One of the world’s leading travel companies, Travelfusion was ready to execute the next stage of its growth strategy – including a visual reimagining of its brand within 70 St Mary Axe. Moshe Rafia, CEO of Travelfusion wanted to create a non-corporate, youthful and buzzy atmosphere, to realise this vision, Moshe enlisted the help of Project Manager Elli Vardy and Modus Workspace. In order to create a space to reflect Travelfusion’s progressive culture, Elli and Modus balanced two themes – travel (of course!) and the Memphis design movement. Balancing the two elements to ultimately create a space to impress was a fun but challenging task.

The patterned ceramic tiles, angular wall prints, striking printed fabrics and luxurious terrazzo-effect flooring all owe their inclusion to the Memphis revival. The kitsch breakout area furniture underpins the theme without tarnishing the space’s contemporary edge, while a suitably varied colour scheme pervades through the space.

In addition to Elli and the designers, Modus’s graphic design team played in a key role in achieving Moshe’s vision. To reflect the travel theme, they created arrow graphics for the concrete flooring – simultaneously creating a circulation route between different areas of the office and giving the impression of a tarmac airport runway. Wayfinding wall signs were also created with icons to accompany the circulation route, inspired by authentic British Airport Authority signage.

As Travelfusion values communication and teamwork, Moshe wanted the design to imbue a buzzing atmosphere and support collaboration. To achieve this, Modus opted for an expansive open-plan layout combined with multiple meeting rooms. The shared desks foster a team-led, egalitarian environment, while the meetings rooms offer extra spaces for private conversations and creative collaboration.

Interestingly, another key aspect of the layout design was its direction to the sun. Instead of designing the layout in line with the existing floorplate, Modus shifted the perspective by creating a space that faces true north – an innovative design decision that reflects Travelfusion’s progressive ethos and brings the bold, colourful Memphis aesthetic to life.