Jury comment
Song for the Mute’s fitout stands out for its ability to create new contexts, while also strongly celebrating the existing context that it has been inserted into. It offers a unique retail experience through not coming into contact with its heritage shell, and it appears all the more innovative and contemporary as a result. The jury commended the interior design’s strongly theoretical approach, which demonstrates a lot of rigour, thoughtful consideration of materiality and great contrast with the existing shell. They enjoyed the adaptive re-use of the site, as well as the modularity of the retail pods, all of which display a considered connection with and physical embodiment of the brand. Song for the Mute’s unique use of colour and interesting juxtaposition between heritage shell and introduced forms add to the overall richness of the design and retail experience.
Design statement
Cult Australian fashion label Song For The Mute’s first bricks-and-mortar venture overlays an opulent heritage setting with abstract artistic expression. An experiential interior inspired by the brand’s perpetual preoccupation with the paradoxical offers customers a tangible response to the brand’s enduring thematic exploration of “accordance through contrast.”
Song for the Mute is located in Warrane/Sydney on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation.
Project credits
Design practice — Pattern Studio
Project team — Josh Cain, Lily Goodwin
The Award for Retail Design is supported by . The are presented by the and Artichoke. For more images of this project, see the .