Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
10 Great Marlborough Street, London W1
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's new European headquarters, an eight-floor outdated late 80s building with a separate annex behind it in Ramillies Place, was taken in hand by MoreySmith to create a fresh, contemporary interior with a youthful atmosphere. The driving idea for the project was linking the two buildings and covering over the space between to create a dramatic atrium with a café on the ground floor - making connections both functional and social, and tackling the building's main problem, a lack of natural light in the deep, narrow floorplate. The view here from one building to the other across the atrium gives an immediate sense of how we achieved drama and dynamism in a difficult space.
The 180-cover café on the ground floor of the atrium, where diners can enjoy the full effect of the giant space, and the linking bridge and box windows provide inspirational views from above. The smaller image shows the 'indoor' area of the café, where timber refectory benches are visible beneath a canopy of oversized square lights.
A breakout area gives a view directly across the atrium to the workspaces in the main building. This visual contact is a key factor in bringing teams together and helping navigation throughout the space.
The plan shows the ground floor with the atrium linking 10 Great Marlborough St to the right, with Ramillies place to the left. The new atrium is highlighted in red.
One of the main working areas, with the central ceiling section stripped back to expose the concrete soffit and give greater height and concentrated light in the centre of the deep floorplate. Circulation routes are defined by another set of galvanised ceiling tiles, while colour, informality and energy are infused by the lacquered doors and storage drawers.
View into the boardroom with its metallic vinyl fabric wall panels, stitched with PlayStation symbols. The green stripes on the exterior wall form a linear pixelated graphic leading into the café, where they expand into a 10m panorama of a Balinese rainforest.