Molonglo

COVID-19 hasn’t simply been a health crisis. Although there have been long-standing problems in all cities’ public transport, residential, hospitals, schools and more, the pandemic has dramatically reinforced the inadequacies of these systems and places, and revealed new ones.

The same is true for the office: 1:10 ratios have long-been unhealthy; long-term large-scale leases are overwhelming for businesses and simply unviable for many now; open-plan in the age of Zoom calls is impractical; and a new challenge to the office is mainstream remote working. If we can now truly work anywhere, why would we go to the office?

Perhaps fortuitously, COVID-19 has happened at the same time as we considered our new head office at Dairy Road in Canberra. This pandemic forced us to be more imaginative about, and critical of, where we do our work.

The result has been a both formal and informal workspace split across two levels. Polished concrete floors and large glazed windows and doors, supported by wooden frames are throughout. A selection of furniture, objects, books and artworks from the Molonglo Art and Objects Collection, chosen in the spirit of amalgam, accent the space.

Workstations are complemented by private offices and “work labs” for intimacy and privacy. A predominantly natural colour palette is given some vitality through bold, saturated colours and geometric forms in break areas.