Asked to describe a space that houses a financial business that is highly competitive, time-based and risk-accepting, one’s mind tends to recall scenes from Boiler Room or The Wolf of Wall Street; sets that bear little resemblance to this project. In response to a brief asking for an environment that supports high-pressure and high-performance activity, the designers employed elements that eschew pressure cooker in favour of sobriety and stability.
First impressions are formed in the elevator lobby, where an expansive stretch-fabric overhead light and cream-coloured flooring frame walls lined in charcoal slate tiles, projecting a serenity that continues into the reception and client lounge area, where they are complemented by white oak ceilings and flooring that signal circulation pathways. A custom glass screen panel system inspired by Japanese design uses an interior oak lattice structure between two sheets of glass to allow both acoustic privacy and light to penetrate.
