Smart Design Studio

Saatchi And Saatchi

Saatchi And Saatchi
© Sharrin Rees

SAATCHI & SAATCHI

Smart design studio

ARCHITECTS
smart design studio

LOCATION
The Rocks, Sydney

PROJECT YEAR
2011

PHOTOGRAPHS
Sharrin Rees

Text description provided by architect.

Saatchi & Saatchi has occupied the Metcalfe Bond Store building in The Rocks for 25 years.

Saatchi And Saatchi
© Sharrin Rees
Saatchi And Saatchi
© Sharrin Rees

Smart Design Studio was engaged to undertake an upgrade of the base building on behalf of the proprietor, the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, and to design a contemporary interior space for the commercial tenant, Saatchi & Saatchi.

The refurbishment process began with Saatchi & Saatchi’s desire to re-establish their business at the forefront of advertising in Australia and to revitalise the working environment for both employees and clients.

Saatchi And Saatchi
© Sharrin Rees
Saatchi And Saatchi
© Sharrin Rees

Through a series of “Workplace Change” workshops, SDS identified key areas that would improve the agency’s energy, morale and therefore profile starting with:

- A bold, striking and assiduously contemporary interior design to inspire all staff.
- Rationalisation of working arrangements and planning anomalies.
- Replacing the cellular office structure with open-plan offices, ensuring across-the-board access to air and view.
- Creation of a sense of cooperation, vigour and pride, in order to evolve a coherency of agency message.
- This is supported by technical advances, such as improved air circulation, state-of-the-art lighting, dedicated service areas, great staff utilities such as showers facilities and a communal cafe.

The focus of the refurbishment was to revalorize the coherency of the original structure, whilst creating a highly functional, completely contemporary space.

Saatchi And Saatchi
© Sharrin Rees
Saatchi And Saatchi
© Sharrin Rees

The striking result features a simple layout punctuated by abstract blade wall elements that loosely define open-plan spaces. The approach to the ‘intervention’ with the existing building was simple:

- Retain the existing brickwork unpainted.
- Paint all existing timber and metal structure white.
- All new materials to be black, but varying in texture, to emphasise the architectural or light qualities of each space.

Saatchi And Saatchi
© Sharrin Rees

These new materials generally fell into two categories: Sleek elements such as:

- The reflective black frameless glass partitions were chosen for their sharpness and distortion free reflections.
- As was the glossy poured liquid floor at the entrance.
- Slotted timber acoustic ceilings in the offices and meeting rooms.
- Or the custom furniture pieces and lighting features that conveyed a sense of perfectio

In contrast, textured elements, married with the raw warehouse feel, such as:

- The joinery which is made from painted black, rough sawn plywood, chosen for its rawness and integrity as well as environmental credentials.
- The woven vinyl flooring which is both a richly textured surface as well as being a practical and durable surface.
- Patented brass staircases were chosen for their aesthetic connection to a building of this period, as well as for their operational longevity.

Saatchi And Saatchi
© Sharrin Rees

Workstations from Knoll, featuring black tops float over structural bronze table-legs, reinforcing a sense of understated confidence.

Partitioning between facing desks was adapted to suit the needs of those users.: those who required more privacy eg. Accounts, have taller partitions; and those who required more open exchange eg. Creatives have almost none – to promote a collaborative work environment. Visually compelling pinboards were integrated into workstations to facilitate discussion and share ideas. Clear-glass meeting rooms were employed to promote visual transparency, whilst managing the potential mess of an open planned office.

Saatchi And Saatchi
© Sharrin Rees

All office and meeting rooms (except the boardroom) are inboard, so that the view and light priority is available to all. The new mezzanine was constructed as a dedicated project space (S&S staffers refer to this as the “war room”.) In addition, and from a purely architectural perspective, the Saatchi & Saatchi refurbishment incorporates technical advances such as energy efficient heat-recovery AC that will connect Sydney Harbour heat exchanging, being constructed by SHFA, a digital lighting system and a new elevator (lit by an artwork that extends the full height of the lightwell) well providing barrier-free access to all floors. This finely-tuned refurbishment is consciously conceived to express the confidence, integrity and stature of the Saatchi & Saatchi brand.


Saatchi And Saatchi
Plan
Saatchi And Saatchi
Plan
Saatchi And Saatchi
Plan

Smart Design Studio
T +61 2 83324333
Smart Design Studio
14 Stokes Ave, Alexandria NSW 2015, Australia