promotiva

1996 helsinki

The workspace and circulation areas of the communications company, Promotiva required an upgrade. The existing space, housed in a 19th century building in Helsinki consisted of offices arranged around two 50m long circulation corridors and an exposed network of cables and pipes in the ceiling. The new design works with the existing building juxtaposing modern technolgy with the old architecture. Clear and frosted glass screens are used as spatial divisions: the office doorways are designed to change the levels of illumination of the corridor depending on whether a door is open or shut: this means it is possible to see if someone is in their office and available from the end of the corridor, this reduces excessive circulation. Textile panels have been added to the ceiling to conceal the messy network of pipes and cables and to promote a calmer atmosphere.