Shui On Land Headquarters – Shanghai
The Shui On Land Shanghai headquarters connects their employees lives with the greater community, a design that respects cultural heritage in a social renaissance effort for the development group.
Robarts Spaces was recently tasked with the design of the Shui On Land offices, a land development company, located in Shanghai, China.
Vincent Lo ( 罗康瑞), Founder and Chairman of Shui On Group was inspired by Richard Bach’s book “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”. As the book’s protagonist, Jonathan is a brave, persistent seagull who strives to excel and pursue the truth and beauty despite hardship representing the same spirit of Shui On.
Robarts Spaces’ team took much inspiration from the book and the interaction with the Shui On staff during the research phase, believing that Shui On symbolically is also like a lighthouse for seagulls on the coast, lighting and leading the way of the real estate industry. The “lighthouse” concept was adopted as the main design element, it becomes the landmark and center of the whole space, which not only connects the moving lines of the inner three floors, but also serves as the visual focus of each visitor.
The abstract “wing” shape of the public area on the 26th floor extends along the wall all the way to the ceiling, and the progression of layers extends to the entire reception area. Together with the 7-meter-high “lighthouse” shape, it impresses the visitors a striking visual impact.
The “Wing” corridor leads visitors to the Townhall for social interaction and co- working. The leisure sofa, long table, booth, step chair and “co-creation platform” on the steps provide a variety of work and communication options for this area. It can also be changed into a venue for speeches and meetings through the flexible furniture layout.
The Work Cafe on the 25th floor down the curved staircase of the lighthouse and the “Foodie Social” area on the 23rd floor are places full of youth and vitality. In addition to the functions of casual dining, resting and social contact, it is also hoped to break the boundary between the traditional office areas and social areas and make the shared space on these two floors a place for people to communicate, collaborate, and participate in learning and mobile work. In addition to providing flexible use of diversified furniture and furnishings, facilities such as fresh and natural green plants, a multi-function hall that can be converted into yoga studio, shower room, mother-baby room and sleep room not only creates a balanced work and life experience, but also reflects the people-oriented care concept of Shui On new office.
The layout of the office area breaks the traditional concept of hierarchy and eliminates the independent office. Each employee enjoys open office space and natural light. At the same time, the inner area is also equipped with different forms of semi-open and fully open areas for brainstorming, meetings and soundproof telephone meetings, so that individuals and teams with different needs can easily find their own space.
A core concept of this workspace is Activity Based Working (ABW). Robarts Spaces has created various workspace settings that can be assembled to meet the different demands and scenarios, for example, there are more than four different working settings and ten different meeting settings, each with appropriate furniture, encouraging everyone to be open, innovative, and collaborative. The purpose-built IT system solves the challenges a traditional office usually faces, so as to maximize staff’s efficiency.
This open, innovative, health-oriented and intelligent office not only gives staff a sense of belonging, but also reveals the Shui On core value that is to excel with a spirit of kindness, honesty and humility.
Design: Robarts Spaces
Photography: Wang Yi
