Providing a radical new look to the place, the fit out has redesigned the existing offices and building façade. The entrance and reception area have been fitted out to deliver the wow factor.
The design included multiple occupancy on a floor-by-floor basis with open office floor plans to allow for smoother transition. Incoming services supplies have also been upgraded from its previous single occupation on all floors, to provide for current and future market demands. The re-design of varying services installations has provided a common system to all floors.
Made in Germany, a curved Hi-Max, backlit feature wall has been installed within the reception area to provide the profile entrance experience.
The material chosen for the fit out is acrylic/mineral mix “solid surface” product that could be sculpted and joined seamlessly. Taking inspiration from some of the carved stonework from the building’s listed elevations, the Interiors Group has chosen a pattern that would be the right scale for the space and an appropriate symbol. The pattern was then carefully sculpted out of the back of the material to the point where its reduced thickness would allow light transmission.
Varying the depth of the cut out then allowed for the back lit image to provide varying degrees of light and shade. The pattern density fades towards the outer edges of the wall, highlighting the curve and the bench seating that the wall provides. This has introduced a strong feature into the space and welcome visitors towards the reception desk and lifts.
The feature wall in the reception area creates a vibrant and comforting relaxing space. In addition, the reception area also features unique cantilevered desk sets, which provides a unique interior charm to the place. The staircases have been refurbished to provide a striking space for the building as well as an important link to the basement storage areas. Respecting the historic fixtures and fittings, the historic elements have been appropriately and sensitively incorporated into the contemporary design.
The building is an amalgamation of three separate buildings all of which had separate listing requirements. Demarcation lines have been kept as an obvious feature internally whilst creating a functional and desirable office floor proved particularly challenging to the team. External sash windows have also been replaced.
The former office space consisted of a combination of cellular offices, open plan offices and on floor kitchens. This led to a complicated office layout with restricted view around the central core. Providing an open plan layout, the existing office floor plates have been opened up , existing office ceiling heights have been raised and the impact of existing interventions between the existing building have been reduced.
The existing toilets have been fitted out to make them more spacious with contemporary fittings finishes to complement the standards set by new build city offices. The Interiors Group also created a sense of arrival by fitting striking entrance doors and using sharp clean lines with large module clear glazing.
Gaunt Francis was the architect of the project.
