MoreySmith, one of Europe’s leading architectural design practices, has completed the first ever global co-working concept for new serviced office brand, Deskopolitan, which has launched at 48 Rue du Château d’Eau, Paris. The new space comprises 4,430 sq ft (or 1,350 sq m) spread over four floors and has been let in its entirety for three months to French presidential candidate Benoît Hamon, who will run his election campaign from the building. In addition to Mr Hamon, the building is expected to appeal to start-ups and small businesses seeking creative and flexible workspace in central Paris – a revolutionary concept for the French market.
Following Deskopolitan’s brief, MoreySmith conceived and developed the company’s Global Design Concept and transformed the former factory building into a state-of-the-art co-working environment, which challenges the traditional office concept with innovative and interactive spaces. Co-workers are offered full use of adaptable spaces including a café, a barbershop, phone booths and informal touchdown positions at ground floor and mezzanine level, all of which promote connectivity and social interaction.
The brief from Deskopolitan included the creation of a space that would be unique, welcoming, comfortable, interesting, flexible, easy to use and sociable. The Global Concept was developed originally for Voltaire a 19,685 sq ft (or 6,000 sq m) site in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, that has grown to be a much larger project offering a complete live work model with a gym club, restaurant, nursery and hotel, which is due to open in March 2018.
MoreySmith worked closely with Deskopolitan to establish the branding for the building, a graphic inspired by the circular geometry found within the iconic Voltaire entrance gates. This was translated throughout the project and included in design elements such as metal work, wall panels, door handles and balustrading, which resulted in a contemporary industrial style with open, bright and connected interiors.
Deskopolitan’s first venture in the heart of the city includes a range of various assigned workspaces and flexible work settings to support drop-in sessions, as well as artist studios, health & beauty suites, and spaces for open group collaboration and networking events. This contemporary approach to workspace design brings a fresh new look to the European market.
The interiors are designed to offer a contemporary take on the building’s industrial heritage. Materials include glazed brick tiles, exposed concrete, crittal window frames, burnished brass and copper mesh, complemented by fresh, bright colours including yellow, light grey and blue. MoreySmith has also worked hard to incorporate greenery into the space through the introduction of plant boxes, which also promote wellbeing and bring air filtration into the office.
Linda Morey-Burrows, Founder and Principal Director of MoreySmith, said: “Deskopolitan presented an exciting new opportunity for us to bring co-working to Paris. We have really enjoyed collaborating with Deskopolitan since 2013 to create this co-working studio for the French and European market. It is fantastic to see Château d’Eau repositioned, rebranded and at the centre of business in Paris. We look forward to seeing the development of Voltaire over the next 12 months.”
Alexis Rebiffé, Co-Founder of Deskopolitan, said: “We have made a daring choice by working with a foreign architect to create a concept as innovative as Deskopolitan in Paris. Today, we have no regrets! All promises were reached with a building completely transformed and dedicated to start-ups and companies of all sizes. The MoreySmith team did a wonderful job challenging the existing layouts and demonstrated a remarkable attention to detail. We are very pleased to continue the collaboration with our Voltaire flagship”.
