Art-full offices: inspiring workplaces with wall-to-wall art
From custom-painted murals to handpicked paintings, we chart a selection of spaces using art to brighten up the workweek.
Bluebottle draws on early photography for Getty Images’ new workspace
Tasked by Getty Images to design a new London headquarters for the post-pandemic era of flexible working, Bluebottle came up with a colourful and collaborative workspace that radically rethinks the traditional office set-up, while also taking inspiration from early colour film photography. In doing so, the design firm has succeeded in encapsulating Getty Images’ brand identity in a 10,400-sq-ft space that transforms how its occupants work and draws hybrid-working employees into the workplace.
The reference to early colour film photography is evident with a scheme of toned-down shades of bold hues — like blue, green and red — to evoke early Kodak prints, as well as statement design features like the entrance area’s overhead flash-bulb lights. Bluebottle collaborated with the team at Getty Images to select artwork for each zone from Getty’s extensive archive of photography. The final selection of over 100 prints was chosen based on criteria ensuring they represented the company’s identity and ethos through timeless images, that also fit in with the bold but faded colour scheme.
Mindspace shoreditch
JRA applies its signature boutique style to Mindspace Shoreditch
John Robertson Architects led the fit-out design for Mindspace Shoreditch, a creative hub for start-ups, technology companies and innovators. The building, located on Appold Street in the heart of the neighbourhood, provides a second location for the major co-working brand and follows the success of its flagship branch in Aldgate – also designed by JRA and opened in 2017.
The office space features playful wall murals and a range of carefully curated vintage furniture and artwork, combining to provide an engaging and stimulating work environment. “We worked closely with Mindspace to create a lively, engaging design that illustrates the heart of their brand,” said Angela St Clair-Ford, Project Director at JRA. “As part of our approach, we undertook extensive research on hospitality design, visiting Mindspace’s branches in Munich, and drawing on antique markets and local shops to curate original artworks with local artists. These artworks now decorate the vast lounge spaces where users collaborate and interact.”
GTA Interior distils Campari’s brand into a new multi-use HQ
Named Campari House, the restored ‘multi-use’ workspace showcases the brand’s premium portfolio of alcoholic spirits, while also serving as headquarters for Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. Immersing themselves in workshops with brand ambassadors, Campari Academy Masterclasses and touring Campari’s Galleria in Milan led GTA to fully understand their client’s brand, ethos and 163-year rich history. The result is a design focus that fully reflects Campari Groups’ desired brief – to deliver a collaborative and inclusive workspace that threads their proud Italian heritage throughout, with a ‘London twist’ to signify UK presence.
Upon entry, a 4-metre door emulates the Campari drink through red bubbled glass. A long brass handle features historical artwork from Fortunato Depero, reflecting the relationship with Campari’s founders which dates to the 1920s. A gallery of historical art posters disguises secret doors which lead through to ‘back of house’ ancillary rooms. Inside, a colour palette inspired by the Campari Group’s iconic red and deep blue is featured, in rich leather and velvet upholsteries.
The London workplace inspired by 19th century members’ clubs
Playground for the elite no longer: Basha-Franklin’s boutique office in St James’s Square is designed for a new generation. Sitting on the south side of St James’s Square, an eight-storey office building has been transformed into a workspace that celebrates Mayfair’s connections to 19th century members clubs and vibrant arts scene. “The neighbourhood remains rich with art galleries and auction houses, such as Christie’s, with rotating artist installations still adorning the garden square today,” explains Nicola Osborn, Basha-Franklin’s Creative Director. “This rich fabric of art and culture, fused with the ‘home from home’ atmosphere of a private member’s club, inspired our design for this postmodern building.”
Nodding to the Georgian era and Mayfair’s arts scene, a handcrafted sculptural detail floats above the lounge as modern interpretation of classic ceiling mouldings, pleated and folded like origami. More artwork brings colour to the space, visible from the street to draw people in like a gallery or hospitality venue.
Studio DB brings an adventurous spirit to Manhattan production HQ
Designed by fellow husband and wife team Britt and Damian Zunino, the Oscar-winning Little Monster Films unveiled its striking new office-cum-production studio in spring 2024. In shared workspaces designed for collaboration, a neutral palette is brightened by plenty of natural light as well as artwork provided by filmmaking partners Chin and Vasarhelyi, showcasing the pair’s film inspirations. In Varsarhelyi’s office, Studio DB drew inspiration for the director’s love of fashion and travel, incorporating a bold colour palette and Calico Wanderlust wallpaper depicting a jungle scene.
As well as elegant furnishings like gold Calico Eden wallpaper reflecting the duo’s adventurous spirit, nods to traditional Asian design also appear as motifs throughout, including wood panelling inspired by Japanese Shoji screens and a handpicked selection of vintage Chinese Art Deco rugs.
Warehouse to workplace: Gensler creates a headquarters fit for the future
Softening an industrial warehouse with a vibrant, textured palette, Gensler delivers a contemporary, multi-layered workspace for London PR agency Edelman. Its 35,000 sq ft interior might have felt coldly cavernous at first, but Gensler addressed this by punctuating it with five new mezzanines accessed by five new staircases. These include a spiral staircase, while some staircases have rather theatrical, curved, sweeping balustrades that create intriguing perspectives and enlarged the space by 10,000 sq ft.
An adventurous, contemporary colour palette and eclectic selection of plumply upholstered sofas and stools dotted around the quieter zones soften the office’s industrial quality – and give it more character. Colourful artworks aplenty have a similar effect. An abstract mural by Lois O’Hara, painted directly on to a metal warehouse hatch in a large room, creates a vibrant focal point. Gensler also introduced biophilic elements: ivy trails romantically over some walls, while a huge planter studded with lush mosses stands unexpectedly under the base of a metal staircase, adding visual interest to a spot that would otherwise have been a dead, neglected space.
BBC Studios Comedy Productions unveils boutique office in Chinatown
For its new Chinatown home BBC Studios Comedy Productions’ tapped HOK’s London Interiors team to lead on design – the studio presented with a 4,000 sq ft space at The Dryden, 45 Gerrard Street, formerly the home of England’s first poet laureate, John Dryden. The historic building has been restored and remodelled for BBC Comedy’s creative writers, directors and actors to collaborate and foster new ideas.
HOK fostered a feeling of home and familiarity by selecting vintage mid-century furniture, and balanced these with the raw, unfinished base-build walls that reveal the building’s storied history. The second floors of both buildings focus primarily on desk-based work, while still offering an eclectic range of meeting spaces and focus booths, ensuring that the space is geared towards both work and socialising. These individualised spaces are further brought to life with an array of BBC Comedy artwork, memorabilia and awards, dating from the mid- to late-20th century.
JA!COCO! brings playfulness to Beer52’s headquarters
Dubbing themselves as the world’s biggest craft ale subscription service, Beer52 wanted a home that embodied their identity. It was for this reason they approached JA!COCO! Studio, who used their knowledge and experience in curating daring, original hospitality venues to transform what was a rundown Georgian building into a hive of creativity for the HQ on Melville Crescent, Edinburgh.
Inside features little to no dreariness. Instead, the townhouse office has opted for bold and colourful design starting at reception, with arched-entrance swing doors that burst open onto a welcome desk fitted with beer taps and floor-to-ceiling custom window blinds with the brand’s characters and emblems. Adjacent, a staircase hugs the wall adorned with a ‘wine-stained’ carpet runner and ornate handrail – accentuating JA!COCO!’s careful balancing act with retaining the property’s classical features. Many of the office’s ceilings continue this balance by refreshing ornate coves with a muted orange paint, one of Beer 52’s primary brand colours, and walls with custom-designed murals.
x+why Whitechapel from Squire & Partners
x+why
Squire and Partners delivers vibrant flexible workspace in Whitechapel
Designed by London-based architect Squire and Partners, flexible workspace provider x+why opened its Whitechapel location in 2019. The site has a long history of philanthropy, community and social action as the former Salvation Army Mission Hall, the historical significance of which led to the team at x+why to reinstate the building as ‘People’s Mission Hall’.
A huge amount of thought and attention was put into the fantastic selection of artwork throughout the space, selected by art rental agency Artiq, which provides artists with both great exposure and a fair deal. “When we set out on this project, we discussed that the main objective was to create a curation that showed a diverse range of artists in both styles and media,” explains Artiq founder, Patrick McCrae. “Creating a narrative that represented x+why’s ethos was important. We were also keen to pick up on the various hubs within x+why, allowing the art to set the tone for what the space is used for.”
