From agile, customisable furniture to entire concept layouts, we handpick a selection of spaces offering a lesson in modular design.
5 min read
Helmed by international design studio Jolie, a new restaurant and bar concept called The Nest has officially opened its doors in Frankfurt – for a limited time only. Perched above a pre-existing underground car park, the concept presented a unique set of challenges due to weight and loading limitations – Jolie therefore opting for lightweight yet robust materials such as lime-wash paints, laminates and plasters, along with a modular construction. This not only ensures minimal impact on the infrastructure, but also means that the entire structure has been designed for future relocation – supporting a life cycle that minimises waste and maximises reuse in the hospitality sector.
Aiming to channel the eclectic eateries of Tulum and California, the design team envisioned The Nest as a transportive hideaway for Frankfurt locals, nestled in the heart of the city. A warm, neutral palette of terracotta Tadelakt plaster and timber detailing is brightened by a red gloss bar, which acts as a luxurious, inviting focal point at the centre of the space. The restaurant and bar are flooded by ample natural light from the generous tableside windows, while an ambient glow emanates from pendant lighting ready to transition the space from morning coffee to an evening of dinner and digestifs.
Designed by architects HTA, Enclave is a new 50 storey BTR (Build To Rent) residence in Croydon that claims to be the tallest volumetric modular residential building in Europe. Aligning with this impressive height was the client’s ambition for the residence to deliver the next generation of communal living: the amenity offering spans over 24,000 sq ft across 6 floors, providing an extensive offering for 815 apartments. Inside, the material palette from interior designers Tigg+Coll is inspired by the architectural heritage of Croydon. Tied together by a strong mid-century feel, each
Split across six levels, the amenity areas were broken down into characterised floors, giving them their own specific identity and purpose – and helping to humanise the scale to a much more individual domestic experience. “As with all our residential projects of this nature we always consider how people want to occupy and exist in these spaces sometimes together, sometimes alongside each other and sometimes alone,” Coll continues. “We also consider adjacencies, how these activities overlap, physically and/or visually, creating natural touch points between residents and interaction and familiarity to create communities.”
Created for Lisbon-based electronics company Worten, the space prioritises wellness and connectivity for the 1200-strong team based at the World Trade Center in Lisbon – and even welcomes family and friends. In a move that rids the space of single-desk cubicles, Jump Studios added hybrid working facilities in the form of hot-desks, individual booths and meeting rooms – all bookable through the bespoke MyWorten app, which also offers access to specific parts of the building and even parcel notifications. Clearly defined zones separate areas with high levels of traffic from those intended for concentration.
As well as maximising the spectacular city views, the office was reconfigured so that larger spaces – including a 50+ capacity boardroom – face natural light. This continues to the top floor where a penthouse-cum-auditorium serves as a flexible presentation space. Here, bespoke modular furniture elements can be built into auditorium seating or broken down to create an easygoing layout for workshops. The studio ensured to source materials from local suppliers to minimise the project’s carbon emissions and mounted solar panels onto the roof. Integrated AI software also diminishes excess energy by controlling lighting, humidity and air quality inside – for a project intended to create happy people and a healthier city.
Designed by Perkins&Will, EBRD’s London HQ is not just for employees but chosen by them. In 2019, employees of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) were invited to view three proposed designs for the company’s new HQ, and the winning entry by Perkins&Will positioned inclusivity as integral to its philosophy. Amenities include a double height auditorium lined with walnut panels featuring a frieze depicting an abstracted image of a forest. A multifunctional space, it’s used for presentations, panel discussions and as a cinema. Adjoining this is an “ante space”: a more informal area for staff to gather, which is flexible enough to host exhibitions. There’s a boardroom above this; next to it is a large space boasting dual-functional planters on castors, incorporating benches that can be moved to the edges of the room to create an entirely open-plan space.
A yoga studio, travel office, IT hub and health centre are just some of the other facilities on offer. The multicultural, multiracial nature of the office – given ERBD’s global presence – also necessitates translation booths used by simultaneous interpreters. “The project allowed us to rethink what needed doing in a more circular way,” says Maria Papadopoulou, lead architect on the project. All timber – a material used extensively, both in a functional way and on an immense scale to make a major sculptural impact – is FSC-certified. Wooden features throughout the office comprise modular elements fixed together with screws, not toxic glues, meaning the components can be easily disassembled and redeployed in other buildings.
In 2022, award-winning design firm Gensler relocated its Birmingham office to 4 St Philip’s Place, in the heart of the city’s central business district, allowing the studio to expand after more than doubling in size over the last 18 months. Embracing a hybrid working model, the new Birmingham HQ has been designed to augment the activities, behaviours and experiences that cannot be fulfilled at home – offering employees an alternative, progressive, flexible space to experiment with new ways of working whilst expanding their autonomy and choice.
The Workshop is the nerve centre of the studio with open plan workspace, storage, focus space, meeting and collaboration areas. Adaptive furniture solution Atelier (designed by Gensler in collaboration with Fantoni) is utilised here, and combines a multiplicity of spatial functions and a lightweight modular structure which adjusts to changing work requirements and technologies. Employees are able to easily reconfigure the space to establish their own ecosystems for creativity, collaboration, concentration and innovation, encouraging fluid teamworking.
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