OFFICE SPACE CASE STUDY


The Shopify Offices Berlin is Located in Berlin, Germany
Purpose, Impacted the Project’s Design Goal and Programmatic Functions
The coronavirus pandemic has had an unexpected impact on office designs. In early 2020, the planned renovation of Shopify’s office building in Berlin-Mitte was already well underway. Switching to working from home caused the Shopify company to rethink what it needed from its office building. Remote work for individuals has been the trend. Shopify brought MVRDV on board for a redesign that maximizes the building’s potential as a base for working collaboratively with others, a new pioneer idea, with brainstorming and engaging for the company’s vibrant culture. This case study forces Shopify’s rethink office design that contrasts with the home offices, focusing on highly intentional collaboration as a collective experience.


The Client:
Shopify is a renowned Online E-Commerce platform that small businesses can use to build online stores to sell products on websites or via social media (Orem Tna).
Responding to local areas with regional characteristics, responding to the social norms, cultural identity, and demographics, reflecting the human behavior
The scope of works for MVRDV’s interior design includes the ground floor, basement levels, and the sixth floor of the prime spaces. The on-site rooms would serve as primary meeting rooms and experience rooms. These allow the company to experience newly revolutionary ideas of casual work environments. Sustainability was a primary concern, the designer was fully aware of reusing materials from the previous project, such as wall and floor finishes, lighting fixtures, and furniture.
The conventional conference table was rethought and reinterpreted to a color lounge setting, a casual and sort of free spirit space. The curtain allows for easy privacy control and flexibility of transition from one place to another. This rethinking idea was fully embraced by the Shopify designer. Most of the rooms are separated by a similar color patterned curtain, focusing on free-flowing discussions (Pintos).
The color palette is based on the visual identity of Shopify. In addition, the theme of the office design not only promoted Shopify culture but also emphasized the Berlin cityscape, signaling some of the exciting places of the city for people to live and work. For example, the theme for the reception desk coveys the city’s U-Bahn station, which is conceived of blue-green, metro tiles. The designer further demonstrates the concept for the cityscape by decorating the opposite wall with an art piece of intersections by Carolina Amaya, a well know Columbia visual artist, who loves to create relationships between humans and architecture, reminiscent of the city’s vibrant street art.
The experience rooms are primarily used for lunches and gatherings, where the large leaves of natural plants are filled all over the rooms. Greens’ color mixed with natural materials ignites the natural experience of the room, it imparts a sense of refresh and inspiration. Nature is fully celebrated in the spaces. A club is located in a basement, reflecting Berline’s famous nightlife, where the company’s events or casual socializing are held there, surrounded by a continuous screen on the wall, featuring forest scenes. The secret room is a private space with a clandestine atmosphere, where the staff can rewind, relax and meditate on a high-intense work project.
My Insights and approaches
From the survey of this interesting Shopify rethinking office space design project, I have learned that trend for the office design has a dramatic shift to a much more casual and collaborative environment. Since the Coronavirus pandemic has influenced the office working areas, the theme needs to adjust to suit the social atmosphere, emphasizing productivity from a completely different direction. Sustainability, comfort, and nature are the most significant elements of an office design. For my future project, I would also rethink my theme and focus on office design based on a human-centric perspective, such as connecting with nature, building comfort zones, creating an interactive atmosphere, and establishing a flexible
environment.