Posted in Minoli
23rd November 2021
On this day 25 years ago – the 23rd of November 1996 – we officially opened the newly designed and installed Minoli showroom at our Oxford Headquarters.
At the time, the design, fixtures and fittings were at the absolute forefront of that seen in the industry, featuring avant-garde architecture, interior design and custom-made product display systems. On the site that Minoli & Co has occupied since the 1960’s, plans for new warehousing, offices and showrooms were drawn up by renowned architect Brian Amos of Amos & Needham, subsequently part of the McBains consultancy.
Building works began in the summer of 1995, with the warehouse construction completed in early 1996, followed by the fitout of the offices and display areas, which set new benchmarks in the sector. The newly built showroom was likely the first in the UK featuring fully-fitted, bespoke display units, designed and built by Carmalasa – famed for retail and exhibition equipment made for the world’s leading manufacturers.
Showroom Display Unit in Construction 1995/1996
Then, as the business continued to grow, the administration was moved into another new building and the display space expanded accordingly. Subsequent and more significant developments were also conducted in 2002 and 2003, creating far more storage, marketing and office space.
As Minoli attracted additional house builder, developer and professional customers, the first floor was further developed in 2010 into a new corporate clients’ showroom, with dedicated meeting and presentation facilities. Design and architecture specialists, MEDA International, conceived of the new facility, which was again fitted out by Carmalasa.
Most recently, in 2020, an award-winning boardroom and presentation suite was created in the underused top-floor area of the headquarters building. Again Minoli decided to have this designed by MEDA International and fitted out by Tapper Interiors, the scheme achieved Gold status at the Finishes and Interiors Sector (FIS) 2021 Awards.
In its current state, Minoli’s impressive, purpose-built headquarters and distribution centre comprises some 7,000 ft2 of showroom space and 32,000 ft2 of warehousing. It’s testament to the quality of design, workmanship, fixtures and fittings, that the premises remains in many respects one of the foremost facilities in the UK sector.
Confident but careful investment was at the heart of the business’s strategy then and remains the foundations of future growth now.