business playground by mathieu lehanneur for pullman hotels

business playground by mathieu lehanneur for pullman hotels
images courtesy of mathieu lehanneur / pullman hotels

creating a place to work and an area for ideas, mathieu lehanneur has designed ‘business playground’, an interior boardroom located in the pullman hotel at london st. pancras. the collection of items inside are characterized by innovative accents and bespoke details on traditional aspects of corporate meeting furniture: a conference table is designed as a poker table, a private discussion area is furnished as a bubble-like expanse, and the main wall is filled with a cabinet of curiosities. the features and accessories that build the avant-garde meeting room aim to provide inspiration and provoke creativity through the fusion of work and pleasure, removing the increasingly artificial barrier between business and relaxation. ‘business playground’ has been introduced to the london location in november 2013, and will be gradually rolled out across the network of hotels and resorts starting in 2014.

view of ‘canopy break’

pullman’s identity as a hotel and resort that caters to a clientele of cosmopolitan, hyper-connected travelers are reflected in the ‘business playground’ room’s ‘curiosity boxes’. unusual objects, books, and small charms — influenced by the habitats of scientists and collectors — suggest feelings and memories that aim to transport guests to unexpected places. for mathieu lehanneur, ‘being curious is the surest way to stay inspired! to stimulate this curiosity, light-filled boxes punctuate the meeting space and showcase books and other objects.’

view of the boardroom

the main conference table transforms into a poker table

a geometrically designed ‘tool box’ to place items inside

a detail of the leather that surrounds the poker table

a dedicated space has been created for relaxing moments and less formal exchanges in between intensive work sessions. the pullman ‘canopy break’ allows for a temporary escape, with cushioned chairs and an organically designed light suspended from the ceiling. ‘the pullman ‘canopy break’ is somewhere else, outside, under the trees.’ lehanneur explains.

reflections of london against the ‘canpoy break’ area