Pistachio-green features serve as a connecting thread throughout the contemporary office space for the real estate agency Fantastic Frank, designed by the innovative Swedish studio ASKA. This design not only reflects the agency’s branding but also enhances the narrative of space through careful consideration of its history and character.
The office occupies a 160-square-metre unit that once hosted a variety of businesses. ASKA embraced the existing quirks and transformations of this space instead of creating a conventional layout. Their approach was to preserve its unique features while also uniting the space into three distinct but cohesive areas, linked by the signature pistachio-green accents.
### A Layout That Tells a Story
Rather than organizing the office around traditional functions like meeting rooms or individual workspaces, ASKA chose to curate each area based on its own atmosphere and identity. Polina Sandström, the founder of ASKA, explained, “This approach resonates with the essence of Fantastic Frank, which is all about capturing the character and story of different spaces.”
Sandström is a firm believer that to imbue a newly renovated office with personality, one must look beyond superficial decorations. “You have to dig deeper,” she asserts. This philosophy shines through in their meticulous design choices that reveal the nuances of the space’s original architecture.
### The Gallery: An Exhibition Space
Upon entering the office, visitors step into The Gallery—a pair of rooms that evoke the feel of an exhibition space. Items are displayed as if they were artworks; copies of Fantastic Frank’s in-house journal are meticulously arranged on wall-mounted shelves, while large photographs of properties hang suspended from adjustable ceiling tracks.
Custom-made glass doors with green borders create a seamless transition between the gallery spaces. These elements were among the few new aspects introduced by ASKA, who made a conscious effort to retain many of the building’s pre-existing features. The process, as Sandström articulates, felt like “peeling an onion,” where they gradually uncovered and accentuated the inherent qualities of the space.
### Restoring Historic Elements
A significant discovery during the renovation was the original industrial timber floor, which the design team restored to highlight its beauty. By painting the frames of the large arched windows in a green hue, ASKA intensified the visual connection between different rooms, drawing attention to former divisions and leveraging the building’s layered history.
William Wikström, another architect at ASKA, noted the importance of these design decisions: “We preserved level differences between rooms, emphasizing them with green accents that align with the tops of the stairs.” This strategy not only honors the building’s past but also incorporates it beautifully into a modern workspace.
### The Atelier: A Creative Hub
The Atelier area consists of two rooms: one inspired by a sewing studio that once occupied the space and center pieced by a “craft” table. This table, repurposed from Fantastic Frank’s previous office, was given a glossy green finish, reinforcing the design’s color theme.
The adjoining kitchen retains its original lower cabinets crafted from stainless steel, while the previously existing upper cabinets have been transformed with a fresh green repaint and new chunky handles. These hardware choices elegantly nod to the blocky font of Fantastic Frank’s logo, which was updated in line with the firm’s rebranding efforts.
### A Cohesive Visual Identity
This careful correspondence between visual identity and physical space is critical. Sandström explains, “The ambition is not to reproduce an identity one to one, but to create a spatial experience that feels unmistakably connected to it.” Various shades of green not only reflect the agency’s rebranding but also create a warm atmosphere throughout the office.
### The Antiquariat: A Relaxed Retreat
Culminating the office experience is The Antiquariat, designed to serve as a tranquil contrast to the more dynamic exhibition spaces. This room features wooden furniture, a green chequered rug, and a cozy bookshelf—elements that nurture a homely ambiance perfect for quieter moments and contemplation.
### Innovative Design for Unique Brands
ASKA’s design acumen isn’t limited to Fantastic Frank. The studio also designed a showroom for the skincare brand Lumene, creating an interior inspired by an “abstracted landscape” filled with nature-derived features.
The photography throughout the office captures the unique blend of history and modernity that defines this space, showcasing ASKA’s talent for transforming environments into impactful experiences.
This design narrative not only enriches the Fantastic Frank office but also reflects a broader theme: that spaces can inherently tell stories, enhanced by thoughtful architecture that honors their past while embracing contemporary living.