Knauf Clerkenwell reframes the commercial showroom as an immersive, design-led environment where products are experienced rather than displayed. Conceived as a spatial journey across three levels, the project guides visitors from informal social spaces to increasingly expressive architectural installations, demonstrating Knauf’s systems at multiple scales and levels of complexity. Exhibition, workplace, and event functions are carefully interwoven, allowing the building to support daily work alongside presentations, CPDs, and industry events. Through sequencing, material contrast, and sculptural form, the showroom positions Knauf as an early-stage design collaborator, transforming technical performance into a tactile, engaging architectural narrative.

The interior unfolds as a choreographed progression through the brand’s product ecosystem. A sculptural gallery and reception space anchor the ground floor, encouraging exploration and informal exchange. From here, an elevated gallery leads visitors downward via a dramatic faceted installation that connects all levels, drawing the eye and movement through the building. The lower ground floor houses a presentation and performance suite, while the basement accommodates meeting rooms and office spaces, enabling Knauf’s team to work, host, and collaborate on site. This layered spatial sequence allows workplace, hospitality, and exhibition functions to coexist within a single, coherent experience.

Material expression plays a central role in translating Knauf’s technical systems into architectural form. A restrained base palette of raw gypsum, oak, and terrazzo provides clarity and consistency, allowing colourful product interventions and bespoke installations to take focus. Throughout the showroom, sculptural joinery, folded surfaces, and geometric forms demonstrate the versatility of Knauf’s systems in context. Parametric modelling was used extensively to resolve complex geometries and acoustic requirements, generating precise fabrication data and ensuring that performance, craft, and visual impact are seamlessly aligned.