ANZ Open House – by Foolscap Studio
With remote and hybrid work now the norm rather than the exception, businesses are seeing the need to change the way offices function. In 2022, we are saying good riddance to cubicles and harsh fluorescent light and hello to welcoming spaces like this one at ANZ’s headquarters in Melbourne, which resembles an inviting and vibrant airport lounge or hotel lobby, complete with innovative customised lighting design from FPOV.
Like ANZ, many companies are recognising the opportunity presented by this change in how we work. Without the need for individual desk space for everyone on staff, the floor plate of the office can shrink – and with it, the quality of the interior design can be intensified. Designed by Foolscap Studio, ANZ Open House is comfortable, contemporary and dynamic, welcoming impromptu sit-downs and providing a pleasant backdrop for virtual meetings. It is also as much a hospitality space as an office space, designed to welcome clients and visitors with a warm sense of connection.
Overhead, the gridded ceiling is fitted with Move It linear lighting systems from XAL, supplied and customised by Est Lighting for ANZ with a sleek bronze finish. This magnetic system allows for different lighting inserts to be installed, providing a range of different effects depending on the needs of the space. The result is a malleable lighting scheme that allows for an even cover of comfortable working light, while also providing task and feature lighting where appropriate – a degree of personalisation and flexibility perfectly complementing the needs of modern hybrid professional practices.
Continuing on this theme of flexibility and adaptability, the previous standard reception area has been remodelled for dual purpose, becoming both an arrival zone to meet and greet visitors and a sculpturally designed workspace with a set of custom sit-and-stand desks. These desks were created using travertine taken from the existing office building, repurposed with polished stainless steel and a fly ash top. Other pieces of this salvaged travertine were used for sections of the flooring, adding to the history of the space.
Meanwhile, clever design allows for training rooms to morph through operable wall systems into a large conference room. Uplit services in the open mesh ceiling extend the sense of height and lightness in this space, appropriate for when it is being used socially. A custom designed boardroom table is a key feature of the fit out. Created by Australian furniture crafters Manapan, the table is designed to reflect the story of the Macassan well on Milingimbi Island with a curved edging pattern mimicking lapping water and intricate carvings of tamarind seeds.
A far cry from the usual workaday office space, ANZ Open House represents the future of work – malleable, approachable and modern.
