The design of Midtown Workplace highlights the importance of place and human connection in an increasingly virtual world. Underpinned by the conceptual narrative of exploration, the workplace is a magnet to foster innovation, collaboration, and connection. This workplace delivers a sustainable and adaptable model that accommodates new ways of working for an increasingly distributed workforce. Spanning 9 levels, the workplace is within an adaptive reuse development that merges two ex-government buildings into a single A-Grade tower.

The base building is a story of connection and innovation. Two existing towers connected as one, old structures connected with new. A void and bridge created a physical connection between the paces, creating a united place that can be accessed via a staircase which works as the building’s “spine”. The central atrium is fringed with planting and drenched in daylight, anchored by an auditorium, ‘The Pit’, at its base.

‘The Pit’, a magnet for cultural exchange, is a space for teams to gather as a whole and galvanise their vibrant culture. The organic form responds to the curved nature of the sky terrace base building envelope and provides a moment of whimsy to the otherwise strictly geometric and almost brutalist workplace.

Cox’s design response explores the tension between the pragmatic and the poetic, doing more with less. The design adopts a brutalist approach to the interiors, showcasing the existing concrete structure with as little decoration as possible. The overwhelming majority of materials are left in their raw state, untreated metals that hero our client’s core products and serve to reduce the impact of superfluous decoration and embodied energy. The use of recycled materials from the original building has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 11,000 tonnes – equivalent to running the building carbon neutral for four years.

Furniture: Haworth (Zody Task Chair), Vitra, Unifor, Cult (Hay Palissade), Wilkhahn (Confair Folding table), Herman Miller, Living Edge. Lighting: LAD Light and Design Group (Prolicht, Iguzzini, Darkon). Finishes: Andrews Group (Bolon), Forbo, Autex, Kvadrat Maharam Fabrics, Fibonacci Stone. Fittings & Fixtures: Caroma, ZIP, Nespresso.

Photography: Christopher Frederick Jones