Designed by OM Arch and Studio Pines, the Fiba Faktoring offices in Istanbul masterfully integrates fluid, user-centric design with transparent partitions and curated art, creating an inspiring environment that balances privacy and collaboration within a dynamic workspace.
Located in Levent, Istanbul’s bustling business center, FIBA Factoring Offices consists of a 820 square meter single floor on a high-rise office tower.
Working in financial services, the Client’s line of work requires both spaces of privacy with adequate sound insulation and spaces of collaboration with a welcoming sense of opulence. The former office space had a more traditional approach with opaque partition walls and static open areas which in overall do not meet the needs of the employees thus needs a major overhaul.
Moving beyond conventional, static offices, the design embraces fluid, user-centric spaces that encourage creativity, collaboration and a sense of community while maintaining the privacy necessary for the line of work they are involved in. Double-glazed glass partitions act as the main design element, creating a transparent division with an adequate sound insulation while showcasing the dynamism the work done inside.
The office has a very simple and yet effective layout: the workspaces are located along the facades to provide the maximum natural sunlight. The complementary spaces such as video conference rooms, utilities, server rooms etc. are located on the opposite side surrounding the building core. Between the two areas, a long corridor acts both a circulation space, reception area and finally a social gathering space that could host different variety of events.
One of the most important design element is the Client’s art collection. Collected over decades, the client owns 16 modern paintings from prominent Turkish artists such as Komet, Burhan Doğançay and Adnan Çoker. Spatial curation of these artworks was an important part of the design process as the masterpieces are used as spatial signifiers and also add a whole new level of aesthetics to their surroundings.
Partition walls and open office dividers balance the demands of openness and privacy, while a warm atmosphere provided by wooden floors and claddings fosters a calm, inclusive ambience. The reception area immediately makes a dramatic statement: the wooden clad with an artwork centered over the reception desk, directs the gaze toward the reception area. The linear lighting on the ceiling directs the visitor towards the both ends of the circulation area.
Open offices’ noise problem is solved by acoustic ceiling panels confined by continuous linear lightings with curved corners. The ceiling is covered with several of these elements each defining a workspace area of 4-8 employees. Because of the high daily traffic of the circulation space, open office areas are separated from the main circulation axis by movable vertical partitions who also acts as complementary acoustic panels. The open office areas are divided by directors’ offices and meeting spaces thus breaking monotony, emphasizing the dynamism of the project.
