AMS Offices – Montevideo
Contract Workplaces revitalized the AMS offices in Montevideo, transforming a fragmented historic bank into a modern, collaborative workspace that reflects both the company’s identity and the spirit of its port-city heritage.
AMS is a Uruguayan logistics and foreign trade company with over 70 years in the local market. Its headquarters are in a heritage building in Montevideo’s historic center, built in 1926 and subject to multiple interventions. Originally a bank, it was gradually occupied without a defined strategy, resulting in a fragmented layout—dark corners, excessive partitions, and divisions that no longer suited the company’s operations.
To align its workspace with its current profile, AMS commissioned Contract Workplaces to transform the building into a collaborative, dynamic, and modern environment for its young, connected team.
The design concept drew inspiration from Montevideo as a port city, symbolizing AMS’s link to port activity. The new open-plan layout placed a collaborative hub at the center, promoting interaction, proximity between departments, and a stronger sense of belonging.
On the ground floor, a “café work” was created—a versatile area with meeting zones, an auditorium, and rentable rooms. A collaborative space encourages spontaneous gatherings, while common areas feature a mural by a local artist along the main staircase, adding identity and dynamism.
One challenge was acoustics, addressed with felt panels for sound absorption. To counter limited natural light, indoor plants were carefully chosen and placed according to conditions.
Art plays a key role: the staircase atrium showcases a mobile sculpture by Gustavo Genta, reinforcing the space’s identity.
Materials such as wood, stone, and earthy tones create warmth, while signage and murals adopt an industrial language aligned with the port theme. Lighting details reference buoys, ropes, and cranes, echoing port infrastructure. The color palette combines blues and greens with wood tones. Graphic elements include chalkboards reminiscent of ship windows and flowing line motifs.
Each floor’s core features green plazas with multifunctional furniture for informal meetings, relaxation, and recreation.
The result is a workspace that reflects AMS’s identity while promoting collaboration, creativity, and well-being. The project reaffirms the heritage value of the building, balancing history, modernity, and functionality.
Design: Contract Workplaces
Photography: Santiago Chaer
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