Leonard Joel’s new office and gallery spaces by Studio Doherty marks a new era for the iconic auction house. The new headquarters pays homage to the brand’s 105 year heritage and pushes it towards a progressive future.
The design approach was to create a calm and elegant backdrop for the ever-changing landscape of antique furniture, fine art, jewellery and decorative objects. In the age of mass-production and throwaway culture there is a renewed appreciation for the unique, the rare, the beautiful and the bespoke. Auctions are an exciting alternative to retail – a progressive auction experience offers depth and breadth, covering all collecting categories and price points.
This contemporary building has over 2,000 sqm of space across two levels, allowing Studio Doherty to create large gallery spaces and viewing areas, generous reception and communal bar area, theatrical auction spaces and workplace for their team.
The first floor is home to the Fine Auction gallery (Leonard Gallery) and Salon Art and Jewels (August Gallery), along with reception area, dedicated Auction space and bar. A series of consignment rooms, meeting rooms and cashier sit between the two gallery spaces. At the rear of the building is an expansive open plan staff working space, with associated meeting rooms, auction rooms and amenities. The ground floor has an expansive Auction Salon display space, and a large carpark/pick-up area where clients can drop off and collect their purchases.
Studio Doherty have referenced the history of the business using materials, colours, and forms, including introducing traditional rich colours that would have been seen in 19th century galleries, such as deep petrol greens, dark smokey blues, interspersed with accents of mustard and grey-blue quartzite.
The former office tenancy was stripped exposing all the structural and mechanical components. This was a deliberate departure from the more traditional design gestures woven throughout, emphasising a meeting of old and new. The existing concrete floors on each level have been retained, and contribute to a contemporary, fresh interior.
Materiality was integral to establishing a sense of serenity within the active and ever moving business of Leonard Joel. Extensive research into the heritage of the business and other auction houses around the world was undertaken to ensure the essence of this auction house was captured. Quartzite skirting and architraves, curved displays, bronze cast signage are implimented throughout as nods to design gestures associated with 1800s. These insertions were offset by a bold modern approach to the overall design, namely the large flexible spaces boasting all the amenity and efficiency (lighting, volume of space and tech) needed for the fast paced and ever evolving nature of Leonard Joel.
Flexibility in the gallery spaces was important, so large sweeping curtains and movable pod walls have been introduced. The Auction space can be made smaller by a large J-shaped curtain track, which can be pushed back to reveal the surrounding Leonard gallery, or closed to create a more intimate, moody auction space.
This moody and rich colour palette has been extended into the staff areas creating a vibrant yet peaceful place to work and relax. A large L- shaped banquette seat wraps the perimeter walls of the kitchen area. The staff kitchen area has been painted in a deep smokey blue with reflective splashback tiles and charcoal timber laminate adding to the ambience.
The branding has been created by Mike Giesser who immersed himself into the history of Leonard Joel, creating contemporary signage and branding. The signage is made of cast bronze and the Leonard Joel logo to the façade is embedded into the building.
Although Leonard Joel is now in a contemporary space, what’s sold there is a precious time capsule that will continue to reflect the history of Melbourne, it’s inhabitants and their stories. Studio Doherty also acknowledge that Leonard Joel is as much about the interesting people and their stories as it is a marketplace for fabulous treasures.