A design signature for a technology giant
In the heart of Shanghai, Philips has one of its strategic innovation centres. For the outdoor spaces of its Chinese headquarters, the Dutch brand made a choice that was both understated and demanding: entrust the fitting out of its terraces to Vondom. The approach is summed up in two words, simplicity and modernity, which echo Philips's own visual identity.
The project reflects a trend we see at the most advanced office sites: taking work beyond its walls and creating quality outdoor spaces where teams can take a breath, talk, and even hold an informal meeting.
A terrace designed for employees
The interior architects' brief was clear: create a contemporary rest area that could host an individual coffee break as easily as a professional discussion between several people. This dual function, lounge and open-air meeting room, calls for versatile furniture that stands up to repeated use.
Shanghai's climate, with its humid summers and sharp winters, also demands materials built to last outdoors. Vondom furniture, made from rotomoulded polyethylene in Beneixída, meets this requirement without any aesthetic compromise.
Hidra and Mari-Sol, two Eugeni Quitllet signatures
Two pieces were chosen for this terrace, both designed by Eugeni Quitllet. First the Hidra chair, whose graphic silhouette evokes a shell sculpted from the material. The Catalan designer likes to talk about "revealed silhouettes", as if the form already existed within the material and he were merely uncovering it.
It is paired with tables from the Mari-Sol collection, by the same designer. The base of the Mari-Sol is instantly recognisable: a stylised fragment of sun that brings a touch of controlled whimsy to an otherwise very controlled professional environment.
Eugeni Quitllet's vocabulary
Born in Ibiza in 1972 and trained at La Llotja in Barcelona, Eugeni Quitllet has established himself as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Spanish design. His formal vocabulary plays with fullness and emptiness, gesture and restraint. The Hidra and Mari-Sol pieces illustrate this grammar perfectly: silhouettes that are both playful and rigorous.
For a demanding corporate environment like Philips's, this vocabulary is valuable. It adds character without tipping into extravagance, and marks the place without overloading it. The furniture becomes part of the company's language, just like signage or architectural choices.
Spanish design at the service of business
Philips's choice of Vondom for its Chinese headquarters reflects a wider trend we see among large accounts: designer outdoor furniture arriving in office spaces. Far from generic garden furniture, these collections bring a strong visual signature that can say something about the company's culture.
At Verano Design, we regularly support workspace projects of this kind. Vondom furniture, with its durability, its range of colours and the consistency of its catalogue, is in our view one of the most relevant answers to this type of challenge. Philips Shanghai is clear proof of it.
