Northeast of Sydney, in the suburb of Mosman, a 100-year-old building commemorating those killed during duty in World War I now houses a real estate office for BresicWhitney. The shiny, modern interior is located within the stately edifice of the ANZAC Memorial Hall, dedicated in 1924. Local architecture firm Those Architects creatively organized the spatial layout of the office using ribbons of shiny curved steel rather than the typical application of stringent walls. The unique approach to BresicWhitney Lower North Shore office is a bold reimagination of a historic building.
While the new 2,282-square-foot office boasts a modern look, Those Architects didn’t overlook the historic importance of the building or the complications that come with it. Ben Mitchell, cofounder and director of Those Architects, told AN Interior, “Unfortunately, not much of the original interior building fabric remained intact, so when we uncovered the original staircase, we were very keen to restore it and incorporate it into the design. It provides a beautiful counterpoint to the contemporary interior and also serves as a touchstone to the past.”
When entering the office, a collage of various neutral tones are introduced: the marble reception desk, light timber herringbone floor, curved white sofa, and off-white murobond walls. This provides a quiet base to the louder ceiling, a mesh coated in powder French Blue. The hue can be seen throughout the office—even from the street. “We wanted to demonstrate it is possible to impart new thinking on an old concept and as such we went searching for a material palette that would speak to the idea. Through countless iterations, the combination of stainless steel and French Blue became kind of a talisman for innovation,” Mitchell shared.
The French Blue couldn’t be the only design element to stand out in the office, shiny stainless steel ribbons also grab for attention. Those Architects applied curvy slivers of steel that acts as a creative divider of functionality within the office. About half the height of the room, these partitions creates dips and curves for private or public zones, such as a sitting area, part of the kitchen, and the office desks. Mitchell shared the influence for the intended twists, “The idea for the curve was born initially from the study of aerial maps of Mosman, moreover the base that predominates Mosman’s coastline. In exploring this idea through sketches, we found the curve served the space well and promoted natural lines of circulation, also affording opportunity for the device to be occupied and utilized in ways that a conventional room divider is not.”
The desks are also steel. Those Architects impressively crafted the desks, which seat 22 employees, with single sculptural pieces of steel. The work tables offer division through a series of curves indicating different sections of the office. There are five divots that hold an average of four seats each, creating a non-hierarchical atmosphere.
Those Architects took influences from the surrounding Mosman landscape and applied it with a creative, sleek style to the BresicWhitney Lower North Shore office. While creating an atmosphere that is suitable for both the workers and clients alike, the design team cleverly carved out individual pockets of space through steel ribbons, allowing for privacy amongst the open floorplan. Those Architects wiggled through the project by marrying the original 1920s building to a contemporary design.