Fisher & Paykel’s new Auckland Experience Centre is setting a formidable precedent, giving fans of the brand a tactile, interactive and beautiful space in which to experience the full potential of its products. And although this is not the brand’s first Experience Centre, the Auckland showroom is undoubtedly its most impressive.
In the global markets where Fisher & Paykel trades, ‘Designed in Aotearoa New Zealand’ is a core part of its message. This building is a tactile embodiment of this ethos, and one that for New Zealanders, exudes a sense of pride in our story.
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Great brands communicate clearly through experiences, through people, and through the environments they create. And in this environment, which is the result of a partnership between Fisher & Paykel’s experience design team, led by Jaron Ansley, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Alt Group and Knight Associates, when you go through the door, every physical element and human interaction resonates with the brand’s connection to place.
From the basalt threshold sculpture that ‘breathes’ in time with the tides of Ōkahu Bay to the monumental trunk of 4,000-year-old swamp kauri, and the incredibly elemental material palette that includes West Coast black sand and rammed earth sourced from Muriwai, it’s an unparalleled design approach – and the finish is remarkable.
Ansley says it has also been designed to feel more like a luxury home, with the intention being to showcase Fisher & Paykel products as they might appear in real life. It is an ambitious space that reinforces the brand’s commitment to luxury product creation. Not only does it highlight the best international and local design, where Boffi, Arclinea and Henrybuilt sit alongside local names like Simon James and Nodi, it also emphasises Fisher & Paykel’s position as an industry leader.
The result is spectacular — a remarkable expansion that highlights the truly global potential of Fisher & Paykel’s unique design, serving up interior inspiration in spades. And given that the Experience Centre really has to be experienced firsthand, we highly recommend you discover it for yourself.
Fisher & Paykel’s Executive VP of Design and Brand, Mark Elmore, tells me that the space is just as much for local architects and designers and those with a general interest in luxury appliance design, as it is for more conventional customers.
“Our customers often fall into two groups — design lovers and food lovers”, he shares. “We cater to both here. Visitors can experience a space that allows them to understand how products are beautifully designed for varied and bespoke environments.” And thus, within the Experience Centre, you will find three impeccable kitchens, each equipped in different ways to showcase the potential of Fisher & Paykel appliances (as well as a smaller, apartment-centric counterpart), and at the heart of it all, The Social Kitchen. Designed to play host to a raft of industry-focused dinners at which insiders and customers are able to experience Fisher & Paykel products first-hand, and currently helmed by two full-time chefs, The Social Kitchen brings Fisher & Paykel’s philosophy to life in beautiful surrounds.
Alongside the three hero kitchens, the aforementioned apartment kitchen, and the addition of an outdoor kitchen that showcases Fisher & Paykel’s North American appliances (namely gigantic grills), there is also a range of more interactive spaces within the Experience Centre. Take the Plan & Choose Studio, for instance, that prompts intimate and collaborative focus groups to come together and consider how different products might be employed, allowing for both designer and client to make truly considered choices.
These innovative spaces are accompanied by product galleries that compare the most recent additions of Fisher & Paykel products side-by-side, to allow one to make the fair and just comparisons necessary when investing in these vital pieces. Designed with Boffi’s minimalist approach, the galleries include a series of laundry and closet solutions alongside a butler’s kitchen — providing inspiration for the most purpose-built areas of one’s home. Here, some of the most exciting additions coming to the brand’s stable can be found, such as the Fabric Care Cabinet. Best seen as a home dry cleaning alternative (and harnessing eco-friendly technology), it sanitises, steams and cleans clothing, all in one swift operation. Strategically stacked next to sleek new washers and dryers, the Cabinet is certainly a chic solution to our laundry woes.
Ultimately, Fisher & Paykel’s new Experience Centre offers a rich source of inspiration for the modern home. Whether you are a designer, an architect or just someone looking to reimagine their space, we recommend booking yourself in for a guided tour (complemented by a cup of delicious Kawakawa tea) or a full Mastery of Temperature experience that highlights exceptional local ingredients and award-winning wines. From its thoughtful design concept to its holistic, interactive nature, Fisher & Paykel’s new Auckland space is proving why this brand remains perpetually at the forefront, serving as a reminder to think more ambitiously when it comes to our own homes.
Fisher & Paykel Auckland Experience Centre
199 Great North Road,
Grey Lynn, Auckland
