Fairmont Group’s Adelaide office fitout features art in the ceilings

Knauf decorative ceiling product AO-Gami and acoustic ceiling tile ASONA Triton helped add a modern aesthetic to the interior spaces at Fairmont Group’s new office in Kent Town, Adelaide.

Designed by Maria Gianquitto of MGiD Interior Design, this fitout of an existing building is testament to classic yet contemporary design. Completed in March 2020, the project encompassed a showroom on the ground floor with office space on the second floor.

The space combines convenience and functionality with a stunning modern aesthetic. To achieve this outcome, Gianquitto needed a product that would help decorate the interior space and modernise the retro aesthetic of the existing building. The specifications of the design called for Knauf’s AO-Gami decorative ceiling and ASONA Triton acoustic ceiling tiles.

“These skylight atriums were typical of the era and are not often seen nowadays in commercial buildings. Initially, the client planned to leave the atrium untouched as it was too expensive to remove. I saw this as an opportunity to spend time and effort to turn this into a contemporary space,” commented Gianquitto.

Using AO-Gami, the atrium transformed from an ugly interior aspect into a striking and eye-catching feature. It distracted the eye from the old architectural form above by introducing an interesting and playful pattern of light diffused circular shapes on the floor below.

“I can’t think of any other product like this. It’s more of an art installation than a ceiling application,” continued Gianquitto.

The goal of the fitout was to make it contemporary but not trendy, embracing classic design elements with a modern twist. Circular shapes were celebrated using the AO-Gami application, which reflected the elements of the building such as the shape of the external structure and the windows.

“The design has a long shelf-life. Ceilings are normally ignored, but these ceilings were an important way to cement these design concepts,” noted Gianquitto.

The AO-Gami decorative ceiling became the hero feature in the fitout. It dissipates the natural light from the skylight and distracts the eye with a beautiful shadow play as the sun moves overhead.

The rest of the building featured a gridded ceiling throughout, which called for the use of a premium acoustic tile. The staff breakout area showcases acoustic ceiling tiles from the ASONA Triton range along with ASONA Polyfon Mesh open-celled panels. MGiD was the first interior design firm in Australia to use the new ASONA Triton colour Maple.

“We experimented with ASONA Polyfon Mesh panels and a combination of white, black and maple toned ASONA Triton tiles. It looked very effective in this area. The ceiling tiles transformed this casual space and inspired a sense of vogue and playfulness,” said Gianquitto.

During the design phase, Knauf provided Gianquitto with samples of various products as well as examples of applications. 

“Knauf suggested numerous potential products that met the project brief and provided samples. This was very helpful when I began developing design concepts with the client. Many of these products fit the criteria and conceptual direction. Knauf assisted with product and design for over a year before decisions were finalised,” Gianquitto added.