Swiss Bureau completes SARA Group HQ with industrial touches and eclectic approach
Swiss Bureau Interior Design (SBID) delivers SARA Group HQ. The new design nods to a flourishing business philosophy, shifting its focus on contemporary working cultures, sustainability, and employee well-being visualised in a refined yet bold way. Swiss Bureau transformed its office to balance a functional and corporate environment, combined with an industrial touch and warm, collaborative spirit.
The design narrative draws inspiration from SARA’s corporate values in subtle ways. Through thoughtfully placed elements and a careful fit-out process, the new space paints an enduring theme of connectivity within its walls. From one corner to the other, metal features and decorative piping are used throughout, acting as both disguises for cables while also providing an aesthetically cohesive environment. Flexibility and creativity blend with corporate culture transparency to form a series of activity-based workspaces for an inclusive and interactive space.
Standout features include the open-workspace, where carefully implemented acoustic panels articulate a central-focus area and amplify a unique atmosphere. A vibrant town hall and large pantry speak to SARA’s collaborative nature and brings a playful contrast to the industrial mood with pops of colors accentuating a subdued color palette. The multi-functional space sports a bespoke feature wall of individually painted utensils creatively curated for an overall fun environment.
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Swiss Bureau creates an interactive workspace for Julius Baer with a focus on employee well-being!
Swiss Bureau Interior Design collaborated with leading Swiss wealth management group, Julius Baer, to design its new corporate office in Dubai. As the firm enters a new chapter in the UAE with its move to ICD Brookfield in DIFC, Swiss Bureau worked with the Julius Baer’s global architecture concept as its framework to help maintain uniformity across locations. The new premises intend to provide greater interaction space and promote employee well-being while offering unrivalled views of the DIFC and Downtown Dubai.
The contemporary corporate workspace designed with sustainability in mind has an expansive client reception area with seven meeting rooms and three boardrooms with state-of-the-art facilities and excellent infrastructure. Colors inspired by the Dubai desert add a local touch where light sand and orange hues connect with biophilic elements. A naturally lit reception sports a focal wall inspired by the UAE sand dunes, sweeping from the point of entry across to the glazing facade. The Julius Baer Art collection featuring artworks of contemporary Swiss artists adorn the walls across the two floors, realizing an elegant space able to withstand the test of time.
Besides work desks allowing for healthy alternation between seated and standing activities, provision of quiet rooms (i.e. ‘phone booths’) are placed enabling colleagues to quietly talk to clients while enjoying the facilities of an open office. A large pantry also serves as the heart of social interaction for employees.
With a solid history of 130 years, Julius Baer is a premium brand in this global sector, focusing on servicing and advising sophisticated private clients. In the last 16 years, in addition to Dubai, the bank has strategically grown in the Middle East and Africa with additional offices in Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Johannesburg, and Manama, offering its clients proximity and access to a well-established range of advisory and wealth management services.
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Swiss exhibition showcases innovative designs at Dubai Design Week 2020
Switzerland is running an exhibition titled ‘Reflections of Swiss innovation’, at the ongoing Dubai Design Week (Nov 9-14) at Dubai Design District (D3), building 7, plot 10. This exhibition is curated by the Embassy of Switzerland in the UAE & Bahrain, in cooperation with partners FREITAG, HyperAktiv, Pro Helvetia Cairo, and the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.
The exhibition highlights Swiss know-how and excellence in cutting-edge and innovative design. The centrepiece of the exhibition is an interactive installation referring to the Swiss Pavilion at the upcoming World Expo and sheds the light on a selection of iconic Swiss design elements.
Manuel Salchli, Commissioner General of the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “Our presence at Dubai Design Week is a great opportunity for visitors to immerse in a unique Swiss experience bringing together the best of Swiss creativity. We are looking forward to this event that will bring people closer to Switzerland through art”.
Iconic Swiss brand and upcycling pioneer FREITAG will make its debut in the Gulf region. Known for its functional, water-repellent and robust bags made from used truck tarpaulins, it will present the ‘From Truck Till Bag’ production process.
On a topical note, the ‘Bring your own mask’ (BYOM) project by Swiss design agency HyperAktiv gives young Swiss designers a platform to reconsider protective masks not only as an item that now accompanies our daily lives but also as a fashion statement.
As a display of Swiss design, the Swiss Pavilion will offer visitors an interactive experience, who will be able to get a first glimpse of the Swiss Pavilion ‘Reflections’ at Expo 2020 Dubai and discover some iconic and surprising Swiss design elements.