Nokia, Beijing

The location of Nokia's new Beijing campus presented some serious challenges for retaining the company's key talent. The response: a building designed from the 'inside out' to bring the amenities and atmosphere of the city to its heart

Nokia China's new headquarters campus epitomises the potential of 'inside-out' architecture to reconcile diverse – and even ostensibly conflicting – requirements into a coherent, distinctive building form. 

For Nokia, impetus for a new headquarters arose from the inadequacy of its original facilities, which dispersed various departments and operational units among a number of locations in central Beijing. By its very nature, this arrangement was at cross-purposes with Nokia's culture of collaborative working, connection and sustainability.

Site advantages & challenges

Whilst Nokia realised the desirability and benefits of gathering all headquarters staff under a single purpose-designed roof, the headquarters' proposed location close to its supply chain would also move it away from the core areas of Beijing – and raise a number of challenges. Chiefly, the new out-of-town location would make staff commute between home and office more inconvenient than before. Their access to the everyday amenities found in central Beijing – like supermarkets, restaurants, banks and laundry services – would also be restricted. Operational security considerations also dictated that the firm's R&D and business departments be accommodated in physically separate spaces.

Rebalancing the 'work-life' equation was thus an important priority; and as a direct result, the building design evolved in a radically holistic fashion into an immersive 'brand experience'. As lead consultant, project manager and interiors consultant, M Moser Associates worked closely with Nokia to survey and analyse end-user needs and integrate them into a building which would also fully meet the client's sustainability and operational goals. The team's approach was to develop the design from the inside-out, letting the client's needs and requirements shape the interior volume, and letting these in turn determine the building's exterior form.

Inside-out architecture

The finished structure provides 829,350 sq-ft of area distributed amongst six floors. Inside, its immediately distinctive feature is a ground-level 'main street' with a covered full-height void that divides the building into two distinct halves. As well as functionally separating Nokia's R&D and business teams and meeting its operational security requirement, the main street acts as a thoroughfare and a social space to which staff naturally gravitate. Like its namesake, the 'main street' also offers a range of amenities and services – including restaurants, convenience shops, a health club, concierge, laundry services, and a 'wellness room'.

Nokia's coach network system links the headquarters with key city locations and residential neighbourhoods, providing staff with a comfortable and convenient commute between home and office. In many ways, the new headquarters has become a more convenient place to work than a location in central Beijing. Essentially, rather than bringing the headquarters to the heart of the city, the headquarters brings the city to its heart.

Inherently sustainable

The 'inside-out' holistic design approach also helped to fulfil the brief's sustainability goals. The building's external double-skin glazing effectively insulates the interior, reducing load on the climate control systems. Aided by the unobstructed open-plan layout of the offices, the extensive glazing also allows natural light to flood the interiors, which both cuts dependency on artificial illumination and contributes to a more comfortable working environment. The addition of low-flow sanitary fixtures also makes the building extremely water-efficient. The Nokia headquarters was awarded a LEED Gold Certification by the US Green Building Council – the first building in China to achieve the distinction.