At the same time, the design of the new office was intended to become part of Avito’s HR brand and inspire employees.
How did we achieve this?
Idea and Concept
- At the start of our journey, we considered three concepts: harmony and balance, art in the interior, and a playground where everyday objects could be used in unexpected ways. The company’s employees voted for the “Treasure Hunt in the Jungle” concept. The metaphor, essentially, is that on Avito, just like in the concrete jungle, anyone can find something absolutely unique—a super-rare artifact. The interior conveys this very meaning,” says Fedor Raschevsky, chief architect and partner at OFFCON, explaining the concept.
“Yes, we’ve created a space for our employees that immerses them in a world of adventure, familiar to everyone from films like *Indiana Jones*, *National Treasure*, *The Mummy*, and adventure games,” adds the project’s lead architect, Ekaterina Zvenigorodskaya.
The office entrance is a unique point of arrival. Anyone who enters this space is transported from the fast-paced city of Moscow into a relaxed tropical atmosphere filled with lush greenery, “thatched” roofs, beach tables, comfortable bungalows with sofas and power outlets, and bar counters. This area, like all the others, was selected from a multitude of architects’ proposals by the company’s employees and was designed with their wishes in mind.
“While working on the design, we had envisioned a separate room—a secret bar,” says Anna Dolgova, Administrative Director of Avito. “But when we asked users, it turned out that the demand for another meeting room or a coffee station was much higher.”
That’s how the secret room came to be, but we’ll tell you more about it later.
In addition to the entrance area—a café—the new Avito space features workspaces (for 250 employees, accounting for 50% of the total area), a cafeteria and coffee stations (5%), a secret room, meeting rooms, collaboration zones, a library (10%), focus rooms, cubicles, and phone booths for individual conversations or one-on-one meetings (35%).
“Such a variety of interaction spaces implies clear functions, simplifying how the space is used,” notes Ekaterina Zvenigorodskaya.
Speaking of points of attraction, the architect recommends definitely checking out the secret room, where employees can relax, slow down, and switch gears.
The hidden space, concealed behind a felt portal that mimics the entrance to a secret location, becomes a zone for complete rejuvenation. Instead of a floor—pebbles and wooden platforms; instead of the usual wall finishes—gradient felt panels and a backlit skylight; instead of furniture—a hammock, a massage chair, and an aquarium with large fish; and instead of standard office lighting—a starry sky. Live plants continue the story of the jungle and a safe haven in the search for treasure.
Materials, Lighting, and Color Balance
To bring the concept of a jungle treasure hunt to life, the architects employed several techniques. First, there are the materials. Felt panels serve as the primary material, reliably covering most of the office’s vertical surfaces. At the same time, they possess a certain rhythm that can be perceived both visually and tactilely.
- Some of the panels feature images—milled or raised—of hieroglyphs from various cultures. Symbols from Ancient Egypt, Machu Picchu, Atlantis, and Shambhala were used. The panels also possess a certain tectonic quality due to the protruding elements. This technique creates an imitation of ancient masonry,” says Ekaterina Zvenigorodskaya about the design.
At the same time, small-format porcelain stoneware—imitating either roof tiles or clinker bricks, with varying reliefs—has transformed ordinary open-plan office columns into art objects. A true treat for kinesthetic learners.
Acoustic comfort in the space was enhanced by a special coating applied to the exposed ceiling and utility systems. The architects used Acuspray, which creates a natural texture reminiscent of cave walls and the tactile quality of sandstone.
The thrill of a jungle treasure hunt is enhanced by live and artificial plants, as well as unique wooden masks purchased on Avito. Each one has its own story.
“We used vertical greenery, plants hanging from the ceiling, greenery winding around metal trellises, green plants in unique stone planters, and, of course, we further enhanced the space with green accents, but more on that later,” says the architect.
Pebbles, large colorful “treasure” stones, keys, and coins are hidden under glass along the main walkways of the open space. This solution creates a gamification effect and an illusion: remember, part of the floor is lava! A unique art installation.
The architects’ main lighting technique involves using floor lamps instead of the usual suspended functional lighting for workstations. First, this solution reinforces the theme of a treasure hunt in the jungle, because a floor lamp resembles a personal torch, a staple of the adventure genre. And second, it’s part of a flexible approach.
- The key point is that, along with the floor lamps, workstations can be easily moved without altering the ceiling structure. In other words, employees are no longer tied to a single spot. “We gave the team the option to later reduce or increase the number of desks. This is a nod to the goal of spatial flexibility that was set for us right from the start,” explains Fedor Raschevsky.
For the color scheme of Avito’s new floor, the architects used warm, natural tones—a neutral sand-beige background, with main accents in terracotta and deep shades of green, complemented by live plants. The flooring mimics natural textures—the pile on some of the green tiles is longer than on standard ones. This concept is complemented and brought to life by the use of wood-textured elements, some of which, for example, are used in the work areas near the library. And in the large conference room, there is a real alpine hill with moss, plants, and stones.
- Initially, the visual concept for the library was more akin to a university library, where Dr. Jones, Indiana, spends his time searching for the mythical “Ark of the Covenant” or the Holy Grail. Then we realized it was too ornate and didn’t fit into the overall, minimalist design—it seemed excessive. So we refined the library into simpler, more concise forms. Some might call it Scandinavian design, but to me, it’s simply a well-proportioned, warm interior. “We hope that the people who spend time here will find new ideas and personal treasures in the books,” says Fedor Raschevsky about the library at Avito.
Another art installation in the space is Avito’s “Wall of Treasures.” Every item displayed here has its own story, such as this real racing bicycle.
“This is a road touring bike that was purchased in 1959 by a winner of the USSR Road Cycling Championship for his training. And now we bought it on Avito to display here. You can see that it’s been upgraded—obviously, the seat is different, and the handlebars are different. But essentially, it’s a 1959 bike,” says Anna Dolgova about her artifact.
Projects like these are crucial for both architecture and business for several reasons. The main one, of course, is the unique challenges they present, which inspire us to create and improve the spaces around us.
- Such spaces help us maintain our passion for creativity, and unique challenges always lead to unexpected solutions and approaches. Stepping outside the bounds of the familiar and ordinary serves as an emotional jolt from a routine approach to work, which, of course, contributes to the professional growth of everyone involved in the process,” summarizes GAP’s Ekaterina Zvenigorodskaya.
Chief Architect and Partner at OFFCON, Fedor Raschevsky:
- This project is special to me. Its space, moderately complex and highly rational and pragmatic, is nonetheless made anything but boring or banal by its architectural quality and dramatic flair. Even without the meticulously thought-out decor, color scheme, and abundance of plants, the space itself would remain mesmerizingly interesting. It guides everyone along the right path, and new angles create unique perspectives, while the alternation of volumes and scales transforms routine into a journey. The scale of the project is very human-centered, which means it aligns with our firm’s mission: to humanize office spaces in Russia and around the world.
