American Australian Association Murdoch Center

The New York Studio of Woods Bagot designed the first New York City headquarters for the American Australian Association Murdoch Center, a non-profit organization founded in 1948 that is dedicated to strengthening ties and collaboration between Australia and the U.S.

Close to both the United Nations and the Australian Consulate-General, the space is designed to promote the best of the American-Australian relationship in New York City, hosting discussions, speaker series, performances, art showcases, business roundtables and networking receptions.

Woods Bagot was tasked to create a flexible office space that met the growing needs of the staff, provided incubator spaces, and would also serve as an engaging event space for the various social functions held throughout the year. Providing an overlay of hospitality to the workplace, the design features Australian- inspired design and warm materiality throughout, incorporating movable furniture and fittings that have dual purpose – a custom movable island adapts from a work surface to a bar, while flexible, window touchdown workspaces can become a serving area for food and drinks. The 9,450-sf space located at 600 Third Avenue features custom white oak wood and a concealed fixed linear feature battening system by Sculptform, the first project of its kind for the company in the United States.

Images courtesy of Adrian Gaut