Integrating finance and mass communication to provide financial website services, cnYES is an internet media company characterized by stability images of financial business and innovation features of the media. To highlight the sense of speed as in Wall Street and Silicon Valley, Waterfrom Design selects the element of “time” as the theme complemented by the dual fast pace of swift financial, monetary and cash flow as well as online real time information. Time is to be deconstructed in the space while in unison the space is to be reinvented and interpreted with different time definition through rapidly floating and changing rhythm.

The designer then reassembled deconstructed fragments of a timepiece to create a seemingly scattered yet complete abstract clock, implicating progressiveness and cumulativeness of time, followed by extraction of the stony texture dated back to the Renaissance in the Middle Ages as well as elements of the then precious blue pigments used in religious paintings to unfold the accumulation process of time clearing-up in an implicit and approximate manner.

Gold and blue are picked as the visual keynote to represent the aspiration for wealth and prestige along with knowledge and trust. Wooden freestyle seatings are provided in corridor and lounge room for cozy reading, discussion and relaxation, setting an atmosphere of floating persistence of time in the office. In line with the wise use of space, places for rest and refreshment are created and offered to ease the hustle and bustle. With the addition of feeling and appreciation of space, the seemingly rational time is inspired to take on a new meaning unlike before.

The conference area is segmented with see-through steel parts and glass, creating space hierarchy and enriching visual translucency to remove the demarcation separating space and time. The change of conference area from a small room that seats several participants to a big auditorium that accommodates a hundred participants is made possible thanks to movable partition panels, allowing for a better and more intelligent use of space.

“Time is Money” reflects corporate image and mission. With the employment of stainless steel material, deconstructed elements of a timepiece are reassembled to create the floating of time in rapid economic development during the industrial era. The wall is built with stones that unintentionally imitate those used in medieval castles. The theme of “time” is engaged through such integration of antique and modern elements.

Tables and chairs in the lounge room are integrated with storage cabinets combining practicability and aesthetics in the design. The movable chairs are equipped with storage capacity while the blue rectangle tables, originated and simplified from high back chairs in medieval Europe, presenting an interesting “small chair inside a big chair.” In the hallway, the golden reception desk together with golden yellow floor patterns boost corporate image. Golden color is picked to symbolize wealth, in consistency with the financial media properties of cnYES.

To accommodate different needs, movable partition panels are adopted for fast and efficient change of size from a small room that seats six participants to a big auditorium that accommodates a hundred participants, allowing for a better and more intelligent use of space. Seatings with chair backs dated back to England in 19th Century are provided in corridor for relaxation. The pendulum hanging aside is turned into a lamp not only decorates the passage but infuses the space with time elements.

Both walls of the auditorium and the hallway are covered with bamboo. The black and white paintings of the walls create unique grains and texture to each and form special patterns with the projected light adding translucency, depth and solidness, boosting creativity and dynamicity.

Designed by Nic Lee, Sam Chung, Richard Kuo / Waterfrom Design co. Ltd.
Photography by Sam Tsen