UAE Government Office by Agata Kurzela Studio

When tasked with retrofitting an existing space for UAE government offices, little did Agata Kurzela Studio know their initially simple brief would grow into a multifaceted, complex new project that embraced tradition, culture, and contemporary office working.

Located on the top floor of a heritage building in Abu Dhabi, the original brief called for an open workspace, private offices and meeting rooms. That said, the project quickly increased three-fold to include several flexible working areas, a boardroom, a library, prayer rooms, a hot decking zone and phone booths. The fluctuating occupancy within the government office was largely determined by the varying numbers of external consultants. Agata Kurzela Studio explained how they needed to scale up their design to allow the new office spaces to grow and contract with the business.

“The complexity of the original space had unexpected benefits”, note the designers. Harnessing multiple entry points, visiting dignitaries are guided to boardrooms via the main entrance, travelling through an exhibition area. Consultants can be welcomed in the workshop area without disturbing employees in the open office space.

Placing a new steel volume in the heart of the space became a crucial gesture in Agata Kurzela Studio scheme. “The bold sculptural element creates a beacon that signals the entrance and brings order to the multiple geometries of the existing building,” said the design team.

This was also a key move in their ability to design upwards. “Once the ambitions of the Government Office outgrew the available space, we expanded vertically,” explains the team. Resembling the moving staircases at Hogwarts, the interconnected stairs lead to what Agata Kurzela refers to as “functional platforms” spanning three levels. The designers conducted multiple studies to curate each of the platforms and the journeys to them via each stair.

Above the centrally placed steel volume, a series of split stairs lead to an exhibition level, a meeting lounge and a male prayer room. Built out of a suspended metal chain curtain, the sheer box that forms the prayer room is both ephemeral and light.

Agata Kurzela Government Office Abu Dhabi Photo Sebastian Bottcher Yellowtrace 10

Proportions were key for Agata Kurzela Studio. “The imposing steel cube conceals a lady’s prayer room and an office and is echoed by a smaller cube perched on its top, proportioned to be half the size and half the opacity,” said the team. “This beacon brings order to multiple competing volumes.”

Across the perimeter of the main floor, flexible wall systems connect the central volume with the building’s heritage facade, allowing users to rearrange open workspaces to be either more collaborative or private. Agata Kurzela Studio shared that their client’s key guiding principle was “to focus on people and be grounded by human values.” This principle placed people at the centre of the design, resulting in a series of user-centric and culturally responsive spaces.