“ 74 have done an excellent job in answering to our brief , bringing creativity and great attention
to detail and in doing so , creating spaces that we feel confident our residents will love .
WE ARE 74
BRIEF AND APPROACH
“ We were looking to create a stand-out design for the amenity spaces ” Bianca Yousef , Associate at 74 commented , “ that would be notably different from the harder-edged , more corporate feel of the interiors of many of the surrounding buildings . The idea for The Headline was for a soft , elegant and sophisticated series of spaces where residents could work , rest and play , with ideas and inspiration for the design concept taken from the site ’ s former life as the headquarters of the Yorkshire Post newspaper .”
Katherine Stephens , Grainger ’ s Development Manager for The Headline said “ We are really pleased with the finished amenity spaces at The Headline . 74 have done an excellent job in answering to our brief , bringing creativity and great attention to detail and in doing so , creating spaces that we feel confident our residents will love .”
SOCIAL SPACES DESIGN TREATMENT
The design treatment for the two amenity spaces was aimed at enabling residents to relax immediately on entering the building and to feel at home . Light , soft tones – a mix of neutrals with feature soft blues and greens for the ground floor and the addition of a strong orange / rust colour in the Sky Lounge – combine to create a striking and fresh palette , with refined and minimal contemporary detailing throughout , as well as strong statement furniture and dramatic feature lighting .
Bringing the outside in via greenery and natural materials to prioritise resident wellbeing was also an imperative , as were the quality cues provided by the scheme ’ s materials , which include solid surface finishes , such as beautiful porcelain floor tiles and natural light oak . Brass is used throughout in the scheme ’ s furniture , lighting and design detailing , with the gold finishes to the scheme ’ s metalwork creating a welcoming sense of warmth . Fit-out contractor Gariff Construction Ltd , who have previously worked with Grainger , created the scheme ’ s standout bespoke joinery .
The site ’ s newspaper heritage influence can be seen in the choices of set dressing – from typewriters and a series of eight wall clocks showing the time in major cities throughout the world – through to the influence of printing production rails , whose echo can be seen in the dramatic , curved framework rails 74 designed around the booth and sofa seating in the centre of the ground floor space . Lighter touches reflecting printed text , the formation of lettering and newsroom styling also find their way subtly into the design via the scheme ’ s wayfinding , which was created by f . r . a . This was complemented by the work of Widd Signs , who fabricated and installed all the enhanced wayfinding , including the main building sign .
The spaces also feature eight stunning artworks ( seven on the ground floor and one in the Sky Lounge ), commissioned from artist Michael Murray . The artist liaised with both Grainger and 74 on the artwork brief , so that the final works feature objects relating to the site ’ s Yorkshire Post heritage , whilst also reflecting the scheme ’ s colour palette and incorporating subtle typographic and shaping references to The Headline ’ s identity , Grainger ’ s history and the Yorkshire Post newspaper
DESIGN WALK-THROUGH :
The main entrance to The Headline brings residents directly into the ground floor amenity space , where they are welcomed by a receptionist from a curved , bespoke reception desk directly ahead . Residents who want to check in with their post or deliveries can access either letterboxes - in a satin grey finish with engraved gold lettering from the Safety Letterbox Company - or parcel lockers , supplied by Bellsure - both located to the rear of the reception and directly in front of the lift lobby , with 24-hour ease-of-access for residents who want to go directly to their apartments .
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