Newcastle’s industrial heritage provided a rich canvas in which the studio could draw inspiration from to develop our interior design concept. Newcastle was once viewed as one of the main ship building cities in Europe, and the sites location close to the River Tyne played a major role in influencing the design direction for the scheme.

Taking inspiration from the industrial detailing and colours found across the seven iconic bridges that span the River Tyne, the design takes the schemes residents on a journey along with Tyne.  

With over 5000sqft of resident’s amenity space, spread across two floors. Our proposed layout looks to break the amenity down into a series of zones. At ground floor, the first zone you are met with is the reception lobby, a green terrazzo reception desk, with tiles cut in a triangulated pattern providing reference to the colour and structural bracing details found within the Tyne Bridge, with a sweeping stainless steel curved back drop to the reception, in reference to the brewing tanks that once sat on the site. Via a concealed door within this stainless-steel curve, sits a management office and parcel store. As you head right of the reception lobby, two bookable meeting rooms and WC’s can be found.

The second zone which can be found to the left of the reception lobby, provides over1000sqft of multi-functional student study and events space, facilitated through the use of moveable stainless-steel planters and furniture on casters.  This use of furniture allows the space to be reconfigured from a study space by day in to a social gathering space by night. This zone takes influence from the vibrant blue and industrial detailing found in the Metro Bridge. A feature stainless-steel staircase then leads you up to the first-floor amenity spaces.

The first floor has been divided into three further zones. The first zone consists of a large games area, home to a table-tennis table, pool table, Mahjong room and an online gaming den. The games zone was inspired by the colour palette, and the industrial detailing found within the nearby Swing Bridge. We have connected the space via an industrial steel and  glass corridor to the second zone which provides a studio space that can flex between a fitness studio and via the use of sliding screens provides storage for the space, allowing it to transform into a cinema space. Careful consideration has been given to the acoustics quality within the space by using felt acoustic baffles concealed within the ceiling detail. Stretched fabric storage screens and acoustic curtains have been designed within the windows, providing blackout when in use as a cinema space. The putty tones and industrial detailing look to take reference from the High-Level Bridge.

The final zone provides a private dining space that is linked to an external terrace via bi-folding doors. This space has been designed to enable bookable meetings/study sessions and to work from the custom-made central table, formed with a tiled base and cast concrete top.  To the rear of the space a stainless-steel kitchen and coffee station spans one wall with the other covered via velvet curtains that add warmth against the industrial pallet. The green tone and industrial detail are taken from the Tyne Bridge with reference shown through the choice of velvet curtains, tiling and mesh ceiling details.  

Careful consideration was given to the materiality, to ensure design aesthetic and budget aspirations were met. We collaborated closely with the structural engineer, to ensure that the concrete mix and formwork was graded accordingly, so it could be left exposed. This aided in controlling fit out costs and also looked to reduce the carbon footprint by not having to add further applied finishes. Large scale porcelain tiles were specified throughout the ground floor and for the feature staircase to provide an easy to maintain and robust premium finish. With brushed stainless-steel detailing to lighting, ironmongery and expressed framework to furnishings. These industrial finishes were off set via the use of rich colours and the softness of items such as inlayed rugs paired with the warmth and comforting upholstery chosen to loose furnishings.