Unique interiors of Allegro’s office in the historical complex of the Norblin Factory in Warsaw

The prestigious neighbourhood of Warsaw’s Wola district, heritage buildings, historic streets, excellent commute to the rest of the city – the news of Allegro’s planned move from Q22 to the representative office buildings of the Norblin Factory complex has been around for a while. Although the idea of Allegro’s unique office design has so far been somewhat shrouded in mystery, today we can, at last, peek inside and enjoy the company’s spectacular space, occupying almost 24,000 sq. m (7 floors). The execution of the interior design was commissioned to the Warsaw studio The Design Group, which had also been hired for the arrangement of Allegro’s Poznań headquarters, the largest of its kind.

The Allegro Group’s dramatic growth in Poland, the company’s dynamic international expansion and the intensive team growth have prompted the need to expand workspace in a number of Polish cities, including Warsaw. In the capital of Poland, Allegro has decided to lease a much larger space, in a prestigious location and area (with many innovative and eco-friendly solutions) that is likely to appeal to employees in the new office. The choice was made for the new Plater and Galwan office buildings of the Norblin Factory complex, which are truly remarkable for their unusual blend of the factory site’s history and future. Allegro also appreciated that the modern office space in the complex meets the highest Class A standards, and the very buildings have received a BREEAM Very Good Score certificate and incorporate a range of sustainability-related solutions and employee amenities. The company occupies a total of nearly 24,000 sq. m at Norblin and is its largest tenant.

Today, Allegro is the European e-commerce market leader and unquestionably the preferred shopping venue of Poles. We are committed to providing the best possible experience for our customers, and so, from the very beginning, we have been building our products in-house and are passionate about making their creators as comfortable as possible. This is paramount in the day-to-day reality of hybrid working, as we meet at the offices for a specific purpose and their space should promote creativity and relationship building – says Anna Wróbel, Allegro’s HR Director.

Now that we have significantly pushed forward our overseas expansion by developing our international platform Allegro.com, as well as by integrating with the Czech Republic’s Mall Group, the new spaces, which are designed for successful collaboration, back up our ambitious business goals and are yet another perk of working at Allegro. It’s #goodtobehere – she adds.

In a climate of post-industrial modernity

The Plater and Galwan office buildings, both housing Allegro’s office spaces, are new structures designed to take on the vibe of the whole Norblin Factory complex. For this reason, there is a mingling of industrial elements, characteristic of post-factory buildings, but also modern, simple lines and solutions. Together with TDG architects, Allegro decided to design the interiors to be consistent in terms of the surrounding background. The office is therefore kept essentially industrial, with geometric, rectangular elements, although it has been softened with warm finishes, in respect to the history of the premises.

From the beginning of the work on the Warsaw project, we and Allegro wished to introduce an industrial feel to the space. Consequently, the interiors feature a great deal of exposed raw, real materials and shades of grey. To highlight the industrial style, we have also designed acoustic light fittings resembling post-industrial lamps and grey acoustic baffles shaped like arches, reminiscent of the layout of vaults that are typical of old factories. We strived to preserve the modern touch of the building, so we have also introduced a fair amount of elegant and innovative solutions to the space, as well as natural materials, light tones, soft furnishings and greenery – says Karolina Kózka, a chief architect from The Design Group design team responsible for the interior concept of Allegro’s Warsaw office.

References to the style of the Norblin Factory complex are also evident at the very entrance, in the front desk area. The reception desk is finished in the same rust-like material that is used for the core of the building. The shape of the desk fronts is both intriguing and effective in catching the eye. The design is a reference to old machines and yet corresponds to the interiors of the entire office.

Alicja Zielińska, an architect at The Design Group from Allegro’s dedicated design team for the delivery of the office, adds:

The very employees of Allegro also had a real impact on the look of the office. They decided on the colours, graphics and materials that you can now see in the interiors. We are pleased that we had the opportunity to support them in this process, listen to them and then turn their ideas into reality. It was an inspiring and valuable experience for both parties.

Allegro’s new office space was constructed during the pandemic, so it incorporates a variety of uses. The interiors are adapted with respect to sanitary precautions (faucets on the detector, door handle caps that allow touchless door opening, wide circulation corridors, the possibility of installing apertures for those working in the reception area), as well as in terms of technology; it is possible to book rooms and booths, regulate lighting, its intensity and colour temperature.

Hybrid open space – transparent functionality

Allegro opted for building a multifunctional, flexible and transparent space so that it would be easy to quickly rearrange the office to suit the needs of the individual user or team. As a result, the new hybrid spaces offer Allegro’s employees a great deal of freedom in their choice of style and workspace, which enhances user productivity and comfort. The facilities available to employees include meeting rooms for teams to do ad-hoc work, phone booths of diverse sizes (accommodating up to 6 people), a large conference centre on the 8th floor, terraces specially designed for Allegro that combine relaxation spaces with places to work amidst nature and outdoors, and more.

In parallel, out of concern for its employees, the company has also ensured that the new premises allow for holding safe corporate meetings and keeping a social distance but also unifying and not restricting contact between employees. Allegro was determined to make the office supportive of integration, personal relationship building and employee well-being. For this reason, the office is full of double glazing, which, apart from visual openness, has made it possible to separate individual zones, such as spaces for cooperation, individual work or chill out among the abundant greenery.

The main premise of the interior design of Allegro’s Warsaw office was to produce a space that would be as open as possible but also to allow employees to separate their territory or space for teamwork at keeping the office as transparent as possible. From this came the concept behind the unusual solution that we call ‘hybrid open space’. Together with the Client, we have segmented the office into zones, with special attention paid to acoustics, in such a way as to maximize the surface area of the working space and, equally, to be able to augment the office with a number of social functions that support teamwork, idea sharing and integration – adds Konrad Krusiewicz, an architect and CEO of The Design Group.

One of the conference rooms in Allegro’s Warsaw office. Office design by The Design Group

Glass geometry

The design is predominantly defined by glass walls, which give the impression of an open, transparent space. This lets plenty of daylight into even the zones far away from the windows, and the employees are not isolated from other teams; they can see what is going on elsewhere and feel united with the other office users. The writing boards incorporated into the glass wall muntin system, which is usually an independent feature of office furnishings, are an innovative office interior solution that was engineered by glazing professionals.

For the interior design of Allegro’s Warsaw office, we have incorporated rectangles drawn through the muntins in the middle of the double glazing in some of the enclosed rooms. After wrapping the inner glass wall, we have positioned writing boards in these rectangles, which look designer and will certainly be of use to any meeting teams – explains Karolina Kózka, architect.

The office’s glazing is embellished with geometric muntins in natural wood veneer, often paired with acoustic curtains that match the office’s colour code. Although these are small elements, they very much warm up the office and counterbalance its industrial character.

Networking space in Allegro’s Warsaw office. Office design by The Design Group

Warsaw enclave – green jungle room

At Allegro’s office, there are a number of zones that make a special impression and are very memorable. One of these are the so-called ‘jungle rooms’, which are dedicated unique spaces designed for employees to chill out and to work alone, focused and quietly, or for less formal meetings in a group of up to 10 people. These interiors feature a huge number of different plants, with soft furnishings arranged among them. Allegro was determined to create an unusual place to work and relax, somewhat reminiscent of a home away from the hustle and bustle. The staff can break away from their desks, rest among the soothing greenery and gather strength for creative work in a supportive environment.

The model and design of the space were worked out in collaboration between Allegro, The Design Group architects and greenery specialists; the latter provided advice on the choice of original and rare plants.

The Warsaw jungle rooms are like a real jungle; there is a faint penumbra of twilight, and they are hidden, disconnected from the outside world. They are truly amazing and create their own unique microclimate, rich in diverse greenery and a tropical feel – says Natalia Sztandor, an architect at The Design Group from the design team dedicated to the delivery of Allegro’s office in Warsaw.

The spatial design was repeated in the interior design of Allegro’s Poznań office.

Jungle room in Allegro’s Warsaw office. Office design by The Design Group

Sustainable workspaces

Allegro’s office meets the highest green standards and, equally, is committed to ensuring the well-being of its staff and providing appropriate ergonomics. The interiors feature natural, high-quality materials and furniture sourced from Polish suppliers. The reuse of already existing furniture was also an important design measure in keeping with Allegro’s sustainable resource-use approach. Moreover, lamps with an intelligent lighting control system have been installed over each workstation; these are additionally accented with acoustic PET felt covers in a rust colour, specially selected by the architects for Allegro’s office design. This treatment has served to amplify the industrial style of the interiors. Furthermore, there are acoustic screens, panels and/or baffles in each room, all of which are perfect for noise absorption. Many of the meeting rooms have curtains, not only for their acoustic qualities but also to provide a temporary barrier from the rest of the office in the event of, for example, a team meeting or the need for silence. Carpeting, found in all work and traffic areas, also has acoustic qualities.