FOCUS CASE STUDY
Special occasions here have already included a live
screening of a royal wedding, Europe’s largest Eid
shopping festival, the Westfield Presents live music
platform, and the world premiere of The House with
a Clock in Its Walls.
Looking down, adjacent to Westfield Square, you
can see the iconic Grade II listed Dimco building – a
striking Victorian structure completed in 1899,
originally built as an electricity generating station
for the London Underground. Having once famously
starred as the Acme Factory in the 1988 film Who
Framed Roger Rabbit?, and more recently served as
part of TfL’s White City bus station (as a bus garage),
the heritage building is being brought into public use
for the first time in its history as a 3,000 capacity event
space. Exhibition London – named a er its proximity
to the site of the Franco British Exhibition of 1908 – is
set to open at the end of this year.
The proximity of these entertainment and event
spaces and venues is a key factor in attracting
and retaining top talent. Equally appealing is the
connectivity and ease of access – Westfield London
is one of the most connected locations in London,
with four underground stations serving three tube
lines, one overground station and two bus stations.
MULTIFUNCTIONAL ENVIRONMENT
The new workplace was designed by architectural
practice Suttonca. The open, contemporary twolevel
space is more like a domestic environment
than a corporate o‡ ice. The aim was to enhance
the working culture as well as increase employees’
sense of wellbeing and satisfaction.
26 JULY 2019
Crucially, the space was conceived following
an extensive consultation process involving all
members of sta‡ . This research fed directly into
the design, enabling the design team to cra a
workplace that met employees’ real needs and
modern working trends while fostering the values of
communication and collaboration.
Una O’Reilly comments: “Our new head o‡ ices are
designed by our people, for our people, bringing
them together in a dynamic and collaborative
working environment. It was also important for our
o‡ ices to be located within our business to enhance
our understanding and collaboration with our
retailers and occupiers.”
Core to the design is the introduction of
multifunctional spaces, catering for di‡ erent work
models such as hot-desking and team working. Lush
greenery creates a connection with nature and a
sense of ‘bringing the outside in’, assisted by large
floor-to-ceiling windows that allow for a flow of
natural light.
A central, tiered auditorium joins the two floors
along with libraries, colourful pod-style meeting
places and a large café and kitchen area with
communal bench seating. A carefully considered
palette of high-quality materials has been used to
create a sense of warmth, solidity and durability,
coupled with playful elements including hidden
flashes of colour and secluded spaces for focus and
quiet working.
Keith Whitmore, Head of Development, Design and
Construction UK/Italy, concludes: “This project is the
result of the consideration of the needs of di‡ erent
o‡ ice users and a true abandonment of the ‘one
size fits all’ corporate stereotype. Contemporary
o‡ ice environments are rapidly transforming to
meet the requirements of a diverse population, and
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s new UK headquarters
embodies that change.”
PROJECT PARTNERS:
Client Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
Architect Suttonca
M&E Foreman Roberts
Contractor Nuttalls
Workplace Consultancy Feldon Rose
Photography Matt Chisnall
Structures MPN