Heradesign helps create a cultural icon

Global advertising and marketing agencies, Ogilvy & Mather UK and MEC, have moved their creative businesses to the iconic Sea Containers on the South Bank. Collaborative working is at the heart of this ambitious project. BDG Architecture + design in partnership with Matheson Whiteley have created a dynamic workplace that is designed to drive integration and innovation. They achieved this by placing the office spaces in the lower parts of the building and reserved the upper floors for open areas where staff and clients can meet overlooking world-renowned views across the Thames. Moving to Sea Containers has helped bring Ogilvy & Mather into the cultural and creative heart of London.

A large-scale 200-person amphitheatre plays a prominent role in this vision. Heradesign ceilings from Knauf AMF are fitted in the amphitheatre.

BDG architects Toby Neilson and Elena Angulo explained how Heradesign fulfilled the brief. “For such a key space in the building, we looked for high quality materials with natural qualities that would provide the aesthetic we wanted and the appropriate acoustic properties. We wanted to create an atmosphere that would feel less corporative and closer to a theatre. Heradesign matched our architectural approach and its surface design was more contemporary and organic than other products.”

Heradesign is a range of high-performance ceiling and wall panels manufactured from sustainably sourced wood-wool. With its distinctive woven surface, Heradesign brings a natural warmth and visual energy to interiors. This visual appeal has been used to great effect in the amphitheatre which has been designed to accommodate a variety of activities from small and intimate gatherings to large presentations and meetings. To help maintain a comfortable acoustic level for this multi-functional space, Heradesign provides outstanding Class A sound absorption to reduce reverberation and enhance speech intelligibility.

Heradesign’s versatility is unmatched when it comes to creating truly unique designs. Heradesign can be specified in any colour and can be matched to swatches or fabric. Its flexibility offers a number of hanging options: fitted as a suspended ceiling, hung as rafts or fins, or directly onto walls or ceilings. BDG architecture + design specified Heradesign in black for the amphitheatre. The panels are fitted directly to the ceiling and sit above the lights to disguise other ceiling services. The matt black surface is non-reflective which helps create optimum lighting conditions for when the amphitheatre is used for presentations.

Toby Neilson and Elena Angulo are thrilled with the bespoke design for Ogilvy’s London HQ and plan to use Heradesign for future projects: “Working with Heradesign and Knauf AMF has been very successful. Heradesign has delivered on quality and performance. The installation and co-ordination with other ceiling devices was very simple. We are currently working on a number of projects where we are looking to use Heradesign.”

If your project has demanding acoustic and aesthetic needs that require a unique approach, contact Knauf AMF at info@knaufamf.co.uk or visit www.amfceilings.com/heradesign to make an appointment with your area manager.