Text description provided by the architects. L'Oreal's history in Kiev/Ukraine
The L'Oreal Group has been present in Ukraine since 2003 - first as a Representative Office, then in 2005 as a full Subsidiary of the L'Oreal Group worldwide. The company has grown quite considerably - where in 2003 there were less than 10 employees, today the company employs over 150 people throughout the country.
Academy's functions
The main purpose of the Academy is to do trainings for our hairdressing clients - most seminars involve a theoretical "classroom" style training, followed by a practical "hands-on" segment where the clients can actually practice applying hair color to models under the supervision of one of our trainers. The multi-functional aspect of the Academy allows us to perform two different seminars simultaneously. The Academy can also be used for larger seminars of 50-75 people of a "look and learn" format. Finally, the room can be completely opened up to host public-relations events, fashion shows, and product launches.
The design
When we from m2r first saw the space, we instantly saw the potential in the multi-functionality of the room. We decided to leave the concrete foundation of the room exposed, while using contrasting materials such as glass, stainless steel, and Corian to give the Academy its polished feel. We wanted it to be a place of inspiration, but also a place where people felt they can work and learn in a relaxed environment - therefore we decided to leave many of the ventilation shafts exposed, as well as the racks for the lighting, which give the impression of a loft apartment, or a fashion show stage setup.
Because of the south-facing of the windows, there is a lot of natural light coming into the room - very important when looking at hair once hair color has been applied. To take further advantage of the light, we decided to use mirrors on the walls and in the wet-room (where the washbasins are located); in the end this gives the impression of the entire room being much bigger than the 234 sqm would appear to be.
