Dezeen Magazine

Knauf showcases its building products in new London showroom by Mailen Design

Architectural products are presented in a variety of ways inside the new Knauf showroom in London, which features in this movie produced by Dezeen during Clerkenwell Design Week.

Knauf is a manufacturer of building materials, best known for drywall boards made from gypsum.

"We make gypsum products to help architects and designers create better spaces," explains Maynard, Knauf's marketing and business development director, in the film.

Mailen Design's new showroom for Knauf in Clerkenwelll

Designed by local architecture studio Mailen Design, Knauf's new Clerkenwell showroom offers the brand different ways of presenting its products.

"We were tasked with the challenge to create a space for architects and a space to inspire architects, by presenting Knauf products and systems in a series of innovative ways" says Gibbons, project architect and a director at Mailen Design.

Gibbons' team used Knauf's products throughout the interior, from the reception desk and furniture to the floors, walls and ceilings.

Mailen Design's new showroom for Knauf in Clerkenwelll

They also created a series of architectural installations around the showroom, for instance, a fan-like structure provides a window display.

"The window display installation is there to draw the eye through into the showroom," says Gibbons. "It also shows the innovation of the product itself, the fact it can be shaped in many different forms."

Elsewhere, Mailen created three human-sized geometric sculptures. "These sculptures showcase the different ways in which Knauf design panels can be displayed," Gibbons explains, "whether that's a timber veneer, or a printed surface such as stone, or a multitude of colours."

Mailen Design's new showroom for Knauf in Clerkenwelll

A central stairwell leads visitors to an events and meeting space in the basement, flanked by an installation formed of folded geometric panels that descends from the ceiling of the ground floor down to the lower level.

This installation also incorporates a living wall in the centre, backed with Knauf's mould-proof Aquapanel product, designed for use on building exteriors.

The installation extends over the walls of an events space in the basement, where it acts as acoustic panelling.

Mailen Design's new showroom for Knauf in Clerkenwelll

"The form and shape inside the space improves acoustic performance," claims Gibbons. "With the way the ceiling and the walls fold and wrap around the space, we wanted to showcase some of the types of spaces you could create with Knauf systems."

Positioned in the centre of London's design community in Clerkenwell, the showroom will allow specifiers to discover the possibilities of Knauf's products.

"We're trying to give people the understanding that there's real design freedom in gypsum and other materials that we have on offer," says Maynard. "There's space here to sit down, pop up a laptop, have a coffee and to collaborate."

Mailen Design's new showroom for Knauf in Clerkenwelll

Knauf Clerkenwell is open to visit at 20 Baltic Street. It opened its doors to the public during Clerkenwell Design Week in May, during which it hosted a programme of events.

This movie was filmed at Knauf's showroom in London by Dezeen.