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An Office in Mexico City Highlights Diverse Zones With Color + Lighting

10.23.24 | By
An Office in Mexico City Highlights Diverse Zones With Color + Lighting

Today’s corporate offices blend features of work and home effortlessly, with environments for a range of functions. Corporativo M601, an office in Mexico City by Prototype Architecture Studio, is a multifaceted ecosystem that encourages collaboration and creativity.

The client, a leading shipping company, wanted a hub for both function and recreation. Inspired by all things urban, the space’s orthogonal lines and structures call to mind grid plans. Ductwork and other structural elements are visible, complemented with different hues and strategic illumination. “We love color, and we used it with the lighting, to softly divide the office into zones,” says Miguel Ángel Delgado Pimentel, architect at Prototype Architecture Studio.

Modern office lounge with people sitting and playing pool. Features colorful seating, high-top tables, and industrial ceiling design.

Wood and steel reference traditional industrial components. Ribbed sheet metal placed on interior walls is a nod to the client’s cargo containers, as are the square shapes throughout. Acoustic baffles are reminiscent of horizontal beams commonly used in construction.

Modern office space with exposed ductwork, wooden partitions, colorful seating, and a bar area with stools.

Modern open office space with people interacting, sitting on colorful furniture, and a city view through large windows.

Materials were specifically selected for their interplay with the light, which creates layers of texture and various effects. Focused beams behind glass provide a more expansive, airy feel. When directed on alloy or porcelain, the opacity gives rooms a moodier look, like in the fitness center.

Modern office lounge with seating, pool table, and large glass windows. Two people are present, one sitting and one leaning over the pool table.

Modern office space with people using laptops, sitting on tiered seating. Circular lights hang from the ceiling, and an open area with seating and a bar is visible in the background.

Meeting rooms line the perimeter, with the main conference room awash in the organization’s signature emerald. Other meeting rooms alternate between warm orange, yellow, and red tints. In the game zone, a pool table is surrounded by different styles of seating, in the same vibrant shades. Colleagues can pull up a chair and watch an impromptu match or just take a break during the day.

Modern office interior with a pool table, green chairs, and a long bar-style table with high chairs, surrounded by ambient lighting.

Modern office space with green and beige sofas, a wooden table with colorful chairs, and a green curtain in the background. Overhead lighting is visible, with industrial ceiling design.

Modern office interior with a divided design featuring a lounge with green chairs on one side and a work area with red glass partitions on the other.

Dimly lit modern office space with a linear division. One side features a bar area illuminated in white, and the other a meeting area with red lighting. Minimalist furniture throughout.

In a casual nook, staff members can sit on wood ledges and read or relax. The kitchen is the central gathering point in the office, which doubles as an informal meeting space. This modern take on a galley maximizes all of the available space with cabinets overhead. A long table on casters can be easily moved if it is needed somewhere else within the headquarters. Bar-height chairs in a dusty citron tone add a touch of color, a contrast to the crisp white surfaces.

Modern office space with a glass-walled seating area on the left, featuring chairs and a TV, and a conference room on the right with a long table and white chairs.

A modern conference room with a long table and white chairs, green walls, and a geometric ceiling design.

A dimly lit conference room with a long table and chairs against a green, vertically paneled wall.

Employees not only have meals here, they also convene for small-group sessions. It’s one of the most popular spots because it is near the gaming section – and the buzz of activity. There are always lively conversations happening, yet not too much noise to distract people engaged in their usual tasks.

A person standing in a modern kitchen with white cabinets, a long island with chairs, pendant lights, and a built-in coffee machine.

Minimalist room with a large white grid shelf against a backlit wall. Sparse items, including a vase and books, are placed on the shelves. Dark flooring and a reflective glass wall are visible.

Multifunctionality is key, and each piece performs double or triple duty. The shelves in particular are simple yet effective. They hold books and decorative objects, but have chalkboard and dry-erase panels so that employees can capture ideas as they quickly brainstorm, or just doodle. The integration of color, light, and materials contributes to a modern office that celebrates every style of work and play.

A minimalist room features a backlit, empty white shelving unit with a few scattered books and decorative items.

Dark gym with a row of NordicTrack treadmills, black walls, and ceiling lights creating geometric lines.

Modern bathroom with warm lighting, featuring a white rectangular sink on a marble countertop, a large mirror with wooden paneling, and a partially visible glass shower enclosure.

For more on Prototype Architecture Studio, visit prototypest.mx.

Photography by Zaickz Moz.

Anna Zappia is a New York City-based writer and editor with a passion for textiles, and she can often be found at a fashion exhibit or shopping for more books. Anna writes the Friday Five column, as well as commercial content.