FX Awards 2017: The Winners
Public Space Scheme
Winner: Basecamp by Gensler
Photo Credit: Gensler
Sponsored by Phusei
Gensler’s new European headquarters in Wapping, London is set over three floors and across two buildings. The office centres around a space called Basecamp – a place to gather – for employees, creatives, locals and for the general public.
Offering opportunities for co-working, exhibitions, events and pop-up spaces, it provides an adaptive environment for creatives. Reconfigurable to accommodate differing functions, it’s a space to showcase work, to collaborate, to host, to celebrate and to bring people together.
Basecamp is not a final design but a prototype. It’s a transitory space, which presents a ‘test-bed’ to trial new ways of working, encouraging people to experiment and identify interventions to incorporate into the permanent space.
The space is shaped around the analogy of a camp from which mountaineering expeditions set out, where mountaineers acclimatise ahead of their climb – similarly the space allows employees to adjust to the area before moving to their final home.
By incorporating movable walls and eliminating physical barriers, employees can reconfigure the area to meet their needs.
The judges said:
‘An innovative take on the zeitgeist revolving around the co-working environment. The concept of bringing together Gensler employees, makers, creatives, and the general public not only provides the opportunity for the public to gather but also opportunities to enrich the local economy where it sits, and all this delivered on a tight budget’
Finalists & judges' comments
Back to wonderful time by 9 studio design group
‘Interesting and effective integration of two styles’
Child’s Happy Tree by BDT International Design Company
‘A sweet and well-crafted environment for the people of the future. The wishing holes must offer delight for the children that use them’
The Movement, Greenwich by HLM
'A shining example of the enriching benefits achieved through true public engagement during the design process’
Bridge Community Church by Igloo Interiors
‘A well-considered design response that engenders the spirit of the church community and its history’
ORIGAMI-SPACE DEFINITION by Kris Lin International Design
‘A folded sky piece unifies disparity below. An opulent environment, beautifully crafted to create a public space that provides interest’
Harrods Grand Entrance Hall by Make Architects
'An exquisite example of craftsman and creative coming together to create an exceptional piece of bespoke design’
