Canary Wharf offices
Architect: Pringle Brandon
Consultant: Showcase Interiors
Curating a contemporary office space fit for hybrid collaboration in the heart of Canary Wharf.
Making corporate cool
“We’d like to push the boundaries on this, to make it a bit different” — their words, not ours.
When we were tasked with creating a “different” office space by a large accountancy firm in the heart of London’s financial district, we went to the heart of the challenge: how to make corporate cool and, more importantly, make that “corporate cool” look their own.
We wanted all the hustle-bustle without the noise. “A bit different” doesn’t have to mean hipster tech start-up. No ping-pong tables or bean bags over here. We opted for understated elements that are as elegant as they are functional. The result? A sleek, contemporary office space that shifts seamlessly in sync with their hybrid ways of working.
Look again
On first look, it’s all elegant, clean lines and muted, natural finishes. Look again and you’ll see the support cladding is made from powder-coated steel, layering panels in a web of contrasting levels and angles.
Tables appear improbably balanced on a knife edge. Talk about breaking the glass ceiling — we’ve broken the furniture. But don’t worry, the sub-floor steels will guide you to stability.
Other tables have slim cross member legs which merge support with unimpeded seating — perfect for meetings, catch ups, conferences, Zoom calls, and coffee breaks. Fusing it all together are the echoes of what makes them, them. That yellow flash? It’s actually part of their corporate branding.
Managing cable management
Now down to the fine print: cable management. As a hybrid working space, having the right electronics in place to support smooth collaboration online and offline is key. Our job was not only to make it work seamlessly, but also to make it work beautifully.
And we sealed the deal — in a way. Rather than having flaps hiding the clunky cables sealed permanently into the tabletop surface, we subtly angled the edges to become a graphic feature. On closing, they become a geometric pattern — as beautiful as closing a deal.
