The renovation of the three-story Gores Group Headquarters and the adjacent parking structure focused equally on creating a unique identity for the private equity firm and providing a healthy, enjoyable place for its employees and visitors. By carving out a new atrium in the center of the main office building and adding an elegant, generous staircase, staff were drawn to use more active circulation spaces, increasing impromptu conversations and interaction. This move drastically increased the natural lighting and ventilation reaching each floor, and together with the addition of a large communal rooftop terrace and garden, the design has helped improve the health and happiness of employees, and the connectivity and comradery among them.
The transformation of the two structures, now connected by an interior bridge across a public thoroughfare, included several bespoke features and material investigations. Most visible among them was the development of a new modular, slumped glass panel system used on the façade. The customized pattern within each glass panels selectively filters views, provides privacy and light based on site conditions and the user’s needs. Although there are only eight unique patterns, the panels are configured such that the overall design does not repeat itself across the façade.
