In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a new project completed by Australia-based design firm S/LAB10 has taken the residentially-inspired office trend and amplified it to its fullest potential.
Mantab, a property development company whose name translated from the Malay language means simply “solidity”, had acquired an aging bungalow home to transform into its offices.
Mantab presented S/LAB10 with an unusual hybrid design brief of seamlessly integrating business and leisure in a form that the client hadn’t seen before – all set within the bones of a former residential home.
“Comprising a complete internal overhaul of an existing bungalow – the team was required to re-examine the office typology in a Southeast Asian climate and locality…The firm required not just a workspace for its growing team, but also a series of spaces for hosting and entertaining their clients.”
In its project notes, S/LAB10 emphasizes the design brief’s most demanding challenge: “delivering a spatial scheme that was simple in nature, but suitably addressed the brief’s complex demands.”
The new office would include private offices for the company’s three directors, a display gallery to show off properties, and numerous leisure spaces for hosting clients. S/LAB10 set about crafting a space that would be visually striking, yet practical in its function. S/LAB10 developed a design language for the project around the meaning of “Mantab” – solidity, and an unshakeable integrity.
“Mantab means solidity – something that’s unbreakable, and we used that inspiration to inform many of our most important design choices,” said Jason Sim, principal designer and co-founder of S/LAB10, in an officeinsight interview.
“The project inherits the house’s basic structure (which proved advantageous in dealing with the site’s naturally steep incline),” detail the project notes. “In place, is a dexterous play of cantilevering volumes, contrasting surfaces, materials and texture, as well as the considered use and design of intricate details throughout. The consolidation of the building’s existing structural framework with a bold play of surface and volumetric elements culminates in a strong, sensual, spatial experience and language throughout. And subsequently, a confident, bold architectural presence and visual identity for the client prudently set within the existing building’s typology.”
“This client really wanted a unique typology, so we were constantly designing things that felt new to him and that he hadn’t seen before,” said Mr. Sim. “We wanted to jump out of anything associated with a typical office.”
Mantab’s desire for a new and unconventional workspace was mirrored in S/LAB10’s interest in playing with boundaries and pushing the limits of existing design principles.
“We feel we have a responsibility to jump out of what we’ve been doing for years,” said Mr. Sim. “We must experiment, and contradict. We have to move outside of that and try things that we wouldn’t normally do.”
The gleaming gold of the exterior’s façade was designed to stand out – like the solidity, strength and beauty of a diamond.
“Looming over the quiet suburban street, the gold-copper alloy façade rises up from the building’s ground level in shielding its interior furtively. The triangulated facets of the matte- and highly polished finishing of gold-copper alloy are seemingly arbitrary – but in essence are conceptually extrapolated from the corporation’s name and brand.”
“Inspired as well by the Malaysian shophouse vernacular of folding iron shutters, the gold-copper alloy clad folding panels are hinged and operable. Whether angled half-shut with its interiors peeking out to its suburban extents, or closed in entirety for privacy and to keep out the glare of tropical light out – the façade is eye-catching and captivating, with the allure of it leaving many a visitor guessing what lies within.”
“Every single piece of the exterior is custom cut,” noted Mr. Sim. “No two pieces are cut the same. We wanted to make a connection to the solidity of a diamond, and to the meaning behind the Mantab name. The opening and closing of the folded angles are crafted in the same way of the classic Malaysian shophouses, but on a much larger scale.”
Division of space was given careful consideration, and no two divisions are alike – creating wonder and intrigue for visitors who won’t quite know what’s around the next corner.
“We wanted to intentionally create an experience where you’re still figuring out the space as you move through it,” said Mr. Sim.
Guests would have an evolving understanding of the space as they move through and spend time in it. The designers’ intention was to create an “immersive volume in which to heighten one’s sense and experience of space to highlight their entry into the building.”
“One such example is the centrally positioned conference room on the white epoxy-floored first level. The room is surrounded by heavy but lush emerald-green privacy drapes. Left open when not in use, the curtains provide a flexible use of space that opens up the heart of the level rather than further segmenting it. On its borders are a pair of slender-framed, arched translucent screens that further aid in framing the open space. Uniquely designed and detailed for the scheme, these translucent panels of varying soft neon hues are encased in a thin black steel frame that double up as feature display shelves and add visual interest and depth to the space when viewed from different orientation derive different outcome, at times stacking of multi-layer colours or silhouette of translucent colour foreground merged with the background surrounding materials and finishes.”
“Hovering over the ensconced double-height lounge space are the glass-encased directors’ offices. Generously washed with natural light, the offices and lounge are cast in a soft, warm glow. Along the southwestern edge of the building here, the designers have incorporated an outdoor green terrace –dubbed the ‘bamboo terrace’ – on the first floor. In doing so, nature and the outdoors are a subtle feature that complements the scheme’s sleek corporate interior. By creatively exploring various complex configurations of volume and space with their respective custom crafted details, the designers have successfully composed a series of work and leisure spaces, both private and open, that flow effortlessly from one to the other.”
S/LAB10 spent considerable time identifying the perfect amount of privacy and interaction among the directors, their staff and their clients.
“Each of the three directors has their own clients, so we wanted to build in privacy for them in relation to each other,” said Mr. Sim.
Contrast in materials and finishes was paramount to the project’s success.
“A strong theme of bold yet methodical contrasts, or as the designers put it: ‘intentional mismatches’, is evident throughout, as articulated in the design’s volumetric handling of spaces as well as the contrasting play of colours, textures, materials and, in particular, its complementary custom detailing.”
“The top two floors of the building are prominently cast in operable bright gold-copper alloy panes. Once shut, the broad gold-copper panes make way for a spaciously appointed lounge beyond, concealed behind tall curtain glass panels. To the left of this is a slighter single timber-clad volume – this marks the main entrance and balances the entirety of the façade’s composition. Contrasting in size and clad with locally sourced recycled timber, the protrusion was designed for dramatic effect.”
Mantab is a striking new office that continues to intrigue its visitors as they move deeper into it – a fascinating project that breaks through the bonds of conventional workspace design in unexpected forms.