The commercial designer behind some of Brisbane’s trendiest venues has been recognised as a shortlisted candidate in Australian Design Review’s 2021 IDEA Awards.
Brisbane-based commercial design conceptualiser Borhan Ghofrani has been recognised as among Australia’s best for his creation of Brisbane’s captivating Langanis Barber studios. Featuring three inner-city operations spanning Brisbane CBD, West End and Teneriffe, the business’s aesthetic curator Borhan has been shortlisted as a candidate for Australia’s largest independent design awards program, the 2021 Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA).
The stunningly unconventional Langanis exceeds traditional expectations of a barbershop, featuring avant-garde spaces teaming with edgy neon lighting, unparalleled urban décor and a lively and memorable atmosphere.
Abu Dhabi-born Iranian Borhan says that classical notions of a barbershop were challenged, resulting in ultra-modern spaces that reflect the brand and the trendiness of its clientele. “When conceptualising a commercial space, I look at the design comprehensively in order to curate an intrinsically meaningful brand which is based on how customers experience a business,” Borhan said. “Ensuring the genetics of a business is communicated with purpose is imperative for brand sustainability which is evident considering the success of Langanis as a leading luxury barber chain since 2016.”
Bestowed with official Australian citizenship last month, Borhan credits his success to vast multicultural experience and the extensive opportunity available in Australia. “There is a lot to say about the array of opportunity this country presents, and I feel privileged to have been welcomed into such a thriving nation after having to flee my own,” Borhan said. “I’m thrilled to be able to strengthen Australian brands with purposeful design elements that are innovative, logical and most importantly, fruitful for commercial sustainability.”
Revolutionising the way commercial spaces are formed in a way rarely seen in Australia, Borhan’s unique process of design is renowned for its unrivalled detail that goes beyond empty architecture and design techniques.
Borhan says that the design of Langanis included important elements for financial success as well as aesthetic planning which is immersed in meaning. “The unkind dimensions of Langanis required a compartmentalisation that would promote the entrance and front café as appealing for passers-by in a busy thoroughfare; a central abdomen that features enough client chairs to cover costs; and functional washing and styling zones towards to the rear,” Borhan said. “The precision and sharp angular characteristics of scissors formed a design language for each space’s unique geometry which is further fortified with energetic lighting that pours onto industrial exposed brick walls, signifying the ever-evolving world of fashion.”
Borhan’s distinctive integrated approach to commercial design has earnt his venues countless awards including the Queensland Hotels Association’s 2021 Best Redeveloped Hotel Award for Hallmark Group’s The Cavill Hotel in Surfers Paradise. Showcasing designs by leading architects and designers, IDEA attracts hundreds of entries from Australian practices and designers.
Langanis Barbers’ acknowledgement for IDEA’s Best Retail Interior will highlight elements that contribute to a memorable customer experience including the overall concept, product display, brand translation, spatial acumen, decoration, lighting, sustainability, innovation and originality. Borhan’s most recent creations include James Street’s vibrant urban oasis, The Green, and Hallmark Group’s lively Latin-inspired Hey Chica in Fortitude Valley.
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