A high quality headquarters building for one of the Channel Island’s top legal firms.
Ogier is a leading legal services firm and one of the top five private sector employers in Jersey. Ogier House, its St Helier headquarters, is the largest commercial office building in the Channel Islands and sits on the site of an old potato warehouse close to the town harbour. With a long, thin footprint limiting the street frontage, and views in and out restricted to the front and rear elevations, it was a considerable challenge to ensure that sufficient daylight entered the building to make this a usable workplace.
Orms’ design strategy was to punch three large atria through the building. These dominate the internal spaces and act as huge lightwells, bathing all five levels of the building in natural light. Each atrium has its own character and function. The first provides visitors with a dramatic entrance to the building, leading them up a sculptural helical stair into the first floor hospitality suite. The second is more informal in feel, with a large area for staff to relax and enjoy their downtime, while the third has a more private atmosphere, with a library integrated for quiet study. The atria also have an important environmental function, acting as thermal chimneys to naturally ventilate the building. A top-floor café with a large terrace takes advantage of the breathtaking sea views, and the clever use of textures and colour throughout softens the workspaces, creating an unusually fresh environment for a legal company.
A high quality headquarters building for one of the Channel Island’s top legal firms.
Ogier is a leading legal services firm and one of the top five private sector employers in Jersey. Ogier House, its St Helier headquarters, is the largest commercial office building in the Channel Islands and sits on the site of an old potato warehouse close to the town harbour. With a long, thin footprint limiting the street frontage, and views in and out restricted to the front and rear elevations, it was a considerable challenge to ensure that sufficient daylight entered the building to make this a usable workplace.
Orms’ design strategy was to punch three large atria through the building. These dominate the internal spaces and act as huge lightwells, bathing all five levels of the building in natural light. Each atrium has its own character and function. The first provides visitors with a dramatic entrance to the building, leading them up a sculptural helical stair into the first floor hospitality suite. The second is more informal in feel, with a large area for staff to relax and enjoy their downtime, while the third has a more private atmosphere, with a library integrated for quiet study. The atria also have an important environmental function, acting as thermal chimneys to naturally ventilate the building. A top-floor café with a large terrace takes advantage of the breathtaking sea views, and the clever use of textures and colour throughout softens the workspaces, creating an unusually fresh environment for a legal company.