Projektek|Iroda
ION
- Budapest
- 1500 m 2 | 150
- szolgáltatások: space planning - interior design concept - 3d visual design - graphic design - site management - mobile furniture tender
There is life on Mars! Introducing the fin-tech giant's new office in Budapes
The new Budapest office of US-based ION has been officially opened on the first floor of the Office of the Year award-winning Millennium Gardens. The finance&technology inspired office design was created by the MádiLáncos Studio. The client’s objective was to realize a new office space where they could work productively and which would help them optimize their performance through an inspiring and motivating environment, as well as provide a “wow” experience for their visitors and support both collaboration and individual work. ION, a company that has been expanding dynamically both globally and in Hungary, wanted to move to a new, creative office where efficient working spaces meet fresh and exciting design solutions. Environmental awareness is coded into the company’s DNA: interestingly, Dealogic, acquired by ION, has already won the Office of the Year award twice. The current office has become the Hungarian home of ION Analytics and Lab49: the Budapest location is mainly dedicated to software development and research and development. The client’s objective was to create a new office space where they could work productively and which would help them optimize their performance through an inspiring and motivating environment, while supporting collaboration and individual work.
Newly planned by interior designers MádiLáncos Studio, each detail of the unique spaces has a real American feel. There are references to Central Park - with boathouses, candelabra street lights and rocks - in many areas of the interior, such as the reception and the work café, but the Manhattan motif also refers to the New York background of the US parent company, which employs developers and financial analysts. Mars is another prominent motif
in the office: there’s certainly no need to worry in this unique community space: coffee, water and floating are all part of the alternative, weightlessness-inducing experience.
The world of fintech flashes in exciting contrasts in the office space. The meeting rooms reflect the old tradition, the traditional world of finance, while the technology elements bring innovation and a forward-looking approach with elements of the digital and tech world. The game room is themed around the MineCraft strategy game, with foosball and pool, while the open office space combines agile working elements - a phone booth, a meeting table with built-in monitors, an acoustic whiteboard and flexible furniture - to ensure efficiency. The office also features a touch-free coffee machine and recharge stations. The bear and the bull of Wall Street remind us of the seriousness of classic American negotiators. This effect is enhanced by the elegant armchairs and deep tones, as well as the gilded picture frame of the whiteboard.
The unique graphic design motifs divide the space and discreetly guide you through the theme: in the office, you can even work in the tranquility of the “cigar room” corner, with its serene electric fireplace. A true design gag can be found in the middle of the executive office: at the end of the day, the hard surface of everyday life can be transformed into a poker table in one easy motion.
No need to worry about security in this meeting room: the vault motif extends along the walls, with a metallic-effect cover that is paired with a writing board “inside” the open safe. Recalling the iconic metal support structure of the New York Stock Exchange Building, the room is enhanced by a column pattern on the wallpaper, a distinctive company logo and neat office chairs, this VIP meeting room is accessed by badge only. For workshops and internal training, a special auditorium was created, optimized by the design team with a movable wall. The whiteboards can be used for writing and screening, and the unique blue-painted metal mesh structure allows the boxes to be changed.
According to the central specifications of the client, another interesting development was some meeting rooms that are standardized in all ION offices around the world to ensure a coherent image.
Even in the smallest meeting rooms, cool, unique details add a fresh touch to the environment: here, for example, you can rest your back against a backrest in the shape of a coin roll. Green meeting rooms freshen up the company’s everyday life: in addition to popular houseplants, a special green lamp, moss wall and a natural wall made of dried flowers and plants, which is illuminated, make this meeting room so unique. In the collaborative space, the lockers and graphics of the inner core appear in unique shades of color-changing purple-green-yellowish while exciting LED lighting enhances the tech vibe.
In the reception area, granite rocks, candelabras, Central Park rose gardens and pergolas, and classic American road signs welcome you - not just to the office, but to the American atmosphere. The communal space is inspired by Central Park and its famous boating lake: the carousel of New York Park, the buoys of the boating lake and the canal covers hanging from the ceiling all bring a light-hearted feel.
There is life on Mars! Even if Mars now means ION’s café upstairs. This communal space and café with panoramic view of the Danube is the perfect place to relax or have a quick meeting. The red circle evokes the orbit of Mars, while the swings create a sense of floating. The colors of Mars are glowing on the extraordinary sofas and carpets, and the cool thing is that this alternative space offers an unlimited coffee and water for staff.
