Studio Ongarato wins at SEGD Global Design Awards 2019 for Arup Melbourne Headquarters & Luxury Hotel Jackalope

Studio Ongarato’s expertise in experiential graphic design has been recognised at a global level with the studio winning two awards for its work on Arup Melbourne’s workplace and luxury Australian hotel Jackalope at the SEGD Global Design Awards 2019 on 8 June in Austin, Texas.

Since 1987, the SEGD Global Design Awards have set the standard of excellence for experiential graphic design worldwide; honouring and recognising design work that connects people to place by providing direction, content, and compelling experiences in public spaces.

Studio Ongarato was awarded the Honor Award, the SEGD’s highest award for its work on Arup Melbourne’s Workplace in the Wayfinding category and a Merit Award for Jackalope in the Placemaking & Identity category.

Ronnen Goren, Studio Ongarato co-founder and strategy director, says the SEGD Global Design Awards are a fitting recognition of the studio’s industry-leading approach to visual identity and immersive design.

“For twenty-five years we have championed brand storytelling in design and understood the value of difference, the power of taste and the importance of beauty. These elements have underpinned our multi-layered design work on Arup Melbourne and Jackalope and it is wonderful to have it internationally recognised, “Goren said.

Studio Ongarato’s comprehensive signage and environmental graphics system for the Melbourne headquarters of globally respected engineering firm Arup took out the top Honor Award for the Wayfinding category, one of only nine Honour awards, with one judge commenting, “I’d work there just so I could experience this wayfinding system.”

Designed to complement Arup’s corporate values of honesty, integrity and ingenuity, the wayfinding system was based on the concept “Testing Grounds” and reflect notions of investigation, discovery, innovation and the aspiration to put “Arup on Show.”

Commenting on the Arup Melbourne workplace, the judges said, “Defining perfect restraint in both materiality and execution this system perfectly integrates into the surrounding environment while adding an uncomplicated element of illumination and touch of warmth to the environment.”

The Merit Award in the Placemaking & Identity category for luxury Australian hotel Jackalope, one of only 22 awarded across the seven award categories, recognised the avant-garde integration of environment and brand experience which references its vineyard location with a narrative-led approach based on the theme of alchemy.

“I appreciate the rich layering and variety of storytelling happening between the environment and all guest touch-points; the materiality and finishes were thoughtfully executed without unnecessary adornment. All this, accomplished with a playful, unexpected and disruptive sense of humor that evokes an energetic and engaging personality,” noted one of the SEGD judges.

The studio’s work for Jackalope spanned brand identity and collateral, conceptual site narrative and experiential design, art curation and commissioning, environmental graphics and styling, lighting design, landscape installation design, and wayfinding strategy and signage.

Judges commented that Studio Ongarato had created “A seamlessly coordinated art, branding and signage program oozing moodiness.”

Project Collaborators

Jackalope
Architects and Interior Design: Carr Design, Melbourne
Landscape Design: Taylor Culity Lethlean, Melbourne
Artists: Emily Floyd, Andrew Hazewinkel, Rolf Sachs, and Kate Robertson
Interior and exterior photography: Mark Roper and Sharyn Cairns

Arup Melbourne
Architects and Interior: Hassell
Interior photography: Ben Hoskings