Nature, creativity and a friendly environment were theslogans that guided architects from Gierbienis + Poklewski studio indesigning theinteriors of theColumbus Energy office in Krakow. The renovated office, located on 2,500 square meters, gained a well-arranged and open space with modern Polish design and a clear functional layout.
Columbus Energy office reception area
Photo: Fotomohito © Gierbienis + Poklewski
As of recently, Columbus Energy - one of the most rapidly growing renewable energy and environmental companies in Poland - can boast new interiors, full of nature, color and interesting design, designed by architects Marcin Gierbienis and Damian Poklewski-Koziel . The office unit, with an impressive 2,500, square meters of space, is located in the BBC9 office and service building on Jasnogórska Street in Cracow, which Mix Group is responsible for developing and managing. Designed by ARCHI-VISION Studio of Architecture and Interiors , the building was commissioned in 2016 and achieved a very good level in the BREEAM international environmental certification.
One of the themes is the forest and its fauna
Photo: Fotomohito © Gierbienis + Poklewski
friendly place to work
Columbus Energy's ecological pedigree and operations influenced the design of the architects, who decided to create a space that reflects sensitivity to nature and is conducive to creative work.
The spaces are characterized by a multitude of colors and textures and numerous plants
Photo: Fotomohito © Gierbienis + Poklewski
As designers, we wanted to create a space that evokes associations with home, friendly and attractive, while stimulating creativity, surprising and offering different sensations. Hence the multitude of colors and textures seen on the floors, the individual approach to the wall coverings, and the wide variety of furniture used. The overriding goal of the concept was to reach for Polish design, both from large and already established brands, as well as smaller companies. The local aspect of the interiors is visible in both the selected furnishings and aesthetics - the walls of the meeting rooms feature residents of Polish landscapes: bears, deer, foxes and many other animals. Being inspired by our locality leads to original ideas," say architects Marcin Gierbienis and Damian Poklewski-Koziello.
A common space and kitchen full of Polish design
Photo: Fotomohito © Gierbienis + Poklewski
nature in office interiors
The main idea of the project was to refer to nature. It is reflected both by the numerous plants and the natural materials used - wood and ceramics. The architects relied on personalized illustrative wallpaper - murals, where animals native to our latitude appear in the green landscape. The colors of nature are also visible in the range adopted for the finishing of the rooms and furniture and equipment.
Office interiors can be identified by the images of animals on the wallpaper
Photo: Fotomohito © Gierbienis + Poklewski
The starting point for the project was to work closely with the investor on a convenient division of space that will allow a large number of people to work in open space, while providing them with a high level of comfort.
We realized that currently the most convenient model for offices is open space. Open space allows for the most efficient use of every square meter of leased space and at the same time allows for flexibility to make changes in the future, such as moving departments, changing workspace, or rearranging. The key is to manage the available space in such a way as to avoid the effect of a hall and organize open spaces separated by individual rooms, meeting areas or green dividers. This allows to create a sense of intimacy, staying in a team, or improve acoustic conditions. Thus, the starting point for the development of the interior design for Columbus Energy was a good layout plan, and only later the introduction of an idea that would give the whole establishment an original, authorial aesthetic. From the beginning, however, we knew that it had to be nature," say the architects.
The interiors are characterized by Polish design and lots of light
Photo: Fotomohito © Gierbienis + Poklewski
Due to the large area of the premises and keeping in mind the orientation of the space, both from the point of view of the employees and visitors to the office, the architects decided to introduce a division into three zones. Each of these zones was assigned one color and one element of nature. The theme of the middle zone is vegetation and greenery, where illustrations inspired by the forest and its inhabitants appear on the walls.
One of the zones is accompanied by the theme of sky and air
Photo: Fotomohito © Gierbienis + Poklewski
The theme of the zone located to the right of the entrance is the sun and earth and shades of beige and brown, while the left zone is sky and air along with shades of blue and navy. Graphics have been matched to each zone. Meanwhile, the space of the essential office work is kept in the colors of white and gray, and forms the background for the colorful interior zones.
Anna Kiełbasa is responsible for the drawings on the murals.
Photo: Fotomohito © Gierbienis + Poklewski
original murals
In addition to Vesstige's ready-made vinyl wallpapers with natural motifs of tree bark, stems, flowers, or wood, the architects developed the original murals together with graphic designer Anna Kiełbasa. The artist has incorporated hand-drawings into the abstract collages. As a result, each space is distinctive, and employees orient themselves in the office plan by pointing to the "inhabitant" of the room. In the green zone it was animals, and in the blue zone it was birds and the cosmos. An important space for the investor was the coworking zone, where the wallpaper motif is photovoltaic installations covering the rooftops of the blue city.
coworking zone in blue shades
Photo: Fotomohito © Gierbienis + Poklewski
As investors, we wanted our space to contribute and enhance our working comfort. Lots of greenery and vegetation makes it possible for us to relax, unwind and recharge our batteries in every corner of our office [...]. Columbus Energy's Krakow office is rich in a variety of meeting spaces, located in various parts of the new space. Many of them are located in close proximity to workstations. This makes it easy for us to communicate efficiently. An additional advantage of our office is the large social areas [...]. It's nice to meet there and have breakfast or afternoon coffee together," Tomasz Stawiarski, Columbus Energy technical specialist, sums up on behalf of the investor.
