Jury comment
The designers have translated and expressed 1888 Certified’s strong narrative through a rich and engaging material palette. The butchery’s history and ethos have been expertly articulated through repeated iconic imagery, such as carving knives and veined marble, and custom-designed elements. From the streetscape, passers-by feel like they are immediately immersed within the environment. The design involves the customer in the 1888 Certified story and educates the community about its products.
Design statement
1888 Certified’s product is sustainable, grass fed and hormone free. As fourth-generation farmers, the clients are authentic and steadfast in their sustainable practices. The interior had to align with this ethos, and help to tell the story of the producers. It was important to the clients that their customers engaged with their story. A key element of the brief was to ensure there were interesting touchpoints throughout the fitout. The designers created a tactile, textured and layered interior that encouraged interaction and conversation.
The concept was focused around the meat, which forms an integral part of the palette. Every material, colour and texture had to work with the raw meat that was on display. The designers also took inspiration from the meat’s origins – the owner’s farms and other local producers. The designers placed emphasis on materials that had been locally sourced and were rich with history. This was one of the driving factors in their decision to use recycled hardwood cladding that was originally used to help build the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The Award for Retail Design is supported by Laminex. The Australian Interior Design Awards are presented by the Design Institute of Australia and Artichoke magazine. For more images of this project, see the Australian Interior Design Awards gallery.
