How do you transform a multi-level carpark into a dynamic workplace? That was the challenge of the Volkswagen Group project.

Volkswagen Group Australia had a vision to transform the iconic Audi Lighthouse building in Sydney into their national Australian headquarters incorporating seven brands including Audi, Ducati, Lamborghini, Volkswagen Passenger Vehicles, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Skoda and Volkswagen Financial services. These brands had different histories and target markets however, they all shared a common DNA and a common objective.

The aim was to create a more efficient working space in line with the change in workplace culture with only 60% of the workforce being in the office at any one time and to introduce a partially agile working environment. From a design perspective, the key was to work within the constraints of the existing building, to tap into the industrial aesthetic, whilst also maximising reuse of furniture and minimising waste where possible.

The brief was to create a holistic space that celebrates individual diversity and collective strength. With sustainability at the forefront and pride in each brand’s history, the design brief was to envision an innovative hub that was welcoming and inclusive, supporting connectivity and collaboration within each team and across the neighbourhoods.

Siren’s design response was to transform these challenges into a design feature, reinterpreting the industrial space, connecting the re-purposed furniture into curated elements, and turning the focus of all seven brand divisions into the one central premise: the joy and beauty of the automotive achieved through use of materials, light, space and moments of joy.

The innovation of the project came in the unique nature of the brief – to transform a multi-level carpark into a dynamic workplace that brought seven different brands/business units together in a way to create a flexible, agile workspace. Sustainability and minimisation of waste underpinned the project and the challenge was how to create a whole new workplace for five different brands while using and repurposing a lot of their existing furniture – all within spaces that were previously a carpark and workshop.

Bringing the different brands and business units together was also a major challenge of the project as this meant that each part of the business had to keep their unique nature and identity, whilst also feeling a part of the whole. Encouraging collaboration and cross-pollination between all areas of the business was a key driver for the design.