Following finishing touches in late 2023, luxury New Zealand appliance brand, Fisher & Paykel will officially open the doors to its highly anticipated, immersive experience centre at 98 Wigmore Street, London in early 2024.
From a first offering of kawakawa tea prepared on a ‘hot rock,’ to dinner for 10 in the luxuriously appointed Social Kitchen, the London Experience Centre speaks to the brand’s commitment to kitchen perfection, perfect results and the evolution of the laundry into a bespoke fabric care solution.
A key part of Fisher & Paykel’s global rollout of luxury experience centres, the space on Wigmore St has been designed in a creative collaboration between Brinkworth, bespoke cabinet maker Jacob Alexander, Fisher & Paykel’s experience design team, and Alt Group, the brand’s strategic brand partner.
“We design some of the best appliances in the world,” says Fisher & Paykel CEO Daniel Witten-Hannah. “We wanted to demonstrate the potential of our products in the world’s best kitchens, and through creative collaboration with Brinkworth and Jacob Alexander, that is what these represent.”
Stephen Rickersey, Chief Operating Officer for Fisher & Paykel UK, Ireland & Europe said: “Often referred to as the design capital of the world, London will very shortly be home to the first Fisher & Paykel Experience Centre in Europe. It is both an honour and privilege to be able to bring the rich and immersive culture of New Zealand to our market as we take the next step to support our ambitious business plans in the UK and beyond.”
What to expect at the London Experience Centre
Fisher & Paykel’s approach to experience centre design reflects its ‘Designed in New Zealand’ ethos, which prioritises architecture that has meaningful connections to place and is respectful of culture, history and materials.
Brinkworth has brought that concept to life in London through a refined material palette of elm, inspired by the site’s proximity to three of London’s famous green spaces; Portland stone — the great stone of London; and deep brown glazed tiles, whose source of inspiration is the subterranean network of brick-clad waterways that intersect the site.
Key spaces within the experience centre include a Minimal Kitchen, a showcase of how seamless integration of appliances lifts the kitchen beyond utility into a crafted and furniture-like space. An Apartment Kitchen shows that luxury need not be defined by size. While the Fabric Care Solutions space shows how Fisher & Paykel has evolved the concept of laundry beyond washing and drying to encompass fibre-specific tailored fabric care.
The heart of the London Experience Centre is The Social Kitchen and dining space for ten. In this subterranean space, inhouse chefs will lead Mastery of Temperature culinary experiences, bringing to life the insights behind the brand’s approach to food care and cooking.
“Throughout the London Experience Centre, every interaction has been crafted to resonate with who we are and every physical element is carefully considered — from the offering of kawakawa tea upon entry, to the descent of a discreet sculptural spiral stair into a luxurious vaulted space. A hidden kitchen, where guests are welcomed by a bowler-hatted sculpture by Michael Parekōwhai, New Zealand’s foremost living artist,” says Witten-Hannah.
The Wigmore Street experience centre aims to help develop the growing brand’s presence in the UK, and support and inspire key professional audiences with experiences that capture the essence of the
Fisher & Paykel brand. In advance of its full opening in early 2024, Fisher & Paykel is welcoming bookings for Master of Temperature culinary experiences and guided tours of the new space, learn more here.
