Red Bull Headquarters London

Red Bull HQ

A finalist at the SBID Awards 2019 in the Office Design category, the Red Bull HQ was designed by Dthree Studio. Dthree were appointed by the global giant Red Bull to create an impressive and memorable London based headquarters for not only the business, but their people, to thrive in.

The new HQ had to not only represent the brand but also reflect the ambitions and goals for the business.  It was important that the company ‘behind the can’ was not only seen but felt. Red bull have an ethos of “giving people wings” and the space had to respond to this, providing every facet of the business and every member within each facet the opportunity to grow and succeed whilst living under one roof.

Dthree therefore created a space that could support this complex and fascinating business and went to an extraordinary level of detail to ensure the functionality, dynamics and aesthetic design of the workspace successfully embodied Red Bull’s unique personality and global presence.  Materiality and specification were incredibly important, with vast majority of products procured from ethical and responsible sources.  Dthree Studio and Red Bull have created as close to an office space with wings that anyone will find.

PREMIER CONSTRUCTION magazine spoke to Dthree’s Senior Designer, Charlie Kent and Design Director, Rob Goulder.

Both designers were involved in the process from the very beginning of the project even prior to locating the new space. Rob said:

“We got involved in Red Bull’s search for a building early on, alongside our partnered agency team, DeVono Cresa. We worked with Devono and Red Bull to test their requirements in multiple buildings across London and understand how Red Bull could use the space. We evaluated 3 or 4 different facilities, and in parallel to this, developed a high-level brief that captured the aspirations of Red Bull both in the look and feel of the building, as well how the future of work looked for them.

Charlie added: “Within that was the impact the building’s location and design would have on an individual; how it would change their commute and how they’d work in that space. To help with this we carried out employee engagement surveys to under the skin of peoples working needs”.

Charlie was heavily involved in building up design ideas and presenting them to Red Bull. She said:

“Red Bull is very good at supporting people and the way people work- they have the mantra of ‘giving people wings’. They knew the premise of what they wanted to do, they wanted to come across as a more evolved and grown up version of what they were before and wanted that reflected in their aesthetic representation.

“Red Bull also wanted to let the product and the people speak for the brand by allowing the team to have spaces to portray their image, work and products whilst having a sense of quality and ownership. There were a lot of areas that we intentionally left for the team to make their own.

Charlie continued:

“With regard to design highlights – the mezzanine and ground floor is just the beginning.  Exposed and listed brickwork, beams, and columns all posed a challenge but have become a fantastic space to work in.  We created a totally multifunctional space within this area – allowing Red Bull to hold anything from private gigs, announcements and press launches of new athletes, to company meetings and events.  Moving up to the higher floors it was important for the space to not be overwhelming, we used staircases, joinery, furniture and meeting rooms to create a layered experience across the floors.

You enter the main working floor via a natural holding area, giving you an immediate sense of being welcomed and invited, including the ability to help yourself to a drink or meet people there.

The joinery surrounding this space is subtly branded with the design elements which are synonymous with the can, rather than the direct bulls and sun – this provided a sophisticated and subtle approach to branding the space.

We installed a new staircase to connect the fourth and fifth floors, taking you straight to the breakout area from the working space, creating ease of access between the floors and a sense of openness. This sense of openness allows noise to transfer between the spaces, spreading the atmosphere and connectivity through the business.”

Rob commented on Dthree Studio’s SBID nomination:

“It’s an amazing thing really. When you work on these projects your journey with the client starts very early; understanding them, coming up with ideas and concepts to support their vision for the future business, and then there’s the construction of it, bringing Charlie’s vision to life. Getting through all of that with a happy client is the baseline, but to receive recognition within the industry is fantastic for us. We aspire to make all our projects be the best they can be.”