A work “nest” that is fortified and curated down to the very last detail, based on the philosophy of #wellworking, being the cornerstone of the mission of Kwerk, the co-working set-up created by Architect and Designer Albert Angel together with French-British entrepreneur, Lawrence Knights. This temple of art and culture, being more than just a workspace in the traditional sense, is furnished with style and elegance, a place in which people and companies can find the right creativity and give life to thrilling projects and ideas. The new Madeleine headquarters, in particular, is located in an 8-storey building utilised as offices and consists in the entrance and lounge area on the ground floor and fitness rooms on the basement level, in line with the Latin saying, “mens sana in corpore sano”. It is located on Boulevard Malesherbes, one of the most beautiful and effervescent districts of the French capital, brimming with offices, luxury shops and even small-scale outfitters creating tailor-made garments. The intimate and cosy atmosphere, reminiscent of a luxury hotel, contrasts with the buzz of the surrounding neighbourhood. The strictly-natural materials utilised have been worked by hand with great care and focus, accentuated with a specially-developed lighting project that saw the use of various professional solutions. The result is a co-working space with a unique and spectacular design, in which the watchword is the welfare of its visitors.
A standout in the Kwerk Madeleine lighting project is the entirely custom-made product created in synergy between Stoneleaf, Fantoni and Linea Light Group with the aim of aligning the rhythms of work with those of nature, thus ensuring the well-being of those working therein.
These special “circadian totems” were designed by Albert Angel himself with the aim of exploiting the “blind” rear parts of the cabinets integrated into the walls separating the offices and column coatings, thus creating a fil rouge between all floors of the building.
Stoneleaf (from a company specialising in the creation of 100% natural stone sheets) has been backlit with LED panels that were made-to-measure by Linea Light Group and integrated in “boxes” characterised by their slim design, at less than 10 centimetres, and made by Fantoni (an Italian company producing office furniture).
Veritable “boxes of light”, they are controlled on the basis of a progressive and diminishing daily cycle, which accompanies visitors during their time spent inside the building, throughout the various hours of the day, according to the principles of Human Centric Lighting that studies the means and tools for the best lighting at any time of day (and year). In line with the principles of #wellworking applied in all Kwerk locations, light plays a primary role in human life in that it influences aspects such as health, the psycho-physical state, productivity and mood.
Credits
Architect: Albert Angel
Lighting Design: The Linea Light Group Team and Albert Angel
Photo: Credit Kwerk
Products: Oh! Mars, Giotto, Vos, Optus_EX, Rada_Q, Rollip, Fylo+
Year: 2020
