha – meaning gift, offering – provided a space for visitors to the 2016 Biennale Architettura di Venezia interested in learning more about New Zealand Architecture and Design and to immerse themselves in the materials of our emerging design culture. 

During the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale, Te Koha hosted events organised by event patrons, partners and supporters. It was a base for cultural events, including symposia on architecture, innovation, and the sciences. Te Koha was also supported by Te Mātau – meaning knowledge, understanding –  a small reading space in which visitors to New Zealand’s exhibition can discover more about creative industries through selected publications and writings.

The design strategy for both spaces was to work with innovative Aotearoa-based suppliers and locally source materials in order to develop an identity for the room that was sympathetic to the cultural depth, richness, and tactility of New Zealand’s landscape. Central to this approach was upholding and celebrating Mauri – the essence which binds and animates all things in the physical world – developed under the guidance of Rau Hoskins and with a whakatuwhera ceremony performed by representatives from Ngāi Tūhoe. Tacit explorations within Te Koha were the woven Muka floor-covering, Rewa Rewa timber furniture, and the wool fabric drops from a Perendale breed located in Akaroa. 

Te Koha and Te Mātau would not have been possible without the commitment of our manufacturers and suppliers. Both rooms have been generously supported by Abodo, David Trubridge, Nick Radford, Nodi Rugs, Philips Selecon, Resene, Robinson Interiors, Rockcote, Resident and Vanda Holdings. With special thanks to Campaign for Wool NZ, Camira Fabrics, Okewa, and Ngā Aho.

50 sqm
Venice, Italy
2016
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NZ Room Venice
NZ Room Venice NZ Room Venice
NZ Room Venice
The International Apartments

The International apartments combine a global set of references with a contemporary design language and places them in a specifically New Zealand context.

Sanctuary Group has developed a dynamic and forward-thinking architectural form while the interiors are refined and sophisticated. This coupled with the ability to ‘live outdoors’ – in the large conservatory spaces – makes The International justly unique.

Unrivalled in aspect and connection to green space, in concert with a prime urban location, gives The International a confident placement in the global market but also presents a new benchmark for high-density living Auckland.

In collaboration with Marchese Partners

Auckland, New Zealand
2016
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The International Apartments
The International Apartments The International Apartments
The International Apartments
Lonely Wellington

Lonely Wellington is an extension of Lonely’s branding touch-points and service focus for New Zealand’s capital.  

Continuing with an atmosphere of intimacy and warmth, the store aims to capture the quiet intellect of the Wellington customer with materials and finishes more suited to their cooler climate.

For the one hundred square-meter space, the design direction is again a dialogue between hard and soft surfaces – between confidence and privacy. Materials and textures that were previously refined and sleek are now muted, softened, and more tactile – a palette of warm grey, earthy green, and deep purple continue Lonely’s theme of sophistication and simplicity.

The Lonely brand speaks strongly about layers of intimacy so a space that focuses on the customer, their experience, and the process of buying lingerie remains essential. The Lonely Wellington space hopes to expand our vocabulary of what it means to be modern and romantic.

In collaboration with Fabricate Architecture

100 sqm
Wellington, New Zealand
2015
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Lonely Wellington
Lonely Wellington Lonely Wellington
Lonely Wellington
Simon James Showroom

Simon James Design is a showroom for contemporary furniture and homewares.

Situated in a mid-century industrial building the showroom, originally occupying only the corner tenancy, now has a generous 250sqm open-plan arrangement. By limiting the intervention to its essentials and keeping a restrained material palette lets the selected furniture and homewares pieces speak for themselves.

300 sqm
Auckland, New Zealand
2015
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Simon James Showroom
Simon James Showroom
Lonely Lingerie Ponsonby

Lonely is womenswear that inspires a youthful creative spirit. Forward-thinking with regard to digital integration but service-focused, the store aims to beautiful, unique, and modern – yet simple.

Lonely Ponsonby is a branding touch-point and a place for customers to interact and buy the products on both an analogue and digital level.

The design direction needed to align with international shopping districts and that reflected the young brand's global outlook. Material and texture were key in creating an image that would complement this direction. Exploring an idea of 'soft industrial' – a dichotomy between robust materials that had a tactile or unexpected finish – salvaged timber parquetry, sandblasted marble, and finely perforated mesh combine to make the store feel sophisticated without feeling unapproachable.

The Lonely brand speaks strongly about layers of intimacy so creating a retail space that focuses on the customer, their experience, and the process of buying lingerie – confidence, privacy, and warmth – was essential. I wanted the space to say something romantic but in a modern vocabulary.

In collaboration with Fabricate Architecture

50 sqm
Auckland, New Zealand
2014
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Lonely Lingerie Ponsonby
Lonely Lingerie Ponsonby Lonely Lingerie Ponsonby
Studio

Rufus Knight was born in 1986 in Ōpōtiki, New Zealand. At Victoria University's School of Architecture and Design in Wellington, he undertook studies in Interior Architecture after which he held an Associate position at award-winning practice Fearon Hay Architects. Following working terms abroad in Europe, notably for Vincent Van Duysen Architects in Antwerp, he opened his own Auckland-based studio, Knight Associates, concentrating on Interior Architecture and Design in 2016.

Journalist Noelle McCarthy described Knight as having ‘a lucrative talent for translating branding ephemera into built spaces people want to be in. The work inhabits a sweet spot between art and commerce, and the spaces he creates share a luxurious tactility but not a strict aesthetic.’ Working on a global portfolio of projects, Knight Associates apply an honest and tactile aesthetic to residential, commercial, and experiential briefs from a cultural and contextually informed approach.

Knight Associates' work has been published internationally and in 2015 the studio was awarded the Designers Institute of New Zealand's highest achievement for Spatial Design, the Purple Pin, for their work on the Lonely Ponsonby flagship. More recently they have curated part of the New Zealand national pavilion at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale, are overseeing the Interior Design of one of Auckland’s most prestigious multi-residential addresses, The International building, collaborating with global skincare company, Aēsop, and refurbishing the interiors for New Zealand’s most established fitness brands, Les Mills.

Address –
70D Mackelvie Street, Ponsonby
Auckland 1010
New Zealand

Team –
Rufus Knight, Dahlia Ghani, Liam McGarry, Ping Ang, Madumal Gunaratna,  Binh Minh Ha, Lily Lee, Helen Ryan