Nikon — Nishi-Oi: a head office you choose your way through

Concept

One floor for the labs, and a choice for everyone else

The head office is built on Activity Based Working: people decide when and where to work from the task in front of them. The labs, which used to be scattered, were brought together on one floor, and wide shared areas were laid out so that people meet across departments rather than within them.

The entrance sets the tone. Light is the motif — fitting for a company that has ground lenses for a century — and the hall is full of planting under a double-height void, with a lit stair climbing to the working floors.

01 · Dining

Where the building eats

The dining area is set up for eating well and talking while you do it.

02 · Lounge

Sofas, shelves and a café

Unlike the work floors, the lounge has sofas, bookshelves and a café counter, and is open to anyone who wants to sit for a while.

03 · Atrium

A great stair with a screen

The ground-floor atrium is a stepped hall fitted with a large screen and a sound system. Company events are held here, including the ceremonies that open the working year.

04 · Showroom and museum

What the company has made

A showroom lets staff walk a visitor through the products without leaving the building, and the Nikon Museum keeps the history and the technology on display.

05 · Work floors

Where the labs came together

Upstairs, the laboratories share a floor with the desks, so that the bench and the meeting are a short walk apart.