Member Article

£700k Darlington development centre comes together for kitchen brand Magnet

ADG Architects has completed a £700,000 Kitchen Product Development Centre for Nobia AB, owner of the Magnet kitchen and other European kitchen brands.

Paul Kelly, Partner at the Darlington-based architects practice, designed and oversaw the construction of the new 7,400 sq ft Centre, with a further 4,100 sq ft of office space, on Allington Way on Darlington’s Yarm Road Business Park.

The new Nobia Product Development Centre will serve the Nobia brands for kitchen range product design and technical development and as an exposition area to showcase their products within the Group and to third parties.

Built by Bishop Auckland construction company T Manners & Sons Ltd, the new facility is housed in a converted warehouse.

Magnet, which operates some 200 plus stores across the UK selling kitchens both to the public and to trade buyers, is a long standing client of ADG Architects.

Mr Kelly said: “This is a state-of-the art product development facility which will help Europe’s leading kitchen specialist Nobia further develop and demonstrate the range and benefits of its products.”

Andy Cartlidge, Head of Group Property & Store Development for Magnet and Nobia UK, said: “The well-designed facility contains Expo & Quality Control areas and offices for product development and purchasing colleagues, all in one self-contained facility. The first ‘Expo’ held there in the last few months has been very well received.”