Lumen – Head Office Expansion

Spread over two floors — 16,000 sq. ft. and 8,300 sq. ft. respectively — the offices are defined by their exceptionally high ceilings: 20 ft on the second floor and 30 ft on the third. The central challenge was to harness the drama of these vast volumes while creating an environment that feels human, warm, and welcoming. At the same time, the client sought spaces that would echo the industrial character of its core activities — notably cable manufacturing — through materials, textures, and colours drawn directly from its own product.

To meet the client’s needs, GKC designed green mesh metal pergolas for the open-plan workstations running alongside the vast curtain wall on the façade, as well as for certain relaxation areas. These structures lend a human touch to the environment and accommodate power supply and lighting, whilst also creating variations in height that break up the offices' elongated appearance. Omnipresent across both floors, these variations are also expressed in the form of large suspended wooden panels with perimeter lighting in front of the lifts, a luminous ‘cube’ composed of a multitude of lamps above the bar-kitchen area, or large felt circles arranged on the ceiling in the corridors, which alternate with the light fittings to give rhythm to the space and add warmth to the working environment.

Materials and colours have also been carefully selected to suit the spatial and functional characteristics of the premises, for example: 

• open-plan work areas defined by suspended acoustic panels and felt elements that add an organic, warm touch;
  
  
• numerous light-coloured ceramic and wooden surfaces to make the most of the light provided by the curtain wall;
  
  
• Enclosed offices painted black highlight spatial volumes and the industrial identity;
  
  
• a bronze-coloured wall that acts as a focal point on the second floor and helps to break up the sense of length in the offices.

In addition to workstations, offices and meeting rooms, GKC designed various spaces conducive to relaxation and collaboration, including a laboratory, cafeterias, a lounge and a large terrace where employees can take a break and enjoy a meal outdoors on sunny days. 

Launched in late 2023, the project was completed in December 2024—within a year—despite client changes, such as adding a second-floor cafeteria and refurbishing the third floor during construction.