Wurundjeri Country
Victoria
William Street Chambers is a cold shell fit-out project for a group of like-minded criminal Barristers, close to the Supreme Court in central Melbourne. Kennedy Nolan were approached because they were forming a new Chambers and were interested in making an environment distinct from the conventional offering.
Our underlying approach was to soften the corporate edge of the space, stepping away from the conventional projection of the law as expensive, prestigious and stuffy, to make a space providing calm, softness and even a sense of refuge. Manipulating the immutable requirements of regulations, acoustics and technical infrastructure, we deployed a warm and textural material palette and privileged privacy, natural light penetration and domestic comfort.
Our design process was an instinctive outcome in many ways, a reaction to seeing the inner workings of intelligent and charismatic people at the criminal bar dealing daily with the extremes of the human behaviour.
"At William Street Chambers we strive to create an environment where we can tell people’s stories with passion. Our job is one of telling stories. We love the set of chambers we have created and an environment which we hope will remind us to never take our privilege in society for granted. We are incredibly indebted to Kennedy Nolan for creating a space which enables us and our clients to feel calm and enables us to contribute to the administration of justice with perspective and rigour. Please come and visit sometime."
Moya O'Brien