In order to produce an office fit that is a unique representation of the Champagne House, we firstly looked at the history and setting of the company.
The Client was the first champagne house to create a Brut, hence we believed that it was important that the scheme sets itself apart from the standard office fit out.
The setting of the Champagne Estate in France gave us much of our design ideas, referencing the historic underground wine chambers and cellars as a spatial marker for the company.
The ribbed, barrel vaulted galleries instantly link the space to the production of champagne and by referencing these original qualities into the design proposals for the London headquarters, we aimed to ensure that the London offices are a reflection of the Champagne House and its historic brand.
We suggested a strategy to inform the fitout design whilst echoing the sense of place of the French Estate. The strategy has been tailored to the London office space, resulting in a sensitive intervention that has light touch on the existing building fabric whilst maximising its impact.
The timber arms create enclosure and canopies that mimic the wine chambers from The French Champagne Estate. Some float, some grow from the floor like vines.
The suspended cave mobiles are made from birch plywood with coloured steel rod spacers, gently creating a sense of focus and space within each room. Each mobile is top lit as well as acting as a structure for hanging pendants that light the task spaces below. Floating joinery wraps its way around each room, providing hidden storage space for the champagne and tasting events that take place within the spaces.
The sales office working structure needed to accommodate a hot desking working environment, in addition to two focused individual work spaces which are again defined by timber arms growing from the floor.
