The secret of children’s game lies in the ability to fantasize and transform ordinary objects into wonders. This idea inspired us to create a new office for the “Detsky Mir” group of companies. We decided to transform a regular office box into a Magical one, filling it with imagination and narrative. In designing the office, we aimed not only to reflect the company’s spirit but also to save its corporate identity, emphasizing continuity with the headquarters, the design of which we created in 2018.

Similar to the previous office, we expressed the company’s key values through architecture: immersion in the world of childhood, openness, and accessibility for everyone. However, faced with the more regular square shape of the building, we decided to introduce a central volume that encompassed the main functions. Just as an ordinary box in a child’s hands turns into something new and amazing, we transformed the “box” of the central volume into something magical. Thanks to unconventional design solutions reminiscent of working with colored paper surfaces – cutting, folding, and coloring – the “Magic Box” became a contrasting centerpiece amidst the neutral open space surroundings.

In the new office, we maintain continuity with the headquarters using the company’s identity. However, unlike the headquarters where four colors of the brand style are distributed across floors, here they are brought together to help zone the space. For example, a red arch marks the main entrance and serves as a portal, transporting one into a completely different world of childhood. Blue, green, and yellow cover the walls of the central volume because the “box” can be colored.

Furniture elements continue the main idea of the concept – working with volume and plane. For instance, yellow cabinets lined up in a row visually resemble scissors-cut festive garland flags, and the sofas in soft areas appear as if made from two strips of paper, the bottom of which is curved like an accordion for rigidity.

The image of the ‘Magical Box’ seems to transport us back to childhood when every day was filled with new discoveries and endless possibilities. The new office of the “Detsky Mir” company has become a place where imagination and child’s play help the team to achieve ambitious goals, while clean designs and bright colors underscore its boldness and creativity.

Architecture: Vera Odyn, Anna Novikova, Pavel Makarenkov, Alexander Gabisov, Artemy Smirnov, Maria Novikova, Nikita Gritsuk
Client: Detsky Mir Group of companies
Status: Implementation
Location: Moscow
Area: 429,2 м2
Year: 2021-2022
Photos: Sergey Ananiev