MALVI designed the new headquarters for Astor Hellas, a leading wholesale trading company in Greece, creating an open, friendly and multi-functional environment, defined by the clever use of transparency and sound-absorbing materials.
The minimal office space on the reception floor accommodates visiting partners and clients, as well as all secondary functions (such as the IT, archive and personnel rooms). It also hosts the central conference room – detached from the main office areas – ensuring more efficient and constructive meeting sessions, away from interruptions and needless disturbances. The second floor is reserved exclusively for office use, similarly ensuring a more productive setting without unnecessary distractions. The company’s distinct divisions are all gathered along with the management, providing a setting for a direct, effective and smooth workflow.
In order to break up the rigidity of the building’s rectangular floor plan, MALVI decided to fragment the space into more energetic volumes that would make each office area appear larger and more connected to the one next to it. The daily operations of the company require constant interchange between its various divisions and visual and vocal communication are equally important. The transparencies allow for a more direct approach between employees, while at the same time their juxtaposition creates an illusion of a much bigger space.
In order to tackle the reverberation issues that could be caused by the glass divisions, softer and more sound-absorbing materials were used throughout (cubicle dividers, flooring, etc.), eliminating the background noise caused by office machines, phone calls and conversations. Storage space and amenities are hidden behind the wood-cladded walls, avoiding the visual clutters of an information-filled workplace.
