We just got shortlisted at this year’s Fit-Out Awards in the category
Fit-out Project of the Year – Public Sector
Here a bit more background on innovations and challenges of the project:
Innovation:
- ‘Ignoring’ the current unsuitable envelope of the room and reacting with the creation of a room within the room that is fit for purpose. This spatially also allowed to separate the formerly overlapping functions into a mourners’ room and a corridor that is only accessed by undertakers
- Detailing of hidden doors: It was crucial that simple shape and symmetry of the room was kept pure and uninterrupted. Therefore, parts of the screens were detailed as pivoting openable sections: one smaller one giving access to a storage area, one large one allowing the coffin being brought in from the corridor that is accessed from the outside ramp and the cargo hall.
Challenges:
- Absence of a client brief – the project was realized on my own initiative and approach to the client, after a personal experience of using the existing facility made me realize that this area of the airport had not received the attention it deserved (I waved my design fees to reduce the amount of possible obstacles)
- A limited budget – this was overcome by a sophisticated yet simple design approach. The visually strong and impactful result was achieved through the majority of the fit-out being a joinery only solution
- Visual and noise impact of the facility being within a cargo zone /warehouse – this was overcome by building a room within a room, thus avoiding very costly modifications to the outdated glazed façade and the lobby towards the warehouse. Maximum impact within a limited budgetary framework.
- The multi-denominational nature of the space – Any references to any particular belief system had to be avoided – this was overcome with a design language that is highly symbolic, the concept of a ‘circle of life’ is embedded in all religions and therefore universal.
