Westfield's Owner Moves In Above the Shop
New two floor offices on top of shopping centre 'tailored to employees' needs'
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, owner of the giant Shepherd's Bush centre, has moved in above the shop.
The French property giant, which took over Westfield from its original Australian owner last year, has moved its UK headquarters from Holborn into a newly designed space above Westfield London.
The company says the new workspace, spread across two floors above the stores, has views across the centre's outdoor entertainment and events space, Westfield Square and the recently announced Exhibition London which will open next year in the historic DIMCO buildings.
Unibail-Rodamco- says that, designed by architect Suttonca, new workspace resembles more of a domestic environment than a corporate office.
Extensive consultation with all employees enabled the design team to truly enhance the working culture and provide areas which enhance collaboration. This research fed directly into the design, creating a space tailored to employees’ needs.
The design introduces multi-functional spaces, creating new models for hot-desking and shared workspaces, with lush greenery and a sense of ‘bringing the outside in’ created through large floor-to-ceiling windows allowing for a flow of natural light.
The design includes a central, tiered auditorium joining the two-floors along with libraries, colourful pod meeting rooms and a large café and kitchen area with communal bench seating.
Outdoor spaces including a large terrace with views across Westfield Square and White City which is now home to Publicis Media’s 2,000 employees as well as neighbours BBC, ITV, White City House, Yoox Net-a-Porter and The White Company headquarters.
Una O’Reilly, Group Director of Engagement and Employer Branding and HR Director UK/Italy at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, says: "Our London destinations continue to be catalysts for the development of the surrounding areas, making them attractive places to visit, work, live and enjoy and we wanted our UK Headquarters to be right at the heart of it.
"Our new head offices are designed by our people, for our people and bringing them together in a dynamic and collaborative working environment. It was also important for our offices to be located within our business to enhance our understanding and collaboration with our retailers and occupiers."
May 28, 2019