The new Echo Investment office located in Warsaw Breweries is relevant to the nature of the investor’s activity – the development sector and the areas related to construction: architecture, design and urban planning. At the same time, it has a homely atmosphere, and the main inspiration, the film “Inception”, is a broad idea represented for example, by the creative eclecticism. The equipment provided by Bakata plays an equally important role.
The office – which is also the seat of the company’s management board – was to have a representative character, but also to emphasize that the priority in the subsequent Echo Investment projects is to create friendly places to live, work and spend free time. Elegant and made with great attention to detail, the interior certainly invokes a homely feel. This is due to the noble materials: wood, ceramics, metal, fabrics and leather, as well as warm colors dominated by browns and beiges. The MIXD studio is responsible for the interior design.
FROM A MOVIE SET TO AN ECCLUSIVE HOUSEHOLD
The first thing that catches eye after entering the office is the ceiling in the lobby, decorated with forms of abstract buildings. This directly refers to the iconic scene from “Inception”, in which the city turns upside down. It is worth recalling that each of the heroes in Nolan’s film had an artifact that made it possible to distinguish dream from reality. One such artifact in the Echo Investment office are the Spun rocking chairs by Magis, which closely resemble the spinning top seen in the film. Other noteworthy pieces include the Wireframe sofas by Herman Miller, in which the optically light bases complement the dreamlike atmosphere of the interior.
The lobby, which takes up a large part of the office, showcases the main idea of the project – homely, eclectic atmosphere achieved through creative and non-obvious solutions. The journey through the many levels of sleep is referenced by the trail of design icons – especially sofas, which appear in large numbers both in the lobby and the entire office. Boxx sofas by Iker are a modern take on the chesterfield style, while the models from the Outline collection of the Danish company Muuto introduce minimalist, pure Scandinavian forms in a duet with high ergonomics.
The selection of equipment appears very “homely” and cleverly transfers the eclecticism of the design – typical of many apartments and houses – to the workplace. Such variety and uniqueness can be found in many parts of the Echo Investment office, even in the canteen, where there are tables with mismatched stools.
CITY, LOCALITY, CRAFTSMANSHIP
The wooden forms on the ceiling also constitute a kind of mirror image of the enormous model of Warsaw placed in the lobby. The speed of development of the capital seems to be something almost as incredible as the curved city from ”Inception”. References to the environment in which the office is located also have another dimension – a nod to tradition. After all, the seat of Echo Investment is Warsaw Breweries. Numerous copper details refer to the cut brewing vats. In addition to copper, the design uses original cast-iron poles from the demolition of the former Warsaw Breweries, which have been given a new function – plant pots.
Tradition and locality in the Echo Investment office also translate into design that creatively reveals the values of classic craftsmanship. Conference rooms house characteristic Splot chests of drawers, with fronts which somehow combine the aesthetics of traditional craftsmanship with modern folklore. A similar concept can be found in the pieces designed by another Polish brand – Beza Projekt. Such eclectic, non-obvious furniture defies the minimalism and homogeneity of office interiors, lending them a more homely, relaxed mood.
The foreign and Polish brands from Bakata’s offer have undeniably left a strong mark on the look of the Echo Investment office. Usually sparing in expression, the aforementioned conference rooms have a palpable soul. This is ensured by e.g. other interesting chests of drawers from the Polish brand Phormy. Here, craftsmanship is quite heavily filtered through modern industrial design – especially iconic 20th-century forms. However, these pieces still provide a cozy feel mainly due to the use of warm colors and natural materials (especially wood). Other noteworthy furniture includes i.a. chests designed by Tamo, which also focuses on interesting designer combinations – warm wood with geometric rigor or technical smoothness with picturesque natural patterns.
Finally, lovers of classic design will surely appreciate the S64 conference chairs by Thonet. The bent metal frame and the openwork braids in the backrests combine the most important elements – history with the present and the soulful craftsmanship with the needs of a dynamic, digitized world.
The Echo Investment office also uses products from other brands from Bakata’s offer: Arper, Hay, Kristalia, Buzzi Space, Moooi, Misaform, Pedrali, Mobboli, Fritz Hansen, Wiesner Hager, Nowy Styl, Plus Halle and Maro.
