OUT ARCHITECTURE
Text: Ayeza Qureshi
Photography: Sayem Ghayur
Designing the interiors for a Head Office at an organisation at the scale of Engro is a project of sufficient substance, that realised, extends influence and relevance to architectural and interior design interventions in corporate spaces in Pakistan.
Engro engaged Anwar Quettawalla and Farhana Abdullah, to design the interior of their Head Office at Harbour Front in Karachi. Anwar and Farhana have been in practice for over eleven years. Both architects started at ArshadShahid Abdullah (ASA) before forming a partnership in 2001that resulted in setting up their own studio space, Surround Design Studio. Described as ‘drawn by their mutual passion for creating innovative designs that were visually appealing but also grounded in practicality.’SurroundDesign Studio has an extensive portfolio architecture and interiors including the United Bank Limited and Habib Bank Limited Training Centre. Their style distinctly follows modern straight and uncluttered lines, but importantly, addresses the layered complexity of eastern cities and culture. Their projects express an architecture that is responsive to form and function at every design consideration, and that explores regionalism in the modern and contemporary.
The Head Offices at Harbour Front have a floor dedicated to Engro Foods, Engro Power Gen, Engro Fertilisers and a shared cafeteria and praying space for employees. Occupying a total of 42,000 square feet; the Engro Head Office benefits from incredible views out to sea, the city and, most excitingly, the demonstrated transition of the city as it meets the sea front: beach and then water.
The Harbour Front building is designed by ASA, as part of Dolmen City.The building plan is triangular in shape and the façade has been finished in cladding as well as concrete finish. It defines the skyline of Karachi and is a monument to progressive building technology and scale in Pakistan.
The client brief was generous in that it did not define the project stylistically or aesthetically, but that it demonstrated a commitment to quality of experience and the comfort and safety of the users. Anwar and Farhana have been conscientious in the internal planning with the intention of ‘maximizing views out, efficiently utilising floor area and incorporating functionality into the selection of architectural materials and elements’. -Farhana Abdullah
The offices are a product of the successful relationship between the client and designer in the making of a project. Engro entrusted the designers with their vision and translation. ‘When clients have this much faith in designers it is truly inspiring. We have enjoyed working on this project immensely.’ -Anwar Quettawala.
Photography: Sayem Ghayur
Designing the interiors for a Head Office at an organisation at the scale of Engro is a project of sufficient substance, that realised, extends influence and relevance to architectural and interior design interventions in corporate spaces in Pakistan.
Engro engaged Anwar Quettawalla and Farhana Abdullah, to design the interior of their Head Office at Harbour Front in Karachi. Anwar and Farhana have been in practice for over eleven years. Both architects started at ArshadShahid Abdullah (ASA) before forming a partnership in 2001that resulted in setting up their own studio space, Surround Design Studio. Described as ‘drawn by their mutual passion for creating innovative designs that were visually appealing but also grounded in practicality.’SurroundDesign Studio has an extensive portfolio architecture and interiors including the United Bank Limited and Habib Bank Limited Training Centre. Their style distinctly follows modern straight and uncluttered lines, but importantly, addresses the layered complexity of eastern cities and culture. Their projects express an architecture that is responsive to form and function at every design consideration, and that explores regionalism in the modern and contemporary.
The Head Offices at Harbour Front have a floor dedicated to Engro Foods, Engro Power Gen, Engro Fertilisers and a shared cafeteria and praying space for employees. Occupying a total of 42,000 square feet; the Engro Head Office benefits from incredible views out to sea, the city and, most excitingly, the demonstrated transition of the city as it meets the sea front: beach and then water.
The Harbour Front building is designed by ASA, as part of Dolmen City.The building plan is triangular in shape and the façade has been finished in cladding as well as concrete finish. It defines the skyline of Karachi and is a monument to progressive building technology and scale in Pakistan.
The client brief was generous in that it did not define the project stylistically or aesthetically, but that it demonstrated a commitment to quality of experience and the comfort and safety of the users. Anwar and Farhana have been conscientious in the internal planning with the intention of ‘maximizing views out, efficiently utilising floor area and incorporating functionality into the selection of architectural materials and elements’. -Farhana Abdullah
The offices are a product of the successful relationship between the client and designer in the making of a project. Engro entrusted the designers with their vision and translation. ‘When clients have this much faith in designers it is truly inspiring. We have enjoyed working on this project immensely.’ -Anwar Quettawala.
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