Johnson Partners

Inspired by Ken Adams’ James Bond set designs – including Scaramanga’s island lair carved into rocky outcrops and the integrated furnishings within Moonraker’s Drax Industry Space Station – sculpted depths of saturated drama replace the sobriety of conventional corporate high-rise offices within. Housing Johnson Partners, a boutique revolutionary consulting firm, the city view becomes the bonus and interaction the main act. Circular feature lighting fixtures hang at considerably lower levels than the exposed ceiling and Louis Poulsen sconces line the corridor wall in couplets to create warm golden auras at head height. The pandemic accelerated the hybrid concept of working from home so we created a physically comforting embrace akin to domestic settings with flickers of retro-futuristic flair. Carpet combs walls plus banquettes; lighting plus custom tables take on saucer-like forms. The spatial strategy is non-hierarchical, reflecting the egalitarian ethos of the company. Circles and concave embraces including a rendered wall with elongated apertures cocooning a meeting table enhance fluid navigation around the open-plan office. Possessing a theatrical quality that is equally intimate, a draped custom-dyed linen curtain arc can instantly create a private enclosure for solo work or draw open, producing an informal meeting space. Project: Johnson Partners Materials Used: Sandstone, Gardano Quartzite, Ghost Bricks, Walnut Timber, Ribbed Goat’s Hair Carpet, Hand-dyed Linen, Velvet, Fibrestone and Resin, Linoleum, Vermiculite Year: 2021 Location: Sydney, Australia Square Meters: 290 Stylist: Felicity Ng Photography: Prue Ruscoe