Barry Callebaut Headquarters

Press Kit

Unique Properties

The office has its own integrated chocolate academy. This is where innovation and inspiration take place behind glazed walls, enabling staff and visitors to watch the chocolatiers creating new products. This professionally equipped kitchen is located in the centre of the office so that it is the first area both employees and visitors see on arrival. The sleek academy kitchen is set against earthy floor finish and organically shaped pendant lights in the reception, that add warmth to the design.

Dimensions & Packaging

Barry Callebaut occupies 3 floors of a new business centre building in downtown Zurich. The project floor area is 3800 square meters or 40900 square foot.

Tags

Barry Callebaut, headquarters, Zurich, chocolate academy, sustainability, workplace design, Evolution Design

Production Technology

In alignment with the sustainability strategy of Barry Callebaut, using environmentally friendly, certified, upcycled, and natural materials was another primary design consideration. Textures of wood, natural materials, like the safflower wallpaper, cork and moss, create sensory experiences in both the hubs and the workspaces. Specifically selected oxygen generating plants in combination with sensors deliver a healthy and productive work environment.

Design Challenge

Besides planning a workplace that is fit for new work and employee needs post pandemic, the second major challenge was integrating the chocolate academy in a regular office building. The requirements for the room temperatures, ventilation capacity and placing of the equipment were very strict, so the planning team had to make quite a few interventions in the plan to respond to the needs of the client.

Research

The project was planned in the early stages of global pandemic that posed many difficult questions and unknowns. The architects carried out a number of in-depth workshops and surveys with the client and users, in order to find out what would be the main attraction points for employees to return to the office post pandemic. The research resulted in a workplace concept that creates an agile and attractive place to live and work and focuses on stimulating the physical collaboration and team spirit.

Inspiration

The project brief was to create a strong connection to the culture of Barry Callebaut and its confectionary products. To respond to the brief, the architects conceived a tactile design concept that reflects the variety of flavours, aromas and textures of cocoa products. Different types of wood and fabrics, natural materials and a combination of earthy colours reflect the ethos of sustainability, innovation and sensory pleasure of Barry Callebaut.

Project Duration

The project started in April 2020 and was finished in August 2021 in Zurich.

Operation Flow

In order to encourage staff circulation between the three floors that Barry Callebaut occupies in a multi-storey building, the architects planned internal staircases that link three hubs on each floor. Each hub has its own distinctive interior design and colour palette according to the core beliefs of Barry Callebaut. Used primarily as coffee points for breaks, informal meetings and lunch, these hubs enable optimal circulation and create a sense of a journey through the various zones.

Patents

Copyrights belong to Evolution Design, 2022

Image Credits

Image #1: Photographer Peter Wuermli, 2022. Image #2: Photographer Peter Wuermli, 2022. Image #3: Photographer Peter Wuermli, 2022. Image #4: Photographer Peter Wuermli, 2022. Image #5: Photographer Peter Wuermli, 2022.