Panasonic Megro Bldg designed by KOKUYO Co., Ltd. (Japan)
Phase 1: Background
This office is for the home appliance business of Panasonic Corporation.
The planned relocation of the entire building at the contract renewal stage, occupying a 24-story above-ground, 2-story underground building with a total floor area of 47,843 sqm. In Panasonic's home appliance business, manufacturing is in Shiga Prefecture, and marketing and sales departments are based in Tokyo, a considerable distance away. Due to this separation, the traditional manufacturing process involved a relay between marketing, manufacturing, and sales departments. The goal for this office is to create an environment where development, manufacturing, and sales are integrated for innovation across the entire company.
Phase 2: Vision
The focus is on products, forming teams for integrated development, manufacturing, and sales. The office is positioned to facilitate this process. To achieve this, the office needs to be well-connected across departments and serve as a place for workers from other locations, fostering a real sense of connection and enabling collaborative actions. Additionally, a showroom for clients on the 1st floor and an exhibition area on the 2nd floor connecting with distributors are planned to establish strong connections with customers and society.
Phase 3: Connected Ways of Working
The theme revolves around connecting with customers, employees, and society. To realize the three types of "connections," strategies for cross-organizational collaboration and linkages are embedded throughout:
The entrance gate allows all employees to access all areas, encouraging flexible work rules. Each floor has personal lockers for each department, serving as their base floor.
To prevent departmental division across different floors, several strategies were put in place. Initially, floor stacking was employed, incorporating floors and areas connecting the entire building.
• 8th Floor: The dining floor with a courtyard, designed not only for meals but also as a space for enabling work and meetings during various times. The plan is to increase the dwell time here to foster casual encounters.
• 4th to 7th Floors: Lower levels with large areas, feature a cafeteria near internal stairs where people gather. The areas stepping into the working zones are designated as communication zones. By altering the functionality of communication zones on each floor, we have curated reasons for individuals to visit these spaces.
• 10th Floor: Occupied by departments supporting employee welfare, we have integrated functions to facilitate comprehensive consultations on various matters.
• 22nd Floor: A coworking floor designed for all workers to engage in work outside their departments, easily utilized by members from other locations as a touchdown space.
Phase 4: Design
Art is strategically placed in areas designed for "connections." The themes of these floors or areas are linked to art, intending to reaffirm the feeling of "connecting" through art while immersed in daily tasks.
Website: https://www.kokuyo.co.jp/