Sculptform Design Studio / Woods Bagot
+ 13
- Area :
540 m²
Year :
2020
Suppliers: sculpt form

Description sent by the project team. Sculptform blurs the line between retail and facility space, in a brilliant “work showroom” case study that demonstrates just how impactful design can be when local manufacturing and quality craftsmanship come together. Sculptform is a custom wall and ceiling manufacturer with a factory in Bendigo (two hours from Melbourne). It makes sense to establish a showroom in the center of Melbourne to be physically closer to industry groups, other manufacturers and architectural collaborators. When Woods Bagot was invited to a design competition for the new showroom, the team pulled no punches and were truly creative in their design response. They decided the space would be a testament to Sculptform’s expertise, passion for design and craft philosophy.



The showroom concept was expanded to include a co-creation studio, a celebration of creation and a maker lab, a place that connects the design community and becomes a place to experiment, learn and share ideas. The staff workspace, meeting rooms and collaboration spaces – originally to be “in the back” – are opened up and organized around the central makerspace that is the heart of the project . The Sculptform name inspired the design team to explore a concept that was both immersive and sculptural. The aspiration was to create something truly extraordinary that pushes the limits of materials and manufacturers. The spatial layout, based on a grand gesture of infinity, curves and winds in a figure eight, creating a sculptural journey that arouses curiosity from the street.

With Sculptform as client, fabricator and builder, the project was an opportunity to test the details and really expand what is possible with wood. A series of intensive design workshops gave rise to a first concept of curvilinear architectural insertion that leads people through the space. The co-creation approach also included frequent factory (Bendigo) and site (Melbourne) visits to ensure the most innovative solution. The sculptural detail of the wooden slats IS the space. It is defined by a geometry of horizontal and vertical curves, meticulously resolved using machinery purchased specifically to achieve the result, and from which Sculptform has introduced a new range of products to its collection.


What visitors experience is a physical connection to Sculptform products, their processes and their creators, something that cannot be found online. It is much more than a typical retail offering: it is an immersive and experiential showroom, packed with a high-tech digital gallery and full-scale product sample display. There’s a team workspace, a glass-enclosed workshop that showcases the process of creating custom products, and an addition Woods Bagot brought to the project: an event-oriented amphitheater.

The showroom functions as a true marketing tool for the Sculptform brand. Eliminating the line between front and back allows architects and designers to work and co-create in the space alongside their own clients and contractors. Linking its citywide customers with its regional production hub, Sculptform’s showroom reduces the need to travel, highlights the product and brand experience, and is fully recyclable. Located on the ground floor of a tower, the showroom offers a curious new landmark installation – at night, integrated lighting accentuates the drama of the curved wooden forms, creating what is essentially a “billboard for the street” – and also demonstrates that working within an existing building can produce amazing results when you think outside the box.
