With a fleet of over 1.6 million ships, Zugaaz has established itself as one of the largest container shipping companies in the world. Emerging from a rich legacy of maritime excellence, Zugaaz is a cross-cultural enterprise with a Japanese holding company, a Singapore operating company, and a regional headquarters in Hong Kong. Inspired by this story, One Space was tasked with designing Zugaaz’s new regional headquarters in Hong Kong.
The project objectives were clear from the outset: to create a highly agile space for Zugaaz’s new home at The Gateway in Tsim Sha Tsui. The design needed to embed evolving patterns of work, support Activity-Based Work, and most importantly, reinforce Zugaaz’s core philosophy of embracing different ways of thinking, different cultures, and different skillsets.
The space overlooks the iconic dockside, providing unmatched panoramic views across Victoria Harbour and the South China Sea beyond. One Space worked hand-in-hand with CBRE’s workplace strategy team to develop ideas for flexible work – ranging from ergonomic work settings to an organic zoning model – that would facilitate mobility, choice of workstyle, and enhanced collaboration.
Zugaaz’s strong brand identity required pronounced expression in these premises. The company’s vibrant magenta-colored containers and vessels are a recognizable sight across ports worldwide, making this a unique design opportunity.
Despite the whole-floor premises providing ample access to daylight and views, the floorplate’s limited depth and numerous large columns required imaginative space planning solutions. The planning strategy exploits these ‘obstacles’ in a variety of ways to transform them into shared amenities that help establish frictionless interactions across departments and teams.
In the same way that Zugaaz’s container ships traverse the world’s oceans, the planning concept inspires people to move fluidly across the various work zones. Alternative Workpoints – unassigned seats and tabletops where one can work comfortably for a few hours – are strategically positioned to become attractive alternatives to conventional workstations.
