This Nautical Office by Bean Buro Sets Sail in Hong Kong

For a global ship management company with more than 600 employees, Bean Buro founders turned to the sea for inspiration. But not in the way one might expect. A photograph depicting the cross section of a large ship set the office plans in motion. “We came across Alastair Philip Wiper’s photography from his book ‘Unintended Beauty’ during the conceptual stages of this project for Anglo-Eastern,” says Kenny Kinugasa-Tsui, Bean Buro cofounder. “We were particularly inspired by the horizontal and vertical relationships in the architecture, as it reminded us of a small city within a ship.”

With this structure in mind, the design team set out to create an office reminiscent of a three-story ship with a central staircase for connectivity. Nautical references are peppered throughout—the red and navy color palette references the Plimsoll Line, which indicates the maximum depth at which a ship can be safely loaded. “While we wished to convey ideas of a large ship through the design for this workplace, one of the challenges was doing so artfully and elegantly, without being overly literal,” adds Lorène Faure, firm cofounder. “Our solution was to use creative ways to instill ideas of a ship through subtle touches such as the bespoke reception desk and pantry bar counters—rounded at the bottom, akin to the hull of a ship—as well as our overall color palette.” Anglo-Eastern’s new space offers all the perks of setting sail, without the need for sea legs.