Tahoe

This office is designated for a life insurance company in Hong Kong, where every inch of any space has to be filled and maximised for its sky-high price, has seen the the design team taken a step back to generously reserve the best view for its user and present an indoor landscape of refreshing calmness, subtle luxe and natural vitality which echoes the stunning view of the Victoria Harbour. For sure, this office space serves more than just an add-on of tactless hard sell to scare non-believers with a bleak future, since guests are welcomed instead to slow down and relax - particularly as they are making important life decisions for their future. Inspired by the culture of yum cha, there are "tearooms" in an open layout, for example, which allows more casual, comfortable and flexible seating, while promises stand-alone, intimate areas for discussions and negotiations on insurance plans. As floor-length windows wraps around a bright space, distilled sunlight gently falls onto a fine white marble floor and a wood-accentuated interior, which focuses on an important motif, the mountains. "Mountain" in the Chinese language has traditionally stood for "a reliable back-up" given its stable monumentality in metaphoric terms, and it also doubles in meaning and plays an important role in this office space. Guest seemingly enters an animated ink painting scroll right from the reception area, as mountain ranges in varying shades appears right before their eyes on the walls, created with marble of subtle colour differences to resemble peaks and troughs. The rolling hill patterns are also introduced on the soft lush carpets in exquisite progression of hues and rhythms, which echoes both Hong Kong skyline and its reflection as golden outlines threaded across the screens and partitions. Such is also the Eastern touch of the overall design, from thoughtful positioning of bonsai to contemporary furniture revisiting age-old charms, which pay homage to the Oriental philosophy on life and time and sets a new sensation for the working environment.