Nikken Sekkei Shanghai Office
OFFICE SCAPE – The Office as "Landscape"

A Creative Testing Ground
In an age where working-from-home option is familiar, what kind of office still compels people to gather and work together? Understanding how office spaces impact design creativity is essential for architecture firms. Nikken Sekkei Shanghai’s new office has revisited its origins as a design studio, addressing this question by introducing experimental spaces and installations designed to foster creative interaction. This ongoing experiment has no conclusion—everything is just getting started.

Design Philosophy
What Does “Landscape” Mean?
In the spatial concept of Japanese gardens, people discover themselves while walking and enjoying the scenery. The concept of “landscape” for this office invites those who work here to become part of the scenery, creating a dynamic relationship between observing and being observed. The actions of people working in this space and the processes of design discussions form a beautiful “landscape” in their own right. The office comprises three elements: the “Internal Garden” and “Rear Garden” within the interior, the “External Garden” as an outdoor space, and the “Engawa” pathway connecting these areas.

The “Internal Garden” – A Spacious, Shared Environment
The “big family” layout ensures everyone shares the same space, breaking barriers between departments and encouraging non-hierarchical, collaborative relationships. This open, one-room environment includes various spatial features designed to spark communication between individuals as well as between people and objects. Communicating scenes are layered and overlapping. Inspiration is sparked from face-to-face interactions. The Internal Garden is creating an office “landscape” unique to Nikken Sekkei Shanghai.

The “Rear Garden” – A Design Arena
The “Rear Garden” uses height variations to create a sense of spatial enclosure, instilling a subtle centripetal force that draws focus. This design encourages “participants” and “observers” alike to concentrate fully on the meetings, presentations, and activities held within this “arena.”

The “Engawa” – Movement as Communication
The corridor spanning the offices is designed to foster communication through movement. It is formed by a “Red Wall” and various installations, extending approximately 40 meters. Zaozi, a traditional Chinese shade of jujube purple, inspires the wall color.

The “External Garden” – An Outdoor Workspace
Challenging the conventional idea that offices are confined to indoor spaces, the “External Garden” re-designed the outdoor terrace of the commercial office building. By transforming the building’s “fifth facade,” this innovative rooftop office space creates a fresh “landscape” unique to Nikken Sekkei Shanghai.

Design Themes
Designing Sightlines
Sightlines are crafted with transparency to connect the “Internal Garden,” “External Garden,” and “Engawa.” These continuous views encourage expanded awareness and create a dynamic relationship between the observers and the observed. At the intersections of these sightlines, spaces are naturally fostered to spark communication and promote organic interaction. The design process involved collaboration with Nikken Sekkei Shanghai’s AI LAB., leveraging AI simulations to develop the design.

Scale and Materiality
The office’s diverse installations and spaces nurture an understanding of scale in design while deepening sensitivity to the textures of various materials.
Within the “Internal Garden,” the “Azumaya” pavilion showcases the latest design materials and models. Within the semi-enclosed areas of the “Azumaya,” designers can engage directly with materials under the “Tsuna-ki” lattice timber structure and at a secret base in the attic, retreating from the open-plan workspace. This tactile interaction and closer observation inspire more profound thought and enrich the design process.

A Sense of Belonging
The entrance offers a multi-sensory introduction to Nikken Sekkei Shanghai. Combining a feature called “Delicious Architecture,” which showcases edible plants, the space is designed to engage the senses and foster interaction with bookshelves. This area was developed through a collaboration between Nikken Sekkei Shanghai, Jianwang, and Planet, with the guidance of Nikken Sekkei Future Lab.
Research indicates that in Chinese corporate culture, fixed workstations represent a sense of belonging and security in the workplace. To highlight this cultural characteristic, all workstations were designed as fixed seating. Each includes a display space to enhance this unique sense of belonging further.

Sustainable Design
Nikken Sekkei Shanghai actively pursues decarbonization initiatives in its design processes, aiming to address the construction industry's pressing challenge of achieving a carbon-neutral society. Efforts include recycling furniture from the previous office and reusing waste materials to foster greater environmental consciousness throughout the office. Additionally, ceiling fans have been installed to reduce energy consumption by minimizing reliance on air conditioning.

Facility Name: Nikken Sekkei Shanghai Office
Location: Xuhui District, Shanghai、China
Primary Use: Office, Landscape
Client: Nikken Sekkei (Shanghai) Consulting Services Co., Ltd.
Architect: Nikken Sekkei (Shanghai) Consulting Services Co., Ltd. (Basic Design, Design Supervision); NOMURA (BEIJING) Co.,Ltd (Construction Design)
Total Floor Area: 998 m² (internal), 402 m² (external)
Construction Period: February 2024 – June 2024
Construction Company: NOMURA (BEIJING) Co.,Ltd
Photo Credit: yangmin/mintwow, Nikken Sekkei
Project Team: Nikken Sekkei (Shanghai) Consulting Services Co., Ltd.: Takashi Abei, Zhe Wang, Riko Hasegawa, Zhiwen Liu