Silver Interior Space and Exhibition Design · 2024
Cathay Ins Office
by Ian Chen
- A' Design Award 2024 Silver Winner in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Awarded April 15, 2024
- CLIENT: Mode On+hhaa+ud
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 26,435
- Verification code 2599039954 · Verify this award
About Cathay Ins Office
Cathay Ins is an office interior designed as the digital technology development center of an insurance company. The 998 square meter space combines classic industrial elements, such as metal pieces, track lights and air ducts, with a neat and modern style. A serene ocean blue canopy marks the central multifunctional area, while the original structure and the exposed pipes remain visible. Saturated sofas and earthy colored chairs add warmth to the cool frame. Movable partitions and sliding doors allow the layout to be changed.
Cathay Ins Office by Ian Chen represents a thoughtful contribution to contemporary workplace design that negotiates the evolving demands of professional environments with sensitivity to both functional requirements and human experiential needs. The design appears to engage with post-pandemic workplace philosophies that prioritize flexibility, collaboration, and employee wellbeing while maintaining the practical infrastructure necessary for focused work activities. The spatial organization suggests an activity-based working model wherein occupants may select from a variety of settings suited to their immediate tasks, from the intimate conversational clusters formed by the yellow modular seating to the more formal conference facilities visible through transparent partitions. The decision to expose and celebrate the ceiling infrastructure while treating it with the distinctive blue finish demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of industrial aesthetic traditions while subverting expectations through chromatic intervention, transforming what might appear utilitarian into a deliberate design statement. The furniture selection reflects contemporary hospitality influences increasingly evident in commercial interiors, with residential-scaled sofas and accent pieces creating a welcoming atmosphere that departs from conventional office aesthetics. The chromatic strategy deserves particular attention for its restraint in the architectural envelope paired with strategic saturation in moveable furnishing elements, allowing for future reconfiguration without compromising the overall color harmony. The interplay between transparency and enclosure, facilitated by the extensive glass partitions, supports both visual connectivity and acoustic separation appropriate for varied work modes. How might such environments shape emerging patterns of professional collaboration and individual productivity in years to come?
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- As the digital technology development center of the insurance company, it combines the classic elements of industrial style, such as metal pieces, track lights and air ducts, and creates diverse looks with a neat and modern style as the main theme. Highly saturated sofas in complementary colors along with earthy-colored chairs inject a sense of warmth into the cold frame and balance the overly rigid and cold tones.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 998 square meters
- Tags
- Interior Design, Office Design, Industrial style, Ocean blue, Stage effect
- Production Technology
- Stone, wood fiber board, stainless steel board, movable partition, system board, black iron, tempered glass, wallpaper, cement paint, square carpet
- Design Challenge
- The square carpet encloses the central communication area. Sliding doors offer the flexibility to change between an open concept layout or sectioned-off spaces. When open, sliding doors can completely open up the room to accommodate more people. On the contrary, the space can serve as a small meeting room when sliding doors are closed. Behind the entrance screen, a high bar table creates a change in the height of the horizontal axis, adding rhythmic layers to the neat view.
- Project Duration
- The project is finished in June 2022 in Taipei City, Taiwan.
- Operation Flow
- In the transparent layout, an open sofa area is in the center of the traffic flow, which cleverly separates two sides of the office area and creates an invisible boundary between spaces. In front of the sofa area is a bar area, while a projection area locates behind it. By introducing the concept of "stage effect", the seemingly fragmented areas can be integrated by the projection screen. The sofa area not only is an area for team members to share their ideas, but also serves as the core for employees to have lunch and chat with each, which naturally strengthens the bond among them. With sharing as the design concept, the seating area serves a variety of functions. Without fixed partitions on the long tables, the number of seats is increased. Moreover, it allows employees to choose their seat according to their preferences and needs. With movable partitions in the middle, it provides the right amount of privacy.
- Research
- As a screen at the entrance, sandblasted glass adds privacy and allows light to enter without casting shadows. On both sides, dual traffic flows offer ample space for walking. The ceiling follows the angle of the screen, and the symmetrical curvature of the arc extends the visual line, releasing a generous and unobstructed depth of view.
- Inspiration
- To overturn the stereotype of a stressful and stiff office, the central multi-functional area features a serene ocean blue canopy, while keeping the original structure and the unconcealed pipes. The unadorned rusticity contrasts strongly with the vertical clean-cut lines, creating tensions and layers in the compact environment.
- Image Credits
- MODE ON+HHAA+UD
Colors of Cathay Ins Office
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