Gone are the days where we are contented to work in a bare, utilitarian box of cubicles devoid of charm and personality. Modern office design should inject joy into the everyday, and lead everyone who works there to feel comfortable, inspired and valued. Modern office design trends are key to keeping workspaces feeling cutting edge, but more important than any contemporary trend is that your workspace corroborates with your brand message - or what you do.
If you’re thinking of shaking things up a bit, it can be helpful to have some serious inspiration. Thankfully, the capital has an abundance of incredible offices - many of which are actually mind-blowing. From awe-inspiring views and outside-in design and even office slides, yes you heard it right. In order to help you get the inspiration you need we’ve picked out some of London’s best offices.
These are our eight best office designs in London - because they tell the story of the brand, work hard for their employees, and feel fresh and exciting.
Deliveroo’s offices in the UK capital are exactly reflective of the branding Deliveroo is trying to deliver. Young, diverse, and exciting, with food at their heart, the offices (nestled in the heart of the City of London, alongside the banking and financial industries) include an on-site gym, 27 meeting rooms named after foods (“let’s meet at 2pm in Taco, then”), amazing views across the Thames and London skyline and even a centre court (no slam-dunking though - it’s for big meetings only).
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This giant of the beauty industry delivers luxury and glamour in its branding - and their office in Central London, called One Fitzroy, does exactly this too. Elegant and timeless, the headquarters looks like a 5* hotel, with high atrium spaces, clean lines of glass, marble and metal, and polish and finesse throughout.
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Over at Paddington, big data company Splunk’s head offices truly bring the outside in, emulating the streets of the capital - most notably, the adjacent railway station. Fake railway arches, plentiful graffiti, bricks and ironwork are the backdrop for a Pullman wagon (perfect for meetings) and a more future-looking transport method - the tardis! Disruptive and future-focused, Splunk’s brand ethos is mimicked in the honesty of the office’s design, with fun, innovation, functionality and honesty at the heart of both the brand and the space.
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This entertainment company, creators of such kid faves as Moshi Monsters, has family front and centre, so it’s unsurprising that its office interior design is vibrant and fun. They look to fire the imagination of their customer - but they have to do that in the everyday to inspire their employees to create wonderful worlds, and the office design themes follow this.
Although a slide has become almost tiresomely mandatory for any company wanting to flaunt its hipster credentials, it actually has a space here, in a firm whose primary concern is fun and imagination. The bright green floor emulates the grass floor of a cartoon world where employees can indulge in table tennis, and brightly coloured furniture and imagery from their various success stories cover the office creating a likeable and comfortable workspace, which also leaves room for inspiration and some childlike playfulness.
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Stewards to many musical events, Ticketmaster opened their London offices in 2013, with the aim to encourage socialising and boost creativity. Many open, communal areas allow employees to work, rest and play - boosting their productivity and allowing for downtime, to get the best out of everybody.
The Hub, an open-plan eating, dining and socialising space, encourages work relationships, so that colleagues become friends, and breaks down hierarchical job titles. Shelves full of reading material and board games offer a breather from work, and staff are encouraged to attend live sports and festive movie showings on the large projector screen. The Sanctuary encourages peace and self-indulgence if you’re feeling under-the-weather, whilst a timetable of sports classes allows staff to look after themselves outside and inside.
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Mitie is a managed services and consultancy business. Whilst not a name readily available for many of us, their offices are fabulous. Located on the 12th floor of Renzo Piano’s iconic The Shard building in central London (they occupy the whole floor), the sense of luxury and exclusivity radiates from the space itself.
Whilst tourists pay £30 for a ride to the top, Mitie’s 12th floor office affords an amazing skyline to its staff on a daily basis. The ‘connected workspace’ ideal Mitie subscribes to leads to a beautiful, modern office space combining collaborative areas with more personal and quiet spaces, affording employees whatever working environment suits them.
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AirBnB’s offices in London represent the business they house - a massive company which represents millions of individual, personal and unique spaces. This converted warehouse in Clerkenwell emphasises the building’s industrial roots, whilst referencing their London location with a red telephone box and Union Jack fridge. Best Company to Work For in the world in 2015 and 2016, the space is divided into a ‘community of varied workspaces’ structured around the idea of a village, which adheres to the company’s logo - Belong Anywhere.
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This online print company moved into their Farringdon headquarters in 2016. Great design is obviously key for a design company, so the design had to balance the line between trendy and timeless. Bright, colour-coded offices fit this brief in the massive 33,000 square foot office space. Each meeting room looks and feels different, responding to the creative input from the company’s designers. A 200 foot long corridor is the spine of the space, made of more than 500 rectangular paper panels - reminding employees and visitors alike that paper is at the heart of the company.
Image sourceIf you have taken inspiration from any of these London office designs and would like to speak to us about redesigning or refitting your office, please get in touch on enquiries@saraceninteriors.com
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