Architect and interior designer Shimrit Mishan Abramovich envisioned a vibrant office for DHL Express in Israel. Located in the Airport City industrial park, in Israel’s Central District, the original space featured a series of closed rooms along the perimeter of the building, with plenty of views and daylight. Service providers and call center operators, however, were in the center area without visual access to the outdoors.
Even during the pandemic, the company’s planes were still in flight and transporting cargo, which led to a 25% increase in staff – and a need for optimized spaces. The architect, who specializes in residential projects and smaller offices, was tapped to transform the workplace spanning more than 48,000 square feet over three floors, her first large-scale headquarters.
Her goal was to create a hub to support collaboration among all employees, with a sprawling metropolis as a key inspiration. “I imagined a city from a bird’s eye view, and circulation on the main road,” Abramovich says.
She pictured a bustling city with the central artery connected to secondary streets, alleys, and squares, with tables and seating areas as the houses. The structure is divided into eastern and western sides, with what Abramovich calls public buildings. These elements look different from every angle, points of unexpected interest on the thoroughfare of the office.
On the west side of the office, for example, there’s the Arena, a trapezoidal complex of small meeting rooms. Made of aluminum partitions and glass, this section is wrapped in a metal mesh colored a rich copper hue. Contrasting with the white ductwork, the material detaches from the ceiling or unfastens from the floor. Pairing texture and a subtle drape, the screen is reminiscent of a woman’s full skirt.
Meanwhile on the east side, the space is relatively narrow, and the challenge was to not isolate the department while still providing a sense of intimacy. Here, Abramovich included her interpretation of the traditional Islamic mashrabiya, a type of enclosed window with carved wood latticework. These structures, formed with birch plates of varying cuts, have the appearance of undulating waves. As an employee walks around these forms, they have a unique experience as they view them at various times of day or with certain levels of illumination.
DHL’s distinct red and yellow logo is displayed on vehicles around the globe, and while those bold tints are found dotted throughout the office, the palette features complementary tones that reference the signature branding in an understated way. The lemony shade is introduced as natural birch wood, and the crimson is now a rich terracotta. This warm range is integrated in the millwork and workstation zones.
Cacti and other plants bring nature indoors, plus lively pops of green. Artwork adds even more color alongside playful touches, from the concrete column with the mini toy DHL trucks to the wall adorned with epoxy gummy bears. The office supports staff as they perform tasks, but it also offers much needed moments of delight.
For more on Shimrit Mishan Abramovich, visit shimritmishan.com.
Photography by Peled Studios.