Workplace
Pentland Brands
Pentland Brands’ Journey to Johnson Gardens: A Workspace Redefined
3 Floors
22 Week Programme
30,000 Sq Ft
The challenge
As the name behind some of the world’s best-loved sports and lifestyle brands, Pentland Brands needed help creating a workspace that would meet the needs of their teams as they evolve in the new world of work.
The Solution
Following a comprehensive workplace consultancy process, we helped them choose a new location, designing an interior fit-out that delivered active workspace designed for collaboration and creation rather than simply being a showpiece.
The Result
A new age workplace to inspire and support teams to work in specially designed ‘neighbourhoods’, and come together in a flexible activity based environment and providing showcase spaces for the brand portfolio
Designing a new London HQ for Pentland Group
The name behind some of the world’s best-loved sports, outdoor and lifestyle brands, including Speedo, Berghaus, Ellesse, Endura, Kickers, Mitre, and Canterbury, Pentland Group has a heritage dating back to the 1930s when it began as The Liverpool Shoe Company. They have 21 offices in four continents around the world, and their products are available in over 190 countries – now, they’re moving.
The company’s UK headquarters has been in a purpose-built property in Finchley since 2000, but with changing ways of working they wanted to move to a more central location in London, downsizing their space in the process and being smarter with its usage. We set out to help them design and build the interior fit out.
Creating a new office building with intent
Before seeking out a new space, the company went through a comprehensive workplace consultancy process. This delivered a deep dive into all the different departments of the organisation to understand what staff wanted from their new environment, and to make sure the new space was properly utilised.
The beautifully designed, flexible office and residential space is in a wonderful location near Hatton Garden, and inside it has interesting features including roof lights, concrete columns and triple height ceilings. They decided to occupy floors four, five, and part of the sixth floor as well.
Informed design decision making
The fourth floor: the hub of the working environment
The fourth floor, the hub of activity, features two entrances and six identical showrooms along the north facade. These multi-purpose spaces provide flexibility for brands to display their products, and are also designed to operate as meeting spaces. The showrooms are supported by a hospitality area for guest entertainment.
The floor includes a kitchen, numerous meeting spaces, and rapid prototyping areas with workshop facilities. Open-plan desk areas are organised into neighbourhoods along the south wall, with hubs for executive offices or meetings.
The fifth floor: public areas and entertainment space
The mezzanine floor is a public-facing area with a central space for temporary brand installations. It features a meet-and-greet concierge and an events lounge with tiered seating and a large projector for presentations.
This flexible space includes mannequins for product launches and modular furniture for easy reconfiguration. There’s also a materials library inspired by traditional Saville Row tailors’ workshops, where fabrics and design journals are displayed.
The floor is rounded off with a breakout area and a large terrace for events or casual use.
The sixth floor: space to think
The sixth floor is a high mezzanine level, with a tranquil reference library peppered with plants and designed to be an oasis away from the buzz. It’s a place where designers can come to read reference journals in the quiet and watching the world go by below.
Pentland Group’s move to Johnson Gardens is a seismic moment in their ongoing journey and an exciting one to be a part of. As a team of designers, it’s an engaging opportunity to contribute to the wants, needs, vision and aspirations of a business that’s been around for nearly 100 years and is clearly just getting started.
Want to create a workspace fit for the future of your brand?
Speak to the team at Maris