INTERIORS AWARD: WINNER
EY Offices, V&A Waterfront
With the bustling Waterfront dock on one side, and
an open vista of the mountain on the other, EY’s new
workplace is firmly rooted in Cape Town’s thriving
business hub.
When they decided to move out of their downtown
offices EY were clear they wanted their new home to be
a comfortable, welcoming, flexible and inspiring space.
A workplace that accurately reflected the EY personality
and their position as an innovative leader in their industry.
Savile Row design director Adrian Davidson explains:
“The client brief over and above implementing EY’s global
new ‘Ways of Working‘ principles, was to encourage us
as the Interior Architects, to push the design in terms of a
non-corporate look and feel. As a practice when planning
we usually work using metrics, data, best practice etc. On
EY we had lots of workplace user data, and we designed
spaces based on the numbers. However the problem with
the measurable is it can become generic and you end up
with space that doesn’t represent anybody. As a studio
our strength is that we constantly remind ourselves that
the spaces we create are for people, so to us it’s more
than getting the metrics right, its about creating a balance
SAPOA Awards
between the cool head and warm heart – the measurable
and immeasurable.”
Savile Row’s aim was to make the work environment
pleasurable and not just address functions, but also
create spaces people feel good in. So they designed the
space as somewhere that reflects different psychosocial
needs: there are places to relax, recharge, work, learn, and
celebrate. With flexibility in mind, Savile Row designed
the Harbour Terrace with full height sliding doors so the
whole area can become one flowing indoor/outdoor
entertainment space.
To create easy interaction between the two floors,
a central staircase was introduced, with its overhead
skylight flooding light into the area.
The distinctive design aesthetic was achieved through
mixing and contrasting textural finishes and tones to
achieve an effective balance between laid-back industrial
and refined comfort. The client and design team are thrilled
with the result, and the lively work atmosphere bears
witness to the success of the design.
Interiors: Savile Row Tailored Environments
81