Lotte Duty Free, Melbourn
Location:
Melbourn, Australia
Sector:
Retail
Illuminating the Retail Experience
At Lotte Duty Free at Melbourne Airport, Bates Smart envisioned a luminous ceiling that could elevate the retail experience while meeting the practical demands of a large-format, high-traffic environment. The design needed to provide ambient illumination, enhance spatial clarity and product presentation, while discreetly accommodating the lighting, mechanical and other services required above.
SAS International worked alongside distribution partner MBS Architectural, providing in-house design consultation to support the detailing and integration of the ceiling. The result is a contemporary architectural feature that brings illumination and structure together while maintaining the flexibility needed for an airport retail environment where layouts and merchandising requirements continue to evolve.
Bespoke Systems Bring Light and Flexibility Together
SAS200 concealed grid panels form the corridor ceiling, combining polished and textured true metal finishes with plain and perforated tiles with acoustic backing to enhance sound absorption. SAS205 were also specified with a RIMEX Granex bead-blasted finish creating a matte like silver fishing. Across the retail space, a custom “H”-shaped recessed profile creates a concealed zone above the illuminated ceiling plane, allowing services to be integrated without interrupting the architectural finish.
Bespoke SAS330 mesh lay-in tiles in a Pearl Gold finish are interspersed within the tartan grid, helping create the soft, evenly diffused illumination envisioned for the space. Installed by Rising Star Interiors, the system combines accessible ceiling infrastructure with a refined visual finish, allowing lighting and services to be adapted as the retail environment changes.
| Client | Lotte Duty Free |
|---|---|
| Architect | Bates Smart |
| Main Contractor | MAZ Group |
| Sector | Commercial |
| Region | UK |
“H”-shaped
Custom recessed grid profile above the retail space
£8.9 million
Arrivals Duty Free redevelopment and fitout value.
8.8m
Wide central passenger corridor
SYSTEMS USED
Finishes Used
