Our approach to the design for the headquarters of 21 Cake, a popular Chinese gourmet cake franchise, can be described as oriented less towards static form but rather movement in correspondence with visual effect. With most of the office interior left in white, selected circulation areas were highlighted with colored glass. The design relies on the interaction of the three primary colors: red, yellow and blue. These glass panels of primary colors are ‘layered’ to create a full spectrum of changing colors, for example red and yellow combined to create orange, yellow and blue create green. As one walks through the spaces of the office, changing vantage points in combination with natural and artificial light and reflections produce dramatic effects. A double height central atrium topped with a skylight brings in light through the layers of color along the staircase and glass bridge on the second floor. During different times of the day the natural light filtered through the glass produce ever changing colors.
21 Cake required an extremely flexible open office space. The number of staff in the office changes constantly and most employees work on laptops. In additional they have large annual meetings that require large conference tables. We also developed conference tables and mobile work tables called Tetris Tables specifically for these needs. The Tetris Tables can slide easily together to create a long conference table. They lock together like a wood-joint requiring no additional locking mechanisms. Separately they can be used as mobile work stations and when not in use they can be stacked and stored away. Their unique shapes also engage users to think of creative ways of occupying the tables.
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