- Project: AT Kearney Office
- Architect: IGLO Architects
- Location: Turkey, Istanbul
- Year: 2020
- Area: 200 m2
- Photography: Courtesy of Iglo Architects
A Compact Office Redefined for Flexibility and Comfort
The AT Kearney Office by Iglo Architects transforms a small, irregular space in Istanbul’s Nida Tower into a high-performing, human-centered workplace. Designed for the U.S.-based global consulting firm, the office embraces flexibility, acoustic comfort, and modern elegance—addressing the company’s dynamic workflow and frequent staff rotations.
Led by Architects Zafer Karoğlu and Esen Karoğlu, the design reinterprets a limited 200 m² floorplate into a modular, multi-scenario workspace that merges efficiency with warmth. The result is a space that feels open, adaptive, and distinctly tailored to the culture of collaboration.
Concept & Spatial Strategy
The project was conceived around two principles: interchangeability and human comfort. With the challenge of fitting multiple functions—meeting rooms, seminar zones, a lounge, offices, and technical areas—into a compact, angular plan, Iglo Architects developed a fluid layout anchored by multi-purpose furniture and adaptable partitions.
The plan maximizes circulation flow and daylight, creating smooth transitions between working and social spaces. The design prioritizes acoustics, ergonomics, and transparency, key to ensuring productivity in an environment of constant motion.
Arrival & Reception
Visitors are greeted by a warm, material-rich entrance and library lounge that establishes the tone of understated sophistication. A metal-framed wooden library acts as both a visual divider and acoustic buffer, separating the reception from the operational areas.
Polished wood, bronze mirror details, and illuminated shelving provide an inviting yet professional atmosphere. This layered composition connects spaces through light and reflection while maintaining acoustic separation—transforming the entry into a functional statement of brand identity.
Workspaces & Flexibility
The working area was designed for 17 staff and 5 managers, integrating a variety of spatial types:
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Standing desks and sit-stand workstations to promote movement and ergonomics.
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Acoustic meeting niches and telephone booths for focused conversations.
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Flexible desks and modular furniture adaptable to shifting team structures.
Sound-absorbing materials—felt panels, fabric wall claddings, and shaped acoustic surfaces—enhance speech privacy and reduce reverberation. Adjustable lighting allows the atmosphere to shift from bright task illumination to softer ambient tones, depending on mood or meeting type.
Multi-Scenario Meeting Concept
Meeting spaces form the core of the office’s versatility. Iglo Architects designed a triple-mode configuration:
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Dual meeting rooms for daily client interactions.
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Combined boardroom for up to 18 people, achieved by retracting glass partitions into concealed wall recesses and joining modular tables.
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Seminar layout, where glass walls slide into a custom niche to create an open auditorium-like space, with tables and chairs easily stored.
Walls double as writable whiteboards and projection surfaces, removing the need for curtains or additional screens. This flexibility allows AT Kearney to seamlessly transition between private, collaborative, and event-driven settings.
Acoustic & Lighting Strategy
The acoustic design was critical. Suspended sound-absorbing “clouds” hang from the ceiling across working zones and enclosed offices, eliminating echo and improving concentration. These sculptural elements enhance both function and aesthetics, transforming the ceiling into a feature of design performance.
Lighting was designed as dynamic and adjustable, supporting varied activities—from analytical meetings to informal discussions. Combined with the acoustic and material palette, this creates a sense of calm precision—essential in a consulting environment that thrives on focus.
Materiality & Atmosphere
The palette blends warm woods, bronze metal, fabric panels, and mirror details, producing a tactile, layered interior that balances professionalism with comfort.
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Wood library frames and acoustic partitions add human warmth.
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Metal lattice structures reinforce rhythm and transparency.
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Bronze mirrored accents introduce light play and visual depth.
This refined material orchestration transforms a small office into an elegant, acoustically balanced interior, reflecting both brand prestige and design restraint.
Efficiency & Spatial Logic
Iglo Architects maximized every square meter by integrating storage within circulation zones and embedding acoustic volumes around the building’s shaft core. This compact “island” hosts restrooms, storage, and telephone rooms, wrapped in preformed acoustic shells that unify the composition visually while controlling noise.
Such attention to efficiency turned potentially residual spaces into active architectural elements — a hallmark of the studio’s approach to micro-architecture and corporate design optimization.
A Workspace for a New Corporate Era
AT Kearney Office exemplifies how thoughtful architecture can elevate compact commercial interiors into intelligent, flexible ecosystems. Iglo Architects deliver an office that not only reflects the client’s global identity but also creates a sense of comfort and composure in a high-pressure environment.
Through acoustic intelligence, multifunctional planning, and timeless material expression, the project demonstrates that quality of space outweighs quantity of space — a philosophy increasingly relevant to modern workplace design.
