“A Space Odyssey”
On the one hand the space retains the character of classic Mayfair design: herringbone floors, sculpted molding, textures of wood and stone that convey the trusted, timeless values of traditional banking. On the other it’s as if these elements were swept up in a spaceship and carried to another galaxy of finance. Dani Gelfand O+A’s Design Director on the project says she referred to Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” for inspiration, and the Blockchain spaces do capture a sealed elegance that feels related to that film’s gravity-free environments. Marble desks fitted with mirrored bases seem suspended above the floor. A wood panel installation faces a wall clad in stainless steel. An oculus bathes evening operations in cool spacecraft light.