Sberbank Headquarters Atrium

Imagine yourself suspended in mid-air within a vast vertical chamber that rises through multiple levels of a contemporary building, your viewing position elevated perhaps three or four stories above the ground floor, looking slightly downward and across the space to take in the full spatial complexity. The overall impression combines openness and energy, with abundant natural light flooding down from above and warm wood tones creating welcoming atmosphere throughout. Beginning with spatial orientation, the environment organized around a tall central open void or atrium that extends vertically through the building, this hollow core allowing you to see from your elevated position down to the ground floor below and upward to a glazed ceiling structure several levels above. Moving systematically from background to foreground and bottom to top, the ground floor far below appears as a warm honey-colored timber surface populated with clusters of contemporary furnishings in varied colors including bright yellow like fresh lemons, burnt orange resembling autumn leaves, charcoal gray like smooth river stones, and sage green suggesting eucalyptus foliage, these seating arrangements occupied by numerous people engaged in work or conversation, some seated at low tables, others in lounge chairs, their casual distributed placement suggesting an informal collaborative environment rather than rigid desk arrangements. Rising from this active ground plane, the left vertical wall surface hosts a dramatic living wall of vegetation, a dense vertical garden that ascends multiple stories, its color a rich vibrant green like spring forest canopy, the varied leaf shapes and plant types creating irregular organic texture that contrasts sharply with the precision-engineered architectural surfaces, occasional subtle variations in green saturation suggesting depth within the planted surface, the lush three-dimensional quality inviting touch though it remains distant from your viewing position. The right side presents a smoother wall surface in warm neutral white like fresh cream, interrupted by a bold vertical element in saturated red, perhaps crimson or scarlet with the intensity of ripe cherries, this geometric form adding visual punctuation and wayfinding marker. Suspended in the central void hangs the most visually arresting element, a large sculptural installation composed of intersecting angular geometric planes that appear to spiral or rotate around a central axis, portions of this form clad in warm timber matching the floor tones while other facets feature reflective metallic surfaces that catch and scatter light, the overall impression suggesting a three-dimensional crystalline form or abstract origami captured mid-rotation, its apparent defiance of gravity and dynamic twisted configuration generating kinetic energy despite its static suspension. Horizontal balcony levels ring the central void on multiple floors, these circulation platforms extending from the perimeter walls inward toward the central space, their edges defined by transparent glass railings or balustrades that maintain visual openness between levels, allowing occupants on one floor to see colleagues on levels above and below, fostering spatial connectivity and organizational transparency. The balcony undersides and ceiling planes feature linear ribbed textures, narrow parallel channels creating directional surface treatment in pale gray or metallic finish suggesting brushed aluminum, this repetitive linear pattern adding visual rhythm and acoustic absorption. Above everything, the ceiling structure consists of an extensive glazing system organized in geometric grid patterns, rectangular panels framed by structural mullions painted pale gray or white, this transparent roof allowing cool bright daylight to flood downward, its quality diffused and even suggesting either overcast conditions or translucent glazing that softens direct sun, the light having the cool brightness of an overcast winter afternoon or northern exposure. Supplementing this natural illumination, warm artificial lights integrated into ceiling edges and balcony soffits glow with amber warmth like candlelight or incandescent bulbs, approximately 2700 to 3000 degrees Kelvin, their warmth balancing the cooler daylight and ensuring consistent visibility throughout. Temperature associations within the space suggest comfortable controlled environment, the warm wood tones implying the retained warmth of sun-heated timber, the living wall suggesting humidity and the cool freshness of outdoor garden air, the glass and metal elements feeling cool and smooth like polished stone. Textures translate tactilely as varied surfaces inviting different touch sensations: the timber floors and furniture smooth but with subtle grain texture like fine-sanded hardwood, the vegetation soft and yielding with irregular leaf surfaces, the glass railings perfectly smooth and cool, the metal cladding systems having regular ribbed texture creating linear pattern under fingertips, the upholstered seating pieces appearing soft and yielding. The overall environment suggests purposeful activity, the implied sounds of conversation and collaborative work, footsteps on wooden floors, perhaps quiet ambient mechanical systems maintaining comfort, the space feeling neither silent nor loud but actively inhabited with human presence and professional energy while maintaining acoustic control through material absorption preventing harsh echo.

Swiss architecture office Evolution Design in partnership with Russian architecture studio T+T architects has designed a spacious multifunctional atrium at the new corporate headquarters of Sberbank in Moscow. The daylight flooded atrium houses diverse coworking spaces and a coffee bar, with the suspended diamond shaped meeting room being the focal point of the internal courtyard. The mirror reflections, glazed internal façade and the use of plants add the sense of spaciousness and continuity.