A striking display

The personalization of the West Wing “third space” called for a striking gesture, making a statement that would embody Cossette’s spirit, while allowing for informal collaboration and creative exchanges between coworkers. Ideally, its design signature would also evoke the agency’s work: bold, measured, effective, impactful, with a minimalistic yet insightful design. To inform the design of the space, Cossette proposed the metaphor of a “brasserie” as a working template.

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To achieve this tall order, the design team decided to strip down the brief to the essentials to focus on a simple and iconic figure of the “brasserie” theme: the aluminum beer can (actually a “tall boy” in its proportions) and the infamous “24-pack”. The resulting object’s specular finish is inspired by brasserie restaurant mirror surfaces, which magnify the liveliness of these social spaces. The singular 24 mirror-like vertical cylinders propose a playful visual distortion of the users, as well as a celebration of the surrounding buzz and activity within the space.

‍Approach

The unexpected presence of a mysterious and monolithic object in the center of the room generates a layout that creates effective subspaces specific to targeted modes of occupation and collaboration by the users. The great room is discreetly organized into an event courtyard upon arrival, with the dinette and the garden located along the windows for working lunches, the relaxation space inhabited by ottomans on the north side, and the “terrace” of Moderno sofas positioned in front of the conference rooms.

With its reflective mirror surfaces and programmable colored pulsating lights, the object surprises by its dynamic presence that contrasts with the simple geometry. It surprises yet again with concealed sliding doors that open to reveal the space within. The object thus acts as a “pop-up” for events, launches, and agency campaigns. The interior space is the utilitarian counterpart of the brasserie, inspired by the “beer fridge” and cold storage room. In this regard, the interiors are pristine white, functional, and equipped with shelves, fridges, and walls made of pegboard for the hanging of objects. The space takes on a retail showroom appearance and can serve as a visual display for the agency’s campaigns, products, and brands.

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Challenges

The PXP team had to deal with several technical challenges in realizing the project, including innovation and impact within a limited budget, the development of a door system that was both robust and light enough to be handled by users, and the immaculate rendering of reflective cylinders. The object had to fit in without altering the existing WeWork space, be manufactured and installed within a tight schedule, and integrate lighting with controls.

_{Project in collaboration with LAAB Collective and Cossette.
Photos: Raphaël Thibodeau}

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