OBO Office in Paris, France by Ciguë.

Architecture and design practice ciguë (and one of our faves) has designed the Paris office for creative production company OBO, set in a duplex in the heart of the Marais. Inspired by the meditative simplicity of a monastery, ciguë chose humble, long-lasting materials including solid oak, baked earth and crude steel.

Custom linear timber worktables likened to those formerly found in abbeys punctuate the open plan space on both of two floors. Drawers and cutouts allow for neat and discreet cable organization. Rather than disrupt the flow with solid walls, glass partitions of varying opacity break up the rooms according to the level of privacy required. This also serves to maximize abundant natural light courtesy of full-height street-facing windows.

Providing contrast and interest against the soothing, monastic design, ciguë retained certain ornate features of a Parisian home, namely the ornate entrance with glass double doors flanked by slender full height steel columns. Custom fibreglass shelving reaches from floor to ceiling along an entire wall, allowing for generous and accessible storage.

Related: Conversion Of An Old Printing House Into A Showroom & Offices By Ciguë.

The design was conceived with the flexibility to adapt and evolve over time, serving as an office space today but potentially transforming into housing, should OBO decide to move out in future. In fact, according to ciguë the founder of OBO wears slippers around the office and proclaims to see himself living in the space one day.

An open, stainless steel kitchen adds to the homely feeling, encouraging interaction and socialization in the office. Tiled terracotta flooring further distinguishes the kitchen area from the rest of the timber floor-boarded office. Aligned with OBO’s company culture, ciguë created a non-ostentatious space in the heart of the city, guided by pacifist principles.

See more projects by Ciguë on Yellowtrace here.

[Images courtesy of Ciguë. Photography by Maris Mezulis.]