Year of completion: 2014

Area: 8 600 m2

 

International professional services giant EY had an ambitious vision: its new offices at Töölönlahti Bay, Helsinki would embody the idea of a ‘Workplace of the Future’, as set out by its ‘Building a Better Working World’ policy. Gullstén-Inkinen Design & Architecture answered the challenge by envisioning the new space as a modern activity-based office occupying a smaller area but using that area more efficiently and communally than before.

 

Visual inspiration for the design came from the Töölönlahti Bay natural environment. The new activity-based office has open areas that encourage cross-sector collaboration and chance encounters as well as workspaces that allow full concentration. The ground floor lobby was designed as a vast, garden-like space, while each of the further three floors is divided into three different zones supporting different modes of working. Employees can now choose where to work on any given task.

 

At the heart of each floor is a collaborative work zone outlined by a large sofa set. Around the collaborative zone, employees can find a variety of flexible workstations fit for individual and team work. Further toward the edges of each floor are various
support spaces for when absolute quiet and concentration are needed.