GlaxoSmithKline US Headquarters

Pentagram’s Michael Gericke and his team have designed a bold program of large-scale environmental graphics for the new US headquarters of GlaxoSmithKline, the global pharmaceuticals and consumer healthcare company. Located in Philadelphia’s Navy Yard, the innovative "smart" workspace is 100 percent mobile—no one has an assigned desk, not even the company president—and the iconic graphics help foster a spirit of connection for a new collaborative way of working.

Gericke, with Associate Don Bilodeau and their team, worked closely with GSK and Francis Cauffman, the building's interior architects, to develop the graphics for the unique, 208,000 sq ft offices. Conceived as a healthy and sustainable headquarters for a company with well being as its focus, the modern, contemporary interiors are open and loft-like, with a series of gathering spaces that include shared work stations, team tables and meeting areas. The headquarters building was designed by Robert A.M. Stern and is the first in Philadelphia and only the sixth in the nation to be certified with LEED Double Platinum status, for both Core & Shell and Commercial Interiors.

The Pentagram team has designed a series of large-scale graphics inspired by the idea of connections, with dot-to-dot networks forming images that convey a dynamic sense of community and suggest collaboration, interaction and creativity.

The collaborative focus extends to the materials. Many of the graphic wall surfaces use magnetic dry-erase wall coverings, so teams can write and post on them during brainstorming sessions. The bold and contemporary colors of the program have been coordinated with the overall palette for the interiors, including the furnishings, interior finishes and wall coverings.

The offices were recently honored with a 2013 International Interior Design Association (IIDA) award.