A Sydney fashion label comes of age with the its new headquarters in Sydney’s industrial inner south — an Art Deco-era warehouse, transformed by THOSE Architects. In 2023, THOSE Architects completed the transformation of an old warehouse for contemporary female fashion label MESHKI. The two-story warehouse is typical of the Mascot / Rosebery industrial area, and had been added to over time, adapting to different uses.
To celebrate its ten years in fashion, MESHKI acquired the premises and approached THOSE Architects to turn the space into a headquarters reflecting the brand, that’s defined by softly- hued, elevated on-trend pieces, thoughtfully created for easy glamour and luxury. “They wanted a unique space that is distinctively ‘MESHKI’ with a focus on fashion, of course, but also a space that fosters collaboration and supports staff wellbeing,” says THOSE Architects Director, Ben Mitchell.
The Botany Road façade was given a ‘light touch’ with remedial works, new glazing and a ‘nude’ and white paint scheme to softly highlight its Art Deco detailing. Inside, decades of additions that had turned the space from warehouse to offices were removed, and the build- ing stripped back to reveal the full volume of the space. Natural daylight floods the interior through existing first-floor clerestory windows and the peeled back rear facade, which was opened up to light in the transformation. Ground floor is now zoned into the main public-facing spaces (showroom, boardroom and photographic studio), and a more private open office for the Meshki design/production team.
First floor contains a large open office and executive offices, meeting rooms plus a staff kitchen and breakout area, partitioned flexibly with future growth in mind. With no accessible outdoor space on site, the architects treated the sunbathed breakout space as an internal garden terrace, with flooring in a crazy paving pattern.
Upstairs, overlooking the breakout space is a quiet gym and wellness area for meditation, yoga or prayer. It utilises a surplus space that remained in the renovation. “The only thing we kept from the previous interior was this small mezzanine. It offers a nice breathing space from the workplace, which is something the clients were keen to add.” Ben Mitchell, Director, THOSE Architects.
Across the three levels are gently curved walls, archways and soft lighting. Reflecting the subdued natural palette of MESHKI collections, the architects applied refined textural finishes of polished plaster or lime-washed walls, flooring of limestone or lime- washed timber. The easy elegance of MESHKI is also conveyed in custom-designed furnishings, velvet uphol- stery, linen curtains and marble bathrooms in shades of pink and marrone.
In its material layers and details, the new headquarters by THOSE Architects is a timely and timeless representation of this dynamic fashion label, that launched in 2013 by architecture students Shadi Kord and Natalie Khoei, and today, ships to over 190 countries worldwide.
“Our new headquarters elegantly bridges our architectural foundation with our ongoing evolution in fashion I feel an immense sense of connection every time I step inside. THOSE Architects have captured the very soul of MESHKI, echoing our enduring, neutral aesthetic and curating a sanctuary of community and belonging for our team.” Natalie Khoei, Co-founder, MESHKI
