CR Land's new Shenzhen HQ workplace canteen sees a remarkable transformation from a disused storage area into a modern refectory for 750 staff. The new multi-functional canteen serves as a space to eat, meet and hold events wrapped in the glow of a simple beige, white, and speckled grey color scheme.
Workplace canteens have the power to enhance company culture. In China, top talent and staff want a warm and comfortable environment to break and eat their meals. Avoiding design stereotypes, anySCALE chose to use tables at various heights to maximize space arrangement flexibility. There are four sections: buffet stall area, large open dining area, semi-open dining area, and business dining area.
The buffet stall area faces the open dining area with a sliding door partition to enclose it for special functions. The semi-open dining area features a multi-level seating arrangement, and the business dining area is a secluded corner for better privacy. All the sections offer the spatial possibilities to be used as a canteen or café, a training room or large conference room with high efficiency.
Natural sunlight penetrates three sides aided by floor to ceiling glass windows, light terrazzo flooring, and light wood color walls with brown patterns. Furthermore, a grid system on the ceiling uses warm white painted aluminum stripes; various lighting tubes have been hidden underneath the roof with different dimensions to create over ten illuminated patterns in the sun's shape, infusing the space with radiant warmth.
Beneath the veneer of appearances, the design team thought hard about pipe arrangement and mechanical engineering. Most impressively, they managed to install active noise control in the ex-storage space, consulting professional MEP and architectural acoustics professionals to bring extra comfort and functionality to end-users.
