Midtown Workplace

The design of Midtown Workplace highlights the importance of place and human connection in an increasingly virtual world. Underpinned by the conceptual narrative of exploration, the workplace is a magnet to foster innovation, collaboration, and connection. The base building is a story of connection and innovation. Two existing towers connected as one, old structures connected with new. Our approach to the workplace built on this narrative with the void and bridge links positioned as the connecting piece between the two buildings to form a united place. The inter tenancy stair interlaces through the main atrium and a series of offset voids connected by the high street spine to encourage exploration and a journey of discovery. The central atrium is fringed with planting and drenched in daylight, anchored by an auditorium, ‘The Pit’, at its base. The use of recycled materials from the original building has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 11,000 tonnes – equivalent to running the building carbon neutral for four years. The brief – create a nimble workplace that will adapt to the evolution and progression of our client’s business, their story, and their connection with the community. This workplace delivers a sustainable and adaptable model that accommodates new ways of working for an increasingly distributed workforce. ‘The Pit’, a magnet for cultural exchange, is a space for teams to gather as a whole and galvanise their vibrant culture. The organic form responds to the curved nature of the sky terrace base building envelope and provides a moment of whimsy to the otherwise strictly geometric and almost brutalist workplace. Our design response explores the tension between the pragmatic and the poetic, doing more with less. The design adopts a brutalist approach to the interiors, showcasing the existing concrete structure with as little decoration as possible. The overwhelming majority of materials are left in their raw state, untreated metals that hero our client’s core products and serve to reduce the impact of superfluous decoration and embodied energy. Collaborative and highly original thinking within the consultant and contractor team generated a complex and unprecedented fire engineering strategy. One that benefited from the open ceiling strategy, perforated metal screens and the seven story internal atrium that simultaneously disguises concrete smoke baffles and acts as a central extraction point for smoke exhaust to deliver a truly connected workplace. The new workplace offers an alternative to the standard, creating a diverse and blended model that is supported by a high proportion of hackable, collaborative areas. 30% of the primary work points are moveable, affording teams complete autonomy and control over their workspace. In the words of our client; “It’s not just a new building, it’s part of our new journey to a new culture”.