Paper Mill Food

Studio Paperform was commissioned by Coronation Property to help celebrate their latest blue-chip food + wine precinct, Paper Mill Food, for its gala opening event in Liverpool (Cabrogal land).

Brief: Transform the vast entry space of the Paper Mill Food complex into a spectacular and experiential paper installation and custom photo-wall to wow guests upon arrival.

Story: Working alongside the powerhouse design duo of Jason James Design and Jess Jacobs Creative, our initial challenge was how to convert the huge void with an expression that was dramatic and large scale but also quick to install during our allotted time window. Because it was important to foster a sense of place, we began our creative journey by drawing on the industrial heritage architecture.

The geometric volumes at the heart of the building lead us to firstly develop a series of decorative black paper ‘girders’ that mimic their steel cousins floating above. By using a triangular prism profile we harness the properties of folded, interlocking paper for rigidity and strength at scale.

As a back drop to these structural forms, paper as we more readily know it. Long drops of sharp white sheets fall softly in the space creating volume and drama as the two design elements layer, building strong visual depth and a sense of enclosure.

Our custom 4 meter photo-wall was detailed with raised 3D Paper Mill Food and Coronation branding. On the ground surrounding this, a diffused assortment of textural geometric volumes in bold black and white – their shapes inspired by the negative space found in the architecture. By keeping these playful forms flexible we were able to arrange our assets where needed, finding interesting focal points across the installation.

Dating from 1868, this building on Darug land sits on the banks of the Georges River and was once Australia’s largest paper mill. Through restoration to the original features – undertaken by DS17 – the Paper Mill Food site has been given a sophisticated and modern update with a keen attention to detail  – including a smart mosaic floor that covers the internal marketplace.

This is one of those serendipitous projects where a company like Studio Paperform – that is wrapped up in collaboration with the paper medium  – gets to express our creativity in a space which inspires connection to a shared history.