Steelcase

The former cafeteria space at Steelcase was tucked away in a maze of hallways on the lower floor of the company’s headquarters. The office furniture manufacturer left the space mostly untouched since the facility opened in 1983. Before the major renovations, the space functioned solely as an employee cafeteria, but the renovation and new design direction allows the company to have a working showroom of its products for customers.

The new space connects to the main entryway of the headquarters building with a matte-finish walnut stairway and white honeycomb ceiling styling feature. A casual lounge setting sits just off the stairway, where a concierge is available to help employees reserve rooms or schedule various events. More casual space is available in the “living room” area, which the company stocks with periodicals and books.

The overall Work Café space can fit 263 people and features a 90-space common dining area, five meeting rooms, and three with tele-presence units. An outdoor terrace with a fire pit has seating for 68 people.