An office space with a double life

An office in Amsterdam packs itself away after work hours, to encourage a good work-life balance and free the space for other activities.

The office, which belongs to design studio Heldergroen, uses theatre machinery to make the desks, complete with computers and paperwork, ‘disappear’.

The Bright Green-devised scheme was created by Zecc Architects and uses steel cables to hoist the office furniture up to the ceiling.

At 6pm, a member of staff simply has to turn a key, which lifts the tables and clears the space – thus preventing staff from overworking themselves by staying late in the office.

Heldergroen offers this after-hours space free to whoever needs it – Sander Veenendaal, the company’s creative director, says: “We are able to pull the tables up into the ceiling and make the whole room into a dance floor, yoga studio, trend session, networking reception, or anything else you can think of – the floor is literally yours.”

As well as having a second life at night, the office was designed with sustainability in mind – it was built in a derelict chocolate factory and all of the furniture is made from recycled and scavenged materials.

Find out more about Heldergroen’s office here.