What has the firm done recently? The fairground-themed design of advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather's new Guangzhou office - titled A Carnival of Ideas. The project won Fortune magazine's 2008 China's Most Successful Designs award.
What was the goal? Ogilvy & Mather wanted its office to be a source of inspiration for staff, to help them generate ideas. The firm had relocated from the Guangzhou central business district to a new arts and culture hub on the city's fringes.
Why a carnival theme? The client's brief was to build a fun and interactive space to ease people into their most creative modes. Understanding the pressure of working round the clock, the firm wanted a space in which staff could 'break free from established ways of thinking' and 'spontaneously explore new ideas', says Annie Chan Lai-fong, M Moser associate and a designer on the project. 'We believed a playful environment would make people happy - and good ideas usually come up when you're in a relaxed mood.'
How was this achieved? Most visibly with a carousel in the front entrance, created by a manufacturer of amusement-park rides. The playful mood is continued in the boardroom (above left), where a projector is concealed in a carousel horse suspended above the table. An element of surprise is key, says Chan. 'No one expects to see a flying horse in a meeting. It's both fun and functional.'
What are the key features? The building has a five-metre-high ceiling on the ground floor and lots of natural light. To create a strong vertical link between the floors and reflect the client's corporate personality, the design team created a red corridor with a dramatic staircase at its core.