by Mark Tungate (@MarkTungate) When looking at the impact of the working environment upon creative talents, easing collaboration is the aim of many new agency office designs.
Anybody who has worked in a dull, featureless cubicle knows how the working environment may affect your job. You may have a great position, a pleasant boss and acceptable hours — but you feel miserable. More often than not, the design of an office reflects the company’s attitude to its staff.
Notoriously “cool” offices
Advertising agencies have notoriously “cool” offices. Most people associate them with table football and in-house bars — and they’re not too far wrong.
The new Wieden + Kennedy offices at 150 Varick Street in New York were voted Building of the Year by website ArchDaily. And while designer WORKac pledged to put “work back at the heart of creative work”, with numerous meeting spaces, the offices also feature “a white-tiled bar” on the seventh floor for “end-of-day office celebrations” and “a generous bamboo-clad, library ‘den’ on the eighth floor.” There’s also a gym and a bi-weekly yoga class.
Meanwhile, R/GA is poised to move into a Brutalist building on Manhattan’s west side, renovated with “slick glass” by designers Foster & Partners. As at W+K, the goal here is to improve the collaborative process. R/GA founder, Bob Greenburg, told Fast Company: “Everything we look at [in the design], we want to be sure it’s helping with collaboration, integration, and networking — things that will really move us forward.” To this end, 113 miles of data cable have been laid, and there is “ample room to sprawl out in communal lounges and workspaces”.
In Paris, the agency BETC will shortly decamp to a historic warehouse building, Les Magasins Généraux, in the gritty suburb of Pantin. According to its website, the move will not only “create a space for community life”, but spark “an urban renaissance project”. The building was covered in graffiti, which BETC celebrated in a book — architects also recovered and removed 30 pieces of street art, which will be donated to the local council.
Key factors
The agency Cloud Nine in Sweden was one of those who reacted to Epica’s calls for images of “creative spaces”. We asked marketing coordinator, Dana Patratanu, about the agency’s relationship with its offices.
“Some people can be creative anywhere, but many struggle with creativity,” she observes. “For this reason, it is important to promote the right environment in order to help stimulate creative thought and collaboration. At Cloud Nine, we think that interpersonal communication, team spirit, and the physical environment are key factors to create an atmosphere that is conducive to creativity.”
Cloud Nine’s office, as Patratanu puts it, “is one of Sweden’s most spectacular art galleries.” She explains: “Walking into our office, one is greeted by artwork everywhere you look, in the form of paintings, photographs, sculptures and video art spread out all over the office space. The collection belongs to Tom Böttiger, one of the founders of Cloud Nine and a passionate collector of Swedish contemporary art.”
The building dates back to 1886 and was occupied by the Swedish Army until the mid-20th century. It was designed by Swedish architect, Ernst Jacobsson, with thick walls and wide windows. Each conference room bears the name of a famous Swedish artist, such as Martin Wickström and Dan Wolgers.
Reflects agency’s purpose
Patratanu feels that the office perfectly reflects the agency’s purpose, as the websites it creates allow clients to exhibit their work, just like an art gallery. But what about her personal relationship with the space?
“Working at Cloud Nine gives me the privilege to spend my days surrounded by magnificent works of art,” she says. “As a non-Swede, I didn’t have a wide knowledge of Swedish Contemporary Art. However, my time at Cloud Nine has enriched my art knowledge, as I had the chance to learn a lot about Tom Böttiger’s collection.”
Working in an art gallery is one thing — but does Patratanu have any tips for people who aren’t so lucky? “Despite the fact that physical environment plays a key role in determining employee’s ability to focus, many offices are not as motivating and inspiring as they should be. Nevertheless, employees can create a more pleasant working atmosphere for themselves with simple changes, such as keeping things tidy and organised on their desk, playing light music in the office, personalising the work space with items that inspire them…and finally adding scents to their work space.”
For South African spaces, see:
- MarkLives: Old wooden clog factory converted into ad agency offices
- MarkLives: Shelf Life — Saatchi Cape remodels to make BrandsRock
- MarkLives: Shelf Life — Creative new offices for 99c
- MarkLives: Shelf Life — Going wild with brave, integrated design in (South) Africa
- MarkLives: Shelf Life — Agencies on the move
Mark Tungate (@MarkTungate) is the editorial director of the Epica Awards (@EpicaAwards), the only global creative prize judged by the specialist press. In a new series of articles called Design Plus, Epica is highlighting creativity in the design field.
“Motive” is a by-invitation-only column on MarkLives.com. Contributors are picked by the editors but generally don’t form part of our regular columnist lineup, unless the topic is off-column.
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