Zegna is a global luxury men’s fashion brand founded in Italy over a century ago. Known for its timeless style and focus on quality and craftsmanship, the global luxury brand today posts annual revenues of just under EUR 1.5 billion. In support of its Asian market growth, the company’s SEA & Oceania headquarters located in Singapore needed to accommodate more headcount, create a clutter-free environment, and have a product showroom that could be converted into meeting rooms and visitor offices. The new office design was also to embody the essence and expression of the luxury brand whilst maintaining a distinct separation from the motifs found in the brand’s retail stores.

One Space was engaged to lead this transformation of the company’s existing premises, within a pre-determined budget and rapid timeframe to minimise operational downtime. Although the unit’s floorplate is not irregular, one significant challenge the designers faced was a large rectangular structural column right in the middle of the premises. Acoustics were essential too, both in terms of acoustic isolation between enclosed offices and controlling noise within the open office area.

In response, our design team devised several planning and design strategies to create a functional, clutter-free, and acoustically appropriate space. A key principle was to position all offices except for one with their backs to the rear walls, strengthening managers’ connections to their teams. The glazed office frontages were designed for transparency but with optimal acoustic isolation, ensuring access to daylight and views for everyone, whilst preserving confidentiality where needed. Adjustable-height workstations were provided for all employees for ergonomic health and workstyle adaptability. To promote a clutter-free environment, lots of built-in storage was provided.

The design expression is warm, natural, stylish, and minimalistic – but deliberately not based on the Zegna store design, as instructed by the client. As a single ‘master stroke’, the designers conceived of an expansive walnut-veneered storage wall that visually links the enclosed offices, meeting rooms, and showroom, becoming a focal point for the entire workplace. The singular and bold use of this rich, natural material establishes a backdrop for all activities.

The flooring throughout is a woven vinyl that’s hard-wearing and easy-to-clean with a luxurious textile appearance – a pragmatic reference to the exquisite craftsmanship for which Zegna is known. Because this office building has blue-tinted windows, we specified a warm palette and daylight-coloured artificial lighting to help counter that coldness. The open office area was refitted with LED light-panels to improve colour rendition and help reduce eye strain. All surfaces, except for the walnut, are in muted tones of beige, sandstone, and bone, with no white colour to be found anywhere.