Marrying tight security with a ‘corporate cool’ environment that aims to attract the best staff in London.
Woods Bagot has delivered the interiors for FinTech company G-Research at their new hub in central London. The aim was to create a workplace and multi-function event/café space that accommodates a growing workforce, while putting collaboration at its heart. The building also needed to act as an alluring ‘shop front’ for the brand and attract the best staff in the industry.
Talk to Peter O’Donnell about G-Research, Whittington House
As Whittington House is located adjacent to a WW2 shelter used by General Eisenhower, Woods Bagot came up with the concept of a ‘bohemian bunker’. This refers to the building’s concrete forms and Bloomsbury’s artistic history, while also reflecting how G-Research functions as a highly confidential business.
The purpose of the interior design is to create breathing space from the secure offices upstairs. This was achieved through an ‘inside-out’ design strategy. Layers of materials have been pared back to reveal the base structure and highlight the angular forms of the original Richard Siefert design. The raw feel of the concrete structure has been maintained and overlaid with rich fabrics and materials with refined detailing, referencing the local history.
Functionality is key. The large, flexible space is zoned during normal use but can be joined to create a presentation or event space. The rear of the floorplate has been raised, with bleacher seating providing an intimate presentation area when the curtains are closed and improved view lines when the spaces are joined. This is also a way for passersby to get a glimpse of the activity at the rear of the space.
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