Working on a project? Contact Us
CASE STUDY: KNOTEL WORK CLUB AT THE OLD SESSIONS HOUSE
Featuring SynSisal® Medina custom area rugs in Bark
PROJECT DETAILS:
CATEGORY
LOCATION
23 Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0NA
REQUEST
Versatile and durable floor covering to anchor a multi-themed modern design style
SOLUTION
SynSisal® custom Medina area rugs in Bark
The Vision: A Layered Approach
The Old Sessions House, known as Middlesex Sessions House when construction finished in 1782, was famous for being the largest and busiest courthouse in England, and the site where Charles Dickens honed his legal nose as a cub reporter before achieving fame as a novelist.
Almost 250 years later, (preserved as a Grade II* listed building, a designation awarded to less than five per cent of buildings in the UK), the Italianate-styled facility has experienced new life as a work club, event space, and art studio.
Knotel oversees the co-working spaces, 23 rooms in all, including the rooftop lounge with its infinity pool, breathtaking views of the London skyline, and built-in sofa seating surrounding its iconic Pantheon-inspired dome. They also manage a portfolio of over a million square feet of other curated workplaces world-wide, so plenty to keep the Head of Design for Knotel, Emily Nokes, busy.
Interview With Designer Emily Nokes
Curran: Your design philosophy was to “let the house sing” by using a neutral textural palette and then layering on luxurious details. Could you talk a little about this design choice, the practical and aesthetic aspects of layering, especially as it involves flooring?
Emily: At Old Sessions House, sisal matting is a key design device. We wanted to subtly level the lounge and workspace areas while enhancing their overall warmth and texture. Our choice of SynSisal® is an intentional choice as its heavier weight and durability deliver an essential quality within our historic, listed building - particularly as interventions to the original floors are not possible. It provides the ideal base onto which a feature rug can be layered, adding depth and character to the space.
Curran: How important is sustainability to your design philosophy and business model? We developed SynSisal® not only to have a compelling eco-story, being woven from recycled nylon, but also to stand up to commercial usage. We're curious to hear how you think it's performed in the field.
Emily: As the needs of our members naturally evolve, we continuously respond through considered upgrades across Old Sessions House - whether that’s introducing additional ergonomic seating or accommodating specific technology requirements within meeting rooms.
At Knotel, we operate a circular furniture process. Any furniture removed from the house is returned to our warehouse and thoughtfully repurposed elsewhere across our portfolio of workspaces. This approach underpins our sustainability ethos while also giving us immediate access to Furniture, Fittings & Equipment when our clients workspaces require layout changes or adaptations.
The day-to-day use of The House inevitably leaves its mark, and regular refreshes are essential to maintaining its appearance. This ranges from reupholstering soft furnishings to replacing broken items or heavily worn rugs. Our SynSisal® rugs, however, have proven exceptionally durable. Since opening, none have required replacement, standing up remarkably well to the demands of daily use.
Curran: So not only are you trying to be good environmental stewards, there's also a responsibility to take care of a historical building and cater to the local and business communities with amazing events and amenities. Explain how this all works together to define the workplace of the future, especially as workers' habits and expectations seem so fluid these days.
Emily: Old Sessions House is a truly unique building, with its own set of nuances. Transforming, and maintaining it, as a human-focused, intentional workspace come with challenges, but these are addressed through our inherently flexible and future-proofed design philosophy.
Technology plays a key role in this approach. With the listed walls and floors untouched, power distribution becomes a critical consideration. This is resolved through rechargeable power modules, giving members the freedom to work fluidly across the house, from laid-back lounge environments to more focused working settings, it is set up so members have the freedom to choose - giving them a space that perfectly reflects the way they want to work.
Project Portfolio Gallery
Survey an assortment of completed project photos from the Knotel Work Club at the Old Sessions House in London.
Image: SynSisal® Medina | Bark
Image: SynSisal® Medina | Bark
Image: SynSisal® Medina | Bark
Image: SynSisal® Medina | Bark
Image: SynSisal® Medina | Bark
Layering
We turned to one of our in-house design consultants for an explanation on the benefits of layering, and here's what Lindsay had to say:
"The SynSisal® acts like a “canvas” or anchor for different settings within a space (often with furniture as a border). Then more decorative rugs are brought in to add some visual interest and contribute pops of color and/or textural softness to be the focal point of the room. A SynSisal® rug used in this way helps to protect the floors and also aids with sound-absorption. Often times the rugs that are layered on top are not as durable and tend to shift around more easily. The anchor rug prevents this from happening, thus preserving the life of both rugs."
Work with Knotel
Knotel pioneers flexible, intelligent workplaces—offering a full suite of services that support owners, occupiers, and teams.
From workplace services, design, and delivery to daily operational services and curated Work Clubs, our spaces are part of a broader ecosystem built to evolve with your needs—redefining what a workspace can do and deliver.
YOU'RE IN GOOD COMPANY
From across the nation and world, top commercial designers and architects consistently choose Curran & sisalcarpet.com for durable, code-compliant, and quiet area rugs, stair runners, tiles, and wall-to-wall carpeting.
