Working with artisan pottery Arran Street East, our brief was to renovate and fit out the ground floor and basement of a 19th century Dutch Billy corner building in Dublin’s Markets Area, which had previously been in use as a fruit and vegetable wholesalers. Working closely with the creative director, we were asked to create a new space where potential customers could experience and purchase the products, as well as creating a space for a pottery studio where all of the hand-making production processes would be housed.
An early concept which became the touchstone for the project was the idea of an ‘open studio’ where visitors could connect with the making process – a unique opportunity to experience a traditional craft taking place in an urban setting. The production space was designed around the movement of the pot, from delivery of the clay right up to the point of sale for customers, creating a making, teaching, and retail space that went on to win Fit Out Project of the Year – Retail and the Fit Out Project of the Year Grand Prix at the Fit Out Awards in 2016.