O2 Headquarters

Solution

The communication giant O2 wished to coordinate its various offices in Slough. Having successfully won a design competition, tp bennett created a scheme that knitted the company’s campus together and offered a new central building, as well as the fit-out and refurbishment of two adjacent buildings.

The campus showcase is now the 63m-long link building: a triple-height steel and glass pavilion with a dramatic brise soleil. Housing the reception, staff restaurant and meeting spaces, it was designed to express O2’s brand criteria of ‘bold, open, clear’. A bridge within the building connects the adjacent office buildings. Inside, the 2000-strong workforce has been encouraged to adopt agile working across a variety of work settings, with few dedicated workstations. Colours have been used as wayfinding tools and throughout, O2’s branding had been subtly incorporated.

A runner-up for the BCO awards, and a new Slough landmark, a key mark of the building’s success is that staff retention has improved significantly.