The Good Form
Lightly stained European birch ply was used as a sole material in this Auckland interior.
The birch ply accentuates the design objects on display without battling for attention.
The choice of materials lends an elegant Scandinavian counterpoint to the mid-century furniture sold within the same building.
Artist and designer Gidon Bing’s minimalist aesthetic has been put to work in the interior refit of Good Form, a design and gallery space owned by Dan and Emma Eagle. The space is housed within the same building as is the Eagles’ mid-century furniture specialist store,
Mr. Bigglesworthy, and has the same focus on craftsmanship and quality as well as an aim to expose fresh talents.
A large, industrial interior is made intimate by the highly functional, Japanese-style, modular design, which was created through collaboration between Bing and the owners. The design creates moments for engagement with customers and clients, spaces for the display of objects and furniture, and areas that can be made into focal points for events and exhibitions. Allowing for a sense of intimacy was tricky with the building’s high stud, says Bing.
“We resolved this with a modulated ceiling height in certain areas of the layout. The space is deliberately designed so that existing modules can be adapted and added to as the nature of the space evolves.” Light-stained European birch plywood is the singular material, creating a clean and warm modernist look.
Wall panels are slightly offset, accentuating the linear grid of the design. “The birch ply is not too warm but, also, not so cold that it looks Scandinavian,” says Bing. “The idea was to consider how it would look in years from now and to make a minimal design statement that was elegant but not overpowering.”
