Inside Global Venture Capital’s New London Office

Michal
Finance
7 months ago

Global venture capital firm hired workplace design studio Oktra to design their new office in in London, England.

“The project’s central objective was to craft a best-in-class working environment that seamlessly embodied our client’s brand, business identity, and culture. We developed a hospitality-led design that would welcome and engage clients, while projecting innovation and a level of quality without feeling opulent.

The new space provides a warm, fluid and mature environment for interacting with clients, leaving a lasting impression of quality and professionalism. An illuminated fluted column provides a striking centrepiece upon entering the workspace, before the user journey continues to an elegant teapoint crafted from premium materials for day and evening client entertaining. Adjacent to the teapoint is a flexible boardroom with folding doors which open to increase the size of the social space, seamlessly transitioning from a formal meeting space to a sophisticated area for client events, entertainment, and conferencing.

With the building’s proximity to St. Paul’s Cathedral, we drew inspiration from the local architecture to inform the design concepts and material palette and design language, adding a timeless aesthetic to the space. Biophilia, acoustic materials, and bespoke lighting solution enhance the sense of light and minimise glare, while contributing to employee wellbeing.

The office features full integrated AV and IT systems, and each meeting room and the boardroom is equipped with state-of-the-art conferencing facilities, ensuring a premium level, resolved and fully integrated technologically enabled environment. The incorporation of moving digital artwork adds a dynamic element and reflects the innovative spirit and culture of the firm’s brand.

The double-height, fully glazed ground floor presented both opportunities and challenges—creating a need for confidentiality without compromising the bright, open design. Our solution involved a holistic approach, strategically positioning planting that has the dual purpose of bringing wellness to the space while protecting privacy. Manifestations and effective space planning were employed to safeguard key spaces, including meeting rooms and the teapoint, ensuring a balance between privacy and openness. Vertical screens were thoughtfully designed to harmonise with the material qualities in the lobby, creating a seamless user experience from the entrance through to the workspace. Additionally, the open plan area features adaptable privacy booths, providing a flexible and private workspace solution within the dynamic office layout.

This new workplace provides the global investors with a sense identity and independence, blending sophistication with functionality and capturing the essence of their brand in a dynamic, client-centric space.”