Today we want to discuss a very interesting topic and closely related to the post about graphic elements and signage. It is important to bear in mind that no element within the office is casual or merely decorative. Everything that makes up an office carries a intentionality. Therefore, if we talk about wall decoration It is necessary to understand that it is not an aesthetic element without further function. On the contrary. Office design has found in murals a expression support to communicate their brand values ​​and philosophy, as well as to transmit subliminal messages to their workers.

immersive murals

As we have said, the murals in certain areas of the office, especially in the sociales, have a specific intention: they can refer to the type of activity, to the city where it is located or simply to transport us to another dimension or environment. This is the case of the offices of the design and architecture studio Morphoza, in Romania (photo above). Upon entering, visitors are immersed in a oasis created with colorful and vibrant greenery and elements. A large-scale exotic mural on the front wall is complemented by furniture pieces and tropical décor. In this way, both the visitor and the employees personally experience the importance of immersive effect which is achieved with a good interior design, activity that the company develops and the message that it manages to transmit in its own offices.

In the bottom image, a large trompe l'oeil with the image of an oil platform occupies the entire wall and creates an enveloping optical illusion in this multifunction room of the offices of the oil company Pertamina.

Wall decoration with graffiti

Although it is considered a urban art Recent in the mid-XNUMXth century, the act of "graffiti" walls was already known in ancient Rome (in fact, the term is Latin). This artistic expression has acquired such relevance in recent decades that it has soon become a decorative element in murals inside institutions, cultural centers, building facades, schools... and of course, in Offices. Their inclusion in these work spaces clearly responds to the profile of the worker-client. They are usually technological and design offices (we will rarely find them in a law firm), where the graphite it transmits avant-garde and creativity, an alternative, young and somewhat naughty form of expression.

These two examples demonstrate it: up, offices of Hello Social, a fresh and irreverent Australian social media company, who decided to paint the sturdy pillars with graffiti in the corporate colours, yellow and black. Down, offices of promotion in Ukraine, a company dedicated to digital marketing, where the white tiles of the kitchen were decorated with an elaborate graffiti made with markers. 

wall illustrations

Not far removed from graffiti, the wall illustrations they also play an evocative-provocative role within office spaces. They are often placed in social or gathering spaces, and they are a very practical resource to solve large wall surfaces in substitution of paintings or other ornaments, while at the same time communicate a corporate message.  These designs are usually made by illustrators, designers or artists who later resize the drawing on digital support and print it on paper or vinyl. Other times they are made in real size on the wall, although it is less frequent due to the cost of the intervention. The upper images belong to the same company of real estate, but located in different cities and both give life to two meeting rooms: the first is an illustration of the streets of Broadway, and the second, an intricate drawing of figures in a communicative attitude.

Photographs in office spaces

Since the widespread use of digital photography and large format prints At the end of the XNUMXth century, photography has acquired a stratospheric dimension. The smartphones with high-quality cameras have more recently contributed to its universal and totally democratized use. Its use in the interior design He came to solve many decorative tasks, which were carried out by hand (trompe l'oeil, painting techniques, etc.). Hence it is not surprising that the digital images They have been stellar protagonists of decoration in recent years, being a very effective resource, visually impressive and, above all, cheaper than other materials. The image banks They offer high quality photographs and almost infinite variety. Advertising companies are big fans of decorating with their campaign photos; but also, as in these two examples, solar energy companies (above) or digital printing (below).

Artworks

Over the decades, it has been common for well-positioned companies to invest their dividends in pictorial or sculptural art. In fact, there are famous collections that have been minted in banks and other private companies. In recent years, companies have set their sights on emerging artists who are entrusted with personalized work for their offices, as was done in the past with the guilds of master painters, glaziers or cabinetmakers. A very efficient way to have Original work waiting for time to revalue it. The example of the image is one of these cases: a vibrant mural made by a New York artist, who visually reinterprets the logo of Uppercut, a thriving film and audiovisual company, with offices in New York and Atlanta.

Video walls and giant screens

Closely related to the photographic image, it is worth noting the increasingly frequent presence of large screens and video walls, either by projection or by LED screen. Depending on the type of company and activity, its use will not only be decorative or informative, but will also have real functionality. The advantages of these systems is that you can change the image whenever you want, or keep images in a loop, project videos, movies, advertisements... or access documents, the Internet, etc. It's basically the support par excellence in these new times of the XNUMXst century, where digital natives They believe that a picture is worth a thousand words. These two cases are proof of this: up, a real estate company projects the properties and the environment of its client portfolio; and down, the central offices V.F. Corporation (which includes sportswear brands such as The North Face) constantly projects videos of sports, natural environments and actions and corporate events to inform and create opinion among its employees.

Murals with optical effects

Wall charts that create interesting (and sometimes disturbing) optical effects They are less frequent than illustrations, murals or graffiti, but no less interesting for that. A design of these characteristics can both adequately solve an empty wall, as well as exert a visual stimulus on the visitor or worker. In addition, it reinforces brand image and its activity, as is the case of the offices of Seaweed Microwave, a company dedicated to electronics and systems wireless, who has chosen a concept drawing for your meeting areas: a swarm of lines, which simulate frequency waves and interweave along the wall.

The most admirable thing about all these visual devices is that they can live in one space. No one excludes another.

Photos:  OfficeSnapShot