Kristina Zanic Consultants has designed a stylish new office space in Dubai for French hospitality group Accor.

The headquarters office for India, Middle East, Africa, and Turkey features a newly refurbished reception and corporate hospitality area that welcomes visitors in a sumptuous style rarely seen in workplaces, and blurs the lines between hospitality and office design.

Accor appointed Kristina Zanic Consultants to help realise its vision for the new space to be an accurate reflection of its brand ethos, and to display the same luxury elements and feel as seen in its exclusive hotels and resorts around the world.

The scope involved the design of a 300sqm area to host meetings with partners, collaborators, and VIP guests for its luxury brands. It included a lift lobby, reception and lounge, spacious conference area with food and beverage facilities, informal meeting space with relaxed social areas, and two lavish guest washrooms.

The new corporate hospitality area reflects the group’s expertise in delivering luxury hotels and gives a taste of the Accor guest experience. Visitors stepping out of the elevator doors are immediately immersed in a sophisticated ambience of sumptuous velvets, natural marble, intricate wall paneling and gold detailing.

The design is inspired by the exclusive Parisian mansions that showcase haute couture collections, and pays homage to extravagant French luxury and timeless character. A colour palette with a black and white base has pops of colour added through rich jewel tones of warm rusts, mustard yellows and midnight blues used in the bespoke lounge-style furniture and carpeting.

Although the dominant style is classic, it also blends in touches of mid-century and contemporary de-sign in the lighting and furniture selections. This is demonstrated further in its eclectic collection of artwork, focusing on style and fashion that adorn the meeting room walls and corridors.

“This was a one-of-a-kind project to work on where we got to translate the luxury hospitality aesthetic into an everyday office space,” said Justin Condon, design director at Kristina Zanic Consultants. “We’ve designed luxury hotels and offices before, but never one that is a perfect blend of both. The challenge was in finding the right balance between creating an experience of luxury hospitality but also delivering on the functionality needed from an office space.”

“Workplaces more than ever are expected to embody a company’s brand and work culture. The standard run-of-the-mill designs are completely out the door today, and are being replaced by highly customised spaces that reflect personality, promote well-being, and enhance collaboration and productivity.