Drawing on nearly a century of designing outfits for retail spaces, Visplay is applying its know-how to tackle comparable needs in the workplace.
The past five years have proven that the workplace must be evolvable. While perhaps there is no longer a consensus on hybrid working – many major companies have mandated (partial) return-to-work policies – one thing remains constant: the spaces that facilitate productivity must be agile. With many commercial spaces undergoing refit every three to five years on average, according to a McKinsey report, the retail sector is well aware of the need to be flexible and accommodate new use cases and user needs.
Photo: Lorenz Cugini, Clemens Poloczek
Designed for uses in the retail sector, such as the VitraHaus, the Omnio system's agile qualities make it an ideal solution for the work environment too.
Photo: Mark Niedermann
Cover and above: Omnio, introduced in 2020 as a display solution for retail spaces, was used in the offices of pharmaceutical company Roche. As one of the first projects to implement Omnio in an office setting, it served as a starting point for the development of Omnio Office.
A key player in the development and definition of innovative retail systems and spaces for over 85 years, Visplay has applied its expertise in the commercial sector to the provision of displays, storage and other flexible furniture for workspaces. Added to Visplay’s product range in 2020, Omnio is a modular structure and shelving system designed as a mid-floor solution for retail spaces; it has been successfully implemented in spaces such as VitraHaus, Vitra’s flagship store. Putting both the iconic brand's small decorative objects and large-format tables and chairs at centre stage, Omnio’s application in the retail environment demonstrates the diversity of its presentation capacities and flexibility. However, the product’s versatility and universal adaptability have made it an ideal solution beyond the retailscape. For example, pharmaceutical company Roche has integrated the system into its office spaces, facilitating productivity, engagement and wellbeing alike.
Omnio Office's open-ended format ensures its ability to adapt over time through the addition of new elements and reassembly by the user.
Further iterating on the crossover from retail to office design and harnessing its affinity for agility, Visplay introduced Omnio Office. Integrated electrification allows for the seamless connection of digital devices and lighting, enabling productivity and supporting the wellbeing of users. Omnio Office was designed with longevity in mind; its timeless aesthetic and modular nature – allowing adjustment without spatial overhaul – make it a future-facing, long-term solution that can shift with changing intra-organizational needs and macro-forces in the workscape.
Offices require the same adaptability for hybrid work and collaboration as retail spaces do in responding to commercial changes. Omnio Office makes it easy to adjust layouts, add workstations and create dynamic spaces, proving the synergies between these ever-changing sectors. Through its eight decades of designing agile retail, Visplay is uniquely positioned to bring comparable creativity and flexibility to workspace solutions.
