Aglaya Van-Van-E
Ekaterina Shornikova
Ekaterina Trunova
Conctruction: March 2018 - June 2018
Total area: 530 sq.m.
Photo: Polina Poludkina
International company developing entertainment tech products and services, with the global headquarter in Limassol, Cyprus. One of their trademark products is iFunny – a community for meme lovers around the internet, one of the top 10 most popular entertainment apps in the US.
The new 530 sq. m office is located in the Moscow business center White Square. The task for OFFCON architects was to create an efficient office space that would reflect company values. They also asked to create an informal and even homey environment that would serve as an additional tool for attracting the best professionals in the tech and entertainment industry.
Fun and informal aspects of this industry became a starting point for the design concept. Architects decided to use an retro-apartment as an inspiration for the interior since such apartments are usually objects for jokes in Russia. It explains the use of carpets on walls, as well as unfinished plywood and tile. Some other finishes include rough concrete, corrugated galvanized iron and foam blocks. These rough materials used as finishes emphasize the democratic and informal atmosphere of the office. Interestingly, such intentionally rough interior was contrasted by famous designer furniture from Arper, Vitra, Hay, Johanson Design and Pedrali.
Besides retro-decorations and rough materials, it was important to create a comfortable and ergonomic space. The noisiest areas are separated from the open space by buffer zones. The office has various areas for different types of work – from closed meeting rooms to alcoves for focused work or quick meetings. One of the meeting rooms was designed for playing on electric guitars and it has become one of the most popular rooms in the office. Although the tables in the open space are fixed, a large percentage of employees working on laptops constantly move and select different spots to work in. The open space is divided by a large lounge zone that has the best view and lots of natural light. Another lounge is created specifically for video games – it’s equipped with large screen and soft cushions.
According to company HR manager, the office became a cozy second home for them, where every square meter is efficiently used.