Contract Magazine: Bold and Buzzy, May 2010
Download Article (.pdf)Digitas Health may sound like the name of aha-hum healthcare clinic,but KlingStubbins made sure the Philadelphia advertising firm looks the part of urban cool.
What would the design love child of Betsy Johnson and Philippe Starck look like? The answer may be tucked onto the top two floors of the old Wanamaker's department store in Philadelphia. That's the home of Digitas Health, an advertising firm that brings the temperature of cool down a few degrees, thanks to a design by KlingStubbins. "We have to try harder to create a hip, buzzy atmosphere: insists Alexandra von Plato, chief creative officer at Digitas Health. "We are not in Seattle working on Nike or in Newv York working on automobiles, but we are just as dynamic and energetic, and we want our office to reflect that: The company's old space on Rittenhouse Square towed that line. When it was time to move, von Plato wanted to bring that sense of excitement and surprise along for the ride. Richard Mark, design principal at KlingStubbins, recalls the moment he got the design brief. "They wanted a mix of industrial, Baroque, and mid-century design: he says. "The challenge was exciting-so exciting I started hyperventilating: Once the initial panic subsided, the designers answered with a clean, vibrant design that wows from the minute one steps off the elevator. The lobby features a bank of digital projectors that show a kinetic montage of in-house-created content ranging from video loops of vintage television programs to underwater environments. The video presentation makes even more sense considering that Digitas specializes in healthcare marketing with a strong digital bent. Its employees are mostly 20-something, laid back, Generation Y-ers, who are comfortable with technology and holistically blend their work, personal, and creative lives.
Some of this multitasking energy is captured in the cafe space. When it is not being used fer food service, the cafe is the town square of the office. Employees gather to work and eat here. Clients can drop by and use the space at their leisure. A stage area lends a venue for music performances. While some may argue that the café is an extravagance of space, von Plato counters that square foot by square foot it's the most productive area of the office. "If people are bringing their lunch back and socializing, they are also brainstorming and working: she says. Above it all hangs a chandelier by artist Warren Muller. This piece of art was hard won. "People were always asking me, What the heck is up with that chandelier;" recalls von Plato. "I insisted that the space needed a quirky, surprising conversation starter: The chandelier fits that bill and then some. Sparkling and playful, the piece sets the tone for the office and lends that demanded wow factor.
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