Minimal and sophisticated. That was the design goal for this private office in Parnell, Auckland.
The team at Wingate Architects, led by Michael Leng and Natasha Baumgartner, was tasked with the interior design of the office and engaged MHL to help find the right lighting solution.
The goal was to create a seamless lighting design system that would provide good general lighting for the office, as well as working within the shape of the space.
The building itself was one of the highlights as well as one of the challenges of this project. As a historical building with wood beams in odd locations, a high ceiling and strange angles, the office offered lots of character. The challenge was to find a lighting solution that would make the space appear seamless without taking away from its uniqueness.
Open discussion and brainstorming between the Interior Architects and the MHL team enabled us to come up with the right solution. Initially, the idea was to use spotlights, but this would result in shadowing over the workspaces. In the end, all agreed that linear extrusion using ELS SK50s would be cleaner and more practical.
The outcome is exactly what was envisioned: A clean, sophisticated design that fits perfectly into this unique space. Both the client and architect are very happy with the end result.
“The lighting solution elevated the fitout by offering a level of sophistication and refinement. Spotlights would have made it too retail focused, so the linear lighting has given it a very good light distribution across the floor showing all the features of the space with the timber floors, brickwork and furniture.”
– Michael Leng, Wingate Architects
