Showcasing Artistic Craftsmanship
Context
The Blue Mountains Cultural Centre opened in Katoomba, NSW in 2012 after more than a decade of planning. The development was designed to service the arts and cultural needs of the Blue Mountains. Street + Garden was approached directly by the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre to develop a custom furniture range, which presented an opportunity to work closely and directly with the client in developing a design that met their personal requirements.
Considerations
The brief for the project was to design seating and furniture for the outdoor courtyard and viewing platform. The design needed to be in keeping with the architecture of the building that references the sandstone escarpment and horizontal lines of the distant mountain view. The benches were to be used by laptop users, tourists, children, the elderly, people in conversation and individuals so flexibility in design and use was paramount. The collection features a unique multi-function table / bench seat solution, rubbish bins, and planters, all of which are freestanding and portable.
Opportunities
Given the artistic nature of the project, there was an opportunity to develop a furniture range that showed more ‘craftsmanship’ which was achieved by using CNC routed ‘shaped’ timber to give a more organic aesthetic to the product. The shapes of the timber, repeated throughout the suite, were derived from the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre logo. This opportunity was made possible by the direct communication with the client and what they had envisioned for the project and resulted in a unique solution tailored specifically to the client’s needs.
