PHOTO: Magnum and Piletilevi Trendy Offices Show Fashion Trends
The main keywords of current office design trends are coziness and homeliness, company-specific details and symbolism, segmentation and functionality.
Piletilevi and Magnum offices showcase all the main current office design trends. The most dominant among them is homeliness, which conquered offices with the arrival of hybrid work. "Excessive formality has disappeared from work and this is reflected in office design. An office that seemed suitable a few years ago no longer appeals to anyone, impersonal furniture and vertical blinds are gone, replaced by soft tones and homey details," said interior architect Margit Aule from LUMIA bureau, who designed Magnum and Piletilevi offices.
Living room-like office space
Coziness is created in offices with darker color choices or, conversely, with bright light-filled spaces and numerous accessories. The Piletilevi office on Maakri Street is a good example of a dark office, with beige leather sofas and brass details and abundant accessories: floor lamps, potted plants, pictures and textile curtains, which would have been unthinkable in an office a while ago. The result is a soft and inviting office that feels like a living room. Magnum's office, set up in the renovated limestone building of End Fahle district, stands out with its bright white surfaces. This office also hasn't forgotten the greatest guide to coziness, which has been created through the use of art. "The white room serves as a background for brightly colored paintings and sculptures that create a cozy feeling. Being there creates an atmosphere that is both loft-like and airy while being creatively inspiring like an art gallery. We're seeing increasingly more art in office spaces," added Aule.
Kitchen at the heart of the office
Just like in homes, the kitchen is becoming the heart of the office. More and more people want to have lunch in the office and bring their own food. Behind this is the desire to eat healthily and sustainably, as well as the prevalence of special diets and so on. The office kitchen has become a gathering space. "That's why Piletilevi's kitchen has a large kitchen island in the center, which is used very actively. In addition, there's a pleasant lounge where people gather for coffee after lunch," said Aule.
Personalized space
In addition to coziness, today's office tells the story of the company and provides hints about its field of activity. For example, Magnum's white, clean and light-filled surfaces hint at the company's field of activity. On the walls of Piletilevi's office hang pictures of world-famous artists whose concerts Piletilevi has organized. A red lamp above the door of Piletilevi's meeting rooms marked with "ON AIR" (on air) highlights the occupied status, which is a reference to the entertainment field. "Brand graphics are also very popular in office design trends as design elements right now. True, this is usually not done one-to-one, but rather brand colors, logos and philosophy are added as clever fragments to the space. For example, Piletilevi's graphic elements can be found as milk-white designs on glass walls. Walking through Magnum's office, employees are accompanied everywhere by fragments of Magnum's red brand color as stories on glass surfaces or as letters on walls," gave Aule examples of how to create a personalized space.
Functional segmented solutions
The main innovation in space planning is the abundance of small meeting rooms designed for up to four people. No one has moved into separate offices, but the open work area must be segmented with partition walls, furniture or plants. "A large part of work is networking. The idea of coming to the office is not to work alone; people want to see life around them, interaction, eating together and holding joint meetings," added Aule.
Practical leisure spaces
The era of extravagant leisure areas created for non-work activities is coming to an end and being replaced with practical solutions. No longer is it recommended to spend time with colleagues after work in a fancy leisure zone. Employees need health-oriented activities: gyms and other spaces that encourage movement, some offices have even set up daycare facilities with a play corner.
