In Oct 2020, as Singapore lockdown was slowly lifted, I had the opportunity to undertake the Interior Design of this office space at Liat Towers. A project that took approximately 2 months of Design development, a space where the lines of the conventional structured office is blurred, and a more casual space that offers the occupants, an environment of work and play integrated into the daily routine in the office.
Drawing inspiration from the American Loft spaces, adorned by many, for the high ceilings, and natural materials used, it typically encompasses the concept of recycling, keeping it natural. Unfortunately for space constraint on our island Singapore, where buildings typically do not have double volume space, some aspects of the typical Loft experience is lost.
With the expanded space for the new office, keeping it open as possible was a key consideration in creating the Loft atmosphere. At the core of the Loft experience, is the use of natural bricks, and exposing its rawness sets the backdrop for the warm, cosy feel. Layering upon the bricks, was the use of wood elements, and in this space, we adopted the use of recycled old railway sleepers as a cladding feature. The front reception and informal discussion, meeting area, what is essentially comparable to a Living area, is the heart of the space. With this informal area, what better way to enrich the culture of a truly fun, relaxing environment, then to introduce 80’s arcade style machines, in particular, my client’s favourite, air-hockey arcade, and the retro space invaders arcade machine.
On the occasion where it is necessary for a formal discussion, this can be held in the conference room, with all the current high-tech wiring and devices, to adapt to the ever-evolving way of conducting meetings, since the pandemic occurred.
Aside from the formal offices for upper management, the space was also designed for smaller discussions, such as a library corner, which aside form carrying my client’s collection of books, acts as an informal discussion area. At the centre of the library area, is a specially designed open bookshelf, where the shelving appears to be floating, but totally functional, complementing the openness, airiness of the space.
