Work & Co Offices – Copenhagen

A century-old building situated in the Danish capital’s historic city center is now home to Work & Co's offices, a space that marries modernity and history together in a relaxed corporate setting in Copenhagen.

Firm
  • Client Work & Co,
  • size 6,458 sqft
  • Year 2020
  • Location Copenhagen, Denmark,
  • Industry Design, Technology,
  • Aspekt Office designed Work & Co’s new location as a place where employees can feel at home and the local Danish ambiance shines in Copenhagen, Denmark.

    Modernizing historic spaces
    Global design and technology company Work & Co teamed up with Danish design studio Aspekt Office to open their new Copenhagen location. The new office space is housed in a century-old building situated in the Danish capital’s historic city center.

    Originally designed by the Danish Architect Arthur Wittmaack in 1916 as headquarters for the Danish Inner Mission, the ownership was later transferred to the municipality of Copenhagen. Now, Aspekt Office — a multidisciplinary design studio — has brought modernity to the classic building with the workspace design that puts a relaxed spin on corporate environments.

    Keeping it local
    Work & Co — which works with IKEA, Apple, Mercedes, Google and other brands, and is known for its award-winning spaces— always partners with local designers to ensure workspaces are a natural extension of their surroundings.

    As a result, their offices in Brooklyn, Portland, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belgrade all reflect the city and country in which they are located, embracing the design characteristics of their specific location. When the company was to expand with a presence in Copenhagen, in Bernstorffsgade, the Aspekt Office was tasked to incorporate the Scandinavian aesthetics and expressions.

    Aspekt Office has infused the historical urban architecture with an almost brutalist grid-modernism, using a net-work of lines to visually frame the interior. Softened by the choice of materials, which brings in warmth and tactility, Aspekt Office’s take on the Scandinavian feel comes together as a rejuvenating blend of clean and comfortable. Employees can immerse themselves in lounges, hold meetings in transparent and open meeting rooms and work collaboratively in large and airy spaces. Features include a unique oval meeting space, a library to take a break and get inspired, a kitchen for communal gatherings, and phone booths for soundproof calls and ultimate focus.

    Achieving the Scandinavian feel
    Entering the office space, employees and clients are greeted by a bright and welcoming atmosphere where natural light pours in from outside, bathing the interior in a serene warmth.

    Materials and furniture
    A material palette that highlights oak wood, soothing neutrals and soft textiles produces a distinctly calm and understated ambience throughout the premises. Transparent walls and an overall airy spatial design promote an open environment and sense of community, supporting Work & Co’s work core values around working collaboratively. At the same time, in the current environment, the spaciousness allows for social distancing when needed.

    Form and function have been important factors in the choice of furniture. With a preference for primary geometries, the furniture is simple for the eyes to comprehend, which contributes to the simplicity and calmness of the space. The mix of international and Scandinavian brands puts emphasis on Work & Co’s global outlook while nod-ding to this new location.

    Reform kitchen preview
    All fixed inventory is designed by Aspekt Office and includes a wall-to-wall bookcase with a built-in alcove in oak veneer, a soundproof phone booth offering privacy and room for contemplation, and a six meters long cus-tom-made table that acts as center for communal gatherings in the office’s kitchen.

    The project also features the very first Reform x Aspekt Office kitchen ever produced. The new kitchen designed by Aspekt Office for the Danish kitchen manufacturer Reform – known for their modern kitchen solutions and collab-orations with internationally acclaimed designers such as Muller Van Severen and Cecilie Manz – is set to launch later this year.

    Design: Aspekt Office
    Photography: Rasmus Dengsø