Mike Zaborski, Principal, Speaks with Propmodo: Office Lobby Design is Going Through an Experimental Phase

Lobbies can be more than transitory spaces, but rather places for social interaction. As remote and hybrid work trends have taken hold, it has pushed office owners and developers to supercharge building features and amenities to encourage tenants to return to the office. Thus, activating lobby and mezzanine areas by adding programming is growing in popularity as owners look to bring a fresh new look and feel to lobby spaces.

“The workplace has always been a place to do business, but what we’ve come to grips with is it’s also a place where you have a social experience,” Mike Zaborski, MdeAS Principal said, adding that younger building tenants, in particular, are demanding more of an experience in these spaces.

When planning a lobby for a building or reimagining an existing one, it doesn’t have to lock you in for life. It’s important to build in flexibility to a design so you can try some things out and see how they work. “In the end, these things are really an experimentation,” Zaborski said.

Short-term pop-ups can be easily tested out within a lobby space. At 200 Park, the Brooklyn-based, woman-founded beer company Talea has a temporary spot in the building’s lobby while restaurant tenants in nearby spaces are turning over. Grab-and-go coffee carts are also brought in on a regular basis featuring different brands. “It’s a very playful time right now,” Zaborski said. “Ownership groups are willing to take calculated risks of creating these experiences on the ground floor.” 

Read the full article from Propmodo.