2020 and 2021 have proven to be seminal years for CLOU: One year after launching a Shanghai branch near the Bund, CLOU’s Beijing office has now expanded into sparkling new premises. Within the familiar surroundings of Sanlitun SOHO, the space has doubled in size to occupy half a tower floorplate on the 17th floor, with a fully glazed facade offering sweeping views across Sanlitun and into the mountains of Northeastern Beijing.

Flexible workspaces for complementary forms of collaboration

Cool and clean lines define different zones of work, communication, research, and display, all connected by CLOU’s signature silver galvanized walls – a feature tying all spaces together since the office’s inception.

Black and white materials and furnishings contrast with warm wood and color accents, softly mirrored in the reflection of the steel. 

Hot-dip galvanized steel sheet (SGCC) is widely used in industrial engineering, but mainly revolves around household appliances.

To date, galvanized steel panels have provided all CLOU offices with flexibility and multi-use surfaces. The material’s sharp and cool appearance, its non-directional surface pattern, and its magnetic properties render the surfaces of the functional wall and furniture cladding a versatile canvas for all displayed representations of our design processes. From the main entrance through to the design floor and the communal areas, the softly distorting reflections emphasize industrious brightness in a connective gesture.

Brand identity

Entering the galvanized steel-covered entrance, the right side appears as an open office area, and the left side contains a model workshop. The two zones are connected by a stepped display area, the reception area, and a public corridor. 

The CLOU logo, as part of the brand identity, is presented on the walls of the three areas in a variety of materials and sizes. The black and silver graphic logo showcases the firm’s bold and creative image.

On-site trying and testing

Brightly lit, open office zones are complemented by a variety of meeting rooms for in-person and virtual encounters. Each space infuses its own characteristics – the boardroom with its glass enclosure around bright blue flooring and warm orange-red fabric, a more intimate conference space with warm wood furniture on speckled green terrazzo, and a cave-like, all-wood retreat for quiet work and conversation.  

Terrazzo is the characteristic element providing rhythm and dynamics to the multidimensional expanse of our most common projects: convivial neighborhood malls that bring communities together.

CLOU’s new Beijing office references this material, transferring it from the bright floors of our retail spaces to introduce it as a means of territorial definition: open office areas are laid out to zone common and shared spaces in gleaming brightness, while meeting spaces encapsulate in subtle accent colors. Boldly striped contrast patterns create spatial dynamics in the lively community and circulation axis.

A proper workshop occupies a large area of the office: in a zone for model-making, design tests, and material research, the wood-clad environment integrates workbenches and 3D machinery with library storage and archive rooms.

Flexible furnishings allow for quick conversion into a photo studio or a mini auditorium for inter-office presentations.

Stepped display areas connect workplace and workshop along a communal meeting zone: where steel and wood intersect, models of projects past, present, and future showcase progress, and variety, while benchmarking possibility and quality.

CLOU

Banye Lin

The post Architecture Office Redesign in Beijing was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

A neglected exhibition hall in Luxembourg, originally built as a warehouse, has been transformed to create a light-filled, collaborative office space.

The architects renovated the former warehouse in Steinsel to create the new headquarters of DSL, a company specialised in IT solutions. The main emphasis of the project was to bring in more natural daylight, creating an efficient, clean and bright office space where people and communication take center stage.

The concept aimed to adapt the warehouse whilst preserving a flavour of certain key characteristics of the original building.

As you enter the space you are welcomed by a bright, double-height reception area. Light filters through from the large bay windows and from the skylights set into the steel roof. The overhaul included entirely gutting and renovating the feature skylights.

Inside, a central statement staircase made from oak doubles as a common area. This creates a mix of semi-private, informal work and social areas maintaining an open-plan layout.

Metaform architects chose a simple material palette including pure white walls, grey steel beams but also oak floor paneling and detailing in contrast with the original characteristics of the warehouse.

To finish the space, offices and meeting rooms are decorated with some large plants to help create a calming work environment. Through the introduction of light, the architects sought to foster a positive and welcoming working environment. The choice of furniture also inspires a “homely” atmosphere.

The building contains 1.950 square meters of office space, which includes a reception area, a staff kitchen, meeting rooms, open-plan offices, exhibition n space, an outdoor terrace area and ample storage space.

Metaform architects

The post Office Building in Luxembourg was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

For a private investor, Firm converted a 215 square meter part of this 120-year-old Warehouse on one of the busiest harbors in the Port of Rotterdam. The poorly lit space combined with a north-facing facade with just a few windows meant the owner needed to be visionary, to perceive a bright and well usable office space. It is this capacity, combined with the architectural aspirations and the open mind of the investor, a strong collaboration with the architects was established and a thoughtful design was produced.

The architects started their architectural task by researching the maximum number and size of possible new openings in the façade, all in close contact with the Monuments’ Committee of the Municipality. After securing the right to open-up the old window openings in the facade and add new windows and doors, the possibility to create a well-lit space was conceived. To further enhance this, Firm architects decided to disconnect the new interior from the old walls. This appearance of the design is somewhat subtracted from the original shell, the old brick walls has a dual purpose; it creates architectural contrast and it ensures the minimal north-facing daylight to flow in across both levels as the architects bridged the half meter between the interior and the outer wall with a glass floor over the full width of the facade. Furthermore, they added mirrors on the walls on both levels to enhance this effect.

In the interior, the design principle of subtracting the new from the old creates an enriched dialogue between the original building and its novice function. This is strengthened by technical material usage in the new interior such as aluminum wall paneling and a stainless steel kitchen. The wood paneling forms a volume embracing the large central void and ensuring a perfect acoustic for an office.

Firm Architects

Studio de Nooyer

The post Converted Warehouse was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.