Johnson & Johnson Bangkok Offices

Johnson & Johnson the global pharmaceutical and medical conglomerate has recently briefed the design consultancy dwp to renovate its Bangkok offices. The aim of the transformation was to improve the company’s ‘image and culture’, in an attempt to counteract the difficulties of being located in the outskirts of Bangkok, some 65km away from the central business district. The aim was therefore to invigorate and maintain existing staff, while also attracting new people too. The ability to hire and retain the best and the brightest is key to the ongoing success of global companies such as Johnson & Johnson, and so dwp had to make sure the new interior met the brief precisely.

The result was a vibrant colourful office complex, with open co-working spaces abundant throughout. This not only encouraged collaboration between employees, but also enhanced the efficiency of their communication. New rooms for training and meetings were also put into place.

Net-a-Porter New HQ – London

Online retailing is going from strength to strength, with an ever larger portion of the population purchasing items over the internet. But in recent years this trend has been especially pronounced for the online fashion industry which has traditionally stayed with the store front model. And why not? You get to shop for the latest fashion items, with no queues and usually better deals – all from the comfort of your home! Net-A-Porter has cashed in big on this booming trend, making it a force to be reckoned with in the last 10 years. So much so that they have recently moved to larger offices. The new HQ is located at the top of  the well known Westfield Shopping Centre, and is by all accounts huge. The office design specialist behind this amazing office was Studiofibre, having also designed Net-a-Porter’s old offices.

Visitors are greeted by large black wooden doors, which lead onto a runway-themed reception. The reception features white leather upholstery and glossy black surfaces. What’s more, for informal meetings there is a bar which is decked out in high-gloss and American style diner stools. There is also an innovative touch-screen that visitors can use to browse the Net-a-Porter website while having a drink. The meeting rooms are also  fully enabled to allow conference calling with the Company’s office in New York. All-in-all Net-a-Porter’s new HQ is what all offices should be; functional, well designed and a pleasure to be in!

CheBanca! – Milan

With the advent of online banking, thankfully visiting the bank has become a less frequent occurrence. I say thankfully for a reason, we all know that going to the bank is a time consuming and dull event, one to be avoided at all costs! To add insult to injury, most central city banks are located in huge buildings which exude grandeur and importance, intended to intimidate and impress. Is this really what we want from banks in the 21st Century? Some banks have made efforts to spice up their retail fronts, but in all honesty they haven’t really been that great in terms of design. More a case of same old with a modern twist rather than anything really revolutionary. This is why we were so impressed with CheBanca! which is located in Milan. The name literally translates to What a Bank!, and they have recently launched a new design concept which they have implemented in their retail locations.

The Project was headed by Crea International, intended to reflect the bank’s focus on simplicity and transparency. It was also intended that the new retail space stand testament to the bank’s innovative aspirations. Crea Interanational has also designed the corporate identity of other brands in Italy, these include Unicredit Banca, Vodafone and others.

Office Rail Design Concept

Invensys Rail is a company based in the United Kingdom which produces high-tech railway control and communication solutions. They recently briefed 3Sphere, one of the UK’s leading office design firms, to do some designing for their new offices. 3Sphere is known for working on the locations of the likes of Guardian News, Santander and Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe. They developed numerous concepts for Invensys to consider, chief among which was the speculative feasibility project seen below. The idea was to incorporate a diesel train simulator and railway turntable in the middle of the office! As you can see this is a very futuristic office design which shows creativity and the ability to think outside the box, all characteristics which Invensys as a business looks to incorporate. The project was never implemented; one can only hope that one day Invensys will see it through to completion.

Kristalia Open Day @ eOffice Soho

Founded in the north of Italy in1994, Kristalia was established by young local entrepreneurs who were joined by two common passions – design and jazz.  Their strive towards innovation and aesthetics has earned them many accolades within the design community. These award winning designers have now recently established a workspace in London, in so doing contributing to the creative environment of eOffice Soho during the Kristalia Open Day. The Kristalia Open Day showcased the latest collection to a select number of influential people within the design and furniture production industry.  It allowed attendees to enjoy the state-of-the-art interior which forms part of their open plan office space servicing SMEs.

As eOffice’s main furniture supplier Kristalia adds innovation to the artistic work atmosphere, giving it a character of modernity and style. The novelty of shapes and the originality of forms compliments the quality and comfort which is deeply embedded within in all of Kristalia’s creations.  The colours range from soothing, natural, earthy hues to bold colours such as red, purple and green.

Here is a sample of their catalogue:

For information please visit  Kristalia

Diane von Furstenberg Studio Headquarters

In the mid-70s Diane von Furstenberg made her name with the iconic wrap dress. From there she set about building her business into what it is today,  a luxury fashion house with international reach.  The company’s new headquarters are located in the ultra trendy Meatpacking District in New York City.  The HQ occupies a six storey building, which is topped off by a jagged edged glass sphere which makes up part of the penthouse suite.  The design was headed by WORK Architecture who aimed to maximise natural light and interblend the historic surroundings with contemporary design. Thus according to them, “instead of hiding new elements behind the historic facades, the project is conceived of as a dialogue between contemporary materials and the renovated elements.”

[Pictures via WORK Architecture]

KBP West Offices – San Francisco

Advertising agency KBP West has recently commissioned Jensen Architects to design its San Francisco head offices. The offices are very vibrant, colourful and quirky to say the least. They incorporate three separated wings, partioned by acoustically sealed folding doors. This allows the areas to be used simultaneously for different tasks without interference, while at the same time if required the doors can be opened to merge into a large meeting space. There are also four meetings rooms, each with different themes, materials and colours. Despite the use of strong themes and colours the whole office seems to compliment each segregated part, thereby creating a unity.

Other cool features include walls coated with chalky substance, allowing for quick and easy notation of ideas in the heat of the moment. It is also a very aesthetically pleasing touch, working well with other components of the design. Lastly, there is also an indoor garden and 16ft dining counter to finish off the space.

[Pictures via Jensen Architects]

PUMA Ping-Pong Table

The CHALK ping pong table was designed and developed by Studio Aruliden especially for PUMA. The table is unique in that is has a chalk surface, allowing players to write down the score as they play. It also allows  them to note down any inspiring thoughts which may come to them whilst playing. The build materials are of the highest quality, the legs are made of ash wood and the net of chain link. A ping-pong table is a great addition to any office, as it allows staff to take a refreshing break and in many situations can increase productivity as regular sessions of exercise are good not only for the body, but also the mind. The table is a limited edition item, and prices at roughly $4,000.

[Pictures Via]