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Architects: 137kilo Architekci
- Year: 2012
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Photographs:Jacek Kołodziejski
Text description provided by the architects. The project is the Poland headquarters of a large pharmaceutical corporation. The client wanted the office space to highlight the company’s scientific heritage while providing a high quality working environment for its employees.
Research labs and contact lenses – the client’s main product – served as our inspiration. White exposed ceilings combined with glass surfaces combine to create a light and transparent space. This seemingly sterile aesthetic is balanced by green walls along the space’s main visual axes and functional solutions which encourage teamwork and relaxation.
Curtains not only provide privacy, but also introduce a homey atmosphere thanks to their soft forms. Large conference room. Kitchen and dining area. Ophthalmological examination room next to a conference room.
An open-space arrangement was used for many of the workspaces. The open space is punctuated with meeting room domes which also delineate the office’s various departments.
The domes are meant for less formal work meetings. Their high-tech inflatable surfaces invoke the client’s main product – contact lenses. The domes’ internal steel structure provides rigidity and adherence to fire codes.
The domes are connected to ventilation and air conditioning systems – creating a comfortable work environment. Lush and soft carpets delineate less formal spaces. The client’s desire to provide a comfortable work environment is manifested by the “fun room” which features a library, a foosball table and an adult-size playpen.
Work spaces are some of the project’s key elements. Each four-person work area invokes the “+” symbol (an element of the company’s logo) and has a small tree in its center. Employees at each area are responsible for watering their tree, which underlines the company’s commitment to team work.
The plants in the green walls were selected for their ability to purify indoor air and absorb dust.
