Lagranja designs the interior of the Petrol Ofisi’s headquarters in Istanbul

The multidisciplinary studio, Lagranja Design, has just finished the interior design of the new Istanbul HQ of Petrol Ofisi (Turkey’s leading oil company).'

The aesthetic inspiration behind the project was layering, a reference to the geological nature of the oil industry. Stone walls and tectonic plates were the visual cues for this project for which both natural and man-made materials were used; the colour scheme drew from the earth’s core.

These new corporate offices are situated in Emaar AVM; a mega, mixed-use complex on the Asian side of the Bosporus strait. Lagranja carried out an initial ‘internal urbanism’ study to optimise foot traffic flows and distribute the different departments over three floors in a fluid, dynamic way. The main outcomes of this phase included arranging the meeting rooms and a sculptural staircase around a large central courtyard, encouraging people to walk and use the lifts less. Each of the project’s three levels were done in a different colour: green, petrol blue and red.
Red, which is the company’s corporate colour, was used for a wide range of furniture and details: legs of desks, armchairs in the cafeteria, and the flooring in front of the lifts. Everything was thus interconnected via the colour red.

One of Lagranja’s characteristic traits is the vital role that customised elements play in every project. In this case, carpeting with a pattern reminiscent of flowing lava accompanies visitors from the lifts to the office area. Wallpaper, simulating the strata of the earth’s core, was used in the bathrooms. Pillars were clad in dark olive marble, which was brushed and bush-hammered to create the texture of geological layers.

Oak cupboards, endowing the place with warmth, were used as dividers between the common areas and work spaces. Darker wood was used in the executive areas, and the furniture was upholstered in grey.

To improve the productivity and well-being of employees, this Spanish studio paid special attention to both the technical and decorative lighting of this project. Two models, both emitting soft, diffused light, were thus created. The first, consisting of plaster domes set into the ceiling – like a cluster of moons – was used in the public areas. The second, used in the workspaces and serving as sound absorbers, involved a series of suspended felt-covered discs in which plants grow.

The overall result is a work environment that bridges the experiential and corporate, that is dynamic and imaginative, and at the same time possesses a functionality and operational ease demanded by a company of this size and status.