22 May 2012

A Walk in the Park

apbcOffices’ new facility at The Pavilion Towers in Kuala Lumpur gives the corporate office a welcoming mien writes Rachel Lee-Leong.

The office has always been more than just a space to work in. It is also the face of a business, and nowhere else in the world is this more important than in Asia. At the same time, consider the fact that businesses are sprouting up in Asia faster than anywhere else in the world – companies are heading Eastwards to start up new branches and start-ups are finding themselves on extremely fertile ground – and it becomes perfectly clear what a godsend a well-designed serviced office is.

Located in the prestigious Pavilion Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, apbcOffices’ latest serviced office is a refreshing alternative to staid offices. Indeed, apbcOffices is in the business of differentiating itself from the sea of cold and uninspiring office spaces in Asia. It provides serviced offices, virtual offices and meeting facilities in Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, and Malaysia, all of which eschew the straight-laced, character-deprived ways of traditional corporate offices.

Asylum Creative

Real tree trunks and logs create an informal break-out area along the corridor

“There wasn’t a specific brief for the project, except to make it a cool office that will create buzz,” says Cara Ang, Asylum’s design director. Asylum’s knack for the unconventional and “cool” made the studio a perfect fit for the project.

“From the start, we wanted to avoid the typical sleek, hard feel of most offices within a skyscraper,” Ang explains. “We asked ourselves, ‘What if going to work was like a walk in the park?’”

Asylum Creative

The pantry offers a refreshing burst of foliage on the wall

That question led to an office that takes inspiration from nature. Walls are lined with slender timber strips and fluidly maneuver their way around a service core. As one moves along the largely biscuit-coloured corridors, a comforting rhythm ensues, almost as if taking a stroll amongst trees. At the same time, a conscious effort was made to use materials that were available locally.

Asylum Creative