STUDIO NEWS

Dock Shed: A lobby that speaks of light, texture and heritage

When Founder Paul Beale first stepped into Dock Shed, it was clear this wasn’t going to be a typical commercial lobby. The space felt calm, welcoming, and quietly confident, more reminiscent of a boutique hotel than an office entrance. From the outset, the design ambition was to create a sense of place through restraint, texture and atmosphere rather than scale or excess.

Commissioned by British Land and AustralianSuper, the brief called for a lobby that felt elegant, timeless, and deeply rooted in the site’s heritage. Working closely with Conran & Partners, the 18 Degrees team set out to reimagine the arrival experience not as a standard reception, but as a dignified threshold: a place to pause, to gather, and to transition from the energy of the city outside to the focus of the workplace within.

Light as narrator

Lighting at Dock Shed was never intended to dominate the design. The pendants are deliberately simple and refined, supporting the architecture rather than competing with it. Their purpose is to allow daylight and material texture to take centre stage.

The lighting scheme embraces contrast over uniformity, welcoming shadow as part of the experience. Structural elements — the trusses, glazing, and exposed steel all play an active role in the composition of light, shifting throughout the day and giving the space its rhythm.

Rather than following a rulebook of uniform lighting levels, the design team prioritised nuance. Codes and standards provided guidance, but the character of the space was shaped by how light interacts with form and material.

As people become more intentional about when and why they come into the office, the arrival experience plays an increasingly important role. It sets the tone for the entire

Dock Shed demonstrates that a lobby can be human, textured, and memorable. It’s not about more lighting, but about the lighting, carefully balanced with daylight and materiality. For occupiers and visitors alike, that first impression speaks to the building’s values: quality, craft, and comfort from the moment they walk through the door. building.

Material voice and anchor

That nuance allows the material palette to speak. Rope, for example, is more than a visual nod to the site’s dockside history, it catches and softens the light, bringing warmth and texture to the space. Timber, raw steel, and muted fabrics respond subtly to changing light levels, creating depth and a tactile sense of comfort.

A social arrival, not just an entrance

The Dock Shed lobby is designed to be more than a point of entry. It serves as a social hub, a café, a meeting space, a place to linger. Lighting helps to define these zones: brighter, open areas for collaboration and quieter, softer edges for reflection or informal conversation.

Why it matters?

As people become more intentional about when and why they come into the office, the arrival experience plays an increasingly important role. It sets the tone for the entire

Dock Shed demonstrates that a lobby can be human, textured, and memorable. It’s not about more lighting, but about the right lighting, carefully balanced with daylight and materiality. For occupiers and visitors alike, that first impression speaks to the building’s values: quality, craft, and comfort from the moment they walk through the door. building.