SHH has launched a new co-working space in Pudong District targeted at entrepreneurs and graduates. The brand name Cohesion was selected to describe a state of perfect synchronicity between different entities which intertwine and complement one another.
The team took an ‘urban’ approach to the design by developing a grid of primary and secondary circulation routes, or ‘streets’, which divided the floor into smaller urban blocks, with each block consisting of offices and meeting rooms, the ‘buildings’, at varying heights and footprint sizes. The differences in height allowed the insertion of clerestory windows to borrow light from surrounding spaces, making the office interiors bright and welcoming.
Upon entering the building, the reception area presents similar geometries to Cohesion Guangzhou (another project location they collaborated on), featuring angled timber fins in alternating strips. Over the desk, a large Barrisol ceiling was installed to provide a uniform ambient light. The reception ceiling theme which carries through into the C22 café and lounge area, features a series of hanging planters installed over the counter and seating area creating connections with the landscape outside.
To reinforce the sense of community and vibrancy, SHH carefully selected materials and furniture which gave the space an urban but welcoming feeling. A mixture of concrete, granite, and brick combined with touches of greenery and pebbles are utilised throughout. More domestic materials are soft, tactile and patterned, introducing colours drawn from the set of primary and secondary palettes that form the graphic identity of the Cohesion brand.