IA collaborated with the cruise line’s in-house thought leadership team, the Creative Collective, to envision a distinctive and agile home base. The design is heavily influenced by Virgin Voyages’ belief that cruising should be a transformative experience. Each area conjures a different experience so that navigating the headquarters feels like a voyage to a series of destinations—from the boardroom, drenched in vibrant Virgin red, to the warmer, cabana-like social space with lounge bed windowseats and comfortable couches.
The interior environment cleverly evokes life onboard a ship. Nautical-themed graphics define social areas. Rope partitions help create a sense of privacy in the work area. Employees are referred to as “crew members” and passenger/clients as “sailors.” Even the reception desk mimics the angles and curves of a ship’s prow.
Unconventional and quirky are core Virgin attributes. For example, ties are disallowed in the office—and are in fact cut in half and put on display in the lobby. Color-changing lights in the elevator lobby cycle through hues every few minutes. In the dining area, a bathtub is repurposed as a beverage cooler. Ceiling-hung chairs lend a dose of relaxed fun in the social space.
In the work space proper, an open floor plan (divvied by strategically placed seating and the aforementioned ropes) allows conversations to happen organically, making crew members feel much more connected to their teams and colleagues. Separated according to department, each sun-filled and energetic work zone supports a variety of personal and group workstyles, with plenty of meeting and heads-down spaces. In anticipation of future growth—even that beyond existing projections—each area is flexible enough to be reconfigured for additional workstations. Likewise agile is the boardroom, with sliding glass partitions that open to annex the adjacent reception area. Not only is the headquarters designed for current crew members, but it’s also intended to attract talent: Virgin Voyages plans to grow to 400 people by its launch, and this space will be the first impression for potential land and ship crew—an anchor for those who “make ship happen.”
Material Used:
1. Wallcoverings: Wolf Gordon
2. Paint: Sherwin Williams
3. Laminate: Formica
4. Movable walls: Modern Fold
5. Resilient flooring: Six Degrees Flooring Surfaces
6. Carpet/carpet tile: Interface and Shaw
7. Recessed lighting: Pinnacle (general work area linear) Coronet (linear at elevator)
8. Pendants/chandeliers: Flos, Bover, Tom Dixon, Baselight, OCL
9. Workstations: Teknion
10. Architectural/custom woodworking: Fine Line Custom Millwork
