Image Credit : Adam Woodward
Project Overview
A subtle and elegant suite of offices for airline giant Cathay Pacific in new airy and spacious premises, just east of Hammersmith Bridge.
The 4th floor, 9,295 sq ft space faces the Thames directly, with views over to the famous Harrods Furniture Depository building opposite.
The new workspace serves as Cathay Pacific’s UK headquarters and the company has additional, smaller operational offices in the UK at Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester Airports.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Gurvinder Khurana
Nigel Tresise
Stephenie Whitton
Project Brief
Cathay Pacific’s previous offices were also in the Hammersmith area, but, after fourteen years of occupancy, they no longer fitted the company’s needs. The old offices had a lack of spatial flow, following classic piecemeal company expansion and the overall ambience was rather dark and heavy, with furniture and fittings that had come to feel old-fashioned.
The opportunity to move represented therefore a great opportunity to serve as a catalyst for change in workplace culture, as well as offering the possibility to integrate the company’s brand design values and ethos from the outset.
Project Innovation/Need
One of the most important aspects of this culture change was the possibility of promoting a greater sense of togetherness and communality, helping to move the workforce on from separated departments and rather formal meeting rooms to a connected and flowing series of spaces in the new workspace, comprised of open-plan offices, a retained smaller number of private offices for key discretionary areas such as finance and HR, as well as breakout spaces and meeting rooms with varying degrees of formality and informality.
The Cathay Pacific company design ethos is ‘softly spoken, strongly felt’, pointing towards a language of tasteful, warm and considered sensory experiences, delivered with respectful grace and heartfelt hospitality. For align, it was an important part of the design concept stage to refer to the company’s brand values and translate them into 3D form.
Design Challenge
Fittingly for this client, the creation of this design scheme really was a journey. The design team kicked off the project with a lot of workshops and conversations, with the client’s HR team particularly driving the need for change. There were trade-offs along the way, with the reduction in the number of private offices offset by the meeting rooms, whilst align flew the flag for breakout spaces and more informal meeting rooms, all of which, happily, have proved extremely popular.
It was also vital to ensure that the colours and fabrics used embodied a quiet and dignified ethos, via a neutral palette that offered differentiation instead through tonality and materials. Align also had to ensure a good flow of energy. The new offices involved the advice of a Feng Shui expert, referencing the company’s Far Eastern cultural and business roots.
'Align's London HQ for Cathay Pacific succeeds in providing an elegant, modern space that brings together east and west...a first-class suite of offices that merge the company's corporate ideals and strict design ethos with the requirements of its London workforce' (OnOffice Magazine)
Sustainability
The extensively-used timber on the project is all FSC-certified.
All lighting on the project is either LED or low-voltage.
The existing carpet in the space was re-used.
All products by Buzzispace are either recycled or recyclable.
Interior Design - Corporate & Commercial
This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors, with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes, aesthetic presentation and functionality. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
More Details