This interior design project is for revamped offices in a historical building dating to 1958. FLOOAT takes its main concept from the surrounding urban landscape of Otemachi in central Tokyo.

Otemachi is one of Japan’s leading financial centres, yet it still retains aspects of its late 19th-century atmosphere, with brick buildings such as Tokyo Station and Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum.

The current project uses a pale terracotta as the predominant colour, blending with old brick structures outside, and giving visitors a sense of continuity. This tonality also provides the client, an investment consultancy, peaceful and relaxing spaces in which to concentrate on their business.

FLOOAT had to contend with the significant limitation of an existing ceiling height of just 2600mm. They used office furniture of a uniform height, emphasising the horizontal continuity of the space. The effect is to reduce the oppressiveness of the ceiling, improve the vista, and encourage smooth communications throughout the office.

Booths are provided for consultants to concentrate during online meetings with domestic and international clients. Administrative departments, such as general affairs and accounting, have a large open table shared by staff, in order to encourage frank talk. Variation was given to the overall space dependant on the nature of work undertaken in it. An inner zone has another shared table with a hollow centre from which plants emerge. Greenery can be enjoyed from all sides, and creates an informal seating area for casual contact, or breaks during work.

An entrance area is provided to welcome guests. Lighting levels are low, to generate an atmospheric impression. The walls are treated with aggregate paint of a pleasant texture that stands out in the reflected light. The entranceway is wide and the ceiling height is differentiated from the other areas, admitting natural light and giving an open feeling.

Four meeting rooms are available of different sizes, each defined by a signature design and lighting scheme. A large room accommodating up to 20 people is decorated in bright colours, washed by soft and even lights, which encourage active communication during face-to-face encounter. A small meeting room for just four people is the reverse, with its lighting adjusted to concentrate on the centre. Chairs in the whole office area are black, in five different types, each suitable for a different type of use. An overall spatial integrity is maintained, but users are also able to enjoy subtle differences that accord with the nature of the work they undertake.