Parkside Clerkenwell
INTERIOR DESIGNER TAKES A LOOK THROUGH THE DOORS OF SOME OF THE UK’S BEST SHOWROOMS.
POST CDW PARTY, PARKSIDE CLERKENWELL IS BACK TO BUSINESS. WORDS BY JADE TILLEY.SHOWROOM SHOWCASE
TILES AT THE
CUTTING EDGE
Clerkenwell Design Week is a great time to
explore the dozens of showrooms that line the
streets of Farringdon. Doors flung open and
canapés laid out temptingly, there is a wonderful
sense of community brought about by many a
showroom workshop or networking event, that
invites you in and offers up a different side to the
traditional showroom space.
Parkside caught my attention as one of many tile
showrooms that has the challenge of lifting its
product off the proverbial page (the floor or wall)
and really making it sing in a space. How do you
make tiles stand out as an example of quality and
innovation without presenting a clinical room, and
which still offers the important details of spec and
functionality. The answer is, you bring in a vibrant
architecture and design studio to collaborate
with your brand and pack the space with your
highlights reel of the best of your business.
Feix&Merlin Architects were the team up for the
job and they haven’t disappointed. After liaising
with the Parkside team on what works and what
doesn’t, Feix&Merlin has devised a space that
oozes appeal and professionalism. From the Café/
bar entrance to the above and below deck layout,
Parkside occupies a prime spot in Farringdon, with
all the goods on the inside to keep you coming
back for more.
Steve Lacey is the Sales and Design Director
for Parkside. With experience in metalwork,
having previously worked for a company who
designed for art galleries, Steve and the architects
approached the design of the space like that
of a gallery, but with a more tactile impression.
With this in mind, some of the large format tiles
are proudly presented on a sliding track system,
not dissimilar to that used in gallery archives.
Each layer rolls back to reveal another design,
all carefully selected to display the very best of
Parkside and its collections. This is at the very
start of the showroom, so you know your journey
inward will be a good one.
Located in a former 1960s clock factory, the
design studio, as they have penned it, offers
panoramic views of Clerkenwell Green and
complements Parkside’s Chelsea and Leicester
studios. The showroom is a trapezoid, makingfor an unusual layout challenge but one that has
made way for a fun, open and vibrant space,
where you feel at once welcome and with enough
breathing space to take it all in.
Tarek Merlin, co-founder of Feix&Merlin Architects
says: “This is a space where the tiles take centre
stage creating a new take on the way tiles are
exhibited. We used bespoke sliding racking
systems, typically used for archiving in art galleries
providing functionality, flexibility and practicality.
“The raw, industrial palette was softened using
natural timber such as birch plywood in the
custom joinery pieces, hints of brass in the lighting,
and subtle pops of colour. Existing features such
as the original red brick wall, steel staircase and
exposed ceiling were retained, as well as the
original Blick clock. The café was designed to
be its own ‘pavilion’ within the main space with a
slatted birch plywood canopy.”
A very expertly positioned bar lines your entrance.
For the most part, coffee is on the menu, but
during Clerkenwell the drinks were flowing.
Remnants of CDW still linger in the design studio.
Parkside held a workshop for designing tiles and