Discovering Victoria Arduino’s New Experience Lab in London
In the spirit of constant improvement, the VICTORIA ARDUINO Experience lab has moved into a new complex in London at 6a Pratt St. in Camden Town. With the intention of remaining in central London, whilst being easily accessible to the rest of the UK, VA Machinery found an interesting property in Pratt St in Camden Town, and has worked with Hart Miller Design to bring the building back to life.
“The Experience Lab that we have designed for Victoria Arduino is a space with customer experience at its heart – says Anna Hart, cofounder of Hart Miller Design. “Our design has brought to life the experience of working with Victoria Arduino. It’s reflecting their expertise, their energy and their passion for their products. The scheme aimed to bring the values and ethos that is present in the rich, cultural heritage of Victoria Arduino in Italy and distill that into a scheme that positions this expertise and passion in the context of the UK market. In the UK, specialty coffee is often loved for beautifully designed spaces and experiences as well as for the coffee itself. Hence, this positioning is important in establishing how the space feels to interact with as well as function.”
Located close to the redevelopment of Kings Cross and Euston, Camden Town is a brilliantly vibrant and bustling area. But for the showroom, VA Machinery wanted to create a calm and welcoming space behind closed doors. Utilising the natural light which fills the room through the Crittall windows and high ceiling, Hart Miller focused on sustainable materials and colour, playing with scale and versatility within the space. The Experience Lab showcases Victoria Arduino’s industry-leading equipment for the specialty coffee market and provides a vibrant space for training, hands-on experience and social events. It also houses the UK team with office space, supporting customer services, spare parts and dealer support.
Arrival through a narrow alley leads to an internal courtyard complete with an original, restored weigh bridge and bespoke mural realized by local artist Choots which represent the Victoria Arduino contemporary interpretation of the famuous manifesto signed in 1922 by Leonetto Cappiello.
A vibrant strike of colour splits the room to set off custom designed furniture showcasing the Victoria Arduino equipment on a series of stations fronted with natural reeded oak and brass details echoing historic manufacturing from the site.
Worktops from recycled plastic specialist Smile evoke modernity. “Our ambition was to create a social space to support the growing reputation of Victoria Arduino as we expand our market – the space needed to feel good to be in, one that is experience led – interactive and human.” Says Peter Garcia, Managing Director of Victoria Arduino UK. “Over the years, we have been fortunate enough to built an amazing network of partners throughout the UK, who have supported us and helped us grow. Our Tanner St showroom was the first step in welcoming our partners and showcasing the exceptional technology of Victoria Arduino, but now we need to focus on the next chapter. Having a larger space will allow us to focus on each part of our business – partnerships, technical support and customer service, and also grow to host more events with the industry and beyond.”
Discover more about London Experience Lab here: www.simonelligroup.com/uk
