AD Consulting

Cafeteria Redevelopment, Coca-Cola Headquarters, Ikoyi

The second Coca-Cola commission followed soon after the success of the first – the redevelopment of the company’s cafeteria which had metamorphosed into the chauffeurs’ lounge. Health, safety, and environmental issues loomed ahead. Despite the fact that the company’s global policy mandated that all staff without exception eat all their meals in the cafeteria, compliance was ineffectual. The success of this project depended on my understanding of architectural psychology, as well as the socio-cultural context. Therefore, the different behavioural patterns of the human resources were crafted into the design of the space, including the various levels of interaction that each group of people could desire at lunchtime. Some would want to bond over their meals, so cosy banquettes were designed for them; while those who only wanted to grab a bite while working on their laptops had high perches where they could sit with their backs to the rest of the space. Those who had been sitting in the centre of the space watching football (the chauffeurs) would revert to the position they were accustomed to and the seats in the centre served them well.  The art installations and lighting system accentuated the design and the colour spectrum adopted was the iconic Coca-Cola red. The rejected cafeteria became another firm staff favourite, and compliance was effected; the Gesamtkunstwerk approach solved the problem. It also became the venue for the first town-hall meeting by the company’s incoming Managing Director, who declared his delight with the space in warm and glowing terms.