Header: Fotomohito
Baker McKenzie has moved its Warsaw headquarters to the top three floors of Varso Tower. The Foster + Partners skyscraper rises 310 metres above Chmielna Street and holds the title of tallest building in the European Union. The interiors are the work of Polish studio BIT CREATIVE, led by founder Barnaba Grzelecki and Jakub Bubel, Agata Krykwińska, Zuzanna Wojda and Joanna Zaorska.
For a global law firm on prime real estate, at the summit of a record-breaking tower, the temptation might have been to design a grand interior. The architects went, however, the other way. The brief drew on two places that are deeply embedded into the firm’s identity, Japan and New York, with the team having blended Japandi, a style that combines Japanese minimalism with Scandinavian warmth, with a bold metropolitan energy.
“Our ambition was to create a workplace that feels calm without becoming static, elegant without feeling intimidating. Japandi provided the foundation, whilethe New York influence introduced energy and rhythm.”
Barnaba Grzelecki, Founder of BIT CREATIVE
The reception
Daylight pours in through full-height windows into a reception area that doubles as a venue for meetings and events. At its centre, the team of designers placed a bonsai-inspired installation by a Norwegian maker and a reception desk cut from Breccia Lunare, a Brazilian stone with pronounced veining.
A handwoven textile piece hangs in the waiting area, the wallpapers are made from natural fibres and subtle ceiling details lead the eye from one space to the next. Walls flow into ceilings so surfaces look almost like monolithic planes, a feat that demanded close work with specialist manufacturers.
Sculptural and custom elements
The office’s defining feature is its staircase, an open latticework structure that seems to hang weightlessly in the space. Beside it, BITCREATIVE designed a one-off lighting installation suspended against a backdrop of natural wood veneer.
“We wanted light to become more than a functional element. This installation guides users through the space, shapes the atmosphere and has become one of the office’s defining features.”
Jakub Bubel, Designer at BIT CREATIVE
For furniture, the team chose sculptural seating from Tacchini’s Julep collection in the shared areas, Mirabelle armchairs by Ulivi for the coffee point and lounges, and pieces by Eichholtz, Ethnicraft and Moooi Carpets everywhere else. Workstations and staff kitchens were decorated with furniture by Bene, Okamura, Arper, TON, Paged and HAY.
A collection of Polish art
The team worked alongside the client and an independent art consultant to choose and add a collection of contemporary Polish art. Paintings, graphic works and installations by Agata Bogacka, Olga Mokrzycka-Grospierre, Roma Hałat, Xawery Wolski and Paulina Włostowska hang alongside inkographs by other Polish artists.
No single way of working
Rather than committing to one workplace model, the plan mixes open areas with private offices for one, two or three people. A suite of conference rooms is located right off the entrance, one of which can be split or combined into a larger event space. Furthermore, the office includes a library, phone booths and a mock courtroom equipped for remote hearings.
The base colours are muted and natural, but the staff kitchens turn up the warmth, with richer tones and a wallpaper of blooming cherry blossoms which fit perfectly with the Japanese theme. The materials themselves, natural stone, veneers and heavy textiles, were chosen as much for durability as for looks, intended to age well with the company.
“The greatest challenge was finding the right balance between cultures, between work and relaxation, between privacy and openness. This office doesn’t prescribe a single way of working or being; instead, it offers choice.”
Barnaba Grzelecki
Project information
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Interior Design Company: BIT CREATIVE
Lead Designer: Barnaba Grzelecki
Design Team: Jakub Bubel, Agata Krykwińska, Zuzanna Wojda, Joanna Zaorska
Architecture Company: Foster + Partners
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Date: 2024
