The standard classics are a thing of the past. Companies are trying to make office spaces stand out, but not only by emphasizing the company’s identity, but above all by creating an environment conducive to employees. They no longer want to feel intimidated, and their self-esteem as well as their proximity to nature and technologically advanced solutions are conducive to efficiency. That’s what it’s all about – says Maciej Kotarski, Sales Director at Olivia Business Centre. “The biggest influence on our well-being is what we like. That is why Olivia’s latest projects use art, which, according to experts, makes smiles, contentment and energy change the concept of desk work.
Olivia Prime is the office building of the future?
Certainly, in some respects, Olivia Prime can be presented as a unique building. Completely different from most of the existing office buildings in Poland.
What is the reason for this?
First of all, because of the emphasis on contact with nature. Opening windows are a matter of course. This building already has two terraces in the first part, and after the completion of the second part, it will have five roof terraces with different functions: leisure, observation and amphitheatre. In addition, there are private loggias on each floor so that there is a possibility to go outside in each office. We are also building a number of private terraces and galleries surrounding the entire building on the lower floors. The lowest gallery and terrace (on the 1st floor) will be part of a large canteen, which during the day will also serve as an attractive place for work and meetings. Contact with nature is also the main hall, filled with greenery, suspended even from the ceiling, and details such as the wooden pillars of the façade, which look amazing in an ultra-modern office building.
Finally, art, the building is saturated with it. Murals in all halls, walls designed like paintings, screens in the main hall – vertical constructions that move in several planes. Some of them have electronic screens, while others are a fantastic medium for works of art, which we will change regularly.
Art in the ascendancy?
Yes. In Olivia Prime, the walls inside the building are decorated with murals created by Looney, a Tri-City creator of street art. Apart from them, there are also city panoramas on the walls of the halls, which direct the viewer towards the so-called naïve art. Overall, this has a huge impact on the uniqueness of the office building.
Here you can read more about Olivia Prime
Has art become a trend in office buildings?
Every company wants its office to stand out. Our task is to ensure that the broadly understood common areas in the office building reflect the needs of users, and the perception of these needs is variable. This can be seen by analysing our individual buildings and the interior arrangements made in them.
Every building encapsulates a certain idea?
This is perfectly illustrated by the example of Olivia Tower, whose project is focused on prestige. When we started the project, we imagined this building as a “temple of business”. The interior of the main hall is relatively dark, with stars – points of light on the ceiling. Reflecting the concept of a “lake at night”, it is exceptionally elegant and peaceful.
What effect did the designers expect?
First of all, it was about prestige and the perception of high quality, and even a certain luxury. It is difficult to say for sure whether this had an impact on the choice of the office building by specific residents, but of all Olivia’s buildings, it is in this building that the largest number of headquarters of large companies are located.
What are the differences between the individual projects of the Olivia Business Centre complex?
First of all, it should be noted that the designs are completely different. In the Tower, we used high-quality materials, such as marble and a stone wall with an illuminated pattern forming Olivia’s logo. The main pillar, on which there are plaques with the names of tenants, has been covered with stone in such a way that it looks a bit like a tree. The marble for the walls was selected for each of them individually. At Olivia Prime, we focused on nature, arranging the interior with wood, plants and furniture that you can sit on without fear. All the furnishings are close to modern everyday life, so the popular ivy and furniture from the threshold do not give young people a sense of distance, there is no question of whether it is allowed to use them. Prime is all about joy, colour, art and an appetite for life. The art dimension is also following this path.
An element of education?
Rather, it is to show that worlds can intertwine. On the walls in Olivia Prime we do not commune with classical high art, as in a gallery or some buildings in Warsaw. Here we are a brother with its manifestations close to people. Murals, power art, whole walls designed like modern paintings. The somewhat naïve city panoramas all in all seem endearing, cheerful, full of energy, and even clearly benevolent to those who stay there.
Are these buildings so different?
Yes, but there are even more differences. In the Tower everything has been given once and for all, it is as sure and stable as it is in the temple. In Prime, the whole thing moves. Furniture and plants can be moved. Similarly, the vertical, large-format constructions-screens in the main hall, and with them the multimedia screens and boards hanging on them, move up and down, to the right and to the left. Stability and certainty versus movement and change.
What is the difference between the interior of Olivia Six and them?
In my opinion, it’s in between. I perceive it as an exclusive club, something that is full of luxury, like the Tower, thanks to the high-quality materials, beautiful stones on the floor and furniture. The other side of the coin is the club element, i.e. deep and very elegant armchairs that invite you to sit down, or to sit down and make yourself more comfortable to feel really good on them. Still exclusive, but no longer a temple, but a club. It’s the most comfortable place in all of Olivia for me!
What is the cloud-reaching Star?
The interior of Olivia Star is a very complicated and multifaceted project that is difficult to capture with one simple slogan. The leading trend is biophilic design, very emphasized by the soaring walls of the great halls, lined with light wood, with fragments of live moss. Under the high ceiling, in the monumental main hall, there are winding strands of clouds, made of exquisitely arranged scrolls of almost white, illuminated material. My favorite place in Olivia Star, however, is the smaller, but charming and therefore intimate northern hall, from the side of Olivia Prime, full of natural materials. What catches the eye are the linen coverings of the furniture, the proximity to nature and the beautiful, slightly raw, but very warm wood on the walls. Nature is reflected in the great literality and great simplicity of wooden elements, furniture and chandeliers, completely transporting us to nature. Of course, this intimacy is conventional, due to the scale of the building, even the northern hall is larger than most comparable interiors in the Tri-City.
Are such proposals in line with global trends?
Absolutely, but different trends coexist with each other. The “business temple” trend is as old as the business world. It has proven itself for many years. Buildings arranged in this way are considered beautiful and valuable, as well as very valuable. Personally, I like them immensely. They support the well-being of employees indirectly, through the projection of strength, prestige, stability, and can even arouse pride. Thanks to this, we can feel more confident in them, which is especially valuable in difficult times.
Now people are looking for well-being and a conducive working atmosphere.
The world has changed. Now there is an employee’s market and the pursuit of talent begins. So the roles were reversed. The employer is honored to have an employee visit and, illustrating, we buildings are honored that you talents will come to us, so how can we help you?
Do you want a programmer to feel as good as on your favorite couch?
That is the goal, hence the further evolution towards deep naturalness, which shortens the distance. It gives you the feeling that this place is for everyone. The North Hall of the Star has been designed in such a way that you can relax and catch your breath. The next stage of evolution is the Prime lobby, where two needs in the spirit of the wellbeing philosophy were crucial. The first is to provide relaxation and a sense of contact with nature through soft furniture, plants and natural materials in the spirit of biophilic design. The second need is the need for strength, energy, providing a sense that this is where we get energy. Entering work is supposed to make us smile, energize, make us feel a surge of power and want to act. With faith, enthusiasm and optimism – this is what art and changeability are for.
Invaluable in the office dimension?
Contact with high art evokes completely different emotions, which is why at Prime we are close to people and offer a slightly easier message that each of us has to deal with on the street. We are not intimidating, because power art, by definition, is something playful and a bit comic-booked. It brings joy, draws you into the game, gives you energy.
Which way is the next step?
In the entire spectrum of office currents and trends, there is nothing on the horizon that will effectively replace the philosophy of wellbeing and biophilic design. These two concepts are strongly supportive. The concept of well is focused on recognizing talents, while biophilic allows you to feel good and comfortable. This results in productivity, so I’m confident that nothing will displace this trend for a long time. It can only be supplemented.
What?
First of all, re-use, i.e. reuse, which is more and more often used. Producing new things consumes resources and destroys the environment, so it is best to use what has already been given to us. This is an interesting complement to the philosophy of wellbeing, because people, having their basic needs taken care of, want to do more noble things, which is illustrated by the top of Maslow’s pyramid. That’s why the use of recycled and reused materials in public interiors makes it clear that we’re here to make the world a better place. This helps to increase well-being and the satisfaction of doing something good. For yourself, for others, and most of all for the world.
What do you think the future holds?
The second trend that is already entering our lives is proptech, i.e. new technologies that are entering the office space. Applications are already being used that allow you to control temperature, lighting, book rooms, exceed access control at the entrance to the building, invite guests, assign them parking spaces, order food and much more using your smartphone. There is also a place for artificial intelligence, which, for example, can precisely determine the thermal needs of people staying in a given room, accurately measuring the scale and frequency of their movements, as well as the exact position of the body. This will allow you to adjust the temperature and ventilation in these rooms much better, which can radically improve your comfort.
Science is rushing, so the perspective of the future is and will continue to fascinate…
Yes. However, everything can give way to the power of relationships, because the quality of relationships with other people is crucial for the quality of human life. A developer can have a significant impact on this by supporting or even animating the building of a lively community that will inspire us every day to establish and maintain new, good relationships. This is what happens in co-working spaces, such as the dynamically growing O4 in Olivia, which is spreading to other buildings. Such relationships greatly enrich our daily lives. Working in such an animated, friendly and inspiring environment is a source of additional, clear and everyday satisfaction. Of course, it would be best if it happened in an environment that allows contact with nature, i.e. we return to something like a small village, only in a town made of office buildings.
Interviewed by: Dagmara Rybicka, Olivia Business Centre
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