workplace3.0 redefines offices at salone del mobile milano 2017

returning between the 4th and 9th april 2017, the ‘workplace3.0’ exhibition explores the new approaches, forms and solutions that will define the workspaces of the future. as the second biennial event at the salone del mobile milano 2017, along with the euroluce show, ‘workplace 3.0’ merges elements of the virtual and physical, shared and individual, and interior and exterior. most significantly, the exhibition will highlight the vital roles that human factors and smart technologies play in shaping where people work.

at the workplace3.0 exhibition in 2015
image image © carola merello/salone del mobile.milano
(main image © carola merello/salone del mobile.milano)

spanning an area of 10,000 m² in pavilion 22 and 24 at the rho fiera fairgrounds, the ‘workplace3.0’ hosts 92 different exhibitors, each presenting their own take on catering for the future of our workspaces. the exhibition at the salone del mobile milano 2017 is a think tank dedicated to discussing these upcoming changes, putting all of our certainties up for debate, and generating stimulating forward-looking ideas. as part of this, furniture and furnishings manufacturers will present their latest products in tune to these predicted work environments.

relaxation at work
image © carola merello/salone del mobile.milano

the show reflects the on-going redefinition of offices, where places are no longer just tailored for efficient production and are actually becoming dynamic habitats for work sharing and multiple activities. significantly, workplaces are becoming more adaptive as they change in real-time to cater to the users’ needs, thus being more and more defined by the requirements of those who work there, rather than by classic work environment functions. within this, office interiors are becoming places without fixed stations, capable of fast re-configurations, and more nomadic. the last point is due to the increasing overlap between living spaces and workspaces, as offices now facilitate for relaxation in terms of resting areas, meditation rooms and sports equipment.

the special installation presents four different visions of the office of the future

as part of this biennial event, the ‘workplace3.0’ 2017 show hosts ‘a joyful sense at work’ exhibition which is dedicated to the people of workspaces, taking great consideration for their needs, emotions and experiences. curated by architect cristiana cutrona, the installation reflects the notion that work will need to be designed in a humanistic and anthropological approach. this is owing to the prediction that the workplace of the future will be adaptive, reconfigurable, unfinished, vibrant and evolutionary.

architect cristiana cutrona is the curator for ‘a joyful sense at work’

occupying a space of 1,600 m², ‘a joyful sense at work’ will showcase this new workplace concept within a piazza that virtually splits into four regions: the ‘configuration‘ area, a closed domain for individual work; the ‘sharing’ space, a public area for collaboration, socialising and sharing; the ‘creative’ zone, a space for innovation, invention and imagination; and ‘porous fabric’ an intermediate area between public and private that offers opportunities for exchanges.

four international architectural practices, chosen on the basis of geographic area of provenance, have been invited to design an installation within cristiana cutrona’s display. each one not only embodies their own vision of the office of the future, but also the cultural characteristics of their areas of origin.

portrait of primo orphilla, co-founder of studio O+A

the ‘water cooler’ by primo orpilla and verda alexander of studio O+A (USA) aims to feed the imagination, restore motivation and regenerate the people who work in it through its ability to adapt to their physical and emotional needs. the space can be marked out into different areas in accordance to the worker’s needs and activities.

portrait of verda alexander, co-founder of studio O+A
(more high-res image needed)

from iran, arash ahmadi / ahmadi studio has conceived an adaptive and constantly evolving workspace, capable of bringing the personal and social spheres together in an effort to respond to people’s competing demands. it sources two traditional iranian spaces; the persian garden, an intimate and private place, and a bazaar, a place of exchange and discussion, which mirrors the dynamism and variety of contemporary work and society. these elements will be interlinked and will surround a fixed, vortex-like element that expands upwards throughout the space.

arash ahmadi of studio ahmadi created an office that references iran

‘chronotopic system’ by alfonso femia and gianluca peluffo of studio 5+1AA (italy), changes in relation to space and time, and according to the use, the demands and the desires of those who inhabit it. the conceptual space focuses on generating new relationships by challenging the ideas of encroachment, pollution, integration and belonging.

alfonso femia is the founding partner of studio 5+1AA, alongside gianluca peluffo

ben van berkel of UNstudio and SCAPE’s jeff povlo (the netherlands) reflects the condition of stress at work through an immersive and modular space called ‘RESET’ – responsive emotional transformation. it draws upon scientifically proven methods of reducing stress in a playful and interactive way. by using technology which is applied to people but perceived by the environment, the space adapts according to the level of strain experienced.

ben van berkel, founder and principal architect of UNstudio