Workspace projects that light new ways of working

From creative studios and banking headquarters to hybrid showroom-office concepts, each of these workspaces shows how lighting isn’t simply another decorative element, but the key that defines contemporary workspaces, underpinning the evolving workday in a perfect synergy between function and wellbeing.

The new C’est Ici Design offices in Dubai reflects the studio’s approach to work: open plan, with areas that can be transformed depending on the time of day. The reception, the communal kitchen, the samples area and the workstations share the same space without being compartmentalised, creating an ambience where collaboration and concentration coexist naturally.

In the reception area three Flamingo light fittings, designed by Antoni Arola, add a sculptural light that brightens up the entrance. The Plusminus textile belt installation in the kitchen introduces a warm and domestic scale sensation in what would otherwise be a functional place. And finally, the portable Africa lamp, by Francisco Gomez Paz, adds flexibility: a precise yet discreet light that can move around as required by the team.

Sartoriale’s offices in Panama City, designed by DOS-G Arquitectos, take Italian hospitality as their inspiration and translate it into spaces where quality materials, neutral colour tones, and carefully calibrated lighting create a calming and comfortable atmosphere. Work here is done without the oppressive corporate formality.

The Cosmos collection floats over the dining table, its geometry ensures that all eyes are on this lamp. Africa adds movement to the workstations with a portable and precise lighting. And Flat immerses the meeting zone with an indirect illumination, warm and seamless. Three pieces that complement one another and convert the space into a place where concentration and communication happen naturally.

Audi reimagines the showroom concept with its House of Progress in Vienna, an interior designed by Schmidhuber, that combines design, technology and sustainability in order to offer an immersive experience inspired by the future of mobility.

Sticks, designed by Arik Levy, extends throughout the building in suspended aluminium rods at different angles and heights, connecting different levels and zones with a continuous line of light. From the offices to the conference rooms, the collection lends visual coherence and reinforces the values of innovation and precision that define Audi through its own graphic aesthetic.

The new DLA Piper headquarters in Oslo, designed by I-d Interior Architecture & Design, combines organic materials, art and modulated light through a language inspired by Nordic design. The goal? To create an elegant and practical workspace that offers a more sustainable design approach.

Plusminus structures the work areas with its linear composition. Tempo brings directional light to the vertical planes, adding depth to the architecture. And Knit introduces warmth and texture to the social areas. In summary, the light creates an environment that fosters both concentration and interaction, contributing to the wellbeing of its occupants.

All in One by CaixaBank in Barcelona, designed by the Francesc Rifé Studio, redefines the space’s corporate image in a sober and warm approach. The Duo ceiling lights with their internal timber lining and exterior aluminium shell, are integrated to resemble rooflights that project a warm uniform lighting.

The balance between technology and materiality generates a visual continuity over the different levels and underlines the brand identity: equal parts elegance and warmth.

Valencia based Ana Ballester’s design studio is, above all else, an extension of her way of understanding architecture: rooted in the day-to-day, conscious of the materials and the human scale. Plusminus structures the light within the space with precision and colour. The textile belt in red tones introduces a warm and vibrant note that creates a dialogue with the joinery and the furniture. The linear fittings hanging over the tables supply the necessary lighting for drawing and model making. At the same time, the vertical spotlights, beside the panoramic window, highlight the works on display. The space manages to convey, in its own way, the studio’s individual character.

The new SEB Bank headquarters in Stockholm with lighting design by Fanny Englund for ÅF Lighting, treats the lighting as an element that evolves over the course of the day: sometimes dynamic depending on the time and the function, but always calming. A large-scale banking headquarters that maintains a warmth and comfort thanks to a signature moderation in how the lighting is used.

While Match adds precision in the conference rooms, North calms the architectural intensity of the atriums creating more intimate areas. And lastly, Wireflow which extends throughout the circulation areas, lends a delicate touch that integrates with its surroundings. The combination helps transform the corporate feel into a more manageable and familiar daily experience.

BWM Designers & Architects, together with Eigensinn and Cuuluu GmbH, converted an old factory in Vienna into a space for Polestar: showroom and offices within the same industrial volume. Through characterful compositions, Plusminus manages to sculpt the light between private and open plan areas, adapting to different functions with an organic fluidity.

The textile belt creates a visual path that connects the sofa seating areas with the meeting tables, making the space feel like a continuous whole. The result is a contemporary atmosphere that combines industrial elegance with Scandinavian warmth.

The offices for Sauvage TV represent a new generation of workspaces that are more open and sensorial. Located within an old industrial warehouse in the 22@ district of Barcelona that combines architectural heritage and contemporary design.

Plusminus, by the Diez Office, orders this diversity with compositions that alternate spherical and linear fittings on different planes. The earthy colour tone of the textile belt connects with the furniture and the materials of the warehouse, reinforcing the idea of continuity between the different zones.

The new headquarters for Simon in Barcelona occupies the old factory belonging to the company: a building replete with history, now refurbished through the SWITCH project, created by b720 Architects, Katty Schiebeck Studio, Estudi Antoni Arola and MMAS Lighting without sacrifycing any of that memory.

Plusminus, Flamingo, North, Pin, and Ghost are distributed throughout the building, each contributing a distinctive character: efficiency in work areas, calm in rest areas, and personality in meeting spaces. As the project’s lighting designer, Michela Mezzavilla, describes it: “Light serves as the raw material and unifying factor of the project.”

Despite the clear differences between these ten projects, the lighting element reinforces the connection between the user and their surroundings, that structures and defines the workspaces in an organic and fluid manner. All of which transform settings that promote creativity and concentration, or to put it another way, places where ideas are born. Ideas that in many instances help shape the future to come.