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Astor Hellas, a leading wholesale international trading company, approached Greek design studio MALVI to create their new headquarters in Thessaloniki. They desired an office space to unite all of the brand's functions, in an open environment which would reflect both their values and their brand position.
On the reception floor, office space is minimal so as to accommodate visiting partners and clients as well as all secondary functions (such as the IT, archive and personnel rooms). A central conference room detached from the main office areas can be found here, ensuring more efficient and constructive meeting sessions, away from interruptions and needless disturbances.
Respectively, the second floor is reserved exclusively for office use. Again this establishes a more productive setting without unnecessary distractions from other activities. All of the company's divisions are gathered along with the management team, providing a direct setting for an effective and smooth workflow.
In order to break the rigidity of the building's rectangular floor plan, MALVI decided to fragment the space into more energetic volumes that would make each office area appear larger and more connected to the one next to it. The daily operations of the company require constant interchange between its various divisions and visual communication is equally important as vocal. The transparencies allow for a more direct approach between employees, while at the same time their juxtaposition creates an illusion of a much bigger space.
Having to tackle the reverberation issues that could be caused by the glass divisions, softer, sound absorbing materials were used throughout, in cubicle dividers and flooring. These provide a work friendly space by eliminating the environmental noise from office machines and minimising background ones from phone calls and conversations. Storage space and amenities are hidden behind the wood clad walls, thus also avoiding visual clutter.