The 550 m²
of office accommodation in Madrid
extends over half a story, that is two wings positioned at right angles to each
other on the first floor of a centrally located 19th century palace whose
building fabric and furnishings are partly protected by a preservation order.
For example, in the entrance area and adjacent large hall, the ceilings, floors
and wall paneling had to be preserved intact and coverings could not be removed
or altered. This is why the existing
room-in-room concept was extended and a "White Cube" was placed in
the room. This is a box, which touches neither the walls nor the ceilings. So you ascend the existing marble steps to
the entrance, proceed from there alongside a section of wall paneling with the
corporate logo illuminated from behind and arrive at the reception and then
onto the meeting room whose slanting entrance wall opens the room up
invitingly and allows an unobstructed
view of the reception.
Its positioning
and execution plays on the contrast between the existing historical
architecture and modern interior design. The eye is directed from the interior
of the partially glazed box both to the wall paneling under preservation order
and then through the large windows of the existing building onto the street
area as well as upwards to the paneled ceilings by means of an available
mirror. But at the same time, you are clearly in a room with state-of-the-art
furnishings and fixtures.
The
deliberately staged visual connections do not just relate to the contrast
between old and new however ─ they also play an important role in
facilitating a company overview and promoting internal communication.
Amongst the
prestigious rooms and smaller offices, there is a tranquil area free of
technical equipment, a sort of lounge, where not only clients or candidates but
also employees can withdraw and relax and which has a small adjacent kitchen
for the purpose of organizing refreshments.
Many
offices have multiple functions as the employees are often on business trips
and therefore do not need a permanently available workspace. For example, the
neutral wall closet in a meeting room which is essentially only furnished with
a large table, can be opened up if required and transformed into a fully
functional office.
As a result
of the building's layout, the rooms only receive daylight from one side. To counter this drawback, the architects created
optimal illumination tailored precisely to individual requirements by using a
combination of direct and indirect light sources in such a way that they
contribute actively to orientation in the building and also support the visual
connections directed by architectural devices.