We are delighted to say our latest project has been awarded the prestigious GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2022. The MONE Group Office, located in Tokyo’s Marunouchi district, is a visionary hybrid workspace that unites three company departments on one floor with a holistic design of diverse experiential spaces. From open-plan common areas to the inspiring inclusion of a cozy bar, it playfully breaks down physical and communication barriers, while acknowledging business needs of privacy.
As the Covid pandemic changed our lifestyles and hybrid working became a norm, the office space has evolved into a new environment of possibilities. Open spaces replace cubicles, welcoming interiors and communal spaces take priority as it competes with the home comforts of remote working.
The focus of the MONE Group Office is on collaborative and flexible spaces that foster social interaction, encourage new friendships and support employee work-life balance — all important influences on creativity and productivity. It re-imagines office life into one that employees actively want to return to, especially after the isolation of working from home.
Key to the design is a unique serpentine glass-paneled wall of shelving that undulates around a central communal area to delineate three encompassing office corner zones. Gradient frosted glass above the shelving is used to partially obscure the offices but ensure a seamless visual flow between the spaces. Texture and a natural colour palette are also used to divide zones, where oak veneer flooring in the communal area transitions to lawns of green carpeting in office spaces.
Inside the communal area, soft aesthetics of rounded furniture echo the curvilinear shelf wall and encourage face-to-face communication. Curved fawn dora dora modular seating, KDa’s collaboration with Karimoku, winds its way around a plush circular green rug and hugs side tables. Elsewhere, larger wood-toned tables are round or oval, and a minimalist corner coffee bar and counter serve as another casual meeting point. Each employee is asked to adopt and enjoy caring for one of numerous potted plants that bring the therapeutic benefits of nature into the space.
A central gradient green and white wall conceals an enclosed employee locker room and is fitted with a large monitor, allowing the communal area to double as a presentation and collaborative conference space. A more private meeting room is also situated within a deep alcove of the curving shelf wall, which can be closed off with floor-to-ceiling glass doors.
Behind the meandering shelf wall lie three spacious office spaces, each with panoramic views of the city and furnished with communal workstations and window-side tables. More discreet desk areas are provided along the shelf wall, and for employees needing complete privacy, a section is dedicated to six soundproof concentration booths. Guests and clients can be welcomed in two independent small meeting rooms, both with interiors of calming green and wood accents.
Within the main MONE office area sits the unusual heart of the design — a window-walled corner bar, furnished with low rocking armchairs facing views of the Imperial Palace below. Defined by deep green carpeting, overhead wooden louvers and low hanging amber pendant lamps, it exudes extra warmth — a space of pure relaxation that can be sectioned off by a wall of curtain. Like much of the MONE Group Office design, it remains a flexible space, a counter to work at during the day transforming into a cozy gathering space in the evenings.
Team:
Architects: Klein Dytham architecture
Photo credit: Koichi Torimura
