Tongue n Groove Flagship Sydney Showroom Awarded Good Design Award Gold Accolade

The Tongue n Groove Series

Sydney, NSW, Australia

The Tongue n Groove flagship Sydney showroom has been awarded a prestigious Good Design Award Gold Accolade in the Architectural Design category in recognition for outstanding design and innovation.

Designed by architecture and design studio Tobias Partners, the showroom is a deeply experiential space whose materiality explores the diverse potential of oak. The Good Design Awards Jury recognised the innovative nature of the design that transcends the traditional showroom, commenting that the project is a “skillfully designed and well-executed retail showroom design that has high street grab, consumer intrigue and a bite of delight in the space, all of which create a space with a high want-to-see appeal.”

The jury continues, “This showroom is an exciting, creative and effective arena for demonstrating the nature of its products. Displays are effective, allowing the real scale and nature of products to be understood by visiting architects, designers and consumers. The showroom successfully suggests quality, craftsmanship and design commitment.”

Designed by architecture and design studio Tobias Partners, the showroom is a deeply experiential space whose materiality explores the diverse potential of oak.

Receiving the highly-regarded accolade is another representation of the way in with the company is pushing the boundaries of both design and craftsmanship. Transforming the space into a series of experiences, the design by Tobias Partners director Nick Tobias seeks to interpret the many and varied applications of Tongue n Groove’s unique solid engineered European oak boards.

With a playful display that moves beyond the floor to the walls and ceiling, the space is conceived of as a stage that displays the design flexibility and materiality of the timber in a variety of ways. Timber panels floating down from the ceiling are interpolated with LED strip lighting, creating a dynamic and textural installation that envelops the visitor in the material. A gradation of coloured tones features along a wall in a diagonal pattern, creating a sense of movement, while several floor levels display the range of colours and patterns. Timber battens that sit on stunning brass mirror inlays divide the public and private rooms, further enhancing the sense of line, material and texture.

“Skillfully designed and well-executed retail showroom design that has a high street grab.”

Held annually, with a history dating back to 1958, the Good Design Awards are Australia’s most prestigious international Awards for design and innovation. Celebrating the best new products and services on the Australian market, the Good Design Awards Jury evaluated a record number of nearly 700 submissions over a period of days according to a strict set of design criteria. Covering ‘good design’, ‘design innovation’ and ‘design impact’, to achieve recognition by the Good Design Awards a project must demonstrate excellence in all areas.

Reflecting on this year’s awards, Dr. Brandon Gien, CEO of Good Design Australia says, “receiving a Good Design Award at this level is a significant achievement given the very high calibre of entries received this year. Australia’s Good Design Award is more than a symbol of design excellence, it represents the hard work and dedication towards an innovative outcome that will ultimately improve our quality of life. These projects showcase the brilliance of design and the potential it has to improve our world.”

In receiving the Gold Accolade, Tongue n Groove is recognised for their commitment to design, and distinction within the Australian design industry.