DESIGN | Showroom style
Showroom of the month
Gessi, Clerkenwell, London
A courthouse jail is possibly not the first location you’d think of to house a bathroom showroom, but premium Italian brand Gessi saw the potential to create a unique space
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showroom is in an old cinema. The studio in Singapore is set in a classic Victorian building that is in complete juxtaposition to the glass skyscrapers surrounding it. So, it’s perhaps no surprise that, when
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it came to finding a location for its flagship London showroom, the brand chose a Grade II listed building, which – having been built
in 1780 – comes with some rather unique challenges. The display area of the showroom is set in the old prison cells of this former courthouse. The displays use freestanding walls to create a sense of separation from the large space and to highlight the unique style of each collection. Georgia Ferrero, Gessi London’s
showroom manager, explains why the team choose unusual buildings for their global showrooms: “All of the designs and collections tell their own story. So we want the buildings and the showrooms to be able to do the same. Therefore, we choose unique spaces that already have a beautiful story behind them.” The showroom is shared with two other Italian brands: Florina, a ceramics manufacturer,
and Baxter, a furniture
company. The majority of the showroom is dedicated to a co-working space that features presentation areas, and a bar aptly called Libertà – which means ‘freedom’ in Italian – where designers can spend time discussing projects with their clients.
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essi showrooms around the world are often
located in unique buildings. The Milan
Clerkenwell was a natural choice for this new showroom as it has the highest concentration of architects and designers in London.
Its wide collection of products, plants and unusual set designs gives it a distinct atmosphere. As well as the full displays at the back of the showroom, there are a number of freestanding cabinets that house an assortment of products.
Gessi says it is helpful for the customer to have a sensory experience while considering luxury products for their bathrooms. That is why this showroom features working displays as a way for them to see how the water flows through each piece of brassware. One unique, practical feature of the
showroom is the ingenious idea of creating a magnetic board for customers to play around with different products to create their ideal brassware and wellness solution. “We created the magnet board as mock-up
a room,” Ferrero explains.
“Architects and designers can choose the collection and finish they feel meets the needs of their client. We have many design options, and we can even offer customised wellness solutions.”
For this section, it is not just about the practicalities of choosing the correct matching sets, but being aware of the wellness aspect of the bathroom and designing a space that is relaxing and bespoke for the end user. The showroom’s interactive element helps the customer understand the detail of the Gessi products so that they choose the right brassware for their bathroom design.
kbbr · February 2021
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