Mother, a top British advertising agency based in London, have collaborated and carried out their work around a central table since 1996. Now a much larger company, the working concept has grown to fit the company’s success. Central to Chris Wilkinson Architects’ design of their new office in a 42,000ft2 Shoreditch warehouse, is a staggering 250 feet long concrete table, for up to 200 people to pull up their wheely chairs to.
The inspiration for the concrete table was the iconic 1920’s Giacomo Matte-Trucco roof top race track for Fiat Lingotto in Turin. A 4.2m wide staircase leads up to and becomes the Agency’s feature worktable which cuts dynamically through the building to connect the floors.
50 light fixtures that each span 2.1m act as acoustic baffles over the enormous table. Covered with unique patterns of Marimekko fabric, selected from archive stock in its’ factory in Helsinki, and padded with 75mm of acoustic foam, the harsh acoustics of the factory space have been overcome.
With the rest of the office interior left tastefully neutral and pared-down – the striking fabrics of the lampshades really work hard to grab clients’ attention and draw them into the central space.
