| Risqué Business |
By: Studiofibre
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Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011 12:53 pm
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Agent Provocateur’s new Central London head office experiences a brief encounter with Studiofibre...
Agent Provocateur is probably the best-known leading high-end lingerie company. They are a daring, original and aspirational brand with their Head Offices base in central London. Year on year growth meant a move from Soho to a space, which could house the company all in one space and a suitable space was found in Clerkenwell. Unusually, for the interior designers responsible for their newly revamped head office, there were virtually no design restrictions. “Be as daring and colourful as you wish!” even though the company’s move to larger offices meant the company was no longer in Soho. So now, in bustling and creative Clerkenwell, a little bit of Soho sits quite happily amongst the throng of contemporary furniture showrooms and restaurants. With its jet black exterior and enticing red lighting beyond you know as soon as you approach Agents’ HQ that you are about an entirely different world from any other office experience!
Hertfordshire based commercial designers’ Studiofibre were chosen to provide the complete interior design for the 17,000 sq ft building refurbishment. They took the client’s vibrant colour palette of bright reds and fuschia pinks, together with gloss black, and applied it to the workplace with striking results that add a dash of theatrical glamour to what was a tired six storey building. “We had just 22 weeks to strip the building of its former life and install a complete new infrastructure and handover to the client ready to start working in it the next day” says Fiona Livingston, Partner and Design Director.
And as soon as you enter you know you are in the world of Agent Provocateur, a world dominated by strong women. Although there is a no-go area for visitors – not because of top secret meetings taking place, but because of scantily clad models parading Agents’ latest designs - the floors are cleverly linked by the Forbo floorcovering which features a fantastic crocodile print.
The furniture throughout is mostly Vitra with a few Edra pieces. “We worked closely with the The Furniture Practise” adds Livingston. Starcke seating is used for the meeting rooms and oversized pink Edra sofas are used in the reception space for a laid back, informal feel.A nod to Agent Provocateur’s unique in-store design is reflected throughout the interior through the careful selection of certain key elements; the bespoke black and pink carpets in the meeting rooms, the pink and red Chinese lanterns mixed with black fringed ceiling lampshades and the opulent silk pencil pleat silver curtains with pink motifs tied back soften the space and make it feel more ‘boudoir’ and less corporate.
“We added larger than life posters of the company’s product, which transferred perfectly from store to office” adds Fiona. Lip seating and pink fluorescent lighting added the fun and soho element which again makes your almost forget you are in an office environment.
Even the back office space of the accounts department does not escape the fushcia and shocking pink touches added to the desktop and desk chair coverings.
All the lifts were replaced with a polished finish because they didn’t want brushed stainless steel. This all reflects their brand. A bespoke partitioning system, designed by Studiofibre, with black metal framework was rolled out throughout the interior. The toilets didn’t escape the ‘boudoir’ treatment either, with an eclectic mix of ornate sinks, taps and mirrors set against bespoke Agent Provocateur wallpaper and bold black gloss floor and wall tiles.
The roof terrace was decked and huge sliding doors give access from the top floor cafe/ relaxation area, to create a very flexible space, perfect for events.
‘It’s great to be let loose on an entire building rather than just a couple of floors as is often the case with commercial fit-out projects. In this case we were faced with the challenge of transforming quite a life-less building into something that oozes character and encapsulates the theatrical glam of the Agent Provocateur brand. They really do live and breathe their brand!' says Fiona Livingston.
www.studiofibre.com
Studiofibre is a multi-disciplined design company based in the UK. The company, established in 2007 by Fiona and Ian Livingston, who met in 2003, benefits from individual career paths that, when combined, gives them 30 years experience in the design industry. Studiofibre projects range from commercial and residential interior design and architecture, through to bespoke furniture and domestic product design.
The company philosophy emphasises creativity of thought and the pursuit of a ‘non-style’ through the notion that every design solution derives itself from the micro-specifics of a particular brief, site context and budget mixed with the macro-specifics of a wider social and cultural setting. |
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