WPP – Bay 99 is a Campus project in Mumbai, India, occupying a 35,000 square metre space spread across nine floors. WPP is the world’s largest Advertising and Media Group headquartered in the UK. The project comprised of a consolidation of 18 top advertising and media agencies owned by WPP and locating them all in a single location under the one roof.

The special feature and complexity of this project is that there are 18 different creative designs for 18 operating companies that are unified by a standardisation, bound together visually as well as through space planning.

Through a unique process of combining engagement with design, a network of work communities was created that benefit from coming together as part of a larger business community. There are interdependencies between people, their work and the space they live in and balancing these dependencies contributes to the overall business output. No single aspect of this could be addressed in isolation. The ambition of the project was to create the first community-based workplace in India.

With 3500 workers, the project was required to be an agile, activity-based, working environment with flexible space planning. The design assists in an improved environment for employees and helps build a stronger culture with better communication tailored to the unique needs of each business.

All nine floors have different layouts but still achieve the same level of flexibility. There are various types of work settings, 18 different designs under one roof, however the design is a balanced and tailored outcome.

Furniture: Haworth, Steelcase. Lighting: Lighting Solutions. Finishes: Buzzispace acoustic lights, Ecophone, Bene Ekous, Mohawk Carpets, Warwick. Fittings & Fixtures: JEB, HUFCOR, Gyprock, Honeywell, Hafele.

Photography: Jaideep Oberoi Photography