Corum, Dublin
A minimalist office design is paired with the warmth and elegance of a domestic interior appropriate to the historic nature of the building. The new space comprises of a visitor lounge and meeting suite which leads to an open plan studio with 30 workstations. This is served by meeting facilities, quiet booths, a print area, a large staff breakout area and new toilets and shower facilities.
The aesthetic has a warm, domestic feel with soft neutral colour tones to walls and a pale timber floor in Douglas fir. Dark coloured rugs add comfort and contrast with the pale timbers. Painted timber panelling with concealed doors clad the interior walls of the space adding subtle texture while creating a minimal feel.
One could argue that the prior building intervention which positioned the floor slab just below the window cill has a negative effect on the building proportions and the perceived height.
We thus removed the ceiling throughout to open up the space with dramatic light fixtures adding punch and challenging the traditional office aesthetic. Crittal effect glazing in a specialist bronze finish elegantly encloses the ancillary spaces. Fittings and controls throughout the space are finished in a smoked bronze finish to suite in with the glazing finish. The clean central space of the studio is met with the warmth of these ancillary spaces through selection of rich wall and floor finishes and upholstery fabrics.
There is a considered use of colours in the design. Pale, neutral tones are used as a base to give lightness and freshness to the space. These contrast with the earthy tones of bronze , less severe than black. Green tones and tweed fabrics are a subtle nod to the new Irish home of this fire. These are married with blue tones reflecting the brand colour.