Artbank
After thirty years operating out of a warehouse in Rosebery, Artbank engaged Aileen Sage Architects in the design of its new home.
The Artbank fitout is inserted into an existing warehouse and office building in Waterloo, adjacent to the Danks Street Gallery Precinct. The heritage façade and entry tower of the building – once the Wormald Bros. factory constructed in 1912 – provides a distinct public face to the Federal Government initiative that aims to support and promote the value of Australian contemporary art.
Playfulness and connectivity are the drivers of the design. The new interior spaces provide a strong visual connection between the administration and the art storage. From the meeting rooms, visitors can look down into ‘the machine’ – a huge black steel structure of sliding panels on which the majority of the art collection is hung, and across to the mezzanine storage and black box of the goods lift. The workspaces and lunchroom ensure views to the outside – either bathed in sun along the northern edge or looking out into the trees that line the street front.
Privacy within the open plan office is mediated through perforated screens, custom bookshelf units and planters – providing a layering of interesting and varied patterns, texture and colour. High level glazing is used to allow a continuation of natural light and space where visual separation is required – such as in the meeting rooms and client lounge. Carpet in strong clashing colours and perforated ceilings in two different apertures contrast with the white walls and neutral concrete floor and provide acoustic attenuation to the work zones.
Views into the dramatic black entry tower are captured throughout the workspace – framing the specially commissioned suspended kinetic artwork by Ross Manning. The polished black concrete floor of the tower reflects the suspended artwork above, creating a dramatic entry point into the new facility. Mirrored faces to the reception desk and publically accessible bathroom create unusual and surprising spaces with inspiration drawn from Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Rooms and Donald Judd’s minimalist art objects.
Sustainable design and materials were at the forefront of the fitout.
Materials
– Tretford natural cord fiber carpets made from Cashmere goat hairs produced free of chemicals and toxins. These breathable natural fibers perform as an air filter, improving indoor air quality as well as acting as an insulator of heat and sound.
– Existing concrete floors, polished.
– Activa rubber flooring – a durable and sustainable material from a renewable, natural resource.
– Bondor insulated ceiling panels, a materially efficient insulating system that is fully recyclable.
– Hoop pine plywood, manufactured from Australian plantation grown timber.
– Eco-core white birch multiply has an exceptionally low formaldehyde emission rate and is manufactured from plantation grown timber.
– Corian, non-toxic and durable material.
Lighting
Light fittings are LEDs or fluoros throughout, using existing light fittings where possible. New light fittings include: Iguzzini track and spotlights, Iguzzini suspended high bays, Erco Pantrac ceiling wash lights, Inlite Tube Starr, Anglepoise Type 75, Klik Systems 110 recessed light
High level glazing was used to provide visual connection and natural light between the office spaces and warehouse.
Existing Items + Structure
Used the existing layout and structure of the warehouse for material and economic efficiency.
The design accommodated as many existing items from ARTBANK as possible including massive steel framed demountable art storage racks, object displays and shelving, furniture items, lighting and fittings.
Planting
High-level shelving and custom planter boxes accommodate botanical life within the office spaces.
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