Sotheby’s Australia

926 High Street, Armadale, Melbourne,

The Outline:

  • Display Design
  • Interior Design

The Brief:

Project Sotheby’s is both the leading auction house internationally and locally reinforces Sotheby’s brand in a crowded and competitive market.

The Sotheby’s building is an icon building in the Armadale Arts Precinct. The design reinforces the brand position of the auction house as a venerable institution and project it into the realities of the International and Australian art market at the beginning of the millennium.

The Design:

A truly flexible space for the auction house fulfilling all of Sotheby’s departments and employees and their clients’ needs for day to day operations and the exhibition and sales calendar.
– The gallery is idle for most of the year; redesign the exhibition space so it can be used throughout the year – such as for client dinners and permanent display.
– Create flexible exhibition and sales area to avoid double handling of the art work and decorative arts.
– Redesign and reorganise the facility to provide ease of operations – smoother day to day running of the facility linking staff, departments and grouping operations.

Design a reception/meeting and dining area for clients – to provide privacy, enforce brand loyalty and enforce their VIP status to the house.
– Privacy for clients should be of paramount concern.

Create flexible offices and administration areas so the organisation can respond to the changing nature of the art market.
– A space that can dynamically respond to the needs of the specialist.
– Break down the perceived or physical barriers between the departments.
– To create a truly responsive team environment.

Ease of access for clients and the art work.
– Implementation of a disabled access plan and upgrading of facilities.
– Secure access for paintings and decorative arts and eliminate double handling.
– Secure storage for paintings and decorative arts. One safe area.
– Eliminate double handling – delivery, display, auction, pick up.

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