20 December 2022
The office spaces are there to serve people’s needs. The quality of an environment has an impact on the human body and mind, and the atmosphere of a space also affects people’s productivity, vitality and creativity. This requires designers to take into account the human psychological perception of space and the specific impact of such space on people.
Based on a human-oriented concept, Yi Chen & Muchen Zhang, designers of 2,400 m² Guanglian ICC Cloud Center, tried to create a free, open, dynamic and human experience with this business incubator service platform based on big data, Internet of Things+, artificial intelligence and cultural ideas, which is also an experimental base for cloud-based office technology and applications.
The core objective is to maximize the value of the space and provide emerging entrepreneurs in the high-tech industry with an efficient and vigorous working environment that inspires creative ideas, enhances creative thinking and allows people to relax and enjoy themselves, just like at home.
By optimizing the building space from an artistic view, the designers fully demonstrate their humanistic care for the corporate community, enabling the flexible transformation of modern office patterns and cross-platform synergy.
The ceiling is the visual focus of the whole space, and cloud is the theme for spatial experience, with parametric design to create a magnificent, smooth and vivid space. In this way, it creates a dynamic space that acts like a fluid body reminiscent of the respiration of living organisms and ever-changing forms of clouds. The respiration and changes of forms add vitality and dynamism to the space.
The breathing of “clouds” spreads from the open office area on the second floor to the coffee bar service area, forming a climax in the ceiling of the lobby. Three groups of “clouds” flow from 10 meters high, connecting and influencing the entire space in a disproportioned yet orderly way.
The overall palette is dominated by the natural colour of wood, which is contrasted by dark grey cold steel. The natural warmth of wood and the industrial touch of metal create a strong contrast and conflict. Wood serves as the skin and steel is the skeleton. The designers cleverly combine modernity with comfort to convey a more comprehensive psychological and emotional impact.
The first floor and the second floor are the shared service space of the office building. They consist of functional areas like display and interactive centre, multi-functional roadshow space, open office area, independent meeting rooms, business negotiation rooms, shared reading area, coffee bar and book bar. This kind of diversified shared social space boosts the vitality of the entire office area and the atmosphere for people to communicate with each other. It turns the space into a multifunction venue of communication that integrates function and humanity, creativity and technology, working and leisure, personalization and diversity, allowing the new-generation young business teams more possibilities to use the space.
Combining virtual and real forms, the designers create an emotional orientation that flows like the clouds, so that every user can experience the space through spiritual communication and dialogue. The multi-layered structure and relaxing working environment also make users feel safe and inspired. In addition to humanistic concern, it also unlocks people’s enthusiasm for work, enabling them to identify with their self-value, follow their real feelings and work happily.
Photo: Xiangyu Sun