Contrasting jewel tones create vibrant graphic patterns while panoramic mesh windows evoke sculptural silhouettes of sun-drenched furnishings to create an otherworldly atmosphere inside the opening of The Malin South Gulch in Nashville, Tennessee. The imprecise alchemy of colour, shape and size, designed by Róisín Lafferty of her eponymous Dublin-based design house, creates a small, professional club for members unaccustomed to drab co-working facilities that fail to contribute much to each. Local fabrics.
“Nashville is an emerging professional and cultural hub, with strong, vibrant local communities,” says Kieran McGuigan, founder and CEO of The Malin. “I’ve been a long-time fan of Roísín Lafferty’s confident concepts, something we thought would resonate well with South Gulch. Their bold approach offers a fresh perspective within The Malin network and a downtown feel distilled through an imaginative and playful lens.”
An adaptive reuse project in the Paseo development of South Gulch, this approximately 12,000-square-foot microcosm is located inside the historic Voorhees Building and includes 58 custom offices, seven private offices, five conference rooms, 10 phone booths, a library and a kitchen with utility amenities. Café area. As its interior architecture frames the next image along each visitor’s programmatic journey, the tendrils of The Malin also extend to embed themselves in the young neighborhood to encourage cross-pollination between creative thinkers and professionals alike in a luxurious playground for living, working and living.
Bold vertical lines wrap around the reception desk upon entry for a dramatic, playful introduction to the space. The inlaid wood veneer matches the wall cladding and continuous lines meander throughout like a road map. The rest unfolds in a careful choreography of rooms showcasing oversized forms and luxurious finishes meant to blur the lines between l’objet d’art and home furnishing. “We’ve added a game-like layer to the spaces…the basic pattern inspired by local architecture has been refined into a playful, simple and timeless bar, layered over old-world textures of high-gloss paint, wood and luxurious carpet,” says Lafferty.
A wide window allows daylight to draw attention to the custom millwork, eclectic furniture, and attractive fixtures, as well as the joinery of various structural elements, while shadows dance across the room. Still worth noting are the Bover and Santa & Cole lighting accents. Table lights adorn the workspaces as pendants draw attention to the original, restored ceiling. The normally cool cement floor is made warm with feature carpeting and balanced by exposed ductwork to maintain a bit of the post-industrial feel of the complex. Reclaimed and repurposed elements continue to iterate on the region’s reinvention as much as they champion these sustainable practices.
Communal spaces feature solid oak, marble and limestone countertops to provide a continuous ambiance that guests can’t stop. The case goods are finished in high-gloss lacquer, burl wood and more marble furniture dressed in leather by Yarwood and textiles by Pierre Frey. Control of texture is demonstrated through accessories such as wavy crystal desk dividers made of amber, steel and bronze.
“Our design welcomes you with impact, boldness and charm, inviting you to discover an inclusive environment, reflecting Malin’s eclecticism mixed with the playfulness, depth and materiality of Roísín Lafferty.”
To learn more about the coworking space, visit themalin.co. To see more of the designer’s exceptional work, visit roisinlafferty.com.
Photography by Alva Smoot.
