Dialling-up the Whimsy: Jules Brisson Transforms Trade Magazine’s Paris Office.

Jules Brisson breathes new life into the Paris headquarters of Le Betteravier Français—the trade magazine for the sugar beet industry since 1952. Feeling remote from the beet fields they were writing about, the magazine got the designer and architect on board to shake things up. Occupying part of a 1970s building, Jules orchestrated a metamorphosis in the space that played on the vegetables’ natural whimsy.

“The beet was a real inspiration, from her shape and colour,” Jules explains. “They remind me of the agricultural landscape from my childhood. My grandparents were farmers and this project is a tribute to the agricultural world as well.”

Plutarco's Own Office and HECHO Store in Madrid.

In a characteristic explosion of colours, curtains play a pivotal role in this creative office, effortlessly creating versatile spaces...

Materials, colours and textures have been freely used inside a raw concrete structure that is now left exposed. The floorboards, painted in three distinct colours, reflect the patchwork of open fields. Textile wall coverings, a collaboration with fashion designer Albane Gayet, were adorned with patterns inspired by rural vistas, further blurring the line between office space and countryside.

The playfulness extends to every corner of the office. Mirrors and openings take on organic shapes, partition walls curve like horizons, and desks embody the simplicity of pine trestle tables, reminiscent of rustic workbenches. A tea corner crafted from sheet metal and armoured glass pays homage to farm outbuildings, creating a charming space for a break.

Paper Collective's Copenhagen Showroom & HQ by Nikolai Kotlarczyk.

Set across two frontages in Copenhagen, this interior focuses around an ever-changing exhibition space and a multi-faceted office...

This metamorphosis isn’t just skin-deep with the renovation responding to new work practices adopted by the magazine. Open spaces foster collaboration, and designated areas encourage both formal and informal gatherings. The continuous floor-through design, reminiscent of endless fields, is punctuated by visual connections facilitated by “clouds” and lake-like mirrors.

“The partitions are curved like wheat in the wind, and the door handles feel as firm as a farmer’s handshake…so it really is ‘back to the land’ for the editors,” Jules elaborates. Cheeky, fun and immersive, this new office in the heart of Paris offers a sweet escape from the ordinary.

AD Magazine Office in Madrid by Estudio Reciente.

With bold colours and an agile, open workspace creativity and collaboration flow all while embodying the aesthetics of the magazine...

[Images courtesy of Jules Brisson. Photography by BCDF Studio.]