Project Description

Design Story - Inspired by the “Shanghai’s Ground to Sky” The design narrative is a journey exploring the different and contrasting facets of Shanghai, with a view to express the client’s corporate values of “Here for good moments.” The journey begins in the eclectic winding alleys of Shanghai’s Longtang (L16), moving through to the dynamic Huangpu Promenade (L18) , the modernity of Shanghai’s architecture (L25) , and finishes with the serenity of the Shanghai Skyline (L28). The project spans five distinct floors, each meticulously designed to offer an immersive and exclusive experience for employees and visitors, breathing fresh life into the historic Standard Chartered Bank's operations, infusing heritage with innovation. From the client’s corporate values, we define three experience principles that drive the design: A Sense of Place (Connect Spaces), Intuitive + Empowering (Wellness Spaces), Diverse (Inclusive) + Dynamic (Task Spaces). Aligned with “SC Foundations” playbook, the design aspires to provide bespoke user journey. The workspace strikes a balance between individual work, collaboration, and social spaces, leveraging hybrid work model to cater diverse range of functions. The new office is thoughtfully organized with task-oriented work and information confidentiality prioritized on L18 and L25, L16 houses a café for connection and collaboration, a library, an activity room, flexible workspaces, and an innovative think tank lab for startups within the Bank. This area serves as both a community hub for employees and a food and beverage solution within the headquarters. While a new guest relation experience is offered on L28 with a brand-new front-of-house reception area. Guests are greeted at a tea bar. Guests are warmly welcomed at a tea bar, paying homage to the Chinese ritual of serving tea to important guests. With the peace and serenity environment, the design creates an elevated hospitality experience for the Bank’s guests. LEED & WELL Gold certified new Standard Chartered Bank Shanghai Headquarters provides an exclusive experience to employees and visitors. The project aims to create a human-centric and flexible workplace that focuses on curating different experiences on different floors, while redefining the office space which supports interactions, wellness, mobility and community within the company. Embracing the client’s “Future of Work Now” vision and “One Shanghai Bank” strategy, the project achieves space optimization by releasing excess capacity and adapting hybrid working model in China market during Shanghai COVID lockdown, accomplishing “Twice the Experience, Half the Space”. Sustainability is the core of design, floorplate planning allows natural light to penetrate open offices, utility areas are consolidated to streamline printing and reduce wastes. LEED and WELL GOLD certificated, the project employs eco-friendly materials and fixtures to reduce energy, water consumption, and carbon footprint. The design prioritizes user wellness and comfort through biophilia elements, ergonomic and adjustable furniture.