tp bennett designs a fresh new spot for Aviva at EightyFen
A transparent, community-focused office design represents a milestone in the organisation's commitment to creating positive workspaces.
25/07/2024
3 min read
Bright ideas: five spaces that use light as a statement
From neon-lit tunnels to a Yayoi Kusama-esque installation, we round up five projects showcasing state-of-the-art lighting arrangements.
06/03/2023
3 min read
Goddard Littlefair’s homage to Yayoi Kusama at Mondrian Shoreditch
Hospitality experts Goddard Littlefair embodied the vibrant social fabric of East London at Mondrian’s Shoreditch outpost, one of the most anticipated openings of 2021. Art and literature inspiration lies at the heart of the hotel’s creative concept, in particular the traditional nursery rhyme ‘Oranges and Lemons’, due to the hotel’s proximity to churches that feature in the historical rhyme. References to this are carried throughout many of the interior elements, from materiality, to colour, to lighting.
In line with Mondrian’s artistic spirit, a homage to well-known installation artist Yayoi Kusama has been created: a fully mirrored room with colour change globes to the perimeter. Globe lights circle the room, giving the viewer a sense that they are seeing themselves in infinity. Tailored to the Instagram age, the room is large enough for a small group to stand in and take selfies – providing the perfect photo opportunity for guests to share their stay.
M Moser’s immersive ‘Tunnel of Fame’ for a music streaming giant
Addressing exponential growth in Asia Pacific, a popular music streaming platform commissioned M Moser Associates to deliver an inclusive and dynamic regional hub for its team in Singapore. The brief – to embody the company’s playful and innovative culture in a bid to attract the industry’s best talent. The new two-level workplace explores new ways of working while enhancing the streamer’s identity, bringing together artists, creators and the wider creative community.
First impressions count, and rather than a typical office lobby, the brand’s entrance marks the beginning of a journey. An immersive ‘Tunnel of Fame’ decked out in colour-changing mood lights sets the tone for the destination office, leading to further interactive spaces and digital touchpoints throughout the floor plan. Names of both regional and international artists stamped on the bars of light reflect the music streamer’s extensive reach.
Bruntwood Works’ Bloc debuts a sparkling living wall
Launched as part of its £50m Pioneer redevelopment programme, workspace and leisure specialist Bruntwood Works‘ Bloc was re-designed to improve workplace wellbeing and boost productivity for its diverse community of businesses. Centred on six key pillars – biophilia, art, sustainability, wellness, amenity and technology – the transformed site includes a ground floor coworking spaces and local cafe and office space above for resident businesses.
To soften the building’s brutalist architecture, a living wall made from 18,000 plants wraps the external façade, using sensors to monitor its biodiversity and record how the wall is absorbing gases like CO2 and NO2. Also embedded into the wall is an innovative grid of lights by Artin Light, bringing Bloc to life at night with subtle waves of organic light. The ‘glowing’ wall conveys the effect of delicately coloured blossoms within the greenery.
HLW sets Digital Ventures’ HQ apart from the rest
For their merged workplace, Digital Ventures (DV) required a consistency and connection with the upper BCG floors, while staying true to its brand and retaining its individuality. Challenged to design a space that inspires diverse creativity through innovation, HLW’s big idea for BCG Digital Ventures’ London office was ‘The Shift’; an architectural language that pushes and pulls in response to the firm’s unique space requirements, brand, and building; a “secret sauce” that reveals itself throughout the user’s journey.
The design journey is brought to life as staff walk down the connecting spiral staircase and enter into the DV space. Here, they are immediately greeted by an infinity mirror ‘jewel box’, created using glass, dichroic film, and light to craft a richly coloured jewel-like installation. Accompanying this, unique AV walkways within an ‘immersion corridor’ allow for digital DV content to be played throughout the floorplate.
Sheila Bird Studio illuminates legacy music venue New Century
ID:SR and Sheila Bird Studio’s New Century revives a forgotten part of Manchester’s cultural heritage and builds upon its foundations to become a significant catalyst in the activation of the emerging NOMA neighbourhood. Built in the early 1960s, the historic live music venue has been brought back to its former glory as a music, events and hospitality destination. In its reinvented guise, the venue now encompasses three floors of variably used spaces, but with music a powerful common thread.
Upstairs, the legendary ballroom, now hosting an eclectic programme of events, feels compellingly frozen in time: with hardwood walls and a carving flanked stage. Yet while the aesthetics are appealingly period, the technology is today’s – the original, multidimensional ‘disco ceiling’ refitted with boldly-coloured adaptable lighting, part of an overall lighting scheme created by Luke Artingstall.
