Henkel, a global leader in fast-moving consumer goods, was relocating its Swiss head office to a new premium premises in Basel, on the third floor of the Baloise East building, a striking architectural landmark by Valerio Olgiati at the heart of the city’s corporate and financial district.
As part of the transition, they partnered with ISG Switzerland and Studio Banana to materialise the brand’s culture, product vision and commitment to innovation into a cohesive spatial experience enhancing their team’s daily worklife.
The result is a dynamic environment designed to spark engagement and nurture a sense of belonging. Our intervention transforms a conventional office floor into a modern, multi-functional workplace featuring diverse typologies tailored to new ways of working. From open community areas to quiet focus zones and teamwork spaces, its flexible concept encourages shared activities and seamless collaboration.
Studio Banana’s smart work strategy addresses the organisation’s evolving needs, balancing real estate, employee wellbeing, mobile working, and technology requirements in a holistic way. Every decision reflects the brand’s culture and Henkel’s Global smartwork@office workspace concept, reinforcing its organizational identity and product heritage while honouring Basel’s local identity.
The design transforms a simple layout into a topography of productivity. Balancing the building’s robust identity, different spaces enhanced with Vitra furniture and equipment form a fluid ecosystem enabling seamless transition between deep focus and high-energy collaboration areas.
Different colour palettes and flooring materials define the rhythm of the workday: dynamic green for communal hubs, workstations, and high-traffic areas, and a sophisticated red for structured sessions and decision-making in meeting rooms. At the entrance, a warm sand tone inspired by the shores of river Rhine welcomes staff and visitors, setting a domestic, “workspitality” atmosphere.
Custom-designed layers enhance comfort and wellbeing: curtains soften the rigorous structure of the façade and modulate natural light, bespoke acoustic panels ensure intimacy in high-ceiling collaboration zones, and an adaptive lighting system supports circadian rhythms and diverse ways of working.
The kitchen is the focal point of the space: a large, open communal area encouraging informal encounters and flexible work. It is crowned by a “Podium Seating” structure that respects the building’s original concrete features while introducing a warm, playful experience.
Transition zones act as a living archive: vintage ads transform corridors into a gallery of milestones, while Product Walls showcase Henkel’s products as crafted objects, bridging heritage and innovation.
Subtle local references anchor the global brand in Basel, creating a strong sense of place. Environmental graphics recall the city’s skyline, traditional Rhine Waidling boat oars and Fasnacht lanterns add rhythm and cultural identity and the kitchen features scale-patterned tiles inspired by the historical centre’s polychromatic roofscape.
More than an office, this new workplace offers a fluid, multi-scenario environment where people transition seamlessly between different workstyles and activities within an evocative setting that celebrates the brand’s credo.
The result is a human-centered, welcoming space that truly feels like home, much like the products that Henkel shape our everyday lives.
Design:
Contractor: ISG Switzerland
Photography:
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