The Universal Music label is known worldwide. Madonna, Bon Jovi and U2 have recorded their hits under its name. Thus, it is no surprise that the offices of this music giant are distinguished by a unique atmosphere that favours creative work. The Warsaw headquarters of Universal Music Polska is no different. It gives you the feeling that you want to be here and get down to work; BAKATA helped to furnish this unusual place.
New Universal Music Polska headquarters is located in the X20 office building in the Mokotów district. The Design Group studio was in charge of its interior design. The designers’ task was to create a place that on one hand gives inspiration, and on the other soothes with its home-like atmosphere. The interior design also transmits a clear message to all artists working with this record label: here you can expect full professionalism and creative freedom. The area of about 1,500 sqm (4th and 5th floor of the X20 building) combines industrial and modern styles, and all this is graced with a pinch of homely atmosphere in the form of Chesterfield sofas and soft velour armchairs.
Command headquarters
Placing the Universal Music Polska headquarters on two floors allowed for clear separation of their functions. The main, representative part of the office is located on the 5th floor of the X20 building. Here you will find the reception area, the main conference room, the main kitchen connected to the terrace, open space area with separate theme rooms, video studio, as well as executive offices.
The designers’ concept of balance between elegance, austerity and warmth of materials used has become a leitmotif of the office. It is clearly noticeable right from the reception area. Such materials as metal, glass and recycled wood dominate here. This rather austere atmosphere is soothed by Chesterfield-style sofas upholstered with soft velour.
The conference room, situated next to the reception, also reflects the idea of combining materials of different design potentials, as well as mixing the office style with a homey vibe. A long, wooden table has been placed here, comfortable, light beige leather armchairs have been chosen instead of office chairs, and a classic fitted carpet replaces oak flooring. All this is complemented by 75-inch monitors and top-class teleconference equipment.
The spacious kitchen, located on the same floor, is intended for use by all the office employees. It is dominated by the English bar style with a touch of industrial atmosphere. That’s why one of the things we can find here is a massive wooden table, with industrial lamps hanging above it from a beam. From the kitchen we can go directly to the terrace, which has an impressive view on the center of Warsaw.
The social area is complemented by the stands of several levels. This place is designated for creative meetings of all employees and for individual work. It is also a relaxation zone. The premieres of new music videos are also shown here.
Inspiration and creation
The Universal Music Polska office on the 4th level of the X20 building takes up about 300 sqm. Here is the headquarters of the Polish branch of the iconic record label Def Jam. That’s why this space has a slightly different, more relaxed atmosphere. This area was created primarily for musicians and managers. Its arrangement is thought to make the artists feel at ease and create in such a way that suits them best, and the stage, placed here for the artist to run their rehearsals, has the same purpose. What else we can find on this floor is a small open space kitchen, comfortable sofas and armchairs, as well as Loud VIP Room, which is a specially designed room that allows to listen to music in perfect acoustic conditions.
The extra-special zest of the Universal Music Polska office is its classic neon lights. They are located in different areas of the company, for example, in the kitchen, where the employees are greeted by a neon sign that reads “but first coffee”. The most eye-catching item, however, is a specially designed selfie mirror with a “no music, no life” neon sign.
Top-class furniture
The Universal Music Polska office in Warsaw was furnished, among others, by BAKATA. Each workstation is equipped with an ergonomic Herman Miller office chair and Lutron lighting control system with light intensity and light temperature regulation. The monitor arms that were used here come from the Colebrook Bosson Saunders offer. We can also find here sofas and upholstered furniture by Motive Home and desks by Fabryka Mebli Biurowych Maro, while chairs and kitchen stools were manufactured by Vank and Paged.