Our Projects

Brief
In September 2009, Catlin Group Limited appointed Artillery to carry out of a feasibility study on a 129,000sq ft. premises at 20 Gracechurch Street.
Following the completion and subsequent outcome of this report, Catlin appointed Artillery in November 2009 to design their new offices in the City of London. Located in close proximity to Lloyd’s and upholding a strong market presence, ten floors within an Art Deco-inspired building presented a myriad of opportunities and challenges for our design team and over a period of ten months the interior has been transformed to play host to some 1,000+ Catlin employees and visitors.

Design
Through a series of client consultations, the overarching design intent for the project emerged as a celebration of Catlin’s core values within an architectural context. It seemed fitting that Catlin’s statement red line would underwrite the ambitious transformation of an existing building in varying modes and manifestations. Although not always immediately obvious to the eye, the wayfinding red line is represented in both subtle and bold iterations – most notably as a giant red perspex ribbon which folds in on itself above the central reception area and a celebrity styled red carpet catwalk lit by a glossy white ceiling punctured with lights.

Catlin’s brand identity and the workings of their business pointed to the need for a physical rendering of their core values, such as accountability and transparency, to create spaces which encourage face-to-face communication and collaboration. Landmarks - both decorative and, or functional, lend visibility to the elements which drive the business and participate in the ‘open theatre’ of the workplace.

The establishment of a new office environment was equally seen as an opportunity for Catlin to evolve its service offering to support the growing demands of a modern day clientele. Whilst retaining its traditional roots as a point of immense pride, a futuristic focus led to an evaluation on how and where business would be conducted. On the seventh floor, the sculptural curve of the café to experience an array of culinary delights. The cafe provides an alternative venue for brokers’ to do business at their leisure whilst sipping on some of the best coffee the City has to offer.

A shared view on corporate and social responsibility resulted in a mutual commitment between Artillery and Catlin to utilise materials which met with the highest environmental standards. The VC suites have been specifically designed to facilitate a transparent mode for external engagement and negate the need for executives to undertake excessive travel. From the outset of the project, clear priorities were agreed and bench marked in order to provide environmentally sensitive solutions to all aspects of the fit-out – technology, resourcing, supplier and workforce requirements. It was imperative to Catlin that their headquarters should meet with BREEAM and LEED standards, using ethically sourced and environmentally friendly materials. Moreover, particular attention was paid to the incorporation of an energy, water and waste minimisation programme.