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#COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE PROJECTS

Fold 7

Paul Crofts Studio has overseen a major interior renovation for the headquarters of the advertising agency Fold 7 in Farringdon, Central London.

The studio’s work on the project, which is situated in an existing 1980s office building, included completely reconfiguring the space and replacing the main staircase to create a new entrance and reception area, as well as designing bespoke elements including a bar, seating booths, and shelving.

The aim for the interior was to create a work-focused yet relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. A homely feel was created with a combination of fine, understated materials, specially-sourced mid-century furniture pieces, and contemporary details.

The space is divided into an upper and a lower floor, which are connected by an inserted half floor level. This new half level features a sunken meeting area custom-made using Douglas fir, with seating upholstered in shades of Fold 7’s signature blue, hidden lighting and feature floor lights.

On the upper floor, the focal point of the reception area is a bespoke brass reception desk with an inset leather writing surface, behind which illuminated lettering fabricated in black outline reads ‘Welcome to the fold’. Black stained oak flooring and subtle lighting sets a relaxed and familial tone, and the waiting area includes a library which wraps around the ground floor meeting room – the entrance to which is hidden amongst the bookshelves.

The lower level is conceived as the main workspace for the company, comprising an open-plan office area; fabric-clad meeting booths in three shades of teal, with Douglas fir tables; and the company’s main meeting room. Oversized fabric pendant lights and flooring laid in a two-tone herringbone pattern further establish the sense of this being an approachable, non-corporate environment.

The meeting room is intended as a calm and proactive space, clad in grey stained oak with a flush door and frameless glazed internal windows. Simple translucent curtains can be drawn to ensure confidentiality for client pitches, if needed. The table is a bespoke screen-printed piece by Paul Crofts Studio, again in Douglas fir, a material which is also used to create benches in the window recesses. Wall-mounted cuckoo clocks provide a light-hearted reminder to meeting participants not to lose momentum in their discussions. In an adjacent pitch space, an informal tone is created by such details as a meeting desk which doubles as a ping-pong table, and wall graphics and a blue neon light feature conveying tongue-in-cheek messages.

Leading away from the reception area, the staircase is clad in pale Douglas fir and has an illuminated balustrade and recessed handrail. Suspended above the staircase is a commissioned artwork by Czech artist Michal Trpák, which again makes use of Fold 7’s brand colours. At the top of the stairs, a meeting room clad in acoustic panels which resemble traditional timber panelling is entered through a secret library door. Knoll chairs, a mid-century sideboard and vintage rugs underscore the comfortable, homely tone that runs throughout the interior.

Also on the upper floor is cafe for staff and clients, featuring a specially-designed bar made from laser cut brushed brass with a Carrera marble top. Intimate lighting gives a sense of laid-back comfort, while oak-clad dining booths double as informal meeting spaces. Here, as elsewhere in this workplace, the familial combines with the businesslike to maximum effect.

Fold 7

Details

  • London, UK
  • Paul Crofts studio

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