Dezeen Magazine

Memocorp office by The Stella Collective

The Stella Collective creates Sydney office that resembles luxury penthouse

Melbourne interior design studio The Stella Collective has designed this Sydney office interior to resemble a luxury penthouse or boutique hotel rather than a corporate workspace.

Memocorp office by The Stella Collective

Designed for property investment firm Memocorp, the 1,000-square-metre office is located on the top floor of the the 42-storey 259 George St office tower in Sydney's financial district.

The interior designers said they wanted to create a "warm domestic penthouse-feel" that blurred the lines of hospitality and workplace, and to place "wellness at work centre-stage".

Memocorp office by The Stella Collective

To take full advantage of the natural light from the wrap-around views of Sydney’s skyline from the 200-metre building, The Stella Collective opted for an open-plan layout. Large planes of steel-framed glazing is used in place of partition walls between office space and meeting rooms.

Within the space, areas for eating, working, playing and relaxing are defined by variations in floor levels. A neutral colour palette, pale oak floors, rugs, comfy sofas and pot plants add to the domestic feel.

Memocorp office by The Stella Collective

"Memocorp office represents a throwing out of the design rules of the past in corporate life to re-interpret the way we interact with our work place," explained the designers.

The office also includes a gym, where yoga mats can be laid for morning stretches and a full commercial kitchen for parties and events.

Memocorp office by The Stella Collective

"The scope of work traversed the entire 1,000-square-metre-space, painstakingly designing every detail, from the custom lift indicator lights, to the ventilation grills," explained the designers.

"This approach allowed for a strict palette that reflects a feeling of wellbeing and attention to detail at every turn."

Memocorp office by The Stella Collective

In the centrally-located bathroom block, where natural light was not available, the designers created a custom wallpaper featuring New York photographer Brooke Holm's imagery of the Nevada desert.

Memocorp office by The Stella Collective

The attempt to break down boundaries between domestic space and workplace environments has been a popular topic in recent years.

According to a paper produced by the office furniture manufacturer Haworth last year, a generational shift is occurring in the workplace, with baby boomers – who kept their work and private lives separate – being replaced as the dominant workplace culture by millennials, who see little distinction between the two.