New Zealand Commercial Design Trends Series NZ Commercial Design Trends Vol. 33/03C | Page 119

These pages:The showroom in
the reinvented villa includes the
retention of classic features such
as the French doors and original
ornate ceilings. Pale tones offer
a sophisticated yet quite subdued
environment that lets the fashion
designer’s creations stand out.
detailing, and a style rooted in Chinese culture yet
given a modern interpretation, our team felt the
fashion house had a kindred design spirit.”
In response, Kokaistudios developed the new
showroom or glass pavilion adjacent to the villa
and on view straight ahead from the entry. The new
build is light-filled and modern, contrasting and
complementing the classic lines of the old villa.
“As well as addressing the renovation and
interior design of the 1924 villa, we created the
dramatic new pavilion and also revamped other
structures on the site that had been added over the
years,” Gabbiani says. “Last of all, we landscaped
the garden areas to create a lush live event area
which, in conjunction with the pavilion, can host
small fashion shows.”
The entrance to the fashion house environment is
marked by a large black-and-bronze woven metal
sculptural entrance gate. Inspired by one of Chen’s
designs, the feature gate provides both privacy and
a strong sense of arrival. Immediately inside the
gate are the gardens, which are finished in white,
hand-hammered stone pavers set off with water
features and lush greenery, all centred around the
glass event space.
Designed to showcase Chen’s latest designer
creations and also to double as a temporary
exhibition space for other artists and designers, the
pavilion has already become a coveted event space
within a few months of completion.
Adjacent to the pavilion is the show kitchen,
which opens onto a shaded and intimate alfresco
dining area. Kokaistudios’ complex restoration
has highlighted the villa’s original historic features,
including French doors and inlaid marble mosaic
flooring on the upstairs terrace as well as the tradi-
tional facade brickwork.
“The beautiful old building had been added to
in the 1980s and we chose to clad this part of the
project in a simple, understated green wall system
with planter boxes and flowering plants.
“For the villa itself we settled on a palette of
neutral colours and natural materials that together
create a stylish yet understated su