ZIKZAK Office Cyprus

This core is the existing kitchen. The team integrated the old utility area into the new office space. The kitchen door has disappeared into the thickness of the walnut veneer, transforming into a concealed panel with no visible handle or frame. It has become the detail that everyone’s eye is drawn to first upon entering the space. The glazing and new ceiling have flooded the room with light from all sides. The Cypriot sun streams into the open space through a continuous strip of windows fitted with horizontal blinds, whilst beyond the glass unfolds a panorama of rooftops, palm trees and — in the far corner, where the lounge area is situated — the sea on the horizon. The roof has given the project a stunning view from the window.

The layout consists of a carefully orchestrated sequence of spaces. Upon entering, guests are greeted by a marble reception desk. To the right and left are offices for one and two staff members respectively, a meeting room for six people, and two enclosed booths for private calls. Further back is a large open-plan area with twelve workstations, set against panoramic glazing. And at the opposite end, where the summer kitchen once stood, there is now a fully-fledged dining and lounge area with a table for eight, a bar counter and comfortable sofas overlooking the sea.

Instead of the usual suspended ceiling, the team designed a system of light boxes — a diagonal grid of wooden beams with illuminated diamond-shaped lightbox panels between them. The geometry is angular and irregular; the beams intersect at various angles, creating the effect of soft, diffused light pouring down from above without a single visible light fitting. This motif runs through the reception area, meeting room, lounge and dining area, uniting rooms with different functions under a single visual theme. In the openspace the ceiling design changes: here, linear LED lights suspended above the workstations dominate. This is simpler and more functional, as concentration is required in this area.

The imposing reception desk is carved from burgundy-red marble with cream and ochre veining. The stone resembles a painting; each slab is unique, and the light from the concealed lighting gives the texture a glow, as if from within. Behind the desk is a wall of walnut veneer, its panels separated by a thin brass edging around the perimeter of each element. Hidden within this wall, with no hint of a door, lies the rest of the room’s history — the former old kitchen. Red marble is integrated further throughout the space: in the recesses for appliances, in the burgundy-coloured backlit panels above the workstations, and in the worktops of the executive offices, where stone is a status symbol that physically distinguishes the CEO’s office from the rest of the office.

Furniture for ‘wow’ zones – reception areas, lounges and transitional spaces – comprises rounded bouclé armchairs with flowing shapes, low wooden tables and sand-coloured sofa sets. In the meeting room, the focal point is a cluster of pendant lights with spherical elements in felt and glass, which soften the austerity of the surrounding wooden panelling. The flooring has been differentiated by function: a textured carpet in the offices and open-plan area provides acoustic comfort, whilst in public areas the flooring has been kept cooler and more neutral, emphasising the contrast between work zones and areas for meetings and relaxation. Heavy drapes in the private offices add a tactile element, privacy and acoustic comfort.

What was once a technical annex that nobody ever saw has become the most memorable part of the entire building. We did not erase the traces of the past: the kitchen remains in place, but is now concealed behind a wall that can only be opened if you know where to look. The office, devoid of logos and corporate branding, has an identity crafted from marble, walnut veneer, diffused light and the Cypriot sky visible through the glass.