Meet Lee and Gesa Hopkinson

They met in Berlin, cut their teeth in London, and now run an architecture studio that makes spaces that do more than just look good. Meet Lee and Gesa Hopkinson.

Lee and Gesa Hopkinson are the duo behind The Great Indoors - a Sydney-based architecture and design studio that has worked with the likes of Selfridges, Nike Town, Harrods and Samsung. From Japanese restaurants to boutique cafes, Lee and Gesa bring their signature curiosity and obsessive attention to detail to every project they pursue

We spoke to Lee and Gesa about James Bond interiors, their dream project and their unlikely obsessions. 

Lee wears the Pirate Black Original Unisex T-Shirt and Gesa wears the Unisex Long Sleeved Stripe T-Shirt, both by Sorry Thanks I Love You.

 

Lee, tell us about your background. Where are you and Gesa from and how did you get to where you are now?

Gesa grew up in Germany in the city of Hamburg and studied architecture in Hamburg. I grew up in Sydney’s northern beaches. After studying design in Sydney for five years, I left to travel Europe. I met Gesa in Berlin in the summer 1996 at an Urban Planning workshop, then we moved to London and spent 14 years living and working there. We’ve been Sydney-based since 2009 and set up The Great Indoors in 2013. We have two children (now adults) – Chiara-Romy and Jules.

Is there a space (real or imaginary) that has dramatically informed the way you see the world?

Future worlds and exploration. Ken Adams’ set designs for the earlier Bond movies before CGI and Ridley Scott’s movie The Martian are big hits for us.

 

The underground lair designed by Ken Adams in James Bond's You Only Live Twice, 1967

How would you describe The Great Indoors?

Designing 3D spaces that reflect a brand’s DNA whilst connecting people to the brand through the experience. What truly drives us is the power of great design to shape experiences, tell stories, and create places where people feel connected.

What’s a creative project that’s stayed with you for better or worse? 

The design of Hearst Media Tower in New York during the time of 9/11 is now an iconic building and has appeared in several movies, like Confessions of a Shopaholic. Another project and client for us is ‘Life Grain’ a café operator in NSW Health network that provides healthy food options and improves the experience for patients, health care workers and visitors.

What’s your dream project under The Great Indoors banner - no limits, no budget?

For us, it’s the alignment and collaboration of the 3G’s: great client, great budget and great builder. The ultimate project would be to know that every material has the potential to have a 360-degree sustainability qualification and a space that enriches people’s lives for the better.

Lee at work

Any unlikely obsessions/indulgences in your lives that you can tell us about…?

Always seeking new inspirations, still buying and collecting magazines – (Monocle is a favourite), plus beach walks and listening to the ocean, watching Nordic Noir films and tv series.

Can you recall a moment recently when you had to say “sorry, thanks, I love you”?

Love is unconditional – so acknowledging with our children that we are not always right and that they can humble us and teach us new things. 

Which retail or cultural spaces are blowing your mind at the moment - here or overseas?

Hermes impressed us recently when we visited their store. The manager was open to talking to us and letting us in on the stories and rationale behind the store design. Their store in Amsterdam explores one of our favourite materials of the moment  - glass bricks, which they have used across the building façade.

Lee wears the Pirate Black Original Unisex T-Shirt by Sorry Thanks I Love You 

What are you learning about at the moment?

Life is short and we need to take time for ourselves

If your work had a soundtrack what would be on it?

Hot Chip, The National, Fontaines D.C, and The Artic Monkeys.

Anything else you want to tell us about your work? 

We are intrigued to create an exploration within our work. Through design we can improve people’s lives and at the same time be guided by having more sustainable principles and materials as part of our process and projects.

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See Lee and Gesa's work at The Great Indoors. Follow The Great Indoors here.