Gint-M has completed a new office project for Avito’s standalone office accommodated in Saint-Petersburg Plaza business center on Malaya Okhta in the Northern capital. While this is not the first experience of cooperation between the companies, for the first time Avito engaged Gint-M in all design stages, including the design project development. In addition, the company traditionally performed building contractor’s functions.
The new space was rented by Avito at the height of the pandemic, with its employees working remotely for the most part. The company faced the challenge of designing a space that would be relevant in the new corporate reality where the office is a meeting and training center, rather than individual workspace.
With the latter in mind, the client and project team opted for a concept with five differently sized rooms, four of which have a double usage as a classic meeting room and as a classroom for training sessions. The new office also has three areas for informal communication, as well as all the mandatory functionality of a modern office: a cloakroom and a coffee point. The interior is centered on a podium with a lounge area suitable for both relaxation and meetings; the podium also serves as a gravity center. There is a deliberate omission of classic workstations here.

The Client wanted the office design to echo the style of the Bauhaus school and the Constructivist era that implies functionality, minimalism and simplicity. It is known that the followers of Bauhaus did not recognize decor for the sake of decor, actively studying the psycho-physical effects of form, color and materials upon a person instead. In the new Avito office, special emphasis is placed on color, light and tactile textures.An eye-catching feature is the podium which can be considered the energy center of the entire floor. The podium’s flooring imitates the traditional kilim carpets of the Maghreb countries. Glass, wood, eco-leather, and textiles all make the space visually attractive and overendowed without being overwhelming. Large, stylish light fittings are integrated into the office, and there are ceiling diffusers made from translucent fabric in the collaboration zone.
Much attention has been given to IT-equipment: there is equipment for Zoom-meetings, interactive panels and electronic flip charts set up in the premises, in addition to a room booking system and presence monitoring arrangements.Integrated into the interior are sound-absorbing solutions. Acoustic panels in the interior fit-out, poster wall elements as well as carpeting are designed to ensure acoustic comfort within the space.
“The main challenge for us was the fact that we had to develop the design project during that vague period of time when it was basically unclear what office work would be like after the pandemic. What will the white collars expect after they return to the office? What would make employees most productive? The pandemic year seemed to reset all previous office habits, but did not create new ones. Therefore, we joined hands with the Client to grope for ‘new office forms’,” says Artem Panteleev, Chief Commercial Officer Gint-M. “But at the end of the day we came out with an up-to-date office meeting modern-day realities and complying with new work standards.”
“As a guarantee of a successful start of this project, Avito traditionally chose Gint-M as a contractor. At the same time, Avito for the first time used Gint-M at all stages of design, including the design project development and architectural sections of the project. This new format of cooperation fully met the expectations of the customer, opening up new prospects for cooperation between the companies, ”says Lidiya Borzdova, Head of the Administrative Office at KEH eCommerce LLC (Avito).

Avito St. Petersburg 2021

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