Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 53
Amidst the audio and visual cacophony of Times Square,
its crowds, marquee lights, and scrolling LED tickers, the east coast
headquarters of entertainment group Viacom are surprisingly
serene-yet still full of verve and energy. Spread over two floors
of the larger headquarters, the Viacom Global Entertainment Group
workplace accommodates senior management, marketing, and
content production across brands MTV, VH1, BET, and Logo TV,
and a demographic ranging from baby boomers to millennials.
The group thus enlisted interior design firm HOK to craft an urbane
environment that could appeal to its multigenerational workforce
and clients, while capturing Viacom's vibrant gender-inclusive
culture and entertainment legacy.
Charismatic over corporate
Stepping off the elevator on the 20th floor, guests and staff
encounter an alluring black faux croc-wrapped corridor that hints
of what's to come. Glazed entrances flank the elevator lobby, offering
glimpses into the offices and revealing that there is no formal
reception desk. Instead, an open work zone occupies the western
elevation, but more resembles a lounge with its hot-pink upholstered
chairs, gently lit ceiling cove just above them, and wall-to-wall
windows affording views of midtown Manhattan.
The opposite side of the elevator lobby holds a multipurpose
space designed to accommodate dining and breaks, all-hands
meetings, and live performances, whether by a singer, comedian,
or poet. The color palette here, and throughout the project, is a stark
black and white, with gray elements and occasional pops of hot pink
or yellow. In fact, the same round pink chairs across the way reappear
in the all-hands space, adjacent to a new staircase. HOK inserted this
element to connect the 20th and 21st floors internally for fast and
easy access-as well as chance encounters between staff members.
Variety is the spice of life
The design team developed a plan to maximize comfort and
choice, both prized attributes in workplaces today as they're thought
to promote employee wellness and productivity. The perimeter
comprises open work and ancillary areas, glazed conference rooms,
and glass-fronted private offices and a main circulation path that
lines these spaces. "We retained more than half of the existing
perimeter private office zone but disrupted each elevation
selectively," says Bill Bouchey, the HOK principal who led the project
team. "We rethought the outdated hierarchical perimeter and created
collaborative spaces, staff areas, and workspaces with ideation
walls, all with views and access to daylight."
Four work "neighborhoods" sit at the core, and consist
of workstations, editing suites, or data rooms. "One of the planning
contract
Contract Magazine - December 2019
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract Magazine - December 2019
Contract Magazine - December 2019
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
The List: Nine new books to inspire you
Viewpoint: Michael Bonomo on designing for a data-obsessed generation
Product Focus: The Etc. by National
Product Focus: Lauren Rottet for Visual Comfort & Co.
Product Trend: Soft Landscapes
Product Briefs: Products that Work
Designer You Should Know: KImberly Dowdell
Where do we go from here? Experts weigh in on the future of design
Designing Better Cities: CBT envisions a human-centered future through emerging technologies
Viacom Global Entertainment Group HOK
Designtex shines a light on two of the Bauhaus school’s most extraordinary women weavers
Matrix: Lighting
Matrix: Kitchen and Bath
Matrix: Innovative Materials
Matrix: Kitchen and Bath
IIDA Best of Asia Pacific 2019
Designers Select: Furnishings
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Contract Magazine - December 2019
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Cover2
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 1
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Contents
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 3
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 4
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 5
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 6
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 7
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 8
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 9
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Editorial
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 11
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 12
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 13
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Industry News
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 15
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - The List: Nine new books to inspire you
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 17
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Viewpoint: Michael Bonomo on designing for a data-obsessed generation
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 19
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Product Focus: The Etc. by National
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 21
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Product Focus: Lauren Rottet for Visual Comfort & Co.
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 23
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Product Trend: Soft Landscapes
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 25
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Product Briefs: Products that Work
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 27
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 28
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 29
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Designer You Should Know: KImberly Dowdell
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 31
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 32
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 33
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Where do we go from here? Experts weigh in on the future of design
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 35
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 36
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 37
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 38
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 39
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 40
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 41
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 42
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 43
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Designing Better Cities: CBT envisions a human-centered future through emerging technologies
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 45
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 46
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 47
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 48
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 49
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Viacom Global Entertainment Group HOK
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 51
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 52
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 53
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 54
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 55
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Designtex shines a light on two of the Bauhaus school’s most extraordinary women weavers
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 57
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 58
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 59
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Matrix: Lighting
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 61
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Matrix: Innovative Materials
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 63
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Matrix: Kitchen and Bath
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 65
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 66
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 67
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - IIDA Best of Asia Pacific 2019
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 69
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 70
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 71
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 72
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 73
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 74
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 75
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 76
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 77
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Designers Select: Furnishings
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 79
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - 80
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Cover3
Contract Magazine - December 2019 - Cover4
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