HEADQUARTERS MAKEOVER:LIQUIDNET IS a fast growing New York based electronic brokerage supplier, providing liquidity systems to traders in the financial markets. Studios Architecture principal Brian Tolman explains the thinking behind their headquarters' retrofit design in a former industrial building.
"The client wanted a central, large gathering space for their employees, which morphed into a space that is at the same time front and back of house, merging the reception with the employee common areas, creating a meeting area that gives visitors and customers direct access to the employees and culture of the organisation.
"Additionally, transparency was critical to the client, especially given the relatively constrained ceiling heights and tight column grid of the former industrial building. Where functions could not be moved to the open office environment, offices were as much glass as feasible, blurring the lines and opening up maximum space to daylight and views.
"We engage in a 'deep Dive' exercise to understand our clients business, their culture, approaches and operations that allows us to understand why they have done things the way they have previously.
"This allows us to tailor our design approaches to the particulars of our client's organisation, the site and the programme.
"The central feature of the space is a glass-wrapped stair that connects all of the departments in Liquidnet's stack of floors to the central pantry and employee common areas. With leather wrapped walls, the employees from all departments get the chance to mingle, connect and collaborate on ideas that grow the business.
"The staff have the space with excitement and delight. It is a major part of the company's recruitment effort and the design is being carried into other spaces for Liquidnet as they expand globally."
