Tétris completed the office design for international law firm, Herbert Smith Freehills, located in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The new headquarters for HSF in Rosebank emulate the look and feel steered by the law firm’s London headquarters. A flagship office, natural timbers bring warmth and life to the clean cut glass and whites of the interior.

As clients enter the reception area, they are met with understated luxury where the quality of the high-end finishes reflects the quality of the service that HSF delivers to its clients. The timber panelling on the wall features a partial HSF logo routed in relief into the wood. Metallic elements, including gold in the carpet, weave in the link to the City of Gold, with the warmth of the space continuing in the use of the company’s secondary colour palette of yellows, oranges, purples and pinks.

With staff often spending weeks at a time in the boardrooms, connectivity and comfort were very important, so the understated and practical design fosters collaboration. The services are cleverly integrated into the design, creating a feature in the space.

Timber appears throughout the staff areas and the private offices feature a custom manufactured double glazed timber wall structure that provides the specified DB rating for individual lawyers’ offices, allowing for privacy. The internal glazed walls of the of the offices emulate the faceted window façade of the building, creating a link to the architect’s design.

Designer: Tétris

Photography: Elsa Young

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