Midtown Workplace

Watching the way architects and interior designers over the world have responded to the seismic shifts in workplace behaviour since 2020 has been akin to watching an extreme sport - with curve-balls, high-jumps, and whip-lash inducing stops and starts. The fittest of them all have succeeded in creating new workspaces that cater to the best bits of the past, the ideal situations of the present and will also possess the ability to quickly respond to the unknown needs of the future. A masterclass in such adroit design is the Midtown Workplace project in Brisbane’s CBD, with interiors by Cox Architecture.

The client’s brief to Cox was to create a nimble workplace that will adapt to the evolution and progression of their business and aid their connection with their community. Cox’s response was to deliver a sustainable and adaptable model that accommodates new ways of working for an increasingly distributed workforce. Spanning nine levels, the workplace is set within a development that merges two ex-government buildings into a single A-Grade tower.

“The design of Midtown Workplace highlights the importance of place and human connection in an increasingly virtual world. Underpinned by the conceptual narrative of exploration, the workplace is a magnet to foster innovation, collaboration and connection,” says Brooke Lloyd, a director at Cox. The new workplace explores an alternative to standard workspaces, creating a diverse and blended model that is supported by a high proportion of hackable, collaborative areas where 30% of the primary work points are moveable, affording teams complete autonomy and control over their working environment.

Cox specified Fibonacci’s Assemblage slabs for the open-plan kitchen spaces and the hydration points, with Brooke Lloyd citing both the colour and the suitability for high-traffic environments as extremely important factors in their decision making process. “The Fibonacci Assemblage slabs worked tonally with the projects primary materials of Corten steel and concrete. It sits happily within the brutalist palette but also provides relief with its subtle texture. Durability is always a critical factor in workplaces given the number of people that use the space on a daily basis, and even more-so for this particular workplace given their 24/7 operations.” she says.

Fibonacci’s game-changing promise of no lead-time on delivery was also hugely important. “This was critical given our integrated fit-out approach to the project,” says Brooke.

Underpinning all of Fibonacci’s products is the desire to create the most unique, hard-wearing surfaces for designers who seek a notable difference to elevate their projects. This project is the perfect example, so congratulations to the team at Cox – it is clear to see why your work has taken you to the international level.