Bean Buro completed the Warner Music offices with a modern and hip design for the growing team in Hong Kong.

The Brief: An evolved workplace for an advanced company
Warner Music has returned to Bean Buro to design a new office for their growing team in Hong Kong, as the team has doubled in size since Bean Buro’s first workplace design project for them in 2016. The new workplace is substantially larger, moving into one of the new office buildings in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong, which overlooks what used to be the Hong Kong International Airport in Kai Tak.

This workplace would be the third design evolution that builds on previous successes: The first Hong Kong workplace that we had designed was a breakthrough in transforming its previous traditional office. It was a drastic transformation with new workplace strategies, such as creating eventful multifunctional spaces, semi-formal collaboration spaces, and artist rooms with music sampling and demo performances to happen in the workplace. Our second project was for Warner Music Beijing’s workplace, which borrowed much of Hong Kong’s strategies. Still, we took it one step further with a heightened sophistication in material finishes and colours to create a higher user engagement.

For the third incarnation, we were tasked with the new challenge of reaching an even higher level of articulation and further promoting the dynamic activities within Warner Music Hong Kong. The new workplace contains the previous designs’ DNA, such as a multifunctional welcoming reception for events, with a clear line of sight to the city skyline in the backdrop. A large LED wall, a raised platform, a DJ booth, and movable lounge furniture allow the space to be used as a performance event space. At the same time, we would satisfy the company’s desire to reach for a higher level of sophistication through the workplace’s design.

The Narrative: A ‘music box’ as an energetic and sociable design for dynamic working
We were inspired by the idea of the large volume within the large floor plate representing a “music box” that contains all the collaboration functions with flexible spaces. The music box would contain various spaces, including the boardroom and a game room with a pool table, which can be opened by operable glass partitions facing a long window that leads to a pantry with café booths around the back of the volume.

The volume is located near but offset from the facade to create a light-filled interstitial space with cafe furniture to allow people to relax and work in a social setting. The main front of the music box would face the reception and form the performance stage setting to stimulate exciting and dynamic events around the volume.

The Process: Rigorous prototyping ensuring desired results
The muted teal volume is interpreted as a robust, solid, small building, and we have explored a unique slatted detail for its outer walls to break down the large structure visually. We have also recessed the company’s logo into these fine slats, and the shape of the logo is also lined in fabric—inspired by a musical instrument carrying case.

To find the right design for the slats, we carried out many small-scale mock-ups and one-to-one prototyping.

Design: Bean Buro
Design Team: Lorène Faure, Kenny Kinugasa-Tsui, Kirk Kwok, Anny Teng, Jay Jordan, Linda Sze-To
Contractor: Hing Lung Contracting Limited
Photography: courtesy of Bean Buro

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