AKQA Clerkenwell

Behind The Design

Amos and Amos have referenced London’s historic docks and warehouses for the interiors of new London offices designed for global ideas and innovation agency AKQA. Amos and Amos rose to the challenge of working with a client with exceptionally high standards and a willingness to take risks in order to achieve something original. The result is a richly layered and textured space where almost everything has been custom made – a unique working environment for AKQA in the world of often standardised office design.

 

Amos and Amos were commissioned by AKQA to refurbish the company’s second floor workspace on St John’s Lane, Clerkenwell. The brief was to create a space that is distinctive and exciting, while at the same time sophisticated and true to AKQA’s ethos. Noting that each of AKQA’s offices around the world is clearly linked to its location, Amos and Amos were determined that their design should be rooted in London – the city considered to be the home of AKQA – and offer longevity and adaptability alongside a clear sense of identity and place. The project takes its cues from historic docks and warehouses, and uses a rich palette of rough, gritty and utilitarian materials.

 

The offices accommodate a variety of purposes – from regular 9-5 working to late night projects or hosting clients. The space houses 176 members of staff in addition to conference rooms, private offices, project rooms, communal working areas, breakout spaces, kitchens and print rooms. Faced with this brief, Amos and Amos rejected a traditional office layout: their experience as a multidisciplinary agency allowed them to apply their luxury residential, retail and commercial design experience to produce an amalgamation of flexible, beautiful spaces with a large creative hub at the core. The resulting space encourages communication between and within teams, and recognises that creativity and dialogue flourish in informal as well as more formal spaces.

 

The 1500 sq.m floorplate comprises two wings arranged on either side of a steel column arcade. The arcade comprises 26 steel I beams with Georgian wired glass overhead, evoking a powerful industrial factory aesthetic. At the centre of the arcade sits the main feature of the space – a slatted hub comprised of seven rows of railway sleepers, stacked and separated by an intricate system of steel cotton reels. The timber ceilinged hub offers an environment that is at once intimate and transparent, with eight seating booths for up to six people and a concealed kitchen to the rear. On either side the arcade also contains four breakout spaces, a large communal table and high tables along the window elevation.

Design by:	Amos and Amos	> See all offices by this designer
Location:	London, UK	> See all offices in this country
Office Size:	15000 sq. ft.

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