The existing dining hall on the 3rd floor was overly branded with signage and messaging. Additionally, the news room was located on the floor above the diner. Employees expressed that they were routinely inundated with company messaging and were looking for a way to “get away” when stepping out from the office environment. The existing 2nd floor was underutilized space without any access to natural light. The client challenged the design to reimage the dining experience while activating the 2nd floor space to help increase utilization.
The design team’s concept creates a true restaurant/market experience where employees can go to connect, relax, and recharge. Most importantly, the connecting stairs between the two floors create a flow for employees to come and go easily while encountering spaces to meet and eat. The existing escalator was removed and a new communicating stair was added to make the transition from the 2nd floor to the 3rd floor more meaningful. The 2nd floor was repurposed with a variety of formal and informal meeting rooms as well as booths and focus rooms. A new coffee shop and grab and go market was also added to the 2nd floor to attract employees from other office towers to the 2nd floor meeting spaces.
The renovation includes updates to the existing servery and dining hall with an additional new roof top dining/entertainment space that maximizes downtown views at the campus.
To further convey the retreat nature of the space, the design team curated propping, environmental graphics, and artwork for the space. Capitalizing on a formerly underutilized café, the space was repositioned as a new restaurant and collaborative experience that incites a connected culture.