Garena Online Offices – Singapore
PAND Design Group completed the Garena Online offices to reflect the company brand and culture in Singapore.
Akin to a highly engaging gaming experience, this brilliantly designed office combines a series of unconventional digital-inspired elements to create an exceptional spatial journey.
Leading global online games developer Garena had a clear goal in mind for their Singapore head office : to create an immersive workplace similar to a digital playground where work and play co-exist harmoniously without compromising corporate functionality. The new workplace should also align with its brand values, which focus on a human and digital-centric approach to optimise employee engagement.
The adventure begins in the lobby, where Garena’s fiery red logo on the white-washed wall draws the eye to two casual sitting areas. Track lines on the floor serve as wayfinders, visually leading the way into the internal office. Across a long hallway, a row of meeting rooms flanks the front-of-the-house zone, each incorporating digitally-enhanced accents evocative of their individual themes.
Next to the waiting area, the guest meeting room features an artistic composition of LED screens displaying videos on its main wall. The idea behind the use of TV screens was to convey movement and constant change, reflecting the fast-paced progression of Garena’s body of work.
Colours are also vital in shaping the digital themes. In one of the meeting rooms, the design team explored programmable RGB lighting, which allows users to tune the different hues to generate the mood they desire. For other meeting spaces, colourful wall panels were creatively put together to resemble pixel art.
To balance out the digital-inspired theme with a touch of nostalgia, one of the discussion rooms was adorned with a beautiful line drawing of Garena’s first office in Singapore. From here, the track lines expand further into the primary working area and become a central accent to complement the corporate-like setting. One of the main walls also features elegant illustrations of Singapore’s attractions for a hint of cultural appeal.
The bold and dynamic stylistic approach tones down in the cafe, where a calmer atmosphere is ideal for recharging and chilling out. Designed as a restoration point, the space evokes an American diner with an allocated ‘gaming corner’. The polished surfaces are further complemented by wood flooring and finishing, while green foliage against timber columns infuses a touch of nature. In addition, the cafe incorporates operable walls that can be opened up to expand the space for large gatherings.
Design: PAND Design Group
Photography: Joseph Goh | Infinitude
