Swirl: A Welcoming Space That Merges Art and Industry

Designers Lorène Faure and Kenny Kinugasa-Tsui Transform Industrial Space into an Artistic Experience

The project draws its inspiration from contemporary art museums such as Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, and Palais de Tokyo. These museums are known for their industrial settings that house contemporary art, creating a welcoming effect that inspires visitors. Similarly, Swirl aims to create a similar effect in the reception, café, and meeting spaces of Kerry Logistics' headquarters in Hong Kong.

What sets Swirl apart is its unique approach to transforming an industrial space into a welcoming environment. The designers were tasked with creating an inspiring experience for elite customers through the introduction of contemporary art, while also reflecting the industrial context of the cargo centre. To achieve this, they used high-quality oversized ceramic floor tiles, gallery-style lighting, and backlit rear walls of translucent glass to enhance the legibility of the space.

The design was realized using French product designers Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec's earthy and textured flooring. The space also features a 9m long LED screen displaying dynamic abstract animations, creating a museum-like experience that references artistic conversions of industrial spaces. The space is designed to be flexible, with a boardroom that can be opened up for events or closed for private meetings and movable furniture to easily change the configuration of the space.

The project, which started in May 2015 and was completed in November 2016, explores a new method of creating hospitality values in a corporate organisation's welcoming space. The aim was to create an emotional space that engages visitors and users through art. Various artistic approaches were investigated, such as a large-scale video installation that could transform the lighting quality of the space, as well as original designer furniture that celebrates the world of design.

Swirl faced several challenges during its creation. The main challenge was to design a space that was both flexible and engaging. The designers overcame this by creating a boardroom that can be opened up for events or closed for private meetings and using movable furniture to easily change the configuration of the space. The result is a welcoming space that successfully merges the worlds of art and industry.

Swirl has been recognized for its innovative design, winning the Silver A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2017. This award is given to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. Swirl is a testament to the designers' ability to transform an industrial space into a welcoming environment that inspires and engages its users.