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LONDON

HEADQUARTERS OF AN

INSURANCE MARKET
LONDON

BY WEIJIE LIU & MICHAEL KOLLER

In our vision of the office building of the future, covering its area itself becomes a fitness and relaxation zone. An analysis of the movement patterns in a big company has shown that a major proportion of working time is devoted to movement within the building. We have taken this observation as the starting point for our concept. A park winds through the entire building. During the day it serves as an area to move through, providing space for meetings and discussions with customers, inviting staff to take a creative walk in the park, and ensuring fresh air. In order to finance the additional cost the park is opened up for the public to stroll through after close of business for the day. In this way the operators of the various service facilities in the office building can double their use: the canteen turns into a restaurant, the cafeteria becomes a bar, the conference room is transformed into a cinema etc.

The route through the building – previously dull corridors – becomes a relaxing experience, everyday office routine is broken up as if with cinematic sequences, a PLACE 2.5 as “promenade naturelle”.