The office design of Makro Cash and Carry Polska is an example of design with care for the environment and the comfort of employees. High-quality materials were combined with unusual solutions to create a friendly workplace. In order to ensure the well-being of those working here, the architects focused on a well-thought-out functional layout, an attractive space arrangement and acoustic comfort. The latter was achieved with ceilings from Knauf Ceiling Solutions.
A team of architects from the Concept Space studio is responsible for the interior design of the office. The studio has considerable experience in designing large office interiors and is well versed in the solutions that will achieve the best effect. To add variety to the interiors, the architects opted for a varied aesthetic. Depending on their function, the rooms look different. This has been achieved through accurate design decisions and the right choice of materials. Even the ceilings overhead in the different rooms look different. In total, there are seven different ceiling designs throughout the office. All from the same manufacturer.
As part of the project for the new Makro Cash and Carry headquarters, we were able to present a wide range of our ceiling solutions, tailored to the specific requirements of this building. We used as many as seven different types of ceiling, which demonstrates our unique ability to tailor products to the needs of our customers,’ says Sebastian Staniewicz, Knauf Ceiling Solutions.
The office has six floors and around 8,200 sq m of space. The levels have been given different functions: the ground floor is the entrance area and the Macro Inspiration Academy. A training and conference area and a canteen have been arranged on the first floor. From the second to the fifth floor, there is office space for around 550 employees. The building itself is 105 m long and only 12 m wide. The functional arrangement of an edifice of these proportions was a considerable challenge.
Previously, the functional layout was based on one long communication route and rows of desks on either side. The assemblies were separated by meeting and conference rooms. From one end of the building you could see the other end.
We agreed that we wanted to break up such a monotonous layout. We solved this problem by moving the rooms separating the assemblies to the centre axis of the plan, in such a way that the communication route had to meander between them. The interesting effect of this is that it creates a series of spaces for the ensembles (as in an amphitheatre layout) instead of one large open-space layout, and greatly improves the acoustics within the ensemble,” explains Marek Ejsztet.
On each floor, it was possible to create an average of 10 meeting rooms for groups of three to eight people, to designate two kitchen areas each and to place telephone booths. The floors have been given their own individual colours to designate the communal working areas, and have different furniture and decorations. The graphics that appeared on the surface were developed together with the Marketing team of Makro Cash and Carry Polska.
The architects admit that the open ceiling was quite a challenge.
In addition to standard desk panels, we designed lighting above the desks integrated with acoustic panels. In addition, we used a rather innovative solution – soundproofing the façade – all the solid walls of the façade were lined with an acoustic material which muffles reverberation,” adds the Concept Space studio architect.
The meeting rooms have been fitted with HERADESIGN wall panels, which are made of wood pulp. The ceiling, meanwhile, is decorated with ADAGIO Alpha panels also from Knauf Ceiling Solutions. On the first floor, the lecture and training area is arranged; it is a large and open space designed in such a way that it can be divided into smaller ones by means of mobile walls. Here, the architects used an ADAGIO Acoustic ceiling in panel sizes 1350×600 and 1350×300, which provides excellent acoustic conditions and a minimalist look.
Acoustic comfort is of paramount importance, enabling unobstructed conversations in the halls and eliminating reverberation and noise from corridors. This effect can be achieved with the right panels.
By working with architects, Knauf Ceiling Solutions can not only provide aesthetically pleasing and functional ceilings, but also support the rapid and efficient adaptation of spaces, which is crucial in today’s rapidly changing working environments. Our products, such as Heradesign Superfine Sonic Elements, ADAGIO Alpha , Antaris and Alpha Black panels, not only significantly improve acoustic conditions, but also contribute to durability, versatility and energy efficiency, which is in line with our commitment to sustainability, adds Sebastian Staniewicz, Knauf Ceiling Solutions.
The multi-material nature of Knauf Ceiling Solutions’ ceiling panels offers the opportunity to quickly adapt a space to changing requirements. Using the company’s experts, architects can design and alter the panels to suit the requirements of a particular development. The company’s various products have been developed with different needs in mind. Examples include AXONIS profiles, which work well as a frame for ceiling islands, allow elegant finishing of faults in the ceiling surface and make it possible to install indirect lighting systems. This can be seen in Makro’s Warsaw office, where such profiles were used. The panels thus have an additional function – they decorate the interior.
In the design of the Makro office, it is also worth noting the resignation from raised floors. This reduced the cost and lowered the overall height of the building. The cabling therefore had to be designed under the ceiling. The cables were laid in two rails along the longer façades and led to the desks using special poles. This provided each desk with individual lighting.
source: Knauf Ceiling Solutions(www.knaufceilingsolutions.com/pl)
photos: Szymon Polański
design: CONCEPT SPACE – Paulina Pilut, Marek Ejsztet, Marta Michalska, Fryderyk Głowacki, Kateryna Rudenko
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