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project report – ogilvy and mather


Some for small groups or round-table sessions, others for more informal working like steps, booths, high-quality coffee areas on every floor and breakout areas. Some spaces would be for collaboration, others for more intensive solitary work, and there would be bookable and presentation spaces. These spaces, combined with the restaurant, bar, 100-seat


canteen, grab-and-go facility and coffee shop – all functioning as informal work spaces outside lunchtimes – took 45 per cent of the space. Free moving circulation areas claimed 20 per cent and ultimately, only 38 per cent was allocated desk space. “We knew this would be a massive cultural change, even


© Gareth Gardner


for Ogilvy and Mather, but being a creative organisation, they embraced it,” says Macgadie.


Three distinct elements


Owner Archlane had earlier begun modernising and upgrading Sea Containers House to Category A fit-out standard. However, once BDG Matheson Whiteley got the green light, it asked Archlane to halt this activity and deliver the building as 50 per cent shell and core so it could progress its own architecture and designs without having to rip out already completed work. The refurbishment involves part of the ground floor and all


© Gareth Gardner


the remaining floors bar three, four and five. Three of BDG Matheson Whitley’s redesigned floors are used by global media agency MEC and the remainder of the building is occupied by luxury boutique hotel the Mondrian London. Architecturally, the project consists of three distinct


elements. A two storey-high ‘base’ (at levels one and two) that is opened out across a large floor plate. Both floors feature central, shared space with company work areas to the sides plus extra-height glazing offering excellent river views. The second element, from level six upwards, is a stack of six


floors. “From a horizontally organised building we’ve created an environment that’s effectively three vertically connected blocks,” says Macgadie. “The central tower consists of very open, ‘non-branded’


shared spaces that connect with the various company ‘neighbourhoods’ located in the east and west towers. This makes it easy for people to see and interact with each other.” The building’s two top floors form the third element,


containing the shared staff, hospitality and major catering facilities, amphitheatre and roof terrace – all offering superb city vistas through large windows. While ventilation and heating systems are mostly


mechanical, with much of the plant hidden under the roof terrace, the sophisticated building management system installed by engineers Arup, use of insulation and low-e glazing have earned Sea Containers House BREEAM Excellent status.


Public space © Gareth Gardner


BUILDING PROJECTS


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Matheson Whiteley Director Donald Matheson feels the partnership has been pretty successful in projecting Sea Containers House as a large public space.


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