Feb
Once occupied by the Lipton Tea factory, the Tea Building was originally a block of early twentieth century warehouses that was revamped under plans drawn up by AHMM for developer Derwent London. The interior has been sympathetically refurbished, keeping many of the original features, to create a number of high-quality open spaces allowing companies to stamp their own distinctive mark on each unit.
Last year I photographed the new office space for the financial technology company, Wise. Fit-out specialist Tetris designed and built the London headquarters as a destination workplace that would attract and retain talent. The 49,000 sq ft of space covers three floors and has been designed to enable connections and communication between employees. There are traditional meeting rooms, “reflection spaces” and technology enhanced collaborative areas.
In my photography brief I was asked to capture how the design respected the original building and features whilst embracing the requirements of a creative financial technology company. The photography was to show how the headquarters has been designed as a flexible working environment with creative workspaces, a lecture theatre, a garden and terrace, and a variety of break out areas.
Great interior design understands the end user’s requirements, respects the interior space, and produces an environment which is reflective of the brand. The Wise Headquarters at the Tea Building brews up it’s unique creative workspace with a blend of humour (with some of the signage), wellness (in the biophilia) and comfort (in the various options for seating from hammocks to hanging chairs) … oh and it is also a dog friendly office.
