This was our application and justification for why we should win the competition were:
After two decades of continuous growth, we finally had to expand our head office in Stora Tullhuset* in Gothenburg. At the same time, the ongoing pandemic meant that the requirements for a future office began to change – more and more employees realized the benefits of being able to work from home one or a few days a week. This made us realize that we needed to create a modern workplace with a wow feel to make our remote co-workers long to return to the office. And to succeed in this, we needed to create an environment that supports social interaction as well as new thinking and innovation. In short, a hybrid office with a stimulating and creative atmosphere.
The Result
After six months in the new office, we can conclude that the architects and the dedicated project team have really succeeded in creating a functioning and popular workplace. The heart of the office now consists of – after three rooms were merged into one –a large gathering space with a 31-meter-long sofa shaped like a blue wave. Where everyone can fit, in accordance with our credo – one CANEA. There is also the coffee station, the kitchen and the two entrances – one from Packhusplatsen and one from the harbor side. This means that everyone who enters the office passes the socialization surface on their way to the workplaces of the two "ships", flanking the gathering space to the northeast and southwest, respectively. Therefore, when you arrive in the morning, you are almost always met by a "Hello!" from one or more colleagues. We have also got two webcast studios, an appreciated training room and a large kitchen, which has become the unifying link between the two floors of the office.
The Justification
The dominant impression of those visiting the office for the first time is the light from the large arched windows with wavy glass, the view of the harbor and the friendly reception from those who stay in the gathering space. The slightly muted color scheme, which goes from white to sober gray, is interpunctured by ocean blue accents that harmonize with the water and the sky outside. Great consideration has been given to the history of the house, the marine connection and our view of conservation and sustainability, which is also noticeable in the choice of materials such as oak and leather. Old doors and arches have been retained, as has the old walk-in vault. The choice of porcelain – Ostindia from Rörstrand – is a reference to, and reminder of, the house's and the city's maritime and trade history. Add to that the ever-changing port view and the feeling of "wow!" is as unfailing as VAT and customs on an imported item.
Stora Tullhuset in brief:
CANEA's head office in Stora Tullhuset was designed by Frans Jacob Heilborn, who also designed the Exercis House, and was completed in 1866. It is flanked by, and is combined with, two lower warehouses where goods to be cleared through customs were stored. Here was also the House of the Emigrants, where most of the million Swedes who emigrated between 1850 and 1920 passed. The stretch along the harbor canal between the Central Station and Stora Tllhuset, where, among other things, the Gothenburg Opera is now located, was the only thing most of them saw of Gothenburg before they departed for America.
*The Great Customs House
